General Stanley McChrystal: Obama should fire him for Rolling Stone blast

Stanley McChrystal thinks he can beat you up

General Stanley McChrystal is the worst kind of military official a president can have: a person who shakes your hand, pretends to like you, then talks about you behind your back and to the press. That's what General Stanley McChrystal did to President Barack Obama in the Rolling Stone Managzine article called "The Runaway General", and exactly why Obama should fire him.

For all of his military accomplishments, General Stanley McChrystal is obviously just one man who must learn that in politics people don't have to take your advice all the time, but it's important that they listen.

McChrystal obviously does not know how to cultivate power. It's not being heard or having your ideas adopted, but giving others the impression that the people who matter the most listen to you, even when they don't. That's something this blogger learned working for the last two Mayors of Oakland before the current Mayor Ron Dellums. It's something McChrystal does not know.

According to the New York Times which has excerpts from the Rolling Stone article that was written by war reporter Michael Hastings, the segments' comments were and are damning. Here's a set of them:

Stanley McChrystal, Obama’s top commander in Afghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking his eye off the real enemy: The wimps in the White House.

Then, according to the New York Times, McChrystal's whining about having to attend a dinner with NATO Allies in Paris in April. This is what went down:

"The dinner comes with the position, sir," says his chief of staff, Col. Charlie Flynn.
McChrystal turns sharply in his chair. "Hey, Charlie," he asks, "does this come with the position?" McChrystal gives him the middle finger. [...]

"I'd rather have my ass kicked by a roomful of people than go out to this dinner," McChrystal says. He pauses a beat. "Unfortunately," he adds, "no one in this room could do it."

Already, we see a thread here: General Stanley McChrystal thinks he's King Kong: the one person who can beat up anyone. McChrystal was probably your schoolyard bully, and it looks like he's not done pushing people around.

People like that often get punched in the mouth either figuratively or literally. It's a good thing General McChrystal didn't say to Vice President Joe Biden "bite me." as an aide suggested he do if asked about Biden's comments. While VP, Joe Biden's just ask likely to tell General Stanley McChrystal to f-off and then give him a good one. Of course, Biden wouldn't actually do that; he would figure out a way to do it politically, where the impact is far more lasting than a punch in the mouth.

And then there's this installment from the Hastings article, one that takes direct aim at Obama:

Even though he had voted for Obama, McChrystal and his new commander in chief failed from the outset to connect. The general first encountered Obama a week after he took office, when the president met with a dozen senior military officials in a room at the Pentagon known as the Tank. According to sources familiar with the meeting, McChrystal thought Obama looked “uncomfortable and intimidated” by the roomful of military brass. Their first one-on-one meeting took place in the Oval Office four months later, after McChrystal got the Afghanistan job, and it didn’t go much better. "It was a 10-minute photo op," says an adviser to McChrystal. "Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. Here's the guy who's going to run his [expletive] war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed."

Translation: McChrystal's insulted the President didn't treat him like a rock star. Well, that's just too bad for McChrystal. It also illustrates my central point: McChrystal's too much the pugilist to understand how to build and cultivate power. His ego is so large that it blinds him to the need to form power relationships.

McChrystal's schoolyard bully view of the World cost him a chance to build a good relationship with President Obama. McChrystal certainly has one with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is reported to have said "Give Stan what he wants", and that's only because she feeds his towering ego. Can you imagine what McChrystal would have said about Hillary Clinton if she didn't?

While Obama may not do it, the best move is for him to sack McChrystal. Then he will have time to reflect on his mistakes and learn that in politics, the guy who can beat up everyone in the room is often the one who's the weakest person in the room.

Tom Hanks films Larry Crowne; Larry Crowne script was leaked

Three days ago, this space featured a photo of Toy Story 3 actor, the Legendary Tom Hanks, looking at playback from his upcoming movie Larry Crowne, co-starring Julia Roberts. In the process of researching for that blog post, at least three sites have it, two for free and one for pay.

Of the free websites, one is a Julia Roberts Fan site called AboutJulia.com, and the other is the beloved Awards Daily.com.

The third site is called "The Tracking Board" where you can get it for $59.

With all the Internet exposure, I figured Tom Hanks deliberately leaked the November 2009 draft of the script to create buzz before Toy Story 3. So, why not put it on Scribd to generate even more buss, right? After all, what's the passive aggreession for?

Well, someone managed to convince the dude at Scribd that having the script on Scribd was a copywrite violation. But if Tom Hanks' people are really that concerned about having it out there, why allow all of the links?

A team of people could give Playtone Productions a lot of headaches by just posting and reposting the script. That leads to one question: who leaked it?

Someone out the script out there for view. If I were running Playtone Productions, I'd have done it on purpose, then altered the movie here and there just to add some twists not in the script.

Whatever the case, Larry Crowne's being tossed around and why not?  It's a good script.

Stay tuned.

FIFA punishes Koman Coulibaly for USA vs. Slovenia World Cup call

Koman not in World Cup

After much anticipation over the weekend, FIFA officials failed to announce a real review but they did punish USA vs. Slovenia World Cup match referee Koman Coulibaly for his non-call, call that prevented the United States from winning Friday's epic battle.

