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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query full. Sort by date Show all posts

Thursday, October 11, 2007

NFL Injury Report - NFL Injury Report For Wednesday October 11 2007

From NFL Media.com

Following is a list of injured players for Week 6 Games (October 14-15):


CAROLINA PANTHERS at ARIZONA CARDINALS

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB David Carr (back), RB Nick Goings (concussion), CB Ken Lucas (shoulder), LB Dan Morgan (ankle), LB Adam Seward (calf)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB James Anderson (thigh)

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Anquan Boldin (hip), WR Bryant Johnson (quadricep)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
T Levi Brown (ankle)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Joe Tafoya (hamstring)



CINCINNATI BENGALS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
T Willie Anderson (knee), LB Rashad Jeanty (shin), S Ethan Kilmer (knee), WR Tab Perry (hip)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Ahmad Brooks (groin), DE Jonathan Fanene (knee), RB Rudi Johnson (hamstring), LB Caleb Miller (back)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Dexter Jackson (illness), DE Frostee Rucker (hand), C Alex Stepanovich (knee)

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Eddie Kennison (hamstring), S Greg Wesley (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Dimitri Patterson (hamstring)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Keyaron Fox (hamstring), QB Damon Huard (right shoulder), CB Benny Sapp (ankle), T Kyle Turley (ankle)



HOUSTON TEXANS at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

HOUSTON TEXANS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Andre Johnson (knee), LB DeMeco Ryans (ankle)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
K Kris Brown (left foot), DT Travis Johnson (knee), WR Jacoby Jones (shoulder), DE Ndukwe Kalu (hand)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
K Josh Scobee (right quadricep)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE George Wrighster (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Chris Naeole (knee)



MIAMI DOLPHINS at CLEVELAND BROWNS

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Trent Green (concussion), WR Derek Hagan (hamstring), DT Vonnie Holliday (ankle), C Samson Satele (neck), S Travares Tillman (knee), DT Rodrique Wright (ankle)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Jason Taylor (neck)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE Darnell Dinkins (hand), RB Jamal Lewis (foot)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Charles Ali (toe), S Gary Baxter (knees), WR Joe Jurevicius (knee), S Brodney Pool (thigh), TE Kellen Winslow (shoulder)



MINNESOTA VIKINGS at CHICAGO BEARS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Practice Report

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Tarvaris Jackson (groin), LB Ben Leber (ribs), S Dwight Smith (hamstring)

CHICAGO BEARS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Bernard Berrian (toe), DT Tommie Harris (knee), T John Tait (ankle), CB Charles Tillman (ankle), CB Nathan Vasher (groin), DT Darwin Walker (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Ruben Brown (shoulder)



NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at DALLAS COWBOYS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
T Wesley Britt (team decision), S Mel Mitchell (groin)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Tom Brady (right shoulder), CB Randall Gay (thigh), C Dan Koppen (ankle), RB Laurence Maroney (groin), G Steve Neal (shoulder), CB Asante Samuel (foot), WR Donte' Stallworth (knee), LB Adalius Thomas (ankle), WR Kelley Washington (hamstring)

DALLAS COWBOYS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
WR Terry Glenn (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Anthony Henry (ankle)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Courtney Brown (biceps), LB Kevin Burnett (thigh), S Keith Davis (shoulder), RB Oliver Hoyte (neck)



OAKLAND RAIDERS at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Josh McCown (toe), DT Gerard Warren (quadricep)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Derrick Burgess (calf), LB Isaiah Ekejiuba (foot), RB LaMont Jordan (back)

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
WR Eric Parker (toe), RB Andrew Pinnock (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Vincent Jackson (shoulder), LB Brandon Siler (back), DT Jamal Williams (coaches decision)



PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at NEW YORK JETS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Brian Dawkins (neck), G Todd Herremans (knee), T Tra Thomas (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Greg Lewis (ankle)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Lito Sheppard (knee), TE L.J. Smith (hernia), RB Brian Westbrook (abdomen)

NEW YORK JETS

Practice Report

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
T Anthony Clement (thigh), S Erik Coleman (concussion), WR Laveranues Coles (knee), DE Shaun Ellis (foot), WR Justin McCareins (ankle), QB Chad Pennington (ankle), DT Dewayne Robertson (knee), S Eric Smith (thigh)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Darian Barnes (thigh), TE Jason Pociask (back)



ST. LOUIS RAMS at BALTIMORE RAVENS

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
RB Steven Jackson (groin), WR Dane Looker (thigh), LB Raonall Smith (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Isaac Bruce (hamstring), WR Dante' Hall (ankle), WR Torry Holt (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Marc Bulger (ribs), S Corey Chavous (pectoral), DE James Hall (pectoral)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Gus Frerotte (ankle), CB Tye Hill (back), S Todd Johnson (neck)

