What in the world?!  Only in America would someone actually decide to become litigious toward the Almighty.

 

State Sen. Ernie Chambers sued God last week, in response to another lawsuit he considers frivolous. The suit that triggered his own was a federal suit filed against a judge who recently barred words such as “rape” and “victim” from a sexual assault trial.

 

So Chambers -- who has represented Omaha, Nebraska for the past 37 years -- says he’s trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.

His suit against God (you know you want to read it) says that the defendant has made terrorist threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused “widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants.”

 

As one snarky blogger put it, "does God have to  take an oath and promise to tell the truth 'so help me me?'" Read the rest of his imagined dialogue -- it's funny! 

 

And since God is omnipresent and omniscient, Chambers says that he need not serve him with the suit.

 

So what if God loses the case? Will he be ordered to serve out a sentence in the same mythical jail cell that Paris Hilton inhabited? Or will he, too, get out on good behavior and get to just continue doing community service? ;)

 

Back to the Beat!

~Bet

What makes the news? Is important information worthy of the time to develop a story around?  Watching the news on TV is one way for consumers to get the latest updates.

Apparently, the death of "Alex the Parrot" is worthy of more airtime than political issues.

CBS's Katie Couric barely gave 20 seconds to reporting on the latest in Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign (the decision to refund Norman Hsu the largest amount ever, $850,000. Hsu, allegedly skirting election laws by paying people to donate to the Clinton campaign, is now being investigated.

Couric devoted almost twice the amount of time to the death of Alex the Parrot.

Couric said, “Alex could say the names of 50 objects, five shapes and seven colors. He was purchased at random from a pet store, but for 30 years helped researchers at Harvard and other schools learn how birds think and communicate. Alex died of unknown causes. Scientists say they'll miss him.”

Let’s face it – we hear about these political controversies all the time. Why not just breeze over them like facts and spend more time on interesting stories like the rare parrot, Alex?

Most Americans watch TV to unwind and relax. Maybe people are tired of bad news and want to hear more news stories that are interesting and rare?

What do YOU think? Post a comment!

Back to the beat!

~Bet

It's a solemn day in New York City and around the world. People on the commute seemed to be quite aware of the weight of this day, and for those that hadn't remembered, any glance at the free-paper headlines in their hands would have jarred them to the present.

 

What sets this 9/11 anniversary apart is that it falls on a Tuesday, the exact day of the week on that fateful morning.

 

Those living in New York at the time will remember the crisp, clear blue day with few clouds. It would've been even harder to stomach this particular Tuesday anniversary had the weather been just like that horrific day. But instead, today it is rainy and dreary.

 

My heart goes out to all the families and friends of the victims, and especially to the police and rescue workers who gave so much.

 

Skyline photo from 2002 from www.visuallee.com.

I have a brother who when he was a kid gave away his most valuable baseball cards at school -- including a Hank Aaron card! Can you believe that!?!

Referred to as the “Mona Lisa” or “holy grail” of baseball cards; a rare Honus Wagner baseball card has been sold for a record $2.8 million, the previous owner bought it just more than six months ago for a then-record $2.35million.

Here’s a brief lesson about this card…

People ask “How can this card be that valuable”?

Wagner’s card was one of the first major league players produced by The American Tobacco Company back in 1909, Wagner demanded that this card be withdrawn immediately due to his feelings about tobacco and tobacco use of the youth. This was a limited card to find still is due to there not being a surplus of them production of this card was extremely short lived. This card is in the best condition of the few known T206 Wagner cards. There have been fewer than 100 that are known of. A past owner of this card was Wayne Gretzky. In 1917, Wagner retired with a career batting average of .327 and 3,415 hits; he’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1936. Baseball greats such as Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson join him in the class of the Hall Of Frame.

What is up with Bethanie Mattek? The up-and-comer is showing off more than her backhand at the 2007 US Open.

How can an athlete at her level not know what proper attire is, especially for a sport as reverently traditional as tennis?




Or maybe she does know, but she is trying to make her mark in other ways -- grabbing media attention, etc. But come on, they make sports bras for the well-endowed:















Try that one on for size, Miss Mattek! Stop making a bad name for the Bethanies of the world!




Hehe Back to the Beat!

~Bet

Just found out about a controversial new site that is far-reaching (though not sure how accurate) and might be of interest to rabid sports fans.

