Jianping “Tony” Qu - Silicon Valley CEO and law firm in fraud allegation

In the latest news in a six-year-old legal battle that's got Silicon Valley talking, Former Tech CEO Jianping “Tony” Qu, once the head of PrediWave Corporation, and a law firm Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, are the focus a of $100 million fraud allegation lawsuit.

A filing made today, Monday, in Santa Clara County Superior Court (Case No. 1-08-CV-110304) charges that Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett learned of Jianping “Tony” Qu's alleged attempt to hide $40 million of PrediWave Corporation from the firm's executives and in a bank account in Japan. The problem is Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett did not, for some reason, tell the company's board of directors, and the firm asserts that Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett officers tried to block investigation into Tony Qu's actions.

This is heavy stuff. The press release which posted information on the complaint filing has the following charges:

1) Attorneys for Simpson Thacher became aware by December 1, 2004 that Mr. Qu was directing the sale of tens of millions of dollars of memory chips to PrediWave through a shell corporation whose profits were pocketed by Mr. Qu.
2) Simpson Thacher uncovered evidence showing that delivery records and price quotes from a non-existent Chinese company were falsified, while the memory chips themselves were purchased from a tech firm operating only a few miles from PrediWave’s Fremont headquarters.
3) Mr. Qu was paid a $25 million bonus in January 2005 while Simpson Thacher sat on the evidence it had gathered regarding his activities.
4) Attorneys for Simpson Thacher filed a lawsuit in May 2004 preventing two PrediWave directors from reviewing company documents and conducting an investigation that would reveal Mr. Qu’s misconduct.
5) In 2005, Simpson Thacher chose to hire a private investigations firm, not for the purpose of exposing Mr. Qu’s actions, but to determine the probability of the fraud going public. Simpson Thacher never disclosed the results of that investigation to PrediWave’s board of directors.
6) While serving as PrediWave’s counsel for only little over a year, Simpson Thacher billed over $16 million in legal fees. At the same time, Mr. Qu was receiving approximately $25 million in annual bonuses from a company that had recorded no sales and no profits.

Fremont-based PrediWave lost a $2.8 billion judgement for charges that it defrauded a Chinese company and misappropriated funds in 2006. According to VentureBeat, China's New World TMT invested $700 million in investments and purchases for a one way "Video On-Demand" cable system but the set-top boxes failed to work. VentureBeat reports that Jianping “Tony” Qu took off with $100 million in bonuses, leased 30 cars and purchased a whopping 19 homes.

PrediWave filed for bankruptcy.

This is where the lawsuit against Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett comes into play. PrediWave believes the law firm was instrumental in the cover-up that cost the firm $2.8 billion.

Stay tuned.

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee fired from Angry White Boy Clothing

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, the alleged mistress who claimed that Academy Award-winning Actress Sandra Bullock's husband Jesse James was cheating on Bullock with her fired, was fired from the Angry White Boy website.

This blogger received this comment on the blog post Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi picts hot; paid $30,000 for story from Jimmy Ferrari...

I AM THE OWNER OF ANGRY WHITE BOY CLOTHING INC. MICHELLE BOMBSHELL HAS BEEN FIRED AND HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES THIS COMPANY SINCE YESTERDAY, SUNDAY, MARCH 21ST 2010.

Since the Angry White Boy clothing website has been much talked about on the web, Mr. Ferrari has set about a campaign of seeding that comment at as many sites as possible.

Jimmy Ferrari's action came after it was publicly revealed that Michelle McGee had posed in a Nazi-style bikini complete with a Swastika, and in a photo shoot connected with work for the website. This video shows those photos:



Meanwhile Sandra Bullock herself has been in almost constant hiding.  Bullock was reportedly trying to help Jesse James keep custody of his two children of the three of their family at the time the news of James' alleged affair with Michelle Mcgee surfaced.

Recently, Bullock cancelled another schedule International premier of The Blind Side, again siting personal reasons.

Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas wow Dancing with The Stars

Related searches: erin andrews, buzz aldrin, kate gosselin, dancing with the stars 2010 lineup, chad ochocinco

Actress Shannen Doherty had an objective: to give her elderly father a reason to fight to live. On Dancing with The Stars, Shannon and her partner Mark Ballas may not have danced the most perfect Viennese Waltz, but it was romantically done and they wowed audience before her father, who had a massive stroke.

But her father was excited to see her do it and promised to go through physical therapy if she danced.

Even with a rather harsh critique by the judge Bruno, and an overall score of 18, they emerged as the crowd favorite.

Here's the video:



It's an amazing performance, considering Shannon told Ryan Seacrest she was "nervous and freaking out" on his 102.7 Kiis radio show.

Cal Governor's Race: Jerry Brown pulls some CVS products off shelves

The latest news in the California Governor's Race is only indirectly related to the race itself, but still part of it. California Attorney General and candidate for Governor Jerry Brown has won a court judgement ordering CVS and other retailers operating in California to take Pro Choice Beauty Care products off their shelves.

Pro Choice is the largest distributor of professional hair and nail products in America.

According to Legal Newsline, the judgement, handed down last week, calls for Pro Choice to pay $1.25 million in penalties and costs and calls for CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid, Long's Drug Stores, Walgreen Company, Ralphs Grocery Company, Kmart and Target to take Pro Choice products down immediately. In a statement Jerry Brown said:

"Pro's Choice sold thousands of containers of pollution-causing hair products to consumers who unknowingly exposed themselves and the environment to harmful pollutants," Brown said. "Today's agreement will remove products from store shelves that pollute our air and exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma."

Pro Choice's products contain levels of air contaminants that are above the states limits for volatile organic compounds, which contribute to Ozone at ground level. Contrary to Ozone in the upper atmostphere, Ozone at ground level is dangerous.

Pro Choice purchases domestic products overseas and then re-ships them to America, selling them below suggested retail value. The previous blog entry related to CVS concerned the problem of CVS selling expired products around the nation; this court order is related to pollutants in Pro Choice products, some of which may fall under the same expired products issue.

Regarding the California Governor's Race, while the California Attorney General filed suit against Pro Choice in 2006, any action taken by the AG's Office that results in a statement issued by Jerry Brown has to be seen via the lens of the Governor's Race.  Because of Brown's unique position, he can campaign just by doing the work of the office.

Stay tuned.

Golden State Warriors for sale, but $315 million is too high

The sports World and the Internet's abuzz with the news that NBA basketball team Golden State Warriors Owner Chris Cohan's selling his organization. Speculation's rampant that Oracle Founder and Chairman and CEO will purchase the Oakland, CA-based NBA basketball team, but the idea's out there, expressed over at Forbes, that the Warriors will sell for a record price of over $400 million.

