A painful look at the 10 most injured teams in the league.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
More Week 3 Pro Day Workouts From Top 10 Schools
Don’t be surprised if the Pittsburgh Steelers select an Ohio State player come April’s NFL Draft.
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NFL players may have died hours after boat toppled
The lone survivor, Nick Schuyler, told the Coast Guard that one by one, the other three men took off their life vests and disappeared during the ordeal that began the evening of Feb. 28, according to a 23-page report provided to The Associated Press Monday under a Freedom of Information Act request.
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Radio host Don Imus announces on air he has prostate cancer
More at Inside Bay Area: “Controversial radio host Don Imus announced on the air Monday morning that he has Stage 2 prostate cancer.
Colleagues said the cancer was considered treatable and that the prognosis was good.
"The day you find out is fine," Imus told his listeners on the "Imus in the Morning" show. "But the next morning when you get up, your knees are shaking. I didn't think I could make it to work."”
Colleagues said the cancer was considered treatable and that the prognosis was good.
"The day you find out is fine," Imus told his listeners on the "Imus in the Morning" show. "But the next morning when you get up, your knees are shaking. I didn't think I could make it to work."”
Israeli forces shoot American activist Tristan Anderson
IWant Democracy Now -- US Consul General Says Awaiting Israeli Report on IDF Shooting of American Citizen
An American activist from Oakland, California was critically injured Friday when Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister directly at his head at the close of a weekly nonviolent protest against the wall in the West Bank village of Nalin. Thirty-seven-year old Tristan Anderson underwent brain surgery on Saturday, and parts of his right frontal lobe and shattered bone fragments were removed. He remains in critical condition. We go to the hospital in Tel Aviv to speak with Andersons partner, Gabrielle Silverman, and to Andrew Parker, the US Consul General in Tel Aviv.
Chaos at 'America's Next Top Model' Audition in Manhattan
From NewsPoliticalNews - Pandemonium erupted outside of an "America's Next Top Model" casting call at CW Studios in midtown Saturday when an overheating car triggered a stampede of catwalk-craving cuties. Screaming as they ran for their lives, hundreds of hotties in heels toppled over barricades along W. 55th St. after several people in the crowd started yelling, "There's a bomb!"
Immigrants not welcome in the U.S.? The Irish weren't.
While the history of the "No Irish Need Apply" signs may have grown in the telling, there was resistance to Irish immigration to
the United States; the Ku Klux Klan greeted the newcomers (with their unpopular Christian religion and their strangely fair skin) with the intolerance, rumors about lifestyle, and prejudice previously reserved for non-white people. Perhaps the KKK was confused by the term "Black Irish." There is abundant evidence that such "NINA" signs were prevalent among a certain class in London in the early 1800s, (the British had famously broken away from the Catholic Church under Henry VIII) and scattered elsewhere throughout continental Europe, and no doubt they appeared in the USA as many Irish were fleeing violence and famine in their native land - arriving in America full of dreams and hope.
Regardless, today the President of the United States, Barack Obama, traces some of his ancestry to the Emerald Isle, and one of the better-known "ethnic" holidays in the USA is St. Patrick's Day, and people from all walks of life will take note of it today. Many will adopt caricatures of Irishness for the day, hats fit for a Leprechaun, green buttons and shirts saying "Kiss me, I'm Irish!" as they celebrate Irish culture, tradition, and people. Reporters and journalists across the country will cover people across the country enjoying parades and parties where people sing in faux accents, marvel about Irish jigs, drink beverages from Ireland, and put an O in front of their last name while overlooking the fact they'd never venture into a Catholic church and aren't quite sure how to pronounce shillelagh.This is a success Americans could do well to reflect on as they consider their current struggle with immigration laws and issues. More than a president noted for an ethnically rich heritage, the United States is a country strengthened by the nature of being an alloy of many cultures and philosophies. The Irish endured invasions over the centuries, yet retained a unique (albeit somewhat misunderstood) cultural identity: both unity and diversity persist proudly on that one smallish island. Surely there is room in the United States for all who dream of freedom and hope to improve their lives.
