Delhi 6 Review

Movie Review: Delhi 6; Star Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Om Puri and Waheeda Rehman; Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra; Rating: *** - Is worth a watch.

Delhi 6 is a delightful musical run through the Hindu and Muslim cultures of Old Delhi as seen through the eyes of protagonist Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) who comes to India to fulfill the
desire of his terminally ill Daadi (Waheeda Rehman) to spend the last days of her life in her hometown. As Roshan after a brief culture shock, tries to understand the complexities of relations that kept his people apart from each other as well as close to each other, he slowly gets attached to Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) and the chemistry grows, which is very convincingly directed using rich background music and believable day-to-day situations.

The first half, though appearing a little lengthy focuses on reverse-culture-shock jokes, lavishly reproduced Ram Leela, a visit to the Taj Mahal, and a cow giving birth in the street. It is in the second half that things take a more serious turn. Unwelcome traditions and smoldering religious hatred comes bubbling to the surface and erupt into a Do the Right Thing climax that takes everyone by surprise. Several characters and subplots weaved together to relate to the central plot of analyzing beliefs against rational thinking, with a touch of humor is quite entertaining but one has to endure the laborious and forced accent of Abhishek Bachchan throughout the movie. Although at several places, the movie seems predictable, Mehra succeeds in putting surprises well in time and balance. The climax gets dragged due to cameos and voiceovers. Although Roshan’s attempts to put belief and trust in people ahead of belief in customs and religion deserve a pat, what disappoints is Mehra getting preachy at many places. Rahman’s soulful music takes the film to a completely different level altogether.

Mehra and his cameraman Binod Pradhan have succeeded in capturing the buzz of Delhi city very well in every frame. Those living outside of India will find that connect with that feeling of wanting to be in both places. The song in the second half which juxtaposes Abhishek’s life in the US with the people and life in India is beautifully done as well. Hat’s off to the director and technical team there.

Abhishek has delivered one of his better performances but his American accent doesn’t really work. Sonam Kapoor doesn’t have much to do but except for the climax but she carries herself immensely well. Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri and Rishi Kapoor are simply outstanding. The huge ensemble cast comprising of acclaimed actors such as Raghubir Yadav, Pavan Malhotra, Supriya Pathak Shah, Deepak Dobriyal, Divya Dutta, Vijay Raaz, Tanvi Azmi and Atul Kulkarni do a wonderful job.

Just look at the diversity of topics addressed convincingly through brilliant performances and slick editing, you will realize why I say it’s worth a watch! -Sampurn

Source..

Read more...

Marc Andreessen Joins Facebook Board

In early May, Kara Swisher reported that Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen was going to join Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, and Jim Breyer on Facebook's board of directors. She was right: TechCrunch reports today that Andreessen has joined Facebook's board, and says an announcement could come as soon as this week. Andreessen will remain chairman of Ning, a social networking startup that, to some extent, competes with Facebook. TechCrunch:

Andreessen joins Facebook at a crucial time in its growth. Competitors MySpace and (increasingly) Google are gunning for control of the social graph, which may be the engine that drives the next big growth wave in advertising. Several early Facebook executives have left this year as the company has evolved, and new executives have taken their places. Zuckerberg needs a trusted guy in his corner to help him avoid missteps like the launch of Beacon last year, which has led to serious privacy concerns. Andreessen has fought similar battles in the past and won, and his counsel is clearly a competitive advantage.

Source..

Read more...

The Jacksons Go to Africa

This just in from the First Family of Crazy: The Jacksons. Marlon Jackson (he's the other child voice in the 1970 single "I'll Be There") has announced plans to develop a slave history theme park along with a Jackson 5 museum within a luxury resort in Nigeria.

"The development will cater to the country's growing tourism industry, particularly African-American tourists who wish to trace their Nigerian roots," according to a recent report in the U.K newspaper The Guardian. "Visitors will be able to explore the site of the former transatlantic slave trade, honour the hundreds of thousands who died in what were horrific human rights abuses, and then head off for a round of golf or a massage, before gawping at animatronic versions of the siblings who sang ABC and I Want You Back."

Whoa.

What was that '80s joke? "There's always a Tito lying around somewhere." I think it's time to check in with the rest of the Jackson clan to see what else they're up to these days.


GALLERY: See the Jackson Family Photo Album


MICHAEL JACKSON
The biggest Jackson family star by a long shot, Michael has sold over 750 million records and is considered by Guinness World Records to be the most successful entertainer of all time. Plus, he's survived a rumored flesh-eating disorder (or at least everything but his nose). Still, he's pretty close to broke and is auctioning off his belongings in April. I hope he saves a few things for Marlon's museum.

JERMAINE JACKSON
The bass-playing heartthrob of the group, Jermaine had a brief solo career that included a duet with Pia Zadora. Jermaine is now an international reality-show star. He's been on "Australian Idol," "Celebrity Big Brother UK," and CMT's "Gone Country."

