San Mateo Sheriff Massages the Truth

San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks got caught in the police raid of an illegal bordello in Las Vegas over the weekend. He admits he was there, but says it was only for a back rub. He also claims he thought the place was operating legally. Munks and San Mateo Under Sheriff Carlos Bolanos were detained and questioned Saturday night by Las Vegas police in Operation Dollhouse, a raid on more than a handful of sex houses located about two miles west of the Las Vegas strip, according to Las Vegas Police Department Officer Bill Cassell. The two men were not arrested or charged in the raid, Cassell said. In fact, not one of the brothel’s alleged customers was detained or charged. The target of the raid was hookers and johns, and they caught a total of 31 of them. The FBI, who directed the operation, also announced the seizure of $35,000 in cash and approximately 3,500 Ecstasy tablets. Munks, who was sworn in as San Mateo’s sheriff last January after an uncontested election in November and was widely supported by local politicians, makes $188,500 a year. After the incident, Munks said that he and Bolanos did not break any laws and cooperated with Las Vegas police. Munks was in town participating in a law enforcement relay run from Baker to Las Vegas over the weekend and was looking for a massage because he was sore from running, Bolanos told a CBS reporter in Las Vegas after the bust. The raid took place at eight houses and apartments, Cassell said. None of the places advertised massages, he said. Munks is married and has four children. Just like Ricky Ricardo told his wife Lucy in the show, “I Love Lucy,” it looks like Munks “has some ‘splaining to do.” I can hear him now: “But, honey it was just a back rub!” Yeah, right. If this man was, for instance, an insurance salesman or a plumber in from out of town, I might be able to somehow believe that he didn’t know he was entering an illegal house of prostitution, and was actually under the impression that he was going there for a legitimate massage. But a sheriff? Come on! Even Barney Fife would have known that he was entering a whore house. These officers were letting loose, hitting a little strange while out on the town, letting go while the wifey and kids were back home and would never found out. To say he thought he was just looking for a back rub is so preposterous it’s laughable. Munks got caught with all whole lot more than his hand in the cookie jar and now he’s trying to slither his way out of what must be a very embarrassing situation. Having a wild time with the boys is not a sin and back in my single days I have to admit that I did things a whole lot worse. I’m not proud of it, but it happened. But please, Sheriff Munks -- don’t try to con us, sir, because it makes you look sillier than Quick Draw McGraw!

Oden Goes for the Pros

Greg Oden is through with school. He’s fleeing Ohio State University for greener pastures at the professional level. The 7-foot freshman said yesterday he will leave Ohio State after leading the Buckeyes to the national championship game and enter the NBA draft, where he figures to be one of the top two picks along with Texas freshman forward Kevin Durant.
And how can you blame him? The kind of money Oden will be making next season in the NBA will be unprecedented for a rookie. He played like a man among boys this season and looks like a seasoned NBA all-star already. For him to stay in college would have been a waste of talent, quite honestly.
Some of the people associated with Ohio State’s basketball program have made disparaging remarks about Oden leaving the school. I think that’s ridiculous. I can’t believe that anyone else in the world with half a brain would pass up the treasures and rewards that await Oden on the pro level.
Ohio State was a good training ground for Oden. The Buckeyes have a first-class program, with the best accommodations, facilities and hoochies (see photo) in the NCAA. But, the NBA is like heaven compared to college. Oden can now look forward to first-class flights and hotels, awesome food and drink, huge arenas every other night and best of all, better-looking, not to mention freakier, groupies!
Freshman teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook also said they will make themselves available for the draft. Unlike Oden, they have opted not to hire an agent for now--meaning they will retain the option of returning to school in the fall.
"This is a very tough decision for me," Oden said in a statement released by Ohio State. "I love OSU and love being a Buckeye, but I also have a great opportunity to take my game to the next level and compete with the best players in the world. I've discussed this with family, friends and coach [Thad] Matta, and I feel the time is right."
None of the players was available for comment. Conley is expected to be an honorary head coach for today's Scarlet vs. Gray spring football game. Oden is out of town to attend his aunt's wedding.
At a news conference yesterday afternoon, Matta said the departure of the three players, though expected, would leave a hole in the program. Matta said he was proud of their accomplishments and hoped that the success of players such as Oden, coupled with the team's trip to the national championship game, will lure talented recruits.
"Honestly, it's been kind of a goal of mine to have a player selected as high as Greg is going to be," Matta said. "This is a situation where we've got to handle it and continue to build."
All three players were key figures this past season for the Buckeyes, who went 35-4 to set a mark for victories and won the Big Ten's regular-season and tournament titles before advancing to their first national championship game since 1962, where they lost to two-time champion Florida 84-75 this month.
After getting a late start at Ohio State because of a wrist injury, Oden, 19, lived up to his billing as a two-time national high school player of the year, leading the Buckeyes in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (9.6) per game and topping the Big Ten in shooting percentage (.616).
His best game may have been his last one, when he scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds while dominating the inside against Al Horford and Joakim Noah of Florida.
Oden had surgery on his right (shooting) wrist to reattach ligaments last June 16. He worked out with the team while wearing a cast that eventually became an elastic brace. After missing the first seven games, he came in and--despite shooting free throws and most of his other shots left-handed--had an immediate impact.

