Time Square Bomb Scare post by Suzannah B. Troy

First and foremost highest praise for the NYPD for their response and handling of what appears to be some kind of crude amateurish bomb that could have  harmed innocent people if it had gone off.    A t-shirt vendor heard some suspicious noises and alerted police and highest praise for a civilian coming forward.

Here in NYC we have signs in the subways and else where always alerting us if we see something suspicious to alert the NYPD and in this case someone did just that and helped prevent would could have been a terrible tragedy.

I am signed up on the Notify NY program with the City of New York so I get a text messages and emails alerting me but it gave no details, just police activity and that the area was closed off.  The t-shirt vendor alerted police at 6:30 but I got my text, May 2 at 12:50AM, still I am glad to get it and glad Notify NY is up and working.

 I wrote Commissioner Kelly asking if the NYPD could actually have a more extended notification system than this, that alerts New Yorkers about crimes that could help us to be even safer and give info if the NYPD need help catching a criminal by texting the people a description.  I am critical of the mayor for denying us a referendum and pushing a reckless tsunami of development but as far as 311 which needs work in terms of the city actually solving problems rather than answering calls and Notifying NY,the ideas are good, both need work.

Also here in NYC the 911 system has been overhauled,  called the UCT Dispatch System  and there are major problems especially alerting the FDNY and EMS  that still need addressing but last night all was good and every system worked as it should thank goodness!!!

Today thankfully we have a happy ending.  The NYPD are going to find the person responsible I am sure and that person will be spending some quality time in jail.  Thank goodness no one was hurt and many people that were there so see Broadway shows got first hand New York City Street Theatre for free.






Here is video from The New York Post.

Again highest praise for the NYPD.  Also for anyone interested here is a YouTube made by the NYPD about their amazing Bomb Squad check it out.   Personally, I have to say I am in awe.  I also got to speak to one of these officers and asked him some questions including about his gorgeous dog w/ a badge, a four legged NYPD officer which was "a bomb" - as in a good and wonderful experience for me.  Here is the slang dictionary for bomb being cool! http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/bomb,+the

If you have seen the Oscar awarding winning film Hurt Locker than you will recognize the safety clothing these brave officers wear so watch this YouTube!

Also for NYPD buffs -- Do you know who created The Bomb Squad? 

I have been told that Lt.  Joseph (Giuseppi) Petrosino created The Bomb Squad and he did so because he was fighting the Black Hand who were setting off explosives here in NYC.  

I found this comment posted to back up what I was told by an NYPD officer after 9-11 and also what I have read in the internet.

Lt. Petrosino's memory lives on in infamy. He was responsible for forming the NYPD Bomb Squad along with being the leader of the "Italian Squad". Lt. Petrosino went after "The Black Hand" and early form of the "Mafia" as we know it today. He stood for all that is good about Italian-American's and gave his life defending his belief. I have had the privilege to meet and work with his Granddaughter who is director of Bishop Kearney high school in Brooklyn's 66 Pct. May we never forget his ultimate sacrifice. God Bless.

— Det. John D'Onofrio

Lt. Joseph (Giuseppi) Petrosino was the 1st NYPD officer to die in the line of duty abroad.  Here is a YouTube where I take you on a short tour of a special exhibition at the NY Police Museum honoring Lt. Petrosino.   An Italian film maker is making a new film about him but there are have been others including a Hollywood film starring  Ernest Borgnine playing Lt. Petrosino called "Pay or Die".

In this YouTube I show you an NYPD pin I was given with Lt. Petrosino's badge number.  I treasure this pin and I thought I lost in Grand Central Station.  The pin had fallen in to my bag and a kind man got on his hands and knees along with me to help find the back of the pin which he did as many people busily past us.

White House Correspondents Dinner 2010 - Obama bests Leno

The 2010 White House Correspondents Dinner is history. It was the second one for President Barack Obama, and while he wasn't quite as funny as in 2009, he was funnier than Jay Leno. Reportedly, Joe Biden was even funnier than President Obama, but this blogger missed Biden's turn at the podium.

Would Conan have been funnier?

That aside, it's clear Obama enjoys the White House Correspondents Dinner, and comes with some pretty good material. For example there was the joke about Politico and how it has a centuries long history of spinning the news (Politico goes back to 2005.) Or there was the one about how Joe Biden talked him into coming to the dinner, saying "Mr. President. This is a big bleeping deal," in reference to Biden's on-mic F-bomb after the Health Care Reform Bill was passed.

In all Obama was just plain funnier than Jay Leno. It seemed Leno was searching for the one punch line that would get him going, but he remained stuck in the mud.

What did you think? Would Conan O'Brien have been funnier?

Stay tuned.

Thousands in Oakland protest Arizona immigration law and proposed federal reform (OaklandSeen.com)

The annual May Day march in Oakland began at the Fruitvale BART drew an energized crowd that grew to over 3,000 by early afternoon. Filipino Advocates for Justice Executive Director Lillian Galedo was a featured speaker facing a crowd who gathered under the slogan, "We are all Arizona". On stage, organizers invited City Councilmembers Jean Quan and Jane Brunner to announce their proposal for a city boycott of Arizona and Arizona-based businesses. (The full City Council will consider the proposal this Tuesday at a 5:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.)

But talk soon turned to national immigration reform issues. Lillian Galedo addressed the congressional immigration reform proposal introduced late last week, which emphasizes enforcement over legalization. A move, Galedo said, "basically puts legalization on hold". According to an article in today's Washington Post, the proposal takes a Republican "secure the border" approach. Galedo added, "its not what we wanted in immigration reform."

It's too early to tell what impact the boycotts and protests in the streets in Oakland, San Francisco and across the country will have on the Arizona state law or the national reform debate. But what is certain is that the numbers out on the street for May Day demonstrate the loud and insistent demand for fair immigration law. Catherine Tactaquin, Executive Director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights was impressed by the size of the Oakland crowd, "It was much bigger than the organizers expected, par for the course nationally!"