LaTOYA JACKSON
The middle daughter hasn't had much success professionally or personally. She released some forgettable singles, famously appeared in Playboy, and followed her brother Jermaine into the reality TV black hole. LaToya made her own "Celebrity Big Brother UK" appearance in 2009, then tried to earn some extra cash by charging fans for a meet-and-greet.

MARLON JACKSON
Aside from his Nigerian slave theme park/Jackson 5 museum resort, Marlon plays the real estate game in Southern California. Real estate prices are probably better in Nigeria than California these days.

TITO JACKSON
Immortalized by Eddie Murphy ("Tito, get me a tissue"), Tito now plays guitar in his own blues band and manages his sons' group, 3T. According to his website, a new album is expected shortly.

JANET JACKSON
The youngest Jackson has starred in two of the all-time coolest '70s and '80s sitcoms: "Good Times" and "Diff'rent Strokes." She could have just stopped there, and her place in history would have been secure. But she made one more legendary TV appearance with Justin Timberlake at Super Bowl XXXVIII. I prefer her in "Good Times." Lately, she's plotting another makeover. Her website is down ("new website coming soon"), and she parted ways with her label, Island Def Jam.

RANDY JACKSON
No, not that Randy Jackson. This one is the youngest Jackson brother, and he's a long way from "American Idol." He made one album under the name Randy & the Gypsys and now supposedly fixes cars in L.A, according to the New York Post.

JACKIE JACKSON
Jackie's closest brush with reality-show fame is a rumored affair with Paula Abdul in the '80s. Now he watches his son rap under the name DealZ.

REBBIE JACKSON
Rebbie is the oldest Jackson child. She had a '80s hit with "Centipede" and played Vegas before retiring. She's the only Jackson to maintain a longtime relationship. She's been married to her high school sweetheart since 1968. Other Jacksons take note.

JOSEPH JACKSON
He is the controversial patriarch who led his family to musical domination, then watched them slide into strangeness. He was a boxer, a musician, and a strict disciplinarian (to put it mildly). With no more Jacksons left to manage, Joe announced he was opening a boot camp for up-and-coming hip-hop artists. His goal was to "clean it up." Jackson family values, for sure.

Source..

Read more...

big fish games

In many ways, it's a clash of today's stars against those of tomorrow.

Also, it's a match in which reputations will be enhanced or diminished.

The Sharks, with no less than 13 Springboks in their match-22, are firm favourites to bring the cock-a-hoop Lions back down to earth when they meet in Durban in Round 2 of the Super 14 on Saturday.

'Every game is tough'
The visitors are riding high following their win against the Cheetahs a week ago, but, in simple player depth and experience, they have nothing on their hosts.

They have six Boks in their ranks, but two of those are on the bench, while Ashwin Willemse and Henno Mentz are still in the process of rebuilding their careers after respectively being plagued by injury and falling out of favour at the Sharks.
Heinke van der Merwe has one Test cap, which leaves centre Jaque Fourie as the only regular Bok in the Lions side.

In contrast, the Sharks have class in every department, with most of the players having featured regularly in Super 14 and Bok sides for the last number of years.

It is surprising, then, to hear Lions coach Eugene Eloff say the challenge awaiting his side on Saturday is no different to that posed by the Cheetahs a week ago.

"It is a perception the match againjavascript:void(0)st the Sharks is bigger than it was against the Cheetahs," said Eloff on Thursday.

"Every game is tough, the only difference this week is that we're away from home."

That may be the case, but Eloff and the players are only fooling themselves if they believe the Sharks and Cheetahs are of the same calibre.

This Sharks team is a formidable one, as they showed at Newlands last Saturday by turning around a 15-0 deficit to finally triumph 20-15.

Both Eloff and Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar battled this week to point out any weaknesses in John Plumtree's outfit.

Eloff shied away from the question, while Grobbelaar said yesterday: "All teams struggle against quick turn-over ball, no matter how strong the defensive lines are, so if we manage to create that kind of ball, we can challenge them."

Grobbelaar, though, is confident his side can cause what would be a major upset.

"We have to believe in our chances. We know they're a good, well-balanced outfit and have tons of experience, but we relish these opportunities ... every player here believes in his own abilities, believes in the Lions game-plan and the structures we've put in place."

Victory for the visitors would seriously put the cat among the pigeons and while it seems unlikely, stranger things have happened.

Just two years ago, the Lions went to Durban and beat the Sharks to qualify for the Currie Cup final.

A similar result cannot be ruled out, but it's going to take something very special from a side who have yet to prove they have the big-game players to match those of greater experience on a regular basis.

And, of course, besides the five log points on offer, there's the not-so-small matter of individual pride that will be at stake.

Mentz will want to show up his former employers; Willemse faces a big test against JP Pietersen; Jaque Fourie is up against the man who "stole" his Bok No13 jersey, Adrian Jacobs; Earl Rose faces current Bok flyhalf Ruan Pienaar; and scrumhalf Jano Vermaak clashes with former Lion Rory Kockott, both stars of the future.

Source..

Read more...

