In Memoriam
Coretta Scott King
April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006
And The Nominees Are...
The nominees for the 78th Annual Academy Awards were announced today by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar®-winner Mira Sorvino.
Brokeback Mountain is leading the field with eight nominations including best film. Ang Lee won a best director nomination for the cowboy romance - building on his Golden Globe success, while its star Heath Ledger is up for best actor.
Fellow best film nominees are Good Night, and Good Luck, Crash, Capote and Steven Spielberg's Munich.
The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 5, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles and televised live on ABC beginning at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST.
Here is the complete list of nominees.
Hurtling Head First Towards Valentine’s Day
Three more weeks and the national day of socially-imposed longing, love and romance will be upon us. Them that’s got shall get. Them that’s not shall lose or at least hope the day goes by quickly.
Looks like some folks are already dealing with some anxious moments.
What are your prospects for love and happiness in 2006?
My Scorecard
I filled out my ballot for the SAG Awards online last week, and as usual, my picks were way off. I got 2 right and 11 wrong. The ones I voted for correctly were the cast of Lost for Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series, and S. Epatha Merkerson for her role in Lackawanna Blues that earned Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. I fell out laughing when she giddily ended her acceptance speech by thanking her divorce attorneys! That was priceless.
I guess I should stick to picking football games. (The Super Bowl prediction will come later this week.)
Weapons of Mass Transportation
I ride the subways and buses in NYC almost every day, and it never ceases to amaze me some of the downright ignorant things people do:
• Why do some people carry around three or four expired Metrocards and hold up the line to get on the bus going through all of them? And of course, none of them have any money left. (Black folks, you know who you are.)
• Why do some other people try to get on the bus with dollar bills? It’s either a Metrocard or cash, no paper money. (Tourists, you know who you are. Read a damn guide book before you visit the city.) Now frankly, I think the MTA needs to change the machines to accept paper but that’s beside the point.
• And why, oh why, do some people (almost always women) wait until they are right in front of the turnstiles before they go digging in their pocketbooks for their Metrocard? Ok, when you were walking down the street, did you not know you were headed towards the subway? When you saw the sign that said “Subway” and went down the stairs, didn’t it occur to you that you would need your card to get into the station? Why, in the middle of morning or afternoon rush hour, with people lined up behind you and the train pulling into the station, does it suddenly occur to you to look for your damn card? I see some woman do this at least once a day, every day of the week.
• And I know what the women are thinking right about now. “Why do men always sit on the train with their legs spread, taking up so much space?” Simple answer. A dick and balls. When the family jewels get to hang freely, blood doesn’t rush to our heads (the big one). But when we’re forced to squeeze our legs together, the pain is excruciating and we can barely make it to the next station. Which brings me to my next point...
• Why do some people insist on squeezing their fat asses into seats that clearly aren’t wide enough? Especially now, with everybody wearing winter coats, the space on the train is at a minimum, but some people always think their butt can still fit. I’m not picking on any particular gender, but if I was to keep track of who does it more often...
• And you assholes reading the New York Times piss me off. There was a time in this city when Times readers knew how to do “the fold.” But with all the yuppie transplants and college graduates living here for their first job, there’s a new clueless generation that doesn’t understand how to fold it into smaller sections so they don’t bump and annoy the people next to them. They want to impress everybody by reading an adult newspaper and must think they’re sitting in their fucking living rooms. (See below for instructions on how to do “the fold.”)
• And you people with cell phones really piss me off! On the bus, you’re the assholes who have to hold a conversation so that everybody can hear it. We don’t give a shit about your boring life, shut up already. The call ain’t that important.
• When the 1 train comes above ground at 125th Street, why does everybody have to whip out their cell phone to make the call saying, “Yeah, it’s me. I’ll be home in five minutes.” WTF! You’ll be home in five minutes, why do you need to call? Every day I see this. In english and spanish. Idiots!
• Why do teenagers make so much damn noise on the train? In the morning, adults are reading the paper or a book or catching some z’s, but the obnoxious little bastards, all standing right next to each other, are shouting at the top of their lungs, swearing and using the “N” word. If that doesn’t make the case for birth control I don’t know what will.
• And will you people walk all the way into the center of the car! There are people behind you trying to get on the train, and you stop right in the doorway! Are you completely stupid? “Well, I don’t want to go too far in ‘cause I’m getting off in a few stops.” Well, we’ll step aside and let you off then, but move in so we can get on.
• Finally, when the train is jam-packed, like in the morning, why do some people insist on getting on anyway? (White folks on the Upper West Side, you damn sure know who you are!) Trains run back to back to back in the morning and if you can’t fit on one, there’s another one right behind it. “But I’m already late for work.” Well squeezing on this one ain’t gonna make yo’ azz on time!
I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. You probably have some of your own public transportation pet peeves. Bring ‘em on.
How to fold the New York Times. This used to be fairly common knowledge, but somewhere along the line people either forgot or never learned. If you learn it, you won’t get nasty stares from riders sitting next to you.
The New York Times is a “broadsheet,” a rectangular newspaper that is longer vertically than horizontally. The front page and most inside pages, have six columns from left to right and a horizontal fold midway down. You can compact it initially just by bending it along that fold. But you can read any page of the paper easily by first, folding the newspaper vertically between columns 3 and 4, cutting the size in half vertically. If you then bend it again along the horizontal middle fold, you now have a paper that is one-quarter its usual size, and which can be held in one hand.
But articles often start on one page and continue somewhere else. So unfold it at the horizontal middle so that you have the full length with the vertical fold between columns 3 and 4. Turn back the next page to that same vertical halfway point, keeping the fold between columns 3 and 4. If you need to read any part of the paper that is on the inner side, along the newspaper’s spine, simply turn back the newspaper along the spine, keeping the size to one-half vertically. To turn any more pages, just repeat this procedure. You can again fold it along the horizontal middle to reduce it to one quarter.
Weekdays, the Times usually has four sections. Work with a section at a time, not the whole paper. There is never a legitimate reason to sit on a crowded subway train trying to read the Times (or the Wall Street Journal; this works with it too) with your arms fully extended and the paper spread wide open. You will only piss me off!
Clinton Opposes Alito Confirmation
In response to an email I sent as a New York State resident and constituent, asking her to vote no on the confirmation of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to the United States Supreme Court, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton sent back the following statement, spelling out her objections.
The nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to the Supreme Court of the United States is a matter of great importance to all of us, our children, and future generations of Americans. This nomination comes to us at a time when many of our cherished constitutional rights and freedoms are imperiled.