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
DT Trevor Pryce (wrist)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Derrick Mason (illness), T Adam Terry (ankle), TE Daniel Wilcox (toe)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
C Mike Flynn (knee), TE Todd Heap (thigh), T Jonathan Ogden (toe), CB Samari Rolle (illness), LB Gary Stills (knee)



TENNESSEE TITANS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

TENNESSEE TITANS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DT Albert Haynesworth (ankle), WR Brandon Jones (knee), G Benji Olson (team decision)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
RB Michael Pittman (ankle)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Brian Kelly (groin)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Joey Galloway (team decision), LB Barrett Ruud (knee), DE Greg White (shoulder)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Ike Hilliard (shoulder)



WASHINGTON REDSKINS at GREEN BAY PACKERS

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
G Randy Thomas (triceps)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Phillip Daniels (shoulder), WR Antwaan Randle El (hamstring), RB Mike Sellers (heel), LB Marcus Washington (hamstring)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Santana Moss (groin)

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
CB Will Blackmon (foot), C Scott Wells (eye)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
T Chad Clifton (knee), TE Bubba Franks (knee), CB Al Harris (back), WR Greg Jennings (shoulder), DE Mike Montgomery (knee), RB Vernand Morency (team decision), CB Charles Woodson (foot)



NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS on Sunday night

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Jason David (forearm), K Olindo Mare (right groin)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
WR Deion Branch (foot), T Ray Willis (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DT Rocky Bernard (groin), WR D.J. Hackett (ankle), TE Marcus Pollard (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Josh Wilson (ankle)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Shaun Alexander (wrist)



NEW YORK GIANTS at ATLANTA FALCONS on Monday night

NEW YORK GIANTS

Practice Report
Wednesday Team did not practice

ATLANTA FALCONS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
T Todd Weiner (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Keith Brooking (hamstring), TE Alge Crumpler (knee), LB Stephen Nicholas (ankle)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DT Jonathan Babineaux (knee), TE Dwayne Blakley (pectoral), DT Roderick Coleman (knee), S Chris Crocker (knee), CB Lewis Sanders (shoulder)

Sunday, January 31, 2010

YouTube has President Obama's full State of The Union Address

Thanks to The White House and YouTube News and Politics Editor Steve Grove, YouTube has the full, high-definition video presentation of the State of The Union Address President Barack Obama gave on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. If you missed it, you can watch it right here on video without leaving this post:



The speech was one of the greatest President Obama has made in history because it came at a time when he, and America, needed a great speech. Obama needed it to reset the course of his young presidency. The United States needed it to establish a vision of a possible, full employment economic recovery.

The problem America has suffered under is that while America's economy has grown at a three percent rate in the 2009 third quarter and at 5.1 percent in the 2009 fourth quarter, unemployment is still at high levels.

This is so because before the last two quarters of growth, America's economy was on a steady path of recession for almost two years. Job production has not yet followed this growth and credit is still tight.

The result was a feeling that America was not on the right track. But President Obama's State of The Union Address changed that. According to a CBS poll, 83 percent of Americans supported the proposals President Obama described in his speech.

The full text of the speech is presented by the New York Times, here.

Stay tuned.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Davey D's Hip Hop Corner

Davey D's Hip Hop Corner


Top Ten Reasons Why Black Leaders Are Ignoring President Obama’s Attack on Social Security

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:14 AM PST

After a decades-long drumbeat led by the Peterson Foundation, corporate media, Wall Street and their minions of both parties, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are under attack. The current raid...

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TSA Full Body Searches: The People Crying are Hypocritical

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:15 AM PST

I find it funny that all these people are upset about full body searches and pat downs at the airport when just two months ago many of these same folks didn’t seem to mind when Muslim-Americans...

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Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Tiki Barber takes a final Shot at Coach Coughlin

Ahhh Tiki Tiki Tiki........ see my end notes


Tired of Tom
Practices made Tiki think of quitting

BY NEIL BEST
neil.best@newsday.com

February 14, 2007

On his first full day as a retired player, Tiki Barber lobbed a hypothetical hand grenade yesterday during a news conference to announce his hiring by NBC.

Barber several times suggested Giants coach Tom Coughlin set the wheels of his retirement in motion because of the "physical grind" through which he put players. Which led to an obvious question for the reporters who gathered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza along with the network's top news and sports executives.

If someone other than Coughlin had been his coach the past three seasons, might he still be a Giant rather than a correspondent for the "Today" show and an analyst for "Football Night in America"?

"Possibly, but that's speculation," he said. "I don't know. I'm 31 years old. I'll be 32 this year, which is way past the average for my position."

The fact Barber would even address the possibility at the moment of his hiring by NBC was another odd twist in a strained relationship with Coughlin, whose stewardship he criticized at times as a player. NBC loved it, because the network hired Barber in part for his outspokenness. The Giants likely did not, but they declined to comment.

