Another Chicago teenage has been beaten and critically injured by three males. The unidentified victim, 14 years old, was listed in critical condition at Children's Memorial Hospital and is reportedly undergoing surgery. The police said this vicious beating occurred in the city's Edgewater neighborhood.
According to the Chicago Police Lt. Paul Kusinski, a witness told police they saw the victim being chased by three males about at 7:45 p.m. on the 6300 block of North Paulina Street. He added that after the three assailants caught up with the victim, all three beat him, and one reportedly struck him over the head using an unknown "shiny" object.
The boy was rushed to the hospital to be treated for massive head injuries and no arrests have been made yet.
Still developing. More to follow.
mercredi 30 septembre 2009
White House Criticizes Fox News and Glenn Beck For Deliberate Misrepresentation of President Obama's Push for 2016 Summer Olympics
Glenn Beck has once again went on a crazy rant with all his facts wrong. Even the official White House blog had to call this idiot out on his tirade about President Obama's push to bring the Olympics to Chicago. Online Programs Director Jesse Lee called Beck out and Fox News, or as I like to call them Faux News, for deliberately ignoring the facts "in an attempt to smear the Administration's efforts to win the Olympics for the United States." The White House blog post went out to highlight what it deemed as misleading rhetoric on the President's Olympics efforts:
RHETORIC: BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT "HAD THE OLYMPICS." Glenn Beck said, "Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]
REALITY: VANCOUVER'S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010. Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 - 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]Am I to assume that Glenn Beck cannot understand what he reads? There's a big difference between 2009 and 2010. The White House's sharp criticism of Fox News and Beck ends with the statement, "For even more Fox lies, check out the latest "Truth-O-Meter feature from Politifact," linking to another deliberate misrepresentation by Fox News' of President Obama and the endeavors of his administration.
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) Compares Health Care in America to the Holocaust
Here we go again. Another politician putting his foot in his mouth. This time Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) is under fire for describing the gist of the Rethuglicans health care plans as "die quickly" and he is not exactly backing down from claims he's crossed the line of civility. Wait, the Republicans want an apology after all the nasty things they have said about President Obama and others? Do you remember Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-SC) "You lie" outburst during the president's address to Congress? Well, Grayson had more vitriol ready to toss at the GOP.
On the floor, he called on members of the House to pass health care reform in the most extreme terms possible:
"I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America," Grayson said.
Yeah, that will definitely ruffle some feathers. I am just sick and tired of all this back and forth nitpickiness on both sides of the aisle. The Holocaust is nothing to throw around lightly. Sorry, Rep. Grayson, you crossed the line, in much the same way as Joe Wilson did. You should apologize because the leadership told you so, then go out and raise some funds for your party! Seriously, that was in poor taste and just over the top.
John Evander Couey, on Death Row for Abduction & Murder of Jessica Lunsford, Dies of Natural Causes
John Evander Couey, the dirtbag who was convicted of abducting and murdering nine-year old Jessica Lunsford in 2005, has died. Couey, who was sentenced to death for this heinous crime, died of natural causes.According to the Florida Department of Corrections, he had been taken to a Jacksonville hospital where he expired. They should have put him in a garbage bag and thrown him in the woods or better yet, in the Florida Everglades. He didn't deserve to take his last breath in a hospital. All I can remember seeing is the anguish and pain on the faces of this precious little girl's family. She did not deserve such a fate. No-one does.
"I never dreamed it would happen like this," Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, told CNN. He added that he never thought he would live long enough to see Couey put to death because of the lengthy appeals process. Well, I hope Mr. Lunsford will find some peace now that this dirtbag has departed this world.
Sir'mone McCaulla, Army Reserves Soldier & Post Office Stab Suspect Dead, Cops Say He Likely Committed Suicide
Sir'mone McCaulla, 28, an Army Reserves soldier has been identified as the man who fatally stabbed, Christopher Gutierrez, a young father outside the main post office in New York City, appears to have committed suicide. His body was reportedly found in his ex-girlfriend's apartment in Philadephia, slumped in a tub with a plastic bag over his head. According to the NY Daily News, sources have said that a cable box was found on his chest, which suggests he electrocuted himself.The NYPD said a Philadelphia police officer recognized McCaulla, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital at at about 6:27 p.m., from their time together in the military. His family seems to think he was not the person who was photographed walking away from the body of Christopher Gutierrez on Sunday. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said three people also called the Crime Stoppers hotline to identify McCaulla, who was stationed in Kuwait at one point.
McCaulla allegedly plunged a knife into Gutierrez's chest after a seemingly minor altercation outside the James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Ave. in Manhattan on Sunday. Kelly said the two men bumped shoulders and walked past each other, but kept exchanging words, then stopped and squared off. Gutierrez, 20, took off his jacket and assumed a fighting stance, Kelly said. McCaulla then strode toward him, brandishing a knife at his side. "As they get closer, the perpetrator lunges - four quick strokes or jabs - into the victim," Kelly said. Gutierrez, the father of a 1-year-old boy, collapsed on the post office steps. McCaulla, who lived with his mom, had three arrests on his rap sheet, including busts for burglary and robbery.It's a shame Christopher Gutierrez had to lose his life and if McCaulla is the killer, he took the easy way out by ending his life. This has left two families left grappling for answers and for peace. It seems that some of our young men are turning to a life of crime and violence rather than being productive members of society. Christopher Gutierrez, like Derrion Albert, was trying to do the right thing with his life and some hard-core thug ended his life too. There is a breakdown in the family structure of perpetrators such as this young man. While I understand the motivation behind President Obama's decision to go to Copenhagen to lobby for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be awarded to Chicago from a financial perspective, we have far more pressing issues in this country to address. There is something seriously wrong in the inner cities across this country and it speaks to more than a breakdown in the homes.
He had posted a video on his MySpace page in which he counts several thousand dollars worth of hundred-dollar bills, bragging to the camera about his wealth. "This is some people's bank accounts and this is what I use for sneaker money," he says on the video. "I'm addicted to it." Source: NY Daily News
Photo credit: Sir'mone McCaulla, NY Daily News
mardi 29 septembre 2009
12 Year-Old Pregnant Girl Keara Hess and Sister Sierra, 11, Missing After Stepfather, Mathew Hess, Leaves Note Saying He's Taking Them to School
SISTERS FOUND SAFE IN TENNESSEE!!!
The search has intensified for Sierra Hess, 11, and her sister Keara, 12, who is nine months pregnant, and have been missing since Thursday. According to the Charlotte Observer, Iredell Sheriff's Office Lt. Julie Gibson said the sheriff's office is under order to turn the girls over to the Department of Social Services when they are found. She also added that, "DSS was involved with the family before we were," Gibson said. She didn't know all the details, but at least part of the reason was Keara's "medical needs."
According to media reports, the girls are believed to be with their adoptive father, Matthew Hess, who left a note for the girl s' mother, saying he was taking them to school that day. The girls go to Lakeshore Middle School in Mooresville and are in sixth and seventh grades.
Besides the fact that it is a shame that a 12-year old child is pregnant, one has to wonder what the adoptive father's motivation for running off is? In any case, I am sure the facts will be revealed once they are found, and we hope, safe.
UPDATE#1: According to media reports, investigators think Matthew Hess may be driving a brown or tan 1993 Ford Explorer with North Carolina license plate YTE-8014. The back right passenger window is broken out and is covered with Plexiglass, which is duct-taped in place.
Anyone who sees Hess or the girls should call the Iredell County Sheriff's Office at 704-878-3100.
Samoan Islands Struck by 8.0 Magnitude Earthquake, Tsunami Flattens at Least One Village
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck in the Samoan Islands region Tuesday. A tsunami warning was issued for a wide area of the southern Pacific after the earthquake struck at about 6:50 a.m. local time. The center said that a 1.6-meter wave was observed in Pago Pago in America Samoa and a 0.7-meter wave in Apia, Samoa. There have been 14 known fatalities in the wake of the earthquake that sent terrified residents fleeing for higher ground as a tsunami swept ashore, flattening at least one village.
The U.S. Geologoical Survey said earthquake struck about 200 kilometers south-southwest of Apia, Samoa, and 180 km east-northeast of Hihifo, Tonga, at a depth of 35 km. Based on all available data, the tsunami warning center said a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake and it could be "destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter."
