Final Countdown: Keith Olbermann And MSNBC Announce They Are Parting Ways

 

Keith Olbermann and MSNBC abruptly announced tonight that "Countdown" has ended, effective immediately.

Olbermann broke the news during his show's final sign-off, saying he was told only today that "this is going to be the last edition of your show." (Full video below.) MSNBC issued a statement with the news following tonight's episode.

The bizarre timing of the announcement has raised a number of speculations, from Olbermann's suspension last November to the departure of NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker in light of the network'srecent acquisition by Comcast.

NBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines said the Comcast merger had nothing to do with the decision.

Within minutes of the announcement, MSNBC unveiled their restructured evening lineup. Lawrence O'Donnell, host of "The Last Word," will move to 8 P.M., while "The Ed Show" with Ed Schultz will air at 10 P.M. Rachel Maddow's program will remain in its original 9 P.M. slot.

A source close to MSNBC management said network executives have grown increasingly impressed by O'Donnell and feel he has "grown into the job nicely." According to the source, Schultz will play well with both the late night and west coast audiences.

"The debut of the new lineup will be the State of the Union, with Lawrence now the central player," the source said.

Another source close to the network's management said that O'Donnell's background in both politics and entertainment helps him. "O'Donell is a liberal Democrat, but he is an inside player -- a player -- by nature, having worked on the Hill for Pat Moynihan and in Hollywood."

Others believe "Hardball" host Chris Matthews will benefit from the shakeup. "One of the other winners in this is Chris Matthews," a source close to MSNBC management said. "He's been steady and uncomplaining. His numbers are better and he has a natural Philly connection to Comcast."

MSNBC's statement on Olbermann reads as follows:

MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.

In his final goodbye, Olbermann made a point to thank his audience for supporting him when he felt he could not continue the show:

There were many occasions, particularly in the last two-and-a-half years, where all that surrounded the show--but never the show itself--was just too much for me. But your support and loyalty and, if I may use the word, insistence, ultimately required me to keep going. My gratitude to you is boundless and if you think I've done any good here, imagine how it looked from this end...this may be the only television program wherein the host was much more in awe of the audience than vice versa.

Carly Schwartz

carly@huffingtonpost.com | HuffPost Reporting

'You have to make music for morons to be successful'

WITH support from A-list celebs and well over three quarters of a million hits on You Tube in five weeks, Plymouth singer/songwriter/filmmaker Cosmo Jarvis's latest video Gay Pirates is at last starting to attract him the attention he deserves.

The video – a low-budget but hugely entertaining humorous, yet moving, accompaniment to the catchy shanty/style pop single of the same name, due out on Monday – has been lauded by all and sundry, having been first picked up and tweeted by Steven Fry who stated:

"I'd love it even if it weren't about pirates."

Graham Norton is a fan, so too is Brian Eno, who hails Cosmo "A one in a million artist", while Paul Gambaccini commented: "The theme is inspirational, if I still had a Radio 1 Record of the Week, this would be it!"

The theme is indeed different to say the least but, as usual, Cosmo's idea and lyrics pack a powerful punch. It's the story of a doomed love affair between two pirates who end up walking the plank rather then denying their feelings.

"I wanted to do something that gives the subject of homosexuality grounding in history," explains Cosmo. "I chose pirates because you think of them as being totally macho and resilient, capable of survival against the odds.

"But, of course, in those days gay love wouldn't stand a chance.

"It's also to do with the fact that people of my social bracket don't consider the 'love' element being the same as in a heterosexual relationship – the fact is that these guys are genuinely in love and they realise that death is the only way they can be together.

"However, it's written as a folky up-tempo pop song with a 'yo ho' chorus that people will find fun and catchy even if they don't listen to the lyrics."

The single has been play-listed on BBC6 Music, XFM, Q Radio, NME TV to name but a few, but despite all the positive feedback, it seems this probably won't be the single which breaks Cosmo through to Radio One listeners:

"I was hoping this would be the one that gets on board," says Cosmo, "but I've been told now that this has been good for whetting appetites, but it will be one of the next two singles that will do it. So I'm now busting a gut making videos to go with them.

"The trouble is they are so very different from Gay Pirates that people won't associate them with me: they're more rocky, less story and more commentary based.

"Jesus is about how people can sort you out better than if you rely on a religious figure, and My Day is me, aged 89 looking back at life 'in my day'. It's about every aspect of now, asking what's wrong with this generation where no one is prepared to take the initiative."