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the United States; the Ku Klux Klan greeted the newcomers (with their unpopular Christian religion and their strangely fair skin) with the intolerance, rumors about lifestyle, and prejudice previously reserved for non-white people. Perhaps the KKK was confused by the term "Black Irish." There is abundant evidence that such "NINA" signs were prevalent among a certain class in London in the early 1800s, (the British had famously broken away from the Catholic Church under Henry VIII) and scattered elsewhere throughout continental Europe, and no doubt they appeared in the USA as many Irish were fleeing violence and famine in their native land - arriving in America full of dreams and hope.Regardless, today the President of the United States, Barack Obama, traces some of his ancestry to the Emerald Isle, and one of the better-known "ethnic" holidays in the USA is St. Patrick's Day, and people from all walks of life will take note of it today. Many will adopt caricatures of Irishness for the day, hats fit for a Leprechaun, green buttons and shirts saying "Kiss me, I'm Irish!" as they celebrate Irish culture, tradition, and people. Reporters and journalists across the country will cover people across the country enjoying parades and parties where people sing in faux accents, marvel about Irish jigs, drink beverages from Ireland, and put an O in front of their last name while overlooking the fact they'd never venture into a Catholic church and aren't quite sure how to pronounce shillelagh.This is a success Americans could do well to reflect on as they consider their current struggle with immigration laws and issues. More than a president noted for an ethnically rich heritage, the United States is a country strengthened by the nature of being an alloy of many cultures and philosophies. The Irish endured invasions over the centuries, yet retained a unique (albeit somewhat misunderstood) cultural identity: both unity and diversity persist proudly on that one smallish island. Surely there is room in the United States for all who dream of freedom and hope to improve their lives.
It's time for the great minds of American leadership to embrace the American dream, to bring immigrants who treasure the opportunities embodied into our constitution into full participation in our way of life. They must be required to abide by our laws, to value their citizenship and patriotism as highly as their neighbors, to participate in our democracy in every way, and if they don't want to participate wearing green on St. Patrick's Day they must at least recognize that it's about more than a Catholic saint - it's about valuing diversity by walking a mile in somebody else's shoes for one day each year.Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
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Star Trek Movie: Where Are The Black Men?
There's a lack of Black men in the Star Trek trailers and director J.J. Abrams called and invited Tyler Perry to be in the movie to make up for the oversight
Star Trek Movie: Where Are The Black Men?
There's a lack of Black men in the Star Trek trailers and director J.J. Abrams called and invited Tyler Perry to be in the movie to make up for the oversight
Monday, March 16, 2009
Senator Barbara Boxer On The Oakland A's: "I Live In Oakland"
On the way to a fundraiser for Senator Barbara Boxer on Sunday (March 15th 2009), I walked into the Four Seasons Residences on Market Street and boarded an elevator that was already to be occupied by two women just eight steps ahead of me, with their backs to me. When I boarded the elevator they both turned in conversation, the one closest to me was the person-of-the-hour, Senator Barbara Boxer.
Always gracious, Senator Boxer shook my hand, then after a few seconds on the elevator I asked her if she was "going to get involved in keeping the A's in Oakland." She immediate said "You know, I live in Oakland, and that's important to me." Boxer stopped short of stating what her action would be, but that response was all I needed to know that it's on her radar screen, and it doesn't spell good news for Lew Wolff because the rest of our talk consisted of me calmly but in cold detail explaining to her how Wolff had treated Oakland with great disrespect, making statements that he was "done with Oakland." I also shared that San Jose and Santa Clara County -- where Wolff seems to want to take the organization -- represented 47 percent of the San Francisco Giants fan base. She listened intently.
Remember, I'm a columnist: I state my opinion and advocate for a cause. That's still within the relm of journalism, but people forget that when they disagree with you. Still, it's important for readers to be reminded of the writer's position: I want Wolff to keep the A's in Oakland. Period.
The matter of the A's wasn't on the collective mind of the approximately 50 people that came to the home of planning consultants Lynn and Paul Sedway; the economy was. While only six questions were taken because of the Senator's schedule -- she was making a fundraising swing through San Francisco -- all except two which I'll get to concerned the matter of the economy. Some highlights:
• Boxer said that she thinks we've seen the "bottom" of the economy, at least from the stock market perspective, and that she expects to see a rebound. In other words, no more dramatic market dives below the level we saw last week.
• Boxer has had it with giving out Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) money. She reported Congress as a whole is (holding her hand over her head) "up-to-here" with giving out more TARP funds, and much of that distaste for the effort she explained is directly related to the matter of AIG's attempt to give out $165 million in bonuses. She said the Federal Reserve has a provision such that it can give our money if it has determined that such an expenditure would be in the best interest of national security. Now, be smart about what you just read. Boxer did not say she would not approve more stimulus money, but that's not TARP money. It's clear that Boxer wants to send a message that Congress is unhappy with Wall Street's behavior.
• Boxer did not know about the block-buster news released Wednesday March 11th by Seymore Hersh that there was a "secret executive assasination group" that flew around the World for the purpose of killing officials on a "hit list" and answered only to Vice President Dick Cheney, but she did say she would talk with Senator Pat Leahy, who's pushed for the formation of a commission to review the activities of the Bush Administration. This was my question to her, which caused a bit of an interesting response from her where she rose her brow in fear, and for good reason. The contract killing of people is not something anyone likes to know about, especially when our government is alledged to be involved in it.