Bay Area Sports is Sick Right Now!

There’s a sickness in the Bay Area right now and it’s called playoff fever. The only remedy for it is elimination, something that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen any time soon. Both the San Jose Sharks and the Golden State Warriors are in the postseason and are looking good.

The Sharks start a second round series against the Detroit Red Wings, a team they’ve won three of four games from this year. The Warriors are in the playoffs for the first time in well over a decade, and are probably the hottest team in the entire NBA right now.

The Sharks are skating well, playing like a complete squad and focused on getting to the Stanley Cup Finals. With a great mix of veterans, rookies and role players, the Teal Team looks poised and ready to roll.

Team leader Joe Thornton had six assists in the first-round series against the Nashville Predators, and the team has benefited greatly by adding players like Bill Guerin and Craig Rivet late in the season. Team Captain Patrick Marleau is a scoring machine and a clutch playoff performer.

When the big fish start their series against the Red Wings tomorrow night, they’ll have to be very conscious of the fact that Detroit finished only six points ahead of them during the regular season. In the past, the Sharks might have had a reason to be intimidated by a perennial powerhouse like the Red Wings. Not this time. San Jose can beat this team and they know it.

Thirty miles to the North, the Golden State Warriors have made an amazing turnaround and are the talk of both the Bay and the NBA. Sage Coach Don Nelson, the cagey old codger with more basketball experience than the late Red Auerbach, is leading this team to the promised playoff land playing super smart “small ball.”

Tonight’s Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks should be a real test for both teams, because the Mavs now realize that they’re entering a knockdown drag out series that should go the distance.

Point Guard Baron Davis is leading this team and if the Warriors hope to get to the next round, other players will have to contribute, especially if Dallas MVP front-runner Dirk Nowitzki starts playing at his usually high level. Jason Richardson, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington and Mickael Pietrus all have the ability to step it up. If they do, Dallas is in big trouble. This could be one of the greatest Cinderella stories in the history of sports. It could also be a short, sad story. We’ll know a lot more after tonight.

With both teams in it to win it, the playoffs are the talk of the sports scene here in the Bay Area. It’s the very best professional hockey and basketball has to offer. If both the Sharks and Warriors get further into the postseason, you can be certain that the electricity in this area will be sizzling. On top of it all, the SF Giants are on a winning streak and the Oakland A’s are in first place. Maybe there’s even hope for the 49ers and/or Raiders to get considerably better by adding some young talent to their rosters during this weekend’s NFL Draft. There are a lot of positive things going on around here and if you’re into Bay Area sports at all – it’s a damn good time to be a fan.

Bulldogs are Beautiful Too!

You blew it, Jazzy: Jasmine had hoped her chic Doggles would carry her to victory in the Most Beautiful Bulldog Contest at the 28th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. But if there's something the judges can't abide, it's drool bubbles.

I'm Voting for Boating

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to get out and start boating again. I love boating. In fact, there’s a friend of mine who has the nickname “Boater.” And I have always been secretly bummed because I thought I should have that nickname. There’s a great web site called http://www.boatersworld.com/ that has everything you’ll ever need to submerse yourself in the boating world. They carry all of the great name brands in boating, like Furuno, Garmin, Humminbird, Icom, Lowrance, Okuma, Penn, Raymarine, Shakespeare and Uniden. They have all kinds of fishing stuff, like rods and reels; they have global positioning systems; fishfinders and depth sounders; recreational watercraft and so much more.

