Oh, so Jennifer Siebel is that kind of girl: the kind that doesn't like other girls. People are abuzz about the comments that Gavin Newsom's current companion made in what was otherwise a kind of fluffy throwaway interview in the Sunday Style section of the Chronicle -- where she lashed out at people criticizing her man's behavior with the wife of his campaign aide by saying, "the woman is the culprit.." Oh, nice.
Here's the full quote from the article:
"I shouldn't say this, but there are two sides to every story,'' she said in an exhausted tone. "If people did research into the scandal ... the woman is the culprit. Alex Tourk is a nice man and it saddens me that his wife did that to him.
Oh, poor victimized Gavin, helplessly seduced by a woman suffering from a potentially-deadly substance abuse problem and whose paychecks he signed! And sweet, sweet (and exhausted-toned) Jennifer, so exhaustedly willing to forgive her publicity magnet because, you know, boys will be boys and other women: they're the competition.
Wow, we sure do love it when women stand up for each other. Hope Jennifer's never going to need the support of a girlfriend if things go south for her and Gavin.
Picture of Robin Morgan's Sisterhood is Powerful, which is out of print, so the only picture we could find was from a sale on eBay.

Week Around the Ists
WTF? Are you saying that women should never criticize each other? This is stupid.
Of course, women can be critical of each other (and "the woman" certainly deserves criticism), but unless Gavin was raped he deserves his share of the criticism too.
Are you there Jennifer? It's me, Margaret. Oh wait, it's not Margaret. It's your self-appointed E-intervenor. Welcome to your E-intervention. Pull up a chair.
First of all, there's good reason for tons of people to be hella jealous (envious, to be more precise) of you. You're a natural beauty, you had a great upbringing, and you managed not to turn out like a Paris Hilton.
However, we have this:
"If people did research into the scandal ... the woman is the culprit"
Did you really mean to use the largest newspaper in NorCal to publicly invite "people" to do "research" into the affair? Did you really mean to hold one person 100% responsible for the whole deal? Really?
Here's your three-step program:
1. Send a hand-written note of apology to Ruby.
2. Make a public apology. Something like you got carried away, you're not used to being in the public eye, you were misquoted (not likely to be even remotely credible even though those ellipses DO look a little funny), you got along so well with the interviewer you treated her like a girlfriend and so you just offered your best intuition on the matter, something like that. Obviously you are privvy to more details than the general public, but whatever you are suggesting, it doesn't matter, even if you think it's true, even if it is true.
3. Move on
The sooner the better.
How dare she point fingers away from the mayor. It is unbelievable and sickening that she made these comments. What is more sickening is the support this guy gets even with muni not working, crime at an all time high, 49ers gone, traffic on city streets maddening. When will this guy be accountable for anything?
She sounds very young and naive.
Also, it could very well be that she is just parotting word for word what the Mayor told her. Maybe he really believes that Mrs. Tourk is to blame.
In a few years I think Ms. Seibel will grow up and will regret her words.
How does someone with such an impressive background (MA from Stanford, aid worker, etc) paint such a spectacularly unimpressive picture of themself in an interview? Am I the only person who rejoiced at the thought that at last the Mayor had found a woman to date who didn't model underwear? I am sorely disappointed. This is the worst one yet. A DILETTANTE & an underwear model...err..I mean actress.
Memo to the staff of Gavin Newsom:
Next time your vetting out girlfriend candidates for your boss please AIM HIGHER.
Clearly, she isn't the brightest. She also made the following, incredibly insightful, politially-minded and relevant comment in support of Gavin:
"I'm surprised Gavin has any opponents. No offense to anyone, but I mean, come on, guys -- this is one of the best mayors in the world."
Wow, now THIS is what a Stanford education will apparently get you.
I don't think it is simple female envy here. If this woman had any class, she would not ever address this matter in any forum. Her upbringing is irrelevant since she obviously did not learn basic decency by insulting Alex Tourk's family in the public square. People are outraged by the audacity of this woman and her arrogant comments on the scandal. It is beyond improper for her to speak of it at all publicly, and especially unseemly that she dare lay blame in any direction. The interview is a pathetic veiled attempt to generate publicity for herself and her career.
I 100% agree with Renee's comment.
Plus she insulted Matt Gonzalez. That's a no-no, sweetheart.
Jen's billionaire uncle, Tom Siebel, is on the board at Stanford University-case closed!
I think the interview gave us a pretty good snap shot into the thoughts of Gavin Newsom. 1) Gavin is a victim of the media and Ruby Tourk 2) He is a great mayor, even if he has not accomplished anything 3) This is all so tiresome, can't we focus on important things like making Gavin Governor and Jennifer a movie star?
I can't believe that 70% of voters in SF like this act...
Gavin's got it made. He can cheat on her, and she'll just blame the other woman (or man). Sweet.
She was *right* about Matt. Women throw themselves at him, and nobody really knows why.
She went to STANFORD? And makes comments such as he's "one of the best mayors in the world"? Wow, Stanford's reputation as a magnet for smart people just went into the toilet.
I give her six months. After all, Scientology lady also did loud interviews about how much she and Gavin were in love, and how "passionate" (gag) he was. Where is she now? Probably at a Xenu convention, but not with our erstwhile, downtrodden mayor who was cruelly taken advantage of by an employee with a substance abuse problem, who also happened to be his good friend's wife, and whom it appears he made illegal payments to.
Yep, it's all that dirty ho's fault.
Jennifer Seibel is nothing but an air-headed D list "actress" with poor taste in men. She'll be gone soon.
hey there- So not meant the article to be what it was. most of the quotes were from the 5 min. follow-up phone call a few days later when i was sleep deprived and caught off guard. the events are in the past...i don't believe i even used the word "culprit". gals, i am a total woman's woman, girls girl, and i am just as sadenned that the article came out the way it did. i should have said in the article, "normally i would support the woman", but in this case, i could not, given the circumstances and ruby's checkered history...which anyone close to the subject matter knows.
also, tom siebel is not my uncle. he is my second cousin once removed. no financial connection whatsoever.
Rita, this isn't the first time you've written something not so nice about me. i appreciate that you think i need a stylist given the jacket i wore to the town hall but i can't afford it and i am sorry you think i dress so poorly. i hope you'll just leave me out of the press. i really meant no harm other than to protect gavin (per the reporter's questioning) and was caught off guard. and, you will think what you want, but i didn't want to do this interview anyway, and unfortunately was encouraged by my director and the publicist and i apologize for being caught off guard and so open re: the gavin situation. they had promised us that it wouldn't be personal and that it was just about the movie and i was naive.
i am a gals gal, have three sisters and have a ton of women friends and been pro women's issues and women supporting each other. ask any of them. eventually you'll see for yourself. it's why i gave my film company the name girls club originally and it's why i am producing a documentary on strong iconoclastic women who inspire us and can serve as role models to girls around the world. but i am not going to blindly support a woman who has cheated on her husband multiple times and watch while my boyfriend is the only one who gets punished..and, what, for something a long time ago when the man was going through a crises- divorce, the loss of his mother, the pressures of being mayor, etc. and he was vulnerable and lonely? and, what's your definition of affair? he's been so hurt by this all -- personally and professionally- and it was a few nothing incidents when she showed up passed out outside of his door. come on guys, have a heart. I have tried to see Ruby's side of the story but unfortunately everyone near to her has stories and says she is bad news.
i am turning that google alert off so don't expect to hear from me again but i hope you will give me a chance as a woman's woman and trust that i am a genuine person and didn't mean to harm anyone by this and the press is the press and they'll write the story they want...you may not like me but the one thing you have to know is that i am a girls' girl and I'll always be one..i just wish as women that some of us had more respect for ourselves and didn't always throw ourselves at the men....not a big deal, the press just decided to make it that. also, something to consider, we have so much power as women and yet it's taken away by stuff like this- gossip and mistruths. let's just let the past be in the past. gavin's a great mayor, if you think i am horrible and not a girls' girl, well hopefully you will change your mind.
i shouldn't even be writing this but i hate the press- and wish i hadn't been talked into doing it. and, not one second of this has been fun. believe me. i honestly don't think what i said was in anyway mean to ruby- there are two sides to everything. i just wish her the best in her recovery and marriage and i just wish that she would leave gavin and i alone and stop causing all of this drama and gossip. she did a bad thing to her husband and needs to take responsibility. gavin is and has taken responsiblity and it's not like i haven't given him tough love through this at times. but anyone close to him knows he is a good man and a great mayor and think what you want of me, i'm just trying my best and obviously making mistakes here and there. i didn't know i was getting into this mess in the first place and it's been a hard position to be in. i hope you all will just leave me out of this...and let the past stay in the past.
