Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appeared in Selma, Alabama today to give speeches recognizing "Bloody Sunday." Bloody Sunday is described in this way:
"On March 7, 1965, 600 marchers gathered outside of Brown Chapel and set out for Montgomery by way of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Acting on orders from Governor George Wallace, Alabama state troopers stood in their pathway and ordered them to turn around. The marchers were then met with billy clubs, tear gas, and bullwhips and were trampled by horses. The attack was televised, and by the time of the second march two days later, whites and blacks from other parts of the country had joined in their struggle. Restrained by a court order, King led them to the bridge, prayed and turned around."
It led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act by Congress.
Senator Barack Obama was invited to give the keynote speech at a service honoring the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, joining Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and other veterans of the civil rights movement in marking the historic event. But not to be oudone, Senator Clinton arranged to speak at almost the same time as Senator Obama, but at a different church.
Who came out on top? Well, since C-SPAN covered all of Senator Obama's speech and only part of Senator Clinton's speech, you've got to score that round to Obama. But I saw both speeches and while Obama's still the more passionate speaker, Senator Clinton gave the best speech I've heard from her. The one problem is that she reads, where Obama talks, looking down a scant few times and only for a fraction of a second.
He spends more time talking and less time reading. He connects.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Marriage Becoming An Act Of America's Wealthy and Educated - Blame The Economy
That news comes from the Washington Post , which states...
"Punctuating a fundamental change in American family life, married couples with children now occupy fewer than one in every four households -- a share that has been slashed in half since 1960 and is the lowest ever recorded by the census.
As marriage with children becomes an exception rather than the norm, social scientists say it is also becoming the self-selected province of the college-educated and the affluent. The working class and the poor, meanwhile, increasingly steer away from marriage, while living together and bearing children out of wedlock."
The article also points to the decline in economic prosperty since World War II. But the basic problem is the overall decline in manufacturing jobs, which have fallen from just over 20 million in 1979 to about 14 million in 2004. That's a loss of 6 million jobs. And many of those jobs were taken by people who didn't have masters degrees or college degrees for that matter, but they were good, well-paying gigs. It used to be that one person could make enough money to feed a family, but that's no longer true. It takes two. It's hard to have time to raise a family and work at the same time. Something's got to give.
Marriage, sadly.
"Punctuating a fundamental change in American family life, married couples with children now occupy fewer than one in every four households -- a share that has been slashed in half since 1960 and is the lowest ever recorded by the census.
As marriage with children becomes an exception rather than the norm, social scientists say it is also becoming the self-selected province of the college-educated and the affluent. The working class and the poor, meanwhile, increasingly steer away from marriage, while living together and bearing children out of wedlock."
The article also points to the decline in economic prosperty since World War II. But the basic problem is the overall decline in manufacturing jobs, which have fallen from just over 20 million in 1979 to about 14 million in 2004. That's a loss of 6 million jobs. And many of those jobs were taken by people who didn't have masters degrees or college degrees for that matter, but they were good, well-paying gigs. It used to be that one person could make enough money to feed a family, but that's no longer true. It takes two. It's hard to have time to raise a family and work at the same time. Something's got to give.
Marriage, sadly.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Glenn Beck's Sexually Suggestive TV Remark To Dina Sansing Of US Weekly Example Of Stupidity In Action
If' you've not seen this video clip, take a look. It's TV pundit -- or whatever he is -- Glenn Beck asking Dina Sansing to come over and let him take pictures of her nude. Or..
"Dina, I've got some time and a camera. Why don't you stop by?"
He was trying to be funny, but it didn't come off well at all. In fact, it sounded like he went as far as the edge and decided "what the hell, I'll say it anyway" and came off looking like a total idiot. Much of this because of her "I can't believe he said that" reaction. "To The People" think's Beck's going to be fired over this.
But also -- to Glenn's defense -- it sounds like she was kind of kidding with him, seeing how far he would take it. Well, she got her answer.
Here's the video:
"Dina, I've got some time and a camera. Why don't you stop by?"