Barber first invoked Coughlin by saying, "The grind started to take a toll on me and the principles of our head coach started taking a toll on me, so I started looking for the next thing."

To which NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol joked Barber would be permitted to cross his legs during meetings with NBC executives.

Later, though, Barber explained it wasn't so much Coughlin's rules as his approach to the physical part of the game that wore on him. Barber said he did not get enough time to rest and recuperate, saying, "It was a constant physical grind on me that started to take a toll.

"While it didn't show up a lot on Sundays because I had my three best seasons under him, and I give him a lot of credit of that, I could feel a difference."

Barber said the team practiced in full pads all season despite numerous injuries and said that eventually "you physically don't want to be out there when your body feels like you do in full pads.

"While it probably doesn't have a really detrimental effect on how you practice or play, it does on your mind, and if you lose your mind in [football], you lose a lot."

Barber said he discussed his concerns with Coughlin and the coach gave a little, such as when Barber told him he could not go full speed in some practices. Still, it was not enough.

"He has changed in little ways," the former running back said, "but I think he still has to come more. The game has changed. Players are different, and you have to understand them and get to know them in order to encourage and motivate them to be successful.

"Twenty years ago it was different. You could push a player until he broke down because you had 15 other guys who could come in and take his place."

On "Today," where he starts April 16, Barber will report on everything from technology to education to politics, from the news-heavy first half-hour to a planned, lighter fourth hour.

On "Football Night in America" he will analyze games and weigh in on topics such as the debate over the long-term effects of concussions, replacing Sterling Sharpe in the studio cast.

NBC so appealed to Barber that he accepted less money than ABC/ESPN and Fox are believed to have offered. His three-year contract is worth about $6 million overall. Barber would have made twice that per season playing, but he lost his passion for the job.

"Coach Coughlin was nothing but great for me as a player, but the grind took its toll on me and it really forced me to start thinking about what I wanted to do next," he said.

"That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. At least for me it is. Maybe not for the Giants, because they lose one of their great players."



Tiki on Coughlin:

Jan. 8, 2006: After a 23-0 rout by the Panthers in a wild-card playoff game.

"In some ways we were outcoached."

"We spend a lot of time at the line of scrimmage sometimes dissecting the defense, and that allows them to bring up extra guys in the box. When we were going on quick [counts] we were effective. We were getting 4 or 5 yards per play. but we played into their scheme and it ended up ultimately costing us the game."

Nov. 22, 2006: In the wake of a 26-10 loss to the Jaguars in which the offense stagnated and the running game was inconsequential,

"I felt insignificant . . . I'm not here to be a cheerleader. My job is to help the team win."

He argued the running game should be the foundation of the offense, saying,

"This isn't rocket science. Its football."


Well,...This was the unspoken reason why Tiki Hung it up early? hey.....I'm not surprised that it didn't come out until now,...Tiki is a class act...but he should just leave it alone.... he's done....he's a member of the media now......let it be....because you know he will have to interview Coughlin on October 28th when the Gianst play Miami in London.....

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Heathrow - Plot To Bomb Planes In UK Blocked, But Worldwide Travel Chaos Results

It happened for me last night, flipping channels to CNN to see thousands of people crowded into a main terminal at London's Heathrow Airport. While this CNN report below explains it in detail, what can't be replicated is the sheer terror at play around the World. It still makes you wonder if any place is safe. And it makes you wonder to what degree US international policy is at fault.

Plane plot involved 'explosive cocktail,' official says
Air travel in chaos after plot to bomb airliners exposed

Thursday, August 10, 2006; Posted: 4:24 p.m. EDT (20:24 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Terrorists planned to concoct an "explosive cocktail" using MP3 players and sports drinks to blow up as many as 10 jetliners bound for the United States, authorities said Thursday.

U.S. intelligence officials said the plotters hoped to stage a dry run by Friday, The Associated Press reported. The actual attack would have followed days later, the officials told AP.

A senior congressional source said it is believed the plotters planned to mix a British sports drink with a gel-like substance to make an explosive that they would possibly trigger with an MP3 player or cell phone.

The sports drink could be combined with a peroxide-based paste to form a potent "explosive cocktail," if properly done, said a U.S. counterterrorism official.

"There are strong reasons to believe the materials in a beverage like that could have been part of the formula," the official said.

British and Pakistani authorities joined forces to block the plot to bomb the airliners, officials said.

British police acted urgently overnight, arresting 24 people in what U.S. government officials said privately could have been the biggest terrorist attack since September 11, 2001.

Among those arrested were a Muslim charity worker and a Heathrow Airport employee with an all-area access pass, according to Britain's Channel 4.

Five suspects in the plot are still at large, ABC News reported on its Web site, citing U.S. sources.

Information gathered after recent arrests in Pakistan convinced British investigators they had to act urgently to stop the plot, sources told CNN.