Thanks to Jennifer for publicly humiliating Alex Tourk once again. This decent, hard-working man has suffered enough through this entire ordeal. I am bewildered by her callous words and the fact that she dared re-open this bitter wound. Shame on her! Fancy friends, relatives and schools apparently do not equal class. Horrible!
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
eeeyikes!
The interview was no big whoop but this lengthy rant by ms. siebel made her look a LOT worse (not to mention very defensive).
Memo to Jen: If you don't want to be in "the press" and hate "the press" don't date a public figure or work as an actress. Date some other guy who has a job that isn't in the public eye EVERY DAY.
And memo to Gavin's staff: teach Gavin's galpals press relations 101 so they don't embarass your boss like this.
I think the Chronicle needs to publish what the "..." is in "If people did research into the scandal ... the woman is the culprit."
That quote is as horrible as it is hilarious. What sort of research should we be doing? Every shred of public knowledge about Gavin and Ruby has been covered to death by SFist, the Chronicle, ABC-7, and CBS-5. Unless Jennifer has some inside knowledge of Ruby slipping Gav a roofy, I don't know what she's talking about.
If that rant was really her, she is digging her own grave here! Does anyone really believe she was forced into any sort of interview? Jen, you have the ability to utter two simple words in reference to the scandal..."no comment". Know it, learn it, live it.
Yikes! I shoulda hit refresh before posting that comment. If that is the real Jen (and it does sound like her), I can understand how it must suck to be caught up in this mess that she didn't make. And I can understand how a reporter could twist her words. I also like what she says about Girl Power, but you can't say:
in the same breath as you say:Ouch!*I* am the culprit. Aren't you?
I'm just so confused as to why she's got a stick up her butt about not being a "girl's girl." Does she not know she made an ass of herself refering to Gavin as the innocent one, or the best mayor in the world? Or that she's making it totally obvious that there's nothing but air in that pretty little head of hers?
Why is it such a big deal that Rita called you "not a girl's girl"?!
I think the way to clear up this misunderstanding is to have Jennifer Siebel sit down and do an interview with Rita.
Gee, I wonder why Clooney broke up with her?
She seems so stable! Gavin, I hope the sex is hot at least if you have to suffer through all this nonsense. This one makes the alien Scienco lady seem like a Rhodes scholar.
If that was really Jen posting that comment above, she's even more dimwitted than the article implied. I would have bought the line that she was "Naive" and they caught her "off guard with a follow up call" - EXCEPT that she went on to REPEAT the attacks on Ruby Tourk's repuation, HERE, where she is not "off guard."
Ms Siebel, if that is you, I think you owe Ruby an apology. Whatever you think you might know about her personal history based on GOSSIP that people repeat to you - did YOU know her? - you are doing EXACTLY what you complain about by PASSING ON THE GOSSIP in a PUBLIC FORUM.
Please, grow up.
I tried giving Jennifer a chance, I really did. I even sympathized for her while reading that interview. My heart filled with joy knowing Gavin was dating a relatively smart woman. I could even excuse the silly "he's innocent" or "the best mayor in the world" quotes, because, let's face it, women love their men. And when you're not that politically inclined, Gavin can come off as a good mayor. A great mayor, even.
But that comment she left (if it was truly her, and I have no reason to believe it wasn't) was nothing short of retarded. I mean...what the hell? Sleep deprivation and stupid phone calls are excusable... but come on! I've read more intelligent LiveJournal comments, and those are 14 year old girls talking.
Ya killed it Jen.
If that was really Jen posting that comment above, she's even more dimwitted than the article implied. I would have bought the line that she was "Naive" and they caught her "off guard with a follow up call" - EXCEPT that she went on to REPEAT the attacks on Ruby Tourk's repuation, HERE, where she is not "off guard."
Ms Siebel, if that is you, I think you owe Ruby, and the rest of San Francisco, an apology. "I have tried to see Ruby's side of the story but unfortunately everyone near to her has stories and says she is bad news." Whatever you think you might know about her personal history based on GOSSIP that people repeat to you - did YOU know her? - you are doing EXACTLY what you complain about by PASSING ON THE GOSSIP in a PUBLIC FORUM. How does that align with your high-minded statement about being a "girls girl" --
"we have so much power as women and yet it's taken away by stuff like this- gossip and mistruths. let's just let the past be in the past." Take your own advice, JEN, and quit repeating gossip. Apologize and move on. At least Gavin had the class to do that - you're just making things worse for him.
And this - "i shouldn't even be writing this but i hate the press "- Great, you should do really well with publicizing your film, then. Producers, take note.
Please, grow up.
hey Jennifer
I hope this brief affair (ahemmm,LOVE affair) with our famous mayor helps you land a real role.
I hope this brief affair (ahemmm,LOVE affair) with our famous mayor lasts long enough for him to help your 'production company' actually produce something.
No, actually, I dont. I hope we have ALL forgotten your name a year from now. He should have stayed with the 20 year old.... at least she was hot and seemed fun. You come across like a real pill.... it would suck having you as our 'first lady'.
byebye
I am appalled Jennifer Siebel's comments. The Mayor was an unwitting victim of a predatory woman?
The affair made my skin crawl - not because of the Mayor's betrayal of a trusted aide and friend - but because the affair was with an at-will employee who reported directly to him.
It is irrelevant that the affair was consensual, and ridiculous for the Mayor (or his proxies) to suggest that he has been victimized by his own employee. Sexual harrassment law has been developed to protect at-will employees from being manipulated into sexual encounters with their bosses, not the other way around. And for good reason. A supervisor, particularly one who is an elected official and a fiduciary of the public's trust, must avoid compromising situations with his staff members.
wow. the worst part of the whole thing is the completely inappropriate disclosure of how the incidents took place, including the state that ruby was in.
um, beyond being totally f-ed up that the mayor's new gal is disclosing such information, my other reaction is:
doesn't this information make the whole thing worse - that the mayor essentially took advantage of someone who was perhaps incapacitated physically, in addition to certainly having incapacitated judgement?
yikes.
Just when you think things can't get any worse out of the Newsom camp.. Thank you Jen. The greatest Mayor in America deserves nothing short of the greatest and purist girl in America. Wow! Ruby may have had her issues but you lowered yourself to your lovers level. That rant was nothing short of shameful. The last thing anyone wants to hear is you take a cheap shot at Tourk's family. Take a long look at your man. His history is more spotted than Ruby's dear. He is not a saint by a long shot. Ruby and Alex are good people who have been victimised by a sleazy politician with no soul.
It's as simple as this. You don't mess with your friend's wife.
I don't know if Jennifer Siebel really wrote this but if she did... geesh ! Ruby "showed up passed out outside his door ?" Oh, so this was all her fault... it's sort of like the thinking, well she was drunk and so she asked for it ? Wasn't the mayor drinking at the time as well ? It always takes two to tango !
If this is the real Jennifer, then she is even more naive than I thought. Go to some Al-anon meetings,for friends, family and significant others of alcoholics, honey. Keep the focus on yourself . I think you're in over your head and don't even realize it.
I'm applying to Stanford tomorrow. If this dolt can get in, I'll graduate Magna Cum Laude.
I just have to say THANK GOD FOR ALIX ROSENTHAL. What would we do without her expertise on all things? Keep it coming Alix! Halloween, Healthy Saturdays and now blonde bimbos.
I think that was really Charlie from Flowers for Algernon (early chapters).
That or Mayor Joe Quinby's girlfriend (You da
May-yer...?!)
Please confirm identity. For her sake.
Shame on you Jen. Shame on you Gavin. Mostly shame on you San Franciscans who reward this behavior with approval ratings. Look at your Muni, your traffic your cost of living and quality of life. They are all in the gutter right next to your beloved Mayor's morals and values. When will this man be judged by the quality of his performance and not by the quantity of hair gel? Loyalty has never been Gavin's strong point but why should it be at 70% approval. He can do what he wants -when he wants to do it -to whomever he chooses so long as he can get away with it. WAKE UP VOTERS. btw, Alix makes a very valid point above.
