ESPN's Picabo Street Wrong, Arkansas Beating Alabama - ESPN's Error

Picabo Street has been the top search on Google Trends for most of Saturday as she was the "guest picker" on ESPN's College Gameday Show from Boise. Street, the well-decorated former Olympic skier, picked Alabama to beat Arkansas in today's game.

So far, Picabo's wrong. 10th ranked Arkansas is beating Alabama 10 to 7 in the 2nd quarter and as of this writing is in scoring position again. ESPN's wrong too.

ESPN failed to capitalize on the Internet interest caused by the appearance of the sexy female athlete that is Picabo Street by having a webpage blog post at ESPN.com. The result? ESPN essentially gives other websites and blogs, including Zennie62.com, the chance to gain from what they put on television.

Thanks, ESPN!

An update: Alabama intercepted Arkansas in the end zone. Somewhere, Picabo Street is cheering.

99ers take heat for the NOVO - but looks like it worked

Many 99ers took a great deal heat for their position on NOVO - but looks like it may have worked. When brave 99er souls began to speak out publicly about voting only for those in Congress come November, who actually were willing to help with our Tier 5 bill, they took a great deal angry grief from many Americans. Even the 99er Nation was somewhat divided on this NOVO issue. A small group of 99ers were quite vocal in their opposition to the idea of not voting.

99er Advocate Mignon Veasley-Fields, when she appeared on the Ed Schultz show, took the lion’s share of the public outcry against the NOVOs. There were others like Connie Kaplan and Cindy Paoletti (even though neither spoke of the NOVO movement on their Ed Show appearances) who also took some public criticism, especially Cindy for her outspoken blogging on the various 99er support sites.

Fact is, to vote or not and who you vote for are your own personal business. Many patriots died over the years to preserve the right of every American to freely choose whether to vote or not and who they wish to vote for or against.

It is not easy to hold to your convictions, especially when those positions face vocal opposition from many of your peers. It speaks well of the character of those who were willing to go out on a limb to stand up for what they believe in so strongly. Applause to all those who did so and exposed themselves to the ire of opposition to their stance.

The NOVO idea was conceived by 99er leader Rob C. and came to fruition in the PalTalk chat room, Tier 5 to Survive - unemployed unite. The idea was actually voted down by the members of that group about 1 month ago. Nobody liked the idea that this very well could hurt the Democrats in November.

Once it was confirmed by Senate Finance Committee staffers, that S3706 would likely not come out of committee before the election, drastic measures were warranted. So in a bold move designed to inspire the Democrats to move on this bill before they go home yet again, the 99er NOVO movement was born. It took off like wildfire and seemed everyone had an opinion about this one way or another.

When the news broke yesterday, the Jobless Talk radio show was all ready to announce the news, with special guests Mike Thornton (from Examiner.com) and Rob C. himself. Unfortunately the Blog Talk Radio servers were down and it was not possible for Jobless Talk to air yesterday. My apologies to all faithful listeners.
One thing I do not hear being discussed much in the national dialog is the benefits that a Tier 5 for all states would bring to the American economy.

The population of US unemployment exhaustees has grown immensely since June. In June there were 3.8 million, but the ranks have grown by about 1 million since the retroactive extension in July, via HR 4213.

So at about 5 million exhaustees using the average weekly benefit of $300.00 would put 1.5 billion dollars into the economy every week once our Tier 5 is passed. Factor in the stimulative effect of every UI dollar spent and you have 2.6 billion, which would provide the demand required to keep the recovery going in the right direction, prevent further layoffs and stimulate the creation of jobs within the individual communities throughout America right where they are hurting most.

Passing a Tier 5 for all states is good for employed Americans as well. Injecting demand into the local economy at a community level, keeps struggling businesses within those communities open for business. It justifies an employer keeping that employee, who now isn’t as so busy because the demand is not there. Employers would have to hire in many communities to handle the increased demand created by that 1.5 billion per week.

Many think not voting is un-American. Isn’t it far more un-American letting 5 million of your constituents starve to death? I cannot condone that with my vote and if S3706 is brought to the floor for a fighting chance at least, the 99ers can see the Democrats might be worth saving after all. The alternative is an excruciating step backward.

