Cheech & Chong Presents

Up until now I've thought of Los Angeles as a plastic culture in cars. Now I suppose I'll have to revise my thinking to a plastic culture in cannabis smelling cars. Only in L.A., where you have eight lane freeways that become parking lots at any given moment of the day, can an idea like this make sense. Maybe a bit of cannabis is just what they need to ease the road rage attacks and such.

I still don't understand it though, why a vending machine? What about privacy? Why not provide a place of calm and leisure in the likes of Oaksterdam (Oakland) up north? Who wants to be seen entering a well lit place with security cameras recording while you stop and cop? Even Bodegas give a sense of wanting to be discreet though everyone and their mama knows never to buy edibles from the place .

And what about the cops? You'd better hope they've got stock in the vending machine business, because if not you can expect a search and seizure that will make the Rodney King beating look like a resuscitation attempt. After all,, you ain't in Amsterdam, your in L.A., remember? Or did you smoke so much weed that you forgot exactly where you lived?

Like I said, I just don't get it. Maybe its the coolest thing to hit the west coast since casinos. Whatever the reasoning is behind it, medicinal or otherwise, I'm sure it won't be long before the thrill of it all is gone, and the first lawsuit claiming "negligence due to unsupervised dispensing" is filed. Until then L.A., smoke ti'l your broke.

Don't Forget to Vote Black!

After Jimmy Carter

Before Bill Clinton

There Was ................CLICK!

1998 Movie "Fallen"

Just from the opening credits I knew this movie was going to be something special. Anytime a movie starts out with a narrator introducing you to bits and pieces of events that have already occurred, buckle your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride.

Below is the opening piece where a madman, made believable by actor Elias Koteas, is on his way to the gas chamber dancing and singing to the tune of "Time is on my side" by the Rolling Stones. Remember that theme, it rears its haunting head when least expected and makes for a creepy outcome.

This movie is intelligently scary to watch. Even with Denzel Washington playing the lead role, you just don't know where it'll take you, until you're there.

Time is on my side, yes it is!

Can G-MEN Clamp Down on SpyGate Parolees?

Welcome to Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Me being a Native New Yorker and a 2002 "Tuck Rule" Survivor, you know who I'm rooting for.

The Giants have a real good shot at winning this thing and leaving the Pats at 18-1, one game short of a perfect perfect season. It'll take Eli having a great game and pressure on Brady. Hitting receivers hard and good tackling will also be in order. If ever the phrase "Chop off the Head and the Body Dies" fit a situation, this is it. Take Brady out of the game with pressure and the Patriots are a wagon without wheels. Who the hell's their backup quarterback anyway, Steve Grogan?

Don't get me wrong, I like Brady. I think Brady's a great quarterback and wouldn't really want to see him get hurt. But these are drastic and desperate times that call for Tanya Harding-esque measures to be taken. If not before the game then heck, during the damn game. Whatever it takes, someone's gotta get to Brady and put him down. Maybe we can bribe Tony Romo to send Jessica Simpson to Brady's hotel room a night or two before the game. The Romo Jinx is as good as the red sox curse of the 20th century.

Either way Super Bowl XLII should be hyped so much that by kickoff time you're loving one team and hating the other with a passion.

My money and passion is with the Giants, bless their road warrior hearts. Not many gave them a chance on the road against Dallas or Green Bay and yet they're still standing. As for the Brady Bunch, you're head coach is a bum, you were caught cheating and the 1972 Miami Dolphins will always be the undefeated darlings of the NFL. And besides, nobody wants to see quitter Moss holding up a Lombardi Trophy. I'd rather see Eli Manning and Michael Strahan at the podium celebrating. We'll see!

Congratulations New York Giants for winning the NFC Championship in classic non-spying fashion.

Imagine how these Giants fans (pictured before the game) must of felt afterward?

