According to today's NY Times, the newspaper industry is in trouble, as papers suffer from competition from the Internet. The SF Chron has been losing $1 million a week since last year. As Time O'Reily wrote last year, he reads the online version of the SF Chron 95 percent of the time, and the "offline" version about 5 percent of the time. That's probably true for me, as well, but Tim and I are both in the Internet business.
What can be done? Well, my answer is "nothing" -- the offline news people have to adjust to this New Media world, as do institutions and PR people who have been oriented toward using offline newspapers to get the news out. This also includes sports leagues like the NFL, which has a long standing relationship with such organizations as The Associated Press, but not the Huffington Post, which draws 14 million visitors a month.
The SF Chron seems to be trying to find its way on The Internet, where it gets about 5 million visitors per month. That's still far less than the 23 million visitors that Craigslist gets, but then CL's reach is nationwide.
In fact, I think the future of the SF Chron is -- well, let me restate. The SF Chron should be more of a national and international online news system, with a local twist. Thus, it can get eyeballs from more places than just the Bay Area, but still be focused on the SF Bay Area.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Tom Gonzales - Commerce One Founder Sues East Bay Community Foundation
(Story reposted at the request of our own Robin Belker..)
Tom Gonzales, the co-founder of Commerce One, has filed a lawsuit to against East Bay Community Foundation of Oakland and to regain control of his son's charitable bequest in order to ensure that the tens of millions of dollars are spent as the younger Tom Gonzales wished. In this, the image of the East Bay Community Foundation has been damaged.
The East Bay Community Foundation was originally the receiver of a bequest of $23 million from the Gonzales Foundation,and it was to be controlled by EBCF. But distribution of the money has been on hold until various tax claims involving the Gonzales estate are resolved.
In a kind of fit, EBCF elected to sue the family just because EBCF has not received all of the money due to the tax matter. I guess they forgot who it belonged to. But in doing this, the reputation of the East Bay Community Foundation has been damaged because it seems like an awardee can't trust the East Bay Community Foundation to simply hang on and be a team player.
As for the elder Gonzales, he's protecting a fortune that was generated by the genius of his late son, who was the programming brains behind Commerce One in its heyday.
Tom Gonzales, the co-founder of Commerce One, has filed a lawsuit to against East Bay Community Foundation of Oakland and to regain control of his son's charitable bequest in order to ensure that the tens of millions of dollars are spent as the younger Tom Gonzales wished. In this, the image of the East Bay Community Foundation has been damaged.
The East Bay Community Foundation was originally the receiver of a bequest of $23 million from the Gonzales Foundation,and it was to be controlled by EBCF. But distribution of the money has been on hold until various tax claims involving the Gonzales estate are resolved.
In a kind of fit, EBCF elected to sue the family just because EBCF has not received all of the money due to the tax matter. I guess they forgot who it belonged to. But in doing this, the reputation of the East Bay Community Foundation has been damaged because it seems like an awardee can't trust the East Bay Community Foundation to simply hang on and be a team player.
As for the elder Gonzales, he's protecting a fortune that was generated by the genius of his late son, who was the programming brains behind Commerce One in its heyday.
Blackberry and iPhones and The 24-Hour Worker
Shel Holzt writes about the developing 24-hour work cycle and he seems to think it's a good thing. I'm not certain of that, but before I take him to task, I will report that I've learned that such an addiction to electronic communications devices is not a good health practice. In fact, it's called just the term I used "an addiction."
The DailyMail reports
Wow. The DailyMail Online goes on to explain that overuse can be damaging to mental health. But interestingly it doesn't say why. Let's speculate. Perhaps overuse causes severe memory loss, because without checking your iPhone -- I have an i Phone -- you realized you actually don't remember anything. You've given up remembering because you check your iPhone all the damn time.
The DailyMail reports
Blackberry email devices can be so addictive that owners may need to be weaned off them with treatment similar to that given to drug users, experts warned today.
Wow. The DailyMail Online goes on to explain that overuse can be damaging to mental health. But interestingly it doesn't say why. Let's speculate. Perhaps overuse causes severe memory loss, because without checking your iPhone -- I have an i Phone -- you realized you actually don't remember anything. You've given up remembering because you check your iPhone all the damn time.
Cal Tree Sitters - Save The Oaks v. UC and The UC Police - Video Documentary
For me, covering what turned out to be this three-part video documentary started with a call from a friend and fellow Cal Alum who said that I should get "down there" with my camera because there was no video on what was happening. So, fresh from a meeting, and with two hours to spare, I went over to the Grove in front of Cal Memorial Stadium, the site of the clash between the Cal Tree Sitters and the UC Administration and Police.
The overall story is that we -- Cal -- needs an upgraded stadium facility and the plans for this have been in the works for almost ten years. With the success of Cal Coach Jeff Tedford, it became easier to raise money toward this objective. As part of the effort , the University of California was able to secure $500 million from British Petroleum, most of which would go to the creation of a new research institute, and the rest toward what will be an athletic facility upgrade -- a new training center where the Grove is.
This has caused a round of protests led by a group called "Save The Oaks" and Running Wolf, who ran for Mayor of Berkeley and a man who calls himself "Air."
This video -- which I will elaborate on soon -- is of three days: Tuesday June 17th, Wednesday June 18th, and Thursday June 19th. On Wednesday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller issued a rulling that did not halt construction but did place a rejection on the University's current approach using the Grove. The Grove is near a faultline and the plan was just that the University could not build given its current approach. The Tree Sitters saw this as a victory.
On Thursday, the third video shows horror. Protesters stopping traffic and preventing parents from getting home to their kids and families. And one woman a mother with her kid and reportedly a California Deputy Attorney General, was arrested for nothing other than just standing trying to get the police to clear traffic so she could get her kid from soccer practice.
In this, both protester and police are to blame for a terrible set of events. You be the judge. I think Cal could have avoided this with better planning.
More later.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The media stopped following the money: CONFLICT of INTEREST
Was it big oil money pouring into the "McCain Victory '08 Fund," as the sudden change in McCain’s stand on drilling in environmentally sensitive areas suggests? How will we ever know? There’s no benefit to a commercial news outlet in uncovering the source of the RNC PAC/527 money...
It got interesting in April, but almost nobody reported it...
Once Senator John McCain and the RNC began circumventing the McCain/Feingold limits via the creation of the "McCain Victory '08 Fund" with its $70,000 per individual donations
they really left presumptive Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama with no reason to keep extending his offer to limit campaign spending by accepting public financing. They sprang into faux outrage, of course, ready to accuse him of a flip-flop despite the fact they'd not accepted Obama's conditional offer. Follow the money, not the spin, and you discover that this has gone virtually unreported. The commercial media outlets have a conflict of interest; reporting on the McCain fund undermines their profits.Here's the simple truth:
The more money McCain (or Obama) has to spend, the more the media stands to earn on selling commercials. Selling not only to the two campaigns, but to PACs and 527s and anybody else who will buy air-time. The media clearly have a vested interest in not just ratings, but more so in the demand for commercials, and so the closer the race - and the more money the candidates (or parties, or 527s, etc.) raise - the more money the media outlets make by selling. Why report on McCain's funding success? Much better business to take advantage of all that cash, not cut off the former campaign reformer now laying golden eggs. It's their bottom line at stake, same as it ever was.Talk about a conflict of interest.Was it big oil money pouring in, as the sudden change in McCain's stand on drilling in environmentally sensitive areas suggests? How will we ever know? There's no benefit to a commercial news outlet in uncovering the source of the money - they are just trying to get their piece of it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
McCain Gets Around FEC $2300 Donation Limits - way around!
To help ease their fund-raising woes, John McCain’s campaign has devised a new system to increase the maximum amount an individual can donate to the unofficial Republican nominee’s election efforts. The new structure allows up to $70,000 in individual contributions by channeling the money into different McCain-centric funds.From the Wall Street Journal almost two months ago:
So, here's the maverick reformer, all hot and bothered that Obama got tired of waiting for him to match the offer on public funding, but does McCain's rhetoric match his actions? Clearly not. It's no wonder Obama moved on - McCain had built his way to circumvent the limits back in April!The idea is to tap donors for more than the $2,300 limit set by campaign finance laws. Under legislation pushed by McCain in his role as a senator from Arizona, an individual can donate a maximum of $2,300 to a presidential primary campaign and the same amount to the general election campaign...