Andrew Kelly, Off-Duty NYPD Officer, Arrested & Charged with Manslaughter, DWI for Death of Vionique Valnord, Officer Michael Downs, Fled Scene of Accident
NY Police Officer Andrew Kelly was charged with manslaughter and driving under the influence in the death of Vionique Valnord, 32, as she hailed a cab in Old Mill Basin, Brooklyn, at 12:41 a.m. Sunday. What is equally reprehensible is the fact that it took authorities more than seven hours to draw blood from Kelly, who struck the preacher's daughter while driving back to a bar for more alcohol. According to the NY Daily News, the time lag was partly the fault of a doctor who thought the officer's consent was necessary before he could draw the blood. That is problematic because it can have an adverse effect on the prosecutor's ability to convict this man.Kelly and one of his three passengers, Officer Michael Downs, worked overtime at the Yankees-Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx and then drove back to Brooklyn. Kelly told cops he went to one bar, where he drank an unspecified amount. He then went to another, where he downed six to eight beers, police and other sources said. Sources said one of the bars was the Third & Seventh in Marine Park, where last night plainclothes officers were seen examining security footage.
Kelly refused to take a Breathalyzer test and, while reeking of booze and slurring his speech, told responding officers there was no way they were going to draw his blood. "I'm not going to let that happen," he said, one source briefed on the incident said. "You're going to have to tie me down." Kelly's obstinance, the source said, caused the first delay, and the Brooklyn district attorney's office was not notified until 1:54 a.m.
The next three hours went as planned, the source said, with investigators doing the required interviews. Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Joseph Gubbay granted the warrant about 5:30a.m., after prosecutors called him at home, the Office of Court Administration said. When Kelly, 30, arrived at Kings County Hospital at 5:52 a.m., he refused to consent to give blood. A doctor there mistakenly believed consent was necessary and would not draw blood, two sources said. After a flurry of phone calls involving Internal Affairs and prosecutors, Kelly's blood was taken about 8 a.m. - seven hours and 20 minutes after the accident. Source: NY Daily NewsWhat happened to this woman was a disgrace and what is also troubling is the fact that it took seven hours and 20 minutes to draw his blood. He should be dismissed immediately from the police force. His friend Michael Downs, a four-year veteran from Brooklyn's 70th Precinct should also be terminated for leaving the scene of an accident. He claims a responding officer told him to leave the scene. If that's true, that officer should face departmental charges. This reeks of a cover-up on the part of the officers who were at the scene of the crime. These men are scum, as far as I am concerned. As the woman lay dying in the street, these men did not stop to help her, instead they fled. According to the NY Daily News, she was bleeding from her aorta and suffered multiple fractures.
UPDATE#1: Why am I not surprised that the blood alcohol test found no booze in the system of an accused drunken cop charged with mowing down a preacher's daughter. We'll see how this case will be prosecuted and what the verdict will be. It is quite clear that the delay in doing the blood tests favored this officer. That's a shame.
Keith Knight's "K Chronicles" Cartoon Depicting Black Man Hanging from Noose, Sparks Controversy at School
A cartoon from "The K Chronicles" has caused quite a bit of controversy on the campus of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, after it was published in last Friday's edition of the school's student-run newspaper, "The Rocket." In fact, many are screaming racism, but what I found amazing is that they are focusing on one small portion of the cartoon -- a drawing of a black man hanging from a noose saying,"You're doing this because I'm black, aren't you?" while white characters accuse him of playing the race card." According to media reports, the cartoon even led some students to go the Student Union with nooses around their necks. Newsflash to all the protesters -- the cartoon's author, Keith Knight, is an African American who was making a political satire comment on the state of race relations in this country.
There seems to be a separate issue in the cries of racism from some of the students. According to WYTV, some students said they have been hurt by recurring racism at Slippery Rock. That's a separate issue and should be treated as such, but to tie it to this cartoon is just preposterous. The campus NAACP chapter and the Black Action Society were only too eager to jump on the bandwagon over the cartoon controversy, instead of addressing the allegations of racism on the college campus. They have reportedly scheduled a meeting with earlier this week with "The Rocket" staff and a march and protest are planned for Thursday. I am actually very surprised that it wasn't picked up by the mainstream media. You will recall that the fallout that ensued in the NY Post "gorilla" cartoon. Do you find the cartoon offensive?
UPDATE#1: I spoke with Josh Rizzo, editor-in-chief of "The Rocket," who was very candid and forthcoming in his comments. He met with some members of the NAACP and the Black Action Society and said he has a better understanding of why the students thought the cartoon was offensive. He said he would be more sensitive to African American students. He said we are not at the stage yet where printing such a cartoon would not spark controversy. He also added that the general consensus of the students was that the frame was offensive, despite the fact that the cartoonist is black. He closed by saying things in the past have run so deep, that any discussions on such matters will lead to outrage.
NAACP Says Poster Depicting Obama as the Joker Hanging Outside Club Velvet Bar is Racist
The NAACP says a large poster hanging outside the Club Velvet bar in Richmond, VA, depicting President Barack Obama in makeup similar to the "Joker" from Batman movies, has gone too far and is racist. The bar's owner, Sam Moore, said it is simply an expression of free speech and he is protesting "big government." The NAACP is encouraging people in Richmond to boycott the bar. This is just downright ridiculous. Wasn't President George W. Bush also portrayed as the Joker?
lundi 28 septembre 2009
First Daughters of Spain's Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero are Secret Goths
The Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his wife posed with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during the G-20 Summit. Good Lord, they were invaded by Goths, in a pre-Halloween photo op. Okay, I won't talk about the prime minister's daughters, but all I can bring myself to say is DANG, couldn't someone see to it that they dressed a little more tasteful.
Thanks to the State Department, Prime Minister Zapatero's daughters, Alba, 13, and Laura, 16, managed to embarrass their parents with that look. For some odd reason they were included in the photograph. They are usually concealed from the press for their privacy, but that reason is questionable, given their outfits.
Four Teens Charged with First Degree Murder for the Beating Death of Chicago Honors Student Derrion Albert, 16,
Four teenagers, Silvonus Shannon, 19; Eric Carson, 16; Eugene Bailey, 18, and Eugene Riley, 18, have been ordered held without bail for the vicious beating death of honors student Derrion Albert, 16. They have been charged with first degree murder and will be charged as adults. The four thugs allegedly kicked and punched Albert, who was an innocent bystander in a fight between two groups of students near Fenger High School, which is located on the South Side of Chicago. According to Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Jodi Peterson, the assault was caught on video tape and was not gang-related, but apparently arose from a disagreement between students who live in Altgeld Gardens and an area known as "Ville." Sorry, but this was a brutal attack on an innocent bystander and these scumbags need to be severely punished for this barbaric attack.
Derrion Albert Beaten by Three Teenagers (Family Photo-Sun Times)
Earlier Thursday morning, the fight between the two factions led to a shooting outside the school, Peterson said. That led to a brawl near the school after classes finished shortly before 3 p.m., Peterson said.
Derrion had been standing near the fighting at 343 W. 111th Street when Carson and an unknown offender from the "Ville" approached him, Peterson said. Carson struck Derrion in the head with a long wooden railroad tie and the unknown offender punched him in the face, knocking Derrion unconscious, Peterson said. When Derrion gained consciousness, he moved a few feet away from the mob and tried getting up. But he was attacked again.Eugene Riley (left) and Silvonus Shannon (Chicago Police)
Soon, a group of five from the Altgeld Gardens faction descended upon Derrion. He was struck again with a railroad tied wielded by Riley as Shannon stomped on his head repeatedly, Peterson said. The video, shot by a witness, allegedly shows all three striking, punching and stomping Derrion in the head. Source: Chicago Sun TimesThis is one victim too many who has suffered at the hands of a bunch of thugs terrorizing their communities. This young man was a honors student. That says a lot about his character and his ambition. This one of the most heinous crimes I have ever seen in recent times. It is a shame that black-on-black crime continues to be an enormous and troubling problem in many inner cities across the country. It seems that many of the young black men in the inner cities are filled with such rage and have a propensity to violence. It is a sad commentary when police officers have to patrol inner city schools. This is a travesty and these four young thugs should never see the outside of any prison walls again.