In the end, you are alone in the voting booth and must vote your heart. If Stabenow’s commitment to Ed Schultz is indeed fulfilled this week, the threat of the 99er NOVO movement will have done the job it was designed to do: motivate the Democrats to bring the Americans Want to Work Act to the floor, where - if it is voted down by Republicans - that will expose the GOP for the heartless, uncaring party that it truly has become, making the choice crystal clear come November 2, 2010.

Many 99ers are dismayed about giving up the NOVO movement on just the promise of our bill coming to the Senate floor. It is true that there is no guarantee S3706 will pass before the election. But it is a certainty that without the bill even coming to the floor, we had no chance whatsoever for our Tier 5 bill becoming law. At least now there is a slim chance the bill could pass this week.

A 99er NOVO brain-storm at 2AM leads to a Congressional commitment

A 99er NOVO brain-storm at 2AM leads to a Congressional commitment:
For months on end the 99er Nation has fought hard for the Tier 5 unemployment “exhaustees” desperately need. Many 99ers have taken a leading role in this fight, but one of the most successful leaders heads 99er Media, Rob C.

Staring at his clock and anguishing over what could be done to motivate the Senate to bring S3706 up for a vote before the election, Rob was unable to sleep Thursday night. By 2:30 AM pacific time Friday morning, Rob decided to draft an email to his friend, Ed Schultz.

This Thursday, Rob was on air with Ed Schultz on his radio show, explaining the 99er NOVO position. It was made clear that all the 99ers want in order to get their hard work and energy behind the Democrats in November, is to have the Americans Want to Work Act brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Simple, right? Not really. S3706 has been languishing in Finance Committee “limbo” since it was first introduced back in August.

This is the text of that 2:30 AM email from Friday morning:

Dear Ed,
I appreciate speaking with you yesterday (on the radio show). One thing I will always respect you for is your fairness in  handling this issue, even when you personally do not agree with our “Non-voting” option. I think the despair within the 99er Nation has really peaked. The upcoming elections signify that we are about to hit the final wall and no help is coming! One 99er guest on your show the other day, really distorted the time line perspective on this issue. She commented that she could wait two more months - No problem! Well all the 99ers I know cannot wait two more months. Doom is already upon their doorstep, only the greater issue is that it really doesn't work out to two months. If we go past the elections then it could well be January before we get this to the floor and possibly passed. That translates into five more months, or by that time just about a year since any of us have had a basic lifeline. What will their excuse be then - it's been a whole year now, so why should we doing anything? With the U.S. Congress it's anybody's guess..

I know Healthcare is a victory and important. Though unemployed people are falling by the wayside at an out of control pace like no other. I know healthcare costs will destroy many lives. In comparison suicide rates will soar to disgusting heights because of unemployment. I can assure you the last thing my Dad was thinking about in those seconds and minutes before he took his life was health care. He was thinking about running out of food, being evicted from his home, and about the shame of being unemployed and 61 years old.

When I examine the wreckage around me and a great many other 99ers survey their own personal wreckage, we are left to the somber conclusion that we can not give our vote away to people who have ignored us in our hour of need. Someone does not deserve our vote simply because they chose to belong to one of two parties. All we are asking these guys to do is bring the bill to the floor before they take yet another break. If they cannot manage to move some paper onto the floor, do they really deserve to be running the country? I don't want people handling tough issues like Iran if they can't handle something as straight forward as bringing an unemployment bill to the floor during a record economic crash. If they can't push some paper, can we trust them with the tough stuff?  Besides they are not voting on the tax breaks in this session, that frees up their time now to do something productive like bring the Stabenow bill to the floor.

Ed, I truly think there is pathway to victory here for everyone. Please work with me to get this bill to the floor. You are influential and you have lots of friends - Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jackson, Mr. Carville and so on. Someone has the be able to talk some sense into the Democrats and get this bill to the floor. Mr. Carville was soliciting ideas for the Democrats on CNN just days ago. Your voice is more powerful than any of ours. Please do what you can to wake up those capable of fixing this to do so. They are searching for an election solution when it's sitting right here in front of them. Just think of the energy the 99ers have concentrated into our movement. Not only would the Democrats win the votes of us and our families, they would inherit this robust spirit of support and activism. No one will hold it against you if this doesn't work and they don't bring the bill to the floor. We know you have had our back the entire way. No one will ever question that. But if you can strike a chord with someone and get them into motion, you single handedly could change the entire 2010 elections. You are the voice of the everyday American. They can have our vote, but they can't have it for free. We can change things Ed. Please help me to fix this before November.  
 
