Wednesday, June 16, 2010

NJ (New Jersey) State Trooper Shot; committed suicide

Scott Graham, a New Jersey State Trooper was found shot dead on the side of an exit ramp from the Garden State Parkway at 7:30 AM Wednesday according to multiple sources. Graham reportedly died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound and was pronounced dead on the scene.

The 35-year old NJ Trooper Graham was found in a marked New Jersey State Trooper police car. Graham was a 10-year veteran on the New Jersey State Police force.

New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow was escorted to the scene, but did not issue a statement to the press as of this writing.

NJ State Trooper Scott Graham's death comes less than two weeks after a another New Jersey State Trooper was struck and killed by a passing car as he was helping in a search for two people believed to have abandoned a vehicle.

Seattle cop punches black woman; another Seattle police race issue

In 2010 Seattle Police now have not one but two separate incidents of racism. The first one occurred on May 7th, as Seattle Police officer Shandy Cobane was captured on video kicking and innocent Latino man in the face on April 17th and saying "I'm going to beat the Mexican piss out of you, homey. You feel me?" Here's the video:



Cobane gave a tearful apology after his actions were publicly shown. Seattle's Latino community called the action "outrageously racist."

Now, another Seattle Police officer is caught on video, this time Officer Ian P. Walsh is hitting a black woman, 19-year-old Marilyn Levias, in the face with a clinched fist in the process of trying to arrest her. Moreover, the officer was yanking and pulling her clothes nearly off. He didn't need to do all of that; he was investigating a - get this - jaywalking stop.

A jaywalking stop. Seattle Police cop Ian P. Walsh punched a black woman over a jaywalking stop. Here's that video and I warn you, it's more graphic than the other one:



To anyone who sees this and immediately rushes to defend the Seattle cop, remember that just because someone in authority does something does not make their actions correct. This was wrong, and all for a jaywalking ticket according to The New York Daily News.

Racism still exists. This corner would bet $1,000 that Seattle cop would not have punched a white, blonde college woman, let alone stop her regarding a jaywalking claim. Moreover, the Seattle Police are backing Officer Walsh's actions over a jaywalking ticket. Does Seattle need money so badly it's willing to let its police officers beat up and arrest black women over jaywalking ticket claims?

Stupid. Just stupid. And damn racist, too.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Obama's BP Oil Speech better than The Huffington Post's blog take

President Obama shows the way 
President Barack Obama gave a good speech on the BP Oil Spill Disaster. He explained in detail what happened and what needed to be done to solve the problem. Obama also explained what he wanted to see from BP, that's British Petroleum.

No, it wasn't a great speech, but how can any political speech about a disaster, a man-made disaster as was the BP Oil Spill, be a great speech. It's impossible.  After all, America wasn't attacked by aliens as in Independence Day.

Of course, all that escaped The Huffington Post, where blogger Jason Linkins produced a long, ramblings, non-sensical blog post designed purely to hammer President Obama and nothing else. How else to explain a blog post that reads as if Linkins didn't listen to Obama's speech and instead smoked a bong?

Linkins wrote "And yet, basically what we got, in spades, was sentiment."

Spades? Thank God Jason didn't drop the "s", otherwise he would have had a real problem. But it shows just how sloppy Linkins was in his presentation created for many to see.

I heard Obama present a plan which in part explained what had been done:



Tonight I'd like to lay out for you what our battle plan is going forward: what we're doing to clean up the oil, what we're doing to help our neighbors in the Gulf, and what we're doing to make sure that a catastrophe like this never happens again.

First, the cleanup. From the very beginning of this crisis, the federal government has been in charge of the largest environmental cleanup effort in our nation's history - an effort led by Admiral Thad Allen, who has almost forty years of experience responding to disasters. We now have nearly 30,000 personnel who are working across four states to contain and cleanup the oil. Thousands of ships and other vessels are responding in the Gulf. And I have authorized the deployment of over 17,000 National Guard members along the coast. These servicemen and women are ready to help stop the oil from coming ashore, clean beaches, train response workers, or even help with processing claims - and I urge the governors in the affected states to activate these troops as soon as possible.