Marisa Churchill: San Francisco's Top Chef

It’s amazing who you can meet at the grocery store. My fiancée and I were at the Marina Safeway in San Francisco yesterday when I saw a woman who looked familiar. I’m really bad at remembering names, but I never forget a face. I also don’t have a problem bothering celebrities in public. It took me a few minutes to figure out who she was, but then I realized it was one of the contestants from one of my favorite reality shows, Top Chef. Her name is Marisa Churchill and she lives in the Fillmore District. I walked up to her and immediately struck up a conversation.

In the Top Chef II series, they made Marisa look like a real shrew. She was eliminated about midway through the competition and came off as bitchy. But, when we met her yesterday, we were surprised to find out that she is actually really nice. We talked to her about Top Chef and her culinary for about ten minutes and she was just great.

Marisa did say one thing I hear quite often from people who’ve been on reality shows – that the producers really manipulate the storylines to come out the way they want to. She explained some scenes that were completely changed or other things that were left out to make her look really mean and super cutthroat. She gave me her card and I’m going to be interviewing for a full-blown article soon.

For what I’ve read in her bio, she seems like quite an amazing chef. Here is what Marisa says about herself on her Web site, www.marisachurchill.com:

“Marisa's love of cooking began early in life. As a young girl she cooked in the kitchen with her Greek grandmother. By her grandmother's side Marisa learned how to cure her own olives, make homemade breads and pastas, and how to make a wide variety of authentic Greek dishes.
In 1999 Marisa decided to turn her life-long passion for cooking into a career. She graduated from the California Culinary Academy specializing in baking and pastry, and later continued her education in both savory cooking and advanced pastry skills at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Marisa has worked at such notable restaurants as Rubicon, and The Slanted Door. In 2003 she became the executive pastry chef at restaurant LuLu, where food critic Michael Bauer named her desserts "clearly some of the best desserts around." In 2005 she became the executive pastry chef at Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani's new restaurant Ame.

Marisa's desserts have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, and have received positive mention in both Food Arts and Bon Appetit magazine. Marisa was the head chef for Showtime's "2002 Tales of the City," and has appeared on KRON, NBC11, Tokyo TV and on Bravo's Top Chef!

She recently completed her first cookbook "Chocolate Soup."
When Marisa isn't in the kitchen she can usually be found at the pool. Marisa strongly believes in the importance of physical fitness and is herself a competitive swimmer. Her favorite events are the 100 breaststroke, 50 and 200 freestyle, and 50 fly.”

The Bible is THE Book!

It’s THE Book. It’s THE Greatest Story Ever Written. And it’s lasted for centuries because it’s such an amazing work. The Catholic bible has held up to the test on time because it’s highly respected by so many people throughout the world, and not just Catholics. There are many different versions of the bible and you can purchase catholic bibles in a wide range of styles, interpretations and forms. When it comes to the history of publications, nothing can match it!

Ahh, the Incredible Van Rack

What can I say about a van rack that hasn’t already been said? The van rack technology is so advanced now. The great engineering minds of our time have contributed their knowledge, skill and expertise to the van rack industry and the results are incredible. Back in the old days, a van rack was good for just pretty much one thing – carrying items on a van. But with new advancements over the past decade, the van rack can be used for a wide variety of purposes. You can transport just about anything you’ll ever need with these new high-tech, stylish van racks.

Logo pens are a great form of advertising

Logo pens are so popular nowadays. Everyone wants to advertise on a pen and it really makes a lot of sense. I am personally a real sucker for a free pen. At all of the big tradeshows I go to all the time, they give away a bunch of free pens with their logos on them. It’s a very inexpensive way for companies to advertise their businesses and market their services to their customers. Identity advertising is a very important aspect of branding and ink pens are a very large portion of that burgeoning market.

Join the Consolidation Nation or Perish!

Financial consolidation is one of the most important and vital processes of any organization. Successfully managing your consolidation cycle times and shortening statutory reporting processes without sacrificing vital controls or compliance with laws and regulatory bodies has become of key importance to many organizations throughout the global marketplace. Some people don’t see the importance of this, and quite frankly – they’re losing out! If your company can’t consolidate increasingly complex corporate hierarchies, while managing key stakeholder relationships is fundamental to businesses, well – you’re up a creek without a paddle. That’s why you need reliable, high-quality, top performing consolidation software. It’s no longer a luxury, it’s now a necessity.