Album Reviews: Black Milk Tronic 4/5 From Hiphop Dx

The Motor City is currently experiencing a regional renaissance, perhaps inspired by the tragic losses of Proof and J Dilla in 2006. With Detroit’s golden child Eminem making a brief but memorable return to rap recently, former Slim Shady co-conspirator Royce Da 5’9” wreaking havoc in the mixtape game and the disciples of Jay Dee making waves throughout the underground scene, Detroit is having its own golden era right now.



Another talent to emerge from that pool is producer Black Milk [click to read]. Perhaps the most directly connected of artists to come from the house of Dilla, the talented beatsmith has drawn comparisons to the late great with his sonic compositions found everywhere, either locally with Slum Village and Guilty Simpson [click to read] or across the country with Lloyd Banks and Bishop Lamont [click to read]. After his debut album Popular Demand last year thrust him into a larger spotlight, Black Milk returns to his solo roots with Tronic.



Like most producer-on-the-mic artists Black Milk is not the most lyrically gifted but can capably hold his own, and he makes up for those shortcomings – and in some cases masks – with his wonderfully dense beats. After giving a hookless autobiography on the album’s opener “Long Story Short,” Milk goes in on the stuttering lead single “Give The Drummer Sum,” [click to listen] backed by triumphant horns and a quirky helium-pitched hook, spitting, “Got a hotter flow than most of these monotone emcees/simply kick a better hymn, please/get a breath in, just breathe/spotlights, pop life, I’m the next thing.” Crossing the border into Canada, he then links up with Toronto’s Colin Munroe to reminisce about former flings on “Without U.”



Like his previous outing Black Milk brings along some of rap’s finest along for the ride. He links up with fellow B.R. Gunna member Fat Ray on the sinister “Hell Yeah” and rides shotgun with Pharoahe Monch and Sean Price [click to read] on the head-knocker “The Matrix,” [click to listen] complete with a DJ Premier scratched chorus. But although he tries to match wits with Royce Da 5’9” on the aptly-titled “Losing Out,” [click to listen] he’s simply out of his league against Nickel Nine’s verbal gymnastics: “Let’s talk about makin’ niggas’ hard-earned money yours/puttin’ money on heads like I’m payin’ their barber.”



Tronic is by no means perfect, however. “Bounce” suffers from weak rhymes and an even weaker instrumental, while “Hold It Down” is a sleepy tune loaded with blingy tales, typically conflicted thoughts and lyrical filler. Meanwhile Black Milk’s raps don’t deviate from his flashy raps and insightful rhymes. While they sometimes combine to make a great cut, as evidenced by “Try,” it gets boring and ultimately drags down the album.



With another strong outing in Tronic, Black Milk continues the trend of Detroit’s musical revolution. With its quality beats and above-average raps, Motown has delivered another dope album to go along with their revolution.

2 dead bodies found at Jennifer Hudson’s home

October 25, 2008. CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities investigating the shooting deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were searching for the missing 7-year-old nephew of the Oscar-winning actress.

A suspect in the deaths was in custody Friday night, but young Julian King had not been seen since the bodies of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found Friday afternoon.

A family member entering Donerson's South Side home Friday afternoon found the woman shot on the living room floor. Responding officers later found Hanson shot in the bedroom, police said.

At least one of the victims suffered defensive wounds, said authorities who described the shooting as domestic violence.

William Balfour, a man suspected in the deaths, was arrested Friday but had not been charged, law enforcement sources told the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times.

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said investigators were talking to "a number of people in custody" but she declined to elaborate. An Amber Alert issued Friday said Balfour was a suspect in the double homicide.

Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. Public records show one of Balfour's addresses as the home where Donerson and Jason Hudson were shot.

The Cook County medical examiner's office said autopsies for Donerson and Jason Hudson were pending.

Balfour's mother, Michelle, said her son had been married to Hudson's sister, Julia, for several years, but they were separated. She also said Donerson had ordered him to move out of the family's home last winter.

Jennifer Hudson's personal publicist, Lisa Kasteler, said the family wanted privacy.

The tragedy comes as Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, continues to reach new heights in her career. Her song "Spotlight" is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled debut album has been a top seller. She was featured in this year's blockbuster "Sex and the City" movie and is also starring in the hit film "The Secret Life of Bees."

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls." In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for "American Idol," which launched her career.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

"My faith in God and my family, they're very realistic and very normal, they're not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that's just another place that's home," she said. "I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I'm just Jennifer, (so she says), 'You get up and you take care of your own stuff.' And I love that; I don't like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean."

Hudson recently announced her engagement to David Otunga, best known for his stint on VH1's reality show "I Love New York."

Hudson's representatives would not disclose her whereabouts Friday. She had been scheduled to appear Monday in Los Angeles to collect an ensemble cast honor at the Hollywood Awards for "The Secret Life of Bees" with co-stars including Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning.

Assassination plot targeting Obama disrupted

WASHINGTON – Law enforcement agents have broken up a plot by two neo-Nazi skinheads to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 88 black people, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives said Monday.

In court records unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn., federal agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American high school in a murder spree that was to begin in Tennessee. Agents said the skinheads did not identify the school by name.

Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of ATF's Nashville field office, said the two men planned to kill 88 people, including 14 African-Americans by beheading. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.

The men also sought to go on a national killing spree after the Tennessee murders, with Obama as its final target, Cavanaugh told The Associated Press.

"They said that would be their last, final act — that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."

An Obama spokeswoman traveling with the senator in Pennsylvania had no immediate comment.

The men, Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark., are being held without bond. Agents seized a rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and three pistols from the men when they were arrested. Authorities alleged the two men were preparing to break into a gun shop to steal more.

The two men were arrested Oct. 22 by the Crockett County, Tenn., Sheriff's Office. "Once we arrested the defendants and suspected they had violated federal law, we immediately contacted federal authorities," said Crockett County Sheriff Troy Klyce.

Attorney Joe Byrd, who has been hired to represent Cowart, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. Messages left on two phone numbers listed under Cowart's name were not immediately returned.

No telephone number for Schlesselman in Helena-West Helena could be found immediately.

Cowart and Schlesselman are charged with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president.

The investigation is continuing, and more charges are possible, Cavanaugh said.

The court records say Cowart and Schlesselman also bought nylon rope and ski masks to use in a robbery or home invasion to fund their spree, during which they allegedly planned to go from state to state and kill people.

For the Obama plot, the legal documents show, Cowart and Schlesselman "planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could toward Obama shooting at him from the windows."

"Both individuals stated they would dress in all white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," the court complaint states. "Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt."

Cavanaugh said there's no evidence — so far — that others were willing to assist Cowart and Schlesselman with the plot.

He said authorities took the threats very seriously.

"They seemed determined to do it," Cavanaugh said. "Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South."

The court documents say the two men met about a month ago on the Internet and found common ground in their shared "white power" and "skinhead" philosophy.

The numbers 14 and 88 are symbols in skinhead culture, referring to a 14-word phrase attributed to an imprisoned white supremacist: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children" and to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H. Two "8"s or "H"s stand for "Heil Hitler."

Helena-West Helena, on the Mississippi River in east Arkansas' Delta, is in one of the nation's poorest regions, trailing even parts of Appalachia in its standard of living. Police Chief Fred Fielder said he had never heard of Schlesselman.

However, the reported threat of attacking a school filled with black students worried Fielder. Helena-West Helena, with a population of 12,200, is 66 percent black. "Predominantly black school, take your pick," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Erik Schelzig in Nashville, Tenn., and Jon Gambrell in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

Keith Olberman Rip McCain Racist Outta Controll Rallies: My Man!

Sarah Palin Open Cold Snl

Snl Sarah Palin Rap lol..

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday that he will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's "ability to inspire" and the "inclusive nature of his campaign."


Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says he is voting for Barack Obama.