The Constitution commands that the United States Senate provide the President with meaningful advice and consent on judicial nominations. I take this constitutional charge seriously. I have carefully reviewed the Committee's
hearings and Judge Alito's extensive record and have concluded that I cannot give my consent to his nomination to the Supreme Court.
EXPANDING THE CIRCLE OF LIBERTY
The key to our history has been to expand the circle of freedom and opportunity. That has been the common thread through all the periods of progress in America: greater rights and responsibilities of citizenship and equality. And each time that we have made strides, there have been voices of opposition. There have been those who have wanted to go back. And at those moments of profound importance to America, the Courts have been the guardians of our liberties and stood on the side of greater freedom and opportunity. Consider cases like:
* Brown v. Board of Education, which struck down the notion of "separate but equal."
* Baker v. Carr, which invalidated discriminatory state apportionment schemes and paved the way for the concept of "one man, one vote."
* Griswold v. Connecticut, which recognized a right to privacy in the Constitution.
* Roe v. Wade, which established that women have a right to choose.
We need a judge who will take us forward, not back - keeping with our history of progress. Despite his distinguished credentials, Judge Alito has not shown himself to be that judge. In his career, he has not shown any dedication to civil rights, women's rights and the right to privacy that we need in the next Supreme Court Justice. Time and again, when given the opportunity, he has voted to narrow the circle, to restrict the rights Americans hold dear. And now is not the time to go backwards.
Without the progress we have made in the past 230 years - without the expansion of that circle - I certainly would not be standing before you on the floor of the United States Senate. There would be no opportunity for women in public life. But mine is not the only example. Voting rights would be restricted. Equal opportunities in education and in the workplace would not exist. And none of us would have the right to privacy. Our nation would not be what it is today. Our greatest strength has always been our commitment to enlarging the circle of rights and equality. That great American commitment has made us a beacon around the world.
This nomination could well be the tipping point against constitutionally-based freedoms and protections we cherish as a nation. I fear that Judge Alito will roll back decades of progress and roll over when confronted with an
Administration too willing to flaunt the rules and looking for a rubber stamp. The stakes could not be higher.
* Roe v. Wade is at risk.
* The privacy of Americans is at risk as wholesale wiretaps on Americans could be authorized.
* Environmental safeguards, laws that protect workers from abuse or negligence, laws that keep automatic weapons of the streets: all are imperiled.
When I ran for the Senate, I told my constituents that I would only vote for judges who would affirm constitutional precedents like Roe, Brown and other landmark achievements in expanding rights and the reach of equality for all
Americans. This is about more than rhetoric. This is very real to me and my constituents. The American people are counting on us not to be a rubber stamp, counting on us to make sure that the President's nominee will not take us
backwards.
I also view Judge Alito's nomination through the prism of the seat he will fill. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has shown throughout her career of distinguished service to the Court that one Justice can protect our constitutional rights. Justice O'Connor, while conservative, was a mainstream jurist. She appreciated the advancements we have made as a society and fought to ensure that they would continue on. While I have not always agreed with her rulings, she understood that her vote was often the deciding vote on which key civil liberties and rights rested and exercised it with care.
Judge Alito has not demonstrated a similar commitment to these values. On the contrary, Judge Alito proudly announced his personal opposition to a woman's right to choose early in his career in his now infamous 1985 job application for a position in the Reagan Administration. Although he has tried to distance himself from the comments in that document, his time on the bench shows an unapologetic effort to undermine a woman's right to choose. I believe that abortion should be rare and understand that it is a decision of conscience, but I also believe it should be a constitutionally protected decision between a woman and her doctor. Judge Alito does not share this view, and we can be certain that free from the constraints of Supreme Court precedent, he will intensify his campaign to roll back these and other important privacy rights.
The extreme right wing of the Republican Party was up in arms when President Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Court to replace Justice O'Connor. Their reaction has been enthusiastic, effusive, and ecstatic this time around. Why? Because they know what they are getting.
Judge Alito's constrained view has not been limited to issues of privacy. While on the Third Circuit, Judge Alito has rarely sided with individuals seeking relief from discrimination on the basis of race, age, gender, or disability. In
fact, in the vast majority of civil rights cases, Judge Alito has sided with those who would infringe on the civil rights of Americans. For example, in several dissents, Judge Alito has called for curtailing the reach of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the landmark statute prohibiting discrimination against women and minorities in the workplace.
CHECKS AND BALANCES
I also fear the he will not respect the system of checks and balances our Founding Fathers so carefully set out in the Constitution.
No one who has read the Federalist papers or who read the debate that our Founding Fathers had when constructing the Constitution could underestimate the importance that they placed on having three truly independent and equal branches of government. Checks and balances have long protected us against abuses of
power. Again, considering Judge Alito's record, I do not believe he understands or respects this central principle.
Judge Alito has sought to expand the power and purview of the Executive Branch while simultaneously stripping Congress of its authority, undermining our system of checks and balances and curtailing the rights enjoyed by private citizens. For example, while working for the Reagan Administration, Judge Alito made the argument that Cabinet officials who are charged with authorizing illegal wiretaps of Americans in this country should be entitled to absolute immunity.
At a time when the President and his party stand accused of political overreaching and abuse of power, we must demand from our judiciary a respect for the proper role of each of our three branches of government. Judge Alito's
excessive deference to presidential authority coupled with his restrictive view of congressional authority tell me that he does not have the proper the reverence for the separation of powers.
THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO PROTECT
And, even worse, while expanding the reach of Presidential power, Judge Alito also holds a harshly limited view of what the government can do to help ordinary Americans.
Judge Alito said it all in 1986, when he was a young lawyer with the Reagan Administration. He wrote that in his estimation, it is not the role of the federal government to protect the "health, safety and welfare" of the American
people.
Judge Alito has long advocated a view of limited Congressional authority, which if adhered to, would undermine a whole host of civil rights protections, health and safety regulations, standards for protecting our air and water, food and drug quality regulations, laws regulating firearms, as well as vital programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Since his ascension to the Third Circuit, Judge Alito has aggressively sought to promote this theory of limited Congressional power. For example, in 1996 Judge Alito voted to invalidate parts of our federal gun laws, arguing that there was no evidence in the record to determine that Congress had the power under the Constitution's Commerce Clause to enact legislation that regulated the sale of machine guns. In another case, Judge Alito wrote an opinion striking down Congress's ability to make a state agency comply with the Family and Medical
Leave Act. Just three years later, the Supreme Court, with a similar set of facts, reached precisely the opposite conclusion.