Sorry, but instead of President Obama making a such a rousing pitch for Chicago to win the 2016 Summer Olympics and his decision to personally get involved by sending Michelle Obama to Copenhagen to join the city's delegation, it would have been much smarter to address the crimes being committed in the Windy City. Sorry, but they don't deserve the Olympics on that basis alone, in much the same way as South Africa doesn't deserve the World Cup for obvious reasons. According to CNN, the White House confirmed Monday that President Obama will fly on Thursday to Copenhagen, Denmark, where the International Olympic Committee will be reviewing bids from several countries on Friday. It will be the first time that an American president has lobbied the IOC in this manner. Mr. President, are you oblivious to the crime wave in your city?
UPDATE#1: Tamaray Shannon, Silvonus Shannon's mother, said there was a lot of tension at the school last week. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, she said her son had been chased out of school and stalked between classes by teens from the Ville. Ms. Shannon, according to media reports, has not viewed the tape, but readily states that she doesn't believe her son would have stomped on Albert's head. Here's the usual line we get from the families of the thugs: "Silvonus is not a bad kid," said Shannon, 40. "He was protecting himself. Silvonus is not what they are making him out to be." Okay Ms. Shannon, your son can't be such a good person if he's being charged with murder.
SHOCK: Facebook Poll Asks "Should Obama Be Killed?"
According to Huffington Post, a poll was posted on Facebook asking users to vote "should Obama be killed?" The responses include: "yes," "maybe," "if he cuts my health care," and "no." For all those people who think that there isn't a genuine concern for the president's welfare, here is further proof that the racial climate in this country is sliding down a very slippery and treacherous slope. The Secret Service is investigating this matter.
See a screen shot of the poll below:
As you can see, over 731 people have taken the poll, which has since been removed from Facebook.
See a screen shot of the poll below:
As you can see, over 731 people have taken the poll, which has since been removed from Facebook.
Former NBA Player John Salley Says the Majority of White America Hates President Obama
Former NBA player John Salley says the majority of White America hates President Barack Obama. He asked why does so many hate him after just 251 days in office and 328 days since he won the presidential election.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Calls President Obama Suntanned Again, Days After Being Snubbed by Michelle Obama at G-20 Summit
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has called President Barack Obama "sun-tanned" again. Fresh from the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pa., the gaffe-proned politician told a crowd in Milan, "I bring you greetings from a person who is called...a person who is sun-tanned... Barack Obama." He took it a step further and said, "You wouldn't believe it, but they go sunbathing at the beach together - his wife is also sun-tanned." You will recall that he sparked international outrage last November when he first described Mr. Obama as "sun-tanned." The man just doesn't learn. I thought President George W. Bush was a gaffe-machine, but this guy beats him by a landslide. He's in the same class as Vice President Joe Biden.
At the G20 meeting last week, Mrs. Obama rebuffed his open arms and pointedly chose to shake his hand rather than give him hug and a kiss on the cheek, as she did to other world leaders. I guess her reserve may have been a deliberate move not to appear cozy with a man who has been dogged since last April by accusations that he "consorts with minors" young enough to be his granddaughters and that he had slept with a high-class prostitute at his private mansion in Rome.
If anyone has a suntan, it is Silvio Berlusconi!
Berlusconi snubbed by Michelle Obama at G-20 Summit (AFP/Getty)
At the G20 meeting last week, Mrs. Obama rebuffed his open arms and pointedly chose to shake his hand rather than give him hug and a kiss on the cheek, as she did to other world leaders. I guess her reserve may have been a deliberate move not to appear cozy with a man who has been dogged since last April by accusations that he "consorts with minors" young enough to be his granddaughters and that he had slept with a high-class prostitute at his private mansion in Rome.
If anyone has a suntan, it is Silvio Berlusconi!
dimanche 27 septembre 2009
Dean Allen, Candidate for South Carolina's Adjutant General, Hosts "Machine Gun Social," Raffling Off Assault Rifle
South Carolina is in the news again. Approximately 500 people showed up yesterday for the kick-off of Dean Allen's candidacy for state adjutant general -- $25 for barbecue and ammunition to take target practice with the weapon of their choice. There's more. The sweepstakes for the assault rifle, reportedly the type used against U.S. troops in Vietnam, was thrown in at no charge.Allen, 58, said the "machine gun social" was his way of celebrating the second amendment and showing solidarity against gun-rights opponents? Really Mr. Allen? Why does that sound like a barefaced lie to me? Considering South Carolina's dubious track record of less than above-board politicians -- Gov. Mark "The Adulterer and Liar" Sanford, Rep. Joe "You Lie" Wilson, for example. Allen is hoping that this shindig will net him some votes. Gee, I wonder if he ever stopped to figure out what type of extremists he will attract?
For those of you wondering about this office he is seeking, South Carolina is the only state that elects its adjutant general, who administers the Army and Air National Guard, the State Guard and the Emergency Management Division. Great, put a nut in such an important position.
Photo credit: Dean Allen, Greenville Online, (GEORGE GARDNER/Staff)
Is Johnson Publishing's Ebony Magazine Up For Sale?
Is Ebony Magazine up for sale? I realized that something was terribly amiss when the Ebony Fashion Fair, which has been a glamorous social event in dozens of U.S. cities for 50 years, was suddenly canceled by Johnson Publishing, the parent company of Ebony Magazine. The company, which was founded by the late John H. Johnson, cited a lack of corporate sponsorship due to the economic quagmire. It has been a tough year for publishing company on a whole due to layoffs, closures and so on. According to media reports, it appears that Johnson Publishing's chairman and CEO, Linda Johnson Rice, has reached an agonizing decision -- sell the magazine that has been an integral part in the lives of African Americans for decades. It is unclear whether the company's other publications, including Jet, would be part of a possible sale. Where are all the black multimillionaires? Why not form a consortium and be the purchaser of this storied publication?
According to media and investment executives familiar with the developments, Chicago-based Rice, the daughter of Ebony's legendary founder, the late John H. Johnson, has approached, among others, Time Inc., Viacom, and private investors that include buyout firms. Time Inc., the world's largest periodical publisher, already owns Essence, a monthly lifestyle, beauty, and fashion magazine for African-American women. Viacom, meanwhile, owns BET (Black Entertainment Television), which has clearly not lived up to its ideals. BET has become a joke. It would be a real shame if the last African American publishing company loses its autonomy and becomes a part of a bigger company that will undoubtedly change the focus and the face of the magazine.
I must admit that I stopped reading Ebony a long time ago because I did not like the focus of the magazine and I didn't find many of the topics of interest to me. I suspect that many may have felt the same way, as evidenced by the sharp drop in subscriptions. The sad commentary is that Ebony seems to have lost it voice. I much prefer to read Black Enterprise magazine. Johnson Publishing should have grown significantly over the years, but instead it did not really seem to step out of its comfort zone and acquire other African American media related entities. They could have diversified by purchasing BET, for example. It is sad that such an institution took such a myopic view of its place in the media publishing industry and is now dying a slow death.
Ebony Magazine covers (Newsweek Magazine)
According to media and investment executives familiar with the developments, Chicago-based Rice, the daughter of Ebony's legendary founder, the late John H. Johnson, has approached, among others, Time Inc., Viacom, and private investors that include buyout firms. Time Inc., the world's largest periodical publisher, already owns Essence, a monthly lifestyle, beauty, and fashion magazine for African-American women. Viacom, meanwhile, owns BET (Black Entertainment Television), which has clearly not lived up to its ideals. BET has become a joke. It would be a real shame if the last African American publishing company loses its autonomy and becomes a part of a bigger company that will undoubtedly change the focus and the face of the magazine.
According to one top magazine executive, Johnson Publishing is requiring potential bidders to sign a confidentiality agreement to access the company's financial information, a standard practice in the dealmaking world. One publishing executive familiar with the situation said that Rice, given the magazine's historical significance and its deep roots in her family, hopes to remain an integral part of it. This suggests she prefers to woo a partner rather than sell the magazine outright. In any case, a purchase by a mainstream media company or publisher—a move that would end African-American control—might cause a stir in some quarters of the African-American community, as was the case with Viacom's acquisition of BET. And Ebony's woes would appear to dash hopes that African-American-owned or -oriented media would see a big lift in the marketplace with the election of Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American president. Ebony landed the first post-election print interview with the president-elect and his wife. Rice is a close member of the Obamas' Chicago social circle.I am sure that this isn't what John Johnson would have ever envisioned for his magazine. He founded what would become the largest African-American owned publishing company in 1942 with a $500 loan backed by his mother's furniture. Three years later he began publishing Ebony, which became a staple in many black households across the globe. Johnson, who died in 2005, once said, "Ebony was founded to project a dimension of the black personality in a world saturated with stereotypes. We wanted to give blacks a new sense of somebodiness, a new sense of self-respect." It's a shame that this company, which has given so much hope to many African Americans, even the fabulously wealthy among us, is looking for a purchaser.
