Ann Coulter - Say She's Part Of A Sick Joke - Admits Bigotry Is Wrong

Political Pundit and all around bomb-thrower Ann Coulter posted this on her site yesterday:

Dear Readers,
I've been participating in a charade for nearly eleven years, now. Quite frankly, I'm sick of it. You have all been a part of a sick joke that I began considering shortly after first getting on the air. At first, it was quite interesting to see how people would react when I would use twisted logic and poorly masked bigotry.

But eleven years is a long time to be living a fake life, and I can no longer tolerate this falsity. Even someone as fake as I tires out eventually.

Here's the truth, I don't care what people believe. Jews don't need to be "made perfect" as I so arrogantly proclaimed to Editor & Publisher not a half week ago.



I don't even care if people are Muslim. Granted, I don't know much about the religion or the people, but they are people. This is something that we cannot forget, they are in an abhorrent situation. These people are in need of education. Perhaps if we did not participate in causing them misery, they would not hate us so.

In fact, does it really matter whether we are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, or even Pagan? We are one nation. One. We should not let petty differences separate us, we are all American, and should act in that manner.

And with that, my precious viewers, I bid you adieu. My career as a media figurehead is over.

Signed,

Ann Coulter

That was posted on her site. It's too bad it was not her writing. (Or that's what they say -- it could have been a publicity stunt. ) It's said that her site was "hacked" but I'd like to know by who. I'd like to congratulate them.

Chambers headed to Chargers in trade with Dolphins

Smart move by the Chargers to strengthen their porous receiving core. As for the woeful Dolphins, they lose their primary target on offense and will have a difficult time replacing stabilizing what is a volatile offense.

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers acquired wide receiver Chris Chambers from the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday in exchange for a 2008 second-round draft pick.

The Chargers have been without No. 1 wide receiver Eric Parker since June and needed to bolster their passing game.

"We are very excited to add Chris to our team," San Diego General Manager A.J. Smith told chargers.com. "He brings a wealth of experience and outstanding production. He is an extremely talented football player and we have held him in high regard throughout his career."

Chambers has 31 receptions for 415 yards and no touchdowns this season. He was a second-round choice by Miami in 2001 and enjoyed his best season in 2005, when he made 82 catches for 1,118 yards and 11 scores.

Chambers is signed through 2009.

"This trade will give some of our younger players at that position, such as Ted Ginn and Derek Hagan, more of an opportunity this year," Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller said in a statement. "Chris did everything we asked of him and represented this organization in a first-class manner. We wish him and his family the best of luck in San Diego."

To make room for Chambers on the active roster, the Chargers placed Parker on the Injured Reserved List. Parker had not played this season while recovering from August surgery to repair a cracked bone near his right big toe he injured during June minicamp. The Chargers originally expected Parker to be out up to 10 weeks.

The trade suggests the Dolphins are looking to the future following an 0-6 start, which matches the worst in franchise history.

The Dolphins are in their first season under Cam Cameron, the former offensive coordinator of the Chargers.

San Diego (3-3) has its bye this Sunday. Miami plays unbeaten New England.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Trade - Michael Bennett from Kansas City Chiefs To Tampa Bay Buccaneers

From ESPN.com

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have acquired seventh-year veteran tailback Michael Bennett from the Kansas City Chiefs.The Chiefs received an undisclosed draft pick in the trade.

"We believe that the addition of Michael Bennett will strengthen our running back position," Bucs general manager Bruce Allen said in a statement.
Although Bennett does not fit the model of the kind of running back that the club had been attempting to add in trade talks over the past week, the swap provides the Bucs a veteran back who was a starter in the league early in his career, and who was named to the 2002 Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,296 yards that season.

"It really caught me off-guard," Bennett told the Kansas City Star. "I heard the speculation for the past few days, but nobody from the Chiefs said anything to me, so I guessed it wasn't going to happen. I was wrong. It's a business. It's just one of those things that happen.

The departure of Bennett from the Chiefs could mean that Kansas City tailback Priest Holmes, who hasn't played in two years because of a neck condition, is ready to return to the practice field. Holmes is on the non-football injury list, and players on that reserve list are eligible to start practicing again on Tuesday, by league rule.

Kansas City coach Herm Edwards told local reporters Monday that Holmes would rejoin the team when it practiced on Wednesday in preparation for this week's game. Many felt that Holmes would retire in the offseason, but he surprised even Chiefs officials by reporting to training camp this summer.

"He's been here," Edwards said of Holmes. "I've been talking to him, about every other day or so. We talk about where he's at, how he's doing, what we're thinking. He knows what I expect and I know where he's at right now."

If Holmes does resume practice this week, the Chiefs, by NFL rule, would have a three-week window in which to evaluate him.

