Earthquake
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1/31/2012 01:45:00 pm
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Kirk Tanter Blog
Current, Historic, Revealing, Informative...
2012-01-31
2012-01-30
Al Sharpton explains Arizona Governor Jan Brewer finger-wagging President Barack Obama
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/30/2012 01:07:00 pm
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Federal Court Approves Radio Industry Settlement With ASCAP
Story by All Access
Judge DENISE L. COTE, of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of NEW YORK has approved a settlement that ends two years of litigation between the RADIO MUSIC LICENSE COMMITTEE (RMLC) and THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (ASCAP) concerning the fees paid by radio to publicly perform ASCAP's 8.5 million plus musical works through 2016.
The settlement had been agreed upon in DECEMBER (NET NEWS 12/5/11).
The RMLC represents the vast majority of the nation’s radio stations (some 10,000 radio stations) and ASCAP represents some 425,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members.
Radio had faced a serious challenge in terms of "restoring reasonable license fee levels" during difficult economic times. License fees had increased to some 3% of industry revenues for each of ASCAP and BMI in the post-2008 environment. The settlement approved by the court effectively rolls back annual industry fees payable to ASCAP by more than $80 million for 2012 (as against where they stood at the end of the prior license in 2009) and provides for a return to a revenue-based fee structure at a level of 1.7% of revenue.
In addition, the new agreement covers (at the same 1.7% rate) the range of new media platforms in which the radio industry is increasingly engaged.
The new ASCAP license covers the period JANUARY 1, 2010 through DECEMBER 31, 2016 and includes the following highlights:
* A $75 million industry fee credit against 2010-2011 industry payments, to be credited in annual installments of $15 million each over 2012-2016 (this, in addition to the industry's retention of $40 million in fee reductions that had been ordered by the same Court at the interim fee stage of litigation in calendar year 2010)
* Going forward, for blanket/music format license-reporting stations, a 1.7% of gross revenue fee structure (with simplified revenue reporting), less a standard deduction of 12% for revenue derived from terrestrial/analog and HD multicasting broadcasts and a 25% standard deduction for revenue attributable to new media uses
* Retention of the per program (or program period) license that benefits many talk-formatted stations, with a base fee of 0.2958% of gross revenue, less the same standard deductions
* Expanded rights coverage to accommodate the industry’s developing "new media" platforms related to Internet websites, smart phones, and other wireless devices.
The immediate impact of this settlement was reflected in ASCAP's JANUARY 2012 billing statements that reflected a fee decrease of about 30% for the vast majority of radio stations across the country (at least those stations that were not in arrears to ASCAP). The new ASCAP license forms are expected to be made available to stations next month.
"This is a gratifying result for the radio industry. The new ASCAP license reflects the reality of our industry’s economy and puts the industry back on a sound footing insofar as its licensing relationship with ASCAP is concerned," commented RMLC Chairman ED CHRISTIAN, CEO of SAGA COMMUNICATIONS. "We appreciate the good will which ASCAP has demonstrated in working with our industry to get this resolution."
Judge DENISE L. COTE, of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of NEW YORK has approved a settlement that ends two years of litigation between the RADIO MUSIC LICENSE COMMITTEE (RMLC) and THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (ASCAP) concerning the fees paid by radio to publicly perform ASCAP's 8.5 million plus musical works through 2016.
The settlement had been agreed upon in DECEMBER (NET NEWS 12/5/11).
The RMLC represents the vast majority of the nation’s radio stations (some 10,000 radio stations) and ASCAP represents some 425,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members.
Radio had faced a serious challenge in terms of "restoring reasonable license fee levels" during difficult economic times. License fees had increased to some 3% of industry revenues for each of ASCAP and BMI in the post-2008 environment. The settlement approved by the court effectively rolls back annual industry fees payable to ASCAP by more than $80 million for 2012 (as against where they stood at the end of the prior license in 2009) and provides for a return to a revenue-based fee structure at a level of 1.7% of revenue.
In addition, the new agreement covers (at the same 1.7% rate) the range of new media platforms in which the radio industry is increasingly engaged.
The new ASCAP license covers the period JANUARY 1, 2010 through DECEMBER 31, 2016 and includes the following highlights:
* A $75 million industry fee credit against 2010-2011 industry payments, to be credited in annual installments of $15 million each over 2012-2016 (this, in addition to the industry's retention of $40 million in fee reductions that had been ordered by the same Court at the interim fee stage of litigation in calendar year 2010)
* Going forward, for blanket/music format license-reporting stations, a 1.7% of gross revenue fee structure (with simplified revenue reporting), less a standard deduction of 12% for revenue derived from terrestrial/analog and HD multicasting broadcasts and a 25% standard deduction for revenue attributable to new media uses
* Retention of the per program (or program period) license that benefits many talk-formatted stations, with a base fee of 0.2958% of gross revenue, less the same standard deductions
* Expanded rights coverage to accommodate the industry’s developing "new media" platforms related to Internet websites, smart phones, and other wireless devices.
The immediate impact of this settlement was reflected in ASCAP's JANUARY 2012 billing statements that reflected a fee decrease of about 30% for the vast majority of radio stations across the country (at least those stations that were not in arrears to ASCAP). The new ASCAP license forms are expected to be made available to stations next month.
"This is a gratifying result for the radio industry. The new ASCAP license reflects the reality of our industry’s economy and puts the industry back on a sound footing insofar as its licensing relationship with ASCAP is concerned," commented RMLC Chairman ED CHRISTIAN, CEO of SAGA COMMUNICATIONS. "We appreciate the good will which ASCAP has demonstrated in working with our industry to get this resolution."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/30/2012 10:36:00 am
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Radio begins to "like" Facebook adds
Facebook’s multibillion dollar IPO is expected this week,
demonstrating how pervasive social media has become in people’s everyday lives.
Its importance is also rising among radio advertisers. Sales managers are
grappling with how to integrate social media into client campaigns. If there’s
any rule this early into the quest, it’s that a light touch is best.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/30/2012 09:49:00 am
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2012-01-27
One Love Gospel Cruise is March 18th, 2012
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/27/2012 01:33:00 pm
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Radio Programmers putting ZIP into PPM.
While programmers have long zeroed in on hot ZIP codes — those that produce the most Average Quarter Hours for their station — PPM data and new tools are helping facilitate finer targeting for marketing campaigns. That’s given rise to new strategies and tactics about how to more effectively market to not only where the listeners are but where listeners with meters are.
Story by Inside Radio
Running a Key ZIP codes report in Arbitron’s PD Advantage Web software will spit out a list in descending order of the ZIP codes that produced the largest amount of AQH for an individual station. The reports so far can only be run on broad adult demos, although Arbitron is considering making them available based on gender.
Unlike diary measurement, where anywhere from 25-75 ZIP codes deliver the bulk of a station’s listening, it’s not unusual for as few as 10-15 ZIP codes to produce as much as half of a station’s quarter hours under electronic measurement — even in a market with 200 ZIP codes. That’s consistent with an Arbitron/dmr finding that, on average, 20% of a station’s cume accounts for 63% of its total AQH. The Key ZIP codes report filters out zips where listeners only cume the station occasionally and zeroes in on those that provide substantial listening. Unlike the diary, where the sample turns over every week, the average panelist remains in the sample for nine months. That makes Key ZIP codes reports more telling.
“This is telling you that these are the places where your listeners are and there’s a very good likelihood that they’re still there right now,” Arbitron director of programming services Jon Miller says. “These are the zips that have really paid dividends for you.”
Programmers say a better understanding of where their listeners live helps maximize marketing efforts. “Because PPM holders participate for an average of nine months, our follow-up contacts and inclusion in multiple marketing pieces have shown positive results,” Wilks Broadcasting EVP of programming Jeff Sanders says. “There are definitely less swings in the PPM versus the diary world, but when a PPM panelist switches stations, or comes off the panel, the impact is dramatic and can definitely be seen.”
Hot ZIPs have always played a role in station marketing campaigns — both to reinforce listening and win over converts from the competition. Under PPM their significance is growing. “We don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of money targeting 100 ZIP codes when there are ten contributing half of my quarter hours,” Cox Media Group director of radio ratings research Paul Douglas says. One school of thought is to fish where the fish are: ratchet up marketing in those ZIPs, from station appearances to van hits to direct marketing http://www.radio-info.com/programming/newstalksports/the-st-p-strategy. “We start with these ZIPs, and if there’s still marketing money left over, we may spread out further,” Sanders says. Even on-air messaging – traffic reports and jock shout-outs — can be aimed at specific locales. Another tactic involves stations comparing the hot ZIPs of their competitors with their own. “Your competitor might be strong in a ZIP code right next door to one of your hot ZIPs,” Douglas says. But it’s not as simple as running a report. “Like a lot of things in PPM, it requires further research, such as cross-checking the list with station databases and perceptual research,” Douglas says.