Pakistani authorities also made arrests in coordination with Britain, said a spokesman for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. He did not say how many arrests were made.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the plans were "suggestive of an al Qaeda plot," and President Bush said the arrests are a "stark reminder" that the U.S. is "at war with Islamic fascists." (Watch Bush say what the arrests mean for the U.S. -- 2:37)

Bush thanked British Prime Minister Tony Blair for "busting this plot." (Full story)

Authorities immediately banned all passengers headed to or departing from U.S. airports from carrying any liquid in their carry-ons. The massive lines that resulted at security checkpoints made chaos of air travel worldwide as flights were delayed or canceled. (Full story)

The effects of the plot rippled across the globe Thursday.

The plot was "intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale," London's Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said. (Full story)

Chertoff said the plan was reminiscent of a plot by September 11 coordinator Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who in 1995 had envisioned detonating bombs on 11 airlines possibly traveling over the Pacific Ocean.

The plot was "as sophisticated as any we have seen in recent years as far as terrorism is concerned," Chertoff said. (Watch Chertoff detail the threat to blow up jetliners -- 7:38)

CNN terror analyst Peter Bergen said two factors pointed to the influence of al Qaeda. He said al Qaeda was "obsessed" with commercial aviation and that the timing of the plot was "very interesting."

"It's not clear when this was going to be implemented ... but we are coming up on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. They do want to make a big statement," he said on CNN's "American Morning."

The U.S. threat level has been raised to the highest level of "severe," or red, for commercial flights originating in the United Kingdom bound for the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Full story)

In addition, the threat level has been raised to "high," or orange for all commercial flights operating in or coming to the United States, the DHS said.

The nation's overall terror threat level has not been altered.

Thursday was the first time the DHS has raised the threat level for a specific group of flights.

New security restrictions

"Due to the nature of the threat revealed by this investigation, we are prohibiting any liquids, including beverages, hair gels, and lotions from being carried on the airplane," a DHS statement said.

Increased security means airline passengers around the country should show up at least two hours early for all flights, an official with the Transportation Security Administration told CNN.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Oakland Army Base - Phil Tagami v. Michael Johnson



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The giant 100-acre Oakland Army Base is the focus of a development competition between two groups led by people well-known to many Oaklanders: "AMB/CCG" (for AMB Property Corporation and the "CCG" is California Commercial Group) is directed by Phil Tagami, of California Commercial Investments, and who redeveloped two Oakland landmarks the Fox Oakland Theater and the Oakland Rotunda, and Federated Oakland Associates, who's boss is Michael Johnson, the developer of several multi-unit housing projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the builder of the San Francisco version of Yoshi's Jazz Club.

 
The Oakland Army Base 

The developers are engaged in a competition with the Oakland City Council as the final "decider". The winner gains the right to enter into an "Exclusive Negotiating Agreement" with the Oakland Redevelopment Agency, which will lead to the production of a kind of contract called the "Disposition and Development Agreement" or "DDA" that is the guiding agreement stating what developer and redevelopment agency will do. The objective is the creation of what will be a "new town in town" given the size of the land area.

Today (Wednesday) the Oakland Tribune reported that the City Council's Community and Economic Development Committee could not get the majority votes necessary to move to the full Oakland City Council with a recommendation on July 21st. The vote was 2-1-1: with Vice Mayor Ignacio De La Fuente and Councilmember Patricia Kernighan voting for AMB/CCG and Councilmember Jane Brunner and Councilmember Larry Reid voting abstaining and voting for Federated Oakland Associates respectively. Brunner said she needed more information and wanted it before the matter was brought before the City Council.

Just looking at the two proposals, I can tell you what's missing from both without having talked to anyone about them. A bit of background: it was my job to review such proposals for Elihu Harris when he was Oakland's Mayor. I worked for him in the capacity of "economic adviser" from 1995 to 1999, then from 1999 to 2001 headed on the Oakland Super Bowl effort.

My job for Mayor Harris was to represent him on the same Community and Economic Development Committee the Tribune referred to today. My specialization was in reading development spreadsheets because of my background in urban planning and experience with the Oakland Redevelopment Agency; I could comb through one and explain what the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal to council were. I could also determine what information was missing from a fiscal presentation or proposal.

AMB/CCG: Long on capacity, short on complete cash balance numbers


The AMB/CCG proposal touts the financial power and real estate development and acquisition experience of AMB Property Corporation. But the problem with the proposal is actually something Phil Tagami (who's my friend) and I used to talk about frequently: it has a lot of "pretty pictures" and little numerical substance, even in the proforma. What it lacks is a full 10-year presentation of the full cash balance - even if the results are in the "red" - which is a possible and expected fiscal picture of what is to be an enormous mixed-use development project.

In the main proposal there are a number of sheets that read "To Be Determined" in large letters, which sends up a red flag for anyone on the City Council, and certainly would for me. What the City Council wants to see is some assurance that a proposed development will throw off enough cash to pay for itself over time and if that's not the case, how much the Oakland Redevelopment Agency will have to contribute should it fall into the red (which means it has generates more in expenses than revenues).