Steve Jones brings up another interesting angle in his post on the Guardian's blog:
"this relationship...was arranged by Newsom's political advisors ("after running a background check, one of the mayor's staffers invited her") and the Wilsey family...just as the news of Newsom dating a 20-year-old hostess broke and when the Rippey-Tourk affair was heading in that direction."
Was Siebel really screened by Gavin's handlers who were looking for a presentable girlfriend to staunch Gavin's 20 year-old "bimbo eruption"?
Okay, so my best friend's wife has shown up at my door drunk. It is simple, I put her to bed and I slept on the sofa. If they are that drunk it is pretty easy to let them pass out somewhere. In the morning we had a long talk, she went into counseling, with her husband, and they continue to be happily married. Nothing extraordinary on my part, I am sure it happens to many people.
This scandal is not about Ruby’s choice, it was bad, we know that, this is about Gavin’s choice to sleep with her. Now his girlfriend is trying to make him the victim. It is interesting that the Newsom folks can’t leave this alone. If they would stop talking about it, the scandal would die.
Gavin needs to upgrade to a woman smart enough not to repeat pillow talk. Loose lips sink ships, sweetie! If she hated the press, she wouldn't do these stupid interviews and comment on events that do not invole her. Shame on you both!
Yeah, what would cool hip Alix know about dating someone high up to further her career. Oh wait. new boyfriend, new politics!!
I hope for her sake that post was a fake. She couldn't possibly be that stupid...could she?
At this rate, the SFist message board will bring down the whole Newsom administration within months. Can someone please bait Heather Fong a little more so she can commit professional suicide too?
6 explicit uses of "shame" in this thread and counting. And how many armchair psychologists and amateur intelligence test proctors are reading SFist, anyway?
Weirdly, I feel dumber for having responded to this thread. Hmmm.
Seriously, how long until Gavin, himself, starts posting on this board? Now that he is sober and has a boring girlfriend, he is likely to spend a lot more time on the internet. Don't you think?
Okay, put away your knives children.
I can't believe how many people on here are attacking this young woman. Is it jealousy? Is it hate? Is it arrogance or some stupid, pretentious superiority complex you all have?
Some of you are so determined to hate on Gavin that you'll swing wildly on anyone who remotely sits in his corner. I mean, I GET this mentality, but it's still effed up when you try to take out Gavin's new girlfriend.
First of all: she's right. The real cheater here is Ruby "Make That A Double" Tourk, who clawed her way to the top and then screeched all the way to the bottom when the excesses of her career choice finally caught up with her. SHE ruined her marriage. SHE neglected her children.
Not Gavin. Not Jennifer.
Gavin made the worst decision I'm sure he's ever felt he made when he decided to hook up with Ruby Tourk, but all of us have done something equally wretched at one point or another - or at least have been affected by someone who has.
So put away your stones and knives, lest you turn them on yourselves.
I'm glad Jennifer called Ruby Tourk out.
Good for her.
However, there is something she left out of the interview. It's the part where she calls Ruby Tourk a "ho, a skank, and a selfish bitch".
Hopefully, they'll do a follow up.
Speak for yourself Kevin. Contrary to popular belief, most people have a moral compasss. Most people don't sleep with their close friend's wife or do things as equivalently bad.
Most people get through their entire lives NOT having acted like an asshole.
Its called values. Most of us don't. You have apparently extrapolated your own personal flaws and projected them onto the rest of us.
Hey Kevin
Are you, by chance, the best mayor in the whole wide world?
I dated a girl that went to Stanford business school with her. Based on the stories I heard regarding her conduct in class (which include a professor openly mocking her in class) and a handful of very brief interactions I had with her at social functions, I concluded that she is either:
1) dumb as a brick or
2) feels the need to act as dumb as a brick to get attention (she wouldn't be the first pretty girl I've met that did so).
She is also not remotely poor, though for some reason she liked the play that one off all the time in school as well. Hard to be convincing of that when you drive a Porsche, wear nothing but designer clothes, and live in a giant house in Atherton.
More than anything, I wonder what Gavin's deal is. Why does he always fall for the hollow social-climbing types? Homeboy needs to find himself a smart, sophisticated, self-confident, independent woman.
1. Has anyone seen her movie? I'd love to see a review... will probably skip the actual movie though.
2. Great journalism by the Chronicle - in the sense that journalism is about maximizing newspaper sales and website impressions. From the moment Ms. Siebel opened her mouth, they must have known this was going to blow up in the Mayor's face. Well played.
3. Let's not get too worked up about the Stanford thing. Pretty much anyone can go there who meets the following:
a) grew up in a well-funded school district and received high quality education from K-12
b) has parents who could afford an SAT tutor
c) has parents who could afford Stanford tuition
d) is of at least average intelligence
Jen Siebel seems to meet these criteria, but there's no reason to be shocked that she's not a genius of earth-shattering brilliance.
Um, folks, this is a freaking internet message board...we have no way of knowing if that is the real Jennifer Seibel above...Get a grip...Comment on her words that were in the Chron, but don't even dignify the stuff with any level of seriousness here until someone proves it is actually her...
Jeez.
I'd love to get Bjorn's perspective on this one!
James wrote: "More than anything, I wonder what Gavin's deal is. Why does he always fall for the hollow social-climbing types? Homeboy needs to find himself a smart, sophisticated, self-confident, independent woman."
........
Isnt' that what Gavin is, though? A hollow, social-climbing type? Like father, like son, and the Newsoms are no exception.
Jennifer will be the perfect political wife. She blindly accepts her man's word and acts like a robotic, Stepford mannequin. Rose Kennedy, anyone?
Wow,
How can a satirist compete with real life at City Hall? And, what's with all these drunks showing up at the Mayor's door looking for sex? Does he has his number on bathroom walls?
h.
Well good morning, Vietnam.
I have never responded to a forum, and don't plan on doing so again. But as one of Jennifer Siebel's closest and oldest friends, one who spent a childhood with her saving bees from swimming pools, and then an adulthood where she stepped firmly up to bat every time I, or any other woman, or any endangered ecosystem, needed a friend - I couldn't let this hate-fest go on without a few words of my own.
Jennifer is the real deal. Everything she has said in the past few weeks - and yes, clumsily at times - has come straight from the right place in her heart. That is more than most here can say, you who have glibly criticized a coat she might be wearing, or the god-given color of her hair, or her family and scholastic pedigree. What point are you trying to get across, except that your hearts are hateful? How are you helping the morale of your supposedly beloved city by being so angry? My point here: pause before you judge - and maybe take a look in the mirror at who's being the sphincter.
From reading one misquoted interview, you have happily slammed Jennifer's intent, her brains, her looks, and her upbringing. I'm sorry - but have you two met...? On the contrary, this antithesis of bimbo spent her entire childhood working harder to prove herself than any young person at our school. No eight-year-old quite knew why - but maybe it was because she suspected back then a lifetime of haters who would diss her for the things she couldn't help...brains, beauty, a fine family, and a good heart. All of our classmates, most of whom are still close-knit and protective of her (because she earned that respect) - can attest she was the brightest kid in the class. She was the student whose tests we wanted to copy. The first person picked for sports teams. The girl guys would dream of taking on a date. Sorry people - money doesn't buy brains - nor does it buy genuine sweetness. And still, with all these enviable traits, everyone loved her.
This heart-and-brains combo of hers didn't stop with Capture the Flag. She went on to be an all-star student and athlete in high school and in college, loved by a bevy of close friends. Following graduation from Stanford, she went on to spend a year doing conservation work in Africa, because she wanted to help save the world in whatever way she could. (Have any of you committed yourselves to living in a dust bowl riddled with malaria and crocodiles, to prove you really do walk the walk - or do you just write in to web blogs? Didn't think so - but don't stop pointing those fingers!). To be more effective with environmental conservation, she threw herself into Stanford's Business School program and graduated with flying colors all over again (wee reminder: money doesn't have a vote in one's GPA). It was here that she discovered acting as an extracurricular course, and decided the Entertainment World was the route toward having a bigger impact on the world. Folks such as Angelina Jolie might agree with her thinking on this.