And what is going to be done.

Obama mentioned the formation of "The Gulf Coast Restoration Plan," something Linkins didn't even pay attention to it would seem. Obama was honest in stating essentially that the BP Oil Spill caught America off guard and it's rushing to catch up as the disaster gets even worse. I got that and did not expect a full battle plan ready to go, because there's so much we're learning as it happens, and a lot has happened in a very short period of time.

Hindsight is 20-20, but the proof that Linkins is just plain dead wrong is in the simple fact that he does not present an alternative speech himself. It's as if Linkins saw the negative Twitter tweets and elected to play to that crowd of mobsters. It's always easy to play to the crowd. The hardest action is to take a stand and go against it.

The Huffington Post forgets that the main act of a presidential speech is to give direction to the country.  Obama did just that.

Tech News: E3, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Plus, More... John Draper



I didn't make it to this year's E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) but I will be standing by from this point to relay the news from those who did.

Some of the more popular current E3 news includes Nintendo's announcement of the 3DS, Sony announcing its new Playstation Plus subscription service and it's new Playstation Move controller, the new Zelda Skyward Sword game, and the new Twisted Metal game.

Watch here for in-depth specs and info on these and more tomorrow, but for now I leave you with a video showcasing some great stuff that's in the works, via IGN.



Nikky Raney Vlog Update

Watch it; it's great stuff. Expect more vlog posts from videos I made with my friend Andrea. This is a 4 am vlog post, please appreciate it. :) Expect longer and more informative blog entries later tonight. I am motivated.

Nikky Raney
The Future of Journalism
Twitter

President Obama's Presidential Address to The Nation live stream

President Barack Obama is addressing the nation as this blog post is written. You can see it live, online, right here, below, and courtesy of The White House:




You can also review Twitter tweets below:


Angry, Violent, SF Luxor Cab Driver update - no Luxor apology

An update in the case of the Angry, Violent, SF Luxor Cab Driver who tried to physically remove this blogger from Luxor Cab #1046 License number CA 8L46060, a white Ford Crown Victoria.

The assault report was filed and San Francisco Transportation Authority staffers reported that it was sent to the San Francisco Taxi Cab Commission. As of this writing, there has not been a follow-up phone call, but the report was filed on Friday and today is Tuesday.

But given this blog series was first posted last Wednesday and it's six days later, and information to me explains that Luxor has seen the blog post, there has not been an apology from anyone representing Luxor Cab in San Francisco.

Meanwhile there has been a sudden development of comments from the same person using different YouTube accounts. Cool, but if this person represents Luxor Cab San Francisco, they're advocating against free speech rights (in this case, the right to say the cab driver's problem was he wanted a white passenger and not a black passenger), and that I should have been assaulted for expressing my point of view, which is what the Luxor cab driver tried to do.

This is a matter that I will press until change happens; it will not just go away and if that upsets someone reading this, too bad. There should be a California state law that says cab drivers can't remove passengers from cars without just cause and the presence, permission and assistance of a uniformed police officer. Any violation of the law will be a felony resulting in the loss of license, drivers license suspension, jail time, and a fine to both the driver and the cab company of $10,000.

Some cab drivers are on total power trips, taking passengers on rides deliberately longer than necessary to gouge them, not wanting the passenger to have their say in how to get to a destination, or worse, like my experience here on video:



Enough is enough. No more of this.

Stay tuned.

Touchdown Jesus statue in Ohio burns after lighting strike (video)

Touchdown Jesus 
Also: touchdown jesus on fire, touchdown jesus ohio, butter jesus, big butter jesus, touchdown jesus fire, notre dame touchdown jesus

An event that occupies multiple positions on Google Trends is the news that a version of what's called the "Touchdown Jesus" statue burned on I-75 near Monroe, Ohio. 