• Boxer, in response to a question of when we (the USA) were going to get out of Afghanistan, supports President Obama's efforts there, because "The Taliban are terrible" to paraphrase Senator Boxer.
In all, Boxer stayed for a good while. The Sedways are long time friends of the Senator and gracious hosts in a place with a lovely view of San Francisco.
Always gracious, Senator Boxer shook my hand, then after a few seconds on the elevator I asked her if she was "going to get involved in keeping the A's in Oakland." She immediate said "You know, I live in Oakland, and that's important to me." Boxer stopped short of stating what her action would be, but that response was all I needed to know that it's on her radar screen, and it doesn't spell good news for Lew Wolff because the rest of our talk consisted of me calmly but in cold detail explaining to her how Wolff had treated Oakland with great disrespect, making statements that he was "done with Oakland." I also shared that San Jose and Santa Clara County -- where Wolff seems to want to take the organization -- represented 47 percent of the San Francisco Giants fan base. She listened intently.
Remember, I'm a columnist: I state my opinion and advocate for a cause. That's still within the relm of journalism, but people forget that when they disagree with you. Still, it's important for readers to be reminded of the writer's position: I want Wolff to keep the A's in Oakland. Period.
The matter of the A's wasn't on the collective mind of the approximately 50 people that came to the home of planning consultants Lynn and Paul Sedway; the economy was. While only six questions were taken because of the Senator's schedule -- she was making a fundraising swing through San Francisco -- all except two which I'll get to concerned the matter of the economy. Some highlights:
• Boxer said that she thinks we've seen the "bottom" of the economy, at least from the stock market perspective, and that she expects to see a rebound. In other words, no more dramatic market dives below the level we saw last week.
• Boxer has had it with giving out Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) money. She reported Congress as a whole is (holding her hand over her head) "up-to-here" with giving out more TARP funds, and much of that distaste for the effort she explained is directly related to the matter of AIG's attempt to give out $165 million in bonuses. She said the Federal Reserve has a provision such that it can give our money if it has determined that such an expenditure would be in the best interest of national security. Now, be smart about what you just read. Boxer did not say she would not approve more stimulus money, but that's not TARP money. It's clear that Boxer wants to send a message that Congress is unhappy with Wall Street's behavior.
• Boxer did not know about the block-buster news released Wednesday March 11th by Seymore Hersh that there was a "secret executive assasination group" that flew around the World for the purpose of killing officials on a "hit list" and answered only to Vice President Dick Cheney, but she did say she would talk with Senator Pat Leahy, who's pushed for the formation of a commission to review the activities of the Bush Administration. This was my question to her, which caused a bit of an interesting response from her where she rose her brow in fear, and for good reason. The contract killing of people is not something anyone likes to know about, especially when our government is alledged to be involved in it.
• Boxer, in response to a question of when we (the USA) were going to get out of Afghanistan, supports President Obama's efforts there, because "The Taliban are terrible" to paraphrase Senator Boxer.
In all, Boxer stayed for a good while. The Sedways are long time friends of the Senator and gracious hosts in a place with a lovely view of San Francisco.
TV Show Preview: "The Blog Report With Zennie62"
On May 1st 2009 CoLoursTV will launch "The Blog Report With Zennie62" nationwide on DISH Network channel 9407 and selected Comcast, Fox, and Insight cable channels, and on YouTube, Blip.tv, and 13 other channels online.
How Zennie62 (Zennie Abraham) Makes A Video-Blog
This is the companion video to my segment on "Why I Vlog" and shows the process I use to make a vlog: camcorder, computer, and software. I recommend a MacBook computer with iMovie, a Flip Video camera and a basic camcorder.
Why I Vlog Or Videoblog; Vlogging Reason For Being
Someone asked why anyone makes a video-blog, or "why I vlog" so I created this video to explain why I make video-blogs and what I get out of vlogging.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
President Barack Obama - 3/14/09: Your Weekly Address
From the White House:
President Obama makes key announcements regarding the safety of our nation's food.
(this video is public domain)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Stock Market Gained 700 Points This Week
Finally it seems the stock market hit bottom. After losing value since last fall, the market gained -- in fits and starts -- 700 points. To me, it means the market hits equilibrium where the total wealth spent in the market has matched the price level. Now, the President's policies have not entirely taken effect, but we can say that the efforts to save key Wall Street businesses set the ground work for this recovery. To me we're all the way there -- recovered -- when the market his 10,000 again and that can happen.
