Las Vegas Focus Blog - Zennie62

Merwan Mereby Panasonic VP For Interactive Content At CES 2012

2012-01-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Kelly Clarkson Sings "Mr Know It All" At Sony Press Event CES 2012

2012-01-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

Vitality Oxygen Bar At Circus Circus Las Vegas

2012-01-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

Lindsey Vonn Channels Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos Fans Te-Bowing

2011-12-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

Lindsey Vonn Channels Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos Fans Te-Bowing

2011-12-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

Andrew Luck: The Heisman Trophy For The Stanford Cardinal QB

2011-12-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

SFGate.com City Brights ‘No-Edit’ Policy Is A Sham

2011-11-12T06:54:00.001-08:00

This blogger felt it necessary to add a post regarding the issue of being blocked from posting at SFGate.com and, according to the emails and exchanges received, due to the Rick Perry blog posts, and the new SFGate.com Executive Director Alana Nguyen's fear that the take presented, and the way it was presented might "get them sued." (And for the record, my blog posts and videos about LGBT issues have always been consistent and supportive of the LGBT political community.)

First, thank you to the many people who have chimed in with words of support. The news is that there has been no impact on revenues generated by Zennie62Media properties in the wake of the SFGate.com action. Indeed, only 3 percent of total video view come from blog posts, and about half of the video views are from return visitors. And while the full list of sources of views will not be revealed here, of late, SFGate.com's impact has been minimal at best.

And for those who haven't seen it, here's my video on this issue:

Second, thank you to those bloggers who have joined Zennie62.com in the one day since the blocking action. We will be adding more bloggers, and I encourage SFGate City Brights bloggers to join Zennie62, where frequent bloggers will be paid for special assignments, and who's content and work will be honored and promoted.

Third, regarding what was posted this blogger was operating under this City Brights stated policy:

Editor's note: This is an SFGate.com City Brights Blog. These blogs are not written or edited by SFGate or the San Francisco Chronicle. The authors are solely responsible for the content.

That policy is a sham in my view, and for good reasons.

That appears on all City Brights blog post main pages. It's a policy that, until the arrival of Alana Nguyen a few months ago, was followed by SFGate.com Executive Producer Kevin Skaggs, and by SFGate.com Director Michelle Slack - both are gone.

It was also a policy respected by SFGate.com News Director Vlae Kersher and by <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> Executive Vice President Phil Bronstein. That written, this blogger has never activity tried to blog a post that would get SFGate.com sued, but has followed this supposed credo of City Brights:

City Brights are prominent local citizens and experts with a unique Bay Area perspective that is often enlightening, sometimes infuriating and always thought-provoking.

The "sometimes infuriating" part was what has came to define my work. At Zennie62 the idea is to take people on. When Nikky Raney came to blog for our site, where she's now Executive Editor, she went on the march to uncover the truths behind the actions of reality TV show star Tila Tequila. Nikky was relentless and I encouraged it. But she never once insulted Tila, even as Nikky was the butt of intense online bullying. Eventually, Nikky emerged from the effort with a lot of insight and an excellent work of blog posts.

Still, the standard procedure at both SFGate and Zennie62 has been only to correct something that may be a bit too on the edge. The practice for every SFGate.com manager has been to send an email or more often readers would send emails, and in both cases, the messages were addressed immediately. It's outside of City Brights policy - see above for editors themselves to fix the bloggers' blog post.

That's why Ms. Nguyen's claim to me in an email that her staff would have to spend too much time correcting my blogs, was way outside of City Brights' policy. The staff had no business taking time to correct my blogs. As I told Alana, and said in my video, I have a unique style of blogging designed to get search results. I don't profess to be a "great writer" and I think such concerns are the province of people who don't get media today.

I haven't the time for that. Moreover, I have not the slightest interest to ask SFGate.com editors to post on their site. I don't even want to call them.

There are people who thought that I posted a lot for reasons having to do with the SFGate.com front page on that little site. That some thing that shows how little they know about new media, let alone my focus. My focus is content for search - period. Regardless of what the SFGate.com minders did, it never impacted my search results - my high-level of visibility on the Internet never waned. And I can certainly say that I'd carved out a unique role using my methods.

SFGate.com should have been mine to run, not Nguyen's. No disrespect intended, but I'm light-years ahead of her in this avenue. That's a fact.

But it's too late for that.

Developing the Zennie62Media network is my focus, and beating SFGate.com along the way is one of my objectives. I'm declaring media war and will win it!

Herst Corporation has benefited from my efforts without publicly acknowledging them. When Steve Schawrtz was head of the company's news division, he said that he would take me to dinner in New York as a way of saying thanks for the millions visitors generated during my time (which included an average of 65,000 unique visitors a day). Never happened.

That's not a problem. In fact, the blame is on me for taking my eye off the ball of developing Zennie62 - that's not a problem any more.

To City Brights Bloggers - Be Careful

In closing, to those City Brights bloggers who think they can be a blogger on SFGate.com, you're really just unpaid content producers for the company. You're not bloggers. You're not really expected to blog, and if your name gets too big for them, they will try and cut you down.

Better off jumping ship. Come to Zennie62, where we'll make a star out of you.

Stay tuned.

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead - Credit President Obama

2011-05-02T01:57:00.001-07:00

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead. President Barack Obama made the stunning announcement at 11:39 PM EDT Sunday, as this blogger sat in a position of stasis. For almost 10 years, the name Osama Bin Laden had become an indelible part of American Culture, and with an image just equal to that of Adolf Hitler.

The Mastermind of the September 11th 2001 events we call 9-11 and that led to the total destruction of the twin towers of The World Trade Center in New York City was on the run, seemingly forever.

Not any more...

And while the media points to a intelligence gathering process that started back in 2001, the truth is that America's political leaders in charge for much of that time wrongly focused American military resources on Irag, and not Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Now, almost a trillion dollars, and 4,000 lost lives by 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama, just starting what would become his successful presidential run, said that he would end the Iraq War, and go on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden right in Pakistan.

The statement led to a ton of criticism from his major presidential rivals. In a blog post dated Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at Zennie62.com, this blogger pushed-out for distribution what CNN's Ruben Navarrette Jr, wrote:

When Sen. Barack Obama suggested getting out of Iraq and moving "onto the right battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan," and then pledged, if elected president, to go into Pakistan if our military was in hot pursuit of "high-value terrorist targets" (read: Osama bin Laden), his opponents pounced.

Rudy Giuliani suggested that Obama should be more accommodating of Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Mitt Romney said that Obama was "confused as to who are our friends and who are our enemies." Sen. John McCain called Obama's remarks "kind of typical of his naivete." And Sen. Hillary Clinton said that Obama's foreign policy views were "irresponsible and frankly naive."

Now, fast-forward to 2011 and while Hillary Clinton is now Secretary of State, and Rudy Giuliani is semi-retired (or so it seems) Mitt Romney is talking about running for President, again. And Sen. John McCain doesn't seem to be in the mood of thanking President Obama, issuing this Twitter Tweet:

SenJohnMcCain John McCain
We finally got him, justice has been done. Read my full statement here http://tinyurl.com/3auckey...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), made the following statement this evening regarding the announcement made by President Obama that Osama Bin Laden has been killed:

"I am overjoyed that we finally got the world's top terrorist. The world is a better and more just place now that Osama bin Laden is no longer in it. I hope the families of the victims of the September 11th attacks will sleep easier tonight and every night hence knowing that justice has been done. I commend the President and his team, as well as our men and women in uniform and our intelligence professionals, for this superb achievement.

"But while we take heart in the news that Osama bin Laden is dead, we must be mindful that al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies are still lethal and determined enemies, and we must remain vigilant to defeat them."

That's great. But never forget that it was McCain who wasted no time in saying then-Senator Obama was naive for wanting to go into Pakistan to get Bin Laden. If McCain were POTUS, and not Obama, this day arguably would never have come.

And the list of potential GOP Presidential Candidates who don't have the class to thank President Obama includes Sarah Palin and, of course, Mitt Romney, as of this writing.

What Were We Doing In Iraq?

All of this, this modern V-Jay Day, now brings back the question "What were we doing in Iraq?" It was, indeed, not just the wrong war, but a costly war. And we wasted years in Iraq while Osama Bin Laden gained enough time and money to have the giant compound in Pakistan constructed to keep him safe.

Now, a revisiting of what the USA was doing over that time is in order, especially since it's clear Osama Bin Laden was no where near Iraq.

We got him. In Pakistan.

Stay tuned.

NORAD Santa Tracker - Christmas Eve Santa Tracking

2010-12-24T16:51:00.001-08:00

This year, 2010, once again this blogger is following (kinda) the Santa Tracker, but while tree trimming, wine drinking, and talking, and listening to Nat and Frank (Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra).

But here's my NORAD Santa Tracker Video, because I just had to!

This business of going to the NORAD website to track Santa Claus' trip around the World is rather cool, but I'm in the middle of watching It's A Wonderful Life, so I decided to embed the tracker right here in my blog:

As of 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST, Santa Claus is , well, he's moving really fast! (If the embed doesn't work in your browser, click on the NORAD link.)

Merry Christmas!

Santa Baby 99ers Christmas Unemployment Song

2010-12-24T02:36:00.001-08:00

Presenting the Santa Baby 99ers Christmas Unemployment Song, or The Santa Baby 99ers Song, on Christmas Eve.

Donalee King (in photo from Zennie62.com), who goes by Paladinette, at Zennie62.com, created this variation of the classic Christmas Song Santa Baby.

King, a blogger who also has her own blog called Jobless Unite, is one of the so-called "99ers," those who's unemployment benefits have ran out after the 99-week limit, and seek an extension of benefits, or better yet, a job.

In seeking both, the San Diego resident has become a tireless advocate for the jobless. Her work on this song landed her notice by the LA Times.

The video is below, followed by the lyrics, which are graphic but worth reading and singing...if you dare!

(In fact, if you're in Oakland, California, print out the lyrics, take them down to The Alley at 3325 Grand Avenue, present them to Rod Dibble at the piano, and ask he would accompany you in song. Santa Baby is a song he knows how to play.)

Lyrics to video song Santa Baby - 99ers Style 2010

Congress Baby, the 99ers need a tier 5......to survive

I know you’re HEARTLESS P@#*s But....so what?

My children need some dinner tonight!

The car got repo’d and the rent is awfully late...but wait

You only care for the rich that’s a B*@#H

there’s millions of us dying out here

We can’t afford a Christmas tree

While you’re all buying Cartier at Tiffany

You bailed out banks Greece and Haiti too

I think it’s time the 99ers heard from you

Obama baby, just help the 99ers please

and... don’t tease

Been a really tough year

Out here

I Hope Your change is comin’ tonight

Obama honey, you sold 99ers flat out

no doubt

and now it’s snowing out,

My stomach’s growling

I need some food and shelter tonight

Sherrod honey, Schumer and that Stabenow too

Were through we all trusted you

but senate baby your lies have left us hurtn’ out here

We’re not rich - guess we don’t count

The dirty little secret you won’t talk about

There’ll be no jobs again next Year

It’s time you kicked your senate’s butts into high gear

Congress baby just pretend to care for us poor

once more - come on it’s just a check - so what the heck?

there’s millions of us dying out here!

That’s right I’d rather work than fight

Hurry Congress there’s 99ers dying TONIGHT

Merry Christmas!

Megan Avalon at Zennie62

2010-09-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

Megan Avalon at Zennie62
Originally uploaded by zennie62

This is the Zennie62.com T-Shirt as modeled by Professional Bodybuilder and Trainer Megan Avalon. For news, pop-culture, politics, sports, and tech, visit Zennie62.com

Happy Rosh Hashanah : President Obama's Wish, Stephen Hawking's Error

2010-09-08T07:14:00.001-07:00

President Obama is joined by this blogger in wishing you a Happy Rosh Hashanah. Here's Obama's video from yesterday:

Prof. Stephen Hawking

Come to think of it, since Stephen Hawking elected to introduce his book The Grand Design and declare that God did not create the Universe, it's fair to say that for him, Rosh Hashanah's not good, eh?

You'd think Hawking would show some respect for Jews by not releasing his book just a day before Rosh Hashanah, right? Talk about flunking his performance review. Geesh.

This blogger still can't understand why Stephen Hawking would write a book trying to debunk the existence of God, but not The Devil. Makes you wonder if his book itself's the Work of The Devil.

From this vantage point, Stephen Hawking looks just like the religious zealots he and his fans rightly criticize. Two sides of the same coin.

I prefer the edge. It rolls, if you know what I mean.

Happy Rosh Hashanah

Michael Douglas Cancer, Paris Hilton Arrest: Celeb Contrasts

2010-09-02T06:12:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday night, legendary Actor Michael Douglas was a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman.

