If you are a Facebooker, you are already old

There was a time when the so-called "generation gap" was about 20-25 years. Which is why, once you became a teenager, you never could relate to your parents. But that phenomenon itself was a "generation gap" ago.
Now, what was cool a few years ago is no longer the "geek factor" in your life. Take Facebook. It has more than 250 million users and is the toast of almost everybody's online life. Yet, if the latest US-based Pew Internet Review report is to be believed, Facebook is no longer the "youngest" site in the world.
Surprisingly, it's not even Twitter. It's MySpace.
The median age of a Facebook user is 33; with Twitter it is 31 and with MySpace it is 26. LinkedIn, the popular business networking site, has a median age of 40.
According to ReadWriteWeb, "When looking at specific younger demographic segments, and not just Gen Y, you can see strong Twitter uptake over the past year. For example, 37 per cent of those 18-24 now use Twitter when only 19 per cent did back in December 2008. And in the slightly older 25-34 bracket, a portion of which could still be considered Gen Y, 31 per cent are now using the service compared to only 20 per cent in December of last year. Combined, these two groups account for more than half of Twitter's network."
The report also explains why the newer generation is flocking to Twitter rather than share space with parents, uncles, and other seniors on Facebook: "Some 19 per cent of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others.
This represents a significant increase over previous surveys in December 2008 and April 2009, when 11 per cent of internet users said they use a statusupdate service.
"Three groups of internet users are mainly responsible for driving the growth of this activity: social network website users, those who connect to the internet via mobile devices, and younger internet users-those under age 44.
"In addition, the more devices someone owns, the more likely they are to use Twitter or another service to update their status. Fully 39 per cent of internet users with four or more internetconnected devices (such as a laptop, cell phone, game console, or Kindle) use Twitter, compared to 28 per cent of internet users with three devices, 19 per cent of internet users with two devices, and 10 per cent of internet users with one device." Clearly, Twitter is giving Facebook a hard time.

Apple rumored to buy Twitter?

Opinion: Teh InterWeb is all-a-quiver over rumors that hip, fab and groovy Apple is set to pay 700 million bucks for hip, fab and groovy Twitter.
Twitter turned down a $500m plus shares offer from Facebook at the end of last year, but Apple could pay entirely in cash, in an offer Twitter would find very hard to refuse.
Exactly why Apple would be interested in a service that enables people to keep the world apprised of the last time they took a dump, or drank a skinny latte in less than 140 characters, remains a bit of a mystery.

Perhaps the answer lies in the iPhone - Apple would just love to sell more of these little suckers and Twitter is just the kind of inconsequential rubbish that iPhone users go for.
In hard business terms, Apple simply doesn't care if it owns Twitter or not, not least due to the fact that the microblogging model is far from proven in business terms. No. What Apple wants is your money. And spending $700 million on Twitter to guarantee a few million more iPhone sales is just the kind of investment Cupertino would go for.
June 8 is the target date, by all accounts, when Apple's worldwide developer conference opens in San Jose.
But having said all that, no doubt Oracle will prove everyone wrong and buy Twitter instead.

Unemployment Benefits Ny,Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Benefits Ny,Unemployment Benefits: Unemployment insurance is temporary income for eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and are ready, willing and able to work. You must have sufficient work and wages in covered employment. In the State of New York, the money for unemployment insurance benefits comes from taxes paid by employers.

Unemployment Benefits Ny,Unemployment Benefits: Unemployment insurance is temporary income for eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and are ready, willing and able to work. You must have sufficient work and wages in covered employment. In the State of New York, the money for unemployment insurance benefits comes from taxes paid by employers. They are not always made deductions from wages of an employee for unemployment insurance. It is the Department of Labor that determines whether an unemployed worker qualifies for unemployment.

Hinchey Helps House Pass Bill to Extend Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Homebuyers’ Tax Credit, Business Tax Relief to Stimulate Local Economy

Washington, DC - November 5, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today helped the House pass a bill to provide stability to American families hit hardest by the recession and to stimulate the local economy by extending unemployment benefits, the homebuyers’ tax credit, and tax relief for military families and businesses.  The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act will provide immediate assistance, extending relief to millions of workers, families, and businesses nationwide.  The bill now moves to the White House where President Obama is expected to sign it into law.
“This bill provides a helping hand to those who need it most — Americans who have lost their job and continue to suffer from unemployment for long periods of time in this very difficult economy,” Hinchey said. “The unemployment funds provided in this bill will help people pay for groceries, fill their cars with gas, and pay their mortgage or rent on time.  This bill will also help spur the housing market by providing much-needed tax credits to both first-time homebuyers and those who have already been homeowners for at least five years.  Additionally, this legislation provides tax relief to businesses so that they can stay afloat in the face of difficult economic circumstances.”
The legislation Hinchey voted for today will provide unemployed New Yorkers who have exhausted or will exhaust their benefits before the end of this year with an additional 20 weeks of emergency unemployment compensation.  The extension is fully paid for and will provide an immediate, effective stimulus to the local economy. The Congressional Budget Office has cited unemployment benefits as one of the most cost-effective forms of economic stimulus, and every dollar spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.63 in new demand, according to Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi.
Importantly, the bill also extends the popular $8,000 first-time homebuyers tax credit, which has been credited with helping to revive the housing market, to April 30, 2010 and provides a new $6,500 credit to homebuyers who have lived in their current residence for five years or more.  It also helps military families struggling to make mortgage payments by making those payments tax-exempt.
To breathe life back into American businesses suffering from huge losses, the bill also allows U.S. companies to carry back losses incurred in either 2008 or 2009 against income earned in any of the five prior years. 

Taylor Swift’s SNL Appearance Garners Attention

Following her Saturday Night Live (SNL) debut this week, country crooner Taylor Swift has gained quite a reputation all over for her impersonating act. Swift’s SNL appearance has remained in talks over quite sometime and when she finally hit the marquee, it turned out to be one very entertaining show for certain. Posing as reality television star Kate Gosselin, she managed to put a really entertaining show.

Her monologue speech too was impressive and she even succeeded to spare some humor at her own expense. Which is what made it all the more worthwhile. Also, she finally came out in the open and depicted some sort of reaction to the Kanye West MTV VMA incident. Though it did not turn out to be vengeful on any note, the jab at West was all the more evident when Swift was heard saying, “..there’s nothing more to say/ ’cause everything’s OK/ I’ve got security lining the stage/ It’s my SNL monologue.”

The humorous monologue did not stop at that itself. It appears that she also took a swing at her former boyfriend, Joe Jonas [of "The Jonas Brothers" fame]. Taylor Swift said, “..I like writing songs about douche-bags who cheat on me..”

However, it is the skit that was based on Kate Gosselin that is hogging the lime light for the present moment. Featuring a spoof on Gosselin’s hosting attempts on “The View”, Taylor Swift was seen sporting the former’s famous hairstyle. Along with Kristen Wiig, who essayed the role of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the two humored the audience about the way the famous hair styling was supposedly brought about.

Another Sneak Peek of Taylor Swift on 'SNL'

his time, the country crooner appears with 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Kristen Wiig who got jealous of her achievements.

---

One more sneak peek is released before audience can get fully blown by Taylor Swift's performance on "Saturday Night Live". After a clip where she opens the show with Bill Hader was released earlier this week, another one which is concentrating on her skit with Kristen Wiig is given.

In this promo, Wiig gets a little intimidated by all Swift's accomplishments and does a little showing-off of her own. It sees Wiig recurring her Penelope character and Single White Female attitude. After jumping with joy, Wiig said to Swift "Wow, you're really tall."