SXSW Has "Blacks in Tech Meetup Tonight at the Carver"
I saw this on the SXSW website, and would you believe I've still not been to a SXSW! Terrible me. But I'm happy to report SXSW is hosting the "Blacks in Tech Meetup Tonight at the Carver" as the decription reads, "this event celebrates our ongoing effort to bring a more diverse lineup of panelists to SXSW Interactive. The Blacks in Technology Meetup is open to new media professionals as well as those who are hoping to break into this industry. In other words, no badge required to attend."
That's awesome and worth more commentary. A great effort. I'm happy to see this and wish I was there.
That's awesome and worth more commentary. A great effort. I'm happy to see this and wish I was there.
Why Does Anti-Intellectualism Exist?
As an observer and student of pseudoscience for thirty years, I have long been puzzled as to why exactly this phenomenon exists at all. Why is anti-intellectualism so pervasive? What possible benefit do people get from clinging to demonstrably false ideas? Why are education and inquiry so grudgingly supported, and so often regarded with suspicion?
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AOL Gets A New CEO: Google's Tim Armstrong
Google(GOOG) sales chief Tim Armstrong becomes chairman and CEO of the troubled Web property, effective immediately.
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Did Britain have a black queen?
Queen Charlotte was the wife of George III and, like him, of German descent. But did she also have African ancestry?
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5 Facts About Friday the 13th
If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year.
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High IQ Linked to Reduced Risk of Death
A study of one million Swedish men has revealed a strong link between cognitive ability and the risk of death, suggesting that government initiatives to increase education opportunities may also have health benefits.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Newsom Oakland Town Hall Interrupted By Bayview Protester...
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom came to Oakland to give a town hall meeting on his plans for California as governor. The meeting went well, but it was interrupted by protestors from the Bayview Neighborhood.
Journalist Union End Game for Chronicle Could Be Purchase: News: SFAppeal
More at SFAppeal: “As the California Media Workers Guild at the San Francisco Chronicle prepare for a ratification vote on job and compensation concessions to Hearst Corp., the union leadership is exploring potential partnerships to eventually acquire the newspaper.
"In 16 months," said Carl Hall, local Guild representative at The Chronicle, "we should be talking about buy in and not buy-outs."
In an interview Tuesday, Hall was looking past the painful week of negotiations that produced the tentative agreement on concessions that Chronicle publisher Hearst had been demanding under threat of a sale or closure of the 144-year-old paper.
"We are working on it," Hall said. "We hope to form an investor group that would be prepared to step in."”
-- Can they come up with the money, that's the question? And can they generate enough revenue to operate it -- second question. They should team up with Craigslist.
"In 16 months," said Carl Hall, local Guild representative at The Chronicle, "we should be talking about buy in and not buy-outs."
In an interview Tuesday, Hall was looking past the painful week of negotiations that produced the tentative agreement on concessions that Chronicle publisher Hearst had been demanding under threat of a sale or closure of the 144-year-old paper.
"We are working on it," Hall said. "We hope to form an investor group that would be prepared to step in."”
-- Can they come up with the money, that's the question? And can they generate enough revenue to operate it -- second question. They should team up with Craigslist.
SF Chronicle Owned By Craigslist? A Possible Future
According to Real Clear Politics, The San Francisco Chronicle is one of ten newspapers in trouble. The total list in order from "still alive" to "almost passed on" is:
10. NY Daily News
9. LA Times
8. St. Paul Pioneer Press
7. Chicago Sun-Times
6. Detroit News
5. San Francisco Chronicle
4. Miami Herald
3. Philadelphia Daily News
2. Rocky Mountain News
1. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The San Francisco Chronicle, at number five, may cease to exist if management and union can't get together on an adjustment to the collective bargaining agreement. (UPDATE: Seattle P-I reported close to closure). That did happen on Monday, with Thursday of this week set as the day for a large meeting for the Chronicle Guild to ratify the agreement. As of the making of the video, no place was secured but that was to happen today, Tuesday. It did according to Mediaworkers.org.
The day and time of the meeting is Thursday, March 12, 5-8 p.m respectively and the place is Cyril Magnin room, Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St in San Francisco (north from the Chronicle building on Fifth Street and across Market), and discussion will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. They expect to have the vote at 7:30 p.m.
The Chronicle is threatening to cut 225 or more guild positions if the union that represents journalists and other employees doesn’t meet the company’s demands, according to Mediaworkers.org.
The paper has about 500 total guild members, according to a source at the Chronicle.
If the union does agree to concessions, then the paper would cut at least 150 guild positions. The paper wants workers to give up senority rights, cut back vacation and sick leave. So the paper lays off employees, agreement or not.