Understanding the demographic, ethnic and socioeconomic lay of the land is also a factor. For example, a rhythmic CHR in a market with a large Hispanic population might find success marketing exclusively to areas of the metro with high concentrations of English-primary 18-34 year-old Hispanic men. An urban AC station benefiting from a couple of heavy-listening meters that are about to reach the average ten-month panel shelf-life in a primarily African-American ZIP code might step up marketing in that area http://www.radio-info.com/programming/newstalksports/the-st-p-strategy. Since Arbitron will attempt to replace those households with ones in the same ZIP code, marketing efforts there may increase the likelihood that the new panelists also listen to the station. A caveat to consider in marketing to ZIPs is so called aberrant listening — that sometimes puzzling phenomenon when a station that primarily appeals to white, upper demo suburban females suddenly posts off-the-chart teen listening. It can sway station ratings and Key ZIP code reports.
When examining a list of the ZIP codes that net the most listening for their station, programmers confront a vexing question: Is the hot ZIP still hot? Because the reports are based on six months of aggregated data, some participants will have fallen out. So there’s no way of knowing with absolute certainty that a ZIP code that produced 1,000 quarter hours for a station will continue to bare ratings fruit. Arbitron chose the six month time frame for panel security reasons. “If we told the station where its ZIPs were for last month it would pose too much opportunity for abuse,” Arbitron’s Jon Miller says. “It might inspire people to send the trucks out.”
For the same reason, meter counts are left out of the Key ZIP codes report. But stations and researchers are coming up with crafty ways of getting at that information. Research Director Inc., for example, produces experimental client reports that show the number of quarter hours from individual meters within a ZIP code that went to specific stations and formats. The system isn’t perfect. The reports are produced through a process of elimination and are subject to rounding errors. “We have station clients directing their marketing efforts http://www.radio-info.com/programming/newstalksports/the-st-p-strategy at the ZIP codes where their format meter listening is coming from,” Research Director president Charlie Sislen says. The reports may also help programmers spot when they are benefiting from aberrational listening.
While Arbitron’s Key ZIP codes report doesn’t reveal meter counts, the company does issue a monthly list of the number of in-tab meters for each ZIP code in the market sample. Clients are eager for Arbitron to put the two datasets together. “That topic is part of a broader conversation about what we can see each month about our meters that is valuable to the broadcasters and Arbitron is comfortable releasing,” Miller says. “That is an ongoing conversation.”
Story by Inside Radio
Running a Key ZIP codes report in Arbitron’s PD Advantage Web software will spit out a list in descending order of the ZIP codes that produced the largest amount of AQH for an individual station. The reports so far can only be run on broad adult demos, although Arbitron is considering making them available based on gender.
Unlike diary measurement, where anywhere from 25-75 ZIP codes deliver the bulk of a station’s listening, it’s not unusual for as few as 10-15 ZIP codes to produce as much as half of a station’s quarter hours under electronic measurement — even in a market with 200 ZIP codes. That’s consistent with an Arbitron/dmr finding that, on average, 20% of a station’s cume accounts for 63% of its total AQH. The Key ZIP codes report filters out zips where listeners only cume the station occasionally and zeroes in on those that provide substantial listening. Unlike the diary, where the sample turns over every week, the average panelist remains in the sample for nine months. That makes Key ZIP codes reports more telling.
“This is telling you that these are the places where your listeners are and there’s a very good likelihood that they’re still there right now,” Arbitron director of programming services Jon Miller says. “These are the zips that have really paid dividends for you.”
Programmers say a better understanding of where their listeners live helps maximize marketing efforts. “Because PPM holders participate for an average of nine months, our follow-up contacts and inclusion in multiple marketing pieces have shown positive results,” Wilks Broadcasting EVP of programming Jeff Sanders says. “There are definitely less swings in the PPM versus the diary world, but when a PPM panelist switches stations, or comes off the panel, the impact is dramatic and can definitely be seen.”
Hot ZIPs have always played a role in station marketing campaigns — both to reinforce listening and win over converts from the competition. Under PPM their significance is growing. “We don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of money targeting 100 ZIP codes when there are ten contributing half of my quarter hours,” Cox Media Group director of radio ratings research Paul Douglas says. One school of thought is to fish where the fish are: ratchet up marketing in those ZIPs, from station appearances to van hits to direct marketing http://www.radio-info.com/programming/newstalksports/the-st-p-strategy. “We start with these ZIPs, and if there’s still marketing money left over, we may spread out further,” Sanders says. Even on-air messaging – traffic reports and jock shout-outs — can be aimed at specific locales. Another tactic involves stations comparing the hot ZIPs of their competitors with their own. “Your competitor might be strong in a ZIP code right next door to one of your hot ZIPs,” Douglas says. But it’s not as simple as running a report. “Like a lot of things in PPM, it requires further research, such as cross-checking the list with station databases and perceptual research,” Douglas says.
Understanding the demographic, ethnic and socioeconomic lay of the land is also a factor. For example, a rhythmic CHR in a market with a large Hispanic population might find success marketing exclusively to areas of the metro with high concentrations of English-primary 18-34 year-old Hispanic men. An urban AC station benefiting from a couple of heavy-listening meters that are about to reach the average ten-month panel shelf-life in a primarily African-American ZIP code might step up marketing in that area http://www.radio-info.com/programming/newstalksports/the-st-p-strategy. Since Arbitron will attempt to replace those households with ones in the same ZIP code, marketing efforts there may increase the likelihood that the new panelists also listen to the station. A caveat to consider in marketing to ZIPs is so called aberrant listening — that sometimes puzzling phenomenon when a station that primarily appeals to white, upper demo suburban females suddenly posts off-the-chart teen listening. It can sway station ratings and Key ZIP code reports.
When examining a list of the ZIP codes that net the most listening for their station, programmers confront a vexing question: Is the hot ZIP still hot? Because the reports are based on six months of aggregated data, some participants will have fallen out. So there’s no way of knowing with absolute certainty that a ZIP code that produced 1,000 quarter hours for a station will continue to bare ratings fruit. Arbitron chose the six month time frame for panel security reasons. “If we told the station where its ZIPs were for last month it would pose too much opportunity for abuse,” Arbitron’s Jon Miller says. “It might inspire people to send the trucks out.”
For the same reason, meter counts are left out of the Key ZIP codes report. But stations and researchers are coming up with crafty ways of getting at that information. Research Director Inc., for example, produces experimental client reports that show the number of quarter hours from individual meters within a ZIP code that went to specific stations and formats. The system isn’t perfect. The reports are produced through a process of elimination and are subject to rounding errors. “We have station clients directing their marketing efforts http://www.radio-info.com/programming/newstalksports/the-st-p-strategy at the ZIP codes where their format meter listening is coming from,” Research Director president Charlie Sislen says. The reports may also help programmers spot when they are benefiting from aberrational listening.
While Arbitron’s Key ZIP codes report doesn’t reveal meter counts, the company does issue a monthly list of the number of in-tab meters for each ZIP code in the market sample. Clients are eager for Arbitron to put the two datasets together. “That topic is part of a broader conversation about what we can see each month about our meters that is valuable to the broadcasters and Arbitron is comfortable releasing,” Miller says. “That is an ongoing conversation.”
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/27/2012 09:33:00 am
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2012-01-26
Gabby
Friend --
Yesterday, my close friend and fellow Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned from Congress to continue her recovery.
I went with her to the floor of the House to serve as her voice -- and to thank her for her service to this country.
Join me in thanking her by adding your name and a note, and I'll make sure she gets them.
Gabby made one thing very clear with these words:
"I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona, and for all Americans."
I know she is going to be back. Until then, let's show her we're all behind her:
http://my.democrats.org/Gabby
Thank you,
Debbie
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee
Yesterday, my close friend and fellow Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned from Congress to continue her recovery.
I went with her to the floor of the House to serve as her voice -- and to thank her for her service to this country.
Join me in thanking her by adding your name and a note, and I'll make sure she gets them.
Gabby made one thing very clear with these words:
"I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona, and for all Americans."
I know she is going to be back. Until then, let's show her we're all behind her:
http://my.democrats.org/Gabby
Thank you,
Debbie
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/26/2012 02:43:00 pm
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2012-01-25
Arbitron quantifies radio’s lead.
