Over objections from the U.S. intelligence community, the White House is moving to declassify—and publicly release—three internal memos that will lay out, for the first time, details of the "enhanced" interrogation techniques approved by the Bush administration for use against "high value" Qaeda detainees.
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Monday, March 23, 2009
A Quiet Revolution Grows in the Muslim World
Across the Muslim world, a new generation of activists, bloggers and preachers is discovering ways to synthesize Islam and modernity
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Police kill man holding box cutter, THEN DELETE VIDEO OF IT
More than 50 people witnessed the shooting. Some say there was no need for police to pull the trigger. Luis Zamor, who witnessed the scene said "Police are supposed to come out and arrest the guy, stop the guy, but he just come straight out and shoot the guy.
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Mom Given Ticket While Reviving Her Dying Son
Batkin incurred the ticket by illegally stopping her car on the pavement to resuscitate her son. To make matters worse, Batkin said, the Richmond Council's parking office later refused to rescind the ticket even after she explained what had happened.
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Internet Explorer 8: How not to launch a new browser
Explorer 8 shapes up to be a complete train wreck as far as customer adoption is concerned.
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More Women Needing Cash Go from Jobless to Topless
As a bartender and trainer at a national restaurant chain, Rebecca Brown earned a couple thousand dollars in a really good week. Now, as a dancer at Chicago's Pink Monkey gentleman's club, she makes almost that much in one good night.
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People running Bank of America are "a bunch of idiots."
So says Virginia Hammerness. But Hammerness is not just another angry stockholder. Her grandfather was A.P. Giannini, the founder of Bank of America... A Time When Bankers Were Heroes to Public.
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Breaking : 17 Are Dead in Plane Crash in Montana
A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman says 17 people are dead in a plane crash in Montana.
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Obama fires back at Cheney on 60 Minutes
Dick Cheney and the anti-terror policies of the Bush years have not "made us safer," according to President Barack Obama. -=W/ VIDEO=-
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One in four government websites illegal (UK)
One in four Government databases are illegal under human rights or data protection and should be scrapped immediately, a panel of experts have warned.
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Sunday, March 22, 2009
Three police sergeants dead, suspect killed in East Oakland gun battles - Inside Bay Area
More at Trib: “OAKLAND — In the most horrific day in Oakland Police Department history, a parolee shot to death three police sergeants within two hours of one another Saturday afternoon.
When officers tracked down the suspect, a fourth officer was shot and was in critical condition Saturday night.
The three veteran officers killed were sergeants: Mark Dunakin, 40, of Tracy, a traffic officer with the department since 1991; Erv Romans, 43, of Danville, a 13-year veteran with the force; and Dan Sakai, 35, a nine-year veteran, police said.”
When officers tracked down the suspect, a fourth officer was shot and was in critical condition Saturday night.
The three veteran officers killed were sergeants: Mark Dunakin, 40, of Tracy, a traffic officer with the department since 1991; Erv Romans, 43, of Danville, a 13-year veteran with the force; and Dan Sakai, 35, a nine-year veteran, police said.”
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Zennie62.com - The Facebook Page
Now, Zennie62.com is on Facebook! Here is the page: Zennie62 on Facebook Become a fan!
What Is New Media To You? - WISE-SF Panel Intro From 2008
I created this video to open the panel discussion on "Blogs, New Media, and You: Managing Your Digital Identity" at the WISE-SF Panel Discussion held a year ago Monday, March 30th 2008 at The Hotel Kabuki, at 1625 Post St. San Francisco, CA.
It's interesting to look back and review the video. What strikes me is that the basic theme is "expression" in that New Media allows one to express a view.