Why the burning of the six-story, 65-foot creation news is more because Internet news searchers may have believed this statue was the one that graces the football field at The University of Notre Dame. Here's a YouTube video of the event:



The statue is also called "King of Kings" and reportedly "Big Butter Jesus" after a song, and "Touchdown Jesus" because it looked like Jesus was giving the American Football sign for a score in the end zone.

But it's not the statue at Notre Dame, so ND Football fans need not worry.

Channel 5's Mike Sugarman discovers the camera at BART



San Francisco TV Station KPIX Channel 5's Mike Sugarman discovers the Sony camera at BART.

On Friday of last week, on the way to Cafe Americano to meet a friend, Mike Sugarman - the long-time San Francisco KPIX Channel 5 (CBS) News Man, who interviewed this blogger when the focus was bringing the Super Bowl to Oakland in 1999 - was struggling with a new Sony Betacam camera that he was given to use for a story about the planned BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) 15 cent fare decrease (which he and I disagree about.)

I stopped to help Mike and suggested he restart the Sony camera; he did and it worked. So, in turn he interviewed me as part of his segment.

That was Mike's first time with the camera on his own.

For 31 years Mike Sugarman worked a story assignment with a camera person. But in the age of smaller media budgets, reporters like Mike Sugarman are learning to be, well, something like video bloggers, using the camera to make the news themselves without a camera person. That saves as much as $500 to $1,000 for a segment.

This is an example of what I was blogging about regarding Social Networking being Social Broadcasting. Now, you have the power to make media just like Channel Five's Mike Sugarman. The only difference is in your ability to use the equipment.

Mike Sugarman says it's something more he's got to do that's part of the job, but to me it's a lot of fun. He's more flexible and can react faster to stories that develop. In fact, he really could have done the same job with just a Flip Video Camera. One day a Non AT&T iPhone will allow one to make studio quality videos.

Wait. We've got that already, just with AT&T.

Rats.

Catch Mike Sugarman on SF Channel Five, KPIX.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Concert Film At Balboa SF

This San Francisco event annoucement comes from Gary Meyer, the owner and operator of The San Francisco Balboa Theater and the Co-Director of The Telluride Film Festival, who you may remember from this video interview earlier this year:



Sent a press release announcing the exclusive debut of a new concert film featuring Bruce Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band this Thursday June 17th at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco with two shows at 7:15 PM and 9:15 PM. This YouTube video gives you a preview. It's from the very show the concert film is based on:



Here's the extensive press release:


BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND
CONCERT FILM PREMIERES AT BALBOA JUNE 17 TO BENEFIT MELANOMA RESEARCH

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in "LONDON CALLING: LIVE IN HYDE PARK” will have it exclusive San Francisco area Premiere on Thursday, July 17. This one night only benefit will have two showings at 7:15pm and 9:15pm. The showings will benefit the Danny Fund/Melanoma Research Alliance, a charity focused on finding and funding melanoma research to accelerate progress toward a cure.

"LONDON CALLING: Live In Hyde Park" conveys the experience of being on stage and the vast crowd of a festival environment. Captured in London at the Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009, a special 90-minute film of this highly anticipated outdoor concert begins in daylight and progress through a gorgeous sunset into night.

Bruce Springsteen spontaneously directs the E Street Band through 13 live tracks, all recorded in glorious HD. A special Dolby Stereo System utilizing the unique speakers from Berkeley’s Meyer Sound www.meyersound.com/ will be featured.

The concert earned rave reviews. The London Times called it "epic" and "a revved-up power drive through Springsteen's America." The Independent concurred: "Springsteen's intensity was staggering from first powerful vocal to final thrashed-out chord."

