Not all of the heat that comes Jackie Warner's way is of the "pants on fire" variety. Her handling of the Brian Peeler situation has caused even some of her most loyal fans to throw in their Workout Necklaces.
While Brian Peeler was training a client, snide, really mean, remarks about how awful her boob job looked, were overheard by the woman's boyfriend, who was sitting right outside of Jackie's office. The boyfriend then confronted Jackie and her assistant, Lisa, telling them that his girlfriend was a breast cancer survivor who had endured reconstruction. Of course, Jackie apologized and tried to smooth things over with the boyfriend.
Upon hearing about the incident, Peeler was understandable angry and upset. He wanted to talk to Jackie about it. She refused to talk to him, saying that the situation had been handled.
I think that, as owner, she had an obligation to address Peeler's concerns and questions. Had I been the trainer, I would have been absolutely mortified to think that my client was aware of derogatory remarks about her physical appearance. Period. Cancer, or no cancer. What kind of atmosphere is fostered when people have to fear physical ridicule emanating from the owner's office?
So, Jackie refused. Peeler insisted. Jackie fired Peeler.
Peeler is better off. I don't think that I could work as a trainer where I was unable to trust the owner not to embarrass me like that.
The Boys at L.A. RAG MAG (who I am totally friends with.) have Jackie's written apology on their website. Especially telling is this one sentence:
"I have always personally disliked him but was forced to continue to employ him because he was chosen by the producers for the show."
Well that completely explains why she would allow her assistant to ridicule a client. Certain justification to deny meeting with an employee who was looking for an explanation.
That would also explain why she gave him the bum's rush from her office when he wanted to sit in on the meeting with Doug's best friend. It was almost as if she intentionally wanted to embarrass him.
Go read her letter at L.A. RAG MAG. (who I am totally friends with.) See what you think about her apology.
Oh, and please leave them a comment. You know Jackie Warner will be reading their blog.
The Chicago White Sox baseball team was in a slump. After an 0-6 road trip, Sox management needed something special to break the cycle.
Athletic motivation is a whole science and industry unto itself. There are Psychologists and motivational professionals who specialize in working with athletes to help them focus, excel, and perform at ever higher levels.
White Sox management, no stranger to the latest methodology in sports management and wanting only the best for the team's emotional and psychological well being, brought in BLOW UP DOLLS. (Actually, speculation is that they were brought in by one of the players.) That still does not excuse any of the behavior that followed.
That's right. FEMALE BLOW UP DOLLS. Two of them, to be exact. The dolls were placed in the Rogers Centre visitors' locker room surrounded by bats, before last Sunday' home game. Using the bats on the dolls was supposed to break the offensive batting jinx. I know that you might be a little shocked right now, but try to bear with the story for the sake of learning about athletic management, male bonding, and team inspiration.
While there is not yet a manual on exactly how to "use" a bat against a woman, the White Sox are working on it.
One bat was reportedly shoved up the backside of one doll in order to prop it up. The other was adorned with a sign reading, "You've got to push!"
Just as shocking as the incident, is the reaction from the team's Manager, Ozzie Guillen, who has pointed out that he will not apologize. He is quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times as saying:
"It was blown out of proportion," Guillen said. "Baseball's changed a lot. They used to say, ‘Whatever happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.'
"We weren't trying to disrespect anybody or hurt anybody. We were just trying to have fun. A lot of people took it the wrong way."
Yeah, the wrong way. If you shove a bat up a woman's ass, while beating her with another bat, some people could take that the wrong way. They were just trying to have fun?
Sports writers and talk show hosts have also felt the need to defend the team's actions. Bert Blyleven thinks that the media should have more respect for team privacy. Bert says:
"There used to be a saying in each clubhouse. It says, 'What you say here, what you hear here, when you leave here, that it stays here,'" Blyleven said. "It's a shame that doesn't happen anymore."
See? It's just a fucking shame that anyone would find anything wrong with this. I'm fucking ashamed of my own fucking self for even bringing this up. Now I feel stupid and small. WTF is wrong with me?
Now. Let me give this the diversity test.
1. What if we tried to raise morale by beating around a Latino doll?
2. A Mathew Shephard likeness?
3. An African-American doll?
4. Animal blow-ups, anyone?
5. Likenesses of small children?
Why in the fuck is it ok to violate and beat a likeness of a woman? How is that good for team spirit and moral? What makes this acceptable in a work environment? Did not one man object? Not one?
