Sanjiv Handa is a name unknown to many in America, and really even in Oakland unless you pay attention to Oakland Politics, where he's well known. But by mentioning Sanjiv Handa in the same sentence as Sandra Bullock, Jesse James, Santonio Holmes, Howard Stern, Artie Lange, and President Obama, Sanjiv Handa's now as of this publication more in the Internet zeitgeist than ever before.
All to the point introducing him briefly to all. Sanjiv Handa is a person who, from the view of this blogger, cares about Oakland. Sanjiv Handa's the guy that pops up at seemingly almost every meeting at Oakland City Hall, and understand City of Oakland rules and procedures as much or more than many City of Oakland executives as this video will show:
Watch Sanjiv Handa lectures the Council about justice in News | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
I've known Sanjiv since 1993 when I was a columnist with The Montclarion. Then, Sanjiv was more prosperous, and owned a condo in the Emeryville Towers complex. Since those heady days, something - I do not know what - happened. Sanjiv Handa allowed himself to become obsessed with the City of Oakland to a degree that at times is not healthy. But the simple fact Sanjiv Handa has become almost a cartoon character of sorts, points to the overall stupidly and juvenile behavior that at times passes for Oakland's City Hall culture.
When I created the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission in 1999, one of my first actions was to bring Sanjiv Handa in as an advisor. Why? Not just for the reasons I stated regarding his talent, but because few talked to him. Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris always talked to Sanjiv, and felt the same as I did and still does today. Sanjiv's a person you want in your tent throwing darts out of it, not out of your tent throwing darts into it.
Sanjiv Handa was at asset to me. So why in hell can't anyone else in Oakland bring him in? Part of the reason is this "group think" that stops people from doing it who should know better. But regardless of the reasons, and they are legion, it's the norm. He's cast as an outsider.
Yes, Sanjiv Handa brings on these problems himself, particularly with a kind of lack of patience at times, but that's a byproduct of being ignored.
Someone wrote a terrible email about him that I decided to ignore. I hope the people within Oakland City Hall rise to a higher standard and stop being so childish where Sanjiv Handa is concerned. For all of his faults, the man cares about Oakland.
Stay tuned.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Good Friday is Autism Awareness Day
Easter Sunday is just two days away; today, Good Friday, is Autism Awareness Day. But what's Autism?
According to Google Health,..
A child who is Autistic has problems interacting in society, can handle changes in routine,and communicates with gestures rather than words, and repetitive behavior, to list some of the main symptoms. Autism Awareness Day is to bring more attention to this affliction and hopefully cause better efforts to find a cure - it's said to be "uncurable."
Autism Awareness Day was created by The United Nations. On April 2, 2007, the day was dedicated "to highlight the need to help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from the disorder so they can lead full and meaningful lives." This video by Ultrawellness in 2007 explains why Austism can be cured:
The assertion is that the "core abnormalities" in the body are caused by fixable biological disorders. Stem cell treatment - Adult stem cell therapy - reportedly can also be helpful, as this video shows:
Autism Awareness Day. Spread the word.
According to Google Health,..
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.
A child who is Autistic has problems interacting in society, can handle changes in routine,and communicates with gestures rather than words, and repetitive behavior, to list some of the main symptoms. Autism Awareness Day is to bring more attention to this affliction and hopefully cause better efforts to find a cure - it's said to be "uncurable."
Autism Awareness Day was created by The United Nations. On April 2, 2007, the day was dedicated "to highlight the need to help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from the disorder so they can lead full and meaningful lives." This video by Ultrawellness in 2007 explains why Austism can be cured:
The assertion is that the "core abnormalities" in the body are caused by fixable biological disorders. Stem cell treatment - Adult stem cell therapy - reportedly can also be helpful, as this video shows:
Autism Awareness Day. Spread the word.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Libby Schaaf's running for Mayor of Oakland with Lirpa Sloof's help
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| Libby Schaaf |
Last night, at a well-attended kickoff party for what was to be Libby Schaaf's run for the Oakland City Council District 4 seat currently held by Councilmember Jean Quan, Libby Schaaf shocked and surprised almost everyone in the room save her campaign assistants, when she announced that she was running for Mayor of Oakland.