Likewise, in several criminal cases, Judge Alito has shown blatant disregard for a defendant's fundamental right to be tried by an impartial jury, chosen free of racial or gender prejudice and that has been properly instructed on matters of law. He has also narrowly construed other constitutional criminal procedure protections, arguing often in favor of granting law enforcement officials great latitude to conduct unauthorized searches and seizures.
Frequently, Judge Alito has also narrowly interpreted our asylum law, voting to reject the claims of foreign persecution by prospective immigrants.
Judge Alito's opinions on these and other topics remind us that judicial activism can come in many forms. Adopting an unnecessarily narrow view of the Constitution or our laws to reach a desired outcome is a form of judicial
activism that is no less offensive than subscribing to an overboard interpretation of the law in order to reach a specific result.
CONCLUSION
Judge Alito may hold a seat on the Supreme Court for a generation, long after President Bush has left office. Perhaps through eight to ten presidential elections, decades of progress would fall prey to his radically conservative ideology, jeopardizing not only civil rights, civil liberties, health and safety, and environmental protections, but also fundamental rights like the right to privacy. Our federal government could be transformed into one where Congress is made irrelevant and the President is permitted to make up the rules as he goes. Judge Alito's vision of America cannot be what our Founding Fathers intended for us. He would take us backward when it has never been more important to move forward.
I sincerely hope that my concerns about Judge Alito are unfounded, but I suspect they are not, and our children will pay the price. He has not demonstrated a proper respect for the rule of law, our Constitution, and the principles
Americans hold most dear. I therefore cannot give my consent to his confirmation.
Fayard Nicholas, Legendary Tap Dancer, Dies
Fayard Nicholas, the Tony Award winning choreographer who was one half of the athletic dance duo The Nicholas Brothers, died Jan. 24 of pneumonia and other complications of a stroke, the Associated Press reported. Mr. Nicholas was 91. With his brother, Harold, Mr. Nicholas wowed audiences with their wildly aggressive tap routines, which included slides across the floor and a signature to-the-floor leg splits done without the use of their hands to break the impact. The younger brother, Harold, died in 2000. (Fayard is on top in the photograph.)
Their work influenced dancers from Gene Kelly to Fred Astaire to Debbie Allen to Gregory Hines to Savion Glover.
Mr. Nicholas won the Best Choreography Tony Award in 1989 for his work on the revue Black and Blue. The brothers appeared on Broadway as early as the Depression era, in The Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. The were also featured players at the Cotton Club, and a career in Hollywood followed.
They performed with Gene Kelly in the M-G-M picture "The Pirate" (1948). Other film work had them dancing together without having genuine speaking roles (so their work could be edited out when the film played the racially intolerant South).
Fred Astaire went on record saying their work in "Stormy Weather" (1943) represented some of the most perfect choreography captured on film. The dance sequence in the latter picture was called "Jumpin' Jive."
In the number, according to AP, "the brothers tap across music stands in an orchestra with the fearless exuberance of children stone-hopping across a pond. In the finale, they leap-frog seamlessly down a sweeping staircase."
Like so many dancers of their era, they started in vaudeville They were inspired by their musician parents, who played in orchestra pits.
"One day at the Standard Theater in Philadelphia, I looked onstage and I thought, 'They're having fun up there; I'd like to do something like that,'" Fayard recalled in a 1999 interview, according to AP.
The created an act called "The Nicholas Kids" and by 1928 they bowed in vaudeville. They were known for performing in top hat and tails. The Cotton Club in Harlem is where they got noticed.
The Nicholas Brothers appeared in Broadway's Sammy, a specialty concert starring Sammy Davis Jr. in 1974. Fayard appeared in the musical St. Louis Woman in 1946, and the brothers danced the specialty song "All Dark People" in the 1937 musical comedy Babes in Arms, which had racial intolerance as part of its plot. That song is no longer part of the licensed version of the Rodgers and Hart show, and a lyric-less version of it was used in the Encores! concert version that played City Center in 1999.
Harold Nicholas returned to Broadway in The Tap Dance Kid and Sophisticated Ladies. The brothers were awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 1991.
Mr. Nicholas was married three times. He married dancer Katherine Hopkins in 2000.
From Playbill.com
Basketball Jones
Former NBA star and now New York Knicks team president Isaiah Thomas has been called for a foul by a former Knicks employee.
Anucha Brown Sanders, who had been with the team since 2000 as their Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Operations, is suing Thomas and Madison Square Garden for sex discrimination and retaliation, alleging Thomas made unwelcome sexual advances towards her and refused to stop, and that when she complained, she was fired by MSG.
A lawyer for The Garden counters that the lawsuit is “fabricated and outrageous.”
I’m not the only person who thinks there’s nothing special about Kobe Bryant’s 81 point performance over the hapless Toronto Raptors the other night. Basketball, being the ultimate team sport, is supposed to be about shared responsibilities, playing offense and defense, passing, setting picks, running screens, etc.
To score 81 points means you aren’t looking to distribute the ball. You have your mind focused only on getting yours and not setting up your teammates. That’s not basketball. That’s also why I am so over the NBA. They are single handedly ruining a great sport.
But in the part of the world where basketball is still about the fundamentals and less about selfish individualism, ESPN has an interesting breakdown on the men’s college basketball teams who may be on the verge of getting squeezed out of NCAA tournament selection. While not likely to happen, my alma mater has been on a down turn lately.
Road to the Super Bowl: Conference Championship Weekend
While I await your picks to help me fill out my SAG awards ballot (read below), it’s time once again to talk football.
Of the 32 teams that opened NFL training camps back in July, we are now down to just four for this weekend’s NFC and AFC Championships. Historically this is the weekend when some of the best games of the year are played, even better than many of the past Super Bowls. Any of these four teams could win today, home field advantages and season records notwithstanding.
Thus making my picks this week, it’s a combination of research, gut instinct and roll of the dice. But here are some things I’m looking at:
The home teams, Seattle and Denver, were both undefeated at home during the regular and post seasons. The visitors, Carolina and Pittsburgh are undefeated on the road in post season.
Seattle and Denver head coaches Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan, respectively, have both won Super Bowls, while Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher and Carolina’s John Fox are still looking for their first wins in the big game.
In post season play, Carolina leads all teams in total offense, with 384.5 yards per game. Their opponent Seattle is third with 334.0; Pittsburgh fifth with 320.5; Denver eighth at 286.0.
On defense, Carolina has allowed the fewest yards in the post season, at 207.0; Seattle allowed 289.0, Pittsburgh 316.0 and Denver 420.0.
Which defense matches up better against their opponent’s offense? Which team will be able to do what it wants to do on offense? Here’s where the gut instinct kicks in.