Story by Inside Radio
Arbitron calculates Americans listen to 14.6 billion hours of radio each month. The data point was created at the request of the company’s clients to give broadcast radio a way to show how it stacks up against Pandora. The webcaster recently told investors it logged 2.1 billion listener hours during the third quarter.
Arbitron calculates Americans listen to 14.6 billion hours of radio each month. The data point was created at the request of the company’s clients to give broadcast radio a way to show how it stacks up against Pandora. The webcaster recently told investors it logged 2.1 billion listener hours during the third quarter.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/25/2012 05:43:00 pm
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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Leaves U.S. House: "I Will Recover and Return" | C-SPAN
C-Span Link: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Leaves U.S. House: "I Will Recover and Return" C-SPAN
Washington, DC
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Story/Link by C-Span
Video by MSNBC
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) appeared in the House chamber Wednesday to formally submit her resignation. Members addressed the Congresswoman’s accomplishments before she handed in her letter of resignation.
After representing Southern Arizona in the House for five years, Representative Giffords (D-AZ) says in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and her state's governor that she's leaving Congress in order to focus on her recovery from a critical gunshot wound to the head inflicted a year ago this month. Her resignation will be effective at the end of the day today.
The Congresswoman’s resignation came after attending the President's State of the Union Speech, where the crowd gave her a bipartisan standing ovation.
Representative Giffords ends her letter with these words: “Every day I am working hard. I will recover and will return and we will work together again for Arizona and for all Americans.”
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/25/2012 01:17:00 pm
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State of the Union Speech - President Obama 1-24-12
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/25/2012 09:48:00 am
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CLYBURN STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
“I was pleased to hear the President focus on the issue of fundamental fairness for all Americans as he laid out his vision for the future. Over the past few decades, the wealth gap has grown at an alarming rate while the middle class has eroded because the tax code has been tilted toward the upper income levels and good jobs have gone offshore.
Under President Obama’s leadership, we have begun to move the economy forward with 22 straight months of private sector job growth, and I agree with him that we have much work to do to make ours a more perfect union with liberty and justice for all.”
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/25/2012 09:42:00 am
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2012-01-24
State of the Union Viewing Parties - per your zip code - RSVP below
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/24/2012 10:53:00 am
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2012-01-23
Legend Abdul-Jabbar named US cultural ambassador
Story by India Times
WASHINGTON: NBA all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a legendary retired centre, was named a global cultural ambassador on Wednesday by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Abdul-Jabbar, born Lew Alcindor before changing his name after leading Milwaukee to the 1971 NBA title, scored 38,387 points in 1,560 games over a 20-year NBA career and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1971 and 1985.
In a week-long trip to Brazil that starts on Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar will begin his new role to meet with young people and promote diplomacy and opportunities for greater cultural understanding between nations.
"I'm excited and honoured," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I really appreciate the opportunity. I remember when Louis Armstrong first did it back for President (John) Kennedy, one of my heroes, so it's nice to be following in his footsteps."
Abdul-Jabbar will participate in youth basketball clinics in Rio de Janeiro, host city of the 2016 Olympics, and Salvador, and stress education, social and racial tolerance, cultural understanding and sports as a means of empowerment.
"I look forward to meeting with young people all over the world and discussing ways in which we can strengthen our understanding of one another through education, through sports, and through greater cultural tolerance."
Since retiring from the NBA in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar has focused on African-American history and socio-economic justice.
"We're thrilled that you have agreed to do this," Clinton said. "I'm just very grateful to you for taking the time."
WASHINGTON: NBA all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a legendary retired centre, was named a global cultural ambassador on Wednesday by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Abdul-Jabbar, born Lew Alcindor before changing his name after leading Milwaukee to the 1971 NBA title, scored 38,387 points in 1,560 games over a 20-year NBA career and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1971 and 1985.
In a week-long trip to Brazil that starts on Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar will begin his new role to meet with young people and promote diplomacy and opportunities for greater cultural understanding between nations.
"I'm excited and honoured," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I really appreciate the opportunity. I remember when Louis Armstrong first did it back for President (John) Kennedy, one of my heroes, so it's nice to be following in his footsteps."
Abdul-Jabbar will participate in youth basketball clinics in Rio de Janeiro, host city of the 2016 Olympics, and Salvador, and stress education, social and racial tolerance, cultural understanding and sports as a means of empowerment.
"I look forward to meeting with young people all over the world and discussing ways in which we can strengthen our understanding of one another through education, through sports, and through greater cultural tolerance."
Since retiring from the NBA in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar has focused on African-American history and socio-economic justice.
"We're thrilled that you have agreed to do this," Clinton said. "I'm just very grateful to you for taking the time."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/23/2012 05:02:00 pm
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10 weird excuses workers use when late to work
Written by Justin Thompson
If you're like me, there are days when you hit the snooze button on your alarm or phone at least 27 times. Eventually you get up, throw on some clothes without the pretense that it's actually an outfit and slink into work, as if you've been there the last hour.
Sure, we've all had rough mornings, and sometimes the weirdest things do happen that prevent us from getting to work on time. I've walked all the way to the train station, only to realize I didn't have my fare card. That was an extra 20 minutes lost. But never have I blamed my tardiness on my cat's hiccups, but apparently some people have. Poor kitty.
A new CareerBuilder survey revealed that sixteen percent of workers reported arriving late to work at least once a week or more, up slightly from last year. In addition, more workers said they arrived late to work at least once a month, with 27 percent admitting to being tardy.
So what were some of the other crazy excuses that hiring managers shared with us? Read on, faithful The Work Buzz follower:
- Employee thought she had won the lottery (she didn't).
- Employee got distracted watching the "Today" show.
- Employee's angry roommate cut the cord to his phone charger, so it didn't charge and his alarm didn't go off.
- Employee believed his commute time should count toward his work hours.
- Employee claimed a fox stole her car keys.
- Employee's leg was trapped between the subway car and the platform (turned out to be true).
- Employee said he wasn't late, because he had no intention of getting to work before 9:00 a.m. (his start time was 8:00 a.m.)
- Employee was late because of a job interview with another company.
- Employee had to take a personal call from the state governor (turned out to be true).
- Traffic -- 31 percent of workers
- Lack of sleep -- 18 percent
- Bad weather -- 11 percent
- Getting kids to school or daycare -- 8 percent
In today's workplace, most employers are flexible with worker schedules and start times, but it's still important to remember that excessive tardiness can lead to termination. More than one-third of employers said they fired an employee for continuously showing up to work late.
"Punctuality -- or lack thereof -- can impact how your commitment, reliability and performance are perceived by your employer," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "One of the best ways to make sure you get to work on time is to get organized and plan ahead. Lay out whatever you'll need for the workday the night before, plan to be at the office early, account for expected commute delays and eliminate distractions in your morning routine."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/23/2012 04:34:00 pm
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President Obama's Weekly Address: America is Open for Business 1-21-12
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/23/2012 01:44:00 pm
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SOUTH CAROLINA CONGRESSMAN JIM CLYBURN STATEMENT DEPARTURE OF REP. GIFFORDS FROM CONGRESS
"All Americans can draw strength from the example of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords' heroic struggle to recover from a terrible injury. I've been proud to serve with her as a colleague in Congress, and I have been honored to call Gabby and her husband Mark good friends. As she leaves public office to focus on her recovery, I pray God will grant her restored health and happiness for many years to come."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/23/2012 01:39:00 pm
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NY Giants and NE Patriats play again in the Super Bowl
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/23/2012 01:00:00 pm
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2012-01-20
In Memoriam: The Ones We Lost in 2011 - We remember the heroes in black politics, music, TV and sports who passed away in 2011
2011 African-American immortals: http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/memoriam-ones-we-lost-2011
Gladys Horton was a founding member and lead singer of the Marvelettes, the first girl group signed to Berry Gordy's fledgling label, Motown Records. The group's 1961 hit "Please Mr. Postman" gave Motown its first No. 1 song and paved the way for the label's other girl groups -- the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas. Horton died of complications from a stroke Jan. 26, 2011 at age 65.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/20/2012 06:59:00 pm
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Remembering Etta James
Story by The Root
Written by Paul Devlin
Music has lost another icon, the miraculously voiced Etta James, whose sultry soul, going back to the 1950s, provided a mature sound track for several generations.
The 73-year-old singer died Friday, Jan. 20, of complications from leukemia, her friend and manager, Lupe de Leon, told CNN. She would have turned 74 on Jan. 25. Her leukemia was declared incurable in early December, according to a report by the Associated Press. Court records in a probate case indicated that she also suffered from dementia and kidney failure.