The new structure allows up to $70,000 in individual contributions by channeling the money into different McCain-centric funds. The first $2,300 of that would go to McCain’s primary campaign. The Republican National Committee would receive $28,500 of the donation. The remaining funds would be divided equally, up to $10,000 a piece, among four states the campaign has designated as battlegrounds for November: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and New Mexico.
From the Huffington Post, also back in April:
The media has been abuzz over speculation that John McCain will accept public financing in the general election. The attention has overshadowed a new fund structure that will allow the McCain camp to collect significantly more money than the individual limits placed by the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill.The article reports further on an open letter from the non-partisan organization Public Campaign Action Fund to McCain asking that he drop the system:
This joint fundraising committee, called McCain Victory '08 Fund, will allow your campaign to accept contributions as large as $70,000, according to the New York Times - an amount that is far in excess of contribution limits for candidates and political parties put in place by your own campaign finance law, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, also known as McCain-Feingold. Your willingness to evade the spirit of McCain-Feingold sets a poor precedent for whomever the Democratic Party nominates as your general election opponent. It also sends a signal that your campaign is less serious about the importance of participating in the public financing system in the general. Indeed, even if you were to participate, you and your campaign are exploiting a loophole and will be still be courting wealthy donors who could donate tens of thousands to the McCain Victory '08 Fund.
You and your campaign will describe this activity as legally sound. But that does not make it right.
Are these the above-board actions of a candidate interested in campaign reform? Certainly his reaction doesn't bode well for reform, and the fact that the structures are in place shines clear light on why Obama doesn't want to accept the spending restrictions that come with accepting public funding when the Republicans have hatched and implemented a scheme to circumvent the whole system!
CNN's Paul Begala - Republican Or Democrat?
I just saw CNN Contributor and former Clinton Aide Paul Begala on "The Situation Room" talking "in defense" of Barack Obama on Campaign Finance and on NAFTA against a Republican Strategist who I will not name because it doesn't matter.
Begala sounded like he was half in support of Obama and half sympathetic to John McCain. Meanwhile the Republican Strategist was consistently on the attack against Obama. Paul did not effectively hit back. What's up?
Is Paul still smarting from Clinton's loss?
Begala sounded like he was half in support of Obama and half sympathetic to John McCain. Meanwhile the Republican Strategist was consistently on the attack against Obama. Paul did not effectively hit back. What's up?
Is Paul still smarting from Clinton's loss?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Obama gets AFSCME endorsement - Democratic unity growing
According to the Associated Press: Senator Barack Obama secured the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees [AFSCME], a large and influential union that had been backing his former Democratic rival Senator Clinton (D-NY) until she suspended her campaign.
AFSCME is the largest union for workers in public service with 1.4 million politically motivated members nationwide.
The unification of the two camps to put a Democrat in the White House is well underway.
For discussion of what this means to and for Clinton backers, you can also visit an AFSCME discussion thread by at ClintonistasForObama.blogspot.com. Take note that this is a sign of healing in progress, that the members of AFSCME know who they want in the Oval Office beginning in January.
AFSCME is the largest union for workers in public service with 1.4 million politically motivated members nationwide.
The unification of the two camps to put a Democrat in the White House is well underway.For discussion of what this means to and for Clinton backers, you can also visit an AFSCME discussion thread by at ClintonistasForObama.blogspot.com. Take note that this is a sign of healing in progress, that the members of AFSCME know who they want in the Oval Office beginning in January.
Barack Obama Refused Public Financing For General Election
This is one of the news items of the day. Senator Barack Obama has annouced today that he is not going to use taxpayer money to finance his campaign for President of the United States.
To date, Senator Obama has raised more than $200 million in donations most smaller than $200 - unprecedented. Here's Senator Obama's message:
To date, Senator Obama has raised more than $200 million in donations most smaller than $200 - unprecedented. Here's Senator Obama's message:
Leigh Steinberg's 22nd Super Bowl Party: Scottsdale, AZ - Video
This is the video account of Leigh Steinberg's 22nd Super Bowl Party. This one held at the Botanical Gardens outside Scottsdale, Arizona. The video features an interview with Leigh where he talks about the "Green Initiative" he's started, Ricky Williams, and "Athletes for Obama."
Republicanmarket - Racists At The Texas Republican Convention
Republicanmarket - Racists At The Texas Republican Convention
This sad report comes from the blog Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott, where it's reported that a button reading "If Obama's President, Will We Still Call It The White House" was being sold. The button is made by a company called "Republicanmarket" which claims to sell "Patriotic and Republican Products."
So racism is patriotic? I think they meant idiotic.
All bloggers -- Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott, burntorangereport.com, this blog, and more -- are calling for you to contact that organization and discourage them from using the mental illness of racism to make a buck.
You can email them at sales@republicanmarket.com. You should also contact Tina Benkiser, the head of the Texas GOP at info@texasgop.org and share your feeling with her.
Why is it that Republicans are generally associated with racist thought? I guess examples like this are why. But in an age where racism has been identified as a mental illness, you'd think the party would rush to avoid any associations with people who exhibit paranoid delusion.
But no.
Buttons like that one confirm the idea that the Republican Party has been taken over by the lunatic fringe. So if you're a Hillary Clinton supporter still fighting the civil war, and moving over to the GOP side, look at who your associating with.
Want to be thought of as a person who should be in a rubber room?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
First Day of Legal Gay Marriage In San Francisco - Video Account
This video covers the events outside San Francisco City Hall involving the first day of legal same sex marriage in San Francisco: Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 5:38 PM. A historic news and politics event. I went with the objective of determining the opinions of people in the crowd.
What would a hope monger do?
Imagine a hope-monger came across the following in a search log:
"michelle obama" promiscuous
So obviously somebody is looking for dirt. All a hope monger has to do is describe the tactic in a blog entry, and include a few keywords, and suddenly there is both more awareness -- good press -- and just "more to sort through" for those who seek to attack the Obamas.
And the word promiscuous can have little or nothing to do with sexuality, obviously.
Promiscuous, for instance, is a song recorded by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland for Furtado's third album, Loose, in 2006.
It can also mean consisting of diverse, unrelated parts or individuals, even confused, as in: "Throngs promiscuous strew the level green" (Alexander Pope)
Sometimes there's the looser meaning, "not selective" of a single class or person, as in: "Clinton was criticized for his promiscuous solicitation of campaign money." which was obviously intended to echo the crisis near the end of Bill Clinton's Presidency while discussing an unrelated topic.
Now... folks are obviously "panning the stream" to find evidence of deviance, or perversity, or anything of a sexual nature to use to cast aspersions on Michelle Obama.
This is your chance to be a hope monger, and add to the degree of difficulty for the smear mongers and those who seek to use divide and conquer political tactics a la Karl Rove. The more these words appear, the more the power of the search engines is diluted, and the more time the folks taking that approach spend reading what amazing people Senator Barack and Michelle Obama are.
"michelle obama" promiscuous
So obviously somebody is looking for dirt. All a hope monger has to do is describe the tactic in a blog entry, and include a few keywords, and suddenly there is both more awareness -- good press -- and just "more to sort through" for those who seek to attack the Obamas.
And the word promiscuous can have little or nothing to do with sexuality, obviously.
Promiscuous, for instance, is a song recorded by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland for Furtado's third album, Loose, in 2006.
It can also mean consisting of diverse, unrelated parts or individuals, even confused, as in: "Throngs promiscuous strew the level green" (Alexander Pope)
Sometimes there's the looser meaning, "not selective" of a single class or person, as in: "Clinton was criticized for his promiscuous solicitation of campaign money." which was obviously intended to echo the crisis near the end of Bill Clinton's Presidency while discussing an unrelated topic.
Now... folks are obviously "panning the stream" to find evidence of deviance, or perversity, or anything of a sexual nature to use to cast aspersions on Michelle Obama.
This is your chance to be a hope monger, and add to the degree of difficulty for the smear mongers and those who seek to use divide and conquer political tactics a la Karl Rove. The more these words appear, the more the power of the search engines is diluted, and the more time the folks taking that approach spend reading what amazing people Senator Barack and Michelle Obama are.
Larry Sinclair Arrested After Sham NPC Press Conference Today
Larry Sinclair, the Obama smear-monger who admitted to this blogger his Texas parking tickets and other clues that lead to his Texas and not Minnesota dwelling, was arrested after what details reveal to be a "stupefiying" press conference held at The National Press Club today.
According to Ben Smith at Politico, Sinclair has a 27-year criminal record of "crimes of deceit" and is wanted in Colorado on charges that were not made clear to Smith.
