Leaders from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® today made major show announcements including keynote speakers, Innovation Award honorees and conference program updates. In addition, a preview was shared of what audiences can experience on the CES 2021 digital venue. CES 2021 kicks off January 11-14, 2021. “CES 2021 will be making history, with our first … Read more
Rebecca Kaplan Oakland Councilmember Presents Ideas To Generate Budget Revenue – On Twitter ONN – Rebecca Kaplan Oakland Councilmember Presents Ideas To Generate Budget Revenue – On Twitter – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan presented this text on Twitter about 35 minutes ago to this point: Closing the budget gap … Read more
As COVID-19 Pandemic Surges Across the State, Covered California Takes the Unprecedented Step of Giving Consumers Until Dec. 30 to Sign Up for Coverage That Begins on Jan. 1 • For the first time, Covered California will extend the first major open-enrollment deadline of Dec. 15 to give consumers through Dec. 30 to sign up … Read more
Attorneys Seek Testimony from Universal Execs Adam Fogelson, Ron Meyer and Michael Moses Over Faizon Love’s Erasure from “Couples Retreat” Movie Los Angeles (December 6, 2020) – Film star and comedian Faizon Love has asked a California court to order three top current and former Universal executives to provide depositions about their roles in directing … Read more
Oakland has seen more than its share of helicopters buzzing around. Most common, it seems, are traffic reporting versions used by the local TV channels KRON, KPIX and KTVU. Then, there are the Oakland Police helicopters that pop up whenever someone’s on the loose. UPDATE: For those visiting on January 9th, 2021, here’s the latest … Read more
Faizon Love: Actor’s Suing Hollywood Studio Universal Studios For Couples Retreat Racism Faizon Love, the Black actor and comedian (AKA Langston Faizon Santisima), filed a lawsuit this week against Universal Studios for discrimination and racism for removing him from the poster of the Vince Vaughn movie “Couples Retreat”. The actor said he was “aghast” when … Read more
The Autumn Wind Raiders Poem Born In Oakland, Now For Las Vegas From YouTube Channel: November 17, 2020 at 08:20PM ONN – The Autumn Wind Raiders Poem Born In Oakland, Now For Las Vegas Lines: The Autumn Wind is a pirate Blustering in from sea, With a rollicking song, he sweeps along, Swaggering boisterously. His … Read more
Dr. Rudy Besikof appointed President of Laney College and Dr. Nathaniel Jones III appointed President of College of Alameda Oakland — The Peralta Community College District has appointed Dr. Rudy Besikof President of Laney College and Dr. Nathaniel Jones III President of the College of Alameda. Dr. Besikof served as Interim President at Laney and … Read more
Nikky Raney on Britney Spears Conservatorship ONN – Nikky Raney on Britney Spears Conservatorship – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube Nikky Raney on Britney Spears Conservatorship – Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Perry denies the suspension of Jamie Spears from conservatorship. #britneyspears #jamiespears #conservatorship #savebritney Note from Zennie62Media’s Zennie62 YouTube and Oakland News Now Today … Read more
OUSD Board of Education Votes to Adopt Climate Emergency Action Resolution Oakland – On Wednesday, October 28, the OUSD Board of Education took bold action in declaring a climate emergency and outlining what the District is doing, and will do, to develop a comprehensive plan to increase the District’s environmental sustainability. The Board passed a … Read more
ONN – Los Angeles Dodgers Unsung Hero: Pitcher Julio Urias This Is His Tip Of The Hat By Joseph Armendariz – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube
Los Angeles Dodgers Unsung Hero: Pitcher Julio Urias This Is His Tip Of The Hat By Joseph Armendariz.
In a time of such racial division you see the unifying factor in sports and how befitting that you have a young kid from Mexico pitch the ninth inning and bring home the World Series to Los Angeles, the city that was founded and cultivated by Mexican & Mexican Americans citizens long before we knew the city as Los Angeles
Photos courtesy of Los Angeles Times
true trueblueLa. Com
New York Times
#JulioUrias#Dodgers
Note from Zennie62Media’s Zennie62 YouTube and Oakland News Now Today Blog SF Bay Area: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Los Angeles Dodgers Justin Turner Test Positive 4 Covid-19 During World Series By Joseph Armendariz – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube
Los Angeles Dodgers Justin Turner Test Positive 4 Covid-19 During World Series By Joseph Armendariz
Photos courtesy of USA Today sports
Note from Zennie62Media’s Zennie62 YouTube and Oakland News Now Today Blog SF Bay Area: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Champs After 32 Year Drought By Joseph Armendariz – vlog by Zennie62 YouTube
Los Angeles Dodgers world Series Champs After 32 Year Drought By Joseph Armendariz
Photos courtesy of Major League Baseball and Fox Sports
Note from Zennie62Media’s Zennie62 YouTube and Oakland News Now Today Blog SF Bay Area: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Berkeley IGS Poll: Defeat For California Prop 16, Diversity, Prop 21, Rent Control, Unless Young Voters Show.
Was just passed a wake-up call press release on a UC Berkeley Institute Of Government Studies poll that, once again, points to the need for California to split into two states, something that may never happen in this blogger’s lifetime. Cut to the chase: Prop 16 and Prop 21 are in trouble unless young people get out and vote in large numbers.
Close Elections Forecast for Proposition 15 (Split Roll Property Taxes) and Proposition 22 (App-based Drivers)
Prop. 16 (Diversity) and Prop. 21(Rent Control) trail
by Mark DiCamillo, Director, Berkeley Institute Of Governmental Studies Poll
The final pre-election Berkeley IGS Poll finds that Californians are closely divided on two of the most contentious of this year’s state ballot propositions. These include Proposition 15, the “split roll” initiative to tax commercial and industrial properties based on current market value instead of its purchase price, and Proposition 22, the app-based drivers initiative whose aim is to classify such workers as independent contractors rather than employees. In both cases slightly more of those polled said they either already had or were intending to vote Yes than were voting No. However, neither initiative had reached the 50% plus one voter threshold needed for passage two weeks before Election Day at the time the poll was completed.
The poll found 49% of voters in favor of Prop. 15 and 42% on the No side, with 9% undecided. Yet, this lead was less than half the 15-point advantage found in a similar Berkeley IGS Poll last month. When comparing the two polls, the proportion of voters opposed to the initiative had increased 8 points, while support for Prop. 15 was stagnant. If history is any guide, when late campaign shifts toward the No side are observed in heavily contested and well-financed ballot measures like Prop. 15, its lead tends to reduce further in the closing weeks, resulting in a closer outcome.
With regard to Prop. 22, 46% of the voters polled were voting Yes to have app-based drivers be treated as independent contractors, while 42% were voting No to classify them as employees. A sizable 12% were undecided. The early mid-September Berkeley IGS Poll found 39% of likely voters intend to vote Yes on Prop. 22 and 36% are on the No side, with 25% undecided. The relatively large proportions of undecided voters in both polls suggest that many voters were having a difficult time reaching a final decision on this initiative. How these late-deciding voters ultimately come to judgment will likely determine its fate.
The poll finds less support for two other, closely watched measures on the statewide election ballot. These include Proposition 16, an initiative to bring greater diversity into public employment, education, and contracting decisions and overturn a previously approved 1996 ballot initiative, Proposition 209, that banned such affirmative action programs, and Proposition 21, an initiative to expand the authority of local governments to enact rent control laws on residential property. Both measures trailed by double-digit margins in the latest poll, with each receiving less than 40% support.
IGS Co-Director Eric Schickler commented that “the fates of Propositions 15 and 22 will be important signals of whether the state’s Democrats can translate their electoral advantage into substantive policy changes in taxes and corporate governance.”
Berkeley IGS Data
Voters in conflict over competing arguments relating to Proposition 15
In an attempt to better understand voter motivations behind the vote on Prop. 15, the poll asked voters whether they agreed or disagreed with two statements that have been made about Proposition 15, one by initiative proponents and the other by its opponents. The results demonstrate the conflict that many voters face when making a final voting decision on this initiative.
When asked the statement that Prop. 15 will bring much needed revenues to the state’s public schools, community colleges and local governments, 47% of voters agree, while 37% disagree. Opinions about the need for these additional revenues were highly correlated with voting preferences on Prop. 15, with those voting Yes overwhelmingly in agreement (79% to 8%), while No voters disagreed 76% to 13%. Significantly, undecided voters were more likely to agree than disagree, 40% to 13%, although nearly half (47%) had no opinion.
On the other hand, an even larger majority agree that the proposed changes to the way commercial and industrial properties are to be taxed under Prop. 15 would only be the first step in bringing about similar changes to the way residential properties are taxed in the future. A 56% majority of likely voters agreed with this statement, while 19% disagreed and 25% had no opinion. Voters opposed to the initiative overwhelmingly concurred with the statement, 72% to 13%. And even a plurality of Prop. 15’s supporters agreed (47% to 24%), although many had no opinion.
Voting preferences on Prop. 15 vary across major segments of the electorate
The poll finds clear partisan and ideological divisions in voter preferences on Prop. 15. Democrats and self-described liberal voters were favoring the initiative by large margins, while Republicans and conservatives were one-sided in their opposition.
Homeowners were intending to vote No by 10 points, while renters were supporting Prop. 15 by 25 points. Regionally, support for the initiative was greatest among voters in Los Angeles County, the San Francisco Bay Area, while majorities of voters in Orange County and the Central Valley were opposed.
Opinions on Prop. 15 also varied by a voter’s age and educational background. Voters under age 40 were among the initiative’s strongest backers, while pluralities of voters age 50 or older were voting No, especially those age 75 or older. Majorities of voters holding a bachelors’ degree and those who had completed post graduate work were lining up on the Yes side, while pluralities of non-college graduates were voting No.
Subgroup variations on Prop. 22 (App-based Drivers)
Republicans were supporting Prop. 22, the app-based drivers initiative 71% to 21%, while Democrats were opposed, although not by as large a margin, 52% to 34%. No Party Preference and minor party voters were closely divided on the initiative.
Views of Prop. 22 also differed by political ideology as large majorities of conservatives were voting Yes and majorities of liberals were voting No. Significantly, the poll found self-described political moderates backing the initiative by thirteen points, 49% to 36%, with 15% undecided.
There were also big differences in voting preferences by age. The poll found majorities of voters under age 40 on the No side, while pluralities of voters age 50 or older were in favor, in particular, those age 75 or older, who supported it two to one.
On a regional basis, Yes side voters were outnumbering No voters on Prop. 22 across all regions of the state with the exception of the San Francisco Bay Area where it trailed by twenty points and Los Angeles County and the counties north of San Francisco where voters were divided.
While differences were also evident between voters living in union-affiliated households and those in non-union households, these differences were not as large as might be expected given the nature of the initiative and the fact that the state’s labor unions are among its strongest opponents. Voters living in union-affiliated households were opposing the initiative by 51% to 40%, while voters in non-union households were voting in favor 47% to 41%.
In addition, the poll found the state’s Latinos and Asian American voters closely divided on the initiative, while Black voters were backing it by 20 points and whites favoring it by 5 points.
Voting preferences on Prop. 16 (Diversity in Public Employment, Education and Contracting)
When asked how they would vote on Prop. 16, the poll found just 38% of voters backing the measure, while 49% were opposed. While Democrats were supporting the initiative by a nearly two-to-one margin (57% to 26%), Republicans were nearly unanimous in their opposition, with 86% voting No and just 6% voting Yes. Majorities of No Party Preference and minor party voters were also lining up on the No side.
Voting preferences also differed widely by a voter’s self-described political ideology, with more than eight in ten conservatives voting No, and large majorities of liberals voting Yes. However, political moderates, a major swing voting bloc, were opposing Prop. 16 by twenty-three points.