White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams see it a little differently:
"I don't view this as a boys being boys-type issue," he said. "I view this as boys being a little bit careless and a little bit irresponsible."
And, except for that little bit of a sorry excuse, a totally lame apology from management, I don't see one man speaking out about this?
I gave up on men a long time ago, but I do hope that the men and women who are defending these actions (yes, there are some women) will come to their senses. The fans need to take this team to task on this one. If not the fans, then the city. They play, after all, in a taxpayer subsidized stadium.
Oh, BTW, after the blow up doll ritual, they still lost to the Blue Jays, 1-0. Maybe next time they could fuck the doll a little harder, or beat her more soundly. Gang rape and bludgeoning, done correctly, as everyone knows, will usually remove a batting jinx.
There was another little bit that I picked up on. In defense of this, someone stated that the dolls were not labeled, or made to have any one's likeness. That's too obvious. I'm going to bet that they had in mind a woman sports reporter, or two. We'll see.
INSTEAD OF PAJAMAS, I'M WRITING THIS IN MY BLOGGING BIRTHDAY SUIT!
There is a milestone within the Blogging Community that matters. That counts. Much as I counted my early days of sobriety, first as hours, then days, months, I am finally able to mark one year as a Blogger.
Now, I didn't say that I was a good Blogger, but I'm proud that if nothing else, I've been able to put together 313 posts. Some of it is OK, some of it I look at, wondering if I really wrote it. But the point is that we all have a voice, one that is so easily shared worldwide, that the potential for how this has and will effect the world is unlimited.
Most rewarding have been the virtual friends that I've acquired. I admire so many Blogs that it's hard to keep up with how prolific you all are, but I am always astounded by the talent, creativity, and wealth of information and ideas that Bloggers present.
Behind the idea for this small post is the Blog, Malaysia 101. It made me think about how valuable even the smallest voice can be on the Internet, how important we all are. I left a comment, which may not post for some time, because of the time difference, but I left it from my heart.
a little side note: I'm leaving on a little trip. Combining my Blogging with pleasure, I'm headed up to Kwame Kilpatrick territory to do a little fact finding of my own. Then, our family has three new babies that can't wait to meet Antie AskaLesbian!! I can't wait either.
Pompeii, lay totally buried in volcanic ash after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, forgotten until it was discovered in 1739 by workmen who were preparing to build a palace for the King of Naples.
The literal and sudden snuffing of a well ordered civilization, estimated at 20,000 people, captured a complete moment in archaeological time. That day is on 'permanent pause' allowing for endless study and contemplation.
Among the millions of artifacts to be studied, or just pondered, are Latin inscriptions. Whether formally carved, painted, or scrawled by "lower class" graffiti artists, the inscriptions alone have spawned entire academic industries. Latin signage continues worldwide today, even though the language is dead.
Among the political, the nods to gods and goddesses, the mundane, profane, and even erotic, there was one inscription that was quite common. Above many doorways in the ancient city, was found a little reminder of life's unpredictability. It read:
ULTIMA FORSAN
The literal translation is: "Perhaps the last", but the metaphoric is as endless, as it is timeless.
Here is a clip from ABC and "The Last Lecture" of Dr. Randy Pausch. A remarkable man battling pancreatic cancer, his Last Lecture, a tradition at Carnegie Mellon University, has been featured and lauded worldwide. This is only a little snippet. If you're interested, there is so much more, and hopefully more to come.
The Last Lecture? Perhaps the last. Then again, perhaps not!
**In Lieu of Flowers, The Family Requests 'Shrooms
April 30, 2008
The Swiss chemist, Albert Hofmann, has taken the ultimate trip at age 102. Hofmann, who discovered the psychotropic effects of LSD in 1943, died of a heart attack on April 29, 2008.
Hofmann made his discovery when he accidentally spilled or ingested some of the compound. He recounted some effects in his 1979 biography, "LSD, My Problem Child":
"a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness. At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination.
In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed, I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colours. After some two hours this condition faded away."
The remarkable fact was his ability to embrace this phenomenally altered state. Most people would have been absolutely terrified! Far from masking reality or numbing ones senses, this drug puts reality under a microscope, then heightens sensory receptors exponentially. It is not a drug that I would want to take without a little bit of warning, or knowledge.