On the variety show which will air tonight November 7 on NBC, Taylor Swift will pull a double duty as the host and the performer. The singer who said that she was involved in the creative process of the skits, does one parody of Kanye West as a mean to laugh about the September incident when the rapper cut her MTV Video Music acceptance speech.

BCS Rankings Week 10: Texas Passes Alabama In BCS Standings

NEW YORK — Texas took a small step forward in the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday, and the remaining unbeaten teams held down the first seven spots.
The Longhorns (.9227) jumped from third to second place, ahead of Alabama (.9166) and behind Florida (.9918). It's a cosmetic move. Texas was already in control of its destiny in the BCS championship race.
The Crimson Tide and Gators, if they both remain undefeated, will have to play each other in the Southeastern Conference title game.
Behind the top three were Iowa (.8407), Cincinnati (.8033), TCU (.8008) and Boise State (.7863), all unbeaten and hoping for the Gators, Crimson Tide or Longhorns to slip up.
Alabama faces a stiff test Saturday when LSU travels to Tuscaloosa.
The Horned Frogs hold a slim lead over the Broncos in the race to be this season's BCS buster. Both teams had lopsided victories on Saturday.
Oregon moved up two spots from 10th to eighth place after a 47-20 victory against Southern California.
USC dropped seven spots to 12th place.
Notre Dame, which needs nine victories and a top-14 finish in the BCS standings to be eligible for an at-large bid, is 22nd.
Florida holds the top spot and is ranked first in both polls used by the BCS – the Harris and coaches' polls. The Gators are also tops among the compilation of six computer ratings used by the BCS.
Texas is No. 2 in both polls and tied with Alabama for third in the computer ratings. The Crimson Tide is third in both polls.
Iowa is second in the computers, though only seventh in the Harris poll and sixth in the coaches' poll.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/02/bcs-rankings-week-10-texa_n_341780.html&cp

The Fabulous Forum BCS rankings Week 11

The BCS standings won't be released until later in the afternoon, but in the meantime, the AP Top 25 has been released.
  Oklahoma dropped out of the college football poll for the first time since 2005, and No. 25 Stanford moved into the rankings for the first time since 2001.   
The first six spots were held by major college football's six unbeaten teams, with Florida, Texas and Alabama making up the top three for the second consecutive week. Florida received 39 first-place votes, Texas received 10 and Alabama 11.   
TCU moved up two spots to No. 4, bumping No. 5 Cincinnati and No. 6 Boise State back a spot.
Notre Dame and California also dropped out after losses.   
The rest of the top 10 is Georgia Tech at No. 7, followed by Pittsburgh, Ohio State and LSU.   
Iowa dropped seven spots to No. 15 after losing for the first time this season, a 17-10 upset at home by Northwestern. The Hawkeyes fell out of the national championship race but are still in control of their Big 10  title hopes. Iowa and Ohio State play in Columbus on Saturday with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line.   
Stanford (6-3) moved into rankings after knocking off Oregon 51-42 to become bowl eligible. The Cardinal finished the 2001 season ranked but haven't been since. That was also the last season Stanford played in a bowl.  
Oregon fell seven spots to No. 14. USC is No. 11
No. 24 Clemson also made it into the top 25 for the first time this season. The Tigers (6-3) beat Florida State 40-24 to take control of the ACC's Atlantic Division race.   
-- Houston Mitchell

Jahvid Best Injury VIDEO: Injured Running Back Taken To Emergency Room

BERKELEY, Calif. -- California tailback Jahvid Best sustained a concussion and was taken to the emergency room after he leapt high into the air, flipped over a defender and landed on the back of his head in the end zone.
Best briefly lost consciousness following the terrifying fall from at least 5 feet, coach Jeff Tedford said after No. 23 Cal's 31-14 loss to Oregon State.
Tedford said initial tests had come back normal.
Best had movement in all of his extremities, Cal spokesman Herb Benenson said. Benenson also said that a preliminary evaluation showed Best sustained a concussion, but more tests were being done before a final diagnosis would be announced by the school. Tedford didn't know whether Best would be kept in the hospital over night.
Best's helmet came off on impact. He vaulted into the air over Oregon State safety Cameron Collins on the 7-yard touchdown run. Best's jersey was removed and he was wearing an oxygen mask when carted out of the stadium. Benenson said Best was taken to an emergency room for observation and examination.
Best missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday with a slight concussion sustained in the team's 23-21 win at Arizona State last Saturday, but participated in full during Thursday's workout. The concussion wasn't diagnosed right away.
 

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Jahvid Best In Surprisingly Good Shape (i.e. Alive, Moving)

Someone recently wrote (I can't for the life of me remember who) that there's nothing quite like the sound of an entire stadium sure they just watched someone die.
When Best, the Golden Bears' star back, vaulted over Cameron Collins into the end zone, he guaranteed himself a place on highlight reels. And when he tumbled midair, coming down on his shoulder and neck, he pretty much guaranteed I will never ever let my children play football.
Scarier still were Best's limbs going stiff, as an analyst explained that "abnormal posturing" is a sign the brain has lost contact with the body. That's a phrase you never want to hear on an injury report. But oddly enough, that was reassuring, as it's a reaction seen in many a boxing and MMA knockout victim. And sure enough, Best suffered only a concussion, and not any spinal injuries.
As Best's uniform was literally cut off of him, and he was wheeled off with an oxygen mask as players on both sidelines prayed, we could be forgiven for fearing the worst.

I've never seen anybody that high in the air on the football field," [fullback Brian] Holley said later. "The way he fell, I knew immediately he had to be hurt. I saw his face and nothing was there. He had a blank stare and his arms were stiff."

This is Best's second concussion in eight days, which means that, despite the surprisingly good prognosis, he probably should be nowhere near a football field for the rest of the season. But at least the spectacular video can be shown on Deadspin, and not Faces of Death.

Black Friday Deals Feature Cheap Digital Cameras

Black Friday deals are starting to spread throughout the Internet, including new ones from Kohl's and BJs. Digital cameras are tops on many holiday shopping lists and there is a large list of Black Friday deals already out. Walmart, Kmart, Sears, BestBuy and ToysRUs are just some of the retailers who have great Black Friday deals on digital cameras.