On the road at Lambeau Field, -24 degrees wind-chill factor, Overtime, Brett Favre interception, 47 yard field goal wins it! TRULY PRICELESS!

Pensacola,FL. defeats Puerto Rico

Yes, my boy Roy Jones, Jr. takes out Felix Trinidad in a unanimously decided 10 rounder. A knockdown in the 7th and another in the 10th may have been the deciding factor, I'm not sure since I didn't see it. Who's paying to watch pay-per-view these days when you can see it on HBO the following week? But based on this article at ESPN.Com, my boy Roy won it handily.

Tito has been a great fighter and champion, making Puerto Ricans across the world proud, but Roy's my boy. The Pensacola native keeps it real and very well may have been the best fighter "pound-for-pound" during his reign. Unfortunately, both these fighters best days for boxing may be behind them. Memories of Roy's supine body corpse-like on the canvas after a Glen Johnson knockout punch is still clear in my mind. Maybe Roy should just take this win and step away from the game with a winning image intact.

Either way, you can take nothing away from these two lion-hearted warriors who've brought excitement and respect back to the Boxing World.

Roy Jones, Jr and Felix Trinidad, we salute you!

THE PLAYOFFS!

JOE

Suicide Jumper Spotted Today

Today I put on the face of a hero by running into a residence hotel here in downtown San Francisco to report a man dangling from a third floor window ledge of a building. After my initial yells to the potential jumper to "just go back inside", I realized the man was beyond any reasoning as he was building up the courage to let go of the window frame he was holding onto with one hand.

It was like watching a person hesitating to jump into a cold pool. You could see that he really wanted to but an internal instinct kept just enough tension on his fingertips to prevent the mindless body from falling forward.

After looking around and seeing the half-dozen or so people looking up in tourist like fashion, as if the poor bastard was an entertainment snack, I dashed into the lobby and informed the deskclerk and others that a man was sitting on a window ledge of their building and about to jump. The desk clerk was stunned and appeared in shock as I yelled to him to call 911.

While he was on line with the 911 operator we heard a barrage of sirens indicating someone had probably already called, most likely one of the audience out front who were getting pics and video clips via cellphone to upload to a blog or youtube account no less. Oh well, who am I to judge. I've always liked watching fires for some odd unknown reason. Maybe watching someone jump from a building and splat on the asphalt gives the same sort of dramatic rush.

Police, firefighters, paramedics and just about any and everybody with responsibilities for SF City Health services and rescue were quickly on-site. For a minute I thought I saw the tiger-handler from the SF Zoo pacing nervously behind the area taped off by police. (I know, bad joke).

At one point a guy rides by on a bicycle, looks up, and yells don't do it such and such, just go back inside. It appeared he knew the would be jumper and knew of his unstable condition. But close friends they could not have been, for the bicycle rider said his piece without breaking a stroke in his peddling as he continued riding by the tense scene with nary a concern.

With the yellow tape cordoning off the asphalt below, probably making the area more appealing to the jumper than safer for pedestrians oblivious to the drama unfolding three stories above, a single police officer stepped into the area and began talking up to the guy. The first thing I heard him say was exactly the words I heard come out of my mouth when I first spotted the guy up there, "Just go back inside."

There are times when you stop looking at the main character in a drama and take in the supporting cast and their actions. I did this and found myself pitying the poor guy up on the ledge about to end it all. Again, the crowd, which had been hearded to the other side of the street by police for their own protection, were talking on cell phones, taking pictures/videos with cell phones or struggling to get their cell phones out of their pockets to do one of the aforementioned. The firefighters, with looks of disappointment because their were no hot flames licking at the poor guys ass in the window, had taken a back seat to the police. The police, except for the one negotiating and those who'd gone inside and up to the 3rd floor, were jockeying for positions outside the front of the building. They didn't appear to be getting ready for a rescue as much as not wanting to miss the inevitable human pumpkin smash. I myself was wondering why the fireman didn't pull out some kind of tarp to catch the guy in should he decide to jump or fall. Guess I've seen too much tv as a child.