Of course, the CIA had no such concerns. The U.S. Government gave it to unwitting suspects in a series of covert experiments in mind control throughout the 50's and 60's. (Project MK-Ultra) The drug was made illegal in the 1960's but was easily synthesized and marketed on the street.
I happened to be a pre-teen when American college students latched onto LSD. My parents never censored any reading material and I remember reading up on the drug furiously. So many of the articles and anecdotes were so frightening. (Gov't propaganda, perhaps?) People, thinking that they could fly, jumping to their deaths from high places. It worked on me, at least for a while. As a 12 year old, I was certain that it didn't sound like anything that I wanted to try.
I passed on LSD for a very long time. I believe it may have been the only drug that I ever declined. I was afraid.
Then one cold winter weekend in Lansing Michigan, I took the LSD plunge. I took the teeniest, tiniest, little bit of a liquid that had been dried on Saran wrap. It was no bigger that a small typed, letter a. I cut it in half to be cautious. It had to have been measured in fractions of microns. But holy shit, what a drug! It was my favorite drug of all time and one of the best experiences of my life. I have never regretted it, and hope to never forget it.
Far from being a hallucinogenic, for me, it clarified and amplified perceptions to a degree that I don't expect to ever experience again, at least not in this lifetime.
None of the things that I saw, heard, felt, or experienced were imaginary. They were positively, scientifically true observations, or events, that I had been unable to perceive without the assist from the drug. The most remarkable things go on around us, unnoticed. (There is a reason for that. Sensory overload, of that magnitude, is so physically exhausting that one could imagine it resulting in death.)
For instance, (and one of my favorites) I was puttering around the house and came upon a little house plant that needed water. As I reached my hand for the pot, I was able to feel the heat surrounding the plant! Startling at first, but thinking logically, plants do give off heat. An amount small enough to require laboratory equipment to detect. Not with this drug! LSD opens up every nerve cell, fiber, and receptor. Your pupils dilate to enormous sizes and you can see everything! Every dog hair on the carpet, the slightest movement of anything. It's like having super powers!
This slight glimpse into the supreme potential of human sensory perception was the most profound experience that I've ever had. I stopped after two further "trips", fearing physical damage to my nervous system. As with any street drug, the dosage can be problematic, and LSD is unbelievably powerful. The amount of the drug I took could probably fit on the head of a pin, but had me flying for days!
I'm still curious about the drug. For instance, I've wondered what it would be like in an earthquake zone. A zone where they have those tiny little quakes constantly and don't notice? On LSD would every little tremor feel magnified? Could you predict a quake, kind of like birds and other animals do?
Up until his death, Hofmann also remained curious about the drug and maintained contact with the scientific community still studying it. He was still involved with a group called Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. And, although he felt as though the drug had been hijacked for recreational purposes, he never lost hope that it would, someday, be useful to the medical community. (He also sat on a Noble Prize jury.) In 1988 the Albert Hofmann Foundation was established "to assemble and maintain an international library and archive devoted to the study of human consciousness and related fields".
A quote from Albert Hofmann's website:
"You, my dear friends, and millions all over the world who now commemorate the 50th birthday of ergot's child, we all testify gratefully that we got valuable help on the way to what Aldous Huxley said is the end and the ultimate purpose of human life--enlightenment, beatific vision, love. I think all these joyful testimonies of invaluable help by LSD should be enough to convince the health authorities, finally, of the nonsense of the prohibition of LSD and of similar psychedelics."
I don't intend to ever take LSD again, nor am I suggesting that anyone else try the drug. It's illegal. It has been suggested that it might cure alcoholism, so, someday there might be a medical application. If that's the case, please sign me up.
**No, I didn't write that. I heard it on the radio.
STATE BUMPER STICKER BACKERS SHOULD BEWARE OF WHAT THEY WISH FOR! I love this shit!
In Florida, lawmakers are considering a new specialty license plate for cars. Usually reserved for University alums, or as a means to raise money and awareness of wild life preservation, Florida had already over stepped some boundaries by approving plates touting the pro lifers agenda. The sale of that plate, saying, "Choose Life", depicting a boy and a girl, benefits organizations that encourage women not to have abortions. Hmmm. I'd like to see the list of those agencies. The government as an agent for the collection of funds going to religious orgs just doesn't sit right with me.
Anyway, here is the proposed new plate:
Some people understand the Pandora's Box that this can open. Representative Kelly Skidmore voted against the proposal, in committee, saying that it is inappropriate. The problem is that Christian wackos feel that it's okay for their religion but have no thought, intention, or foresight, that other religions, or groups, may want to raise money and awareness through the use of State issued bumper stickers as well. They assume that any religion, other than Christian, would be not be appropriate.