While this is happening, people are steadily moving online to get news. The number of people visiting newspaper Web sites in January reached a new high, according to the Newspaper Association of America. During that month, 74.8 million unique visitors went to newspaper Web sites, an increase of
11% year-over-year and due to the interest in the Obama Inauguration. It is the highest number of unique users recorded since the association started tracking online industry stats in 2004.
Meanwhile, San Francisco-based social listing site Craigslist drew 26.7 million unique visitors in May 2008 alone according to Nielsen Online. That's just over one-third the total number of new visitors for all of the newspapers in their best month in history. Craigslist earned $81 million in 2008, $55 million in 2007, and could "easily top $200 million" with some small increase in fees. All of this with a staff of about 20 people.
Craiglist is a giant, dwarfing the New York Times and SFGate.com in unique visitors by a large margin claiming 60 percent of daily page view traffic in an Alexa comparison with the two sites. Why did the SF Chronicle not copy Craigslist?
Or more to another point, is the SF Chronicle going to merge with Craiglist? I can tell you from a good source that conversations have taken place on some kind of relationship. Will it lead to Craigslist
buying the Chronicle is anyone's guess, but it's a possible future.
YouTube, MySpace, Metacafe, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Crackle, Sclipo, Viddler and Howcast
10. NY Daily News
9. LA Times
8. St. Paul Pioneer Press
7. Chicago Sun-Times
6. Detroit News
5. San Francisco Chronicle
4. Miami Herald
3. Philadelphia Daily News
2. Rocky Mountain News
1. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The San Francisco Chronicle, at number five, may cease to exist if management and union can't get together on an adjustment to the collective bargaining agreement. (UPDATE: Seattle P-I reported close to closure). That did happen on Monday, with Thursday of this week set as the day for a large meeting for the Chronicle Guild to ratify the agreement. As of the making of the video, no place was secured but that was to happen today, Tuesday. It did according to Mediaworkers.org.
The day and time of the meeting is Thursday, March 12, 5-8 p.m respectively and the place is Cyril Magnin room, Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St in San Francisco (north from the Chronicle building on Fifth Street and across Market), and discussion will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. They expect to have the vote at 7:30 p.m.
The Chronicle is threatening to cut 225 or more guild positions if the union that represents journalists and other employees doesn’t meet the company’s demands, according to Mediaworkers.org.
The paper has about 500 total guild members, according to a source at the Chronicle.
If the union does agree to concessions, then the paper would cut at least 150 guild positions. The paper wants workers to give up senority rights, cut back vacation and sick leave. So the paper lays off employees, agreement or not.
While this is happening, people are steadily moving online to get news. The number of people visiting newspaper Web sites in January reached a new high, according to the Newspaper Association of America. During that month, 74.8 million unique visitors went to newspaper Web sites, an increase of
11% year-over-year and due to the interest in the Obama Inauguration. It is the highest number of unique users recorded since the association started tracking online industry stats in 2004.
Meanwhile, San Francisco-based social listing site Craigslist drew 26.7 million unique visitors in May 2008 alone according to Nielsen Online. That's just over one-third the total number of new visitors for all of the newspapers in their best month in history. Craigslist earned $81 million in 2008, $55 million in 2007, and could "easily top $200 million" with some small increase in fees. All of this with a staff of about 20 people.
Craiglist is a giant, dwarfing the New York Times and SFGate.com in unique visitors by a large margin claiming 60 percent of daily page view traffic in an Alexa comparison with the two sites. Why did the SF Chronicle not copy Craigslist?
Or more to another point, is the SF Chronicle going to merge with Craiglist? I can tell you from a good source that conversations have taken place on some kind of relationship. Will it lead to Craigslist
buying the Chronicle is anyone's guess, but it's a possible future.
YouTube, MySpace, Metacafe, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Crackle, Sclipo, Viddler and Howcast
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Chevron: Ecuador Court Ordered Inspections To Resume Tuesday
More at CNN Moneyy: “QUITO -(Dow Jones)- After a nearly 10-month pause, judicial inspections will resume Tuesday in a lawsuit in Ecuador against Chevron Corp (CVX), the oil company said Monday.
Chevron said in a press release that presiding justice Juan Nunez of the Superior Court in Nueva Loja has ordered four of eight remaining judicial inspections to be carried out this week.
They are on oil well Auca-17, oil well Auca-19, Auca Central Station and Auca Sur Station.
Four remaining inspections are scheduled to be carried out by March 26.
"Judge Nunez ruled in response to a request by the plaintiffs' lawyers that he move quickly to issue a ruling in this case," Chevron said.”