Sinclair gave what blogger David Weigel reported a press conference that was a set of "amused bunch of people taking in a circus act." He also reported the antics of Sinclair's lawyer Montgomery Sibley:
Ok. Ok.
Afterward, Sinclair was immediately arrested by Washinton police on the Colorado charges. Talk about glass houses.
According to Ben Smith at Politico, Sinclair has a 27-year criminal record of "crimes of deceit" and is wanted in Colorado on charges that were not made clear to Smith.
Sinclair gave what blogger David Weigel reported a press conference that was a set of "amused bunch of people taking in a circus act." He also reported the antics of Sinclair's lawyer Montgomery Sibley:
It got worse when Sinclair's lawyer Montgomery Sibley—whose license is currently suspended in D.C. and Florida—showed up in a kilt and told reporters that his above-average endowment made slacks tight and uncomfortable.
Ok. Ok.
Afterward, Sinclair was immediately arrested by Washinton police on the Colorado charges. Talk about glass houses.
Michelle Obama's revelation on THE VIEW: not so elite
Forget what you've heard about Barack and arugula (even though it makes a good story.)
The Obamas are not your garden-variety urban co-op food snobs no matter who tries to paint them that way - they've developed an appreciation of diverse foods, but they come from simple roots... The truth about Obama breakfasts came out today on THE VIEW, and it's shocking.
You may have missed it, somehow, but Michelle Obama has co-hosted The View. If you want the whole video, it’s elsewhere here on Zennie's Zeitgeist and I urge you to learn more by watching. In fact, watch for the terrorist fist jabs — but here’s Michelle's shocker:
Who knew that there'd be something to learn from an ABC mid-day filler program? Barack and Michelle both like to eat the same food that everybody likes. (Go ahead, ask your favorite vegan. They may not eat it any more, but they like bacon, trust me.)
The Obamas are not your garden-variety urban co-op food snobs no matter who tries to paint them that way - they've developed an appreciation of diverse foods, but they come from simple roots... The truth about Obama breakfasts came out today on THE VIEW, and it's shocking.
You may have missed it, somehow, but Michelle Obama has co-hosted The View. If you want the whole video, it’s elsewhere here on Zennie's Zeitgeist and I urge you to learn more by watching. In fact, watch for the terrorist fist jabs — but here’s Michelle's shocker:
Sure, she also eats toast and fruit...
...according to Michelle both Obamas are fond of good, old-fashioned American bacon.
Who knew that there'd be something to learn from an ABC mid-day filler program? Barack and Michelle both like to eat the same food that everybody likes. (Go ahead, ask your favorite vegan. They may not eat it any more, but they like bacon, trust me.)
Barack Obama's Leads John McCain In Virginia 47 % to 45 %
According to Talking Points Memo, Senator Barack Obama's ahead of John McCain by 2 points as of this writing, 47 percent to 45 percent. Personally, I think this is too close for comfort and would be happier with a seven point poll spread. Obama still has work to do here. Either Webb or Clinton or Edwards as the VP choice would help. I still think it's going to be Clinton as the pick.
Iowa Floods - Police "Strike Teams" Invade Homes, Harass Flood Victims
I just saw this on YouTube and had to post it. Here's the description from the video itself:
Cops break down doors, threaten residents who question them as part of martial law conditioning, authorities prevent people from re-entering their homes
Shocking footage out of Cedar Rapids Iowa shows cops and government employee "strike teams" breaking into houses of flood victims and threatening anyone who questions their actions in complete violation of the 4th amendment right that protects against unlawful search and seizure.
No warrant, no knock home invasions are being carried out on the flimsy pretext of "checking for structural damage" as cops harass and threaten with arrest people who refuse to have their homes ransacked by thugs in uniforms.
Cedar Rapids police chief Greg Graham promised residents over the weekend that "Law enforcement officers are not entering homes," and that firefighters would only enter homes through unlocked doors and windows yet the video clearly shows locked houses being broken in to.
PrisonPlanet.com has more information on this major problem not reported by the Mainstream Media.
Michelle Obama's terrorist fist jabs on THE VIEW...
Here's another easy place to watch the video if the link in the story below is busy! Best bet is to scroll down, but we know it's a hot video.Mrs. Obama doesn't seem to think that the fist jabs will hurt her popularity, or her husband's chances in the general election. Judging by the reactions, I think she's right. I could go on, but frankly the best thing for you to do is go watch it yourself as this eloquent, fascinating woman talks about a variety of issues, including Hillary Clinton...
Michelle Obama On The View Today - Video
Michelle Obama appeared on The View today and to rave reviews. She didn't act abnormally and appeared comfortable on the show. This clip shows her artfully ducking the chance to respond to a controvesial statement by Whoopi Goldberg.
Some PR Firm Hates Mayor Dellums
Ok, how does one explain an unprecedented KTVU video report on Mayor Ron Dellums spending and "high life" habits as leader of our City? Hey, Jerry Brown's not cheap either, but he never got that kind of coverage at all.
Someone's out to get Dellums, and what's blocking his ability to recover his image is the fact that he does not believe in working with image-makers, the press, or PR people.
That's a fact, folks. Dellums' staff has asked him to "get help" in this area, but he's resistant to the whole deal. Now, I think someone sees Dellums as vulnerable to bad press, so they piled it on.
But the simple fact is that Jerry Brown also "lived it up" you just didn't read about it much, or cared. Mayor Elihu Harris didn't do that. It's not his style and he really cares about the office and what people would think.
Someone's out to get Dellums, and what's blocking his ability to recover his image is the fact that he does not believe in working with image-makers, the press, or PR people.
That's a fact, folks. Dellums' staff has asked him to "get help" in this area, but he's resistant to the whole deal. Now, I think someone sees Dellums as vulnerable to bad press, so they piled it on.
But the simple fact is that Jerry Brown also "lived it up" you just didn't read about it much, or cared. Mayor Elihu Harris didn't do that. It's not his style and he really cares about the office and what people would think.
The Consitution is on the table in this election
This is an historic election in many ways. We have already, of course, seen an historic Democratic primary and now have the first African-American candidate running for President. Historians will look back and hopefully see many shifts along the lines of race and gender in this country as we move forward out of this election season. What they will also see is that we are, at this moment, standing at a cross roads with respect to our Constitutional freedoms. Who we elect in November could, literally, make all the difference in the world.
On Monday, June 2, The Guardian carried this article: US Accused of holding terror suspects on prison ships. The article is based on analysis done by the UK human rights organization, Reprieve. It is frightening and you need to read it. Essentially, the research from Reprieve shows that we are snatching people, taking them to secret ships, interrogating them (i.e. beating the hell out of them), and keeping them there for as long as a couple of months before then moving them to one of our detention centers, like Guantanamo Bay.
And once they get to Gitmo, what happens? We know that they are held for years, frequently without access to attorneys, frequently under abusive conditions. How does all of this happen? With the help of a little known piece of legislation called the Military Commissions Act. This frightening piece of legislation allows the President to declare anyone ... that's anyone, folks ... an enemy combatant. OK, let's be clear, that's you, me, your Mom, my brother, your child's teacher, your next door neighbor ... anyone ... an "enemy combatant." Once that happens, that person has no rights.
But wait, the Supreme Court just trumped that and restored the right of habeas corpus to these folks. But it was a narrow decision, 5-4. The next President will almost certainly be appointing at least one Supreme Court justice. John McCain will appoint someone who supports and upholds the tenets of the Military Commissions Act, for which he became a staunch supporter and made impassioned speeches for on the floor. In contrast, Barack Obama voted against the Act, taught the Constitution, and believes in upholding and restoring the power of our Constitution. No matter what you feel about a justice's stance on issues like reproductive choice or gun control, you must stand with the Constitution and cast your vote in November for someone who will stand with her, as well. The Military Commissions Act is fundamentally opposed to our Constitution. We cannot allow it to trump the rights and freedoms that make us who we are.
Forget the economy, forget the war, forget education, forget health care. The Constitution is on the table in this election. Cast your vote wisely.
On Monday, June 2, The Guardian carried this article: US Accused of holding terror suspects on prison ships. The article is based on analysis done by the UK human rights organization, Reprieve. It is frightening and you need to read it. Essentially, the research from Reprieve shows that we are snatching people, taking them to secret ships, interrogating them (i.e. beating the hell out of them), and keeping them there for as long as a couple of months before then moving them to one of our detention centers, like Guantanamo Bay.
