I watched the first hour of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert last night and it reminded me of how much I like Paul Simon-and how much I don't like Art Garfunkel.
So Paul Simon came out and did a couple of his solo songs, which were great. Then he introduced Dion and Little Anthony & the Imperials, which were both awesome.
And then, he comes out. With no introduction, like he is Joe Guy. Sporting the same white guy fro that he has had since LBJ was president. Wearing a pajama top, and dirty hippie jeans.
Art Garfunkel. And the elevator music portion of the show began.
The Simon & Garfunkel songs all sound the same to me, pedestrian folk tunes with no drums.
And Garfunkel brings nothing to the table. What took Simon so long to get rid of this dead weight?
Think about it: Simon wrote all the songs, and played guitar. All Garfunkel did was sing along to the words and music provided to him by Simon.
Talk about riding the gravy train.
And his singing sucks. Remember that scene in Animal House during the Toga Party when that guy sang in the stairwell "I gave my love a cherry" and Belushi walked by and grabbed the guy's guitar and just smashed it to pieces?
That guy represents Art Garfunkel to me. They should have gotten Garfunkel to play that role. Why not? It can't be because he was to busy. I mean, what has the guy done in the last 40 years since Paul Simon dumped him?
Is he still working on his album?
Once Simon got rid of that dead weight, he started making songs like "Me & Julio" and "Late in the Evening" music that was rhythmic and bouncy and interesting.
I read somewhere that Garfunkel used to bust Simon's balls, and say things like "I don't want to sing that" or "this song should be placed 2nd on the album, not third".
Talk about a guy who totally misread his position in life.
The guy who plays the triangle in "Earth Wind & Fire" brings more to the creativity table than Art Garfunkel ever has.
So once he came out, I shut it off.
After a hard nights work, Artie can now go back to what he has been doing for the last 40 years-cashing "Scarborough Fair" checks.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Quote of the Day
"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of many by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln
Saturday, November 28, 2009
"I'm Done. Done."
Did you see that Bob Sheppard has announced that he is retiring as the Yankee public address announcer? I wonder, did he make his retirement announcement over the Yankee public address system in the third Yankee Stadium? How cool would it have been to hear that:
"I announce that I quit. I quit".
Talk about things that are past due- the guy is going to be 100 years old next year! That means he has been cashing social security checks since Mickey Mantle was playing.
The guy is so old, he got his last name from his previous occupation.
When Sheppard first started announcing, the PA system wasn't even invented yet. He would open the press box window and yell at the top of his lungs.
Imagine the poor bastard who was Sheppard's backup? Every winter he probably thought, "I'm finally gonna get the job".
That guy probably died years ago.
Bob Sheppard held on to his job for so long, he makes Cal Ripken look lazy.
I tell you, Sheppard was either the most dedicated person who ever lived or outright crazy.
Think about it: Say your 90 years old. Are you gonna travel to the Bronx for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER? And after commuting to the Bronx, you have to work? And since baseball has no clock, you never know when the workday is finished- who would do that?
"I announce that I quit. I quit".
Talk about things that are past due- the guy is going to be 100 years old next year! That means he has been cashing social security checks since Mickey Mantle was playing.
The guy is so old, he got his last name from his previous occupation.
When Sheppard first started announcing, the PA system wasn't even invented yet. He would open the press box window and yell at the top of his lungs.
Imagine the poor bastard who was Sheppard's backup? Every winter he probably thought, "I'm finally gonna get the job".
That guy probably died years ago.
Bob Sheppard held on to his job for so long, he makes Cal Ripken look lazy.
I tell you, Sheppard was either the most dedicated person who ever lived or outright crazy.
Think about it: Say your 90 years old. Are you gonna travel to the Bronx for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER? And after commuting to the Bronx, you have to work? And since baseball has no clock, you never know when the workday is finished- who would do that?
It Can't Do It
If you think that the same government that lets uninvited strangers get by checkpoints and into the White House to attend State Dinners ("Table For Two For The Bin Ladens"), the same government that knew that Major Hassan gave PowerPoint lectures on how awesome suicide bombing is, the same government that has for GENERATIONS failed to educate American children through the public education system, that same government that is the only bookie to declare bankruptcy via the NY OTB, if you really think that same government can deliver health care to all -then you have a faith that in government that is delusional.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Your Average Commute
It was five years ago yesterday. The day before Thanksgiving. They say its the biggest commuting day of the year, and by the looks of the enormous crowd at Grand Central Station that early morning, you wouldn't get an argument from me.
I was on my way to work in Westchester, in the reverse commute from hell: Brooklyn to White Plains.
I went to buy the newspapers and my train ticket fell to the ground. While bending down to pick the ticket up, I heard the unmistakable sound that could mean only one thing: the back of my pants ripped.
Not only did it rip, but it ripped in such a unique way that it looked like I was purposely wearing pants with the ass cut out-like the ass-less pants Prince wore in a video.
I learned that when your pants rip to make your ass hang out on the biggest travel day of the year in the biggest train station in the world- it makes a man immediately consider all available options. It concentrates the mind.
Could I tie my jacket around my waist to hide it? No. Because Baldman has a rule that he does not wear coats/jackets unless it is below freezing. It was about 40 degrees. Please note that Baldman is the only one who follows this rule. So on this day, he was the only one in Grand Central with no jacket and no ass within the pants.
Could I go buy a new pair of pants? No. It was too early in the morning, stores were not open, and I was not about to walk around the city with my ass flappin in the wind.