Aimee Allison is the publisher/founder of OaklandSeen.com.

Conan O'Brien blasts NBC and Jay Leno: Conan got $30 million

Lost in all of the argument and coverage of the now celebrated spat between Conan O'Brien, NBC and Jay Leno is one sobering fact: Conan O'Brien got $30 million. Repeat: Conan O'Brien got $30 million from NBC.

This blogger loves Conan O'Brien and definitely feels for how he was treated by NBC, but the bottom line for me was reading that NBC paid Conan and his staff large buyout money. That comes in the middle of a jobless economic recovery with double-digit unemployment rates in many counties in America and an overall rate that's a hair below 10 percent.

There are scores of people who would be happy with a $1 million buyout or a $10,000 one for that matter. For Conan O'Brien to go on CBS 60 Minutes all sad faced and boo-hooing is itself a bad move. Sure, it makes for great gossip and it certainly helps my blogging work. But for Conan it would do some initial good, then a bit of bad.

The "bit of bad" will come when people who aren't "into" the story realize that Conan got $30 million. If he wanted to he could retire on that money, assuming Conan's not racked up a lot of huge bills. Most people anywhere in the World would be happy with a fraction of that money.

Entertainment is a cut-throat business, especially at that level. If you're not smart enough to leverage New Media as a "balancer" you're subject to the whims of whatever Tom, Dick, Harry, or Jay Leno comes along. Conan had to know that.

From what I read Conan didn't want to move to 12 midnight. But what if he did? What if Conan had taken that spot, let Jay come back to 11:30 PM, then watch Jay tank? It may very well have been that NBC would have moved Conan right back to that spot.

But that didn't happen. Conan wanted things his way, and so a butting of heads happened. But it also appears that NBC and Conan just didn't get along. I wonder if some of that had to do with Conan's need to feel "needed" even though he reached the zenith of success? Let's face it. Conan's version of The Tonight Show didn't feel like, well, The Tonight Show. It felt more like Conan's old show. That's not what NBC wanted anyway.

But NBC saw Conan's value and paid him accordingly. They gave him start-up money to, well, start his own show.

$30 million. Nice.

Conan's going to be just fine. It's the rest of the World I'm worried about.

Rock the Casbah.

@ConanOBrien blasts NBC and Jay Leno on CBS 60 Minutes (video)

Conan O'Brien talks about the NBC's The Tonight Show and Jay Leno scandal with Steve Kroft of CBS 60 Minutes. The full segment airs tomorrow (Sunday) night on 60 Minutes at 7 PM EST and PST.

This excerpt clip reveals a Conan O'Brien still obviously pained by the ouster from The Tonight Show after just six months on the job and at the hands of Jay Leno, who pushed Conan out after Jay's 10 PM NBC program failed.

Here's the video:



What happened in what some have called "The Late Shift Two" was that when Jay Leno wanted to return to late-night television, Jeff Gaspin, NBC's head of entertainment, asked Conan to move back to his midnight slot to make room for a 30-minute show for Jay. Conan reportedly said no according to The New York Times.

The result was a nasty public argument that drew in everyone from David Letterman to this blogger, and even Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange, who warned Conan about moving to LA.

Jay Leno didn't make it any better by issuing his "State of The Network" speech saying "Don't blame Conan:"



But David Letterman's take was classic:



Now, Conan O'Brien will get his own 11 PM show on TBS as George Lopez agreed to move his show to midnight.

In an obvious blast at Jay Leno, Conan said "If I had surrendered The Tonight Show and handed it over publicly to someone else, then I would not have come back six months later. But that's me. You know? Everyone's got their own, you know, way of doing things."

Asked if NBC had handled things differently, Conan O'Brien said the relationship between he and NBC had become so toxic it was time for a split.

Kentucky Derby odds and payout - Lookin At Lucky favorite

Lookin At Lucky 

The 2010 Kentucky Derby is today and post time is 6:24 PM ESI. As of this writing, Lookin At Lucky is still the favorite to win, even with the poor post position it has. As I wrote on Friday, considering the post position issues and the odds, it's better to pick any of the 50-1 horses where you would get a bigger payout.

So with that, how much would you earn if you bet $100? DocSports.com has the answer in this list of what such a bet on each horse in today's Kentucky Derby would pay:

Lookin At Lucky +450
Sidneys Candy +700
Awesome Act +900
Ice Box +1000
Super Saver +1000
Devil May Care +1200
Dublin +1200
Mission Impazible +1200
American Lion +1200
Jackson Bend +1200
Paddy Oprado +1600
Line of David +2000
Stately Victor +2000
Nobles Promise +2000
Conveyance +2200
Deans Kitten +3300
Discreetly Mine +3300
Make Music For Me +3500
Homeboykris +4000
Backtalk +5000

The favorite is Lookin at Lucky at $450; the highest is Backtalk at $5,000. Again, Dean's Kitten, Make Music for Me, Paddy O'Prado, Backtalk, and Homeboykris are the horses with 50-1 odds. But if I had to pick one of these horses, it would be Dean's Kitten. For one thing, it's odds changed from 50-1 to 40-1 just today. Moreover, in its last two races it placed 1st and 2nd.

Whatever the case, this is going to be an exciting Kentucky Derby.

Rock the Casbah!

Tylenol Recall 2010 impacts Children’s Tylenol - hotline number given

The Internet is abuzz with the news of the latest Tylenol recall, but the lead title on many blogs and newssites is wrong. It's Children’s Tylenol that's being recalled, not "Tylenol Recall 2010." According to The New York Times, Johnson & Johneson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit voluntarily recalled Children’s Tylenol from shelves, according to The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Saturday.