"I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Powell said he was concerned about what he characterized as a recent negative turn of Republican candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign, such as the campaign's attempts to tie Obama to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.

"I think that's inappropriate. I understand what politics is about -- I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for," he said.

Powell, a retired U.S. general and a Republican, was once seen as a possible presidential candidate himself.

Powell said he has some concerns about the direction of the Republican Party, adding that it has "moved more to the right than I would like to see it."

In regard to the financial crisis, which Powell called the candidates' "final exam," Powell said McCain appeared unsteady in dealing with it, while Obama had excelled in handling the situation.

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"Obama displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge," Powell said.

"He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president," he said.

During the campaign, Powell has met with both candidates and said he has a lot of respect for McCain. He said Sunday that he thinks both candidates are qualified to be president.

"It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that," Powell said.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, McCain said he respects and admires Powell, and the announcement "doesn't come as a surprise."

"I'm also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state -- Secretaries [Henry] Kissinger, [James] Baker, [Lawrence] Eagleburger, and [Alexander] Haig -- and I'm proud to have the endorsement of well over 200 retired Army generals and admirals," McCain said.

Obama called Powell on Sunday and thanked him for his endorsement, communications director Robert Gibbs said.

In their 10-minute conversation, Obama said he looked forward to taking advantage of Powell's advice in the next two weeks and hopefully over the next four years, Gibbs said.

Powell served as Secretary of State under President Bush from 2001 to 2005.

The possibility of a Powell endorsement has been rumored for several months.

On August 13, Powell's office denied a report on Fox News by commentator Bill Kristol that Powell had decided to publicly back Obama at the Democratic National Convention.

Powell himself brushed off queries on any potential presidential nod but told ABC News in August that he would not be going to Denver, Colorado, for the convention.

Back in February, Powell told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he was weighing an endorsement of a Democratic or independent candidate.

Powell has offered praise for Obama, calling him an "exciting person on the political stage."

"He has energized a lot of people in America," said Powell. "He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for."

The former general, who has largely steered clear of politics since leaving the Bush administration, noted that the next president will need to work to restore America's standing in the world.

Powell gave the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in support of George W. Bush in 2000.

Powell said Sunday that he has no plans to campaign for Obama.

100,000 IN ST. LOUIS: Records Numbers For Barak!

Barack Obama drew a crowd of 100,000 at a rally near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on Saturday, the AP reports. McCain spent the day campaigning in North Carolina.

The focus on the stump Saturday for both Obama and McCain continued to be taxes, and the candidates traded sharp criticisms of each other's plans.

More from the AP:

McCain, trailing in the polls, fired the first volley, likening his rival to the socialist leaders of Europe and saying he wanted to "convert the IRS into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth at the direction of politicians in Washington."


McCain added, "Raising taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it's just another government giveaway."

Obama responded a few hours later in appearance before an enormous crowd, saying his Republican rival "wants to cut taxes for the same people who have already been making out like bandits, in some cases literally."

"John McCain is so out of touch with the struggles you are facing that he must be the first politician in history to call a tax cut for working people 'welfare,'" Obama said.

1 Million Reviews About The T-Mobile g1: Here's The Breakdown.. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Reviews of the first Android-powered handset the T-Mobile G1 have surfaced and many people are finding the G1 less than fantastic. Many have gone on to say that it did not meet expectations set by all the hype. One common issue that was reported was the GPS not working. A large proportion of devices were unable to locate users’ positions in Google maps.



Not everyone was pleased with the design of the G1. The lack of a standard headphone jack was picked out by PCWorld, they also went on to say that the keyboard’s keys were a bit too flat. Tech Yahoo says the keyboard makes the G1 feel like a grown up verion of the SideKick. Lifehacker pointed out that this phone may be a little hard to get use to for customers coming from an iPhone, the lack of a multi-touch screen simply can not be ignored in this case. The phone handles very well in the palm of your hand, it feel like more of a phone than the iPhone says Zdnet. It’s a perception that often depends on the user, though; Gigaom argues that it feels bulky in the hand.

Phone News and The Boy Genius Report agreed that the instant messaging client was anything but what is expected from a smart phone. The application was unstable, often signing you out multiple times in a single session, and failing more reconnection attempts. It is perhaps no surprise that the only IM client that uses data to send an instant message was Google Talk, others use a text-message based method. The G1 does not support Microsoft Exchange out of the box, but the Chicago Tribune expects that to change as it did with the iPhone. The alternative, Outlook Web Access, is reported by MSNBC as being very pleasant and relatively fast.

The G1’s battery leaves a lot to be desired. CrunchGear reported that the battery life, on average, was even worse than that of the iPhone. With the phone beign built around applications and the Android Market this is really bad news for power-users. In tests done by All Things Digital the G1 was reported to score just under the claimed five hours of talk time. MobileBurn reports that even though they like the user interface, the G1 really has no big deal breakers. Engadget had a few issue with the long-press feature, the G1 sometimes confused a long press with the scrolling feature. This may come as a disappointment to some with high expectations that the G1 will the the iPhone killer. The touch screen is “wonderfully quick and responsive” though, reports PCMag.

Cnet found the camera to be good, even though it lacks basic camera settings (much like the iPhone) such as white balance. It appears inevitable to avoid being noted as clearly the first Android out there, PhoneScoop was one of many that mentioned the G1 is clearly the first of the Android Platform. Gizmodo went on to say “The G1 phone and the Android operating system are not finished products”, while PhoneDog reported that, despite having a list of complaints a mile long, they are overshadowed by how fun the Android user experience is.

The G1 from our experience was very quick, responsive and easy to use. Unlike the information reported by others, the main issues for us were the very short battery life and no way to kill background processes. The battery needed to be charged sometimes 3 or 4 times a day because there was always so much going on in the background. Despite the few drawbacks we are still really excited about the G1. I have yet to see a phone other than the G1 come close to the iPhone in comparison.

With early user reviews and now our official Android Community review how do you guys feel about pre-ordering the G1? Anyone calling in to cancel or are you determined to be the first one on your block sporting the new G1? Be sure to let us know. And for those of you who will be getting your G1 very soon, don’t forget to post pictures of yourself with it for us to see.

Oh Well, i'll have mine 10/20 reguardless.. FUCK I-PHONE!

Charles Rogers Is A Crackhead lol: Ex-Lion and Spartan Charles Rogers provides lesson in excess

This is a time when everyone should root for the Lions.


I'm not talking about the remaining 12 games of a season long since over, but rather the organization's challenge in squeezing every dime out of Charles Rogers' pockets now that an arbitrator ruled in the Lions' favor in their grievance against the NFL players' association.

Rogers must give the Lions $8.5 million of the $14.2 million they paid him in a guaranteed signing bonus after they drafted him second overall in the 2003 draft.

Whether the Lions will get that money is another story. It will likely involve a lengthy legal fight, but the Lions shouldn't shy from the battle. The more important message is holding those selfish millionaire athletes accountable for openly flouting the rules.

Rogers violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy when he failed a drug test three years ago. It was his third failed test, and the Lions successfully argued that violation triggered a codicil in Rogers' rookie contract that negated part of his signing bonus.

Rogers laughed off the Lions' position, saying they could come after him all they wanted because he didn't have much of that $14.2 million left.

I'm wondering if he's laughing now.

Rogers should be an example of reckless excess from which every future top-ranked draft pick should learn. The Lions shouldn't let him off the hook. If it means garnishing every check for the rest of Rogers' life, then the Lions' strategy should be "forward down the field."

No politics in sports? Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel's insistence that his players don't get actively involved in the presidential campaign only further perpetuates the stereotype that today's professional athlete is too dim to think beyond his respective sport.

What's wrong with athletes speaking up and taking a public stand?

If they're U.S. citizens, they're allowed to become actively involved in political discourse and vote.