He was trying to be funny, but it didn't come off well at all. In fact, it sounded like he went as far as the edge and decided "what the hell, I'll say it anyway" and came off looking like a total idiot. Much of this because of her "I can't believe he said that" reaction. "To The People" think's Beck's going to be fired over this.
But also -- to Glenn's defense -- it sounds like she was kind of kidding with him, seeing how far he would take it. Well, she got her answer.
Here's the video:
Jerricho Cotchery rewarded
Cotchery rewarded-See My end notes
Tom Rock-Newsday
Negotiating a good deal on a car might be more strenuous than the back-and-forth that led to yesterday's announcement that the Jets had signed wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a long-term extension.
"It was an easy process," said Cotchery, coming off a breakout season in 2006, his third year in the NFL. "I wasn't expecting them to come to me a year early, but they did and it was very easy. It was a number that I wanted. It had to be fair for both sides and it ended up being [that]."
The deal, a five-year extension believed to be worth about $4 million per season, came on the eve of the free- agency period and a full year before Cotchery would have been able to test the market for his value. Instead, the 24-year-old decided he was comfortable with the Jets and coach Eric Mangini - under whose watch he was given his greatest opportunities as a pro and started all 17 games last season - and wanted to stay put.
"This is the organization that drafted me and I wanted to be loyal to them and I want to finish my career here," Cotchery said. "I feel like the other teams, if they had wanted me when I was coming out for the draft, they would have drafted me. This time around they won't have a second chance to get me.
"I love the Jets and they've shown me tons of love."
Cotchery becomes the second young Jet to flourish under Mangini and be rewarded with a contract extension. Linebacker Bryan Thomas received a five-year extension during the season.
Cotchery made 82 catches for 961 yards and six touchdowns in 2006, but Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum said it wasn't just statistics that led to the long-term commitment. "Jerricho Cotchery is the type of player we are looking for here," Tannenbaum said.
The deal almost certainly means that Justin McCareins, who was bumped from the starting lineup in favor of Cotchery and is due to earn almost $3 million in 2007, will not be with the Jets when the season begins. They will likely look to trade McCareins before training camp.
Watching Jerricho this year was a pretty sight. he was all over the field with great routes and sure hands.
Here's hoping he stays healthy enough to earn every penny of his new Contract!
Tom Rock-Newsday
Negotiating a good deal on a car might be more strenuous than the back-and-forth that led to yesterday's announcement that the Jets had signed wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a long-term extension.
"It was an easy process," said Cotchery, coming off a breakout season in 2006, his third year in the NFL. "I wasn't expecting them to come to me a year early, but they did and it was very easy. It was a number that I wanted. It had to be fair for both sides and it ended up being [that]."
The deal, a five-year extension believed to be worth about $4 million per season, came on the eve of the free- agency period and a full year before Cotchery would have been able to test the market for his value. Instead, the 24-year-old decided he was comfortable with the Jets and coach Eric Mangini - under whose watch he was given his greatest opportunities as a pro and started all 17 games last season - and wanted to stay put.
"This is the organization that drafted me and I wanted to be loyal to them and I want to finish my career here," Cotchery said. "I feel like the other teams, if they had wanted me when I was coming out for the draft, they would have drafted me. This time around they won't have a second chance to get me.
"I love the Jets and they've shown me tons of love."
Cotchery becomes the second young Jet to flourish under Mangini and be rewarded with a contract extension. Linebacker Bryan Thomas received a five-year extension during the season.
Cotchery made 82 catches for 961 yards and six touchdowns in 2006, but Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum said it wasn't just statistics that led to the long-term commitment. "Jerricho Cotchery is the type of player we are looking for here," Tannenbaum said.
The deal almost certainly means that Justin McCareins, who was bumped from the starting lineup in favor of Cotchery and is due to earn almost $3 million in 2007, will not be with the Jets when the season begins. They will likely look to trade McCareins before training camp.
Watching Jerricho this year was a pretty sight. he was all over the field with great routes and sure hands.
