mccannta

Terrell Owens-Drew Rosenhaus Videos

Update: Arbitrator denies Owens appeal to suspension

Here are the videos from the Owens - Rosenhaus Circus. The videos are in Windows Media format and can be downloaded by right-clicking on the link and choosing 'Save Target As...'

	* New * Sportscenter TO Timeline - 11.23.05 [Large: 10 Mb .wmv ]
	Terrell Owens Apology - 11.08.05 [4 Mb .wmv ]
	Drew Rosenhaus' Comments after Terell Owens Apology 11.08.05 "Next Question" video [ Large File: 13 Mb .wmv ]
	PTI: Should The Eagles Take T.O. Back? 11.08.05 [ 4 Mb .wmv ]
	PTI: Should Terrell Owens Fire Drew Rosenhaus? 11.09.05 [ 2 Mb .wmv ]
	Colbert Report - The Word: T.O. 11.09.05 [ 3 Mb .wmv ]

See Original Posts:

• Terrell Owens - Drew Rosenhaus Circus
• Arbitrator Utilizes Reason & Common Rationality: Denies Terrell Owens' Appeal - Americans Thankful

Also Check out: www.firedrewrosenhaus.com, TheBMRant, Deadspin, Football Stories, PhillySportsNet.

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Technorati Tags: Terrell Owens, Drew Rosenhaus, next question, apology, Philadelphia Eagles, PTI, video.

Terrell Owens - Drew Rosenhaus Circus in Philadelphia

Update: Arbitrator denies Owens' appeal to suspension

The continuing saga of Terrell Owens continued this week with the Philadelphia Eagles suspending the controversial receiver and vowing not to play him for the rest of the season. This suspension is just the latest incident in the player's seemingly never ending public criticism of the Eagles, the team's management, Coach Andy Reid, and lately, quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Background
The first thing you need to know to understand the fervor regarding Owens is that he is a great player. He is one of the top-tier players in the NFL. He is not just talented, he is someone who can carry a team to the Super Bowl, which he did last year. For all his talent, his ego is always one step ahead of him. This ego led him to fire his longtime agent, David Joseph, in the off-season. He immediately hired hatchet-man and fellow megalomaniac, Drew Rosenhaus to get the Eagles to re-negotiate his contract, the $49 million deal he just signed in March 2004, for even more money. If you have seen the movie Jerry Maguire, you know what kind of agent Rosenhaus is; he was the model for the character Bob Sugar, the uber-ambitious, slimy sports agent. Jennifer at StinkyKitty analysis seems fairly accurate: "If ever there was a guy that got so indignant and said shit that no one ever believed, it's that guy."

Joe Paterno Comments On Black Athletes Without The Controversy

[See PTI Video] Another prominent collegiate football coach has weighed in on the black athletes. In a teleconference with Big Ten coaches and the media, Paterno identified black athletes as one cause, among a list of others, for the increase in scoring. ESPN reports:

At one point, the topic of the teleconference turned to the increased scoring in the Big Ten this season. After first mentioning that improved indoor practice facilities have helped the conference recruit kids from warm-weather climates, Paterno offered a supplemental explanation.

"You have to be careful the way you say things sometimes," the Penn State coach said. "Poor [Air Force coach] Fisher DeBerry got in trouble, but the black athlete has made a big difference. They have changed the whole tempo of the game. Black athletes have just done a great job as athletes and as people in turning the game around.

Air Force Academy Football Coach Criticized For Frank Comments on Race

The voracious guardians of political-correctness crucified another harmless bystander this week when Air Force Academy Football Coach Fisher DeBerry was reprimanded by the school's Athletic Director on Wednesday in response to remarks he made regarding minority recruitment at the school. It seems that the tension over Coach DeBerry's comments have less to do with their content and more to do with the politically correct, hair-trigger hypersensitivity towards any mention of issues of race in this country. Given this hostility, can anyone discuss matters of race in the public sphere without being thrown under the bus? [SportsCenter Video]

The AP reports:

[Coach Fisher DeBerry] said Air Force needed to recruit faster players. "We were looking at things, like you don't see many minority athletes in our program," DeBerry told The Gazette of Colorado Springs.