-- I have to say I think this court's a total joke. It's in Ecuador, and the judge is under the influence of the President in a society not known for fair due process. While Chevron reportedly asked for the venue to be Ecuador, it would have been better here in America. We'll see, but I would be surprised if a fair ruling came out of this judicial system.
Chevron said in a press release that presiding justice Juan Nunez of the Superior Court in Nueva Loja has ordered four of eight remaining judicial inspections to be carried out this week.
They are on oil well Auca-17, oil well Auca-19, Auca Central Station and Auca Sur Station.
Four remaining inspections are scheduled to be carried out by March 26.
"Judge Nunez ruled in response to a request by the plaintiffs' lawyers that he move quickly to issue a ruling in this case," Chevron said.”
-- I have to say I think this court's a total joke. It's in Ecuador, and the judge is under the influence of the President in a society not known for fair due process. While Chevron reportedly asked for the venue to be Ecuador, it would have been better here in America. We'll see, but I would be surprised if a fair ruling came out of this judicial system.
Should Bloggers Have The Same Rights As Journalists?
There have been only a handful of cases in which courts have addressed whether bloggers should be treated as journalists for the purpose of considering the reporters’ privilege.
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Oprah Calls on Viewers to Demand Action Against Child Abuse
On Monday, September 15, Oprah issues an urgent call to her viewers to take action against child predators in an all new episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. “What you are going to see is going to shock you to the core, but I'm asking you to please not turn away, because this is happening in our country to our children in the United States every day,
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The Caucus: Obama Calls for Overhaul of Education System
In an address to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, President Obama issued a challenge to states to increase the quality of reading and math instruction to keep American students at pace with other countries and renewed his support for a merit-based system of payment for teachers.
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Obama Alarmed Over U.S. Nurse Shortage, Health Expansion Cri
President Obama expresses alarm over potential usage of foreign-trained nurses, as the ongoing shortage in nursing threatens to curtail the Democrat's ambitious national healthcare roll-out.
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Macon Phillips: Obama's new-media messenger
Phillips works for President Obama as the White House's new-media director, a new job for an administration that embraces technology.
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Republicans Unnecessarily Politicize Spending Bill
Jon Kyl of Arizona, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, pushed for an amendment barring any money for relocating refugees from Gaza to the United States. Not that the bill ever designated any money for that purpose. Mr. Kyl just wanted to be extra sure and, in doing so, to force Democrats to take a politically charged vote.
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Tiahrt, Huelskamp Oppose Sebelius Nomination
Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt and State Senator (and candidate for the KS-01) have both released statements critical of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius's nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary. Why? They both call Sebelius an "abortion extremist."
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RNC Fights Over Dwindling Funds
Republican infighting escalated Monday with allegations and denials over $4 million once destined for the party’s congressional campaign committees.Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele sought to placate critics by giving $1 million to each of his party’s debt-ridden campaign committees...
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How to Delete Any Online Account
Canceling accounts you've created on the Web isn't always easy. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to ditch social networks, online retailers, blogging services, and more.
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15 Percent of Americans Have No Religion
The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians has dropped dramatically over the past two decades, and those who do are increasingly identifying themselves without traditional denomination labels, according to a major study of U.S. religion being released today.
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Hillary Clinton comes to Europe, Brings the Stupid
Hillary Clinton raised eyebrows on her first visit to Europe as secretary of state when she mispronounced her EU counterparts' names and claimed U.S. democracy was older than Europe's.Clinton added: "I have never understood multiparty democracy."
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Don’t Rely on Bush’s Signing Statements, Obama Says
Mr. Bush broke all records, using signing statements to challenge about (!!!) 1,200 bill sections over his eight years in office — about TWICE the number challenged by ALL PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS COMBINED, according to data compiled by Christopher Kelley, a political science professor - Investigate, prosecute and IMPRISON Bush, Cheney, Rove and others
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McCain's Daughter: Ann Coulter Is a Trainwreck
Meghan McCain ripped Coulter for being "a train wreck" and called her the "biggest culprit" when it comes to perpetuating the negative stereotype of Republicans in her most recent blog post for the Daily Beast.
read more | digg story
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iPhone: Renegade app store opens but Apple wants to kill it
Yes, Apple's App Store carries great stuff for your iPhone. But some of the best applications Apple banned from the App Store are now found at an unauthorized store, called Cydia. But Apple is already prepping to send its legal sharks after The Cydia Store by leveraging DCMA in order to push jailbreaking into illegal territory.
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Monday, March 09, 2009
White House Budget Director Peter Orszag on Blogging
From The White House:
Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag discusses the value of blogs and plans for his own blog at http://www.OMB.gov
I'm glad to see the White House embrace blogging but I think bloggers should be on the press contact list.