It was already publicly known that he had throat cancer, but the news that it was at state IV was a shock to Letterman and the public.

This news and the outpouring of love and support for a celebrity who's contributions to the public good have been well noted, contrasts dramatically with last Friday's arrest of Socialite Paris Hilton.

Michael Douglas Will Beat Cancer

Douglas told Letterman that doctors found a "walnut-sized tumor" at the base of his tongue. According to WebMD.com, that means he likely has oropharyngeal cancer. Douglas said it was caused by smoking and drinking.

Just how much Douglas smoke and drank, and what kind of alcohol he was drinking on a regular basis is not known as of this writing. But Douglas vows he will beat the cancer. The son of he legendary Actor Kirk Douglas said he has an 80 percent chance of survival.

Hope That Paris Hilton Survives Her Drug Bust

That Paris Hilton's in trouble with the law again - having been arrested for felony possession of cocaine in Las Vegas last Saturday morning - is sad news. Hilton has been arrested now three times this year alone, but in different countries: France, South Africa, and the United States.

This is a sad current affair considering her 23-day stay in jail in 2007, and the really embarrassing visit to David Letterman which followed that year. On top of the cocaine bust, now Las Vegas police are reporting they found a "joint" in the car Paris Hilton was in.

The trouble is, while the car's being reported as "Paris Hilton's car," there's no evidence to indicate that's the case. It's more likely that the car belongs to her boyfriend Cy Waits. Thus, to even try to pin what the Daily Mail reports as a "wet" and "unable to be tested."

Moreover, the person police described as "the driver" - Cy Waits - said he just finished smoking. So, pinning that on Paris Hilton is at best piling on.

Hilton herself has responded to that rumor, and others like being banned from the "two Wynn resorts on the Las Vegas Strip" on Twitter. Paris tweeted:

These rumors going around are so ridiculous, untrue and cruel. I'm not going to even pay attention to them, because I know the truth.

Here's hoping the best for Paris Hilton: that she beats the charge and is able to get on with her life. Hopefully Hilton uses Michael Douglas as a role model for the reformation of her image.

Paris Hilton Arrested For Cocaine Possession While With Boyfriend

2010-08-28T07:43:00.003-07:00

An eventful year for Paris Hilton. Someone call David Letterman!

Paris Hilton was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine just days after a screwed-up knife-wielding man tried to break into her home in Los Angeles, and just months after she was suspected of possession of drugs in Italy.

Whatever is going on with Paris Hilton, one would think the events of 2007, when she was jailed for 23 days for violating probation related to alcohol-related reckless driving in LA, not to mention the public embarrassment on The Late Show With David Letterman, were enough to keep her out of trouble.

Apparently not.

Here's this blogger's video from that time:

This time, Paris Hilton was booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, according to Las Vegas police spokesman Marcus Martin via MSNBC.

The "friend" she was with is her boyfriend Cy Walts, who runs a set of Vegas nightclubs. On that same day, TMZ blogged that Hilton and Waltz boarded a private plane that TMZ speculated was headed for Las Vegas.

TMZ.com was correct.

2010 USA Las Vegas Women's Bodybuilding Interviews

2010-08-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

This is a cool interview video featuring Annie Riveccio talking with other women bodybuilders at the 2010 Las Vegas NPC competition.

Bohemian Grove fund-raiser to feature Grammy Award-winning acts

2010-07-12T13:00:00.001-07:00

The Bohemian Grove is hosting its 99th Annual Monte Rio Variety Show (website: http://www.monterioshow.org ) to benefit local charities on July 29th. Here's the press release:

Monte Rio, Calif. – The Bohemian Club will hold its 99th annual “Monte Rio Variety Show” on Thursday, July 29, offering an evening of music, comedy and theater to celebrate the friendship and connection with the Monte Rio and Russian River communities and to raise funds for local charities.

Last year’s show raised more than $30,000 for local charities. In recent years the event has featured Bohemians such as country music star Clint Black, rock legend Steve Miller and Grateful Dead icon Bob Weir.

This year’s Monte Rio Variety Show will begin at 7 p.m. at the Monte Rio Amphitheater. A pre-show barbeque, hosted by the Monte Rio Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, begins at 4:30 p.m.

Anyone attending the show is encouraged to bring lawn chairs, folding chairs or a blanket. These items can be placed in advance at the amphitheater after 7 a.m. on the day of the show.

The entrance to the show is behind The Pink Elephant on Main Street in Monte Rio. Admission is payable the day of the event, by reservation or by purchasing tickets at several local outlets.

As is the tradition, this year’s Variety Show will feature special guests, Grammy Award winning musicians, hot rock bands, jazz, and special acts that are guaranteed to delight spectators of all ages.

Tickets purchased in advance are $20.00 for adults and $5 for children ages 13 to 17. Adult tickets purchased the day of the event are $25.00. Children 12 and under are free with paid adult admission. There is an additional fee for the Firefighter’s pre-show barbecue.

Ticket reservations can be made by sending a check to Monte Rio Variety Show, c/o P.O. Box 218, Monte Rio, CA 95462. For any questions, call 707-865-2234.

All proceeds will benefit St. Catherine’s Church, the Monte Rio School Foundation, and the Monte Rio Volunteer Firefighter’s Association.

The Bohemian Grove, the club’s rustic retreat near Monte Rio, provides 600 jobs for adults, college and high school students each summer. The Club also participates in charitable causes that benefit local schools and athletic programs, food banks and has partnered with the Sequoia Trust, which helps fund many programs that serve the Monte Rio and Russian River communities.

Megan Avalon shows FBB female muscle before next contest

2010-07-10T11:48:00.001-07:00

San Francisco Bay Area Female Bodybuilder and Personal Trainer Megan Avalon has a growing fan base to go with her growing muscle size and shape.

Fresh from her sports model division win at the Oakland Silver and Black bodybuilding contest, Megan Avalon shows how she's worked on her body even more by adding an inch to her already impressive biceps and worked to develop her calves and hamstrings.

The Marin-based woman who calls herself "Barbie with Muscles" has also served as a spokesperson for websites like Zennie62.com and bikini fashion companies. But Megan's focus is on serving her personal training clients and building her body to its ultimate potential.

Watch for Megan Avalon in more contests, this fall 2010 bodybuilding season.

Wonder Woman, bring back the legs and the flag, please

2010-07-01T08:09:00.001-07:00

The Original Wonder Woman I prefer

Wonder Woman has always been my favorite comic book hero, or more appropriate to this message, heroine. It wasn't until the age of seven in 1969 that this blogger started reading comic books, but the first one was Wonder Woman, circa 1950 (or around that time).

What attracted this small boy at that time was seeing an image that the World did not present: of this obviously strong and yet (and in retrospect it's easier to see this) attractive woman doing things like lifting cars and throwing men. And she did it while putting on a costume that said "I represent America!" So it should come as no surprise that I'm not in favor of the newest look for Wonder Woman.

Not surprisingly, reading Wonder Woman circa 1950, my image of the ideal woman was formed a very long time ago. Whatever woman I was with, and regardless of color, had to look something like that and have at least near-Wonder Woman level of confidence. Lifting cars wasn't a real consideration.

When the Wonder Woman TV show was introduced in 1975, I was excited, but eventually deeply disappointed. I expected Diana Prince on TV to look like the Diana Prince of the 1950s comics: with curves and muscle. Instead, I got the lovely but not at all muscular Linda Carter.

And while I liked Linda Carter as Wonder Woman, it was more because I had no choice. No where else could you see Wonder Woman on TV. It was at that point, I became aware that Wonder Woman was a slave to male fears of women as expressed in how she was drawn.

William Moulton Marston, who created Wonder Woman and drew her, was not afraid of an obviously strong woman, or he would not have created one. But that's not true for the men who've drawn and written Diana Prince since then.

From the failed 1974 Cathy Lee Crosby Wonder Woman who was not strong at all, to the newest creation released this week, men have dared to give us the real, undoubtedly strong, Wonder Woman of the 1950s.

What does that say about American Men, of which I'm one? Not much that's good. It says we're afraid of strong women so we take that away from them every chance we get. Take the new Wonder Woman. She looks like a lean female athlete who might run for exercise but can't lift a car, let alone throw it. She looks vulnerable, and like she's neurotic. And she's not really into America because the flag-themed costume is gone. That bothers me too.

The New Wonder Woman of 2010

There's nothing wrong with flying the American flag for good purposes, like showing a strong woman helping people, which is what Wonder Woman does. Why does Superman get to keep his same look, and the red, white, and blue colors, and tights that he's got no business wearing in public? Why not give Superman a makeover? Do the men who draw Superman like that look? I have to ask, because I don't like it. I was never into Superman; Wonder Woman for always for me.

I can see where DC Comics J. Michael Straczynski as writer and Jim Lee as artist are prepping Wonder Woman for the movies, and for Comic-Con in San Diego later this month. It will make for an interesting Comic-Con, for sure, as Wonder Woman purists like myself butt heads with the, well, lovers of the new, weak Wonder Woman. (Just have her throw a car, or an airplane. Something to make me happy.)

But man, I want the Wonder Woman of the 1950s, much as we're going to get the Captain America of World War II in that upcoming movie.

Maybe I should write my own Wonder Woman Movie and make her the strong woman she was in the 50s, because it's clear to me that since then, too many of her artists and writers fear a really strong female image.

Not me.

Frank Shamrock retires from American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting

2010-06-27T00:02:00.001-07:00

Frank Shamrock (Frank Alisio Juarez III) announced he's retiring from American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting at at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum Saturday at HP Pavilion.

Frank Shamrock is the four-time defending, undefeated MMA champion and a 7th degree black belt in something called "Submission Fighting," which is a type of wrestling sport.

Shamrock's four time title defense included some memorably brutal battles, like the one against Igor Zinoviev in 1998 that ended in a knockout. It was called the most violent slam in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. (Warning, the video is violent.)

Shamrock stopped UFC fighting in 1999 after what's considered to be the one of the greatest fights in UFC history against Tito Ortiz. After that fight, Frank Shamrock was considered the greatest ultimate fighter in history.

After a brief stint as an actor, Shamrock returned to fighting in 2001 and had a number of memorable bouts through 2009, when he was defeated by TKO by Nick Diaz.

Shamrock lives in San Jose

Frank Shamrock lives in San Jose, California with his wife Amy and daughter Nicolette. His official website is at FrankShamrock.com.

Social Networking is really Social Broadcasting

2010-06-06T10:40:00.001-07:00

Social Broadcasting

OK. To the view of this blogger, the term "Social Networking" is not only inappropriate, it's illogical. The correct term is really "Social Broadcasting" and if more people thought that way, they would understand how media has really changed over the last two decades and how to take advantage of the tools available to them.

Two events led to the use of the term Social Broadcasting for this blogger. First, on April 10, 2008, James Earl Buck used Twitter to get out of an Egyptian jail. What happened was that Buck, a University of California at Berkeley, or "Cal student", was in Mahalla, Egypt reportedly covering an anti-government protest when he and his colleague Mohammed Maree were arrested.

While being transported to jail, James Earl Buck used his cell phone to send a message that read "Arrested." (If it were me, I'd have sent a tweet rather than a message.) Eventually, bloggers and friends at Cal and around the World were activated. They got him a lawyer, and got him out of jail.

The second event is that a number of people, generally over 40 or 50 years of age, and for the most part in the advertising industry, ask why they should "do" social networking. They want to know why they should connect with people they do not know.

On Linkedin, the busines-oriented social broadcasting system, that question comes up so frequently it's become annoying. I give the same answer all the time: to get out a message. That's when I realized the reason many don't do social networking is because the very term itself is misleading. It's social broadcasting.

According to Wikipedia, the definition of "Broadcasting" is:

"..the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. The audience may be the general public or a relatively large subset of the whole, such as children or young adults."

But that definition is outdated because it implies the use of electronic communications as practiced in the 20th Century with television and radio. The Internet changed all that, as websites and blogs, and mobile devices allow us to send text messages.

So, to that old definition of "broadcasting" one only has to add the word "text" to understand my point, so the definition now looks like this;

"..the distribution of text, audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. The audience may be the general public or a relatively large subset of the whole, such as children or young adults."

Think about that: "The audience may be the general public or a relatively large subset of the whole, such as children or young adults." It can also be your Facebook friends and Twitter followers or YouTube subscribers. Or all of them.

In my case, it's all of them. Zennie62 YouTube video distribution is done at times using Tubemogul, which permits me to upload one video to as many as eight different video distribution sites. Then the same video automatically goes to my Facebook, Friend Feed, and Twitter accounts. This is also true for Zennie62.com blog posts.

