Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook's Benevolent Dictator

Mark Zuckerberg is Facebook's Benevolent Dictator who says the social network is 176 million or the sixth largest nation in the World. Electing to preserve member privacy was him being nice. Suppose he didn't do it?

Josh Wolf Documentary Project: Sierra Choi Needs Your Help

John Wolf spent 226 days in jail to protect his videos and sources, and caused the creation of a new law protecting video-bloggers. Now Sierra Choi is directing and producing a documentary - the trailer is here as part of my video blog.

At the time in 2006, I met Josh when he worked for the television division at Peralta Community College. He was also in the middle of his battle with the Federal Government, but even then was still focused on his work, and didn't spend a lot of time fretting about what could happen.

Then Josh defied San Francisco U.S. District Judge William Alsup's order to turn over the videos Josh had taken from a anti-G8 anarchist protes heldt in San Francisco on July 8, 2005. Wolf feared that the U.S. Government in the form of the FBI simply wanted to identify the people who were protesting and not solve a crime they claim had been committed against a police officer. Wolf's videos did not contain any footage of a police officer being harmed.

Still, U.S. District Judge William Alsup order Wolf to be held in jail for civil contempt of court later in 2006. Then, after negotiations, he was released but still refused to give up any of his videos, offering instead to post them online and show them to the Judge himself. Initially the judge refused, and Wolf was ordered back to jail.

Eventually, and after 226 days, Wolf agreed to show the then unseen video clip online and was released from jail. He never gave a copy of the video to the goverment.

In the wake of his ordeal and new stronger "shield" law has been placed in California law to protect journalists of all kinds, from print to blogs. We have Josh to thank for this.

Now, video film producer Sierra Choi is working to raise $250,000 to create a documentary called "Quiet Uprising: The Story of Josh Wolf" and needs our help. You can contact Sierra through me by sending an email here: zennie@sportsbusinesssims.com

Please help as many need to know Josh's story so this will never happen again.

Julia Allison and Gawker's Obsession With The Online Star

Julia Allison's exploits are regularly covered by the online publications Gawker and Valleywag, who complain that she wants attention, then give her the attention in the process. Why? She's a great example of self-promotion.

Vincent Pastore, 'Big Pussy' on 'The Sopranos,' settles beat charges with ex after court battle

More at NY Daily News: “TV tough guy Vincent Pastore, who starred as Sal (Big Pussy) Bonpensiero on "The Sopranos," walked away from a $5.5 million court fight Tuesday with his ex-fiance, who says he beat her.
The 62-year-old actor, who played a snitch on the hit HBO drama, was tight-lipped about the confidential settlement as he walked out of Manhattan Supreme Court and away from his battle with actress Lisa Regina.
"I think I just wanna say, thank God it's over," Pastore said. "How can anybody be happy about something like this?"”

AROD: CHAIRMAN SAYS NO TO A-ROD HEARING

More at NYPost: “WASHINGTON (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez won't be appearing on Capitol Hill anytime soon.

The new chairman of the congressional committee that asked Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro about steroids in baseball in recent years said Tuesday he does not think lawmakers need to hear from Rodriguez in the aftermath of an admission he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-03.”

RON BARON FACES CODE VIOLATIONS IN EAST HAMPTON FOR DESTRUCTION OF DUNE

More at New York Post: “BILLIONAIRE Ron Baron - just six years after he infuriated East Hampton's gay community by videotaping their seaside sex romps - has made more enemies by allegedly destroying a protected dune and ripping out vital vegetation along the beach.

The founder of Baron Capital Management has been ordered to appear in East Hampton Town Court March 16 on eight town code violations related to his building of an 800-foot concrete barrier spanning two oceanfront properties he owns on Further Lane.”

-- Why the hell would Barron take time to photog gays in sex romps? I've heard of the term "idel time is the Devil's friend", but wow..

ARod? Steroids? Blame Baseball and The Commissioner

Alex Rodriguez admitted that he took performance enhancing drugs in 2003, and perhaps between 2001 and 2003 while with the Texas Rangers. But I don't blame him, I blame Baseball and the Commissioner of Baseball for the "Golden Home Run Age."