The only option that made sense was to call it a day and just go home.
But even that had its perils.
It was still rush hour, and who the f **k wants to get on a packed train with ass-less pants?
So the plan was hatched : get on the 4 train, stand with my ass-less pants ass against the door, and get to Brooklyn ASAP.
For the diversity lover in you:
1) I was the only white person on that 4 train;
2) I was the only person with his ass exposed on that 4 train.
Now my plan to stay standing against the door worked until we got to a stop where a ton of people got on, and the mass of humanity shoved me to the middle of the car.
So I had to steel myself for the inevitable: laughter, cat calls etc.
I was ready. Now, I had long been a proponent that the best defense is an offense.
And it worked on that day like a charm.
Right in the middle of that subway car, a man said to me: " You know, your pants are ripped, right?"
I immediately fired back at the guy:
"Two things. One, you think I don't know that? And two, WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU DOING LOOKING AT MY ASS!"
All of a sudden, the guy looked more embarrassed than me, by accusing him of staring at my ass-less pants in front of a packed rush hour train, it brought him more shame than he could possibly bear.
So he slinked away and melted back into the crowd.
And I made it home and threw the ass-less pants in the garbage.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Nightmare And A Dream
"Dean Meminger was quicker than the 11:15 Mass at a seaside resort."- Al McGuire
The Stoop was saddened to read that Dean Meminger was in critical condition after a fire broke out in his Bronx apartment. Apparently, crack pipes found by Dean's bed may have played a part in starting the fire.
What a shame.
Dean has been battling drug addiction for over 30 years.
He had it all. And squandered it. What a sad thing to see.
Dean was a basketball prince of New York City. He was a city kid who starred at Rice High School. He went on to have a legendary college basketball career with McGuire's Marquette University.
After that, he was a number one draft pick of his hometown Knicks, and was a member of the 1973 NBA champion Knicks.
The Knicks couldn't have won it in '73 without Dean.
Here's the deal; The Knicks played the Celtics in the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics were 68-14, and had the best record in basketball.
The Celtics had Cowens. And Havlicek. And Jo Jo White.
It came down to a game seven. In Boston Garden. From the opposing team point of view, the last place you wanted to play a game seven was in Boston Garden.
Why? Because the Celtics never lost a game seven on their court. Ever. You gotta remember, in 1973, the NBA was less than 30 years old, and the Celtics had won almost half of the league championships.
But all bad things must come to an end, and the '73 Knicks became the first team to beat the Celtics in a game seven in Boston.
And what did Dean do in that game? He shut down the previously unstoppable Jo Jo White. He also had 13 points and six rebounds off of the bench.
''Dean went out and shut Jo Jo down and we won that game,'' Phil Jackson recalled. ''It was a signature performance in our history.''
Dean's NBA career was finished by 1977, and I remember he coached the Albany team in the old CBA, and he also coached Manhattanville College a couple of years ago. He got the Manhattanville job through a recommendation from his good friend -Earl Monroe.
But the drugs always got in the way with Dean.
Its amazing when you look at the post-championship lives of the 12 men who were the 1973 NBA Champion Knicks.
On the positive side, you have examples like Bill Bradley, who was a three term U.S. Senator and ran for President, Dick Barnett, who received his doctorate, legendary icons like Clyde & Pearl, a 10 time NBA champion coach in Phil Jackson.
On the other side of the ledger you have Dean & Hawthorne Wingo, who has also led a very sad post '73 life.
From the Presidency to the pipe.
Dean Meminger knows what it feels like to be a champion in his hometown of NYC.
He also knows what it feels like to be a crack addict.
You ever hear the Marvin Gaye song "Flying High In The Friendly Sky"? Its a song where Marvin reveals his addiction to cocaine:
Flying high in the friendly sky
Flying high without ever leavin' the ground, no
Rest of the folks are tired and weary
Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down.
I go the place where danger awaits me
and it's bound to forsake me.
If you play that song while watching highlights of Dean Meminger, you will capture everything that is great and sad about the first guard off the bench for the '73 Knicks- Dean "The Dream" Meminger.
The Stoop was saddened to read that Dean Meminger was in critical condition after a fire broke out in his Bronx apartment. Apparently, crack pipes found by Dean's bed may have played a part in starting the fire.
What a shame.
Dean has been battling drug addiction for over 30 years.
He had it all. And squandered it. What a sad thing to see.
Dean was a basketball prince of New York City. He was a city kid who starred at Rice High School. He went on to have a legendary college basketball career with McGuire's Marquette University.
After that, he was a number one draft pick of his hometown Knicks, and was a member of the 1973 NBA champion Knicks.
The Knicks couldn't have won it in '73 without Dean.
Here's the deal; The Knicks played the Celtics in the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics were 68-14, and had the best record in basketball.
The Celtics had Cowens. And Havlicek. And Jo Jo White.
It came down to a game seven. In Boston Garden. From the opposing team point of view, the last place you wanted to play a game seven was in Boston Garden.
Why? Because the Celtics never lost a game seven on their court. Ever. You gotta remember, in 1973, the NBA was less than 30 years old, and the Celtics had won almost half of the league championships.
But all bad things must come to an end, and the '73 Knicks became the first team to beat the Celtics in a game seven in Boston.
And what did Dean do in that game? He shut down the previously unstoppable Jo Jo White. He also had 13 points and six rebounds off of the bench.