Borneo Monster WTF? (Photos)

LiveScience.com has an interesting story and photos of what is being referred to as the “Borneo Monster”. These photos show a huge snake-type creature. Is Borneo’s legend real? See more photos of the Borneo Monster below.


One photo shows the huge snake creature in the Baleh River, taken by a helicopter by an unknown member of a flood disaster team member.

The locals say it may be the legendary creature they call Nabu, which is a dragon-type shape-shifting sea serpent.

The other photo seems to be taken on land near a remote village.

From LiveScience.com:

Furthermore, the reported size of the creature cannot be correct. The original estimate given was that the creature was 100 feet long, though the scale of the photos suggest it must be far larger. [Scientists recently found the fossil of a prehistoric snake said to be 43 feet long; it's been extinct for some 60 million years, though.]

Then there’s the question of whether the photo was even taken at the Baleh river, since most photographs of its waters show it to be a cloudy river, not the clear, dark blue water seen in the aerial photo. If the photo was actually taken by a disaster team member checking on flooded regions, the flooding runoff would increase the suspended particulates in the water (silt, debris, etc.), creating even cloudier water than usual.

Of course, all these troubling questions vanish if the photographs are simply faked.

The Borneo monster is pretty freaking interesting but after the Bigfoot shenanigans who’s to know? What do you guys think?

Click Thumbnails for Larger Pictures

Photos/Source: livescience.com

Source..

Read more...

Edward Nathaniel Bell Executed

ARRATT, Va. (AP) - An inmate declared his innocence Thursday after he was forcibly carried into Virginia's death chamber, where he was executed for gunning down a police officer.

Edward Nathaniel Bell, who was convicted of killing the officer during a foot chase a decade ago, was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m. Thursday at the Greensville Correctional Center.

When the door between Bell's cell and the death chamber opened, the inmate thrust his hips backward and wouldn't step toward to the gurney where the lethal injection was administered. Six stocky corrections officers pulled him through the doorway and lifted him onto the gurney.

"To the Timbrook family, you definitely have the wrong person," Bell said in the death chamber, addressing the victim's family. "The truth will come out one day. This here, killing me, there's no justice about it."
Who would really believe a drug dealer anyway?
Bell's lawyer, who also witnessed the execution, said a sedative the inmate was given made it difficult for him to walk.

"Eddie's case is an example of how the system does not catch and correct errors," said attorney James G. Connell III.
Defense Lawyers are never convinced that the person they represent is ever guilty, even when proven beyond a doubt.
Bell, 43, was condemned for shooting Winchester police Sgt. Ricky Timbrook as the officer chased him down a dark alley on Oct. 29, 1999.

At least 10 current and former Winchester police officers witnessed the execution, including Winchester Sheriff Lenny Millholland.

"I can't say it's closure but it's another chapter in the life of Ricky Timbrook and it ends the chapter that included Eddy Bell," said the sheriff, who was on the police force in 1999 and investigated Timbrook's death.

Bell maintained that he did not shoot Timbrook, a 32-year-old popular police officer, SWAT Team Member and DARE instructor. Prosecutors, however, say Bell was a flashy drug dealer who held a grudge against Timbrook for arresting him two years earlier for possessing a concealed weapon.

Bell was the 103rd Virginia inmate executed since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Virginia ranks second only to Texas in the number of executions since then. SOURCE

Ed Bell, rot in hell.

Here is some info about the case HERE.

Yet another drug dealer and murderer claims his innocence.
Timbrook was shot in the forehead at point-blank range with a .38-caliber pistol in an alley off Piccadilly Street on Oct. 29, 1999.

Since his arrest and subsequent conviction, Bell has maintained that he is innocent of Timbrook's murder. SOURCE

Read more...

Moon Cricket found murdered near downtown Louisville

Man found murdered near downtown
Posted: Feb 4, 2009 11:29 PM
Updated: Feb 4, 2009 11:29 PM

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A man found shot to death near downtown late Wednesday night has become the fourth murder victim of 2009 in the Metro.

Around 10:50 p.m., Louisville Metro Police were called to the 400 block of South 10th Street near Jefferson on a report of a man down on the street. Officers found the victim, a black male, on the sidewalk. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=9791881

Source..

Read more...

Kudos to one of the good guys - transparency.

Just a quick hat tip to my personal state representative who (so far) has embodied just about everything I could hope for in a politician. He has taken it upon himself to put his entire staff budget and expenses accessible to the public. Thanks Justin Amash and keep up the good work. Hopefully you can help shame some others to do the same.

Read more...

Ashley Logan and Jahaira on set of The Dream’s “Rocking That Thang Remix”

Check out some BTS pics of Ashley Logan and Jahaira on set of The Dream’s “Rocking That Thang Remix”. See all of the rest at Whatspoppin.net

Check out some BTS pics of Ashley Logan and Jahaira on set of The Dream’s “Rocking That Thang Remix”. See all of the rest at Whatspoppin.net

\nFree Image Hosting by ImageBam.com

Source..

Read more...