Around the 20th minute or so of which this episode began, it ended with me not seeing whether he returned back into the room on his own accord or whether rescuers pulled him back in. All I saw was the disappointment in the faces of the crowd below as they quietly dispersed. You'd have thought someone was ready to throw dollar bills out the window and before they got the chance the police stopped them, ending hopes for a jubilant scuffle in the streets by all bystanders. In the eyes of the bystanders was a dull sadness as if they'd wasted their time waiting for nothing. In the time you could count to fifty was about the time it took for the block to return to normal, as if the incident hadn't occurred. Unlike fires where there's water, ash, burned furniture or something, here was nothing but minor gossip about what had happened and who the would be "Jumper" was. Nobody really seemed to know or care. He'd survived and all the pictures and videos taken were worthless.

It felt good to have the desk clerk and another staff member who was in the lobby initially when I ran in, come up to me and thank me for alerting them. I think we all, those who just weren't there to see a show, felt a huge sigh of relief when the police began removing the yellow tape and the firefighters began shuffling onto their trucks for departure.

Suicide attempts occur more than we care to think. Should you one day find yourself faced with a situation where a person is ready to attempt suicide, don't try to be a hero, just be human and offer or get help.

I'd like to commend all the city of San Francisco's Police, Firemen and Health Services persons who arrived in a timely manner and saved one human life today. Though I may have painted the scene as one full of uncaring service people just kind of doing their jobs, I acknowledge that they see these types of incidents and worse everyday and have to deal with the psychological aspects that surely stay with them once its over. I myself could barely watch the dangling legs of the guy much less look him in the eye without shuddering from the thought of falling.

Unfortunately, just another day in a city full of stories.

The Thrill Is Gone

It was 17 Wonderful Weeks ago that I fell in love with this NFL season. 17 weeks of heartthrob, heartache and heartbreak all wrapped into one glorious affair. As the saying goes,

"Its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."



My Raiders may have lost more than they won this season, but I still enjoyed every passionate pucker of professional football they presented to me this year. Now comes the time of mourning. The week following the end of the regular season where you're team is out of the playoffs and gone til next season. Some of the coaching and player personnel may never return. You're left feeling abandoned, lonely, unfulfilled and wondering what if only this or that could have happened to make it last longer. You already try to fill-in the time slots that were spent thinking of the next game and opponent. You miss seeing your team play on Sundays as much as seeing your gurl in a silver & black thong after 17 weeks of Jenny Craig.

Let's face it, B.B. King couldn't have said it any better; The Thrill is Gone, And Now that its Over, All I can do is Wish You Well!

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you'll be sorry someday

The thrill is gone
It's gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although I'll still live on
But so lonely I'll be

The thrill is gone
It's gone away for good
Oh, the thrill is gone baby
Baby its gone away for good
Someday I know I'll be over it all baby
Just like I know a man should

You know I'm free, free now baby
I'm free from your spell
I'm free, free now
I'm free from your spell
And now that it's over
All I can do is wish you well

Its 12:30am on a Saturday and I've just finished watching a Discovery Networks piece about a photograph entitled "The Falling Man."

The photo was taken during the hours of the World Trade Center disaster on 9/11/01.

Driving the 1hr 45min documentary was one man's search for the identity of the man in the photograph.

As the searcher begins his journey into this sacred and painful photograph you begin to discover along with him the many reasons why America had such a difficult time with this one photograph.

As stated in the Documentary, the media did not want to put focus on the victims, some 200 of which had jumped or fell out of windows to their death, but instead hyped the heroism of the rescue efforts.

The photograph was run in one paper "The Morning Call" the following day on September 12th, but hasn't been printed in any paper or magazine since. After running the photo the paper received a monumentally angry response from a stunned American public. Though the media considered it to be one of those rare pictures that reflects life-altering events that can change the way we view our future, its impact was simply too much for a grief stricken nation and the photo was pulled from publication.