You should stop using the following: Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl. Some of them may have an ingredient that may not meet FDA testing guidelines. This is, in part, what the McNeil Consumer Healthcare press release reads:

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

McNeil offers a phone number for consumers to call: 1-888-222-6036 and on Monday through Friday 8 AM to 10 PM EST and Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM EST. You can also visit the website www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

St. Vincent's Hospital shocker + the anger! posted by Suzannah B. Troy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XBtpawY_3Q

Above is Yetta Kurland who almost beat city council speaker Christine Quinn who like Mike Bloomberg barely won her seat back the way mayor Mike Bloomberg spent the most obscene amount of money ever in NYC history, close to 110 million dollars for the most humiliating win and tainted because the people of New Yorker were denied a referendum!


Well Yetta Kurland, a Civil Rights lawyer and community activist is going strong and full out for the community as is she had won the city council seat and this short YouTube above gives you some insight in the fact St. Vincent's may be closing but it is not a closed case!







This YouTube is called "St. Vincent's Shocker. A nurse gives an extremely moving and rousing speech.
She calls for a revolution. She says you people need a revolution downtown. She conjurs up the 1960's!!!  
This is a very rousing speech and I agree. We need to tell the politicians this is just not good enough!!!!

I think of Peter Finch in Network! "I am as mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore!"

The speaker speaks up about the concerns that nurses may not get their pensions, that some 
nurses had checks that bounced and more shocking details that are red flags.
Someone yells out Enron. Some now unemployed and tried to apply unemployment and were denied.
The nurse calls out for a Federal Investigation. Please watch this you.





Dr. David Kaufman explains why we need an emergency room and he points out too many people
use the emergency room for non-emergencies. He doesn't mention that many people do so 
because they have no health insurance.
By the way St. Vincent's never turned anyone away according to what I was told.




These YouTubes are deeply moving and I hope you will watch them.
"The St. Vincent's Shocker" is a must see.
Very shocking and I do hope a Federal Investigation does happen! 
Even more I wish for a late in the 9th Inning miracle that the hospital is re-opened but
for now it looks like a dead issue and I don't know what the
people of the neighborhood will do! We need this hospital bailed out more than any bank!

Two massive disasters Eco-disaster and Economic post by Suzannah B. Troy NYC

This newest terrible oil spill is an eco-diaster beyond what people maybe understanding and it is heartbreaking but also here in NY,  the budgetary crisis is devastating as well and we maybe moving from a recession to a depression.    The oil spill is worse because entire populations of sea life maybe obliterated but both are nightmares as far as I am concerned and should never have happened.

The economic crisis  here and for the country is not being  addressed effectively and I am sure it will have world wide tremors but here in NY Albany's politicos can't get it through their thick skull how actually devastating this economic crisis is and refuse to work together to close the budget crisis.  President Obama did inherit a disaster but here in NY it has been more the making of Albany and City Hall and they are not doing anything effectively to address the problem.  Most New Yorkers see politicians as corrupt fat cats...not all but many.

We also have an accidental governor who is not a strong leader or one with integrity who should have resigned quite a while ago and I am guessing he spends a lot of time on the phone with his defense attorney because of all the scandals, at least 3 significant ones that make him an even more ineffectual leader if that was possible.

Both the eco-diaster -- this massive oil spill and this economic disaster are hard to wrap one's mind around.  The nature disaster is a travesty beyond words and comprehension but this economic disaster means even more people lay-offed and more pay-cuts, more closings, quality of life here in NYC continuing to spiral downward.  I continue to ask is City Council unvoting themselves a raise.

Here is my YouTube from Oct. 13, 2008 Gloomy Bloomy News Sub-Zero Trickledown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnkhunOHe6g

How did I know this and the mayor seemed not to know this and he made promises and brokered deals to win or steal his third term which would further bankrupt NYC as he gave away or spent over a hundred million dollars with sub-zero trickle down.  Mike Bloomberg is also in big trouble with his spending close to a million dollars that he  can't account for to buy his third term and this is being investigated by an appointee of Cy Vance's as well as Mike Bloomberg's association and continue loyalty to Steve Rattner who has essentially been blamed for anything and all things corrupt with Quadrangle and the pension fund scandals.  Of course Rattner says he is innocent although his own firm, Quadrangle disavowed him and of course Rattner will just pay some hefty fine by real peoples' standards but small change for him and no jail time or even a guilty plea.  In the US if you are rich, a celebrity, a politico or well connected you get to plead no contest.  

All this spells disasters that will be affecting people and the eco-diaster the planet for a long time.

NYC Beats Back at Arizona post by Suzannah B. Troy

Thousands of workers and immigrants demanding FULL RIGHTS NOW and people supporting equal rights, human rights and standing up to what they feel is racism showed up at Union Square to protest Arizona's stance on immigrants as well as attend the the 6th Annual May Day March starting at Union Square which was jammed packed with protestors and all with shoppers at the Farmers Market so I took photos of protest walking through the market as well a very brief clip of just how crowded the protest is and it is going very strong even as I post this.

I was sent an email from the organizers that also used facebook and the attendance was very strong and people of all ages including parents with small children holding flags.

Protestors walking thru the Farmers Market and believe me this photo and the others give you no idea of just how crowded the area was and is and also how hot it is today!


New York is overwhelming liberal and there were no counter-protestors in site just shoppers buying lilacs and fresh fruits in contrast to the many immigrant workers that showed up with their family members and lots of supporters.

NY Budget CRISIS an interview by Suzannah B. Troy with Dan Halloran, City Council member

Miami Dolphins should fire GM Jeff Ireland

Jeff Ireland 

Although this isn't going to happen, yet, the Miami Dolphins should fire Jeff Ireland. After asking then-Oklahoma State and now Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Dez Bryant if his mother was a prostitute, then reportedly appologizing for the insult, Ireland used Sports Illustrated to rub salt in the wound.