Libby stood on a make-shift pedestal and said "I really gave this a lot of thought as I'm concerned about the state of education in Oakland, and I consulted with my wonderful husband; I'm running for Mayor of Oakland." Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente (District 5 - Fruitvale), for whom Libby gives credit for her political growth, reacted with his mouth agape, then spontaneous applause. Asked for a reaction after her speech, De La Fuente said "I'm speechless. That's all I can say."
The new of Oakland's new candidate throws a curve into a race that had become staid and predictable. Libby Schaaf takes on Mayor Ron Dellums, Don Perata, Councilmember Jean Quan, and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan for Mayor of Oakland. With her vast network of friends, Oakland roots, and supporters and involvement with the City of Oakland, Libby Schaaf will take votes away from all of the candidates, from the incumbent Mayor Ron Dellums to At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, who reportedly went on a East Coast trip to secure backers for her own planned run for Mayor.
The Legendary At-Large Councilmember-emeritus Henry Chang was present and smiling from ear-to-ear, saying "Only in Oakland. Libby could win."
After her speech, the room, filled with many Oaklanders who've been involved in helping to make a better city of Oakland, was buzzing. When asked what the next steps were, Libby said "I have to sit down with my advisors, and my new staff member Lirpa Sloof and we'll roll out our vision and plans for Oaklanders to see and get behind.
Mayor Libby Schaaf. It has a nice ring. I can't wait to see what Lirpa Sloof comes up with.
Stay tuned.
Google 2010 April Fools jokes are ok, but not effective
Happy April Fools Day! Google's famous for April Fool's Day jokes, as noted by PC World, but the one executed today, April 1st, 2010, is not one of the best.
Google announced it was changing its name to Topeka, reverse echoing the move by Topeka, Kansas' mayor to change that town's name to Google on a temporary basis. NeonCloud7's video presents the joke:
But that April Fools Joke was all too obvious. Reall good April Fools jokes are suppose to be so rooted in actual possibility, they can change behavior, gain reaction, or move markets.
April Fools' Day is still with us as of this writing; anything can happen.
Stay tuned.
Google announced it was changing its name to Topeka, reverse echoing the move by Topeka, Kansas' mayor to change that town's name to Google on a temporary basis. NeonCloud7's video presents the joke:
But that April Fools Joke was all too obvious. Reall good April Fools jokes are suppose to be so rooted in actual possibility, they can change behavior, gain reaction, or move markets.
April Fools' Day is still with us as of this writing; anything can happen.
Stay tuned.
Bank of America no longer NFL sponsor
The NFL sponsorship ended March 31st after talks between the NFL and Bank of America failed to yield a deal either side was happy.
Asked if the NFL planned to seek a new bank sponsor, Brian McCarthy said the NFL is "exploring what's out there," and suggested a call to Bank of America was best to get their point of view.
Jon Schwartz of Bank of America Global Media Relations explained that "After many months of negotiations, Bank of America and the NFL could not arrive at a mutually beneficial set of terms for the sponsorship."
But a parting of the ways with the NFL does not mean Bank of America will seek to terminate its NFL team sponsor relationships. "While we couldn’t reach an agreement with the League,"Schwartz said via email. "It is our intent to continue to reach their large and highly-engaged fan base through our existing NFL team sponsorships, which we’re excited about.
While it's not crystal clear that the economy is hampering sports sponsorship across the board, the hypothesis here is that corporate sponsors want to know they're getting a better bang for their sponsor buck.
Stay tuned.