Anaheim Angels robbed in Chicago

It was a swing - our catcher caught it - Doug Eddings called him out. And somewhere along the line, because the guy ran to first base, he altered the call. [see video]
                         -Mike Scioscia after ALCS Game 2

       

The ALCS game 2 was spoiled for the Anaheim Angels when the home plate umpire Doug Eddings missed a critical call behind the plate. With the game tied 1-1 with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Angel's pitcher Kelvim Escobar caught White Sox A. J. Pierzynski swinging and missing at strike three. After the third strike, Angel's catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball toward the mound and ran off the field with the rest of the Angels players. At this, Pierzynski turned and ran to first base where he was called safe. Umpire Doug Eddings, believing the cather trapped the ball instead catching it outright, called the third strike but did not call him out. When the catcher does not catch the third strike cleanly, the batter is free to run to first, where if he makes it before the ball is thrown to first, he is ruled safe. This is a rare situation where three strikes does not mean you're out. [video of controversial play]

Instant replay shows that Angel's catcher seemed to catch the ball near the dirt cleanly and the umpire just missed the call. After this play, the White Sox brought in Jose Ozuna to run for Pierzynski. The next batter, Joe Crede, after Ozuna stole second base, hit a double off the left field wall bringing in the winning run. With the White Sox home crowd exploding in mayhem at the win, shocked Angels players walked off the field, stunned.

Was umpire Doug Eddings consistet in his signs? Replays from third strike calls earlier in the game seem consistent with his third strike call in the 9th inning. He first motions 'no foul tip' by extending his right arm straight out, palm down, then he motions the third strike by a clenched fist. What the camera didn't capture was any verbal mention of out. If his actions are consistent, how are we do distinguish between a called third strike that ends in an out and one that does not?

What is clear from this unfortunate episode is this: all this could have been rendered moot if backup catcher Josh Paul had played it safe and tagged the batter out just to be sure. It seems clear that Paul thought he caught the third strike but the umpire did not. Of course there a ton of emotion surrounding the game, maybe more with the game tied 1-1 in the 9th. However, a just-to-be-sure easy tag of the batter and the game would have ended John Kruk makes the argument that the fault may be as much with umpire as with backup catcher Josh Paul.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia showed a ton of class at the press conference right after the game. In a situation like this, it would be completely understandable for a manager to come unhingded but Scioscia was a consumate professional. Scioscia showed incrediable composure while talking with the press. After answering a question about the call, Scioscia paused briefly and before taking another question turned the focus of his comments from the botched call to his team's play during the game. In a moment he stopped and changed from bitching about a call that cannot be changd to focusing on what can, motivating his team to get ready for game 3. Scioscia said:

"There's a lot of focus on that play but we did not play at a high enough level tonight to win the ball game, that's the bottom line. ...we just didn't get it done tonight offensively."

Another interesting comment that came from the press conference with Scioscia was his response to a question about whether he thought that instant replay should be used in baseball. He said:

No, I am not in favor of replay at all. ...There might be some replay that come in on a homerun - fair or foul or fan interference, something like that. But as far as plays around the bases or at home plate or pitches like that, I don't think replay is anything that we should bring into the game.

Technorati Tags: ALCS, baseball, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim Angels, Doug Eddings, Mike Scioscia, A. J. Pierzynski, Josh Paul.

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Amazing Reporting for Hurricane Rita

I am not really a media pundit but I have been overwhelmed by the fantastic reporting of Hurricane Rita from CNN. What is interesting is that I don't usually like a lot of the CNN reporters but I have really been impressed by the professionalism and poignancy from Anderson Cooper and Miles O'Brien.