S.I.'s Jim Trotter reports the following alleged interaction between Dez Bryant and Jeff Ireland and says it comes from unnamed sources but essentially clears Jeff Ireland because Jeff claims Dez said his own father was a pimp:

"My dad was a pimp."
"What did your mom do [for a living]?"
"She worked for my dad."
"Your mom was a prostitute?"
"No, she wasn't a prostitute."

Jim Trotter didn't get the message from Dez Bryant, who calls his blog post a "lie" according to the Palm Beach Post and ESPN's Ed Werner. Dez Bryant says its not true and Pro Football Talk.com explains that ESPN failed to report Bryant's version of the story until after Miami's Jeff Ireland countered Dez Bryant in another publication.

But Jeff Ireland's out of line and should be fired, or at the very least suspended for several weeks without pay.

The NFL needs to send a message that insults that defame the character of NFL Players are not to be allowed. This message needs to be sent to NFL front-offices and Jeff Ireland should be the example Commissioner Roger Goodell uses.

Claudia Shear Restoration NY Theatre Workshop Suzannah B. Troy loved the play and of course Claudia!

Vibeke Hastrup actor and producer visiting from Denmark is  here in NYC hoping to make her own play happen in 2011.  I had an extra ticket because a friend had to bow out last minute so I gave the ticket away and it couldn't have been to a nicer person and someone who truly appreciates the arts and theatre!  Above is a photo of Vibeke Hastrup and artist Suzannah B. Troy

Below Suzannah B. Troy's review of Restoration at New York Theatre Workshop  79 East 4th Street

I love Claudia Shear.  I loved her in "Blown Sideways through Life" which I saw with my friend David Kaufman.   I love her as Mae West.  I loved her tonight in Restoration.  I am her mother.  No we are the same age (well almost).  Claudia represents very passionate outspoken women, brash, intense, New York....did I say passionate?    Add brazen to brash and passionate!!!!!

Tonight was no exception.   Restoration was excellent, smart, fun and worth seeing so support the arts, good actors and one of my favorites Claudia Shear.

The play is about restoring Michelangelo's David and beauty and perfection in contrast to how imperfect humans are and how lonely.     There are the Bill Gates of  beauty and in contrast the star of Restoration although she is "rich" metaphorically - her interior life --- gifted with a good heart, a brilliant mind and a burning passion for her work.  She spends a lot of time with a really handsome security guard played by Jonathan Cake who is almost a living breathing David and the supporting cast was very good with a special nod for the  prof. and mentor played by Alan Mandell.

Well done and I have to say it one more time.  I LOVE CLAUDIA SHEAR!!!  She can play me anytime but she has to act a lot taller!!!!!

Peter Lopez, husband of Catherine Bach of "Dukes of Hazzard", dead

Catherine Bach and Peter Lopez

Peter Lopez, the husband of Catherine Bach of The Dukes of Hazzard and was an attorney for Michael Jackson, is dead in Encino, California. Peter Lopez is a name partner in the LA entertainment law firm Kleinberg, Lopez, Lange, Cuddy & Klein LLP (KLLCL), a 10-member law firm.

Peter Lopez was born in San Francisco June 7th, 1949 and admitted to the California bar in 1974. Lopez received both his B.S. and his J.D from UCLA. He's a meber of the Beverly Hills and American Bar Associations, the State Bar of California and the Mexican-American Bar Association.

KLLCL's website describes Peter Lopez in this way:

Peter Lopez is one of the most respected and well known entertainment lawyers in the country. Over the past two decades, Mr. Lopez has represented some of the biggest stars in the world as well as numerous major corporate clients. He is one of the founding partners of Kleinberg Lopez Lange Cuddy & Klein, LLP.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Peter Lopez to the California State Athletic Commission in 2007, and more recently the Director of the California Exposition and State Fair Board.

With all of this success why would Lopez allegedly commit suicide? According to a number of sources like E!Online, paramedics and police responded to a 911 call at 11:30 AM today, Friday from the home of Catherine Bach.  Gun shots were reported to have been fired at Bach's home and Bach told police that Lopez shot himself.

Why?

Catherine Bach and Peter Lopez married in 1990 and have two children.

Stay tuned.

Carly Fiorina just lost the Latino vote in the California Senate race

Continuing the run of stupid statements made by GOP representatives, we have Carly Fiorina. (As a note before this blogger continues, it's important to get out of the way that Carly Fiorina's successful battle against Breast Cancer is an inspiration to others suffering from this awful problem. I wish Fiorina continued success in that area, but not in politics.)

In a grilling of an interview by Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, Carly Florina, running against U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in an election battle for Boxer's California seat in The Senate, said that she understood and supports Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law.

Now the catch is Carly didn't say "I support and understand" in one sentence, she danced around the admission but then after Blitzer pressed her finally said "I understand why Arizona" passed the law and said it was because of "fear and frustration." Said she supports the law, but then quickly said the problem was the Federal Government's patrol of the boarder or lack of same.

It seemed that Carly knew she was wading into an area that would get her into trouble so she was talking carefully, but not carefully enough.

Carly should have said "I don't back Arizona."

The "fear" comment was telling. Fear of who, Carly? What kind of fear? Fear of Latinos?

Latino's make up 30 percent of Arizona's population. For Carly Fiorina to even mention that she "understands" what Arizona did and then says they're afraid calls into question if she's afraid of Latinos.

I watched Carly squirm and wondered why she felt it was so important to carry a conservative - er, Coach Potato Conservative - agenda? Somewhere along the way Florina forgot she's a Californian. Here, we expect conservatives to be inclusive and not fearful of others because of the color of their skin.