Retailers typically offer a wide variety of digital cameras at significant discounts on Black Friday. When you shop at popular stores such as BestBuy, Staples, Kmart, Walmart, and Office Depot, you will find low prices on Canon, Casio, and Kodak cameras. You can also find bargains on popular brands such as Sony, Nikon, and Olympus.
Here are the latest deals on digitals cameras and some camcorders that have been leaked out that will happen on Black Friday, November 28.
*Canon 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera, EOS Rebel XS at Sears $569.99
*Canon 980IS 12.1MP Digital Camera at Sears $279.99
*Canon Powershot SD780 IS 12.1MP Digital Camera at Sears $179.99
*Canon Rebelx XS Digital SLR Camera & Canon EF 75-300MM Telephoto Zoom Lens at Sears $669.98
*Disney Pix Micro Digital Cameras Designed For Just For Kids at Sears $9.99 *
*Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera at Toys R Us $44.99
*Fuji J29 10MP 3X Zoom 2.7" LCD Digital Camera Bundle at Sears $89.99
*GE A1250 12MP Digital Camera at Sears $69.99
*Jazz T20 4X Digtal Zoom 1.5" LCD Camcorder at Sears $19.99
*Jazz T55 Camcorder at Sears $49.99 *
*Kodak CD80 10.2MP, 3x Zoom Digital Camera 2.4" LCD 2GB Card And Case at Sears $79.99
*Kodak CD80 10.2MP Digital Camera Bundle at Kmart $79.99
*Kodak M1063 10.3MP Digital Camera at Sears $89.99
*Nikon Coolpix 12MP S570 Digital Camera at Sears $149.99
*Nikon COOLPIX L20 Digital Camera at Sears $99.99
*Olmpus FE-4000 12MP Digital Camera at Sears $99.99
*Olympus FE-4000 12 MegaPixel Camera at Sam's Club $98.00
*Samsung C10 SD 1200 Digital Zoom 10X Optical Zoom 2.7" LCD Camcorder at Sears $149.99
*Samsung Compact Full HD Camcorder at Sears $399.99
*Samsung SL40 12.2MP Digital Camera at Sears $79.99
*Samsung SL40 Digitial Camera at Kmart $79.99
*Sony 4GB Camcorder at Sears $249.99
*Sony 60GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder at Sears $299.99
*Sony Cyber-Shot 10.1MP Digital Camera at Sears $99.99
*Sony Cyber-Shot 10.1MP Digital Camera at Sears $249.99
*Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W180 10.1MP Digital Camera at Toys R Us $129.99
*Sony W180 10.1MP Digital Camera at Kmart $99.99
*Vivitar 10.1MP HD Digital Camera 2.4" LCD 8X Digital Zoom at Kohls $59.99
Before you shop on Black Friday, do make an effort to check Cyber Monday deals for Digital Cameras. Although many have not been posted yet, they may be an even better deal than the Black Friday deals listed above. With so many great deals on digital cameras, it's worth a little extra effort to find your best deal.

Black Friday Deals 2009 Best Buy: Best Buy Brings Back VIP Contest for 2009 Black Friday

Win $1,000 in Free Best Buy Merchandise This Black Friday

Why are Black Friday deals so important this year? For starters, unemployment is over 10% for the first time in over 20 years. Consumers are feeling the pinch and have noticed that their dollar doesn't go quite as far as it used to. People are more cognizant of what they are spending, and are more apt to save money because of fear of the unknown. Retailers such as Best Buy need to entice these consumers to let go of their money.

What type of Black Friday deals do I expect to see at Best Buy during the 2009 holiday season? I expect to see stellar deals on TVs, computers, laptops, and various other electronics. I would like to see a 32 gb iPod Touch for under $150, but that may be nothing more than just a dream.

A leaked Office Max Black Friday ad pointed to an ACER netbook for under $149.99. Although Office Max had the leaked ad pulled, and the deal may not have been official, I expect retailers like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Office Depot to offer great deals on small portable netbooks. Consumers should look for deals on the HP Mini as well as the ACER family of computers and jump on them.

2009 will also most likely be the year of the TV. Expect to see 42" TVs slightly below the $500 mark. In fact, Best Buy recently offered a 42" TV for $498.99.

Another Black Friday tradition for Best Buy that will continue for the 2009 holiday season is the Black Friday VIP contest. Simply write an essay about why you love Black Friday and you could win a $1,000 Best Buy gift card and get escorted to your local Best Buy on Black Friday. You will get priority seating, and have early access to all the goodies in the store. If you won this, it would be the best Black Friday deal you would ever imagine.

Black Friday Deals 2009 Best Buy: Best Buy Brings Back VIP Contest for 2009 Black Friday

Win $1,000 in Free Best Buy Merchandise This Black Friday

Why are Black Friday deals so important this year? For starters, unemployment is over 10% for the first time in over 20 years. Consumers are feeling the pinch and have noticed that their dollar doesn't go quite as far as it used to. People are more cognizant of what they are spending, and are more apt to save money because of fear of the unknown. Retailers such as Best Buy need to entice these consumers to let go of their money.

What type of Black Friday deals do I expect to see at Best Buy during the 2009 holiday season? I expect to see stellar deals on TVs, computers, laptops, and various other electronics. I would like to see a 32 gb iPod Touch for under $150, but that may be nothing more than just a dream.

A leaked Office Max Black Friday ad pointed to an ACER netbook for under $149.99. Although Office Max had the leaked ad pulled, and the deal may not have been official, I expect retailers like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Office Depot to offer great deals on small portable netbooks. Consumers should look for deals on the HP Mini as well as the ACER family of computers and jump on them.

2009 will also most likely be the year of the TV. Expect to see 42" TVs slightly below the $500 mark. In fact, Best Buy recently offered a 42" TV for $498.99.

Another Black Friday tradition for Best Buy that will continue for the 2009 holiday season is the Black Friday VIP contest. Simply write an essay about why you love Black Friday and you could win a $1,000 Best Buy gift card and get escorted to your local Best Buy on Black Friday. You will get priority seating, and have early access to all the goodies in the store. If you won this, it would be the best Black Friday deal you would ever imagine.

Gen Stanley McChrystal faces Pat Tillman book allegations

The actions of the general demanding thousands of new US troops for the war in Afghanistan have been called into question by a new book on an alleged Pentagon cover-up of the death of Pat Tillman, an American footballer turned soldier Photo: PA

The challenge to Gen Stanley McChrystal's reputation comes as President Barack Obama prepares to make his biggest decision since winning the presidency a year ago on Tuesday. The president has spent more than two months agonising over how many reinforcements to send to the war.
Throughout that process the highly decorated Gen McChrystal has been praised as the ideal man to lead allied forces in Afghanistan, a job he took over in the summer.
But in Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, the author Jon Krakauer has presented allegations about the general's role in recommending Cpl Tillman for a posthumous silver star medal, which would not normally be awarded for a "friendly fire" incident.
He claimed that Gen McChrystal approved paperwork awarding the medal Cpl Tillman despite the fact that the former Arizona Cardinals star had died from friendly fire and not enemy fire, as the Pentagon claimed for a month after his death.
"After Tillman died, the most important thing to know is that within 24 hours everybody on the ground, everyone intimately involved, knew it was friendly fire," Krakauer told NBC. "There's never any doubt it was friendly fire. Also, immediately they started this paperwork to give Tillman a silver star."
Testifying before a Senate hearing earlier this year, Gen McChrystal admitted "I would do this differently if I had the chance again", and said he had not read the paperwork on the silver star citation thoroughly.
Krakauer, who spent five months in Afghanistan researching the book, described that claim as "preposterous" and "unbelievable".
The allegation of a cover-up was made after a concerted campaign by Cpl Tillman's family. His father, Pat Tillman Snr, earlier this year said of Gen McChrystal, "I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation."
Gen McChrystal was one of eight officers recommended for discipline by a subsequent Pentagon investigation but the army declined to take action against him.

Happy Birthday, Pat Tillman

Courtesy of the Tillman Family

Pat Tillman (left) and his brother, Kevin, stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army rangers in Iraq in 2003.

Editor’s note: Pat Tillman would have been 33 years old today. We at Truthdig wish to commemorate his life by republishing an article by his brother, Kevin Tillman. Tillman’s story speaks volumes not just about those we have lost, but about a history of lies, deceits and cover-ups that have helped to perpetuate war and kill thousands of U.S., coalition, Iraqi and Afghan people. As we await a decision by President Barack Obama, being pressed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, on whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan, we can remind ourselves of the life that Pat Tillman led and let it guide us to better understand both the conflict in Afghanistan and its consequences. 

Kevin Tillman joined the Army with Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. The government deceived his family—and the nation—about the circumstances of his death for five weeks. McChrystal, who led the Joint Special Operations Command, of which Pat was a member, was central to the top-level military deceit in Tillman’s death through his fast-tracking of a fraudulent Silver Star medal recommendation and later warning in a high-priority memo of possible “public embarrassment if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman’s death become public.” Not when, but “if.” 

Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, wrote a powerful, must-read document on the occasion of Pat’s birthday anniversary in 2006.

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after.  It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military.  He spoke about the risks with signing the papers.  How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people.  How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition.  How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out. 

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them.  Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet.  It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes. 

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground. 

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated. 

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense. 

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people.  So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity.  Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites. 

Luckily this country is still a democracy.  People still have a voice.  People still can take action.  It can start after Pat’s birthday. 

Tommie Harris plays well in return to Chicago Bears' defense

After being benched against the Bengals, Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris quietly returned and performed well against the Browns. He was credited with four tackles and two quarterback pressures after the coaches reviewed the film Monday.

"He makes us a lot better," end Alex Brown said. "He requires a double team. When he's on, a double team doesn't even work. He's amazing. He's a great athlete. He's a special type of player. When you have that type of player on your team and you have him out on the field healthy, yes, it makes your defense a lot better."

Coach Lovie Smith was asked for his take.

"Pleased with how Tommie played, as I was the entire defensive line," he said. "I know the sack total (one) isn't what you would like for it to be, but thought we had good pressure. They maintained their gaps. Tommie was disruptive with his play, which he can be."

Tough challenge: Although Charles Tillman had a solid showing against the Browns, recording the team's first defensive score of the season with a 21-yard interception return, he has a tall task ahead in Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"I don't want to take anything away from Peanut (Tillman) or (Nathan) Vasher or any defensive back in the league, but it's a mismatch with Fitzgerald, one-on-one, with anybody," Brown said. "He's pretty good."

Fitzgerald has 47 catches for 509 yards and five TDs.

Building confidence: Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said the defense's confidence was waning after the 45-10 loss in Cincinnati but that it recaptured some of its swagger after holding the Browns to 191 yards and causing five turnovers.

He said one of the keys was the way the team practiced leading into the Browns game.

"Hopefully it doesn't take a performance like Cincinnati to motivate us to practice the way we need to," he said.

Tommie Harris' days with the Chicago Bears appear to be numbered

CHICAGO -- Somewhere, Allen Iverson is smiling.
The Bears appear to have an Iverson-like practice situation on their hands with Tommie Harris, who always skips at least one workout a week, not to mention a good chunk of training camp every summer in Bourbonnais. Looks like Tommie's schedule is about to change, after Lovie Smith essentially challenged the defensive tackle to be on the field when the Bears report back to work Wednesday. Harris' future participation on the practice field aside, we may be witnessing the final chapter of Tommie here in Chicago, or at least that was the opinion of Yahoo! Sports national NFL writer Charles Robinson during an appearance Monday night with David Haugh and me on ESPN 1000. "I think he's done, I think this is the last year he plays for the Chicago Bears," Robinson said. "I think financially he's gotten to a point, where unless there's a renegotiation of that deal, you can't justify continuing to pay him what he makes. To me, there's almost no doubt in my mind this comes to a head in the offseason. "Before the NFL trade deadline, I called a couple of NFC teams that had suffered some injuries on their defensive line and asked them if they would be interested in possibly trading for Tommie Harris. Does he have any value? They flatly said no, Tommie has no value. "Just like a guy like Shawne Merriman, but maybe even more so, you have no idea what you are acquiring in Tommie Harris because of those physical issues and diminished play in the last couple of seasons." Harris' pain tolerance has come under scrutiny, but we should remind everybody he played on essentially one leg during 2007, compiling 43 tackles and 8 sacks. However, Tommie was looking to get paid, and was ultimately rewarded with that 4-year $40 million extension before 2008. It's been all downhill since. Don't forget to join Danieal Manning and me Tuesday night on Miller Lite's Football Night in Chicago from 6-8 p.m. on ESPN 1000.

Tommie Harris' days with the Chicago Bears appear to be numbered

CHICAGO -- Somewhere, Allen Iverson is smiling.
The Bears appear to have an Iverson-like practice situation on their hands with Tommie Harris, who always skips at least one workout a week, not to mention a good chunk of training camp every summer in Bourbonnais. Looks like Tommie's schedule is about to change, after Lovie Smith essentially challenged the defensive tackle to be on the field when the Bears report back to work Wednesday. Harris' future participation on the practice field aside, we may be witnessing the final chapter of Tommie here in Chicago, or at least that was the opinion of Yahoo! Sports national NFL writer Charles Robinson during an appearance Monday night with David Haugh and me on ESPN 1000. "I think he's done, I think this is the last year he plays for the Chicago Bears," Robinson said. "I think financially he's gotten to a point, where unless there's a renegotiation of that deal, you can't justify continuing to pay him what he makes. To me, there's almost no doubt in my mind this comes to a head in the offseason. "Before the NFL trade deadline, I called a couple of NFC teams that had suffered some injuries on their defensive line and asked them if they would be interested in possibly trading for Tommie Harris. Does he have any value? They flatly said no, Tommie has no value. "Just like a guy like Shawne Merriman, but maybe even more so, you have no idea what you are acquiring in Tommie Harris because of those physical issues and diminished play in the last couple of seasons." Harris' pain tolerance has come under scrutiny, but we should remind everybody he played on essentially one leg during 2007, compiling 43 tackles and 8 sacks. However, Tommie was looking to get paid, and was ultimately rewarded with that 4-year $40 million extension before 2008. It's been all downhill since. Don't forget to join Danieal Manning and me Tuesday night on Miller Lite's Football Night in Chicago from 6-8 p.m. on ESPN 1000.

Mysteries of 'Bert and Ernie,' 'Gretchen Rossi,' 'Elizabeth Lambert' Solved

Wondering why 'Bert and Ernie,' 'Gretchen Rossi,' and 'Elizabeth Lambert' are surging in Google Trends? We can shed some light on the mystery. Google Trends provides the hottest keywords of the hour. Though the results change frequently, at any given time the list offers a snapshot of what's hot in the world of entertainment news. Here's what's steamin' today...

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Gretchen Real Housewives – Season 5 of 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' premiered last night, and not without fireworks. 32-year-old former real estate agent Gretchen Rossi shook things up by talking about some nudie pics that were previously released on the net. Fellow housewife Tamra Barney says of one pic, "There's a picture of her with a vibrator laying on a bed with a cord... Holy mother of gynecology! Who has a vibrator with a cord?" A woman who is "in a dark place," says Rossi. She was mourning the death of her husband at the time of the photo opps.

Yankees on Letterman – Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui appeared on 'Letterman' last night. "I don't mean any disrespect," Letterman joked, "but how hung over are you guys?" "Probably not as bad as you," Jeter snapped back. Jeter then went on to dispell rumors of his engagement to actress Minka Kelly. "I heard I was engaged. I heard I've been engaged a few times. I've heard I've been married and have kids."

Gretchen Rossi Vibrator Pictures Hot Topic on Internet and "Real Housewives of Orange County"

What is a Gretchen Rossi vibrator and why are there pictures of it? Is a Gretchen Rossi vibrator different than other vibrators and will the pictures show that difference? Or is a Gretchen Rossi vibrator simply a brand of vibrator endorsed by Grethen Rossi, the scandal-targeted cast
member of "Real Housewives of Orange County"? Also: Are they certain it's a Gretchen Rossi vibrator and not a Gretchen Rossi "massager"?
Gretchen Rossi, the 32-year-old housewife on Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County" that began her tenure on the show with a scandal concerning naked pictures, seems to have gotten herself into an all-new naked pictures scandal. Again. It seems that private naked pictures of Gretchen Rossi in the throes of passion with a vibrator have found their way to the internet. There are various other pictures of Gretchen Rossi with the vibrator as well, depending upon which website one alights when searching out her pictures.