Pittsburgh plays a bruising defense and likes to pound the ball on offense. They are big up front on both sides of the ball. Their defense caused fits for Indianapolis and stationary quarterback Peyton Manning, but they’ll be opposing a scrambler in Jake Plummer. They’ll have to shut down Denver’s running game to force them into passing and make Plummer run a lot. Bronco’s receiver Rod Smith is one of the league’s best and a team leader, but the Steeler defensive secondary shut down arguably the league’s premiere receiving corps in the Colts.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line matches up favorably with Denver’s defense which may allow them to control possession and mix up the offense more easily. They’re gonna try to run on Denver and I think the stats above favor Pittsburgh in a ground game.
But Pittsburgh is 1-4 in Championship games. They have to prove they can win the big one.
In the NFC, Seattle running back Shaun Alexander’s health is the big question mark. He suffered a concussion in last week’s win over the Redskins, and whether the league’s MVP is 100% by game time is uncertain. He’ll get hit a lot by Carolina’s physical defense, and if he can’t play the whole game, that forces Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck to throw. Seahawk receivers are good but not great.
Carolina’s primary offensive weapon is their great receiver Steve Smith. Seattle has spent all week plotting how to defend him. If they are successful, Carolina is forced to run, with backup running back Nick Goings in to replace the injured DeShaun Foster. But few teams have successfully shut down Smith all season and too much emphasis on stopping him could give other Carolina receivers opportunity to shine.
Seattle has one of the noisiest stadiums and most rabid fans in the NFL and if Seattle is leading or the game is close, they’ll be a factor that could make it difficult for Carolina to communicate on the field.
I’m looking forward to two great games regardless of whether or not I’m right. but here are my picks.
AFC Championship Game
Pittsburgh at Denver
3:00
CBS
NFC Championship Game
Carolina at Seattle
6:30
FOX
Super Bowl XL
Sunday, Feb. 5
Detroit, Michigan
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion
6:00 p.m.
ABC
Quick Picks
As many of you know, I am a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Next weekend, on Sunday, January 29, SAG will hold the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring individual and ensemble performances in motion pictures and television from productions released in 2005.
Well, if you’ve been reading my blog, you surely know I’ve been busy for the past year and a half and thus haven’t had a lot of time to get out to the movies or even watch a lot of primetime network teleivion shows.
But my ballot has to be returned by this Friday, January 27 and I haven’t got a clue who to vote for. I could pick people whose work I’ve liked in the past, or just throw a dart at the ballot and let fate take its course, but I won’t. So I’m asking for your help.
Listed below is the complete roster of nominees. You don’t have to give me your opinions on all of them, but if you pick any categories, give me a) WHO you think should win in that category and b) WHY they are better than their competitors in the field. Give me a justification for the pick.
I’ll take everyone’s opinion under advisement before I fill out my ballot.
The SAG Awards will be telecast live on Sunday, Jan. 29, on TNT and TBS at 8 PM ET/PT, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT
12TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Russell Crowe / CINDERELLA MAN – Jim Braddock (Universal Pictures)
Philip Seymour Hoffman / CAPOTE – Truman Capote (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Heath Ledger / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN – Ennis Del Mar (Focus Features)
Joaquin Phoenix / WALK THE LINE – John R. Cash (20th Century Fox)
David Strathairn / GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. – Edward R. Murrow (Warner Independent Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Judi Dench / MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS – Mrs. Laura Henderson (The Weinstein Company)
Felicity Huffman / TRANSAMERICA – Bree (The Weinstein Company)
Charlize Theron / NORTH COUNTRY – Josey Aimes (Warner Bros.)
Reese Witherspoon / WALK THE LINE – June Carter (20th Century Fox)
Ziyi Zhang / MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA – Sayuri (Columbia/DreamWorks/Spyglass)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Don Cheadle / CRASH – Graham (Lionsgate)
George Clooney / SYRIANA – Bob Barnes (Warner Bros.)
Matt Dillon / CRASH – Officer Ryan (Lionsgate)
Paul Giamatti / CINDERELLA MAN – Joe Gould (Universal Pictures)
Jake Gyllenhaal / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN – Jack Twist (Focus Features)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams / JUNEBUG – Ashley (Sony Pictures Classics)
Catherine Keener/ CAPOTE – Nelle Harper Lee (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Frances McDormand / NORTH COUNTRY – Glory (Warner Bros.)
Rachel Weisz / THE CONSTANT GARDENER – Tessa Quayle (Focus Features)
Michelle Williams / BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN – Alma (Focus Features)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (Focus Features)
Linda Cardellini - Cassie
Anna Faris - Lashawn Malone
Jake Gyllenhaal - Jack Twist
Anne Hathaway - Lureen Phillips
Heath Ledger - Ennis Del Mar
Randy Quaid - Joe Aguirre
Michelle Williams - Alma
CAPOTE (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Bob Balaban - William Shawn
Marshall Bell - Warden Marshall Crutch
Clifton Collins, Jr. - Perry Smith
Chris Cooper - Alvin Dewey
Bruce Greenwood - Jack Dunphy
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote
Catherine Keener - Nelle Harper Lee
Mark Pellegrino - Dick Hickock
CRASH (Lionsgate)
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges - Anthony
Sandra Bullock - Jean Cabot
Don Cheadle - Graham
Matt Dillon - Officer Ryan
Jennifer Esposito - Ria
William Fichtner - Flanagan
Brendan Fraser - Rick Cabot
Terrence Howard - Cameron Thayer
Thandie Newton - Christine Thayer
Ryan Phillippe - Thomas Hansen
Larenz Tate - Peter
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. (Warner Independent Pictures)
Rose Abdoo - Millie Lerner
Alex Borstein - Natalie
Robert John Burke - Charlie Mack
Patricia Clarkson - Shirley Wershba
George Clooney - Fred Friendly
Jeff Daniels - Sig Mickelson
Reed Diamond - John Aaron
Tate Donovan - Jesse Zousmer
Robert Downey, Jr. - Joe Wershba
Grant Heslov - Don Hewitt
Peter Jacobson - Jimmy
Frank Langella - William Paley
Tom McCarthy - Palmer Williams
Dianne Reeves - Jazz Singer
Matt Ross - Eddie Scott
