California's economy back on track

According to the UCLA Anderson Forecast, the best of California's economic recovery is yet to come, as job creation and personal income growth speed up over the next two years.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" - what an experience!

Wow! What an extraordinary experience! We went to see Michael Moore's long-awaited documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" the day of its theatrical release in the U.S. An astonishing, breathtaking, upsetting and humorous movie! Despite bad reviews and attacks of conservative activists the hype around Moore's satirical flick was unstoppable. All the shows in L.A. we wanted to go to we totally sold out. We were lucky to get the last tickets of a late night show at an independent movie theatre (photos) in Pasadena. I have never seen so many moviegoers showing up to see a documentary in my entire life. People were cheering, laughing and crying throughout the entire film. It was one of our best most impressing movie experiences this year! My recommondation to everybody, wherever you live: go see it!

U.S. justice system is "broken"

The American criminal justice system relies too heavily on imprisoning people and needs to consider more effective alternatives, according to a study by the American Bar Association, the nation's largest lawyers' organization. It is unclear whether the United States is any safer for having 2.1 million people behind bars (including 160000 in California), the report concludes. Between 1974 and 2002, the number of inmates in federal and state prisons rose six-fold. By 2002, 476 out of every 100,000 Americans were imprisoned, according to Justice Department statistics. That compares with 100 per every 100,000 in Western European countries such as England, Germany and Italy. In 1999, the states and federal government spent $49 billion on jails and prisons. - ten times more than in the early eighties.

American Idol meets Comeback Kid

The bands TLC and INXS have a lot in common. They both have a band member who died under dramatic circumstances (Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was killed in a car crash, Michael Hutchence died from a drug overdose), and both of their fame has been vanishing since then. Now the American TV networks CBS and Fox plan to revive their careers with new reality series. The shows would feature contestants competing to replace the deceased band members. The winner would then join the music groups, for recordings and possibly televised concerts. CBS's project with INXS is called "Rock Star" (how surprising) and will debut in Summer 2005. What's next: A reality show about replacing Michel Eisner? Or President Bush? (Not a bad idea, actually...)

Love for Clapton and guitars

One of the greatest blues musician in history (and one of my favorites), Eric Clapton, raised a total of $7.5 million for charity by auctioning off some of his instruments. His favorite guitar for 15 years fetched $959,500, easily eclipsing the record set by the sale of another guitar by Clapton five years ago. The Fender Stratocaster (chronology), nicknamed "Blackie", was one of 88 guitars and other items Clapton and other musicians donated to raise money for a drug rehab center. At the 1999 auction, an anonymous bidder paid what was then a record $497,500 for "Brownie", a 1956 Fender Stratocaster that Clapton used on the Derek and the Dominos hit "Layla" (lyrics, guitar tablature). - The reason for this piece of news? I just loved to find the links for all this stuff which means a lot to me: Clapton, blues and electric guitars.

For Leslie

Here is the Adidas commercial with the handsome soccer stars you were looking for. And here is a website with a whole lot more soccer commercials. Duuh..

Sensation: Greece wins

Inbelievable! Greece defeats France 1:0! The outsider team of coach Otto Rehhagel was very strong, but the performance of Zinedine Zidane and his buddies was just not convincing enough. This outcome is the biggest shock in the tournament so far! Greece will reach the semi-finals where they will meet the Czech Republic or Denmark.

Greece leads against France - so far

Euro 2004 Update: Darnet! I still don't understand which the American TV stations don't cover the games of the European championship live! I wish I could watch the quarterfinal game France-Greece. (Our satellite TV provider DirecTV charges 20 bucks per game - and I wanna save the money, because the best is yet to come..). So I LISTEN to live radio coverage of BBC Sport. And o shock! The player Charisteas scores for Greece (the underdog and biggest surprise in this tournament) in the 66. minute and leads 1:0 against France! Until now the French team - the European champion - has been unbeaten for 21 games in a row! To be continued....

Kerry meetup gatherings rock!

What a blast that was! As mentioned we went to the Restaurant Tangier in Los Feliz last night to join the Kerry supporters at their monthly Meetup gathering. Approximately 25 people showed up, listened to the explanations of the coordinators of the Southern Californian grassroots movement for Kerry and discussed very vividly what we all can do locally to make sure that Bush will be sent back home to Texas in November. Then some of the volonteer presented their planned events for raising awareness and money for the Kerry campaign. I was impressed how creative, humourous and determined all these supporters are. Some example of these events coming up in the Los Angeles area: "Yoga for Kerry", a "Kerry-oke" contest, a "$10000 Bakesale", a "Recycle Bush" glass & aluminium recycling event, a "Kerry Cocktail Hour Mixer" and a "Run/Walk Against Bush". What a great experience to be part of a political movement! How energizing! We met some people with which we will host a John Kerry House Party together. And we will support the Kerry grassroots movement in our neighbourhood in Highland Park with its public events. Join us! For more information check out the John Kerry website, events in California and in your neck of the woods.