President Barack Obama - 3/7/09: Your Weekly Address
From The Whitehouse:
President Obama capped off a busy week in Washington remarking on new lending guidelines aimed at lowering mortgage payments; an initiative to generate funds for small business and college loans; the release of his administration's first budget which includes $2T in deficit reduction; and the start of long overdue health care reform
New Star Trek Movie Messes-Up San Francisco's Skyline
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Also read about SF Giants Opening Day: The Party Economy At SFGate.com
I'm looking forward to the new Star Trek movie and the great story and special effects, but I'm not looking forward to how the movie treats San Francisco. It messes up the San Francisco Skyline, making it look like Hong Kong.
If you take a good look at the trailers for the movie, they show how San Francisco will look 300 years from today in the J.J. Abrams version of the Star Trek Universe.
The scene that I focus on in the video above shows what I argue -- but one other disgrees with -- is the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge. They claim it's the Golden Gate Bridge side, but that's not the point. The point is, the buildings are hundreds of times larger than the structures of today. Question: would San Francisco culture allow such skyscrapers to be created? My answer, and the SFist agrees, is no.
This has caused a fire storm of controversy, and even on my YouTube channel Zennie62, nasty comments, with some calling me names like "douche" and even some racial slurs, sadly. I've removed and banned about 30 accounts to date because of that. We can agree to disagree, but the flaming I will not tolerate.
Period.
Plus, it masks the main point: futurists tend to ignore culture over technology when looking forward and Star Trek is a great example. Now other Trekkers have explained that a nuclear war gave way to a new San Francisco Bay Area, but that doesn't mean people would not want to protect the Bay and our beauty. I just can't see that happening. San Franciscans have fought the "Manhattanization" of the city for years, why should they stop after a nuclear war?
The reality is San Francisco would fight to maintain it's human scale, even in the 23rd Century.
Also read about SF Giants Opening Day: The Party Economy At SFGate.com
I'm looking forward to the new Star Trek movie and the great story and special effects, but I'm not looking forward to how the movie treats San Francisco. It messes up the San Francisco Skyline, making it look like Hong Kong.
If you take a good look at the trailers for the movie, they show how San Francisco will look 300 years from today in the J.J. Abrams version of the Star Trek Universe.
The scene that I focus on in the video above shows what I argue -- but one other disgrees with -- is the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge. They claim it's the Golden Gate Bridge side, but that's not the point. The point is, the buildings are hundreds of times larger than the structures of today. Question: would San Francisco culture allow such skyscrapers to be created? My answer, and the SFist agrees, is no.
This has caused a fire storm of controversy, and even on my YouTube channel Zennie62, nasty comments, with some calling me names like "douche" and even some racial slurs, sadly. I've removed and banned about 30 accounts to date because of that. We can agree to disagree, but the flaming I will not tolerate.
Period.
Plus, it masks the main point: futurists tend to ignore culture over technology when looking forward and Star Trek is a great example. Now other Trekkers have explained that a nuclear war gave way to a new San Francisco Bay Area, but that doesn't mean people would not want to protect the Bay and our beauty. I just can't see that happening. San Franciscans have fought the "Manhattanization" of the city for years, why should they stop after a nuclear war?
The reality is San Francisco would fight to maintain it's human scale, even in the 23rd Century.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Obama's single-payer health care beats socialized medicine.
Why all the fuss about single payer? Because nearly 1/3 of the health care dollar goes to overhead, currently, while Medicare keeps costs in the 2-3% range. Administering health care is something the U.S. government can do VERY efficiently compared to private insurers, partly because ad campaigns, salaries & bonuses aren't allowed to be outrageous.The only ones who stand to lose are insurance companies and their overpaid execs - even doctors are on-board with this concept.
Do you know what the estimate is for the money that could be saved on paperwork alone? $350 BILLION per YEAR. On paperwork to keep the plethora of insurance forms filled out. All so non-medically trained bureaucrats can make decisions about how much to pay for medical procedures versus how much to pay the insurance executives.
Duke Medical has a ratio of one billing clerk PER hospital bed in their system just to cope with all the insurance forms and rules. That's plain got to stop.
David Frum Says Obama Has Advantage Through 2010
David Frum says that President Obama has an advantage in that he can blame the Bush Administration through 2010. Frum, a conservative, also says that Rush Limbaugh is the figurative head of the Republican Party.
Who's killing the DJIA? Boskin needs a mirror before blaming Obama's budget.