And once they get to Gitmo, what happens? We know that they are held for years, frequently without access to attorneys, frequently under abusive conditions. How does all of this happen? With the help of a little known piece of legislation called the Military Commissions Act. This frightening piece of legislation allows the President to declare anyone ... that's anyone, folks ... an enemy combatant. OK, let's be clear, that's you, me, your Mom, my brother, your child's teacher, your next door neighbor ... anyone ... an "enemy combatant." Once that happens, that person has no rights.
But wait, the Supreme Court just trumped that and restored the right of habeas corpus to these folks. But it was a narrow decision, 5-4. The next President will almost certainly be appointing at least one Supreme Court justice. John McCain will appoint someone who supports and upholds the tenets of the Military Commissions Act, for which he became a staunch supporter and made impassioned speeches for on the floor. In contrast, Barack Obama voted against the Act, taught the Constitution, and believes in upholding and restoring the power of our Constitution. No matter what you feel about a justice's stance on issues like reproductive choice or gun control, you must stand with the Constitution and cast your vote in November for someone who will stand with her, as well. The Military Commissions Act is fundamentally opposed to our Constitution. We cannot allow it to trump the rights and freedoms that make us who we are.
Forget the economy, forget the war, forget education, forget health care. The Constitution is on the table in this election. Cast your vote wisely.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
TN Dems Blame Reps & Fox network over Obama perceptions
Dawn Teo:Fred Hobbs set off a flurry of sound-bites and interest when he was asked why Representative Lincoln Davis was delaying his endorsement of Senator Barack Obama as the party's nominee for President. Clearly part of the problem is that they just plain haven't gotten to know Senator Obama in Tennessee yet, but the fact is, they handed the extremists among their opponents something to run with in a week when most of the truly bad coverage was about McCain (unless you count the backlash against Megyn and Malkin and the "baby mama" debacle, but they aren't running for office.) Going into the weekend the commentators on the right were anxious for any story to chase the Supreme Court Gitmo decision -- and the crisis of faith it represented -- off the headlines, and
Hobbs played Lincoln Davis right into their hands.The Tennessee Democratic Party issued a statement on Friday that the Tennessee Democratic Party is united behind Obama. On Monday, they published the statement on the front page of their website. The statement also blamed Republicans for the outrageous comments coming from its own party leaders... This is some great reporting from Dawn Teo that gets beyond the sound-bites from last week.
Vanity Fair's BlogOpticon Shows Unbearable Whiteness Of Vanity Fair's Ad Placement
I just saw a link from Nikke Finke's DeadlineHollywood Daily to Vanity Fair's "BlogOpticon" , which has what it considers to be "relevant" and "well-read" blogs.
They've got a good set of blogs divided into four squares on a kind of scale grid. Some of my favs are there, like Valleywag. But you know what kills me, with the exception of Michelle Malkin, who's an Asian Woman but who writes as if she wishes she was a White conservative spinster, there's no other obvious blogger of color and none who are Black.
Now, it's not because there are not blogs out there who are popular and written by people who happen to be Black, like me. But it points to a kind of blind eye to the fact that if a person's Black, and they're blogging, they don't have to write about "Black matters" to be read.
It reminds me of James Woods' line in Oliver Stones' Nixon, where he says "There's that Negro saying Negro things!" Well I think some people expect "Negros" to say "Negro" things, so they can categorize them. And when they don't then they're a "Black Conservative."
How retarded.
How and why this freaking list.. was formed is beyond me and fairness (read on), but it's here. I feel sorry not for me, but for bloggers like Natasha, the East Cost law student -- as of this writing -- who has the wonderful blog "Young Black and Fabulous" about Black celebs. Oh, so you say that's a "Black Blog", well how the hell do you explain "Stuff White People Like?" It's a blog designed to draw White People to read it by making fun of White People. You know, many people don't even know what that term is. Well, what it is are people who don't consider themselves "of color". And that certainly shows up in this Vanity Fair chart.
Makes me wanna puke.
Vanity Fair writes that it's picked the "most influential blogs" -- gimme a freaking break. Ze Frank lost his steam a long time ago. Rocketboom.com is a has-been vlog. Hey it was the first, but let's face it, it's surrounded by a sea of new vlogs that draw viewers, like Renetto on YouTube.
Rocketboom's seen better traffic days, especially around the time the great Amanda Congdon was there. Joanne Colon's run as "Hottest Woman on The Internet" was replaced by a bevy of women in nude photos, like Lindsay Lohan, to fully-clothed female bodybuilder Kristy Hawkins.
And click on Rocketboom.com -- what do you see? A damn pop-up ad for..Vanity Fair. So let me get this straight -- the "most influential blogs" are really just those that have ads regarding Vanity Fair.
If Vanity is "the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others" then Vanity Fair's playing true to form. But it seems to be saying that it's only attractive to White People.
Maybe I'll think twice before laying down money for a VF in the future.
They've got a good set of blogs divided into four squares on a kind of scale grid. Some of my favs are there, like Valleywag. But you know what kills me, with the exception of Michelle Malkin, who's an Asian Woman but who writes as if she wishes she was a White conservative spinster, there's no other obvious blogger of color and none who are Black.
Now, it's not because there are not blogs out there who are popular and written by people who happen to be Black, like me. But it points to a kind of blind eye to the fact that if a person's Black, and they're blogging, they don't have to write about "Black matters" to be read.
It reminds me of James Woods' line in Oliver Stones' Nixon, where he says "There's that Negro saying Negro things!" Well I think some people expect "Negros" to say "Negro" things, so they can categorize them. And when they don't then they're a "Black Conservative."
How retarded.
How and why this freaking list.. was formed is beyond me and fairness (read on), but it's here. I feel sorry not for me, but for bloggers like Natasha, the East Cost law student -- as of this writing -- who has the wonderful blog "Young Black and Fabulous" about Black celebs. Oh, so you say that's a "Black Blog", well how the hell do you explain "Stuff White People Like?" It's a blog designed to draw White People to read it by making fun of White People. You know, many people don't even know what that term is. Well, what it is are people who don't consider themselves "of color". And that certainly shows up in this Vanity Fair chart.
Makes me wanna puke.
Vanity Fair writes that it's picked the "most influential blogs" -- gimme a freaking break. Ze Frank lost his steam a long time ago. Rocketboom.com is a has-been vlog. Hey it was the first, but let's face it, it's surrounded by a sea of new vlogs that draw viewers, like Renetto on YouTube.
Rocketboom's seen better traffic days, especially around the time the great Amanda Congdon was there. Joanne Colon's run as "Hottest Woman on The Internet" was replaced by a bevy of women in nude photos, like Lindsay Lohan, to fully-clothed female bodybuilder Kristy Hawkins.
And click on Rocketboom.com -- what do you see? A damn pop-up ad for..Vanity Fair. So let me get this straight -- the "most influential blogs" are really just those that have ads regarding Vanity Fair.
If Vanity is "the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others" then Vanity Fair's playing true to form. But it seems to be saying that it's only attractive to White People.
Maybe I'll think twice before laying down money for a VF in the future.
Emily Gould's "Sex And The City" Quote Points To Bay Area
Emily Gould just offered a quote in her blog Emily Magazine, and from the Sex and The City Movie that made me think of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Here's the quote:
“Why does Odysseus stay so long with Circe? And why, having stayed so long, does he finally leave? Why do we always stay too long in relationships we know aren’t good for us? Sometimes there’s a complicated tango of neediness and unavailability going on. Other times, it’s because those relationships are with witches who have turned us into pigs.”
I can't think of a few people I know who fall into this quote as a model, well couples. It seems here it's a kind of weird divide between single and mated -- married or not -- and not happy in either case. It's the total lack of communication, I say. Too many people who don't know how to take off their iPods when it matters most -- and no, that's not when it's not working,
What? Well, my point is that iPod's keep people from hearing things, like police sirens, or bus horns, or someone elses voice. In all cases the person is plainly disconnected. That means they lose the practice of talking. Just plain banter is lost. That forms the basis for good relationships.
Tiger Woods Amazing U.S. Open Performance Forcing Playoff
This has been a most extraordinary three days, and to prove it, we have Tiger Woods amazing come-from-behind-in-pain performance at the U.S. Open Sunday. I missed this because I was watching Tom Brokaw and friends of Tim Russert talk about Tim's contributions and remember the man. But my Mom kept me posted on the exploits of Tiger. This video says it all:
Stan Winston - A Zeitgeist Signpost - Passes at 62
Wow, both Tim Russert and Stan Winston were signposts of the Zeitgeist. And now both are gone from Earth; Winston passed at the age of 62 on Sunday.