FIFA has dropped Koman Coulibaly from the World Cup by not assigning him to the next round of World Cup matches (33 - 40), according to Sports By Brooks.

If you happened to miss the kick and the call - let alone the outpouring of comments, some defending Koman Coulibaly, most not - here's my video:



FIFA defends referees

According to ESPN.com, Jose-Marcia Garcia-Aranda, head of refereeing for FIFA, said "We are very, very satisfied with the performance of the referees."

You've got to be kidding. If Jose-Marcia Garcia-Aranda's and FIFA are happy with the "performance" of referees like Koman Coulibaly, it's obviously a cover for the real story. If FIFA were really "happy" with the refs, Koman would have been assigned to another match.

Not so.

You've got to give FIFA credit for political head-fake that's a thing of beauty. The sports' governing body essentially affirmed Coulibaly's mistake by action, while allowing its words to indicate that Koman would not be punished.

Maybe FIFA officials learned this form of passive aggression after an extended stay in the SF Bay Area?

Blogger News: Oakland Bloggers for Libby Party at Era Art Bar

Relax at Era 

This Wednesday, June 23rd, a group of Oakland friends, boosters, and bloggers (and some combinations of all three) are gathering at Era Art Bar and Lounge for Libby Schaaf.

The event starts at 5:30 PM, in Oakland's Uptown District. The Era Art Bar and Lounge is a new venue, growing in popularity due to it's warm, inviting, large interior and fun atmosphere.

And if that reads like a commercial, well, it is. But really, come on down. You don't have to be an Oakland blogger or a blogger for that matter to join us. But we do ask that you donate $30 to Libby's campaign for the Oakland District 4 City Council Seat.

So, see you Wednesday, June 23rd at 5:30 PM, at 19 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA‎, (510) 832-4400, and near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Broadway in Downtown Oakland. ‎

Fatherhood.gov: a new website about Fatherhood by the Obama Administration

Fatherhood.gov: a new website about Fatherhood by the Obama Administration, is the cyber representation of an objective President Barack Obama set on two years ago.

When President Obama was running for the office, one of the best speeches he delivered was on Father's Day, July 15th, 2008, at Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, IL. In that speech, President Obama delivered a tough, yet compassionate speech on being a father in the 21st Century.

In that speech, Obama said "of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are most dependent on the family. The family is that most important foundation. We are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation." Obama said that some fathers were "acting like boys instead of men" and pointed directly at African American men as the one group that most needed to step up to their responsibilities. Here's the video of that speech:



Obams said he wanted to "bring about change" in this area, and in an effort toward that objective, and with the Department of Department of Health & Human Services, established Fatherhood.gov.

Fatherhood.gov is a great clearinghouse of information for fathers and fathers to be. It has sections and pages like "being a dad" and videos like this one called "Cheerleader:"



Of course, this new website's going to have its detractors, but this is really a good, basic idea. One so simple and needed, it's long overdue. Share Fatherhood.gov with a father you know; it's good time well spent.

Albert Haynesworth is right to sit out; Ray Lewis is being a hypocrite

Albert in Wonderland 

Washington Redskins Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth has received a load of criticism for his actions in first asking to be traded, then taking the $22 million in contract money owed to him and failing to attend Redskins mandatory minicamps.

He's painted as one who doesn't love the game, as a quitter, and worse. Washington Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan is slamming him as is the Legendary Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis, who, sadly, is being a hypocrite.

But the person who really deserves the criticism and heat, and isn't getting it at all, is Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan. Moreover, Albert Haynesworth is quite correct that playing in a 3-4 will reduce his ability to be effective; the same skill than landed him a $100 million contract to start with.

Mike Shanahan should know better

All of this controversy would not have started if Mike Shanahan, who I'm personally not sold on as the answer for the Washington Redskins coaching woes, had not insisted on slamming a 3-4 down Albert Haynesworth's mouth. The way Coach Shanahan thinks about the 3-4 is not comforting; the best answer that would meet Albert Haynesworth's concerns is to have both defensive ends over the offensive guards, or at least one engaging in some kind of double-teaming action with Albert. But I've seen no evidence of Shanahan employing such hybrid schemes in the past.

Albert Haynesworth is a 4-3 three-technique tackle. Asking Albert Haynesworth to play the 3-4 as a nose tackle is like asking The Pittsburgh Steeler's "Mean" Joe Greene to do the same for the Steel Curtain Defense of the 1970s. You can bet Greene would have the same reaction.

The 3-4 is harmful to defensive tackles

Simple logic has it that asking one person to rush the passer or defend the run against three people is harmful to that players football life. When the nosetackle isn't double teamed, he (or she in some cases) is tripple teamed, when slide blocking - where the guard "slides" off the nosetackle and blocks the inside linebacker - is used.

So on an off-tackle counter play, we have the guard on the side of the play double teaming with the center on the nose tackle (and the inside linebacker on that side is blocked by the fullback), while the off-playside guard slides off the same nosetackle and blocks the off-side inside linebacker who's movement is slowed by the counter fake from the halfback.