The assumption of the USA as a "Christian" nation may have to give way to a different majority. Clinging to the "intent of The Founding Father's" must be challenged in a Democratic society. Especially one that was not founded by Europeans, but hijacked from Native Americans.
Here are some other proposals:
I Don't Believe
I Doubt It
I Used To Believe but I'm Better Now
I Occasionally Believe. (Every Time That My Ass Is In A Jam, I Pray Like a Mother Fucker)
Jihad Now
Sorcerers United
Lesbian Wiccans For More Lesbians
AIDS AWARENESS/EDUCATION:
Or, another good cause that could use State assisted fund collection:
Whatever they did for Erectile Dysfunction Dick, they should do for Adam and Ryan. (And, they did give Dick cigarettes.) They appeased Dick because they were afraid of him. Until they gave him the money Dick was nothing but a 2 bit, low life thug who was allowed to verbally, and physically threaten and assault other contestants.
Behavior that they tolerated during Dick's reign of terror would be considered criminal in the workplace. And, by the way, the Big Brother House IS a workplace. The cast members are paid employees. CBS can and should be sued for what they allowed Dick to do.
They had a similar problem guest this season with Joshuha, the angry, bitchy, homo. His verbal and physical harassment of Amanda went beyond immature, to border on criminal. Sheila was afraid, after he threatened her with physical harm and she took refuge in the DR to ask for protection.
I don't care what kind of a game this is, your physical presence should be safe from assaults by your fellow workers. CBS should have followed the tone that they set during the second season, when they immediately removed a houseguest who mockingly (?) choked a female contestant. There should be no tolerance for anything other than common workplace behavior.
Give the boyz their cigarettes. It's the only fair thing to do.
The controversy surrounding Barack Obama's association with his Pastor, Jeremiah Wright, Jr. has opened up a huge dialog in our house. We have both been supporting Hillary Clinton, but even we disagree about the relevance of Pastor Wright's speeches in Obama's run for President.
Is it relevant? Only if you appreciate someone who sees racism and injustice and would rail against it. Personally, I'll take Obama's affiliation with Pastor Wright over McCain's affiliation with the Christian gay bashing nut job, any day.
It makes no more sense to tie Obama to Wright's remarks than it does to tie Ted Kennedy's to the Pope's, or Romney to the Mormon Wizard. Deep down, I trust that if John McCain, God forbid, were elected, he would not run amok with an anti-gay agenda.
Obama is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. A few short weeks ago, people tried to derail his campaign by implying that he was Muslim. Sheesh! Now that we know he's a Christian, we're all gonna be scared of him because of his Minister.
Ok. Here I go, talking about things that I may not completely understand, or have any right to say. I'm not black and I'm also not too crazy about churches. My limited qualifications? I'm a middle class, middle aged white woman, living in a racist country. I'm the antithesis to John Howard Griffin's, "Black Like Me", privy to the winks and nods of other white people as they go about the business of discriminating in jobs and housing, feeling free to assume that I agree with what ever disparaging remarks they care to dish up, whether it be about Blacks, Gays, Jews, or Mexicans. Very few white people won't know what I'm talking about.
Pastor Wright's remarks, that have been played endlessly in sound bites, ring true. The more I listen, the more I understand and agree with what he said. The United Church of Christ, one of the most liberal of the Protestant Denominations, are known for social activism, diversity, and inclusiveness. I think that this type of sermon, or speech, is perhaps more common within African-American churches. More emotional, and, ah, a little bit louder than, say Episcopalians ("the frozen chosen") are accustomed to.
He didn't say anything that I haven't heard discussed before, by friends and co-workers who are African American. Do I believe all of it? No. Do I believe some of it? Yes.
We've heard conspiracy theorists within our own gay community, speculate about the role that our Government may have played in the AIDS epidemic. One of Reverend Wright's defenders, when asked to reject Wright's statement about the possibility that the Government orchestrated the HIV virus, replied that it was not that absurd, as our own Government was known to have intentionally infected a black population with syphilis!
Someone on FoxNews asked, how Obama could attend a church where even his mother would be uncomfortable? The insinuation, of course, being that the church would not welcome white people, and/or someone who is white could never appreciate Pastor Wright's sermon. Ridiculous! Not only were there white people in the congregation, they appeared to be receiving Wright's message positively.