The distribution to my network of followers, friends, and subcribers is something I call my "horizontal broadcast network." Why? Because its "cross-platform," that is from Twitter to Friend Feed to Facebook and so on. Each one of those systems is a platform.

My "vertical broadcast network" is simply the number of people in that platform I have as friends, followers, or subscribers.

So by adding platforms you expand your network horizontally. By adding more people in each one you grow it vertically.

I use the Social Broadcasting System to get out information. My Facebook page is listed as for "networking." I'm not concerned about privacy issues on Facebook because there's nothing on it I don't want people to see. Many of my Facebook friends are people I have not met before. I'm using it for Social Broadcasting. On Twitter, I practice "retweeting" which is just a way of passing on information from one broadcast network, or set of Twitter followers, to another - in this case, your own.

This is no different than the old newspaper distribution system of subscribers. In that case, one newspaper had so many subscribers. From the newspapers perspective, some knew the writers and publishers, but most did not.

But Social Broadcasting's cross-platform reach brings in the concept of going to a Twitter stream which is a lot like tuning into a radio station while driving. You can stay there or find another station. On Twiter, you can follow and unfollow with ease. That action alters the flow of information to you, and changes your broadcast reach as well.

Note that I did not mention who you should follow or friend. That's not the point, and marks the difference in thinking. The objective is to have a wide a reach as possible. Period.

You're in the broadcast business, like it or not, and for the simple reason that you can't perfectly control what anyone consumes that you chose to put out there. If it's something that your friends, think is worth sharing with someone you don't know; you're plan of control is trashed. Once it's out, it's gone.

If you think about Social Networking as Social Broadcasting, then you see we're all really social broadcasters. And that's how media has changed and why Old Media suffers. Communications technology has caused millions of small media production efforts to spring up, if we consider cell phone and especially smart phones.

An advertiser can chose to sponsor a media effort with someone you and I never heard of just because of that person's reach. And that person may have just a computer, a blog, and a cell phone. Two decades ago, that was unheard of; ad money flowed to newspapers like The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle and The Chicago Tribune.

Not any more.

What, then, is the answer for The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle and The Chicago Tribune? To team up, or buy up, blogs and websites. That's the only way to expand the Old Media brand. Not one of the Old Media companies can make as many blogs that have the same impact as buying existing ones with set a audience Social Broadcasting base (because they're likely to have a Twitter account and YouTube accounts as well).

The other answer is to copy Associated Content, Examiner.com, and Gather.com, and add writers and pay them based on a traffic-based estimate.

Or perhaps the best approach for Old Media (The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle and The Chicago Tribune as examples) is some combination of both.

From the ad agency perspective, the idea that Social Networking doesn't work can be changed if the agency thinks of it as Social Broadcasting. Then the idea of "media buys" is much different and extends far beyond television and into not just blogs and websites, but someone's Twitter account too.

But even with all that, it's only a dent (but if played correctly a big one) in the total sea of media producers. Why? Because that set of people includes you and me, and the teenager with the cell phone who texts every minute about every thing, and uses Twitter to retweet any tweet on Justin Bieber.

We're all social broadcasters. We're just too busy thinking of social networking to see it.

Tila Tequila in row with Zennie62's Nikki Raney

2010-05-31T11:33:00.001-07:00

Nikki Raney has advice for Tila

Tila Tequila is a celebrity who's very familiar to readers of this space. The combative reality TV show star, and former wife-to-be of the late Casey Johnson, loves to get in the mix with people. First it was Perez Hilton and now its Nikki Raney.

Nikki Raney is a star blogger and journalist at Zennie62.com. But before we look more into that and her row with Tila Tequila, some background on Tila Tequila from this space' perspective.

In the middle of accusing San Diego Chargers Linebacker Shawne Merriman of assault, when he was just trying to stop her from driving drunk, this space revealed what Tila said about herself:

"i like people who are really fucked up...I am very high strung and suffer from multiple personalities...I do a lot of things that are self destructive. I try not to...I am also bi-polar so that should explain my irratic postings."

Here's the video on the entire incident between Merriman and Tila Tequila:

Of course, the charges against Shawne Merriman were dropped and after it was revealed that Tila lied; Tila Tequila said she did not drink but in one video was seen living it up with the bubbly.

After that, Tequila tried various ways of gaining attention, which just drew more critics, who then criticized her. That led Tila Tequila to start her own blog called Miss Tila OMG, with the idea of getting gossip revenge on all who said mean things about her. In other words, a gossip blog.

But Tila Tequila doens't want to be called a gossip blogger; she says she's a journalist. That's 180 degrees opposite this blogger, who never claimed to be a journalist. Fortunately, Nikki Raney was here to provide much needed guidance to the poor celeb, but Tila wasn't having it.

Tila blocked Nikki Raney from commenting on her blogsite. Now unlike some commenters Nikki is not hateful and gives great feedback. In fact, that's how Nikki Rany came to be at Zennie62.com. She's a celeb gossip and "future of media" blogger and gaining a following. One that's sure to increase after this row with Tila Tequila's put out there. Here's Nikki's blog post comment on that:

Today, Tila Tequila called herself a journalist on her blog. That was the last straw for me...Somehow, Miss Tila finds a way to incorporate herself into every blog entry.

I really never wanted to post a rude or judgmental post about anyone, but I think that enough is enough. I already wrote how there is a difference between blogging and journalism, but this is something that needs to be addressed.

Tila Tequila has blocked me from commenting on her blog, because of how critical I have been. This is not meant to be a hateful rant, but meant to inform and educate about what blogging is.

Tequila claims to run a celebrity gossip blog which costs so much money to run, but it is filled with articles that are about things that happened a few days prior. She also has a section called "hottie of the week" which she has updated five times in the span of 3 days. She has made herself "hottie of the week" three times.

In her blog post Nikki does a great job of exposing Tila's mistruths; it's worth reading and part of a three blog series on Tila; you have to read about Tila as "an army of one" here: click.

I closing, this blogger has nothing but love for Tila Tequila. (If Tila wants to call herself "hottie of the week", cool, but include some other women!) We all know this is a game; bloggers, you can't take it too seriously or you lose grip on reality. Let's hope that hasn't happened to Tila.

Stay tuned. And hey Tila, treat Nikki well, will ya?

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

2010-05-09T08:20:00.001-07:00

Suburban Atlanta, GA - Happy Mother's Day everyone! I can't remember missing celebrating Mother's Day and it was vitally important for me to give my Mom the gift of my help here in Georgia. See, my Mom still insists on working, and I see that as a personal failure on my part because I believe if I made enough money she would not have to work. I give her money each month, as of this writing it helps but not enough to compel her to just stay at home.

Yet as I write this, i'm not sure that would keep her at home cooking and tending garden. While she does do that - tend garden and cook - I really think working around people is Mom's way of staying connected. She's a United Airline retiree but if United called, she'd answer it in a heart beat.

Mom's tried working for me but following Internet trends can be boring if you really like being out and about with folks. Not that I don't, but that's my Mom. It's good therapy for the passing of friends over time.

The one curse of old age is that your friends die. While the logical and uncaring mind would say "just make new ones" it's also a young mind that would form such a thought. Friends are supposed to be and are special people in your life. Friends know you. They're the people who have license to open your door without knocking or tell you what they think because it's for your own good.

Friends are people who borrow money from you and pay you back. They keep your secrets, well, at least the ones that are worth keeping. When you lose friends you lose a part of you. (And while I'm thinking about it, for those who are dating and hear the words "let's be friends", anyone who says "we're friends" and does not meet the criteria above isn't a friend. Don't kid yourself. In my experience, real friends come with benefits. But enough about that for now.)

I think if I were married with kids that would keep Mom at home because kids are the center of her life. It doesn't matter who you are, if you're around my age, your my Mom's kid and she talks to you that way.

I remember a neighbor of mine mistakenly and she will tell you stupidly poured gasoline on the side of the street in full view of my Mom, who was visiting. Well, she got it from my Mom. And while I didn't know her well at the time, and do didn't know what to expect as a reaction, I realized Mom has a way of putting things such that people know she cares and isn't being malicious. She has that way about her.

But fortunately, even though I'm not a father and believe I'd be an incredible one, I'm also not suffering through a divorce or discovering that my wife's cheating on me, either. So, I suppose there's a bright side too.

But I digress. I'm here for my Mom, who I love very much and always will. From the practical perspective, she's my only remaining family and I'm the only child, so I travel here each month to help her. But even if that wasn't the case, I'd be here anyway!

Happy Mother's Day! Give your Mom a kiss if she's near by and a call if she's not - even if you argue with her, at least enjoy that you're able to!

Arizona illegal immigration law invites psychotic behavior

2010-04-27T01:25:00.001-07:00

Governor Brewer's creating a psychotic environment

That the Arizona illegal immigration law is psychotic is without argument. The law, approved by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, calls for the identification, prosecution, and deportation of those presumed guilty of illegal immigration.

This is where the environment that invites psychotic behavior is created and why the law itself is psychotic. First, we must understand the definition of the word "psychotic."

To be psychotic is to have a "loss of contact with reality, usually including false ideas about what is taking place or who one is (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)" according to a definition at Google Health. What's interesting and directly apply to the Arizona illegal immigration law and its drafters and implementers are the symptoms of psychotic behavior:

Abnormal displays of emotion
Confusion
Depression and sometimes suicidal thoughts
Disorganized thought and speech
Extreme excitement (mania)
False beliefs (delusions)
Loss of touch with reality
Mistaken perceptions (illusions)
Seeing, hearing, feeling, or perceiving things that are not there (hallucinations)
Unfounded fear/suspicion

"Abnormal displays of emotion" can be seen if one visits YouTube.com and searches for "arizona illegal immigration rally." The result has the first four videos from a rally by Nazi's or the "National Socialist Movement" showing the very "Abnormal displays of emotion" of those yelling "white power" and showing "unfounded fear/suspicion" by saying "We believe they should go back to Mexico and make their own country strong. This is out country." Here's one video:

That statement reflects not just "unfounded fear/suspicion" but "mistaken perceptions", "Loss of touch with reality", and "extreme excitement." Why?

Consider that a person could be an illegal immigrant and be from, say, Ireland. That has nothing to do with Mexico, but the man in the video is so out of touch with reality that he displays his mistaken perceptions and false beliefs.

Because of this the Arizona illegal immigration law becomes a tool with which a psychotic has license to be, well, psychotic. A psychotic can pick out anyone they believe fits their race-based fantasy of what an illegal immigrant looks like, totally passing by the Irish waitress and going for any person who the psychotic thinks comes from Mexico. To take the psychotic's possible actions to their logical conclusion such a person may try to make a citizen's arrest, and that would be an "abnormal display of emotion."

Clearly Arizona's got a problem. Moreover, the problem is its number of people showing psychotic behavior in crafting and passing the illegal immigration law. Governor Jan Brewer herself said on Fox News "We can't tolerate it. It's an invasion. An invasion of our country." I next expected Governor Brewer to yell "white power." Take a look at the video below and compare it to the video above several times, and note the "abnormal display of emotion" by both the Governor and the Nazi in each video:

In the video, Governor Jan Brewer sounds less like an elected official and more like a member of The Arizona Nazis. A very scary person exhibiting psychotic behavior.

If Governor Jan Brewer doesn't scare you in that video, well, maybe you're psychotic? Just being honest. Psychotic behavior is something one should work to remedy. Thinking of someone as "the other" only causes problems for both you and the person who's the unfortunate target of your loss of contact with reality.

In my next blog post, we'll look at what remedies the Governor, and others, should use to get better.

Stay tuned.

Carrie Underwood's legs and New Media beat Taylor Swift in ACM voting

2010-04-18T20:24:00.001-07:00

After all that, Carrie Underwood's legs, and an assist from New Media, did beat Taylor Swift and six other country music entertainers - Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait,Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band - in the ACM voting for American Country Music Entertainer of The Year at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards. That was just announced by show host Reba McEntire, and to a wowser of a yell of approval from the audience.

As of this writing there's no way to tell how much Carrie Underwood won by or who came in second, but it's a safe bet Carrie beat Taylor Swift.

But aside from Carrie Underwood's awesomely hot legs, she got a song that so matched her voice and style it's a 2010 hit: Cowboy Casanova. Here's the kick-ass music video:

But it wasn't just the legs, Carrie Underwood used New Media to advertise her desire for your vote. From the top of her YouTube channel to her website, CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com, the words "click now to vote" were immediately visible.

And while Taylor Swift had the same notification and a funny video on her website, there was no such request on her YouTube channel and that may have been the difference.

I'll bet it was close.

Well, I like Taylor Swift's voice, but major congratulations to the newly engaged Carrie Underwood. She deserved it.

Stay tuned.

