Who'll Save the Lions Now

Who'll Save the Lions Now

November 9, 2008

By Slavica Milosevska for Football Reporters Online

After signing a two year contract to the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, Dante Culpepper emerged from a short retirement at 31 years of age for an attempt to get today's statistically worst team of the NFL back on their feet.

Culpepper has expressed optimism in the team's potential and hoped to help bring their first victory, but only a miracle could help the Lions. “I can't say that I'm going to be the guy who changes everything, but I want to be the guy that helps," stated Culpepper. "No one person in football wins or loses the game."

The Lions were leading 7-3 at the end of the first quarter, but by half-time, the Jacksonville Jaguars gained the lead 24-7. In the fourth quarter, the Lions finally scored for the second time, and it ended the same way as it consistently has. The Lions lost 38-14.

The Lions rank 27th on offense, last in defense and are the only winless team this season. In 2001, the Lions lost their first 12 games and could very well make a new NFL record as the first 0-16 team.

On November 16th, the Lions will visit the Carolina Panthers who defeated the Oakland Raiders Sunday 17-6, are currently 7-2 and will be 8-2 after next Sunday's game.

(ed. Note-Culpepper split time with Drew Stanton: he was 5-10 for 104 yards while Stanton was 6-8 for 99 yards)

Giants hang on for win in Philly

Giants hang on for win in Philly
By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Managing Partner Football Reporters Online

There is no doubt in my mind that the New York Giants left everything they had on Lincoln Financial Field tonight. Could it have gone any better for Coach Tom Coughlin and the Big Blue? It could have, but they will take the 36-31 win on the road to raise their record tom 8-1.

Just as the Giants fought hard tonight, so did the Eagles. After Eli Manning threw an early interception, Desean Jackson scored the opening points of the game on a direct snap and 11 yard rush to the pylon. However, New York scored the next 17 points to carry a 10 point lead into the second quarter. Most of the first half was a pitched battle between the two teams defenses. After Philly scored off another Giants turnover (a fumble by Brandon Jacobs), New York got another score to end the first half on the second of John Carney’s 3 Field Goals, bringing the half to a close at 20-17.

Both teams got tougher on defense in the third quarter, trading TD’s to bring the score to 27-24, but you could sense that something was going to give on way or another. After the Giants stretched the lead back to 6 with Carney’s third field goal, the Giants forced the Eagles into a 3 and out. On the ensuing Punt return Dominik Hixon took it to The Yard for a 73 yard TD, but due to a holding penalty, the score was nullified. With the Giants starting the the Philly 40 yard line, they were still in a good position to get a score, and they did just under 3 minutes later with the Brandon Jacobs TD. With the score at 36-24 The Eagles drove down the field one more time to score and close the gap to 36-31, but a final drive would be stopped by a Giants defense that has given up little this season.

Held in check for most of the night again, Plaxico Burress managed only one catch for a 17 Yard TD early in the Game. Kevin Boss had 6 catches for 69 yards and a TD, and Armani Toomer had 5 catches for 53 yards. Jacobs was the big offensive star for New York, with 22 carries for 126 yards and 2 TD’s. The Giants face the Baltimore Ravens next, a team which always seems to Give NY fits. Yet, the Saga continues….

Oui, nous pouvons!

Inspired by Obama's ascendancy as President Elect of the U.S.A , the French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy joined leading French figures to say it's time to stamp out racism and shake up a white elitism that smacks of colonial times.

"Our prejudices are insidious."

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

A manifesto written by Yazid Sabeg, a self-made millionaire whose parents were Algerian immigrants to France was signed by politicians from the left and right and other public figures. It urges steps to turn long-held French ideals of equality into reality for blacks, Arabs and other alienated minorities.

"We shouldn't be surprised that Obama's popularity is so high here: It testifies to the aspirations of all the children of France who are experiencing by proxy a recognition that France does not give them..."

Yazid Sabeg

Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy said her status as first lady prevented her signing Saberg's manifesto, but expressed total support. Born in Italy, France's first lady cites her husband's ethnically mixed background as a sign France is open to change, though Saberg has been critical of President Sarkozy's previous efforts to bring changes to minority neighborhoods.

