Vanessa Hudgens Sings Like Paula Abdul In "Sneakernight"

Every once in awhile, it's good to stop and take stock of..talent. Vanessa Hudgens has it and it's expressed in this video. Now, I'd not known of her until I decided to click on her YouTube video and that was because it was on the front page of YouTube. Then I realized Hudgens was at the center of the Internet photo scandal a while back.

Ok. It seems there are so many of those.

She can sing and dance. Her voice is soulful and reminds me of Paula Abdul or any one of the Pointer Sisters. I'll be one of the half-million MySpace friends she has who puts their sneakers on!

But from a Zeitgeist perspective, Vanessa's one of the emerging young women who aren't African American, but have the soulful voice that Black female singers have been known for. She's part Irish American and Filipino American. But her style is emblematic of the diversity that Hip Hop has for all practical purposes forced on America. Because Hip Hop and Rap are the dominant music culture forms, American Culture, including what kids listen to, and who they try to sing like, have been litterally controlled and shaped by them.

Vanessa is the end result of this process.

John McCain Says It's Hard To Be Proud Of America

Ok. Let's see Right-Wingers jump on this bit of news. Senator John McCain says that it's hard to be proud of America. Think about that one. Just, what, four days after his Iraq gaffe, we have a statement that would seem to be really the confirmation of what Michelle Obama said last year, but it's actually more cutting.

Michelle Obama had remarked that Barack's success was the first time she was proud to be an American. Now, anyone Black knew what she meant, but the White, Right-Wing Lunatic Fringe jumped all over her anyway. Then the mainstream media predicted that Michelle would be haunted by that statement.

No way.

McCain bailed her out.

Clinton Supporter Roger Altman Behind Larry Sinclair Anti-Obama Smears

Hillary Clinton with Roger Altman in New York

Clinton Supporter Roger Altman Behind Larry Sinclair Anti-Obama Smears

Larry Sinclair has made up a story about he and Senator Obama that is without truth or belief and yet he continues to get attention, the latest from the National Press Club. And the reason for this appears to focus on Clinton supporter Roger Altman. Altman is, according to freedom4um.com, and other sources like Businessweek:

Supporters of the Illinois senator are convinced that the articles are politically motivated, but don't know who's behind them. But an examination of the tabloids' ownership yields one very interesting finding.

It turns out that American Media Inc., the parent company of the Enquirer, Globe and the Examiner, is, in turn, controlled by Evercore Partners, whose founder, chairman, co-CEO and principal owner is Roger Altman, a prominent New York investment banker.

Altman is also a former deputy treasury secretary in the administration of President Bill Clinton -- and a key economic advisor of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the White House.

So it appears that the Clinton supporters have not stopped the campaign, even as Senator Clinton asked them too. Also, Larry Sinclair has admitted to me personally that he lives in Texas and not Minnesota. Yet, many media outlets continue to refer to Sinclair as a "Minnesota Man"; he's a Texas Man whom I caught in a lie, and a person who is a total fraud, in fact he told the Globe:

"Sinclair admits to the Globe that he's spent years in prison in Florida, Colorado, and Arizona on various fraud charges, and further admits trafficking in cocaine and marijuana, as well as illegal aliens from Mexico."

With all of this, plus the fact that Sinclair took a lie detector test regarding his fantasy associations with Obama, and failed, the National Press Club is giving this idiot a platform next week.

There, Sinclair will put out more crap allegations trying now to say that Obama had a relationship with Donald Young, the Gay pastor of Trinity Church. Sinclair will point to an file he sent to the Chicago police, where Sinclair states that he had a conversation with Young.

Big Deal. In this time of call records and recordings Sinclair should be able to show a phone record beyond the file, but even then it would only show Sinclair dialed the number. There's nothing about Sinclair's case that's sound, even his selection of lawyer is less than credible: Montgomery Sibley, who will appear at the National Press Club for "moral support" and is the same lawyer who's last client was a prostitute claimed to have the names of 10,000 clients, many Washington DC's finest elected officials.

She's not with us anymore.

But Montgomery Sibley's a lawyer who's being pushed to disbarment by the State of Florida, and owes over $11,000 in back office rent and was due to stand trial on this in Montgomery County, VA. Sibley's a person described as "abusing the legal process". The Washinton Post made Sibley look less than human, let alone credible.

Just like Larry Sinclair. Where's Sinclair getting the money to afford all of this: Sibley, the National Press Club, and travel? Follow the money. My bet is it's Roger Altman.

Tim Russert at NH Primary House Party January 2008

Tim Russert on the primary trail in NH, 2008, originally uploaded by headshotsphoto.

I found this photo on Flickr, with this explaination:

Tim Russert died on June 13, at the age of 58. He was photographed while covering a house party for presidential primary candidate, John Edwards, in Bedford NH on the eve of the NH primary in January 2008. Elizabeth Edwards speaks to Tim Russert. Also pictured are Matt Lauer, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

He really enjoyed getting out there it seems. Russert will be missed.

Barack Obama and Tim Russert in 2006

Barack Obama and Tim Russert, originally uploaded by mikebaudio.

Mike Baudio went to an event at the Warner Theater in DC sponsored by the Partnership for Public Service in 2006.

There, Tim Russert interviewed Senator Barack Obama on the theme of need for young participants in public service. It was not the last time Russert would interview Senator Obama.

Tim Russert, for 20 years the host of "Meet The Press" left us yesterday, striken with cardiac arrest. He was 58 years old.

Oakland Raiders Talking With City - City Attorney John Russo Interview

I met with Oakland's elected City Attorney and my friend John Russo the day after election day to talk about his unopposed win for a third term, how Oakland has changed, Oakland Politics and the District Three Council race, who Senator Obama should pick as his VP, what Russo's is proudest of with the evolution of his office, and the talks between the City of Oakland and the Oakland Raiders.

Russo explains that the talks are between the Raiders and the Oakland / Alameda County Joint Powers Authority and that they're going well. He also confirmed that Raiders Manager of The General Partner Al Davis is not in good health and has not attended all of the meeting. As to the possibility that the Raiders would get a new stadium, he said no, but they're in agreement on the matters of concern to the Raiders.

Given what I know from trying to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland (we lost to Jacksonville), that means we should expect to see an upgraded Coliseum at some point in the future.

What was surprising news was that the Raiders were the party that initiated the talks, and not the City of Oakland or The County of Alameda. I personally feel that's a signal of the Raiders new willingness to work with the City and stay in Oakland.

Also, we talk about why he ran unopposed and how Oakland's political landscape has changed.

Crisis of Faith on U.S. Supreme Court: Habeas Corpus 2008

If you read Justice Kennedy’s Majority opinion in the Gitmo/habeas corpus decision, you’ll discover that the ruling is in line with all of the principles the Catholic Church mandates. If you're not familiar with those particular teachings, here's further reading.

What do the four Justices who dissented have in common beyond a lack of faith in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution as ways to spread democracy and limit repression which we can see leads to recruiting terrorists? They are each Catholics appointed by Republican Presidents; Supreme Court justices who can’t be bothered to do more than pay lip service to their professed faith.

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