''Dean went out and shut Jo Jo down and we won that game,'' Phil Jackson recalled. ''It was a signature performance in our history.''
Dean's NBA career was finished by 1977, and I remember he coached the Albany team in the old CBA, and he also coached Manhattanville College a couple of years ago. He got the Manhattanville job through a recommendation from his good friend -Earl Monroe.
But the drugs always got in the way with Dean.
Its amazing when you look at the post-championship lives of the 12 men who were the 1973 NBA Champion Knicks.
On the positive side, you have examples like Bill Bradley, who was a three term U.S. Senator and ran for President, Dick Barnett, who received his doctorate, legendary icons like Clyde & Pearl, a 10 time NBA champion coach in Phil Jackson.
On the other side of the ledger you have Dean & Hawthorne Wingo, who has also led a very sad post '73 life.
From the Presidency to the pipe.
Dean Meminger knows what it feels like to be a champion in his hometown of NYC.
He also knows what it feels like to be a crack addict.
You ever hear the Marvin Gaye song "Flying High In The Friendly Sky"? Its a song where Marvin reveals his addiction to cocaine:
Flying high in the friendly sky
Flying high without ever leavin' the ground, no
Rest of the folks are tired and weary
Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down.
I go the place where danger awaits me
and it's bound to forsake me.
If you play that song while watching highlights of Dean Meminger, you will capture everything that is great and sad about the first guard off the bench for the '73 Knicks- Dean "The Dream" Meminger.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Making A Kid Happy
I have a friend who wants to take his son to an NFL game. However, the son is under the impression that just like in baseball a fan can catch a foul ball, in football a fan catch a football.
And the father wants to let the kid down gently, by telling him that in football, for the most part, fans don't get a football that's thrown into the stands.
I told him that is nonsense. And gave him a sure-fire way to have his kid catch a football in the stands.
Here's how: You take the kid to the next Jet home game. You make the kid wear the opposing team's jersey. Whenever Mark Sanchez drops back to pass, you have the kid stand up and yell "I'm Open!".
If he does that, there's a 50/50 chance that the kid will go home with an NFL used football.
And the father wants to let the kid down gently, by telling him that in football, for the most part, fans don't get a football that's thrown into the stands.
I told him that is nonsense. And gave him a sure-fire way to have his kid catch a football in the stands.
Here's how: You take the kid to the next Jet home game. You make the kid wear the opposing team's jersey. Whenever Mark Sanchez drops back to pass, you have the kid stand up and yell "I'm Open!".
If he does that, there's a 50/50 chance that the kid will go home with an NFL used football.
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Worthy Cause
The 9/11 Never Forget Coalition is holding a press conference tomorrow morning where they will announce a December 5, 2009 rally that will protest Eric Holder's reckless decision to try terrorists in lower Manhattan.
Congressman Peter King, for my money the best anti-terrorist person we have in the Congress will be there. 9/11 families will be there. Andy McCarthy, who prosecuted the terrorists who bombed the Trade Center in 1993 will be there.
The Coalition Message:
New Yorkers to Attorney General Holder:
"We Will Fight You All The Way!"
For more details click here.
Back to Holder. The distinction he has made in deciding to try some enemy combatants in civil court and others in a military tribunal is that the target of the attack determines the type of trial the defendant will receive.
Thus, those who attacked the U.S. Cole, will get a military tribunal. Conversely, the Trade Center thugs get a full civil trial, with all its bells & whistles, because they attacked a domestic target.
That is Holder's argument/rationale.
But that argument holds less water than a man with no kidneys.
Here's why- KSM is the architect of the 9/11 attack. That attack included the Pentagon. Last time I checked, (and admittedly it may have changed under Obama) THE PENTAGON IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
Since KSM attacked a military target, using Holder logic, why the hell is he receiving a civilian trial?
The answer: There is no logic, no legal rationale, and no precedent for giving KSM a civil trial.
It's purely a political decision made by the President designed to shed light on the CIA, the Army, and all things Bush/Cheney.
Holder has called this the trial of the century.
Remember, the trial of the last century was OJ's.
In the upcoming KSM trial, Holder & his ACLU brethren want to turn the CIA into Mark Fuhrman.
Here's hoping that protests like the 9/11 Never Forgets Coalition will hold will make a difference.
Congressman Peter King, for my money the best anti-terrorist person we have in the Congress will be there. 9/11 families will be there. Andy McCarthy, who prosecuted the terrorists who bombed the Trade Center in 1993 will be there.
The Coalition Message:
New Yorkers to Attorney General Holder:
"We Will Fight You All The Way!"
For more details click here.
Back to Holder. The distinction he has made in deciding to try some enemy combatants in civil court and others in a military tribunal is that the target of the attack determines the type of trial the defendant will receive.
Thus, those who attacked the U.S. Cole, will get a military tribunal. Conversely, the Trade Center thugs get a full civil trial, with all its bells & whistles, because they attacked a domestic target.
That is Holder's argument/rationale.
But that argument holds less water than a man with no kidneys.
Here's why- KSM is the architect of the 9/11 attack. That attack included the Pentagon. Last time I checked, (and admittedly it may have changed under Obama) THE PENTAGON IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
Since KSM attacked a military target, using Holder logic, why the hell is he receiving a civilian trial?
The answer: There is no logic, no legal rationale, and no precedent for giving KSM a civil trial.
It's purely a political decision made by the President designed to shed light on the CIA, the Army, and all things Bush/Cheney.