So there isn't actually a vibrator called the "Gretchen Rossi vibrator." Well, not yet anyway. It is simply the descriptive phrase used by many on Google to find Gretchen Rossi and
her vibrator pictures. And the vibrator isn't any different from most vibrators -- except that it isn't batter-powered or wireless.

And there is the rub...

The scandal does not seem to be that Gretchen Rossi has more naked pictures on the internet (because that constitutes "old news"), but that the particular model of vibrator in the picture has a cord.

Yes. A cord.

It seems that a couple of housewives of Orange County couldn't quite keep the subject of one of their castmates from surfacing on one of their episodes. In fact, Tamra Barney engages in a bit of vibrator snobbery. Tamra Barney asked Vicki Gunvalson, "There's a picture of her with a vibrator laying on a bed with a cord. I'm like, 'Holy Mother of Gynecology, who has a vibrator with a cord?

Track Hurricane Ida Path: Hurricane Ida nearing Gulf of Mexico

BREAKING NEWS
Forecasters say Hurricane Ida has strengthened to a Category 2 storm with 100 mph wind, and a hurricane watch was extended to the Florida Panhandle as Ida made its way across the Gulf of Mexico.
The hurricane watch now stretches from southeastern Louisiana to Mexico Beach, Fla. Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami say Ida’s winds are now near 100 mph (160 kph), and Ida could get stronger later Sunday.
The hurricane was moving to the northwest near 10 mph (17 kph), and Ida was expected to pick up steam as it moved over open waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ida could reach the Gulf Coast by Tuesday, though it was unclear how strong it would be by then.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
—————————————————————————————————————-
Hurricane Ida, now a category one hurricane, has been pounding Mexico’s Caribbean coast and Grand Cayman with strong winds and rain but little other damage is forecast at this point.
Hurricane Ida is about to enter the Gulf of Mexico as it charges northward with 90 mph winds.
As of 9am CST Sunday the top winds of 90 mph was located about 75 miles to the northeast of Cozumel, Mexico or about 650 miles to the south-southeast of Pensacola, Florida.


Hurricane Ida swiped the resort city of Cancun on Sunday with bands of wind and rain as it steamed north toward the Gulf of Mexico, where officials issued a hurricane watch for coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.
Gusts of wind whipped palm trees and fishermen pulled their boats in and tied them down along Mexico’s Caribbean coast as rain and strong waves moved ashore in Cancun and neighboring Puerto Juarez. Tourists, meanwhile, tried to continue vacationing as usual despite the Category 1 storm.
“I figure probably in a couple hours we’ll be stuck inside,” said Julie Randolph, 40, a social worker from Ormand Beach, Florida, who braved the rain to jog along the near-empty beach.
Randolph said she was monitoring Ida’s progress on her iPhone. “I’m always concerned about storms, but I feel comfortable and safe in my surroundings,” she said. “We would have left if we felt threatened. We still can leave now.”
The Cancun airport was still open and there were no plans to close it, according to airport spokesman Eduardo Rivadeneira.
As winds picked up and intermittent rains intensified Sunday morning, restaurants and nightclubs near the waterfront began covering their windows with large pieces of plywood.

Officials said the worst of the storm would likely hit Cancun around midday. They advised residents to stay inside and avoid putting their trash out on the streets.

“Right now it is very, very calm,” Civil Defense director Ruben Avalos Gutierrez said. “The phenomenon is going to be very close. We will get rain and wind gusts.”
Ida had winds of about 90 mph (150 kph). The storm was passing about 60 miles (100 kilometers) offshore from Cancun, and 85 miles (135 kilometers) southwest of Cuba.

It was moving northwest at about 12 mph (19 kph) on a projected path that could have it arriving at the U.S. Gulf coast around Tuesday.
Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said Ida could become a Category 2 hurricane late Sunday.
It is expected to interact with a weakening cold front over open seas and will most likely be a tropical storm or perhaps a low-level hurricane when it gets to the Gulf Coast, said Jack Beven, a hurricane specialist at the center.
But when that will happen isn’t entirely clear, he said, which prompted officials to issue a hurricane watch for the coastline from Grand Isla, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama state line. The watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.
Parts of the Yucatan Peninsula remained under a hurricane warning, and a tropical storm warning was in place for the western tip of Cuba with heavy rains expected.
Hurricane Ida passed through neighboring Nicaragua on Thursday, damaging or destroying about 500 homes, as well as roads, bridges and public buildings.

Hurricane Ida path: latest news and updates

Hurricane ida on Saturday was strengthened to a Category 2 storm and a hurricane watch was declared to the Florida Panhandle as Ida headed towards the Gulf of Mexico. Parts of the Yucantan Peninsula were under the hurricane warning.

HURRICANE IDA on Saturday was strengthened to a Category 2 storm and a hurricane watch ( a hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible in the next 36 hours) was asked to the Florida Panhandle as Ida headed towards the Gulf of Mexico.

The hurricane ida path:
The hurricane watch now stretches to Mexico beach from south eastern Louisiana. US forecasters have predicted that Ida could get stronger on Sunday as the day progresses.
It is believed that the Ida could reach the GulfCoast by Tuesday but it was not very clear regarding how strong it would be by then.
Early on Sunday, Ida’s wind and heavy rain caused severe destruction to the Mexican city of Cancun. Tourists thought that Ida was only a minor setback, whereas fishermen tied down their boats.
As the day progresses, restaurants and nightclubs placed large pieces of plywood covering their windows.
The Ida is expected to interact with a weak cold front over the open seas is likely to be a tropical storm or a low level hurricane by the time it reaches the Gulf Coast.
Some parts of the YucantanPeninsula were under the hurricane warning and tropical storm warning was in place for the western tip of Cuba with heavy rainfall expected.

US House of Representatives: Reaction to the votes

We recently informed you that the U.S. House of Representatives approved President Barack Obama’s new healthcare bill, most Americans will now be able to have a health plan and insurance companies will no longer be able to refuse a policy for those with a pre-existing illness.

The bill will now be passed to the Senate for final approval, it is no secret that they have been struggling to come up with their own legislation on a healthcare reform. Both bills will now have to be approved before president Obama can sign the new bill.

The bill won by a narrow margin, just 220-215. We also mentioned in a recent post that one Republican supported the Democrats bill. A number of politicians have been have been reacting to the recent vote, even the president himself.

Obama said, “Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will.”

Other reactions came from Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, House Republican leader John Boehner, president of the American Medical Association, James Rohack, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans Karen Ignani, amongst others. Read what they had to say by visiting Reuters.

US Representatives pass healthcare bill

SPLIT DECISION: Saturday’s vote was largely along party lines and moved Barack Obama’s top domestic priority a step forward. Happy Democrats hugged in the aisles

REUTERS, WASHINGTON
Monday, Nov 09, 2009, Page 1
The US House of Representatives narrowly endorsed on Saturday the biggest healthcare overhaul in decades, giving US President Barack Obama a crucial victory in a battle that now moves to the Senate.
By a 220-215 vote, including the support of one Republican, the House backed a bill that would expand coverage to nearly all Americans and bar insurance practices such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions.

But in the Senate, work on a healthcare bill — Obama’s top domestic priority — has stalled for weeks as Democratic leader Harry Reid searches for an approach that can win the 60 votes he needs.