Cheney: Go f*** yourself

Vice President Cheney definitely seems to lose control. During yesterday's Senate class photo shoot Cheney reportedly cursed one senior Democrat over criticism. According to congressional aides, Cheney, who as president of the Senate was present for the picture day, turned to Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and scolded him over his recent criticism of the vice president for Halliburton's alleged war profiteering by saying: "Go fuck yourself". Cheney was CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. He resigned when he became George Bush's running mate. A spokesman for Cheney confirmed there was a "frank exchange of views." Eat your words, Dick. In 2000 when the Bush administration took office Cheney announced that "Governor Bush and I are absolutely determined that we will restore a tone of civility and decency in Washington."

Meetup gathering for Kerry

Tonight we are going to the Meetup gathering of the Kerry supporters in Hollywood. Exciting! We want to become more involved in political activities and make sure that the desperately needed change in the White House is really going to happen in November. That's why we also wanna throw a house party next month in order to raise money for Kerry's presidential campaign (California section). More to come...
For starters: Meetup (more information) is an internet platform and global network of local venues that helps people self-organize local group gatherings with a common interest on the same day everywhere. Meetups take place in up to 651 cities in 61 countries wordwide at local cafés, restaurants, bookstores, and other local establishments.

Chauffeur service for party people

Swiss people like to hang out at their favorite restaurant forever, get stoned with a couple of warm beers or some bottles of overpriced Swiss-French wine - and then still have the urge to drive their cars. That' why the idea of a chauffeur service for alcool lovers was born in the land of cheese and chocolate. Now the party people of Los Angeles can rely on the same service. A company called Home James USA provides a stylish chauffeur for everybody who doesn't feel capable of driving his oversized SUV or Mercedes coupe anymore. The chauffeur shows up on a specially designed Italian collapsible motorbike, places it in the trunk of the client's car - and gives him/her a ride home. Usually the membership fee is $100. But right now the company advertises a promotional offer with a free chauffeur service for one year. A desperate move due to the lack of tipsy party people in L.A.? Dream on and have another drink...

Barbra and Neil sing for Kerry

Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond will sing together for the first time in 24 years today, bringing big bucks to John Kerry's presidential campaign. The concerts in L.A. and New York on July 8 are expected to raise about $10 million.

England out

Euro 2004 Update: England's dreams of glory ended in heartbreak after more than two hours of gut-wrenching drama (regular game: 2:2) ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Portugal (5:6).

Coffee at the Casbah

What a great way to start the day! This morning we had a coffee and a croissant at the Casbah, the great hang-out on Sunset Boulevard (live camera ). The cafe is also a funky store which sells Turkish linens, curtains, sari clothes, baby clothes and slippers.

Clinton: success on the first day

Clinton's memoir "My Life" has sold 400,000 copies on first day.

Hollywood gossip

A new website offers daily Hollywood gossip. But the gossip section of the N.Y. Post and the San Francisco Chronicle is still better. More gossip and resources.

The Boss against Bush

A New York concert promoter has mounted an online campaign to "draft" Bruce Springsteen to headline a rock 'n' roll show to upstage the Republican National Convention on the night it nominates President Bush to run for another term.

The heat is on with the quarterfinalists

Euro 2004 Update: Holy sh***! What an exciting championship! My favorite teams reached the quarterfinals! The Netherlands kicked ass and defeated Latvia 3:0 (video highlights). Germany failed to beat the Czech Republic and so join Spain and Italy as the latest big name team to crash out of the tournament. I can't wait for the quarterfinals: England vs. Portugal, France vs. Greece, Sweden vs. Holland and Czech Republic vs Denmark (predictions of the final scores). BBC Sports offers a great service: All the goals and incidents of the tournament in 3D with "Virtual replay" (Shockwave required). Plus:Vote for the Player of the Tournament and for Miss Euro 2004.

Guns N' Roses breakup: Axl's fault

We kind of knew it already. American rocker Slash has apologized to Guns N' Roses fans around the world for letting them down - and blames Axl Rose for the band's demise.

War not worth fighting

A new public-opinion poll shows President Bush is losing support for his handling of the fight against terrorism and the decision to invade Iraq. For the first time, more than half of those surveyed in the monthly Washington Post/ABC News poll say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting. The poll shows 70 percent of Americans believe U.S. casualties in Iraq have reached an unacceptable level.