Cosmo accepts that it's partly his unwillingness to stick to one style of writing that makes him difficult to market.

"You have to make music for morons if you wanna be successful," he says.

His previous album, the brilliant Humasyouhitch Sonofabitch was a collection of 22 songs gathered on two discs, one relatively poppy and carefree, and the other incredibly heavy and dark, reflecting two very different sides to Cosmo's complex character.

"I wanted this next album to be 22 tracks as well, but I've been told I can only have 11. I've got it down to about 14 and we're bickering over which to leave out the running order.

"Apart from that, the cover artwork is done and it's all ready to go."

The album is as much a DIY production as the last, although Cosmo says this one is better produced.

"It's my album so I want it to be all my work. We did record some live drums at PMC, but apart from that it's all written, recorded, mixed and produced by me.

"So often it's the producer who seems to do most of the work."

Cosmo has left the label he was with previously.

"They did nothing to promote the last album, so what was the point? I'm back with 25th Frame, my manager's label that I started with."

Cosmo will be returning to Europe next month with shows in Germany and Holland where is has built up quite a sizeable following, though he's not quite so sure about a return trip to SXSW, the annual industry showcase that takes place in Texas, after last year.

"It's an awesome festival, but it was a complete waste of time for me. It was great to be there, but it cost thousands to get me and my band out there. For a start we rented gear and the amps blew up and then there were about two people in the audience. Not sure whether I'm doing it again this year but if I do I think it will just be me and my guitar."

Meanwhile, as well as promoting the singles he's hard at work on his first full length feature film, The Naughty Room.

"No it's not a porn film," he says, "That's the first question everyone asks! It's about the responsibility of parents. I'm just at the point of arranging a car crash that is a very important element of the film.

"I have a film promoter who is keen to get on board to get it to various film festivals, though I'm not sure it's going to be ready in time."

You can check out Cosmo's films at www.youtube.com/cosmojarvis and his music atwww.myspace.com/cosmojarvis

thisisplymouth.co.uk

Repost adamfoxie*International

Dog owner who gloated about fatal mauling on Facebook is jailed

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A violent thug has been jailed after he unleashed his American pitbull dog on a man who died six days later.

John Palmer, 26, later gloated on Facebook and pictured himself laughing at a newspaper report of the attack.

He laid into Simon Whittall, 39, after an argument, and allowed his dog to bite him on the arms, legs, torso and groin in a prolonged attack near the town centre in Warrington, Cheshire.

Fatal attack: John Palmer, 26, posted a picture of himself laughing while holding up a copy of the Warrington Guardian front page which highlighted his crimes

Palmer also repeatedly hit him with a metal dog chain and stamped on his head, Liverpool Crown Court heard this week.

The attack only ended when two women shouted for the defendant to stop.
Mr Whitall died on September 9, six days later, after suffering a bleed to his brain.

But Judge John Roberts said medical evidence did not prove that Palmer's attack had caused his death.

Palmer pleaded guilty to all charges last October. He has now been sentenced to three and a half years for GBH, 11 months for ABH and 14 months for owning a dangerous dog which was out of control in a public place.

The sentences will run concurrently and he will be eligible for release in 18 months.

The court heard that Palmer had become involved in an argument with Mr Whittall and another man, Stephen Littlewood that suddenly became violent.

The court was told how witnesses saw the defendant release the bulldog 'Dougie' which attacked Mr Littlewood, biting him.

He managed to escape without serious injury, but the dog attacked Mr Whittall, of no fixed address, who collapsed three days later.

Meirion Lewis-Jones, prosecuting, said: 'He was subjected to a long and vicious attack and Mr Whittall was not in a position to defend himself.' 

The defendant boasted on Facebook and posted a picture of himself laughing as he displayed a front page report of the attack in the Warrington Guardian newspaper.

He pleaded guilty to one count of greivous bodily harm, two counts of assault and of owning the dog, which was out of control.

While on bail for the attack he was seen by police with another bulldog in the town centre, the court heard.

Attacked: Simon Whittall, 39, died six days after the attack during which he was bitten by the American pitbull on the arms, legs, torso and groin

He told officers to stay away from the animal because it had been trained to attack policemen.

Palmer also has a previous conviction for assault, after another town centre incident during which he spat in another man's face.

He has other previous convictions for affray, criminal damage and cultivating and possessing cannabis.

The dog was given a contingent destruction order, meaning it will be destroyed if it attacks again.

It must remain muzzled in public places and Palmer was also banned from keeping dogs.