Linebacker Willie McGinest has done local commercials supporting Barack Obama, and quarterback Brady Quinn and offensive tackle Joe Thomas have publicly pledged their support to John McCain. Crennel expressed concerns that what has become an increasingly divisive national campaign could drive a wedge through a Browns locker room trying to hang together in the wake of a disappointing start.

If anything, Crennel should embrace the fact that he has got some players unafraid to exercise those fragments of their brains that aren't consumed with football.

TOLEDO 13, U-M 10: Michigan's latest loss is a big fall for a storied program.. Never thought I'd see the day im embarrased to wear my Maize n Blue

The first-season free pass for Rich Rodriguez officially expired when a chip-shot field-goal attempt sailed wide left, setting off another delirious celebration from a feisty underdog nobody saw coming.


Holy Toledo!


Michigan can’t even beat a Mid-American Conference team.


The Big House has become a big joke. There is no safe sanctuary for what’s quickly becoming crystallizing into the worst Wolverines season in more than 40 years. A Toledo team hard-pressed to finish in the top half of the MAC this season humbled Michigan as no other MAC foe had before. The Rockets' 13-10 stunner Saturday drove another stake through the guts and pride of a Michigan program that must wonder this worrisome morning if there’s actually another win somewhere on its schedule.


U-M could conceivably fall to Notre Dame’s depths from a year ago — only three wins with the peasants suddenly approaching the castle with pitchforks and torches.


It falls on Rodriguez.


It’s clearly far, far too soon for final judgment on his radical transformation of this most traditional football program, but the tolerance level of even the true believers grows a little thinner when you fall to pitiful MAC programs.


A 4-8 season would match Michigan’s lowest win total for a season since Bump Elliott went 4-6 in 1967. But Rodriguez needs two more wins to reach four. Can anyone honestly look at the remainder of Michigan’s schedule and comfortably project where those two wins are coming from with a still sputtering offense and a defense still incapable of getting off the field quickly enough?


Toledo was Michigan’s last gimme, the final cupcake crumb on the schedule.


There was anger in Rodriguez’s expression and tone a week ago after Illinois busted him for 45 points. It was more angst this time. His eyes danced around when reciting the standard rejoinder of players not executing and everybody needing to work harder.


“I’m down,” he said, “but I’ve got to shake it off. How can I ask my players to forget about this in 24 hours if I can’t? But this one is very disappointing.”


How about embarrassing?


Running backs coach Fred Jackson didn’t hesitate when classifying this loss among the lowest points he has endured during his time with Michigan.


This loss is much worse than the Appalachian State debacle last year. That could be attributed to conceit, the big, bad fifth-ranked team in the nation simply not taking a smaller level championship team seriously in the season opener. But these two were bad football teams engaging in an epic struggle of futility.


“I feel that we’re at a crossroads where we could either go downhill or we can hang tough and weather this storm,” said linebacker Obi Ezeh. “Hopefully, this will pass and things will start going our way. We’ve just got to be tough.”


Rodriguez called out that lack of toughness following the Illinois loss, labeling his players as “soft,” hoping that would trigger an emotional reaction.


Instead, all he got was a yawn.


Cornerback Donovan Warren was oblivious to the historical magnitude of this loss when he was asked afterward how he thought time would measure this defeat.


“No clue, no idea,” he said.


Is he a reflection of disjointed leadership in the locker room? If the players aren’t shaken to the core with a 2-4 start, then they might be beyond saving. And that’s the worst possible thing for Rodriguez because that challenges his capacity to reach his players, particularly in trying times.


“There’s no quit in anybody here,” Rodriguez insisted.


The Wolverines can forget about extending the longest consecutive bowl streak (33 games) in the nation. They must worry about winning another game this season — not exactly a certainty when witnessing how mightily they struggled against a Toledo team ranked 123rd nationally in the Sagarin rankings.


Penn State already has a 14-0 lead against the Wolverines and they’re still six days away from kickoff. And little brother Michigan State will never have a better opportunity for beating its primary nemesis in two weeks.


The Motor City Bowl had several representatives at Michigan Stadium — and they weren’t scouting Toledo.


This is the bowl’s first realistic chance at landing the Wolverines in its 11-year history and officials are privately hoping that a 6-6 Michigan could fall right into their laps.


Six wins ensures the Wolverines of bowl eligibility, but they can only secure an invitation to a Big Ten-affiliated bowl if there aren’t enough available seven-win teams. If all the Big Ten bowl obligations are met, the only way a 6-6 Michigan could go elsewhere would be if there aren’t enough seven-win teams from the other major conferences to fill the voids.


Wasn’t becoming the first local Big Ten team to skulk into the Motor City Bowl always Michigan State’s destiny?

Peace Out Homie: Roy Williams trade a good one ... as long as Lions don't blow their picks

Three draft picks from Dallas -- including a first-rounder -- for Roy Williams? Great deal, if the Lions can make it work.


"Oh, I think Dallas overpaid," Fox studio analyst Jimmy Johnson said in a telephone interview. "But having said that, I've always liked Roy Williams, and I think he's going to be productive down there in that offense.

"The key for Detroit is, what are you going to do with those picks? ... We'll have to wait and see what Detroit does with that 1 and that 3 and that 6."

Johnson and Jerry Jones got help restocking the Cowboys, from that huge Herschel Walker trade 19 years ago with Minnesota. So Johnson knows what to do with a fistful of draft picks.

"In all probability, you would go with the best player available, but I think you have to reach in a couple areas," Johnson said. "No. 1, you've got to have a quarterback. Not necessarily a superstar, franchise quarterback, but you've got to have a winning quarterback. Then you can start putting all the rest of the team together."

Then Johnson said he'd go defensive lineman, shutdown corners and later on running backs, receivers and offensive linemen.

But right here, right now, the Lions have to focus on their 11 remaining games, starting Sunday at Houston (4:05 p.m., Fox). How easy is that, with both the trade and no Jon Kitna sending wait-till-next-year signals?

"That's no different from once you're eliminated from the (playoff race), you still go out there and play and try to win," Johnson said.

"Those players understand there probably are going to be some changes. How productive they are in this situation may determine their future, with this franchise or somewhere else. And the same thing about the coaching staff."

Not to mention, a win's still a win.

"You know, if you're 0-5 or you're 0-8, it doesn't take away from the excitement of winning a ballgame," Johnson said. "I went through one of those things where we won one ballgame, and I was as excited as anyone in pro football when we beat Washington for my one win my first year in the league."

So, given the similar experiences and all that's gone on -- including the firing of Howie Long's boy, Matt Millen -- can the Lions expect a little sympathy from the Fox guys the rest of the way?

"I think we've been actually pretty easy on them this year," Johnson said. "We've been hard on the Lions in the past, but they deserved it. ...

"Howie and Matt, they're really close and we kind of gig him about that. But truth be known, we're all friends with Matt. I like Matt as much as anybody."

What would Mean Joe do?
What are they doing to that old game of ours, Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu wants to know, with all the recent league fines for roughness to his teammates and others?

"I think ... it's becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch," he told ESPN.com, adding football "just loses so much of its essence when it becomes like a pansy game."

Why, back in the day ...

"When you see guys like Dick Butkus, the Ronnie Lotts, the Jack Tatums, these guys really went after people," Polamalu said. "Now, they couldn't survive in this type of game. They wouldn't have enough money."

BREAKDOWN: Lions trade Roy Williams to Dallas for draft picks

The Lions have traded wide receiver Roy Williams to Dallas for three draft picks.


The Cowboys announced that the Lions will get Dallas' first-, third- and sixth-round picks in the next draft. The Lions will give up Williams and their seventh-round pick in the next draft.

The Cowboys also have reworked Williams' contract, according to a source in Dallas.