BART Shooting: Rockridge BART Protest 3-19-09
I exited Rockridge BART Station and walked into a protest of the New Year's Day shooting of Oscar Grant by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle. I talked with onlooker, protesters, and BART Spokesperson Linton Johnson. According to the protester I talked to in the video, there are a series of these events pre-scheduled at http://nojusticenobart.blogspot.com
President Obama On The Tonight Show
I missed this but thanks to YouTube, I'm able to see his performance. I give him an A- minus and that is only for a comment I almost missed on the Special Olympics, but it was a throw away line. He did not disparage it, or say anything against it, and really it was just the two words regarding what was a self-deprecating comment. Now, I'm surprised no one got after him about his Hollywood comment. I do think people tend to really micro-manage stuff, and Gov. Palin has so many gaffes she's got no reason to talk at all. Can you imagine if she were Vice President? Yikes!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Obama Chic: Inside the White House Cocktail Parties
FOXNews.com - Obama Chic: Inside the White House Cocktail Parties - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment
I love a good cocktail party. The idea is to get to know people, which then tends to make other endevors that much easier. What the problem with the Obama party is, I do not know at all. Makes no sense to me. I'll take a Manhattan!
I love a good cocktail party. The idea is to get to know people, which then tends to make other endevors that much easier. What the problem with the Obama party is, I do not know at all. Makes no sense to me. I'll take a Manhattan!
The President's Message to the Iranian People
From the White House - [with Persian captions] President Obama's special video message for all those celebrating Nowruz, or "New Day." This year, the President wanted to send a special message to the people and government of Iran, acknowledging the strain in our relations over the last few decades. After committing his administration to a future of honest and respectful diplomacy, he addresses Iran's leaders directly. (this video is public domain)
President Obama offers new start with Iran
france24english - IN THE FIELD: Iran has welcomed US President Barack Obama's offer for a fresh start, while calling for concrete action. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana voiced hope that Obama's video message will mark a "new chapter" in relations with Tehran.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Newspaper Managers Don't Understand New Media
Newspaper Managers don't understand New Media at all. It's the key reason why papers all over America are failing. As more media outlets - webs, blogs, video - have been established, there's less money to go around per outlet. That coupled with the credit crunch and newspaper manager's failure to understand New Media is what contributed to this problem, and it's a big one.
I remember 2006, when I approached my friend Oakland Tribune Columnist Monte Poole with an idea of something called "The Monte Poole Show" -- http://themontepooleshow.blogspot.com/ -- which combined the sports columnist's columns with video presentations and then took that video and used it for television. So Monte would be on TV, in print, and in online video, expanding sponsor exposure. But Tribune Editor Martin Reynolds was having none of the idea, even as the head of KOFY TV 20 San Francisco was interested in it. Martin claimed "Monte's under contract with the Tribune" which had nothing to do with the issue at hand.
That is but one example of how the Mainstream Media does not "get" New Media and is at a loss to work effectively in it. Newspapers will continue to fail if this happens again and again.
The Financial Times Launches Newssift
More at TC: “The Financial Times Group, which is owned by the British publisher Pearson, is not exactly the place you’d expect to find the latest search engine. But a startup deep within the bowels of the organization called FT Search is launching one at 8PM ET tonight called Newssift. It is a semantic search engine that sifts through business news, and it is not half bad, especially for bigger companies and broader topics.”
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Natasha Richardson Accident - Richardson Passed Away Tonight
From CBS: Actress Natasha Richardson and wife of Liam Neeson is reportedly in critical condition after suffering a head injury in a skiing accident at a Canadian ski resort. Randall Pinkston reports.
I later learned that the actress passed away this evening at the age of 45 years old.
Natasha Richardson Accident - Richardson Passed Away Tonight
From CBS: Actress Natasha Richardson and wife of Liam Neeson is reportedly in critical condition after suffering a head injury in a skiing accident at a Canadian ski resort. Randall Pinkston reports.
I later learned that the actress passed away this evening at the age of 45 years old.
Obama Angered By 'Excess' In AIG Bailout Matter
President Barack Obama says "The buck stops with me" in discussing the AIG matter. You've got to credit him for immediately getting out in front of the issue with the press statement right as the news of the $165 million in bonuses was paid by AIG using Troubled Assets Recovery Program (TARP) funds.