Here's hoping he stays healthy enough to earn every penny of his new Contract!
Giants Keep C O'Hara
Signing center was no snap-See My End comment
Reese keeps O'Hara after tough negotiation, giving him five-year deal that stabilizes O-line
BY ARTHUR STAPLE-Newsday
The Giants went down to the free-agency period wire but signed center Shaun O'Hara last night. O'Hara's agent, Tony Agnone, had a face-to-face meeting with general manager Jerry Reese yesterday and the two sides inched together to keep O'Hara, signing him to a five-year deal worth $19 million, with $7.5 million guaranteed, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
O'Hara had been offered a five-year deal worth roughly a million less, but it was a million less guaranteed money. After the Cowboys signed their center, Andre Gurode, to a six-year, $30-million deal with a $10-million signing bonus, O'Hara's demands went up.
Two people familiar with the team's decision-making process said cutting tackle Luke Petitgout last month was solely Reese's idea, and that Tom Coughlin was steadfastly against it. Reese then decided to take a tough stance in negotiations with O'Hara, who'll be 30 June 23.
But the team decided to keep the rest of the offensive line intact. The Giants were believed to have about $20 million in salary-cap room heading into today's start of free agency, but it may be only about half that. If so, O'Hara's contract leaves them with little room to throw big money at the few high-profile free agents available.
The Giants have decided to let kicker Jay Feely go to free agency. He'll have interest from the Dolphins, Cowboys and Falcons and should command a long-term deal. The Giants are interested in giving undrafted free agent Josh Huston, whom they signed in January, a shot at the job.
With O'Hara back, Coughlin needs to do far less shuffling of bodies. David Diehl could be the left tackle next season, or the Giants could pursue Cardinals left tackle Leonard Davis, who will command a big contract. Reese is said to be a fan of Guy Whimper, a fourth-round pick last year who didn't play a down.
The Giants are hosting former Colt Dominic Rhodes today, the first free agent to visit. Rhodes, 28, ran for 113 yards in the Super Bowl, and has expressed a desire to be a complementary rusher instead of a No. 1 back.
This was Probably the Single most important re-signing of the off Season for the Giants. Without O'Hara, Eli Manning would have spent considerable time on his back next season. Now they only need to replace Luke Pettitgout.
Reese keeps O'Hara after tough negotiation, giving him five-year deal that stabilizes O-line
BY ARTHUR STAPLE-Newsday
The Giants went down to the free-agency period wire but signed center Shaun O'Hara last night. O'Hara's agent, Tony Agnone, had a face-to-face meeting with general manager Jerry Reese yesterday and the two sides inched together to keep O'Hara, signing him to a five-year deal worth $19 million, with $7.5 million guaranteed, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
O'Hara had been offered a five-year deal worth roughly a million less, but it was a million less guaranteed money. After the Cowboys signed their center, Andre Gurode, to a six-year, $30-million deal with a $10-million signing bonus, O'Hara's demands went up.
Two people familiar with the team's decision-making process said cutting tackle Luke Petitgout last month was solely Reese's idea, and that Tom Coughlin was steadfastly against it. Reese then decided to take a tough stance in negotiations with O'Hara, who'll be 30 June 23.
But the team decided to keep the rest of the offensive line intact. The Giants were believed to have about $20 million in salary-cap room heading into today's start of free agency, but it may be only about half that. If so, O'Hara's contract leaves them with little room to throw big money at the few high-profile free agents available.
The Giants have decided to let kicker Jay Feely go to free agency. He'll have interest from the Dolphins, Cowboys and Falcons and should command a long-term deal. The Giants are interested in giving undrafted free agent Josh Huston, whom they signed in January, a shot at the job.
With O'Hara back, Coughlin needs to do far less shuffling of bodies. David Diehl could be the left tackle next season, or the Giants could pursue Cardinals left tackle Leonard Davis, who will command a big contract. Reese is said to be a fan of Guy Whimper, a fourth-round pick last year who didn't play a down.