For months, the Lions had said they are not shopping Williams. As recently as Monday, general manager Martin Mayhew said he had not made calls about Williams and had told Williams that.

But the Lions have always maintained that they would listen to offers for Williams, as they would any other player, and Mayhew allowed Monday that a “very interesting” offer could get a deal done.

The NFL trade deadline was 4 p.m.

After Bailout, AIG Execs Lounged At Resort.. Son Of A B@%!$

(CBS/ AP) Less than a week after the federal government had to bail out American International Group Inc., the company sent executives on a $440,000 retreat to a posh California resort, lawmakers investigating the company's meltdown said Tuesday.

The tab included $23,380 worth of spa treatments for AIG employees at the coastal St. Regis resort south of Los Angeles even as the company tapped into an $85 billion loan from the government it needed to stave off bankruptcy.

The retreat didn't include anyone from the financial products division that nearly drove AIG under, but lawmakers were still enraged over thousands of dollars spent on catered banquets, golf outings and visits to the resort's spa and salon for executives of AIG's main U.S. life insurance subsidiary.

"Average Americans are suffering economically. They're losing their jobs, their homes and their health insurance," House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., scolded. "Yet less than one week after the taxpayers rescued AIG, company executives could be found wining and dining at one of the most exclusive resorts in the nation."

The hearing also revealed that AIG executives hid the full range of its risky financial products from auditors as losses mounted, according to documents released Tuesday by a congressional panel examining the chain of events that forced the government to bail out the conglomerate.

The panel sharply criticized AIG's former top executives, who cast blame on each other for the company's financial woes.

"You have cost my constituents and the taxpayers of this country $85 billion and run into the ground one of the most respected insurance companies in the history of our country," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. "You were just gambling billions, possibly trillions of dollars."

AIG, crippled by huge losses linked to mortgage defaults, was forced last month to accept the $85 billion government loan that gives the U.S. the right to an 80 percent stake in the company.

Waxman unveiled documents showing AIG executives hid the full extent of the firm's risky financial products from auditors, both outside and inside the firm, as losses mounted.

For instance, federal regulators at the Office of Thrift Supervision warned in March that "corporate oversight of AIG Financial Products ... lack critical elements of independence." At the same time, Pricewaterhouse Cooper confidentially warned the company that the "root cause" of its mounting problems was denying internal overseers in charge of limiting AIG's exposure access to what was going on in its highly leveraged financial products branch.

Waxman also released testimony from former AIG auditor Joseph St. Denis, who resigned after being blocked from giving his input on how the firm estimated its liabilities.

Three former AIG executives were summoned to appear before the hearing. One of them, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg - who ran AIG for 38 years until 2005 - canceled his appearance citing illness but submitted prepared testimony. In it, he blamed the company's financial woes on his successors, former CEOs Martin Sullivan and Robert Willumstad.

"When I left AIG, the company operated in 130 countries and employed approximately 92,000 people," Greenberg said. "Today, the company we built up over almost four decades has been virtually destroyed."

Sullivan and Willumstad, in turn, cast much of the blame on accounting rules that forced AIG to take tens of billions of dollars in losses stemming from exposure to toxic mortgage-related securities.

Lawmakers also upbraided Sullivan, who ran the firm from 2005 until June of this year, for urging AIG's board of directors to waive pay guidelines to win a $5 million bonus for 2007 - even as the company lost $5 billion in the 4th quarter of that year. Sullivan countered that he was mainly concerned with helping other senior executives.

Sullivan also came under fire for reassuring shareholders about the health of the company last December, just days after its auditor, Pricewaterhouse Cooper, warned of him that AIG was displaying "material weakness" in its huge exposure to potential losses from insuring mortgage-related securities.

AIG's problems did not come from its traditional insurance subsidiaries, which remain healthy, but instead from its financial services operations, primarily its insurance of mortgage-backed securities and other risky debt against default. Government officials feared a panic might occur if AIG couldn't make good on its promise to cover losses on the securities; investors feared the consequences would pose a threat to the U.S. financial system, which led to the government bailout.

AIG suffered huge losses when its credit rating was cut, thanks largely to complex financial transactions known as "credit default swaps." AIG was a major seller of the swaps, which are a form of insurance, though they are not regulated that way.

The swap contracts promise payment to investors in mortgage bonds in the event of a default. AIG has been forced to raise billions of dollars in collateral to back up those guarantees.

Sullivan said many of the firm's problems stemmed from "mark to market" accounting rules mandating that its positions guaranteeing troubled mortgage securities be carried as tens of billions of dollars in losses on its balance sheet.

This in turn, said former AIG chief executive Willumstad, who ran the company for just three months after Sullivan left, forced the firm to raise billions of dollars in capital. The federal rescue came after AIG suffered disastrous liquidity problems after its credit rating was lowered, forcing the company to come up with even more capital.

"AIG was caught in a vicious cycle," Willumstad said in the testimony.

Greenberg said that AIG "wrote as many credit default swaps ... in the nine months following my departure as it had written in the entire previous seven years combined. Moreover, "unlike what had been true during my tenure, the majority of the credit default swaps that AIGFP wrote in the nine months after I retired were reportedly exposed to subprime mortgages."

But Sullivan said the complex swaps had underlying value, even as the market for them froze, sending their book value plummeting and forcing AIG to scramble for collateral.

"When the credit markets seized up, like many other financial institutions, we were forced to mark our swap positions at fire-sale prices as if we owned the underlying bonds, even though we believed that our swap positions had value if held to maturity," Sullivan said.

The hearing is the second in two days into financial excesses and regulatory mistakes that have spooked stock and credit markets and heightened fears about a global recession.

The Fed rescued AIG on Sept. 16, one day after investment bank Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy when the government wouldn't come to its aid. Lehman Brothers' chief executive officer testified Monday before the congressional oversight panel but didn't shed much light on how the mid-September events cascaded into a collapse of credit markets requiring a broad bailout.

Richard S. Fuld Jr., chief executive officer of Lehman Brothers, declared to the committee "I take full responsibility for the decisions that I made and for the actions that I took." He defended his actions as "prudent and appropriate" based on information he had at the time.

"I feel horrible about what happened," he said.

ILLINOIS 45, MICHIGAN 20: Rich Rodriguez: 'This is ridiculous'

The booing returned to the Big House.


It’s become the newest Michigan tradition.


It’s become the newest Michigan tradition.


But in a different twist this time, the loudest jeers came from the head coach.


Rich Rodriguez revealed the first hint of frustration Saturday, exasperated over his team’s continued deficient execution. He didn’t hide his disgust in the aftermath of one of the worst drubbings Michigan ever endured on its home turf.


“This is ridiculous right now,” Rodriguez lamented.


There’s no argument here.


The Wolverines are a bad football team.


It’s obvious now when assessing the damage from Illinois’ 45-20 victory that the fluke was last week when Michigan made the biggest comeback in Michigan Stadium history.


They haven’t turned the corner.


They can’t even find the street.


This was the real Michigan, once again bowing at the mercy of an athletic quarterback flawlessly executing the spread offense as it was intended. This was the real Michigan, teasing the senses with early glimpses of offensive proficiency only to once again quickly and quietly suffocate. This was the real Michigan, incapable once again of holding onto the ball.


“I’m mad,” Rodriguez said. “I’m sorry. What do you want from me? I don’t like losing. I don’t want to accept it. I don’t want anybody in this program accepting it.”


Rodriguez took exception to a reporter’s question regarding what the coaches could do to alleviate the continued rash of fumbles.


Michigan lost two fumbles in a span of 10 minutes in the second half, one on a sloppy handoff exchange and the other on a kickoff return. Illinois converted both turnovers into touchdowns.


Rodriguez made it clear that the coaches are doing everything imaginable in practice to cure the ill short of imprisonment, but nothing has worked.


“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” he said regarding the continued miscues.