Hit Search News - Google Ocean Find Atlantis, Britons online stalking & Chris Brown Facebook

esterday was another busy day in the world of search marketing which saw Google Ocean “find” the lost city of Atlantis, A recent study announced the dangers of social media and content partnership for the BBC. Its all in todays Twitter feed and it reads as follows -

Pictures of Atlantis - Taken by Google Ocean - Truly Outstanding #Google #Ocean #Atlantishttp://ow.ly/mPf

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft All Show Search Gains - The Comeback Is On Peoplehttp://ow.ly/mP6

Google shareholders lose the love - Shareholder “I don’t have as good a feeling as I did before about the company”. http://ow.ly/mPc

Google Ocean Finds The Lost City Of Atlantis #google ocean #Atlantis http://ow.ly/mOG

Google wins Street View privacy case - Google’s two fingers up to legal challengerhttp://ow.ly/mO4

Google Earth will give people a graphic look at just where greenhouse-gas emissions come from. http://ow.ly/mjR

Over half of Britons stalk their ex’s online - On the Flip side half of Britons are being stalked! Yin and Yang http://ow.ly/lnn

Man Sets up Facebook Group - Gets in News……. #I Want To Fight Chris Brown #Rihanna,http://ow.ly/lnF

Facebook, MySpace could harm health - Blimey imagine what twitter does to you!http://ow.ly/lnz

Can Cellphones Grow Up to Rival PCs? - Mobile or PC size isn’t everything! its functionality that counts. #pc #mobile http://ow.ly/lnC

Facebook Turns Back on Terms of Use - The perils of changing terms and conditions in the wiki world http://ow.ly/lnB

BBC Extends Spanish-Language Service in America With MSN Pact - “They have the platform, and we have the content” http://ow.ly/lnt

“No suitable nodes are available to serve your request.” BBC - Lets all hide

BBC web site is down - Get into the bunker #BBC

Follow our Micro Blogging Twitter Feed on http://twitter.com/hitsearch

Would you like to know about Internet Marketing? If so, contact Hit Search, Search Engine Optimisation and Pay Per Click & Social Space Marketing specialists, on 0845 643 9289. Remember, its a big world out there, make sure you become visible.

Source..

Read more...

Rihanna: Photo Shock

A storm of controversy has erupted over a graphic picture, allegedly of Rihanna.

The photo first appeared on celeb website TMZ.

It shows a woman, identified as Rihanna, with bloodied lips, two black eyes and cuts on her forehead.

Los Angeles police has launched an internal investigation following the release of the photo.

A statement from their organisation given to People magazine read:

"The photograph has the appearance of one taken during an official domestic violence investigation.

"The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence."

The LAPD added that it had been "receiving numerous inquiries about the release of a photograph associated with a domestic violence incident that occurred involving entertainer Chris Brown."
Chris, 19, was arrested on a felony criminal threat charge on 8th February.

He has since released a statement saying that he is "sorry and saddened" by the incident.

Neither Chris nor Rihanna have been seen in the public eye since.

Source..

Read more...

Rihanna -- The Face of a Battered Woman

TMZ has obtained a photo of Rihanna taken after Chris Brown allegedly beat her.



The LAPD has just released this statement.

Click here to live chat!


Source..

Read more...

Eddie George

George is married to Tamara "Taj" Johnson, a member of the R&B group SWV and current contestant of Survivor: Tocantins. He has two sons, Eriq Michael George, from his marriage to Tamara, and Jaire David George, from a previous relationship. On October 1, 2006, George was appointed spokesperson for Tennessee's GetFitTN program by Gov. Phil Bredesen. The initiative is aimed at the prevention of Type 2 diabetes and the promotion of healthier, more active lifestyles.George's mother, Donna, had changed her schedule as a flight attendant (at the request of Eddie's agent, Lamont Smith) to be in San Antonio for Eddie's signing of his first NFL contract on July 19, 1996. If she hadn't, she would have been aboard TWA Flight 800, which had crashed shortly after takeoff two days earlier.With partners, George has opened sports-theme restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee (Eddie George Sports Grille) across the Cumberland River from LP Field and in Columbus, Ohio (Eddie George's Grille 27) near the Ohio State University campus. George is also a trained and licensed landscape architect, and a principal of The Edge Group, a firm of over 20 professionals. In 1995, George's Heisman Trophy was damaged when he put it through an X-ray machine at a New York airport.On Saturday, April 28, 2007, George ran the Country Music Half Marathon (ending just outside LP Field) in an unofficial time of 2:04:08. He wore race number 27 during the race, just as he wore number 27 during his college and NFL careers. George later stated that completing the race was tougher than playing in the NFL.In 2008, George campaigned for Senator Barack Obama's presidential bid.George is currently attending the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, pursuing an MBA in the Executive MBA program.
(source: Wikipedia)

If you want to contact Eddie

Eddie George
PO Box 150283
Nashville, TN 37215


Booking requests for events, appearances, shoiws etc., contact
booking@eddiegeorge.com

General Info/questions contact:
info@eddiegeorge.com

Read more...

Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke PHOTOS!