Hey, let's be honest here. The illegal immigration debate is about Latino's and not hot Irish waitresses or Swedish Au-Pair girls with expired VISAs. My guess is Carly doesn't fear them.

Stay tuned.

Ken Blackwell on Obama does Keystone Cops routine for CNN

Ken Blackwell's on CNN's The Situation Room as this is being written. In attacking President Obama for being what Ken claims is being "subversive" Ken's off base.

Ken Blackwell's a patriot. Ken's the former Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, the current head of the Family Research Council, and nearly became the head of The Republican Party. But, while achieving success even though he's part of the GOP, Ken Blackwell's attack on President Obama is silly. And to go a step beyond that, Ken Blackwell just plain sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Ken's got a new book out called Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency that accuses President Obama of trying to subvert the government, which is another way of saying Obama's subversive. The definition of that word is:

tending to subvert or advocating subversion, esp. in an attempt to overthrow or cause the destruction of an established or legally constituted government.

On CNN Ken Blackwell was up against the sharp Paul Begala. Ken started by stating that Obama's health care plan was an example because it mandates a tax payment for those who chose not to have any kind of health insurance.

Begala made Blackwell look like a fool by pointing to Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution and the need to maintain the general welfare of the United States. Because President Obama's clearly operating within constitutional bounds, writing a book that tries to prove he's not is downright nuts.

Instead of sticking with his Health Care Reform example, Blackwell said "well, then how about.." and that's when any credibility Blackwell may have had flew out of the window. Ken intellectually stumbled in a way that reminded me of some of Michelle Malkin's worst rants. Blackwell's CNN performance reminded me of a Keystone Cops routine:



Get the idea? Stumbling all over himself, poor man.

Blackwell will make money from his book because there are suckers who believe this stuff, and never read one part of the U.S. Constitution. Others, like Fox News, will give Ken Blackwell a seat on TV because he's a black conservative talking against an African American President Obama. All of this will make Blackwell a little bit richer, and America a whole lot dumber.

Stay tuned.

Lookin At Lucky tops Kentucky Derby 2010 contenders

Lookin At Lucky 

The 2010 Kentucky Derby is tomorrow and you know its exciting when your gym conversation turns to what your female friend's going to wear at the Kentucky Derby Party they're going to. But for this blogger the interest is in which horse will win, and a number of observers are pointing to "Lookin At Lucky."

Here's the list of contenders in the 2010 Kentucky Derby according to The Huffington Post:

1. Lookin At Lucky (Garrett Gomez)
2. Ice Box (Jose Lezcano)
3. Noble's Promise (Willie Martinez)
4. Super Saver (Calvin Borel)
5. Line of David (Rafael Bejarano)
6. Stately Victor (Alan Garcia)
7. American Lion (David Flores)
8. Dean's Kitten (Robby Albarado)
9. Make Music for Me (Joel Rosario)
10. Paddy O'Prado (Kent Desormeaux)
11. Devil May Care (John Velazquez)
12. Conveyance (Martin Garcia)
13. Jackson Bend (Mike Smith)
14. Mission Impazible (Rajiv Maragh)
15. Discreetly Mine (Javier Castellano)
16. Awesome Act (Julien Leparoux)
17. Dublin (Terry Thompson)
18. Backtalk (Miguel Mena)
19. Homeboykris (Ramon Dominguez)
20. Sidney's Candy (Joe Talamo)

The top contender is said to be "Lookin At Lucky." According to Horse Racing Nation, Lookin At Lucky has placed first in six out of eight races it has participated in over the last year. Yahoo! reports that Lookin At Lucky is a 3-1 favorite and Sidney's Candy's the runner up but neither horse has scored a favorable post position. So which horse to take?

I'm going with the horses that have 50-1 odds: Dean's Kitten, Make Music for Me, Paddy O'Prado, Backtalk, Homeboykris. That's a great payoff because I'm not sure Lookin At Lucky can overcome that terrible post position.

The post position issue will make for an exciting Kentucky Derby. Lookin At Lucky may have the stuff to overcome the problem, but I like the odds against the front-running horse.

Stay tuned.

Suzannah B. Troy interviews City Council Member Dan Halloran on THE NY BUDGET CRISIS!!!!!!!

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Oakland, Alameda, Coliseum

Yesterday, this blogger filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the City of Oakland and to the following offices: The Oakland City Attorney, the City of Oakland Office of Economic Development, The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, The County of Alameda County Administrator's Office, and The City of Oakland's City Administrator's Office.

The email with letter attached stated:

Pursuant to the state open records act, I request access to and copies of all emails, written letters and correspondence, and studies of any kind regarding the budget and operation and management of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, and future development plans for baseball, football, and basketball stadiums in Oakland and over the time period from today back to 1/1/2008.
I ask that the agencies wave fees for copies of studies and emails (which can be printed out from a computer) and to avoid charging greater than the the cost to make a black and white copy of a document.
If my request is denied in whole or part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Zenophon Abraham

I did this because with the slow death of traditional media and lack of money for investigative reporting (or in my case blogging) there was precious little information on what was going on with stadium efforts in Oakland. Moreover, there seemed to be a veil of secrecy that was first evident when Mayor's Ron Dellums Sports Task Force met.

As one may recall, I quit that Sports Task Force because I discovered there were actually four separate groups meeting on the matter of building a baseball stadium for the Oakland A's and none of them were talking to each other. Nothing against the people in the other groups, or Mayor Dellums, but I did not feel the person with the highest level of experience in these matters in Oakland was being called on.

That person is me.

When I was at The 2010 NFL Draft and for the sixth year in a row as media, I was reminded once again that, more than any other person in Oakland who's not a working sports executive, I was better able to understand and evaluate strategies and plans for building stadiums in Oakland. Working as the Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris' representative in this area and the process of working to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland, the National Football League's constant and enduring friendship, and the creation and success of my Oakland Baseball Simworld game, were the gantry upon which my expertise was built.