Opposition to Prop. 16 was broad-based across the state’s major geographic regions, with majorities or pluralities of voters in nearly all regions voting No. The lone exception was the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, where voters were narrowly in favor, 48% to 40%.
While Prop. 16 was being backed by the state’s Black voters by twenty-five points, the state’s Latino voters were about evenly divided. On the other hand, the poll found Asian American voters now joining whites in opposing the initiative.
IGS Co-Director Cristina Mora noted that “the absence of strong Latino support for Proposition 16 is surprising given that the community remains significantly underrepresented in higher education and public employment in California and would stand to benefit from the Proposition’s passage.”
Women voters, another key segment, were closely dividing their votes, with 41% voting Yes and 44% voting No. By contrast, men were heavily on the No side, 54% to 35%.
In addition, the poll found differences in voting preferences by education, with voters non-college graduates opposing Prop. 16 five to three, while voters who had completed post graduate work were backing the initiative by eleven points.
Voter preferences on Prop. 21 (Rent Control)
With regard to Prop 21, just 37% of the voters polled were on the Yes side, while 48% were voting No, and another 15% undecided. Just two years ago California voters rejected a similar rent control ballot initiative 59% to 41%.
The partisan divide in voter preferences on Prop. 21 resembles that of Prop. 16. While Democrats were supporting the initiative roughly two to one (53% to 29%), Republicans were overwhelmingly opposed, 83% to 9%. Pluralities of No Party Preference and minor party voters were also lining up on the No side.
In addition, conservative voters were solidly opposed, while liberals, especially those describing themselves as very liberal were voting Yes. Political moderates were also voting No by seventeen points.
As would be expected, big differences are seen between renters and homeowners on the rent control initiative, with renters backing the initiative 50% to 34%, but homeowners opposed by an even greater 61% to 26% margin.
Preferences on Prop. 21 were also tied to the income level of voters. Majorities of voters at the upper end of the income scale were voting No, while pluralities of voters at the lower end were on the Yes side. Middle-income voters, those whose households earned between $40,000 and $100,000 annually, were also narrowly on the No side.
The poll found the state’s whites opposing the rent control initiative by a wide margin. Black voters were backing the rent control initiative greater than two to one. Latinos were also supportive by a narrower 10-point margin; while the state’s Asian American voters were narrowly on the No side.
There were gender differences on Prop. 21 as well, with male voters opposed by seventeen points (52% to 35%) and women about evenly divided.
About the Institute of Governmental Studies Survey
The findings in this report are based on a Berkeley IGS Poll completed by the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at the University of California, Berkeley. The poll was administered online in English and Spanish October 16-21, 2020 among 6,686 California registered voters, of whom 5,352 were considered likely to vote or had already voted in this year’s election.The survey was administered by distributing email invitations to stratified random samples of the state’s registered voters. Each email invited voters to participate in a non-partisan survey conducted by the University and provided a link to the IGS website where the survey was housed. Reminder emails were distributed to non-responding voters and an opt-out link was provided for voters not wishing to receive further email invitations.Samples of registered voters with email addresses were provided to IGS by Political Data, Inc., a leading supplier of registered voter lists in California, and were derived from information contained on the state’s official voter registration rolls. Prior to the distribution of emails, the overall sample was stratified by age and gender in an attempt to obtain a proper balance of survey respondents across major segments of the registered voter population.To protect the anonymity of survey respondents, voters’ email addresses and all other personally identifiable information derived from the original voter listing were purged from the data file and replaced with a unique and anonymous identification number during data processing. In addition, post-stratification weights were applied to align the overall sample of registered voters to population characteristics of the state’s registered voters. Likely voters were identified based on a voter’s stated interest in and intention to vote in the election and factoring in their history of voting in past elections.
The sampling errors associated with the results from the survey are difficult to calculate precisely due to the effects of sample stratification and the post-stratification weighting. Nevertheless, it is likely that findings based on the sample of likely voters in the election are subject to a sampling error of approximately +/-2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
PROPOSITION 15: INCREASES FUNDING SOURCES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES BY CHANGING TAX ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Taxes such properties based on current market value, instead of the purchase price. Fiscal impact: Increased property taxes on commercial properties worth more than $3 million providing $6.5 billion to $11.5 billion in new funding to local governments and schools. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 15?) (How did you vote on Proposition 15?)
PROPOSITION 16: ALLOWS DIVERSITY AS A FACTOR IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND CONTRACTING DECISIONS. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Permits government decision-making policies to consider race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in order to address diversity by repealing constitutional provisions prohibiting such policies. Fiscal Impact: No direct fiscal effect on state and local entities. The effects of the measure depend on the future choices of state and local government entities and are highly uncertain. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 16?) (How did you vote on Proposition 16?)
PROPOSITION 21: EXPANDS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS’ AUTHORITY TO ENACT RENT CONTROL ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Allows local governments to establish rent control on residential properties over 15 years old. Local limits on rate increases may differ from statewide limit. Fiscal Impact: Overall, a potential reduction in state and local revenues in the high tens of millions of dollars per year over time. Depending on actions by local communities, revenue losses could be less or more. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 21?) (How did you vote on Proposition 21?)
PROPOSITION 22: EXEMPTS APP-BASED TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY COMPANIES FROM PROVIDING EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TO CERTAIN DRIVERS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Classifies app-based drivers as “independent contractors,” instead of “employees,” and provides independent-contractor drivers other compensation, unless certain criteria are met. Fiscal Impact: Minor increase in state income taxes paid by rideshare and delivery company drivers and investors. (If the election were held today how would you vote on Proposition 22?) (How did you vote on Proposition 22?)
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (order of statements rotated)
“The proposed changes to how commercial and industrial properties are taxed under this year’s Proposition 15 ballot initiative are only the first step to making other similar changes to the way residential properties are taxed in the future.”
“The additional tax revenues that Proposition 15 would bring to the state’s public schools, community colleges and local governments are needed given the large revenue losses these institutions are facing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”
About the Institute of Governmental Studies
The Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) is an interdisciplinary organized research unit that pursues a vigorous program of research, education, publication and public service. A component of the University of California system’s flagship Berkeley campus, IGS is one of the oldest organized research units in the UC system and the oldest public policy research center in the state. IGS’s co-directors are Professor Eric Schickler and Associate Professor Cristina Mora.
IGS conducts periodic surveys of public opinion in California on matters of politics and public policy through its Berkeley IGS Poll. The poll, which is disseminated widely, seeks to provide a broad measure of contemporary public opinion, and to generate data for subsequent scholarly analysis. The director of the Berkeley IGS Poll is Mark DiCamillo. For a complete listing of stories issued by the Berkeley IGS Poll go to https://www.igs.berkeley.edu/research/berkeley-igs-poll
San Francisco 49ers 24, Los Angeles Rams 16: Grades
From YouTube Channel: October 19, 2020 at 01:12AM
ONN – Grant Cohn grades the San Francisco 49ers position by position after their 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Los Angeles Dodgers Back In The World Series By Joseph Armendariz
Los Angeles Dodgers Back In The World Series By Joseph Armendariz
Photos courtesy of FS1, MLB, and Dodgers on Twitter
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
NFL Reports Viewership of 15.4 Million Across TV and Digital, Up +3% vs. 2019 Week 5 ‘Thursday Night Football’ Matchup
The National Football League took a victory lap of sorts with the news of better ratings for Thursday Night Football Presented by Bud Light Platinum. Here’s the news, powered by Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ QB Tom Brady.
Average Minute Audience on All Digital Platforms, Including Amazon Prime Video, Hits 1.33 Million –
Second Highest for Any NFL Regular Season Game on Record
New York – Thursday’s Thursday Night Football Presented by Bud Light Platinum game featuring the Chicago Bears’ 20-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was seen by an average audience of 15.4 million across all platforms, including FOX, NFL Network, FOX Deportes, NFL digital, FOX Sports digital, Amazon Prime Video, Twitch and Verizon Media mobile properties.
The 15.4 million viewers for Buccaneers-Bears across all platforms is up +3% versus last year’s Week 5 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks (15.0 million).
The Nielsen-measured audience was 14.8 million – up +2% versus the 2019 Week 5 Thursday Night Football game (14.5 million).
Digital streaming across Amazon Prime Video, Twitch, NFL digital, Buccaneers and Bears mobile properties, FOX Sports digital and Verizon Media mobile properties produced an average minute audience of 1.33 million – the second highest for any NFL regular season game on record, behind the 2019 Week 4 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers (1.4 million). Additionally, digital audience increased +27% versus the 2019 11-game FOX Thursday Night Football average (1.04 million) and +5% versus last year’s Week 5 Thursday Night Football matchup (1.27 million).
Amazon Prime Video and Twitch alone reached a total of 3.3 million combined viewers worldwide for the FOX NFL Thursday pregame show and the Buccaneers-Bears game. For the Buccaneers-Bears game alone, 2.9 million worldwide viewers initiated a stream on Prime Video or Twitch. The average worldwide audience watching the Thursday Night Football game for at least 30 seconds on Prime Video or Twitch was 746K.
ONN – Oaklandside’s Attack On Derreck Johnson In The Oakland City Council Race Was Racist
The Oaklandside, a new online publication by the person who owns Berkeleyside and that has a $3 million grant from Google, owes Derreck Johnson, a candidate in the Oakland City Council race for the At-Large Seat occupied by Rebecca Kaplan (who I endorsed), an apology (and just maybe a chunk of that 3 million). It’s recent post attacking him for filing bankruptcy was nothing short of racist in my view as an Oakland black media entrepreneur in the time of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
In this case, some who are white, just could not accept that my actions were out of anger for the racist Oaklandside post, and first assumed that I was backing Derreck Johnson, when I openly said I was supporting Rebecca Kaplan, and then, on their own, guessed that Derreck, Mayor Schaaf, and I all went to Skyline High School together.
When a friend of mine who’s white texted me with that question about Skyline High School (where I am Class of 80 and Libby is Class of 1981), I called and let him know how upset with him I was. I said “You can’t accept the fact that my concern for what was written about him was purely because I perceived it as racist, huh? Do you realize that’s racist?”
As my friend is prone to do, he laughs nervously and tries to change the subject, but this time I kept focus. The problem was the Oaklandside post was truly institutionally racist, and it doesn’t matter what a person thinks to the contrary, even if they’re black. In Oakland, too many of us black folks are too willing to put down someone else black anyway – it’s a crabbarrel problem of massive proportions that helps no one.
The fact is that, according to Derreck himself, he went to Bishop O’Dowd High School, not Skyline High School. And so that leads back to my point: the desire to not see a racist act and deflect eyes from view keeps it as justifiable. That’s what my friend was trying to do, and he needs to stop doing it. As I said to him “We can’t allow a point of view like yours to fester because, little by little, these racist stories build up, until we get George Floyd all over again.”
No more racial profiling in media. If Derreck’s run has done anything, it’s shown a spotlight on that problem. It has to stop.
Donald Trump’s Businesses Have Filed For Bankruptcy Many Time Yet He’s Considered Successful
The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump’s businesses filed for bankruptcy six times. In all of the media coverage, no reporter or columnist ever blasted Donald Trump for bragging about his success. By contrast, Derreck Johnson’s business filed for bankrupcy and here is the Oaklandside’s Darwin BondGraham (and its editors hiding behind him) to say he’s not successful. Johnson is black. Trump is white. There should be one standard of fact: both started and ran businesses that employed people. And in Johnson’s case, he gave black men and women out of prison another chance at life. That’s successful.
Derreck Johnson Oakland City Council At Large 2020 Candidate Interview
And, as a momentary aside, I’m proud to report that Zennie62Media’s OaklandNewsNow.com that you’re reading is twice the size of Oaklandside in online traffic, and with a fraction of it’s budget. And it’s black owned and operated, whereas Oaklandside has a black editor, but is white owned, and the person who wrote the post is white and male.