CBS.com/vote ACM Awards: Taylor Swift over Carrie Underwood's legs

2010-04-18T19:25:00.001-07:00

The voting is closed at CBS.com/vote for the Entertainer of the Year at the 43rd Annual American Country Music (ACM) Awards. This blogger voted for Taylor Swift and after much consideration and musing. Why? Because her voice is just great. Swift's songs are a habit.

Taylor Swift is also, frankly, the least "country" of all of the entertainers and that includes the drippingly sexy Carrie Underwood.

Carrie's legs

I've got to admit I was almost swayed by Carrie Underwood's music video about the "Cowboy Casanova;" those toned muscular legs of hers combined with that catchy tune almost made me switch from Taylor and vote for her, but I didn't.

Taylor Swift has a more mainstream sound that just plain rocks.

Yes, Taylor Swift's won a ton of awards and got a bunch of Grammys. Yes, Taylor Swift's still not apologized for that Swastika photo incident. Yes, Taylor Swift has her moments as a diva. But taken as a whole, Taylor Swift's just a person. But a person who can sing and produce her own content.

Perhaps Taylor Swift's been overdecorated, but time will tell. For now, I'm backing Taylor Swift, regardless of how very hot Carrie Underwood's legs may be.

Ok, are.

IRS tax day freebies 2010 at Starbucks, Cinnabon; help the homeless

2010-04-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

Today is April 15th, IRS Tax Day. That day where people get their last files together to make a list of fiscal expenditures and get their tax report in to the government before midnight.

While today may be a day of dread, fear not, for it's also a time of IRS tax day freebies 2010. Now the trouble is while this is a national trend, not enough retailers or eateries are actually sending out press releases announcing a marketing effort. If this blogger were in the restaurant business, everyone would get a free drink if they purchased a meal and could prove they just filed their taxes.

Now there is one company that seems to get "IRS tax day freebies 2010:" Starbucks. If you bring in a reusable mug on April 15th, or today, you get a free brewed coffee according to their website. Cinnabon, who makes those great, big cinnamon rolls with the thick frosting on top, is also part of IRS tax day freebies 2010.

Between 6 PM and 8 PM at Cinnabon, you can get two free cupcake bites to, as the website reports, "make it less taxing." But if you do this, I personally ask that you give your free cupcake bites to someone who needs food. It's personally sad to see people sitting or begging and know that retailers have these freebees that someone homeless generally doesn't know about.

So if you see someone near by, think about them.

Stay tuned.

YouTube video channel Zennie62 reaches 12 million video views

2010-02-21T16:20:00.001-08:00

The YouTube video channel Zennie62 has reached 12 million video views and 200,000 channel views as of Saturday, February 20th, and continuing a pattern of rapid growth that started in 2009 and has continued through 2010. Zennie62 on YouTube also has over 4,000 subscribers.

The YouTube video channel Zennie62 consists over 800 videos covering everything from politics to news, sports, tech, and entertainment and celebrity gossip. Zennie62 on YouTube is connected to the blog Zennie62.com, also at Zennie2005.blogspot.com. The Zennie62 blog is the center publication of a network of 100 blogs ran by Zennie62.com, of which this blogger, Zennie Abraham, is the executive producer.

The idea of Zennie62 is to bring "pure form video blogging" to the viewer. It's the simple practice of talking to the audience through a camcorder to tell a story or share a point of view, or as part of an interview with someone else. As video-blogging does not call for an elaborate set or expensive equipment, it can be done anywhere, at any time.

Here's one of Zennie62's most popular videos, this one on Susan Boyle:

And here's another one called "Fight in SF Fillmore":

Some of the videos are used for his national TV show The Blog Report with Zennie62 on CoLoursTV, DISH 9407.

Plans for 2010 include the upcoming NFL Draft Combine and The Academy Awards. Zennie62 has its first designated Associate Video-Blogger and seeks to form a team of video-bloggers in different cities. If you're interested, send an email to zennie@zennie62.com

Joe Stack - Austin Texas plane crash suicide; Why?

2010-02-18T23:27:00.001-08:00

YouTube, Metacafe, DailyMotion, Blip.tv and Viddler

The reasons for the actions aside, Joe Stack left 13 injured, 2 dead in Thursday's Austin, Texas crash suicide. The question everyone is asking is why? But unlike Amy Bishop, who left no note and is alive in jail, Joe Stack left a long note, and is dead.

By now, the pattern emerges of a person who was angry with the IRS, unhappy with Austin, Texas, and sad because of his own misfortunes in life. But that doesn't explain what set Joe Stack to aim an airplane into an Austin, Texas building. While Joe Stack was angry with the IRS, there's no hard evidence that Stack was formally involved with the Tea Party Movement.

A more rounded, human picture of Joe Stack is emerging. Stack was a guitarist who played in the Billy Eil Band, and while photos of his association with the group have been removed, the action was done after they were posted online and clues about him remain.

"Joe Stack – Bass, Vocals, Accordion on Spook Lights of Marfa" appear on the website. That means whatever ills Joe Stack carried around with him, he used music to help him cope with life.

Joe Stack was by all appearances a normal person getting along in life. He was married, had friends, was employed, and played more than one band...and by accounts not badly.

The recollections that appear from those acquainted with Stack were that "He seemed incredibly decent and mild-mannered" as Patrick Beach wrote in The Austin American Stateman.

Pat Beach was shocked and Billy Eli couldn't believe it. According to Beach, Eli said:

"He was the most sort of even-keeled and sane person I ever played with. I know everybody says that, but it's true. He was just a normal-seeming guy. I never heard him raise his voice."

Eli's band wasn't the only one Joe Stack played in. Stack was also a member of an Austin-based band called The Last Straw. On their MySpace page, the band wrote "We found a great keyboardist named Joe Stack."

It's hard to find any example of anyone who had anything bad to say about Joe Stack. Michael Cerza, who talked to Pat Beach for his column, said this:

"My impression of Joe was a kind, quiet, not at all brooding or taciturn person," Cerza said. "I didn't sense anything boiling under the surface. He was very pleased to get married again, I know that. There was no indication in his actions or his words that he would harm anyone. And then he crashes into a building full of strangers, innocent people. I can't make those ends meet in my mind. The madness of the times, maybe."

Just exactly what made Joe Stack reach that boiling point, that edge he wrote of being close to where he set his home on fire with his wife and daughter in it, and crashed a plane into a building, is not known as of this writing.

Joe Stack seemed normal. But then so did George Sodoni, who, last August 2009, went into a fitness club and shot women, after writing a web-based rant on his inability to get laid. And so did Dr. Amy Bishop, who , last Friday, got up and shot three of her University of Alabama-Huntsville colleagues in cold blood, then seemed to deny it ever happened.

Something is really wrong.

Stay tuned.

Will Megan Fox wear the Zennie62.com T-shirt?

2010-01-23T19:34:00.001-08:00

After four years of blogging and video-blogging, over 6,500 blog posts, and now several bloggers, Zennie62.com has something it's needed for a long time: a t-shirt. Now, the next objective is to get celebs like Megan Fox and Denzel Washington to wear the soon-to-be-famous t-shirt.

Will Megan Fox wear the Zennie62.com t-shirt?

The t-shirt's based on the logo design for this blogger's television show "The Blog Report with Zennie62" on CoLoursTV (Saturday at 12:30 PM EST; 9:30 AM PST in January). Local Oakland t-shirt maker Cyrus Phishdad took the original logo and re-created it into a sharper, crisper result.

The black t-shirt celebrates the Zennie62 YouTube channel reaching 11 million viewers; it reads "Zennie62.com. 11 million views, including yours." That t-shirt design will remain until Zennie62 reaches over 20 million views.

The t-shirt is being given to fans who have been supporters of Zennie62, like this one in North Dakota who wrote this YouTube message:

As a means to support you I will always wear it with pride, try to keep it clean, never rob a liqueur store with it on.

I will also try to get a good photo of me wearing it so you will have proof that all the way out in North Dakota you are reaching people with your videos..

also, if I ever get well known and appear on Larry King with you, I will promise to wear it, ...as long as you wear a nice suit and not the "Im with Stupid>" T-shirt you had picked out to wear.

Now if Megan Fox wears it, that's huge. Stay tuned.

Tiger Woods wife moves out; golfer linked to porn star

2009-12-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods wife Elin Nordegren has reportedly moved out of their home and in with friends in the Windemere, Florida neighborhood they live in. Meanwhile Porn Star Holly Sampson is listed as the 8th woman to have had an alleged affair with the World's Greatest Golfer. This is a sad series of developments, as it appears Woods life as he and we knew it is crumbling before our collective eyes.

Holly Sampson

Radar Online.com lead with the story "Elin Nordegren moves out" that was confirmed by the Chicago Sun Times. There's no more new information on that report as of this writing or if she took their two children with her. That information needs to be included here.

Separated?

Meanwhile, Porn Star Holly Sampson has not denied sleeping with Tiger Woods and Fox News claims that while Samspon is the 7th woman allegedly linked to Woods, there's an 8th, a 9th and a 10th woman as well.

Beyond the 8th woman, who's I can explain in a moment, I think it's irresponsible of Fox News to allege there's a 9th and 10th without evidence that is even a child of deductive reasoning. Let's recap how many women have been connected with Woods to date:

1. Rachel Uchitel - The National Enquirer-outed nighclub executive who denied sleeping with Woods but later admitted it after two other women stepped forward.
2. Jaimie Grubbs - The San Diego cocktail waitress who gave US Weekly her recording of Woods alleged voicemail to Grubbs that she remove her name from her phone because his Wife was going to call her.
3. Kalika Moquin - While linked to Woods by a source to Radar Online and other gossip pubs, Moquin has denied any relationship and not given any additional statements. She's the marketing manager at The Bank Nightclub at Bellagio in Las Vegas.
4. Jamie Jungers - The 26-year-old Las Vegas entertainer-for-hire model is the fourth woman who came forward on Saturday. She claimed she was going to tell her story to a British publication, but has yet to do so.
5. Mindy Lawton - Of all the women connected to Woods, 34-year-old Mindy Lawton is closest to his home in Orlando, and was said to have worked at a local restaurant called Perkins Diner. They carried on a 14-month affair (starting in 2006 and ending in 2007) which was said to have been documented by the National Enquirer, which never ran the story.

Lawton's proximity to Woods gave the World its closest look at the golfer's "off-course" lifestyle, consisting of meetups with friends and party girls in VIP areas of places like The Blue Martini in Orlando. Lawton reportedly took their affair seriously, so it is no wonder that she's allowing her story to be told far and wide - she's pissed.

Mindy Lawton

6. Cori Rist - A source told the New York Post that the 31-year-old Upper East-Side dwelling Rist met Woods at a New York Nightclub called "Butter" then flew her to places where he had golfing engagements.
7. Holly Sampson - The first, and hopefully for Woods the last porn star to make this list, Holly Sampson was introduced to the British Daily Mail via another unnamed source. Sampson has made 85 movies from Lingerie or Bust to Diary of a Horny Housewife. Holly Sampson has not confirmed or denied that she slept with Woods as of this writing.
8. Name by Michael O'Quinn - Michael O'Quinn has said he also represents a woman who allegedly had an affair with Woods, but since O'Quinn has not come forward, that woman has to be "Number 8" because he has said he does not represent any one else.

Fox News claims there's a 9th woman and a 10th woman but has no media partner to confirm that assertion as of this writing. Unlike "Number 8" which can be linked to Michael O'Quinn, there's nothing, not even mention of an unnamed source to justify the introduction of a 9th or 10th woman.

I think Fox News is trying to advance and move the search pattern of this story to favor its own website, which is a terrible process to use in this or any news story.

Now, with all of these reports coming fast and furious, our attention should turn to Woods and his mental state. I have no idea, and the media does not seem concerned to know, how he's doing.

I've got to believe all of these affairs, some real and many questionable, may in some way be connected to the passing of his father Earl Woods, who was so central to Woods development as a man and a level-headed celebrity.

Finally, I wonder why Woods selected nightclub executives and waitresses as opposed to sports executives and lawyers or Stanford coeds? Woods was at Stanford for just two academic years before his golf life took over and he turned pro in 1999. Maybe he didn't get the full experience of a Cardinal education, complete with all of the amazingly talented female leaders that come from The Farm.

I don't know. I just don't know.

Stay tuned.

OSCAR ALERT - Screen Credits and Music Entry Form Due December 1st for Academy Awards

2009-11-27T06:22:00.003-08:00

OSCAR ALERT. You have until December 1 to get your Screen Credits and Music Entry Forms in to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) if your movie is to be considered for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. From the press release, AMPAS explains:

For a feature film to be considered for the 2009 Awards, the film’s distributor or producer must file an OSC form with the Academy by 5 p.m. PT on December 1. If a feature film is released in 2009 and the completed OSC form is not submitted by the deadline, the film will be ineligible for Academy Awards in any year.