That's why I'm the best person to gather Oakland stadium development information and evaluate it. I want to get as much information as possible to paint a picture of where the City of Oakland and The County of Alameda are in their collective ability to establish a stadium development program in Oakland. I want to learn what budget has been set aside for related efforts. I also want to learn if the process is being done in a logical and fair way, and that women and minority firms are getting a fair shot at landing work.

I'll keep everyone posted on the FOIA progress.

Stay tuned.

Nightmare On Elm Street, Iron Man 2: critics v. fans

Nightmare On Elm Street, the remake of the classic horror movie, is out today. Just one week before Iron Man 2 is released in America. But Iron Man 2 is already out in Europe, and critics are panning it, but not fans. That there was this disconnect between fans and critics did not become obvious to this blogger until the CNN review of Nightmare On Elm Street today. 

The critic didn't like it. The critic said it wasn't scary. Then, in the middle of the critic's review was a link to another review by a CNN ireporter. this one:



He gave the movie an "A." And the difference revealed why movie fans don't pay attention to critics. Fans are hardwired to like movies; critics seem to think they have to find something wrong with movies. I prefer the former and not the latter.

There's a reason the Internet's causing movie critics to lose their jobs and it's not just that one can issue their own view. It's a way of striking back at the critic who has to bash a movie "just because." After a while you get tired of that. You want a fanboy or fangirl telling you about the flick they like. You can figure out if you like it after you've seen it.

Also, even when fanfolks don't like a movie it's for honest reasons. Some just plain say a movie was boring or in the case of the CNN ireporter, it was good.

You get a simple explanation, not the rewrite of War and Peace.

Critics take note: there's nothing wrong with being a fan.

Giuseppi Logan YouTube miracle by Suzannah B. Troy

Miracles do happen and when I  filmed Giuseppi Logan on December 14, 2008 playing Begin the Beguine  I became part of that miracle. I knew I had filmed something powerful. Giuseppi told me to look up his name on the internet. I found out people thought he was dead and that he was a very loved jazz composer and musician that made me two important records in the 1960's. I also immediately found another YouTube of Giuseppi with a little boy in the very same park from 1966. Two years later I would meet that little boy who is now my age and help reunite him with his father after all these years. A jazz writer Tim Madison had contacted me and told me how deeply moving my YouTube was. He told me he watched it over and over. I said I do to. He urged me to continue filming but I said I was very tired and traumatized. I had just had to sell my home of 2o years which is traumatic but it was even more so because I am an outspoken activist. I did not know if I could find the strength but I did. Peter Gershon, publisher of Signal to Noise, wrote a powerful piece on Giuseppi Logan entitled "Out From the Shadow" and Peter Gershon is one of the only people to fully acknowledge my work and contribution because usually people just help themselves and erase me. Pete's powerful piece and my YouTubes I believe helped Giuseppi and one way was generating enough interest that he was able to get back in to the studio and make his first new record from the 1960's that has been received to very positive reviews. Matt Lavelle, a musician recognized Giuseppi Logan when he came in to a store where Matt was working and ever since he plays music with Giuseppi and gets him and the group he formed gigs.  This is huge for Giuseppi because it helps him earn money which he needs and of course it allows him to connect with people who still remember him and love his work. I had suggested to Giuseppi's son Jaee, also a musical genius he should make a documentary and he took my advice.  He filmed the reunion and when we in the park with the camera rolling a guy came up and shook Giuseppi's hand.  He said your records got me through college. Very moving in so many ways and Giuseppi Logan wants to get back in to the studio.  He has new compositions including a piece he named after me, "Suzannah".

Tiger Woods Jesse James Sex Addicts? Is Sex Addiction like Big Foot? post by Suzannah B. Troy

Dr. Oz, Oprah's TV star doctor does believes that sex addiction exists although he concedes some people use it as an excuse for sexually pigging out (my term not his).  In the case of Jesse James and Tiger Woods, Dr. Oz does believes it is sex addiction because these guys had so much and they threw it away which sure sounds like addictive behavior -- maybe more than one addiction in play causing a lot of destruction along the way.

I have seen many men interviewed that treat the term "sex addiction" like Big Foot or The Loch Ness Monster meaning it doesn't exist but simply said "it is a guy just being a guy".  Of course it is mainly bad boys or bad boy wannabes stating sex addiction doesn't exist.

Guys have their locker room talk and so do women.  The women I speak to are deeply repulsed and would have no interest in spending any time with these guys.  They are also repulsed by Rachel what's her name that Tiger Woods paid 10 million dollars not to talk to the media about him.   What could she share that so many of his mistresses have not already shared and some how the Derek Jeter bad dream Tiger had was already leaked, so who cares and why dole out  10 million dollars to a mistress?  I think Tiger Woods took perverse pleasure in paying such a huge amount of money for silence which seems like more of the addiction in play.

Great sex is like a really good conversation you don't want to end.  When you are thinking only of yourself or how much money the person has, it doesn't seem like it is about sex at all but about power....power tripping and addiction.

As much as most people may tune in to hear a sound byte on celebrity sex addicts, most people really don't care because they don't marry sex addicts.  Most of us sigh with relief and say, thank goodness we aren't married to them.   Despite all their sexual conquest and sex texting, they sound like some of the loneliness guys in the world.

Caleb Campbell, 2008 NFL Draft hit, returns to Detroit Lions

Viewers of this bloggers videos from the NFL Draft will remember the All-American hit Caleb Campbell, from the 2008 NFL Draft.

Campbell's an Army 1st Lt. a 7th round pick of the Detroit Lions who the U.S. Army originally allowed to delay his entry in the Army to play in the NFL, much to the delight of NFL fans at Radio City Music Hall in 2008 as the video shows.