The Giants are hosting former Colt Dominic Rhodes today, the first free agent to visit. Rhodes, 28, ran for 113 yards in the Super Bowl, and has expressed a desire to be a complementary rusher instead of a No. 1 back.
This was Probably the Single most important re-signing of the off Season for the Giants. Without O'Hara, Eli Manning would have spent considerable time on his back next season. Now they only need to replace Luke Pettitgout.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Big Apple Bullies Tiny Paul O'Brien, A Blogger Who Posted iPone GUI
Yep. Apple. Never happy with any aspect of its environment it can't control, took its giant foot and stepped on a small blogger this week. Paul O'Brien dared to -- well, he didn't know it was going to be a problem if he posted an image of Apple's iPhone in a converted version for Pocket PC users. All he did..well here's the story:
Apple legal throw their weight around...
Sat, 13/01/2007 - 08:58 — Paul
Can you believe it... yesterday, in this topic, I posted a link to a post on XDA-Developers, where an enterprising member had created a Pocket PC today screen to mimic the Apple iPhone.
It's worth pointing out I just posted a link and a screenshot... NOT the actual files required to DO the installation.
Well, this morning in my mailbox I find a letter from Apple's legal team (O̢۪Melveny & Myers LLP, San Francisco) entitled 'Unauthorized Dissemination of Apple Computer Copyrighted Material by MoDaCo' demanding I remove the said link and the screenshot. Crazy or what? Unfortunately the mail was marked 'NOT FOR POSTING', exactly how bound I am by that i'm not sure.
A bit excessive IMHO... and although I can accept that they can get upset over the screenshot, can they really demand I remove the link too? :-S
Female Gamers Have More Sex - Trendhunter
Again from Trendhunter , this very interesting tidbit about the sex appetites of women who play video games.
A study has proven that women who play video games also have more active sex lives. This is very good news for men who are addicted to gaming. Now they just need to tear themselves away from their XBox systems to meet those ladies and everyone will be happy!
It’s official – women who play video games have sex more often! Gametart, the UK’s largest online games rental company, carried out the survey throughout January to see how the recent influx of the likes of Pink PSPs and DS Lites would affect gamers’ sex lives across the country. Of our sample of 200 women, those who played video games on average had sex 4.3 times a week while those who didn’t play games only had sex just 3.2 times a week. Perhaps even more promising for gamers is the fact that many of the women that we interviewed who have only recently started playing games said that they now have sex more often than before.
Study Shows That Women Feel Empty After Casual Sex
I ran accross this article from the website "Trendhunter" and I do think it rings true just from my personal experience. Many women I meet in the SF Bay Area seem to maintain such a lifestyle, rejecting really good relationships for the thrill of the moment. But then -- as they age -- they find themselves unfulfilled.
Read:
In a world of freedom and choices, naysayers rapping on the dangers of casual sex are not received with open arms. However, studies are showing that casual sex is not all that it’s cracked up to be for young women. In fact, they are often left emotionally and physically empty and they may in fact lead to long term problems that involve an inability to form strong, emotional bonds or to love and trust a life partner.
WHEN Laura Sessions Stepp warned of the potentially damaging effects of “hooking up” in a new book, some people scoffed — particularly those who believe they were unscathed by their own unfettered years of casual sex. In “Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both” (Riverhead), Ms. Sessions Stepp, a Washington Post reporter, writes about how smart, ambitious young women do emotional damage to themselves by getting physical — making out to having sex — with men they are not dating or may have met for the first time. This culture of sexual aggression, she said, often leaves young women physically and emotionally unsatisfied. It leads them to gamble with their health. And by never taking the time to get to know and care about one man, she said, young women may be rendering themselves incapable of forging stable, loving relationships. (nytimes)
Ellen DeGeneres Gives Martin Scorsese A Script At The Academy Awards
This is absolutely funny. I don't know if it was staged or spontaineous, but it made me laugh out loud.
After Months Of Delays Chicago Bears Give Lovie Smith 4-Year, 22-Million Contract
The very deserving Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith got a new 4-year, 22-million contract. More details below:
By The Associated Press
Mar 1, 2007 (AP)— The Chicago Bears decided Lovie Smith was the right coach to lead the team into the next decade with hopefully a few more Super Bowl appearances.