Known for her incomparable ballad skills, James could also sing the heck out of the blues, not to mention gospel. The heyday of her music career was in the late 1950s and early 1960s, although after she was thrust back into the spotlight by the 2008 biopic Cadillac Records, in which her character was played by Beyoncé Knowles, James had begun to receive the recognition that was long overdue. (Her influence spanned the pop-and-rock spectrum. Check out young Christina Aguilera singing "Sunday Kind of Love" in 1988.)
While the film, which depicted the rise of Chess Records, didn't put up spectacular numbers at the box office, James' music ("At Last" in particular) certainly found a new audience and was rescued from the lucrative purgatory of overplay in commercials. The disassociation of her mega-hit "At Last" from the many products it's been used to sell couldn't have hurt, either.
And yet when Beyoncé sang "At Last" as Barack and Michelle Obama danced at their inaugural ball in 2009, James stepped back into the spotlight for the wrong reason. It was probably a poor choice of song, given its overuse in advertising, coupled with Desiree Rogers' infamous statement about Obama being a "brand."
James reacted by saying she couldn't "stand Beyoncé" for singing the song she'd been "singing forever" on "big ol' President Day." This was so unfortunate (not to mention unfair to Beyoncé, who needed James less than James needed her in terms of contemporary music promotion). It prompted James' son, Donto, to tell CNN a year later that his mother had been suffering from "drug-induced dementia" at the time. As the singer's health faded, her offspring and her husband battled over control of her $1 million estate.
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins (now, there's a cool stage name: the reverse of a real name) in Los Angeles in 1938 to a 14-year-old single mother, Dorothy Hawkins. James would later claim that her father was the infamous white pool hustler Rudolph Wanderone, first known as "New York Fats" and later known as "Minnesota Fats" after the character Jackie Gleason made famous in The Hustler.
There is strong circumstantial evidence, not to mention an oral tradition, to back the unusual claim. James' mother had told her that her father was a white boy, "one of those real slick white boys." The actor Willie Best later confirmed that it was Minnesota Fats. The billiards historian R.A. Dyer, who has written two books about Wanderone, seems to support the idea. Dyer writes, "In photographs both [Wanderone and James] look startlingly alike with their wide faces, their tiny tulip mouths, their small but piercing eyes."
I don't know if I'd go so far as to co-sign "startlingly" alike, but the plausibility is there. If true, it's another sad chapter in the long history of mixed-race children in America unacknowledged by their white fathers. But at least young Jamesetta seemed to have inherited some swagger. But without a father, she surely struggled mightily with her teenage mother until she was discovered by the great Johnny Otis.
Unfortunately, she became close to Best, who gave her the lowdown about her father but who was also someone she got to know through drug addiction. Heroin plagued her and so many musicians of those years (so memorably captured by Jamie Foxx in Ray).
But her addiction also led her to be immortalized in what many critics have called one of the best books of 2010 (and best books of many years), the exceptional memoir Life, by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. (James mentions her respect for Richards in her 1995 memoir The Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story.) Richards memorializes her lovingly in his book, and his statement will surely, along with her music, outlast the Beyoncé controversy:
Another great singer and a girl after my own heart -- as well as my bride in a rock-and-roll "marriage" -- is Etta James. She'd been making records from the early '50s, when she was a doo-wop singer. She's expanded into every range since then ... Now, Etta had been a junkie. So we found reciprocation almost immediately ... It takes one look in the eye for one to know another. Incredibly strong, Etta, with a voice that could take you to hell or take you to heaven. And we hung in a dressing room, and like all ex-junkies, we talked about the junk. And why did we do this, the usual soul-searching. This culminated in a backstage wedding, which in show business terms is like, you get married but you're not really married. You exchange vows and stuff, on the top of the backstage stairs. And she gave me a ring, I gave her a ring, and actually that's where I decided her name's Etta Richards. She'll know what I mean.
Written by Paul Devlin
Music has lost another icon, the miraculously voiced Etta James, whose sultry soul, going back to the 1950s, provided a mature sound track for several generations.
The 73-year-old singer died Friday, Jan. 20, of complications from leukemia, her friend and manager, Lupe de Leon, told CNN. She would have turned 74 on Jan. 25. Her leukemia was declared incurable in early December, according to a report by the Associated Press. Court records in a probate case indicated that she also suffered from dementia and kidney failure.
Known for her incomparable ballad skills, James could also sing the heck out of the blues, not to mention gospel. The heyday of her music career was in the late 1950s and early 1960s, although after she was thrust back into the spotlight by the 2008 biopic Cadillac Records, in which her character was played by Beyoncé Knowles, James had begun to receive the recognition that was long overdue. (Her influence spanned the pop-and-rock spectrum. Check out young Christina Aguilera singing "Sunday Kind of Love" in 1988.)
While the film, which depicted the rise of Chess Records, didn't put up spectacular numbers at the box office, James' music ("At Last" in particular) certainly found a new audience and was rescued from the lucrative purgatory of overplay in commercials. The disassociation of her mega-hit "At Last" from the many products it's been used to sell couldn't have hurt, either.
And yet when Beyoncé sang "At Last" as Barack and Michelle Obama danced at their inaugural ball in 2009, James stepped back into the spotlight for the wrong reason. It was probably a poor choice of song, given its overuse in advertising, coupled with Desiree Rogers' infamous statement about Obama being a "brand."
James reacted by saying she couldn't "stand Beyoncé" for singing the song she'd been "singing forever" on "big ol' President Day." This was so unfortunate (not to mention unfair to Beyoncé, who needed James less than James needed her in terms of contemporary music promotion). It prompted James' son, Donto, to tell CNN a year later that his mother had been suffering from "drug-induced dementia" at the time. As the singer's health faded, her offspring and her husband battled over control of her $1 million estate.
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins (now, there's a cool stage name: the reverse of a real name) in Los Angeles in 1938 to a 14-year-old single mother, Dorothy Hawkins. James would later claim that her father was the infamous white pool hustler Rudolph Wanderone, first known as "New York Fats" and later known as "Minnesota Fats" after the character Jackie Gleason made famous in The Hustler.
There is strong circumstantial evidence, not to mention an oral tradition, to back the unusual claim. James' mother had told her that her father was a white boy, "one of those real slick white boys." The actor Willie Best later confirmed that it was Minnesota Fats. The billiards historian R.A. Dyer, who has written two books about Wanderone, seems to support the idea. Dyer writes, "In photographs both [Wanderone and James] look startlingly alike with their wide faces, their tiny tulip mouths, their small but piercing eyes."
I don't know if I'd go so far as to co-sign "startlingly" alike, but the plausibility is there. If true, it's another sad chapter in the long history of mixed-race children in America unacknowledged by their white fathers. But at least young Jamesetta seemed to have inherited some swagger. But without a father, she surely struggled mightily with her teenage mother until she was discovered by the great Johnny Otis.
Unfortunately, she became close to Best, who gave her the lowdown about her father but who was also someone she got to know through drug addiction. Heroin plagued her and so many musicians of those years (so memorably captured by Jamie Foxx in Ray).
But her addiction also led her to be immortalized in what many critics have called one of the best books of 2010 (and best books of many years), the exceptional memoir Life, by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. (James mentions her respect for Richards in her 1995 memoir The Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story.) Richards memorializes her lovingly in his book, and his statement will surely, along with her music, outlast the Beyoncé controversy:
Another great singer and a girl after my own heart -- as well as my bride in a rock-and-roll "marriage" -- is Etta James. She'd been making records from the early '50s, when she was a doo-wop singer. She's expanded into every range since then ... Now, Etta had been a junkie. So we found reciprocation almost immediately ... It takes one look in the eye for one to know another. Incredibly strong, Etta, with a voice that could take you to hell or take you to heaven. And we hung in a dressing room, and like all ex-junkies, we talked about the junk. And why did we do this, the usual soul-searching. This culminated in a backstage wedding, which in show business terms is like, you get married but you're not really married. You exchange vows and stuff, on the top of the backstage stairs. And she gave me a ring, I gave her a ring, and actually that's where I decided her name's Etta Richards. She'll know what I mean.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/20/2012 06:19:00 pm
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0 Comments
President Obama sings Al Green's song "Let's Stay Together"
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/20/2012 11:35:00 am
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0 Comments
2012-01-19
Martin King III resigns as King Center president
Martin Luther King III paid tribute to his father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., during a recent naturalization ceremony at the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
Written by Shelia M. Poole
Story by Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo by Johnny Crawford
Martin Luther King III has resigned as president of the center formed to promote the legacy of his father.
The move comes on the heels of another major announcement last week that Bernice King, the surviving daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was named CEO of the King Center. That position was previously held by Martin King III.