And still, after all this work, Jennifer was just as nice as before. Imagine that, after the mythology you have created for her here. She has never once pulled the snob card. She is the best friend a girl could ask for - a girls' girl through and through. She has one the most loyal hearts I've ever met, and lights up a crowd by walking into a room. She has never touted anything except her enormous heart, that and a will to improve the world around her - which is what unfortunately got her into trouble here. Her entire life has shown how she throws herself into everything heart-first, and this latest turn of events follows the same pattern: she is loyally defending her man for what she believes is right. Wouldn't you try to do the same, even if you didn't phrase your defense as eloquently as you might have planned for your first time against the firing squad? Would a "flash in the pan" or "flavor of the month" even bother if they weren't genuine; would a cold hearted she-hater take the time to write into this toxic forum, apologizing for any misconstrued remarks, and attempt to explain what she truly meant to say? Forgiveness is a virtue, people...while stone-throwing simply shoots your progressive city (?) in the feet.
I realize no comment from a friend will yank back the claws of this bloodhungry crowd. But if you knew the real person here, the one who has proven their true nature and friendship for 27 long years, you might ask her judges to take a deep breath and calm the hell down, too. To err is human...but unfortunately, so is social & media cannibalism. I know which folly I would choose out of the two - to humanly err, which is what my friend Jennifer has owned up to in her note to you. At least she had the dignity to admit her errors and take a good long look at herself, as did Gavin Newsom. I haven't seen the same kind of grace with this particular slice of San Franciscans.
Liveandletlive, great post, and I mean that...Does this mean that you believe the post above is actually from the real Jen Siebel?
LiveandLetLive = (a) Gavin's press staff, or (b) Jennifer's publicist. I'm inclined to pick "a."
Yes, I am inclined to say it was written by one of the Mayor's staff.
But..I live in New York City...would the mayor's staff really be wasting their time reading this blog ? I can't imagine anyone on Bloomberg's staff stooping to this.
She did not post solely to admit fault or offer apology. She posted additional hurtful words about a woman whose husband has been humiliated over and over. She added to this hurt by revealing details that should never have been discussed publicly and reiterated her viewpoint. The scandal involes Gavin, Ruby and her husband. Jennifer should never speak of it publicly-even if she is now dating Newsom. Totally inappropriate and you know it.
OhMyGosh jane, you have not been here long have you!
Sorry kids...t'was indeed written from her lifelong friend and fellow San Franciscan. Publicist or mayoral staff? No thanks. I would never want to be caught in this lions' den.
Think what you want...I've said my piece...goodnight...over and out.
Perhaps she was misquoted by the Chronicle, but how do you explain the cheap shot she took at Alex and Ruby Tourk in her post?
Oh, Jane... clearly you are not familiar with the Newsom camp. Things like this are business-as-usual and hardly "stooping." An administration with more class wouldn't have these problems in the first place.
PS Hank Essay - forgot to mention in my last note - yes, the earlier post was from Jennifer. Goodnight!
Live and let live, I am sure Jennifer is a nice enough person and I am more than happy to let her admit she made a mistake. But in her note she doesn't admit to making one. She just defends her statement that Newsom is innocent and Tourk is the one at fault. She does not say, "I am sorry and that was really unfair of me to say..." No what she is saying is Tourk seduced Newsom in a time weakness and he shouldn't be blamed for that.
She has decided to become a public person and with it comes rewards but also a downside. One of those downsides is your statements will be held against you by strangers. In the end she chose to be interviewed, she chose to make the statements and she chose to post on this blog. Now she and Newsom can go back to being victims of their choices.
[comment deleted at request of poster. -- eds.]
Jennifer's interview was thoughtless.
But her post was classless.
It was inappropriate for her to comment on the Tourk situation in any context, bottom line.
Behaving with some dignity, and quit taking shots at the Tourks. Ruby has sense enough to keep quiet in the press, why don't you?
This whole thing makes Kimberly's banana-BJ episode look like a knock-knock joke!
Man, it's getting a little weird up in herre....
-
Does this nut job think she's getting her boyfriend more votes with her indecent and inappropriate attacks on the Tourk family? I'm sure Ragone is glad this isn't his headache this time. Poor Nathan Ballard. It's going to be a long week, pal. IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR HONEY-SHUT IT!!!
Congratulations Jennifer. You have single-handedly managed to resurrect a scandal that was beginning to die down. Have you or any of your supporters considered that the Tourk's have a child who may one day see the hateful words you used in the press regarding their parents? The Tourk's son will know that his mother was passed out in front of some man's door who was not her husband and according to the almighty, righteous Jennifer has cheated multiple times. This is beyond disgusting. Really classy work. So far, all parties that were ACTUALLY involved in his matter have been discreet when talking to the press. It was not your right to divulge any misguided information in any public forum. How dare you take shots at these people. Consider the feelings of the others involved, not just your own and your boyfriend's. Learn your place!
SFist has received email confirmation that comment number 15, above, was indeed written by Jennifer Siebel. The email says:
Thank you Gary!
My favorite lines from LiveAndLetLive's very cleverly put together rant:
"She stepped firmly up to bat every time I, or any other woman, or any endangered ecosystem, needed a friend
antithesis of bimbo
dust bowl riddled with malaria and crocodiles
the mythology you have created for her here
yank back the claws of this bloodhungry crowd
social & media cannibalism
this particular slice of San Franciscans"
I wish I had that great of a PR person--I mean, friend!
CAT FIGHT!
>>Just a few hours after she posted the comments online Monday, Siebel, 32, issued an apology through her friend, San Francisco public relations executive and close Newsom friend, Lori Puccinelli Stern, who confirmed the Internet post was actually written by Siebel.
Just a wild guess: LiveAndLetLive = Lori Stern?
Damn, poor Gavin really needs a drink tonight!
Everyone knows the MBA students are the airheaded morons of university graduate programs. While in grad school in one of the grad programs that actually required reasoning capacity and English writing skills, I had the eye-awakening experience at a Law School/B-School/Med-School/Etc. School mixer to meet far too many of these money grubbing morons. 10% were relatively intelligent and destined for a major investment house on the Street or to McKinsey or Bain or the equivalent. The rest - complete morons. And I was at Stanford-level university. I can't even imagine what kind of MBA grads the U. of Bumfuck produces.
I don't know what kind of questions they ask on the GMAT but I can only assume you get to complete it using crayons.
As far as going to Africa to lick malaria-infested babies or whatnot, being an upper-middle class white girl doing a year in the Peace Corps, while worthwhile, isn't exactly out of the ordinary or "blow me away with your awesome self-sacrifice." Its well known that the Peace Corps of today is primarily a post-college year abroad program for upper-middle class, predominantly white kids who happen to have a slightly volunteer bent. That and it looks good on those grad school applications.
Oh, and sweetheart - don't be telling the world that she showed up at your BF's front door drunk and passed out in the middle of the night. Drunk girl + teh sex = sex without consent = potential rape allegations.
Don't try to fix this on the Interwebs, PR flack or not - its like fighting the ocean with a thimble. There's too many smart folks out here who will completely call you on your shit.
Guess what?
All this article was missing was *one word* at the top.
-- ADVERTISEMENT --
nuff said!
hey sfist folks - how about not being so mean? if you want to discuss something of relevance to politics - which some commenters have - then by all means do it. of course, there is no privacy in politics, as all people who willingly enter that realm know all too well after a very short while. you lose privacy, and in some ways, usefull perspective. it seems like a lot of folks here just want to take cheap shots at the mayor's girlfriend. ok, fine to discuss breaches of trust and appropriate public commentary and whatever - but perhaps scale back the nasty posts with attacks about her personal life, her career, her education, etc.? think about how you might react maybe differently if the subject were someone you supported politically... so how about injecting a little dignity into the discourse? this is not a pleasant subject from the get go, and some of the comments are amazingly base and vindictive. stick to the real stuff that matters. she is a person with feelings, and this whole thing must be awfully hard to weather. -cat
Sorry cat, Jen did not extend any courtesy or consider the feelings of the Tourk family when she laid blame in yesterday's article, and then restated her gripe on this blog. She's brought this on all by herself. They have a son who does not ever need to know the gritty details of his mother's affair. Thanks to Jen, it's now all out there. Alex didn't need to know any more either, nice job. This was wrong on so many levels.