PHOTOS! Here are pictures of Heidi Cornell of YOUNG FABULOUS AND BROKE who appears with Patti Stanger on “Millionaire Matchmaker”. Heidi Cornell of Young Fabulous and Broke is young, fabulous, hot, and not broke, as Patti’s first female client on the reality show “Millionaire Matchmaker” (Bravo).

Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke Pictures
Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke Photo 1
Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke Photo 2
Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke Photo 3
Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke Photo 4
Heidi Cornell Young Fabulous and Broke Photo 5

Source..

Read more...

TATA NANO CAR

Tata Motors has unveiled the world's cheapest car on January 10 at car show in Delhi.The exziting thing about Nano is that it comes with a price tag of Rs.1,00,000.The nearest price competitor is the Maruti 800 which costs as twice as the Nano.Another exziting aspect is that it is 21% larger than Maruti in terms of seating capacity.
FEATURES:
The four door Nano is a little over 10 feet long and nearly 5 feet wide.
It is powered by 623cc two cylinder engine.
With 33 horsepower,the nano is capable of 65 miles per hour.
There is a small trunk, big enough for duffel bag.
Its four wheels are the absolute corners of the car to improve handling.
"TATO NANO HAS BEEN NICKNAMED AS PEOPLE'S CAR"

The unveiling of the Tato Nano, the new car that costs about $2,500. The car is built in India and will bring affordable transportation to the masses.

The fact that the Tato Nano will allow many families to afford a car in the highly-populated countries has environmentalists in an uproar. Sadly, we rely upon economics to force the poor to conserver energy by doing without basic transportation so that those who can afford cars can drive fast.;)

If everyone drove a Tato Nano and all the nations of the world agreed to set the speed limit to 30 miles per hour there would be a lot less pollution.;) I imagine that everyone freaks out when they think of a 30 mile per hour speed limit, but believe me people would eventually adapt. They would move closer to their work, plan their trips so they could maximize efficiency and in the end their lives would be essentially the same.

Well, not entirely the same...far fewer would die in auto accidents, there would be less polution and global warming would slow or disappear. But this makes too much sense for it to ever actually be implemented.:

Read more...

New Yorkers to boycott NY Post over racist cartoon

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied to boycott the New York Post on Thursday, branding the newspaper as racist for publishing a cartoon that appeared to compare President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee. Demonstrators led by civil rights activist Al Sharpton chanted "End racism now!" outside the parent company's skyscraper in midtown Manhattan and called for the jailing of Rupert Murdoch, whose international media conglomerate News Corp owns the Post. The newspaper has defended the cartoon as a parody of Washington politics, but Sharpton said it exploited a potent image in the history of racism toward blacks

Source..

Read more...

It Takes a Nation of Cowards to Prove Eric Holder Right

Attorney General Eric Holder's speech to Justice Department employees urging the country to suck it up and have those hard conversations about race generated the predictable accusations from the pundit crowd, both conservative and liberal. Why is he still trying to make white people feel guilty?! We just elected his boss! The media reaction largely proves Holder's point. Rather than actually talking about the causes and consequences of our racial divide, the story has been that this speech has created the latest "controversy" for the Obama administration, starting with the AP article highlighting the "nation of cowards" quote. Apparently, there's only room for one black man at the highest levels of government taking the nation to task on race, and that man can do it once a year at most.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Smartly, Holder noted that our goal should not be to move beyond our racial past, and for the press to turn a blind eye to racial realities is the wrong way to go. He focused instead on raising the question of whether the nation's attitude toward its diversity will give us strength or take us down. I especially loved his note about how we manage to get along in the workplaces, but as soon as we can, we retreat to our racial corners on the weekends. That's because the diverse people of this country hold unequal power, which often dictates where and how we live.

The word 'coward' is a strong one, but the reality is that because we have such wildly different perspectives on why racial disparities exist, and because they continue to exist long after explicit racism has been outlawed, discussion of racial issues requires a high degree of tolerance for conflict, both intellectual and emotional. In my work reporting on the lives of everyday people and the institutions that shape their lives, I can see how our current rules and structures continue to produce disparities, even when no one intends that outcome. Understanding how the structures work - which has little to do with whether individuals intend to be racist - helps to lower the heat level significantly when these conversations do take place.

The flipside of cowardice is courage - something we all could use a little more of if we truly want to deal with our past and present racism, while we create a future that works for all of us.

Source..

Read more...

RNC Chairman Planning Hip Hop Make Over to Recruit Minorities

This is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”

The RNC's first black chairman will “surprise everyone” when updating the party's image using the Internet and advertisements on radio, on television and in print, he told The Washington Times.

Five million Americans are currently collecting unemployment checks from the government, and a disproportionate number of them are from minority groups. The GOP doesn't need an image make-over, they need a policy-makeover.

If they want to make headway in 'urban areas', then they must first acknowledge the problems facing Black, Hispanic, and immigrant communities and resolve to do something about it.

Playing a little Jay-Z and planning "off the hook" events won't do a thing except drain Republican coffers even more.

Chalk this up to one more example of how out of touch Republicans are.