David Strathairn - Edward R. Murrow
Ray Wise - Don Hollenbeck
HUSTLE & FLOW (Paramount Classics)
Anthony Anderson - Key
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges - Skinny Black
Isaac Hayes - Arnel
Taraji P. Henson - Shug
Terrence Howard -DJay
Taryn Manning - Nola
Elise Neal - Yevette
Paula Jai Parker - Lexus
D.J. Qualls - Shelby
PRIMETIME TELEVISION
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kenneth Branagh / WARM SPRINGS – Franklin Delano Roosevelt (HBO)
Ted Danson / KNIGHTS OF THE SOUTH BRONX – David MacEnulty (A&E)
Ed Harris / EMPIRE FALLS – Miles Roby (HBO)
Paul Newman / EMPIRE FALLS – Max Roby (HBO)
Christopher Plummer / OUR FATHERS – Cardinal Bernard Law (Showtime)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Tonantzin Carmelo / INTO THE WEST – Thunder Heart Woman (TNT)
S. Epatha Merkerson / LACKAWANNA BLUES – Rachel “Nanny” Crosby (HBO)
Cynthia Nixon / WARM SPRINGS – Eleanor Roosevelt (HBO)
Joanne Woodward / EMPIRE FALLS – Francine Whiting (HBO)
Robin Wright Penn / EMPIRE FALLS – Grace Roby (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda / THE WEST WING – Arnold Vinick (NBC)
Patrick Dempsey / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Derek Shepherd (ABC)
Hugh Laurie / HOUSE – Dr. Gregory House (FOX)
Ian McShane / DEADWOOD – Al Swearengen (HBO)
Kiefer Sutherland / 24 – Jack Bauer (FOX)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette / MEDIUM – Allison Dubois (NBC)
Geena Davis / COMMANDER IN CHIEF – Mackenzie Allen (ABC)
Mariska Hargitay / LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT – Det. Olivia Benson (NBC)
Sandra Oh / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Cristina Yang (ABC)
Kyra Sedgwick / THE CLOSER – Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (TNT)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Larry David / CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM – Himself (HBO)
Sean Hayes / WILL & GRACE – Jack McFarland (NBC)
Jason Lee / MY NAME IS EARL – Earl Hickey (NBC)
William Shatner / BOSTON LEGAL – Denny Crane (ABC)
James Spader / BOSTON LEGAL – Alan Shore (ABC)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Candice Bergen / BOSTON LEGAL – Shirley Schmidt (ABC)
Patricia Heaton / EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND – Debra Barone (CBS)
Felicity Huffman / DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES – Lynette Scavo (ABC)
Megan Mullally / WILL & GRACE – Karen Walker (NBC)
Mary-Louise Parker / WEEDS – Nancy Botwin (Showtime)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
THE CLOSER (TNT)
G.W. Bailey Det. - Lt. Provenza
Michael Paul Chan - Lt. Michael Tao
Raymond Cruz - Det. Julio Sanchez
Gina Ravera - Det. Irene Daniels
Tony Denison - Det. Andy Flynn
Robert Gossett - Captain Taylor
Corey Reynolds - Sgt. David Gabriel
Kyra Sedgwick - Dep. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson
J.K. Simmons - Asst. Chief Will Pope
Jon Tenney - FBI Agent Fritz Howard
GREY’S ANATOMY (ABC)
Justin Chambers - Alex Karev
Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd
Katherine Heigl - Isobel “Izzie” Stevens
T.R. Knight - George O’Malley
Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang
James Pickens, Jr. - Richard Webber
Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey
Kate Walsh - Addison Forbes Montgomery Shepherd
Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke
Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey
LOST (ABC)
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - Mr. Eko
Naveen Andrews - Sayid
Emilie de Ravin - Claire
Matthew Fox - Jack
Jorge Garcia - Hurley
Maggie Grace - Shannon
Josh Holloway - Sawyer
Malcolm David - Kelley Walt
Daniel Dae Kim - Jin
Yunjin Kim - Sun
Evangeline Lilly - Kate
Dominic Monaghan - Charlie
Terry O’Quinn - Locke
Harold Perrineau - Michael
Michelle Rodriguez - Ana Lucia
Ian Somerhalder - Boone
Cynthia Watros - Libby
SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
Lauren Ambrose - Claire Fisher
Joanna Cassidy - Margaret Chenowith
Frances Conroy - Ruth Fisher
James Cromwell - George Sibley
Rachel Griffiths - Brenda Chenowith
Michael C. Hall - David Fisher
Tina Holmes - Maggie Sibley
Peter Krause - Nate Fisher
Justina Machado - Vanessa Diaz
Freddy Rodriguez - Federico Diaz
Jeremy Sisto - Billy Chenowith
Mathew St. Patrick - Keith Charles
THE WEST WING (NBC)
Alan Alda - Arnold Vinick
Kristin Chenoweth - Annabeth Schott
Janeane Garofalo - Louise Thornton
Dulé Hill - Charlie Young
Allison Janney - C.J. Cregg
Joshua Malina - Will Bailey
Mary McCormack - Kate Harper
Janel Moloney - Donna Moss
Teri Polo - Helen Santos
Richard Schiff - Toby Ziegler
Martin Sheen - Josiah Bartlet
Jimmy Smits - Matthew Santos
John Spencer - Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford - Josh Lyman
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (FOX)
Will Arnett - Gob Bluth
Jason Bateman - Michael Bluth
Michael Cera - George-Michael Bluth
David Cross - Tobias Fünke
Portia de Rossi - Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Tony Hale - Buster Bluth
Alia Shawkat - Maeby Fünke
Jeffrey Tambor - George Bluth, Sr./Oscar Bluth
Jessica Walter - Lucille Bluth
BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
Rene Auberjonois - Paul Lewiston
Ryan Michelle Bathe - Sara Holt
Candice Bergen - Shirley Schmidt
Julie Bowen - Denise Bauer
Justin Mentell - Garrett Wells
Rhona Mitra - Tara Wilson
Monica Potter - Lori Colson
William Shatner - Denny Crane
James Spader - Alan Shore
Mark Valley - Brad Chase
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
Shelley Berman - Nat David
Larry David - Himself
Susie Essman - Susie Greene
Jeff Garlin - Jeff Greene
Cheryl Hines - Cheryl David
Richard Lewis - Himself
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
Roger Bart - George Williams
Andrea Bowen - Julie Mayer
Mehcad Brooks - Matthew Applewhite
Ricardo Antonio Chavira - Carlos Solis
Marcia Cross - Bree Van De Kamp
Steven Culp - Rex Van De Kamp
James Denton - Mike Delfino
Teri Hatcher - Susan Mayer
Felicity Huffman - Lynette Scavo
Brent Kinsman - Preston Scavo
Shane Kinsman - Porter Scavo
Eva Longoria - Gabrielle Solis
Mark Moses - Paul Young
Doug Savant - Tom Scavo
Nicollette Sheridan - Edie Britt
Brenda Strong - Mary Alice Young
Alfre Woodard - Betty Applewhite
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (CBS)
Peter Boyle - Frank Barone
Brad Garrett - Robert Barone
Patricia Heaton - Debra Barone
Monica Horan - Amy McDougal-Barone
Doris Roberts - Marie Barone
Ray Romano - Raymond Barone
Madylin Sweeten - Ally Barone
MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
Jason Lee - Earl Hickey
Jaime Pressly - Joy Turner
Eddie Steeples - Darnell
Ethan Suplee - Randy Hickey
Nadine Velazquez - Catalina
Protecting Our Children
Every 26 seconds, somewhere in America, a child runs away from home.