Rodriguez prepared everyone for the contradictory grind awaiting those accustomed to Michigan winning frequently and, more importantly, comfortably. But this was the first time that he seemed ill-prepared himself for the inconsistencies of a program growing into a new personality.


This is when the coach must heed his message to the players.


He must fight through this because if the Wolverines become disillusioned through such sustained disappointment, they’re facing a 6-6 season at the very best.


That’s unimaginable for Michigan – even in what’s acknowledged as a transitional year.


It was the most points given up at Michigan Stadium since Florida State invaded Ann Arbor in 1991. It was their worst home loss since Oregon’s 32-point romp a year ago. This is the earliest they’ve recorded their third loss since 1967 when Bump Elliott coached before an often half-empty Michigan Stadium.


“I’m mad at myself because it starts with me,” he said. “We just have to get back at it and keep working hard. We’ve got to get ourselves right and it starts with the coaches.”


But when you watched Illinois you saw what Rodriguez envisioned long range for his offense.


Juice was in the Big House.


And I’m not talking about O.J. Simpson’s new residence.


Quarterback Isiah “Juice” Williams set a new Michigan Stadium record of 431 total yards. He isn’t terribly consistent as a passer, but he accomplishes just enough with his arm that makes his legs even more dangerous. He did an option fake to his tailback that fooled everybody – including the ESPN television cameras.

The Wolverines thought they made an impressive defensive stop on the running back, but there was Juice celebrating in the end zone with a touchdown.


The diehard Blue hairs still don’t sleep as peacefully at night as they did before Rodriguez’s arrival, but at least they aren’t screaming deep into the night with Steven Threet firmly entrenched as the lesser of two Michigan quarterbacking evils.


There’s incremental improvement with Threet. It would certainly ease the burden on him if the Wolverines could generate a more consistent running game, but the problem is that no matter how gutsy Threet plays or how much he’s squeezed out of so little, Rodriguez still needs his Juice.


But the greatest frustration stems from a stunningly passive Michigan defense.


“We should be expecting much more from ourselves defensively when you consider the veterans we have,” said linebacker Obi Ezeh. “Emotionally, I think that sometimes we are ready to go and then sometimes, people are letting their emotions take over. We should be able to play composed and we just couldn’t do that.”


The only thing defensive for Michigan Saturday was its coach.

BEARS 34, LIONS 7: In-game analysis: Kitna benched, Lions drilled

PREGAME
Well, after a week and a half of planning to beat the Bears, dreaming about beating the Bears, focusing on beating the Bears and doing nothing but thinking about beating the Bears, the Lions get their chance.


Now we'll see whether they can, you know, beat the Bears.

FIRST QUARTER
13:37:The Lions started rookie Kevin Smith at tailback, and that move led to ... a three-and-out. At least the Bears were offsides on the ensuing punt, negating a huge return by Devin Hester. Now it's time for the vaunted Lions D to take the field ...


9:06:Millen's gone, but the Lions still can't tackle. Kyle Orton, Matt Forte and Kevin Jones, not exactly, ahem, NFL stars are marching the Bears down the field.


6:48:The Lions' defense stiffens, sort of, and forces a medium-range field goal by Robbie Gould. Bears 3, Lions 0


5:09:The Lions are in the no-huddle offense. Unfortunately, they're also in the no-first-down offense. Another three-and-out. After a good punt, the Bears will start inside their own 10-yard line.


3:12:An apparent busted coverage leaves Bears tight end Greg Olsen wide-open for a big gain, but the Lions buckle down after that. I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that the Lions will get a first down on this coming drive. It's bound to happen sooner or later.


2:33:Oops. Didn't happen. Three-and-out. Never a good sign for Jon Kitna when the play-by-play announcer says his pass was "kind of intended for Roy Williams."

SECOND QUARTER
12:22:Rudi Johnson breaks the first-down jinx with a nice run on first down, and then Roy Williams picks one up on the very next play. Now we're cooking with gas. Of course, the Lions are still at their own 35.


12:00:Serves me right for pointing out the Lions' positives. After the back-to-back first downs, Kitna fumbles on a blind-side hit. Bears ball, deep in Lions territory.


10:56:Hey, whaddya know? Bears coach Lovie Smith decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 instead of kicking the field goal, and Lions DE Dewayne White stuffed the run for a loss. Wake up the echoes of Michigan State from Saturday, eh? That could turn out to be a critical defensive stand.


7:22:The Lions should feel pretty fortunate to only be trailing 3-0 right now. The offense has been abysmal, but the defense is keeping them in the game. Something tells me that won't last all afternoon, so Kitna's Krew had better get it in gear quickly.


5:27:Told you it wouldn't last forever (OK, OK, the Bears already were driving when I wrote the previous post). Rookie tailback Matt Forte just scored on a nine-yard pass, even after Rod Marinelli challenged that Forte had been tackled at the 1-yard line. No dice. Bears 10, Lions 0


3:54:The Fox announcers just dogged second-year Lions lineman Manny Ramirez for his blocking on a doomed screen play. We haven't seen much of Ramirez on the field, but maybe that's just Manny being Manny.


1:56:Touchdown Bears. Devin Hester did a nice pirouette after catching a slant at the goal line. The Lions lasted slightly longer before falling into a big hole today than in previous games, but, hey, that's not very much solace is it? Bears 17, Lions 0


0:00:What might be most frightening/disheartening/troubling is that there's no sign that the Lions are even improving from week to week. And that's kind of tough to accomplish with how low the bar was set.

THIRD QUARTER
15:00:Bears get the ball first after halftime. Uh-oh.


11:38:Linebacker Ernie Sims just left the field, holding his leg, but he's back in there. See? There is some good news for the Lions today. As long as it's precipitated by bad news.


11:28:That was some catch by the Bears' Marty Booker, eh? Hope you're watching it on TV, because it's about as good as it gets. Oh, yeah, the Lions are about to give up another touchdown because of it.


11:17:And there it is. Forte takes one in on the ground. I kind of hope the crowd starts chanting "Fire Millen," just for old times' sake. Bears 24, Lions 0


11:06:Remember this day, kiddies. Dan Orlovsky is coming on to replace an (apparently) uninjured Jon Kitna. Somebody must've decided that Orlovsky gives them the best chance to win today.


10:10:I assume that Lions fans have been subjected to this long enough that they can see the dark humor of what's happening today. The play after the Lions won a challenge to overturn a fumble, Orlovsky throws slightly behind Roy Williams, who tips it up and right to Chicago's Charles Tillman, who returns the pick for six. What else can go wrong? Bears 31, Lions 0


8:31:Hey, there's the break the Lions needed! Devin Hester fumbles on a punt return, and the Lions pounce on it deep in Bears territory. Just don't throw it to Roy Williams.


7:08:The Lions keep pounding the rock, and it finally cracks with Kevin Smith running it home from 12 yards out. And the hits keep on coming: Jason Hanson makes the extra point. Don't look now ... Bears 31, Lions 7


0:38:Boy, it sure seems that Roy Williams is trying to run himself out of town. He obviously should be disgusted by the team's performance, but the way he's carrying on seems to be a ploy to convince the Lions to get rid of him. As soon as they can. Whenever that is.

FOURTH QUARTER
11:58:Robbie Gould boots a 45-yard field goal. The Bears are safe. Bears 34, Lions 7


10:48So who do you start at QB against the Vikings next weekend? I'd be shocked if it weren't Kitna. Not saying it should be, but I don't see Marinelli making such a bold switch yet. Or maybe ever.


9:39:That's quaint. The Lions go for it on fourth-and-3 in Bears territory. And they throw it. And it's caught. And they're short of the first down. That's tough to do. Adding injury to meltdown, Mike Furrey is hurt on the play.


5:44:Give credit to the Fox crew for finding things to talk about during the second half. Not much on the field has warranted discussion.