Source..

Read more...

Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace and Michael Sarver - Press Conference

I got some quotes from today’s press conference with Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace and Michael Sarver, the three Idol contestants who advanced to the Top 12 during Wednesday night’s American Idol results show.

Danny speaks to his status as a front runner and the fact that his backstory may be annoying some Idol fans. Alexis still can’t believe her good fortune, and Michael realizes Simon’s personal plea on his behalf may have helped him advance.

Quotes from Danny Gokey:

Does he feel like he’s been pushed to the forefront by producers? I do feel like that, that I was highlighted. There’s no gettin’ around that. And I can say this: I’m grateful. And I know (sighs) Y’know, unfortunately, it’s a bummer when people are just real mad about it and, y’know, I had nothing to do with it and hope people can see past that.

On whether or not his backstory is getting overwhelming and annoying, It’s only been seven months since she’s passed. And, y’know, it’s not that I throw it in people’s faces, but I get asked about it all the time. It weighs on my mind a lot, though. Because I’d–y’know, honestly, this is a sob story I don’t want. But it is shaping my life. And it’s causing hope for a lot of people and not only that, it’s causing hope for my life.
Wants to lighten up, aware that people are getting tired of his story, Well, I feel like I’ve just gotten my message across. But now I wanna, I wanna lighten up and just have a little fun with it and enjoy the ride. I don’t know, I guess maybe sometimes the, the consensus is that people are getting tired of my story or, y’know, or whatever, and y’know, that’s totally fine. Uh, but I wanna be able to, y’know appeal to people on a fun level too, as opposed–y’know–and also in the deeper level that I showed ‘em.
Quotes from Alexis Grace and Michael Sarver after the JUMP…

From Alexis Grace:

How she felt when she was compared to Kelly, I mean, it really just shook my world when they said that, in a good way. And um, what it does though, it just pushes me to do better each time now. Y’know, now I’ve really gotta step up my game and prove to them that they’re right.
What went through her mind when Ryan said she’d made it,’This is my dream–and it’s happening.’ That’s what went through my head when I heard I made it through and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t convinced. Because, just because, judges give good, good critiques doesn’t mean America agrees with them, so I just went in there not expecting anything, just getting the results pretty much.
From Michael Sarver:

Does Sarver think Cowell’s personal plea on his behalf led to him advancing? I can’t deny that I think that, that could have had something to do with it. Simon making a plea for me on my behalf, I, I feel–I don’t take it that lightly at all. I, I really take delight from that as a compliment because y’know, I appreciate compliments on my voice and my singing and things, but to be complimented on the person that I really am really means a lot to me.
Sarver says the fact that his image as a hard working guy who wants to provide for his family led to his success, I can acknowledge that the hardworking American is, is part of the appeal, y’know? I believe that real life people can relate to me, especially in the economy and the day that we live. It’s very difficult for a lot of people, and um, I see it as a chance to see someone rise from the ashes. It’s not that my life is bad, but things are tough. And to see someone excel and succeed, I think people relate to that and, it’s special to their hearts.

Source..

Read more...

California Legislature Approves State Budget With Tax Increases - GOP Senator Abel Maldonado Provides Swing Vote

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steingberg, D-Sacramento, holds up a sign indicating only one more Republican vote is needed to pass the budget during a media gathering deal outside the Senate chambers yesterday evening

Democrat California State Senate leader Darrell Steinberg got his one Republican vote in the name of Republican Senator Abel Maldonado and with it the California Legislature went on to approve the state budget with tax increases.
Voting at dawn to end a three-month impasse, the California Legislature passed a budget package that addresses the state’s massive deficit with billions of dollars in new taxes and program cuts after Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reached a deal with a GOP holdout.

Sen. Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria provided the final Republican vote needed to pass a spending plan, which includes more than $12 billion in tax hikes. In exchange, Democrats agreed to rewrite election rules that Maldonado said had allowed the Capitol to become paralyzed by partisanship, leading the state to the brink of financial ruin.

And, the funny thing is that this budget does not solve California’s long term structural budget deficit problems and relies on a special election on May 19, 2009 to ratify some of the funding changes.

GOP Senator Maldonado in speaking in favor of the state budget acknowledged that his political careeer may be over in voting for these tax increases.

Maldonado is at least RIGHT on this.

More later…..

Source..

Read more...

The end of Swiss banking as we know it?

For long, Swiss banking has thrived because the banks have traditionally drawn a very thin line between tax fraud and tax avoidance. Tax avoidance is not a crime in Switzerland, unlike say in America, and that distinction allowed Swiss banking to flourish. Unfortunately, the distinction that made Switzerland awesomely rich also covered up some fairly dirty stuff. Every tin-pot dictator in the third world, for instance, found a way to squirrel money looted from tax-payers in Swiss banks. In fact, there are some reports that Indians alone have over $1.4 trillion stashed away in Swiss banks.

