Oprah Winfrey goes Web 2.0! Oprah launches her YouTube channel and as our new Internet world would have it, she can't bring her old media control ways to YouTube without protest.
First, the video shown below is actually blocked from view! You may be wondering how I managed to at least show the image you see, and that's because I created my own embed code. Now, it's here, but you still can't play the video. It's disabled from being embeded.
It's not a smart approach as it actually robs Oprah of additional video views -- something advertisers focus on as if Oprah's people are going to embed sponsor ads in future videos, those companies want maximum exposure; the current strategy kills that.
But there's another move by Oprah's YouTube people that's really got the community pissed off. I was alerted to this by my friend Kenrg, a frequent YouTube contributor.
Ken wrote:
Hi Zennie -
I'm sure you've noticed by now that Oprah Winfrey has taken over the front page of YouTube (check out her "welcome message" and her selection of featured videos, including three of her own).
TaraGolden and I are putting together a quick collaboration video welcoming Oprah, and letting her know that YT is about 2-way communication, we're not all wanna-be stars or freak acts, and that we're here because we DON'T want more TV. As politely as possible, of course.
If you have anything you'd like to say to Oprah in our open video letter, please send it to me anytime today to kengoldstein@gmail.com.
I'm going to finish the edit and post it first thing Wednesday morning.
Thanks!
- Ken
So Ken's pissed. Renetto's upset too , although I think it's because he wasn't mentioned on Oprah.
AnimeDudeAsian's reaction was "You gotta be fuc#$ kidding me," and other choice words, referring to "That crapping ass dog on a skateboard" as the video Oprah showed that he wished she'd not have touched. Finally, AnimeDudeAsian thinks each YouTuber should get a car from Oprah.
Stay tuned for more reactions!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
Another Clinton Sex Scandal? Big Head DC Thinks So...
I just saw this over at Big Head DC ...
A major sex scandal story involving one of the leading presidential candidates is believed to be soon published by the LA Times, Big Head DC has learned. Details are slowly trickling in through people who’ve heard about the story, and with Larry Flynt saying he’s set to reveal a “huge” sex scandal story involving a sitting senator in the coming days, the rumors seem to be gathering traction.
“So I was down in DC this past weekend and happened to run into a well-connected media person, who told me flatly, unequivocally that ‘everyone knows’ the LA Times was sitting on a story, all wrapped up and ready to go about what is a potentially devastating sexual scandal involving a leading presidential candidate,” reports Pajamas Media’s Ron Rosenbaum. “‘Everyone knows’ meaning everyone in the DC mainstream media political reporting world. ‘Sitting on it’ because the paper couldn’t decide the complex ethics of whether and when to run it. The way I heard it they’d had it for a while but don’t know what to do. The person who told me is not an LAT person and knows I write and didn’t say ‘don’t write about this.’”
Several commenters on Rosenbaum’s article strongly believe that Hillary Clinton will ultimately be revealed as a lesbian, and that the recent GQ story her campaign helped kill by threatening to withhold a Bill Clinton interview may have gone into some shocking details into her sex life.Rumors of a close Hillary relationship with one of her top aides Huma Abedin, shown above, have long been swirling. Hillary has long denied being a lesbian.
Stay tuned...
A major sex scandal story involving one of the leading presidential candidates is believed to be soon published by the LA Times, Big Head DC has learned. Details are slowly trickling in through people who’ve heard about the story, and with Larry Flynt saying he’s set to reveal a “huge” sex scandal story involving a sitting senator in the coming days, the rumors seem to be gathering traction.
“So I was down in DC this past weekend and happened to run into a well-connected media person, who told me flatly, unequivocally that ‘everyone knows’ the LA Times was sitting on a story, all wrapped up and ready to go about what is a potentially devastating sexual scandal involving a leading presidential candidate,” reports Pajamas Media’s Ron Rosenbaum. “‘Everyone knows’ meaning everyone in the DC mainstream media political reporting world. ‘Sitting on it’ because the paper couldn’t decide the complex ethics of whether and when to run it. The way I heard it they’d had it for a while but don’t know what to do. The person who told me is not an LAT person and knows I write and didn’t say ‘don’t write about this.’”
Several commenters on Rosenbaum’s article strongly believe that Hillary Clinton will ultimately be revealed as a lesbian, and that the recent GQ story her campaign helped kill by threatening to withhold a Bill Clinton interview may have gone into some shocking details into her sex life.Rumors of a close Hillary relationship with one of her top aides Huma Abedin, shown above, have long been swirling. Hillary has long denied being a lesbian.
Stay tuned...
Friday, November 02, 2007
Hollywood writers poised to strike over royalties
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Hollywood writers are poised to strike after their negotiating team recommended a walkout in a dispute over royalties at a Thursday night meeting of the union membership.
The Writers Guild of America board will meet on Friday to make a formal decision and set a strike date against producers. It would be the union's first strike in nearly 20 years.
Steve Skrovan, a screenwriter for the Fox show "Til Death," said after the meeting that a strike is all but inevitable.
"We've never been more united and we are willing to deal -- and our decision makers are at the table," said Skrovan. "Their decision makers are not at the table, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how the companies are pushing this."
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers President Nick Counter said the news was no surprise.
"By the WGA leadership's actions at the bargaining table, we are not surprised by tonight's recommendation," Counter said in a written statement. "We are ready to meet and are prepared to close this contract this weekend."