The historic Ebony has fared worse than average amid the industry's woes. In fact, Ebony's advertising pages and ad revenues have declined in each of the last three years, even during periods when the industry was flat to positive. Among the 243 magazines tracked by the Publishers Information Bureau, ad pages plunged an average of 28 percent, with revenues falling by 21 percent, in the first half of 2009 compared with the same period a year earlier. But Ebony's decline was sharper, as advertising dived almost 35 percent, dragging revenues down almost 32 percent, to $18.8 million from 2008's $27.7 million. And the deterioration of Jet magazine, Ebony's sister publication, was even more severe—about 40 percent in ad pages and revenues. Source: Newsweek Magazine
I must admit that I stopped reading Ebony a long time ago because I did not like the focus of the magazine and I didn't find many of the topics of interest to me. I suspect that many may have felt the same way, as evidenced by the sharp drop in subscriptions. The sad commentary is that Ebony seems to have lost it voice. I much prefer to read Black Enterprise magazine. Johnson Publishing should have grown significantly over the years, but instead it did not really seem to step out of its comfort zone and acquire other African American media related entities. They could have diversified by purchasing BET, for example. It is sad that such an institution took such a myopic view of its place in the media publishing industry and is now dying a slow death.
Joy Behar Slams Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly During Appearance on "Reliable Sources" (VIDEO)
Joy Behar of "The View" and soon-to-be host of her own show on HLN, literally took right wing nutjob Glenn Beck to the backyard shed and gave him a tongue lashing. This all occurred during her appearance on CNN's "Reliable Sources" this morning. She also slammed Bill O'Reilly, but much of her venom was directed to the network clown, Glenn Beck. Behar said she thinks his past struggles with alcohol and drug addiction could be one of the reasons why he cultivates such outrageous personality:
But I think that he is frequently ridiculous and doesn't make any sense as far as I'm concerned. But he calls himself a rodeo clown, he's a clown, he's on the cover of Time magazine. I mean the media just plays right into his hands... He's addicted to all of that publicity I think. It took the place of drinking.Dang, I guess she just read Beck like a tawdry Mills & Boon novel. I can tolerate Bill O'Reilly because he is a far more reasonable person than Glenn Beck. I honestly would not ever label Bill O'Reilly as an extremist, much less a racist. Beck, on the other hand, he's a hopeless nutcase.
Eric Brewer, East Cleveland Mayor, Caught in Cross-Dressing Drama, After Sexually Suggestive Photos Surface
Is East Cleveland, OH, Mayor Eric Brewer on the down-low? He held a press conference and blamed the East Cleveland Police Department for photographs of what is said to be Brewer in drag and in various sexually suggestive poses. Brewer said he had not seen the photographs until they were published by WKYC and he was "upset" that the reporter who broke the story failed to speak with him directly about the incident. He accused the police department of playing "gutter politics" because of its endorsement of another candidate. He also accused his opponent Gary Norton, Council President. The sad reality is that this mayor has made so many enemies throughout the years utilizing questionable tactics, the list of suspects could likely be in the thousands -- and probably includes the jilted girlfriend or boyfriend who took the photos. There is a saying that "karma is a bi**h." What goes around, comes around.
I would like to take this time to address the statements made my East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer. Mayor Brewer decided to turn his so called "gutter politics" away from his own alleged disturbing photos to police corruption, making the police somehow responsible for his careless handling of his personal/private photo collection. We are not affirming who the pictures are but since the Mayor is clearly affirming that we are not doing our jobs and/or doing them improperly, I would like to point out the following:The last thing the people of his city needs is this hot drama landing in their laps. If the man likes to dress as a woman, then so be it, but don't point a finger at someone else when the truth is revealed. This is hilarious. I could care less if he wants to prance around in women's clothing and a garter belt, but please don't be so judgmental of others Mayor. It is amazing what these politicians will do. There is always a scandal brewing on either side of the aisle -- Democrats and Republicans.
The Police Corruption that is not being handled, and that "HE" got rid of the former Chief, Detective, and several other officers was based on the work done by the Police Internal Affairs Department. With out their full support to investigate and report the corruption, what could "HE" do?
The fact that named Sergeant, Randy Hicks who supervises the Street Crimes Unit which he has ordered to be reassigned made no mention of their impact these last two years. The fact that this unit had their lives threatened did not cause the unit to give up, but to move forward and to stay aggressive. The sense of pride knowing that they were impacting the community positively by the numerous arrest and convictions they were making. Not to mention the accolades received by residents in specific to this unit as well as the rest of the Men and Women for cleaning the streets.
The streets are cleaned by two groups, the Citizens and the Police. The alertness, awareness and willingness of the Citizens to report and state on crimes in combination with the Police response, investigations, and arrest are what allow the streets to be cleaned. Not one man staking a claim that "He" has done these things.
To the citizens; We have gone long and hard, day and night to police aggressively for a safer and more warming community. We will continue to police with professionalism and courtesy as well as investigate complaints against abuse through authority.
As we have seen and learned through past practices, the Mayor will put his name and picture on things as his"stamp of approval" to show that "HE" is responsible. Well what stamp of approval is this? To conclude and to serve as a matter of record, the Police Union nor its members had anything to do with the dissemination of any of the obscene photographs alleged of Mayor Brewer. The Police Union Members have however, been passing out flyers in support of FOP Lodge #39 endorsed candidate Gary Norton.
I have seen the pictures, but decided to post the most tame of them. You can see the pictures here. This hot mess could not come at a worst time for him. His father, Harold Pride Brewer recently passed away. Mayor Brewer, let me echo the words of a Hall and Oates song -- "private eyes are watching you, they see your every move. Private eyes are watching you. Private eyes. They're watching you, watching you!"
To read Mayor Brewer's statement, CLICK HERE. To see Zimbio's Top 20 Political Sex Scandals, CLICK HERE.
Iran Test Fires Two Short-Range Missiles as Part of Seven Days of War Games
Iran said it has successfully test-fired short-range missiles during military drills by the elite Revolutionary Guard, just days after the U.S. warned Tehran over a newly disclosed underground nuclear facility was secretly building. Iran reportedly also tested a multiple missile launcher for the first time. Sorry, but this is an intimidation tactic by this country and should not be tolerated. The tests come two days after President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French premier Nicolas Sarkozy warned the country that it must open the nuclear site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions, to which they agreed. Wow, I am sure they are scared. The problem is North Korean leader Kim Jong Il repeatedly defied the warnings of the Western powers and still launched missiles. We all know that Iran's nuclear program isn't meant for peaceful purposes, but to create hostilities.
By U.S. estimates, Iran is one to five years away from having a nuclear weapons capability, although U.S. intelligence also believes that Iranian leaders have not yet made the decision to build a weapon. Iran also is developing a long-range ballistic missile that could carry a nuclear warhead, but the administration said last week that it believes that effort has been slowed. That assessment paved the way for Obama's decision to shelve the Bush administration's plan for a missile shield in Europe, which was aimed at defending against Iranian ballistic missiles.
I am not advocating violence, but it seems that Iran wants another show of force by Israel in the same vein as 1981, when Israeli warplanes bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reaction and in 2007, Israel bombed a site in Syria that the U.S. said was a nearly finished nuclear reactor built with North Korean help that was configured to produce plutonium, which is one of the substances used in nuclear warheads. Iran is a strategic threat to Israel and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the destruction of Israel repeatedly. The last person you want to have a nuclear weapon is this nut, as well as Kim Jong Il.
Experts have estimated that Iran's current number of centrifuges could enrich enough uranium for a bomb in a year. Washington has been pushing for heavier sanctions if Iran does not agree to end enrichment. The Obama administration needs to stick to its guns and not back down.
I am not advocating violence, but it seems that Iran wants another show of force by Israel in the same vein as 1981, when Israeli warplanes bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reaction and in 2007, Israel bombed a site in Syria that the U.S. said was a nearly finished nuclear reactor built with North Korean help that was configured to produce plutonium, which is one of the substances used in nuclear warheads. Iran is a strategic threat to Israel and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the destruction of Israel repeatedly. The last person you want to have a nuclear weapon is this nut, as well as Kim Jong Il.