Holder has called this the trial of the century.
Remember, the trial of the last century was OJ's.
In the upcoming KSM trial, Holder & his ACLU brethren want to turn the CIA into Mark Fuhrman.
Here's hoping that protests like the 9/11 Never Forgets Coalition will hold will make a difference.
Finally
Did you see the story below over the weekend?
Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has forbidden Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy to receive the Roman Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion because of his advocacy of abortion rights, the Rhode Island Democrat said Friday.
Bishop Tobin has taken a logical step that many other Catholic Church leaders should have done long ago.
We here on the Stoop always wondered how Catholic politicians could write laws or vote for legislation that promoted/endorsed/legalized abortion, and yet remain in good standing with the church.
It would be like during the 1960's, a member of Martin Luther King's church publicly advocating on behalf of segregation.
In both instances, the social justice concerns of the church (abortion/segregation) are incompatible with the individuals beliefs.
Bishop Tobin has told Patrick Kennedy that he should reconsider his membership in the Catholic church.
Tobin's advice makes perfect sense.
If I joined a gym because I wanted to play basketball, and I found out the gym has no basketball court, why would I stay a member?
Would it makes sense to sit and pout and tell the gym owners that I want them to install a basketball court? Or should I just walk across the street to another gym that meets my needs?
Patrick Kennedy wants the Catholic Church to adopt the Kennedy ideas of morality where abortion on demand is legal and just and the taxpayer pays for the "procedure".
I got news for you: it ain't happening.
The Catholic church may have its problems, but making Patrick Kennedy's views on abortion church dogma makes as much sense as accepting an offer from Patrick's dad to drive you over a bridge.
So a salute to Bishop Tobin for his common sense clarity when it comes to Catholic politicians.
Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has forbidden Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy to receive the Roman Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion because of his advocacy of abortion rights, the Rhode Island Democrat said Friday.
Bishop Tobin has taken a logical step that many other Catholic Church leaders should have done long ago.
We here on the Stoop always wondered how Catholic politicians could write laws or vote for legislation that promoted/endorsed/legalized abortion, and yet remain in good standing with the church.
It would be like during the 1960's, a member of Martin Luther King's church publicly advocating on behalf of segregation.
In both instances, the social justice concerns of the church (abortion/segregation) are incompatible with the individuals beliefs.
Bishop Tobin has told Patrick Kennedy that he should reconsider his membership in the Catholic church.
Tobin's advice makes perfect sense.
If I joined a gym because I wanted to play basketball, and I found out the gym has no basketball court, why would I stay a member?
Would it makes sense to sit and pout and tell the gym owners that I want them to install a basketball court? Or should I just walk across the street to another gym that meets my needs?
Patrick Kennedy wants the Catholic Church to adopt the Kennedy ideas of morality where abortion on demand is legal and just and the taxpayer pays for the "procedure".
I got news for you: it ain't happening.
The Catholic church may have its problems, but making Patrick Kennedy's views on abortion church dogma makes as much sense as accepting an offer from Patrick's dad to drive you over a bridge.
So a salute to Bishop Tobin for his common sense clarity when it comes to Catholic politicians.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Happy Birthday
It was the last of the major public works projects that is part of Robert Moses' incomparable resume. At the time it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It took a mere five years to build, and was opened on November 21, 1964.
Of course, I am talking about the Verrazano Bridge, which turned 45 yesterday.
Think of how pathetic we are now when we have all the advantages of modern technology, and yet we can't build anything. Ever.
The Trade Center- still a hole in the ground-is a travesty.
If you ever think that our society is always moving forward, just remember, everything you see was built by previous generations, and we have dropped the ball when it comes to public works.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Give Us The List & Let's Check It Twice
So little of relevant news actually makes it onto the television/print media that the Internet is a Godsend that gives us the ability to focus on such issues. Thank you, Mr. Gore, for inventing the Internet.
One such story slipped through this week. Did you know that the U.S. Justice Department has a whole bunch of lawyers that work there now, however, prior to joining the Obama/Holder DOJ, they acted as defense counsel FOR TERRORISTS HELD @ GITMO?
Did you know that Holder's prior firm defended 18 such terrorists?
Did you know that Senator Casserly asked Holder during his testimony on the Hill to PROVIDE THE LIST OF DOJ LAWYERS THAT HAVE BEEN RECUSED FROM THE 9/11 CASES BECAUSE THEY PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED GITMO TERRORISTS?
Did you know that Holder did not commit to providing such a list? He just said that he would consider the request?
Did you know that Holder hemed and hawed in responding to the question saying he could not commit to providing the list because of "attorney-client privilege" considerations?
Did you know that his response was so legally off base, that it would be laughable except for the fact that the Attorney General of the United States does not seem to know that THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE SHIELDS COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE ATTORNEY AND CLIENT FROM BEING REVEALED, AND THAT THE NAME OF THE LAWYER IS NOT A COMMUNICATION AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE?
DID YOU KNOW THAT JOE PESCI'S CHARACTER IN MY COUSIN VINNY HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE THAN ERIC HOLDER DOES?
Don't you think the American people deserve to know what lawyers in the justice department acted as counsel for accused terrorists?
Let's close with something that Senator Kyl entered into the record during Holder's testimony.