The labor impasse concerns royalties from DVD sales -- last negotiated in 1988. Writers also want royalties from the so-called new media -- all the various places their works are now distributed, including Internet downloads. Watch how a strike could affect your favorite shows »
"The future of TV is not going to look like what it's been for the last 30 years," said TV writer Dave Schiff, who has penned scripts for "King of the Hill" and "That 70s Show."
"So, you know it's not just for us who are currently working, but writers down the line, that we make sure that we get a ... piece of the pie."
But CBS President Nina Tassler said not enough is known yet about new media revenues.
"We don't know what the pie is yet, in order to determine how to cut it up," she said recently.
Hollywood producers say the issues are non-starters.
"We want to make a deal," Counter told the writers on Wednesday, according to a written statement. However, he added, "No further movement is possible to close the gap between us so long as your DVD proposal remains on the table."
Writers accuse producers of being non-responsive.
"After three and a half months of bargaining, the AMPTP still has not responded to a single one of our important proposals," a statement from the WGA said.
"Every issue that matters to writers, including Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction, has been ignored. This is completely unacceptable."
TV writer Bryce Zabel said that producing companies "have decided to force the writers into a situation of a strike."
"Our choice right now is to accept a completely unacceptable deal or to go on strike," he said. "Strike is the only option."
If the roughly 12,000 writers do go on strike, late-night television hosts like David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, as well as programs like "The Daily Show," would feel the pinch first. Because of their topical nature, these shows are not typically written or recorded in advance.
Daytime soaps normally stockpile about 30 days in advance, and most prime time shows would likely make it through the end of the year without any impact on programming.
But networks would have to resort to reruns, news programs and reality shows to fill the schedule in 2008 if a strike were to drag on.
The film industry has also been preparing for a possible strike.
"Everyone is sort of madly scrambling to get scripts into production, sometimes a little ahead of what might otherwise be prudent," said Gavin Hood, director of the film "Rendition."
The film and television industry is responsible for an estimated 1.3 million jobs in the United States.
The union's most recent strike, in 1988, lasted five-and-a-half months. Industry estimates say a half-billion dollars was lost because of that strike.
The Writers Guild of America board will meet on Friday to make a formal decision and set a strike date against producers. It would be the union's first strike in nearly 20 years.
Steve Skrovan, a screenwriter for the Fox show "Til Death," said after the meeting that a strike is all but inevitable.
"We've never been more united and we are willing to deal -- and our decision makers are at the table," said Skrovan. "Their decision makers are not at the table, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how the companies are pushing this."
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers President Nick Counter said the news was no surprise.
"By the WGA leadership's actions at the bargaining table, we are not surprised by tonight's recommendation," Counter said in a written statement. "We are ready to meet and are prepared to close this contract this weekend."
The labor impasse concerns royalties from DVD sales -- last negotiated in 1988. Writers also want royalties from the so-called new media -- all the various places their works are now distributed, including Internet downloads. Watch how a strike could affect your favorite shows »
"The future of TV is not going to look like what it's been for the last 30 years," said TV writer Dave Schiff, who has penned scripts for "King of the Hill" and "That 70s Show."
"So, you know it's not just for us who are currently working, but writers down the line, that we make sure that we get a ... piece of the pie."
But CBS President Nina Tassler said not enough is known yet about new media revenues.
"We don't know what the pie is yet, in order to determine how to cut it up," she said recently.
Hollywood producers say the issues are non-starters.
"We want to make a deal," Counter told the writers on Wednesday, according to a written statement. However, he added, "No further movement is possible to close the gap between us so long as your DVD proposal remains on the table."
Writers accuse producers of being non-responsive.
"After three and a half months of bargaining, the AMPTP still has not responded to a single one of our important proposals," a statement from the WGA said.
"Every issue that matters to writers, including Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction, has been ignored. This is completely unacceptable."
TV writer Bryce Zabel said that producing companies "have decided to force the writers into a situation of a strike."
"Our choice right now is to accept a completely unacceptable deal or to go on strike," he said. "Strike is the only option."
If the roughly 12,000 writers do go on strike, late-night television hosts like David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, as well as programs like "The Daily Show," would feel the pinch first. Because of their topical nature, these shows are not typically written or recorded in advance.
Daytime soaps normally stockpile about 30 days in advance, and most prime time shows would likely make it through the end of the year without any impact on programming.
But networks would have to resort to reruns, news programs and reality shows to fill the schedule in 2008 if a strike were to drag on.
The film industry has also been preparing for a possible strike.
"Everyone is sort of madly scrambling to get scripts into production, sometimes a little ahead of what might otherwise be prudent," said Gavin Hood, director of the film "Rendition."
The film and television industry is responsible for an estimated 1.3 million jobs in the United States.
The union's most recent strike, in 1988, lasted five-and-a-half months. Industry estimates say a half-billion dollars was lost because of that strike.
Giants defeat Dolphins in a nail biter 13-10
By David
Kaye
If the NFL’s brain trust had envisioned displaying a sloppy and unentertaining matchup between the league’s perennial loser and one of their most pedestrian team’s, they should have thought twice last summer about marketing their brand on an international basis with the Dolphins and Giants being their spokespersons.
As unfortunate as it played out to be, both squads were relegated to the roll of showcasing their sport in front of 81,176 animated fans at London’s Wembley Stadium. Through the mud, rain, slippery conditions and uncountable forecast big blue prevailed in a squeaker 13-10. It was not the kind of performance coach Coughlin expected from his team that had averaged 33 points per game during the course of the past three weeks. Still, the Giants determined and didactic leader will take a victory whether he receives it state side or overseas as he molds his team into an elite force in the National Football Conference.