Experts have estimated that Iran's current number of centrifuges could enrich enough uranium for a bomb in a year. Washington has been pushing for heavier sanctions if Iran does not agree to end enrichment. The Obama administration needs to stick to its guns and not back down.
Filmmaker Roman Polanski, 76, Arrested by Swiss Authorities on 1973 Rape Charges
You can run but you can't hide. According to organizers of the Zurich Film Festival, director Roman Polanski, 76, has been taken into custody by Swiss police on a 31-year-old U.S. arrest warrant. Polanski fled the U.S. in 1978, one year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with Samantha Geimer, when she was 13 years old . I guess he got so used to running from the law that he didn't bother checking if he could have been arrested on the charges in Switzerland, where he traveled to receive a lifetime achievement award and has visited many times. Samantha Geimer, who is married and the mother of three children, wants the charge against him to be dismissed in the interest of saving her from further trauma as the case is publicized anew.
Polanski, who has lived in France for the past three decades, directed classic films such as "Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown" and most recently "The Pianist," in 2002, for which he won a directing Oscar Award in absentia. He sought dismissal of his case on the grounds that the judge, who has since passed away, had arranged a plea bargain and then reneged on it.
samedi 26 septembre 2009
Rep. Carolyn Maloney's (D-NY) Husband Clifton Maloney, Dies Suddenly on Climbing Expedition in the Himalayas Mountains
U. S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney is in the news again and this time I have to say, my thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Her husband, Clifton Maloney, a millionaire investment banker and avid climber, died on a mountain climbing expedition in the Himalayas. He was reportedly resting in a high-altitude camp after a successful ascent to the summit of the mountain when he died. According to media reports, he died after waking up tired.
Arrangements were still being made Saturday to recover his body from the slopes of Cho Oyu, which is a 26,906-foot peak that straddles Nepal and Tibet.
Maloney and his climbing partner and guide, Marty Schmidt, rested overnight at a camp at about 23,000 feet. The cause of death was unclear.
Photo credit: Himalayas Mountains, History for Kids
Maloney and his climbing partner and guide, Marty Schmidt, rested overnight at a camp at about 23,000 feet. The cause of death was unclear.
Photo credit: Himalayas Mountains, History for Kids
Radio Free Nation: Sen. Al Franken and Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Emmer Will be Guests Tonight
Radio Free Nationtm
Tune In Saturday Night
September 26, 2009
At 7:30 PM Central Time
United States Senator
Al Franken
(D - Minn)
-PLUS-
Candidate For Minnesota
Governor
State Representative
Tom Emmer
(R - Delano)
He's been called one of the most Conservative candidates in the race, a lightening rod for controversy and
the last best hope for the Republican Party.
-AND-
Is America Being Pulled Apart
By The Partisan Agenda
Of The Fringe?
-And-
Town Hall And Tea Party Politics
Are American's Missing The Point?
-And-
The Constitution Revisited
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE
Tune In Saturday Night
September 26, 2009
At 7:30 PM Central Time
United States Senator
Al Franken
(D - Minn)
-PLUS-
Candidate For Minnesota
Governor
State Representative
Tom Emmer
(R - Delano)
He's been called one of the most Conservative candidates in the race, a lightening rod for controversy and
the last best hope for the Republican Party.
-AND-
Is America Being Pulled Apart
By The Partisan Agenda
Of The Fringe?
-And-
Town Hall And Tea Party Politics
Are American's Missing The Point?
-And-
The Constitution Revisited
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE
Fisker Automotive, Backed by Former Vice President Al Gore, Gets $$529 Million Government Loan
How is it possible that California startup Fisker Automotive Inc., which is backed by former Vice President Al Gore, was able to secure a $529 million U.S government loan to help build a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000? This award follows a $465 million government loan to Tesla Motors Inc., purveyors of the ultra-pricey $109,000 British-built electric Roadster. Incidentally, Tesla is another California startup, but there's a twist, it has a number of celebrity endorsements that is backed by investors who have contributed to Democratic campaigns. It is really unfair that the average working class American will not benefit from Fisker or Tesla's products, but the very wealthy. Why can't the government ever show that it really cares about the average American citizen? Other companies that would service the needs of the taxpayers have had their bids rejected, instead the companies with vehicles aimed at the wealthiest customers are getting the loans at our expense. That's just shameful and wrong.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Henrik Fisker, who designed cars for BMW, Aston Martin and Tesla before starting his Fisker Automotive in 2007, said his goal is to build the first plug-in electric hybrids that won't sacrifice the luxury, performance and looks of traditional gas-powered luxury cars. Enter the Karma and guess who was one of the first to sign up for one? Mr. Al Gore himself. Thanks a million Al Gore for showing the American people what you really value and how much you really care about our needs. According to the WSJ, Mr. Fisker said he pitched Gore at an event hosted by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers last year and he almost immediately submitted a down payment on the car. Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman for Gore, confirmed that he backs Fisker. Doesn't this muddy the water as to how this company managed to land such an enormous loan?
Fisker said that most of the DOE loan will be used to finance U.S. production of a $40,000 family sedan that has yet to be designed. They claim that it was "the ability to drive a significant change in fuel economy across a large market segment that swayed the department to approve Fisker's loan." Fisker's government loans will reportedly come from a $25 billion program established by Congress in 2007 to help auto makers invest in the technology to meet a new congressional mandate to improve fuel efficiency. In June, the DOE awarded the first $8 billion from the program to Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., and Tesla, which are all developing electric cars.
Fisker's Karma Hybrid sports car AFP/Getty Images
Fisker said that most of the DOE loan will be used to finance U.S. production of a $40,000 family sedan that has yet to be designed. They claim that it was "the ability to drive a significant change in fuel economy across a large market segment that swayed the department to approve Fisker's loan." Fisker's government loans will reportedly come from a $25 billion program established by Congress in 2007 to help auto makers invest in the technology to meet a new congressional mandate to improve fuel efficiency. In June, the DOE awarded the first $8 billion from the program to Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., and Tesla, which are all developing electric cars.
Anne Morell Petrillo, Daughter of Slain Newspaper Heiress Anne Scripps Douglas, Believed to Have Jumped from Bridge
Anne Morell Petrillo, 38, the daughter of slain newspaper heiress Anne Scripps Douglas, is believed to have committed suicide by jumping off the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, NY, Thursday. Incidentally, New York State police said this is the same bridge her stepfather jumped from after killing her mother, Anne Scripps Douglas, nearly 16 years ago. Ms. Petrillo's body has not yet been recovered, but the police have confirmed that they believe she had committed suicide. The Journal News of Westchester County is reporting that she apparently got out of her car on the bridge, removed her clothes and then jumped into the Hudson River around 8 p.m.
The death of her mother in 1993 shed light on the fact that domestic violence can also occur among the affluent as well. Ms. Petrillo’s stepfather, Scott Douglas, beat his wife to death with a hammer in Ms. Petrillo’s bedroom on New Year's Eve in 1993. Mr. Douglas fled and jumped from the Tappan Zee. His body was found three months later.
Anne Douglas was the great-great-granddaughter of James Scripps, the founder of The Detroit News. Morell Petrillo, in addition to her sister and stepsister, is survived by a teenage son. Her father, Anthony X. Morell, died in 2005.
Anne Morell Petrillo, (Journal News)
The death of her mother in 1993 shed light on the fact that domestic violence can also occur among the affluent as well. Ms. Petrillo’s stepfather, Scott Douglas, beat his wife to death with a hammer in Ms. Petrillo’s bedroom on New Year's Eve in 1993. Mr. Douglas fled and jumped from the Tappan Zee. His body was found three months later.
Anne Douglas was the great-great-granddaughter of James Scripps, the founder of The Detroit News. Morell Petrillo, in addition to her sister and stepsister, is survived by a teenage son. Her father, Anthony X. Morell, died in 2005.
jeudi 24 septembre 2009
Anthony Taylor, 48, Arrested in Sex Sting Involving a Mother and 14-Month Old Daughter
Anthony Taylor of Staten Island, NY, was arrested by Delaware County, PA, police for allegedly arranging to have sex with a Pennsylvania mother and her 14-month old daughter. According to District Attorney Michael Green, a sex sting involving an undercover detective working online with his office led to Taylor's arrest. The undercover officer posed as a mother with a young child. What is equally reprehensible is the fact that Taylor, 48, is married with a young child as well.