The news just a day after the nation observed what would have been the 83rd birthday celebration of King, who was assassinated in 1968.
In a statement, King said he would remain active as a member of the board of trustees.
"I will be devoting my primary future efforts towards launching a new organization that will focus on supporting a new generation of young “drum majors for justice” worldwide to expand my commitment to the Kingian principles of nonviolence, social justice, and human rights.," the statement said. "To that end, I will announce further details in the coming weeks."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/19/2012 04:56:00 pm
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0 Comments
2012-01-18
Big News on the 2012 Democratic Convention
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| Friend
-- We're making some big changes to this year's Democratic National Convention. Just like we broke with conventions of the past in 2008, we're moving the final night of this year's convention to Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers. There will be room for 70,000 people, so more folks will be able to come out and celebrate as President Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for re-election. It should be a wonderful night -- and it's not the only way we're doing things differently this year. In the upcoming months, we'll be asking folks for their ideas on how to make this convention more open and accessible than ever before. Sign up to be in the loop for upcoming convention news -- and help shape the convention every step of the way. Most national conventions are four days long. But to honor President Obama's belief in organizing our neighborhoods and communities, we're shortening the convention to three days to make room to celebrate the Carolinas with a day of organizing. To kick off the convention, we'll be getting together at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Labor Day to organize and get ready for November. It's a way to build our organization -- and help ramp up our efforts in battleground states like North Carolina, which President Obama won by just 14,000 votes in 2008. These are just a few ways we're working to make this convention about more than political traditions and confetti falling from the rafters. We're asking people to share their ideas, planning activities that reflect the core of our organizing work, and asking anyone who wants to be a part of it to take ownership. Make sure your voice is heard as we continue to plan the convention over the months ahead. Stay connected with the latest in convention news and ways to get involved today: http://my.democrats.org/Dem-Convention Thanks, Debbie Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Chair Democratic National Committee |
Paid
for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org.
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posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/18/2012 11:01:00 am
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0 Comments
Al Sharpton announces Voting Rights and Obama Health Care March/Rally
Monday morning at National Action Network’s (NAN) annual King Day Breakfast in Washington, D.C., NAN Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton made key announcements in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr.
First, Rev. Sharpton announced that during the remembrance of Bloody Sunday beginning March 4th he will lead a 5-day March commemorating the historic 1965 Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March. The march will begin at the Edmund Pettus Bridge ending with a rally at the Alabama State Capitol on Friday, March 9. The March is in support of Voting Rights and to highlight the continuing efforts against Voter Suppression.
This includes the efforts to defeat Voter Identification Laws and reverse Anti-Immigration laws in the state of Alabama.
Secondly, Rev. Sharpton announced that National Action Network will lead a rally on March 27th in Washington, DC, at the United States Supreme Court as arguments are heard on Obama's Health Care Plan.
According to Rev. Sharpton:
It is important that we not just remember what Dr. King and others did in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act that came as a result of the Selma to Montgomery march. We must preserve it against Voter ID Laws and the early voting and voter suppression attempts that are taking place today. To celebrate Dr. King and allow them to undermine him is hypocritical. Therefore on March 4th we will gather in Selma, Alabama, and march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and march again to Montgomery, Alabama against Voter ID and voter suppression laws culminating with a huge rally that Friday.The effort to make the Health Care Act unconstitutional is not just a challenge to Health Care but a challenge to federal government superseding state government and protecting its citizens. We will be in mass marching and rallying on the day this is argued at the Supreme Court to demand in the name of Dr. King that we stop those that engage in interposing Federal law with State law and nullifying federal rights to protect its citizen.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/18/2012 11:00:00 am
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0 Comments
2012-01-17
Happy 48th Birthday First Lady Michelle Obama
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/17/2012 11:40:00 am
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0 Comments
Muhammad Ali Celebrates his 70th birthday
Story/Photo by AP
Video by NBC
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)
At 70, Muhammad Ali is ''still the greatest'' to friends and admirers worldwide.
The boxing champ basked in chants of ''Ali! Ali!'' as hundreds of supporters cheered him on Saturday night with a hearty rendering of ''Happy Birthday'' during his 70th birthday celebration in his Kentucky hometown. Never mind that Ali actually turns 70 years old on Tuesday: the private party in his hometown is the first of five planned in the next few months.
As party-goers mingled in a lobby of the Muhammad Ali Center before the festivities, Ali walked slowly to a second-floor balcony overlooking them. The crowd immediately began to clap, then broke into effusive chants and singing. The three-time world heavyweight champion, who is battling Parkinson's disease, leaned against a rail and raised his right hand to wave to the crowd. Then he joined his party out of view of the public and the press.
Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said his boyhood idol is ''still the greatest.''
''I feel so proud and honored that we're able to show our feelings and show our support for him,'' Lewis said.
The guest list numbered 350 for the private party, which doubled as a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for the Ali Center, a six-year-old cultural and education complex designed to be a legacy to his social activism. The six-story center also retraces Ali's career, including his epic bouts against Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston.
The guest list included Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee and three American hikers who were imprisoned in Iran. Ali, perhaps the most prominent U.S. Muslim, lobbied for their release. Rocker John Mellencamp headlined the entertainment.
Muhammad Ali waves to his guests as he is helped by his wife, Lonnie (right).
Dundee, who traveled from Clearwater, Fla., for the celebration, said he hears from Ali about once a month.
''We're like family,'' Dundee told The Courier-Journal of Louisville. ''We've always been family and we're always going to be family. He'll say, `Angie, I want to come and train. That's what I miss the most. Being in the gym. Working up a sweat.'''
Joe Frazier's life became marked by a hatred for Muhammad Ali. Hopefully in death he finds peace and liberation, Mark Kriegel says.
Guests paid tribute to Ali before filling a banquet hall for a party closed to the public.
''The reason I loved him is because of his confidence,'' University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari said. ''He would talk and then back it up. He had great courage and who had more fun than him?''
The self-proclaimed ''Greatest of All Time'' remains one of the world's most recognizable figures, even though he's been largely absent from the public eye recently as he fights Parkinson's disease.
His wife Lonnie Ali said recently that the boxing great has mixed feelings about the landmark birthday.
''He's glad he's here to turn 70, but he wants to be reassured he doesn't look 70,'' she said.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on Jan. 17, 1942, Ali took up boxing at age 12, when his bike was stolen and he wanted to find and whip the culprit. The boy was introduced to Joe Martin, a police officer who coached boxing at a local gym.
Ali flourished in the ring, becoming a top amateur and Olympic gold medalist. He made his professional debut in Louisville and arranged for a local children's hospital to receive proceeds from the fight.
Lewis said Ali ranks as the greatest of heavyweights, and he said he was inspired by Ali's fights.
''I used to get mad if I didn't see the Ali shuffle,'' Lewis said. ''So I was always watching him, expecting some type of antic.''
Ali won the heavyweight title in 1964, defeating the heavily favored Sonny Liston. Soon after, Ali - who was raised in a Baptist family - announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name.
While in his prime, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown in 1967 for refusing to be drafted for military service during the Vietnam War. He cited his religious beliefs as the reason for his refusal.
His decision alienated Ali from many across the U.S. and resulted in a draft-evasion conviction. Ali found himself embroiled in a long legal fight that ended in 1971, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor.
Ali lost his first bid to regain the heavyweight crown when Frazier knocked him down and took a decision in the ''Fight of the Century'' at Madison Square Garden in 1971. Ali regained the heavyweight title in 1974, defeating Foreman in the ''Rumble in the Jungle.'' A year later, he outlasted Frazier in the epic ''Thrilla in Manila'' bout.
Last year, a frail Ali rose from his seat and clapped for his deceased rival at Frazier's funeral.
Ali's last title came in 1978 when he defeated Leon Spinks.
Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and devoted himself to social causes. He traveled the world on humanitarian missions. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/17/2012 11:22:00 am
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0 Comments
2012-01-16
Celebrate MLK Day
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Dear
Kirk,
With
America observing Dr. King's federal holiday today, I want to thank you once
again for the tremendous role you played in helping us to "Build the Dream."
This
is the very first Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that Americans can celebrate with
a visit to Dr. King's glorious new Memorial in Washington, and to commemorate
this wonderful occasion we laid a wreath at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
at 8:00 AM this morning.
There
are many wonderful ways you can commemorate Dr. King's Birthday, including:
***
Talking with your children, grandchildren or other young relatives about what
the legacy of Dr. King means to you personally.
***
Making
a $83 donation in honor of Dr. King's 83rd birthday. When you make a
donation of $83 you will receive your very own "Piece of History" commemorative
plaque, featuring an actual piece of granite that was carved from the Stone of
Hope.