A week after Smith's agent said negotiations were so stalled the coach would probably leave after the 2007 season, the Bears signed Smith to a four-year contract extension through 2011 on Wednesday.
The lowest-paid coach in the NFL last season at $1.35 million when he led the Bears to the Super Bowl, Smith's deal will average about $4.7 million per season over five years. He'll make $22 million in new money and the total value of the five years is $23.45 million, the Chicago Tribune reported. Smith was scheduled to make $1.45 million this season in the final year of his initial four-year contract.
The deal was announced by the team Wednesday night, as was an extension through 2013 for general manager Jerry Angelo.
Smith, the 2005 NFL coach of the year, led the Bears to a 15-4 record and their first NFC championship in more than two decades last season before they lost 29-17 to Indianapolis in the Super Bowl.
By The Associated Press
Mar 1, 2007 (AP)— The Chicago Bears decided Lovie Smith was the right coach to lead the team into the next decade with hopefully a few more Super Bowl appearances.
A week after Smith's agent said negotiations were so stalled the coach would probably leave after the 2007 season, the Bears signed Smith to a four-year contract extension through 2011 on Wednesday.
The lowest-paid coach in the NFL last season at $1.35 million when he led the Bears to the Super Bowl, Smith's deal will average about $4.7 million per season over five years. He'll make $22 million in new money and the total value of the five years is $23.45 million, the Chicago Tribune reported. Smith was scheduled to make $1.45 million this season in the final year of his initial four-year contract.
The deal was announced by the team Wednesday night, as was an extension through 2013 for general manager Jerry Angelo.
Smith, the 2005 NFL coach of the year, led the Bears to a 15-4 record and their first NFC championship in more than two decades last season before they lost 29-17 to Indianapolis in the Super Bowl.
Antonetta Barba - American Idol Star-In-Waiting Has An Exhibitionist Side
It's the hot topic on Technorati and yet another example of how sex and sexual images rule the Internet. Antonetta Barba, an American Idol contestant and favorite, is the subject and image of scores of sexy photos all over the Internet, from blogs to main reporting agencies, to Google itself, she's the Topic De Jour.
But will these photos hurt her chances on American Idol. Nope. I'll bet just the oppostite. The Paris Hilton Rules lives on!
Pacman Faces Obstruction Charges
Pacman' Faces Obstruction Charges
By Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones is scheduled to appear in court in Georgia later this month on obstruction charges from an incident with police last year, The Tennessean reported Wednesday night.
Jones, who has been staying with family and friends near his hometown of Atlanta, was recently accused of being involved in a fight at a Las Vegas strip club that ended in the shootings of two bouncers and a customer. Police have not named any suspects in the case and no one has been charged.
Now Jones is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Fayetteville, Ga., on subpoenas for felony and misdemeanor obstruction of justice charges for an incident outside a home in February 2006, The Tennessean reported on its Web site Wednesday night. Jones owns a home in Fayetteville.
"One of our officers was involved in a traffic stop with him, and after Pacman and others ran into a home, there was a physical altercation between him and the officer, and he was involved in that. He was arrested for that," Police Chief Steve Heaton told the newspaper.
It wasn't immediately known why the charges weren't filed earlier.
The Tennessean also reported that Jones was arrested and charged with marijuana possession in the same county a month later, but the charges were later dismissed.
Worrick Robinson, one of Jones' attorneys, declined comment to the newspaper Wednesday night. Phone messages left late Wednesday night at the offices of Robinson and Atlanta attorney Manny Arora weren't immediately returned.
Mike Pruitt of the Georgia county's Drug Task Force said marijuana was found in two rooms of a home belonging to Jones by officers executing a search warrant. When Jones drove up to the home, Pruitt said he smelled marijuana coming from Jones' car.
