- Maybe those angry, militant Republican presidential hopefuls should be focusing their anti-immigrant anger somewhere other than the U.S.-Mexico border. Law enforcement authorities in Burlington, Vt. have cracked two human smuggling operations, one based in Toronto and another in Montreal, that have allegedly snuck hundreds of people across the border for as much as $10,000 apiece. Prosecutors announced indictments against both smuggling groups late last week. They also revealed that most of the smugglings took place on foot along a stretch of the border that the U.S. Border Patrol considers a prime area for border crashers because of its proximity to interstate highways that make transporting newly-smuggled individuals between states once they cross the border. However, I don’t remember any presidential candidates advocating the construction of a ginormous fence along the U.S.-Canadian border like the one they want to erect to keep those pesky Mexicans out of our country. Hmm, that couldn’t be because Canadians look and talk a lot more like we do and aren’t viewed with the same prejudice by many Americans that we view Hispanics with? Nah, that would never happen here in the United States. Never, or on a daily basis, one or the other…..
- I’M A MAN! I’M 40! I’VE GOT A CONTRACT EXTENSION! That may not be how Mike Gundy responded when asked about his contract extension that will keep him the head football coach at Oklahoma State through 2013, but it’s how he should have reacted. Gundy received a one-year contract extension Friday after leading the Cowboys to their second straight bowl game. Gundy wouldn’t be known as anything other than a mediocre head coach of a mediocre program if not for an outburst earlier this season at a post game press conference when he singled out an berated a local columnist for her column that basically called out the team’s now-former starting quarterback as a mama’s boy who wasn’t mentally tough enough to succeed as the starter. Gundy ripped Jenny Carlson and challenged her and anyone else with a beef with his team to come after him and not his players, ignoring the fact that they are all grown men in the legal sense, able to vote, join the military and own a gun. Now he is rewarded for a 6-6 season that brings his mark at OSU to a lofty 17-19. "It's a good thing in this profession. I don't know how much commitment there is out there in college football anymore," Gundy said in a telephone interview. "I think people are impatient, and I think the almighty dollar overpowers a lot of people. [Athletic director Mike] Holder and all the people here are willing to make long-term commitments." Not only long-term commitments, but long-term commitments to mediocrity and many more seasons ending with berths in third-tier bowl games like the Insight Bowl, the team’s postseason destination this year. However, Gundy said he thought the Cowboys were making strides in recruiting and the classroom, where a school record 13 players were academic all-conference selections. That is good news, no disputing that, but I think a few more .500 or sub-.500 seasons and you’ll find that academic progress isn’t enough, coach. Oklahoma State is also less than two years away from the completion of stadium renovations spurred on by a $165 million gift from booster Boone Pickens. A new indoor practice facility and new practice fields are also in the team's future. "The administration has made a strong commitment here to the future of Oklahoma State football," Gundy said. Perhaps, I just don’t know if that future is a bright one, given the fact that you’re still the coach. But hey, at least I’ve done as you requested and I’ve come after you, because you’re a man! You’re 40! You’re also an average head coach, so maybe focus on improving that instead of lashing out at your critics.
- Well that ruins Ghost Whisperer for me entirely. In the midst of what should be one of the happiest weeks of her life due to her getting engaged to Scottish actor Ross McCall, actress Jennifer Love Hewitt has had to snipe at critics who have been mercilessly ripping her after some unsightly photos of her in a black bikini at the beach made the rounds on the Internet. If you’ve seen the photos, you know what I mean. Hewitt, who has long been known (and loved by men worldwide) for her great rack, also has an ample lower half, which isn’t a pretty sight. Let’s just say the pictures reveal very white, flabby material that’s less than flattering. Again, I’m not saying it’s a pretty sight, but I don’t get why it’s such a big issue. So she’s not in the best shape, so what? Do you really need to rip her for it? As much as Hewitt promises that she loves her body and that critics can shove it, you know that in her mind, she’s probably critical of how she looks, just like most of us. Besides, with a wedding coming up, she’ll likely do what many brides (and some grooms) do, namely go on a major fitness kick to lose weight and shape up. But again, to anyone who took an unnecessary run at her for how she looks in these photos, get off of her. Even with her cottage-cheese legs, she’s still thinner than most of this obesity-laden country.