Whatever
you choose, I hope you feel a special sense of pride during this year's King
Holiday, as someone who played a special role in helping us "Build the
Dream."
Thank
you so much.
Sincerely,
 Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President & CEO Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. |
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/16/2012 02:52:00 pm
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0 Comments
2012-01-15
Lexus LF-LC concept
If Lexus were to produce a hybrid version of its LFA supercar, it would probably look like this sexy machine. It's the company's interpretation of what a future luxury sports coupe should look like. With its huge, angular grille, sloping glass roof and bulging fenders, it manages to be racy and elegant at the same time. The interior is just as richly sculpted, with a stylish steering wheel of polished metal, leather and carbon fiber. The door panels and center console have sweeping shapes that curl like waves. A 12.3-inch display in the middle of the dash complements the multilayered instrument binnacle in front of the driver. Lexus, please turn this into a production model.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/15/2012 09:47:00 pm
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0 Comments
2012-01-14
Vacation Cruiseship capsizes in Italy off coast of Tuscany
video by NBC
Vacation Cruiseship capsized in Italy
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/14/2012 01:43:00 pm
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0 Comments
First Lady Michele Obama's Birthday is Tuesday
From: Barack Obama
Friend --
When you become president, one thing that happens overnight is that you and everyone you love get a bunch of new nicknames. I was already pretty used to this. But "FLOTUS," short for First Lady of the United States, is really something else. I'm writing because our FLOTUS, Michelle, turns 48 on Tuesday, and I know I'm not her only fan out there. Will you join me in wishing her a happy birthday? The decision to become part of this campaign was deeply personal for a lot of people, and Michelle and I are no exception. But we both knew, like anyone else who believes in what we're trying to do here, that this was never going to be easy. This fall, Michelle and I will have been married 20 years. The next 10 months will be harder than any we've experienced together, and I couldn't do it without her. I know she'd love to hear from you today: http://my.democrats.org/For-Michelle Thanks for your support, Barack P.S. -- This weekend, people are getting together to volunteer in their communities in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Find out how you can join in at serve.gov. |
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Contributions
or gifts to Obama for America are not tax deductible.
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posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/14/2012 01:27:00 pm
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0 Comments
2012-01-12
Dr. King’s Voting Rights Legacy Under Attack
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“No nation can long continue to flourish or to find its way to a better society while it allows any one of its citizens…to be denied the right to participate in the most fundamental of all privileges of democracy – the right to vote.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Monday, January 16th, America will celebrate what would have been the 83rd birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day will be marked from coast-to-coast with parades, speeches, and pilgrimages to the new King Memorial on the National Mall. But in the midst of this outpouring of praise, there is a sinister movement afoot to undo one of Dr. King’s hardest fought victories – the removal of discriminatory barriers to voting and the passage of the Voting Rights Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.
In Dr. King’s day, billy clubs, cattle prods and guns kept African Americans away from the polls. Today, new voter restriction laws on the books or in the works in at least 34 states could deny the right to vote to more than 5 million Americans this year. These laws include new photo ID requirements, elimination of early voting, bans on voting by out-of-state college students, and rollbacks of voting rights for ex-felons who have paid their debts to society. Florida has even eliminated voting on the Sunday before Election Day which has traditionally been a day when African American churches organized “souls to the polls” drives for their congregations.
The mostly conservative proponents of these new laws claim they are meant to prevent widespread fraud – the casting of ballots by people who are not legally eligible to vote. But both the Bush and Obama Justice Departments have looked and not found significant voter fraud in American elections. So let’s be clear – the real reason behind this spate of new laws is to suppress the votes of people likely to support progressive candidates and issues – African Americans, Latinos, young people, the elderly and people with disabilities. This is unconscionable. It is un-American. And it dishonors the sacrifices of generations of Americans who have fought and died to extend the right to vote to every citizen.
Fortunately, a growing number of Americans are fighting back. On December 10th, the National Urban League joined the NAACP and a coalition of civil rights groups at a “Stand for Freedom” march and rally at the United Nations to protest this blatant attack on voting rights. Attorney General Eric Holder has also expressed concern about the legality of some of these new laws. Recently, the Justice Department struck down a voter ID law in South Carolina and Holder promises to continue to monitor these attempts and stop them when they violate the law. But beating back these efforts will require citizen vigilance and action.
In a recent speech at the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, Holder urged Americans to “Speak out. Raise awareness about what’s at stake. Call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and… urge policymakers at every level to reevaluate our election systems - and to reform them in ways that encourage, not limit, participation.”
We agree. We must not let the hard-won voting rights secured by Dr. King, John Lewis, LBJ and so many others slip away.
President and CEO
National Urban League
“No nation can long continue to flourish or to find its way to a better society while it allows any one of its citizens…to be denied the right to participate in the most fundamental of all privileges of democracy – the right to vote.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King’s Voting Rights Legacy Under Attack
On Monday, January 16th, America will celebrate what would have been the 83rd birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day will be marked from coast-to-coast with parades, speeches, and pilgrimages to the new King Memorial on the National Mall. But in the midst of this outpouring of praise, there is a sinister movement afoot to undo one of Dr. King’s hardest fought victories – the removal of discriminatory barriers to voting and the passage of the Voting Rights Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.
In Dr. King’s day, billy clubs, cattle prods and guns kept African Americans away from the polls. Today, new voter restriction laws on the books or in the works in at least 34 states could deny the right to vote to more than 5 million Americans this year. These laws include new photo ID requirements, elimination of early voting, bans on voting by out-of-state college students, and rollbacks of voting rights for ex-felons who have paid their debts to society. Florida has even eliminated voting on the Sunday before Election Day which has traditionally been a day when African American churches organized “souls to the polls” drives for their congregations.
The mostly conservative proponents of these new laws claim they are meant to prevent widespread fraud – the casting of ballots by people who are not legally eligible to vote. But both the Bush and Obama Justice Departments have looked and not found significant voter fraud in American elections. So let’s be clear – the real reason behind this spate of new laws is to suppress the votes of people likely to support progressive candidates and issues – African Americans, Latinos, young people, the elderly and people with disabilities. This is unconscionable. It is un-American. And it dishonors the sacrifices of generations of Americans who have fought and died to extend the right to vote to every citizen.
Fortunately, a growing number of Americans are fighting back. On December 10th, the National Urban League joined the NAACP and a coalition of civil rights groups at a “Stand for Freedom” march and rally at the United Nations to protest this blatant attack on voting rights. Attorney General Eric Holder has also expressed concern about the legality of some of these new laws. Recently, the Justice Department struck down a voter ID law in South Carolina and Holder promises to continue to monitor these attempts and stop them when they violate the law. But beating back these efforts will require citizen vigilance and action.
In a recent speech at the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, Holder urged Americans to “Speak out. Raise awareness about what’s at stake. Call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and… urge policymakers at every level to reevaluate our election systems - and to reform them in ways that encourage, not limit, participation.”
We agree. We must not let the hard-won voting rights secured by Dr. King, John Lewis, LBJ and so many others slip away.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/12/2012 11:23:00 am
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0 Comments
2012-01-11
Outrage over Indian islands 'human zoo' video
Map left locating India's Andaman Islands. Rights campaigners and politicians have condemned …
Story by AFP
Written by Pratap Chakravarty
Video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jan/07/andaman-islanders-human-safari-video
Rights campaigners and politicians Wednesday condemned a video showing women from a protected and primitive tribe dancing for tourists reportedly in exchange for food on India's Andaman Islands.
British newspaper The Observer released the undated video showing Jarawa tribal women -- some of them naked -- being lured to dance and sing after a bribe was allegedly paid to a policeman to produce them.
Under Indian laws designed to protect ancient tribal groups susceptible to outside influence and disease, photographing or coming into contact with the Jarawa and some of the Andaman aborigines is banned.
The tribe, thought to have been among the first people to migrate successfully from Africa to Asia, lives a nomadic existence in the lush, tropical forests of the Andamans in the Indian Ocean.
India's Tribal Affairs Minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo on Wednesday said an investigation had been ordered.
"An inquiry has been ordered and it is being headed by the chief secretary and director-general of police of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands," Deo told the Press Trust of India news agency.
"It's deplorable. You cannot treat human beings like beasts for the sake of money. Whatever kind of tourism is that, I totally disapprove of that and it is being banned also," the minister added.
Survival International, which lobbies on behalf of tribal groups worldwide, said the video showed tourists apparently enjoying "human zoos."
"Quite clearly, some people's attitudes towards tribal peoples haven't moved on a jot. The Jarawa are not circus ponies bound to dance at anyone's bidding," said Stephen Corry, the group's director, in a press release.