Anderson Cooper has been reporting from Beumont, Texas, a location that has borne much of the brunt of the storm. I usually agree with most media pundits that having reporters standing in the middle of a hurricane fairly dumb. However, Anderson's reporting has been more than just watching some poor, hapless reporter getting bandied about by wind and rain. His reporting communicated what it was actually like to be in the hurricane. He repeatedly made comments about the frightening, haunting and howling nature of the sound of the storm. He also demonstrated an emotional response to the storm as he talked with in-house meteorologist Chad Myers. As Chad gave estimations of how long the wind intensity would last, given the radar images at his disposal, Anderson actually seemed comforted by knowing what was to come. Just about 4:00AM CDT, Anderson gave, I think, his best report of the storm. Click the graphic to see the video of his amazing report from the height of the storm's fury.

Not as amazing as Anderson, but Miles O'Brien's reporting was good as well. Miles is pretty smart and handles himself in the field pretty well. Miles is not nearly as goofy and clown-like as Geraldo Rivera but is more expressive and animated than most reporters.

The only individual that could give Anderson and Miles a run for their money is Max Mayfield, the on-air representative from The National Hurricane Center from NOAA. Max is the most adorable and surprisingly cool weatherman on TV. He is the most popular and consistent feature on TV during the last two hurricanes as all the networks interview him. He is so calm and collected and his graphics always work well and he never tells the commentator what to do and he never looks tired (he should be, he's on every channel, national and local). Three Cheers for Max!!
- h/t: the Political Teen, Wizbang!

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Technorati Tags: Hurricane Rita, Anderson Cooper, Max Mayfield, Miles O'Brien, CNN, Rita.

Post-PostModern Moment on Jet Blue #292

[Video of Landing] Jet Blue flight #292, a transcontinental flight from Burbank Airport to JFK in New York, with a crippled front landing gear, landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport today. Just after take-off from the Southern California airport around 3:15 PM PDT, the pilot reported an emergency after being alerted by a warning light that there was a problem with the front landing gear. The pilot, unable to see himself what was wrong under the plane, was first told by a helicopter pilot from a local television station what the situation was with the landing gear. This was followed-up by a low altitude fly-by of the ground-control tower at near-by Long Beach airport.

The airliner, an Airbus 320, carried 139 passengers and 6 crew; a pilot, co-pilot and 4 flight attendants. It is unclear what caused the problem with the front nose gear but was stuck sideways, perpendicular to the front of the plane. The Airbus 32o lacking the ability to dump fuel like other airliners, flew lazy loops just off the coast of Southern California trying to burn off fuel. To burn this fuel off fuel as quickly as possible the pilot flew at a relatively low altitude (about 6,000 feet) with flaps and landing gear down; a high-drag scenario while running the engines at a high thrust rate.

Officials on the ground decided to have the plane land at Los Angeles International (LAX) due to the large amount of emergency personnel and resources available and the very long runway (about 12,000 feet) available at the extreme south side of the airport. The pilot brought the plane into land around 6:15 PM PDT. As the pilot brought the plane down, he kept the plane tilted back on the rear landing gear as long as possible before letting the crippled front-wheel come down. As the front wheel came down, sparks and brief flames trailed the front wheels as the tires, being pushed sideways down the runway, burned off.  Though, as the plane finally ground to a stop, no flames were present, just fleeting whift of  smoke from the smoldering rubber of the front tires. The pilot did a remarkable job and used 95% of the long LAX runway, coming to rest not more than 1,000 feet from the end. There were many fire and emergency resources on the ground waiting for the plane but none were needed save the mobile truck-mounted stairway that the passengers used to leave the plane when it stopped (Michael Bluth would be so proud!).

Jet Blue, a relatively new airline is primarily known for 2 things: leather seats and personal satellite television for each passenger. Unbelievably, the passengers became aware of the  seriousness of the situation by watching coverage of their own ordeal on their personal satellite televisions mounted in the seatbacks. (Ironic, yes, though angryGWN reminds us, Rick Moranis did first suggest it in Spaceballs: The Movie). The pilot initially told the passengers that there was a problem with the landing gear not retracting into the plane. This information was not that disturbing but as passengers saw their own story being reported as a national event on MSNBC, panic quickly ensued. At this point, the pilot told them what was happening and tried to reassure the passengers as much as possible.

Alexander Jacobs, an editor at the New York Observer and six months pregnant passenger on the plane, related the following details of the ordeal to CNN's Aaron Brown and later, to Anderson Cooper. [See Video of Interview] She said that it was a bit unnerving to see their own ordeal competing with the  coverage of the impending Category 5 hurricane in Texas. Mrs. Jacobs said "We couldn't believe the irony that we might be watching our own demise on television. It just seemed a bit post-Postmodern, if you will." The satellite television remained available to the passengers until about 10 minutes before landing. She said that the pilot was calm and informative and that the flight attendants were very professional; none of them looked alarmed or scared. The mood in the cabin was varied, some were joking, some quietly concerned, some abjectly weeping.

In a darkly comedic moment as they approached the airport just before landing, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, the pilots announced "Flight attendants, please prepare for landing." To this, many in the plane quietly laughed, relieving the pressure and anxiety just a bit before landing. The landing was relatively smooth and straight as an arrow; the centerline of the runway obscured by the sparks and brief flame was revealed almost directly below the damaged front landing gear. As the aircraft came finally came to a stop, the passengers erupted in euphoria; applause, cheering and congratulations filling the cabin. Pilot Scott Burke, after his first landing at Los Angeles International (Jet Blue does not fly in/out of LAX, only Burbank and Long Beach in SoCal) was reported to have told Los Angeles Mayor Villarigosa, who met the passengers and crew as they disembarked the airplane said tongue-in-cheek, that after landing that he was upset that he was 6 inches off the centerline of the runway. Great job Jet Blue.

My prediction is that this incident will not adversely affect the airline, in fact, but that it will actually increase ticket sale for the airline. By most accounts, it seems like the faulty front landing gear was a fluke and the professionalism by the crew and the fantastic flying and landing by the pilot increases confidence in the airline, not diminishes it. We'll see.

Technorati Tags: mccannta, Jet Blue, flight 292, emergency landing, Anderson Cooper, Aaron Brown, Alexandra Jacobs, Scott Burke.

TV You Should Be Watching

The new television season is starting soon with new episodes for returning shows and a host of new shows that hope to be the next big thing. As an avid fan of good television, I have put together a list of current shows that are available right now. These shows are the best thing on television. If you are not already watching, start now.

Over There
Initially, I was skeptical of a Hollywood version of the real-life complexity and suffering of war but the show doesn't gloss over what is, essentially, hell. The show follows an Army fire-team. The fire-team's make-up reflects the diversity that the Army has come to embrace; men and women and all races are represented. Another poignant aspect of the show is that it also focuses on those people the soldiers had to leave behind, home in America: wives, girlfriends, parents and children. The stress the soldiers have to face, not only in trying to keep themselves alive during a war, does not abate when problems at home arise. It may be hard to hard to believe but the show combines the pain and hopelessness of war with hope and pride in America. 
FX Wednesdays 10/9 PM - Over There Website - Video Preview

Lost
I am hardly a prophet to declare that Lost is a hit and one that you should be watching. This is a very popular show, with good reason. A group of 40 or so passengers that have survived the crash of their airplane are marooned on a creepy island in the South Pacific. The show's drama comes from the passengers trying to survive on the island as much as the back-stories of the characters in their life before the flight. The passengers are not what they appear to be. The availability the entire season of Lost on DVD makes the addictive nature of the show bearable. Note: The 2-hour season premier airs on Wednesday September 21 and begins at 8 /7PM Central.
ABC Wednesdays 9/8 PM - Lost - ABC

Six Feet Under
"When death is your business, what is your life? For Nate, David, Ruth and Claire, the world outside the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home continues to be at least as challenging-and far less predictable-as the one inside." (from Dogmatic's blog) The Fisher's are a family that runs their own mortuary and funeral home. Even with characters that are so consumed with the business of death, this show is filled with so much life. At times, the show is graphic and the dialog is atrocious but the drama is real and heartfelt, come what may. From the opening credits, you cannot help but notice the immense production quality. Much like Deadwood (another HBO original series), each episode looks like it was filmed for a movie. Be warned, many will find a prominent gay relationship disturbing. The show is currently finishing its fifth and final season on HBO but the first four seasons are available on DVD. I have had more luck in finding them at Hollywood Video than Blockbuster.
Season has ended. Seasons 1 - 4 available on DVD - Six Feet Under HBO - Video

The West Wing
Political dramas are difficult for television to keep compelling due to the intense polarization that is present in the country. President Bartlett is a Democrat. However, the show is no mouthpiece for the Democratic National Committee. No other major network show, with the exception of Lost, is as compelling week-in and week-out as The West Wing, no matter what party you favor. This is President Bartlett's last year of his second term and the campaigns for the next president are in full swing. The Republican candidate, which bears no resemblance at all to President Bush, is Alan Alda (Hawkeye, the smart-mouthed surgeon from M*A*S*H) and the Democrat is Jimmy Smits (Bobby from the awesome NYPD Blue, currently in syndication on TNT). If this show played while I was in High School, I would have become a lawyer with governmental aspirations. The country should breathe a sigh of relief that it did not - the health of the republic is safe, at least from me.
NBC Wednesday 8/7 PM - The West Wing NBC

Pardon The Interruption
Washington Post columnists Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon host this 30-minute weekday show that focuses on the major stories in sports. On the surface it might seem similar to those shows where 2 polar opposites argue about topics with nothing but yelling getting accomplished. This is not the case with PTI. Although they might disagree on topics, they do in good way with good, reasoned dialog supporting their views. They post an agenda on the right-hand side of the screen and a 'play clock' of sorts. They have about a 90 seconds to discuss whatever the selected topic is. At the end of 90 seconds, a buzzer sounds and they move on to the next topic. It's like a cross between speed-dating and SportsCenter. Awesome. If you have a Tivo, this is a must to schedule.
ESPN Weekdays 2:30/1:30 PM - PTI ESPN

Battlestar Gallactica
The Cylons Were Created By Man - They Evolved - They Rebelled - There are Many Copies - And They Have A Plan.
This show bears little little resemblance to the 80's version of the same name. This new show is complex, intriguing, and even spiritual. They cylons have attacked the humanity's home planet and only 40,000 or so survive, distributed among a rag-tag collection of ships headed by the strong Battlestar: Gallactica (a sort-of aircraft carrier for space). The new cylons are not the shiny, new-wave Star Wars Stormtroopers of the 80s show. While some are still robotic, new ones have 'evolved' the ability to mimic humans and are indistinguishable to the naked eye. The paranoia that ensues, given our current war on terror, is very applicable to real-life. This show is deeply compelling, if somewhat convoluted, at times. Note: when you see the hot chick talking close and sexily to 'Baltar,' she is a figment of his imagination (or at least, I think she is).
SciFi Channel Fridays 10/9 PM - Battlestar Gallactica SciFi   video

Law & Order: Criminal Intent
There are many spin-offs from the immensely successful original Law & Order. This one, Criminal Intent, is the best. This Law & Order focuses on two detectives of the major case squad and it is these two actors that totally make the show. While both actors are great and the chemistry that Detectives Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Eames (Kathryn Erbe) share is magical, it is Detective Goren that is the star of the show. While the genius super-detective plot line is cliche, with Detective Goren it is more than believable. The show's writers live-up to the challenge of a strong, complex character with great writing that stays fresh. It appears that Special Victims Unit is the more popular of the L&O spin-off shows. However, Criminal Intent is in my opinion the best L&O show on television.
NBC Sundays 9/8 PM - Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Deadwood
I have been looking forward to telling everyone I can tell about Deadwood. I admit, I have never been a particular fan of Westerns, at least I didn't know I was. Deadwood had caused me to re-evaluate my standards. I took a chance on this show when I saw the episodes for rent in Blockbuster; what a find indeed! The show is set in the Deadwood, a burgeoning, lawless gold-rush town set in the heart of Dakota Native land. The characters are almost unimaginable by run-of-the-mill television standards. They are deep, complex, sometimes contradictory, and undeniably human. You will also be overwhelmed by the production quality of the show. Just like Six Feet Under, all the production, writing and acting effort of an entire movie seems to go into each episode. I realized what I love about Westerns, good and bad are so easily understood. The first season is available at Blockbuster and the second season will be released soon. If you watch no other show on the list, watch Deadwood.
HBO Saturdays 9 PM, Sundays Midnight - Deadwood HBO - Video Preview

