BERLIN — Arthur Abraham knocked out Jermain Taylor with six seconds left in the opening bout of the Super Six super middleweight tournament.
Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs), the former middleweight standout moving up a division for the first time, was set to win on points at O2 World Arena but flattened Taylor with a right to his chin at 2:54 of the 12th round.
Saturday's defeat was the fourth in the past five fights for Taylor (28-4-1).
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Rio gangs shoot down police chopper, 2 cops dead
RIO DE JANEIRO — Drug traffickers shot down a police helicopter during a gunbattle between rival gangs Saturday, killing two officers in a burst of violence just two weeks after the city was chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
Ten suspected drug traffickers were also killed during the fighting in a shantytown, along with two bystanders in the slum, officials said.
Bullets flying from the Morro dos Macacos ("Monkey Hill" in Portuguese) slum in northern Rio de Janeiro hit the police helicopter pilot in the leg as he hovered above the shootout, causing him to lose control and crash.
Two officers died, while the pilot and three other policemen escaped after the craft hit and burst into flames. The pilot and a second officer suffered burns and bullet wounds. The other two officers also were burned, one gravely, said Mario Sergio Duarte, head of Rio state's military police.
Officials did not know whether the gangs targeted the helicopter or whether it was hit by stray bullets, but the event underscored security concerns that have dogged Brazil's second-largest city for decades.
It was not clear what sort of weapon or weapons hit the helicopter, but Duarte said it was unlikely to have been an anti-aircraft missile. Such weapons have been found in the hideouts of drug traffickers along with other heavy, military-grade arms such as grenade launchers and .50-caliber machine guns.
Duarte said the pilot was able to make a somewhat controlled, though extremely rough landing, which he said would have been unlikely if the aircraft had been hit by a heavy weapon.
The Full Story
Ten suspected drug traffickers were also killed during the fighting in a shantytown, along with two bystanders in the slum, officials said.
Bullets flying from the Morro dos Macacos ("Monkey Hill" in Portuguese) slum in northern Rio de Janeiro hit the police helicopter pilot in the leg as he hovered above the shootout, causing him to lose control and crash.
Two officers died, while the pilot and three other policemen escaped after the craft hit and burst into flames. The pilot and a second officer suffered burns and bullet wounds. The other two officers also were burned, one gravely, said Mario Sergio Duarte, head of Rio state's military police.
Officials did not know whether the gangs targeted the helicopter or whether it was hit by stray bullets, but the event underscored security concerns that have dogged Brazil's second-largest city for decades.
It was not clear what sort of weapon or weapons hit the helicopter, but Duarte said it was unlikely to have been an anti-aircraft missile. Such weapons have been found in the hideouts of drug traffickers along with other heavy, military-grade arms such as grenade launchers and .50-caliber machine guns.
Duarte said the pilot was able to make a somewhat controlled, though extremely rough landing, which he said would have been unlikely if the aircraft had been hit by a heavy weapon.
The Full Story
Penn State crushes Minnesota
University Park, PA (Sports Network) - Darryl Clark threw for 287 yards, including a touchdown and ran for another score, as 14th-ranked Penn State defeated Minnesota, 20-0, in a Big Ten matchup at Beaver Stadium.
Clark completed 21-of-32 throws, while Evan Royster ran for 137 yards on 23 touches for Penn State (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten), which hammered Eastern Illinois 52-3 last Saturday. The Lions have won three straight since falling to Iowa on September 26.
Derek Moye added six catches for 120 yards and a score for the Nittany Lions, who registered their 40th shutout under head coach Joe Paterno.
"We did move the ball well, I think that was obvious, but we didn't do a particularly good job in the red zone," Paterno said. "We came away with a couple of field goals, and then we missed another one. I think the penalties hurt us, I think a couple of dropped passes hurt us. I don't think we played a really sharp game offensively. We played hard and made plays when we had to make them."
Adam Webber struggled mightily, connecting on only 10-of-22 passes for 101 yards and was intercepted once for Minnesota (4-3, 2-2), which earned a 35-20 win over Purdue last weekend. The Gophers, who have dropped three of five, were limited to only 138 yards of total offense.
Eric Decker had one reception for 42 yards in defeat.
"Obviously, disappointed to lose the football game," Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster said. "We didn't play well enough offensively to sustain anything really from the beginning. Give credit where credit is due. Penn State was better than we were and I thought they played extremely well. Penn State's defense is outstanding. We still, obviously, have a lot of things that we need to improve upon offensively to be a better football team, a better offensive football team."
Penn State opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Collin Wagner drilled a 47-yard field goal to cap a six-play, 32-yard drive. Wagner then booted a 24-yarder on the first play on the second stanza for a 6-0 Nittany Lions' advantage.
PSU then found the end zone with 35 seconds left in the half, going 91 yards on 12 plays. Clark, who completed 6-of-7 throws in the set, quickly guided the offense to a 1st-and-goal situation on the Minnesota seven-yard line. After a Clark five-yard run, a holding call moved the ball back to the 12 before the QB hit an outstretched Moye in the end zone. The catch was initially ruled incomplete, but after a booth review the call was overturned and the Lions took a 13-0 into the intermission.
Clark went over the pile for a one-yard scoring dive late in the third quarter, putting the finishing touches on a 13-play, 85-yard set to stretch the PSU lead to 20.
Minnesota threatened on its next possession as Webber connected with Decker for 42 yards, taking it to the Penn State 34. Later in the drive, the Gophers would then have it 1st-and-goal from the eight, but the Lions defense would stiffen and on fourth down from the one, Kevin Whaley was stopped short of the goal line.
Penn State took control of the game the rest of the way and eventually ran out the clock to preserve the win.
Game Notes
Penn State will play at Michigan next Saturday, while Minnesota visits Ohio State...The Nittany Lions improved to 7-4 all-time versus the Gophers...PSU has now won 32 of its last 35 games at Beaver Stadium...Penn State star linebacker Sean Lee returned after missing the previous three games with a sprained left knee and finished with two total tackles.
Clark completed 21-of-32 throws, while Evan Royster ran for 137 yards on 23 touches for Penn State (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten), which hammered Eastern Illinois 52-3 last Saturday. The Lions have won three straight since falling to Iowa on September 26.