Regarding this comment: "Have you or any of your supporters considered that the Tourk's have a child who may one day see the hateful words you used in the press regarding their parents?"
Think about Monica Lewinsky. If you have an affair with the mayor, you have to take some accountability for it and expect some backlash, maybe even gossip(!). Even though I hate all this "let's go to rehab" business, at least people are trying to be accountable for their behaviors rather than the sexist past where everyone assumed that politicians had affairs and no one talked about it.
I totally agree with Alix's points though. If this behavior went on at a major corporation, Gavin would have been fired for sexual harrassment. It is his responsibility as "boss" to not get involved with subordinates.
er, Gary, without taking one side or the other, do you really think Alex didn't know about the others?
Please.
Take on my post if you like, but the difference here is not whether the affair happened-that's been discussed and acknowledged publicly by those involved. My point is this girl is pointing fingers and casting blame, while revealing seedy details. Alex, Ruby and even Gavin have been respectful in the fact that they have not voiced their personal gripes regarding the mattter, Jennifer crossed a line she had no place even mentioning.
Who knows Hank, but he sure knows now, if he didn't already. My point is it was not this little pill's place to tell him via Sfist!
Run Gavin Run...away that is. ...(and fire the staffer who conducted the background check)
While DUI (Dating Under the Influence) Gavin fell prey to a "culprit" of sorts. Check out the web page www.jennifersiebel.com - the BIO section is most illuminating...
I can't decide which quote I like better and trust me, one can't make this stuff up.
Here are the top three:
1. "Sustainable Micro-Credit Opportunities"
" I spent a summer advising indigenous communities in La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Costa Rica, on various environmentally sustainable micro-credit opportunities available to them, I studied wildlife management AND the culling of big game on a nature reserve outside of Nairobi, Kenya, AND I worked with women in the San Bushmen communities of Botswana to market and export their environmentally and socially responsible artisan goods.
One Sentence? Clearly not an English major at Stanford...Perhaps, hit too many times in the head with the soccer ball... and just what are "socailly responsible aritisan goods."
2. Infiltrate It
" Why pursue such a challenging career at this point in your life? My answer: THEY'RE ALL connected. Arts, politics, humanitarianism, the environment, poverty alleviation, global peace, homelessness, education, etc…they are all intertwined. Hollywood has A VOICE. It has a very powerful voice. Is it the smartest, most informed, purest voice? Certainly not. But its’ voice resonates throughout the world through modern technology and global distribution systems. It AFFECTS and INFLUENCES our mindsets and actions every day. If one can’t beat it, WHY NOT INFLITRATE IT. It’s just another means to an end."
Has Gavin been infilitrated? Is he just a means to an ambitious actress's end? Are we just mere stepping stones on a path to self realization?
And finally,
3. A Cause Worthier Than My Own
" My love of Africa and my passion for conservation and poverty alleviation throughout the world inspired me to seek out and develop diverse projects that would bring awareness to causes worthier than my own."
....Gavin, you are worthier than this. San Franfcisco is worther than this. So, it might have been a rough few months, but you can do better. Make a clean break.
Gavin, please, do yourself a favor, please do us a favor, do San Francisco a favor, do the right thing and end this relationship before it's too late.
The response by "Live and Let Live" is a bunch of well-written BS. Just because you phrase BS in fancy prose doesn't mean that it isn't BS. This entire fiasco was created and continued by Ms. Jennifer Siebel and any attempt to post the blame on the fair readers of sfist.com or Rita is ridiculous. My message for Ms. Siebel: you're an asshole. As for Mayor Newsom: if you're the source of Ms. Siebel's take on this scandal, then you're an even bigger asshole than she is.
whoa, nellie, y'all made the bigs...it's on the front page of the Chron now...
So, basically Jen Siebel just came onto this board and suggested Gavin took advantage of Ruby Tourk while she was intoxicated? Nice job. You just implied that the 'best mayor in the world' is a date rapist. I'm sure he'll appreciate it greatly. You need to flip the switch on your self-censure mechanism there, Jen. To me, the real victim is the person who was taken advantage of sexually while intoxicated. And that person IS NOT Gavin Newsom.
So, basically Jen Siebel just came onto this board and suggested Gavin took advantage of Ruby Tourk while she was intoxicated? Nice job. You just implied that the 'best mayor in the world' is a date rapist. I'm sure he'll appreciate it greatly. You need to flip the switch on your self-censure mechanism there, Jen. To me, the real victim is the person who was taken advantage of sexually while intoxicated. And that person IS NOT Gavin Newsom.
Nice work, she's got the whole scandal back on the front page. Won't be long before Fox News and CNN have their say. What an idiot. I miss Brittanie! At least she stuck to the script.
To All Of You...I'd like to ask, where is the mutual responsibility for this affair anyway? Ruby Tourk willingly participated in an extramaritial affair with Gavin Newsom. Being a 32-year old woman I assume she wasn't taken advantage of. So why hasn't Alex Tourk condemned his own wife for the same behavior that he and his followers have condemned the Mayor for?
Might there be something else to gain?
?
What the heck is a girl's girl anyway? And why did Jennifer Siebel feel the need to assert repeatedly that she's a girl's girl & inject her film company, Girl's Club, into it all?
The poor woman suffers from blogorrhea.
Can we officially call SFist the "blog of record" for San Francisco? Whenever anyone finally gets around to challenging Gavin, they should announce their candidacy on SFist.
It's too bad no one from the mayor's side of things can post comments on here without melting down. It'd be interesting to have a real dialog.
This is the best thread ever
i don't think gavin newsome has the best taste in women.
261. (a) Rape is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a
person not the spouse of the perpetrator, under any of the following
circumstances:
(1) Where a person is incapable, because of a mental disorder or
developmental or physical disability, of giving legal consent, and
this is known or reasonably should be known to the person committing
the act. Notwithstanding the existence of a conservatorship pursuant
to the provisions of the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (Part 1
(commencing with Section 5000) of Division 5 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code), the prosecuting attorney shall prove, as an
element of the crime, that a mental disorder or developmental or
physical disability rendered the alleged victim incapable of giving
consent.
(2) Where it is accomplished against a person's will by means of
force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful
bodily injury on the person or another.
(3) Where a person is prevented from resisting by any intoxicating
or anesthetic substance, or any controlled substance, and this
condition was known, or reasonably should have been known by the
accused.
notice 261(a)(3)........hmm, sound familiar???
maybe Kamala can start up a an investigation that parallels Herrera's investigation into improperly [aying off the "culprit".....doubt it, but it would be nice....and by the way, if Jen didn't know "the best mayor in the world" at the time of the affair, one could only reasonably assume that she got her info from "TBMITW" himself.....can't wait for the confirmation of all those other rumors we keep hearing about....i wonder if there will be another round of "print one word and i'll sue you,your paper,and your TV station" from Byorn.....and Jen, thanks for the fantastic job of sticking your 60% off size 8 Diane VonFurstenberg pumps in your mouth.....at least they were on sale
Nobody is going to comment on the irony of her bestest friend in the whole world holding up Angelina Jolie as a role model?
It seems pretty clear that Jen and Gavin are actually a match made in heaven.
I would love to address "Doors of Perception." Asking why Alex Tourk hasn't condemned his own wife for this behavior is a frickin' ludicrous question. Almost as bad as your fake name. The reason is because it's between him and his wife, you jerkoff. It isn't your place to tell Alex Tourk how he should conduct his own marriage. If you think so, I want you to divulge the inner workings of your marriage so everyone here can comment or condemn your marriage since you're quick to demand for the private marital action of Mr. and Mrs. Tourk. (It's only fair, right?) Such things are private-something that Ms. Siebel couldn't understand or respect, which is why she has aroused the public ire by commenting on this blog in the first place. Is there something to be gained? Yeah, we know that Jennifer Siebel is a big asshole without the slighest touch of class, compassion, or common sense. And it just confirms that Mayor Newsom had the worst taste in women. He should stick to his teen gal pals-they're so young that they don't even have a fully formed personality that we could fairly get to comment on! Therefore, we could just shut up and gawk at some 19 year old piece of supple ass.
