Dave Clark Four

I'll never forget when the Dave Clark Five appeared on Ed Sullivan (one of their many appearances on rocker Sullivan's program) and they sang the song "Bits and Pieces." The incredible beat of the song made me decide that I wanted to be a drummer. It's only been 43 years. Maybe one day I will.

Mike Smith, the lead singer, keyboardist and face of the Dave Clark Five at the height of the British band's popularity, died Thursday of pneumonia. He was 64.

Smith was admitted Wednesday morning to Stoke Mandeville Hospital outside London with a chest infection stemming from complications of a 2003 spinal cord injury that had left him paralyzed, his New York agent, Margo Lewis, said in a statement.

The Religion of Peace Strikes Again

From The Times of London:

A university professor allegedly caught in a Saudi-style honey trap has been sentenced to 180 lashes and eight months in jail — for having coffee with a girl.

The man, a prominent and well-respected Saudi teacher of psychology at Umm al-Qra University in the holy city of Mecca, was framed by the religious police after he angered some of their members at a training course, his lawyer said.

Shouldn't Have Gotten That Sub-Prime Loan

Reuters Reports:

Michael Jackson's famed Neverland Valley Ranch in California will be foreclosed and sold on March 19 unless the pop star pays a balance of nearly $25 million, property records showed on Tuesday.

Breaking News: Rich Kids Also Cheat on Exams

From the LA Times:

Six sophomores were expelled and more than a dozen other students faced suspensions Tuesday in a cheating scandal that has rocked Harvard-Westlake, a top-tier Los Angeles private school with a national reputation for its academics.

Administrators said students conspired to steal Spanish and history tests by distracting teachers in their classrooms. The tests were then shown to several other students before midterm exams last month, said Harvard-Westlake President Thomas Hudnut.

The New Road to Fame: Accuse An Airline of Discrimination. Has the Today Show Called Yet?

FoxNews reports:

Southwest Airlines, responding to claims by two female passengers that they were discriminated against because of their good looks and banned from future flights, released a statement via YouTube disputing their story, adding that it doesn't have the ability to selectively ban passengers, “even if we wanted to.”

Hero of Entebbe Dies

AP Reports:

Dan Shomron

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Former Israeli military chief Dan Shomron, the paratrooper who commanded the famed 1976 hostage rescue at Entebbe airport in Uganda, died Tuesday from the effects of a stroke. He was 70.

He never recovered after being rushed to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv on February 5, hospital spokeswoman Aviva Shemer said.

Israeli leaders remembered Shomron as one of the greatest military minds in the country's 60-year history.

Is Anybody Paying Attention??

AP Reports:

A top Iranian official on Sunday said the Islamic Republic has started using new centrifuges that speed up its ability to enrich uranium – a key step toward developing nuclear weapons, the Associated Press reported.

“We are running a new generation of centrifuges,” said Javad Vaidi, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Vaidi’s announcement confirmed reports earlier this month that Iran is using centrifuges that can enrich uranium at more than twice the speed of the machines that now form the backbone of its illicit nuclear program.

What Will You Do Without Your $4 Cup of Coffee This Evening?

SEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks is closing the doors at its 7,100 stores across America for a brief barista re-education.

CEO Howard Schultz announced the 3-hour closure starting at 5:30 p.m. local time Tuesday to energize 135,000 employees.

He wants baristas to share their passion for making espresso, or as he says, "to pull the perfect shot, steam milk to order and customize their favorite beverage."

Schultz says it's part of his refocusing on the coffee customer experience.

If You Can Remember Where You Left Your Laptop

London, Feb 26 (IANS) Computers may enable a faster, cheaper and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease than conventional approaches, according to recent findings published in the journal Brain.

The new method will be particularly attractive for developing countries which face a dearth of trained clinicians or require standardised reliable diagnosis, as in drug trials, said Richard Frackowiak of Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuro-imaging.

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That!

Lawyers says Jerry Seinfeld was kidding when he took shots at a woman suing his wife, Jessica, left

Jerry Seinfeld was joking when he compared a woman accusing his wife of plagiarism to the killers of John Lennon and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., his lawyers said.

In a filing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, attorneys for the former sitcom star asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by Missy Chase Lapine against Seinfeld and his wife, the New York Daily News reported in Tuesday editions.

Again?

Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader lashed out at the Democratic presidential candidates Monday after they said he could hurt their chances of taking back the White House.

Ralph Nader's decision to again run for president is drawing criticism from Democrats.