Derek Moye added six catches for 120 yards and a score for the Nittany Lions, who registered their 40th shutout under head coach Joe Paterno.
"We did move the ball well, I think that was obvious, but we didn't do a particularly good job in the red zone," Paterno said. "We came away with a couple of field goals, and then we missed another one. I think the penalties hurt us, I think a couple of dropped passes hurt us. I don't think we played a really sharp game offensively. We played hard and made plays when we had to make them."
Adam Webber struggled mightily, connecting on only 10-of-22 passes for 101 yards and was intercepted once for Minnesota (4-3, 2-2), which earned a 35-20 win over Purdue last weekend. The Gophers, who have dropped three of five, were limited to only 138 yards of total offense.
Eric Decker had one reception for 42 yards in defeat.
"Obviously, disappointed to lose the football game," Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster said. "We didn't play well enough offensively to sustain anything really from the beginning. Give credit where credit is due. Penn State was better than we were and I thought they played extremely well. Penn State's defense is outstanding. We still, obviously, have a lot of things that we need to improve upon offensively to be a better football team, a better offensive football team."
Penn State opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Collin Wagner drilled a 47-yard field goal to cap a six-play, 32-yard drive. Wagner then booted a 24-yarder on the first play on the second stanza for a 6-0 Nittany Lions' advantage.
PSU then found the end zone with 35 seconds left in the half, going 91 yards on 12 plays. Clark, who completed 6-of-7 throws in the set, quickly guided the offense to a 1st-and-goal situation on the Minnesota seven-yard line. After a Clark five-yard run, a holding call moved the ball back to the 12 before the QB hit an outstretched Moye in the end zone. The catch was initially ruled incomplete, but after a booth review the call was overturned and the Lions took a 13-0 into the intermission.
Clark went over the pile for a one-yard scoring dive late in the third quarter, putting the finishing touches on a 13-play, 85-yard set to stretch the PSU lead to 20.
Minnesota threatened on its next possession as Webber connected with Decker for 42 yards, taking it to the Penn State 34. Later in the drive, the Gophers would then have it 1st-and-goal from the eight, but the Lions defense would stiffen and on fourth down from the one, Kevin Whaley was stopped short of the goal line.
Penn State took control of the game the rest of the way and eventually ran out the clock to preserve the win.
Game Notes
Penn State will play at Michigan next Saturday, while Minnesota visits Ohio State...The Nittany Lions improved to 7-4 all-time versus the Gophers...PSU has now won 32 of its last 35 games at Beaver Stadium...Penn State star linebacker Sean Lee returned after missing the previous three games with a sprained left knee and finished with two total tackles.
Louisiana interracial marriage case revives southern stereotypes
Ever wonder why jokes about the South and “rednecks” persist?
Look no further than Keith Bardwell, the Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple because he was worried about how their kids would cope. “I’m not a racist,” the judge said. He even lets black people use his bathroom, he said.
Sure, the underlying tenets of humor about the South has a bit to do with the insecurity of the North facing a virile Sunbelt economy that, up until recently, had a major influence on national and presidential politics.
But the political defeat of the Southern-based Republican party has given a little more leeway to poke fun at the South. Of course, that task is only made easier by the fact that some Southerners can’t help but step in it again and again.
The pace has only picked up after the election of President Barack Obama, whose skin color has revealed a usually hidden strain of racism that remains present in the South. (Regionalism, if not racism, seems mutual: Besides White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, an Alabamian, real down-home Southerners are a rarity in the Obama inner circle.)
This week we had the Louisiana judge who somehow had missed the last 30 years — the US Supreme Court outlawed bans on interracial marriages in 1967 — and refused to marry an interracial couple.
“There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage,” Mr. Bardwell said. “I think those children suffer, and I won’t help put them through it.”
There was Congressman Joe Wilson’s “You Lie” outburst to President Obama. Judging by his fundraising since, Wilson’s been hailed as a hero even though his comment embarrassed many in South Carolina.
Earlier this year, Rusty DePass, a Republican activist, said a gorilla that escaped from the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C., was an ancestor of Michelle Obama.
The state may pay a steep price for a few local chuckles in such cases, warns Brian Hicks, a columnist for the Post and Courier in Charleston. He writes:
“A loudmouthed minority of Neanderthals and sore losers have so poisoned the national discourse with their racist rantings, crude jokes and veiled threats that they have sullied South Carolina’s reputation more than any governor, congressman or senator could ever imagine. So, thanks for that.”
Okay, it’s always fun to kick the South and its sympathizers around when they’re down. (See: Reconstruction). But sometimes, even people here in the South agree, the criticism is more than warranted.
The darker side, says Truthout’s Michael Hittleman, is that recent pratfalls in the South hint that “the Republican’s 1968 ‘Southern strategy’ has morphed into the Southern Democratic Party’s 1860 strategy … reminiscent of the antebellum South.”
Of course, to a majority in the South, that’s not funny — and neither is Mr. Bardwell’s refusal to marry the couple. Many of the 77 percent of Americans who support interracial marriage, according to Gallup, live in the South.
Realizing that Southerners playing into the hands of late-night monologists can be politically damaging to a party trying to be more diverse and inclusive, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and other state officials have criticized Bardwell for his beliefs, and have called for his resignation.
McCain presses Obama to pardon black boxer
Sen. John McCain on Friday pressed President Barack Obama to give a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, the black heavyweight boxing champion who was imprisoned nearly a century ago because of his romantic ties with a white woman.
McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., noted in a letter to Obama that both houses of Congress this summer passed their resolution urging a pardon. After the vote, the lawmakers wrote to Obama in August asking him to issue the pardon.
"Regrettably, we have not received a response from you or any member of your administration," they wrote in Friday's letter, adding they hoped that Obama would be eager to "right this wrong and erase an act of racism that sent an American citizen to prison."
The White House declined to comment on the letter.
When he unveiled the resolution in April, McCain said he was sure that Obama "will be more than eager" to issue the pardon. On Friday, McCain said he was still confident the president would do so.
"The president's been very, very busy," McCain said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. "Hopefully, this letter will be a kind of reminder that it's important to get it done. But I'm not critical of the president yet. We'll give him some time."
The senator said he hasn't personally talked to Obama about the issue.
"The conversations that I've been having with him have been on Afghanistan," he said. "But we'll see what result we get from this letter."
Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion on Dec. 26, 1908 — 100 years before Obama was elected the first black president. Johnson won the title after police in Australia stopped his 14-round match against the severely battered Canadian world champion, Tommy Burns.
That led to a search for a "Great White Hope" who could beat Johnson. Two years later, Jim Jeffries, the American world titleholder Johnson had tried for years to fight, came out of retirement but lost in a match called "The Battle of the Century," resulting in deadly riots.
Johnson was convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes. He fled the country after his conviction, but agreed years later to return and serve a 10-month jail sentence.
Filmmaker Ken Burns helped form the Committee to Pardon Jack Johnson, which filed a petition with the Justice Department in 2004 that was never acted on. His 2005 documentary, "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson," explored the case against the boxer and the sentencing judge's acknowledged desire to "send a message" to black men about relationships with white women.
McCain and King — both of whom have done their share of amateur boxing — pushed similar resolutions in recent years but only this year were able to get it through both chambers of Congress.
McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., noted in a letter to Obama that both houses of Congress this summer passed their resolution urging a pardon. After the vote, the lawmakers wrote to Obama in August asking him to issue the pardon.
"Regrettably, we have not received a response from you or any member of your administration," they wrote in Friday's letter, adding they hoped that Obama would be eager to "right this wrong and erase an act of racism that sent an American citizen to prison."
The White House declined to comment on the letter.
When he unveiled the resolution in April, McCain said he was sure that Obama "will be more than eager" to issue the pardon. On Friday, McCain said he was still confident the president would do so.
"The president's been very, very busy," McCain said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. "Hopefully, this letter will be a kind of reminder that it's important to get it done. But I'm not critical of the president yet. We'll give him some time."
The senator said he hasn't personally talked to Obama about the issue.
"The conversations that I've been having with him have been on Afghanistan," he said. "But we'll see what result we get from this letter."
Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion on Dec. 26, 1908 — 100 years before Obama was elected the first black president. Johnson won the title after police in Australia stopped his 14-round match against the severely battered Canadian world champion, Tommy Burns.
That led to a search for a "Great White Hope" who could beat Johnson. Two years later, Jim Jeffries, the American world titleholder Johnson had tried for years to fight, came out of retirement but lost in a match called "The Battle of the Century," resulting in deadly riots.
Johnson was convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes. He fled the country after his conviction, but agreed years later to return and serve a 10-month jail sentence.
Filmmaker Ken Burns helped form the Committee to Pardon Jack Johnson, which filed a petition with the Justice Department in 2004 that was never acted on. His 2005 documentary, "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson," explored the case against the boxer and the sentencing judge's acknowledged desire to "send a message" to black men about relationships with white women.
McCain and King — both of whom have done their share of amateur boxing — pushed similar resolutions in recent years but only this year were able to get it through both chambers of Congress.
Diddy Loses $20,000 Ring During BET Show Taping
During a recent taping of BET's "106 & Park," Diddy lost something and wasn't letting anybody leave the building until he found it -- it being a $20,000 pinky ring.
According to the New York Post, Diddy was throwing out money -- fake money at that -- into the crowd. But, once they realized real $100 bills were mixed in, a frenzy took place. Sometime while he was making it rain, his ring flew off his finger and into the audience.
In an attempt to find the ring, he asked that security frisk the entire studio audience until it turned up.
Shortly after the incident, the hip-hop mogul took to his Twitter profile (@IAmDiddy), expressing his reaction to the incident.
"The craziest sh** just happened to me lol I guess its sh**tin' on me season.. Enjoy it while it lasts!!!!! lol life is crazy," he tweeted.
It's unclear if the ring was found. But, one witness told the Post that it's still missing and Diddy ain't getting it back.
"He ain't getting' it back," the witness said. "Someone pocketed that, and they probably took it to the nearest jeweler."
According to the New York Post, Diddy was throwing out money -- fake money at that -- into the crowd. But, once they realized real $100 bills were mixed in, a frenzy took place. Sometime while he was making it rain, his ring flew off his finger and into the audience.
In an attempt to find the ring, he asked that security frisk the entire studio audience until it turned up.
Shortly after the incident, the hip-hop mogul took to his Twitter profile (@IAmDiddy), expressing his reaction to the incident.
"The craziest sh** just happened to me lol I guess its sh**tin' on me season.. Enjoy it while it lasts!!!!! lol life is crazy," he tweeted.
It's unclear if the ring was found. But, one witness told the Post that it's still missing and Diddy ain't getting it back.
"He ain't getting' it back," the witness said. "Someone pocketed that, and they probably took it to the nearest jeweler."
Dad shoots teen having sex with daughter
APOPKA, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - An Apopka man is behind bars after shooting an 18-year-old he caught having sex with his 16-year-old stepdaughter. Wade Edwards, 41, was arrested and charged with second degree attempted murder.
According to an Apopka Police report, officers responded to the Emerson Park subdivision off of Rafton Road shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday, after two 911 calls were received reporting the shooting.
The second 911 call was placed by Edwards, who told the dispatcher that he had just shot someone inside his house. When officers arrived at the residence, they found victim Juilian Harp in the grass in front of the home.
The stepdaughter told police that the two were having consensual sex when her stepfather entered the room. She said Edwards left to retrieve a gun and shot at Harp as he was leaving. However, Edwards told police that Harp "pounced" at him, and because he did not know Harp, he was afraid and shot at him in self-defense.
Harp's injuries are non life-threatening and he is in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Family of victim reacts
Curtis Windom is upset about his younger brother having been shot Thursday afternoon. “He probably would have killed him. That’s how I feel. He probably would have killed him. He could have handled it a different way... He should have called the police,” said Windom.
Neighbors are shocked. "Honestly I couldn’t believe it because I met Mr. Wade several times and he’s pretty nice. So I just couldn’t believe what happened,” said Kim Pryor.
The step father claims it was self defense. He tells police when he got home, he saw the 18-year-old in his daughters room and felt threatened by him. However, police say both the victim and the witness say Harp had his hands up and was saying please don’t shoot, please don’t shoot and was making a motion towards leaving the home.
According to an Apopka Police report, officers responded to the Emerson Park subdivision off of Rafton Road shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday, after two 911 calls were received reporting the shooting.