Oaklandside’s Attack On Derreck Johnson Reflects A Classic Pattern Of Media Racism
Anyway, Oaklandside accused Derreck Johnson of being so proud as a black man to run television commercials saying he’s “successful”, that he needed to be taken down a notch by getting out “the truth”. The truth as Oaklandside saw it. The truth as Oaklandside was presented with by a source. I say that because I know where the information came from, and who gave it to Oaklandside, regardless of what it claims. Moreover, it’s no secret: bankruptcy information is publicly available, folks.
What Oaklandside did was simply make phone calls around town to form a story around the information it was given. If Oaklandside were truly interested in “the truth” it would have produced an article with information about the businesses of all of the candidates, without sensationalism. If Oaklandside was were truly interested in “the truth”, it would have worked with Mr. Johnson to run a positive story about what problems he experienced as a black man keeping his business going.
The story Oaklandside’s racist lens caused it to miss was one that needs to be told at a time when everyone from Facebook to Google has some kind of initiative focused on financing black businesses, in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Think about it. As Marcus Burke put in for The World Economic Forum “Following the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many other Black people at the hands of police, companies have started to take a stand against systemic racism.” Obviously, Oaklandside showed itself to be completely tone-deaf to the times.
In the paper “Media Representations and Impact on the Lives of Black Men and Boys”, by the Topos Partnership with The Opportunity Agenda, the authors observe:
A robust body of research documents how the overall presentation of black males in the media is distorted in a variety of ways, relative to the real-world facts. While individual studies tend to focus on a single genre or medium — such as TV fiction shows, magazine advertising, or video games — the research taken as a whole reveals broad patterns, including:
Negative associations exaggerated — particularly criminality, unemployment, and poverty. The idle black male on the street corner is not the “true face” of poverty in America, but he is the dominant one in the world as depicted by media.
Positive associations limited — particularly, sports, physical achievement in general, virility, and musicality. While the media’s version of America is populated by some black males intended to inspire, they tend to represent a relatively limited range of qualities to the exclusion of a variety of other everyday virtues.
The “problem” frame — Due to both distortions and also accurate and sympathetic discussion, black males tend to be overly associated with intractable problems.
Missing stories — Many important dimensions of black males’ lives, such as historical antecedents of black economic disadvantage and persistence of anti-black male bias, are largely ignored by the media.
In Derreck Johnson’s case, Oaklandside missed a great chance to have him tell his story of what led to the problems he experienced with his business. Moreover, Oaklandside worked to, as the authors wrote about media bias against black men, “Negative associations exaggerated — particularly criminality, unemployment, and poverty.” In other words, the Oaklandside’s seems to be upset that Johnson didn’t say he had been in financial trouble. Note, Johnson didn’t break any law, so that was the best it could do in attacking Derreck Johnson.
The Times Are Changing – The LA Times
In these times, America is beginning to wake up to the media racism that has worked to constantly paint blacks in a negative light. The kind of media racism that has been active in Oakland and San Francisco Bay Area media for far too long. And, let’s face it, the kind of media racism that was served up to feed the desires of some in Oakland who are white for the most part, and just don’t want to believe anything positive about anyone black who dares say they’re successful, or holds a title. Those persons want to push blacks into the familiar image of being poor, downtrodden, and criminally inclined. The kind of media The Oaklandside produced makes them oh so happy. Sad stuff that must stop.
In that, I must say it’s great The Los Angeles Times called out its own history of racism.
But, even then, The Los Angeles Times leaves out the racist lens that’s still applied today, and one that Oaklandside uses. Moreover, one would think that other mainstream media news publications would follow the Los Angeles Times’ lead, (like The San Francisco Chronicle, which has its own problems with racism as one can see here, and here, too.) but to this date, crickets. For many who are white, racism only exists when the n-word is used or a black person is physically harmed. But real racism is evident in all aspects of life, and in many ways, and in media, it’s expressed in how blacks are portrayed.
As I saw it, here’s the truth: Derreck Johnson did establish and run a business in Oakland that employed people, most notably black ex-prisoners who needed help. Stop it right there: that’s the success story that should be told, and that Derreck has the right to crow about. It’s clearly a story Oaklandside didn’t even think to try to tell, even though it was starring them in right in the face. Oaklandside was way too focused on putting a cyber-knee in Derreck Johnson’s online neck.
I got wind of this via a phone call from a friend. I called Derreck Johnson and we talked extensively. I told him that my first introduction to him was from an email from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. I said it wasn’t the first time my godsister advanced a candidate to challenge Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan. I also told him that, for those reasons, I thought of him as a Manchurian candidate. He laughed and understood and because I gave him a video platform to talk about running for office and about himself. I never sought to put him down. Blacks in America have had enough of media racism.
Unlike Oaklandside, I asked and gave Derreck Johnson a chance to tell his story:
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
San Francisco–The attorney that won one of the largest trade secret victories in the history of the United States and who represents major companies across the country has been selected as one of California’s top trade secret lawyers by legal publication California Daily Journal.
Patrick M. Ryan
Patrick M. Ryan of the law firm of Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller was recognized as one of “California’s Top Trade Secret Lawyers” by the California Daily Journal in its Oct. 7, 2020 special edition in its annual selection of the state’s top attorneys.
Mr. Ryan is lead counsel for several major U.S. and global companies, including currently representing Uber Technologies, Inc. in a trade secrets case, and last year he obtained one of the largest trade secret victories in United States history, totaling $845 million.
Mr. Ryan is Co-Chair of Bartko’s Antitrust Practice Group, as well as its IP Protection Practice Group, and handles cases throughout the United States involving a cross section of complex commercial litigation, antitrust, trade secrets, intellectual property, anti-counterfeiting, class action, false advertising, and constitutional matters.
During the last 21 years, Mr. Ryan has successfully litigated, on both the plaintiff and defense side, numerous matters for major corporate clients from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, software, healthcare, retail, biotech, and real estate.
Mr. Ryan has a knack for making the most complicated concepts simple to understand for judges and juries, and he regularly solves complex problems for companies—both in and out of court— with fervor and creativity. As part of his practice, Mr. Ryan also helps businesses better protect their IP and trade secrets and coordinates investigations into potential IP theft for companies accused of stealing trade secrets and for companies that might be the victim of such theft.
Mr. Ryan thanks the other members of Bartko’s victorious trade secrets’ trial team for their contribution to this honor, including Stephen C. Steinberg, Sean R. McTigue, Brian A. E. Smith, Chad E. DeVeaux, Alden K. Lee, and Joseph J. Fraresso, as well as other members of Bartko’s cutting-edge IP Protection Group, Paul J. Ortiz (IP Protection Co-Chair), Patrick E. O’Shaughnessy, and Gabriella A. Wilkins.
Bartko’s IP Protection Group helps companies fight IP Theft, counterfeiting, product diversion, and supply-chain fraud. Bartko can be reached at its website https://www.bzbm.com/ and has offices in San Francisco, phone 415.956.1900, and Los Angeles, phone 310.307.6115.
This Oakland Public Ethics Commission Complaint comes under the subhead-line of ‘bone-headed reports by fake news folks with racist agendas” and refers to an Oakland Public Ethics Commission Complaint that was filed against a firm called Lane Partners, represented by Andrew Haydel. The matter was before the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and in it’s agenda for October 5th 2020.
What happened was that Lane Partners was encouraged to make a contribution to the Lynette Gibson-McElhaney Legal Defense Fund, and not by anyone directly connected to Lynette, but by, according to PEC records, my friend (at least I think we’re still friends, but in this town shit gets weird for weird reasons) Greg McConnell, the founder of the Oakland Jobs and Housing Coalition. A 2018 email reported McConnell’s plan to get donations for her 50th Birthday.
And Now This Aside…
Now, if you go an assume that Lynette herself established that plan, then you know less about Oakland politics than you think, and are contributing to the crab-barrel, game-playing that causes Oakland to lose out big on matters like retaining sports teams. Oakland has a major-league loser mentality that has to be addressed. Character assassination is sport in Oakland and I find that it’s a proxy for professional competence. But that aside, there are any number of political players in Oakland and San Francisco wiling to, what we call on the streets, “run a game” on someone. Some of them rest in the media.
Seriously, there are some media-types who live for documents that make black Oakland elected officials look bad, but when the elected official is white, they look the other way. Want evidence? Go back to 2013 and the claims of Oakland City Staff Tampering that were leveled against Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid of District 7 and Desley Brooks of District 6 – claims that, as former Oakland City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente will tell you, apply to every Oakland City Councilmember in history. But when the white media got involved, they didn’t want to see that, and just saw a chance to paint black elected officials as bad, and so they did.
The trouble with a lot of black folks here in Oakland and in America is they complain about the white media types but are by inaction afraid to counter them, and don’t back black media. And so we get the social climate painting black folks so negatively that the result is George Floyd’s death.
Anyway Back To The Action, I Mean The Oakland PEC Complaint
The Oakland PEC Complaint about Lane Partners reads, in part, this way:
Respondents violated the Oakland Campaign Reform Act by contributing $1,000 to Lynette Gibson-McElhaney Legal Defense Fund in October2018 at a time when they were subject to the City’s ban on contributions from City contractors to candidates, in violation of Oakland Municipal Code section 3.12.140
And here’s the rest:
In June 2019, Commission Staff initiated a pro-active investigation after Andrew Haydel’s lawyer called to report that Haydel, a commercial real-estate investor and principal at Lane Partners LLC, “may have made a contribution” to an Oakland political candidate’s defense fund during a time when he and Lane Partners, a City contractor, was subject to the contractor campaign contribution ban.
Between 2016-2018, Lane Partners was involved with several different development projects with the City of Oakland. One such project was the Eastline project.
PROCEDURAL FACTS:
The Respondent and Staff reached a settlement agreement in February 2020. Staff prepared a Stipulation recommending that the Public Ethics Commission (PEC) impose a penalty of $2,000. In the Matter of Haydel was scheduled on the PEC’s March 2020, Agenda. At the PEC’s March meeting, the Commissioners rejected the recommended penalty of $2,000 and instead informed the Respondent that a $5,000 penalty was a more appropriate penalty based on the facts and experience of the Respondent. The PEC instructed Staff to renegotiate the Stipulation with a penalty of $5,000. Staff reached out to the Respondent who initially agreed to sign a revised Stipulation and pay the increased penalty of $5,000.
As a note, this is way not the first time Lane Partners has made a donation that was viewed as having violated Oakland’s Campaign Reform Act, but the simple fact the PEC caught this means good for the future. I must also report that there have been so many alleged violations of the type that Lane Partners is accused of, that it may be time to revisit the law from the perspective of laws that cause entrapment. Because one can replace Lynette Gibson-McElhaney with the Mayor or any other Oakland City Councilmember, and some idiot with a keyboard (who may be running a smear campaign on behalf of another Oakland City Councilmember) would jump to the conclusion that Libby did something wrong, when she had nothing to do with the action.
Anyway, it goes on to report via documents like this one that Lane Partners acted on the advice of their lawyer, Zack Wasserman (Another long-time friend of mine who now former Oakland City Attorney John Russo used to call “Zack-A-Potatos”). Wasserman is asking for the PEC to consider his error to his client, and also for the standard $5,000 fine to be reduced to $2,000, and Lane Partners would pay it.
And there’s the real story. A true mistake admitted to.
The point of all of this: it’s really important to look before one takes any leap and makes negative assumptions about someone else. Also, some electeds in Oakland should be real careful about passing information they deem negative about someone else. After a time, that crap will back fire. God does not like ugly.