GRAMMY® and Emmy Award®-winning producer and editor Thom Zimny and director Chris Hilson - both members of Springsteen's video team dating back over a decade - oversaw the filming.
Set list:
London Calling
Badlands
Night
She’s The One
Outlaw Pete
Working On a Dream
Born To Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Jungleland
American Land
Glory Days
See “Glory Days” at:
http://www.vevo.com/watch/bruce-springsteen-the-e-street-band/glory-days-live-in-hyde-park/USSM21000730

All tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased in advance at the Balboa Box Office or at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/116231

The Danny Fund was set up after the 2008 passing of Danny Federici, longtime Springsteen friend and E Street Band member. See www.dannyfund.org for additional information. With the warm weather just now coming on, it’s especially timely to raise awareness about the dangers of the sun.

Three lucky attendees will win the deluxe two DVD extended version of LONDON CALLING, a 172-minute film with 27 tracks being released tracks being released by Columbia Records on June 22 (http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html ).

The BalboaTheatre is located at 3630 Balboa Street (between 37th and 38th Avenues) in San Francisco.
For more information go to www.BalboaMovies.com or call (415) 221-8184


If you have a major event to promote, regardless of location, please send your press release to zennie@zennie62.com.

Tila Tequila Fans Attack Nikky Raney in comments by Nikky Raney

Looks like I am a big enough deal for "Tilafanfaraway" to talk about me on Tila's site. Which, we know that account is actually Tila. Look at what she had to say:



That's pretty funny. Thanks Tila, I love the attention just as much as you.
P.S. Being 20 years old, 5 foot 5 at 115 pounds isn't fat.

How many posts have I made specifically stating that I am not trying to attack or hate on Tila? Unlike the public figure that Tila is, defamation of me is a lot easier to prove.

I have made it very clear I am not trying to attack Tila.


Nikky Raney

Strange any other comment that has my name in it gets auto-deleted. Seriously, when anyone writes "nikky" in the comments the post is auto-deleted, but somehow that account could bypass that? Maybe it's because that account is actually Tila.

Miley Cyrus gets a surprise from Perez Hilton by Nikky Raney





According to CBS News (among other sources) Perez Hilton posted photos on his Twitter account which exposed that 17-year-old Miley Cyrus was not wearing any underwear under her skirt. I did not personally see this photo, and I would not like to see that photo. The censored version of this photo can be seen here.

I don't know who took the photo or how Perez acquired the photo, but I think that Miley is going a bit too far. Britney Spears was not even this extravagant at Miley's age. Miley has already been caught grinding on a 44-year-old man, pole-dancing, posting other provocative photos, and now she is following in the footsteps of Paris Hilton by "forgetting" to put underwear on.

Disney stars are forming a stereotype, and I am not fond of this.
Miley's provocative outfits are not appropriate for the Disney audience that she is still a role model too, and I really cannot understand how her parents can allow this. It all started with the Vanity Fair photo shoot, but now it has gone a bit too far.

I hope that Miley doesn't go down the dark path of many other celebrities. She has already done so many things that are inappropriate, but somehow she isn't being as scrutinized for what she has done.

I do not think it was right for Perez to post the photos, because that is technically child pornography. If you look at the censored photo you can tell that Miley in her white outfit was clearly aware that the way she was getting up would clearly expose her lady parts.

Now, the censored photo may have just been covering underwear, but I do not dare look at what the actual Perez posted photo looks like.

I hope that Billy Ray finally puts his foot down. I liked Miley when she first started on Hannah Montana. Before she legally changed her name from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Cyrus. She has gotten away with things that any other teenager would not get away with.

Miley started posting "sexual" photos on her myspace when she was only 15. I don't condone Perez posting a crotch shot, but maybe this will impact the opinion of Miley's family and change the way that Miley presents herself publicly. Let's hope for the best, because she has so much potential. Miley, you don't need to use your body and sexuality to get attention. Enjoy being a teenager, you'll have time to dress and be sexy once you aren't jailbait anymore. The tattoo beneath your breast is enough for now.

(all photos courtesy of Google Images)

Look at how she has transformed so quickly: