Happy Birthday

Well September 11th is coming up once again, but this year I wanted to take a different approach to this day. Long before our nation suffered a massive wound this was just another day. And for many it was a day of celebration of life.

September 11th was the birth day of many people, famous and not. Celebrities who all share this day include:

Actor Earl Holliman is 81. Movie director Brian De Palma is 69. Singer Jack Ely of The Kingsmen is 66. Drummer Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead is 66. Guitarist Leo Kottke is 64. Actress Amy Madigan is 59. Guitarist Tommy Shaw of Styx is 56. Songwriter Diane Warren is 53. Drummer Jon Moss of Culture Club is 52. Actress Roxann Dawson ("Star Trek: Voyager") is 51. Actor Scott Patterson ("Gilmore Girls") is 51. Actress Virginia Madsen ("Sideways," "American Dreams") is 48. Actress Kristy McNichol is 47. Musician Moby is 44. Singer Harry Connick Jr. is 42. Actress Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") is 39. Actress Laura Wright ("Guiding Light") is 39. Guitarist Jeremy Popoff of Lit is 38. Singer Brad Fischetti of LFO is 34. Rapper Mr. Black is 32. Guitarist Jon Buckland of Coldplay is 32. Rapper Ludacris is 32. Singer Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum is 28.

But for me someone far more important has her birthday on this day. That is my mother.

It is a shame that all these people share this day with a horrible memory for the nation. But the nation survived and it still is a day of celebration, as every day is.

So I just wanted to take a moment to wish all those that have September 11th as a birthday my best wishes, before all the sadness of the day weighs upon them.

Most importantly I want to wish my mother a very happy birthday. And for those that are wondering, my mother is 21. Don’t you dare question that, I don’t.

Top 5 list of Super Bowl ads

Now I cannot have an entertainment blog, and not discuss the Super Bowl ads before the big game. It just can’t be done.

As the ads for the big game are getting finalized, cut back, or eliminated (like PETA's porn ad) – most due to the economic freefall – I wanted to look back and mention my 5 favorite all time Super Bowl ads. Some you will agree with, in fact I think everyone will agree that they are all top ads which is rare in any list ever made. You may not agree with the order I pick. But you are more than free to correct me if you wish.

Number 5

I hate, with extreme prejudice, Grand Theft Auto. But I have to say that Coca Cola did a great job to twisting the hyper-violent, stereotyped, insulting game into something everyone can watch and enjoy. Though I still prefer Pepsi to drink.



Number 4

There is no office more interesting to watch than the one with Terry Tate. The mix of the monotony of daily work and the excitement of football is something that was truly inspired genius.



Number 3

It was hard to decide if this should be higher or not. But I settled for 3. Michael Jordan, and the equally famous Larry Bird, doing what only they can do – sink a basket like almost no one else. It just wouldn’t work with anyone else. And you just have to wonder who missed first (my bet is Bird would miss first).



Number 2

Now this one may get me a lot of heat. It is the first Super Bowl ad that I can remember. It is classic in every aspect. It was the true usher of the Super Bowl ad competition we all enjoy today. It is famous across the world (and copied without pause as well). But I place it 2nd.



Number 1

It’s artsy. It’s got a message. It was groundbreaking. And it was used to crush a Democratic Primary hopeful (thankfully) some 24 years after it was made. What more does it take to reach the top?



Of course there is one other Super Bowl ad that I must mention. It is separate of all the other Super Bowl ads. Created by Budweiser, it displayed the heart of the nation. It must be mentioned in any list of greatest Super Bowl ads, and is separate of any ranking.



So there is my list of the top 5 greatest Super Bowl ads. Now if I were to make the list go to 10, what else should I add? And what order would you have chosen?

And maybe, we can hope, the economic breakdown inspired something that can make my list next year. But with these greats, it’s hard to imagine.

September 11 - seven years ago and now

In less than 8 hours America will be observing the 7th anniversary of 9/11. The attacks that day were the worst in American history, and many of us can still recall where we were as the planes hit the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.

Politicians have used 9/11 as a weapon and shield since that day. Some have used it to create political influence. Others have used it to increase the power of aspects of the Government. And still others have used it to express their own fears and dislike of laws and Government. All are fair to an extent, and virtually all are wrong to use this despicable act for their self-interest.

Tomorrow, both Presidential candidates will inevitably use the day to promote some aspect of their Presidential campaigns.

On September 11, 2001 I was at my brokerage office in midtown Manhattan. I saw live television as the 2nd plane struck, and watched the Towers fall. I was among the millions that feared for their lives, and those of loved ones and friends on that day. I walked among the millions that were stunned and dazed on the streets of Manhattan. I had several colleagues and friends that were hurt, killed, or otherwise immediately impacted by the Towers that day.

In the wake of this horrific act of fanatical religious rage, I was sure that New York City would be struck again by the mindless uncaring evil that terrorism is within days if not months. Considering that London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and most any other major city across the world has to deal with this kind of insanity on a repeated basis such a thought was not (and is not) unreasonable.

To date we have not seen another attack on U.S. soil. We have seen several individuals enter the nation from the Canadian border with the intent to harm innocent civilians. They all have been intercepted without their plans being enacted. None have ever been identified coming from the Mexican border.

Today we hear some act as if America can never again be touched. They believe that America need not protect itself. They believe that vigilance is unwarranted, and pro-active steps for protection useless or provocative. I find such thoughts naïve and potentially deadly.

Today we also hear some that seek to restrict ever more freedoms under an umbrella of protection from a never ending war on fanatical ideas. They would strike at any foreign thought or belief. They would dominate for fear of any weakness becoming a new point of attack. They would give up individuality for the comfort of safety.

Both of these extremes of thought are wrong. They are extreme views that fail to see the reality of the world, which lies far closer to the center than where they stand.

The reality is that at some point America will be struck again. No nation is immune or impenetrable. Fanatics have no time limits, nor can they be negotiated or bribed from their views. Their ideals cannot be killed, or corrupted, or beaten by force. The best any nation can do is to hold back the beast for a time and minimize its effectiveness.

Every year, every day that America goes without an attack on our population is only one day. And one day, hopefully far far in the future, we will have to start the clock over and count up again. I don‘t say this to be a sensationalist, or to be a fear monger. Its reality, and straightforward. And I pray that when that day comes it is minimized to the least extent possible.

To those that think America can just hide in our nation and the world will leave us alone I say wake up. For those that think that mere force will eliminate any potential threat I say calm down and think. America is always a target of fanatics because we are free, rich, and powerful all at once. And you cannot kill an idea (especially when that idea is a religion – no matter how twisted that idea is made to be).

I suppose I don’t have a direct point of this post. I’m not trying to make a conclusion, or place blame. Neither benefits the nation. Rather I am reflecting on a moment that struck me to my core. A day that will never leave me in a way that many in the nation never will feel, I hope.

Over the next hour, and through the next day I want my readers to reflect on a few thoughts. We have a great nation, flaws and all. We can believe in whatever God we wish, or none at all if we chose. We can voice our thoughts even if others disagree. We can travel as we chose, even if it costs more or takes longer than we like. We can live where we please, work as we are capable, and earn most of what we are worth.

Millions serve our nation everyday. They protect us, and defend us from laws, individuals and nations that can cause us harm. The service is born of a desire for the nation to always improve and become greater for our children than what we have lived. At times that service is flawed due to imperfect decisions or temporary political desire; flawed in how the execution is made not in the service provided. And we should honor that service.

9/11 is a remembrance that we all serve our nation in our own way. That our nation is great, filled with great people. That when we act the sum of our actions tend to be the right one. And that every American life is as important as our own.

Perhaps I’m rambling, but sometimes that’s just what we need. No point, no decisive goal to achieve. Just thoughts based on an act of evil, 7 years ago.

The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on Part 2 - 12.18.2007.2

Continued from The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on Part 1...

Perhaps one of the most important items I was able to understand throughout this whole drama occurred June of 2007. Again this was after further comments on the case Wesley Snipes is defending himself against went without coverage amongst the major news media.

“In piecing together the facts as they appear to be I gather that Mr. Rosile and Mr. Khan have not been charged, though they have 2000 clients that have allegedly made false claims with the IRS, exactly the same as Mr. Snipes though for less money. Yet only Mr. Snipes has been singled out as a ‘co-conspirator’.”

And

“The government apparently indicted Mr. Snipes while he was away working, without bothering to ask his publicist or manager if he was working. He was picked out of 2000 clients to be the poster child of government acting tough on taxes. When Mr. Snipes arranged to meet the cops to be taken on the charges made when he had no voice in the country (nor knowledge that he needed one) the media jumped on the story as if he were a fugitive, like he was a crackhead running from the police with 2 strikes over their head.”

Considering the long-term, dubious nature of the U.S. governments case and the overtly biased near yellow journalism tactics of the major news media, I find no surprise that there is news no one has heard.

As I stated at the beginning, an A-list actor has made a statement and there has been a media blackout. When Rosie O’Donnell and Charlie Sheen claim that the Government was in fact the reason for the 9/11 attacks, everyone covers it. But when Wesley Snipes states that

"It was easy for people to jump on the 'Wesley's the bad guy' bandwagon," he says. "That's where I think the systematic racism comes in. We're conditioned in this country to believe that if there's a problem, the black man is the culprit."

Media acts like his words are the plague. That last quote was from December 17th. Did you hear that from any news source besides EURweb or me? More importantly, did you hear any coverage from the major mainstream media? I didn’t, not then nor today.

So again I have to say that this does have racist elements. I have to say that I believe Wesley Snipes. And I believe there is a major issue that the major news media will take advantage of when it benefits the image they want to promote, and ignore when a mirror is held up.

Pay attention, and make some noise on this. Because if the fame of Wesley Snipes (or Al Sharpton recently) isn’t protecting him, what will happen if the Government turns on you?