OSC forms may be submitted online only, at http://aiwosc.oscars.org/aiwosc/. Information about submission and feature film eligibility can be obtained by contacting Credits Coordinator Howard Loberfeld at (310) 247-3000, ext. 113, or via e-mail at hloberfeld@oscars.org.

For an achievement to be considered in the Original Score or Original Song category, the principal music writer(s) for a feature film must submit an official music submission form by 5 p.m. PT on December 1.

To request music submission materials, contact Dave Hanson at (310) 247-3000, ext. 151, or via e-mail at dhanson@oscars.org.

While the credits submission deadline is December 1, feature films have until midnight, December 31, to open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days to be eligible for 2009 Oscar® consideration.

Entries in the foreign language, animated feature, documentary, and short film categories are subject to special rules and must meet other qualifying criteria. The entry deadlines in these categories have already passed.

The deadlines have been communicated before; it would be sad to learn that a great film missed being nominated because of paperwork issues. Hopefully those responsible will pay attention to this deadline notice.

Calvin Klein SF Union Square - Is store front racist?

2009-09-12T03:27:00.003-07:00

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com

On YouTube.com

I received this email below from a viewer which explains the person's shock over the Calvin Klein SF Union Square store front display. I went over to make the video above and get your view on the display.

As I've stated in the video, it was not a good idea to approve a store front that is at best questionable. Everyone who's seen the video thus far has a reaction to it, from furled brows to frowns and raised eyebrows, the video does not make for a stoic reaction.

Why someone would do this is a question I will ask Calvin Klein's staffers in the days ahead. Indeed, the worker that talked to me through the glass admitted that she did not the racial overtones in the display until they were pointed out to her.

But for now, read the email below, then take my poll on this certainly controversial Calvin Klein store display.

The email:

Hey Zennie,

I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture (I don't usually use my phone for anything other than a phone, so it escaped me in a moment of anger), but I just got back from the San Francisco Shopping Center where I happened upon an appalling window display in the Calvin Klein store next to Bloomingdale's on the 3rd floor.

Imagine a window full of frolicking monkeys, swinging from tree branches in various playful poses, but instead of monkeys, there are mannequins wearing the latest Calvin fashions. And instead of swinging from tree branches, the mannequins are swinging from ropes finished in nooses at the ends. All of the mannequins are black. It doesn't sound like much, but I'll tell you, those nooses caught my eye in the first place, and it didn't take long to piece it all together.

Why am I sending this to you? Well, you've got a voice on several forums, and could make this very public and embarrassing for Calvin Klein. That anyone could get past the basic design stages of such a display without questioning its bad taste is unbelievable. That such displays are crafted by designers with an eye on every detail makes it even less excusable. That such displays are often dictated to stores by corporate headquarters and duplicated at all locations makes it a disgusting travesty.

If you happen by that store, or know someone in SF who could take some pics for you to post, you could shine a bright light on a very ugly message going out to the thousands of people who pass by that carefully composed collection of symbols. I was deeply offended, but rather than contact Calvin Klein so they can quietly change their windows, I figured I'd contact someone who can give it a bit more exposure.

Thanks for listening and keep up the good blogs,

Name withheld by Zennie
San Francisco

Poll

More fun polls on pollsb.com

Chevron Ecuador Judge Nunez focus of bribery allegation

2009-08-31T18:53:00.001-07:00

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In a blockbuster development, Ecuador Judge Juan Nunez, the key legal figure in the Chevron Ecuador environmental damage case, is captured in a video shown here explaining that he plans to rule against the oil giant and for an award of $27 billion "more or less". The judge explains that the verdict will happen and that Chevron will be blocked from filing an appeal of his ruling. In that segment of the video, the Judge explains he's only there to talk about the verdict, not about "the other stuff" which refers to a $3 million payoff request. Later in the video its implied that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa will benefit from the bribe amount.

On video today I talked to Chevron Media Relations representative Sean Comey about the video and Chevron's investigation.

In the video Judge Nunez, Aulo Gelio ServioTulio Avila ("Avila"), and Pablo Almeida and are talking with two gentleman, Wayne Hansen and Diego Borja who are environmental remediation contractors and in the Judge's chamber in Lago Agrio, Ecuador. Hansen and Borja have pen-installed camcorders in their shirt pockets. Diego Borja has worked for Chevron before, Hansen has not, according to Chevron.

Judge Nunez (on the left)

The idea of the meeting was for the Judge and his political associates to be paid by the environmental company for business that would come to them as a result of the Judge's planned verdict. Here's what the Judge said from the video and the Amazonpost website:

Núñez:             “Any other questions for me as a judge?”
Hansen:           “Oh no, I, I know clearly how it is, you say, Chevron is the guilty party?”
Núñez:             “Yes Sir.”
Hansen:           “And the, the, the act (decision) is October or November of this year?”
Núñez:             “Yes Sir.”
Hansen:           “And it’s….?”
Núñez:             “No later than January.”
Hansen:           “January 2010. And the money is twenty-seven (billion dollars)?”
Núñez:             “It might be less, and it might be more.”

The Judge says "I have nothing to do with that other part" which is not explained in full but Garcia below fills in "the blanks" later, explaining that the Judge will be paid part of $3 million from the consulants.

Patricio Garcia

The second part of the video has an operative Patricio Garcia (photo from the Amazonpost website) who's reportedly a member of Ecuador's ruling party talking about how the $3 million would be delivered and transfered. This is what was said by Garcia:

Borja: “OK. Of the three million … one million is for the judge?”

Garcia: “Yes.”

Borja: “One million for the presidency…?”

Garcia: “Yes.”

Borja: “And one million for the plaintiffs?”

Garcia: “Yes, that’s right.”

Borja: “But, Loco, for the plaintiffs, who gets the money? Fajardo?”

Garcia: “No. The thing is, we’re going to handle it here.”

Borja: “You mean Alianza PAIS would receive the payment here?”

Garcia: “Right.”

Here's the 30 minute version of the video (the full two hour version is here):

But there's more to this video than what's reported in the press thus far. The focus here is on President Rafael Correa, who's office is named by Patricio Garcia as a beneficiary of the planned bribe money as is "his sister" as stated in the video above. As of this writing Correa has not issued a statement, but his reputation has already come under attack.

The second part of the video was filmed at Alianza PAIS (which means "Proud and Sovereign Fatherland" according to the Wikepedia listing) Offices June 22, 2009. PAIS is a political movement led by President Correa.   Who Patricio Garcia is beyond his appearance in this video and his role in PAIS is still basically unknown as of this writing.

Garcia says that the President's sister Pierina will be helpful (presumably in making sure that the businessmen get their piece of the planned $27 billion pie) and will meet with "The Gringo" (that's Hansen). I checked and "Prierina" is indeed described here as "Pierina Correa, the president's sister and an Alianza País leader in Guayas province". That confirms my assertion that Garcia is tied to the President and his family as he states in the video.

Shocking.

Chevron wants Nunez taken off the case

The implication here is that as Chevron Media Relations representative Sean Corney said in my video above, Chevron wants Nunez taken off the environmental damage case. But given that Chevron has informed the U.S. Department of Justice, the revalation could have deeper implications.

It could cost the country its Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) status, which was just renewed in June of this year. Whatever the case, this news sends a clear message that doing business in Ecuador is not the "clean" experience it should be. Until now, blogs have reported the problems of corruption in Ecuador and with respect to President Correa's involvement in the Chevron case, but now we have visible evidence to back those claims.

The news also forever destroys the claim made by Ecuador lawsuit legal advisor Steve Donziger and others who say that the lawsuit against Chevron has nothing to do with the Ecuadorian Government and is brought by citizens of the Amazon. But Correa has appeared with Donziger in public and has been interviewed about the case.

Right.

One can see that the bribe money's not going anywhere near those groups of people Donziger claims to represent; the political party PAIS would get it and "handle it" as Garcia said in the video. The question is, did Donziger or his associates in Ecuador and America know about this bribe plan? Was he to be one of the plaitiffs that would get the bribe money? In the Amazon Defense Coalition statement today, he does not address the possibility that he may be involved, instead he said "As the facts come out it's going to backfire heavily on Chevron."

Amazon Defense Coalition defends Judge Nunez

Karen Hinton of the Amazon Defense Coalition told Reuters that the video shows Judge Nunez resisting the bribery matter. (This is Hinton's full statement.) In point of fact, the video shows the judge saying that he's speaking in the role of Judge and "does not know about that other matter" which is a way of saying he does know but does not want it to be officially said that he does know. It's called "plausible deniability ."

Stay tuned.

Notes:

Full video transcripts:

Meeting 1 Transcript (228 KB)
Meeting 2 Transcript (195 KB)
Meeting 3 Transcript (218 KB)
Meeting 4 Transcript (217 KB)

Miley Cyrus' stripper pole dance at Teen Choice Awards

2009-08-12T11:51:00.001-07:00

TAKE THE POLL - http://www.pollsb.com/polls/p2137290-...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/a...

http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2009/0...

When I learned that teen star and Twitter mogul Miley Cyrus had literally done a number on a stripper pole at the Teen Choice Awards Monday night, two thoughts entered my mind: first, who convinced the 16 year old to do it, second, does this mean a sex tape's in her future too. I say and write that because I learned she and her father Billy Ray Cyrus came up with the dance production idea. So if her dad's cool with his daughter dancing around that pole at her age, the sky's the limit, right?

Lou Dobbs home to "birthers" and white supremacists

2009-08-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

http://www.zennie62.com - After years of ducking complaints about his occasionally offensive coverage, Lou Dobbs, host of CNN's Lou Dobbs show, may finally see either the end of his days of pretty much getting away with whatever crap he puts out, or the end of his show altogether.

Obama "Beer Summit" , Crowley Press Conference

2009-08-03T13:45:00.001-07:00

http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2009/0... - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/a... - President Barack Obama held a "Beer Summit" today, as some have called it, with Harvard Professor Henry Lewis Gates, Jr., Cambridge Police Sergeant Officer James Crowley, and Vice President Joe Biden, bring an end to an unfortunate but necessary event in American Cultural history, and starting a new chapter in American race relations.

John Edwards has a sex tape?

2009-07-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

http://www.zennie62.com - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-b...
For more perspective on the story, click on the above links.

Win $300 from TheChampReport.com and iwearyourshirt.com

2009-07-28T11:33:00.001-07:00

On Youtube from iwearyourshirt, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FXCComxqu4

We couldn't resist posting this because of our interest in the power of social media.

Henry Louis Gates arrested for being "uppity black man"

2009-07-26T06:56:00.001-07:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/a... - http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2009/0... - It's all over the Internet: Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested by Cambridge police officer Sgt. James Crowley after trying to pry open the lock, which was already damaged, to his own Cambridge home with the help of his driver, who picked him up from a trip to China. President Obama, in a press conference on his health care initiative, chimes in by saying "the Cambridge Police acted stupidly." President Obama's totally right. Here's why. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Erin Andrews video peep show on CBS? Why?

2009-07-26T06:55:00.001-07:00

http://www.zennie62.com - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-b...
For More information on this story, click on the above links.

"Obama not American" believers: are they just racist?

2009-07-26T06:53:00.001-07:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/a... - You know, I'm sick of racists. Just plain tired of em. You know who they are - or maybe they're you. People who are really upset that America elected a black man as president but since they feel they can't say so without the anonymity of the Internet, they craft other means of expressing their anger, like hanging on the to the crazy idea that President Obama's not an American citizen. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Chris Brown: do you accept his apology? A poll.

2009-07-26T06:52:00.001-07:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/a... - http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2009/0... - Today, singer Chris Brown, who violently struck his girlfriend the lovely and talented Rihanna earlier this year, gave a video-based apology to his fans and the World on his website and YouTube.

To review the story, Brown was arrested in the early morning hours after he and Rihanna had an argument over a text message she found in his phone from one of Brown's lovers that Rihanna didn't know the existence of. What Brown did during the argument was horrifying, CNN.com reports: The incident began when Rihanna, who was riding in the sports car driven by Brown, found a text message on his cell phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with," according to a sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews. "A verbal argument ensued," followed by the physical attack, the statement said. It went on to describe the assault in great detail, saying Brown punched Rihanna numerous times and put her in a headlock, restricting her breathing and causing her to start to lose consciousness. He threatened to beat her and kill her, according to the statement, and he bit her ear and her fingers. Eventually, "Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away," the statement said. "A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order."

That's a terrible level of violence and so much so that I personally find it hard to believe the appology he gave, and you can see in my video above. In an effort to gauge public opinion in the wake of Chris Brown's video, I created this poll:

More on pollsb.com

The poll captures not just the "Yes, I believe him" or "No, I don't" choices, it has three others: Yes, but I believe he cares more about his career than Rihanna; Sort-of. I need to see more from him; and Chris doesn't need to apologize for anything.