ONN – Phil Gates, Oakland Skyline High Alum, Talks Eddie Van Halen And Phil Gates Band 3 PM EST, 10-8-2020
Phil and I go, as they say, “way back”, so I’m blessed to be able to present a friend who’s a giant in music, talk about the loss of Eddie Van Halen, remember Skyline High as we’re both Class of 1980, and get into the magic of The Phil Gates Band. Here’s his official bio:
Phil Gates was born in Chicago Ill., into a family of musicians that helped form his music style, and ability. Phil began playing musical instruments at the age of eight, and listening to a wide array of music has always been his main source of inspiration. Phil has played venues from small clubs, to the U.S. Air Force’s “Tops in Blue” World Tour, which performed in sixteen countries as well as the halftime show of the NFL Superbowl.
Phil has performed at many venues all over the world with his band. Also, the band was featured for five consecutive years on Hornblower Cruise’s “Friday Night Blues Dinner Cruise”.
Phil’s style is reminiscent of the early high energy Buddy Guy, mixed with a special blend of flavors from Jazz, Fusion, New Orleans, and the Chicago, Delta, and Mississippi Blues styles.
The Phil Gates Band won the “Beale Street Blues Kings” Competition in Memphis, and competed in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge.
Phil has been steady contributor to the Blues Community in Southern California. He founded the Los Angeles Blues Society, and has been a valued judge for the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, and also at many of the Guitar Center “King of the Blues” competitions in Hollywood, CA
Phil has also performed at great venues such as B.B. King’s, Cozy’s, Biscuits and Blues San Francisco, Highway 99 Seattle, WA, The Coach House, CA, The Monterey Bay Blues Festival, The Santa Clarita Blues Festival, The Topanga Canyon Blues Festival, The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival, The Blues Music Awards Blind Raccoon Showcase, The Blues Nights Gossau(Blues Festival in Gossau, Switzerland), The Rock und Blues Festival in Gams, Switzerland.
Phil had the opportunity in his early years to listen and study great talent. As front of house engineer at the Caravan of Dreams Performing Arts Centre in Fort Worth, Texas, Phil worked with some of Blues and Jazz’s greatest performers to include: Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King, Dizzie Gilespie, Wynton & Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, Eartha Kitt, Dianne Reeves, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and many others.
In the studio, Phil has been busy working on the follow up to the successful releases of “Phil Gates Live in the Danube Delta”, “The Twelve Rhythms”, “Phil Gates Live at The Hermosa Saloon”,“Addicted To The Blues”, and “In The Mean Time…” many of which, though not nominated, were all on the Grammy Ballot in their respective years as one of a few titles in their Category.
Phil is an accomplished session guitarist, performing on such projects as the Philip Bailey CD “Life & Love”, also with artists Kellie Blaise, Billy Shields, Maurice White, Zac Harmon, Preston Glass, L.A. Stlyz and Seabron.
His session work playing guitar has included many tracks with artists such as: Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle, Melba Moore, Freddie Jackson, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Deniece Williams, Jody Watley, Howard Hewett, Teddy Pendergrass, Brian McKnight, Ruben Studdard and Maurice White.
As a Producer, Co-Produced the award winning Blues record “The Blues According to Zacariah” with Zac Harmon, and recently has been a Co-Producer on a CD project with Little Richard. Phil also Produced the “Too Much Car For the Road” CD for Toni Dodd, “Urban Legacy” CD for Julia Jordan, daughter of renowned guitarist Stanley Jordan (who also performed on the CD). Also Phil scored an AFI film “My Normal Life”. Not to mention he has many CD’s of his own music to include “This Side Of Me”, “Should I?”, “Addicted To The Blues” ,“In The Mean Time…” , “Phil Gates Live at The Hermosa Saloon”,”The Twelve Rhythms”, and Phil gates Live In The Danube Delta”- all available on Apple iTunes, and digital audio outlets world-wide.
Phil has five endorsements with Ernie Ball/MusicMan Guitars, Evertune Bridges, Roland Corporation/BOSS, Lunastone Pedals, Janicek pics, and Ultimate Support music stands respectively.
Phil is currently the Vice President of Music and Media for the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation. (https://ift.tt/1zxSP3f).
Phil is also the Signature Band for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Orange County; for many years a strong relationship, and a great charity to help bring awareness to.
Phil is a dedicated, hard working professional entertainer that has proven time and time again, that his being dependable, and being able to work well with others can be an asset in wide array of musical endeavors.
Join us for an afternoon with Phil Gates, Thursday October 8th, 3 PM EST, 9 PM Switzerland time!
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a YouTube channel. When the video is “liked” by Zennie62 YouTube, then it is automatically uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective here, on top of our is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours – is the use of the existing YouTube social graph on any subject in the World. Now, news is reported with a smartphone and also by promoting current content on YouTube: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary, or having a camera crew to shoot what is already on YouTube. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Bank Of America’s PPP Loan (Payroll Protection Program) Program Is A Horrible Mess
Early on, Bank of America was the focus of a lawsuit because the banking giant was not properly processing the Payroll Protection Program Loans that were applied for as million of businesses were being impacted by or fearing impact of the Coronavirus. The Charlotte Business Journalwrote:
Four businesses filed a lawsuit against Charlotte’s Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) on Sunday, criticizing the way it handled loan applications for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The suit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges BofA prioritized applications for higher loan amounts because those would generate more origination fees for the bank. The SBA previously said PPP applications would be accepted and processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
“BofA has, once again, prioritized corporate greed at the expense of its small business customers,” the suit reads. “Had BofA been honest, small businesses could have (and would have) submitted their PPP applications to other financial institutions. … As a result of BofA’s dishonest and deplorable behavior, however, thousands of small businesses that were entitled to loans under the PPP were left with nothing.”
During the frantic push to get financial shelter from COVID-19, the Small Business Administration (or SBA) had one program for economic help during disasters called “Economic Injury Disaster Loan”. I signed up for the program, but received no word back. I didn’t even get an acknowledgement of my application.
Then, the PPP program was advanced, and I applied twice (filled out the application twice because they were not acknowledging my entry) and it asked me if I was eligible for the “economic help during disasters” or “Economic Injury Disaster Loan”, between January and April, and I said yes (why would I not?). I also had not received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan I applied for.
And what was the EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) described as, you ask? This:
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan. The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue due to coronavirus (COVID-19).https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/economic-injury-disaster-loans
So, the PPP I got was part the EIDL I should have received, or so I understood that case to be, since both were related to the Coronavirus problem.Now, Bank of America is saying that I got an EIDL, and the PPP contained an “additional” EIDL amount of money to refinance the EIDL they say I got – but I never got even though I applied for it, too. Now, they want me to give back something that I never got out of the PPP money Zennie62Media received and disbursed to contractors. And in 10 days!
That’s nuts.
Bank of America made so many changes in the PPP Loan Application it wasn’t funny, and eventually set up an online portal for business clients. The complicated stuff about seeking a refinancing of a loan I did not get was not said then – they simply asked if Zennie62Media was eligible, which means we should get one. And a simple ask at that, since we didn’t have one, and the SBA was not responsive because it was slammed. I guess memories are short.
So now, Bank of America asked to go into my account and, of the $23,750 PPP Loan, get the $10,000 in what B Of A is calling “extra money” that in point of fact I never got – and gave me the choice, “yes”, to allow it to get it, or “no”. There was no “HELL NO” option. If so, I would have selected it, especially since Bank of America’s attempted action to me is based on a rule that did not exist when I applied for the PPP and received the loan, EIDL and all, on May 4th, 2020. Yep, you read that right.
And to add to that, we’re talking about my firm, Zennie62Media, a Delaware c-corp approved December 30,2019, and with a Certificate Of Good Standing from the State of Delaware. A firm that’s paid out several thousand dollars to my family of vlogger contractors, some who are disabled or between full-time jobs, and really needed and got another way of making money and having fun in the process.
What’s SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032: Refinance of EIDL Loans with PPP Loan Proceeds and Lender Remittance of EIDL Refinance Proceeds to SBA?
According to an online document I found called “SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032: Refinance of EIDL Loans with PPP Loan Proceeds and Lender Remittance of EIDL Refinance Proceeds to SBA”, “The purpose of this Notice is to provide guidance for when Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds must be used to refinance SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and to inform PPP Lenders of the procedure for remitting to the SBA any PPP loan proceeds designated for the refinance of an EIDL.”
And then it goes on to provide rules for handling of an EIDL in a refinancing situation that I was not involved in. And then, here’s the kicker: the entire SBA Procedural notice 5000-20032 was effective June 19th, 2020 – a good month after I received my PPP Loan on May 4th, and a full two months after I applied for it. https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/5000-20032-508.pdf
So, not only did the SBA notice not exist during the frantic frenzy to get money out to help people (ostensibly) during the early days of the Pandemic’s economic impact, it also does not call for Bank of America to go raiding someone’s bank account to get money they never received to refinance in the first place!
As explained in an August 4th 2020 Journal of Accountancy post by Ken Tysiac, a lender like Bank of America was supposed to do this: “…if a borrower received an EIDL advance in excess of the amount of its PPP loan. Lenders must notify the borrower when the first payment will be due, and the loan must be repaid by the borrower before the maturity date, either two or five years.” Not 10 days – and even then, the EIDL advance in my case was not in excess of the amount of my PPP Loan.
All of this seems to have been made just so lenders like Bank of America can get back some PPP Loan money. That even as Gerri Detweiler in Nav.com writes that “borrowers generally don’t have to repay an EIDL grant”!
Since Bank of America was sued for favoring the rich, the action its trying to take against me seems to be right along those lines, and criminal. And at that, Zennie62Media is one of a total number of black-owned businesses and black American that represented two percent of the total number of people and firms who got PPP Loans! 83 percent of the PPP Loans issued went to white folks.
Congress should write a bill or provision that helps save the little guy: simply terminate any rule that allows a Lender to try and take PPP Loan-related money back from an American who rightfully received it.
If that person or business followed all of the basic guidelines of the criteria for the PPP, fine – then leave them alone. EIDL money (It’s disaster related, right?) should simply be part of the PPP: if it’s forgiven, so be it – plus the whole program is to be terminated June of 2021, anyway (Why that is, is yet another mystery considering how many millions of people still need help in America?)
But this way where lenders like Bank of America are left to write “we understand how hard this is during this difficult time” before they take part of your money must be terminated. It will contribute to a wrecking of the American economy to a degree far worse than what we’re already experiencing now.
Los Angeles, CA – Five individuals have been selected as winners of the 2020 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. The fellows will each receive a $35,000 prize and be highlighted at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards and Virtual Table Read on Thursday, December 3, where an ensemble of actors will read selected scenes from the winning scripts.
The 2020 winners are (listed alphabetically by author):
James Acker, “SadBoi”
Beth Curry, “Lemon”
Vanar Jaddou, “Goodbye, Iraq”
Kate Marks, “The Cow of Queens”
Jane Therese, “Sins of My Father”
A total of 7,831 scripts were submitted for this year’s competition. Ten individual screenwriters were selected as finalists. Their scripts were then read and judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, who ultimately voted the winners.
The 2020 finalists are (listed alphabetically by author):
Kris A. Holmes, “The Seeds of Truth”
Fred Martenson, “Demons in America”
Robin Rose Singer, “The Lions of Mesopotamia”
David Harrison Turner, “Safe Haven”
Andrew Wankier, “Three Heavens”
Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year. The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve itself commercially in any way with their completed scripts.