YouTube's new video page is great..but
YouTube, the company where this video-blogger is a partner, or "YouTube Partner", rolled out its redesigned video page on the evening of March 31st and to some fanfare. A select group of YouTube Partners were given the corporate "heads up" at a YouTube Partners and Management Meeting held last Thursday, March 26th at YouTube Headquarters and the focus of this video:
The new YouTube video page is a welcome change from the previous version, but the problem for the everyday user like this blogger is that elements like the video embed code are now hidden and have to be accessed via a kind of drop down button that works with the strength of the Internet connection. In other words, if the Internet connection is weak, that area of the page will present a note "loading" and seems to be stuck in that position.
The older model Video Page had the embed code ready for copy; it wasn't hidden behind a drop down access system. I'd prefer to see the embed code right on the page, and as little "load-wait" drop downs as possible, preferably none.
What I do like about the new YouTube video page design is that videos listed on the right start with my videos just after the featured video. The old design was such that one had to push an arrow button to see my videos, but videos from other channels were openly displayed on my page.
I'd prefer a video page design such that more of my videos were shows and not one that gave the viewer so many chances to leave it. As a YouTube Partner that features ads on the site, YouTube's setting it up for a person to go to non-add-supported pages.
Hopefully, YouTube solves that problem, and soon.
Stay tuned.
The new YouTube video page is a welcome change from the previous version, but the problem for the everyday user like this blogger is that elements like the video embed code are now hidden and have to be accessed via a kind of drop down button that works with the strength of the Internet connection. In other words, if the Internet connection is weak, that area of the page will present a note "loading" and seems to be stuck in that position.
What I do like about the new YouTube video page design is that videos listed on the right start with my videos just after the featured video. The old design was such that one had to push an arrow button to see my videos, but videos from other channels were openly displayed on my page.
I'd prefer a video page design such that more of my videos were shows and not one that gave the viewer so many chances to leave it. As a YouTube Partner that features ads on the site, YouTube's setting it up for a person to go to non-add-supported pages.
Hopefully, YouTube solves that problem, and soon.
Stay tuned.
Whole Foods Oakland employees bring sexy back to work
Whole Foods 50,000-plus square foot food store has become a major place to be in Oakland. It's large, airy space contains the kind of good, fresh and yes, trendy food people want in Oakland and in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you're reading this and have never seen Whole Food Oakland, here's a video tour from opening day September 26, 2007:
The employees who work there are a young, diverse and good-looking group that from all accounts gets along with each other really well. Perhaps too well. Several sources who work there have told this blogger that it's common for Whole Foods employees to hook up for sex, sometimes while at work at the facility.
The news of this scandalous level of sex between employees was shared with this blogger during chance conversations this week at different bars in Oakland. Because many of Whole Foods employees have so much in common, and as was said "work long hours at the store" that leads to the dates and random flirtations that lead to sex on a common basis and sometimes at Whole Foods Oakland.
One source said that there's a "kind of break room" room in the back that serves as a hook up place, but it's not the only area of the store.
Some of the employees are in local bands that play around the Bay Area, or have the same interest in music. Others share that, and I'm told an interest in the same drugs, generally marijuana, but that's not to present the idea that it's a rampant drug culture or that drugs are done at work. That activity happens off-site.
The point is, the sources identified music and drugs as the common elements and part of a large Whole Foods employee culture. Some employees help their friends land jobs at Whole Foods Oakland, and that contributes to the almost college-like atmosphere and the dating activity that springs from it.
But apparently the stress of the Whole Foods work hours leads to high turn over, and for those who do last they have different ways of coping. It's also the reason for the level of flirting, dating and sexual activity between employees. (For the record, there was no report or indication of incidents of sexual harrassment in any of the conversations with sources.)
What's wrong with all of this? Well, the employees see it as no big deal. "You see someone. There's a flirtation. Then one day it's 'Hey, you and me'" was how one source put it. The source said "There's one person who just started a few weeks ago and they've already scored." The source also said there's are others who have "been with almost every girl there it seems."
The revolving door nature of employment also seems to contribute to the activity: the idea that people don't have those jobs for a long time is reportedly connected to the kind of "free sprit" that pervades the Whole Foods Oakland culture.