But state anthropologist A. Justin, who works on the Andaman islands, questioned whether the scenes were recent.
"Before the 2004 tsunami, people might have forced them to dance and there may have been some much smaller violations since then," Justin said by telephone from the capital Port Blair.
"Since the tsunami, a policy of maximum autonomy with minimum intervention has been put in place. Things are being taken care of these days. There is a lot of (security) coverage there now."
Justin said the video appeared to be several years old, while police in Port Blair also suggested it was taken some time ago.
"Nonetheless we have launched a probe because we want to know who is the videographer who has committed an offence and we also want to know who bribed and who has been bribed," Deol said.
The Observer report said its journalist had recently seen tourists throw bananas and biscuits to tribespeople on the roadside, and had been told by local traders how much to bribe the police to spend a day out with the Jarawa.
In June last year, Survival International accused eight Indian travel companies of running "human safari tours" so tourists could see and photograph the Jarawa.
The London-based group called for tourists to boycott the road used to enter the reserve of the Jarawa tribe, who number just 403 and are in danger of dying out.
The Andaman and Nicobar tropical island chain is home to four other rare tribes -- Onge, the Great Andamanese, the Sentinelese and the Shompens -- each numbering fewer than 350 members.
Another tribe called Bo died out in January 2010.
Video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jan/07/andaman-islanders-human-safari-video
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/11/2012 12:46:00 pm
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0 Comments
Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary - Official Results -
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
NEW HAMPSHIRE
county by county: http://elections.msnbc.msn.com/ns/politics/2012/new-hampshire/republican/primary/results
99% in 12 delegates jump to exit polls
| Mitt Romney |  | 39% | 97,339 | delegates 7 | |||||||||||
| Ron Paul | 23% | 56,601 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Jon Huntsman | 17% | 41,796 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Newt Gingrich | 9% | 23,329 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Rick Santorum | 9% | 23,204 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Rick Perry | 1% | 1,762 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Michele Bachmann | 0% | 349 | 0 | ||||||||||||
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/11/2012 12:26:00 pm
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Alert: BlackBerry turns on FM.
Story by Inside Radio
In a breakthrough for the radio industry, Research In Motion will add FM radio capability to two BlackBerry models already in the hands of consumers.
In an announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, RIM says with the download of a new application, people who own a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphone will now be able to tune to local FM stations.
In a breakthrough for the radio industry, Research In Motion will add FM radio capability to two BlackBerry models already in the hands of consumers.
In an announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, RIM says with the download of a new application, people who own a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphone will now be able to tune to local FM stations.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/11/2012 11:30:00 am
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Talk Radio Hosts Invade New Hampshire.
Story by Talkers Magazine/TRNS
What has become a talk radio tradition – the New Hampshire Primary Radio Row – puts the candidates and the issues on the air for local listeners and national audiences alike. The radio row event is organized by TALKERS magazine and the Talk Radio News Service and included more than 45 programs broadcasting live from the Manchester Radisson Sunday through the Primary yesterday.
National programs included: Dial Global’s Neal Boortz, Thom Hartmann and Michael Smerconish; Radio America’s Roger Hedgecock; Genesis Communications Network’s Kate Delaney; Syndication One’s Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine; Main Street Radio Network’s Alan Nathan; “A Touch of Grey” with Carole Marks; Michael Skoda; Dr. Gina Loudon; and Ed Morrissey.
Local talk hosts include: WOR, New York’s John Gambling; WTKK-FM, Boston’s Jim Braude and Margery Eagan; WTKK’s Michael Graham; Stephen K. Bannon of KABC, Los Angeles; Marc Bernier of WNDB, Daytona Beach; Michael Berry of KTRH, Houston; Lee Davis of WYDE-FM, Birmingham; Scott Hennen of KNOX, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Mark Skoda of WMPS, Memphis; Lisa Wexler of WFAS, Westchester, New York; Ken Pittman and Phil Paleologos of WBSM, New Bedford; Richard Girard of WGAM, Manchester; Paul Westcott of WGIR, Manchester; Dan Mitchell of WKBK, Keene; George Russell of WSMN, Nashua; Mark Johnson of WDEV, Waterbury, Vermont; Steve West of WKVT, Brattleboro, Vermont; John Harper of WUVR, Dartmouth, New Hampshire; Tony Lopes of WVBF, Taunton, Massachusetts; and Jeff Santos of WWZN, Boston.
What has become a talk radio tradition – the New Hampshire Primary Radio Row – puts the candidates and the issues on the air for local listeners and national audiences alike. The radio row event is organized by TALKERS magazine and the Talk Radio News Service and included more than 45 programs broadcasting live from the Manchester Radisson Sunday through the Primary yesterday.
National programs included: Dial Global’s Neal Boortz, Thom Hartmann and Michael Smerconish; Radio America’s Roger Hedgecock; Genesis Communications Network’s Kate Delaney; Syndication One’s Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine; Main Street Radio Network’s Alan Nathan; “A Touch of Grey” with Carole Marks; Michael Skoda; Dr. Gina Loudon; and Ed Morrissey.
Local talk hosts include: WOR, New York’s John Gambling; WTKK-FM, Boston’s Jim Braude and Margery Eagan; WTKK’s Michael Graham; Stephen K. Bannon of KABC, Los Angeles; Marc Bernier of WNDB, Daytona Beach; Michael Berry of KTRH, Houston; Lee Davis of WYDE-FM, Birmingham; Scott Hennen of KNOX, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Mark Skoda of WMPS, Memphis; Lisa Wexler of WFAS, Westchester, New York; Ken Pittman and Phil Paleologos of WBSM, New Bedford; Richard Girard of WGAM, Manchester; Paul Westcott of WGIR, Manchester; Dan Mitchell of WKBK, Keene; George Russell of WSMN, Nashua; Mark Johnson of WDEV, Waterbury, Vermont; Steve West of WKVT, Brattleboro, Vermont; John Harper of WUVR, Dartmouth, New Hampshire; Tony Lopes of WVBF, Taunton, Massachusetts; and Jeff Santos of WWZN, Boston.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/11/2012 10:31:00 am
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0 Comments
2012-01-07
President Obama Weekly Address: Continuing to Grow the Economy in the New Year 1-7-12
President Obama shares his New Year's resolution: doing whatever it takes to move the economy forward and ensure that middle class families regain the security they've lost in the last decade.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/07/2012 01:58:00 pm
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Mitt Romney camp rips Rick Santorum on spending
Story by CNN
GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney's campaign stepped up its criticism of conservative challenger Rick Santorum on Friday, continuing to hit the former Pennsylvania senator on his spending record while in Congress.
For his part, Santorum was slated to hold three "Faith, Family and Freedom" town hall meetings in New Hampshire, now four days from its first-in-the-nation primary.
In addition, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul had events scheduled in the state.
Romney holds a large lead in New Hampshire in most polls, which has resulted in high expectations for his performance next Tuesday. The other candidates appear to be scrambling for a second-place finish that could provide them with momentum heading into the January 21 South Carolina primary.
Catching Romney in South Carolina, however, may prove to be a slog for his Republican rivals. A CNN/Time/ORC International poll released Friday shows 37% of likely GOP Palmetto State primary voters backing the former Massachusetts governor, compared with 19% for Santorum, 18% for Gingrich, and 12% for Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
The survey's sampling error is plus-or-minus 4.5 points.
GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney's campaign stepped up its criticism of conservative challenger Rick Santorum on Friday, continuing to hit the former Pennsylvania senator on his spending record while in Congress.
For his part, Santorum was slated to hold three "Faith, Family and Freedom" town hall meetings in New Hampshire, now four days from its first-in-the-nation primary.
In addition, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul had events scheduled in the state.
Romney holds a large lead in New Hampshire in most polls, which has resulted in high expectations for his performance next Tuesday. The other candidates appear to be scrambling for a second-place finish that could provide them with momentum heading into the January 21 South Carolina primary.
Catching Romney in South Carolina, however, may prove to be a slog for his Republican rivals. A CNN/Time/ORC International poll released Friday shows 37% of likely GOP Palmetto State primary voters backing the former Massachusetts governor, compared with 19% for Santorum, 18% for Gingrich, and 12% for Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
The survey's sampling error is plus-or-minus 4.5 points.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/07/2012 12:57:00 pm
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2012-01-05
U.S. Music Sales Gained 6.9% in 2011 as Adele Spurs Downloads
Written by Andy Fixmer
U.S. music sales rose 6.9 percent in 2011 as consumer purchases of albums increased for the first time since 2004, propelled by digital downloads.