Anyone paying $400 million or more for the NBA's Golden State Warriors in the current California economic climate is a damn fool twice over. The Golden State Warriors are not worth $400 million, let alone the Forbes-estimated value of $315 million. But that's a good place to start.

The problem is because of California's high unemployment, currently at 13.2 percent, and Golden State's home town Oakland's unemployment rate, last estimated at over 17 percent, offering the old value of $315 million estimated based on 2008-2009 numbers before the economic dive hit rock bottom is not the right decision.

Because of the terrible jobs picture, which harm game ticket sales, the largest revenue generator for sports organizations absent any television revenue-sharing agreement, The Warriors had to drop ticket prices for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket prices were reduced between 8 percent and as much as 28 percent. Golden State Warriors President Robert Rowell said...

"We know the economy's been tough. We know the season's been tough. When putting pricing together, we realized we needed to do something to address the fact that our fans have hung with us as long as they have."

The guess in this space is Chris Cohan's selling the team because he doesn't see the California economy improving anytime soon. Since that's almost certainly the case, paying over $315 million for the Warriors at this stage in time is a bet that the economy will get much better. Why should anyone make a bit that Cohan, who knows the organization, isn't willing to make himself?

How much should one pay for the Golden State Warriors? A fair price for the Warriors reflects a weighted average of the percentage drop in ticket prices, the best indicator of the current economic problem. Since a full seat schedule of prices changes by location is not available as of this writing, a reasonable factor is 10 percent. Thus a fair price for The Warriors is $283.5 million.

But $400 million? You've got to be kidding!

Stupak "Baby killer" yeller Rep. Randy Neugebauer apologizes

Related searches: who shouted baby killer, baby killer, who said baby killer, neugebauer, baby killer stupak, senate health care bill

The 2010  Heath Care Reform Bill has brought out the best and the worst behavior in activists and in legislators.

 The latest example of Republicans who've behaved badly is Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) who stepped forward to identify himself as the person who yelled "Baby Killer" as Rep Bart Stupak (D - Michigan) was speaking on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Sunday, as captured in this CBS video:



According to Talking Points Memo, Rep. Randy Neugebauer apologized to Bart Stupak, saying he's just trying to "represent the people of the 19th Congressional District." Randy Neugebauer said he didn't intend to insult Stupak but was trying essentially to replicate the message his constituents sent at town hall meetings.

But if that's the case, and considering Rep. Joe Wilson (R - South Carolina) and his "You lie!" outburst at the 2009 State of the Union Address, what can we expect in the future? We're entering an era of the legislator as activist, and with some dangerous signposts. If Rep. Neugebauer thinks it's OK to yell at a Congressional colleague what's to stop another Congressperson from threatening a representative, or worse?

Everyone has strong beliefs, but it's important to make sure they're tempered by listening and seeking the truth of where the other person is coming from, otherwise the person will appear to be psychotic.

In this case, Bart Stupak sealed a deal with the Obama White House to keep federal funds from being used for health care abortions. For Rep. Randy Neugebauer to yell at the time means that he may very well not have understood the new agreement. He thinks that, even with all of the efforts made, the Senate bill is still a "baby killing" bill.

That Rep. Randy Neugebauer fails to see reality is just plain scary.

Stay tuned.

Health Care Bill passes: Rush Limbaugh off to Costa Rica

It's all over Twitter: Health Care Bill passes: Rush Limbaugh off to Costa Rica! Apparently Rush Limbaugh said he would seek medical care in Coast Rica if Obama's Health Care Reform Bill passed.

Well, the prospect of the broadcasting blowhard that is Rush Limbaugh boarding a plane out of the U.S. for Costa Rica must have turned some Democrats to vote for Obama's Health Care bill because it passed, 220 to 212.

Rush Limbaugh should get on a plane to Costa Rica as punishment for how he's treated so many people, and for how much he put into trying to defeat a bill that helps so many people. A lot of people want to see Rush take off for Costa Rica. So many that "Rush Limbaugh" was a trending topic on Twitter:

simulx RT @miketreder: Send an email to Rush Limbaugh at this address - ElRushbo@eibnet.com - reminding him of his promise to leave the country if HCR passed!
6 minutes ago from web

Even Roger Ebert wanted Rush Limbaugh out of here and was willing to sign a bon voyage card.

ncstage RT @ebertchicago: Be a good sport. Sign the bon voyage card for Costa Rica-bound Rush Limbaugh. http://j.mp/9AKbqR
13 minutes ago from UberTwitter

And this hilarious video sums up what a lot of people have told Rush to do Sunday night after Obama's Health Care plan passed:



Indeed, Rush Limbaugh put on a full court press to stop Democrats from voting for the Health Care Bill. He even posted key phone numbers and emails to use on his website. In the end, Rush Limbaugh lost, and American won.

As California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would say "Hasta La Vista, baby!" Trouble is, the saying could apply to him, too.

Stay tuned.

Health Care Bill passes; Obama makes history!

On a vote of 220 to 212 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate version of President Obama's Health Care Reform bill. President Obama has done what no President was able to do in the last half of the 20th Century and the opening of the 21st Century: stewart a reform, a much needed one, of the American Health Care system.

Of course, Obama didn't do it alone. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel worked the halls and the phones. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi kept the heard of cats that the Democratic Party can be in line. And many Democrats, from Rep. Barbara Lee (D - 9 California), to the legendary John Lewis (D-Georgia), withstood name calling and worse to stay the course and see the Health Care Reform Bill to passage.

Now, over 31 million Americans, some who never thought they'd be able to get health care, can actually do so when the market pool system becomes available July 1st. The real surprise will be when Americans who own small businesses discover their taxes didn't go up at all. The other neat thing will be when Couch Potato Conservatives who thought the sky was going to fall realize it's still up and they can't get medical treatment.

What a victory. A win for what's right and just against those who were wrong and injust. The Tea Party Movement members are the goats in all of this, because their behavior in no small way worked to bring Democrats together.

What the country saw over the weekend was racism and that racism is a mental illness. It's about time.

Obama brought that change and we believed in it.

NFL Draft: NFL's fear of smart black men hurts Myron Rolle

Myron Rolle is a name you're going to read about more and more as we approach the 75th NFL Draft. Indeed, Myron Rolle's a name you may already know about if you watch the NFL Network, who's featured the Florida State Cornerback in it's special segments about NFL Draft prospects. 