Any differences between the Senate and House bills ultimately will have to be reconciled, and a final bill passed again by both before going to Obama for his signature.

House Democrats cheered and hugged when the 218th vote was recorded, and again when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pounded the gavel and announced the results.

Most Republicans criticized the measure’s US$1 trillion price tag, new taxes on the wealthy and what they characterized as excessive government interference in the private health sector.

“Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will,” Obama said in a statement after the vote.

Reid has been awaiting cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) before unveiling a Senate bill. But he already made one of his toughest decisions by including a national government-run insurance plan.

“We hope to receive CBO scores back on our draft proposals in the coming days, and look forward to bringing a final bill to the Senate floor as soon as possible,” Reid said in a statement shortly after the House vote.

The vote followed days of heavy lobbying of undecided Democrats by Obama, his top aides and House leaders. The narrow victory was clinched early on Saturday by a deal designed to mollify Democratic opponents of abortion.

Democrats had a cushion of 40 of their 258 House members they could afford to lose and still pass the bill. In the end, 39 Democrats sided with Republicans against it.

First-term Representative Anh Cao of Louisiana was the lone Republican supporter.

The landmark vote was a huge step for Obama, who has staked much of his political capital on the healthcare battle.

A loss in the House would have ended the fight, impaired the rest of his legislative agenda and left Democrats vulnerable to big losses in next year’s congressional elections.

Republicans and Democrats battled in sometimes testy debate through the day and into the night on Saturday over the bill, which would require individuals to have insurance and all but the smallest employers to offer health coverage to workers.

The bill would set up exchanges where people could choose from among purchase private plans or a government-run insurance option bitterly opposed by the insurance industry, and it would offer subsidies to help low-income people buy insurance.

Congressional budget analysts say it would extend coverage to 36 million uninsured people, covering about 96 percent of the population, and would reduce the budget deficit by about US$100 billion over 10 years.

Jake Shields: Cung Le would rather vacate the title than have to fight me for it

“Cung Le doesn’t want to fight me. That’s why he vacated the title only to  come back a month later and fight again. You’ll have to ask Cung why he won’t fight me.”

Newly crowned Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields takes at shot at Cung Le during the “Fedor vs. Rogers” post fight press conference on Nov. 7 from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Shields bested Jason “Mayhem” Miller in a five round unanimous decision victory to lay claim to the belt that Le vacated just last month. Le contends that he was not expecting to be available to to fight so soon, but his current acting gig was delayed when the movie he was filiming got pushed back a year, thus freeing him up for a return to Strikeforce against Scott Smith on Dec. 19. Is Le avoiding the ground game of Shields? Or is this just a case of inconvenient timing? Thoughts?

Jake Shields Controls Jason Mayhem Miller With Wrestling And Wins Middleweight Title By Decision

very round of tonight's Strikeforce Middleweight Championship bout between Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller pretty much had the same feel to it. Miller wanted to strike, attempting to throwdown hard every brief chance he got. That said, the keyword was brief. In other words, Shields pretty much took his opponent down and moved from side control, to mount, to taking his back at will. Did he do much damage with ground and pound? Not really. Did he nearly pull off any submissions? No. In fact, he seemed caught dead to rights by a Miller rear naked choke attempt in the third round before the bell saved him. That said, I gave Miller the first round for the more spectacular takedowns and harder ground and pound, and the third round because of that submission attempt. The rest of the fight, Shields clearly controlled.

Jake Shields defeats Jason "Mayhem" Miller by unanimous decision.

Vail Shooting

Yet another shooting spree takes one more life. In a West Vail shooting incident, at least 1 killed while 3 injured. Dwight Henninger says the suspect is a 63-year-old Richard “Rossi” Moreau that opened fires at a Sandbar in West Vail ski town on Saturday night. Richard is reported arrested.
According to the police chief Dwight Henninger, in a Sandbar Sports Grill, a popular bar located in the ski town West Vail a 63-year-old man identified as Richard “Rossi” Moreau spread chaos by firing in and outside the bar, killing at least one person and injuring as many as three. Richard who’s in the police custody now, is reportedly a local resident of the Vail vicinity and the police are investigating him to determine the motive behind shooting and all the fuss he created.
The person died there has been reported from Carbondale. However, the injured have been reported to age 25, 29 and 63 respectively but so far their names have not been aired. Only one of the injured was reported released from the hospital, Vail Valley Medical Center, where they were dispatched subsequently. The remaining two were undergoing some serious surgeries till last news.
One of the eyewitnesses Steve Corr described the incident and said while the bar/restaurant was over occupied with customers; the suspect first bothered few people and then pulled out an automatic gun (as described by another witness) and shot few fires outside the bar. Then he entered the bar enraged and blindly shot at the scattered people.
Another witness Nancy Lewis was also present there, accompanied by her husband Lewis. She informed the police that at least 3 or more people tried to remove Richard from the scene over some verbal altercations but the man stepped back, pulled a gun and started firing. The restaurant manager was the first one to receive a bullet in the arm. The suspect kept on firing and people ran outside frantically.
When the things were under control it revealed that tow more persons were injured whereas one unknown person had died there before the police arrived and arrested the alleged suspect shortly. It is very much likely that an interview by Richard’s in 2006 to ‘Vail Daily’ may soon be centre of attention. The same is about Richard’s post-traumatic stress that he suffers with since 1979. The reason; he was deputed in Vietnam in 1960s.

Vail Shooting

Police Chief Dwight Henninger said that at the Sandbar in West Vail, one man killed and three others were injured in a shooting on Saturday night. He also said Richard “Rossi” Moreau was the suspect in the shooting. 63 years old suspected, a Vail resident, was taken into custody.
Police said the ages of the 3 injured people are 25, 29 and 63. One of the victims is released from the hospital and two victims were being operated on at Vail Valley Medical Center.
Steve Corr of Gypsum, a patron at the bar/restaurant said there were many customers in the bar when a man started “irate” and was bothering customers, during his escorting from the bar he pulled out a gun and fired some shots outside the bar then he came into the bar and fired four or five more shots.
Steve Corr said

“I saw a gun, and he fired it off. It looked like he hit at least one. Everybody scattered, pretty much.”

Nancy Lewis said that she and her husband were sitting there the suspected man was removed by 3 or 4 other men. Lewis’ husband said that the gun was automatic gun. She said

“He stepped back and pulled the gun out. The first shot hit the manager in the arm. Shots continued to ring out. … We ran out the back, but other people were stuck inside.”

Clifton Kelley of Fort Worth said he didn’t hear the shooting but heard loud noise of shots. He said

“I just wrapped the belt around his bicep and pulled it as tight as I could and held it till the ambulance got there. I just finally got the blood off my hands,”

Zenyatta Breeders Cup 2009

Watch a Video wherein Zenyatta gives hard time in the Breeders’ Cup 2009 to her male opponents. It’s really wonderful to watch Un- be- live – able as the commentator describes it when black beauty Zenyatta becomes the first-ever female winner at Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree.
The tears would be seen rolling down the cheeks of John Shirreffs, Zenyatta trainer while he watched a historic moment from an outer rail at $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree. The black beauty, unbeaten mare Zenyatta, stole a lost second victory over her male rivals for the first time and everyone present there, went crazy.
The 14th straight victory for Zenyatta brought the joy and emotions together both for the fans and its trainer during the Saturday race when she surprisingly crossed the line although she was nowhere near it for most of the time. The stunning last-to-first victory just seemed to be out of this world and she certainly deserved the cheer and praise from the crowd. No one would ever expect Zenyatta to accelerate from the midway and steel the show.