The IRS of the United States is not to be trifled with. In fact, one must never forget that Al Capone was not put away for murder, but for tax fraud. Swiss bankers, in particular those from UBS, found this out much to their chagrin earlier this week. UBS will have to reveal the names of Americans who have used Swiss banks to stash away their black money as part of a $780 million settlement. It is rumoured that the IRS is after 19,000 Americans who may have secret Swiss banking accounts. Of course, this move by UBS also probably means the end of banking secrecy in Switzerland or at least the end of the trust in the security of the Swiss banking system.
[link] posted by Reuben : 11:24 AM

Read more...

Thursday LOST Blogging: 316

So, last night’s episode 316, was in my humble opinion quite the killer.

The episode opened up just like the very first episode of the show — with Jack’s eye opening, and a zoom out revealing that he is startled to find himself lying in the jungle in a pretty nice suit. What’s happening? Are we back in Season 1 for some reason? Has Jack also become unstuck in time? And then: wait! I know this scene like the back of my hand, and Jack was wearing a white shirt. That shirt looks blue! This is new! Hey, that’s not his mini vodka bottle . . . is that Hurley? Oh shit.

And it was awesome.


What else happened in this episode? Well, everything. We find out that Jack is back on the island, and Hurley and Kate at least are with him. We then flash back to 36 hours earlier, to find Jack, Sun, Ben and Desmond meeting with Eloise Hawking, or Daniel Faraday’s mother. Eloise takes them to the Lamp Post, a Dharma station that has the purpose of finding the island. She confirms the long-held suspicion that the island is always moving. Which is a pretty damn big reveal.

Desmond freaks out at Eloise and leaves. Eloise tells them all that they need to be on a flight 316, to Guam, in order to get back to the island, and they need to as carefully recreate the circumstances of the original flight as possible. She also takes Jack aside and explains that for that reason, Jack has to give Locke (or his dead body) something that belongs to his father, and also that Locke committed suicide. Another big reveal.

Jack goes home, and Kate shows up clearly distraught. Aaron is not with her, and she won’t tell Jack what happened — indeed, she makes him promise to never ask her again. Jack seems strangely unconcerned, probably because he’s so interested in doing it with her. Everyone else seems unconcerned about Aaron’s whereabouts for the rest of the episode. Jack gives Locke Christian’s shoes and reveals why Christian’s wearing those running shoes on the island. Ha! Also, Ben totally got his ass kicked by someone, but everyone seems rather unconcerned about that as well.

Sun, Jack and Kate all show up at the airport. Then, we’re rather surprised to see a really greasy looking Sayid there, too, in the custody of some kind of law enforcement official. I guess we’ve got the fugitive part of the flight recreated right there. Sayid seems rather surprised and displeased to see everyone, and yet also looks rather strangely surprised when the plane starts crashing. Slow, Sayid, slow. Hurley also shows up, but won’t say how he knows that he was supposed to be there. I think we’re supposed to assume his best-dead-friend Charlie. Oh, and Frank Lapidus is flying the plane.

Then, Jack, Hurley and Kate are on the island again. They’re about to split up and look for Sun, Sayid, Ben, Frank and other possible survivors . . . until a new Dharma van comes rolling out of the jungle! A man in a Dharma jumpsuit steps out and points a gun at them, only to have it revealed that the man is . . . Jin!

Wow, that is a lot of stuff, isn’t it?

So, on those reveals. I was pretty sure that the island was regularly in motion, though it’s great to know it for sure. It’s also good to know how Locke died, and it seems that we’re going to learn a lot more about this next episode. I was clearly proven right in my prediction last week that the island was going to move back in time, to a point where Dharma was still on the island — thus explaining why Faraday was hanging out with Dr. Candle in the first episode, and how he told Charlotte not to come back to the island. I so knew that Frank was going to come back at some point, though I was silly enough to not predict that it would happen in this way, because no one gets to just leave the show without dying.

Questions/Concerns: Where the fuck is Aaron? Did Kate know she had to go back to the island, take the message from Claire to not bring him back seriously, and give him away? Did someone take him? Why? And I know you want to do it with her Jack, but seriously, that unconcerned? Speaking of unconcerned, I know that they all hate Ben, but not a single comment on the bloody head and broken arm? And also speaking of unconcerned, why does no one seem to care what the hell Sayid is doing there? Why is Sun still so unconcerned about leaving her daughter, Ji Yeon, behind seemingly forever? Why are they unconcerned about how Hurley got there? And other than Hurley who buys 75 plane tickets to prevent more people from crashing, and Jack inquiring in passing, why does everyone seem so unconcerned about the other folks on the plane who are going to crash with them? In short, why is everyone on that show so damn unconcerned about everything? Is Desmond the only one who asks questions around here?

And speaking of Desmond, what’s going to happen with him off the island? Wait, sudden thought — is that what happened with Ben? Did he go to try to kill Penny, AKA Widmore’s daughter, like he said he would?

Source..

Read more...

Griffey spurns Atlanta, signs with Seattle instead

In one of the stranger baseball stories this offseason, Ken Griffey Jr. has decided not to sign with the Braves, instead he’ll head back to Seattle, where he started his career 19 years ago.