If you know about Myron Rolle, you know he's smart. Rolle is a Rhoades Scholar, and one of just 32 people in America to earn such an honor in 2009.

Myron Rolle's also a nice, gentlemanly person, and a lady-killer. This blogger knows this because my friend Mary Moffett, lovely, model-thin, blonde, and very married, just about drooled over him at the 24th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party in Miami, Florida. "God," she said, "that's man's a model. I'd..." And it was about that point I had to mute the conversation.

Myron Rolle has a presence about him that says "success" without Rolle even opening his mouth. He's got the gift of human capital to such a degree that it's threatening to the NFL. The trouble is, Myron Rolle's just the kind of guy the NFL needs. If the league can get over its fear of smart black men.

This charge is not intended to get you the reader to think this is a black v. white issue. It's not. It's a culture problem. Think about it. Myron Rolle's a cornerback from Florida State who went there because he idolized Deion Sanders. So why isn't Deion openly talking about Myron Rolle? At last year's NFL Draft, then-Texas-Tech Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree openly talked about how "Prime" helped him and how he would text back and forth with Deion Sanders.

Not in the case of Myron Rolle.

And what about the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, who have an African American coach in Raheem Morris, yet at the NFL Combine asked Rolle why he deserted his team in 2009? (He didn't not play because of his Rhoades Scholarship requirements at Oxford.) Why ask that question?

From a distance, with NFL Network Analyst Brian Billick raising character concerns in Rolle's case because he's a Rhoades Scholar (no kidding), it's not hard to think the NFL desires a young black man they can bail out of jail because the league's hardwired to see black men in that way. It's the problem that is the central reason why the NFL has such a small percentage of black head coaches and why the Black Coaches Association is so weak in challenging the NFL to change that state of affairs.

The league needs to embrace the smart black man. It can start by treating Myron Rolle with more respect that he's received to date. An invite to the NFL Draft would be a great start.

Megan Avalon on Tough Love on VH1

Tough Love is a reality TV show that this blogger never heard of, but Megan Avalon, who a friend, personal trainer, and model of the Zennie62 blog brand wants to be a host or at least be on the VH1 reality TV show.

That set in motion some research on Tough Love and a video talk about the show. According to Megan Avalon, Tough Love is a kind of relationship boot camp on television. The host Steven Ward shows women how to get over their flaws and have better relationships with men.

But is Steve Ford the best idea of a host for such a show?

Megan says she should be the host of Tough Love because she knows what men want and she knows how to have a successful relationship, which she does have with her current boyfriend. "Men want to be in a relationship with a woman who's confident, not clingy," she says. "I know what men want and I know what women need."

=

 Megan wants to show women how to feel better about themselves and believes she can bring that to the show Tough Love. Let's take a look at a scene from Tough Love:



Megan Avalon would be better to stomach as a host than Steve Ford. The image of a woman talking tough to other women is better than the image of a man doing it. It just seems like Steve's living the verbally abusive man's fantasy of telling off a bunch of lovely women.

That's this blogger's read of Tough Love. Steve says some real hard stuff to the women on the show ("You're a gold-digger!") and just rolls in it like a pig in mud.

Better a woman like Megan Avalon.

America should not have to turn to a reality TV show rather than have real friends to talk to.     Megan says the reason shows like this thrive and that people don't talk to their friends is fear of intimacy.

Maybe.

What do you think of Tough Love? Take the poll below and chime in. What do you think of VH1's Tough Love?

More on pollsb.com

Cal ASUC passes bill urging University of California divestment in Israel

Cal ASUC - from 2008 meeting on fight

The Cal ASUC Senate (or The Associated Students of The University of California) passed a very controversial bill last Wednesday night, that called for the University of California campus system to divest from Israel.

The reason for the bill's creation was concern that the University of California was investing in companies that supplied Israel with materials used in alleged war crimes.

According to the Daily Californian, ASUC Senators voted 16 to 4 to pass the bill, following a hearing that drew 80 speakers and four hours of discussion.

According to the blog Desert Peace, Student Senator Rahul Patel said "In the 1980s the Berkeley Student Government was a central actor in demanding that the university divest from South African apartheid. Twenty-five years later, it is a key figure in shaping a nationwide movement against occupation and war crimes around the world."

He's right. This blogger remembers the riot that happened on campus surrounding South Africa. The difference was there was a more united front against South African apartheid and it was clear the UC system was standing in the way. But in this case, the matter of Israel is more complicated and comes with a divided audience at Berkeley. The same audience that saw a fight between Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine Advocates in 2008.

But it's also clear that Israel's bombing and invasion of Gaza was horrible and criminal. Many American Jews have expressed outraged at the action, even though there's a tendency for the media to focus on American Palestinian views. It's also an action that has put many American Jews in a terrible spot, especially at Cal.

The problem is the bill comes at a time when there has been a bit of anti-Israel bashing at C Berkeley. It's not that tensions are so high that campus life is threatened, but it's also clear that they are impacted by the bill's vote.

Hopefully, the central debate does not escalate into a campus problem. Right now, what's clear is that the ASUC has made what it wants to be seen as an anti-war vote, and not an anti-Israel vote.

It's not clear as of this writing if ASUC President Will Smelko will veto the bill.   If anyone has an update and tips, please send an email here: zennie@zennie62.com

Stay tuned.   (and GO BEARS!)

Sandra Bullock update: Jesse James Nazi Salute Photo to TMZ?

This is a sad update in the Sandra Bullock and Jesse James split and Jesse James cheating affair story.  Jesse James allegedly had a stemy affair with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee (pictured).

Later it was reported that  Michelle "Bombshell" McGee was modeling a Nazi bikini and modeled for a site called "Angry White Boy."   While a friend said McGee's not a White Supremacist, Michelle herself has not spoken out to confirm that she's not.  

TMZ has just posted a blog entry reporting that it will display a Jesse James Nazi Salute Photo on its site.

 TMZ apparently purchased the photo (hopefully not photoshopped) from a woman who knows a so-called "friend" who worked with Jesse and the friend does not know the woman's selling the picture. Messy.

If the photo checks out to be Jesse James when it's posted it will spell curtains for many of Jesse James relationships. Indeed, would Donald Trump want to be associated with a Nazi follower or a person who appeared to be? That impacts potential television sponsors, not to mention the current ones.

And was Sandra Bullock aware of this? Difficult to not to get too far ahead of the photo, given the gravity of the image and who it would impact: Jesse James. For Jesse James' sake, let's hope TMZ bought a doctored photo. (Remember the JFK TMZ boat photo fiasco?)