The longtime consumer advocate announced Sunday that he will launch his fourth consecutive White House bid -- fifth if his 1992 write-in campaign is included.

Guess We're Safe From N. Korea. Can We Say the Same About Iran?

From CNN:

Technicians work inside North Korea's nuclear plant at Yongbyon.

CNN was one of only two American news organizations ever allowed to visit the main nuclear facility at Yongbyon.

For a nation President Bush labeled as part of the "axis of evil," it was not an impressive sight: a dilapidated concrete hulk, built with few resources back in the early '80s.

Huckabee Makes SNL Appearance

Can I Show You Something In a Medium?

From Drudge:

Barack Obama

With a week to go until the Texas and Ohio primaries, stressed Clinton staffers circulated a photo over the weekend of a "dressed" Barack Obama.

The photo, taken in 2006, shows the Democrat frontrunner fitted as a Somali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya.

The senator was on a five-country tour of Africa.

Is Anything Not Israel's Fault?

From Jerusalem Post:

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas gestures during a press conference following his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, not pictured, in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, Egypt.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged the US on Monday to make good on its promise to work for a Middle East peace settlement by the end of the year, warning that there would not be any future chances.

The US "must understand it is to play an active role, not just as a supervisor, by intervening directly to help make peace," Abbas told reporters. He also urged Israel "to stop escalating the situation in the Palestinian territories and stop all attacks in the Gaza Strip, including firing missiles there."

So What Were You Doing Last Night During the Oscars?

Javier Bardem of 'No Country' holds his Oscar.

Preliminary ratings for the 80th annual Academy Awards telecast were 14 percent lower than the least-watched ceremony ever, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Nielsen said Monday that overnight ratings were also 21 percent lower than last year, when "The Departed" was named best picture.

The Death of TV?

Wall Street Journal reports:
Could television be the next industry to become Internet roadkill? Online video has been a hit. Americans watched more than 300 million videos on Google's YouTube in December alone, and the amount of time spent watching video online grew 34% last year.

Never Knew Westwood One Was 'Embattled'

Wall Street Journal reports:
Private-equity firm Gores Group LLC will make an investment worth up to $100 million in embattled radio syndicator Westwood One Inc. that would also give Gores three seats on the company's board.

Are Polls Ever Wrong?

From USA Today:
The air of inevitability that once surrounded Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton has shifted to challenger Barack Obama. In a new national USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, those surveyed predict by 73%-20% that Obama will be the Democratic nominee.

Media Barred from Covering Rove Speech at Prep School

Newsday reports:

WALLINGFORD, Conn. - The media have been barred from covering a speech by former presidential adviser Karl Rove to students at a prestigious prep school on Monday.

Mary Verselli, spokeswoman for Choate Rosemary Hall, said Headmaster Edward Shanahan and Rove decided mutually to exclude the media. The prep school, which is the alma mater of President John F. Kennedy and two-time Democratic presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson, is limiting attendance to students and staff due to space restrictions in the auditorium, she said.

Israeli Boy Loses Leg in Rocket Attack

CNN reports on the ongoing attacks by Hamas on Sderot, Israel from Gaza

Palestinians inspect the damage to a metal workshop
destroyed during an Israeli air strike in Gaza City.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli troops carried out four aerial attacks against Hamas targets in Gaza after an 8-year-old boy lost his leg in a rocket attack into Israel from the territory.

One of the boy's legs, which was partially severed by the blast, was amputated, and doctors said they were unsure whether they could save his other leg, Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon said Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

The boy's 19-year-old brother was also hurt by shrapnel from the Qassam rocket, which landed in the southern Israeli town of Sderot Saturday evening, officials said. He was said to be in moderate condition in hospital.

ESPN Reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is reporting that ESPN Monday Night Football sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya will not return to MNF in 2008.

Kolber has been ESPN's NFL sideline reporter for several years, dating back to before ESPN had Monday Night Football. She is the last holdover from ESPN's Sunday night team, which featured Kolber on the sidelines and Mike Patrick, Paul MaGuire and Joe Theismann in the booth.Tafoya was the Monday Night Football sideline reporter when the franchise was on ABC.

When MNF moved to ESPN two years ago, Tafoya moved with it.It's not yet known whether Monday Night Football will find a new sideline reporter or reporters, or whether it will just get rid of them altogether, as CBS has done on its NFL telecasts. The latter may be the wisest move, as no one seems to miss them on CBS, and many viewers think sideline reporters just distract from the action on the field.

Rep. Tom Lantos of California dies at 80

From CNN:

Rep. Tom Lantos, the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, died Monday due to complications from cancer, his office said. Lantos was 80.