2:45:That's a nice note on which to go out. Dan Orlovsky gets creamed by most of the Chicago defensive line, fumbles, and the Bears recover. Ole!


0:00:The carnage is over. Here's guessing that all of the Lions' focus, all of their effort and all of their planning is now on the Minnesota Vikings, seven days from now. There's still 12 games left, and they're only 2 1/2 games out of first place, you know.


Final score: Bears 34, Lions 7

Somebody Gotta Do It!! Detroit Shock win third WNBA title: Congratz!!!

YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) -- Winning a gold medal in Beijing, a WNBA championship and the league finals MVP award.

How does it feel, Katie Smith?

"I mean, it's been OK," she said to laughter in the interview room Sunday after the forward led the Detroit Shock to their third WNBA crown in six seasons.

The 76-60 win completed a three-game sweep of the San Antonio Silver Stars and came less than two months after the 34-year-old started for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team.

"It's been fun. It's just been a lot of fun," she said.

Smith, who scored a team-high 18 points, was lifted from the game with time running out as coach Bill Laimbeer emptied his bench to the ear-splitting delight of the crowd.

A few minutes later, she was sprinting back on to the court with her teammates to celebrate yet another championship as confetti rained down.

Detroit became the second team in league history to win a third championship. Only the Houston Comets, who won the first four (1997-2000), have more. Los Angeles (2001, 2002) is the only other team with more than one.

It was an especially sweet win for the Shock, who let the 2007 title slip away, losing Game 5 at The Palace to the Phoenix Mercury.

"Last year was brutal. Last year was discouraging and we lost the championship, and I thought about moving on," Laimbeer said. "At some point, I'll move on, but I don't necessarily think it is right now."

Detroit swept the league's best regular-season team, winning the clincher at Eastern Michigan University's Convocation Center, a venue forced upon them because of a scheduling conflict.

"It was our floor and our rims and our baskets," Laimbeer said. "We understand the situation, and we'll make the most of it. I thought we had a lot of fans in there that had never been a part of this before."

The Shock won their 2003 championship at The Palace and their '06 title at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, also a substitute venue because of a logistical conflict.

For their part, the Shock players couldn't have cared less.

"We're already trying to figure out where we're going to play next year," said guard Deanna Nolan, the 2006 finals MVP who scored 12 on Sunday.

The game was tight for three quarters with San Antonio leading by six on several occasions. But the veteran Shock were too much to take in the fourth with the title on the line.

The Shock enjoyed a 49-45 lead after three periods, and they quickly extended it to 55-47 on Taj McWilliams-Franklin's one-hander off the glass 3 minutes into the fourth.

A pair of free throws by McWilliams-Franklin less than a minute later gave the Shock their first double-digit lead of the game.

Then Smith sealed it.

She hit a long jumper and then drained a high-arching 3 that made it 62-47 and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It might not have been The Palace and its seating capacity of more than 22,000, but the cozy Convocation Center and its 9,000-plus seats served as a fine home-court advantage for Detroit -- which won all three postseason games here.

One sign in the stands said simply: "Not in our rental unit."

The Shock had been one of the league's best teams for much of the year, but sputtered a bit after losing top post player Cheryl Ford to a season-ending knee injury in July.

But a trade for the veteran McWilliams-Franklin over the Olympic break was just what Detroit needed.

It won its last five games of the regular season and six of seven after the monthlong Olympic break and carried the momentum into the playoffs.

The fact that her team won without her was not lost on Ford, who wept in the corner of the locker room after Game 3.

"This is really hard, because this is two years in a row where I haven't been able to be out there for my teammates," she said. "I wanted us to win, but I wanted to be out there with them."

Laimbeer made a point of including his injured star during the postgame celebration, handing her the championship trophy after he accepted it.

"That meant a lot, because it made me feel like everyone still thinks I'm part of this, even though I missed so much of the season and all of the playoffs," she said.

The Silver Stars had the league's best regular-season record thanks in part to going 14-0 against the East. They powered their way through the conference playoffs, but were no match for the Shock, losing by eight points twice on their home court before the series shifted to Michigan.

Top scorer Becky Hammon was held in check for much of the series and was a non-factor in Game 3, managing only five points on 1-for-10 shooting. Center Ann Wauters led San Antonio with 19 points, and forward Sophia Young added 15.

"Right now, it is very disappointing, but if we can look back on the whole season, we had a wonderful year," said Wauters, who added nine rebounds. "It is pretty tough to lose the finals, because when you come that far, you want to win it all."

After a night of celebrating, the Shock have a date with the new mayor of Detroit, Ken Cockrel Jr., who will honor the team at a downtown celebration at midday Monday.

So you want to win a championship? No problem. According to the Detroit Shock’s new Championship How-To Book, all you have to do is:


• 1. Trade your biggest star.


• 2. Lose another to a knee injury.


• 3. Follow that up, moments later, with one of the ugliest sports brawls in recent memory.


• 4. Watch so many of your players get suspended for that brawl, the league must stagger them in alphabetical order.


• 4.5. This is not mandatory, but if at all possible, see if you can get your highest-profile assistant coach suspended, too.


• 5. Try the cheapest, most transparent PR stunt you can think of — you know, like adding your 50-year-old former coach to your roster.


• 6. Don’t play a single game of the final round in your home arena.


There you go. That’s all it takes! Just follow those six steps and … oh, wait. Forgot one thing.


“We have the best players in the world,” coach Bill Laimbeer said Sunday. “No question about it.”


Yeah, that helps.


The Shock swept its way to its third championship in six years Sunday night. The final score of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals was 76-60, but in deference to the battered San Antonio Silver Stars, let’s call it a three-round knockout.


The Shock outrebounded San Antonio, 44-27, including 16-4 in the fourth quarter at Eastern Michigan’s Convocation Center. Detroit absolutely destroyed San Antonio’s little star, Becky Hammon, who missed nine of 10 shots and had more turnovers (four) than assists (three).


Three titles in six years probably qualifies this franchise as a WNBA dynasty. But like other modern sports dynasties, the Shock has had to change on the fly. And that was most apparent two months ago, in the wake of a disastrous game against the Los Angeles Sparks, when rebounding fiend Cheryl Ford tore her anterior cruciate ligament and the Shock responded with a nationally televised brawl.


Seven players and assistant coach Rick Mahorn were suspended. It was an embarrassment for both franchises, and for the league, but once everybody stopped blushing, Laimbeer had a bigger concern: replacing Ford.


He promptly stole Taj McWilliams-Franklin from the Washington Mystics. She had 13 points and eight rebounds Sunday.


“We knew Bill was going to work his magic,” forward Katie Smith said. “If we don’t have Taj, I don’t think we’re here,”


If they don’t have Smith’s performance Sunday, they are still here, in the Finals, hoping to wrap it up in Game 4. With the Shock clinging to a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter, Smith poured in 11 points to turn a tight Game 3 into a blowout.


She was the Finals MVP by acclimation; even the Silver Stars would have stuffed the ballot box for her.


Somewhere, maybe Swin Cash was watching. Cash was the face of the franchise and an extremely important player on the 2003 and 2006 title teams, but she and Laimbeer did not see eye-to-eye. Sometimes, it was unclear if they were even looking at each other. After the Shock lost in last year’s Finals, Laimbeer traded Cash.


Some die-hard Cash fans probably thought they’d see former coach Nancy Lieberman, now an ESPN analyst, suit up for the Shock before it won another championship. And for reasons I’ll never understand, that actually happened this summer.


But then the Shock resumed one of the quickest, most remarkable rebuilding jobs you’ll ever see in sports. Without Cash, and then without Ford, the Shock still led the league in scoring differential and rebounding differential.