Less than one week after his election as the 44th President of the U.S.A., Barack Obama's ethnicity begins to figure in not only world-wide perception of political reality in the U.S., but also precipitates the potential for real change on another continent. His candor about skin color has already elevated the conversations everywhere about not-like-me-ism. No doubt there are many who will resist embracing a "color-blind" approach as long as they can, but in a modern world where travel and immigration are frequent realities the era of elitism based on ancestry and/or skin color is surely coming to an overdue end.

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Executive Order: Facilitation of a Presidential Transition

President Bush has inacted an estimated 200 "Executive Orders" where a President can essentially make law without Congressional Approval. President-Elect Obama is poised to reverse many of the EO's that Bush has issued, but here's one Obama will not touch: the Presidential Transition Facilitation EO:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 7301 of title 5, United States Code, and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458) (IRTPA), and in order to further the purposes of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, and to assist the presidential transition, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Presidential Transition Coordination. (a) To assist and support the transition efforts of the transition teams for the "major party" "candidates," as those terms are used in the IRTPA and defined in section 9002(2) and (6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 9002(2), (6)), and the President-elect, there is established a Presidential Transition Coordinating Council (Council).

(b) The Council shall be composed of the following officials or their designees:

(i) Chief of Staff to the President, who shall serve as Chair;

(ii) Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, who shall serve as Vice Chair;

(iii) Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy;

(iv) Counsel to the President;

(v) Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel;

(vi) Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs;

(vii) Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism;

(viii) Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director, National Economic Council;

(ix) Attorney General;

(x) Director of National Intelligence;

(xi) Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(xii) Director of the Office of Personnel Management;

(xiii) Administrator of General Services;

(xiv) Archivist of the United States;

(xv) Director of the Office of Government Ethics; and

(xvi) Such others as the President or the Chair of the Council may select.

(c) The Council shall assist the major party candidates and the President-elect by making every reasonable effort to facilitate the transition between administrations. This assistance may include, among other things, providing information relevant to facilitating the personnel aspects of a presidential transition and such other information that, in the Council's judgment, is useful and appropriate, as long as providing such information is not otherwise prohibited by law.

(d) In order to obtain a wide range of facts and information on prior transitions and best practices, the Council, its members, or their designees may, from time to time, seek information from private individuals, including individuals within outside organizations, who have significant experience or expertise in presidential transitions. The Council, its members, or their designees shall endeavor to obtain such facts and information from individuals representing a range of bipartisan or nonpartisan viewpoints. If the Council, its members, or their designees find it necessary to seek advice from private individuals or outside organizations, such counsel should be sought in a manner that seeks individual advice and does not involve collective judgment or deliberation.

(e) It shall be the policy of the Council to provide appropriate information and assistance to the major party candidates on an equal basis and without regard for party affiliation.

Sec. 2. Transition Activities and Materials. (a) At the direction of the Council or its designee(s), the Administrator of General Services shall coordinate orientation activities with the appropriate agencies, including the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Personnel Management, for key prospective presidential appointees.

(b) At the direction of the Council or its designee(s), the White House Office of Presidential Personnel shall supplement as appropriate and necessary the electronic record of all title 5 presidentially appointed positions provided by the Office of Personnel Management to the major party candidates pursuant to section 8403(b) of IRTPA.

(c) The Suitability and Security Clearance Performance Accountability Council shall coordinate with the Council when performing those functions authorized by Executive Order 13467 of June 30, 2008, that are necessary to assist in transition-related activities.

(d) At the direction of the Council or its designee(s), executive departments and agencies shall prepare a set of briefing materials for new political appointees before the inauguration of the President-elect. The current Administration shall work with the incoming transition team to provide copies of all such materials.

(e) At the direction of the Council or its designee(s) and consistent with the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, the Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Archivist of the United States and other appropriate agencies, shall develop a Transition Directory. This directory shall include Federal publications and other materials that provide information on each executive department and agency.

Sec. 3. Transition Agreements. To assist and support the transition, transition agreements between the White House or appropriate executive branch departments and agencies and the transition teams for the major party candidates and the President-elect will be entered into, as necessary, regarding transition procedures and identification of transition contacts.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) In order to take appropriate account of the transition reforms made by IRTPA and to further update and clarify the presidential transition process, this order supersedes Executive Order 13176 of November 27, 2000.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This order is intended only to facilitate the transition and is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) Unless extended by the President, this order shall expire on February 20, 2009.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

October 9, 2008.