A girl shouldn't stick up for another girl just because she's a girl...but because she's right!
the previous post was taken straight from the Ca Penal Code.....it almost seems like "TBMITW" could be prosecuted for 261(a)(3) w/Ruby as the victim and 261(a)(1) ( the whole mental disorder thing ) w/Jen as the victim...hmmmmm Go Kamala
Wow - what a bio. Tellingly, a lot of here work in developing countries was with Conservation International - one of the most notorious greenwashing NGOs out there. She worked in "enterprise partnerships"? - that's CI code for getting big donations from some of the most environmentally destruction multinationals out there in order to give them a "green sheen" to help them with their PR.
CI is also notorious for aiding bioprospecting efforts of Big Pharma - basiscally tricking indigenous peoples into selling off their rights & claims to tribal territory so that Big Pharma can come in and lock up via patents the DNA sequences of local flora. CI also takes big donations from these companies in order to peform research on those areas as a cheap, tax-deductible source of R&D for these companies.
Fuck da bitch. She brought the shovel. And she digged the hole.
Shut up "Doors of Perception"-are you some stooge for Siebel and Newsom? Girls shouldn't take shots in the press at other girls either. Blow it out your ass.
To Olivia...did you notice that most of your emphasis was focussed upon vugarity? Instead of reference to any facts?
During the empeachment of Clinton where were your beliefs in the prifacy of marrage Olivia?
Thanks, JA for the update on the Penal Code. The trial would be interesting too. If
"TBMINTW" made statements regarding his "interaction" with Ruby (while intoxicated passed out - not necessary), I believe that under the California Evidence Code, Jennifer Siebel could now be called to testify regarding the statements made to her by "TBMINTHW" ( not hearsay, but rather declaration against Penal Interest) Now, that would be quite a "scene" as the tear filled Siebel takes the witness stand and if she refused to testify, she'd be held in contempt and go to jail.
Dave, really appreciated the intel on CI...Very, very disturbing... Do you have any more information and where could we go for more information?
To tell someone to "shut up" is like saying I don't believe you have a right to speak freely. What say you Olivia?
Go to bed Gavin, I mean, doors of perception...
Jennifer Siebel = pNwEd !!!
I wonder why no one taught her PR 101, considering that she's an actress and needs publicity to further her career beyond bit parts.
More info on CI can be found at the Center for Media and Democracy's SourceWatch:
www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Conservation_International
More:
www.earthisland.org/eijournal/fall98/fe_fall98chiquita.html
CI are not alone in this. World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy have also been criticized for renting themselves out to multinationals seeking to greenwash themselves. However, CI are the most notorious in their wholesale whoring.
When Exxon, Chevron and BP Amoco are amongst your major corporate contributors, something just ain't right.
Granted, it's difficult to resist an adulterous, alcohol-fueled, political scandal in one's own backyard. But...we were managing to do just that in our fine city once the papers quieted down. Those involved in the affair situation directly (Mr. Newsom and the couple involved) have remained as pubicly dignified as possible, given their involvement(s) in a triangle tainted with colleagial betrayal, inappropriate sexual relationships between supervisor and subordinate, marital infidelity and substance abuse. Those involved...they have said little and have maintained some level of decorum in a regretful circumstance. That is, with the exception of Ms. Siebel...who notably is not directly involved, but clearly wanted to be and now is.
Ms. Siebel, despite whatever positive intentions you may have had in sharing your thoughts and the details of this affair, you have shown exceedingly poor judgment to discuss these thoughts with the media, and--much worse--by blogging directly here online in defense of yourself and your boyfriend of six months. You will learn--I hope--that the impact of your intentions is what matters. Considering the impact of personal decisions is what separates those with style from those with substance. I know you consider yourself the latter, but I ask you to consider your actions.
Ms. Siebel (and friends of Ms. Siebel) ... what is so often lacking in political leadership and leadership in general is a level of personal responsibility and integrity that should be an understood expectation of those in public service. Your choice to comment on this topic both in an interview, and much more wrecklessly (impulsively?) here online demonstrates not only poor judgment and questionable critical thinking skills, but a resistance to consider the impact of your words and thoughts on the private and public lives of others.
It is understandable that as someone's girlfriend, you may have the feelings and thoughts you do. Share them with your friends, your family, your therapist, your boyfriend. But please, learn from this. Your thoughts do not belong in public. A simple "no comment' could have spared a lot of damage. And if this was done for publicity...what a mess.
Regards.
Dlobal Warming?
Real or Myth?
The summer around here seems to be a little bit warmer.
How embarrassing. For Gavin. For smart women. I never heard of this woman. I guess that was her motive to write to let us know she exists. Very selfish and narrow minded. At first glance, I thought it was his 20 year old galpal. This is lame on many levels. When I vent to my close friends online, I use the handy feature of editing before 'send.' Beautiful, smart, intriguing woman exist. San Francisco is flooded with them. Please raise the bar and stop the humiliation. We are now all aware this one exists. NEXT.
Seriously now. I read Jennifer's interview and thought it fine. Not the most eloquent quotes in the world, I admit, but hey, what interviews turn out to be perfect anyway?
As for the comment up above, which has been confirmed to have been the real deal, I would suspect that being in the delicate position of dating someone majorly in the public eye, being in a situation where every word is criticized and torn to shreds (this being a fine example of that), as well as, most likely, being called left and right by the mayor's PR people (something that would not surprise me seeing how blown out of proportion this has all become) can frazzle someone into a state of incoherence so no, her comment up above does not change my initial reaction of thinking her a likeable person and no, I do not know her and am secure enough with myself to not need to hate her either.
As for the whole affair... a)Who gives a flying rat's ass about it??? Get over it! Do I approve? Well, I do not approve of situations where lying and the like are involved but this directly involves Mr & Mrs Tourk as well as Mayor Newsom and is no one else's business beyond that, myself included, and so who am I to approve or disapprove? and b) As to the whole "she is the culprit" quote/misquote? Well, it takes two to tango and though Mayor Newsom is not without "fault", neither is Ruby Tourk but, once again, not our business and *GASP* my life goes on! Who'd a thunk it?
Hey Folks...can you think of any job that you've had where your private life was part of the resume?
Yes.... Politics-like it or not "doors" you can not expect your private life not to become public fodder-especially when there is a scandal.
To All...how can we end this unjust war?
To Everyone...
doorsofperception really sounds like a Newsom stooge-spin it this way and that...
heys doors...i haven't been all of these but let's start with cop, firefighter,or any other expendable peon public servant..if ur hinting that "TBMITW"s private life is none of our business, it is when it affects how he conducts the city business, ie opening up the city to a multi-million $ sexual harassment lawsuit, the drain on morale and productivity when the boss is bangin the secetary and she receives special treatment and EVERYBODY in the office knows about it (except her hubby).....and the lack of class and deceny when he allows this guy to come to work everyday all the while knowing the inner workings of his wife's uterus with, again, EVERYBODY knowing it....if he doesn't like it, i suggest he resign or not seek re-election.....i promise, if either of those 2 things happen, i'll be MORE than glad to not concern myself with his "private" parts..er life
hey doors...
ask anybody who's ever been required to take a drug test to get a job.
ask anybody who's ever applied to be a cop about the background checks and interviews.
so I think the ticker on the number of jobs I just covered is in the thousands.
but you couldn't think of one outside of politics.
ferme la bouche, mon frere
Gavin still sees Brittanie Mountz and other women, guess it's all THEIR fault!
somebody has been brainwashed by a politician!
I surmise that none of the negative haters out there have any contect with their human side, or capacity for human flaws...
Let's be real-l-l-l-l-l honest, Gavin, and we-all are human. Want to have your foibles and mistakes magnified as those in the public eye are?
They're HUMAN, people... Stuff is gonna happen.
You know what? I think Ms. Seibel may be on to something... Maybe Ruby was the agressor. Any woman not seen that toward's her man? Any man not experienced an aggresive woman while he or she as spoken for?
STOP, holding public figures up to Christ-like stature.
We are all human....it only takes a moment to realize that one, or DUH, to act like one.
Sometimes life sucks, from all stations, and we feel lonely, and needy, and we accept, with or without the influence of alcohol, the one who reaches out to us...
Get real negativos...
w
that is well said.