Every 47 seconds, a child is abused, very often for reasons stemming from their gender or sexual identity.
Every night in this country, a million children are sleeping on our streets. Here in New York City, estimates are between 8,000 and 30,000 homeless youth, with as many as 50 percent identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning.
This specific subset of the homeless population has long been overlooked and ignored. Most homeless activists and government agencies focus on adults and families. But with an increasing number of young people acknowledging their sexual identity and coming out at a younger and younger age, not all of them come out in accepting or loving home environments. When they don’t, many find themselves put out of their homes simply for being who they are.
Unlike homeless adults and families, the circumstances leading to homelessness for LGBTQ youth often have less to do with being economically disadvantaged and more with being spiritually, emotionally and physically abused. That abuse can come from family members, schools, churches or entire communities. Unlike the homeless adult who loses his job and falls into economic despair, homeless gay youth lose important social support systems largely due to other’s homophobia and intolerance. When political leaders try to justify the passage of blatantly discriminatory legislation or prominent clergy openly preach bigotry from their pulpits, they contribute to a climate of hatred based on sexual difference that encourages some parents to fail at their basic responsibility--to practice unconditional love.
There is a glimmer of hope however. Around the country, gay and homeless activists, even enlightened clergy, are taking up the cause of these young people.
In San Francisco, a survey was conducted recently to better understand the conditions under which homeless LGBTQ youth were living in that city and in what ways they faced economic hardship. The objective is to use the data to better inform rehabilitative measures such as counseling, job training and education.
In Cleveland, gay and lesbian activists aided by county government, will attempt to count the LGBTQ homeless population, in order to learn how extensive the problem is. Current estimates suggest 4,000 homeless people on any given day, but how many are gay youth is unknown.
Here in New York, a network of churches, including Metropolitan Community Church and The Riverside Church, have banded together with a social service provider to arrange emergency overnight shelter specifically for LGBTQ youth. They formed this coalition when gay and lesbian parishioners learned about the problem and challenged the religious community to do something about it. [In my professional capacity with a nonprofit agency, I assisted this group in the development of their volunteer training manual.]
Here the typical homeless gay youth is Black or Latino, about 17 years old. Yet with the astounding numbers on the streets as mentioned above, there were prior to this effort only 6 (yes, 6!) beds in the entire City of New York specifically earmarked as shelter space for gay kids.
These are just accounts from three cities. The problem exists all across the country, probably in your city as well. It is no doubt just the tip of a very large iceberg. Until such time as we can correct the wrong-headed thinking of uncaring, narrow-minded adults who willfully disown their own children, something must be done to remedy the current plight of their now homeless children.
When I hear people like Pat Robertson railing against homosexuality and suggesting we need to “protect the children”, I often wonder to whom he is referring. Which children need protecting most? Homosexuality isn’t the problem. Homophobia is and the actions of people like him are having dire consequences for our children.
Presidential Politics
Fittingly, on this day where in the United States we mark the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, historic changes occurred in world politics. In what could be considered civil rights achievements in their own right, the nations of Liberia, in west Africa and Chile in South America, both elected new presidents and both are women.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn in today as the first female head of state on the African continent, and in a nation that has seen 14 years of civil strife, has made a pledge to maintain peace.
Liberia was established in 1847 by freed American slaves. First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice were among the world dignataries attending the inauguration, who also included South African president Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo.
On Sunday, Chileans went to the polls and elected Michelle Bachelet their new president. The 54-year-old mother of three was once a political prisoner, jailed and tortured by Chile’s former military junta. She is now the country’s first female president and only the third in Latin America. Her politics are center-left and she wants to work on social justice and economic issues.
Meanwhile, here at home, domestic eavesdropping authorized by the Bush Administration against American citizens without proper warrants, drew fire from former Vice President Al Gore during a speech in Washington. Gore called on the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor and for Congress to conduct comprehensive hearings into the matter.
Monday Morning Quarterback
I admire and respect Tony Dungy, but there is a legitimate reason to question his coaching ability at playoff time. The Colts were not ready for Sunday’s game against the Steelers. They had the best record in the NFL this year and a week off to prepare for this past weekend’s Divisional Playoffs and were just not ready. They were flat on offense, lacking intensity on defense and got their heads handed to them.
Peyton Manning too will continue to wear the goat horns. “Can’t win the big one” has followed him since his college days and will hang around his neck until he gets off the snide and wins a Super Bowl. His post-game blaming of his offensive line was unprofessional too. When they lost in Week 14 to San Diego, breaking a 13-0 run, every other team studied those game films and figured out that the Colts can’t handle defensive pressure up front, so that’s exactly what Pittsburgh gave them. For all of his audiblizing at the line, Manning couldn’t pick up on their blitzes and neither could his offensive line.
I had long thought the Chicago Bears run this year was a bit overrated. I questioned their schedule and their offense and Sunday, my questions were answered. A team that boasted about their defensive abilities and had the audacity to question Carolina’s record and the abilities of Steve Smith, gave up 434 yards of total offense and got burned by Smith for 218 yards and two touchdowns, the first on just the second play of the game.
Carolina has shown no fear of any of their opponents thus far and brought their A-game to two consecutive road wins in New York and Chicago. There is an intensity to their game unmatched by any of the other teams in the playoffs. I’m not making my Super Bowl prediction just yet, but I’ll be interested to see how they do next week against Seattle.
Denver is showing similar signs of unpredictability. They can hurt you on offense and defense, as they did to New England Saturday, forcing turnovers and mistakes that were uncharacteristic for the Patriots. They’ll need to do that again next week against the Steelers, who have shown they can take a team out of their game plan as well.
Seattle is a team I didn’t get to see much of this year, except for their win over the Giants (in a game the G-men should have won). They showed they were more than Shaun Alexander on offense, in their win over the Redskins, but it was the Redskins they were beating up on Saturday. Washington again failed to get their offense on track, making Seattle’s defense look exceptional. I’m not sure if that will be enough against Carolina however.