Stay tuned.

Bart Stupak gets deal with White House; "yes" on Health Care Reform

Bart Stupak

Politico reports that The Obama White House and anti-abortion Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) have reached a deal on preventing the use of tax dollars for health care abortions. This closes a process that lasted late into Saturday night and into Sunday. Politico's sources report that President Obama will sign an executive order that no federal funds will be used to help pay for abortions in the Obama Health Care Reform Bill.

Now, Stupak and his gang of six will vote "yes" to support the Obama Health Care Reform Bill. While Politico's sources now report that Stupak's a yes, Bart Stupak himself has not said this. Stupak's on record as saying that he's a no vote until the agreement is done; now that it's finished, Stupak can be counted as a "yes" vote.

It's now apparent the White House has the 216 votes - perhaps more - to pass the bill and at the same time save some politically vulnerable Democrats from harm back home. Indeed, it was not clear how many "anti-abortion" Democrats Stupak was able to hang on to; the ranks were shrinking. One person who's still a "no" vote according to CNN is Rep. John Tanner (D- Tenn) who's retiring after this term.

Stay tuned.

Bart Stupak close to deal with White House on Health Care

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) says he and his small group of colleagues in the Democratic Party are close to a deal with the Obama White House on Health Care Reform. According to The Hill.com, the agreement would make sure that taxpayer dollars are not used to finance health care abortions.

Stupak claims to have six holdouts in the path to getting a "yes" vote for the Obama Health Care Bill, but it's hard to tell if his group is solidly behind him. There are conflicting reports on the size of the group. At first it was a 12, then eight, now 6. Whatever the case, it seems to be shrinking as the moment to vote draws near.

Stay tuned.

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James poll: 50 percent say Bullock should get divorce

The Sandra Bullock and Jesse James poll ran Saturday is still open but the results thus far are interesting: 55 percent say Oscar-winner Bullock should get a divorce from her husband Jesse James. Recall that Jesse James had an alleged affair with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, as the mistress told In Touch Magazine.

Then photos surfaced that featured Michelle "Bombshell" McGee in a Nazi bikini, and there are supporting allegations that McGee may be a White Supremacist. As of this writing, McGee has not rejected those claims. Heres' the latest video on the scandal:



The poll results will be more reflective of what the American Public thinks once it reaches over 1,500 votes; 60 votes is not significant to this blogger's view. But a pattern's emerging where over 50 percent say Sandra Bullock should divorce Jesse James, while 23 percent (like me) voted for Sandra giving Jesse another chance.

It should be noted that 13 percent think Sandra Bullock should hit Jesse James with a golf club.

Take the poll:

More opinion surveys on pollsb.com

Obama health care bill votes secured; Tea Party racism unites Democrats

The new news is that according to CNN the 216 Democratic votes to pass the Obama health care bill have been secured and that's in no small measure to this impassioned speech The President gave to the House Democrats Saturday:



Obama's health care reform speech was a great one because it was from the heart, emotive, unscripted, and timely. President Obama's candidacy was a reminder of what it meant to be a Democrat.

 And while some may feel President Obama lost his Democratic way, no one who's listened to his speech can argue that he's found his path. Heath Care Reform is an idea who's time came long ago. Today, something can be done about it.

What's sad are those I call "Couch Potato Conservatives who have resulted to racist name calling and insults. Over on Twitter there's a really angry guy named Stan Solomon @stansolomon who has to toss insults at anyone who backs Heath Care Reform.

Or take this guy with the Texas shirt who's so hateful he has to attack blacks, but obviously can't spell.  The perfect representative for Couch Potato Conservatives.

And of course yesterday we had news of Tea Party members tossing the N-word and spitting at members of Congress like Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

 It's that action as well that unified Democrats. Here's Representative Tim Ryan expressing his outrage over the incident:



And here's a video of the scene that Rep. Ryan's talking about, or at least part of it. What can be seen from this are people blocking and booing at the members of The Congressional Black Congress who are on the way to The Capital. It's events like this one, and the behavior of Tea Party People, that have united Democrats:



The Health Care Bill will pass and it will not result in higher taxes or jail time for those who don't get care. But it will work to lower premiums and produce greater access for all who wish to get health care. That's what's needed most.

Stay tuned.

Oakland News - new portal OaklandSeen.com [Aimee Allison | OaklandSeen]

Please join us as OaklandSeen proudly unveils its new online destination, OaklandSeen.com!

Official Launch Party for OaklandSeen.com
DJ fflood
Thursday March 25, 6-9pm
Somar Bar / 1727 Telegraph. Ave, Oakland
no cover / cash bar / donations gladly accepted

More About OaklandSeen

After building a solid foundation through radio and social networks, OaklandSeen presents OaklandSeen.com, a web portal dedicated to sharing genuine voices, striking images, investigative stories, and daily updates by and about our own community.

OaklandSeen forges a pioneering new model for media and community engagement. Its information network highlights issues important to working people, people of color, young people. OaklandSeen links radio broadcasts, social networks, community news, blogs, and web resources to share a compelling mix of Oakland’s most credible and exciting voices -- yours!

This spring, OaklandSeen presents OaklandSeen.com, a web portal that will locate Oakland's multiracial majority in the center of community, political, and social discourse. OaklandSeen.com will celebrate the city’s greatest successes, and shine a spotlight on citizens who innovate to address the city's most relentless challenges.

We're looking for reporters, bloggers, interns, video producers, photographers, culture mavens and people who know where to go on a Friday night.

OaklandSeen includes:

Aimee Allison|Aaron Baluyot|Byron Williams|DaveyD|Esperanza Tervalon-Daumont|Favianna Rodriquez|Jakada Imani|Jennifer Pae|Joel Tena|John Knox-White|Justin Warren|Kamika Dunlap|Leda Dederich|Ludovic Blain|Lupita Figueroa|Marc Tizoc-Gonzalez|Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig|Richard Wright|Rosie Torres|Scott Pearson|Steve Phillips|Steve Wright|Taj James|Tracy Watson|Vien Truong|Zach Seal

...and you

Volunteer | Write | Produce: editor@oaklandseen.com
OaklandSeen radio - Fridays 8:05am KPFA 94.1 FM

Chevrolet talks to Perez Hilton about his 2010 SXSW Party

Chevrolet talks to Perez Hilton about his 2010 SXSW Party in this video found by this blogger. The party was held Saturday at The Whitley and he says that it was not a secret.