The second 911 call was placed by Edwards, who told the dispatcher that he had just shot someone inside his house. When officers arrived at the residence, they found victim Juilian Harp in the grass in front of the home.
The stepdaughter told police that the two were having consensual sex when her stepfather entered the room. She said Edwards left to retrieve a gun and shot at Harp as he was leaving. However, Edwards told police that Harp "pounced" at him, and because he did not know Harp, he was afraid and shot at him in self-defense.
Harp's injuries are non life-threatening and he is in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Family of victim reacts
Curtis Windom is upset about his younger brother having been shot Thursday afternoon. “He probably would have killed him. That’s how I feel. He probably would have killed him. He could have handled it a different way... He should have called the police,” said Windom.
Neighbors are shocked. "Honestly I couldn’t believe it because I met Mr. Wade several times and he’s pretty nice. So I just couldn’t believe what happened,” said Kim Pryor.
The step father claims it was self defense. He tells police when he got home, he saw the 18-year-old in his daughters room and felt threatened by him. However, police say both the victim and the witness say Harp had his hands up and was saying please don’t shoot, please don’t shoot and was making a motion towards leaving the home.
No Punches, Just Praise as Tyson, Holyfield Meet
No punches were thrown. And neither bit off the other's ear.
Mutual praise and admiration dominated during a face-to-face meeting Friday between former world champion boxers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield on a live episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
On June 28, 1997, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Tyson was disqualified after biting off part of Holyfield's right ear during their WBA heavyweight title fight.
A respectful Tyson shook hands with his former rival several times during their encounter Friday — which he said was his first chance to speak at length with Holyfield since the ear chomp that made worldwide headlines.
Tyson told Winfrey earlier that an initial apology after the incident was insincere. But when she asked what he wanted to say to Holyfield, Tyson stopped short of apologizing again. He instead poured on the praise.
"This is a beautiful guy," he said, holding Holyfield's arm affectionately for several seconds. "I just want you to know it's just been a pleasure ... being acquainted with you."
Asked by Winfrey if he was still missing part of his ear, Holyfield pointed to it and said, "Just a little bit."
Holyfield also had a confession of sorts to make: He himself has bitten others, during childhood roughhousing with his siblings as a way to get out of headlocks.
"You talk about biting," he said. "I'm the person that bit every brother in my family."
Holyfield said one reason he wanted to appear with Tyson on television was to demonstrate to youth caught up in violence that reconciliation is always possible.
Mutual praise and admiration dominated during a face-to-face meeting Friday between former world champion boxers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield on a live episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
On June 28, 1997, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Tyson was disqualified after biting off part of Holyfield's right ear during their WBA heavyweight title fight.
A respectful Tyson shook hands with his former rival several times during their encounter Friday — which he said was his first chance to speak at length with Holyfield since the ear chomp that made worldwide headlines.
Tyson told Winfrey earlier that an initial apology after the incident was insincere. But when she asked what he wanted to say to Holyfield, Tyson stopped short of apologizing again. He instead poured on the praise.
"This is a beautiful guy," he said, holding Holyfield's arm affectionately for several seconds. "I just want you to know it's just been a pleasure ... being acquainted with you."
Asked by Winfrey if he was still missing part of his ear, Holyfield pointed to it and said, "Just a little bit."
Holyfield also had a confession of sorts to make: He himself has bitten others, during childhood roughhousing with his siblings as a way to get out of headlocks.
"You talk about biting," he said. "I'm the person that bit every brother in my family."
Holyfield said one reason he wanted to appear with Tyson on television was to demonstrate to youth caught up in violence that reconciliation is always possible.
'Black Wall Street' hit hard by sewer project
Facebook helps sustain bakery, but other businesses stagger
When Stephanie Hart was frustrated that a massive construction project outside her Brown Sugar Bakery was devastating to her business, her fans on Facebook turned out to be saviors for her South Side store.
"I told the Facebook fans my plight, and they responded," Hart said of her shop at 328 E. 75th, which is famous for its caramel cakes. "When I would say, 'This construction project is killing me,' many of the fans would come in. It was encouraging."
That extra business drummed up through the social media Web site, in part, helped Hart endure during the $1.5 million sewer-line replacement project that is scheduled to wrap up Friday.
But those businesses on 75th Street -- between State and Cottage Grove in the Grand Crossing neighborhood -- were hit extremely hard by the sewer-line prep work, which started in late July. Street parking was eliminated during the project, and even water service was cut off at one point, business owners said.
Hart said her bakery lost 30 percent of its revenues the first week after the city closed 75th. Business dropped 75 percent by the third week of the project. She is only now seeing business come back -- but slowly.
"We had businesses on this block who had zero income on some days," she said. "The construction was right up to the curb. There were no fences or barriers between our businesses and the construction. My building would be shaking."
Those hardships made several initiatives already under way even more important.
Some business owners are seeking to have the area declared Chicago's "Black Wall Street" because it is one of the few business districts in the country where the percentage of African-American-owned businesses reflects the surrounding population's demographics: 85 percent of the more than 110 businesses in the neighborhood are black-owned.
Black Wall Street (blackwall street.org) is a national organization devoted to sustaining and increasing the number of black-owned businesses, as well as lobbying for greater African-American representation in municipal contracts and business opportunities.
In addition, a local group, the Business and Economic Revitalization Association (BERA) worked with local Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th) and professional artists and marketers to set up a MySpace Web site, renaissance row.com, to highlight the uniqueness of the stores and to help owners with marketing and business workshops.
"The shopping district includes white-tablecloth, fine-dining restaurants, excellent lounges where jazz giants performed, designer-fashion store Rosebud Creations, and Wood Shop the Art Gallery with artworks from all over the world," said Jeanette Foreman, an attorney with small-business-loan experience who volunteers with BERA.
BY SANDRA GUY
When Stephanie Hart was frustrated that a massive construction project outside her Brown Sugar Bakery was devastating to her business, her fans on Facebook turned out to be saviors for her South Side store.
"I told the Facebook fans my plight, and they responded," Hart said of her shop at 328 E. 75th, which is famous for its caramel cakes. "When I would say, 'This construction project is killing me,' many of the fans would come in. It was encouraging."
That extra business drummed up through the social media Web site, in part, helped Hart endure during the $1.5 million sewer-line replacement project that is scheduled to wrap up Friday.