That kind of fiscal presentation is what's missing from the AMB/CCG proposal. The proforma is there with the 10-year revenue estimates, but absent the overall cash balance (revenues minus expenses) forecast sheet. By contrast, its in the Federal Oakland Associates proposal itself (and they provide the proforma), and they're bold enough to show a positive net operating income over time.

While the Federal Oakland Associates proposal is long on the kind of concise fiscal representation the Council wants to see as well as the kind of minority representation the Council (at least part of it) wants to see, its short on the development power presented by the the AMB/CCG team. Not that Federal Oakland is weak - not at all - but Phil's adding of AMB Property Corporation to his team was a huge coup that he worked a long time to secure. But that written, financial power is no excuse for presenting an incomplete proposal. Yes, that's a harsh statement, but I go back to the large red letters in the AMB/CCG proposal itself that read "To Be Determined."

Both proposals lack an economic impact analysis report

Something else missing from both proposals is an economic impact analysis report. In other words, what's the employment estimate per year, revenue from all taxes and fees, total population, and municipal costs to service the population will be. That's not a hard task to complete; when I was fresh out of Berkeley's planning grad school I created something called "The Area Redevelopment Economic Model", a spreadsheet program such that one could have both a fiscal and an economic impact report of any redevelopment project in the State of California. I used it to evaluate the then-Coliseum Redevelopment Survey Area. (Now, it's a full redevelopment area.)

The Oakland Redevelopment Agency should have insisted on this being part of the proposals from both teams. It would give the Oakland community a complete idea of what to expect from something that will completely alter the landscape of the city. Yes, some environmental impact reports have such a section, but this is too big an undertaking to wait for that. Moreover the council needs to be able to compare economic impacts of the proposals - it can't do that right now.


The City Council should combine AMB/CCG and Federal Oakland Associates


The Oakland Redevelopment Agency / Oakland City Council is not bound by the competing teams as they're presented; working as the Oakland Redevelopment Agency, the council can combine the groups into one. Let's be real honest here: this is a competition between a largely white group and a mostly black and "of color" one in an Oakland with a history of supporting minority business efforts. That to some extent is what's holding up the Council's vote; it's not said publicly, but for anyone who knows Oakland's political development landscape, that's the issue to a degree. The best way to end that racial division is to fuse the groups into one.

The new group would have to mate its development plans: take out those land uses which will not "pencil" (make money over time) and keep those plans that will. Personally, given America's push toward increasing its manufacturing base, the AMB/CCG plans look better, but the proforma numbers in the proposal support what is basically an educated guess at this point and need to be placed into a full cash balance spreasheet. I'm not at all comfortable with the lack of a real cash balance presentation in the AMB/CCG main proposal; if the project's going to be in the red or the black, show it.

Of course, they will show it in the black (making money).

Having a theater complex in a proposal - as Federal Oakland Associates does - is a terrible bet given the placement of movie content online and the negative impact that technological development is having on the theater industry overall (But at least they have the cash flow estimates installed in the proposal!) I can't see how anyone could justify the assertion that such a development would pay for itself over time. Talk about a rosy scenario!

If you want to compare the proposals yourself, you can download them here: Oakland Army Base Information Page

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Obama Ahead In All NH Polls Except CNN Poll - Did CNN Bias Impact Their Poll?

Several Polls have been conducted after the Iowa Caucus and all of them have Senator Obama ahead save for one poll: The CNN / WMUR / UNH Poll, which has Obama and Clinton tied at 33 percent, with Edwards at 20 percent.

Why is the CNN Poll the only one that does not have Obama ahead? It's a good question as last year, many pollsters had Senator Clinton in front in national polls, except a June 5th USA Today / Gallup Poll, which had Obama tied with Clinton. Frank Newport of Gallup, Inc., stated that he actually called for a new poll with a different sample size because he could not believe that Obama was tied, and wanted to be consistent with other polls. So what kind of sample configuration did they use this time?

Well, the introduction to the PDF file reads "Interviews with 672 likely New Hampshire primary voters in
New Hampshire conducted by telephone on January 4-5, 2008." When I read "most likely" voters, that is older voters. But the file data does not tell us what the age range was. But my guess is that the average age was skewed up over the other polls, thus explaining how Clinton could tie Obama.

But even with that, the CNN / WMUR / UNH Poll reports that 60 percent of the people responding said that Senator Obama was the most inspirational candidate and that 72 percent had a favorable response to him, versus 46 percent and 18 percent respectively for Senator Clinton and 58 percent and 13 percent for former Senator Edwards.

Wow. That seems to be the foundation for a potential landslide in Obama's favor in New Hampshire.