As much of a power in his field was Tim Russert, he was matched by Stan Winston's amazing achievements in special effects. I remember Winston's creatures in Jurrasic Park, as well as the famous video where Winston explained how he adjusted to the then-new technology of computer graphics that Director Steven Spielberg wanted to use.
Winston was responsible for the monsters we saw in movies like Alien, ET, and The Terminator. He also worked with Phil Tippet and invented the film technique of "Go Motion" animation.
The video below features Winston discussing the formation of the creatures in Jurrasic Park:
Winston was one of my favorites, and I will miss him. I may even watch Jurrasic Park in his honor this evening.
As much of a power in his field was Tim Russert, he was matched by Stan Winston's amazing achievements in special effects. I remember Winston's creatures in Jurrasic Park, as well as the famous video where Winston explained how he adjusted to the then-new technology of computer graphics that Director Steven Spielberg wanted to use.
Winston was responsible for the monsters we saw in movies like Alien, ET, and The Terminator. He also worked with Phil Tippet and invented the film technique of "Go Motion" animation.
The video below features Winston discussing the formation of the creatures in Jurrasic Park:
Winston was one of my favorites, and I will miss him. I may even watch Jurrasic Park in his honor this evening.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Al Gore's Speech Endorsing Senator Barack Obama For President
Stating that this election is too important to do otherwise, Al Gore officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama in a rosing speech given at Cobo Hall in Detroit this evening.
Jojned by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Senator Obama, Gore was litterally blasted into emotional orbit by the crowd's yelling of "Yes We Can" again and again. Gore said that elections matter, reminding the crowd of Florida just by using its name. The Nobel Prize Winner then talked to the crowd explaining the importance of solving the crisis of Global Warming. He compared our current crisis to that facing "The Greatest Generation" of men and women who served during World War II, saying "That’s what the Greatest Generation did to win World War II, and then came home to start the Marshall Plan, unify Europe, create the United Nations and create the basis for peace and prosperity for decades."
The speech was stirring, to be sure.
MSNBC explains the significance of this event after showing Gore's speech:
This is the full text of Gore's speech:
Yes We Can!
Thank You, Governor Granholm, for your introduction and your great leadership. Thank you, Michigan, for supporting me in 2000. I’ll never forget it. Congratulations, Detroit, on the Red Wings victory in the Stanley Cup finals.
I speak to you this evening as a citizen as of the United States. I speak to you also as a citizen of the world because the outcome of this election will affect the future of our planet. For America to lead the world through the dangers we’re facing, to seize the opportunities before us, we’ve got to have new leadership. Not only a new president, but new policies. Not only a new head of state but a new vision for America’s future.
I want to begin with a few words to my fellow Democrats. We have just concluded an historic contest among the strongest field of candidates any political party has ever offered for the presidency of this country. An inspiring group of men and a woman with experience and vision, competence and boldness. Their vigorous competition has attracted record numbers of voters in every part of America, reinvigorated our democracy, and helped to rekindle the spirit of our country. And now we’ve made our choice.
As the general election begins, let us remember our obligation to honor our highest values of our democracy, and conduct this campaign in a spirit of respect for the Republican nominee.
[Audience Boos]
No, no! In that case, I’m glad I brought it up, because as Senator Barack Obama has said, John McCain is deserving of that respect. He has demonstrated bravery in war and as a prisoner of war, and has served in the House of Representatives and in the Senate for many years. Moreover, he has demonstrated a willingness to debate some critical issues, including the climate crisis, that many Republicans have refused to discuss at all.
But even as we acknowledge his long experience, we must and we will make our case that America simply cannot afford to continue the policies of the last eight years for another four.
And we all know that a long tenure in Washington, DC is the same things as judgment, wisdom, and vision. Nevertheless, the other party seems to think that age and experience are factors that will work in their favor during this campaign.
But our shared experience as a nation tells us otherwise. I remember when one prominent Republican wondered out loud whether the Democratic nominee, and “really is grown up enough to be president.” Another used the phrase, “naive and inexperienced.” Yet another said, “the United States cannot afford to risk the future of the free world with inexperience and immaturity in the White House.” Who are they talking about? Every single one of those quotations came from the campaign of 1960, when the Republicans attacked John Fitzgerald Kennedy for allegedly lacking the age and experience necessary to be president.
Richard Nixon’s slogan in that campaign was “experience counts,” to which John F. Kennedy responded, “to exclude from positions of trust and command all those below the age of 44, would have kept Jefferson from writing the Declaration of Independence, Washington from commanding the Continental Army, Madison from fathering the Constitution, and Christopher Columbus from even discovering America.” On January 20th, 1961, as a 12-year-old boy, I stood in the snow in front of the Capitol as John Fitzgerald Kennedy took the oath of office. I know what his inspiration meant to my generation and I feel that same spirit in this auditorium here tonight building all over this country this year. I feel your determination after two terms of the Bush-Cheney administration to change the direction of our country.
In looking back over the last eight years, I can tell you that we have already learned one important fact since the year 2000: take it from me, elections matter. If you think the next appointments to our Supreme Court are important, you know that elections matter. If you live in the city of New Orleans, you know that elections matter. If you or a member of your family are serving in the active military, the National Guard or Reserves, you know that elections matter. If you’re a wounded veteran, you know that elections matter. If you lost your job, if you’re struggling with your mortgage, you know that elections matter. If you care about a clean environment, if you want a government that protects you instead of special interests, you know that elections matter. If you care about food safety, if you like a T on your BLT, you know that elections matter. If you bought poisoned, lead-filled toys from China or adulterated medicine made in China, if you bought tainted pet food made in China, you know that elections matter! After the last eight years, even our dogs and cats have learned that elections matter.
And this election matters more than ever because America needs change more than ever. After eight years of lost jobs and lower wages we need change. After eight years of incompetence, neglect and failure we need change. After eight years in which our Constitution has been dishonored and disrespected we need change. After eight years of the worst, most serious foreign policy mistakes in the entire history of our nation we need change.
In September of 2002, I argued strongly that the invasion of a country that had not attacked us would be a mistake, and would divert attention, resources and resolve from the effort to track down and capture those who had attacked us. I argued that the occupation of Iraq would be dangerous and harmful for our country. And I well remember how few elected officials were willing to take that position in favor of protecting our national security by remaining focused on the right objectives. But I remember that an eloquent legislator in Springfield, Illinois named Barack Obama spoke up boldly and clearly with the force of reason and logic to join in opposition to that blunder. To those who still do not understand that the withdrawal of troops from the search for bin Laden in order to launch a misguided invasion of Iraq was a mistake, it’s time to say: We need a change. To those who want to continue making that same mistake over and over again indefinitely, it is important for us to say loudly and clearly with our votes this November: We need change. We intend to have change.
To those who want to continue borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf and burn it in ways that destroy our planet’s environment, it’s time to say: We need change. Barack Obama knows that we are too dependent on foreign oil and carbon fuels, and has proposed a plan to create millions of good new jobs and renewable green energy conservation and efficiency. Here in Detroit you know we need to revitalize our automobile industry with a commitment to plug-in hybrids and low-emission vehicles to solve the climate crisis and create the jobs of the future.
The future is ours: not to predict, but to create. But make no mistake: we need to change our policies on climate. Not too many years from now the next generation will look back at the decisions we make this coming November and the policies we put in place in January of next year. Were we to ignore the warnings of the scientists around the world and look the other way as the entire North Polar icecap melts before our eyes and the consequences we’ve been warned about unfolded, our children might then well ask: what were they thinking? Why didn’t they act? Why didn’t they choose change when they had a chance? It is my deep hope that they will ask another and very different question. I want them to look back on this historic year and ask: how did Americans in 2008 find the moral courage to rise and successfully solve a crisis that so many said was impossible to solve? How did they find the strength to change?
As Americans, we know that our democracy often moves very slowly, but we also know that when we must, we can shift gears quickly and suddenly pick up the pace to respond boldly to a great challenge. That’s what the Greatest Generation did to win World War II, and then came home to start the Marshall Plan, unify Europe, create the United Nations and create the basis for peace and prosperity for decades.
Many people have waited for some sign that our country is awakening once again. How will we know when a massive wave of reform and recovery and regeneration is about to take hold and renew our nation? What would it look like if such a change were beginning to build? I think we might recognize it as a sign of such change if we saw millions of young people getting involved for the first time in the political process. I think we might just recognize it if we saw that new generation casting aside obsolete and hurtful distinctions and reaching out to one another across the ancient divisions that have frustrated action in the past. I think we would know this change was coming if a new generation rejected the special interest politics of the past and the big money that fueled it, and instead used the internet to get small donations and unite Americans in a common effort to realize our common destiny. If we saw it coming, we’d recognize it by the words “Hope” and “Change.”