With Great Respect,
Rob Curtis and the 99er-NOVOs

Rob eventually drifted off to sleep only to discover 2 reply emails when he awoke.

The first came at 5:43 AM Friday from Wendy Schultz, explaining that she forwarded Rob’s email to Ed, that he (Ed) was not giving up on the 99ers.

The second came 2 hours later, explaining that Ed would be calling Senator Stabenow personally and plead the case for the 99ers.

Who could ask for more from Mr. Schultz, who has been the hero of the 99er Nation since May of this year.

At 11:30 AM that morning, while on another call, Rob received a call he thought was from Ed’s producers. When he clicked over to take the call, the voice on the other end of the line announced: “Hi Rob, this is Ed Schultz.” His next words were: “I just got done talking personally with Debbie Stabenow,” stating that he had a commitment from (D-MI) to bring S3706 to the Senate floor for debate and a possible voice vote, next week.

In consideration for this bill actually getting to the floor for a vote, Rob and Ed made a monumental agreement. Rob C. has assured Ed Schultz that once the bill is brought to the Senate floor for debate and a possible voice vote next week - the 99er NOVOs will dissolve their ‘No Vote’ campaign. The voices and collective power of the 99er NOVO movement will then redirect all of their energy into a Democratic VICTORY and ensuring successful passage of legislation that will help all the American 99ers.

Rob is enormously grateful to Ed for moving mountains in making this happen and out of respect for that extraordinary effort, is committed to transforming the energy of the 99er NOVOs into the “Ed Saved the VOTE” caucus, working tirelessly for a Democratic win in November.

Next week, once the bill has been brought to the floor, Rob and Ed have agreed to revisit this matter. At that time, Rob would like to publicly announce how this all came about, how Ed saved the day and how the NOVO movement will evolve into a driving force behind a Democratic win in 2010.

Of course it is widely believed that this bill will face stiff opposition from the Senate Republicans. That is where the 99er Nation can help.

Everyone is encouraged to contact their state Senators, Democrat or Republican and demand they support S3706.

The retiring Senator Voinovich may be just what the 99er Nation has been praying for and all unemployed Americans are urged to contact his offices in mass this week. http://voinovich.senate.gov/ 
Washington D.C. Phone: 202-224-3353

Cincinnati, OH
phone: (513) 684-3265 fax: (513) 684-3269
Cleveland, OH
phone: (216) 522-7095 fax: 522-7097
Columbus, OH
phone: (614) 469-6697 fax: 469-7733
Nelsonville, OH 
phone: (740) 441-6410 fax: (740) 753-3551
Toledo, OH 
phone: (419) 259-3895 fax: (419) 259-3899

Another possible ally in the fight to pass our Tier 5 bill could be Senator George LeMieux of Florida. Washington, DC Phone: (202) 224-3041, Toll free: (866) 630-7106 Fax: (202) 228-5171.

The two Senators from the great state of Maine may also be receptive to helping the unemployed “exhaustees” get this bill passed or at least stop a filibuster threat.

Senator Olympia J. Snowe: Washington, DC Phone: (202) 224-5344 Toll Free: (800) 432-1599 Fax: (202) 224-1946.

Senator Susan Collins Washington, DC Phone: (202) 224-2523 Fax: (202) 224-2693.

Call the White House comments line to demand the same. White House Comments Line 202-456-1111 Comment line is only open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday EST. ***REMIND the President that this is an emergency and WE the people (middle class then -impoverished now) voted him in office. Now he needs to speak up for us and do whatever he can to assure our Tier 5 becomes law NOW!


The 99er Nation stands on the verge of obtaining the coveted Tier 5 UI extension, but it may be a hollow victory for those 99ers in states which do not meet the 7.5% unemployment threshold the bill requires for the additional 20 weeks of benefits.