But in July 2008 The Army reversed field and said Caleb Campbell could not as a soldier play in the NFL.

But now, Caleb's getting his chance to play in the NFL according to The Detroit Free Press. Awesome. And because Caleb's a nice very respectful person this blogger had the pleasure of meeting at the NFL Draft in 2008. The whole room at Radio City gave Caleb a standing ovation, making one of the most moving moments I've ever witnessed at The NFL Draft.

Caleb's attending the Lions Minicamp, and signed a contract with the team this week according to Pro Football Talk.com.

Best of luck to him.

Annette Edwards as Jessica Rabbit? Edwards has a long way to go

Annette Edwards is a British 57-year old great-grandmother who wants to look just like Jessica Rabbit. Who's Jessica Rabbit? She's the animated character from the 1988 hit movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit:



For some reason, Ms. Edwards wants to look like her favorite cartoon character Jessica Rabbit. So much so that she spent $16,000 on an effort to look just like her, including "curves in the right places" as she explained in the video above.

This corner says "Right on! Go for it." It's just that Annette Edwards is not quite there in her path to be the real-life Jessica Rabbit. Plus, she thinks she's got to eat like a rabbit to look like Jessica Rabbit, who's a cartoon of a human, not a rabbit.

That's the head twister.

But rather than just diet, Annette Edwards should work out to reduce the flab along her arms and get toned in that area. She should also bench press so she can have more uplifted breasts. That would go a long way toward her overall objective of looking like Jessica Rabbit.

Rock the Casbah!

Sandra Bullock Angelina Jolie adoption than divorce by Suzannah B. Troy

I had written an earlier piece questioning is Sandra Bullock becoming Angelina Jolie or something like that and now  TMZ points out that both women were married to their  (I injected the bad) bad boys spouses and both where  in the midst of adopting when their marriages broke up and they took the single parent adoption route.  I am guessing that Sandra will adopt another child ...just a guess.

Harry Levin of TMZ also pointed out,  The People magazine scoop on Sandra Bullock and baby Louis shows the power of the publicist is back.

In "old" Hollywood, the studio heads controlled the stars, how they were perceived and just about everything else.  There were strong actresses that were able to wrestle some control from the powerful men that ran Hollywood but now many actresses run the show,  These actresses also run their own studios and do their best to control how the public perceives them.   Behind Sandra's publicist is Sandra Bullock very smartly engineering her way back from a Hollywood marriage disaster where if they were giving out the Razzie Award for worst Hollywood marriage, Sandra would have won that trophy.  Sandra's nightmare, other than the one she was unknowingly living with Jesse James (and I have no doubt that he was also "the Jesse Sandra knew")  would be a montage of clips of Sandra praising him and images of his mistresses and unflattering photos of James in Nazi garb playing at the same time. It is shocking the disconnect between Sandra's  "movie script" of  her marriage to James and the truth like a special category for  bad reality flicks for the AVN adult award show (and Tiger Woods would give stiff competition) ....but that is now washed away.


The public awaits the People magazine exclusive and Sandra Bullock's up coming interview later this year with her friend George Lopez.

Like the film Sandra Bullock starred in with Ben Affleck, clearly she is a "Force of Nature" and indestructible.  She remains "the girl next door" and is protected writes Joanna Molloy.  I do want to say "the girl next door image" always evokes  Doris Day who got involved with one bad boy after another and it really took a toll on her life.  No woman can live up to that "girl next door" fantasy or maybe with it comes the fantasy and reality  of the "girl" being all to human.  My dear friend writer and theatre critic David Kaufman, wrote the new biography on Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door and  no other  book could be written more lovingly put proves in my mind "the girl next door" is a Hollywood fantasy conjured up by movie moguls.

Doris Day is one of the most under rated superstars of the Hollywood machine with a stunning contribution that still entertains audiences around the world now and greatly influences the most famous celebrities in their acting and singing careers including such stars as Reese Witherspoon, Madonna, Britney Spears and perhaps Sandra Bullock who is often described with the very same phrase as Doris Day, "the girl next door".   Also note that although Doris Day did not turn to adopting babies as so many celebrities.  Doris did want to adopt a little boy who played a cub scout in the film, "It Happened to Jane" with co-star Jack Lemon but her husband Marty Melcher said no to the adoption.   Doris  turned her energies to rescuing animals.   She was and remains an outstanding animal activist with her own organization to help animals to this very day!


The New York Daily News has a visual montage of celebrities adopting babies  that you can flip through starting with Sandra Bullock.

Sandra Bullock made a very smart move giving People Magazine the world wide scoop with a cover that will be unforgettable with Sandra's own best kept secret and this means big sales for People.  Is it any coincidence that in the top right hand corner is a small picture of Julia Roberts, the actress that turned down the role "In the Blind Side",  a role that Sandra took and it won her an Oscar?  Sandra Bullock has come out on top and this cover was a winner for Bullock.

Sandra's career remains intact and will be even bigger.  I do not believe Jesse James career will be hurt in anyway because it falls under the mystic of his bad boy brand.  I do see him married in a few years with a wife and an understanding.  I see Sandra single and an adopting another child so Louis has a younger sibling.   Sandra Bullock has landed on her feet and she couldn't have a more positive loving  focus with Louis named for New Orleans very own, Louis Armstrong and his song, "What a wonderful world".



Harry, I don't think it was a publicist calling the shots.

Donald Trump on CNN backs Arizona's racist illegal immigration law

As a business man the legendary Donald Trump is very well-respected in this space, but his appearance on CNN's Larry King Live Wednesday night was most disappointing.

Trump basically went for the racist route in backing Arizona's illegal immigration law, saying that what people aren't saying is there "aren't a lot of blondes in Mexico" so it's OK to stop someone who's in Arizona who might look like they're Mexican.