Lead by 290 pound running back Brandon Jacobs and former Miami Dolphin Sam Madison the Giants registered their sixth consecutive victory of the year. Jacobs rushed for a season-high 131 yards on 23 carries against the still-winless fins. Quarterback Eli Manning struggled exponentially and recorded his worst start in his brief football career. With 59 yards passing, a completion percentage of 36.4% and one fumble, Manning was unable to capitalize off a Miami defense that ranks towards the bottom of the league in many majors categories.
While the league did a poor job at acclimating Europeans to American football, they succeeded at increasing the attention and notoriety that the United States will receive in the years to come from interested owners who want a Super Bowl to be played outside of the hollow grounds of North America. Also succeeding were the Giants who improve to 6-2 and are now a half game back of the Cowboys for the lead in the NFC East.
Kaye
If the NFL’s brain trust had envisioned displaying a sloppy and unentertaining matchup between the league’s perennial loser and one of their most pedestrian team’s, they should have thought twice last summer about marketing their brand on an international basis with the Dolphins and Giants being their spokespersons.
As unfortunate as it played out to be, both squads were relegated to the roll of showcasing their sport in front of 81,176 animated fans at London’s Wembley Stadium. Through the mud, rain, slippery conditions and uncountable forecast big blue prevailed in a squeaker 13-10. It was not the kind of performance coach Coughlin expected from his team that had averaged 33 points per game during the course of the past three weeks. Still, the Giants determined and didactic leader will take a victory whether he receives it state side or overseas as he molds his team into an elite force in the National Football Conference.
Lead by 290 pound running back Brandon Jacobs and former Miami Dolphin Sam Madison the Giants registered their sixth consecutive victory of the year. Jacobs rushed for a season-high 131 yards on 23 carries against the still-winless fins. Quarterback Eli Manning struggled exponentially and recorded his worst start in his brief football career. With 59 yards passing, a completion percentage of 36.4% and one fumble, Manning was unable to capitalize off a Miami defense that ranks towards the bottom of the league in many majors categories.
While the league did a poor job at acclimating Europeans to American football, they succeeded at increasing the attention and notoriety that the United States will receive in the years to come from interested owners who want a Super Bowl to be played outside of the hollow grounds of North America. Also succeeding were the Giants who improve to 6-2 and are now a half game back of the Cowboys for the lead in the NFC East.
American Gangster Is Amazing - Just Saw It At Metreon Premier
I was invited to see American Gangster at a special premier at Sony Metreon and I must report that I was blown away. I've seen a lot of movies, but this one hits you between the eyes from the start, and just increases the presure.
Denzel Washington and Russell Crow are excellent, especially in one interrogation scene. The whole movie is full of great actors giving awesome performances, from Cuba Gooding, Jr. , to Armand Asante. American Gangster is a must see movie that's also a social lesson in the stupidity of racism.
If the police largely paid attention to Frank Lucas, who's played by Washington, his crime organization would have been stopped as it grew. But because few could believe a Black man could generate an empire that would take out the Mafia, let alone earn $250 million in assets.
American Gangster is a treasurer.
Denzel Washington and Russell Crow are excellent, especially in one interrogation scene. The whole movie is full of great actors giving awesome performances, from Cuba Gooding, Jr. , to Armand Asante. American Gangster is a must see movie that's also a social lesson in the stupidity of racism.
If the police largely paid attention to Frank Lucas, who's played by Washington, his crime organization would have been stopped as it grew. But because few could believe a Black man could generate an empire that would take out the Mafia, let alone earn $250 million in assets.
American Gangster is a treasurer.
Hillary Clinton Under Fire By Justice Department For Alledged Fundraising Coercion - AP
Hillary Clinton
in fundraising controversyQuestions raised about Hillary Clinton's big Chinatown fundraiser
The Associated Press
Published: November 1, 2007
NEW YORK: On the wall of Hsiao Yen Wang's New York apartment, a cramped, 17th-floor public housing unit, are photographs of her husband, David Guo, a cook who specializes in Fujian cuisine.
One photo stands out: Guo shaking Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's hand, a memento from a $1,000 (€693)-a-person fundraiser for the New York senator held in New York's Chinatown last April.
Last week, Wang got another memento — a calling card from a Justice Department criminal investigator. The investigator asked Wang if she was coerced into giving money to the campaign and whether she knew of anybody else who may have been forced to contribute.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Wang said she and her husband had given willingly and that she knew of no coercion. A Justice Department spokeswoman would not comment on the inquiries.
"I want to see her become the first female U.S. president," Wang, a hospital worker, said of Clinton as her daughter translated.
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Still, less than three weeks after the April 9 fundraiser, the Clinton campaign's vetting operation had flagged the check and returned it. Wang's contribution, delivered by Guo, was one of a handful obtained at the Chinatown event that the campaign turned back, citing an "abundance of caution."
Clinton has tapped a vein of support among ethnic, minority and immigrant communities with vigorous outreach that has helped her become one of the best-financed candidates in the presidential field. Under federal law, donors do not have to be citizens to contribute but must be in the United States legally.
The April fundraiser, held in Chinatown's Golden Bridge Restaurant, illustrates both the pitfalls and the success Clinton has experienced with her fundraising operation.