This is a very hopeful turn of events and next week we shall see if the Democrats keep this commitment.

The moral of this story is: Never underestimate the power of a well publicized NOVO threat, especially in a tight midterm race.

Lindsay Lohan Will Bail Out of Jail According To Cal Penal Code

Lindsay Lohan Lawyer Shawn Chapman-Holley got Lindsay Lohan out of jail. Chapman-Holley filed a appeal to Judge Eldin Fox's court-ordered jailing of Lohan without bail, reportedly siting a provision of California law that gives defendants the right to bail in misdemeanor cases according to TMZ.com. But this blogger elected to research the issue using Law Justia Legal Research.

According to Section 853.6.(a) (4) governing citations for Misdemeanors:

(4) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to affect a

defendant's ability to be released on bail or on his or her own

recognizance, except as specified in Section 1270.1.

In other words, because Lohan's charged with a misdemeanor and not a felony, she's entitled to post bail as she does not pose a threat to public safety.

Earlier, Oakland Lawyer William DuBois has said that the judge was entitled to remand Lohan because she was already sentenced and violated probation. However Lohan's lawyer could appeal if she determined the judge stepped outside his legal authority. He did. California law prohibits locking someone up just because they violated probation without allowing them to post bail in misdemeanor cases.

According to TMZ.com, Judge Patricia Schnegg, Assistant Supervising Judge for the L.A. County Criminal Courts overturned Judge Eldin Fox's court-ordered jailing of Lohan without bail. Lohan will be out tonight and bail is set at $300,000.

Lohan's ordered to get a SCRAM bracelet and must avoid contact with anyone who is a drug user and must submit to a search by law enforcement at any time.

Lindsay Lohan Stuck In Jail Because Of Twitter, Says Oakland Lawyer

Lindsay Lohan is stuck in jail and may have ran out of chances. According to a well-known Oakland, California Defense Attorney, famed Actress Lindsay Lohan can't get out of jail. While the LA Times reported that Lohan "got around Los Angeles County jail system's early-release policy," that is not accurate.  The judge wasn't using a loophole, but acting within the scope of his common legal authority.

William H. DuBois, an Oakland Criminal Defense attorney who's handled a number of high-profile cases, most notably the Hans Reiser Murder Case, said Friday that LA County Court Judge Elden Fox can hold LiLo without bail because she's already been sentenced. "Once she's been sentenced and is on probation," Du Bois said, "the judge can remand her if she's found to have violated probation."

When this blogger informed Mr. DuBois that Lohan publicly announced she failed a drug test that was part of the terms of her probation, DuBois said "Well, that's it. The twit tweeted."

Du Bois explained that the only way Lohan's attorney could have got her out of jail was to find that the judge in some way abused his legal authority.

The only opening Lohan's attorney Shawn Chapman-Holley had was if Lohan had not used Twitter to essentially admit she violated probation. Then, absent an obvious, provable action other than the results of her tests, which were not publicly available, Chapman-Holley may have been able to mount an effective counter strategy and get Lohan out of jail.

But that legal door was closed when Lohan used Twitter, according to DuBois.

Lohan wrote a series of tweets that add up to one paragraph of thought, presented backward and segmented as is the structure of Twitter. Here are her tweets in the order they were posted in:

but also that I am a work in progress, just as anyone else. I am keeping my faith, and I am hopeful....Thank you all!!!
9:49 PM Sep 17th via web

I am so thankful for the support of my fans, loved ones and immediate family, who understand that i am trying hard,
9:48 PM Sep 17th via web

This was certainly a setback for me but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I'm prepared to face the consequences.
9:47 PM Sep 17th via web

forward every day. I am testing every single day and doing what I must do to prevent any mishaps in the future.
9:47 PM Sep 17th via web

Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away over night. I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps
9:46 PM Sep 17th via web

Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test and if I am asked, I am prepared to appear before judge Fox next week as a result.
9:45 PM Sep 17th via web

Beyond sticking her neck in her own legal noose on Twitter, US Weekly Magazine reports Lohan was drinking and laughing as she tweeted the messages above and she had held.