The next time you visit Whole Foods Oakland and notice smiling employees, you now know it's not by accident. As long as my food is well-prepared and my change is counted correctly, it's no big deal to this blogger.
Stay tuned.
The employees who work there are a young, diverse and good-looking group that from all accounts gets along with each other really well. Perhaps too well. Several sources who work there have told this blogger that it's common for Whole Foods employees to hook up for sex, sometimes while at work at the facility.
 |
| Whole Foods environment is fun for workers |
One source said that there's a "kind of break room" room in the back that serves as a hook up place, but it's not the only area of the store.
Some of the employees are in local bands that play around the Bay Area, or have the same interest in music. Others share that, and I'm told an interest in the same drugs, generally marijuana, but that's not to present the idea that it's a rampant drug culture or that drugs are done at work. That activity happens off-site.
The point is, the sources identified music and drugs as the common elements and part of a large Whole Foods employee culture. Some employees help their friends land jobs at Whole Foods Oakland, and that contributes to the almost college-like atmosphere and the dating activity that springs from it.
But apparently the stress of the Whole Foods work hours leads to high turn over, and for those who do last they have different ways of coping. It's also the reason for the level of flirting, dating and sexual activity between employees. (For the record, there was no report or indication of incidents of sexual harrassment in any of the conversations with sources.)
What's wrong with all of this? Well, the employees see it as no big deal. "You see someone. There's a flirtation. Then one day it's 'Hey, you and me'" was how one source put it. The source said "There's one person who just started a few weeks ago and they've already scored." The source also said there's are others who have "been with almost every girl there it seems."
The revolving door nature of employment also seems to contribute to the activity: the idea that people don't have those jobs for a long time is reportedly connected to the kind of "free sprit" that pervades the Whole Foods Oakland culture.
The next time you visit Whole Foods Oakland and notice smiling employees, you now know it's not by accident. As long as my food is well-prepared and my change is counted correctly, it's no big deal to this blogger.
Stay tuned.
Tiger Woods gave Rachel Uchitel 10 million; why not Haiti?
If the TMZ.com story that Tiger Woods gave nightclub executive Rachel Uchitel $10 million, to avoid the tell-all press conference Uchitel was planning with LA lawyer Gloria Allred last December.
If that's the case, Tiger Woods, in the opinion of this blogger, is the dumbest man in the World. If Tiger Woods did not fear the truth so much, he could have kept that money and sent it to Haiti in the wake of that awful 7.0 Richter Scale Earthquake.
Need a Rachel Uchitel refresher? This video should help:
But for some reason Tiger Woods has to keep secrets. Tiger Woods can't seem to tell a straight story. There's nothing Rachel Uchitel would have on Tiger Woods that cost 10 million, unless Tiger Woods did something that was criminal in nature. Fooling around on one's wife is wrong, but it does not produce jail time.
What's galling is that Tiger Woods would allow his reputation to be even more sullied by these new accusations and say nothing to deny them or affirm them.
In a way it's "here we go again" but worse for Tiger Woods. Tiger's talking now, so attention is drawn to him, so the media that "get" the Internet and its relationship to television are producing new content from the women he was allegedly involved with; and Tiger's saying nothing about it.
What this all points to, once again, is that Tiger Woods needs to just come clean to end what seems to be and endless process with a number of permutations.
Tiger Woods needs to be comfortable with looking someone in the eye and telling the truth, not looking someone in the eye and telling them it's none of their business. If the story of Tiger Woods giving Rachel Uchitel $10 million that could provide food, medical, and shelter for Haitians, something's wrong with that guy. It's not something one would expect from a Stanford student.
Of course, I could be wrong. After all, we are talking about Stanford, now.
Stay tuned.
If that's the case, Tiger Woods, in the opinion of this blogger, is the dumbest man in the World. If Tiger Woods did not fear the truth so much, he could have kept that money and sent it to Haiti in the wake of that awful 7.0 Richter Scale Earthquake.