Rep. Tom Lantos represented his Northern California district for 14 terms.

He died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, surrounded by his wife, Annette, daughters Annette and Katrina and many of his 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, according to his office.

Lantos' life was "defined by courage, optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family," said his wife, Annette, his childhood sweetheart, in a statement the House of Representatives released.

Lantos, who was serving his 14th term in the House, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December. He announced last month that he would not seek a new term.

Calling Tech Support....

LAUSD employees protest last September

From the LA Times:

In the weeks leading up to the launch of a new payroll system, Los Angeles Unified School District officials had plenty of warning that the $95-million technology project would have serious problems.

Critical hardware had failed numerous times. Flawed data collected over decades proved difficult to clean up and input into the new system. Payroll clerks complained that training had fallen far short -- more than 60 schools didn't have a single staff member who'd received any training.

Still, consultants hired to implement the system urged the district to proceed as scheduled in early January 2007. Three days before the system was to begin, they urged the district in a report to "Go! Proceed . . . and go-live on January 1!"

Read complete story at LATimes.com

Britney's Dad Didn't Trust Her Manager

From People.com

Jamie Spears got permission to fire daughter Britney Spears's business manager after complaining the manager didn't follow directions and failed to turn over documents, court papers show. The allegations are contained in a motion filed Feb. 7 by probate court attorneys for Jamie and Britney Spears.

The motion was granted, allowing Jamie to fire manager Howard Grossman. "The temporary co-conservators believe that they cannot trust Mr. Grossman to follow instruction," says the motion, made public Monday.

Ahmadinejad Talks Nuclear Peace lol

That Wild and Crazy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

From FoxNews.com

TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant tone Monday on the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, vowing not to slow Iran's nuclear program and announcing plans to launch more rockets into space as part of its drive to orbit a domestic satellite.

Like Iran's nuclear activities, the country's space program has provoked unease abroad because the same technology needed to send satellites into space can be used to deliver warheads.

Iranian officials insist both the space and nuclear programs are intended for peaceful purposes, and Ahmadinejad rallied Iranians against U.N. Security Council demands that Iran stop enriching uranium

I Can Watch TV Again

The Oscars are over. I can watch TV again tonight.

'Anonymous' takes anti-Scientology to the streets

LA Times reports:

Anonymous" now has a bunch of faces to go without its name. The loosely bound group of net activists who've got a beef with the Church of Scientology showed up Sunday at the church's largest Los Angeles' locations. The protests were part of a global day of demonstrations against Scientology. Hordes of masked, costumed (and mostly young) picketers showed up in Boston, New York, Toronto, the U.K., Australia and a dozen other locations (thanks wikinews).

Many of the Los Angeles picketers wore the Guy Fawkes masks made popular in the movie "V for Vendetta," and it seemed like every other person was recording the event with a digital camera, camcorder or cellphone.

The protests were peaceful and colorful, with music and chanting (often: "Religion is free -- No Pay Per View" -- a reference to an alleged tiered system whereby the religion's adherents must pay money to gain spiritual clarity). A near constant stream of horn honks provided the background noise as cars passed the Scientology center on Sunset Boulevard and continued as the mob moved to the so-called Celebrity Center on Hollywood Boulevard. At least one ambulance and several fire department vehicles honked as they passed.

My Ongoing Communication with Hillary Clinton

I will never, ever forget how you were there for me when I needed you the most. When you learned that my campaign needed your help, you didn't hesitate. And the overwhelming generosity that you showed in the past week is like nothing I have ever seen.

As the race for the nomination continues, I hope you'll remember that you have made this campaign your campaign. Our victories are your victories. I know that you are standing with me and that I can rely on you for help. And with your support, I know we'll win.

Again, thank you so much for all you have done. My heart is truly full.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Jerusalem On The Table?

Jerusalem Post reports:
Hatem Abdel Qader, the Jerusalem affairs adviser to Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad, confirmed Tuesday that Jerusalem is one of the issues currently being discussed by Israeli and PA negotiators.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Abdel Qader said Jerusalem "is not only on the table, it's also under the table."

Asked to explain the second part of his remark, he said: "This means that the negotiations with the Israelis are taking place both openly and secretly."

New York Times to Reduce Newsroom Staff by 100

WSJ reports:
(Will there be any newspapers left in 5 years?)

The New York Times will cut its newsroom staff by 100 positions this year, a company spokeswoman acknowledged Thursday, in the latest sign of the newspaper industry's ongoing struggle to stem losses in advertising sales and circulation.