Hot Stove Talk
Hot Stove NFL talk 3/19/09-By Dr. Bill Chachkes Football Reporters Online
The Giants have made some really good free agency moves so far. It's clear that Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch told Mr. Reese to spend some of that PSL money on players. DT's Bernard, Canty, and LB Boley are all good pick ups. Hopefully there is enough left over to get some more offensive skill players. I'm not in a rush to see a running back signed so quickly, even though Derek Ward signed with Tampa a few weeks ago (5 years, 17 million dollars). I would prefer to see them draft a younger player like Javarris Williams (Tenn. St.) or Josh Vaughn (Richmond) and play Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware behind Jacobs. The Giants have 9 selections coming into this draft, but the feeling is that some of those picks will be used in a package to trade with another team to move up in one of the first two rounds to get a player at a "need" position they weren't able to fill in free agency.
If you need to be reminded that the sport of football is still a business behind it all, just take a look at Albert Haynesworth. "It's not about the money," Haynesworth said, when the Titans were trying to figure out how to keep him happy and in Nashville. It didn't take long for that tune to change when Redskins owner Dan Sndyer came calling with a 100 million dollar check. Now Big Al gets himself in a bit of "dui" trouble and wants us to understand how sorry he is. With all that Cash Al, get someone to drive you around will ya please.
At least Ray Lewis was honest. "Why should i take a Hometown Discount? I'm not playing with less emotion or intensity," he said. Ozzie Newsome got Lewis to stay by giving Lewis the deal he deserved to keep him a "Raven for life."
The Jets made some decent headway regarding the improvment of their defense. They resigned Ahmad Carroll, who will help out the secondary as well as keep the special teams special. Now we hear talk of disgruntled Broncos QB Jay Cutler coming to NY to wear the Green and White. I just hope his skin thickens up a little if he does. The other issue here is that Jets owner Woody Johnson is starting to remind me of George Steinbrenner when he ran the Yankees. NFL.com's Pat Kirwan told a group of us at the end of the 2006 draft that Clemens had the best spiral of any of the QB's in that class. So then why won't they give him a chance to prove he can lead the team? Maybe they are trying to Jump-start "phase 2" of the PSL sales plan.
So mr. Owens shuffled off to Orchard Park, but the real test is when the Bills make the playoffs and have to play a home game in January with the breeze coming off the lake. Terrell will have wished he told his agent Drew Rosenhaus to just wait a little longer and see if someone else makes an offer, even for less money.
So we have a new Executive director of the NFLPA. What will make DeMaurice Smith different from Gene Upshaw? He's already caught the player reps' ears with a smooth presentation coming into what could become a hostile fight with the owners to reach a deal on a new CBA. Lets see if he can get it done sooner rather then later.
It's just 5 weeks to the 2009 NFL Draft, and we are already in high gear(but I'm always geared up for football).
You can also find us at www.footballreportersonline.com
To order our 2009 Guide to the NFL draft please visit www.gridirondraftguide.com
Our blogs are at nflbiz.blogspot.com & nfldraftmag.blogspot.com.
You can e-mail us a question for our weekly radio show at askdrfootball@gmail.com, or call our toll free number at 1-866-478-5982.
To listen each Thursday night from 9-10:30 eastern go to www.blogtalkradio.com/Football-Reporters
The Giants have made some really good free agency moves so far. It's clear that Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch told Mr. Reese to spend some of that PSL money on players. DT's Bernard, Canty, and LB Boley are all good pick ups. Hopefully there is enough left over to get some more offensive skill players. I'm not in a rush to see a running back signed so quickly, even though Derek Ward signed with Tampa a few weeks ago (5 years, 17 million dollars). I would prefer to see them draft a younger player like Javarris Williams (Tenn. St.) or Josh Vaughn (Richmond) and play Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware behind Jacobs. The Giants have 9 selections coming into this draft, but the feeling is that some of those picks will be used in a package to trade with another team to move up in one of the first two rounds to get a player at a "need" position they weren't able to fill in free agency.
If you need to be reminded that the sport of football is still a business behind it all, just take a look at Albert Haynesworth. "It's not about the money," Haynesworth said, when the Titans were trying to figure out how to keep him happy and in Nashville. It didn't take long for that tune to change when Redskins owner Dan Sndyer came calling with a 100 million dollar check. Now Big Al gets himself in a bit of "dui" trouble and wants us to understand how sorry he is. With all that Cash Al, get someone to drive you around will ya please.