The Prop 8 Issue - Being Black and Gay Are Not The Same

This video will be misunderstood by some just for its title. I ask you to listen to what I say. I'm am against California Proposition 8. I've made videos to show the World how stupid and hateful the people who back the initiative can be. But what does bother me is the discovery that of all groups, African Americans voted more for it than against it. Why? I think one reason is that the message those who were against Prop 8 put out was off-putting to many who are Black. While I agree that gay marriage is a civil rights issue, one can't then make the cognitive leap and say that Blacks and Gays share the same path and past. The reason is simple: if I walk down the street you already have made up your mind how you're going to adress me because of my skin color. That's not true if the person's Gay -- you can't tell by looking. The bottom line is civil rights for all -- but the message that's sent by "No on 8" seems to say that if a person's straight White and male, they're normal. No one Black wants to hear that.

Barack Obama Is President Of The United States

Ok. Finally here are my thoughts on the election of Senator Barack Obama as President of The United States. For me it's the culmination of two years of work online as part of something called "Obama Rapid Response", where we work to counter negative information about Barack Obama. I dont know of a campaign that's had such a widespread grassroots online effort of this kind before. It worked.

Barack Obama as President of the United States has effectively changed racism as we know it in America. It's made it far more the thing of people who's brain just is'nt' wired correctly. And we have seen people -- White -- elect a person who happened to be Black because he proved he was the best person for the job.

Barack Obama: President of The United States.

Arianna Huffington - The Web Killed Karl Rove Politics

 At the Web 2.0 Summit, where web tech people get together to discuss the ever changing nature of the advance and use of the Internet and Internet technology , Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington summed up why President-Elect Barack Obama prevailed over Senator John McCain:

"The McCain campaign didn't have a clue," said Huffington in a reference to technical rather than intellectual deficiencies. "The Internet has killed Karl Rove politics."

I'm sorry I missed Web 2.0, but I'll catch the Expo.  But the matter of just how the Internet killed Karl Rove politics bears exploration.  In brief, the Internet allowed the free and rapid transfer of information between people, thus allowing a single episode of rumors and negative information that would have altered the course of a campaign in the past to be 1) quickly countered and 2) replaced by new news in the cycle.  That leads to a related point: the news cycle is now in less than a day, it's more like a six hour process.  Thus, news that's really a day old has been repeated again and again online often before it hits the newspapers the next day.  


That didn't happen in 2004, and so Karl Rove's "divide and conquer" strategy worked.  Not today.  

Court Orders IBM Executive to Stop Working for Apple

A U.S. District Court in New York has ordered former IBM executive Mark Papermaster to immediately stop working for Apple. Papermaster was recently wooed away from IBM after being offered what he described as “a once in a lifetime opportunity”.

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Y! Live Stopping It's Broadcast December 3rd 2008

I just saw this post  explaining that Y! Live, Yahoo's experiment in online broadcast distribution, will be going off the air December 3rd:

Our mission here on the Brickhouse team is to quickly develop product ideas that can add value to Yahoo! as a whole. To do this effectively we constantly evaluate our early-stage products and sometimes have to make the hard decision to move on, in order to continue exploring new territory and developing new products.

So it is with great sadness that I share the news that Yahoo! Live, a Brickhouse project in social broadcasting will be going off the air on 3 December 2008. We’d like to thank everyone who has participated. Without all of you, Y!Live would not have built the strong community that it has. It has been really interesting (and entertaining) to see all of the ways broadcasters have used Live, developing it into a place for all sorts of social interactions.

Court Orders IBM Executive to Stop Working for Apple

A U.S. District Court in New York has ordered former IBM executive Mark Papermaster to immediately stop working for Apple. Papermaster was recently wooed away from IBM after being offered what he described as “a once in a lifetime opportunity”.

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The Ultimate Jell-O Shot - A Scientific Study

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the highest possible concentration of alcohol attainable in a Jell-O shot, while still maintaining the structural integrity (i.e., the gelling properties) of the gelatin. The result: a Jell-o shot that's like shooting straight vodka.

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4 Black Marines Executed Their Interracial Sergeant & Wife

Court records indicate four Marines acknowledged they had roles in the robbery, sexual assault and murder of a Camp Pendleton-based Iraq veteran and his wife last month in Riverside County. The four were charged Tuesday with the execution-style slayings of Marine Sgt. Jan Pawek Pietrzak and Quiana Faye Jenkins-Pietrzak. Most media avoiding facts.

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