"I asked him why his (Corvette) smelled so bad and he said, `We were smoking it on the way down here from Nashville,'" Pruitt told the newspaper. "Personally, I think the NFL needs to change its drug policy because (players) basically know they are going to get drug tested.
"I asked him, `Why do you want to throw your career away for a bunch of marijuana junk?' He said, `I know when I am going to get drug tested, so I quit doing it.' It's just crazy."
Pruitt said he did not know the marijuana charges were dismissed.
The alleged obstruction occurred one night in February when Jones and friends were sitting in a car outside a house around 1 a.m., Heaton said. Police had been monitoring the area for burglaries and when they approached the car there was a verbal confrontation. Jones wasn't suspected of being involved in any burglaries.
"The verbal altercation led to a physical confrontation and they ran into a home they were sitting outside of. We had to run in and get them and there was a physical confrontation with Pacman and he was charged with the felony obstruction," Heaton said. "We had to get physical with him and he got physical with us."
Including the most recently reported Georgia incidents, there have been 10 times Jones has been in trouble and the police have been involved. He has been arrested four times. Charges from a Nashville nightclub incident in July 2005 were dismissed in March 2006. A judge dismissed a simple assault charge for spitting on a woman on Feb. 1.
The Titans have said they are monitoring Jones' legal troubles, but have refused to comment on any of the allegations.
By Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones is scheduled to appear in court in Georgia later this month on obstruction charges from an incident with police last year, The Tennessean reported Wednesday night.
Jones, who has been staying with family and friends near his hometown of Atlanta, was recently accused of being involved in a fight at a Las Vegas strip club that ended in the shootings of two bouncers and a customer. Police have not named any suspects in the case and no one has been charged.
Now Jones is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Fayetteville, Ga., on subpoenas for felony and misdemeanor obstruction of justice charges for an incident outside a home in February 2006, The Tennessean reported on its Web site Wednesday night. Jones owns a home in Fayetteville.
"One of our officers was involved in a traffic stop with him, and after Pacman and others ran into a home, there was a physical altercation between him and the officer, and he was involved in that. He was arrested for that," Police Chief Steve Heaton told the newspaper.
It wasn't immediately known why the charges weren't filed earlier.
The Tennessean also reported that Jones was arrested and charged with marijuana possession in the same county a month later, but the charges were later dismissed.
Worrick Robinson, one of Jones' attorneys, declined comment to the newspaper Wednesday night. Phone messages left late Wednesday night at the offices of Robinson and Atlanta attorney Manny Arora weren't immediately returned.
Mike Pruitt of the Georgia county's Drug Task Force said marijuana was found in two rooms of a home belonging to Jones by officers executing a search warrant. When Jones drove up to the home, Pruitt said he smelled marijuana coming from Jones' car.
"I asked him why his (Corvette) smelled so bad and he said, `We were smoking it on the way down here from Nashville,'" Pruitt told the newspaper. "Personally, I think the NFL needs to change its drug policy because (players) basically know they are going to get drug tested.
"I asked him, `Why do you want to throw your career away for a bunch of marijuana junk?' He said, `I know when I am going to get drug tested, so I quit doing it.' It's just crazy."
Pruitt said he did not know the marijuana charges were dismissed.
The alleged obstruction occurred one night in February when Jones and friends were sitting in a car outside a house around 1 a.m., Heaton said. Police had been monitoring the area for burglaries and when they approached the car there was a verbal confrontation. Jones wasn't suspected of being involved in any burglaries.
"The verbal altercation led to a physical confrontation and they ran into a home they were sitting outside of. We had to run in and get them and there was a physical confrontation with Pacman and he was charged with the felony obstruction," Heaton said. "We had to get physical with him and he got physical with us."
Including the most recently reported Georgia incidents, there have been 10 times Jones has been in trouble and the police have been involved. He has been arrested four times. Charges from a Nashville nightclub incident in July 2005 were dismissed in March 2006. A judge dismissed a simple assault charge for spitting on a woman on Feb. 1.
The Titans have said they are monitoring Jones' legal troubles, but have refused to comment on any of the allegations.
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