At first, when Wright said, "God damn American", I admit that I had a little twinge. Kind of a knee jerk reaction because of my Christian fundamental background. Of course, it wasn't meant literally. Shocking and attention getting, yes. But the intent was to stir his congregation's emotions and move them to action.
I'm not scared of Reverend Wright, and, I'm not scared that Barack Obama might have some type of over riding "black agenda". Repeated attempts at provoking antagonism between races, genders, sexual orientation, disabled persons, and religions are distractions aimed at keeping those groups from achieving liberty, and equality. The notion that if one group gains, another group will lose, must be rejected. As one group gains, we all gain.
As a lesbian, if I were running for elected office, I could scare the hell out Rita Mae Brown with my own rhetoric. I'm sick of being discriminated against, of not having full and equal rights in this land of supposed equality. I can put on a pretty good rant. But if you knew me, you'd know that I don't harbor any ill will against the general heterosexual population.
Knowing people on an individual level is what allows us to transcend labels and stereotypes. We learn to know each other as human beings. This is how we've hoped that our country has been able to look at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as candidates. It's been said that Obama has been able to transcend the racial issue with voters. However, demanding that he, or Hillary Clinton should relinquish their individual identities is absurd. Clinton and Obama are not the ones who need to transcend. We are.
While the controversy surrounding remarks made by his Pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr., brings us closer to a much needed discussion of racism in our country, this is more than unfortunate timing. This is not intended to initiate valuable discussion, but to invoke fear. The main stream media are skewering Obama, intentionally, and white Americans are left gasping, and grasping their Bibles, without any understanding of the social tradition within the black Christian community. By implying that Obama would hold the United States to an agenda that would be to the detriment of our Nation as a whole, the terrorist media are holding white middle American voters hostage.
What must it be like to be a fly on the wall at either the Kwame Kilpatrick, or the Eliot Spitzer households? Those guys are so busted. Kilpatrick, the Mayor of the City of Detroit, even lied under oath about his affair with his former chief of staff Christine Beatty. I'd probably lie too, facing the wrath of Carlita Kilpatrick, the Mayor's long suffering wife. But infidelity is not his real problem. The real problem is what lies beneath.
THIS INVESTIGATION MAKES SPITZER LOOK LIKE A CHOIR BOY
Kwame Kilpatrick, the wild child of U.S. Congresswoman, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, was elected as the youngest Mayor of Detroit in 2001. His term as Mayor has been plagued by criticism, including complaints that he has misused City funds. Personal charges incurred on his City of Detroit paid credit card included spa massages, expensive dinners, expensive champagne, and an SUV leased for the use of his family. He eventually paid back...Wait, wait, till you hear this. He paid back $9,000 out of the $210,000 that he racked up on the taxpayers tab!!!!
Even though Kwame's downfall began long ago, I still believe that the tipping point came in a cover up that could almost be considered noble, were it not so horrifying. I believe that he had Tamara Greene killed in order to protect his wife, Carlita Kilpatrick, from facing prosecution in the assault of Tamara Greene. Less noble, and more self serving perhaps was the Mayor's thought of avoiding a personal scandal.
This is not a unique idea and I'm hardly alone in thinking this. It's just that the cover up goes so deep, it may take the FBI to sort things out. Local officials are evidently unable to make any kind of headway in the case.
The rumor of a wild party at the Mayoral Mansion, the Manoogian, has been consistently been dubbed an "urban legend". Michigan Attorney General, Mike Cox, was unable to verify the party during his own personal investigation. He was so sure of himself that he even denied supoena's to investigating Michigan State Troopers. Detroit Chief of Police, Emma Bully-Cummings also denies that such a party ever occurred. She threw the whole investigation into the Cold Case Files, after only a year and removed Detective Alvin Bowman from the case. (A whistle blower case that cost Detroit about a quarter million.)
Finally, a report on Monday, March 10, 2008, that former City Police Records Clerk, Joyce Carolyn Rogers, has signed an affidavit in the $150,000 million dollar lawsuit filed on behalf of Tamara Greene's teenage son, for covering up the facts in her murder. In her affidavit Ms Rogers recalls that a criminal complaint crossed her desk
“According to the report, the mayor’s wife walked into a room and witnessed Ms. Greene touching Mayor Kilpatrick in a manner that upset the mayor’s wife,” Rogers, 65, said in the affidavit. “The report further states that the mayor’s wife witnessed this, left the room and returned with a wooden object in her hand and began assaulting Ms. Greene.”