But those businesses on 75th Street -- between State and Cottage Grove in the Grand Crossing neighborhood -- were hit extremely hard by the sewer-line prep work, which started in late July. Street parking was eliminated during the project, and even water service was cut off at one point, business owners said.
Hart said her bakery lost 30 percent of its revenues the first week after the city closed 75th. Business dropped 75 percent by the third week of the project. She is only now seeing business come back -- but slowly.
"We had businesses on this block who had zero income on some days," she said. "The construction was right up to the curb. There were no fences or barriers between our businesses and the construction. My building would be shaking."
Those hardships made several initiatives already under way even more important.
Some business owners are seeking to have the area declared Chicago's "Black Wall Street" because it is one of the few business districts in the country where the percentage of African-American-owned businesses reflects the surrounding population's demographics: 85 percent of the more than 110 businesses in the neighborhood are black-owned.
Black Wall Street (blackwall street.org) is a national organization devoted to sustaining and increasing the number of black-owned businesses, as well as lobbying for greater African-American representation in municipal contracts and business opportunities.
In addition, a local group, the Business and Economic Revitalization Association (BERA) worked with local Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th) and professional artists and marketers to set up a MySpace Web site, renaissance row.com, to highlight the uniqueness of the stores and to help owners with marketing and business workshops.
"The shopping district includes white-tablecloth, fine-dining restaurants, excellent lounges where jazz giants performed, designer-fashion store Rosebud Creations, and Wood Shop the Art Gallery with artworks from all over the world," said Jeanette Foreman, an attorney with small-business-loan experience who volunteers with BERA.
BY SANDRA GUY
GURU FOCUS: Behind every fortune there is a crime - Goldman Sachs
This quote, while probably made more popular in modern times through the movie, "The Godfather," was actually said by the French novelist, Balzac. It is still telling today in value investing.
In late September of 2008, when the financial crisis was at its peak, Warren Buffett made a five billion dollar investment in Goldman Sachs through preferred stock with a 10% dividend. Additionally, Buffett also got five billion dollars of warrants to purchase Goldman stock at $115 a share. Berkshire has profited handsomely from this wise move as Goldman stock has skyrocketed to close under $185 a share.
When Buffett took a large stake in Goldman, his interests became clearly aligned with Goldman and this week the 85 Broad Street institution reported record quarterly results in a terrible economy. So how did Goldman do so well? This clip by Dylan Ratigan does a wonderful job explaining it:
http://myprops.org/content/Video-Ratigan-Goldman-Sachs-magic-trick-306924/
As investors it is important to recognize how to find outsized returns. Mr. Buffett always waits for his fat pitch before making his investment. It is safe to assume that Mr. Buffett sleeps well at night with his Goldman Sachs position knowing it has been a home run.
In late September of 2008, when the financial crisis was at its peak, Warren Buffett made a five billion dollar investment in Goldman Sachs through preferred stock with a 10% dividend. Additionally, Buffett also got five billion dollars of warrants to purchase Goldman stock at $115 a share. Berkshire has profited handsomely from this wise move as Goldman stock has skyrocketed to close under $185 a share.
When Buffett took a large stake in Goldman, his interests became clearly aligned with Goldman and this week the 85 Broad Street institution reported record quarterly results in a terrible economy. So how did Goldman do so well? This clip by Dylan Ratigan does a wonderful job explaining it:
http://myprops.org/content/Video-Ratigan-Goldman-Sachs-magic-trick-306924/
As investors it is important to recognize how to find outsized returns. Mr. Buffett always waits for his fat pitch before making his investment. It is safe to assume that Mr. Buffett sleeps well at night with his Goldman Sachs position knowing it has been a home run.
Goldman Sachs for President!
No need, really. Goldman already sits at the top of the ruling hierarchy and has the power to choreograph the financial markets. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) just named a new Chief Operating Officer for its Enforcement Unit, and this new guy is Adam Storch, a 29-year-old executive from Goldman Sachs. He’s been a VP at Goldman Sach, after only being there for five years, and heck, he’s only 29 years old. And he is the Chief Enforcer who will “protect” the markets and American consumers from harm while he secures the privileges, advantages, and profits of mega-Wall Street firms, where I bet Golman Sachs will come first in the pecking order.
Make sure you see Glenn Greenwald’s sterling article on this coup, especially his updates at the bottom. Here’s an interesting timeline based on Greenwald’s article.
Make sure you see Glenn Greenwald’s sterling article on this coup, especially his updates at the bottom. Here’s an interesting timeline based on Greenwald’s article.
Xiang Dong (Mike) Yu Possibly Stole 4,000 Documents From Ford
Xiang Dong (Mike) Yu is a Chinese employee that worked at Ford Motor Company for about 10 years (1997-2007). Before he left the company, Yu is believed to have stolen about 4,000 confidential documents. Yu has recently been indicted for the crime.
When Yu left Ford, he accepted a job with Foxconn PCE Industry Inc. and possibly passed some of the documents over. Some of the documents were related to system design specifications for Engine/Transmission Mounting Subsystems, Electric Power Supplies, Generic Body Modules, etc. Yu is also believed to have sold the documents to a Chinese automotive company. Yu was arrested at the Chicago O’Hare airport when he exited a flight from China.
Each count could be worth up to a decade in prison. He may also be fined $250,000.
When Yu left Ford, he accepted a job with Foxconn PCE Industry Inc. and possibly passed some of the documents over. Some of the documents were related to system design specifications for Engine/Transmission Mounting Subsystems, Electric Power Supplies, Generic Body Modules, etc. Yu is also believed to have sold the documents to a Chinese automotive company. Yu was arrested at the Chicago O’Hare airport when he exited a flight from China.
Each count could be worth up to a decade in prison. He may also be fined $250,000.
Price Wars Between Wal-Mart, Amazon
The publishing industry is worried about a Price War Over Books.
A tit-for-tat price war between Wal-Mart and Amazon accelerated late on Friday afternoon when Wal-Mart shaved another cent off its already rock-bottom prices for hardcover editions of some of the coming holiday season’s biggest potential best sellers, offering them online for $8.99 apiece.
Publishers, booksellers, agents and authors, meanwhile, fretted that the battle was taking prices for certain hardcover titles so low that it could fundamentally damage the industry and the ability of future authors to write or publish new works.