Tampa Bay has been beset by injuries in its backfield. The team lost veteran fullback Mike Alstott in the preseason and starting tailback Carnell "Cadillac" Williams suffered a torn patella tendon three weeks ago that ended his 2007 season. Most recently, Michael Pittman, who replaced Williams as the starter, sustained an ankle injury that could sideline him for two months, according to club officials.

Veteran free agent Zack Crockett was signed last week by the Bucs, but he is more of a short-yardage specialist. Tampa Bay, which is tied for the lead in the NFC South, used fourth-year veteran Earnest Graham as the starter last week, but he rushed for only 29 yards in the team's victory over the Tennessee Titans.

With the resurgent Bucs sensing a chance to steal the division, particularly given the struggles of the defending NFC South champion New Orleans Saints, many in the league felt that Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen would try hard to add a veteran tailback before the Tuesday 4 p.m. trade deadline. Allen was rebuffed in his attempts to acquire fourth-year veteran Mewelde Moore from the Minnesota Vikings, but was active in discussions on several fronts the past few days.

A Bucs officials said late Monday afternoon that the team was definitely pursuing a back and hoped to make a deal. Asked specifically about Bennett, who was being shopped by the Chiefs, the official noted that the club was looking for more of a physical runner. A former Olympic sprint candidate, Bennett is more noted for his speed than his power. But the Bucs almost had to make a move given their situation, and Bennett was the best option.

Bennett was the first-round pick of the Vikings in the 2001 draft. The former Wisconsin standout played his first five seasons in Minnesota (2001-2005), then signed with New Orleans to be the backup to Deuce McAllister in 2006. But the Saints then selected Reggie Bush in the 2006 draft, making Bennett expendable, and he was dealt to Kansas City last summer to fill the Chiefs' need for a backup to Larry Johnson.

He played sparingly in 2006, as Johnson established a league record with 416 carries. This season, Bennett carried 20 times for 52 yards and no touchdowns and had 10 receptions for 47 yards and no scores.

For his career, Bennett has 769 rushes for 3,426 yards and 12 touchdowns and 145 catches for 1,164 yards and five touchdowns. Since rushing for 1,296 yards in 2002, he has never gained more than 500 yards on the ground. Bennett has appeared in 81 games. He is in the final year of his contract, with a base salary of $1.2 million, and Tampa Bay will now be responsible for the prorated portion of that.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL reporter for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

"Seven Days" Barack Obama Letter Makes Zennie Abraham Famous In Vermont

Seven Days, the alternative weekly of Vermont, published my letter to the editor, which I wrote in response to an article on Barack Obama's fundraising efforts out there. This is what I wrote and Seven Days posted:

THE NOVEL PRIZE
I’m responding to your article on Senator Barack Obama’s fundraiser [“Obama’s Vermont Appearance Raises Hopes — and More Than $250,000,” August 15] . . . and the idea that some of your readers express of the “novelty of a minority candidate.”

First: Being President of the United States means understanding that, at times, the military is an option that must be employed, but only intelligently. Senator Obama knows this. Second: Senator Obama is running to be President of the United States, which means he’s working for all of us.

Some people are so fixated on skin color they can’t see logic or fact. Logic tells us to vote for the best candidate, period. And the fact is that Senator Obama comes from a black father and a white mother. Big deal! The reason why Barack Obama is so popular is for reasons unique to who he is as an individual. Intelligent Americans know this, and there are a lot of us.
Zennie Abraham, Jr.
OAKLAND, CA

Abraham recently visited Vermont on business.

Brady Quinn's Private Big Bus

PA140019
Originally uploaded by GearBoxTy

Apparently you can always tell when Brady Quinn comes to town because he's got this huge-ass bus. Have you ever seen a player with wheels like this? I haven't.

Google Acquires Jaiku, But What Are They Gonna Do With It?

Jaiku's like Twitter but a bit more flexible, they say. Still what's Google doing to do with a less popular version of Twitter? We'll see. To me, the idea is not to take over, but what you do after the take over that matters.

Hillary Clinton Is "Two-Faced" To National Black Chamber Of Commerce - Clinton Voted Against Bill To Help Blacks With AIDS

Is Hillary Clinton Flip-Flopping Blacks?

Hillary Clinton's painted as two-faced to African Americans.

In a letter that was totally ignored by the mainstream media, Harry Alford, President of The National Black Chamber of Commerce, wrote directly to Senator Hillary Clinton that he was "stunned" that she appeared at Howard University for a debate before an African American audience acting as the champion of approving funding for HIV / AIDS treatment in low income Black communities, when she herself voted against a bill that would have improved monies and help for HIV / AIDS treatment in those same communities.

This is the letter Mr. Alford wrote below. It's a hell of a damning read:

July 11, 2007

The Honorable Hillary Clinton
United States Senate
428 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Clinton:

I watched the June 28th Democratic presidential candidates’ debate at Howard University with great interest, and in particular I wanted to address your comments about HIV/AIDS.

