99ers Union: 24 hours until big push for S3706

Last week it was announced that over a dozen net groups full of 99ers united in one big voice to put the strength of their huge numbers into a concentrated push to pass S3706 (The Americans Want to Work Act).

On Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - between 9AM and 9PM they will flex their lobbying muscle in a gigantic fax, call and email campaign to urge the US Senate to bring S3706 to the floor for a vote.

In a show of unity, the various 99er Advocacy groups have coalesced into one large united force to lobby Washington for the Tier 5 Americans Want to Work Act. The Umbrella group will be known as The American 99ers' Union http://www.american99ersunion.com

All members of The American 99ers' Union acting as one will fax, email, and/or make phone calls to their own two Senators, urging them to immediately support and PASS The Americans Want To Work Act, S. 3706. [The exact letter to be sent can be downloaded at http://www.american99ersunion.com]

The recommended action is strategically designed to:

1. Show that we are united in a grassroots movement that is growing in strength and numbers to greatly impact the midterm elections.

2. Provide sound reason and fact as to why this is not only the right thing to do for 99ers, but also supports America's economic recovery by stimulating the economy

3. Inform our Senators that we are watching their votes very closely and we will vote against those who oppose this bill in the November election, encourage our friends and family to vote against them and use the internet and media to encourage the general public to vote against those who will not help Americans who are suffering without unemployment insurance during this national emergency

4. Demonstrate our commitment to use our combined influence to ensure millions of 99ers all across the nation perform the one job they still hold on November 2nd - VOTE for those who have represented and continue to represent our desperate need for extended unemployment insurance and jobs

S3706 is currently languishing in "Committee limbo" within the Senate Finance Committee. This bill MUST be brought to the Senate Floor immediately and passed in time to allow the House to do the same, prior to the next scheduled Congressional recess on October 8, 2010. Passage of this bill before the election is crucial in order to save the lives of millions of hurting Americans currently on the brink of complete financial disaster, hunger and homelessness.

So, now it is time for us to show our strength and numbers to the Senate!

With the midterm elections shaping up to be a tight race, for eventual control of both the House and Senate, unemployed Americans can easily be the deciding factor in who keeps their legislative jobs and which members of Congress join the unemployment lines in November.

To contact The American 99ers' Union call 202-579-9377
(99ERS)

ALL unemployed Americans, their friends and family members who have watched, first hand the devastating suffering 8 months without benefits can induce, are urged to participate in this big push for the survival of the 99er Nation by contacting as many lawmakers as possible.

Reggie Bush suffers broken leg By Nikky Raney

Credit: Robert Galbraith / Reuters

Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints' running back, could miss six weeks of play after breaking his right fibular during September 20 Monday night's game where the Saints beat San Francisco 25-22.

The injury occurred during the fourth quarter after Bush's leg was hit as he dove in attempts to recover the ball. Trainers helped him off the field, and he was carted into the locker room.

Brian Allee-Walsh, reporter for NewOrleans.com, writes that after the game Bush left in crutches with an ice pack applied to his leg.

Braylon Edwards is arrested for drunk driving By Nikky Raney

Courtesy of AP

Braylon Edwards, receiver for the New York Jets, has been arrested and charged with drunk driving.

The 27-year-old was pulled over on the West Side of Manhattan September 21 at 5:15 a.m. for having excessively tinted windows; Edwards was given a Breathalyzer test which measured his blood alcohol at 0.16, double New York's legal limit.

Jets' General Manager, Mike Tannenbaum, released a statement which was posted on the New York Jets' web site:


"We are very disappointed in Braylon’s actions this morning. The Player Protect program is in place for our organization to prevent this situation. Braylon is aware of this program and showed poor judgment. We are reviewing the information with the league and will impose the appropriate disciplinary measures."

99er Advocate Mignon Veasley-Fields to appear on Ed Schultz today

Long time advocate for the 99er Nation, Mignon Veasley-Fields will appear on Ed Schultz today. Both his radio show and his MSNBC TV show will feature Mrs. Veasley-Fields as she attempts to share nationally the premise behind the new 99er NOVO movement.

The 99er-NOVOs are a group of 99er Americans that are fed up with Washington. Their loyalty are to neither party until they do their job and help our families. The NOVOs want Senator Stabenow’s -  “Americans Want To Work” bill brought to the floor and passed immediately!

61 year old Mignon Veasley-Fields of Los Angeles laid out the pain most of us who cannot find a job are feeling. The fear of losing everything we have worked so hard for is eloquently expressed in her very well spoken words at the end of the interview below, which aired on ABC in early July this year.

Mignon has been unemployed since June 2008.  She lost all unemployment benefits the first week of June, 2010. She and her husband James are raising their three grandchildren, because their mother could no longer care them.  James  is 77 years of age and works part-time as an MTA bus operator. 

"His meager salary is the only means of income that we have now.  We have owned our home since 1996 and now we are scared to death that we might not be able to continue to pay the mortgage.
 
For months and months, I have looked for work. In my past, I have made a near six figure salary, but now I can’t even find a job at a fast food restaurant; they’re all filled and if they are available in my city, I am advised that I am over-qualified for the position. It is a no win situation.

The lie being spread across the country that all unemployed are particular as to the type of job or that we are lazy and are drug addicts is only that, a lie. We are desperate for jobs, but there are not enough jobs for all of the unemployed who are seeking employment in this nation.

Many times my husband and I have had to choose whether to pay a utility bill or to pay for medicine for him or for one of my grandchildren. Like Congress, who has turned their backs on us and who seemingly have no concern for the American citizen, the utility companies don’t care if you sit in the dark or freeze in the cold weather.