Watch a Video wherein Zenyatta gives hard time in the Breeders’ Cup 2009 to her male opponents. It’s really wonderful to watch Un- be- live – able as the commentator describes it when black beauty Zenyatta becomes the first-ever female winner at Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree.
The tears would be seen rolling down the cheeks of John Shirreffs, Zenyatta trainer while he watched a historic moment from an outer rail at $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree. The black beauty, unbeaten mare Zenyatta, stole a lost second victory over her male rivals for the first time and everyone present there, went crazy.
The 14th straight victory for Zenyatta brought the joy and emotions together both for the fans and its trainer during the Saturday race when she surprisingly crossed the line although she was nowhere near it for most of the time. The stunning last-to-first victory just seemed to be out of this world and she certainly deserved the cheer and praise from the crowd. No one would ever expect Zenyatta to accelerate from the midway and steel the show.

Zenyatta Breeders Cup 2009: Video shows classic win

$5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting saw a spectacular performance by the great unbeaten racemare Zenyatta. The fans went wild as Zenyatta ran into the record books on Saturday by beating males for the first time.
This is her14th straight victory and puts herself squarely in the debate for Horse of the Year with a breathtaking, last-to-first finish. Zenyatta and jockey Mike Smith started slowly but she kicked in swiftly midway on the far turn before winning the race by a lengh.
Zenyatta trainer John Shirreffs, watched the race from along the outer rail near the sixteenth pole. Tears were coming to his eyes soon after Zenyatta crossed the wire. Shirreffs said “I can’t believe it. She is a great, great filly she is all heart. The way the crowd took to her was just amazing. They cheered for her, they clapped for her. They love her. What a wonderful relationship.”
To read more on this great victory go to espn.go.com. Do you think that Zenyatta should get horse of the year?

OBAMA’S GODFATHER: CHAPTER 3: SHOCK DOCTRINE FOR DUMMIES

ditor’s note:

This chapter gives the reader a structured analysis in detail combining several technical and tactical methods used time and time again by Soros and his consorts to achieve not only domination over world economies but supreme domination over countries and their inhabitants

CHAPTER 3: SHOCK DOCTRINE FOR DUMMIES

In the Hindu trinity there is the god Brahma who is the Creator, the god Vishnu who is the Preserver and the god Rudra who is the destroyer of worlds. Like Rudra, George Soros is The Destroyer of Worlds.

When the Soviet Union collapsed under a mountain of debt in the late 1980s, uncertainty ensued. A scholar named Francis Fukuyama published a book called “The End of History”. That book argued that ideological conflict was passé and the future belonged to markets. That argument seemed naïve to me, given what we had witnessed in Iran at the beginning of that decade. Nevertheless, the book was important for an entirely different reason, which I failed to appreciate at the time: fundamentally, it was a call to arms for the economic elites in the western world to abandon the old east-west paradigm and move aggressively toward a global economic model, which offered global capitalists lower costs of production and vast new markets which could be linked through supply chain strategies.

More recently, author Naomi Klein wrote a revealing book called “Shock Doctrine”. This book describes in detail the principal vehicle used by the elites to impose the global model on targeted countries: “The first step is to create or exploit a crisis to advance an agenda which could not survive the democratic process in normal times”. .(Note: that is what Obama’s Chief of Staff Rham Emanuel meant when he said: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”). “The second step is to establish a new government in which multi-national corporations and political elites serve their own interests at the expense of the public.” (Note: the paradigmatic example of this is Chicago, and the Daley machine that gave us Obama. This is well documented by the Chicago Tribune’s fine investigative reporter John Kass.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/sep/15/politics

Soros is no stranger to shock doctrine methods. He introduced them first in Poland. He forged a relationship with the Solidarity Movement and helped them bring down the communist government. He brought in his cronies for the ostensible purpose of moving the country from communism to a free market economy. Fundamentally, this meant a transition from state ownership to private ownership of large segments of the economy. To those with money it was a “buying opportunity”. Thus, Soros and his cronies purchased former state enterprises debt free and acquired resources at bargain basement prices. Many people lost their jobs as a result of this privatization. Soros was indifferent to their fate. He admits that he knew that his shock therapy would cause huge unemployment, closing of factories and social unrest. To him it did not matter.

He introduced shock therapy again in Russia. The result was chaos and hyperinflation. The Yeltsin government imposed draconian cuts in state spending to industry and agriculture while the economy was still state owned. A goal of zero budget deficits in three months was announced. Credit to industry ended, businesses piled up debts and inflation went out of control. Meanwhile Soros associates moved in with hard currency and cornered the market on cheaply priced resources like aluminum and oil. These predations by Soros caused great suffering in Russia, and ill will toward the United States. (Note: this is why Putin turns a cold shoulder to his man Obama. Also, it helps explain why Russia has turned to China and forged an economic alliance adverse to our interests, apart from geopolitical and economic factors). ” (See “The Secret Financial Network Behind “Wizard” George Soros”)

http://www.questionsquestions.net/docs04/engdahl-soros.html

Finally, Soros was an active participant in the efforts of British and American intelligence organizations to topple communist regimes in Yugoslavia (The Colors Revolution), Georgia (The Rose Revolution) and Ukraine (The Orange Revolution). Again, the mantra was to bring the fruits of democracy and the free market economy to former Soviet vassal states. Once again shock doctrine methods were deployed and they brought instability, violence and economic despair. The Russian Mafia filled the vacuum–Don Symon– Capo di tutti capi. (Note: the CIA uses the color revolution term to designate a Soros-directed revolution.) (See Russo-Georgian Conflict Originates With Soros Subversion) http://www.rense.com/general83/soros.htm When it was over, Soros told journalist Michael Lewis: “The Soviet Empire is now known as the Soros Empire.” http://www.undueinfluence.com/open_society_institute.html

The last three cases are instructive for our purposes because new methods were used to topple those regimes and install governments who would play ball with Soros. Those methods were based on the tactics of Professor Gene Sharp, Chicago radical Saul Alinsky, and Italian communist Antonio Gramsci (The Prison Diaries).

The common elements were as follows:

I) a charismatic leader,

II) a cult movement,

III) the conspicuous use of young people,

IV) a three word message,

V) mind numbing chants,

VI) symbols of change,

VII) flash mobs,

VIII) media support, and

IX) the entry of Soros agents into the new regime.

(N.B. these methods have been given the euphemistic name “The Velvet Revolution”—or bloodless revolution. Soros would use them later in the Obama presidential campaign.)

(Note: No discussion of the Soros role in shock doctrine policy would be complete without some mention of Zbignew Brzezinski. Brzezinski was National Security Advisor under Carter, was active in the liberation of his native Poland, and actively promoted Islamic Fundamentalism in the Asian Republics to bring down Soviet Union. Now of course we are living with the consequences of his policies. Today, he is a Professor at Johns Hopkins, and was an active supporter of Obama during the campaign. However, Dennis Ross tells us that Brzezinski is not an advisor to the Administration. I accept that as true, based on the respect I have for Ross, Brzezinski’s known hostility toward Israel and the adverse impact his presence would have on the peace process.)

Could Brzezinski exert indirect influence with Obama through the Soros portal? I think the answer is yes. The reason I say that is because Brzezinski is now predicting that Obama will fail if he does not keep his promises to the Muslim World. That same message could be communicated through Soros at the point of decision. What we can say for sure is this: Soros and Brzezinski are personal friends, served together on the Council of Foreign Relations and had a common interest in the destruction of the Soviet Union. Brzezinski is not only a practitioner of shock doctrine, but an eager architect of it and a perfect soul mate for Soros.