But still the question of how the CNN / WMUR / UNH Poll could come out with a Clinton / Obama tie and not an Obama lead is active. In the search for the answer, I found this note in the PDF file, which you can get by clicking on this link.

The data have been weighted to adjust for numbers of voters and telephone lines within households, respondent sex, and region of the state. In addition to potential sampling error, all surveys have other potential sources of non-sampling error including question order effects, question wording effects, and non-response.

To "weight" data is to change it by adding a mutiplier, thus effecting the final outcome of how the data reads. What's very disturbing is that the data file does not explain how the data was "adusted" and what was effected. That's scary and my guess is that that weighting process is at the center of the "tie" we see in this poll, versus the other polls. Take a look below.

But before you do, consider the constant CNN bias that has been exacted against Senator Obama and for Senator Clinton, as well as the CNN personalities like Larry King, who support Hillary Clinton, yet claim to report the news without bias. Also, ask why both CNN and ABC are only mentioning the results of the CNN / WMUR / UNH Poll, and not the others?

I'd call this a massive bias against Senator Obama, and the mainstream media trying to control what you the voter thinks. But in an Internet World, that's hard to do, plus, it should be considered illegal.

Here are the polls:


RealClearPolitics.com Average

Obama 33.2
Clinton 31.2
Edwards 19.2
Richardson 5.0

McCain 32.7
Romney 27.8
Huckabee 12
Giuliani 9.5
Paul 8.5
Thompson 2.2

Concord Monitor (January 5)

Obama 34
Clinton 33
Edwards 23
Richardson 4
Kucinich 3

McCain 35
Romney 29
Huckabee 13
Giuliani 8
Paul 7
Thompson 3

See full results here.

***

CNN/WMUR Poll (January 4-5)

Clinton 33%
Obama 33%
Edwards 20%
Richardson 4%
Kucinich 2%

Sampling error: +/-5% pts

McCain 33%
Romney 27%
Giuliani 14%
Huckabee 11%
Paul 9%
Hunter 1%
Thompson 1%

Sampling error: +/-5% pts

See full results here.

+++

American Research Group (January 5)

Obama 38%
Clinton 26%
Edwards 20%
Undecided 8%
Richardson 3%
Gravel 3%
Kucinich 1%

Barack Obama leads John Edwards among men 42% to 21%, with 19% for Hillary Clinton. Among women, Obama leads Clinton 35% to 31%, with 20% for Edwards. Clinton leads Obama among Democrats 34% to 32%, while Obama leads Edwards among undeclared voters (independents) 49% to 21%.

McCain 39%
Romney 25%
Huckabee 14%
Giuliani 7%
Paul 6%
Undecided 6%
Hunter 1%
Keyes 1%
Thompson 1%

John McCain leads Mitt Romney among men 42% to 21% and McCain leads Romney 35% to 30% among women. McCain leads Romney 44% to 19% among undeclared (independent) voters, with 18% for Huckabee. Undeclared voters are now 27% of the total Republican vote.

See full results here.

+++

Rasmussen Reports (January 4)

Obama 37%
Clinton 27%
Edwards 19%
Richardson 8%
Kucinich 3%
Gravel 1%

See full results here.

McCain 31%
Romney 26%
Paul 14%
Huckabee 11%
Giuliani 8%
Thompson 5%
Some other candidate 2%

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Who is Bipolar? Learn the difference between mood swings and the disorder by Dr. Christina Villarreal





Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, has become a commonly used term by the public, with many of us becoming familiar with it as a result of celebrities such as Bobby Brown, Ben Stiller, Britney Spears, and Jim Carey exhibiting symptoms or identifying themselves as having been diagnosed with this disorder. But what exactly IS Bipolar disorder, and how can you tell the difference between someone who meets the criteria for the disorder from someone who is just 'moody' or chooses to live an extreme lifestyle?

Bipolar is a brain disorder, or chemical imbalance that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. The symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe, and the criteria for receiving a diagnosis are quite specific. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time, as well as more extreme mood shifts you might observe in others.


The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) classifies Bipolar Disorder by the occurrence of one or more manic or mixed episode (also known as agitated depression) often accompanied by depressive episodes. So even if you're depressed 99 percent of the time, experiencing just one manic episode qualifies you for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder according to this definition - but that still leaves most of us confused about who fits the criteria for a diagnosis, aside from the fact that the DSM-IV also differentiates between Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Hypomania, and Cyclothymia (all diagnoses that can be referred to as 'manic depressive'.)

This article aims to explain the differences amongst these disorders in the simplest terms. Bipolar disorder is an illness that impacts a person's thoughts, feelings, perceptions (both mental and physical), and behavior. It's likely caused by electrical and chemical elements in the brain that are not functioning properly, with research suggesting that people are genetically vulnerable to inheriting the disease when their families have a history of its occurrence.