The report indicated Greene was taken to the hospital because she was injured, Rogers said. “It was clear to me as a clerk working in records that Ms. Greene wanted to press charges against Carlita Kilpatrick,”
Here is a Fox News Report on some of the text messages. Notice the text message that the Mayor sent five days after Tamara Greene's murder. May 5, 2003 Midnight.
"That's the first time I couldn't fully seduce you. My game is off."
Hmmm...Performance problems? Oh man, I hate that!! You have that little nagging thought of murder in the back of your mind and just can't quite get off!
Video of Police Chief Joe Thomas recalling an invitation to the Manoogian party. I'm posting again because I see this information as crucial. Why can the news media find these witnesses, but the Keystone Kops can't?
Just a little review.
Let's see, why was he under oath? Because he was testifying (falsely) in a whistle blower lawsuit.
Why were the whistle blowers fired? Because they were investigating the conduct of the mayor's security detail, which led to an investigation of the murder of Tamara Greene on the night of April 30, 2003.
When text messages were discovered that proved a conspiracy to fire the whistle blowers, Kilpatrick entered into a secret deal to have the City of Detroit pay 9 million dollars, and have the text messages sealed.
Why did he want the text messages to remain sealed?
Because not only do they proved the wrongful termination of three whistle blowers, and that he committed perjury during his testimony, and that he had an affair, but the messages could also point to his involvement in the hit on Tamara Greene.
The theory: The Mayor had an idea to hold a stag party at the Manoogian Mansion. Plenty of people were invited, including The Chief of Police, Joe Thomas, from neighboring Southfield, MI, who recalls the invitation and why he declined it.
Kwame hired strippers, or dancers, for the party. His wife, Carlita, came home unexpectedly and seeing Tamara Greene with her husband, took a ball bat to her. She was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital and recovered.
When Tamara threatened to press charges, or as former Detective Bowman believes, demanded payment, she was murdered in what has been acknowledged as a "hit". What has been debated is if, in fact, the hit came from a Detroit City Police gun on orders from the Mayor, or his staff, or was completely unrelated.
Today, March 14, 2008, a Federal Judge has decided to appoint two magistrates to review the text messages in the case to determine if the city has engaged in a cover up of Tamara Greene's murder. The messages will be delivered and reviewed under court order seal and a determination could be expected within two weeks.
MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE, OR HOW KWAME LET A STAG PARTY BRING HIM DOWN
As an alcoholic/addict, clean and sober for many years, I still have to watch out for the occasional side trip that my brain can take. Example: There was a story, complete with photo, showing Prince Harry doing nose shots with vodka. Never heard of it. Never saw it. But of course, I'm certain that I'd like to try it. Then along come directions on exactly how to do this, courtesy of paparazzi following Amy Winehouse, and well, the thought is there.
It's always better to not keep a thought like that to myself, so I share it here.
My girl wants me to go to a Hillary Clinton rally tomorrow night. I hate shit like that but this video cheered me up so much that I might go.
I give up. When something is this entertaining, what can you do?
You know, I don't really care about Senator David Vitter, or Tobias getting caught in the DC Madam call girl sting. Eliot Spitzer? Don't care. I also don't care that Senator Larry Craig got caught soliciting sex in a men's room. They were caught doing no worse than what many men do. (Although Spitzer certainly paid a lot of money. Will he get a refund for the money he has on account?)
It's the hypocrisy that is galling. Particularly the hypocrisy of these particular men. They have all made it a point to use their power to legislate the very morality that they violated. Tobias using his high horse as AIDS czar to preach abstinence instead of educating the public on how to safely engage in sex. These guys deserve anything that comes their way.
Do I feel sorry for their families? Young children, yes. The wives? No. Don't worry about the wives. They will still qualify for more than just sexually transmitted diseases. They will have their spouses insurance, pension, and social security benefits. (Or a nice divorce settlement.) When their spouse passes away, they won't have to pay inheritance taxes on money they have jointly earned. I, on the other hand, am still unable to pick up so much as dental benefits for my partner of 16 years.
THE MARRIAGES OF TOBIAS, VITTER, SPITZER, AND CRAIG ARE PROTECTED! Thank fucking goodness that there are laws "protecting" the sanctity of these marriages. Holy fucking shit!! Just think how all of this would have gone down if marriage between all consenting adults had been legal!