The event attracted nearly 300 donors from as far away as Maryland. Shortly after, about $380,000 (€263,468) poured into the Clinton campaign from attendees and their families. Many were owners or managers of other restaurants. Among the rest were lawyers, business owners, real estate agents and artists.
According to reports filed by the Clinton campaign with the Federal Election Commission, seven donors identified themselves as cooks, three as chefs, three as servers, two as cashiers, one as a dishwasher and cook and one as a waiter.
Details of the event were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
FEC records show that the campaign returned at least $8,000 (€5,547) in checks to at least eight donors, most of them at the end of June. Among those donors were four identified as cooks and one as a cashier. The campaign also returned $4,600 (€3,189) to a donor who appeared to have earlier given the maximum allowed by law.
The campaign appears to have missed some others.
In one small store, a woman said she donated to the Clinton campaign but did not have citizenship or a green card. A man living in a Brooklyn boarding house who identified himself as an artist said he also gave $1,000 (€693), but said he, too, has no citizenship and no green card.
Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said in an e-mail response to the AP that all donors are asked to fill out cards that state they must be citizens or green card holders. "Is it possible that out of more than 200,000 donors, two may not be? It is," he said. "Of course we would refund any such contributions."
The Associated Press conducted a spot check of 44 addresses listed in campaign finance documents as belonging to donors at the April 9 fundraiser. All the addresses checked out and reporters spoke to 19 persons who said they donated.
Associates of some people listed as donors said they were in China and could not be contacted. Others did not return messages left with families.
Chung Seto, the organizer of the Chinatown event, said Chinese have a culture of thrift and it would not be surprising for workers with meager wages to make $1,000 (€693) donations. She said donors stood in line for up to three hours waiting for the fundraising event to begin. Any mistakes in vetting contributors, she said, were a result of enthusiasm, not coercion.
"Some people were very eager, and some were overeager," she said in an interview, acknowledging the returned checks.
Seto, an activist in the Chinese-American community and a former executive director of the New York Democratic Party, said Chinatown residents hold Clinton in special esteem. They particularly remember her help during the economic downturn that hit the lower Manhattan neighborhood after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Celebrities Shocked Over NYC Realtor's Murder
The news broke suddenly over the New York airwaves and the situation has only been complicated.
Linda Stein Discovered In Pool Of Blood By Her Own Daughter
NEW YORK (CBS) ― A day after a well-known New York realtor who worked with many A-list celebrities and even once managed the Ramones was found brutally murdered in her Upper East Side apartment, many stars who knew her best are speaking out.
Linda Stein's body was discovered lying in a pool of blood by her daughter on Tuesday, and the medical examiner ruled a day later her death was a homicide. She had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and neck.
Residents of the upscale and normally peaceful neighborhood adjacent to Central Park were stunned that such a crime could occur in the area, and on Thursday, some of Stein's most famous friends expressed their dismay.
"I'm absolutely shocked and upset. She's been a friend for over 37 years and will be greatly missed," said Elton John, one of Stein's earliest clients.
Police say the murder occurred sometime on Tuesday. The 64-year-old lived alone and residents say the doorman building which is also guarded with surveillance cameras would be difficult to get into without permission. Published reports, however, say a side door to the building was found unlocked.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the investigation is still in the early stages.
"There was no forced entry. And we're interviewing building residents, we're interviewing workers in the building, and there are also construction workers doing work in the area who are being asked to cooperate with investigators," Kelly said.
Stein first cropped up in the celebrity scene when she managed the Ramones during the early days of punk rock. She later began her career as a realtor well-known in celebrity circles as someone who respected their privacy.
"The big thing about her was about discretion, about making sure she protected her clients from publicity," said Steve James, President of Douglas Elliman Property Management.
Stein's client list ranged from Madonna to Billy Joel, many of whom are only now hearing the news. CBS 2 ran into one of her former clients, Christie Brinkley at an event in midtown Manhattan on Thursday. Brinkley was visibly shaken and distraught over the news of her friend's murder, and her reaction showed just how Stein's relationships with her clients transcended business.
Brinkley had been so busy with appearances like unveiling the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree star that she hadn't yet heard about the murder. From all accounts, her heartfelt reaction of shock and sorrow has been repeated many, many other times by many other people.
Linda Stein Discovered In Pool Of Blood By Her Own Daughter
NEW YORK (CBS) ― A day after a well-known New York realtor who worked with many A-list celebrities and even once managed the Ramones was found brutally murdered in her Upper East Side apartment, many stars who knew her best are speaking out.
Linda Stein's body was discovered lying in a pool of blood by her daughter on Tuesday, and the medical examiner ruled a day later her death was a homicide. She had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and neck.
Residents of the upscale and normally peaceful neighborhood adjacent to Central Park were stunned that such a crime could occur in the area, and on Thursday, some of Stein's most famous friends expressed their dismay.
"I'm absolutely shocked and upset. She's been a friend for over 37 years and will be greatly missed," said Elton John, one of Stein's earliest clients.
Police say the murder occurred sometime on Tuesday. The 64-year-old lived alone and residents say the doorman building which is also guarded with surveillance cameras would be difficult to get into without permission. Published reports, however, say a side door to the building was found unlocked.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the investigation is still in the early stages.
"There was no forced entry. And we're interviewing building residents, we're interviewing workers in the building, and there are also construction workers doing work in the area who are being asked to cooperate with investigators," Kelly said.
Stein first cropped up in the celebrity scene when she managed the Ramones during the early days of punk rock. She later began her career as a realtor well-known in celebrity circles as someone who respected their privacy.