Investigators have alleged that since June, Taylor was under the impression that he was talking to a mom who was willing to include her 14-month-old daughter in numerous sex acts with him. The dirtbag was arraigned before District Justice Griffin in Linwood and is being held on $750,000 bail.
His wife should leave him to rot in prison. He should not be allowed to post bond.
Anthony Taylor, CBS
Investigators have alleged that since June, Taylor was under the impression that he was talking to a mom who was willing to include her 14-month-old daughter in numerous sex acts with him. The dirtbag was arraigned before District Justice Griffin in Linwood and is being held on $750,000 bail.
His wife should leave him to rot in prison. He should not be allowed to post bond.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized After Feeling Faint
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been hospitalized Thursday after becoming ill in her office at the court. According to a statement issued by the court, Ginsburg was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m. EDT as a precaution. She had received an iron sucrose infusion at 4:50 p.m. to treat an iron deficiency that had been discovered in July. About an hour later, she "developed lightheadedness and fatigue," the statement said. She was found to have a slightly low blood pressure, which the court said can occur after the type of treatment she received. Although an examination found her to be in stable health, she was given fluids and taken to the hospital as a precaution, the court said.
The July evaluation found "that she was in completely normal health with the exception of a low red blood cell count caused by deficiency of iron. Intravenous iron therapy was administered in a standard fashion," the court statement said. You will recall that Ginsburg underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in February and returned to work surprisingly quick.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- Justices Luncheon
The July evaluation found "that she was in completely normal health with the exception of a low red blood cell count caused by deficiency of iron. Intravenous iron therapy was administered in a standard fashion," the court statement said. You will recall that Ginsburg underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in February and returned to work surprisingly quick.
Ginsburg, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, took her seat on the Supreme Court on August 10, 1993. She was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 1980. Thoughts and prayers go out to the judge and for a speedy recovery!
Actor Randy Quaid and Wife Evi, Arrested on Felony Charges for Stiffing San Ysidro Ranch $10,000
How utterly disgusting! Law enforcement in has reportedly arrested actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evi on burglary, fraud and conspiracy charges. Why? They are accused of stiffing the San Ysidro Ranch near Santa Barbara, CA, $10,000. Apparently this pair has been known to engage in criminal behavior of this nature. They stiffed the Hotel Bel-Air $17,000 in unpaid hotel bills. Talk about celebrity trash.
According to TMZ, there was a struggle and the deputies had to wrestle Evi to the ground as she screamed loudly. The Presidio County Sheriff's deputies also reportedly told TMZ that Randy Quaid assaulted them both physically and verbally, as he resisted arrest, but they did him a favor. They declined to file charges. The pair are in custody in the town of Marfa, Texas.
The Quaids bail is set at $20,000 each. To view warrants, CLICK HERE.
Randy & Evi Quaid (Splash News)
According to TMZ, there was a struggle and the deputies had to wrestle Evi to the ground as she screamed loudly. The Presidio County Sheriff's deputies also reportedly told TMZ that Randy Quaid assaulted them both physically and verbally, as he resisted arrest, but they did him a favor. They declined to file charges. The pair are in custody in the town of Marfa, Texas.
The Quaids bail is set at $20,000 each. To view warrants, CLICK HERE.
FBI Probe US Census Worker, Bill Sparkman's, Hanging in Rural Kentucky Cemetery, Was a Homicide or Suicide
The FBI has launched an investigation into the hanging death of Bill Sparkman, a part-time U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery, and it is being reported that a law enforcement official said the word 'fed" was scrawled on the dead man's chest. Mr. Sparkman's body was found September 12 in a remote patch of the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. As a result of this horrific turn of events, the Census has suspended door-to-door interviews in rural Clay County, pending the outcome of the investigation. We must exercise caution in ruling this as a homicide because Sparkman may have very well committed suicide.Investigators are still trying to ascertain whether the death was a killing or a suicide, and if a killing, whether the motive was related to his government job or to anti-government sentiment.There are some really sick people out there whose mission is to wreak havoc and harm innocent people. I hope that law enforcement will solve this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice if this was a homicide. We must also be mindful of the fact that Mr. Sparkman may have committed suicide and was not the victim of a homicide.
Census employees were told Sparkman's truck was found nearby, and a computer he was using for work was found inside it, she said. He worked part-time for the Census, usually conducting interviews once or twice a month. He has worked for the Census since 2003, spanning five counties in the surrounding area. Much of his recent work had been in Clay County, officials said. Door-to-door operations have been suspended in Clay County pending a resolution of the investigation, Scurry-Johnson said.
mercredi 23 septembre 2009
Todd R. Henry, 50, Teacher at John Tyler High School, Stabbed to Death This Morning, Juvenile Taken into Custody
SHOCK: Todd R. Henry, a teacher at John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas, has been stabbed to death. Tyler police spokesman Officer Don Martin said a juvenile was detained following this morning’s attack.
Henry, 50, was described by his brother Jody Henry, as “accomplished and respected guitarist.” Todd Henry was a music therapist who worked with special needs students.
Officials told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that Henry was stabbed with a knife in the neck and shoulder area. The newspaper further added that emergency radio traffic monitored at the Tyler Morning Telegraph newsroom indicated that a fight escalated to the point that TISD police had to call for backup from Tyler Police. No matter how you look at this, it was a tragedy of untold proportions. What is happening to some of our young people?
Still developing. More to follow.....
Sarah Palin Fails to Dazzle Global Investors in Hong Kong, Criticized President Obama Causing Two U.S. Delegates to Walk Out
Sarah Palin/Hong Kong Once again, Wasilla's own Sarah Palin has proven that she's too ignorant to be taken seriously. This time, she gave her "speech" to a group of global investors in Hong Kong about her views from "Main Street USA." This speech was billed as a wide-ranging talk about governance, economics and U.S. and Asian affairs. Er, that's not Sarah Palin's forte, so it was rather comical to read about her presentation, which is rumored to have bagged her a fee in the low six figures.
According to AFP, two U.S. delegates left early, with one saying "it was awful, we couldn't stand it any longer." Wow, that's a vote of confidence for the former governor, don't you think so? Of course, she probably has no clue about the slap on the cheek as a result of these two delegates' actions. "I'm going to call it like I see it and I will share with you candidly a view right from Main Street, Main Street U.S.A.," Palin told a room full of asset managers and other finance professionals, according to a media reports. "And how perhaps my view of Main Street ... how that affects you and your business." People we are talking about Wasilla, Alaska. That is vastly different from Main Street New York, for that matter.
According to AFP, two U.S. delegates left early, with one saying "it was awful, we couldn't stand it any longer." Wow, that's a vote of confidence for the former governor, don't you think so? Of course, she probably has no clue about the slap on the cheek as a result of these two delegates' actions. "I'm going to call it like I see it and I will share with you candidly a view right from Main Street, Main Street U.S.A.," Palin told a room full of asset managers and other finance professionals, according to a media reports. "And how perhaps my view of Main Street ... how that affects you and your business." People we are talking about Wasilla, Alaska. That is vastly different from Main Street New York, for that matter.
Palin spoke out against government intervention in the economy. "We got into this mess because of government interference in the first place," Palin said, according to the Wall Street Journal. "We're not interested in government fixes, we're interested in freedom," she added. She also praised the conservative economic policies of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, according to another attendee who declined to be named because he didn't want to be seen as speaking on behalf of his company. She claimed that if taxes were cut and the capital gains tax and estate tax eliminated, the world would "watch the U.S. economy roar back to life."
Palin argued that many average Americans are uncomfortable with health care reforms that infringe on private enterprise, Chris Palmer, an American fund manager for Gartmore Investment Ltd., told reporters. She didn't refer to President Barack Obama by name, the Wall Street Journal reported, but said she called his campaign promises "nebulous, utopian sounding... Now 10 months later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that the change we want?" Source: AFP
Of course, that certainly wasn't the place to attack your president and some attendees reportedly said they were disappointed by her focus on her home state of Alaska and her attacks on Obama. As usual, she was ready to criticize President Obama but "offered no solutions." Then she managed to insult the Chinese by mentioning China's ethnic problems, an obvious dig about the tensions between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese that have led to riots. She argued that they are "a sign that China lacks mechanisms to deal with regional issues."
Sorry, but this speech will not help to burnish her international credentials. This Hong Kong trip was an attempt to defray some legal and other bills that she has. If she could diss the president in public, God knows what she would say in private.