As the final seconds wound down Sunday night, the architect of the dynasty, Laimbeer, the former Bad Boy, held his hands up in triumph. He’d done it again. In the locker room soon after, Laimbeer took a giant swig of champagne, then looked at the bottle, as though he didn’t know what he was drinking.


Uh, Bill, you should recognize that stuff by now. And you might just be drinking it again next year at this time — after all, Ford is coming back, and who is going to doubt this team?


That, however, is a challenge for another day. Sunday night, the Shock had something else in mind.


“Party!” said starting guard Deanna Nolan, a Flint native.


That’s never been a problem for you, huh?


“That’s never a problem,” she said. “Especially in Detroit.”


Especially for this franchise.

Whoa!! AP: Palin's Ayers Attack "Racially Tinged"

Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, speaks during a rally in Carson, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Share Print CommentsWASHINGTON — By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign.

And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret.

First, Palin's attack shows that her energetic debate with rival Joe Biden may be just the beginning, not the end, of a sharpened role in the battle to win the presidency.

"Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," Palin told a group of donors in Englewood, Colo. A deliberate attempt to smear Obama, McCain's ticket-mate echoed the line at three separate events Saturday.

"This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," she said. "We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism."

Obama released his own loaded-word attack on McCain Sunday, calling the 72-year-old senator "erratic," a hard-to-miss implication that his age could be a problem.

"Our financial system in turmoil," an announcer says in Obama's new ad. "And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy."

The ad, slated to start running Monday on national cable, seeks to capitalize on John McCain's response to the nation's financial crisis while rebutting Republican attacks on Obama's character and judgment.

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But Palin's reference questions Obama's associations and thereby his character. And her context is inaccurate.

She is referring to Obama's relationship with William Ayers, a member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground, was exaggerated at best if not outright false. No evidence shows they were "pals" or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers hosted a political event for Obama early in his career.

Obama, who was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, has denounced Ayers' radical views and actions.

With her criticism, Palin is taking on the running mate's traditional role of attacker, said Rich Galen, a Republican strategist.

"There appears to be a newfound sense of confidence in Sarah Palin as a candidate, given her performance the other night," Galen said. "I think that they are comfortable enough with her now that she's got the standing with the electorate to take off after Obama."

Second, Palin's incendiary charge draws media and voter attention away from the worsening economy. It also comes after McCain supported a pork-laden Wall Street bailout plan in spite of conservative anger and his own misgivings.

"It's a giant changing of the subject," said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist. "The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don't send out the fluffy bunny to do it. I think people don't take Sarah Palin seriously."

The larger purpose behind Palin's broadside is to reintroduce the question of Obama's associations. Millions of voters, many of them open to being swayed to one side or the other, are starting to pay attention to an election a month away.

For the McCain campaign, that makes Obama's ties to Ayers as well as convicted felon Antoin "Tony" Rezko and the controversial minister Jeremiah Wright ripe for renewed criticism. And Palin brings a fresh voice to the argument.

Effective character attacks have come earlier in campaigns. In June 1988, Republican George H.W. Bush criticized Democrat Michael Dukakis over the furlough granted to Willie Horton, a convicted murderer who then raped a woman and stabbed her companion. Related TV ads followed in September and October.

The Vietnam-era Swift Boat veterans who attacked Democrat John Kerry's war record started in the spring of 2004 and gained traction in late summer.

"The four weeks that are left are an eternity. There's plenty of time in the campaign," said Republican strategist Joe Gaylord. "I think it is a legitimate strategy to talk about Obama and to talk about his background and who he pals around with."

Palin's words avoid repulsing voters with overt racism. But is there another subtext for creating the false image of a black presidential nominee "palling around" with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn't see their America?

In a post-Sept. 11 America, terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown anarchists of Ayers' day 40 years ago. With Obama a relative unknown when he began his campaign, the Internet hummed with false e-mails about ties to radical Islam of a foreign-born candidate.

Whether intended or not by the McCain campaign, portraying Obama as "not like us" is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American.

Palin's words raise questions about whether the last month of the campaign will feature a new focus by McCain's camp on Obama's associations with Ayers, Rezko and Wright.

Bringing up Wright would contradict McCain's promise that Obama's former pastor is was off-limits. McCain, the victim himself of racially-tinged smear campaign in 2000, has promised a new kind of politics.

But the fact is that allowing racism to creep into the discussion serves a purpose for McCain. As the fallout from Wright's sermons showed earlier this year, forcing Obama to abandon issues to talk about race leads to unresolved arguments about America's promise to treat all people equally.

John McCain occasionally looks back on decisions with regret. He has apologized for opposing a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. He has apologized for refusing to call for the removal of a Confederate flag from South Carolina's Capitol.

When the 2008 campaign is over McCain might regret appeals such as Palin's perhaps more so if he wins.

KNOCKED OUT!!! MIXED MARTIAL ARTS KIMBO SLICE GETS KNOCKED THE F@CK OUT ... BY A JAB ... IN 12 SECONDS ... BY A DUDE WITH PINK HAIR!!!

Mom Sexually Assaulted 2-Year-Old Son, DA Says

DENVER -- A 30-year-old Denver mother has been charged with sexually abusing her 2-year-old son, according Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.

Alicia Lee is free on a $50,000 bond after she was charged with sexual assault on a child, sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, and aggravated incest, all felonies, Morrissey said.

According to the charges, Lee performed oral sex on her son and took photographs, sending them through e-mail to a friend who forwarded them to the 2-year-old boy's father. The father then called police.

According to a copy of the e-mail reported by the Rocky Mountain News, the mom told her friend in April that she thought about the sex act while changing the boy's diapers. The next day, she sent a photo of herself performing the act to a friend and said the boy giggled when she performed it.

"The sending of possible child pornography material via e-mail is being referred to federal authorities for review," a news release stated.

Lee is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court on Sept. 29, to be formally advised of the charges against her.

Jury finds Simpson guilty.. Don't cry now Mf, U had ya chance

LAS VEGAS - Thirteen years to the day after being acquitted of killing his wife and her friend in Los Angeles, O.J. Simpson was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.

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The 61-year-old former football star was convicted of all 12 counts late Friday after jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours. He released a heavy sigh as the charges were read and was immediately taken into custody.

Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after his murder acquittal, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Many people considered the four-week trial justice delayed. Simpson was cleared in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century, but was later found liable for the deaths in a civil case.

"This was just payback," Simpson lawyer Yale Galanter said Saturday. "They were on an agenda."

Galanter said he plans to appeal.

The Hall of Fame football star was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and 10 other charges for gathering up five men a year ago and storming into a room at a hotel-casino, where the group seized several game balls, plaques and photos. Prosecutors said two of the men with him were armed; one of them said Simpson asked him to bring a gun.

Simpson's co-defendant, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, also was found guilty on all charges and taken into custody.

Simpson showed little emotion as officers handcuffed him and walked him out of the courtroom. His sister, Carmelita Durio, sobbed behind him in the arms of Simpson's friend, Tom Scotto, who said "I love you" as Simpson passed by. As spectators left the courtroom, Durio collapsed.

Jurors made no eye contact with the defendants as they entered the courtroom. They declined to answer questions after the verdict was read.

Galanter said his client had expected the outcome, and in a courthouse conversation with an Associated Press reporter on Thursday, Simpson had implied as much.

Simpson said he was "afraid that I won't get to go to my kids' college graduations after I managed to get them through college."

Galanter said he felt badly for Simpson but even worse for co-defendant Charles "C.J." Stewart who he said got dragged along in the campaign to convict Simpson.

Simpson's close friend, Tom Scotto, who wept in court when the verdict was announced, called it "a public lynching."

Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said prosecutors would not comment until the case was "completely resolved."

Judge Jackie Glass made no comment other than to thank the jury for its service and to deny motions for the defendants to be released on bail.