"The big thing about her was about discretion, about making sure she protected her clients from publicity," said Steve James, President of Douglas Elliman Property Management.
Stein's client list ranged from Madonna to Billy Joel, many of whom are only now hearing the news. CBS 2 ran into one of her former clients, Christie Brinkley at an event in midtown Manhattan on Thursday. Brinkley was visibly shaken and distraught over the news of her friend's murder, and her reaction showed just how Stein's relationships with her clients transcended business.
Brinkley had been so busy with appearances like unveiling the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree star that she hadn't yet heard about the murder. From all accounts, her heartfelt reaction of shock and sorrow has been repeated many, many other times by many other people.
Americans Are Unhappy With America - USA Today / Gallup Poll
This USA Today article reads:
"In all, 72% of those surveyed in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Oct. 12-14 say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in the USA while just 26% are satisfied. Not since April have even one-third of Americans been happy with the country's course, the longest national funk in 15 years."
This sparks the sign of political change. But in what direction? Could it mean victory for Barack Obama or Ron Paul? It's hard to tell from the article's comments. But here's the rest of it:
raq dominates the political agenda. In the poll, four in 10 Americans volunteer that the Iraq war will be one of the most important issues determining their vote in 2008. That's more than twice as many who cite the second-ranking issue: health care.
Six in 10 call the invasion of Iraq a mistake, equal to the highest levels of anti-war feeling during the Vietnam conflict. Despite reports of progress after this year's rise in U.S. force levels, a majority say the situation in Iraq is getting worse for the United States. Only 16% say it's getting better.
In conversations at four locales across the nation — at a farmer's market in Salem, Ore., outside a public library in Phoenix, at a shopping mall and bus stop in downtown Milwaukee and in a roundtable at the New Jersey shore — Americans struggled over what to do next in Iraq.
Not one of several dozen people interviewed expressed optimism that the next president, whoever is elected, will be able to turn things around militarily or to extricate U.S. troops without significant complications, even chaos.
"The next person coming in, it's going to take him at least eight years to clean up," predicts Geraldine Buie, 49, a food-service worker in Milwaukee who wants U.S. troops withdrawn now.
"On the one hand, people say we should pull out, but if we just pull out, everything will collapse and we'll have done nothing," says Antonio Carlos, 24, a student in Phoenix. "We've been committed for six years. Are we going to give up already? But at the same time, do we have the money (to continue)? And do we want our people over there dying left and right?"
The satisfaction divide
Not everyone has a dismal view of the future, of course.
"I think things are going along fine," said Tanya Rider, 32, a medic from Salem, though she worries about her brother and best friend, both deployed to Iraq. "The job market is going up. There's less homeless people." (The National Alliance to End Homelessness says the difficulty of counting homeless people makes it hard to assess whether their numbers are falling.)
Predictably, those who rate the economy as good are much happier with the country's direction than those who rate it as poor. Affluent Americans are more satisfied than those with lower incomes. Conservatives are more satisfied than liberals, and men more than women.
Even in the most optimistic demographic category, however, a majority is dissatisfied with the country's direction — including, for instance, 55% of Republicans. Among Democrats, the conclusion is almost universal: 84% say things are on the wrong track.
"The war in Iraq is clearly a major drag on the public's sense of how the country's doing," says Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. "And there's a kind of longer-term impact of the economy. Overall the economy is doing quite well but the sense of insecurity, the sense of anxiety of what the future might hold — that's having a downward effect."
Assessments of the current economy, while downbeat, are no worse than they were one year before the presidential elections in 1992, 1996 and 2004.
What's driving today's negative mood is pessimism about the future: Two-thirds predict economic conditions are getting worse, by far the highest number since 1992.
At a roundtable discussion in Neptune, N.J., only one of the 11 participants was looking for a job; the rest were retired or employed, most in jobs they like.
But Bob Cohen, 61, said he was "scared looking around the corner at the demographics of the country" and the pressure the looming retirement of the baby boom generation will put on Social Security.
Tish Ferguson, 48, a global recruiting manager, says she "works in a market where we're worried about a recession."
Eugene Kelsey, 82, expressed alarm about the impact of illegal immigration on American culture.
Americans are glummer about the economy than economists are. By the traditional measure — back-to-back quarters of economic contraction — the nation isn't in a recession. Yet more than one-third of those surveyed say it is. Four in 10 say a recession is likely during the next year.
For many Americans, good economic news about steady growth and low unemployment and inflation has been overshadowed by the rising cost of gasoline, turmoil in the housing market and uncertainties about health care coverage.
"I keep hearing there are positive indicators in the economy," says Dave Hendrick, 30, an Americorps volunteer in Milwaukee. "I have a hard time understanding that when I see skyrocketing foreclosure rates."
There are significant differences in views of the economy by region. The mood is brightest in the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain states, where 46% rated the economy as good in an aggregation of seven Gallup Polls taken since May.
The mood is darkest in the Great Lakes, where just 31% called the economy good. Jobs are a big reason as the region tries to recover from the loss of manufacturing plants. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation; Ohio the fifth highest.
People in the upper Midwest are "frustrated by the (national) debt, frustrated with the war, frustrated with the health care system that seems to be crumbling," says former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, who in August abandoned a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. "They want somebody to get something done. They don't like to see problems shunted aside, and that's what they see in Washington."
Both the president and Congress get historically low ratings, another sign of unhappiness with the nation's course and indicator of possible political upheaval ahead.