The documentary touches on many of our thoughts and feelings about the photograph. It was very gratifying to see the researcher discover something as important, if not more important, than the identity of the person in the photograph, but I'm not gonna spill the beans here. You'll have to check it out for yourself.

What I enjoyed about this documentary is discovering the influence a single photograph can have on an individual just by viewing it. Watching your own thoughts try to grasp the feelings of "The Falling Man" just seconds earlier as he grapples with the decision to jump instead of burn up in the north tower. The calm reserved manner of his body language and its alignment to the building as depicted in the photo. More thoughts of "What Would You Do?" if in the same circumstances with the same exact decisions confronting you.

The Circumstances. Something pretty much none of us alive today can even fathom. And yet in the photograph, "The Falling Man" appears to me to be at peace with his decision and is leaving the outcome, body and soul, in his God's hands.

It may anger you, it may frighten you, it may make you cry. The one thing this documentary won't do is have you saying "Thank God It Wasn't Me." Because in the end "The Falling Man" photograph makes it personal. In the end it is you and me we're watching fall from the 106th floor to our death. The only difference being that we're left alive wondering what it was like, while "The Falling Man" died knowing what it was like.

Peace Be With You "The Falling Man"

Call It A GirlyMan Song If You Want - But I Like It

FOREVER

BY STRATOVARIUS

The Language of God's Love

Lewis Warren Jr. performs his own arrangement of the classic worship song "Sing Hallelujah to the LORD"!

Just Beyond The Horizon

After beating up on the Denver Broncos the previous week, The Raiders came crashing back to earth in their Lambeau Field loss. Are the Packers as good as they look or was the frozen tundra's December deep-freeze just too paralyzing for the visitors from Oakland, California?

Whatever the cause of our ugly 38-7 loss in Green Bay, I'm still optimistic about the future of Raiders Football. Remember, we're not a full season removed from the Art Shell coaching debacle that did more damage to our teams' confidence and conviction than anything else. Lane Kiffin has kept this 2007 team believing throughout his debut coaching season. And I'll be the first to say that we're a better team.

I'm close to believing once again that in OUR HOUSE on any given Sunday we can play with the best and come out victors. I'm giving the Raiders a little more time to put all the right pieces together and field a team committed to excellence once again. It won't be long.

I see a bright glow twinkling just beyond the horizon. No need to jump ship now mates? We've made it through the worst part of the journey. Ahead lies victory! Arise! Arise and count your blessings you didn't abandon ship like some fair-weather scurvy of a fan. We're Raider Fans one and all, and we bloody well know the grit it takes to survive the monstrous sea of pro football. So Rise! Wear your colors of Silver and Black proudly. For we shall return to the days of glory.

Golden State Warriors 2007-08

STILL BELIEVING!

Win Brings Rumors

What the hell is going on here? The Raiders finally win a division game on the road against the Chefs and rumors start flying that coach Lane Kiffin is considering a college head coaching job at Arkansas?











Not True. Its all a conspiracy I tell you. Raider Haters just trying to take away from our glorious accomplishment this past Sunday. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, its a damn duck.

We've been down for a while and when the powers that be see us climbing up a bit they create something in hopes of sabotaging our progress. Whoever started the rumor, whether it was ESPN, Razorbacks Personnel or former Chefs coach Marty Schottenheimer himself (the bum), I won't let it take away from a much needed and hard earned win.

Yes Chefs, we beat you in your house in front of your fans with no controversial calls. And I must say, even though its only our third win of the season, it sure tastes good. Yep, tastes just like Chicken! Just Ask Justin "Huggy Bear" Fargas. As far as we know, J Huggy is still chewing up yards of KC BBQ.