Here is the partial transcript:
SEN. KYL: Let me just close with this point. You said — and this really bothers me, Mr. Attorney General, with all due respect — "For eight years, justice has been delayed for the victims of the 9/11 attacks." I want to put in the record, Mr. Chairman — ask unanimous consent to insert in the record an article called "Justice Delayed" by Andrew McCarthy.
SEN. LEAHY: Without objection.
SEN. KYL: And I'll just quote two paragraphs from this.
"This is chutzpah writ large," he writes. "The principal reason there were so few military trials is the tireless campaign conducted by leftist lawyers to derail military tribunals by challenge (sic/challenging) them in the courts. Many of those lawyers are now working for the Obama Justice Department. That includes Holder, whose firm, Covington & Burling, volunteered its services" —
ATTY GEN. HOLDER: Hah!
SEN. KYL: — "to at least 18 of America's enemies in lawsuits they brought against the American people."
And it concludes, "Within two years, KSM and four fellow war criminals stood ready to plead guilty and proceed to execution. But then the Obama administration blew into Washington. Want to talk about delay? Obama shut down the commission, despite the jihadists' efforts to conclude it by pleading guilty. Obama's team permitted no movement of (sic/on) the case for 11 months, and now has torpedoed a perfectly valid commission case — despite keeping the commission system for other cases — so that we can instead endure an incredibly expensive and burdensome civil (sic/civilian) trial that will take years to complete."
One such story slipped through this week. Did you know that the U.S. Justice Department has a whole bunch of lawyers that work there now, however, prior to joining the Obama/Holder DOJ, they acted as defense counsel FOR TERRORISTS HELD @ GITMO?
Did you know that Holder's prior firm defended 18 such terrorists?
Did you know that Senator Casserly asked Holder during his testimony on the Hill to PROVIDE THE LIST OF DOJ LAWYERS THAT HAVE BEEN RECUSED FROM THE 9/11 CASES BECAUSE THEY PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED GITMO TERRORISTS?
Did you know that Holder did not commit to providing such a list? He just said that he would consider the request?
Did you know that Holder hemed and hawed in responding to the question saying he could not commit to providing the list because of "attorney-client privilege" considerations?
Did you know that his response was so legally off base, that it would be laughable except for the fact that the Attorney General of the United States does not seem to know that THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE SHIELDS COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE ATTORNEY AND CLIENT FROM BEING REVEALED, AND THAT THE NAME OF THE LAWYER IS NOT A COMMUNICATION AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE?
DID YOU KNOW THAT JOE PESCI'S CHARACTER IN MY COUSIN VINNY HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE THAN ERIC HOLDER DOES?
Don't you think the American people deserve to know what lawyers in the justice department acted as counsel for accused terrorists?
Let's close with something that Senator Kyl entered into the record during Holder's testimony.
Here is the partial transcript:
SEN. KYL: Let me just close with this point. You said — and this really bothers me, Mr. Attorney General, with all due respect — "For eight years, justice has been delayed for the victims of the 9/11 attacks." I want to put in the record, Mr. Chairman — ask unanimous consent to insert in the record an article called "Justice Delayed" by Andrew McCarthy.
SEN. LEAHY: Without objection.
SEN. KYL: And I'll just quote two paragraphs from this.
"This is chutzpah writ large," he writes. "The principal reason there were so few military trials is the tireless campaign conducted by leftist lawyers to derail military tribunals by challenge (sic/challenging) them in the courts. Many of those lawyers are now working for the Obama Justice Department. That includes Holder, whose firm, Covington & Burling, volunteered its services" —
ATTY GEN. HOLDER: Hah!
SEN. KYL: — "to at least 18 of America's enemies in lawsuits they brought against the American people."
And it concludes, "Within two years, KSM and four fellow war criminals stood ready to plead guilty and proceed to execution. But then the Obama administration blew into Washington. Want to talk about delay? Obama shut down the commission, despite the jihadists' efforts to conclude it by pleading guilty. Obama's team permitted no movement of (sic/on) the case for 11 months, and now has torpedoed a perfectly valid commission case — despite keeping the commission system for other cases — so that we can instead endure an incredibly expensive and burdensome civil (sic/civilian) trial that will take years to complete."
Shut em down
Below is the first paragraph from a New York Times story from earlier this week:
Teachers at W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School in Brooklyn were among those at 23 high schools citywide awarded a total of $3.5 million in performance bonuses on Thursday, even though the school received a D on its progress report earlier this week.
They got a D for their overall performance. And they get bonuses? What do they get for a "C", a mansion? Talk about rewarding failure. And speaking of failure, only one high school received an F on its report card. Does anyone in their right mind honestly think that only one high school should be deemed a failure in New York City?
Here is the rationale for giving bonuses for getting a D:
“Maybe a school didn’t go from a D to a C, or stayed at a C, but it’s still making progress,” said Ann Forte, a department spokeswoman, defending both the report cards and the awards program.
The monthly statements that Bernie Madoff mailed to his clients were more credible than the New York City High School report cards.
Tenure for life, no real way to fire incompetent teachers, salaries that have gone up 40% over the last four years, and now bonuses that reward failure.
Oh, and don't forget holidays off for days like "Brooklyn-Queens Day."
What a system.
What a failure.
Teachers at W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School in Brooklyn were among those at 23 high schools citywide awarded a total of $3.5 million in performance bonuses on Thursday, even though the school received a D on its progress report earlier this week.
They got a D for their overall performance. And they get bonuses? What do they get for a "C", a mansion? Talk about rewarding failure. And speaking of failure, only one high school received an F on its report card. Does anyone in their right mind honestly think that only one high school should be deemed a failure in New York City?