Since World War II, no party has managed to hold the White House when the incumbent president had a job-approval rating below 45% one year before the election. Bush's approval rating now: 32%.
Congress fares even worse. Its approval rating in August dipped to 18%, equaling the low point in the history of Gallup. It's now bumped up to a still-dismal 29%.
Ethics scandals and opposition to the Iraq war contributed to a Democratic takeover of the House and Senate in last November's elections, but Congress' ratings haven't significantly improved since then. Dissatisfaction is widespread and bipartisan: 76% of those surveyed say Congress has accomplished "not too much" or "nothing at all" this year. Among those, 73% blame both parties equally.
"In all, 72% of those surveyed in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Oct. 12-14 say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in the USA while just 26% are satisfied. Not since April have even one-third of Americans been happy with the country's course, the longest national funk in 15 years."
This sparks the sign of political change. But in what direction? Could it mean victory for Barack Obama or Ron Paul? It's hard to tell from the article's comments. But here's the rest of it:
raq dominates the political agenda. In the poll, four in 10 Americans volunteer that the Iraq war will be one of the most important issues determining their vote in 2008. That's more than twice as many who cite the second-ranking issue: health care.
Six in 10 call the invasion of Iraq a mistake, equal to the highest levels of anti-war feeling during the Vietnam conflict. Despite reports of progress after this year's rise in U.S. force levels, a majority say the situation in Iraq is getting worse for the United States. Only 16% say it's getting better.
In conversations at four locales across the nation — at a farmer's market in Salem, Ore., outside a public library in Phoenix, at a shopping mall and bus stop in downtown Milwaukee and in a roundtable at the New Jersey shore — Americans struggled over what to do next in Iraq.
Not one of several dozen people interviewed expressed optimism that the next president, whoever is elected, will be able to turn things around militarily or to extricate U.S. troops without significant complications, even chaos.
"The next person coming in, it's going to take him at least eight years to clean up," predicts Geraldine Buie, 49, a food-service worker in Milwaukee who wants U.S. troops withdrawn now.
"On the one hand, people say we should pull out, but if we just pull out, everything will collapse and we'll have done nothing," says Antonio Carlos, 24, a student in Phoenix. "We've been committed for six years. Are we going to give up already? But at the same time, do we have the money (to continue)? And do we want our people over there dying left and right?"
The satisfaction divide
Not everyone has a dismal view of the future, of course.
"I think things are going along fine," said Tanya Rider, 32, a medic from Salem, though she worries about her brother and best friend, both deployed to Iraq. "The job market is going up. There's less homeless people." (The National Alliance to End Homelessness says the difficulty of counting homeless people makes it hard to assess whether their numbers are falling.)
Predictably, those who rate the economy as good are much happier with the country's direction than those who rate it as poor. Affluent Americans are more satisfied than those with lower incomes. Conservatives are more satisfied than liberals, and men more than women.
Even in the most optimistic demographic category, however, a majority is dissatisfied with the country's direction — including, for instance, 55% of Republicans. Among Democrats, the conclusion is almost universal: 84% say things are on the wrong track.
"The war in Iraq is clearly a major drag on the public's sense of how the country's doing," says Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. "And there's a kind of longer-term impact of the economy. Overall the economy is doing quite well but the sense of insecurity, the sense of anxiety of what the future might hold — that's having a downward effect."
Assessments of the current economy, while downbeat, are no worse than they were one year before the presidential elections in 1992, 1996 and 2004.
What's driving today's negative mood is pessimism about the future: Two-thirds predict economic conditions are getting worse, by far the highest number since 1992.
At a roundtable discussion in Neptune, N.J., only one of the 11 participants was looking for a job; the rest were retired or employed, most in jobs they like.
But Bob Cohen, 61, said he was "scared looking around the corner at the demographics of the country" and the pressure the looming retirement of the baby boom generation will put on Social Security.
Tish Ferguson, 48, a global recruiting manager, says she "works in a market where we're worried about a recession."
Eugene Kelsey, 82, expressed alarm about the impact of illegal immigration on American culture.
Americans are glummer about the economy than economists are. By the traditional measure — back-to-back quarters of economic contraction — the nation isn't in a recession. Yet more than one-third of those surveyed say it is. Four in 10 say a recession is likely during the next year.
For many Americans, good economic news about steady growth and low unemployment and inflation has been overshadowed by the rising cost of gasoline, turmoil in the housing market and uncertainties about health care coverage.
"I keep hearing there are positive indicators in the economy," says Dave Hendrick, 30, an Americorps volunteer in Milwaukee. "I have a hard time understanding that when I see skyrocketing foreclosure rates."
There are significant differences in views of the economy by region. The mood is brightest in the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain states, where 46% rated the economy as good in an aggregation of seven Gallup Polls taken since May.
The mood is darkest in the Great Lakes, where just 31% called the economy good. Jobs are a big reason as the region tries to recover from the loss of manufacturing plants. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation; Ohio the fifth highest.
People in the upper Midwest are "frustrated by the (national) debt, frustrated with the war, frustrated with the health care system that seems to be crumbling," says former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, who in August abandoned a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. "They want somebody to get something done. They don't like to see problems shunted aside, and that's what they see in Washington."
Both the president and Congress get historically low ratings, another sign of unhappiness with the nation's course and indicator of possible political upheaval ahead.
Since World War II, no party has managed to hold the White House when the incumbent president had a job-approval rating below 45% one year before the election. Bush's approval rating now: 32%.