Judge Roberts said: 'You deliberately let your dog off the lead. Anyone who has seen the photographs can only feel horror at the extent of these injuries. However, the dog is not a danger to public safety.'

Palmer, known as JJ Palmer, wrote on his Facebook page that he pleaded guilty to something he did not do because he would face a longer sentence if convicted after a trial.  

He said: 'Ye I had a tear in my eye coz I wnt guilty and there's a chance my dog will get put dwn (sic) so ye I had a tear in my eye my dog was my life an if i had done the trail and lost i could of (sic) got 7yrs. Sum people say I got away with murder (sic).'  

He posted a picture of himself over the weekend laughing while holding a copy of the Warrington Guardian front page which highlighted his crimes.  

He joked that the attack had been in two newspapers and asked friends if they had seen it in a third paper so it would be a 'hat trick'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

The extradition hearing of the closeted gay UK millionaire businessman who is accused of Murder Postpone

Shrien Dewani

The extradition hearing of the allegedly closeted gay UK millionaire businessman accused of paying for his bride to be killed on their South African honeymoon has been postponed.

At a hearing in London the court has heard from a psychiatrist that Shrien Dewani, 31, is suffering from “acute stress disorder” and “oppressive adjustment disorder.” He is living under curfew at his family’s Bristol home with family members saying he is looking physically ill and has lost weight. He is understood to be on suicide watch.

Dewani is wanted in South Africa to face charges of murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravated circumstances and obstructing the course of justice. Court commentators are speculating that his ill-health is being highlighted as part of a strategy to ensure he gets bail if he is extradited to face the charges.

Meanwhile, the Sun newspaper says its investigations have revealed that the two men allegedly hired by Dewani to kill his wife, whom he is said to have married under intense pressure from his family, were not the hardened hitmen he believed but in fact a couple of bungling amateurs whose indiscretions before and after the shooting have helped build a case against Dewani.

The extradition hearing is set down to reconvene on February 8th.


Posted in: International Daily News 
Repost adamfoxie*International

Outsports nominated for GLAAD Award

by Cyd Zeigler jr..

We were thrilled to hearthat Outsports has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for the second year in a row. Jim’s piece last winter that introduced Hudson Taylor to the world was nominated for best Digitial Journalism article along with four other articles.

Other sports pieces nominated include two documentary films (Prodigal Sons and Out. The Glenn Burke Story), an article on ESPN.com, an episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel about transgender sportswriters and an article by LZ Granderson about Johnny Weir’s sexual orientation.

We were very proud of the work we did in 2010 and also submitted three pieces that were not nominated: our video coverage of the Gay Games in Cologne, our groundbreaking article on Kye Allums and former college lacrosse captain Andrew McIntosh’s first-person account of coming out.

GAO: Gay ban cost military $53,000 per dismissal

COURTESY OF THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

— Enforcing the controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law cost the Defense Department nearly $200 million in administrative, recruiting and retraining costs over six years, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The figure includes roughly $53,000 for each of the 3,664 gay servicemembers dismissed from fiscal 2004 through fiscal 2009.

According to the report, the majority of the expense came from recruiting replacements and retraining the new troops. More than a third of the discharged troops held “skills in critical occupations.” That included 23 language experts, whose training included years of language proficiency work prior to their dismissal.

But GAO researchers also estimated that the ban on openly gay troops also cost almost $8 million in administrative expenses. That includes legal work, commanders’ inquiries, pastoral counseling of servicemembers, and processing of separation paperwork.

In a response to the report, military officials disputed the figures, particularly those connected to recruiting totals. The dismissed troops represented only a small fraction (less than 1 percent) of the services’ recruiting goals for those years, so defense officials argue that no new real cost was incurred in finding replacements.

In 2005, the GAO released a similar report pegging the cost of enforcing the law from 1994 to 2004 at only about $100 million. But researchers said the earlier figures did not include administrative costs, certain training expenses, and many enlistment bonuses put in place 2003.

Gay rights groups have pegged the costs of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy at more than half a billion dollars over the law’s 17-year history, but conservative opponents and defense researchers have disputed those figures on similar grounds. More than 14,000 gay troops have been dismissed under the law since it was passed in 1993.

The law was effectively repealed by Congress last month, although the ban won’t formally be lifted until defense officials finalize new rules and regulations for gays serving openly until later this year. Pentagon officials have not released a timetable for that.

shanel@stripes.osd.mil

By LEO SHANE III

Stars and Stripes