Here’s how the story unfolded:

The Journal-Constitution first reported Tuesday that Griffey had told a close friend he would sign with the Braves. Wren said Wednesday that communication with Griffey’s agent, Brian Goldberg, had gone smoothly until after that AJC report, which Goldberg and Griffey said was inaccurate.

Griffey told MLB.com later Tuesday that he was still torn between the pull of Seattle, where he had spent the first half of his career, and the Braves, where he would be just a one-hour flight from his wife and children in Orlando, and where he would spend spring training just a 20-minute drive from his home.

By noon Wednesday, Braves officials seemed concerned by the silence from Griffey’s camp and said they expected a decision from him by Thursday.

It’s been a week of misdirection plays for Griffey. Even as it was being widely reported last week that he would sign with Seattle, Griffey called Jones and a Braves official to express interest in playing for the Braves.

He hadn’t been one of the Braves’ preferred options for their outfield job entering the offseason, but the free-agent pool had thinned, plus the Braves didn’t have much room left in their payroll and didn’t want to trade top prospects to acquire an outfielder via trade.

Suddenly the Griffey option looked pretty good, and the Braves figured they would pair the left-handed slugger, one of only six players with 600 career homers, in left field with right-handed hitting Matt Diaz.

As the story goes, Griffey was apparently ticked off that the AJC reported that he chose the Braves over Mariners. Whether or not that was Griffey’s official reason for turning around and signing with the Mariners is uncertain, but nevertheless this situation developed oddly.

Several AJC writers are taking a beating because of their original report. Braves fans are claiming the paper ruined the team’s shot of landing Griffey, but in defense of the AJC, stories are printed like this all the time. If Griffey honestly based a decision of this magnitude (i.e. one that involves his family, where he’ll work and where he’ll live for the next year) off of what a newspaper printed, then that’s ridiculous. Did the paper jump the gun? Probably, but it’s their job to report that the news and they reported what they had.

Either way, Griffey is on his way back to Seattle after signing a one-year contract, and the Braves are still in need of a fourth outfielder.

Soruce..

Read more...

Texas Tech, Mike Leach finally agree to contract extension

Texas Tech and football coach Mike Leach have finally agreed to a contract extension after more than 10 months of negotiations that will keep him at the school through 2013, a source with knowledge of the talks told The Dallas Morning News on Thursday.

Leach met with Tech chancellor Kent Hance for almost three hours early Thursday afternoon and the two sides have agreed to Tech's $12.7 million offer that will extend Leach's current two-year deal three more seasons. The contract hasn't been signed but that could take place as early as Friday, the source said.

Tech athletic director Gerald Myers and Leach's IMG agents, Gary O'Hagan and Matt Baldwin, didn't attend the meeting between only Leach and Hance, the source said. Leach and Hance could not immediately be reached for comment.

Leach and Hance hashed out the sticking points earlier today involving four clauses that Tech inserted into its latest offer Jan. 9 that wrecked previous progress. The four clauses involved the guaranteed termination compensation Leach would receive if fired, the buyout amount he would pay if he left early, a penalty for interviewing for another job without permission and who controlled Leach's personal property rights.

A news conference has been called for 6 p.m. today.

The two sides agreed to take out the buyout in the contract altogether, the source said. Tech had wanted a $1.5 million buyout, but now Leach will become the fifth Big 12 football head coach without a buyout in his contract.

The two sides agreed to raise Leach's guaranteed money to $2 million, the source said. Tech had offered $1.5 million in its latest offer. Both parties agreed that Leach is to give notification if he is to interview for another job, the source said, but doesn't need Myers' permission, as Tech had originally asked. Both sides agreed to meet in the middle on Leach's personal property rights, the source said.

The convoluted and sometimes heated contract negotiations first became public after The Dallas Morning News filed an open records request in mid-January asking for documents involving talks between the two parties. On Wednesday, the drama played out nationally as Leach talked to everyone from ESPN to a local radio station.

Tech had set a Tuesday deadline for Leach to agree to its terms, but no deal was signed. A few hours before Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline, Tech's Board of Regents called a "special teleconference meeting" for Friday in which regents were to discuss Leach's contract status and future with the school. Earlier Tuesday, about 40 people showed up outside the football offices for a rally on Leach's behalf.

On Wednesday, Leach formally requested that the regents meeting be open and for him to have the chance to speak. But that won't be necessary after an almost yearlong standoff has ended with Leach able to keep his job following a 2008 season in which he led the Red Raiders to one of the best seasons in school history.

Leach, who just completed his ninth season, is seven wins shy of becoming the school's all-time winningest football coach.

Source..

Read more...

Assessing the president’s mortgage plan

“The president’s new mortgage-relief plan contains clever elements that might indeed help homeowners. However, the superfluous threat of inviting judges to rewrite contracts must dilute the collateral behind troubled mortgage-backed securities. That, in turn, would jeopardize the endangered capital of banks, pension funds and other holders of such securities, including the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” (02/19/09)


Link: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9988

Source..

Read more...