Here is the rationale for giving bonuses for getting a D:
“Maybe a school didn’t go from a D to a C, or stayed at a C, but it’s still making progress,” said Ann Forte, a department spokeswoman, defending both the report cards and the awards program.
The monthly statements that Bernie Madoff mailed to his clients were more credible than the New York City High School report cards.
Tenure for life, no real way to fire incompetent teachers, salaries that have gone up 40% over the last four years, and now bonuses that reward failure.
Oh, and don't forget holidays off for days like "Brooklyn-Queens Day."
What a system.
What a failure.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Jayson & Gus
According to news reports, Jayson Williams is expected to accept a criminal plea for the shooting of Gus the limo driver. The plea includes three years in jail.
Methinks Jayson's lawyer dropped the ball. Forensics experts testified that Gus was shot from 8 feet away. As anyone who ever watched Jayson Williams play basketball can attest, Jayson's shooting range consisted of about 5 feet.
On a serious note, the killing of Gus the limo driver is an instructive example of the "good Jayson" " bad Jayson" that have been at war with each other for far too long.
The good Jayson is a man who people love to be around. He is funny, quick witted, charitable, generous to a fault- a poster boy for all that is right about the modern athlete. The good Jayson knew how fortunate he was, and acted accordingly.
The bad Jayson has a history of violence that is chilling. Bar fights, assault charges and crazy gun related incidents are all part of the bad Jayson box score.
The good and the bad that make up Jayson Williams collided the night he met Gus the limo driver. And the bad Jayson won.
Jayson hired Gus, like any other customer. Jayson eventually hooked up with some friends who were on the Harlem Globetrotters, and they went out for a night of partying.
The good Jayson included Gus into the party. Cause that's the kind of guy he is. When the party moved to Jayson's mansion in Jersey, did he leave Gus outside in the limo, as the hired help?
Of course not. The good Jayson invited Gus into his home.
And that is where the bad Jayson tragically takes over.
Whether it was a prank, a mistake or on purpose, we will never know for sure.
But at some point, Jayson had a shotgun and shot Gus in the belly.
And Gus died.
And 8 years later, the criminal case appears to be resolved.
I gotta end with a crazy Jayson story. It perfectly illustrates the duality that exists in this man.
Dwayne Schintzius was a teammate of Jayson's with the Nets.
Here is a transcript of a interview he conducted with a Florida radio station. The prosecution tried to admit this story into evidence, but was blocked by the judge:
I was spending the weekend with Jayson. He had recently suffered a career ending injury, and cashed in his $87 million insurance policy from Lloyds of London. He lived in a 31,000 square foot mansion on 300 acres. It was like a compound. Anyway, one night we are hanging out, and he had this 150 pound rottweiler named Duke. Anyway, Jayson was talking about how tough Duke was, and I bet him $100 that I could drag Duke out the front door by his back legs. The front door was about 15-20 feet away.
Anyway, so he agreed to the bet, and the game was on. Suddenly, Jayson started shouting attack commands to Duke, trying to get him to maul me. I started baby talking Duke, ‘Come on big fella, how are you Duke?’, etc. So Duke lays down on his side for me to scratch his belly, and so I scratch his belly and drag him out the door. I said to Jayson ‘OK now pay up’. Jayson says ‘OK I’ll be right back’ and goes back inside the house and upstairs.
After a minute or two, Jayson comes back down with a double barrel shotgun. Without a word, he pumps a round into Duke’s side and then blows his head off with the next shot. He then reloads, points the shotgun at my head from a foot away and says ‘Schintz, get this ******* dog cleaned up and out of here, or you’re next.’ I said ‘Please Jayson, just don’t kill me.’
His brother and I ended up picking up Duke and taking him to a spot on the property and burying him. Jayson had gone to bed by the time we got back to the house. The next morning I woke up, walked into the kitchen, and there was Jayson wearing a ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron, making pancakes with a big smile on his face, acting like nothing had happened.”
Methinks Jayson's lawyer dropped the ball. Forensics experts testified that Gus was shot from 8 feet away. As anyone who ever watched Jayson Williams play basketball can attest, Jayson's shooting range consisted of about 5 feet.
On a serious note, the killing of Gus the limo driver is an instructive example of the "good Jayson" " bad Jayson" that have been at war with each other for far too long.
The good Jayson is a man who people love to be around. He is funny, quick witted, charitable, generous to a fault- a poster boy for all that is right about the modern athlete. The good Jayson knew how fortunate he was, and acted accordingly.
The bad Jayson has a history of violence that is chilling. Bar fights, assault charges and crazy gun related incidents are all part of the bad Jayson box score.
The good and the bad that make up Jayson Williams collided the night he met Gus the limo driver. And the bad Jayson won.
Jayson hired Gus, like any other customer. Jayson eventually hooked up with some friends who were on the Harlem Globetrotters, and they went out for a night of partying.
The good Jayson included Gus into the party. Cause that's the kind of guy he is. When the party moved to Jayson's mansion in Jersey, did he leave Gus outside in the limo, as the hired help?
Of course not. The good Jayson invited Gus into his home.
And that is where the bad Jayson tragically takes over.
Whether it was a prank, a mistake or on purpose, we will never know for sure.
But at some point, Jayson had a shotgun and shot Gus in the belly.
And Gus died.
And 8 years later, the criminal case appears to be resolved.