The Closer
Closer is a show that just started on TNT this summer. The show features Kyra Sedgwick. She played Linda, Cambell Scott's new girlfriend in the fantastic Seattle grunge romantic comedy Singles, written and directed by Cameron Crowe (Fast Time at Ridgemont High, Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous). In the show Kyra plays Brenda Johnson, a new-to-Los Angeles police detective chief. The goal of each show is to have the suspect confess to the crime during Sedgwick's intense interrogation. The motto is "Confession is good for the soul" and I agree wholeheartedly. Brenda's southern hospitality mixed with a passionate, hard-headed desire to figure out the truth makes for a great show I highly recommend.
TNT Mondays 9/8 PM - The Closer TNT

The Simpson's
All the previous shows are somewhat new and unknown but The Simpson's is a classic. It's unbelievable to me that an episode that is one year or ten years old is still just as funny. Believe it or not, The Simpson's is the longest running sitcom ever. This fall, The Simpson's will begin its 17th season. 17 is older than many viewers of the show. The show is just timeless. No really, it's timeless, Bart is still in the 3rd grade!. The jokes are fast and seemingly never get old. "I smell burn."
Fox Sundays 8/7 PM - The Simpson's Fox

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Technorati Tags: mccannta, Over There, Six Feet Under, West Wing, Pardon the Interruption, PTI, Battlestar Gallactica, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, The Closer, The Simpson's, TV.

Plan of Attack: Sean, Celine & Kanye

After being overcome with bad press and finger pointing by the mainstream media, it is satisfying to read the some real facts regarding what it will take to get a handle on the mess in New Orleans. Teflon at MoltenThought has some reasoned thoughts addressed to the blathering talking heads, crying governors, and ranting mayors. He has some sober thoughts for what it will take to begin to get the city back on its feet.

My advice to everyone on the air for the 8th day in a row is to slow down, dial back the emotion bordering on lunacy and read Teflon's great article. My favorites are #2 and #12

2. The United States military can wipe out the Taliban and the Iraqi Republican Guard far more swiftly than they can bring 3 million Swanson dinners to an underwater city through an area the size of Great Britain which has no power, no working ports or airports, and a devastated and impassable road network.

12. If you must vent your indignation, how about targeting the Louisiana officials who did absolutely nothing to protect their constituents? At least you can help ensure the populace doesn't elect these clowns again.

Mayor Nagin's image makeover didn't wait very long. Even though his own citizens are still suffering in his own flooded city, Oprah Winfrey was invited along for a helicopter ride of his own city's devastation. His critics don't stand a chance now that Ms. Opratunity's on the scene. It's good to know that Mayor Nagin' s priorities are in order: his political image first, everyone else, alive or dead, a distant second. How should I support this outrageous claim? He has been doing  radio and television interviews non-stop (don't forget the highly visible 60 Minutes on Sunday) and NEVER ONCE ACCEPTED ANY BLAME WHATSOEVER for the almost total inaction by his city's emergency response team, of which he is ultimately to blame.

TwoTabletsWriting, IndependentSources , Gateway Pundit, and Yahoo via AFP report that everyone's favorite Hollywood actor turned oppressed and downtrodden worldwide  spokesperson-Sean Penn, was down in New Orleans doing "[w]hatever I can do just to help." In Sean's world, just helping included bringing a large entourage including his biographer and a professional photographer along to document his helping for posterity's sake. I guess in Sean's world the question is, if you do something good for someone else and no one is there to write or photograph it for someone else to see, why is it worth doing? Does it even happen? (Whose to say either way?)