The price cutting began on Thursday when Wal-Mart announced that it would take pre-orders for 10 yet-to-be-published hardcovers for $10 apiece on its Web site, Walmart.com. Later that day Amazon quietly began cutting the prices of those same titles to the very same $10, prompting Wal-Mart to lower its price to $9, a markdown of 59 to 74 percent off the list price of the books. Amazon had matched the $9 price by Friday morning, and Wal-Mart had lowered its price again, to $8.99, by late afternoon.
The titles affected include Sarah Palin’s memoir, “Going Rogue”; John Grisham’s short-story collection, “Ford County”; Stephen King’s “Under the Dome”; Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel, “The Lacuna”; and the latest installment in the Alex Cross thriller series by James Patterson, “I, Alex Cross.”
Although Wal-Mart, Amazon and other retailers like Costco, Target and even pure bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble typically discount best sellers, they usually don’t take more than 50 percent off the list price. Wal-Mart’s move, and Amazon’s reaction, signaled a new threshold in price cutting for books and left publishing insiders wondering how low it would go when the beleaguered industry is already worried about the effect of $9.99 e-books and a slowdown in book sales over all.
On Friday a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said in an e-mail message that the company would “continue to adjust our pricing so that Walmart.com offers the lowest prices on these top pre-sellers in books.” Amazon declined to comment.
“If readers come to believe that the value of a new book is $10, publishing as we know it is over,” said David Gernert, Mr. Grisham’s literary agent. “If you can buy Stephen King’s new novel or John Grisham’s ‘Ford County’ for $10, why would you buy a brilliant first novel for $25? I think we underestimate the effect to which extremely discounted best sellers take the consumer’s attention away from emerging writers.”
The Full Story
A tit-for-tat price war between Wal-Mart and Amazon accelerated late on Friday afternoon when Wal-Mart shaved another cent off its already rock-bottom prices for hardcover editions of some of the coming holiday season’s biggest potential best sellers, offering them online for $8.99 apiece.
Publishers, booksellers, agents and authors, meanwhile, fretted that the battle was taking prices for certain hardcover titles so low that it could fundamentally damage the industry and the ability of future authors to write or publish new works.
The price cutting began on Thursday when Wal-Mart announced that it would take pre-orders for 10 yet-to-be-published hardcovers for $10 apiece on its Web site, Walmart.com. Later that day Amazon quietly began cutting the prices of those same titles to the very same $10, prompting Wal-Mart to lower its price to $9, a markdown of 59 to 74 percent off the list price of the books. Amazon had matched the $9 price by Friday morning, and Wal-Mart had lowered its price again, to $8.99, by late afternoon.
The titles affected include Sarah Palin’s memoir, “Going Rogue”; John Grisham’s short-story collection, “Ford County”; Stephen King’s “Under the Dome”; Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel, “The Lacuna”; and the latest installment in the Alex Cross thriller series by James Patterson, “I, Alex Cross.”
Although Wal-Mart, Amazon and other retailers like Costco, Target and even pure bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble typically discount best sellers, they usually don’t take more than 50 percent off the list price. Wal-Mart’s move, and Amazon’s reaction, signaled a new threshold in price cutting for books and left publishing insiders wondering how low it would go when the beleaguered industry is already worried about the effect of $9.99 e-books and a slowdown in book sales over all.
On Friday a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said in an e-mail message that the company would “continue to adjust our pricing so that Walmart.com offers the lowest prices on these top pre-sellers in books.” Amazon declined to comment.
“If readers come to believe that the value of a new book is $10, publishing as we know it is over,” said David Gernert, Mr. Grisham’s literary agent. “If you can buy Stephen King’s new novel or John Grisham’s ‘Ford County’ for $10, why would you buy a brilliant first novel for $25? I think we underestimate the effect to which extremely discounted best sellers take the consumer’s attention away from emerging writers.”
The Full Story
NLCS Game 2 Recap: Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
What happened?
Pedro Martinez’s outing was wasted as an error in the eighth inning led to two Dodger runs, as they go on to defeat the Phillies in game two of the NLCS to even the series at a game apiece.
Who did what?
Pedro Martinez (ND) tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out three.
Ryan Howard went 2 for 3 with a homer (1) and an RBI.
Chan Ho Park (L, 0-1) allowed two runs on two hits in one-third.
Vicenta Padilla (ND) allowed one run on four hits in seven and a third. He walked one and struck out six.
Andre Ethier went 0 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.
Juan Pierre pinch ran in the bottom of the eighth and scored a run.
Jonathan Broxton (S, 1) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the save.
What does this mean?
If the first 16 innings of the NLCS were ones to remember for the Philadelphia Phillies, then the last two were ones to forget.
Pedro Martinez, making his first postseason start since XX, was dominant over seven innings, allowing just two Dodgers to reach base while allowing none of them to score.
Not to be outdone was Vicente Padilla, who continued his 2009 postseason success by holding the Phillies to one run over seven and a third.
With a one run lead courtesy of Ryan Howard’s solo shot in the fourth, the Phillies turned to the bullpen to get the final six outs. Chan Ho Park, who was ever so masterful in game on of the series, was first up. After allowing a single that was just out of the reach of Pedro Feliz, Ronnie Belliard reached on a bunt single, as his sacrifice attempt was hit just hard enough to get past Park and the charging Ryan Howard.
With two men on and none out, Park induced a sure-fire double play ball to Pedro Feliz, who fired to Chase Utley for one, but Utley’s throw was wide of the bag at first, allowing the tying run to score.
With a man on and one out, the Phils sent Scott Eyre to the mound to face Jim Thome, who greeted the lefty with a single to right. Ryan Madson came on with men at the corners and walked the first batter he faced before striking out Matt Kemp for the second out of the inning.
Jay Happ was called upon to face Andre Ethier, but despite getting ahead of him in the count, Happ would walk either to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. After Chad Durbin got Manny Ramirez to pop out on one pitch, the Phillies found themselves on the wrong end of a one-run game.
The score would stay that way, as Jonathan Broxton set down the Phillies in order in the top of the ninth to preserve the win for the Dodgers to even the series at ones.
First. the good: Pedro Martinez. The veteran and future Cooperstown resident was dominant in his return to the mound. It’s a shame, however, that his superlative start was wasted by suspect defense. It’s encouraging, however, to see this kind of start from Pedro. With Hamels struggling, the Phillies needed someone to come up big, and Pedro answered the call.