The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee is chaired by Academy Short Films and Feature Animation Branch governor Jennifer Yuh Nelson. The members of the committee are John Bailey and Steven Poster (Cinematographers Branch); William Mechanic (Executives Branch); James Plannette and Stephen Ujlaki (Members-at-Large); Julie Lynn, Peter Samuelson and Robert W. Shapiro (Producers Branch); Bobbi Banks (Sound Branch); and Eric Heisserer, Larry Karaszewski, Dan Petrie Jr., Misan Sagay, Dana Stevens and Tyger Williams (Writers Branch).
The global competition, which aims to identify and encourage talented new screenwriters, has awarded 166 fellowships since it began in 1986. In 2020, several past Nicholl fellows added to their feature film and television credits:
Michael Werwie wrote the Netflix movie, “Lost Girls.”
Alfredo Botello is co-writing “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” with Ryan Coogler producing and Malcolm D. Lee directing.
Terri Miller and Andrew Marlowe are showrunners for CBS’s “The Equalizer,” starring Queen Latifah.
Nikole Beckwith wrote and directed “Togetherish,” starring Ed Helms and Patti Harrison.
James Mottern wrote and is set to direct “Summer Madness,” starring Anna Faris.
Elizabeth Chomko will direct the film adaptation of Bess Kalb’s memoir, Nobody Will Tell You This but Me.
Matt Harris’s fellowship year script “The Starling” is in post-production. Netflix recently bought the drama-comedy for ~$20 million based on Matt’s script and a four-minute sizzle reel.
Melissa Iqbal is adapting the novel The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August to the screen.
Rebecca Sonnenshine is the co-creator of a new Netflix horror series based on the horror podcast “Archive 81.”
S.J. Inwards is writing a YA-centric musical Lady Macbeth feature project for Amazon Studios.
For more information about the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, visit oscars.org/nicholl.
Blockbuster Trump EPA Letter To California Gov Gavin Newsom Blasts State, Los Angeles and San Francisco Waste From Homeless Problem
A letter sent to Zennie62Media an hour ago is from the Office of United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Director Andrew Wheeler, under President Donald Trump. In it, Mr. Wheeler claims that he “is concerned that California’s implementation of federal environmental laws is failing to meet its obligations required under delegated federal programs.” Then, he details a number of examples, including one pointed, in a not too veiled political way, at San Francisco.
In the case of San Francisco, Wheeler writes:
California Governor Gavin Newsom
The EPA is aware of the growing homelessness crisis developing in major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the impact of this crisis on the environment. Indeed, press reports indicate that “piles of human feces” on sidewalks and streets in these cities are becoming all too common.? The EPA is concerned about the potential water quality impacts from pathogens and other contaminants from untreated human waste entering nearby waters. San Francisco, Los Angeles and the state do not appear to be acting with urgency to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment that may result from the homelessness crisis. California is responsible for implementing appropriate municipal storm water management and waste treatment requirements as part of its assumed federal program. The state is failing to properly implement these programs.
San Francisco is also one of the few major cities with sewers that combine stormwater and sewage flows that is not under a federal consent decree to meet the requirements of federal law. The EPA is committed to helping the state address this problem. In fact, the EPA provided the San Francisco Public Utility Commission a loan of $699 million under favorable terms pursuant to authority under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act in July 2018 for biosolid digestors and other related projects. However, these projects will not bring the city into compliance. San Francisco must invest billions of dollars to modernize its sewer system to meet CWA standards, avoid dumping untreated and partially treated sewage into the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean where it can wash up on beaches and keep raw sewage inside pipes instead of in homes and businesses.
Even more troubling is the City of San Francisco’s years-long practice – allowed by CalEPA – of routinely discharging more than one billion gallons of combined sewage and stormwater into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on an annual basis. The CWA requires municipal sewage be treated to certain levels and to meet water quality standards. Nonetheless, although San Francisco’s combined sewer outfalls discharge to sensitive waters, these discharges do not receive biological treatment. Instead, San Francisco’s combined sewer overflows are designed to remove floatables and settleable solids only and do not always achieve even that low level of treatment. These discharges may be contributing to the state’s failure to meet water quality standards. By failing to maintain its sewer infrastructure, the city allowed raw sewage to back up into homes and businesses.
Here is the Trump EPA Letter from Andrew Wheeler in its entirety:
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
September 26, 2019
The Honorable Gavin C. Newsom 1303 10th Street, Suite 1173 Sacramento, California 95814
Dear Governor Newsom:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Environmental Protection Agency are responsible for working together to protect public health and the environment in your state. As a result of the authorization of state laws and the delegation of federal authority, California administers and implements the federal Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act among other federal programs. Congress designed these statutory frameworks for the states to take the lead role in implementation, with the EPA overseeing state actions.
Based on data and reports, the EPA is concerned that California’s implementation of federal environmental laws is failing to meet its obligations required under delegated federal programs. The cost of this failure will be paid by those Californians exposed to unhealthy air and degraded water. The purpose of this letter is to outline the deficiencies that have led to significant public health concerns in California and to outline steps the state must take to address them. To ensure that appropriate steps are being taken to protect Californians, the EPA would like a remedial plan from the state detailing the steps it is taking to address the issues raised below.
The EPA is aware of the growing homelessness crisis developing in major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the impact of this crisis on the environment. Indeed, press reports indicate that “piles of human feces” on sidewalks and streets in these cities are becoming all too common.? The EPA is concerned about the potential water quality impacts from pathogens and other contaminants from untreated human waste entering nearby waters. San Francisco, Los Angeles and the state do not appear to be acting with urgency to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment that may result from the homelessness crisis. C responsible for implementing appropriate municipal storm water management and waste treatment requirements as part of its assumed federal program. The state is failing to properly implement these programs.
San Francisco is also one of the few major cities with sewers that combine stormwater and sewage flows that is not under a federal consent decree to meet the requirements of federal law. The EPA is committed to helping the state address this problem. In fact, the EPA provided the San Francisco Public Utility Commission a loan of $699 million under favorable terms pursuant to authority under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act in July 2018 for biosolid digestors and other related projects. However, these projects will not bring the city into compliance. San Francisco must invest billions of dollars to modernize its sewer system to meet CWA standards, avoid dumping untreated and partially treated sewage into the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean where it can wash up on beaches and keep raw sewage inside pipes instead of in homes and businesses.
Even more troubling is the City of San Francisco’s years-long practice – allowed by CalEPA – of routinely discharging more than one billion gallons of combined sewage and stormwater into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on an annual basis. The CWA requires municipal sewage be treated to certain levels and to meet water quality standards. Nonetheless, although San Francisco’s combined sewer outfalls discharge to sensitive waters, these discharges do not receive biological treatment. Instead, San Francisco’s combined sewer overflows are designed to remove floatables and settleable solids only and do not always achieve even that low level of treatment. These discharges may be contributing to the state’s failure to meet water quality standards. By failing to maintain its sewer infrastructure, the city allowed raw sewage to back up into homes and businesses.
Overall, significant deficiencies are present, and the state has not acted with a sense of urgency to abate this public health and environmental problem. Among the other issues identified, the state’s years-long approval of the discharges referenced above under its authorized program raises serious questions as to whether it is administering a program consistent with federal law. The city’s practices endanger public health, and the EPA is prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure CWA compliance. Given the magnitude of the issues, I have asked EPA staff to consider all options available to bring the city into compliance.
The state’s lack of action in response to the homelessness crisis and San Francisco’s discharges of inadequately treated sewage prompted the EPA to review other programs administered by CalEPA for similar concerns. What we discovered after a preliminary review suggests the need for more formal and in-depth EPA oversight. For example, we are aware of numerous exceedances of state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits under section 402 of the CWA. Just in this past quarter, we identified 23 significant instances of discharges into waters of the United States in exceedance of permit limits. By way of example, the City of Los Angeles exceeded its permit limit for Indeno[1,2,3-cd) pyrene (a contaminant which is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen) by 442 percent; the University of Southern California exceeded its permit limit for copper (a metal which can adversely affect human health and the health of aquatic life) by 420 percent; and Sanitary District Number 5 of Marin County exceeded its permit limit for total cyanide by 5,194 percent. These are serious matters that warrant a strong review by California.
California has the resources to address these problems. Apart from the state’s significant tax base, California received more than $1.16 billion of federal funds to implement CWA programs just in the last five years, including $253.5 million in FY2018 and $247 million in FY2019. In addition, California received more than $152 million in categorical grants over this time to improve compliance with the CWA.
The EPA also has concerns about CalEPA’s administration and oversight of SDWA programs and public water systems within the state. Indeed, we are aware of numerous recent health-based exceedances: in just the most recent reporting quarter of 2019, California had 202 Community Water Systems with 665 health-based exceedances that put the drinking water of nearly 800,000 residents at risk. These exceedances include:
• 67 systems with 194 serious health-based exceedances of arsenic levels, impacting more
than 101,000 residents;
• 210 lead action level exceedances in just the most recent 3-year interval at 168 PWSs,
impacting more than 10,000 residents;
• two systems with serious Ground Water Rule compliance issues, impacting more than
250,000 residents; 44 systems with 154 exceedances of the Stage 1 and 2 disinfection byproduct regulations,
impacting almost 255,000 residents; and
• 25 systems with 69 violations of radiological standards, impacting almost 12,000 residents.
These exceedances call into question the state’s ability to protect the public and administer its SDWA programs in a manner consistent with federal requirements.
Under this Administration, the EPA stands ready to assist California and CalEPA to protect the health and environment of Californians. However, it is time for the state to act decisively under its authorities to address the problems identified in this letter. For each of the delegated or assumed programs discussed in this letter, I request a written response within 30 days outlining in detail how California intends to address the concerns and violations identified herein. This response should include a demonstration that the state has the adequate authority and capability to address these issues and specific anticipated milestones for correcting these problems. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Andrew R. Wheeler
NOTES
The EPA first authorized California’s base Clean Water Act program in 1973. The EPA subsequently approved the state to regulate discharges from federal facilities in 1978, administer the pretreatment program in 1989 and issue general permits in 1989. California also has received primacy to exercise Safe Drinking Water Act responsibilities in the state.
2 See, e.g., Raphelson, Samantha. “San Francisco Squalor: City Streets Strewn With Trash, Needles And Human Feces, NPR (Aug. 1, 2018) available at https://www.npr.org/2018/08/01/634626538/san-francisco-squalor-city-streets strewn-with-trash-needles-and-human-feces (last accessed Sept. 22, 2019).
3 Human waste from homeless populations is a recognized source of bacteria in water bodies. See American Society of Civil Engineers, “Pathogens in Urban Stormwater Systems” (Aug. 2014); “The California Microbial Source Identification Manual: A Tiered Approach to Identifying Fecal Pollution Sources to Beaches” (Dec. 2013); Tools for Tracking Human Fecal Pollution in Urban Storm Drains, Streams, and Beaches (Sept. 2012). These reports are
Internet Address (URL) http://www.epa.gov Recycled/Recyclable Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper
available on the website for the San Francisco Bay Beaches Bacteria TMDL available at https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/TMDLs/SFbaybeachesbacteria.html (last accessed September 22, 2019).
+ The EPA’s current data also indicates that 15 major Publicly Owned Treatment Works are in significant noncompliance and 11 non-major POTWs are currently in significant noncompliance. These data are publicly available. See U.S. EPA, Enforcement and Compliance History Online water facility public search tool (https://echo.epa.gov/facilities/facility-search?mediaSelected=cwa).
5 The 2006 Ground Water Rule is a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation under the SDWA aimed at providing increased protection against microbial pathogens in public water systems that use ground water sources. See 71 FR 65574.
6 These health-based concerns are associated with unaddressed significant deficiencies” identified via an audit of the system, called a “sanitary survey,” and include, for example, an opening through which bacteria could enter a well head that the system has not repaired.