I gotta end with a crazy Jayson story. It perfectly illustrates the duality that exists in this man.
Dwayne Schintzius was a teammate of Jayson's with the Nets.
Here is a transcript of a interview he conducted with a Florida radio station. The prosecution tried to admit this story into evidence, but was blocked by the judge:
I was spending the weekend with Jayson. He had recently suffered a career ending injury, and cashed in his $87 million insurance policy from Lloyds of London. He lived in a 31,000 square foot mansion on 300 acres. It was like a compound. Anyway, one night we are hanging out, and he had this 150 pound rottweiler named Duke. Anyway, Jayson was talking about how tough Duke was, and I bet him $100 that I could drag Duke out the front door by his back legs. The front door was about 15-20 feet away.
Anyway, so he agreed to the bet, and the game was on. Suddenly, Jayson started shouting attack commands to Duke, trying to get him to maul me. I started baby talking Duke, ‘Come on big fella, how are you Duke?’, etc. So Duke lays down on his side for me to scratch his belly, and so I scratch his belly and drag him out the door. I said to Jayson ‘OK now pay up’. Jayson says ‘OK I’ll be right back’ and goes back inside the house and upstairs.
After a minute or two, Jayson comes back down with a double barrel shotgun. Without a word, he pumps a round into Duke’s side and then blows his head off with the next shot. He then reloads, points the shotgun at my head from a foot away and says ‘Schintz, get this ******* dog cleaned up and out of here, or you’re next.’ I said ‘Please Jayson, just don’t kill me.’
His brother and I ended up picking up Duke and taking him to a spot on the property and burying him. Jayson had gone to bed by the time we got back to the house. The next morning I woke up, walked into the kitchen, and there was Jayson wearing a ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron, making pancakes with a big smile on his face, acting like nothing had happened.”
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Corrupt Like A Senator
As you may know, former NY State Senate Majority Leader Joesph Bruno is on trial for fraud. There is one fact that has emerged from the trial that should anger any New Yorker.
Every year, Senators must fill out financial disclosure forms that are forwarded to the Senate Ethics Committee. Senators must list their outside business interests/income as well as any conflict of interests that they may have.
Now the State Senators have legal counsel that advise them on how to comply with the requirements.
Here is the fact that makes the blood boil: the lawyers for the Senate advised the Senators to have the completed disclosure forms hand-delivered to the Ethics Committee.
What's the big deal about hand delivering the damn forms?
Well, its huge. Every time the federal government brings a criminal case against a defendant, it has to show WHY IT HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE MATTER.
The feds typically use the fact that for financial crimes, a criminal defendant used the U.S. mail in committing/furthering the crime. It gives the feds the jurisdictional hook they need to bring the case.
Now it the Bruno case, the lawyer who advised the Senate testified that he advised the Senators to hand deliver the financial disclosures specifically because he wanted the feds not to have jurisdiction over the contents of the disclosures.
Think about that: they knew the disclosures were either false or misleading, and didn't want the feds to be able to carve out a case, so they hand delivered the forms instead using a conventional mailbox.
The level of corruption has reached toxic levels when politicians complete conflict of interest forms with the actual intent to avoid federal jurisdiction over the bull**it they admit on the forms.
Rise up, pitchfork brigades.
Every year, Senators must fill out financial disclosure forms that are forwarded to the Senate Ethics Committee. Senators must list their outside business interests/income as well as any conflict of interests that they may have.
Now the State Senators have legal counsel that advise them on how to comply with the requirements.
Here is the fact that makes the blood boil: the lawyers for the Senate advised the Senators to have the completed disclosure forms hand-delivered to the Ethics Committee.
What's the big deal about hand delivering the damn forms?
Well, its huge. Every time the federal government brings a criminal case against a defendant, it has to show WHY IT HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE MATTER.
The feds typically use the fact that for financial crimes, a criminal defendant used the U.S. mail in committing/furthering the crime. It gives the feds the jurisdictional hook they need to bring the case.
Now it the Bruno case, the lawyer who advised the Senate testified that he advised the Senators to hand deliver the financial disclosures specifically because he wanted the feds not to have jurisdiction over the contents of the disclosures.
Think about that: they knew the disclosures were either false or misleading, and didn't want the feds to be able to carve out a case, so they hand delivered the forms instead using a conventional mailbox.
The level of corruption has reached toxic levels when politicians complete conflict of interest forms with the actual intent to avoid federal jurisdiction over the bull**it they admit on the forms.
Rise up, pitchfork brigades.
He Makes Me Miss Janet Reno
Some things have to be seen to believed, and then after seeing it, you still can't believe it. Oprah's boyfriend's, testimony, strike that, my bad, I mean Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony before the Senate below falls into this category. (Video below.) This guy is AG? Watch his response when he is asked prior to KSM, please name any cases where an enemy combatant detained on foreign land received a civil trial. HE DOES NOT KNOW THE ANSWER. (WHICH OF COURSE IS ZERO, IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.) Watch him struggle with the question as to if we capture Bin Laden, would he be entitled to Miranda rights before questioning. This is not a first year law student. (Although to be fair to first year law students, most of them, like the rest of the country, would scratch their heads at Erich Holder's decision to give Marc Rich, a fugitive from justice, a pardon. Please keep the Polanski file away from his desk.) Back to Steadman's, I mean Holder's testimony: As the Chief law enforcement official for this country, how could he not be prepared to answer such basic questions? These questions were softballs tossed underhanded to the AG. Yet, he kept striking out so often, he should have been wearing Ryan Howard's jersey. This guy makes Janet Reno look like Clarence Darrow. Roll the tape:
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It Would Explain a Lot.....