Final Score
Raiders 20
Chefs 17

Raiders Can't Muster Up Any Offense, Lose Again

Great weather in the bay for a football game this past Sunday. The coliseum being sold out with Chicago Bears fans representing their team well. It was a wonderful day for football and the first Raiders offensive play looked as if the team had inserted a new type of game plan that would produce new results. NOT!

The Raiders scored two field goals and the Bears didn't do any better throughout most of the game. But then comes that dreaded 4th quarter. The quarter where Raiders opponents seem to always exploit a weakness in the silver and black lining. This week it was a deep pass from..........Rex Grossman to wide receiver Berrian that scored the go ahead touchdown.

For the defense to knock starting Bears QB Brian Griese out of the game only to have Gross Grossman burn us for a winning touchdown in the 4th quarter was just too unBearable.

The Raiders lose the game and most likely some fan loyalty. But as for me, you know the saying:

Win, Lose or Tie, Raider til I die!

Why Not Russell Now?

Here's a link for all Raiders Fans who think JaMarcus Russell needs to start Now.

Building A Russell Friendly System

In this article NFL writer Jerry McDonald points out just why the Raiders should not throw JaMarcus Russell into the mix anytime soon.

I admit, after watching Josh McCown and Dante Culpepper throw crucial interceptions in games, I was on the "Start JaMarcus Now" band wagon. Even bought a JaMarcus #2 T-shirt on my way out of the Coliseum after the Kansas City loss to encourage coach Kiffin to start him.

But after letting my anger and frustration subside I've come to see the rebuilding light. Bottom line, we cannot afford to ruin our franchise player by throwing him to the wolves early. As stated in the article, the Raiders should have a sound offensive system in place with players that fit well in that system before adding to it a rookie quarterback with such potential. And that especially applies to an offensive line that can protect the pocket.

So I'll be patient as the Raiders hobble through this season. I'll be patient as long as the coaching staff keeps the team competitive. And the one thing the Raiders have been this season that they were not last season is competitive.

I'm Still In!

Adrian Peterson, Gale Sayers 2007?

If you haven't seen the NFL Replay of Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson romping under, over and through the San Diego Chargers defense, then you may be missing a part of history. Actually, he made history in the game by running for 296 yards, an NFL single game record.

I caught a glimpse of him the other week against Chicago and immediately knew there was something special about him. He's one of those few backs who runs with power, finesse and blazing speed. He sees the holes as they're about to open and is through them by the time the defense even knows there was a hole.

If you watch his footwork you'll be as mesmerized as the d-backs who go left on him when they should've gone right or stayed put. He has a way of skipping by defenders while theiy're trying to adjust to his change of speed and direction.

They say he's had injury problems in college and that he may not be able to handle the pounding of the NFL. Well if you ask me its the NFL that may not be able to handle Adrian Peterson. He's so fast and agile that defenders never really seem to get a clean shot on him. Add to that his power running and he's just one versatile monster of a weapon that you don't wanna face come Sunday.

I've always thought of Gale Sayers as one of the most exciting and eye-popping runners ever to play in the NFL. The first runner who they said must've had eyes in the back of his head. But injuries forced him out of the game way too soon. Sure Barry Sanders had that Sayers knack for knowing when a defender was blindly approaching and readjusting his run, but Barry had a lot of negative yards while juking defenders out of their shoes. O.J. Simpson was another who had the moves and was fun to watch, but I can't remember O.J. running over defenders or straight through them, he either ran around or past them after juking his way down field. He also had some pretty good line blocking.

Funny that Ladanian Tomlinson, a proven great in today's game, was on the San Diego sideline to witness Peterson's record running day. I'm still in awe after watching the replay of the game. Peterson didn't just have a few nice runs, he had many sensational romps. If what I saw was real, then we may be witnessing a running back who comes on the scene once in a blue moon. And many of these blue mooners don't stay around long due to injuries. So when you next hear that the Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson are being televised in your local network area, take the time to get a glimpse of him. Then pick your jaw up off the floor and have someone pinch you. It wasn't just a dream.