And now, the bad: Everything else.
I’d tear the offense for their poor outing, but Vicente Padilla matched Pedro every step of the way. His fastball was in the mid 90s with movement, and his control was impeccable, so much so that he didn’t work a three-ball count until Carlos Ruiz faced him with one away in the seventh inning. Hats off to Padilla.
Everyone knew the bullpen was the weak underbelly of the 2009 club, but in this game, the pen, most notably Chan Ho Park, put the team in a position to escape the eighth inning with a lead. The leadoff single to Casey Blake just deflected off Pedro Feliz’s glove, and the bunt single from Ronnie Belliard was perfectly placed – not too much you can do about those.
But the biggest moment of the game, with two on and none out, was foiled by the sure-handed Chase Utley. For the second straight game, an easy double play ball was botched by Utley, whose throw sailed past Ryan Howard and into the protective netting in front of the Phillies dugout. If he makes that throw, the same one he’s made 1000 times this season, then the Dodgers have two outs and are still down a run.
But unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way, and the Phillies are left wondering “what if?” as they head to Philadelphia with a series tie.
Ultimately, the Phillies are still in a very, very good position. With home field advantage now on their side, they are sending Cliff Lee to the mound in game three to take on Hiroki Kuroda, recently off the disabled list. In that regard, the Phillies have the upper hand. Lee has been dominant in the postseason, while Kuroda is a bit of a question mark due to his injury.
But for now, the Phillies need to do what they’ve done the entire season: Pick themselves up off the ground and go back to work.
What’s next for our 2009 National League Division Series Winners?
The series shifts to Philadelphia, where Cliff Lee (1-0, 1.10) takes on Hiroki Kuroda (8-7, 3.76 – 2009 Regular Season).
Pedro Martinez’s outing was wasted as an error in the eighth inning led to two Dodger runs, as they go on to defeat the Phillies in game two of the NLCS to even the series at a game apiece.
Who did what?
Pedro Martinez (ND) tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out three.
Ryan Howard went 2 for 3 with a homer (1) and an RBI.
Chan Ho Park (L, 0-1) allowed two runs on two hits in one-third.
Vicenta Padilla (ND) allowed one run on four hits in seven and a third. He walked one and struck out six.
Andre Ethier went 0 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.
Juan Pierre pinch ran in the bottom of the eighth and scored a run.
Jonathan Broxton (S, 1) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the save.
What does this mean?
If the first 16 innings of the NLCS were ones to remember for the Philadelphia Phillies, then the last two were ones to forget.
Pedro Martinez, making his first postseason start since XX, was dominant over seven innings, allowing just two Dodgers to reach base while allowing none of them to score.
Not to be outdone was Vicente Padilla, who continued his 2009 postseason success by holding the Phillies to one run over seven and a third.
With a one run lead courtesy of Ryan Howard’s solo shot in the fourth, the Phillies turned to the bullpen to get the final six outs. Chan Ho Park, who was ever so masterful in game on of the series, was first up. After allowing a single that was just out of the reach of Pedro Feliz, Ronnie Belliard reached on a bunt single, as his sacrifice attempt was hit just hard enough to get past Park and the charging Ryan Howard.
With two men on and none out, Park induced a sure-fire double play ball to Pedro Feliz, who fired to Chase Utley for one, but Utley’s throw was wide of the bag at first, allowing the tying run to score.
With a man on and one out, the Phils sent Scott Eyre to the mound to face Jim Thome, who greeted the lefty with a single to right. Ryan Madson came on with men at the corners and walked the first batter he faced before striking out Matt Kemp for the second out of the inning.
Jay Happ was called upon to face Andre Ethier, but despite getting ahead of him in the count, Happ would walk either to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. After Chad Durbin got Manny Ramirez to pop out on one pitch, the Phillies found themselves on the wrong end of a one-run game.
The score would stay that way, as Jonathan Broxton set down the Phillies in order in the top of the ninth to preserve the win for the Dodgers to even the series at ones.
First. the good: Pedro Martinez. The veteran and future Cooperstown resident was dominant in his return to the mound. It’s a shame, however, that his superlative start was wasted by suspect defense. It’s encouraging, however, to see this kind of start from Pedro. With Hamels struggling, the Phillies needed someone to come up big, and Pedro answered the call.
And now, the bad: Everything else.
I’d tear the offense for their poor outing, but Vicente Padilla matched Pedro every step of the way. His fastball was in the mid 90s with movement, and his control was impeccable, so much so that he didn’t work a three-ball count until Carlos Ruiz faced him with one away in the seventh inning. Hats off to Padilla.
Everyone knew the bullpen was the weak underbelly of the 2009 club, but in this game, the pen, most notably Chan Ho Park, put the team in a position to escape the eighth inning with a lead. The leadoff single to Casey Blake just deflected off Pedro Feliz’s glove, and the bunt single from Ronnie Belliard was perfectly placed – not too much you can do about those.
But the biggest moment of the game, with two on and none out, was foiled by the sure-handed Chase Utley. For the second straight game, an easy double play ball was botched by Utley, whose throw sailed past Ryan Howard and into the protective netting in front of the Phillies dugout. If he makes that throw, the same one he’s made 1000 times this season, then the Dodgers have two outs and are still down a run.
But unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way, and the Phillies are left wondering “what if?” as they head to Philadelphia with a series tie.
Ultimately, the Phillies are still in a very, very good position. With home field advantage now on their side, they are sending Cliff Lee to the mound in game three to take on Hiroki Kuroda, recently off the disabled list. In that regard, the Phillies have the upper hand. Lee has been dominant in the postseason, while Kuroda is a bit of a question mark due to his injury.
But for now, the Phillies need to do what they’ve done the entire season: Pick themselves up off the ground and go back to work.
What’s next for our 2009 National League Division Series Winners?
The series shifts to Philadelphia, where Cliff Lee (1-0, 1.10) takes on Hiroki Kuroda (8-7, 3.76 – 2009 Regular Season).
Darfur: Obama to Sanction Millions Murdered by Jihad, Will Unveil New 'Engagement' Policy with Sudan
This is overwhelming. Sudan President Bashir has slaughtered millions in a jihad against Christians, non-believers and moderate Muslims in Sudan. Bashir's government is designated a "state sponsor of terrorism" by the State Department.