She refused to give the lawyers extended time to file a motion for new trial, which under Nevada law must be filed within seven days. The attorneys said they needed time to submit a voluminous record.

"I've sat through the trial," Glass said. "If you want a motion for new trial, send me something."

Stewart's attorney, Brent Bryson, also promised to appeal.

"If there was ever a case that should have been severed in the history of jurisprudence, it's this case," he said of unsuccessful attempts to separate Stewart's case from Simpson's because of the "spillover" effect.

From the beginning, Simpson and his lawyers argued the incident was not a robbery, but an attempt to reclaim mementos that had been stolen from him. He said he did not ask anyone to bring a weapon and did not see any guns.

The defense portrayed Simpson as a victim of shady characters who wanted to make a buck off his famous name, and police officers who saw his arrest as an opportunity to "get" him and avenge his acquittal.

Prosecutors said Simpson's ownership of the memorabilia was irrelevant; it was still a crime to try to take things by force.

"When they went into that room and forced the victims to the far side of the room, pulling out guns and yelling, `Don't let anybody out of here!' — six very large people detaining these two victims in the room with the intent to take property through force or violence from them — that's kidnapping," prosecutor David Roger said.

Kidnapping is punishable by five years to life in prison. Armed robbery carries a mandatory sentence of at least two years behind bars, and could bring as much as 30. Sentencing was set for Dec. 5.

Simpson, who now lives in Miami, did not testify but was heard on a recording of the confrontation screaming that the dealers had stolen his property. "Don't let nobody out of this room," he declared and told the other men to scoop up his items, which included a photo of Simpson with former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Four other men charged in the case struck plea bargains that saved them from potential prison sentences in return for their testimony. Some of them had criminal records or were otherwise compromised in some way. One, for example, was an alleged pimp who testified he had a revelation from God telling him to take a plea bargain.

Memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio, who arranged and secretly recorded the hotel-room confrontation, said he netted $210,000 from the media for the tapes.

Similarly, minutes after the Sept. 13, 2007, incident, one of the alleged victims, sports-memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley, was calling news outlets, and the other, Bruce Fromong, spoke of getting "big money" from the case.

Simpson's past haunted the case. Las Vegas police officers were heard in the recordings chuckling over Simpson's misfortune and crowing that if Los Angeles couldn't "get" him, they would.

During jury selection, Simpson's lawyers expressed fears that people who believed he got away with murder might see this case as a chance to right a wrong.

As a result, an usually large pool of 500 potential jurors was called, and they were given a 26-page questionnaire. Half were almost instantly eliminated after expressing strong feelings that Simpson should have been convicted of murder.

The judge instructed the jurors to put aside Simpson's earlier case.

In closing arguments, Galanter acknowledged that what Simpson did to recover his memorabilia was not right. "But being stupid, and being frustrated is not being a criminal," he said.

He added: "This case has taken on a life of its own because of Mr. Simpson's involvement. You know that. I know that. Every cooperator, every person who had a gun, every person who had an ulterior motive, every person who signed a book deal, every person who got paid money, the police, the district attorney's office, is only interested in one thing: Mr. Simpson."

"O.J. Simpson's attorney: This was payback"

___

G1 Pre-Sale Madness: T-Mobile Triples Production, Sells Them All

According to a T-Mobile spokesperson, pre-sale demand on the Android G1 is so big that they have already sold all their units. She says that this is specially impressive because it happened after they tripled the amount of available G1 cellphones. Of course, this could mean anything without knowing actual shipping numbers, but it seems there's plenty of interest despite its many shortcomings. If you want to pre-order yours, however, you can pre-order now through October 21 to get it at a later date:

Given the great anticipation and the heavy pre-sale demand for the T-Mobile G1 with Google, we nearly tripled the number of phones initially available for delivery on our Oct. 22 launch date, and have sold through them all. However, to accommodate additional T-Mobile customers who want to pre-order a device, they now have the opportunity to place a pre-order through Oct. 21, for delivery at a later date. Also, people can still pre-register on the T-Mobile G1 Web site to be notified prior to launch where they can purchase the device beginning Oct. 22.

McCain gives up on Michigan in a major retreat... Good Job Michigan!!!

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate John McCain conceded battleground Michigan to the Democrats on Thursday, GOP officials said, a major retreat as he struggles to regain his footing in a campaign increasingly dominated by economic issues.

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These officials said McCain was pulling staff and advertising out of the economically distressed Midwestern state. He also canceled a visit slated for next week. Michigan, with 17 electoral votes, voted for Democrat John Kerry in 2004, but Republicans had poured money into an effort to try to place it in their column this year.

The decision marked the first time either McCain or his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, has tacitly conceded a traditional battleground state in a race for the White House with little more than a month remaining.

In a campaign now unfolding across more than a dozen states, the decision allows McCain's resources to be sent to Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida and other more competitive states. But it also means Obama can shift money to other states like Virginia, Colorado and North Carolina where he is trying to eat into traditional Republican territory.

By pulling out of vote-rich Michigan, McCain conceded a large part of the electoral map in the heart of the industrial Midwest.

The move underscored McCain's troubles on the economy, which he has acknowledged is not his strongest subject. It also underscored his struggle to beat an opponent who has the money to compete in many states President Bush won four years ago. Polls show Obama has pulled ahead or tied McCain in many of those states.

Obama rejected public financing so he can spend as much as he can raise; McCain's direct spending is limited to $84 million in taxpayer money. But McCain is getting help from the Republican National Committee, which has plenty to spend to supplement McCain's campaign. The Democratic National Committee has not been as big a help for Obama, but his massive fundraising makes him rely less on the party.

As Nov. 4 approaches, both sides are adjusting their strategies daily to find the best state-by-state path to the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.

Along with giving up Michigan, a McCain aide said the campaign is opening a front in Maine, which Kerry won four years ago and which offers four electoral votes allocated between the statewide winner and the winner in its two congressional districts. The Arizona senator's campaign checked advertising rates in media markets there this week.

Obama already has abandoned efforts in Alaska, Georgia and North Dakota, but the Democrat has succeeded in making traditional Republican strongholds Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia competitive. Both sides are battling it out in those states, where public polls show Obama ahead or tied.

The two campaigns are squaring off with increasing intensity in Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, which Bush won in 2004, and Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, which went to Kerry.

Obama also is making a limited effort in the traditional GOP bastion of Montana and McCain is going after Democratic-tilting Minnesota.

McCain had identified Michigan early on as a potential target, particularly in light of Obama's troubles with white working class voters in other Rust Belt primaries although he skipped Michigan because of a Democratic Party fight over its primary date and didn't set up a campaign organization there during the primary.

But Michigan posed other difficulties for McCain. It has a Democratic governor and the nation's highest annual average unemployment rate since 2006. McCain's 90 percent support in the Senate for the unpopular President Bush, a theme hammered by Obama, proved too much for the GOP nominee to overcome.

GOP strategists said those troubles became more acute for McCain in Michigan after the Wall Street collapse, and both public and private polls showed him sliding. On Wednesday night, the campaign decided that the $1 million a week it was spending in Michigan wasn't worth it with polls showing Obama approaching a double-digit lead, according to Republican insiders, who requested anonymity to avoid annoying the McCain campaign.

Word of McCain's pull out came as the vice presidential candidates, Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden, prepared for an evening debate in St. Louis and just before Obama took the stage for a rally at Michigan State University, his third event in the state in five days.

If the Illinois senator knew about McCain's plans, Obama didn't mention it and continued to criticize his rival's economic policies. "My opponents' philosophy isn't just wrongheaded, it reveals out how out of touch he really is," Obama told more than 15,000 gathered on a chilly fall afternoon.

McCain's decision didn't go over well with at least some Michigan Republicans.

"John McCain is our candidate," said Mike Bishop, the top-ranking Republican in the state Legislature. "We want him in Michigan. We want him to hear our issues."