Perhaps we would recognize it if we heard a young leader rise up to say, “We’re not a red state America or a blue state America. We are the United States of America.” We would know that change was on the way if that young leader reached out not only to the supporters of the other candidates in his party, but also beyond partisan lines to Republicans and independents and said to us all: “America, our time has come!” I think we would recognize it in a candidate who, in response to those doubting our ability to solve the climate crisis and create a bright future, inspired millions to say, “Yes We Can.”
We have such a nominee, we have such a leader! Yes we can! Ladies and gentlemen, the next President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
Patti Solis Doyle Joins Obama: NY Observer Says That's A "Fuck You" To Hillary Clinton
Patti Solis Doyle left the Hillary Clinton campaign in disgrace just a few months ago after loses in primaries and especially in money. Reportedly scapegoated for the Clinton's overall poor performance in the early stages of the campaign, Patti Solis Doyle has been hired by Obama for America with the title of "Chief Of Staff To The Vice Presidential Candidate", a move that some say is a slap to the Clinton campaign and the NY Observer says that move is a "Fuck You" to Senator Clinton.
I'm not one to agree with that view. I think the Obama campaign knows it needs the Clintons, but also their judgement is tempered by the fact that the Clinton political power has been damaged, and perhaps irreparably.
I think too much is written into that "fuck you" view, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it may be the opposite signal and that in a need to come together, perhaps it's best that the two work together. Hell, the source is a donor who may know less than I or you or anyone else -- just gives money. I think there's a suprise in store here.
Andrew Sullivan reports that other Obama staff members hired are:
Constituency Director: Brian Bond – formerly LGBT Outreach Director at the DNC
National Field Director: Jon Carson – formerly Obama for America Voter Contact Director
Senior Advisor to the Campaign and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama: Stephanie Cutter
Industrial States Regional Director: Paul Diogardi – formerly Political Director for the Democratic Governor’s Association.
Battleground States Director: Jen O’Malley Dillon – formerly Iowa State Director for John Edwards for President
Chief of Staff to the Vice Presidential Nominee: Patti Solis Doyle
Latino Vote Director: Temo Figueroa – formerly Obama for America National Field Director
First Americans Vote Director: Wizipan Garriott
Northeast Regional Director: Eureka Gilkey – formerly Obama for America Deputy Political Director
50-State Voter Registration Director: Jason Green – formerly Obama for America political and field staff
Campaign Chief of Staff: Jim Messina – formerly Chief of Staff to Senator Max Baucus
LGBT Vote Director: Dave Noble – formerly of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
West Regional Director: Matt Rodriguez –.formerly Obama for America New Hampshire State Director
Senior Advisor: Michael Strautmanis
African American Vote Director: Rick Wade
I'm not one to agree with that view. I think the Obama campaign knows it needs the Clintons, but also their judgement is tempered by the fact that the Clinton political power has been damaged, and perhaps irreparably.
I think too much is written into that "fuck you" view, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it may be the opposite signal and that in a need to come together, perhaps it's best that the two work together. Hell, the source is a donor who may know less than I or you or anyone else -- just gives money. I think there's a suprise in store here.
Andrew Sullivan reports that other Obama staff members hired are:
Constituency Director: Brian Bond – formerly LGBT Outreach Director at the DNC
National Field Director: Jon Carson – formerly Obama for America Voter Contact Director
Senior Advisor to the Campaign and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama: Stephanie Cutter
Industrial States Regional Director: Paul Diogardi – formerly Political Director for the Democratic Governor’s Association.
Battleground States Director: Jen O’Malley Dillon – formerly Iowa State Director for John Edwards for President
Chief of Staff to the Vice Presidential Nominee: Patti Solis Doyle
Latino Vote Director: Temo Figueroa – formerly Obama for America National Field Director
First Americans Vote Director: Wizipan Garriott
Northeast Regional Director: Eureka Gilkey – formerly Obama for America Deputy Political Director
50-State Voter Registration Director: Jason Green – formerly Obama for America political and field staff
Campaign Chief of Staff: Jim Messina – formerly Chief of Staff to Senator Max Baucus
LGBT Vote Director: Dave Noble – formerly of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
West Regional Director: Matt Rodriguez –.formerly Obama for America New Hampshire State Director
Senior Advisor: Michael Strautmanis
African American Vote Director: Rick Wade
AL GORE TO ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA TODAY
The event that many have been waiting for has happened. On his blog, former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore has annouced that he will back Senator Barack Obama for President.
While some have complained about the timing of the event, saying it was about time, there's no question that it's an enormous development, which will start many thinking that Gore may be Obama's pick for Vice President.
After all, remember the woman I talked to who was with the "Gore Obama" movement? In this video, I asked her about switching that to Obama / Gore. Now, she's got no real choice.
Gore Asks Supporters To Contribute; So Do We
This is what Gore wrote on his blog:
A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.
Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.
I've never asked members of AlGore.com to contribute to a political campaign before, but this moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action.
That's why I am asking you to join me today in showing your support for Barack Obama by making a contribution to his campaign today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/support
Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.
With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.
If you've already contributed to Barack Obama's campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution. If you haven't, please join the movement right now:
https://donate.barackobama.com/support
On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.
We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president and it begins by making a contribution to his campaign today.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
West Virginia and Racisim
I see that West Virginia is pink... I wish Obama luck here. After months of trying to get the word out, and talking to people I have realized that their are some very racist ignorant people here. The good news is alot of people are saying they wont vote for eaither candidat. It is sad that they will not be voteing but if they don't vote for Mc Bush than that is even better.
Barack Obama's Father's Day Speech - Video and Text
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
(As prepared for delivery)
Apostolic Church of God
Sunday, June 15th, 2009
Chicago, IL
Good morning. It’s good to be home on this Father’s Day with my girls, and it’s an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closes by saying, “Whoever hears these words of mine, and does them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock: the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.” [Matthew 7: 24-25]
Here at Apostolic, you are blessed to worship in a house that has been founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. But it is also built on another rock, another foundation – and that rock is Bishop Arthur Brazier. In forty-eight years, he has built this congregation from just a few hundred to more than 20,000 strong – a congregation that, because of his leadership, has braved the fierce winds and heavy rains of violence and poverty; joblessness and hopelessness. Because of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church. There are more homes and fewer homeless. There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier continued the march for justice that he began by Dr. King’s side all those years ago. He is the reason this house has stood tall for half a century. And on this Father’s Day, it must make him proud to know that the man now charged with keeping its foundation strong is his son and your new pastor, Reverend Byron Brazier.
Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.
But if we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing – missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.
You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled – doubled – since we were children. We know the statistics – that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.
How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?
Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more afterschool programs for our children. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.
But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child – it’s the courage to raise one.
We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves; the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do. So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support. They need another parent. Their children need another parent. That’s what keeps their foundation strong. It’s what keeps the foundation of our country strong.
I know what it means to have an absent father, although my circumstances weren’t as tough as they are for many young people today. Even though my father left us when I was two years old, and I only knew him from the letters he wrote and the stories that my family told, I was luckier than most. I grew up in Hawaii, and had two wonderful grandparents from Kansas who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me – who worked with her to teach us about love and respect and the obligations we have to one another. I screwed up more often than I should’ve, but I got plenty of second chances. And even though we didn’t have a lot of money, scholarships gave me the opportunity to go to some of the best schools in the country. A lot of kids don’t get these chances today. There is no margin for error in their lives. So my own story is different in that way.
Still, I know the toll that being a single parent took on my mother – how she struggled at times to the pay bills; to give us the things that other kids had; to play all the roles that both parents are supposed to play. And I know the toll it took on me. So I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle – that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls; that if I could give them anything, I would give them that rock – that foundation – on which to build their lives. And that would be the greatest gift I could offer.
I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father – knowing that I have made mistakes and will continue to make more; wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now. I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect, even as we face difficult circumstances, there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers – whether we are black or white; rich or poor; from the South Side or the wealthiest suburb.