I went 3-1 in this week's predictions, 5-3 overall. I’ll make my Conference Championship round picks later in the week.
Tweaking the Site
I just wanted to call your attention to some new links added to my lists of Fellow Travelers and Interesting Sites Along The Way, located on the right side of the page.
First, I’ve added three blogs that I’ve had my eye on for a little bit; people who have interesting things to say or an interesting way of saying it. Kenyan blogger Keguro writes at his site Gukira. Lee is a Philadelphia-based health educator and researcher who writes at Lee’s Space. Mathematics professor Ron hosts The Mad Professah Lectures, while The Unconquerable Soul is the latest incarnation of a site owned by a blogger here in the New York area. If you aren’t already familiar with these bloggers, pay them a visit.
Since this is an election year in many parts of the country, I’ve added the websites for some campaigns I’ll be following. Charlie King 2006 belongs to the campaign of Charlie King, candidate for New York State Attorney General. Cory Booker is once again trying to unseat Sharpe James as Mayor of Newark, NJ. Deval Patrick is running for Governor of the State of Massachusetts. His site is Deval Patrick for Governor.
Finally, dancer and choreographer Ronald K. Brown has updated the website for his Evidence Dance Company so I updated my link. And speaking of that company, they will be performing at The Joyce Theater in New York in early February. One of my favorite dance companies, I’ll try to check them out.
The Road to the Super Bowl, Week 2
I went 2-2 predicting last weekend’s Wildcard matchups and I can’t see doing any worse for this week’s Divisional games. Four good games, but also some teams that I think will surprise people.
The Washington Redskins will not be one of them however. Despite gaining only 120 yards of total offense last week in their win over Tampa Bay, they will face the best team in the NFC, the 13-3 Seattle Seahawks, who are 8-0 this season at home. Seattle has the most potent offense and a stingy defense and even though the Redskins have been on a roll since week 11 of the regular season, the roll stops today.
New England (10-6) at Denver (13-3) could be the closest game. Denver can run and pass well on offense and has a defense that is tough against the run. The Patriots will need to get more out of their running game than they did against Jacksonville and Tom Brady will need to be more accurate with his passes. Denver is at home, but I’m having a hard time picking against the defending Super Bowl Champion Patriots.
Sunday could be a surprise for Indianapolis. The league’s best team limped into the post season and didn’t look strong in their last three games. They’ve also had a week off. Pittsburgh beat up on Cincinnati and may be stepping up their game at the right time.
Finally, I know everyone is in love with the Bears and their vaunted defense, but Carolina is another one of those teams that seems unimpressed by other team’s reputations. Chicago’s offense is the big question mark.
My picks are in bold.
Saturday, Jan. 14
Washington at Seattle
4:30 pm
FOX
New England at Denver
8:00 pm
CBS
Sunday, Jan. 15
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis
1:00 pm
CBS
Carolina at Chicago
4:30 pm
FOX
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it
Today is the 17th anniversary of my 29th birthday!
It’s good to be 29...again...but before you superstitious types crack wise, the original day was a Wednesday, and there was a snowstorm in upstate New York, not the unseasonable 50 degree temperatures we’ve been enjoying lately here in NYC.
Since I am now just 4 years shy of the 30th anniversary of my 20th birthday, instead of snickering, perhaps you’ll want to pay some respect...in lieu of flowers.
Grab bag
Jazzheads have descended on the Big Apple this week as the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) holds it’s 33rd Annual Convention. Over 7,000 educators, musicians, industry executives, exhibitors, media and students from 35 countries expected to attend.
Organized labor is using online humor to turn up the heat on Walmart’s anti-union practices. While the giant retailer rakes in billions, they are notorious penny-pinchers when it comes to employee wages. This variation on a Garth Brooks song speaks to the need to change that.
Former pro football player Roy Simmons will be up in Harlem next week to sign copies of his new book, Out of Bounds. Once an up and coming pro football lineman in the 1970's and early 80's, Simmons was the second NFL player ever to come out as gay and the first ever to come out as HIV-positive. After once playing in the Superbowl in the late 1980s, he wound up penniless, friendless, and on the brink of suicide. Simmons will be at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe in Harlem on Tuesday, January 17.
A fuller picture is emerging about the troubling issues facing the Harlem Boys and Girls Choirs. They were recently asked to vacate their space on E. 127th Street by the New York City Department of Education, who claim the educational component of the organization has failed in its academic mission and suffers from administrative missteps. A recent article looks at the whole story.
Political watchers will find there is more to know about Christine Quinn, the newly named Speaker of the New York City Council, and the first woman and first openly gay leader of that body. She’s come a long way from being a grassroots housing advocate to what is arguably the second most influential position in the city.
Syndicated newspaper columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. hits the nail on the head in his assessment of what really scares straight men about seeing the film Brokeback Mountain. It’s a fear he had to overcome himself.
And it won’t be long now before “Brokeback” becomes the new euphemism for gay. I can see it already. “Did you hear the news about Joe and his ‘roommate’ Bob? Yeah, apparently they’ve been living up on ‘Brokeback Mountain’ the whole time.” Or, “C’mon Shirley, let’s go. Nothing but guys from Brokeback Mountain in this bar.”
The Meme of Fours
First seen here.
Four jobs you’ve had in your life:
Radio newscaster, government public relations officer, actor, political campaign manager.
Four movies you could watch over and over:
Some Like it Hot, West Side Story, A Star is Born, The Apartment.
Four places you’ve lived:
Poughkeepsie, Syracuse, Albany and New York City.
Four TV shows you love to watch:
The Sopranos, The Wire, Law & Order (the original and even in reruns), Noah’s Arc (go figure, it grew on me).
Four places you’ve been on vacation:
Toronto, Virginia, the Bahamas (on a cruise), Montreal (none of them recently. I don’t take a lot of vacations).
Four websites you visit daily:
Playbill.com, NYTimes.com, Bloglines (to check the many blogs I subscribe to), Topica.com (to check the status of the listservs I manage).
Four of your favorite foods:
Shrimp, chicken, swordfish, lamb.
Four places you’d rather be:
On an open-ended driving tour of the U.S. and Canada; on a movie set working as an actor again; in the kitchen of my dreams whipping something up; in a lover’s arms laying in bed cuddling. Not necessarily in that order.