I have sent this to Governor Newsom’s Office for comment, as well as the Mayor’s Office’s of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and San Francisco Mayor London Breed for comment. Keep in mind the interesting timing of the letter with respect to the November 2020 Election and the 30 day response time, which takes us right up to just days before election day. Moreover, Wheeler just blasted Newsom for his executive order to ban the sale of gas-powered cars in 15 years. This space wishes that Governor Newsom would apply large tax credits to electric-powered supercars, as a way to hasten the transition to an electric car world.
Teddy Bridgewater says team really bonded this week
From YouTube Channel: September 27, 2020 at 08:41PM
ONN – Bridgewater spoke about the players bonding and getting to really know each other in the days before Sunday’s win in Los Angeles.
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Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Los Angeles Lakers Are 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals Champions Beating Denver Nuggets 117-107
Los Angeles Lakers Are 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals Champions Beating Denver Nuggets 117-107
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Spirit A320 Takeoff Oakland Intl. (KOAK)
From YouTube Channel: September 25, 2020 at 11:33AM
ONN – Taken September 25, 2020
To Los Angeles
Seat 2F
Flight NK 502
REG: N620NK
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Goodbye Forever.
From YouTube Channel: September 23, 2020 at 03:40PM
ONN – Join The Maverick Club ► https://ift.tt/3eRAoke
It’s time to move on.
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I’m a 25 year old manchild living in Los Angeles. This is my life.
https://www.youtube.com/LoganPaulVlogs
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – LV Raiders 2-0 Beat Saints For 1st Win Over A +500 team in 2 years. Las Vegas Jumping As Bars Open.
Vasu Vaddiparty going over Raiders big win over the Saints and the atmosphere in Las Vegas as Bars and Restaurants were allowed open for inside patronage at 11:59 PM Sunday Night. Raiders are 2-0 and did not make any mistakes against a Super Bowl Contending Saints team. Mark Davis did not attend the game as he said to ESPN last night, no fans no owner. Wonder how that makes Oakland and Los Angeles residents feel considering they were in both spots all those years. Las Vegas is definitely a destination spot not only for Raiders fans but for visiting teams fans as well. But hopefully, it will be more like 85-15 as the year goes on. It should be if this team plays this well.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
The 2020 Oakland City Council race gets stranger and stranger as documents show (it’s always “documents show”, huh) that the Alameda Labor Council and the AFL-CIO have formed a committee called “Oakland 2020 Committee to Replace Lynette Gibson McElhaney And Elect Carroll Fife and Rebecca Kaplan to the Oakland City Council, sponsored by Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO”. (For those of you who need a map, Lynette Gibson McElhaney is the currrent Oakland District Three Councilmember and Rebecca Kaplan is the current At Large Councilmember and President Of The Oakland City Council.)
According to the page I found on the Open Disclosure Oakland website, the organization has raised $293,000 to date. The contributors are all, strangely, union:
Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Candidate PAC Small Contribution Committee — — 95814 $90000 2020-09-10
Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Candidate PAC Small Contribution Committee — — 95814 $82000 2020-09-10
Unity PAC a Sponsored Committee of the Alameda Labor Council AFL-CIO Committee — — 94621 $50000 2020-09-16
Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Candidate PAC Small Contribution Committee — — 95814 $30000 2020-09-01
Unity PAC a Sponsored Committee of the Alameda Labor Council AFL-CIO Committee — — 94621 $25000 2020-08-20
Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 104 Political Committee Committee — — 94583 $5000 2020-09-07
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 595 PAC Small Contribution Committee — — 94568 $5000 2020-09-03
Steamfitters Local 342 Political Action Committee Committee — — 94518 $5000 2020-08-27
ESC Local 20 IFPTE Lou Lucivero Legislative Education & Action Program (LEAP) Sponsored by Engineers & Scientists of California Local 20 Committee — — 94607 $1000 2020-09-07
I write “strangely, union” because there’s no other contributor listed.
Conversation With Carroll Fife – Progressive For Oakland City Council, District 3
The Alameda Labor Council’s slate card shows, with respect to Oakland and the City Council races, the following choices:
Dan Kalb for District One
Carroll Fife (with no rank-choice #2, which normally would include the incumbent) for District Three
Noel Gallo for District Five
Treva Reid and Marchon Tatmon – Dual Endorsement for District 7
Rebecca Kaplan for At Large
For the Oakland School Board, the union group picked Sam Davis, VanCedric Williams, Michael Hutchinson, Ben Tapscott, and Measure QQ and Measure Y.
What’s Really Up With The Alameda Labor Council / AFL-CIO Union’s Decision To Back Carroll Fife Over Lynette Gibson McElhaney?
Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson Mcelhaney
But the decision to back Carroll Fife over Councilmember McElhaney is the focus of talk around town. While others have a point of view that reflects the sour taste of last year’s California State Democratic Convention outcome and the idea that the unions are trying to “take out” black women (an interesting view considering the backing of Fife and also Jovanka Beckles), I think it has more to do with Bernie Sanders.
Carroll Fife and a number of members of the Alameda Labor Council were big time Bernie Sanders backers, whereas Lynette’s a supporter of Joe Biden for President (and Fife has not come out in open support of Biden, even as he’s the Democratic Party leader and former SF District Attorney Kamela Harris is his running mate). And the Alameda Labor Council’s office space was used to help Fife during the Moms 4 Housing effort.
Still, the ties between the 2019 California Democratic Party election where Los Angeles labor leader Rusty Hicks won the party chair position, and held off a powerful drive from Richmond activist Kimberly Ellis, and the current Oakland City Council race, are not to be denied. There’s a lot of state-wide bad blood between a number of black female elected officials and the largely white AFL-CIO in the wake of Ellis’ loss. Last year, Both Lynette and Kimberly served on the board of Black Elected Officials Of The East Bay, with McElhaney, as Special Advisor to the Board according to The Oakland Post. (Note, Ellis texted me via Facebook “I was hired as a consultant to the org, I never served on its board.” A point of information not reflected in the year-old Oakland Post entry which served as reference.)
Carroll Fife should be careful who she partners with in this race. Her approach thus far is to discriminate in seeking political partnerships rather than cast a big tent and sell herself, explaining why she’s the best candidate, and to everyone, of every stripe. That strategy does not serve any elected official well when it comes to deal-making in office. Just consider how some in the Oakland City Council reacted to the allegedly immature behavior of one newcomer when that person did not get their way after a vote. That person’s efforts were largely marginalized during the last session.
Plus, Carroll could wind up being looked at as against any black woman who’s not exactly aligned with her agenda. At a time when a number of black women in California politics feel like they’re under attack, that’s not a good position for Ms. Fife to be in, and could be used against her in a big way. It is also a bad look for the Alameda Labor Council to have: the appearance of picking and choosing black female candidates in the wake of the Hicks / Ellis vote of last year. Indeed, it’s a problem that extends even to Kamala Harris herself.
The Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate is a part of the SF Bay Area Political Family, and so is very well known. I first met her in 2007, and even met up at Harry’s Bar on Fillmore for an early dinner. But, as her political career grew, it took on a pattern that many black women in the SF Bay Area Political Family don’t see as beneficial to them. Famed local lawyer Pamela Price put it this way in her blog:
In California politics, with very few exceptions, Kamala has not supported progressive Black women running for office. In 2017 and again, in 2019, we fought to elect Kimberly Ellis as the Chairwoman of the California Democratic Party. Kamala did not support Kimberly Ellis in 2017 or 2019.
In 2018, 2 Black women ran for Oakland Mayor. Kamala did not support either one of us. In the 2018 race for Assembly District 15 to represent Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and West Contra Costa County, there were 3 Black women running for State Assembly. Kamala did not support any of them. As a result, today, there are no Black representatives from the Bay Area in the California Legislature.
In three local races in 2018, Oakland Mayor, Assembly District 15 and Alameda County District Attorney, Kamala provided major support for all of the white women who won.
The Lesson: Make Friends With Everyone, And Not Just A Small Group Of People You Like
Oakland’s real problem is that too many so-called progressive and democratic socialist candidates are also too eager to make enemies where they really don’t exist. I am calculating the over-under on when this post of mine will be mischaracterized for political gain. One will say it’s anti-Lynette and the other anti-Carroll, and someone else will come up with some other crap. All will be wrong. Note: it’s a trap!
Word of warning: you’re elected to serve all of the people of your district, not just the ones you like.
UPDATE:
Oakland District Three Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney posted this entry on Facebook, tagging myself and this post:
Here are the games, and I’ll tell you who’s going to win and why:
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (Thu)8:20p (ET)8:20p
NFLN Sunday, September 20, 2020
New York Giants at Chicago Bears12:00p (CT)1:00pCBS
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys12:00p (CT)1:00pFOX
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers12:00p (CT)1:00pFOX
Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts1:00p (ET)1:00pFOX
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins1:00p (ET)1:00pCBS
San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets1:00p (ET)1:00pFOX
Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles1:00p (ET)1:00pFOX
Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers1:00p (ET)1:00pCBS
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers1:00p (ET)1:00pFOX
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans12:00p (CT)1:00pCBS
Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals1:05p (MST)4:05pFOX
Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans3:25p (CT)4:25pCBS
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers1:25p (PT)4:25pCBS
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks5:20p (PT)8:20pNBCMonday, September 21, 2020
New Orleans Saints at Las Vegas Raiders (Mon)5:15p (PT)
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
MJ Acosta-Ruiz Becomes First Afro-Latina to Host a Show on NFL Network
A new chapter of NFL Network’s signature show NFL Total Access begins TONIGHT at the special time of 6:00 PM ET when recently named host MJ Acosta-Ruiz anchors the program from NFL Network’s studios in Culver City, CA.
Acosta-Ruiz (@MJAcostaTV) – who was officially named the host of NFL Total Access on Monday, September 7 – becomes the first Afro-Latina to host a show on NFL Network.
“I’m excited and eager to start this next chapter as the host of NFL Total Access,” said Acosta-Ruiz. “For over a decade I have worked tirelessly towards this professional goal. As the first Afro-Latina to host a show on NFL Network, this moment carries a deeper level of appreciation than I can express. I stand here as a reflection of a vast and diverse community of women in sports, and a true testament of how hard work and relentless preparation can lead you to where you were meant to be.”
“We are thrilled for MJ to be the face of NFL Total Access,” said Galen Gordon, NFL Network Vice President – Talent Management. “In just two short years, she has made an incredible impact on the NFL Media Group across all platforms, reaching both English and Spanish-speaking fans. In addition, MJ has been an incredible ambassador for what we do here at NFL Network. As we strive to engage more fans on more screens, I’m encouraged that we have a woman of color leading our daily weeknight show. She’s someone with strong relationships throughout the NFL community who will certainly bring a fresh perspective to our programming.”
Along with the addition of Acosta-Ruiz as host, NFL Total Access will have a new presentation and shift in focus, including the following elements:
Greater focus on in-depth elements such as Next Gen Stats to break down how positions are performing on a day-to-day basis and provide fans greater insight into the game
Expanded participation by NFL Network’s reporter group which spans the United States, creating a daily reporters’ notebook to bring fans closer than ever before to NFL news on a local level
Increased attention on social justice topics and storytelling, providing a voice to the players, coaches and personalities across the league – including NFL Network talent
All analysts, reporters and contributors will join the show remotely, with Acosta-Ruiz hosting the show from the expansive video wall on the NFL Total Access set located in NFL Network’s Los Angeles-based studios
Continuation of past staples such as X’s and O’s content, mic’d up segments, Fantasy Football advice, and more
“NFL Total Access will continue to entertain our avid fan base with a diverse production that reflects our league,” said Lya Vallat, NFL Network senior coordinating producer. “We are excited for the fresh perspective that our new host, MJ Acosta-Ruiz, will bring. MJ will lead our team made up of former players, coaches, front office staff and team reporters. Let the games begin!”