Lohan downed Jack and Coke drinks at Magnolia Restaurant in Hollywood, and was allegedly helped by an "assistant and male friend," who've got to be two of the dumbest people on the planet.  The mag reports they were coaching her on what words to use in her tweet, rather than talking her out of using Twitter at all.

This, Lohan's so called friends and associates, are why she's in jail as of this writing.  Sad.

When asked what Du Bois would have done if he were Lohan's lawyer, DuBois said "Keep her from violating probation!"

Students donate blood and time to save lives By Nikky Raney

Students donate blood and time to save lives

The participation of volunteers and donors during the fall 2010 blood drive made the event a success

By Nikky Raney

            The Husson University Blood Drive was sponsored by campus radio station WHSN 89.3 and the America Red Cross on Monday, September 13, 2010.

            Marlon Weaver, New England School of Communications senior, was appointed organizer of the event by WHSN's Mark Nason.

            As a member of the Maine Army National Guard, Weaver was more than willing to volunteer his time for the American Red Cross.

            "Bottom line is [donating blood] saves lives, and that is important to me," Weaver says.

            There were many students who volunteered their time during this event, but the student who stands out most to Weaver is Anna Levesque, Husson freshman.

            "She really helped get the ball rolling. She was a last minute volunteer, showed up early and organized multiple stations." Weaver continues, "Anna had such high energy, and she even came back after class to volunteer more."

            Levesque had previously volunteered for a blood drive during her senior year of high school, which made her eager to help out. She explains her duties as a volunteer:

            "As a volunteer I helped with the sign in process by reading the packets with the donors and determining eligibility. I escorted the donors off the table when they were done donating blood and I brought them to the canteen station. Volunteering makes me feel good."

            She was very happy by the turnout saying, "There were over 70 donors, mostly students, and it went really well. I wasn't able to donate since there wasn't enough time left, but I hope to next time."

            Decker Lenard, NESCom sophomore, was a first time blood donor who used this opportunity to find out his blood type.

            Lenard realized that donating blood was not as simple as just signing in, sitting down and having blood taken.

            "After signing up the doctors came and set me up in a tent. I was asked a lot of questions and after saying 'no' enough times I was placed on a table. My arm was disinfected and then I laid there as they took a pint of my blood. That took about seven minutes and immediately afterwards I was taken to the snack area where I ate Cheez-Its."

            In some cases the donating process does not go so smoothly, but in the event that someone feels as though he or she may pass out or become sick the volunteers and American Red Cross members are able to take care of the situation.

            Mike Dumont, Husson junior, donated last fall and recalls an instance where a volunteer had to ring the bell when a donor was about to pass out.

            “The volunteer just rang the bell for the donor and all of the sudden all of the people that are there with the Red Cross just rushed over to the donor.”

            Allegra Boyd, Husson sophomore, is a frequent donor who has experience with having to ring the bell.

            “I can tell when I am about to pass out - I tell the volunteer and then the volunteer dings the bell."

            Boyd has her own routine that she follows every time she donates.

            "Giving blood for me was pretty standard. Whenever I give blood quickly I get cold and have a headache. I usually donate really fast - most people take between six and 11 minutes, while I take about five. I keep my feet up while I donate and usually take a little extra time adjusting before walking over to the canteen." Boyd explains.

            Although giving blood may not be an easy process for her, Boyd feels good knowing her blood could save someone's life.

            "This time giving blood was easily the best reaction I've ever had. Even though I do sometimes react badly I don't intend to stop donating any time soon."

           

Jersey Shore: Season 2 Episode 9 Recap By Nikky Raney

As always the time has come for the weekly blog post recapping the most recent episode of MTV's Jersey Shore from watching the episode first hand.

Thursday, September 23's episode was one that had quite a few moments where the viewer was compelled to laugh out loud - not just those moments that are funny and are smirked at.

This episode starts off with Angelina bringing Ronnie and Sammi for Jose's birthday dinner. While at the restaurant the girls decide to go freshen up in the bathroom - Jose uses this opportunity to vent his frustrations to Ronnie.