The last choice is deliberately controversial. It came from an episode of Oprah I happened to see where she and Tyra Banks had what could be called a kind of "town-hall" studio meeting on the incident in March. There' a teenager said "I kind of think she deserved it. If a girl has enough nerves to hit a boy, she should get hit back." That (not mentioned in the Salon blog article for some reason) set both Oprah and Tyra into orbit, and me too. I could not believe what I was hearing, but she said it.

I wanted to capture that view with this poll, if possible. Of course, given the fact that I'm focusing on it here, that it's rather ugly, and a choice in the poll, means those who would normally pick that choice may avoid it here. Still, one never knows so here it is in the poll.

What do you think? Take the poll and let's see what you and the public thinks. My view is Chris made the video for himself; he never once mentions Rihanna in the video and since she was the focus of his anger, she should be the first person on his mind beyond his fans. That's telling and may also mean Brown really feels no remorse for what he did to her, but what he did to his career.

The sentence of "labor" was really stupid. Brown's a public figure and should have been made to be a spokesperson against domestic violence, not just taking some course in anger management. What the judge was thinking here, I don't know, but it was the wrong way to go.

Oakland's Green Building: 1100 Broadway

2009-07-26T06:50:00.001-07:00

http://oaklandfocus.blogspot.com - Oakland's first tall green building is 1100 Broadway. It won the U.S. Green Building Council's "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) award. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Stock Market Update - Earning Season Coming - Mike Swanson in Las Vegas(07/10/09)

2009-07-14T16:01:00.001-07:00

On YouTube from Tradermike2005, http://bit.ly/4Q3wE
I'm [Mike Swanson] in Las Vegas at an investment conference and decided to post this video update on the market. We've dropped for each of the past three weeks, but a good chance of some sort of bounce around earnings season this week is likely. Earnings starts this Thursday with earnings from IBM and JP Morgan. For my free stock trading newsletter go to http://www.wallstreetwindow.com

Freedom Fest 2009 - Our Government No Longer Represents the Values of Freedom

2009-07-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

On YouTube from robpatozz, http://bit.ly/4awLr
FREEDOM FEST 2009 - NO MSM?

What does Liberty mean to you? http://www.Libertyis.org

"Our Government No Longer Represents the Values of Freedom.." Adm Kokesh
"We know socialism does't work" Steve Forbes
"Our current leaders have very little in common with the peopl who founded this country. Their philosophy is rooted in socialism or Marxism..." Peter Schiff

Burlesque Hall of Fame 2009

2009-07-08T21:49:00.001-07:00

On YouTube from OonaProductions, http://ow.ly/gPTD
Burlesque Hall of Fame 2009
Main Event - Miss Exotic World
July 6th, 2009
Orleans Casino - Las Vegas, NV

We offer performance reels with direct audio feeds from the mixer, assuring your song is heard clearly, along with crowd audio that picks up all the hoots n' hollers of the high energy audience. Check the Oona Productions channel for performance teasers from this year's Burlesque Hall of Fame.

OonaProductions@gmail.com

Jackson 5 LIVE in VEGAS - Life Of The Party/Forever Came Today

2009-07-08T21:41:00.001-07:00

On YouTube from An7ie, http://ow.ly/gPSO
Rare and phenomenal footage of 1974 show from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas!
Highest entertainment quality, the video, however, is not hi def.

Vegas Welcomes a New King: The Lion King Las Vegas

2009-07-08T21:39:00.001-07:00

On YouTube from jonleadbetter, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2JBCxCS34w
A preview of Vegas' new show The Lion King, with interviews from the Cast...Enjoy!!!

Michael Jackson passes | public opinion: "We Are The World"

2009-06-27T02:54:00.000-07:00

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget!

YouTube, Yahoo, MySpace, Metacafe, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, StupidVideos, Sclipo and Viddler

Michael Jackson's passing is still a shock to me. The very idea that someone I feel like I grew up with left us at the age of 50 is just not right at all. I first saw Michael perform when I was 10 years old at the old Chicago International Amphitheatre in 1972; the Campbell family, who babysat me, took me and I remember it like it was yesterday. The Jackson Five was then the must see event and Michael was the star.

Michael was like my brother. In a way for many African Americans he was just that, a sibling. I knew him as the guy who grew up in Gary, Indiana. We knew people who knew them in Chicago, so I felt close to him long ago. I think it's for that reason so many African Americans were on Michael's side during the years when it seems he was kind of flying the coup: changing his skin color from brown to near white; narrowing his nose, and basically seeming to channel his best friend the legendary singer Diana Ross. Then, of course, there were the claims that he "liked boys" which we figured wasn't the case, and was more a byproduct of the money and attention seeking people who surrounded him. Michael was a person with an arrested development: he never had a childhood so to escape the trappings of a constant adult life, he created a childhood for himself.

I think being an adult just literally killed Michael.

For me, Michael Jackson was the person who wanted to bring us all together, as shown in his "We Are The World" effort. That amazing production and song, created with a group of the World's best known music talents, with Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Steve Perry, Bob Dylan, the late Ray Charles, and a host of others and to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, was just amazing. Amazing. I loved that song then; I still do today and I cry every time I hear it. (the lyrics and video are at the end of this post).

Talking with people About Michael's passing

The death of Michael Jackson is one of those events that will cause you to remember where you were when you learned of it. In my case I'd just emerged from a private movie screening at the Saul Zaentz Film Center in West Berkeley, CA. My Mom just happened to call with the news as I was walking to my car; I was stunned. Just stunned. So I took my Flip Video Camera and set out to talk to people about what happened to Michael. I had plenty of places to do this: the BART train station, the San Francisco Magazine "Best of The Bay" party, and all points in between.

What's amazing is the sheer number of people who were immediately informed via text messages and the reactions: shock, sadness, but not joy. No. No one expressed anything close to that at all, even given the part of his life where it seemed he was overwhelmed with "kid" issues. Nothing.

Dominic Phillips, the master of event planning in San Francisco, and who produced last night's "San Francisco Magazine Best of The Bay" party said "It's horrible. First and formost, anybody dying is horrible. There are so many family members that are just gonna be torn apart. But also Michael Jackson; on the one hand he was a very maverick person. But on the other hand he was part of my generation's life. He was like part of my experience, my growing up and I feel a little robbed that he's not there anymore. Like whether you thought his experience was your experience,that doesn't really come into it for me. I just sort of bonded with him in my youth and now he's gone."

Another woman I talked to on Howard Street in San Francisco said "I was just walking and three people got text messages (that he died)...just terrible. My friend Beth Schnitzer, who's the Director of Sponsorship Marketing at Pier 39 said "I can't believe it. Every time I listen to his music, it brings back a great memory from growing up somehow, some way. You know, it really hasn't hit me. He was too young; way too young." Jerusha, "The Last Single Girl In The World" said, as only she can, "We all have to go sometime and boy did he have a fabulous life before he went. He did it up and he did it up right. You know what they say, you only live once and that's all you need if you do it right!"

I talked to a lot of people, and if you see my video there are more than what's presented here, but all just variations on what was expressed. People loved Michael, warts and all. The "Best of The Bay" event turned into a kind of tribute to Michael, with his music playing continuously through the evening, and people danced, especially to "Thriller" which is a modern classic.

Sad day it was to have this happen. Michael, the world will miss you.

We Are The World - Lyrics and video:

Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, produced by Quincy Jones.

There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

New TV Show by Zennie62's On BART and Oscar Grant

2009-05-04T05:21:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, May 2nd, my new television show starts. It's called "The Blog Report With Zennie62" and features the use of my video blogs in a weekly 30-minute format broadcast and co-produced by CoLoursTV in Denver. The start time is 3:30 PM Pacific Time, 6:30 PM Eastern Time and the show is replayed at 11:30 PM and 2:30 PM respecfully.

If you don't have a TV you can see the live stream at CoLoursTV.org. or Zennie62.com

The first show focused on selected events that occured after the shooting of Oscar Grant by BART Officer Johannes Mesherle on New Year's Day. It opens with my walk through a riot-ravaged downtown Oakland where I talked with many people about what happened, including a group of kids who were some of the rioters. Then we focus on the words of "DaveyD", America's foremost hiphop reporter and voice of the street, who shares his observations of how Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums handled the situation. And finally we hear from Dellums himself. This is not the last time I will visit this issue, but it's a good place to start the show.

The standard format is to present politics, news, sports, and tech in some combination for each show. Sometimes it's me talking about an issue; other times it's me talking to someone else, and with this show we will feature the work of other video-bloggers. It's a vloggers' playground.

The show will have a deliberate vlogger feel. Videos that you see on my channels at YouTube, Blip.tv, and other places make up the show. There's no studio; the camcorder is the star instrument. That means we can go anywhere at anytime and quickly make a video. It also means I can share what's happening in the news on the blogsphere in video form and show it on "The Blog Report". A lot of ground we can cover considering I never dreamed of having my own television show, but this whole road I've taken has been totally unplanned by me.

"The Blog Report" all started last year when I met Art Thomas who's the Executive Vice President with CoLoursTV at a media walk-through for the Democratic National Convention in Denver. He lived in Oakland before moving to Denver and so we had a lot to talk about. I was looking for a sponsor for our show at the time, so I sent a proposal to Thomas. That exchange turned into an idea for placing our videos on CoLoursTV and that became the concept called "The Blog Report With Zennie62".

Our first concern was how to get the videos up on television without a loss of at least the quality that is seen on Blip.tv and Viddler, which have the sharpest video uploads (that written, I love YouTube and the quality's really improved over time such that it's competitive with the two, but YouTube's best system is the website design and its "viral" nature as well as The YouTube Partner program.) I think we solved that problem and I understand the TV version looks even better than what you're going to see here.

I look forward to your feedback and questions. We're seeking sponsors and there are some organizations we simply want to establish strategic partnerships with, so please contact me. The possibilities for this are many and should serve as an example for a possble future for newspapers as well.

If you're a video-blogger located anywhere in the World and have material that's not longer than 4 minutes tops, notify me via email at zennie@sportsbusinesssims.com and we'll go from there. I prefer the video is already uploaded on some site, Brightcove, Blip.tv, YouTube, etc, so I can see it.

I wish to thank Art Thomas, Damon Purdy, and Tracy Winchester of CoLours TV, as well as Steve and Bernard who made me look good in the promo. I also wish to thank Google / YouTube for their support and encouragement and specifically Chad, Emily, and Hunter. A big loud shot-out to the iReport team at CNN: Lila, Henry, Rachel, David, Nicole Saldi, and the rest. And thanks to the team at CNN Special Projects, Errol and Jessica, and to Roland Martin and his staff at CNN for discovering me. Finally, thanks to the San Francisco Chronicle for seeing the value in how I do what I'm doing and providing a platform. To the National Football League and Commissioner Roger Goodell, Greg Aiello, and Frank Supovitz ("Mr. Super Bowl") And of course, thanks to my Mom and my relatives in Chicago and Tennessee.

Paul Krugman is WRONG about The Obama TARP Plan

2009-03-24T10:20:00.001-07:00

Economist Paul Krugman has been attacking the Obama / Geitner Troubled Assets Relief Plan (TARP) as using taxpayer money to pay investors to take the assets off bank's hands. But he offers no alternative. Paul is wrong in that he wants the "bad assets" to remain on bank statements, but for what? To continue to freeze the credit market? His blog posts in the NY Times on this matter are intellectually sloppy at best. That -- for a Nobel Prize winner -- is terrible.

Krugman sets up straw person examples to prove the idea that the investor spends little of his or her own money -- but that is the idea. I do not know why he comes up with these half-baked statements at all. Perhaps he is just angry that Obama did not pick him to be economic advisor.

Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction at The Pearl May 18

2009-03-17T11:35:00.001-07:00

Rumors were put to rest earlier this year when Nine Inch Nails front-man Trent Reznor posted on his website that NIN would tour in 2009 with the reunited Jane’s Addiction. The first wave of the North American Tour includes a stop in Las Vegas at the intimate Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort on Monday, May 18, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

read more | digg story

Forget the NCAA: LAPTOP Announces Netbook Madness

2009-03-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

Starting today, the best college basketball teams in the country will compete in the largest annual illegal gambling and office-productivity killing event known as the NCAA Tournament. We at LAPTOP would be remiss to ignore it, but everyone’s doing a basketball bracket these days. Don’t the netbooks deserve to fight it out on the courts, too?

read more | digg story

Jesse Waits (Nightclub entrepreneur) shares success advice

2009-03-17T11:33:00.003-07:00

Las Vegas International Hospitality Week 09 Las Vegas Red Carpet - Maria Ngo & Ray DuGray (hosts/producers of The STRIP VIEW Live! Success TV talk show) interview Jesse Waits (Nightclub entrepreneur) on the red carpet from center stage as part of International Hospitality Week inside the Las Vegas Convention Center.Visit www.VegasNet.tv

read more | digg story

Rod Stewart 2009 North American Summer Tour Hits MGM Aug 1

2009-03-17T11:33:00.001-07:00

Rod Stewart returns to Las Vegas with a stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Aug. 1 as part of a limited-engagement tour this summer. The tour will provide fans with the perfect summer setting to enjoy hits from throughout Stewart’s extraordinary four-decade career. The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

read more | digg story

Michael Jackson to Perform in U.S. After London Concerts

2009-03-17T11:32:00.003-07:00

Michael Jackson is rumored to choose Las Vegas as a place to host his American 'This Is It' concerts in 2011.

read more | digg story

Michael Jackson to Perform in U.S. After London Concerts

2009-03-17T11:32:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson is rumored to choose Las Vegas as a place to host his American 'This Is It' concerts in 2011.

read more | digg story

LAX Nightclub Inside the Luxor Hotel - Video Review

2009-03-17T11:31:00.003-07:00

Catering to a young, sophisticated audience, LAX Nightclub at Luxor Las Vegas is the destination of choice for club-goers, A-list celebrities and the social jet set.

read more | digg story

Top 5 Most Outraegous Cocktails in Las Vegas - Comptropolis

2009-03-17T11:31:00.001-07:00

Drinks made with liquid gold, dry ice and diamond encrusted straws! A break down of the 5 most off the wall drinks served at casinos. Star Trek themed concoctions to the "Gotham Martini," learn what people will drink and what you'll never buy.

read more | digg story

Web site seeks donations to help O.J. Simpson appeal convic

2009-03-17T11:30:00.005-07:00

A new Web site is seeking donations to help free O.J. Simpson, who it says was wrongly convicted of robbery and kidnapping.Creators of the site say the controversial former football star was railroaded by a "kangaroo court" in Las Vegas, Nevada, last year.

read more | digg story

Sin City St. Patrick's Events

2009-03-17T11:30:00.003-07:00

A complete list of things to do in Las Vegas on St. Patrick's Day. Dick's Last Resort, Green Valley Ranch, Fremont Street Experience, The City of Henderson 43rd Annual “Sons of Erin” St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival, J.C. Wooloughan Irish Pub in the JW Marriott Las Vegas , Mandalay Bay's J-Pop Lounge and Eyecandy Sound Lounge and Bar and more!

read more | digg story

14th Annual Conference Promises More ITIL Case Studies

2009-03-17T11:30:00.001-07:00

At less than a month after the 13th Annual International IT Service Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas that drew nearly 2,000 attendees, Pink Elephant today announced plans for the next conference, returning to the Bellagio from February 21-24, 2010.

read more | digg story

Star Trek Movie: Where Are The Black Men?

2009-03-17T04:00:00.001-07:00

There's a lack of Black men in the Star Trek trailers and director J.J. Abrams called and invited Tyler Perry to be in the movie to make up for the oversight

TV Show Preview: "The Blog Report With Zennie62"

2009-03-16T11:46:00.001-07:00

On May 1st 2009 CoLoursTV will launch "The Blog Report With Zennie62" nationwide on DISH Network channel 9407 and selected Comcast, Fox, and Insight cable channels, and on YouTube, Blip.tv, and 13 other channels online.

Rush Limbaugh Is Wrecking The GOP And I LOVE IT!

2009-03-04T00:39:00.001-08:00

http://www.zennie62.com -- Rush Limbaugh's idiological rants are out of touch with an economic reality that will keep The Democrats in power for at least the next 10 years. The reason is the economy itself and the need for government investment.

Between 1960 and 1999 the U.S. Economy added 20 million new jobs every 10 years, but from 1999 to today, only about 4.7 million new jobs. What happened to the 15 million jobs? They went overseas to countries like India, France, and north to Canada. And with jobs goes wealth. It's a key reason America's now the 3 largest exporter whereas we were number one for years, until 2004. We're now behind Germany and China.

All of that wealth lost has resulted in wrecked credit over time. We have to have jobs to afford our mortgages and our population did not stop growing through this period. But what happened was that we started to lose jobs from the remaining stock of them. Remember, we have millions of people that aren't even being counted in our economy -- they don't exist for employment purposes. The "Joe The Plumbers" of today are the steel workers of yesterday. With a thriving growing manufaturing industry, we were able to employ Americans and jobs were plentiful. Not today.

With this weak World Credit system we need government spending to replace the private investment spending that's gone. Indeed, with fewer businesses there's less private investment spending -- goverment must catalyze the growth of business.

All of this calls for an activist government and that's something -- that need -- will keep The Democrats in power for years to come.

Eric Holder Is Right: Twittering About Race Causes Cancer!

2009-02-20T18:35:00.001-08:00

Attorney General Eric Holder is right! Twittering about race causes cancer as toxins build. Best to have a diverse group of friends to talk to, and only a coward would be afraid to have friends of different backgrounds!

Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook's Benevolent Dictator

2009-02-19T06:38:00.001-08:00

Mark Zuckerberg is Facebook's Benevolent Dictator who says the social network is 176 million or the sixth largest nation in the World. Electing to preserve member privacy was him being nice. Suppose he didn't do it?

Josh Wolf Documentary Project: Sierra Choi Needs Your Help

2009-02-17T08:22:00.001-08:00

John Wolf spent 226 days in jail to protect his videos and sources, and caused the creation of a new law protecting video-bloggers. Now Sierra Choi is directing and producing a documentary - the trailer is here as part of my video blog.

At the time in 2006, I met Josh when he worked for the television division at Peralta Community College. He was also in the middle of his battle with the Federal Government, but even then was still focused on his work, and didn't spend a lot of time fretting about what could happen.

Then Josh defied San Francisco U.S. District Judge William Alsup's order to turn over the videos Josh had taken from a anti-G8 anarchist protes heldt in San Francisco on July 8, 2005. Wolf feared that the U.S. Government in the form of the FBI simply wanted to identify the people who were protesting and not solve a crime they claim had been committed against a police officer. Wolf's videos did not contain any footage of a police officer being harmed.

Still, U.S. District Judge William Alsup order Wolf to be held in jail for civil contempt of court later in 2006. Then, after negotiations, he was released but still refused to give up any of his videos, offering instead to post them online and show them to the Judge himself. Initially the judge refused, and Wolf was ordered back to jail.

Eventually, and after 226 days, Wolf agreed to show the then unseen video clip online and was released from jail. He never gave a copy of the video to the goverment.

In the wake of his ordeal and new stronger "shield" law has been placed in California law to protect journalists of all kinds, from print to blogs. We have Josh to thank for this.

Now, video film producer Sierra Choi is working to raise $250,000 to create a documentary called "Quiet Uprising: The Story of Josh Wolf" and needs our help. You can contact Sierra through me by sending an email here: zennie@sportsbusinesssims.com

Please help as many need to know Josh's story so this will never happen again.

Elton John's Last Vegas Show April 22nd

2009-02-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

More at Google News: “LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) — Elton John is letting the sun go down on his long-running show at Las Vegas's Caesars Palace on April 22, the famous resort confirmed Wednesday.
Tickets for the British singer-songwriter's final 12 performances of "The Red Piano" -- a lavish 90-minute spectacle in which the 61-year-old legend croons his classics -- will go on sale on Thursday.
The April 22 show will be the 241st performance of "The Red Piano," which launched in 2004 with a three-year commitment that was stretched to five. It has been a consistent sell-out.”

Las Vegas High Rise Blog » Guess How Many Las Vegas Strip Luxury High Rise Condos Exist?

2009-02-10T12:45:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas High Rise Blog: “With all of the recent media reports about Las Vegas real estate imploding, there’s no wonder most people think the Las Vegas Strip area has an ocean of luxury high rise residential condos for sale. Just last week I read one comment on a Blog that stated for a fact that Miami’s luxury high rise residential condos for sale were in the same boat as Las Vegas. So that would make Las Vegas have at least 22,000 luxury high rise condos for sale along the Strip? Right? Not so fast.

Let’s see exactly what the real numbers are. Would you believe 1306 Las Vegas luxury residential condos along the Strip with 409 existing and the rest under construction? This detailed video reports gives you the inside scoop on the real numbers and you will see just how far off the mark the media has gone regarding Strip condo statistics”

Hard Rock Hotel Expansion : 15-story tower topped off

2009-02-06T17:50:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino celebrated another step in its $750 million expansion project Friday when construction workers hoisted the highest piece of the structure atop the South Tower.

The new 15-story tower will separate itself as the resort's all-suite tower, featuring 374 suites and eight “spa villas.” Crowning the tower will be seven penthouse suites. The South Tower will open in late 2009 as the final component of the resort's expansion project.

The standard suites in the South Tower will be about 700 square feet, featuring Bose sound systems, iPod docks, two 42-inch plasma TVs (one of which is in the bathroom) and 310-thread count sheets.”

North Las Vegas police seek man in pizza delivery homicide

2009-01-30T14:10:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “North Las Vegas Police Department detectives are asking for the public's help in finding "a person of interest" in the death of pizza deliveryman John Norris on Saturday night.

The suspect was seen in the area before the attack on Norris in the 5800 block of Rose Sage Street. He is described as a black man between 17 and 25 years old, 5-foot-10, heavy set and wearing a hooded sweatshirt at the time.

Pizza Hut and another local business are offering cash rewards up to $22,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. This amount includes $2,000 from Crime Stoppers.”

Boulder City Mayor says city needs to tighten its belt - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-30T14:09:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “Boulder City needs to focus on saving money this year so it can afford to stay safe and clean, Mayor Roger Tobler told a packed council chambers Thursday during his second State of the City address.

Tobler presented a four-pronged approach to preserving the city's needs and wants: cutting expenses, leasing land, reducing the debt and increasing residents' water and power bills.

For now, he said, money woes haven't changed the things that make Boulder City unique.

"Fortunately, financial difficulties and economic downturns do not change who we are as a community," Tobler said.”

Lou Dobbs Is An Idiot On The Economy

2009-01-27T12:07:00.001-08:00

When it comes to the Economy, Lou Dobbs is an idiot who does not get that we've lost 15 million jobs over the last 11 years or that 7 trillion in consumer debt is seeking payers and is not finding them because there's no jobs.

MLK Day Wright Elementary School Ms. Lane 3rd Grade Class

2009-01-21T09:25:00.001-08:00

Las Vegas Channel 13 News MLK Day William V. Wright Elementary School January 19, 2009. Ms. Lane's 3rd Grade

CES 2009, Las Vegas

2009-01-21T09:23:00.001-08:00

YouTubes MimiSwanks reports: CES is the International Consumer Electronics Show, "Where Entertainment, Technology, and Business Converge". (Watch in high quality!) This year had a particularly GREEN theme, in other words, lots of renewable energy technologies. So, it was very exciting. The newest technology on the market was presented. Good times had by all at the Las Vegas Convention Center! Special Thanks to my interviewees! And a shout-out to the folks at Intel who let me use the DJ booth!

Las Vegas Sands: A big rise, a big fall - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-18T08:04:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “Las Vegas Sands was once the envy of Wall Street. In fall 2007, with seemingly unlimited growth prospects in Macau, the most lucrative gambling market in the world, the company’s share price topped out at nearly $150.

Founder and Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson’s personal fortune rose with the company’s. On the strength of his stake in Las Vegas Sands, his net worth reached an estimated $28 billion, according to Forbes’ list of richest Americans in 2007.

Adelson, the combative son of a cabdriver, peaked at No. 3 on that list and had his eye on the top spot, held by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

But then came the fall, a drop so fast and long that even in this era of suicidal reversals on Wall Street, Sands stands out.

The company’s market value plummeted more than 90 percent”

School zoning proposals prompt heated debate - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-13T10:01:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “Hundreds of Henderson parents and a few high school students were at Foothill High School Monday night to voice opinions on the school district's attendance zoning proposals for elementary and high schools.

For more than a month, members of the Clark County School District Attendance Zone Advisory Commission have been looking at possibly changing school boundaries for Sue Morrow, C.T. Sewell and Robert Taylor elementary schools. Changes to the zoning boundaries for Coronado, Foothill, Green Valley, Liberty and Silverado high schools are also on the table.

The commission will decide at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday which proposals or combination of proposals will be accepted as recommendations. Those recommendations will be presented to the School Board Feb. 24 and March 3.”