 

It's called Badjocks.com -- which tags itself as the place "where COPS meets SportsCenter."

 

Basically, the site outs and discusses athletes of all levels who've behaved badly. From Michael Vick's dog-fighting to the arresting of Iowa football players to sexual harassment allegations at the high school level -- if there's a social moré involved, they're gonna publish it.

The site has taken some hits from those who believe what they are doing is repulsive. As a journalist, it's obviously irresponsible writing if the stories aren't based on fact, but the site writer doen't seem to make any apologies. The page is sponsored by so many ads that it becomes tough to delineate the actual content and it has that spam-like look. But hey, if you've got to get your sports gossip fix ...

 

Or maybe it's not gossip. Maybe it is fact. If that's the case, then it doesn't surprise me. Athletes often have privileges that can lead to extravagantly misguided circumstances. It's always a shame when people we cheer for and admire mar their reputations with repugnant extracurricular activities.

Back to the beat!

~Bet

 

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, carrying a crew of 7, touched down safely at the Kennedy Space Center at 12:32 pm today.

 

The mission was cut short, plagued by shuttle damages and the threat of Hurricane Dean.

 

The crew included teacher and astronaut Barbara Morgan, who had been Christa McAuliffe’s backup for the fated Challenger flight in 1986.

 

The Challenger was the first national tragedy I witnessed as a child -- I remember how visceral it was to first feel the collective anticipation of my gradeschool class toward such an important mission, and then instead to watch the horrific event unfold in front of my eyes. To see another teacher show the courage it takes to go on a spaceflight, especially considering her ties to the memory of fallen national heroes, is inspiring. Welcome home, Endeavour. We're glad you're safe.

 

Back to the beat!

~Bet

 

spit·ball (sptbôl)

Tomorrow marks the 40-year anniversary of the accidental beanball that put Red Sox heavy-hitter Tony Conigliaro on the DL for more than a season.

On Aug. 18, 1967, California Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton threw a fastball, but many believed it was the result of a spitball.

Hamilton admitted he sometimes threw the illegal pitch during his professional career, but swears that was not the case with the straight-to-the-eye one that put the Boston slugger in the hospital. Less than a month before, the 22-year-old had become the youngest player to hit 100 career home runs. The beaning fractured Conigliaro's cheekbone, dislocated his jaw and caused a cyst to form behind his left eye, which some teammates were afraid had fallen out of the socket. Conigliaro said he thought he was going to die. He was rushed to the hospital.

When Conigliaro returned to baseball, he garnered the Comeback Player of the Year award, but he played only 241 more games for the rest of his career, plagued by vision problems for life.

The Sox will remember Conigliaro before Saturday's game.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove today announced plans to resign at the end of August.

The notorious chief Bush Administration political strategist said he will spend more time with his family, though many speculate that he may join a presidential campaign. Rove has denied such suggestions.

Is this damage control for the flailing Bush Administration -- a desperate attempt in hopes that the disassociation raises the president's approval ratings? Are they planning to find him a cozy office at Halliburton or another pocket-filling machine? Or is this to avoid any such criminal investigations he may be subjected to?

We shall soon find out.

Back to the beat!

~Bet

So, inevitably, Barry Bonds broke the record.

Hank Aaron is no longer the MLB's career homerun king, at 755.

So many camps on this topic, and I'm not sure where I sit. I've read so much about how steroid use is just one of the "era issues" modern baseball has had to battle. That back in the day, they had things like the pitcher's mound being further back, etc. Hardly the same thing.

Bonds was quoted afterwards as saying, that last night's historic event “is not tainted at all. At all. Period.”

I'm sure it's got to get to the guy. So much media attention for all the wrong reasons.

So all I've got to say is I can't be too jaded, but I also can't be too impressed. There's a duality that exists here, since I don't know enough about Bonds to make an informed decision. I wish I did feel more strongly. It would make such a huge accomplishment so much more fulfilling to witness in my lifetime.

I'm a purist. I don't believe in cheating and I do feel athletes should be clean. Otherwise, the level playing field becomes as lopsided as Rocky vs. Drago, man vs. machine. And since we are living in times when people like Drago end up getting ahead, and not the Balboas of the world, then I'm just gonna end this post with a *sigh*.

Back to the beat!