Need a Rachel Uchitel refresher? This video should help:
But for some reason Tiger Woods has to keep secrets. Tiger Woods can't seem to tell a straight story. There's nothing Rachel Uchitel would have on Tiger Woods that cost 10 million, unless Tiger Woods did something that was criminal in nature. Fooling around on one's wife is wrong, but it does not produce jail time.
In a way it's "here we go again" but worse for Tiger Woods. Tiger's talking now, so attention is drawn to him, so the media that "get" the Internet and its relationship to television are producing new content from the women he was allegedly involved with; and Tiger's saying nothing about it.
What this all points to, once again, is that Tiger Woods needs to just come clean to end what seems to be and endless process with a number of permutations.
Tiger Woods needs to be comfortable with looking someone in the eye and telling the truth, not looking someone in the eye and telling them it's none of their business. If the story of Tiger Woods giving Rachel Uchitel $10 million that could provide food, medical, and shelter for Haitians, something's wrong with that guy. It's not something one would expect from a Stanford student.
Of course, I could be wrong. After all, we are talking about Stanford, now.
Stay tuned.
Sandra Bullock news: Jesse James into dogfighting like Michael Vick?
The latest Sandra Bullock news is even more sad than the Nazi picture of Jesse James giving a salute and wearing a Nazi hat: Jesse James is now into dogfighting like Michael Vick? That's the news that was mentioned on Entertaiment Tonight and all over the Internet, and it's placing Jesse James image in an even darker place.
Darker than this:
While the truth of the story is in question, it's out there. Reportedly, Jesse James allowed two of his pit bulls to fight to the death. But while one blog claims Jesse James took them to a dog fighting ring, another says that's not true and that James' dogs Cisco and Rudy got into a fight while James was not present.
The unsupervised battle cost Rudy his life, and happened "years ago". The other blog called Celebrity Smack Blog.com charges that Jesse James never engaged in illegal dog fighting.
Regardless of this matter, it seems the release of the Nazi photo broke the dam holding back awful information, true or false, about Jesse James.
Stay tuned, but there will be happier stories to tell.
Darker than this:
While the truth of the story is in question, it's out there. Reportedly, Jesse James allowed two of his pit bulls to fight to the death. But while one blog claims Jesse James took them to a dog fighting ring, another says that's not true and that James' dogs Cisco and Rudy got into a fight while James was not present.
The unsupervised battle cost Rudy his life, and happened "years ago". The other blog called Celebrity Smack Blog.com charges that Jesse James never engaged in illegal dog fighting.
Regardless of this matter, it seems the release of the Nazi photo broke the dam holding back awful information, true or false, about Jesse James.
Stay tuned, but there will be happier stories to tell.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sex rehab for sexual addiction: What is it, and how does it work?
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With all the celebrities that have admitted themselves into ‘sex rehab’ centers recently, you might be curious about what goes on there. How does sex rehab work? Is it effective, or is this just an excuse to ask others for forgiveness? You might even scoff at the idea that someone needs to enter a sex rehab center. Perhaps you believe all they really need to do is come clean and stop cheating on their significant other, or choose to live a single life so as to not hurt others with lies and increased exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. This article serves to explain what sexual rehabilitation or ‘sex rehab’ is, and how a person with a sexual addiction might benefit from this form of treatment.
Treatment for sexual addiction tends to focus on two main areas:
1) Separating the addict from opportunities to continue harmful sexual patterns of behavior, much in the same way drug addicts need to be separated from their drug-filled lifestyle. This is why inpatient or residential treatment is often the suggested setting. An inpatient setting provides a controlled setting, which aims to eliminate opportunities for compulsive behavior.
2) Utilization of a safe, therapeutic setting with trained professionals to help individuals begin to face the guilt, shame and depression that is common amongst sexual addicts.
Sexual rehabilitation centers may vary in the variety of psychological treatment modalities they provide, but this list contains a broad overview of therapeutic strategies that have proven to be effective at helping people overcome sexual addiction.