 The headliner is Snoop Dogg and from Perez Hilton's tweets, the event is going well. Sort of. Well, here's Perez Hilton talking to someone from Chevrolet about the party:



Perez Hilton just wrote this tweet:

This party just went to a whole other level!!! Snoop!!! #SXSW
9 minutes ago via UberTwitter

And this tweet from someone at the party:

outwithme RT @anasays: Snoop dogg is covering house of pain jump around right now and its blowing my mind @perezhilton @sxsw #sxsw #perezhilton insane
6 minutes ago from TinyTwitter

Still, not everyone's happy because they could not get it. Here's a tweet of apology:

Rubytea77 RT @perezhilton: Thank you all for the overwhelming support in Austin!!! Wow! I wish everyone outside could fit! Promise a bigger venue next year! #SXSW
6 minutes ago from UberTwitter

And reportedly some party goers waited for up to three hours in the cold and never got in. But that happens.

Whatever's happening Perez stopped tweeting and that may mean he's too filled with whatever to concentrate on tweeting.

Stay tuned.

Academy hosting free Hollywood event Monday: "Oscar Docs"

The 2010 Oscars are over but the work of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) goes on. On Monday, March 22nd, AMPAS is hosting "Oscar Docs", a show at the The Linwood Dunn Theater in the Academy's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood. Six Oscar-winning documentaries will be screened starting at 7:30 PM. The screenings will be held each Monday, through May 3rd.

The list of Oscar docs will include those honored at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Overall, it's an exciting lineup of pictures, from Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth to Music by Prudence.

Here's the full schedule with descriptions as provided by AMPAS:

Monday, March 22

Mighty Times: The Children’s March (2004) - 40 mins.
Thousands of black schoolchildren deserted classrooms in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 2, 1963, touching off a week of mass demonstrations that shocked the nation.

Born Into Brothels (2004) - 83 mins.
Photographer Zana Briski helps children of prostitutes in Calcutta create their own photographs with point-and-shoot 35mm cameras.
Featuring an onstage discussion with producer-director Briski.

Monday, March 29

No screenings

Monday, April 5

A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin (2005) - 40 mins.
On VE Day, Norman Corwin, the “poet laureate of radio drama,” presented his landmark broadcast, which electrified the nation.
Featuring an onstage discussion with producer-director Eric Simonson and producer Corinne Marrinan.

March of the Penguins (2005) - 85 mins.
Each year, Emperor penguins in Antarctica journey to participate in a courtship that, if successful, will result in the creation of new life.
Featuring an onstage discussion with studio executives Mark Gill and Tracey Bing and composer Alex Corman.

Monday, April 12

The Blood of the Yingzhou District (2006) - 39 mins.
Children of Yingzhou who have lost their parents to AIDS find their struggles complicated as traditional obligations to family and village collide with the terror of the disease.
Featuring an onstage discussion with producer Thomas Lennon.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - 100 mins.
Al Gore discusses the science behind global warming, how it has affected our environment, the disastrous consequences of inaction, and what individuals can do to help.
Featuring an onstage discussion with director/executive producer Davis Guggenheim.

Monday, April 19

Freeheld (2007) – 40 mins.
Dying of cancer, veteran New Jersey Detective Lieutenant Laurel Hester struggles with local elected officials to transfer her earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree.
Featuring an onstage discussion with producer Vanessa Roth and director Cynthia Wade.

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) - 106 mins.
An investigation into the homicide of an innocent taxi driver at the Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan exposes a Bush Administration policy of detention and interrogation that condones torture and the abrogation of human rights.
Featuring an onstage discussion with producer-director Alex Gibney and producer Eva Orner.

Monday, April 26

Smile Pinki (2008) - 39 mins.
A social worker in India travels from village to village gathering patients for a hospital that provides free surgery to thousands each year.
Featuring an onstage discussion with producer-director Megan Mylan.

Man on Wire (2008) - 94 mins.
On August 7, 1974, a 24-year-old French high-wire artist named Philippe Petit performed one of the most astonishing feats of the late 20th century by stringing a thin cable between the two towers of the World Trade Center and walking across it.

Monday, May 3

Music by Prudence (2009) - 35 mins.
A disabled Zimbabwean singer-songwriter offers a message of hope through her music.

The Cove (2009) - 94 mins.
In a cove near the Japanese village of Taiji, a mass dolphin slaughter yields fraudulently labeled meat that finds its way into the lunches of schoolchildren.

The Academy promises that the best prints of each film will be used. Seating is not reserved so come early to Oscar Docs. For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

NCAA Tournament: Northern Iowa and Ali Farokhmanesh stun Kansas as

This is the upset of the NCAA Tournament: Northern Iowa stuns Kansas. It's something that has to be reviewed again in brief and via video to appreciate what happened in the NCAA Tournament.

The key shot of the game heard round the NCAA Tournament was a cold dagger to the heart of Kansas applied by Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh. Here's the video:



As Northern Iowa pushed the ball up the court with 42.8 second left, and to Ali Farokhmanesh, what's amazing is that no one on the Kansas team even went toward Farokhmanesh with a hand up. They just left him alone to fire the three pointer and he hit it. What? Did Kansas think he was going to miss?

Then Kansas followed with an offensive charging foul and that made Farokhmanesh's three all the more important. It sealed the game for Northern Iowa.

After the contest, which has to go down as one of the greatest upsets in NCAA March Madness history, Farokhmanesh said Northern Iowa's coach Head Coach Ben Jacobson told them not to place any team so high in their mind that they could not beat them, "No matter who we're playing with," he said, "bring it all out there."



Regardless of what Northern Iowa does from this point on, Ali Farokhmanesh has cemented his place in sports history.  Northern Iowa's in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Stay tuned.

NCAA bracket update 2010: Wake Forest drops to Kentucky; BYU loses to Kansas St.

This NCAA bracket update 2010 does not report the upsets of the last blog post: Wake Forest drops to Kentucky while BYU loses to Kansas St. In Kentucky's case, strong bench play directed their 84 to 72 win.

Wake Forest never challenged and never came too close as wave after wave of KU players flew to score baskets and get rebounds. This blogger actually felt sorry for Wake Forest because they were trying to reach for a competitive gear, but just could have it in its grasp.

Another team that was much better than its opponent was BYU. That game was actually much closer than the Wake Forest v. Kentucky matchup, but again BYU could not put it all together to overtake Kansas St.

No upsets here to beat anyone's NCAA bracket, and after a Saturday where it seemed there would not nothing but underdog victories. Bring on Sunday!