Congress fares even worse. Its approval rating in August dipped to 18%, equaling the low point in the history of Gallup. It's now bumped up to a still-dismal 29%.
Ethics scandals and opposition to the Iraq war contributed to a Democratic takeover of the House and Senate in last November's elections, but Congress' ratings haven't significantly improved since then. Dissatisfaction is widespread and bipartisan: 76% of those surveyed say Congress has accomplished "not too much" or "nothing at all" this year. Among those, 73% blame both parties equally.
CBS' Les Moonves Gets YouTube and New Media - Wired
I loved reading this interview with CBS Television head Les Moonves as it reveals a person who gets new media and how it impacts CBS. Why can't Viacom have this view?
CBS Chief Isn't Worried About YouTube or Google — 'As Long as We Get Paid'
Frank Rose 05.16.07 | 2:00 AM
CBS President Leslie Moonves
What happens to network television in the Internet age? As broadcasters confront ever-shrinking audiences and increasingly Net-savvy advertisers, that's a big question in certain quarters of New York and Los Angeles. With hits like CSI and Survivor, CBS president Leslie Moonves is the current ratings champ, but he knows Wall Street is ultimately going to judge him on how he manages the transition to the digital world. Moonves talked to Wired about user-generated video, tiny TVs, and how those clips of his wife made it onto the Internet.
Wired: Right now, traditional broadcasting accounts for the bulk of your viewership and income. Will that change?
Leslie Moonves: I think many years from now, people will still watch television, though it will probably be 150 inches wide. What will change is the ability to get CSI not only on TV but also on the Internet, even watching it in a foreign country as it's playing in the US.
Wired: Major advertisers, including Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, are shifting money from network television to the Internet. How concerned are you?
Moonves: We're not. There are plenty of people who are willing to pay $2.6 million for 30 seconds on the Super Bowl and hundreds of thousands of dollars for American Idol. There will be advertising dollars on the Internet. We're there as well. We win either way.
Wired: How do you feel about Google trying to get into television advertising?
Moonves: Hard to say. Right now we like selling our own inventory.
Wired: Does user-generated video pose a threat to traditional television?
Moonves: Only when they're taking content without permission. Genuine user-generated content — like the guys from OK Go dancing on the treadmills, which I liked a lot — I don't think poses any threat. A lot of it is garbage; you know, your cousin Fanny sitting outside on a swing. But there's some great amateur stuff coming out. They don't have to steal the professional stuff.
Wired: Will professional television change in response?
Moonves: It already has. We have a bunch of people coming up with ideas for original shows that are very cheap, very experimental. There isn't a lot of advertising revenue on this, so you need young people who don't want a lot of money yet. They will later.
Wired: You were in talks with Fox and NBC to join their partnership to distribute programming on the Internet — the so-called YouTube Killer. Why did you decide not to?
Moonves: What was difficult for us was the idea of exclusivity. We would have had to funnel every piece of content through that mechanism. It didn't give us the freedom we wanted to make partnerships all over the place. We're so much in the infancy of the Internet; three years from now, this is going to seem like the dinosaur age. We've got to learn about users — how much they're using, why they're using it, when they're using it — and we have to connect with them. We think we can accomplish as much alone as they're doing together.
Wired: There's a lot of CBS material on YouTube. How does that work?
Moonves: You have to look at it in two different ways. One is content that you will get paid for directly, and the other is promotional content. Our attitude is, either pay us for it or give us promotional value that will eventually lead to our getting paid for it.
Wired: How do you tell the difference?
Moonves: If there's a one-minute clip of CSI, or user-generated clips like different shots of David Caruso taking off his glasses, that's great promotion. If they were showing a whole episode of CSI and we weren't getting paid, we'd object.
Wired: Do you have your own favorite YouTube video?
Moonves: My wife is the host of Big Brother. Her name is Julie Chen, and she'll say, "Da da da, but first we do this." So they mashed together her saying "but first" a couple dozen times. Literally. In different outfits. And when you cut it together like that, it appears very robotlike. They called her the Chenbot.
Wired: Recently, you made a deal with Verizon Wireless. Do you think mobile TV is going to work?
Moonves: We think wireless is going to grow tremendously. Do I think people are going to watch an episode of Survivor on a 2-inch television set? I doubt it. But I do think somebody's going to go to a grocery store in the middle of a football game and watch that game.
Wired: Of all these new distribution channels, what's the most valuable?
Moonves: They're all good. We don't care how you get our content — over the air, over cable, satellite, the Internet, or on your cell phone — as long as we get paid for it.
Contributing editor Frank Rose (frank_rose@wired.com) wrote about 2007 Rave Award winner Michael Wesch in issue 15.05.
NFL Agent Ed Goines - From 49ers Lawyer To Player Agent
For five years, Ed Goines was the Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for the San Francisco 49ers. Now, Ed Goines has stepped over the line to become an Official NFL Players Association Contract Advisor, otherwise known as NFL Agent.
For Ed, it's a logical step. "I have corporate sponsor contacts, and know how the team organization works. I can see the player deal from both the players and the team's perspective. As the 49ers point person for business affairs I was responsible for sponsorship deals and contract structure, and have already worked with many NFL executives."
Ed also has an online show called "Ed Goines On Sports." You can check out his take on the business of sports there and contact him at 415-407-0882.
Iowa Caucus Absentee Voting Confusion - Website Says "Yes" - Sec of State "No"
I just wrote a blog article on the Iowa Caucuses and investigated the Secretary of State's website regarding Absentee Ballots and elections.