- Here’s irony for you: Rodney King having to call the police to report that he’s been the victim of violence. I’m sure he felt less than stellar dialing the phone to inform the police that he’d been hit with birdshot fired at a distance from a shotgun. Likewise, I’m sure he was leery about sitting down with the cops to fill out a report, but then again, who wouldn’t be wary of getting close to a police officer after being the victim of the moat infamous incident of police violence in United States history. It seems like another lifetime ago that King was violently beaten by LAPD officers and his beating sparked race riots and national outcry, but to King, those memories will probably always be fresh. He now lives in Rialto, Calif., which is the neighboring community to San Bernardino, where the shooting took place. According to police, he deserved it….just kidding. The cops say King was shot in the face, arms, back and torso, but his wounds aren’t life-threatening. Congrats on your non-abusive encounter with police, Rodney, but I’d continue to keep my distance from the men in blue if I were you.
- The Hollywood writers’ strike has put a lot of people in a difficult spot, and I don’t mean just the writers and the networks/studios. People like Tonight Show host Jay Leno, whose job depends on the writers but who is a part of neither side in the dispute, have had to decide where they stand in the debate. So far, Leno has refused to cross the picket like to go into the network’s production offices, which made for a sticky situation in regards to the non-WGA staffers working on his show. Those on-WGA staffers at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno put in their final day of work Friday, unsure of their future with the show even when the strike ends. According to Variety, before leaving at the end of the day, employees received their typical holiday bonus — $100 for each year of service — and the non-promise of a letter from NBC human resources saying once the strike ends, “If your services are needed, we will contact you.” Some around the show appreciated Leno’s generosity, but since he’s been out of communication since the strike began, many workers have wondered about their future. Most staffers didn’t look for other jobs because of assurances from Leno pre-strike, but now they’re scrambling to find somewhere to go. Leno has decided pay to the salaries of approximately 80 staffers out of his pocket, for at least the next week, but this strike is clearly going on for the long haul and more people in and around the industry are going to find themselves in similarly sticky situations as the one Leno is in now.
- Maybe Morrissey should just stick to being a recluse, because being in the public eye doesn’t seem to be working out too well for him. The former front man for indie music pioneers The Smiths and a man noted for his aversion to the spotlight ever since the group’s demise, Morrissey is suing the British music magazine NME for defamation after the publication printed an interview in which he discussed his views on immigration and its negative impact on Britain. The magazine was critical of the 48-year-old singer for allegedly saying Britain had lost its identity because of higher levels of immigration than other European nations. Morrissey’s representatives posted a statement on the Web site http://www.true-to-you.net/ addressing his feelings on the matter. “The NME had until 1.00 p.m. today (Thursday) to agree to print a suitable apology to Morrissey,” it said. “Their only response to this deadline was to say that they ‘do not have time to respond to the allegations.’ Our lawyers are therefore in the process of issuing legal proceedings for defamation against the NME and its editor, Conor McNicholas.” The part of the interview in question revolves around Morrissey’s response to a question about whether he would ever consider moving back to Britain from Italy, where he currently resides. He said that he wouldn’t consider such a move, in part because he felt that Britain’s national identity was disappearing due to high immigration rates, as opposed to countries like Germany and Sweden. In the days following the controversy once his comments became public, Morrissey did a follow-up interview to attempt some damage control. In that interview, he stated that high immigration was not the reason he would not want to live in England, and that expense and pressure were important factors. Oh, and by the way, he used his time in the spotlight to announce that he has signed a new record deal with Polydor/Decca, which includes the United States. So either this is just one big coincidence or he’s decided to come out of hiding to earn a few more bucks and to jump-start his recording career. Not that you can rip him for doing so, because clearly he’s a talented artist and has the right to put out an album if he wants to, but don’t use the ruse of discussing a serious political issue like immigration to create controversy and attention so you can then announce your new album.
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