I found it interesting that you chose a presidential debate, held before a largely African American audience, to speak out on the fact that HIV/AIDS funding does not fairly reach African Americans with HIV. I only wish you had voted the same way last year in the United States Senate, when we really needed you.

In fact, as was reported in the Washington Post on August 23, 2006, you led the effort to gut provisions in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 (S. 2823) which would have fixed the increasingly unfair and outdated formulas that hurt African Americans, particularly in the rural South. The bipartisan remedy to this problem, which would have ensured funding would follow the caseload instead of short-changing African Americans, had been supported by 19 of the 20 Senators on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee – and you were the lone “no” vote.
I was stunned to see you, less than a year later, performing before a black audience as if you had led the fight for these changes instead of being the lone warrior against them. Indeed, due to your efforts, these desperately needed remedies had to be cut from the bill or you would not have allowed the Ryan White program to be renewed.

African Americans have overtaken every other ethnic group to become the face of HIV/AIDS in America, and we all have a duty to ensure that every black American living with HIV/AIDS has equal access to the care and support services needed from the federal Ryan White CARE Act to stay healthy and stay alive.

I am glad that at least now, unlike last year, you recognize that women of color in the South are 26 times more likely to be HIV-positive than white females. But thanks to your determined fight against reforms last year, a large portion of Ryan White CARE Act funding is still set aside for large metropolitan areas, and most of the states in the South will never qualify for it. African Americans make up 19% of the South’s population, but accounted for over 60% of all new AIDS cases in 2003. Eight southern states have had to treat the same number of people with HIV/AIDS as other states which have gotten more funding under the outdated formulas. You blocked the changes we needed to fix that.

In fact, as Congressional action dragged on without resolution last year, three people died in South Carolina among some 300 HIV/AIDS patients sitting on an AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting list at the time because the state’s Ryan White funding had once again run out too early.

It is distressing to see the person who single-handedly defeated the most recent effort to get equitable HIV/AIDS funding formulas for African Americans appear today as if she is their greatest champion. Sadly, our community has seen far too much pandering in presidential campaigns and far too little getting delivered that will make a difference for all of us, no matter where we live.

African Americans with HIV/AIDS need visionary leaders with innovative ideas. We need someone who will finally win the fight to make health care funding follow the need in this country, instead of leaving entire communities out in the cold. We don’t need ever-changing candidates who know how to pander, but don’t know how to lead.

I respectfully ask that you bolster your newfound enthusiasm for correcting the growing disparities in HIV/AIDS funding by actively working to undo the damage of your efforts last year. If you’re truly seeking to lead, please introduce new legislation that would ensure that the Title I funding formulas in the Ryan White CARE Act follow the HIV/AIDS caseload with no more unfair set-asides and end the injustice that has cost lives and harmed the nation’s integrity.

Sincerely,

Harry Alford
President/CEO

cc: The Honorable Barack Obama

With all of this, one wonders why Senator Clinton gets as much support from the Black community as she does. Perhaps it's because people -- in general -- just don't know what's going on.

Barack Obama - The Journal Of Blacks In Higher Education Endorses Obama For President

The Journal Of Blacks In Higher Education Endorses Obama For President and in so doing Theodore Cross, representing The Journal, wrote an article that calls into question Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's genuine commitment to African Americans.

If you read it, it's damning of Clinton, for example..

In her campaign to lock up black support, there are no qualms about playing the race card. Senator Clinton scored with black voters when she declared in a June debate at Howard University that the country would be more worried about HIV/AIDS if the disease were disproportionately affecting whites instead of blacks. The powerful political impact of her statement was not diminished by the circumstance that her facts were incorrect. The annual federal budget for HIV research is $3 billion. This is more than the nation’s entire appropriation for research on either heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or breast cancer. But Clinton’s assertion that racism drives white-controlled government decisions on the allocations of disease research stoked anti-white anger and won her acclaim among black voters.

And if that's not enough, there's this....

Probably no one at the Howard University event, black or white, was aware of the fact that in August 2006 Hillary Clinton was the only one of 20 senators of the Republican-controlled Senate Health, Education, and Labor Committee to vote to gut a plan that would have redirected more AIDS funds to heavily black communities in the South. Her vote prompted the National Black Chamber of Commerce to publish full-page newspaper advertisements denouncing Clinton as being “two-faced” on the issue.

And Cross points to Senator Obama's more clearly defined set of urban policies:

Here in more detail are the Obama proposals as outlined in his campaign position paper:

• Increased funding for the Community Development Block Grant program which provides housing, job training, and other services to impoverished urban areas.

• A $1 billion, five-year expansion in job and career training programs for low-income Americans.