Overall sales of albums, single tracks and music videos increased to 1.61 billion units, Nielsen Co. and Billboard magazine said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. Total album sales expanded 1.3 percent to 330.6 million.
Sales of digital albums climbed 19.5 percent from last year, fueled by demand for Adele’s “21.” The album, nominated in November for six Grammy awards, sold 5.8 million copies in all formats, making the release distributed by Sony Music the year’s best-seller, the companies said.
Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group controlled 29.9 percent of U.S. music sales in 2011, while Sony Corp.’s music unit accounted for 29.3 percent, Nielsen and Billboard said. Warner Music Group garnered 19.1 percent and EMI Group controlled 9.6 percent, according to the statement.
Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” (video above) single sold 5.81 million digital copies in 2011, making it the best-selling download of the year, according to the statement. That was followed by LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” with 5.47 million downloads, and Katy Perry’s “E.T.,” which sold 4.83 million digital tracks.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/05/2012 12:21:00 pm
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President Obama announces sweeping new military strategy for Pentagon
Story by The Hill
Written by John T. Bennett and Jeremy Herb
The Pentagon on Thursday unveiled a sweeping new military strategy that jettisons plans for fighting two major wars at once while cutting the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
The strategy describes a new approach to fighting al Qaeda and puts China and Iran on notice, while readying the military for reduced funding and more austere budgets.
It will mean a smaller U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal as the Pentagon enacts $400 billion in cuts, as well as troop reductions, though these are not spelled out.
“As we look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the end of long-term, nation-building with large military footprints — we’ll be able to ensure our security with smaller conventional ground forces,” President Obama said in prepared remarks for a Pentagon briefing laying out the new strategy.
“Yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know — the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with Armed Forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats,” Obama said.
At the same time, Obama and the Pentagon’s new strategy argue that the U.S. military can effectively fight al Qaeda even with reduced funding.
“We will keep our armed forces the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped fighting force in history,” Obama writes in the strategy.
Republicans in Congress were quick to blast the new plans, accusing Obama of putting America's military dominance at risk.
“This is a lead from behind strategy for a left-behind America,” said House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.). “The President has packaged our retreat from the world in the guise of a new strategy to mask his divestment of our military and national defense. This strategy ensures American decline in exchange for more failed domestic programs.”
The strategy states that as the Afghanistan war winds down, the U.S. operation against al Qaeda will "become more widely distributed." It also will be designed to include "a mix of direct action and security force assistance," meaning the U.S. will help allies combat the extremist network.
In the era of smaller Pentagon budgets, the military "must be capable of deterring and defeating aggression ... in one region even when our forces are committed to a large-scale operation elsewhere," according to the strategy.
The document also vows that Washington will "invest as required" to field the kinds of combat systems that allow U.S. forces to enter and operate where "states such as China and Iran" have weapons intended to deny such access.
The calls for a smaller nuclear arsenal are sure to draw fire from hawkish congressional Republicans.
The strategy argues deterrence goals “can be achieved with a smaller nuclear force," and suggests a reduction in the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. inventory as well as their role in U.S. national security strategy.
The call for nuclear weapons cuts is an exception in the strategy, which otherwise does not spell out what weapons systems would be cut as the Pentagon budget shrinks. Those specifics will come next month when the 2013 military spending plan goes to Capitol Hill, officials say.
The new strategy signals troop cuts will be coming -- but contains no numbers. "U.S. forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations," it says.
Obama reiterated U.S. plans to shift focus to the Pacific region, with an emphasis on China as the wars in the Middle East near an end.
"As I made clear in Australia, we’ll be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region,” Obama said.
The so-called "comprehensive review" was ordered last year by Obama, at the behest of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The former Pentagon chief wanted to ensure more than $400 billion in budgets cuts over a decade were made strategically.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey both have said the military can remain lethal and effective if the $350 billion in cuts through 2013 mandated by the August debt deal stand. (The Pentagon contends that will equal a $450 billion cut to planned spending.)
The strategy reveals plans to shake up America's military presence in Europe, which will move "from a focus on current conflicts toward a focus on future capabilities."
The document signals the military will continue adding to its cyber arsenal of offensive and defensive systems. It also states the Pentagon will "enhance" its ability to "conduct effective operations to counter the proliferation of [weapons of mass destruction]."
Written by John T. Bennett and Jeremy Herb
The Pentagon on Thursday unveiled a sweeping new military strategy that jettisons plans for fighting two major wars at once while cutting the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
The strategy describes a new approach to fighting al Qaeda and puts China and Iran on notice, while readying the military for reduced funding and more austere budgets.
It will mean a smaller U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal as the Pentagon enacts $400 billion in cuts, as well as troop reductions, though these are not spelled out.
“As we look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the end of long-term, nation-building with large military footprints — we’ll be able to ensure our security with smaller conventional ground forces,” President Obama said in prepared remarks for a Pentagon briefing laying out the new strategy.
“Yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know — the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with Armed Forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats,” Obama said.
At the same time, Obama and the Pentagon’s new strategy argue that the U.S. military can effectively fight al Qaeda even with reduced funding.
“We will keep our armed forces the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped fighting force in history,” Obama writes in the strategy.
Republicans in Congress were quick to blast the new plans, accusing Obama of putting America's military dominance at risk.
“This is a lead from behind strategy for a left-behind America,” said House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.). “The President has packaged our retreat from the world in the guise of a new strategy to mask his divestment of our military and national defense. This strategy ensures American decline in exchange for more failed domestic programs.”
The strategy states that as the Afghanistan war winds down, the U.S. operation against al Qaeda will "become more widely distributed." It also will be designed to include "a mix of direct action and security force assistance," meaning the U.S. will help allies combat the extremist network.
In the era of smaller Pentagon budgets, the military "must be capable of deterring and defeating aggression ... in one region even when our forces are committed to a large-scale operation elsewhere," according to the strategy.
The document also vows that Washington will "invest as required" to field the kinds of combat systems that allow U.S. forces to enter and operate where "states such as China and Iran" have weapons intended to deny such access.
The calls for a smaller nuclear arsenal are sure to draw fire from hawkish congressional Republicans.
The strategy argues deterrence goals “can be achieved with a smaller nuclear force," and suggests a reduction in the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. inventory as well as their role in U.S. national security strategy.
The call for nuclear weapons cuts is an exception in the strategy, which otherwise does not spell out what weapons systems would be cut as the Pentagon budget shrinks. Those specifics will come next month when the 2013 military spending plan goes to Capitol Hill, officials say.
The new strategy signals troop cuts will be coming -- but contains no numbers. "U.S. forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations," it says.
Obama reiterated U.S. plans to shift focus to the Pacific region, with an emphasis on China as the wars in the Middle East near an end.
"As I made clear in Australia, we’ll be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region,” Obama said.
The so-called "comprehensive review" was ordered last year by Obama, at the behest of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The former Pentagon chief wanted to ensure more than $400 billion in budgets cuts over a decade were made strategically.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey both have said the military can remain lethal and effective if the $350 billion in cuts through 2013 mandated by the August debt deal stand. (The Pentagon contends that will equal a $450 billion cut to planned spending.)
The strategy reveals plans to shake up America's military presence in Europe, which will move "from a focus on current conflicts toward a focus on future capabilities."
The document signals the military will continue adding to its cyber arsenal of offensive and defensive systems. It also states the Pentagon will "enhance" its ability to "conduct effective operations to counter the proliferation of [weapons of mass destruction]."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/05/2012 12:05:00 pm
|
0 Comments
President Obama Discusses Richard Cordray in Shaker Heights
President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at Shaker Heights High School,Shaker Heights, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2012. Richard Cordray, former Ohio Attorney General and nominee as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shares the stage with the President. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Richard Cordray, the former attorney general of Ohio, joined President Obama as he spoke, and the President outlined his credentials:
"You know, you look at him and you think, this guy is not somebody who’s going around picking fights. And yet, this fight on behalf of consumers is something that Richard has been waging here in Ohio for the better part of two decades.
As your attorney general, he helped recover billions of dollars in things like pension funds on behalf of retirees. He protected consumers from dishonest lending practices. Before that, Richard was the state treasurer, where he earned a reputation for working with folks from across the spectrum -- Democrats, Republicans, bankers, consumer advocates -- had a great reputation across the board doing the right thing.
And, Cleveland, you’ve seen the difference that Richard can make for consumers, and I have, too. And that’s why I want Richard to keep standing up for you -- not just here in Ohio, but for consumers all across the country."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
1/05/2012 11:01:00 am
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0 Comments
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About Me
- Name: Kirk Tanter
- Location: Maryland, United States
To be or not to be, that is the question.
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