A fan's answer to the question of who is the better running back, L. Tomlinson or A Peterson:

With the injury history it's hard to say
posted at 11/5/2007 11:39 AM EST

SeanW
First post: 10/22/2007Last post: 11/5/2007Total posts: 20
If Adrian Peterson stays healthy then I would say without a doubt yes. LT is a great back, however I think Peterson has a power to him we haven't seen in a very long time. However his health is key, we all know how his running style wears on running backs. He might not have the longevity of an Emmitt Smith, but it doesn't make him any less spectacular. I watched that entire game yesterday and had to constantly pick my jaw up off the floor. Even on the relatively short runs.

So Long Mike WIlliams/Welcome Tim Dwight

The Oakland Raiders made some wide receiver changes this week. In the aftermath of Sunday's loss to the Titans the Raiders released WR Mike Williams. Williams, a pickup from the Detroit Lions this season, dropped a crucial pass on the Raiders final offensive play of the game. Williams admits he screwed up by trying to run before completely catching the ball. Coach Lane Kiffin, a believer in resurrecting Williams playing potential, finally gave up on him and handed Williams his walking papers. He'd accrued enough drops, fumbles and unspectacular plays to play himself out of Oakland. So Long Mike, We Hardly Knew Yah!

The Oakland Raiders then went out and signed veteran wide receiver/return man Tim Dwight. Dwight is a small framed receiver with speed and toughness. He's been in at least one superbowl and has contributed to all teams he's played for; ATL/S.D./N.E./NYJ. Though he's had injury problems in the past, when healthy he's one of those guys who knows how to get open, catch the ball and run in the open field to pay dirt. I only wish we'd gotten him in his younger day. He had speed. They say he can still turn on the burners, but with the problems our O-Line is having we need someone so fast that he outruns the defensive pass rush. The Tim Dwight of old was that man. We'll see what he's got left come Sunday.

TD Commenting on his barbed wire tattoo:

"It kind of reflects my attitude towards
football – hard worker, tough, rugged,
durable."

Welcome to the Silver & Black TD.
TD RETURN HIGHLIGHTS

ARE U STILL IN?

The Raiders aren't only trying the head coach's patience, us fans are pounding our fists wondering when will the team learn to finish. This weekend it was the lackluster Tennessee Titans who the Oakland Raiders "Let off the Hook."

The Raiders yet again had a chance to win it in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. And yet again we just shit all over ourselves in the red zone and couldn't get it done with the game on the line.

What needs fixing in order to keep us from self-destructing in close games? That is the million dollar question.

In the meantime the Raiders find themselves 2-5 at the bottom of the AFC Western Division, and looking like that's exactly where they belong, in a cellar.

I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me and tell me its all just a bad dream this season. Please, somebody, anybody, wake me up and tell me I'm not lined up in front of a firing squad facing imminent execution. Please!

Final Score
Titans 13
Raiders 9

Raiders Offense M .I. A.

Ten Points! Ten Points of total offense. We lose the game against Kansas City 12-10. Scary how much we resembled last season's Raiders who went 4-12. Scary how the offense looked so lost and unable to produce positive yardage. And the Defense, with more of a pass rush this game thanks to Derrick Burgess having a good game, just couldn't make the plays when they had to. They did give the offense a last ditch opportunity to win the game. But Culpepper and the passing game aren't there yet, the final interception to snuff the Raiders last drive with less than a minute to go was inevitable. A beautiful Autumn football weather day in the Bay ended in defeat. Fans are probably just hoping to see Jarmarcus Russell play by season's end.

I was able to get a sweet Raiders T-shirt to add to the collection. #2 on the back with a picture of Jarmarcus on the front underneath the name RUSSELL. The Future is Ours. One guy today compared Russell's QB skills to John Elway. Not a bad future.

Raider4Life