Oh man! Here I am coming out of self imposed retirement to handle this public relations mess for Governor Spitzer.
(As I write, he's scheduled for an announcement. They anticipate him to announce his resignation.)
Take a cue from some masterful politicians. From those who have walked this road before.
Do not resign. You don't have to. That's the beauty of elected office. Make them recall you or prosecute you. It will be extremely time consuming. The public has a short attention span and will be distracted by the next scandal.
1. Don't say anything! No more news conferences. (Detroit Police Chief Bully-Cummings just left the press hanging for an hour and a half after an announced press conference. Then she sent someone out to say there had been a mistake and there would be no press conference.)
2. Do not resign! It worked for Larry Craig.
3. If the press gets out of hand, shouting questions, get State Troopers in riot gear to move them back. Arrest a few of them. They will get the idea and back off.
4. Give the repentance speech. You know..."Who among us has not sinned and had the occasional hooker?" Bill Clinton's speech was absolutely masterful but vastly under reported. Perhaps that could be plagiarized. What's Bill going to do? Say, "Hey! That's the same speech I gave after I jized all over Monica's dress!"
5. When all else fails, tell everyone to "Go fuck themselves!" Cheney did.
6. Use personal references. David Vitter had that lovely reference from a professional woman who was unrelated to the DC Madam. Spitzer too, has been fortunate enough to have another prostitute stand up for his "clean" habits and generous history for tipping. This is a wonderful reference. Use them!
7. Fixing this mess up with your wife and kids? You're on your own, buddy.
Current Detroit Police Chief, Emma Bully-Cummings, defends her department's investigation into the cold blooded homicide of Tamara Greene, a rumored associate of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
"There is no cover-up in this police department into the death of Miss Greene," Bully-Cummings said, standing on the front steps of police headquarters. "Our officers are doing everything that they can to bring the killer to justice."
Here's video of her press conference from March 5, 2008:
In fact, it is rumored that Kwame Kilpatrick and Tamara Greene associated during a party at the Detroit Mayoral Mansion, The Manoogian, where Tamara Greene was working as a stripper. The party, while still not proven to have occurred, was supposedly interrupted by the unexpected return of the Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's wife, Carlita, who may have taken a ball bat to Tamara Greene. Again, rumors of a trip to the hospital for Tamara have yet to be proven, although there were plenty of witnesses at the Emergency Room and one would think that Detroit Receiving Hospital records could be subpoenaed.
Emergency Room Witness, Michigan Attorney General Michael Cox, and neighboring Southfield Police Chief, Joe Thomas. This video, which I posted before, is still worth watching, again. (Is Michael Cox rumored to have been at the Manoogian party?)
Detroit City Council announced that it's independent attorney will subpoena all of Kilpatrick's text messages from his City leased SkyTel pager. SkyTel's rep says they will not turn them over. Council has gone to a judge for a ruling. Previous text messages released by the Detroit Free Press prove of a relationship between Kilpatrick and his Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty, a relationship denied by both, under oath. Beatty has since resigned her position. The messages did not come to light until after testimony last summer in a lawsuit filed by two police officers who alleged they were fired for investigating claims from two former bodyguards that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.
The jury in that case awarded 6.5 million dollars to the two officers.
This case is such a mess that I don't know if there is any hope in straightening it out. City Council members, who wanted to pass a resolution asking the Mayor to resign, have been threatened. Suddenly, many members changed their votes, so for now Council wants to wait until they have more information before proceeding with the resolution.
One of the most interesting comments that I read on one of the Detroit newspaper messages boards, speculated that Christine Beatty, who has remained out of sight since her resignation in January 2008, may turn State's witness in all of this.
Oh man, if it was me??? I'd make sure that I had some kind of Witness Protection Program lined up, perhaps out of the Country.
Hey Detroiters!! I've been reading your comments on this. I know you have plenty to say. Feel free to say it here.
Here's a nightmare from yesterday afternoon's news. A horrible home explosion, due to natural gas. A 62 year old man and his 4 year old grand-daughter were thrown outside into the street. Sadly, the man died but the little girl has survived with multiple injuries, including a broken leg.
The fire in the yard that is along side of the parked car, follows the path of the gas line feeding the house. It is actually gas burning that is coming up from the ground.
KDKA had some really good video of the scene. Since it's not on YouTube, I have to link it.