'Hizbullah has a few thousand fighters'

From Jerusalem Post:
The [Israeli] army is on high alert along the northern border following reports that Hizbullah has deployed 50,000 men in southern Lebanon after last week's assassination of arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in Syria.

Hizbullah supporters fix their flag on top of their rocket models in Bourj Qalawi near the southern port city of Tyre.

Defense officials expressed skepticism over the reports, saying Hizbullah had only several thousand fighters in total. The officials also said there were no indications on the ground of an increase in the Islamist organization's forces in the area.

An Academic Boycott of Israel?

Alan Dershowitz writes about an academic boycott of Israel:
When a relatively small number of British academics tried to hijack the traditional trade union agenda of the British University and College Union by calling for an academic boycott of Israel, they expected little opposition. The union, after all, is British, and the nation whose academics were to be boycotted is Israel.

Anti-Israel sentiment among left-wing academics, journalists, and politicians in Britain is politically correct and relatively uncontroversial (as is anti-American sentiment). Several years earlier, a petition to boycott several Israeli universities initially passed but was later rescinded, and the British National Union of Journalists has also voted to boycott Israeli products. At about the same time, a British academic journal fired two of its board members apparently because they were Israeli Jews. Some popular British political leaders, most notoriously, London's Mayor "Red Ken" Livingstone, have made anti-Israel statements that border on anti-Semitism, in one instance comparing a Jewish journalist to a Nazi "war criminal."

But these union activists couldn't care less about academic freedom, or any other kind of freedom for that matter. Nor do they care much about the actual plight of the Palestinians. If they did, they would be supporting the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to make peace with Israel based on mutual compromise, rather than Hamas in its futile efforts to destroy Israel as well as the PA.

Israelis have received more Nobel and other international science prizes than all the Arab and Muslim nations combined. Cutting Israel's academics off from collaboration with other academics would deal a death blow to the Israeli high-tech economy, but it would also set back research and academic collaboration throughout the world.

Moreover, many Israeli academics, precisely those who would be boycotted, are at the forefront in advocating peace efforts. They, perhaps more than others, understand the "peace dividend" the world would reap if Israeli military expenses could be cut and the money devoted to life-saving scientific research.

It is for these reasons that so many American academics, of all religious, ideological and political backgrounds, reacted so strongly to the threat of an academic

Is Peace Possible?

Since May 14, 1948, when the modern State of Israel declared its independence, with the support of the United Nations, including Russia, Israel has been in a state of war waged by its Arab neighbors and the Palestinian people.

There has never been one day since 1948 that this state of war hasn't existed. The organized Arab nations have tried time and time again to destroy Israel; in 1948 (24 hours after the Israel's declaration of statehood), 1956, 1967 and 1973. All wars, all started by Arab countries, all resulted in Israel being victorious and in the case of 1967 Israel expanding its borders as security measures.

At the same time, since 1948, Israel and every U.S. administration have tried to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Israel has consistently worked for peace, making concession after concession. The ultimate concessions were made at Camp David by Israel Prime Minister Barak, but flatly rejected by Yassir Arafat.

One has to wonder if the "peace process" as it has become to be known, is a reality or a charade. One has to wonder if peace is possible.

This is perhaps the ultimate pessimistic view of the Mid East situation. Just because a problem exists, does that mean there is a solution? I would submit not.

Life has myriad of problems with no satisfactory resolutions. Just because someone is ill, even if doctors know what the ailment is, doesn't mean there is a remedy to heal the patient. When a marriage goes bad, regardless of how hard husband and wife try, it doesn't mean there is a way to save it. Life is full of situations where there is simply no solution.

The problem with Israel and the Palestinians is not a matter of East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights or the West Bank. It is not an issue of land. It is an issue of the very existence of Israel. All Arab nations and the Palestinian people have made it very clear that their ultimate goal is that there be no Israel, not what city or part is returned.

It is not a matter of who is right and who is wrong. The question is whether true peace is possible with Israel remaining as a Jewish state.

So, if total rejection of Israel is the underlying problem, as it always has been, how can there possibly be a solution to the conflict?

It is politically correct for the United States and Israel to continue to play the game of seeking peace. But perhaps the best Israel can do is accept that it always will be in a state of war, and focus on maintaining its security to protect its residents - while playing the peace seeking game.

A very bleak view of the situation, but can anyone prove that the Palestinians really want to coexist with Israel?