My god. What a complete and total idiot. Guess what, "Jen" -- we DO think you are horrible: a horrible girlfriend who uses horrible grammar. (Ever hear of an apostrophe?)
You're clearly an airhead Stanford legacy. But I'll give you this: you must make the other bleach-blonds in the Marina pea green with envy (come on, now, your carpet doesn't match your drapes, not with those black eyebrows, Buffy). You snagged the Mayor! But I'll wager not for long, my pretty, not for long.
You have publicly accused Gavin of RAPE! Are you KIDDING ME? Can you possibly be that stupid? You better rush your butt over to his place and collect your toothbrush if you ever want to see it again, 'cause those locks are being changed pronto, no doubt.
I wondered why he copped the "alcohol problem" excuse, and I guess he was protecting himself in case some enemy pointed out that Ms Tourk was drunk when their encounters happened. You just proved yourself to be that enemy.
I voted for Gavin and I had planned to vote for him again until your comments emerged -- and now I seriously question his ability to make sound decisions if he keeps picking fuck bunnies like you.
I suggest you pack up all your bags and woes and return to the life you are meant for in Atherton, picking bees out of swimming pools, you Halliburton softy. And do try to learn something from this episode of your life.
(And what's up with your production company? Where did the money come for THAT?)
Why do people keep calling her a "young woman?" Isn't she 39? She's not an old lady, of course, but young? No, sorry but no.
Amazing article in the Chronicle, even more amazing blog and astonishing post by Jen Siebel.
I've had mixed emotions about Gavin Newsom's behavior around this affair, feeling shock and dissapointment on the one hand, and compassion for all concerned, on the other.
But Ms. Siebel's comments in the Chronicle and here have made me wonder about what Gavin is telling both himself and Jen, and where Jen's rather heartless response comes from. My guess is that she's parroting what Gavin is telling her and she lacks judgement, common sense and depth.
It seems like it would be a good thing if Gavin were to stop scapegoating Ruby and do a lot of work on himself, while Jen might want to work on sensitivity, and most of all charity towards those whose lives have been turned upside down by this affair.
Blaming and shaming Ruby is the opposite of what Jen and Gavin should be doing, if Gavin is to face his inner demons.
I read your comment policy, and according to your rules, few of these comments qualify as non-negative in tone. That's a preposterous rule...if people can't say something negative, like say, "this girl is a social-climbing, sow-eared nitwit, who's political and social aspirations are reminiscent of Nancy Reagan's", how will anything interesting ever get said?
The Three-Dot Lounge...
Since Jenn helped save the ecosystem... can we now sick her on Global Warming?...
Where did all the classy (& attractive) women go?...
Gavin = Best Mayor; therefore... Jenn = Best Actress?...
Let me get this straight... Gavin nailed a drunk employee... was she also on the clock? or on one of the time sheets in dispute? Yikes!! ...
Could poster LiveandLetLive be... Peter Ragone?
Note to Hank Essay: great job! You proved Dimbo #2...
Boy, that 20-year-old looks smarter every day...
Just wondering... were checks to Ruby... for Services Rendered?...
Jenn proves the difference between book smarts, & street smarts...
Lingerie model... 20 yo... Getty's grandson... Jenn... ???
Hugh sigh of relief from... George Clooney!
Could we please get Kimberly to interview Jenn & Ruby, since she is a gal's gal?
Best nickname: radio talk host Michael Savage... drum roll... Any Twosome Newsome?
Good night!...
I hope y’all will move on, especially now that Jennifer has issued an apology.
There are two sides to every story and maybe now we have heard from Gavin’s camp in the clearest manner possible.
But call me silly, I think folks are allowed to express an opinion, misguided or not. Bad judgement? Maybe. I, for one, don’t think it’s a huge surprise that she typed away one day, on this blog—do people seriously believe that actresses are not part of the blogosphere and do not express themselves like the rest of us who do not appear on celluloid? I thought that was the democratizing promise the ’net was meant to give us. You are no longer getting this filtered through the mainstream media. You got it straight from Jennifer.
I thought that in 2007, we demand transparency. She operated from the heart. That is Jennifer Siebel. You may or may not agree with her, but you knew where she stands in relation to Gavin Newsom. Heck, wouldn’t it be great if Maria Shriver did the same thing about the Governor?
The only person in this whole affair who has expressed herself without political and PR-machine double-talk here has been Jennifer Siebel. I hear all the time that folks are tired of the scripted comments and the political BS. From the sounds of it, we aren’t ready for the rawness of new media and people expressing exactly what they feel. We say we are: this page is evidence we are not. We want to be cosseted through the PR departments, dressing things to be politically correct so we don’t have to deal with reality.
If Jen had made her comments on her own blog (if she had one), few would have batted an eyelid over the appropriateness. Yes, people will have attacked her in the comments’ section, but I think the issue here is the venue, not the statements themselves.
I might have known Jen for only four years—a fraction of the time that LiveAndLetLive above has—but I vote for the knives to be put away. Those of us who are Jennifer’s friends know her to be genuine, heart-driven and decent. None of this changes our impression of her.
Wow, has this blog ever taken on some wild twists and turns since yesterday!
My favorite achievement of Jen's that Lori Stern included is "saving bees from swimming pools."
In my hometown of NYC Mayor Bloomberg has a classy, smart and very attractive girlfriend named Diana Taylor , who has a big job in finance . They've been together for at least five years and I don't think she's ever spoken in public about her boyrfriend. Don't mean to impugn SF, but boy, I can't
believe the high schoolish behavior of your mayor and his girlfriend.
Every time a poster uses the word "folks," I immediately assume it's Newsom. Mainly due to the fact that, apart from my 90-year-old great-grandmother, I haven't heard anyone else utter that word in my life.
I agree with Sasha. The poster who talks about "folks" - Jack Yan -sounds like it could have been written by the Mayor.
Ms. Siebel's explanation of the Ruby Tourk incident sounds like it is just a parroting of your mayor's explanation " just a few nothing incidents when she showed up passed out outside his door," . Those words sounds just like something guys say to new and naive girlfriends when they're trying to minimize old flames - -- albeit politically incorrect and insensitive and sexist boyfriends .
The mayor still doesn't appear to have taken responsibility for his actions. I think there's a step in the AA program that talks about taking a searching and fearless moral inventory of oneself.. Hope he gets there.
Jen, sweetie, God love you because damn, girl, you need some serious ALONE time.
First you cling to Gav at the Pelosi election thing like a leech. Come on, babe, grown up women don't cling like that. The man was like, "girl, get the frick off me already!"
Second you go on to do - oh sorry, you were talked into, that's right - doing that article. Ya know how you came across? Like this desperate girlfriend trying to "serious up" her relationship by talking about it to everyone. Guess what, babe, going on to the press ain't the way to do it. And just when things were dying down, you managed to single-handedly resurrect the scandal PLUS add the marvelous stupidity of your comments about Ruby. Yeah, she's a skank, but YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT IT. Get it? Whatever it is you have or don't have with Gav, you are massively cheapening it by a) doing that interview, and b) now posting on here, blasting Ruby AGAIN.
You're probably going to self-destruct your relationship if you don't learn to keep your mouth shut.
I'm guessing you're still going to check in here because you seem like that kind of person, made happy by seeing things written about her. Probably not too happy by most of these comments but you'll probably come back because you want to see if people side with you.
I don't give a crap about what you can and can't afford - why the heck are you talking about what clothes you can afford??? Oh waaaa, don't you know that truly stylish women can look good no matter what their budget?
"i shouldn't even be writing this but i hate the press" Jen, sweetie, darling, you need to learn to SHUT UP.
Yo, Gav, I have a really cute friend who is smart, beautiful, and DISCREET, for when you ditch this Stanford Simpleton, k?
Wait, you're a skank, too, never mind.