The first is setting an example of excellence for our children – because if we want to set high expectations for them, we’ve got to set high expectations for ourselves. It’s great if you have a job; it’s even better if you have a college degree. It’s a wonderful thing if you are married and living in a home with your children, but don’t just sit in the house and watch “SportsCenter” all weekend long. That’s why so many children are growing up in front of the television. As fathers and parents, we’ve got to spend more time with them, and help them with their homework, and replace the video game or the remote control with a book once in awhile. That’s how we build that foundation.
We know that education is everything to our children’s future. We know that they will no longer just compete for good jobs with children from Indiana, but children from India and China and all over the world. We know the work and the studying and the level of education that requires.
You know, sometimes I’ll go to an eighth-grade graduation and there’s all that pomp and circumstance and gowns and flowers. And I think to myself, it’s just eighth grade. To really compete, they need to graduate high school, and then they need to graduate college, and they probably need a graduate degree too. An eighth-grade education doesn’t cut it today. Let’s give them a handshake and tell them to get their butts back in the library!
It’s up to us – as fathers and parents – to instill this ethic of excellence in our children. It’s up to us to say to our daughters, don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for those goals. It’s up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we live glory to achievement, self respect, and hard work. It’s up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.
The second thing we need to do as fathers is pass along the value of empathy to our children. Not sympathy, but empathy – the ability to stand in somebody else’s shoes; to look at the world through their eyes. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in “us,” that we forget about our obligations to one another. There’s a culture in our society that says remembering these obligations is somehow soft – that we can’t show weakness, and so therefore we can’t show kindness.
But our young boys and girls see that. They see when you are ignoring or mistreating your wife. They see when you are inconsiderate at home; or when you are distant; or when you are thinking only of yourself. And so it’s no surprise when we see that behavior in our schools or on our streets. That’s why we pass on the values of empathy and kindness to our children by living them. We need to show our kids that you’re not strong by putting other people down – you’re strong by lifting them up. That’s our responsibility as fathers.
And by the way – it’s a responsibility that also extends to Washington. Because if fathers are doing their part; if they’re taking our responsibilities seriously to be there for their children, and set high expectations for them, and instill in them a sense of excellence and empathy, then our government should meet them halfway.
We should be making it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid them. We should get rid of the financial penalties we impose on married couples right now, and start making sure that every dime of child support goes directly to helping children instead of some bureaucrat. We should reward fathers who pay that child support with job training and job opportunities and a larger Earned Income Tax Credit that can help them pay the bills. We should expand programs where registered nurses visit expectant and new mothers and help them learn how to care for themselves before the baby is born and what to do after – programs that have helped increase father involvement, women’s employment, and children’s readiness for school. We should help these new families care for their children by expanding maternity and paternity leave, and we should guarantee every worker more paid sick leave so they can stay home to take care of their child without losing their income.
We should take all of these steps to build a strong foundation for our children. But we should also know that even if we do; even if we meet our obligations as fathers and parents; even if Washington does its part too, we will still face difficult challenges in our lives. There will still be days of struggle and heartache. The rains will still come and the winds will still blow.
And that is why the final lesson we must learn as fathers is also the greatest gift we can pass on to our children – and that is the gift of hope.
I’m not talking about an idle hope that’s little more than blind optimism or willful ignorance of the problems we face. I’m talking about hope as that spirit inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. If we are willing to believe.
I was answering questions at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin the other day and a young man raised his hand, and I figured he’d ask about college tuition or energy or maybe the war in Iraq. But instead he looked at me very seriously and he asked, “What does life mean to you?”
Now, I have to admit that I wasn’t quite prepared for that one. I think I stammered for a little bit, but then I stopped and gave it some thought, and I said this:
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me – how do I make my way in the world, and how do I become successful and how do I get the things that I want.
But now, my life revolves around my two little girls. And what I think about is what kind of world I’m leaving them. Are they living in a county where there’s a huge gap between a few who are wealthy and a whole bunch of people who are struggling every day? Are they living in a county that is still divided by race? A country where, because they’re girls, they don’t have as much opportunity as boys do? Are they living in a country where we are hated around the world because we don’t cooperate effectively with other nations? Are they living a world that is in grave danger because of what we’ve done to its climate?
And what I’ve realized is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re willing to do your small part to leave our children – all of our children – a better world. Even if it’s difficult. Even if the work seems great. Even if we don’t get very far in our lifetime.
That is our ultimate responsibility as fathers and parents. We try. We hope. We do what we can to build our house upon the sturdiest rock. And when the winds come, and the rains fall, and they beat upon that house, we keep faith that our Father will be there to guide us, and watch over us, and protect us, and lead His children through the darkest of storms into light of a better day. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father’s Day, and that is my hope for this country in the years ahead. May God Bless you and your children. Thank you.
"Define Democracy" Video Contest Part of DNC Convention
The website "Cinemocracy" is working with the Democratic Party on a contest called "Define Democracy" which calls for you to make a short video not longer than five minutes which "defines democracy".
You can enter the contest at Cinemocracy through July 15th.
You can enter the contest at Cinemocracy through July 15th.
Vanessa Hudgens Sings Like Paula Abdul In "Sneakernight"
Every once in awhile, it's good to stop and take stock of..talent. Vanessa Hudgens has it and it's expressed in this video. Now, I'd not known of her until I decided to click on her YouTube video and that was because it was on the front page of YouTube. Then I realized Hudgens was at the center of the Internet photo scandal a while back.
Ok. It seems there are so many of those.
She can sing and dance. Her voice is soulful and reminds me of Paula Abdul or any one of the Pointer Sisters. I'll be one of the half-million MySpace friends she has who puts their sneakers on!
But from a Zeitgeist perspective, Vanessa's one of the emerging young women who aren't African American, but have the soulful voice that Black female singers have been known for. She's part Irish American and Filipino American. But her style is emblematic of the diversity that Hip Hop has for all practical purposes forced on America. Because Hip Hop and Rap are the dominant music culture forms, American Culture, including what kids listen to, and who they try to sing like, have been litterally controlled and shaped by them.
Vanessa is the end result of this process.
John McCain Says It's Hard To Be Proud Of America
Ok. Let's see Right-Wingers jump on this bit of news. Senator John McCain says that it's hard to be proud of America. Think about that one. Just, what, four days after his Iraq gaffe, we have a statement that would seem to be really the confirmation of what Michelle Obama said last year, but it's actually more cutting.
Michelle Obama had remarked that Barack's success was the first time she was proud to be an American. Now, anyone Black knew what she meant, but the White, Right-Wing Lunatic Fringe jumped all over her anyway. Then the mainstream media predicted that Michelle would be haunted by that statement.
No way.
McCain bailed her out.
Michelle Obama had remarked that Barack's success was the first time she was proud to be an American. Now, anyone Black knew what she meant, but the White, Right-Wing Lunatic Fringe jumped all over her anyway. Then the mainstream media predicted that Michelle would be haunted by that statement.
No way.
McCain bailed her out.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Clinton Supporter Roger Altman Behind Larry Sinclair Anti-Obama Smears
Hillary Clinton with Roger Altman in New York
Clinton Supporter Roger Altman Behind Larry Sinclair Anti-Obama Smears
Larry Sinclair has made up a story about he and Senator Obama that is without truth or belief and yet he continues to get attention, the latest from the National Press Club. And the reason for this appears to focus on Clinton supporter Roger Altman. Altman is, according to freedom4um.com, and other sources like Businessweek:
Supporters of the Illinois senator are convinced that the articles are politically motivated, but don't know who's behind them. But an examination of the tabloids' ownership yields one very interesting finding.
It turns out that American Media Inc., the parent company of the Enquirer, Globe and the Examiner, is, in turn, controlled by Evercore Partners, whose founder, chairman, co-CEO and principal owner is Roger Altman, a prominent New York investment banker.
Altman is also a former deputy treasury secretary in the administration of President Bill Clinton -- and a key economic advisor of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the White House.
So it appears that the Clinton supporters have not stopped the campaign, even as Senator Clinton asked them too. Also, Larry Sinclair has admitted to me personally that he lives in Texas and not Minnesota. Yet, many media outlets continue to refer to Sinclair as a "Minnesota Man"; he's a Texas Man whom I caught in a lie, and a person who is a total fraud, in fact he told the Globe:
"Sinclair admits to the Globe that he's spent years in prison in Florida, Colorado, and Arizona on various fraud charges, and further admits trafficking in cocaine and marijuana, as well as illegal aliens from Mexico."
With all of this, plus the fact that Sinclair took a lie detector test regarding his fantasy associations with Obama, and failed, the National Press Club is giving this idiot a platform next week.