Let me state without hesitation that I am weary and I am scared for my family’s immediate future if Congress does not help those of us who have surpassed the basic unemployment tiers. The 99ers are 5 million strong. We are the 900 pound gorilla in the room and Congress is trying with all their might to ignore us."  

       
You can listen to the Ed Show on radio today at Noon eastern time and watch Mignon on the Ed Show which airs at 6 PM EST on MSNBC.

Megan A. Fox on Rush Limbaugh Haiti tampon comment

Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans

The 3D Summit in Universal City, CA was full of treasures that were right before you, even if many in the media didn't notice. Not so here. Godzilla 2012 Producer Brian Rogers took time from his event obligations as a panelist to talk about Legendary Pictures plans for the iconic film monster.

Already, without being embeded on any blog or website until now, the video interview is causing chatter on this blogger's Zennie62 YouTube page.

As a way of introducing the mostly-unknown Mr. Rogers to fans and observers, we talked about how he came to be involved in the picture slated for release in 2012. "That's the targeted release date," Rogers said. It's a fairly large project to set up, and everything so we're aiming for that point, or Legendary's aiming for that point and we hope we can actually make it."

Rogers said he got involved in the project via two Japanese gentlemen he met several years ago. One of the pair said he had the rights to do a Godzilla movie as an IMAX 3D project. "That person was Mr. Banno," Rogers said, speaking of Yoshimitsu Banno, and continued, "who had been a company director at Toho for 35 years and had directed Godzilla Versus Hedorah."

(As a note, Yoshimitsu Banno was ultimately banned from making future Godzilla films in 1971, but is back in action with Rogers for this 3D Godzilla. Godzilla Versus Hedorah is also called Godzilla Versus The Smog Monster and one of my favorite Godzilla movies. Here's a famous scene, the one that reportedly angered Godzilla creator Tomoyuki Tanaka:



"We started down the road trying to develop the project and during those early days," Rogers explained, "and I started to see the handwriting on the wall in terms of 3D feature films and 3D digital projections and seeing IMAX 3D pull back as a possible venue."

Rogers said that in 2007 they "went back and met with Toho to actually make the 3D version of Godzilla. And it did actually take a huge amount of time to get those negotiations and get a licensing agreement to the point that we had the ability to do a 3D feature film project."

Of all of the studio companies Rogers and his partners talked to, Legendary Pictures was the one that stepped forward, ready to join them.

Legendary: Rebooted Batman, Rebooting Godzilla

Legendary Pictures is the Santa Monica-based studio ran by Thomas Tull and best known for its movies Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, which successfully rebooted the iconic DC Comics character, expertly played by Christian Bale. Brian says Legendary is eager to work the same magic with Godzilla.

For those who have bad memories of the 1998 Godzilla film with Matthew Broadrick, relax. Rogers aays Legendary is committed to a reboot of Godzilla that remains faithful to the original radioactive monster. (Which means there will be "a breath thing" as Roland Emerich referred to Godzilla's radioactive fire-breath, when asked if his 1998 Goszilla would do that. Really, it didn't. There was a bad-breath thing, but not a Godzilla-breath effect.)

Legendary doesn't want Godzilla fans to worry that they plan anything resembling the "Iguana Godzilla" of 1998. Not the case.

Dispelling Internet Rumors

Brian Rogers helped put the official word out on some Internet rumors.  The strongest one concerned a photo of a kind of dragon's head that looked like it could be for the Godzilla movie and is presented in this paragraph.  Rogers said it wasn't for the movie and called Legendary Pictures just to make sure they didn't put out anything his production partners weren't aware of.  It's not Godzilla.

The others concern, first, the number of monsters joining Godzilla.  Rogers confirmed that Godzilla will have a monster villain to battle, and possibility multiple monsters.   Second, he also said Godzilla fighting the U.S. Army, as in the 1998 Godzilla, would not be a part of this 21st Century 3D Godzilla.  (Besides, with America in such a bad deficit situation, could the Army afford to fight Godzilla?)

Finally, at Comic Con 2010, The Legendary Pictures booth featured a film of segments from each of their film and entertainment products, including Godzilla.  But in the case of Godzilla, there was an animated scene that had the viewer looking at a destroyed city (Toyko?) through the eyes of a walking Godzilla, hundreds of feet in the air.  I asked the PR rep if Godzilla was to be animated, and referred to the film clip.  She said yes, but she wasn't sure.

Brian Rogers officially confirmed that was a no. It's going to be live action 3D with Godzilla computer generated, but the film will not be an animated Godzilla.

Godzilla 2012: An Exciting Development

I'm confident Brian Rogers and his partners are going to produce a Godzilla that will reestablish the great beast as King Of All Movie Monsters. If the movie is as good as our conversation, Godzilla will be an unforgettable hit.

Stay tuned.

Anchorage Feels Quake: Alaska Earthquake Information Center

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center reports that Southern Alaska was hit by an earthquake. Large at 4.9 on the Richter Scale according to the US Geological Survey, the quake of 3:22 PM PDT is one of several that have struck Southern Alaska over the last day alone.

KTNA of Talkeena, Alaska reports:

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center located an earthquake that occurred at about 1:25 (this)Monday afternoon with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9. The quake was located at a depth of 26 miles and centered 13 miles southwest of Anchorage, 25 miles northwest of Hope and 43 miles south of Willow.

The event was widely felt across southern Alaska, with strongest shaking felt in Anchorage. Many people there reported shifting furniture and items falling off shelves. No reports of heavy damage have been received.

The quake was centered 26 miles below the earth and just 13 miles Southwest of Anchorage.