At least Ray Lewis was honest. "Why should i take a Hometown Discount? I'm not playing with less emotion or intensity," he said. Ozzie Newsome got Lewis to stay by giving Lewis the deal he deserved to keep him a "Raven for life."
The Jets made some decent headway regarding the improvment of their defense. They resigned Ahmad Carroll, who will help out the secondary as well as keep the special teams special. Now we hear talk of disgruntled Broncos QB Jay Cutler coming to NY to wear the Green and White. I just hope his skin thickens up a little if he does. The other issue here is that Jets owner Woody Johnson is starting to remind me of George Steinbrenner when he ran the Yankees. NFL.com's Pat Kirwan told a group of us at the end of the 2006 draft that Clemens had the best spiral of any of the QB's in that class. So then why won't they give him a chance to prove he can lead the team? Maybe they are trying to Jump-start "phase 2" of the PSL sales plan.
So mr. Owens shuffled off to Orchard Park, but the real test is when the Bills make the playoffs and have to play a home game in January with the breeze coming off the lake. Terrell will have wished he told his agent Drew Rosenhaus to just wait a little longer and see if someone else makes an offer, even for less money.
So we have a new Executive director of the NFLPA. What will make DeMaurice Smith different from Gene Upshaw? He's already caught the player reps' ears with a smooth presentation coming into what could become a hostile fight with the owners to reach a deal on a new CBA. Lets see if he can get it done sooner rather then later.
It's just 5 weeks to the 2009 NFL Draft, and we are already in high gear(but I'm always geared up for football).
You can also find us at www.footballreportersonline.com
To order our 2009 Guide to the NFL draft please visit www.gridirondraftguide.com
Our blogs are at nflbiz.blogspot.com & nfldraftmag.blogspot.com.
You can e-mail us a question for our weekly radio show at askdrfootball@gmail.com, or call our toll free number at 1-866-478-5982.
To listen each Thursday night from 9-10:30 eastern go to www.blogtalkradio.com/Football-Reporters
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Socialist Leader: "Obama's No Socialist. I Should Know"
As yet another confirmation that conservatives throwing around the word "socialist" have absolutely no clue what socialism really is, the editor of the Socialist Party's monthly magazine assures Americans and Republican obstructionists/revisionists that President Obama is far, far from being a socialist. He may not even be a true liberal.
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Drug-Legalizing Cop Wins Back His Free Speech Rights
SEATTLE, WA -- A Mountlake Terrace police sergeant who was fired after publicly criticizing the "war on drugs" has reached an $812,500 settlement in a lawsuit he filed against the city and police department, among others.
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MI cops shoot unarmed, 20-year-old marijuana activist
Coming through an apartment's back door, an Ottawa County deputy allegedly shined a flashlight into the student's face, causing him to raise his right hand in front of his eyes. The officer, whose name was not released, fired a single bullet into Derek Copp's chest. The 20-year-old said he had no idea the man was an officer. -=W/ VIDEOS=-
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Small Banks Thrive As Giants Fall
Financial giants are wobbling. Lending is tight. The FDIC is murder on start-ups. But there's never been a better time for a small bank. Since last summer, at least 30 groups have filed to start new banks.
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Obama Orders Treasury Chief to Try to Block A.I.G. Bonuses
The president said that he has instructed Timothy F. Geithner to “pursue every single legal avenue” to block bonuses to the insurer’s top executives.
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Americans Are Rearing for a Fight with Corporate Power
3/4 of Americans want to see a huge worker protection bill pass through Congress, and corporate America is working up a feverish panic over the very notion of linking the term "employees" with the concept of free choice.
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Ten Ideas That Are Changing the World Right Now
In the face of economic contraction, we're rethinking things we used to take for granted. Amid all the anxiety out there, if there's a theme this year, it's renewal. This is not false hope or irrational optimism but the power of ideas and innovation to transform the world and us.