As if we don't have enough to worry about

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Haagen-Dazs is warning that a creature as small as a honeybee could become a big problem for the premium ice cream maker's business.
At issue is the disappearing bee colonies in the United States, a situation that continue to mystify scientists and frighten foodmakers.

That's because, according to Haagen-Dazs, one-third of the U.S. food supply - including a variety of fruits, vegetables and even nuts - depends on pollination

Reporters Without Borders issues critical report

Reporters Without Borders today accused public officials around the world of “impotence, cowardice and duplicity” in defending freedom of expression.

“The spinelessness of some Western countries and major international bodies is harming press freedom,” secretary-general Robert Ménard said in the organisation’s annual press freedom report, out today (13 February) and available at www.rsf.org. “The lack of determination by democratic countries in defending the values they supposedly stand for is alarming.”

He charged that the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva had caved in to pressure from countries such as Iran and Uzbekistan and expressed concern at the softness of the European Union towards dictators who did not flinch at the threat of European

Blackberries picked apart

Years ago when the Day Planner was invented by someone in his garage, everybody had to have one. Suddenly, a business meeting couldn't happen without everyone dropping their Day Planners (or copies) on the conference room table. When the meeting was about to end, everybody scribbled in their calendar the date of the next meeting.

Today, Day Planners are out and in are Blackberries and Palm Pilots. Since these devices allow their owners to get email, they are great for something to do when you have nobody to talk to like in an elevator or in a restaurant when dining alone.

So does everybody who ownes a Blackberry or Palm Pilot really need one? Are we all really that busy that we can't wait to get to our computers to get our email?

Back to the Day Planner. When the phenomenon hit, a psychologist wrote that Day Planners were used more to make people feel important and busy, rather than because they were important and busy.

I submit the same holds true with this electronic devices. People want to look and feel important so they carry Blackberries around, checking email, hoping people notice. The email they are reading, most probably, is spam.

So next time you see some guy with his nose in his Blackberry, know that he is not reading a critical message about a great business deal he just closed. Rather, he is probably reading an email about a new medication that will give him a larger penis.

Maybe that is more important.

By the way, I have a Palm Pilot, but with the email function disabled.

McCain Goes To War With NY Times

The day after the NY Times levied charges against John McCain, the Republican Senator fires back at the paper, as The Times reports on their website:

Later in the day, one of Mr. McCain’s senior advisers leveled harsh criticism at The New York Times in what appeared to be a deliberate campaign strategy to wage a war with the newspaper.

Mr. McCain is deeply distrusted by conservatives on a number of issues, not least because of his rapport with the news media, but he could find common ground with them in attacking a newspaper that many conservatives revile as a left-wing publication.

Do You Really Care About the Oscars?

The suspense is finally over. The Oscars are on tonight in all their glory.

Too bad.

When the writer's strike threatened to reduce tonight's Academy Awards show to a rehash of old movie clips, I thought finally there might be an Academy Awards Show worth watching.

Never has a show been so celebrated and yet so consistently boring as the Academy Awards. In fact, all entertainment awards shows are dull as hell. Rich, spoiled celebrities giving each other awards, is hardly the making of an entertaining evening.

Yet people watch. They watch actors who are seemingly brilliant at acting in movies, go live on a stage and screw up their four lines.

Maybe actors aren't so brilliant when they can't do 20 takes. Maybe we all could be just as good at acting if we were pampered, coached, lauded and allowed to do something over and over again until we got it right.

In the real world, you get just one take.

But then again, we all know actors don't live in the real world.

Do You Feel Outraged?

Just a few days ago when Hillary and Obama debated in San Antonio, Hillary sensed that going for jugular was not earning her any points. So she ended the "debate" taking the high ground and saying how "honored" she is to be running against Obama.

Now the gloves are off again and the desperation has set in. And, Hillary wants every Democrat to be outraged!! Why, because she might lose? Don't all of us have more important things on our minds beside Hillary Clinton's political ambitions?

Not to her, I guess.

From the LA Times:
CINCINNATI -- In a move to salvage her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton adopted a newly bellicose tone toward rival Barack Obama on Saturday, saying he was making false and shameful attacks on her record.

The New York senator mocked Obama's speaking skills and his power to draw tens of thousands of supporters to rallies that have dwarfed her more modest events. Clinton scolded Obama for two campaign mailings that she described as distortions of her positions on healthcare and trade.

"Enough with the speeches and the big rallies, and then using tactics right out of Karl Rove's playbook," she said, alluding to President Bush's chief political advisor. "This is wrong, and every Democrat should be outraged."