NFL Total Access airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 PM ET, and Thursday following Thursday Night Football on NFL Network, and in addition to Acosta-Ruiz features analysts such as Willie McGinest, James Jones, David Carr, Maurice Jones-Drew, Shaun O’Hara, DeAngelo Hall, Michael Robinson, LaDainian Tomlinson and Kurt Warner on a rotating basis.
ABOUT NFL MEDIA
NFL Media is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL RedZone.
Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, fans turn to NFL Network to receive information and insight straight from the field, team headquarters, league offices and everywhere the NFL is making news. Launched in 2003, NFL Network gives fans unprecedented year-round inside access to all NFL events, including the Super Bowl, Playoffs, regular season, preseason, Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend, NFL Draft, NFL Scouting Combine, Senior Bowl, league meetings, minicamps and training camps.
For fans on the go, all NFL Network programming can be streamed live through the NFL and NFL Network apps on smartphones, tablets, PCs and connected TV devices (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation 4, Roku and Xbox One). Access is available for NFL Network subscribers of participating TV providers. For more information, go to NFL.com/nflnetwork.
ONN – Las Vegas Raiders How To Watch Raider Content On TV In Los Angeles – By Joseph Armendariz
Las Vegas Raiders How To Watch On TV In Los Angeles – By Joseph Armendariz
Las Vegas Raiders Continues To Have A TV Home In Los Angeles By Joseph. since the Raiders left the Los Angeles Market in move back to Oakland KTLA Channel 5 has consistently supported the local La Raider fans by providing the L.A market with local Raider specials updates and the Silver & Black Show. I wanted to Thank KTLA for supporting and providing content of the Raiders to the LA fan base. Photo credits: KTLA and Raiders.com
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Las Vegas Raiders Continues To Have A TV Home In Los Angeles By Joseph Armendariz
From YouTube Channel: September 12, 2020 at 12:48AM
ONN – Las Vegas Raiders Continues To Have A TV Home In Los Angeles By Joseph. since the Raiders left the Los Angeles Market in move back to Oakland KTLA Channel 5 has consistently supported the local La Raider fans by providing the L.A market with local Raider specials updates and the Silver & Black Show. I wanted to Thank KTLA for supporting and providing content of the Raiders to the LA fan base.
photo credits: KTLA and Raiders.com
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
ONN – Las Vegas Raiders Lose out On Signing Jalen Ramsey In The Off-Season By Joseph Armendariz
Las Vegas Raiders Lose out On Signing Jalen Ramsey In The Off-Season By Joseph Armendariz . the hopes of many Raider fans were crushed when Jalen Ramsey signed a five-year contract extension to stay with the Los Angeles Rams the contract is valued at 105 million dollar for 5 year contract extension 71.2 million is guaranteed.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
Los Angeles – Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars® eligibility in the Best Picture category, as part of its Academy Aperture 2025 initiative. The standards are designed to encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.
Academy governors DeVon Franklin and Jim Gianopulos headed a task force to develop the standards that were created from a template inspired by the British Film Institute (BFI) Diversity Standards used for certain funding eligibility in the UK and eligibility in some categories of the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) Awards, but were adapted to serve the specific needs of the Academy. The Academy also consulted with the Producers Guild of America (PGA), as it presently does for Oscars eligibility.
“The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them. The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”
For the 94th Oscars (2022) and 95th Oscars (2023), submitting a confidential Academy Inclusion Standards form will be required for Best Picture consideration, however meeting inclusion thresholds will not be required for eligibility in the Best Picture category until the 96th Oscars (2024).
For the 96th Oscars (2024), a film must meet TWO out of FOUR of the following standards to be deemed eligible:
STANDARD A: ON-SCREEN REPRESENTATION, THEMES AND NARRATIVES
To achieve Standard A, the film must meet ONE of the following criteria:
A1. Lead or significant supporting actors
At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
• Asian
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
• Middle Eastern/North African
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• Other underrepresented race or ethnicity
A2. General ensemble cast
At least 30% of all actors in secondary and more minor roles are from at least two of the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
A3. Main storyline/subject matter
The main storyline(s), theme or narrative of the film is centered on an underrepresented group(s).
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
STANDARD B: CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT TEAM
To achieve Standard B, the film must meet ONE of the criteria below:
B1. Creative leadership and department heads
At least two of the following creative leadership positions and department heads—Casting Director, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, Director, Editor, Hairstylist, Makeup Artist, Producer, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Sound, VFX Supervisor, Writer—are from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
At least one of those positions must belong to the following underrepresented racial or ethnic group:
• Asian
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
• Middle Eastern/North African
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• Other underrepresented race or ethnicity
B2. Other key roles
At least six other crew/team and technical positions (excluding Production Assistants) are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. These positions include but are not limited to First AD, Gaffer, Script Supervisor, etc.
B3. Overall crew composition
At least 30% of the film’s crew is from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
STANDARD C: INDUSTRY ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES
To achieve Standard C, the film must meet BOTH criteria below:
C1. Paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities
The film’s distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships that are from the following underrepresented groups and satisfy the criteria below:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
The major studios/distributors are required to have substantive, ongoing paid apprenticeships/internships inclusive of underrepresented groups (must also include racial or ethnic groups) in most of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.
The mini-major or independent studios/distributors must have a minimum of two apprentices/interns from the above underrepresented groups (at least one from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group) in at least one of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.
C2. Training opportunities and skills development (crew)
The film’s production, distribution and/or financing company offers training and/or work opportunities for below-the-line skill development to people from the following underrepresented groups:
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
STANDARD D: AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
To achieve Standard D, the film must meet the criterion below:
D1. Representation in marketing, publicity, and distribution
The studio and/or film company has multiple in-house senior executives from among the following underrepresented groups (must include individuals from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups) on their marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams.
• Women
• Racial or ethnic group:
Asian
Hispanic/Latinx
Black/African American
Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
Middle Eastern/North African
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Other underrepresented race or ethnicity
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing
All categories other than Best Picture will be held to their current eligibility requirements. Films in the specialty feature categories (Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, International Feature Film) submitted for Best Picture/General Entry consideration will be addressed separately.
Academy Aperture 2025 is the next phase of the Academy’s equity and inclusion initiative furthering the organization’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusion in the entertainment industry and increase representation within its membership and the greater film community.
Chadwick Boseman Given Last Respect By Artists, This Is Will Blow Your Mind
From YouTube Channel: September 6, 2020 at 06:30PM
ONN – Chadwick Boseman: Black Panther star dies of cancer aged 43
The actor died at his Los Angeles home after being diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago
Ryan Gilbey on meeting Boseman
Peter Bradshaw’s appreciation of Boseman
Steve Rose on how Boseman changed cinema forever
Actor Chadwick Boseman, who played black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer, his representative said. He was 43.
Boseman died at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his side, his publicist Nicki Fioravante said on Friday.
Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago, his family said in a statement.
Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman: ‘Everybody’s minds are opening up’
Read more
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said.
“From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilsons Ma Raineys Black Bottom and several more – all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honour of his career to bring King TChalla to life in Black Panther.”
Boseman had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis. It is believed he married his long-term partner, the singer Taylor Simone Ledward, earlier this year. The couple had no children.
Boseman paid tribute to Ledward in his acceptance speech at the 2019 NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles, where he won the trophy for outstanding actor in a motion picture. He said: “Simone, you’re with me every day. I have to acknowledge you right now. Love you.”
Born in South Carolina, Boseman graduated from Howard University and had small roles in television before his first star turn in 2013. His striking portrayal of the stoic baseball star Robinson opposite Harrison Ford in 2013’s 42 drew attention in Hollywood.
Boseman died on a day that major league baseball was celebrating Jackie Robinson day.
“This is a crushing blow,” actor and director Jordan Peele said on Twitter, one of many expressing shock as the news spread across social media.
Mark Ruffalo, who starred alongside Boseman in the Marvel films, playing Hulk said it was an honour working with Boseman.
“All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of Chadwick Boseman,” he said. “What a man, and what an immense talent. Brother, you were one of the all time greats and your greatness was only beginning. Lord love ya. Rest in power, King.”
Don Cheadle, who also starred with Boseman in the Marvel films, posted a picture of them together: “i will miss you, birthday brother. you were always light and love to me. my god … forever and ever …”
“This broke me,” said actor and writer Issa Rae.
His T’Challa character was first introduced to the blockbuster Marvel movies in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, and his Wakanda Forever salute reverberated around the world after the release of Black Panther two years ago. It took in more than $1.3 bn in global box office and is the only Marvel Studios film to receive a best picture Oscar nomination.
“Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating,” said Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and chief creative officer of Marvel, in a statement.
He took on his first producing job in last years action thriller 21 Bridges, in which he also starred, and was last seen on-screen in Spike Lees film Da 5 Bloods as the leader of a group of Black soldiers in the Vietnam War.
eman completed one last performance, in an adaptation of August Wilson’s Neflix film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The film, in which Boseman stars alongside Viola Davis, finished shooting last summer.
Even at the outset of his Hollywood career, Boseman was clear-eyed about and even sceptical of the industry in which he would become an international star.
“You don’t have the same exact experience as a black actor as you do as a white actor. You don’t have the same opportunities. That’s evident and true,” he said while promoting 42.
‘Seize it. Enjoy it’: Chadwick Boseman embraced the joy and gravity of his films
Read more
“The best way to put it is: How often do you see a movie about a black hero who has a love story … he has a spirituality. He has an intellect. It’s weird to say it, but it doesn’t happen that often.”
Asked about his own childhood heroes and icons, Boseman cited political leaders and musicians: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest and Prince. Deeply private and often guarded in his public appearances and interviews, he was nonetheless eager to communicate the significance of his work and its impact on the broader culture.
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Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.
On August 25th, 2020, on NFL,com, the league’s “Next Gen Stats Analytics Team” posted “Next Gen Stats: Intro to new Route Recognition Model”. And, thus continuing the NFL’s fascination with the data pouring out of the new player-tracking technology, the Next Gen Stats Analytics Team has proven that the old computer industry saying “garbage in – garbage out” still applied today. The Next Gen Stats Route Recognition Model is evidence of that.
First, in explaining the raison d’tre behind the Route Recognition Model, the Next Gen Stats Analytics Team wrote this (which is a little like driving from Downtown Oakland, down to San Jose, then up the 101 in the West Bay, past Stanford and then SFO Airport, and Redwood City, to get to San Francisco, rather than just using the Bay Bridge):
Conventional counting stats like receptions and receiving yards provide a way to measure an individual player’s ability to catch and move the football, but they only tell part of the story. Advanced stats like depth of target, separation window and completion probability provide greater insight, but they still leave out an important factor. Namely, which route did the pass catcher run to get open before catching the ball?
With the help of player-tracking technology, the Next Gen Stats Analytics team set out to answer that exact question, decoding one of the key elements of an offensive play call by using player-tracking data to measure which routes pass catchers are running on any given pass play.
The Next Gen Stats player-tracking system records the x-y location, speed, acceleration, direction and orientation of all 22 players on the field in real time. Our new Route Recognition model leverages this data as inputs into a model that assigns a route type to every eligible receiver on every pass play, including tight ends and running backs. Our architectural approach uses a combination of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks trained on Amazon’s SageMaker platform. CNNs allow us to engage with the spatial nature of our dataset (that is, where each player is on the field in a given play), while LSTM networks allow us to engage with the temporal nature of our dataset (what happens as the play develops over time).