35,000 CityCenter Job Applicants for 12,000 Jobs - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-13T09:59:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “Shellshocked from months of fruitless searching, job seekers showed up Monday with scrubbed faces and sharp suits at a large building behind the Mirage.

As many as 700 people per day will enter the building to await a turn with CityCenter human resources staffers, who will hire a Las Vegas record of more than 12,000 people over the next several months.

CityCenter likely broke another record last week, receiving about 35,000 online applications in less than seven days.

There wasn’t any good or bad news on Monday. Staffers made sure the online applications were filled out properly and determined whether the candidates are seeking the most appropriate jobs. The positions will be filled in August.”

-- As I said to a friend, this is the shot in the arm Vegas needs: a building boom at the right time.

Group proposes new taxes to fix state budget - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-12T13:39:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “A liberal group proposed a host of new and higher taxes in order to avoid steep budget cuts over this upcoming biennium.

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada presented the plan Monday to raise, according to their figures, $1.259 billion a year. Officials with the organization said Nevada's tax structure places an unfair burden on the poor and middle class, and lets profitable businesses largely off the hook.

The plan would:

Eliminate most tax exemptions deducted by mining companies before they pay the net proceeds of minerals -- $141 million a year.
Institute a "business profits tax" of 5 percent on businesses with profits between $50,000 and $100,000. Businesses with profits over $100,000 a year would pay 7 percent -- $194 million a year.
Double the modified business tax, which is a tax businesses pay based on payroll -- $279 million a year.
Tax meals that the gaming industry comps to players. PLAN says this would generate $140 million a year. The Department of Taxation, though, has said that paying back taxes from 2002 owed to gaming companies under a recent Supreme Court ruling would cost the state a total of $60 million and local governments $40 million.
Increase the room tax by 3 percentage points in Clark and Washoe counties. PLAN says that would generate $125 million a year, but that was before the serious downturn in the tourism market. More recent estimates have put that number at $100 million a year.
Institute an "unearned income tax" of 3 percent on income over $200,000 per year. That includes money from capital gains, interest and dividends. That would bring in $380 million a year. It would also require a constitutional amendment, which would require approval from the voters twice, in 2010 and 2012 before it could be enacted in 2013.
Income tax. It would also require constitutional amendment, though PLAN does not lay out specific rates.
PLAN said Nevada's tax structure, which relies heavily on sales tax and gaming tax, has the poorest of the state paying a disproportionately higher percent of their incomes in taxes.”

Driving past Palazzo Resort night of Grand Opening, 1-17-2008

2009-01-10T19:03:00.001-08:00

Palazzo Resort Hotel Grand Opening Fireworks. Las Vegas, NV. 1-17-2008

Encore Resort Hotel and Casino has Grand Opening in Las Vegas 12-22-2008

2009-01-10T19:02:00.001-08:00

Steve Wynn's Encore Resort Hotel and Casino opens on Las Vegas strip. 12-22-2008.

Touring Steve Wynn's Encore Resort Hotel on Opening Night in Las Vegas Pt. 1

2009-01-10T19:01:00.001-08:00

Steve Wynn opens Encore Resort Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Porn industry feeling pain as expo hits Vegas - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-09T13:15:00.001-08:00

Porn industry feeling pain as expo hits Vegas - Las Vegas Sun: “The economic downturn has many companies looking for ways to survive, and those in the adult-entertainment industry are also finding it’s not always easy to shake a recession.

Amid tough times, the industry’s largest convention, the Adult Video Network’s Adult Entertainment Expo, hits Las Vegas today with steady fan attendance and a host of challenges on the exhibit floor.

AVN’s four-day expo is expected to lure adult stars, about 25,000 visitors and 250-plus exhibitors showcasing the latest in adult novelties, DVDs and technology.

But aside from economic problems, porn professionals are confronting changing times in the industry with a new presidential administration, the ongoing threat of Internet pirating and challenges of marketing not-so-essential adult products during a recession.

Adult Entertainment Expo spokesman Sean Devlin said despite the tough economic climate, the mood on the eve of the Vegas convention was mostly upbeat.”

Strip gaming win lowest in five years - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-09T13:13:00.001-08:00

More at the Sun: “CARSON CITY – Winnings at Strip casinos dropped to a five-year low in November as the resorts recorded their second straight month of double-digit declines.

The state Gaming Control Board reported today the gross win at the 41 Strip casinos was $437.6 million, off 16.2 percent from a year ago.

Board Spokesman Frank Streshley said this November was compared to a “soft” November in 2007, when the gross win, before expenses and taxes, fell 19.2 percent.”

Tropicana hires Thacker to run Las Vegas casino - San Jose Mercury News

2009-01-06T21:52:00.001-08:00

More at San Jose Mercury News: “LAS VEGAS—Tropicana Entertainment LLC says it has hired Ron Thacker as president of its casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
The company said in a release on Tuesday that the former vice president of casino operations at Fontainebleau Resorts will oversee all property operations once regulators approve the hiring.
Tropicana says Thacker has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. He's held executive positions at the Flamingo Las Vegas, the former Casino Windsor in Ontario, Canada, and the Flamingo Hilton in Kansas City, Mo.
The Tropicana Las Vegas opened in 1957 on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. It has 1,800 rooms in two high-rise towers of 21 and 22 stories.”

Benjamin Acuna and Anabel Valenzuela - Las Vegas couple get hefty sentences

2009-01-06T21:50:00.001-08:00

More at San Jose Mercury News: “HONOLULU—A Las Vegas couple convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Hawaii and related money laundering offenses was sentenced in Honolulu to 32 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo Jr. said Benjamin Acuna and Anabel Valenzuela were the leaders of a ring that shipped 2,000 pounds of meth from Nevada to Hawaii between 2002 and 2005.
U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway on Monday also ordered Acuna and Valenzuela to forfeit five Las Vegas properties, five bank accounts and the contents of a safety deposit box.
The jury that convicted the two in September ordered them to forfeit to the government $8 million, representing the ring's profits.”

New resorts in Las Vegas hiring for thousands of positions

2009-01-06T21:49:00.001-08:00

More at AZ Republic: “Hospitality workers who are finding it hard to find a job or advancement opportunities in the Phoenix area might want to try Las Vegas.

A spate of mega resort hotels set to open there this year will create openings for tens of thousands of workers, and hotel operators are already looking outside the Las Vegas area to make hires.

The $9 billion CityCenter project in Las Vegas is targeting the metro Phoenix area to fill more than 12,000 jobs needed to staff the 18 million-square-foot development, set to open later this year.

The Valley has tens of thousands of trained hospitality industry employees, and many of them are looking for work due to the ailing economy.

"In this economy, people are going to have to go where the jobs are," said Patti Urias, an Arizona Department of Commerce spokeswoman.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Arizona shed 7,000 hospitality jobs from November 2007 to November 2008 as the worsening economy cut into tourism and business travel.”

CES 2009 Preview: Why Mobile WorkHorse is THE Blog for CES Coverage - CIO - Blogs and Discussion

2009-01-06T21:46:00.001-08:00

More at CIO: “This Thursday, January 8 marks the start of the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), running in Las Vegas through Sunday, January 11. And while there will certainly be no shortage of blogs and news outlets covering the plethora of tech news that will emerge, there's only one destination for the kind of mobile specific, in-depth analysis you've come to expect from my CIO.com blog: The Mobile WorkHorse. Here's why.

As you may or may not know, CIO.com is an IDG-owned website, as are a variety of additional tech sites including the venerable PCWorld.com, the esteemed Computerworld.com and the uber-popular Macworld.com. As such, all of these publications, and more, share online content. Because these three tech powerhouses will also be at CES and they're news outlets first and foremost, ”

MGM Mirage City Center Job Application Process Open

2009-01-05T23:03:00.001-08:00

I saw this at the Las Vegas Review Journal...

MGM Mirage opens CityCenter job application process

BY HOWARD STUTZ
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Construction at City Center is shown in this file photo taken from Planet Hollywood on Nov. 14. The nearly $10 billion project is scheduled to open late 2009.

MGM Mirage opened the job application process today for the more than 12,000 positions it needs to fill at the massive $9.1 billion CityCenter development.MGM Mirage opens CityCenter job application process

-- Nice to see that Las Vegas is still making large scale projects in this economy, but to be more accurate, it looks like this one got off the ground a long tme ago before the economy went south. Now, come the summer, Vegas will have new jobs filled at a time when other cities are hurting.

$940,000 Luxury Condo On The Las Vegas Strip!

2009-01-03T23:22:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder what a lux condo on the Las Vegas Strip looks like? This is what you get for $1 million...

2009 New Year's Eve Countdown On The Las Vegas Strip

2009-01-03T23:19:00.001-08:00

Drunk Women in Las Vegas - What Happens In Vegas..

2009-01-03T23:11:00.001-08:00

This video is a kind of hidden, sloppy camera shot of a group of people escorting a drunk women to her room, where there were more drunk women. Only in Las Vegas, now on video.

Runway Show by Marciano at the Fashionshow Mall in Las Vegas

2009-01-03T23:08:00.001-08:00

Runway Show by Marciano at the Fashionshow Mall in Las Vegas is just a slice of life if you're in the fashion business in this town.

Are Las Vegas Waiters Really That Rude?

2009-01-03T23:03:00.001-08:00

More at VEGAS HAPPENS HERE Think Las Vegas waiters are being rude? According to this blogger, they're just saving water!:

"Vegas waiters aren't being rude,
they're just saving water.
Remember, this is a desert.
Water is served by request only
at participating restaurants."

-- Thanks for the note!

"RateVegas "Best Las Vegas Blog" - Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog | from ratevegas.com

2009-01-03T23:00:00.001-08:00

Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog | from ratevegas.com: “Tonight, on the live Web cast, I was very surprised to learn that this blog was a winner in the 2008 Trippies for 'Best Vegas Blog'.

The competition was very stiff - these are all names you know and you probably read all of them (you should). I've been lucky enough to meet a few and call them friends - they all publish on a regular basis and give a lot to their readers.

* Die is Cast
* The Movable Buffet
* Stiffs & Georges
* Vegas Happens Here
* Vegas Links
* Vegas Rex”

-- Enjoy it while it lasts, because there's a new sherriff in town, and you're reading it!

CHILD KILLED: Brother shot girl in the chest - ReviewJournal.com - News

2009-01-03T22:56:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas ReviewJournal.com : “The gunshot that killed a 6-year-old Las Vegas girl Wednesday night was fired by her 7-year-old brother, who told police he found the gun in a bedroom closet and thought it was a BB gun.

The girl, who was identified by the Clark County coroner's office Friday as Jorden Jackson, died of a gunshot wound to the chest in what has been ruled an accident.”

Forecast: 1 in 10 Nevadans jobless - Las Vegas Sun

2009-01-03T22:52:00.001-08:00

More at Las Vegas Sun: “Nevada’s unemployment rate may top 10 percent this year, UNLV economist Keith Schwer says, before any benefits of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic plan are felt here.

But once Nevada gets through 2009 — when unemployment will fluctuate between 9 percent and 10 percent, it can exhale and expect better days, says Schwer, director of UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

In November the state recorded a 24-year-high unemployment rate of 8 percent, up from 7.7 percent the previous month, according to the Labor Statistics Bureau. The national unemployment rate in November was 6.7 percent.

In October, state economists had forecast the unemployment rate at 8.2 percent at the start of the new year and peaking at 8.8 percent by the end of 2009.”

Official Encore Las Vegas TV Commercial With Steve Wynn- 2008

2009-01-03T22:50:00.001-08:00

And this is the commercial with Wynn sitting at the top of his new hotel, Encore. Really. That's him.

Steve Wynn Is REALLY On Encore Las Vegas In TV Commercial Starring Steve Wynn

2009-01-03T22:48:00.001-08:00

I have to admit I didn't believe that was Las Vegas Real Estate Developer Steve Wynn sitting atop his new hotel Encore, but one look at this video convinced me it was him. I first saw the video at the website of the Las Vegas Sun, which reports:

"The television commercial in which Wynn perches atop his new copper-colored hotel like it’s a billion-dollar lawn chair is no product of Hollywood trickery.

In the Encore ad, Wynn reprises the commercial he did for Wynn Las Vegas, in which he stood atop that hotel.

As proof Wynn was really there, the hotel prepared a behind-the-scenes video showing the preparations for the shoot on and above the 48-story hotel. Wynn rehearses his lines with director Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour,” “X-Men: The Last Stand”). The casino developer is shown walking up the building’s sloping rooftop and then seated at its pinnacle with his legs crossed and dangling 675 feet above the ground. A camera-carrying chopper hovers nearby.

“This should lay the question to rest,” the narrator says. “Yes, Steve really was on the building.”"

I've got to give it to Steve. That took guts -- I guess that's how he managed to stay on top of the Las Vegas Hotel game.