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Women in Congo Speak out about Brutal Rapes
Despite taboos, under a U.N. program women and girls in the Congo who have been viciously tortured and maimed have begun coming forward and naming what was done. One sign of success is that more men than women have volunteered for training to encourage victims to come forward and their communities to confront the issues.
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Americans Want Justice for Wall Street Crooks: Ralph Nader
Jailtime not bailtime! Here are seven avoidance indicators which outline what Washington is not doing to prevent another round of greed and misdeeds by the Wall Street few against the innocent many throughout the country.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders: Time to Prosecute Bank CEOs
I have introduced legislation calling for a thorough investigation of the financial meltdown and the prosecution of those CEOs who might be guilty of illegal behavior. The culture of greed, fraud and excessive speculation must come to an end.
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Atlantic City shows gambling isn't recession-proof
Business at Atlantic City's 11 casinos is falling at a record pace. Aggregate revenue plunged 19.2 percent in February from a year earlier, the sharpest decline in the 30 years since gambling was legalized in the city, according to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
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American Legion Opposes Obama Plan to Charge War Wounded
The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries.
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6 Year Old Boy with 176 IQ
"Pranav Veera, 6, can recite the names of the U.S. presidents in the order they served in office. He can say the alphabet backward. Give him a date back to 2000, and he'll tell you the day of the week . . ."
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Israel could use ballistic missiles against Iran
Ballistic missiles could be Israel's weapon of choice against Iranian nuclear facilities if it decides on a pre-emptive attack and deems air strikes too risky, according to a report by a Washington think-tank.
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Apple criticized for iPod shuffle's new 'authentication chip
Apple this weekend was hit with a media assault after reports suggested that a mysterious authentication chip in the third-generation iPod shuffle, responsible for supporting the player's new headphone-integrated playback controls, signaled a rogue attempt on the company's part to block third parties from developing their own replacement headphones
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AIG executives should take responsibility - Sen. Charles Grassley
Expressions of outrage across the political spectrum reached a new crescendo Tuesday when Sen. Charles Grassley suggested in an Iowa City radio interview that AIG executives should take a Japanese approach toward accepting responsibility for the collapse of the insurance giant by resigning or killing themselves.
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The 10 Best St. Patrick's Day Festivals in the U.S.
St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious holiday commemorating the patron saint of Ireland. Today “St. Paddy’s” in America has become a celebration of Irish food, culture, and drink, as well as anything having to do with the color green. Typically observed with loud music, dancing, parades and green beer, St. Patrick’s Day festivities...
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Family Guy Wins Court Battle Citing Fair Use
"Creators of the U.S. television show Family Guy did not infringe copyright when they transformed the song When You Wish Upon a Star for comical use in an episode, a U.S. judge ruled . . ."
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NFL Union Uses Background Check to Select New Leader
NFL Players elected DeMaurice Smith as their new union leader after a background check revealed that the front runner, former NFL Player Troy Vincent, had been involved in controversial business dealings. Congratulations to the union for making an informed decision based on a thorough employment background check.
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NFLPA Elects Smith, Potential NFL Work Stoppage On Horizon?
The NFLPA has elected DeMaurice Smith to serve as their new Executive Director. Smith wins based on vision on how he would plan to lead the NFLPA through the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL.
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Josh McDaniels part of Bill Belichick's evil plan
Bill Belichick is working to destroy all other competition in the NFL by tricking the other franchises into hiring his assistants, who promptly make these team uncompetitive and disfunctional. The Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs are the latest victims of this cheating scandal which far surpasses the earlier spy-gate scandal in scope.
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Trauma Response Center grabs NFL star's heart
Albert Haynesworth, who recently signed with the Washington Redskins, tours the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, falls in love with the mission and the couseling center's therapy dog Courtney, opens up about his past and decides to chair a fundraising event, Survivor: Celebrate! Tampa Bay on March 21, to party for a purpose!
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Patriots close to acquiring defensive end Julius Peppers
NFL.com’s Vic Carucci is reporting that the Patriots are close to acquiring Panthers’ defensive end Julius Peppers for a second round draft pick.
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