NCAA bracket update 2010: N Iowa, St. Mary's, Washington win, Kansas out

Related searches: ncaa schedule, ncaa basketball results, st. mary s basketball, ncaa basketball results 2010, current ncaa bracket

The 2010 NCAA Tournament is just heating up. Saturday, The 2010 NCAA bracket update has a bunch of upsets. First, congratulations to the Moraga, California St. Mary's Gaels, the underdog 10th seed upset the number 2 seed Villanova Wildcats 75 to 68, and with Cal playing Duke Sunday, gives the San Francisco Bay Area NCAA Tournament bragging rights - for at least a day.

Then two other major upsets. The University of Washington Huskies, who are the co-Pac-10 Champions with the University of California, continue their surprising run, beating the New Mexico Lobos 82 to 64.

But the surprise of the day is the elimination of Kansas. President Obama will have to massively revise his bracket, because Kansas was his favorite to win it all. Kansas shockingly lost to Northern Iowa by two points 69 to 67.

EU bank wind-up good idea for US in modified form

According to the Ethiopian Review The European Union's considering an idea that would have banks pay for a future crisis by paying into an emergency wind-up fund. While the United States has the FDIC, lacking still is a permanent bailout fund for banks. But the rub is the notion that banks would use the fund as an excuse for the same reckless policies that in part created the climate for the bank bailout.

The idea's a good one, but in a modified form. Since one problem tied to bank failure is a reduction in lending, a fund should be created to give money to community banks that would be used for consumer lending.

What's missing in the evaluation of the American banking problem is that disinvestment in the economy due to offshoring of plant and offices caused bank failure; the need is to keep a reserve that assures money will be pumped into the economy even during a crisis.

Another step should be to have some kind of automatic taxpayer assistance program that kicks in whenever unemployment reaches levels over 10 percent. The consideration here is that consumer demand drives jobs growth and so must be maintained.

Arthur Sulzberger Jr. note: Zennie62 gains 300,000 visitors in one day

Over the years, the New York Times' Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has openly complained about Google's influence on media rather than do much to use the Google search system to the New York Times' advantage.

While giving the keynote speech at the 2008 Webby Awards and while talking about the Internet, Sulzberger said "Google has become a vast content distribution system; a massive editorial filter", but did not explain how the NY times was working with Google. And while his view of Google has transformed from competitor, to potential buyer, to partner, only within the last week has Sulzberger said the media must work with Google.

The same isn't true for News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch, who once threatened to pull all of his publications from Google, a move that would have the same impact on Google as a gnat bitting an elephant.

And when they've not complained, they've issued insults at Google employees. Take Robert Thompson saying that Google's Marrisa Mayer "unintentionally encourages promiscuity" at Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco last year (in this video at the 7:20 mark):



Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Rupert Murdoch (as well as Tina Brown and Arianna Huffington, John Battelle of Federated Media, members of AdAge.com, Robert Thomson of The Wall Street Journal, and media companies like Starcom and PR companies like Spark) take note: Zennie62 gained almost 300,000 visitors in one day on SFGate.com on Thursday, March 18th. It happened with just seven blog posts and while this blogger who did it will not go into the specific technics of what is a systems approach to blogging, it did work and it's worked before.

Zennie62 - eh, this blogger - has drawn over 1 million visitors to SFGate.com each month since November of 2009. That's a five month unbroken string, with the best month to date being December, with over 2 million visitors. And the systems approach to blogging was developed and used all during that time.

Many publishers do not have a systems approach to the production of media content. It's more than just a trend page or a traffic report, and its a massive sensitivity to time. But beyond that, what I've learned is the window of life for news, what used to be called the 24-hour cycle, has now shrank to just 20 minutes.

On the average, it takes a hot news item 20 minutes to remain at the top most place on any real time search tracking system before it drops to number two place, or some where below number one. Rare is the story that takes the number one position and sits there. Tiger Woods was the one story that did, The Haiti Earthquake story, and the Sandra Bullock story did for all of one day.

And even when stories take that position, many publishers don't know what to do. They use old media approaches to deal with the top story, get their one article out, and that's it. And many don't know how to blog or understand the difference between blogging and journalism. Sorry to say, but what is learned in journalism school is totally antithetical to the demands of the 21st Century media market. The J-school must be restructured to address the new industry.

To close, Arthur Sulzberger Jr and Rupert Murdock should stop complaining about Google and be smart enough to work within Google. If Google's used correctly, it can be your friend.

Oakland ordinance to set-aside campaign aide money hurts Libby Schaaf

A City of Oakland, California ordinance that would set-aside public campaign money and transfer it to what is called voter education about the new ranked choice voting system was delayed by the Oakland City Council last week. That's excellent. Really, there's no need for an ordinance that is really just a power-grab on the part of incumbent Oakland politicians.

The proposal, if it were implemented, would eliminate public financing for Oakland City Council elections. Think about that. The idea launched by Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente (District 5) and by Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan (At-Large) would take election assistance money away from potential new political threats running for office - like Libby Schaaf who's running for Oakland Councilmember Jean Quan's seat in District 4 - and give it to a program that can be done for less than $225,000: educating voters about ranked-choice voting.

It does not take a quarter of a million dollars to do that and proves the people writing the ordinance didn't think in terms of using New Media, just creating a justification for starting a process that benefits their desires. Its not that educating voters about ranked-choice voting isn't important, it its. But the transfer of money from a program that helps create new political candidates to challenge the current ones is really just a power grab.

The last time Oakland's "Limited Public Financing" program was used was in the District Two special election in 2005. In that case, six candidates got a total of $28,347 in matching funds.

The program calls for candidates to get mandatory campaign training. That's perfect for any first-time candidate running for office. But it's also terrible for any incumbent who doesn't want the candidate to have a fighting chance. The ordinance doens't just harm Libby Schaaf - I use my friend as one example - but anyone running for office in any election in the City of Oakland.

Let's take first time mayoral candidate and Green Party member Don Macleay. The Oakland Limited Public Financing program would certainly help Don Macleay's election efforts and give him more of a chance against more seasoned politicians like Don Perata, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, and Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Moreover, the Oakland "Limited Public Financing" program would help any Oaklander who's interested in running for office. In fact, it's a good system to maintain as incentive for those who think they can't afford to run for elected office, but want to do so.

Leave the Oakland "Limited Public Financing" program alone. Let the new political candidates have a fair shot at change.

Stay tuned.