The Secretary of State's office website discusses Absentee Ballot information but does not give any words at all on restrictions of use of the Absentee Ballot. Yet, the elections specialist there says that the Absentee Ballot can't be used for the Iowa Caucuses, just the general election.
They admit the website's in error. This is what it reads on Absentee Ballots:
Absentee Ballot Information
Applications for Absentee Ballots can be obtained Online in a PDF format, or mailed upon request from the Secretary of State.
Request for ballot should be made by mail to the County Auditor/Commissioner of Elections, in the county you are registered to vote in.
If the application is received so late that it is unlikely that the absentee ballot can be returned by mail in time to be counted on election day, the commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a statement to that effect. The applicant can be hand deliver the ballot on Election Day before the polls close.
In requesting an absentee ballot, state your name, voting address, the address to which your ballot should be sent, and sign the request as you are registered. Absentee votes may be cast in person at your County Election Office (County Auditor) as soon as ballots are available.
In order for the ballot to be counted, the carrier envelope must be received in the commissioners office before the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by an officially authorized postal service not later than the day before the election, and received by the commissioner not later than noon on the Monday following the election.
Those in the Armed Forces need not register if they vote a military ballot. The request constitutes registration, with a county address. There is additional information and application forms on the Internet through the Federal Voting Assistant Program
Any qualified elector who becomes a patient or resident of a hospital or health care facility within three days prior to the date of an election, may request an absentee ballot during that period or on election day.
Helpful places with more information
Democratic State Central Committee
5661 Fleur Dr., 50321, Phone 244-5051
Republican State Central Committee
521 E. Locust St., 50309, Phone 282-8105
The Secretary of State's office website discusses Absentee Ballot information but does not give any words at all on restrictions of use of the Absentee Ballot. Yet, the elections specialist there says that the Absentee Ballot can't be used for the Iowa Caucuses, just the general election.
They admit the website's in error. This is what it reads on Absentee Ballots:
Absentee Ballot Information
Applications for Absentee Ballots can be obtained Online in a PDF format, or mailed upon request from the Secretary of State.
Request for ballot should be made by mail to the County Auditor/Commissioner of Elections, in the county you are registered to vote in.
If the application is received so late that it is unlikely that the absentee ballot can be returned by mail in time to be counted on election day, the commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a statement to that effect. The applicant can be hand deliver the ballot on Election Day before the polls close.
In requesting an absentee ballot, state your name, voting address, the address to which your ballot should be sent, and sign the request as you are registered. Absentee votes may be cast in person at your County Election Office (County Auditor) as soon as ballots are available.
In order for the ballot to be counted, the carrier envelope must be received in the commissioners office before the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by an officially authorized postal service not later than the day before the election, and received by the commissioner not later than noon on the Monday following the election.
Those in the Armed Forces need not register if they vote a military ballot. The request constitutes registration, with a county address. There is additional information and application forms on the Internet through the Federal Voting Assistant Program
Any qualified elector who becomes a patient or resident of a hospital or health care facility within three days prior to the date of an election, may request an absentee ballot during that period or on election day.
Helpful places with more information
Democratic State Central Committee
5661 Fleur Dr., 50321, Phone 244-5051
Republican State Central Committee
521 E. Locust St., 50309, Phone 282-8105
Iowa Caucus Allows Absentee Voting - Great For Barack Obama and College Students
I just read an interesting Huff Post "Off The Bus" article that asserted the youth vote, which is the strength of the Obama for America campaign, would be harmed by the fact that the Iowa Caucus will be held when students are away.
I read the article and realized that the author never considered absentee voting! So I went back to see if I missed anything; nope. I did not. Here's the information and link:
Iowa Absentee Ballot Application
The Iowa Secretary of State has made the official absentee ballot application available online in a pdf format. You may print this online form and fill it out by hand, please be sure to sign the form before you send it to your county auditor.
English Application for an Absentee Ballot
Español Formulario Official Para Solicitud de Votación en Ausencia
Laotian Application for an Absentee Ballot
Vietnamese Application for an Absentee Ballot
Absentee Voting for Iowans who are in the Military or Overseas
Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) - Military & Overseas
If you would like a hard copy of any of the forms above, please call the Secretary of State's Office at 515-281-0145 or 888-SOS-VOTE (888-767-8683).
There's also information specific to Iowa college students here > Iowa College Students Vote
So if the Obama campaign works the absentee ballots, they're ok.
Actually, I learn they're not. The Secretary of State's website's in error! They're going to correct this - they say!
I read the article and realized that the author never considered absentee voting! So I went back to see if I missed anything; nope. I did not. Here's the information and link:
Iowa Absentee Ballot Application
The Iowa Secretary of State has made the official absentee ballot application available online in a pdf format. You may print this online form and fill it out by hand, please be sure to sign the form before you send it to your county auditor.
English Application for an Absentee Ballot
Español Formulario Official Para Solicitud de Votación en Ausencia
Laotian Application for an Absentee Ballot
Vietnamese Application for an Absentee Ballot
Absentee Voting for Iowans who are in the Military or Overseas
Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) - Military & Overseas
If you would like a hard copy of any of the forms above, please call the Secretary of State's Office at 515-281-0145 or 888-SOS-VOTE (888-767-8683).
There's also information specific to Iowa college students here > Iowa College Students Vote
So if the Obama campaign works the absentee ballots, they're ok.
Actually, I learn they're not. The Secretary of State's website's in error! They're going to correct this - they say!
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