Sorry, but this speech will not help to burnish her international credentials. This Hong Kong trip was an attempt to defray some legal and other bills that she has. If she could diss the president in public, God knows what she would say in private.
RNC Chairman Michael Steele Says "Martin Luther King Jr. Would Be 'Disappointed' In Country's Leadership"
RNC Chairman Michael Steele is at it again. He told students at a historically black Philander Smith College, in Arkansas yesterday that Martin Luther King Jr. would be disappointed with President Obama. He said, "Dr. King would be disappointed in the political leadership of this country for failing to address the least of us." Really? I beg to differ. He needs to stop using Dr. King's name to score political points. That's just low and dirty. He faulted both the Democrats and the Republicans for failing to address poverty and said the GOP must take steps to win over black voters. If the GOP thinks sending this clown in to win black voters, they have wasted their precious resources. Add that with the racism being pushed by fringe elements of the Republican Party. That spells doom for the GOP attracting black voters.
Think Progress points out that a student approached the microphone and asked, "In all seriousness, I'm curious what you think that Dr. King would think about your party's current attempts to block universal health care?" "It's a great myth that we're doing all this blocking. I wish we had that kind of control with the numbers, but we don't," Steele responded. "As I've said to the president many times, 'If that's the bill you want, vote it up or down.'"
Michael Steele, if you cared so much about poverty in this country, what do you propose to do to help the millions of people who fall below the poverty line in this country? To take it a step further, why did you have to raise the issue of poverty at a historically black college? Isn't that a little racial too?I have yet to hear him bring this up in other venues. He has been pulling the race card lately and that will only backfire. What Dr. King would be disgusted with is your lack of decorum and effectiveness as the leader of the RNC.
Think Progress points out that a student approached the microphone and asked, "In all seriousness, I'm curious what you think that Dr. King would think about your party's current attempts to block universal health care?" "It's a great myth that we're doing all this blocking. I wish we had that kind of control with the numbers, but we don't," Steele responded. "As I've said to the president many times, 'If that's the bill you want, vote it up or down.'"
Michael Steele, if you cared so much about poverty in this country, what do you propose to do to help the millions of people who fall below the poverty line in this country? To take it a step further, why did you have to raise the issue of poverty at a historically black college? Isn't that a little racial too?I have yet to hear him bring this up in other venues. He has been pulling the race card lately and that will only backfire. What Dr. King would be disgusted with is your lack of decorum and effectiveness as the leader of the RNC.
mardi 22 septembre 2009
Mackenzie Phillips, Former "One Day at a Time" Star, to Reveal Explosive Family Secret on Oprah Winfrey Show
It's amazing how much dirt comes out when a so-called celebrity or public figure writes a book. The latest to bare all is "One Day at a Time" star Mackenzie Phillips. According to Gossipcops, she will reveal on the Oprah Winfrey Show tomorrow that she had sex with her father, Mamas and Papas founder John Phillips. Sorry, but that little tidbit deserved to be left on the couch in a psychologist's office. This interview coincides with the release of her memoir, "High on Arrival." It has already been disclosed in the promos that her father introduced her to drugs. She recalls, “My father shot me up for the first time.” She also discussed Mick Jagger's attempt to seduce her. Dang. That's just gross. Yuk.It is pretty shocking that her father could stoop to such a low level and rape his own daughter. Dang. That's just criminal and he should have been arrested for allegedly raping his 19-year old drugged daughter. According to Gossipcop, in a leaked copy of the book, she later confronted him about it, she said, “We have to talk about how you raped me,” to which he responded, “You mean when we made love?”
John Phillips passed away in 2001. I wonder if he ever asked his daughter for forgiveness on his death bed for such a reprehensible act? Mackenzie Phillips has struggled with drugs and was arrested last year for cocaine and heroin possession at LAX while on her way to a sitcom reunion in New York. Seems like she has a lot of demons to me.
Ex-Actor Kirk Cameron Plans to Subvert Darwin Day's Commemoration of 'Origin Of Species,' Plan To Distribute 50K Altered Books at U.S. Universities
I don't dabble much in religious issues, but my interest was piqued by former child actor Kirk Cameron's latest project. Perhaps you will remember him from the 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains." He currently spends much of his time advocating for far-right Christian evangelical issues and causes and showing up on Trinity Broadcasting Corporation (TBN).
In a recently posted YouTube video, Kirk Cameron lays out a plan to subvert 'Darwin Day' on November 22, 2009, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the publishing of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species." Cameron says that he and other activists, who share the same views on the subject, plan to deliver 50,000 copies of an altered version of Darwin's book to students at dozens of universities in the United States.
Cameron explains that this "very special" edition of the "Origin of Species" will include an introduction explaining "Adolf Hitler's undeniable connection" to the theory of evolution, and highlighting "Darwin's racism" and "his disdain for women." Cameron's version also seeks to expose the "many hoaxes" of evolutionary theory, while presenting a "balanced view of Creationism."
Okay, believe what you want, but does the far right throw the name "Hitler" into most of their dogfights? Sorry, but this campaign amounts to a load of crap. Kirk Cameron, I can think of at least a dozen causes you should be involved in, instead of this sham. It's obvious you were brainwashed by the far-right evangelicals. I can think of a few of these same evangelicals who have a great disdain for people of color, women and anyone having a balanced view of any issue.
To read pdf version of the introduction, CLICK HERE.
Mark Levin, Conservative Radio Host, Blasts "Mindless...Pathetic" Beck For McCain Criticism
A backlash is building against Glenn Beck for comments he made during an online interview with Katie Couric, in which his incoherence took a sharp swerve. After months of referring to President Barack Obama as a "radical" and a "racist" he said that the country would have been worse off under Senator John McCain, and that he might have voted for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is best known for attempting to provide universal, government-provided health care for all Americans. Well, one of Beck's fellow right-wing talkers, Mark Levin came out swinging against him:
LEVIN: How can you day after day and night after night correctly rail against Obama's radicalism, how he's undermining the Constitution, how he's nationalizing our basic industries, how he has Marxists all around him, and then say in an interview with Katie Couric, I think John McCain would have been worse than Obama? Quote: "How about this? I think John McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama. How's that?"Levin had Beck pegged pretty accurately. Inconsistency is Glenn Beck's middle name. Well, the Rethuglicans can keep him. I am sure he's the last person the Democrats want in their circles -- Judas Iscariot. We all know that intellectual coherence isn't his forte.
That's not good. McCain is no conservative, in fact in many respects he's a progressive. Which is why I fought him. Day in and day out. Day in and day out behind this microphone. Not only fought him behind this microphone but wrote article after article -- go ahead and Google it -- rejecting his candidacy. But to say that he'd be worse than a president that's a Marxist, who's running around the country -- I'm sorry, the world -- apologizing for our nation, who's slashing our defense budget, who's nationalizing our health care system?
To say he would be worse is mindless, mindless, incoherent as a matter of fact. There's our 5-PMer, on Fox ... I don't know who certain people are playing to, I don't know why they are playing to certain people ... I think there's enormous confusion and positioning and pandering. It may be entertaining, but from my perspective, it's not. It's pathetic." Source: Huffington Post
Is Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi Pitching Bedouin-Style Tent on Donald Trump's Lavish Seven Springs Property?
I guess now we know where Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will stay in the United States during his upcoming visit -- a Bedford, New York, estate owned by Donald Trump. According to the Huffington Post, Gaddafi's Bedouin-style tent will be pitched on the lavish Seven Springs property that The Donald has owned since 1995. The Trump camp has denied the report. If the reports are, in fact, true then I must say that I am not surprised by Donald Trump's actions. The source who knew about the arrangement, who is a resident of Bedford, says that Gaddafi's people are already in the process of setting up a tent, though plans could potentially be upended by bad publicity. ABC News reported earlier on Tuesday that Gaddafi had indeed chosen the posh New York neighborhood as the site of his stay during his visit while he attends the United Nations General Assembly. The news organization did not specify where in Bedford he was staying.The 213-acre Seven Springs estate, sits atop the high point of Bedford, includes a 39,000-square-foot mansion and was formerly owned by the Rockefeller family. If this story is true, the residents of Bedford should protest Gaddafi's visit.
Another resident in the town told the Huffington Post that a news helicopter was now visible over Seven Springs. Officials in Bedford are being tight-lipped about the arrangement. A spokesperson for the Bedford Hills police department declined to comment on the matter. "I'm not going to confirm or deny anything," said Sgt. Tom Diebold, referring the Huffington Post to the Secret Service. Calls there were not immediately returned.