“The Wanda Sykes Show”: The First Night

For Wanda Sykes, one show is not enough.
The 45-year-old comedian is already the co-star of CBS’s critically-acclaimed comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” And she pops up on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
But tonight, Sykes branched out on yet another program with “The Wanda Sykes Show.”
Many other comics depend on being sharp–Sykes’s charm is in being blunt. She’s a truth-teller, someone who tries to say what’s on everybody’s minds, or point out what’s being swept under the rug.
Sykes started off her show swinging her punchlines like a club.
In the space of a few minutes, she took shots at Anne Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.
Did we mention the show is on Fox?
(Fox is owned by News Corp., which owns The Wall Street Journal.)
“Let me be the first person on Fox not to pick on President Obama,” she announced at the start of the program.
She then launched into a comic monologue about how Obama’s critics have gone too far.
She said people who label him a “fascist” and call for him to be voted out of office are just “dumb.”
“When’s the last time a fascist got voted out of office?” she cracked. She also pointed out the stock market’s gains while the new president has been in office.
Later, she made fun of “trickle-down” economics. “Nothing good ever trickles,” she pointed out.
After a commercial break, Sykes said “Welcome back to ‘The Wanda Sykes Show’-haven’t been cancelled yet.”
Her show has a political streak, but it was also pop culture savvy. In a segment called “Wandarama” she poked fun of Adam Lambert (she pretended to mistake his glammed-up face on the cover of his coming album to that of Rihanna), Nicolas Cage (she said the actor, who is facing money troubles, made some bad business decisions, including buying a mansion made out of thousands of smaller mansions), and dethroned Miss California USA Carrie Prejean (Sykes said of the beauty queen’s alleged sex tape that such videos always leak out: “That’s the first law of porno-dynamics.”)
More than a half-hour into the show, the guests were ushered on to the set: Mary Lynn Rajskub of “24″; actor Daryl “Chill” Mitchell; and Phil Keoghan, host of “The Amazing Race.”
(Not exactly Kanye West, Rihanna and Jay-Z, who all appeared in Jay Leno’s first show at 10 p.m.)
The panel discussed whether screaming at kids is as bad as spanking, and the possible opening of a new hotel in space.
The show then began a segment called “Inappropriate Games.” The game the guests played was called “Know Your Asians.”
Rajskub wisely pretended like the game wasn’t happening. It was the kind of bit that may prove to be controversial–which may have been the whole point of it.
It’ll be interesting to see how deeply Sykes delves into the news in coming shows. Will she take on touchy, complex topics like they do on the “Daily Show”? Her appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner in May drew mixed reviews, but it did display a willingness to mix it up, though perhaps not as much as Stephen Colbert showed when he was the featured entertainment at the event in 2006 and pretty much torched the place.
What did you think of Sykes’s first night on the job?

'The Wanda Sykes Show' premiere: Trying too hard for too few laughs

Wanda Sykes is terrific: at ease and bawdy; The Wanda Sykes Show is awkward: self-conscious and contrained.
At least, that’s what last night’s premiere episode was like. Sykes delivered a scattershot, eight-minute opening monologue that tried to establish her rebel credentials by attacking the network on which she appears: “Let me be the first person on Fox not to pick on President Obama.” (Intentionally confusing the Fox entertainment network with the Fox News Channel didn’t help the weakness of the joke.)
A lot of pro-Obama jokes followed, which fit the definition of the cliche, “preaching to the choir”: her studio audience clapped dutifully at every slap at targets like Rush Limbaugh and George W. Bush, but they didn’t really laugh very hard. Sykes also made the mistake that The Jay Leno Show does too frequently: illustrating punchlines with big pictures behind the comedian. That’s just beating an already-dead horse.
Speaking of horse cliches, Sykes did an out-of-the-studio sketch about buying environmentally-sound sex-toys. Sykes invented a “solar-powered vibrator” and “reuseable condoms,” saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him use a reuseable condom.”
The final segment was a panel of guests consisting of 24’s Mary Lynn Rajskub, Brothers‘ Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, and Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan. Unlike Bill Maher or Chelsea Handler’s similar panels, these guests were permitted to sip alcoholic beverages, but the martinis and wine did help the quality of the humor. Ostensibly playing off events in the news, topics included rich people using their wealth to travel in outer space. Mitchell’s comment was that if he had that kind of money, he wouldn’t leave Earth’s orbit, he’d “spend it on weed and hookers.”
One should never count out Wanda Sykes; she’s too talented. But she’s got to get away from the way her monologue looks (so choppily edited) and sounds (even if that was real laughter, some of it sounded “enhanced” with some of the canned stuff). And find better topics for her boozy panel discussions. A debate on “Is screaming the new spanking?” just won’t cut it at 11 p.m. on Saturday nights.
Did you watch the first Wanda Sykes Show? What did you think?

ammy Sosa Skin:Sammy Sosa Bleached Skin

Sammy Sosa Skin:Sammy Sosa Bleached Skin – Sammy Sosa Skin pictures can be found here.Sammy Sosa who was once black appeared with his wife, Sonia at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas over the weekend where he shocked the world with his new light almost white skin.The former MLB baseball player may be suffering from an illness such as Vitaligo or is he bleaching his skin? Sammy who was born with brown eyes was also spotted wearing green contact lenses .

Sammy Sosa Bleached Skin

It’s not uncommon for pro athletes’ to change their appearance once they retire. Some like to pack on a few pounds and age like normal people. But there’s something strangely different about Sammy Sosa’s retirement look.

Recent photos snapped of the former Chicago Cubs slugger at the 2009 Latin Grammys in Las Vegas on Thursday show a shocking transformation for Sosa: his skin has turned several shades later and he appears to be wearing green contact lenses.
So what gives?

“He is going through a rejuvenation process for his skin,” according to Rebecca Polihronis, a former Cubs staffer who keeps in regular contact with Sammy. “Women have it all of the time. He was surprised he came out looking so white. I thought it was a body double. Part of (the photo appearance) is just the lighting.”
“People who saw him in person did not react the same way. He can’t believe it is such a big deal…He is in the middle of doing a cleansing process to his skin. The picture is deceiving. He said, ‘If you saw me in person, you would be surprised. When you see me in person, it is not going to seem like the picture.’”

Sound Off: Richard Kelly's The Box - What Did You Think?

Now that you've seen it, what did you think? Virginia-born filmmaker Richard Kelly has had a very interesting career so far. His first film, Donnie Darko, is still hailed as a masterpiece by many. His second, Southland Tales, is considered one of the worst films ever. Now he's back with his third film, The Box, not only a more accessible studio thriller, but Kelly's most personal film. But how does this one stack up? Is it closer to Donnie Darko or Southland Tales? Does it have a good story with twists and turns that all pay off? Sound off below, leave a comment or two, and let us know what you thought of Richard Kelly's The Box!
To fuel the fire, I actually really liked The Box a lot. The more I think about it (and once I see it a second time), the more I like it. I do have to admit that I don't think it reaches the same levels of brilliance as Donnie Darko does (will anything?), but it's still a great film with a very mysterious and fascinating story. It got a bit confusing in the later half, but with some clarification from Richard Kelly himself, I now feel like I understand it better. Cameron Diaz was the worst choice he could've made, but James Marsden and Frank Langella are both fantastic. Overall I think it's a great film, but not necessarily a knock out of the park.
What did you think of The Box? One of the best sci-fi thrillers this year or just mediocre?