~Bet

 

Tom Glavine became only the 23rd pitcher in MLB history to notch 300 career wins, as the Mets garnered an 8-3 victory over the Cubs last night.

 

But the evening was almost spoiled by the sudden illness of his 13-year-old son, Jonathan, who woke up sick during the wee hours of the morning  -- so sick that Tom's wife, Christine, called a doctor to their hotel room. 

 

Christine spent the day crossing her fingers, hoping her son would be better for Dad's big night. "My husband's going for 300, my son's coughing his guts up, what do I do? Luckily, he made a turn for the better," she said. 

 

Can you imagine if Glavine's son couldn't be there for something as monumental as this? So glad to hear that wasn't the case! I may sound sentimental, but "The Natural" is my favorite sports movie of all time, and so the father-son bond over baseball is a real hearstrings-tugger for me:) And what a gem Christine is -- trying to stay calm on the road with the pressure of a historic night AND a sick child? Mothers really are the most incredible people on Earth.

 

Congrats, Tom! Looking forward to reporting on your spot in the Hall of Fame!

~Back to the beat,

Bet

Yesterday history was made as the first female Chamorro clerk of courts was appointed to a federal court.

According to the Pacific Daily News, Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood (also of Chamorro descent) of the U.S. District Court of Guam yesterday announced the appointment of Jeanne Quinata as the clerk of courts. Quinata is currently clerk of court for the territorial Supreme Court of Guam.

The Chamorro people are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, which include the American territory of Guam and the commonwealth of islands in Micronesia.

 

Yay for more females in the justice system! And yay for the people of Guam!

-Back to the beat!

Bet

When news of a tragedy such as the Minneapolis bridge collapse breaks, it doesn't matter what state you call home; you're affected. You're affected because you know that random occurrences like this could happen in anytown, USA, and it's just awful to imagine that it could have been your hometown, your family, your friends, or you.

 

"Safety's just danger, out of place," as Harry Connick Jr. wrote.

 

What's important to note is that this wasn't due to any structural repair gone awry. "We were not redoing the bridge," said Kent Barnard of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. "I want to make that very clear. We were not rebuilding the bridge. We were doing some concrete repairs and we were doing some resurfacing. There was nothing dealing with the structure of the bridge."

 

No matter who or what is to blame, nine people are dead. Nine mothers or fathers or sisters or brothers or aunts or uncles or husbands or wives or kids or friends. Each likely carried many of those titles. 

 

I know reporters are supposed to keep their emotional distance, remain unbiased, etc. But I'm going to set my heart out to those affected by this tragedy anyway. They deserve all the love they can get. I know I'd want the nation's heart on my side if it were me.

-Bet

 

I gotta tell you, from a person with a journalism degree, the news of Rupert Murdoch sealing the deal with the Bancroft family for the Dow Jones company buyout is not exactly inspiring.

 

In fact, it's quite disheartening.

 

I've always considered The Wall Street Journal the pinnacle of quality journalism. It is, for many, the definitive print publication. Required reading for suits and savvy nonsuits. And now, it's going to owned by Murdoch, a man known for producing less-than-stellar, even sloppy news.

 

5 billion dollars. That's what it took to buy a family business the security it so desired. But you can't control what someone does with your product after you sell it to them. In a statement released today, a family spokesman said, "It is our most fervent hope that in the years to come, The Wall Street Journal will continue to enjoy, and deserve, the universal admiration and respect in which it is held all over the world."

 

Fellow newshounds, let's hope that it will maintain its integrity. And if it doesn't, that other publications will rise to the occasion.

 

 

Well, back to the beat!
Bet

As a newsie-in-training, I was saddened to hear of the passing of one of the industry greats, Tom Snyder.

 

 

I was only a kid, but I do remember him as the host who'd smoke on camera while he interviewed people, as my older sister stayed up late to watch the first-ever late-night show, NBC’s "The Tomorrow Show."

 

 

An ex-boyfriend of mine noted to me once that Snyder was a model train enthusiast – a hobby that is common among celebs, who have the money to support the expense of building layouts and collecting.

 

 

When I checked his bio, I saw that he interviewed Charles Manson – I’m gonna try to find a video of that and post it!

 

 

Below is the Washington Post obit.

 

 

Back to the beat,

 

 

-Bet

Tom Snyder of 'Tomorrow Show' Dies at 71

 

The Associated Press
Monday, July 30, 2007