This is directed to Donald Trump:

Mr. Trump. Think. Arizona's population's 30 percent Latino. What the heck is going on in your head that you think it's OK to essentially embargo one-third of a state's population? Moreover you just gave license to anyone who's blonde yet working illegally in Arizona because, well, they're blonde.

That's racist.

You say 'What to do?' Easy. If a person breaks the laws of the state, the basic ones, you take action. But let the person alone. If people want to come here, make fast track citizenship systems that take advantage of Internet technology. But this business of racial profiling must stop. Moreover, Donald, you should be smarter in your consideration of the problem.

This blogger is very disappointed in Donald Trump and sad that Trump did not exhibit more enlightened thinking.

Stay tuned.

Chevron and Richmond need to kiss, make up, and think

Chevron's part of Richmond in that it's the city's largest employer. Richmond needs Chevron to provide not just jobs but help for the many non-profit community service programs that Chevron's in position to help with. Chevron lost a court battle regarding its environmental impact report. What Chevron must do and reportedly will do is comply with the courts request to the letter.

Chevron should also stop making noises that it will leave Richmond in the city's time of need.

What certain Richmond elected officials and so-called activists need to do is stop with the emotional saber-rattling that reads like a Fox News Cable program but from the left, and start with smart deal-making that gets to a win-win for both the City of Richmond and Chevron.

That has not happened under the current political leadership in Richmond. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, while being a very nice person, is more of an activist than a deal-maker. The good Mayor does not seem interested in "getting to yes" with Richmond business.

While that's the case, Chevron has not worked to win the hearts and minds of the people Richmond at a time when such can be done. Doing so requires that Chevron continue to get personally involved in Richmond, but going a step further and working to prevent black-on-black crime, and providing business leadership for Richmond's youth.

Where Chevron does do this, it explains it on its website, but given Richmond's enormous problems, Chevron needs to talk as if it's the real Mayor of Richmond. Chevron needs to fill Richmond's leadership void and not wait to be called on. Chevron, in effect, needs to pound its giant fist and say "Enough! We're going to make this city better, and this is what we're going to do," then present and enact a business plan for Richmond.

That's what businesses do when they're sick and tired of a lack of civic direction. That's what Chicago's business leaders did in the 70s with the Chicago 21 Plan. They created the downtown Chicago of today. I know because as a small boy I wanted to be part of it. Chicago 21 was one reason why I became interested in City Planning.

Richmond activists needs to stop playing emotional games. You can't on the one hand want to support an increase in or maintenance of high utility tax rates proposed by Chevron, but then want to oppose an increase in charges for the sewer rates. It looks like emotionalism. Charge Chevron and other businesses, well, because they're business, but don't charge if it's not an obvious Chevron issue.

What good does that do?

Chevron and Richmond need to kiss, make-up, and think. Then Chevron need to take charge in Richmond.

Arizona Immigration Law called "racist", "stupid" by Arizona Sheriff

The Arizona Immigration Law has been called "racist" and "stupid" by Pima County Arizona Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who's served as a police officer for 52 years. He made this statement on video on the appropriately named KGUN9 TV news in Tuscon, Arizona and at KGUN9.com.

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says that he can't enforce the Arizona Illegal Immigration law without racial profiling. In the video below, the Sheriff also said that the law is "disgusting" and "unnecessary" and "one of the worst pieces of legislation" he's ever seen in 50 years. He's expected to get sued if he doesn't enforce the law and get sued if he does enforce the law. Dupnik says Federal law supersedes state law, so he will follow federal law.



The Sheriff held a news conference to expand on his comments today. He continued to call SB 1070 racist, but added other adjectives; he said it was "unwise, stupid and it's racist."

He's right. proponents of SB 1070 make the ass-stupid claim that it will not cause racial profiling, then almost in the next breath talk about "them" coming over "the border" leading to the next logical question: who are they who come over the border? Then the proponent trips all over themselves not to use the word "Mexico" because then they have to admit they are referring to people they think are Mexican. So you have to inevitably ask what does a Mexican look like.

Crazy stuff. Arizona's 30 percent Latino, so the law would basically place one-third of the state's population under siege.

The Sheriff also used the term "we" which means he's not acting alone and is not a rogue police officer. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik is a seasoned law enforcement official who knows a psychotic piece of legislation when he sees one. Dupnik says the law is fueled by "an incredible amount of hostility, anger and cynicism."

He's right. It gives license to psychotic behavior. In the last blog on this subject in this space we saw a shocking comparison between the words of an Arizona Nazi and of all people Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. It was difficult to tell them apart, and both exhibited psychotic behavior.

If Sheriff Clarence Dupnik calls the law racist and stupid, what does that say about Governor Brewer?

Stay tuned.

Sandra Bullock divorces Jesse James; papers site personality conflict

Sandra Bullock divorces Jesse James. The divorce papers site personality conflict and "discord." Interestingly, the divorce papers were filed in Texas, not in California.

Yes, Sandra Bullock lives in Austin, Texas, but she also lives in California and perhaps even New York City, so another reason for the venue selection could be that Texas divorce laws will not leave Jesse James with a good part of what Sandra Bullock owns.

(This part of the Sandra Bullock and Jesse James divorce and cheating scandal was brought to this blogger's attention by Suzannah B. Troy of New York Focus Blog.)

The papers called In The Matter of B.A.S and J.J.G were filed in the Travis County Courthouse on April 23, 2010. The document is simple. Children aren't mentioned in it, so sections that govern kids in Texas don't apply. Overall, it's remarkably simple.

It frees Sandra Bullock to start the new phase of her life with her bouncing baby boy Louis Brado Bullock and as a single parent. The divorce papers are here, below:

042910_bullock

Stay tuned.