Investors are skittish. Any news about GM, or AIG, or retail sales being weak, or below forecasts, etc., causes them to react. Michael Boskin wants you to hear that Obama's killing the DOW.
Knowledgeable traders with years of experience are killing the DJIA as they react to the aftershocks of the policies Michael Boskin wants to retain. The DOW is a symptom, it's a measure. He's gone so far as
to submit his fear-mongering to the Wall Street Journal, the very same place all the practitioners of derivative voodoo look to when they want to read the tea leaves.
Investors react to fear-mongering by losing confidence - and selling off their stock, which fuels the fears that Boskin has already stoked. When Obama warned people that the other side would use fear to attain their goals, I wonder if he anticipated somebody willing to extend the economic crisis that is causing such suffering in the middle class?
Obama isn't killing the DOW by trying to reverse the momentum of the U.S. economy; we can't survive Boskin's idea, which is to sit by and hope it gets better. That's not how hope gets used, but it's apparently how Boskin uses the WSJ.
Knowledgeable traders with years of experience are killing the DJIA as they react to the aftershocks of the policies Michael Boskin wants to retain. The DOW is a symptom, it's a measure. He's gone so far as
to submit his fear-mongering to the Wall Street Journal, the very same place all the practitioners of derivative voodoo look to when they want to read the tea leaves.Investors react to fear-mongering by losing confidence - and selling off their stock, which fuels the fears that Boskin has already stoked. When Obama warned people that the other side would use fear to attain their goals, I wonder if he anticipated somebody willing to extend the economic crisis that is causing such suffering in the middle class?
Obama isn't killing the DOW by trying to reverse the momentum of the U.S. economy; we can't survive Boskin's idea, which is to sit by and hope it gets better. That's not how hope gets used, but it's apparently how Boskin uses the WSJ.
Martha Stewart and Lucaris Have Lunch - Seriously
Here I am having Lunch yesterday with Ludacris (Chris Bridges). We had a nice salad, paella, and chocolate cake for dessert. He is a nice young man and very, very busy. He is extremely excited about his new flick and new album. Ludacris also really liked the chocolate cake!But why is this not part of her overall image? A good question that begs for an answer!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn) Thinks You Should Die If Your Poor
More at Video Cafe” Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn) thinks health care is something for the rich, calling it a "privilege" on MSNCB. I can't figure out what's worse, the comment or the fact that he was serious about it. Is this the kind of person Tennessians want representing them when they need access to health care?
Chevron Wins in Judge's Decision To Deny New Bowoto v. Chevron Trial
This was a major victory for Chevron, which was falsely accused of violating the civil rights of Larry Bowoto and bis friends in the Niger Delta region. Here are my thoughts:
Here's the news story as seen in the SF Chronicle:
A federal judge on Wednesday upheld a San Francisco jury's verdict that cleared Chevron Corp. of wrongdoing in the shootings of Nigerian villagers who occupied an offshore oil barge in 1998 to protest the company's hiring and environmental practices.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who presided over the four-week trial in November, denied a request by the villagers' lawyers for a new trial and ruled that there was evidence to support the verdict.
About 150 tribesmen from the oil-rich Niger Delta occupied a barge tethered to Chevron's Parabe platform in May 1998, saying the company's Nigerian subsidiary had refused to meet with them and hear their complaints that drilling and dredging were polluting their wells and killing trees and fish.
The villagers said they were unarmed and peaceful, but Chevron's witnesses said the protesters threatened violence, held crew members hostage and demanded ransom. After three days of negotiations, Chevron summoned Nigerian security forces, who killed two men and wounded two others.
The suit was filed under a law passed by the first Congress in 1798 that allows foreigners to seek damages in U.S. courts for violations of international human rights.
On Dec. 1, a nine-member jury unanimously rejected the plaintiffs' claims that Chevron was responsible for assault, inhumane treatment, torture and wrongful death.
Chevron has asked Illston to order the villagers to reimburse the company for $485,000 the company spent defending against the suit. The judge did not address that request in Wednesday's ruling.
In seeking a new trial, plaintiffs' lawyers said Chevron never contradicted testimony that three villagers were shot, beaten or tortured without justification. But Illston said jurors could have had doubts because of contradictions in the testimony.
She also said the jury could have found that the company was not responsible for the actions of military forces, citing Chevron testimony that its Nigerian subsidiary did not control the security forces and that its main concern was the safety of its workers.
Chevron, based in San Ramon, said it was pleased with the ruling. Plaintiffs lawyer Theresa Traber said the villagers would appeal.
Zane Vergie - CNN REPORTER LIVE "Peanuts" Error
I think someone may have messed with Zane Vergie's teleprompter. In this video she replaces Peanuts with another word that describes an organ.
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