12-Step Programs. Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) is a 12 step program which utilizes principles similar to those used in other addiction programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA.) However, unlike AA, where the goal is complete abstinence from all alcohol, SA pursues abstinence only from compulsive, destructive sexual behavior. By admitting powerlessness over their addiction, seeking the help of God or a higher power, working the 12 different steps, seeking a sponsor and attending meetings consistently, many addicts have been able to regain intimacy in their personal relationships.
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT).
This form of therapy helps people to examine the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors as they relate to their addictive patterns. By targeting the triggers and reinforcers that perpetuate the addictive pattern, people can begin to short-circuit the process and make healthy changes. Treatment can include teaching addicts therapeutic tools such as thought stopping, behavioral substitution, and thought record keeping, as a means to prevent the relapse of addictive patterns.
Interpersonal Therapy. Traditional "talk therapy" or counseling with an individual therapist can be helpful in providing a space for individuals to sort through past experiences that shaped addictive behavior, as well as manage mood symptoms, increase the ability to cope with stressors, and learn healthier lifestyle patterns and behaviors.
Group Therapy
Group therapy typically consists mental health professional(s) facilitating a group of people that engage in dialogue around addiction issues, and learn from related psychoeducational materials. A group environment is thought to enable people to learn from others’ experiences, strengths and relapses. It is also an ideal setting for people to learn through the confrontation of denial and rationalizations common among addicts in various stages of their rehabilitation.
Medication
Recent developments in the literature suggest that certain psychotropic medications (antidepressants) may prove to be useful for many people in managing sexual addiction. In addition to treating mood symptoms common among sex addicts, these medications may have some benefit in reducing sexual obsessions and ruminations.
This article was composed by Dr. Christina Villarreal, Clinical Psychologist in Oakland, CA
References
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_addiction_
2 The National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity - www.ncsac.org and www.sash.net
3 Defense Security Services - www.dss.mil
4 Patrick Carnes (1991). Don't call it love: Recovery from sexual addiction, (New York: Bantam, pp. 22-23, 30-34).
5 Michael Herkov, Ph.D., Mark S. Gold, M.D., and Drew W. Edwards, M.S., Feb 2001
YouTube is down again as of 5:01 PM PST
For some reason, and for the second time in less than a week, the top video sharing and distribution site YouTube.com is down again.
As of 5:01 PM PSY a "Http/1.1 Service Unavailable" note appeared when one tries to go to http://www.youtube.com/
YouTube went down last Thursday morning, but the matter was quickly resolved.
There's no word via email by YouTube on this. This also happens to be the day when YouTube was installing a major make-over to its video pages, including Zennie62.
Stay tuned.
As of 5:01 PM PSY a "Http/1.1 Service Unavailable" note appeared when one tries to go to http://www.youtube.com/
YouTube went down last Thursday morning, but the matter was quickly resolved.
There's no word via email by YouTube on this. This also happens to be the day when YouTube was installing a major make-over to its video pages, including Zennie62.
Stay tuned.
Sandra Bullock news: Jesse James Nazi Picture is out
In the latest update in the Sandra Bullock and Jesse James cheating scandal, we can report this Sandra Bullock news: the Jesse James Nazi Picture is out.
The photo that was long rumored to exist – one of Bullock's husband Jesse James in Nazi gear and giving the salute – has surfaced at TMZ.com and US Weekly.
For those of you who need a backstory, the quick version is that Jesse James allegedly had affairs with as many as five women: Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, Melissa Smith, Brigitte Daguerre, and a fourth and fifth woman, both who declined to identify themselves at this time.
But the photo, which this blogger had hoped did not exist, does, even though it took a week for TMZ to produce it.
The guess is they didn't want to be caught in another hoax. But the photo, which is two years old according to TMZ, shows Jesse James wearing a Waffen SS visor and striking the "sieg heil" salute. There's also a german model airplane next to him. Where it was taken, TMZ does not know.
What the hell was Jesse James thinking?
Stay tuned.
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