We approached routes run by players aligned in the backfield separately from routes run by players aligned out wide, in the slot or tight, because of clear differences in route archetypes. Below are the 15 unique route types assigned to all route runners, based on their location when the ball is snapped. Note that while NFL playbooks have hundreds of variations of routes, we’ve narrowed it down to these high-level categories, including 10 routes for those in typical wideout alignments and five for those aligned in the backfield:
Wideout Routes (10): Screen, flat, slant, crossing, out, in, hitch, corner, post, go
Backfield Routes (5): Screen, flat, angle, out, wheel
Real-time route classification enables us to contextualize the passing game in new ways. We can study league-wide trends to gain a new understanding of offensive strategy and tendencies, and we can break down and rank individual players by advanced performance metrics.
The last sentence, “ we can break down and rank individual players by advanced performance metrics” is one I completely disagree with.
Got that? Ok, I digress here to point out that since the Halfback in my play “Eagle Right H Fly Motion Up, Shortout Swing Pass” (and part of my soon-to-be-introduced “Black Panther Offense”) runs an “up” pattern, the Next Gen Stats Route Recognition Model would have a problem fitting it into its analysis parameters. And that’s where I start my critique.
Eagle Right H Fly Motion Up, Shortout Swing Pass
The Saints Michael Thomas Was The NFL Leading Receiver For 2019, Before The Next Gen Stats Route Recognition Model
Second, the Next Gen Stats Route Recognition Model that was introduced also came with the headlines for a post that reads Michael Thomas is the best route runner. Then, it goes on to say that he runs the crossing pattern better than anyone else, because his catch rate is higher. Right?
Well, if you actually look at Michael Thomas’ catches for all of 2019, you will see that when he did catch a crossing pattern, most of the time, he came out of a slot or a bunch set, or was helped by a “clear out” pattern. The problem with the Next Gen Stats Route Recognition Model, and its attempt to simply routes for the purpose of the model, is one loses any understanding of what the Saints do to get Thomas into a position where he’s effective so often. In other words, the reason for Michael Thomas’ great 2019 campaign was what head coach Sean Payton and his staff did to put Mr. Thomas in position to be great – and that was enabled by Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Brees as the quarterbacks for that year.
What I take away from Michael Thomas’ record-setting 2019 effort was the continued advances in using wide receivers as the focus of a ball-control passing game. (Something pioneered by Bill Walsh, but improved on by Bill Belichick during the 2006 NFL Season where the Pats nearly achieved a perfect record – but were stopped by the NY Giants in Super Bowl XLII). I also take away from Michael Thomas’ record-setting 2019 effort, the importance of designing plays that cause the quarterback to get rid of the ball faster.
The main question is this: can Michael Thomas’ record-setting 2019 effort be topped in 2020? I think it can if head coach Sean Payton introduces new formations continue to to give Thomas the “rub” and space from defenders to make catches. It’s clear the Saints have arguably the best passing game developed from a perspective of timing between quarterback and receiver. Don’t discount the role formations play in that outcome.
The missing element in the Next Gen Stats Route Recognition Model is any real consideration for formations. There’s no ability to determine which route came from a bunch set, for example, or a tight-slot lineup, to offer another.
In closing, as one who was the only media (other than NFL Media) to attend the NFL’s Big Data Event at the 2020 NFL Combine, I applaud the league’s effort to shine a light, a bright one, on game analytics. My only concern is that, in doing so, there is a tendency to forget the importance of knowing how the game works. For example, the winner of the 2020 Big Data Event was a very nice man named Matt Ploenzke who’s model was such that no one, not even himself, could clearly articulate how it could help the NFL beyond what we already know.
What he found was “Among roughly 40 input variables, a ball carrier’s “effective acceleration” was the most important for estimating yards gained on a handoff play.” Look, anyone who’s seen Dallas Cowboys NFL Hall of Fame Running Back Tony Dorsett hit the hole fast can tell you that. Dorsett will always be my favorite NFL ball carrier. Watch this:
Meanwhile, Graham Pash and Walker Powell of NC State, who…
used kinematic data such as player positions and velocity to determine zones of control for both the offensive and defensive teams at the time of the handoff. These zones of control predict the probabilities of yards lost or gained and quantifies the risk involved with plays.
Key stat: Robert Woods (Los Angeles Rams) and Raheem Mostert (San Francisco 49ers) outperformed the model predictions the most, averaging nearly three more yards than predicted over the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
…Came in second!
And Namrata Ray, Jugal Marfatia (Washington State University), who…
measured the open space of the rusher at three time intervals — handoff, after a half-second, and after one second — to understand the association between open space and yards gained. Results indicated that the difference in the open space between the time of handoff and after a half-second or full second was a strong predictor of the number of yards gained.
Key Stat: Yards gained by the rusher increases by four yards on average for every one percent increase in the additional open area created within a half-second of the handoff.
Came in third!
That was nuts.
What Namrata Ray and Jugal Marfatia learned, for me, should revolutionize running play design and formation use. Right now, too many NFL teams pay zero attention to line split variations in play design. Just saying.
Matt Ploenzke’s now working for the Niners. Remember, Matt: formations matter!
Don’t Forget The Name Ermal Allen, Dallas Cowboys Quality Control Coach
Tom Landry And Ermal Allen Ap Shutterstock Photo
At the same NFL Combine 2020, I noticed that media types seem to think we’re in some kind of golden age of data. Even someone with the Dallas Cowboys (name left out) bought that kool aide. Then, I mentioned that the real pioneer of analytics was Ermal Allen, Dallas Cowboys Quality Control Coach under Head Coach Tom Landry. Allen used computers to scout team tendencies, and a did remarkable job with the limited technology of the age compared to today. But the point is, he set the tone for the analytics departments of NFL teams in the 21st Century.
Allen played his college football as a quarterback at the University of Kentucky and coached there from 1948 through 1961. He and assistant head coach Jim Myers have the longest tenure under Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, who has coached the team since its inception in 1960.
NFL teams exchange films of their last four games for scouting purposes and Allen dissects those films in an attempt to learn everything there is to know about the opponent.
All the information he gleans from his studies is fed into a computer to try to predict what a club is most likely to do in certain situations. All of that information is ready for the rest of the staff by the first of each week to assist Landry and his assistants in the formulation of their game plan.
On game days Allen stays in the press box with three other assistants to chart the opposition’s plays with Tubbs.
Note 1: The Oakland Police Department Officer Johnna Watson sent this Community Message on Fake Message Protest related property damage and arrests via email and with photos to Zennie62Media 58 minutes ago from this time.
Note 2: I call this a Fake Message Protest because, once again, the messages had nothing to do with Jacob Blake and expressed no sympathy for him or solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement (see my post on that problem here). The messages, directed against the Oakland Police and “rich people in the hills” look like they were written by a Trump For President 2020 operative, trying to sway votes in Oakland and the SF Bay Area.
Here’s Officer Watson:
Dear Oakland Community,
Oakland Protest Photos from OPD
The City of Oakland experienced large crowds during a three-day period, August 26, 28, and 29. The crowds were violent, destructive and displayed hostility towards our community members and police officers. Several of our vulnerable businesses and civic facilities were targeted and damaged.
Over the three-day period, 24 people were arrested, most are non-Oakland residents.
On Wednesday, August 26, at 8:00 PM, a crowd gathered in the 1400 block of Broadway for an event that was promoted by #Yayarearevolution. Within the hour the crowd size grew to an estimated 600 people. The speakers could be heard inciting the crowd with chants of “Kill the Cops” and “Burn the City down.” The crowd later marched throughout
Oakland Police Community Message On Fake Message Protests, Related Damage And ArrestsOakland Protest Photos from OPD
Oakland’s downtown and residential areas. The intentions of the crowd were not peaceful but deliberate; through their words and actions, they demonstrated their focused and targeted intentions to destroy and damage our already vulnerable business community.
Many in the crowd threatened open businesses as they marched, saying if they did not immediately close, they would be “Burned to the ground.” For about four hours the crowd moved from downtown along Grand Avenue to the Grand Lake neighborhood. The crowd set fire to the Alameda County Superior Courthouse, structures, vehicles, and trash cans. The crowd also vandalized businesses and caused more than $100,000 in damages to the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. The actions of the crowd continued to traumatize our community; many residents attempted to deter the crowd in their neighborhoods but were met with threats of violence and destruction. Officers in the area encouraged our community members to shelter in place while attempting to curb the violence and protect the safety of our community as well as our officers.
Oakland Protest Photos from OPDctions of the crowd continued to traumatize our community; many residents attempted to deter the crowd in their neighborhoods but were met with threats of violence and destruction. Officers in the area encouraged our community members to shelter in place while attempting to curb the violence and protect the safety of our community as well as our officers.
Windows were broken at 21 businesses, many of which have been damaged before and a 100% affordable residential housing complex on Grand Avenue had damage. The Oakland Fire Department reported 25-30 fires including 2 vehicles totaled by fire, several structures, numerous trash cans and debris.
Oakland Protest Photos from OPDamage. The Oakland Fire Department reported 25-30 fires including 2 vehicles totaled by fire, several structures, numerous trash cans and debris.
The Oakland Police Department made 2 arrests and one vehicle was towed.
1 San Francisco resident 1 Unknown residency 1 Towed Vehicle
On Friday, August 28, at 7:00 PM, a crowd gathered in the 1400 block of Broadway for an event that was promoted by #Yayarearevolution. (Zennie62Media note: an extensive online search revealed no website or social media home with the name #Yayarearevolution. The people behind this are only spray-painting the name – along with words targeted at would-be Trump voters. So, the OPD and media see it, and then promote the group for them. Since the media and OPD doesn’t investigate the group, the trick works. Thus, this blogger holds the protestors are working for Trump For President 2020, and working to create the idea that the nation is lawless, and thus must re-elect Donald Trump.) Within the hour the crowd size grew to an estimated 250 people who marched throughout Oakland’s downtown and residential areas. The intentions of the crowd were not peaceful but deliberate; through their words and actions they demonstrated their focused and targeted intentions included assaulting officers with rocks and bottles, pointing lasers at officers and a news crew. OPD deployed minimal gas and smoke. No reports of any damage.
The Oakland Police Department made 16 arrests.
Oakland Protest Photos from OPD
9 Oakland residents 3 Berkeley residents 2 San Francisco residents 1 Clovis resident 1 Unknown residency
On Saturday, August 29, at 8:30 PM, a crowd gathered in the 550 El Embarcadero for an event that was promoted by #Yayarearevolution. The crowd size grew to an estimated 150 people who marched in the Grand Lake commercial and Mandana neighborhoods. The intentions of the crowd were not peaceful but deliberate; through their words and actions they demonstrated their focused and targeted intentions included repeatedly assaulting officers with rocks, bottles, wood shields and pointing lasers at officers. OPD deployed minimal gas and smoke. The only report of damage was graffiti on a commercial building.
The Oakland Police Department made 6 arrests and confiscated multiple wooden shields.
Oakland Protest Photos from OPD
2 Oakland residents 2 Berkeley residents 1 San Francisco resident 1 Los Angeles resident
The City of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department stand with our community against social injustice and racial inequality. We strive for justice, equality and accountability.
Oakland Protest Photos from OPD
Due to the violence and a lack of Mutual Aid based on the court injunction, OPD canceled all days off for Friday and Saturday to ensure staffing to protect our vulnerable infrastructure and community safety at a considerable expense to the city.
OPD will continue to facilitate safe spaces and places for peaceful protests, we ask those organizing gatherings in Oakland to remain peaceful.
#OPDCARES initiative is about all of us working together as a community, to help stop the tragic loss of life and reduce the level of violence in our city. Collectively, we want to ensure Oaklanders and our visitors are safe in our community.
Officer Johnna Watson
The Oakland Police must investigate the members of this so-called fake group, and find out from them who’s paying them to do the damage and civic unrest. I’ll bet those persons are connected to the Trump 2020 Campaign.