Jose explains how although he and Angelina may not be classified as "boyfriend/girlfriend" she was hypocritical to tell him not to hook up with other girls and then hooked up with Vinny. Angelina gets some credit for admitting to Jose that she hooked up with Vinny, but the fact that she even hooked up with Vinny was an act of desperation.

For those who are confused: Last episode Angelina and Vinny constantly spoke of how much they hated each other - Vinny calling her the "Staten Island Dump," and Angelina saying how "ugly" Vinny is. Angelina refers to herself as "Kim Kardashan of Staten Island," and Vinny countered that by calling her "Rob Kardashian." Just hours after this degradation took place the two were making out in the cab with the other male roommates as witnesses. Then Angelina went into bed with Vinny and "smushed."

Anyway- after dinner the four are walking back to the house while Sammi and Ronnie trail behind. Ronnie tells Sammi what Jose had told him, and Sammi realizes that this shows Angelina should not be trusted.

Angelina - Image courtesy of MTV

Angelina and Jose go to the "Smush Room," and Jose expects to getting a special birthday present from Angelina. This part is particularly funny as the two lay in bed and Jose every few minutes goes, "I'm waiting." Angelina's response is by saying, "Hold on a minute." Jose did not get the birthday sex he was expecting, but once he leaves Angelina tells all the housemates that she did in fact smush Jose.

Angelina thinks that by lying to the roommates and saying she had sex with Jose when she didn't will cause them to leave her alone, but it does just the opposite. It is ironic and hilarious the way every single housemate goes on and on about how "slutty Angelina is for sleeping with Vinny one day and Jose the next," when in all reality Angelina did not do the deed with Jose.

Pauly D. has become infatuated with Rocio, and the two get closer and closer. He tells the cameras that he wants to take it slow so that he doesn't mess anything up with her.

J.WOWW calls the house while at work to remind Snooki of her nail appointment. Angelina answers the phone and says she will wake up Snooki, but when J.WOWW returns she sees that Angelina is on the telephone while Snooki is still asleep.

Pauly D. figures that by picking Snooki up and dropping her on the bean bag chair Snooki is effectively able to wake up. Snooki and J.WOWW go to get their nails done - J.WOWW wants to look her best for when her boyfriend Tom shows up.

Tom & J.WOWW- Image Courtesy of MTV

When Tom does show up J.WOWW talks about how happy she is, but that soon fades when Tom gets furious. Tom was looking through J.WOWW's phone book and found a phone number that he had specifically asked J.WOWW not to put into her phone book. He threatens to leave, but J.WOWW uses her powers of seduction (and picking his nose) to get him to stay.

Later on that night when the two are getting intimate the drunken Snooki starts to grab Tom & J.WOWW's feet under the covers. When she realizes what she has done she gets scared like a puppy and runs into Vinny's bed.

At the club that night The Situation meets a girl who he is determined to hook up with. To his dismay security kicks the two out of the bathroom saying there may only be one person in the bathroom at a time. He tries to bring her back to the house, but he is unable to find her. Luckily, the next day she leaves a note on their door with her number.

Angelina's friend Gina comes to visit bringing her clothes. Angelina calls up her mom to thank her for sending her jewelry and clothing, and ends up crying because she misses her family so much.

Later, Pauly D. and Vinny go to the beach - but they see from afar that Angelina and Gina are also at the beach. Each pair ignores the other and goes about enjoying the Miami sun.

While Pauly D. and some beach girls bury Vinny under the sand, Angelina and Gina scope out a boy to become their new friend and decide to take him back to the house.

The Situation - Image courtesy of MTV

Before Angelina returns to the house The Situation finds a used feminine pad on the bathroom floor which the roommates conclude belongs to Angelina. The Situation decides to take the pad and place it underneath Angelina's pillow.

When Angelina comes back to the house with Gina and the new beach boy, ironically named Mike, she finds the pad. She is grossed out and a bit humiliated that her new friend is seeing this, but she quickly throws it away.

Angelina is sitting in the living room with both her friends when The Situation walks in and starts to ridicule her in the most demeaning way right in front of her friends. Angelina has had enough and throws (what appears to be water) at his face - and then the episode ends.

The previews for next week episode include Snooki removing her earrings and going fist-to-fist with Angelina.