By settling in Bedford, Gaddafi has apparently put to end a bruising and lengthy search for a place to stay during his week in the United States. The Libyan leader had tried to pitch his famous tent in Manhattan's Central Park, but city officials rejected his request. Earlier Gaddafi had tried to set up a temporary residence in Englewood, New Jersey, only to run into opposition from the local mayor and other officials. His efforts to book a hotel room in New York City -- including the Helmsley Hotel and the Pierre -- were equally fruitless, leading to speculation that Gaddafi would simply stay at the Libyan embassy while in town. Source: Huffington Post
lundi 21 septembre 2009
Rep. Barney Frank On Jay Leno Show, Calls Out Rush Limbaugh's Addiction To Painkillers (VIDEO)
Rush Limbaugh will be foaming at the mouth on his show tomorrow morning after Rep. Barney Frank landed a low blow during his appearance on the "Jay Leno Show." He called out the conservative nutjob's well-documented addiction to painkillers.
Jay Leno asked Frank, if Frank had to chose-, who he'd rather have dinner with: Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck or Anne Coulter?
Frank's reply? Limbaugh:
I guess of the three, I would take Rush Limbaugh, because it would be very painful and he would come with the painkillers, which he always has.Ouch that hurts. Rush Limbaugh, if you live in a glass house, don't throw stones. People can be just as critical of you as you are of them. Er, Barney, painkillers weren't all Limbaugh was addicted to. Remember the Viagra scandal?
Glenn Beck Says "John McCain Would Have Been Far Worse for the Country than Obama"
Watch CBS Videos Online
Well this is a first. Right wing nutjob Glenn Beck made a startling admission in an interview with Katie Couric to air on CBSNews.com Tuesday evening. He said, "I think John McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama," Beck told Couric in the debut episode of her new web show, @katiecouric.
Beck's revelation came in response to Couric's question about Hillary Clinton, who Beck said he may have even voted for had she been the Democratic nominee against John McCain. What? Quick, someone call the paramedics. The man is delirious.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Beck said, "I think I would have much preferred [Hillary Clinton] as president and may have voted for her against John McCain." He went on to describe McCain as "this weird progressive like Theodore Roosevelt was."
So, is Glenn Beck an undercover Democrat? I am sure the Democrats are saying that's okay. Rethuglicans can keep him. The full interview airs at CBSNews.com Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Tom DeLay Appears on "Dancing With the Stars," Surprisingly Light on His Feet
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) appeared on "Dancing With the Stars" with his dance partner two-time winner Cheryl Burke. I must say, he was surprisingly light on his feet. Much like the way he danced around the allegations of wrongdoing that has dogged him in recent years. He spent about 30 years in the politics and I seriously doubt he will make it to the end on the show.
On the premier night of Dancing With the Stars, he came out on stage in a not so conservative outfit, looking like Mr. Furley from "Three's Company." His brown vest was accented by "wild" faux animal print, which went just dandy with his first dance to the song "Wild Thing". A bit of a stretch for this conservative politician.
Tom DeLay didn't impress the judges with his first dance tonight on Dancing with the Stars. Carrie Ann Inaba was the kindest, giving the team of Cheryl Burke and Tom Delay a "6," while Judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were uninspired by Tom DeLay's Cha-Cha and they both gave him a "5" rating.
On the premier night of Dancing With the Stars, he came out on stage in a not so conservative outfit, looking like Mr. Furley from "Three's Company." His brown vest was accented by "wild" faux animal print, which went just dandy with his first dance to the song "Wild Thing". A bit of a stretch for this conservative politician.
Tom DeLay didn't impress the judges with his first dance tonight on Dancing with the Stars. Carrie Ann Inaba was the kindest, giving the team of Cheryl Burke and Tom Delay a "6," while Judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were uninspired by Tom DeLay's Cha-Cha and they both gave him a "5" rating.
Toddler Dead, Home Swept Away By Atlanta Floodwaters, Three Others Dead, as Torrential Rains Continue
I have lived in the Atlanta area for 10 years and I cannot recall ever seeing so much rain and flooding in such a short period of time. According to the latest news, a toddler is dead after the child's home was swept away by flood waters in Carroll County, and two men, one identified as Kevin Hodges, 29, were killed by the rising waters across the metropolitan area. Rescuers pulled two adults and two children from the rain-swollen Snake Creek in Carroll County. In Douglas County, a man was killed when his vehicle was swept off a road by floodwaters. His body was found downstream from the road in a creek. Separately, a woman driver was killed as she tried to drive through standing water in Gwinnett County. Two other women have been reported as missing in Douglas County.
SLIDESHOWS from WSBTV: Your Flooding Photos | # 2 | # 3
Subdivision under water in Douglas County, GA
The flooding closed roads, highways and intersections all across the metro area this morning. Right now the rain is coming down in buckets. We have had mudslides, road collapsing and fire departments across the metro area have reported numerous calls for help from drivers stuck in high water after they tried to cross flooded roads. For example, in Gwinnett and Douglas counties, entire subdivisions were cut off when roads were covered with flood water or completely washed out.SLIDESHOWS from WSBTV: Your Flooding Photos | # 2 | # 3
Thomas Strain, White Police Officer in Philadelphia's 35 District, Ordered to Cut Cornrows
Thomas Strain, a police officer in the 35th District of Philadelphia, was put on desk duty for breaking the rules. You would think that he may have shot a suspect or have been accused of police brutality, right? Well, he was ordered off the streets for wearing cornrows. You read right -- cornrows. Media reports said he was placed on desk duty for two days until he cut his braids off. The dust-up occurred when he reported for work September 3 with the hairstyle, he was pulled out of roll call and taken to the Inspector Aaron Horne's office. You would think that since Philadelphia has high crime rates, the last thing they would worry about was a white man wearing cornrows. His superiors did not feel that his cornrows were professional. The problem is that it seems the rules do not apply to black male officers with cornrows. It is my opinion that neither white, black men or any men for that matter, should be allowed to wear cornrows in a professional setting.
Police policy requires officers to have "clean, properly trimmed and combed hair" that doesn't prevent them from wearing their uniform hat "in a military-manner," Lt. Frank Vanore said. The policy prohibits "unnatural" hair colors such as blue, purple or green but doesn't ban specific styles, such as cornrows, mohawks, dreadlocks or bouffants.
This isn't the first time an officer's appearance has caused commotion in the 35th District. Officer Kimberlie Webb in 2005 sued the city and the police department after she was barred from wearing a hijab, or Muslim head scarf, on the job. A federal appeals court last April upheld the department's policy, saying religious garb imperils the department's appearance of "religious neutrality."
Two officers in Dallas in 2001 claimed they lost their jobs because they refused to cut off their dreadlocks. A Dallas police spokesman said those officers were fired for other disciplinary reasons unrelated to hairstyle.
Strain, a former Marine who served in Iraq, got a bum rap from his superiors. If you don't want him to wear cornrows, then the policy must go for all male police officers, not just the white ones. I don't understand what Mr. Strain was trying to prove by wearing cornrows, but he looked ridiculous. In any case, there are far more important issues for the police department in Philadelphia to worry about -- high crimes rates, for example.
Officer Thomas Strain, (QtheQuestion)
Police policy requires officers to have "clean, properly trimmed and combed hair" that doesn't prevent them from wearing their uniform hat "in a military-manner," Lt. Frank Vanore said. The policy prohibits "unnatural" hair colors such as blue, purple or green but doesn't ban specific styles, such as cornrows, mohawks, dreadlocks or bouffants.
This isn't the first time an officer's appearance has caused commotion in the 35th District. Officer Kimberlie Webb in 2005 sued the city and the police department after she was barred from wearing a hijab, or Muslim head scarf, on the job. A federal appeals court last April upheld the department's policy, saying religious garb imperils the department's appearance of "religious neutrality."
Two officers in Dallas in 2001 claimed they lost their jobs because they refused to cut off their dreadlocks. A Dallas police spokesman said those officers were fired for other disciplinary reasons unrelated to hairstyle.
Strain, a former Marine who served in Iraq, got a bum rap from his superiors. If you don't want him to wear cornrows, then the policy must go for all male police officers, not just the white ones. I don't understand what Mr. Strain was trying to prove by wearing cornrows, but he looked ridiculous. In any case, there are far more important issues for the police department in Philadelphia to worry about -- high crimes rates, for example.
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