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi picts hot; paid $30,000 for story

Related searches: michelle mcgee, jesse james, sandra bullock, michelle bombshell mcgee pics, michelle mcgee photos, michelle mcgee pictures, michelle mcgee nazi photos, TMZ michelle mcgee, zennie sandra jesse, Forest Whitaker, Repo man

Not surprisingly, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi picts are now the hot search. But equally hot is this news: according to Technorati.com, which seems to be moving toward news blog site from blog directory site, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee was paid "close to $30,000" by In Touch Magazine for the Jesse James affair story.

The news caused Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) to split from Jesse James, reportedly moving out of their home last Monday. Here's the video story:



Dawn Olsen over at Technorati asserts that the tatoo-covered Michelle "Bombshell" McGee also lied about her claim that she didn't know Jesse James was still married to Sandra Bullock. Olsen writes:

Our source tells us McGee was fully aware that Sandra and Jesse were still together when she began the affair, and was hoping the affair would be her ticket to "mainstream celebrity."

Well, that's what Michelle "Bombshell" McGee has. But today, her name's associated with the word "Nazi." "Michelle "Bombshell" McGee Nazi" is all over the place, and unless she is OK with that, she should make some kind of statement that she's not.

Michelle "Bombshell" McGee as Nazi is also not good for the image of Sandra Bullock's husband Jesse James.   How far does one take a "bad boy" image?

The question still not answered is did Jesse James know about her Nazi picts and her work with the "Angry White Boy" website?

 Moreover, with his alleged affair with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, is Jesse James also an "Angry White Boy"? Who is the real Jesse James?

Stay tuned.

Ivanka Trump Fan Blog v. Madonna and Jennifer Lopez fan blogs

A young man, 27-year-old Justin Massler, who's the author of the Ivanka Trump Fan Blog was arrested in Reno, Tuesday, and on an arrest warrant issued in New York City, according to the SFGate Daily Dish, and for essentially allegedly stalking Trump via his blog.

A number of Internet commenters have taken issue with what appears to be a heavy-handed action on the part of New York law enforcement. With that in mind this blogger compared Justin Massler's Ivanka Trump Fan Blog with two other fan blogs: Madonna Fan Blog and Jennifer Lopez Fan Blog. The comparison is striking and worth review.

The main problem - really the only one - is that the Ivanka Trump Fan Blog is written more from the perspective of a local boy who has a school boy crush on the rich girl. Justin Massler reportedly lives in New York City, where Ivanka Trump (the daughter of real estate developer and host of The Apprentice TV Series Donald Trump) also lives.

But where it gets interesting, and this blogger can see red flags going up for those who are not Intenet and New Media savvy, is when Massler posts a blog entry with a photo of the view from Ivanka Trumps' office, as if he's been there. Reportedly, he's never met Trump, so that photo is all the more chilling to those who don't know about Twitter photo services.

If the New York DA's Office based its arrest warrant on this Twitter photo, they made a huge, huge mistake. Massler reports the photo was placed there online by Ivanka Trump herself, not Massler. She uses an online service called Twitpic and Trump's on Twitter @IvankaTrump.

What's interesting is the photo on his blog site is not on Trumps' Twitpic page. But Ivanka does have another photo of a view from her office on the page. This photo:



That photo was posted by Ivanka Trump. I think New York's DA Office made a mistake and believed Massler himself took the photo.  Moreover, this error has been repeated by some news websites that also don't know what they're looking at.

And, I will go a step beyond that and say the New York DA's office does not understand how to evaluate what Internet software was used when or why in any case.  They're not tech savvy from this blogger's view, and that's a terrible and dangerous thing to be in their line of work.

Ivanka Trump has a number of photos on her Twitpic, but the fact the one on Massler's blog is not on her Twipic page all of a sudden is fishy.  Really fishy.  

Think about it.  If the same photo were found on Ivanka Trump's Twitpic site, it would all but destroy the New York DA's case against Justin Massler.   My opinion: either she took it down or someone, perhaps her lawyer, instructed her to do so.    I'm willing to bet I'm right.   I'm also willing to bet Massler's no threat to Ivanka Trump.

Ivanka Trump 

Ivanka Trump's fan blogger Justin Massler never expresses a desire to date Trump or really be close to her in the blog posts that are present. While other blog posts were reportedly removed, we don't know the contents of them.

That written, even with its expressions of admiration and humorous wondering about what Ivanka Trump thinks, the blog does not obviously violate this section of New York Stalking Law:

New York Stalking Law (excerpt):
3. With intent to harass, annoy or alarm a specific person, intentionally engages in a course of conduct directed at such person which is likely to cause such person to reasonably fear physical injury or serious physical injury, the commission of a sex offense against, or the kidnaping, unlawful imprisonment or death of such person or a member of such person's immediate family (http://www.esia.net/State_Stalking_Laws.htm)

Still, it's not the normal fan blog. The Madonna and Jennifer Lopez fan blogs consist of news about Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, or "J-Lo". There's nothing of the kind of intimate diary-style blogging that appears on Justin Massler's site. But again, there's nothing on Massler's site to indicate any level of harm would even come to Ivanka Trump.

What's missing here is a middle ground. New York's District Attorney should have arranged for Justin Massler to be warned and instructed what constitutes a fan site that's not threatening from the subject's point of view.  But for the NYDA's Office to even think of doing that calls for a level of Internet sophistication that office does not have (but needs to have).

Justin Massler should have been told to use his real name on the blog; that would have prevented him from running up against Federal Internet Stalking charges. The action taken against Massler seem heavy-handed given that the blog's not threatening in its presentation of Ivanka Trump.

Justin Massler comes off like a guy who's down on his luck and has picked Ivanka Trump as his muse. Maybe Ivanka Trump doesn't want a guy that's homeless and mentally ill (as his mother claims) as her muse, but that doesn't mean he's going to harm her.

For his part, Justin Massler's better off keeping his most intimate thoughts about Ivanka Trump confined to a private diary. But in the age of blogging, Massler didn't know this, and no one told him.  Until now and this is most indirect.

For its part, The New York DA's Office needs to really get an education in New Media and Social Networks.  As we move further into the 21st Century, such knowledge will serve it well and it will not make mistakes in evaluating what is seen online.

NCAA Tournament: Cal clobbers Louisville, shocks President Obama

Related searches: cal basketball, louisville basketball, ncaa final four, ncaa march madness, cal v. duke, duke blue devils basketball

The University of California beat The Louisville Cardinals in an upset in the NCAA Tournament, 77 to 62. Cal clobbered Louisville, never once trailing in the contest played in Jacksonville. And in the process, had to shock President Barack Obama, who didn't even think twice in picking Louisville over Cal.