Typically, a person with manic-depression experiences moods that shift from high to low and back again, with varying degrees of severity. To receive a diagnosis of bipolar, these symptoms CANNOT be a direct result of alcohol or drug use. The symptoms are severe enough to lead to impairment in work, social, or academic functioning, and may lead to involuntary hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others. Note: to receive a diagnosis of a manic or depressive episode, a specific type, duration and number of symptoms MUST be present; refer to a mental or medical health professional or the DSM-IV for more details on this.)

A depressive episode can be identified by:

Mood Changes:


A long period of feeling sad, hopeless, worried, guilty or tearful
Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex.

Behavioral Changes:

Feeling tired, or 'slowed down'
Having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
Being restless or irritable
Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits
Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide

May include psychotic or catatonic features as well.


A manic episode can be identified by:

Feeling like you can do anything, even something unsafe or illegal

extreme displays of emotion- including jubilant or euphoric expressions, rage, paranoia, agitation
Decreased need for sleep, yet never feeling tired

Inflated self esteem or grandiosity

highly talkative, or pressured speech

distractability, or being too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant stimuli
Dressing flamboyantly, spending money extravagantly, living recklessly
Having increased sexual desires, or indulging in risky sexual behaviors
Thoughts of suicide or other morbid/destructive behaviors

May include psychotic, or catatonic features

Bipolar I is defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, the person also has depressive episodes (typically lasting at least two weeks) but depression is NOT necessary for receiving a Bipolar I diagnosis, however the symptoms of mania or depression must be a major change from the person's normal behavior.

Bipolar Disorder II is differentiated from Bipolar 1 in that it involves symptoms of hypomania (less extreme symptoms and for shorter duration compared to full-blown mania), as well as the presence of a depressive episode. This diagnosis is defined by a pattern of depressive episodes shifting back and forth with hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.

Cyclothymia is a "bipolar-like" illness. People with cyclothymic disorder have milder symptoms than in full-blown bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the personal lives of people with the disorder. Unstable moods frequently disrupt or even destroy personal and work relationships. People may have difficulty finding a life partner, instead moving through a series of passionate, short-lived romances. Impulsive behavior can be self-destructive and lead to serious legal problems. At it's worst, bipolar disorder can be lethal, leading to suicide or death of others. People with bipolar are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. As many as 50% of people with bipolar may also have a problem with substance abuse, in an attempt to alleviate or enhance their symptoms. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives with the appropriate medical and emotional support. If you or someone you know is suspected of experiencing symptoms associated with Bipolar disorder, seek the help of a medical and/or mental health professional as soon as possible.



Sources: DSM-IV, webmd.com

For professional referrals, please contact Dr. Christina Villarreal @ christina.villarreal@gmail.com or visit her website at www.drchristinavillarreal.com

Monday, August 31, 2009

Chevron Ecuador Judge Nunez bribery scandal - implications

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In a blockbuster development, Ecuador Judge Juan Nunez, the key legal figure in the Chevron Ecuador environmental damage case, is captured in a video shown here explaining that he plans to rule against the oil giant and for an award of $27 billion "more or less". The judge explains that the verdict will happen and that Chevron will be blocked from filing an appeal of his ruling. In that segment of the video, the Judge explains he's only there to talk about the verdict, not about "the other stuff" which refers to a $3 million payoff request. Later in the video its implied that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa will benefit from the bribe amount.

On video today I talked to Chevron Media Relations representative Sean Comey about the video and Chevron's investigation.



In the video Judge Nunez, Aulo Gelio ServioTulio Avila ("Avila"), and Pablo Almeida and are talking with two gentleman, Wayne Hansen and Diego Borja who are environmental remediation contractors and in the Judge's chamber in Lago Agrio, Ecuador.  Hansen and Borja have pen-installed camcorders in their shirt pockets.  Diego Borja has worked for Chevron before, Hansen has not, according to Chevron.

Judge Nunez (on the left)

The idea of the meeting was for the Judge and his political associates to be paid by the environmental company for business that would come to them as a result of the Judge's planned verdict.  Here's what the Judge said from the video and the Amazonpost website:

Núñez:             “Any other questions for me as a judge?”
Hansen:           “Oh no, I, I know clearly how it is, you say, Chevron is the guilty party?”
Núñez:             “Yes Sir.”
Hansen:           “And the, the, the act (decision) is October or November of this year?”
Núñez:             “Yes Sir.”
Hansen:           “And it’s….?”
Núñez:             “No later than January.”
Hansen:           “January 2010. And the money is twenty-seven (billion dollars)?”
Núñez:             “It might be less, and it might be more.”


The Judge says "I have nothing to do with that other part" which is not explained in full but Garcia below fills in "the blanks" later, explaining that the Judge will be paid part of $3 million from the consulants.


 Patricio Garcia

The second part of the video has an operative Patricio Garcia (photo from the Amazonpost website) who's reportedly a member of Ecuador's ruling party talking about how the $3 million would be delivered and transfered. This is what was said by Garcia:


Borja: “OK. Of the three million … one million is for the judge?”