Four albums you can’t live without:
There aren’t four albums I can’t live without, but there are some I listen to frequently. Ella Fitzgerald/Ken Burns Jazz; Billy Porter At the Corner of Broadway + Soul; Count Basie at Newport; Duke Ellington Meets Count Basie.
The Road to the Super Bowl
I am usually wrong in my football predictions (one of the reasons I don’t bet on sports), but I figure, what the hell.
My picks for this weekend’s Wild Card matchups are in bold.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Washington at Tampa Bay
4:30
ABC
Jacksonville at New England
8:00
ABC
Sunday, Jan. 8
Carolina at N.Y. Giants
1:00
FOX
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
4:30
CBS
The Redskins are on a roll, but Tampa Bay is at home. I think that may give them the edge. New England is peaking at just the right time and getting some of their injured starters back. I’m only picking the Giants on Sunday because they are my favorite team. They do play well at home, but they could just as easily disappoint me. And I’m really rooting for Cincinnati, but they’ve looked flat in recent weeks. I don’t know if they can defeat the Steelers.
Check the NFL website for updates.
Could It Have Been Prevented?
Labor leaders are blaming lax enforcement of federal mine safety laws and Bush administration cuts to the government agency that oversees them, for the January 3 explosion that resulted in the death of 12 coal miners in Upshur County, W. Va.
Mine Workers union leaders and other job safety advocates say the nation’s mine safety is compromised by the Bush administration’s emphasis on voluntary compliance with safety rules—in contrast with previous administrations, which have favored strong enforcement.
Since taking office in 2001, the Bush administration has cut funding and staff at the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the federal agency in charge of enforcing the nation’s mine safety laws. The Bush administration has eliminated 170 jobs at MSHA and proposed to cut the MSHA budget in fiscal year 2006 by some $4.9 million in real dollar terms.
Safety advocates also say the close coal industry ties of Bush administration appointees to MSHA leadership positions have further weakened the MSHA’s commitment to safety enforcement. Bush has appointed former senior executives from Peabody Energy, AMAX Inc., the American Mining Congress, Cyprus Minerals Co. and other such companies to high-ranking posts within MSHA.
The Sago Mine, operators of the mine where the accident and deaths occurred, is owned by the International Coal Group (ICG), which purchased it last year from Anker West Virginia Mining Co. In 2005, MSHA inspectors cited operators for more than 200 safety violations at the mine, including ventilation, roof support, escape-way and pre-shift safety exam violations. Yet the agency collected just $24,000 in fines or about $115 per violation.
An editorial in the Charleston, W.Va. Gazette reported the mine has an injury rate three times that of similar pits across the country and that MSHA issued 46 citations, including 18 considered “serious and substantial” for October through December. The newspaper went on to say, “The agency responsible for guarding the safety of miners failed to ensure timely inspections of mine ventilation and roof support systems every six months and failed to ensure that problems were corrected promptly.”
Read also: Bush ignored explicit warnings in 2002 about mine safety
...2005...2006...
It has been awhile since I’ve blogged. This entry may be a bit disjointed, but it is an attempt to bring you up to date on what’s been going on in my life.
Needless to say, Christmas this year was different. In some ways it was better than Christmases past in that we didn’t decorate, put up a tree or even give gifts but as a family simply spent quality time with one another doing simple things. Not having Dad there physically for the first time made the difference, but we weren’t sad at that occurrence, rather reflective. Memories from Christmases gone by had us sharing thoughts and stories of things he’d said or done. They were all good memories.
I’ve been head chef at Mom’s house for the past two weeks and that was fun and challenging. My younger brother visiting from Atlanta is a vegetarian, so I not only had to create dinner for Mom, my oldest brother and myself, but something meatless and nourishing for him. In my post culinary school development as a chef, this helped me rediscover the fun of cooking. I wasn’t following someone else’s menu and I had people around to enjoy my creations. It also freed Mom of this daily responsibility at a time when she wasn’t really in the mood and had her hands full responding to the tons of condolence messages.
Speaking of condolences and trying to say this as delicately as I can, I do wish people would stop asking me how I’m holding up. Family members and I have all had this conversation since the funeral and agree that we’re doing just fine...so long as nobody asks, “How are you holding up?” I know people mean well, and I do thank them for asking, but asking is sometimes intruding on my need to process privately. If you want to be helpful, if and when I express a need to open up and share, then simply lend an ear. Otherwise, we can just as easily talk about the Giants making the playoffs, Bush’s domestic spying fiasco, the MTA agreement with the TWU or anything else but.
My folks were/are very prominent and active people in my hometown and you can’t walk very far without running into someone who knew my father. Out grocery shopping over the holidays, all these people kept coming up to my mother, asking that question, and kissing her on the cheek. We’ve got a joke now that Mom is gonna have to keep running home to wash her face.
Middle of last week we drove down to Maryland to spend a day with relatives from my Mother’s side of the family, including a cousin I’d not seen since we were both children, and her husband and kids whom I had never met. I earned my membership into the Teamsters with about 14 hours behind the wheel over two days but it was all worth it. Three generations and lots of love and laughter was a good antidote.
It also helped crystalize what’s so lacking in my life here in NYC. I have a lack of quality relationships here. Lots of acquaintances, but very few real friends who understand me and just let me be me, the way family does. The 24 hours spent in Maryland was about unconditional love, not body fascists or shade or having to dress a certain way to get attention or any other such nonsense that invades too many spaces here. I need more of the former, less of the latter.
I am also insanely jealous about the living arrangements two of my cousins have. One is older, the other younger, both are single Black professional females. But more importanly, both own their own homes. Houses with land and garages, not overpriced, tiny-ass New York City apartments. Houses, with real kitchens where a serious cook can do some serious cooking, not “kitchenettes” with no counters and not enough space to really entertain. Houses, with real furniture and space to move around, space to invite guests and allow them to stay overnight without any real inconvenience to the host.
The things that I want, the things that I value, cannot be acquired here in NYC. The things I do enjoy here can be enjoyed just as easily as a visitor.
Not posting over the past two weeks means I didn’t do my usual end of the year remembrance of those who left us in 2005. Last year saw the passing of a number of notable people, including those from show business and sports. People like Shirley Chisholm, Ossie Davis, Luther Vandross, Peter Jennings, John H. Johnson, August Wilson, Wellington Mara, Rosa Parks and Richard Pryor are some of those who come quickest to mind. I will also not forget a friend and college classmate, Mike Hilbert, who we lost at the start of last year.
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions but I do make plans. I think this needs to be a year for more personal changes, like a new job and a relocation to a new place to live. I have a profound sense of time and mortality and a desire not to waste it doing things that are neither productive nor enjoyable.