Ground Zero | Visit To WTC Ground Zero - New York City

My good friend Bill Chachkes gave me an impromptu first-time tour of Ground Zero in New York City. The site is right next to the building that employed his father for 21 of his 34 years with the New York police force.

Bill's tour is a personal one- he lost two friends in the 9/11 disaster and saw a building his father said would never come down, come down.

Obama Inauguration: What The Inauguration Meant To Me

In this video I share what the day of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of The United States means to me, set to music - a piece called "ritual".

Mayor Bloomberg paints grim economic picture for New York City 2009 budget

More at NY Daily News: “Mayor Bloomberg's bad-news budget tries to plug a $4 billion hole with less than $2 billion worth of spending cuts and new sales taxes - and counts on unions, Albany and the federal govermment to come up with the rest.
He proposed a $43.4 billion budget Friday for the fiscal year starting July 1, up $123 million from the year before - one that slices deep into the pockets of city residents and the ranks of city workers.
"Are we going to go through some difficult times? I don't think there's any question about that. But we have a plan to balance our budget," Bloomberg said. "It is serious, but I think it is manageable."”

Cecil "Katie" Suwal OF EMPEROR'S CLUB VIP SENTENCED TO 6 MONTHS IN JAIL - New York Post

More at New York Post: “She was the property of her overbearing partner, and the madam who helped run the prostitution ring that brought down Gov. Eliot Spitzer has the tattoo to prove it.

Cecil "Katie" Suwal was sentenced yesterday to six months in jail for her role in operating the Emperors Club VIP that serviced the notorious "Client 9," but not before her lawyer said she was controlled by her Svengali-like boss who branded her in the most humiliating of places.

"Her strategically placed tattoo eliminated any doubt," said her lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, as he made quote marks in the air. "Property of Mark Brener."”

Blagojevich Prepares for PR Blitz - Associated Press

AssociatedPress - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is in New York City this morning for a public relations blitz. He will appear on several morning talk shows. His impeachment trial also starts today in the Illinois capital. (Jan. 26)

WLNG's Paul Sidney inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association

dubin76 - From WLNG 92.1fm's Paul Sidney induction ceremony into the New York State Broadcasters Association in 2007.

State Ethics Commission Chairman Resigns - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

More at NYTimes.com: “John D. Feerick, the chairman of the state Commission on Public Integrity, has resigned.

The commission, which oversees ethics and lobbying rules in Albany, announced the surprise resignation on Monday afternoon. The commission is mired in an investigation by the state inspector general.

Inspector General Joseph Fisch has been examining whether Herbert Teitelbaum, the commission’s executive director, or any other commission staff member improperly passed information to the staff of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer in the midst of the so-called Troopergate scandal.

The commission has said nothing improper occurred.

Mr. Feerick, a respected former dean of Fordham Law School, was appointed by Mr. Spitzer in 2007. In a statement, Mr. Feerick, 73, said “my health and energy have declined and I no longer believe that I can give my responsibilities the attention they require.”

His resignation will be effective on Feb. 12.”

Dawnell Batista - KIDNEY WOMAN DENIES AFFAIR - New York Post

More at New York Post: “The lawyer for Dawnell Batista, 44, asked Judge Jeffrey Grob to place a gag order on the case after her estranged husband, Richard Batista, held a news conference last week accusing her of adultery.

Though Grob denied the motion, lawyer Douglas Rothkopf also argued that his client was the victim of a "hyper-suspicious" husband and that no adultery had ever taken place.

"He would rummage through her underwear drawer sniffing her underwear [to see if she had cheated]," Rothkopf said inside a Mineola courtroom.

Batista, a vascular surgeon at Nassau University Medical Center, said that his wife left him after having an affair with her physical therapist.

The Batista's were both in court this morning, but never made eye contact with one other throughout the proceeding.

"This is a man who put his life on the line and his wife has treated him like a piece of dirt," said Richard Batista's lawyer, Dominic Barbara, adding that his client has the right to speak publicly about what he had been through.”