Has Oprah's boyfriend been acting as the Attorney General of the United States?
You be the judge:
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You be the judge:
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Upside Down Justice
The Stoop was a happy place to be when we read that Lynne Stewart's conviction for providing material support to terrorists was upheld by a 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel.
Do you remember Lynne Stewart? She is a self-described radical revolutionary. She worships Mao and Castro. She was the lawyer for the blind Sheikh and got caught sending messages from the Sheikh to his terrorist group in Egypt. They were the choirboys who assassinated Anwar Sadat.
Stewart was sentenced to only 28 months, which one judge on the panel described as "astonishingly low". But the good news is that the trial Court has been ordered to examine whether Stewart committed perjury in her trial and to re- sentence her to a harsher prison term if she lied under oath.
Stewart was convicted in 2005. The appeal had been pending for 4 years, and all the while Stewart was free as a bird. I occasionally would see her in the Streets of Windsor Terrace/Park Slope, in a supermarket, or on a bus and each time it was like getting hit with cold water in the face; it was a stark reminder that we as a nation still do not treat terrorism as serious as we should.
When she originally was sentenced, Stewart bragged outside the court room to her rag tag supporters that she could do 28 months standing on her head.
In an upside down world where KSM gets a civilian criminal trial and Major Hasan gives PowerPoint presentations praising suicide bombers, maybe, as part of the re- sentencing, they should make Stewart do time standing on her head.
I will be glad when she is locked up: the country will be safer, the bus will be less crowded, and the line in the supermarket will be shorter.
Conviction of Sheik’s Lawyer for Assisting Terrorism Is Upheld
Do you remember Lynne Stewart? She is a self-described radical revolutionary. She worships Mao and Castro. She was the lawyer for the blind Sheikh and got caught sending messages from the Sheikh to his terrorist group in Egypt. They were the choirboys who assassinated Anwar Sadat.
Stewart was sentenced to only 28 months, which one judge on the panel described as "astonishingly low". But the good news is that the trial Court has been ordered to examine whether Stewart committed perjury in her trial and to re- sentence her to a harsher prison term if she lied under oath.
Stewart was convicted in 2005. The appeal had been pending for 4 years, and all the while Stewart was free as a bird. I occasionally would see her in the Streets of Windsor Terrace/Park Slope, in a supermarket, or on a bus and each time it was like getting hit with cold water in the face; it was a stark reminder that we as a nation still do not treat terrorism as serious as we should.
When she originally was sentenced, Stewart bragged outside the court room to her rag tag supporters that she could do 28 months standing on her head.
In an upside down world where KSM gets a civilian criminal trial and Major Hasan gives PowerPoint presentations praising suicide bombers, maybe, as part of the re- sentencing, they should make Stewart do time standing on her head.
I will be glad when she is locked up: the country will be safer, the bus will be less crowded, and the line in the supermarket will be shorter.
Conviction of Sheik’s Lawyer for Assisting Terrorism Is Upheld
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
And Justice For All (Terrorists)
Since Obama/Holder have told us that KSM has a right to a jury of his peers, methinks the entire jury pool will consist of anyone in NYC who has donated money to the ACLU.
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How Dumb Is He?
Chris Matthews has set the bar pretty low for dumb comments-but this one takes the cake. You know how in baseball they have the "Mendoza Line" as a barometer for weak hitters? They need to come up with the "Matthews Line" for idiotic comments by political talk show hosts. Check it out: | |
Sorry Chris Matthews but Im pretty sure the last time I checked with Homeland Security it was a crime to call Al-Qaida. Call me paranoid but something tells me its a really bad thing to do. Seriously do you really have to be on LSD to work at MSNBC? | |
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Why They Support It
Andrew Sullivan, below, loves the fact that the KSM criminal trial will also reveal the torture tactics of Bush/Cheney. The reason why the left celebrates the decision is because in their own warped way of thinking, the 9/11 terrorists and the CIA alleged torturers are both "evil doers" who must be brought to justice.
From my view on the Stoop, it seems pretty twisted.
But what an open civilian case will also do - and it's why a war criminal like John Yoo is so apoplectic - is reveal the extent to which the brutal torture of KSM was unnecessary, and led to the government's inability to prosecute him to the full extent of the law.
It will be a civic lesson to America and the world. It will show the evil of terrorism and the futility and danger of torture. It will be a way in which Cheney's torture regime can be revealed in all its grotesque excess at the same time as KSM's vile religious extremism is exposed for its murderous nihilism. That all this will take place in New York - close to where the mass murder took place - is a particularly smart touch.-Andrew Sullivan
From my view on the Stoop, it seems pretty twisted.
But what an open civilian case will also do - and it's why a war criminal like John Yoo is so apoplectic - is reveal the extent to which the brutal torture of KSM was unnecessary, and led to the government's inability to prosecute him to the full extent of the law.
It will be a civic lesson to America and the world. It will show the evil of terrorism and the futility and danger of torture. It will be a way in which Cheney's torture regime can be revealed in all its grotesque excess at the same time as KSM's vile religious extremism is exposed for its murderous nihilism. That all this will take place in New York - close to where the mass murder took place - is a particularly smart touch.-Andrew Sullivan
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