What about the US diplomat, 33 year-old John Michael Granfield, who was assassinated in Khartoum? That was an al qaeda attack, right out of the al-Qaeda playbook. That is no accident either, Al Qaeda terrorists are already entrenched in Sudan. Sudan sought Al Qaeda's help to fight the peacekeepers in Darfur.
Obama unnervingly, unblinkingly errs on the side of evil. It's his default mode.
Obama administration to unveil new Sudan policy
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration plans to roll out a new policy toward Sudan with an eye toward engaging the government in Khartoum but also warning that continued violence in Darfur will result in penalties, U.S. officials said Friday.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, and the administration's special Sudan envoy, Scott Gration, are to unveil the policy Monday at a news conference at the State Department, the officials said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress has not yet been briefed on the matter.
[...]
Instead, the new policy is designed to bring Khartoum into the fold by offering incentives for improved relations for improvements in the situation in Darfur as well as in southern Sudan, which will hold a referendum on succession scheduled to take place in 2011, they said.
The Darfur conflict began in February 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government in Khartoum, claiming discrimination and neglect.
U.N. officials say the war has claimed at least 300,000 lives from violence, disease and displacement. They say some 2.7 million people were driven from their homes and at its height, in 2003-2005, it was called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
What about the US diplomat, 33 year-old John Michael Granfield, who was assassinated in Khartoum? That was an al qaeda attack, right out of the al-Qaeda playbook. That is no accident either, Al Qaeda terrorists are already entrenched in Sudan. Sudan sought Al Qaeda's help to fight the peacekeepers in Darfur.
Obama unnervingly, unblinkingly errs on the side of evil. It's his default mode.
Obama administration to unveil new Sudan policy
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration plans to roll out a new policy toward Sudan with an eye toward engaging the government in Khartoum but also warning that continued violence in Darfur will result in penalties, U.S. officials said Friday.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, and the administration's special Sudan envoy, Scott Gration, are to unveil the policy Monday at a news conference at the State Department, the officials said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress has not yet been briefed on the matter.
[...]
Instead, the new policy is designed to bring Khartoum into the fold by offering incentives for improved relations for improvements in the situation in Darfur as well as in southern Sudan, which will hold a referendum on succession scheduled to take place in 2011, they said.
The Darfur conflict began in February 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government in Khartoum, claiming discrimination and neglect.
U.N. officials say the war has claimed at least 300,000 lives from violence, disease and displacement. They say some 2.7 million people were driven from their homes and at its height, in 2003-2005, it was called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Mao-Praising White House Official Dunn to Glenn Beck: "I Praised Mother Teresa, Too"
Earlier this week Glenn Beck reported on the Mao Tse-Tung-praising White House Communications Director Anita Dunn.
Dunn praised the mass murdering Mao as her favorite philosopher:
Today Dunn responded to Beck in an email to The New York Times:
In an e-mail message, Ms. Dunn said, “My source for the Mao quote was actually the late Lee Atwater, either in an article or bio I read after the 1988 election. Now that I’ve revealed this I hope I don’t get Keith Olbermann angry with me. Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!”
The speech she gave was a high school commencement address. Ms. Dunn says that the line about Mao and Mother Teresa was intended to be ironic – neither was a political philosopher – and that she used it simply to illustrate a larger point about the importance of challenging the conventional wisdom.
It’s no surprise that Mr. Beck singled out Ms. Dunn. She has been on the forefront of White House pushback against Fox News.
Of course, Dunn's delayed response is ridiculous.
Her speech to high school students and their response showed she was serious about her praise for the Former mass-murdering Chinese communist dictator. Dunn went into some detail about why she so admired Mao but said next to nothing about Mother Teresa.
Dunn praised the mass murdering Mao as her favorite philosopher:
Today Dunn responded to Beck in an email to The New York Times:
In an e-mail message, Ms. Dunn said, “My source for the Mao quote was actually the late Lee Atwater, either in an article or bio I read after the 1988 election. Now that I’ve revealed this I hope I don’t get Keith Olbermann angry with me. Let it be noted that I also quoted Mother Teresa, but no one is accusing me of being a saint!”
The speech she gave was a high school commencement address. Ms. Dunn says that the line about Mao and Mother Teresa was intended to be ironic – neither was a political philosopher – and that she used it simply to illustrate a larger point about the importance of challenging the conventional wisdom.
It’s no surprise that Mr. Beck singled out Ms. Dunn. She has been on the forefront of White House pushback against Fox News.
Of course, Dunn's delayed response is ridiculous.
Her speech to high school students and their response showed she was serious about her praise for the Former mass-murdering Chinese communist dictator. Dunn went into some detail about why she so admired Mao but said next to nothing about Mother Teresa.
Why NBA Owner Jay-Z Escaped Rush Judgement
Thanks to a rebuke of Rush Limbaugh by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Colts Owner Jim Irsay this week, the talk radio host was dropped from a group bidding to buy the Rams today. Cited as basis for the rebuke was Limbaugh’s past “divisive” comments. Though the subject of those “divisive” comments went unclarified by Goodell. Though Limbaugh as a racist was the operative translation.
Now that Limbaugh’s personal bid has been reduced to tatters, onto other matters of import. From Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com this week:
I’d say we’re less than 24 hours from Limbaugh playing the Jay-Z card. Brother Jay owns a piece of the New Jersey Nets and has a library of rap tunes spewing the same kind of black-degrading lyrics, phrases and stereotypes that have made Limbaugh rich enough to buy a chunk of the St. Louis Rams.
Then there’s rapper Nelly, who holds a minority interest in the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats while happening upon a similar propensity for the debasement of women and black culture.
The Full Story
Now that Limbaugh’s personal bid has been reduced to tatters, onto other matters of import. From Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com this week:
I’d say we’re less than 24 hours from Limbaugh playing the Jay-Z card. Brother Jay owns a piece of the New Jersey Nets and has a library of rap tunes spewing the same kind of black-degrading lyrics, phrases and stereotypes that have made Limbaugh rich enough to buy a chunk of the St. Louis Rams.
Then there’s rapper Nelly, who holds a minority interest in the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats while happening upon a similar propensity for the debasement of women and black culture.
The Full Story
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