Campaign fundraising: records, records

George W. Bush has set an all-time presidential record with at least $218 million raised and $152 million spent. Kerry now holds the Democratic presidential record in both areas, raising more than $148 million and spending around $121 million, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Prosecution and impeachment of Bush

The National Lawyers Guild calls for the prosecution of President George W. Bush with a "command responsibility" theory of liability under the War Crimes Act. Bush can be prosecuted under the War Crimes Act or the Torture Statute, if he knew or should have known about the U.S. military's use of torture and failed to stop or prevent it.
Francis Boyle, Professor at the University of Illinois, has already launched a nonpartisan national campaign last year to impeach President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Attorney General Ashcroft and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld (draft of impeachment). Ramsey Clark, the former Attorney General of the United States, runs another campaign to impeach members of the Bush Administration.

Bush is inspiring, part II

Not only filmmakers, but also book authors feel highly inspired by the current administration. Alone in the first half of 2004, major commercial publishers published over 25 books critical of Bush. For the second half of the year lovers of political books can expect an even bigger barrage of newly released titles. Highly recommended: "The Lies of George W. Bush" by David Corn.

Great sites for bookworms..

...and everybody else who wants to keep the brainwaves alive. My favorite: Arts & Letter Daily, a fantastic site with tons of newspaper articles, book reviews, essays and links. And Booktalk, a great site with all the buzz about books. And a great news site for aficionados of suspense books and thrillers.

Babystyle goes galaxy, indirectly

History was made today when the first privately built manned spacecraft left the Earth's atmosphere. SpaceShipOne, built by US aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, is mainly financed by by Microsoft Co-Founder and billionaire Paul Allen who also is one of the main investors of Babystyle.com (a.k.a. EStyle.com), the leading maternity/baby lifestyle brand (where my sweetheart Leslie works).
Allen has pumped more than $20 million into development of the rocket and the mother aircraft that carried it aloft. The amount is a far cry from the billions that the U.S. has spent on space vehicles. But he is not a new arrival when it comes to innovation, technology, space exploration – and spending his cash. Allen served as Microsoft's executive vice president of research and new product development, the company's senior technology post, until 1983. Today, he owns and invests in a suite of companies - a total of $28 billion in assets - with a portfolio focus on digital communications, new media, biotechnology, and entertainment. The investments include - besides Babystyle.com - the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trailblazers, Charter Communications, CNET, Drugstore.com, Fatbrain.com, Liquid Audio, Oxygen Media, Stamps.com, TechTV, TiVo and Ziff Davis.

Exagerated danger

A New York Times report on Guantanamo finds that "U.S. government and military officials have repeatedly exaggerated both the danger the detainees posed and the intelligence they have provided".

The truth in Iraq

We finally watch the DVD of Robert Greenwald's documentary "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About The Iraq War" (trailer). What a great and chilling documentary about how the truth became the first American casualty in Iraq. Impressing statements of Washington insiders and members of the American intelligence who expose the Bush administration lies that deceived the nation. Should be show in every class-room in the USA...

Latest trend: Cuddle parties

Cuddle Party is the latest new age quasi therapy. For $30 a head, self-proclaimed romance coach Reid Milhalko hosts gatherings where paying customer can kiss, nuzzle or spoon the stranger sitting next to them. Just be sure to follow the rules: no sex (rule #2) and no dry humping (rule #7). The founder intend to provide "a save space for women and men to further empower their sense of self-expression, sexuality, relationship, and play" according to the Cuddle Party mission statement. Mihalko has already hosted 15 gatherings in New York and intends to expand them nationwide. A Cuddle Party book and DVD is in the works. "We are really hitting that humanity chord"' says Mihalko, "as much as people make fun of us, they also realize that there is a need to have human contact and that people are very touch-deprived."

U.S. "failed to get it right" in Iraq

The Washington Post writes: The American occupation of Iraq is formally ending this month having failed to fulfill many of its goals and stated promises intended to transform the country into a stable democracy, according to a detailed examination drawing upon interviews with senior U.S. and Iraqi officials and internal documents of the occupation authority. The ambitious, 15-month undertaking stumbled because of a series of mistakes that began with an inadequate commitment of resources and deepened with a misunderstanding of how politics, religion and society would evolve in occupied Iraq, these participants said. "We blatantly failed to get it right," said Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution who served as an adviser to the occupation authority. "When you look at the record, it's impossible to escape the conclusion that we squandered an unprecedented opportunity."

Spit with Totti

Euro 2004 Update: As if his three-match ban for spitting wasn’t punishment enough, Francesco Totti must now put up with a rash of jokes at his expense. Barely 24 hours after Uefa found the Italian playmaker guilty of “gross unsporting conduct”, a website has launched a game “Spit with Totti”. His thick Roman accent and reputed lack of intelligence last year inspired a book — All The Jokes About Totti. His latest exploits have already prompted calls for an updated version to include all the jokes inspired by Euro 2004 — “Hey, Frankie, where’s Sweden?” a teammate asks Totti. “Within spitting distance of Denmark,” comes the answer.