Don't ask Celine Dion about stardom, she knows all about it. She also has some understanding of the human psyche most trained mortals could only dream of. She displayed her deep insight on CNN's Larry King Live (easily the worst interview show, and interviewer, on television). Dan at RiehlWorldView reports...

Canadian singer Celine Dion was on Larry King Saturday night blaming the media for their portrayal of the looters commenting that those who stole t.v.’s and other items would probably return them later. She also is said to have indicated that media and government are focused entirely too much on the looters. Evidently at one point she is said to have begun crying while blaming the US government and media for their poor treatment of the people of New Orleans. [emphasis mine]

I stand corrected. When I saw some of the looters shielding their face from the stores they were borrowing from, I thought it was because they felt shame for being a dirty, self-centered thieves. I see that now, they were doing the shopkeepers a favor by taking shopping carts full of shoes and TVs and every other thing so that they wouldn't be damaged by the water.

They are storing these items in their homes until the city is safe and they can return these items promptly to the store at which the TV cameras showed them being taken from. Myself and every other rational TV viewer in this country (this excludes Jesse Jackson and Celine Dion, they don't meet the first stated condition) owe these people a sincere apology. We thought they were just thieves taking another shit on an already shitty situation in New Orleans.

Rap Mothers, Behold Your Son
Finally, how could I forget Kanye West's heartfelt, impassioned verbal vomiting on NBC on Saturday night. He's not just any R&B superstar, he's a the closest thing R&B has to a Rhodes-scholar. He's the "[S]martest man in pop music." With that pose, he actually does look smart. He doesn't show the slightest hint of self-consciousness or anxiety. A man of this intelligence would not studder or stumble over his words in public and would never, never fall prey to making gross exagerations just to try and make a point. He would never do this unless this professor was live on NBC on Saturday night where he made a total and complete fool of himself and Time magazine's cover headline editor. Here is the video ( 4Mb .wmv or 2.1Mb .mov ).

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Technorati Tags: mccannta, TV, Katrina, Kanye West, Time Magazine, Sean Penn, Celine Dion, flood aid.

Reporters Rising To The Occasion

As I reported earlier, the demeanor of reporters covering Katrina is being put to the test. One clue as to how dire the situation in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast actually is can be  seen in how the reporters covering the story are slowly coming apart. I applaud the likes of Shep Smith from Fox and Anderson Cooper from CNN, among others. They are doing a fantastic job. The emotion and frustration they, at times, are  expressing does not seem to be forced but obvious result of the breadth of devastation and the lack of any coordinated assistence offered by the local, state or federal government.

Richard at the AllSpinZone (and Article19 and i66)turned me on to the Crooks and Liars story of the interview between Anderson Cooper (CNN) and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. Richard says...

Cooper took Landreiu apart, who made no less than two attempts to thank the Bush administration for its response to the disaster. Cooper (paraphrasing): “Are you fucking kidding me??? I've been here since the beginning. Today, I saw a woman's body being eaten by rats. There's no food. There's no water. There's no relief agencies. People are desperate.”

... I've never seen truer coverage of an event.

It was fantastic, even Wonkette enjoyed the studly Cooper giving it to Landrieu and posted a doosey of a response. Crooks and Liars have the video of the exchange.

Also, here is a transcript of an interaction between Anderson and Kathleen Koch, a CNN producer who grew up in the Gulf Coast area. (Search for 'Koch' to get to their conversation). Her emotion is, well, just real. Anderson's arm-pat gesture is awkward and sorta forced but, but honest and identical to what we would feel in the same situation. Anderson, I also don't know exactly what to do or say...keep up the good work.

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Technorati Tags: Hurricane Katrina, Anderson Cooper, Mary Landrieu, Kathleen Koch, video, cnn.