There, Sinclair will put out more crap allegations trying now to say that Obama had a relationship with Donald Young, the Gay pastor of Trinity Church. Sinclair will point to an file he sent to the Chicago police, where Sinclair states that he had a conversation with Young.
Big Deal. In this time of call records and recordings Sinclair should be able to show a phone record beyond the file, but even then it would only show Sinclair dialed the number. There's nothing about Sinclair's case that's sound, even his selection of lawyer is less than credible: Montgomery Sibley, who will appear at the National Press Club for "moral support" and is the same lawyer who's last client was a prostitute claimed to have the names of 10,000 clients, many Washington DC's finest elected officials.
She's not with us anymore.
But Montgomery Sibley's a lawyer who's being pushed to disbarment by the State of Florida, and owes over $11,000 in back office rent and was due to stand trial on this in Montgomery County, VA. Sibley's a person described as "abusing the legal process". The Washinton Post made Sibley look less than human, let alone credible.
Just like Larry Sinclair. Where's Sinclair getting the money to afford all of this: Sibley, the National Press Club, and travel? Follow the money. My bet is it's Roger Altman.
Tim Russert at NH Primary House Party January 2008
I found this photo on Flickr, with this explaination:
Tim Russert died on June 13, at the age of 58. He was photographed while covering a house party for presidential primary candidate, John Edwards, in Bedford NH on the eve of the NH primary in January 2008. Elizabeth Edwards speaks to Tim Russert. Also pictured are Matt Lauer, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.
He really enjoyed getting out there it seems. Russert will be missed.
Barack Obama and Tim Russert in 2006
Mike Baudio went to an event at the Warner Theater in DC sponsored by the Partnership for Public Service in 2006.
There, Tim Russert interviewed Senator Barack Obama on the theme of need for young participants in public service. It was not the last time Russert would interview Senator Obama.
Tim Russert, for 20 years the host of "Meet The Press" left us yesterday, striken with cardiac arrest. He was 58 years old.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Oakland Raiders Talking With City - City Attorney John Russo Interview
I met with Oakland's elected City Attorney and my friend John Russo the day after election day to talk about his unopposed win for a third term, how Oakland has changed, Oakland Politics and the District Three Council race, who Senator Obama should pick as his VP, what Russo's is proudest of with the evolution of his office, and the talks between the City of Oakland and the Oakland Raiders.
Russo explains that the talks are between the Raiders and the Oakland / Alameda County Joint Powers Authority and that they're going well. He also confirmed that Raiders Manager of The General Partner Al Davis is not in good health and has not attended all of the meeting. As to the possibility that the Raiders would get a new stadium, he said no, but they're in agreement on the matters of concern to the Raiders.
Given what I know from trying to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland (we lost to Jacksonville), that means we should expect to see an upgraded Coliseum at some point in the future.
What was surprising news was that the Raiders were the party that initiated the talks, and not the City of Oakland or The County of Alameda. I personally feel that's a signal of the Raiders new willingness to work with the City and stay in Oakland.
Also, we talk about why he ran unopposed and how Oakland's political landscape has changed.
Crisis of Faith on U.S. Supreme Court: Habeas Corpus 2008
If you read Justice Kennedy’s Majority opinion in the Gitmo/habeas corpus decision, you’ll discover that the ruling is in line with all of the principles the Catholic Church mandates. If you're not familiar with those particular teachings, here's further reading.
What do the four Justices who dissented have in common beyond a lack of faith in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution as ways to spread democracy and limit repression which we can see leads to recruiting terrorists? They are each Catholics appointed by Republican Presidents; Supreme Court justices who can’t be bothered to do more than pay lip service to their professed faith.
What do the four Justices who dissented have in common beyond a lack of faith in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution as ways to spread democracy and limit repression which we can see leads to recruiting terrorists? They are each Catholics appointed by Republican Presidents; Supreme Court justices who can’t be bothered to do more than pay lip service to their professed faith.
Barack Obama On Tim Russert's Passing
Senator Barack Obama released this statement on Tim Russert's passing:
Video:
I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004. He’s somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn’t a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.
Video:
Obama VP? Zennie Asks Obama Supporters In San Francisco
What do supporters of Senator Barack Obama for President think of how far the campaign has come? Who do they want as his Vice Presidential Candidate? I asked people at a celebration event held at San Francisco's Ruby Skye night club on Tuesday, June 10th 2008.
The responses seemed to boil down to this: most of the people I talked to want or seem to think that Kansas Governor Katheryn Sebelius will be the choice. Two people, including San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, thought that the choice should be Senator Hillary Clinton. Two others said she should definitely not be the choice -- a view shared in another video by Oakland City Attorney John Russo, and others gave criteria but no names. Who's your choice for Obama's VP running mate. Chime in here.
My Mom's - Patricia Abraham Yerger- Thoughts About Tim Russert's Passing
My Mom, Patricia Abraham Yerger, 73, passed me this note:
For Tim Russert's Passing:
I am really saddened by this event the last statement I remember is "I would love to be teaching a history class now, meaning this moment of history where possibly a Black man could be president."
As a Black woman this meant the World to me. What this meant, this great man knew what effect this would have on American Youth. Plus, he was glad to see this, which makes me know that if some newscaster had his insight they would know what that event meant to America.
And that's why Michelle Obama made the statement she would make about being proud of the people of America.
This is the best country in the World. Look what it produced: a man like Tim Russert.
God Bless America!
Tim Russert Passes at 58: Rememberances
This is a hard day for America and especially for anyone who's a follower and lover of politics and the media. Tim Russert passed of cardiac arrest at the young age of 58, leaving behind a wife, son, father, relatives, friends, and millions of fans, including me.
The video above is from MSNBC and below from Veracifier on YouTube:
Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama gave this speech on Tim Russert's passing:
This video is from a fan on YouTube, TRAILKIDS1:
This video was made from YouTubers tomaswk, who met Russert earlier this year:
Bloggers around America have weighed in on the news. Buddy TV reported Russert's passing; James Poniewozik at TIME Blog wrote that Russert's influence was "immense"; Futuremd informs that Russert once took MSNBC collegue Dave Gregory to task for being rude to a waitress while they were at dinner.
I check out that link.
From Jossip, I learned that Russert took issue with Keith Olbermann's activism and I learned that Dave Gregory not only had an imperious way with wait staffers at restaurants, but treated lower NBC News staff "like shit".
That stands in direct contrast to Russert's way. It's clear that he, Russert, was loved at NBC.
"Meet The Press" Tim Russert Dies Of A Heart Attack At 58
"Meet The Press" Tim Russert Dies Of A Heart Attack At 58
One of the main reasons I was so excited about attending the 2008 Democratic Convention was that I would get to meet Tim Russert, the ever-present host of the legendary show and one of my favorites, Meet The Press.
Now, I will not, because Tim Russert died of what the New York Post called an apparent heart attack today at 58 years of age.
I never met or knew Tim, but he felt like part of the American Cultural furniture and I always appreciated his on-air professionalism. In a world of "vetters", Russert was the vetter. No poitician was considered complete until they faced a grilling from Russert. Barack Obama's best presentations were on Meet The Press because he handled himself with grace and intelligence under Russerts withering line of questions.
But we always saw Russert as the person who sat as judge and jury in politics. Always fair. Always smart. Always informative. Always professional. It's no wonder Time Magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people this year. .
Tim Russert represented the best in media and I will miss him.
Here's Russert recently interviewing former Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan.
John Russo | Zennie Interview | Russo On Oakland, Obama VP, Raiders
I met with Oakland's elected City Attorney and my friend John Russo the day after election day to talk about his unopposed win for a third term, how Oakland has changed, Oakland Politics and the District Three Council race, who Senator Obama should pick as his VP, what Russo's is proudest of with the evolution of his office, and the talks between the City of Oakland and the Oakland Raiders.
Russo explains that the talks are between the Raiders and the Oakland / Alameda County Joint Powers Authority and that they're going well. He also confirmed that Raiders Manager of The General Partner Al Davis is not in good health and has not attended all of the meeting. As to the possibility that the Raiders would get a new stadium, he said no, but they're in agreement on the matters of concern to the Raiders.
Given what I know from trying to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland (we lost to Jacksonville), that means we should expect to see an upgraded Coliseum at some point in the future.
What was surprising news was that the Raiders were the party that initiated the talks, and not the City of Oakland or The County of Alameda. I personally feel that's a signal of the Raiders new willingness to work with the City and stay in Oakland.
Also, we talk about why he ran unopposed and how Oakland's political landscape has changed.
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