The win also slam-dunked the blog of New York Times College Basketball bloggger Pete Thamel, who last Monday questioned why Cal was even matched up against the Louisville Cardinals, and their supposedly superior bench.

Here's the CBS Sports video recap:

Louisville was supposed to be the more physical team, but Cal's Head Coach Mike Montgomery designed a game plan that never allowed Head Coach Rick Pitino's Terrence Jennings and Samardo Samuels to get going. Cal's Jerome Randle, Jorge Gutierrez, Theo Robertson, and Patrick Christopher, played to smother and outscore the Cardinals' big men.



But, as in any NCAA Tournament game, contests like this come down to a few moments. In this one there were two primary ones: Cal's Jerome Randle, hitting a long-distance three-pointer with just 3.7 seconds to end the first half, and the dual penalties of an intentional foul and a technical foul on Louisville's Pitino with just over 2 minutes to go. That second moment allowed Cal to increase its lead to 16 and salt the game away.

Now Cal plays top seed Duke this Sunday. Meanwhile, ESPN and the NY Times just can't believe what's happening to The Big East. Both Pac-10 teams Cal and the Washington Huskies, which beat Marquette the previous night, were not favored and made fun of by the East Coast press.

Who's laughing now? President Obama, pick Cal over Duke. Yes, we know about your long-time aide Reggie Love's love for Duke, but you're better off picking Cal.

GO BEARS!

Sandra Bullock and Jesse James split: Mistress' Nazi Swastika photos

Related searches: michelle mcgee, jesse james, sandra bullock, michelle bombshell mcgee pics, michelle mcgee photos, michelle mcgee pictures, michelle mcgee nazi photos, TMZ michelle mcgee, zennie sandra jesse, Forest Whitaker, Repo man

This sandra bullock and jesse james split update is unfortunate for everyone involved.

TMZ.com reports today, Friday, that Michelle "Bombshell" Mcgee, Jesse James' alleged mistress, had photos taken of her wearing what is a Nazi bikini complete with a Swastika arm band, causing many to wonder if she's a White Supremacist. Moreover, the photos were apparently presented to TMZ by Ms. McGee's ex-husband.

The photos were taken over a year ago. One of them has Michelle "Bombshell" Mcgee licking a long knife (you can see this in the video) and the other posing with a long rifle of some kind. Did Jesse James know about this? What does Jesse James think of this? Moreover, what does Sandra Bullock think about this, after the split?

Is Michelle "Bombshell" Mcgee a White Supremacist?

This must be particularly hard for Sandra Bullock, who has good friends of color and was introduced as the Best Actress Nominee at The Oscars by Repo Man star Forest Whitaker, a friend, one of the finest actors of the modern age, and an Oscar-winner who happens to be black.

For her part, the porn star Michelle Mcgee says through a source that she's not a Nazi in the TMZ michelle mcgee update. But both Michelle Mcgee's ex-husband and her MySpace page tell a different story. Her ex told In Touch that the "W" and "P" tatoos on her legs don't stand for "White Power" but "W---- P----y". How appropriate.

If that's the case, how does Michelle Mcgee explain the message from the person who's from the "Angry White Boy" website on her MySpace page?  Or how about the Angry White Boy modeling and her being called an "Angry White Girl?"    

For her part, Michelle herself has not addressed this issue of the Nazi Photos or Angry-anything, but she has made tweets on Twitter @MichelleSinai that seem to give her view of the affair, referring to herself in the third-person (and the Twitter account is posted on the MySpace page, so it does belong to Michelle Mcgee):

I find it typical and pathetic that people are crucifying @MichelleSinai when she never promised anyone to be faithful. (via @avflox)
about 6 hours ago via Twitterrific

Michelle McGee seems more concerned about ice cream and not Sandra Bullock:

I really want some Ben and jerrys half baked ice cream.. Yummy!!
about 19 hours ago via Twitterrific

And of course, McGee has the expected porn-related tweet:

@CaptainAwessome The average titty weighs 3.3 lbs. Not sure about the average pussy, jump on a scale and call me back.
about 1 hours ago via Twitterrific in reply to CaptainAwessome

The average titty weighs 3.3 lbs. Not sure about the average pussy, jump on a scale and let me know.
about 2 hours ago via Twitterrific

And Jesse James went for her over Sandra Bullock? This has nothing to do with an Oscar Curse, and everything to do with male fears of a powerful woman. I think Sean Young was right about Hollywood as she stated in my video at The Night of 100 Stars Oscar Party:



It's a man's World there in Hollywood, so much so that some husbands of actresses like Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and Kate Winslet seemed threatened by them. But that's my view.

Stay tuned.

What's Bart Stupak's real agenda?

The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Represenatives has prepared, for all 435 congressional districts, a district-level analysis of the impact of health care reform legislation. This analysis includes information on the impact of the legislation on families, small businesses, seniors in Medicare, health care providers, and the uninsured. Somebody in Michigan should forward the link to Representative Bart Stupak, just in case he doesn't know.

The bill caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $6,200 for individuals and $12,400 for families who purchase insurance through the exchange or who are insured by small businesses. It also eliminates annual and lifetime limits on all insurance coverage. These changes mean no family will have to face financial ruin because of high health care costs.

Take, for example, the highlights from the report on MI's First District, Represented by Republican Bart Stupak. In Rep. Stupak’s district, the health care reform bill will:

• Improve coverage for 364,000 residents with health insurance.
• Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 197,000 families and 17,900 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
• Improve Medicare for 141,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
• Extend coverage to 44,000 uninsured residents.
• Guarantee that 10,000 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
• Protect 1,100 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
• Allow 50,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
• Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 41 community health centers.
• Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $102 million annually.

Under the legislation, small businesses with 100 employees or less will be able to join the health insurance exchange, benefiting from group rates and a greater choice of insurers. There are 18,600 small businesses in Bart Stupak's district that could benefit from this provision.

Tax credits for truly small businesses:
Small businesses with 25 employees or less and average wages of less than $50,000 will qualify for tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing health insurance. There are up to 17,900 small businesses in the district that could qualify for these credits according to the committee report.

By that reckoning, it's bound to be good for the 1^st CD in Michigan, but their Democratic Representative must have something else as a higher priority than the health and economy of his district.

Curious how other districts will fare? The full report is at: Benefits of Health Care Reform, District by District Impact, where the Committee notes the cost of health care reform under the legislation as currently formulated is:

"...fully paid for, in large part by eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and excessive profits for private insurers. The legislation will reduce the deficit by $130 billion over the next ten years, and by about $1.2 trillion over the second decade."

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.