• The creation of a series of “Promise Neighborhoods” across America patterned after the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City. Low-income families in these promise neighborhoods will be offered parent counseling, childcare, job training, healthcare, financial advice, afterschool programs, technology training and other services to help them escape the cycle of poverty.

• An expansion of the Head Start program for preschool children in high-poverty areas.

• An increase in the maximum Pell Grant award for low-income college students.

• Expansion of the Nurse-Family Partnership where nurses visit low-income expectant mothers at home to ensure that they receive proper prenatal care.

• An increase in the earned income tax credit which will allow low-income working families to keep more of the money they earn.

• A proposal to increase funding for the Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program so that low-income workers can get to their jobs at a reduced cost and the children of these workers can receive free public transportation to childcare facilities.

• The establishment of an affordable housing trust fund that will produce 14,000 new units of affordable housing for low-income families each year.

• Increased access to capital for blacks and other minorities through Small Business Administration programs.

• Job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities for people who have been incarcerated. Since blacks are five times as likely as whites to have been in prison, these programs will disproportionately benefit African Americans.

• To further raise the minimum wage rate and the child tax credit.

Makes one wonder why Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums endorsed Clinton over Obama! Oh, I forgot, Clinton made a promise to Dellums! Excuse me!

Geez!

I could go on, but you should read what Cross has put together. It's a doozy!

CNN / YouTube Debate Question - "Brownie" And The Presidential Cabinet

This is one o the more popular questions at Community Counts, to my surprise!

Bauer's SF Limo's Green Initiative - Blog Action Day

On Blog Action Day, we are all concerned about the environment. But the real heroes are those people and organizations that have actually made and effort to "Go Green."

Bauer's Transportation is one of those heroes.

On it's website, Bauer's explains...

What is Bauer's iCars division? -- As Limousine Digest "Operator of the Year", Bauer's has continually addressed the need to be an industry leader in looking to the future. Because of it's large fleet of over 120 vehicles, Bauer's takes its environmental impact very seriously and has always been conscientious in working with corporate America to provide solutions.

The Hybrid sedans are only one of many vehicles in the fleet that are environmentally friendly:
Bauer's has been in the clean air business since 1999 with its airport shuttle fleet of electric buses.
Bauer's partnered in 2005 with Google to add an additional 33 bio-diesel shuttles to the fleet to service Google employees.
Bauer's is the first limousine company to team up with community partners to address clean air issues with it's park enhancement initiative. A portion of every dollar goes back into local community park efforts to continue the Bauer's legacy of corporate responsibility.

The RX 400H SUV is the third generation of Lexus hybrids, which works by seamlessly integrating a gas engine, an electric motor and a high-powered battery. The battery provides power for the electric motor and is recharged by recapturing energy that would normally be lost when decelerating or coasting. This recapturing of energy is called regenerative braking. If needed, power from the hybrid's gas engine can be diverted to recharge the battery as well. Because of these charging strategies, hybrid cars never need to be plugged in.

But Bauer's is so serious about this initiative, it's President even owns a Lexus Hyrbid!

Nice work for the environment. To learn more, call Bauer's at 1-800-LIMO-OUT

Blog Action Day Is Today

This is the day where we're supposed to write something on the environment. Many blogger can make a big difference. I love it. Here' a look at the traffic for this effort.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Target Of Assassination Plot On Trip To Iran

From Aljazeera's english version

Putin to visit Iran despite threats

Putin is travelling to Iran for a summit of leaders from the five states around the Caspian Sea [AFP]
Russian special services have confirmed they received intelligence about a plot against President Vladimir Putin.

Citing an unnamed security service source, Interfax had reported on Sunday that Putin had been warned by his special services of a possible assassination plot during his visit to Tehran this week.

"The competent authorities are actively working with foreign partners on the information received yesterday about a terrorist threat in relation to Russia's head of state," the source was quoted on Monday as saying by RIA, Itar-Tass and Interfax news agencies in virtually identical reports.

Putin said he would not call off his trip but he acknowledged the intelligence reports, adding that the security services "must do their work".

"Of course I am going to Iran," Putin told a news conference after talks with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor.

"If you react to various threats and recommendations of the security services, then you should sit at home".

Iran denial

But Tehran has described as "totally baseless" the report, which said Russian security services had been told suicide bombers and kidnappers were training to kill or capture Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president is travelling to Tehran to attend a summit of the five states that surround the Caspian Sea, and Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, said this would go ahead as planned.

"Reports published by some media are totally baseless and are in line with the psychological war launched by enemies who want to harm Iran and Russia's relationship," Hosseini said.

Putin is the first Kremlin leader to travel to Iran since Josef Stalin, the former Soviet leader, attended a wartime summit with Winston Churchill, former British prime minister, and Franklin Roosevelt, former US president, in 1943.