Garcia: “Yes.”


Borja: “One million for the presidency…?”


Garcia: “Yes.”


Borja: “And one million for the plaintiffs?”


Garcia: “Yes, that’s right.”


Borja: “But, Loco, for the plaintiffs, who gets the money? Fajardo?”


Garcia: “No. The thing is, we’re going to handle it here.”


Borja: “You mean Alianza PAIS would receive the payment here?”


Garcia: “Right.”


Here's the 30 minute version of the video (the full two hour version is here):



But there's more to this video than what's reported in the press thus far. The focus here is on President Rafael Correa, who's office is named by Patricio Garcia as a beneficiary of the planned bribe money as is "his sister" as stated in the video above. As of this writing Correa has not issued a statement, but his reputation has already come under attack.

The second part of the video was filmed at Alianza PAIS (which means "Proud and Sovereign Fatherland" according to the Wikepedia listing)  Offices June 22, 2009.   PAIS is a political movement led by President Correa.   Who Patricio Garcia is beyond his appearance in this video and his role in PAIS is still basically unknown as of this writing. 

Garcia says that the President's sister  Pierina will be helpful (presumably in making sure that the businessmen get their piece of the planned $27 billion pie) and will meet with "The Gringo" (that's Hansen).  I checked and "Prierina" is indeed  described here as "Pierina Correa, the president's sister and an Alianza País leader in Guayas province".  That confirms my assertion that Garcia is tied to the President and his family as he states in the video.


Shocking.  


Chevron wants Nunez taken off the case

The implication here is that as Chevron Media Relations representative Sean Corney said in my video above, Chevron wants Nunez taken off the environmental damage case.  But given that Chevron has informed the U.S. Department of Justice, the revalation could have deeper implications.  

It could cost the country its Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) status, which was just renewed in June of this year.  Whatever the case, this news sends a clear message that doing business in Ecuador is not the "clean" experience it should be. Until now, blogs have reported the problems of corruption in Ecuador and with respect to President Correa's involvement in the Chevron case, but now we have visible evidence to back those claims.

The news also forever destroys the claim made by Ecuador lawsuit legal advisor Steve Donziger and others who say that the lawsuit against Chevron has nothing to do with the Ecuadorian Government and is brought by citizens of the Amazon. But Correa has appeared with Donziger in public and has been interviewed about the case.

Right.  

One can see that the bribe money's not going anywhere near those groups of people Donziger claims to represent; the political party PAIS would get it and "handle it" as Garcia said in the video.  The question is, did Donziger or his associates in Ecuador and America know about this bribe plan?  Was he to be one of the plaitiffs that would get the bribe money? In the Amazon Defense Coalition statement today, he does not address the possibility that he may be involved, instead he said "As the facts come out it's going to backfire heavily on Chevron."



Amazon Defense Coalition defends Judge Nunez


Karen Hinton of the Amazon Defense Coalition told Reuters that the video shows Judge Nunez resisting the bribery matter. (This is Hinton's full statement.)  In point of fact, the video shows the judge saying that he's speaking in the role of Judge and "does not know about that other matter" which is a way of saying he does know but does not want it to be officially said that he does know.  It's called "plausible deniability ." 

Stay tuned.

Notes:

Full video transcripts:


Meeting 1 Transcript (228 KB)
Meeting 2 Transcript (195 KB)
Meeting 3 Transcript (218 KB)
Meeting 4 Transcript (217 KB)

Saturday, January 13, 2007

NFL Holiday Open House Party In Full Swing


In full swing, originally uploaded by kriscuz.

Here's another photo set from the NFL Holiday Open House Party. This just shows the event in full swing. You can see the throng of office workers meeting and greeting each other.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Davey D's Hip Hop Corner

Davey D's Hip Hop Corner


5 Reasons why the Mighty Cal Bears will beat Stanford Again

Posted: 19 Nov 2010 11:32 AM PST

Tomorrow the Might Cal Bears.. aka UC Berekely aka my alma mater play the silver spoon kids from Stanfurd University in our annual Big Game. It will be the 113th time these two teams meet and...

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Breakdown FM on All day Play #38-Music for a Rainy Day/ 5 Videos to Remind U..

Posted: 19 Nov 2010 10:33 AM PST

This week we came with heat by digging in the crates and unearthing a series of ragga-muffin songs from the 90s..  Cuts by artists like Burro Banton, Cutty Ranks, Sluggy Ranks and Bounty Killer were...

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Fire the TSA? Here’s the Super Shady Story Behind ‘Public Outrage’ at Airports

Posted: 19 Nov 2010 08:54 AM PST

With each day the drama around TSA body scans takes on new twists and turns. Earlier this week I penned an article pointing out the hypocrisy displayed by many who are seemingly up in arms about...

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