In a 4-3 defense such games are impossible to play. Both offensive guards have to deal with the defensive tackles and the center helps on a double team of the off-side defensive tackle. The resultant hole is one the middle linebacker can plug, take on the fullback, and with the onside defensive tackle stop the play.

Ray Lewis is being a hypocrite

Ray Lewis says he can play well in either a 3-4 or a 4-3, and takes time to slam Albert, according to The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg. Lewis said:

"The response is, whatever you want me to do coach, let's get it done. If you want to switch the defense because you think it'll work better in a 3-4 -- I played in a 4-3 my whole life, but we switched up to a 3-4. 'Ok, Ray, you're gonna have to take on more guards, you're gonna have to do this and that.' Ok, coach, I'll adjust. Do I like it? Hmm, nah. But I'll adjust, so let's do it, you know what I'm saying? And through that process, I won the defensive player of the year in the 4-3 in 2000, and in 2003 I came back and won the defensive player of the year in the 3-4. So it don't matter."

But here's where Ray's not saying what he really thinks. For that, we have to go back to 2005 and S.I.com, when Ray Lewis openly expressed joy over the news that he was going to be featured in then-Ravens Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan's 46 Defense, after playing in Mike Nolan's Ravens 3-4 Defense. In 2005, Lewis said:

"That's like telling your premier running back that you're going to make sure he's not going to be touched in a football game. To come into camp and have my defensive coordinator tell me I’m not going to be touched, I’m like a little kid all over again...It's tough, because you have to humble yourself and take coaching and do whatever they tell you to do," Lewis said. "Whether it takes away from your game or helps it, you just deal with it. That's what I did. It didn't alter how I prepared, it didn't alter my passion for the game. But at the same time, it alters how dominant I can be."

The scheme of defensive did matter to Ray Lewis, even though he says otherwise today. From another perspective, one that your more likely to get inside an African American family home (unless you live in Oakland, CA), Albert Haynesworth does not want to be treated like he's a modern day slave; black barber shop talk would place Ray Lewis in just such a category.

To be fair, Ray Lewis is a worker bee, but even he has to question a social system where the choice of football scheme is generally done without the consultation of the players that are to use it.

In an ideal world, Coach Mike Shanahan would have talked with Albert Haynesworth regarding the type of scheme he wants to play in and the two would have come to a meeting of the minds, but in the NFL, even in the 21st Century, there are coaches who can't resist the urges of their own irrational egos, even at the expense of intelligent thinking.

Summer Solstice 2010: first day of summer roundup

Today is Summer Solstice 2010, the first day of summer. According to Wikipedia, Summer Solstice, or the "first day of summer," is "when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'." It's the longest day of the year, with the shortest night, and thus the best reason to have a round up of what's happening. So, picking through the national and local issues and trends...

Oakland, CA

Oakland Police, who have gone without a cost-of-living adjustment for four years, are bracing for job cuts as the Oakland City Council sends signals that it is considering eliminating up to 200 jobs. Some officers say that they've given quite enough in adjustments and feel like they're being used as political footballs while the Oakland City Council tries to look like it can make tough decisions.

The best move for the Oakland City Council is to cut pay temporarily rather than jobs, as many officers would rather have a brief pay hit than a job elimination. Whatever the decision, the City Council should do it and communicate to police that they're more than valued, as many officers don't get that message.

Alameda, CA

Interim City Manager Ann Marie Gallant is under heavy fire for a consistent practice of hiring out of town contractors for work. According to The Island, Gallant ignored a local black financial advisor, Lonnie Odom, president of Stinson Securities LLC, and selected a firm, Westhoff, Cone & Holmstedt, that includes a person Gallant worked with when that person was with another firm, Westhoff-Martin and Associates, and Gallant worked in another city. Gallant selected Westhoff, Cone & Holmstedt without a competitive bid. The job is to have an underwriter for public infrastructure refinancing bonds.

From my experience in the Oakland Mayor's Office, that work is commonly subject to competitive bid because the bond dollar amounts are so large, generally in the millions and in some cases billions, no one in city government wants to be accused of favoritism or racism. Gallant is dealing with both perceptions. Given her years of experience, it's shocking for Gallant to take such a brazen action and doesn't say much good about her style or intent. If Gallant's not careful, the Summer Solstice could mark the beginning of the end of her employment with the City of Alameda.

Atlanta, GA

The sad top story at The Atlanta Journal Constitution is of Christa Scott, a 26-year old Midtown club employee, who left work with a blood-alcohol level of .229, three times the legal limit and up there in Chris Klein-territory, and smashed into a car driven by Jordan Griner, an intern for Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. Scott ran a red light and hit Griner's driver's side door. He died at Grady Memorial Hospital.

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly, portrayed as Godzilla on The Wall SF Forum, has floated a proposal to merge the San Francisco Police Department with the Sheriff's Department and placing control in the hands of the elected sheriff, thus eliminating the position of Chief of Police, and with it George Gasćon. Chris Daly needs six votes from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to get the proposal on the November ballot. Let's see if he gets them this summer.

More later...stay tuned.