Ledger's Death Ruled Accidental

In case you were waiting for the results, like I was, UPI has released a statement.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Heath Ledger's death has been ruled an accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications, the New York City Medical Examiner's office said.

The cause of the Australian actor's Jan. 22 death in Manhattan was announced Wednesday.

An initial autopsy conducted shortly after Ledger died proved inconclusive and the medical examiner waited for the results of toxicology tests before determining the cause of death.

A statement released by the office said Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine.

"We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications," the statement said.

Yes. We. Can. Obama '08

California went to Hillary.

Ohio will matter.

This morning I wrote down all the reasons I won't support Hillary as the party nominee. Honestly, if it's Hillary versus McCain, I might end up voting Republican again. Here are my reasons for why I don't think Hillary is a worthy first female president (in no particular order).

1. When Bill publicly humiliated his wife with the most public affair (infidelity) on the most public stage with the most public and despicable of lies, Hillary set women back twenty years by forgiving him.

2. I take that back. She didn't forgive him. She "excused" him. She quickly accepted his terms for how to be married to Bill and moved on. Is that the example I want for my life, for my daughter's?

3. She didn't excuse him because they had some therapeutic, miraculous internal transformation in their marriage. She excused him for the basest of all reasons: naked ambition. Hillary's future as a potential candidate for president hinged on her staying near to the power that Bill offered her. She didn't (doesn't) trust herself to lead. She pretends to.

4. Hillary has been about maneuvering herself in such a way that she can claim the office of president using Bill's record as her own. Sure she's been a senator. How did she get there? Hillary brings to the table her years of sitting up late at night chatting with Bill about his day; that's essentially what it means to say that she's already been in the White House. She sees herself as having gained experience through Bill. In other words, she is running partly on his record.

5. Is that the idea of "first woman president" that I have always had? That the wife of the former president can scoot into position because her husband paved the way, made it easier for her somehow, abused their marriage and then does penance by supporting her White House ambition? For me, it's despicable.

6. What of her senate seat? Certainly it's real. Yet look at how much of it has been constructed to get her to this day - running for president. She wants to be perceived as the candidate in the middle... so who knows what she really believes?

In fact, that sums up my whole feeling about Hillary. I don't believe her.

I want a woman president who got there because she earned her way, she had the guts to stand for her dignity when humiliated and doesn't depend on her husband as a co-president for her credentials in office.

A woman running for president should "get there" without depending on a husband, without compromising what it means to be a strong individual. With Hillary, I get neither. She strikes me as ambivalent.

I'll be very disappointed if she gets the nomination. I don't think she can win. There are too many of us who have traditionally voted Republican who can't get over her. If the party doesn't realize that Obama drew us in and Hillary repels us, I think they are making a big mistake. McCain (though he drives me crazy) is a reasonable alternative for swing voters. I don't know if Hillary can beat him. I believe Obama can.

Introducing: Nicole Rae Studio

One of my longterm, dear cyber friends has just opened her online art and photography store. Her work is extraordinary. She sees color and line in Los Angeles that the rest of the stressed commuters miss. Somehow, she turns that jungle into soothing and surprising glimpses of shape, color and natural beauty. I know you'll love her work.

Please visit! And if you like what you see, purchase something for yourself or a loved one. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. (She hasn't asked me to do this. I just couldn't hold back because I love her work *that* much.)

Super Tuesday: Get to the polls!

Wish I were a voter in California tomorrow. After decades of irrelevance, the great Bear State has a chance to cast votes that matter, votes that say we can make a difference.

Obama raised $35 million in January from supporters like me and you. He's got the grassroots momentum. Don't stay home. If you're in one of the primaries tomorrow, get out and.... Vote!



Yes, We Can: this video was created by Obama supporters. Beautifully made.

Are you kidding me? Eli does it?

What a win! What a come back!

More analysis later. I'm speechless. A game that drew yawns for the first 40 minutes became one for the ages in the last minutes.

Update: Two things. Tiki Barber must be crying in his cereal this morning. Second: The Manning family is ridiculous. Can you imagine being Archie? Good for them.

Tom Petty! SuperBowl Halftime

Opens halftime with my personal anthem: "American Girl." I used to drive my dad's Datsun 240Z (sea breeze green) over the 405 with this song blaring from my speakers, knowing it was just for me. Tom Petty was one of my college faves. He wrote about Ventura Boulevard and Century City... my world.

So far so good.

Succumbing to a Meme

Because James asked so nicely.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
Find Page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.

Let's post the quote first and then you can all guess what book it comes from and what on earth the conversation is about. I'm tickled that the book nearest to me was not a crusty graduate school tome.

"Oh, didn't it hurt the poor tree?" Laura asked.

"No more than it hurts you when you prick your finger and it bleeds," said Pa.

And because these memes depend on dragging in other reluctant bloggers, I tag new blogger Greg, Scrabulicious pal Dali, K-Bob, Chuck, a U2 fan, and Schteef, my Bruin buddy.

I resisted tagging those of you who've been subjected to my mimetic coercions before. You can thank me later.

Frozen Grand Central Station

I'm not a big YouTube junkie (I get antsy waiting for videos to end so I can click and go somewhere else). Yet this little clip of Frozen Art stopped me cold. Made me wish to be a part of something like it. Awesome.

HT: Left of the Dial

Jerry Yang: Don't do it! I heart Yahoo!

TECHNOLOGY
Eyes on Google, Microsoft Bids $44 Billion for Yahoo
By MIGUEL HELFT and ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
Published: February 2, 2008
If consummated, the deal would instantly redraw the competitive landscape on the Internet and escalate the battle between Microsoft and Google.

Mr. Ballmer met several times in late 2006 and early 2007 with Terry S. Semel, then Yahoo’s chief executive, people involved in the talks said. After a series of secret meetings between the sides in hotels around California and elsewhere, Yahoo’s board decided against progressing with the talks, betting that its stock would turn around, these people said. Mr. Yang, in particular, was adamantly against selling the company, they said.

Mr. Ballmer constantly consulted with Bill Gates, Microsoft’s chairman. Then this week teams of bankers and lawyers holed up in two low-slung podlike buildings on Microsoft’s campus plotted how much to bid. After Yahoo reported weaker-than-expected earnings on Tuesday and its stock fell, Microsoft, which had been considering a bid in the mid-$30 range, settled on $31 a share. “A year has gone by, and the competitive situation has not improved,” Mr. Ballmer wrote in Thursday’s letter to the Yahoo board. Yahoo said Friday that its board would evaluate Microsoft’s bid “carefully and promptly in the context of Yahoo’s strategic plans.”

I have to admit. I don't trust Microsoft. I'm rooting for yahoo.

Fox Should Fire John Gibson

I've posted another article at UPI. After a week since Gibson's insulting remarks the day after Ledger's death, silence from the Fox executives. I have to ask, why?