Doors of Perception-From the comments of others, I am not only person that thinks that you're full of shit and probably some untalented City Hall hack/underling (probably a discipline of Peter Ragone no less). Don't worry though-I am sure that you will enjoy a long successful run as the assistant director of the Board of Health, which is where untalented people like you end up anyway. My vulgarity seems to be a mere reflection of Mayor Newsom and Ms. Siebel's behavior. Lack of kindness for Mrs. Tourk hardly begets kindness for Ms. Siebel and Mayor Newsom. As for free speech, defamation is not protected speech and what Ms. Siebel did constitued slander per se. Secondly, this scenarion is not comparable to the Clinton siutation: has Newsom lied under oath about having an affair with intern? Perhaps as a political hack from the Newsom camp, you are privy to some inside info that would make this comparable to the Clinton scandal. If so, then 1) please share and 2) you would be the one burying Newsom after Ms. Siebel has dug his grave. The fair readers of sfist.com are also still waiting for details of your marriage since you're so adamant about demanding Mr. Tourk to condemn his own wife in public.
Does Gavin Newsom have an idiot fetish?
What's so sad is that she's another victim of this predatory liar.
Not that she exhibits any signs of being able to stop and think, but if so, consider this:
If it was only "nothing incidents" and ruby was both "passed out" and the "culprit" (interesting juxtaposition, but ok....) why would he risk his career on her? hm? if she was really so unstable and it meant so little to him...
Or maybe, does it make more sense that perhaps he's the man scorned? That she left him for -- surprise!!: Alex, a very obvious better choice, after the newness and shine wore off of Gavin? He got dumped not only for the husband, but his own deputy? Ouch. Thought he had that one in the bag.
Why is he depressed, despondent and reeling? And dating a semi- resemblant, pretty, though not all the way there version of the stunning Ms Tourk?
Think, people.
Wow. What an incredible mess. But then again, people--even people in political office--are messy.
What troubles me most about the exchanges are the allegations of rape, which are highly, highly irresponsible.
Jennifer Siebel clearly spoke out of turn, but her comments amount to hearsay, and all she says is that the woman was drunk and at Newsom's door, not that they had sex at that time.
Truly, the ugliest part of this whole mess is the vitriol surrounding it. I'm willing to bet that all involved parties are pretty decent people who have (all) made some very stupid decisions recently.
just out of curiosity, what about this situation makes you think everyone's basically decent? They all look a little disturbed to me.
Newsom and Tourk had an affair. People do that kind of shit, all the time. Tourk had an admitted substance abuse problem at the time, which tends to impair one's judgment. Newsom, too, has some issues with alcohol, whether or not he is an alcoholic--and that will of course also make for impaired judgment.
Look around at your friends. Surely you know of a few who have made less-than-stellar decisions during stressful periods in their lives, particularly when alcohol or other substances were involved. I certainly know them. I myself AM one.
But my life isn't under the microscope of the press. My stupid mistakes affect only me, my family and the people we love.
Truly, I don't see any of this as evidence of deeply flawed character, only simple human messiness played out on a very public stage.
I do agree it's gotten out of hand with the rape allegations. I've read it through, and the assumption of rape / date rape never came up.
Eh, I need an editor. Truly I do.
I think we were talking about human messiness until the last couple of days and now we're getting into deeply flawed character territory.
The people involved were content to let sleeping dogs lie but Ms Siebel slandered her way across the media landscape, adding details that do not illuminate, only provoke.
I guess when she checks into Promises for anger / envy management issues it will all be about "human messiness" instead of sick, freakish, and yes, deeply flawed human behavior.
The deconstruction of Jennifer's quotes to the media and online posts buy right into the b.s. Can't you tell she's trying to be honest and not just use "PR" recommended soundbites? Have you ever been in line of fire with the media? Ruby is being coached by a PR person to stay quiet and use this publicity as an opportunity to further her career. Jennifer is being slammed after spending her entire life working hard and trying to do good. (no, I don't know Jennifer). But I do know that it isn't Jennifer who has had multiple affairs while married. Get a life people.
As I recall there is a Pro Basketball Player, [ name escapes me], whose wife stated some time ago that he gets one free pass per yr.
Gee I hope for Gavin's sake Jennifer will be as understanding in year ten as she is now.
class and breeding will always tell. beauty is superficial, but stupidity, malice and moral vacuity are quintessential.
ok, you don't know/ aren't Jennifer, and she hasn't had multiple affairs while married, but why make that public about Ruby Tourk? Is she obsessed with her? Or just really really dumb?
Folks,
Decent folks like you are all wise, all knowing, and without a fleck of skank dirtying up your clean, pressed, white collars. Some folks like to engage in a little catty snarky snark every now and then, while other folks seem to thrive off of being bad, bad, bad little children (folks). Gavin and Ruby were bad folks, who not only betrayed a folk very close to them, but apparently could be involved in a little "uh-oh!" with the City's cha-ching!
That's folked up, but that should be the only issue that concerns us.
Instead, we have many angry folks (what they're angry about - I don't know. Starbuck getting killed off?) dogging Gavin's girlfolk for not being poor, intelligent, or compassionate enough.
But really, I think that's all a ruse by some folks to disguise their own shortcomings because A.) they CAN'T be digging wells in Africa while furiously typing out missives against Jennifer Siebel B.) their OWN posts are full of grammatical errors and incomplete thoughts and C.) they've never appeared on film or in print - not even when their best friend (folk) photographed them lying in a pool of their own folkpuke and posted it to MySpace for all of their high school friends to see.
Once again, the good folks of San Francisco are proving how provincial and, ahem, rustic they can be; literally jumping up and down on their LaZeeBoys like a bunch of purple-assed baboons screaming profanities at someone who actually has achieved a few things in life...
...as opposed to be just a bored folker.
Whoa! That's some pedestal you're standing on there, Person.
Look, is it naive-bordering on stupid to think that, when speaking to a reporter, what you say is somehow magically NOT going to be reported? You betcha. But (and I say this as a former newspaper reporter) it happens ALL THE TIME. In fact, it's more common than not, and that's what we count on when we're doing interviews. This is why people who are going to be in the public eye take serious "media training" courses. Because keeping one's mouth shut doesn't actually come naturally to most people. (I can't tell you how many frantic calls I've fielded from interviewees BEGGING me not to print what they just told me, and my line was, if it wasn't news and it wasn't relevant to the story but would only serve to make them look like idiots or lose them their job, I usually took it out.)
The Chron reporter made a different choice and one I think is fairly questionable. Siebel compounded the damage by posting here, but that just proves my point. Real, normal people have a really hard time shutting up. And when they talk, they tend to say dumb, out-of-context stuff without thinking, and when you do that in a public forum, you're in trouble.
There's a very good reason why defense lawyers discourage their clients from taking the stand, even if they're innocent. Because once you start, it's hard to stop, because people say inconsistent things, stupid things, and then make it worse trying to explain themselves.
Nothing new happened here. Siebel spoke out of turn, the Chron reported it, and Siebel tried (stupidly) to defend herself.
That's it. No character flaws, just very poor judgment.
Ms. Siebel was clearly in over her head when she spoke to the Chronicle reporter (and perhaps a tad out out of her mind when she succumbed to the urge to post her POV on this not-so-friendly blog). At this point, she has paid dearly for her well-intentioned witlessness and should really be left alone.
It seems to me that Ms. Rippey-Tourk has handled this entire situation with as much class as one could muster under such circumstances. She has had the painful misfortune of seeing a very private confession parlayed into a media circus. It is to her credit that she has not responded with disparaging remarks about anyone. She has taken responsibility for her past actions. Now she should be left alone and allowed to focus on her future.
As for Mr. Newsom's taste in women, you can't say he doesn't have an appreciation for women who speak their mind.
LiveandLetLive almost irks me more than Ms. Seibel's wannabe ParisHiltonness (hates publicity - check out her website!) PUL-LEEZ.
But back to PR-Gal: This is San Francisco. A lot of us have saved bees from pools (and aren't catty to humans), a lot of us have worked in Africa (and really worked in Africa - not at one of these froofy conservation programs rich kids go to claim the "aid worker" title), a LOT of us have had great educations (and don't say stupid things repeatedly ).
Maybe our claws come out when our intelligence and ability to detect BS is underestimated?
Hi Jen and Gav
Weel about Ruby, every time we saw her in the various campaigns in the HQs she seemed to wear Alex and then her son like a LV handbag.
Not much love coming out of the ice blond, not sure if it she is a real blnd, but if she is then all the blond jokes make sense, woops sorry Jen.
Jen it takes 2 to Tango and 3 to make a menage a trois. It really is none of your biziness, but kudos for standing up for Gavster. The Board are really giving him a hard time. Envy Envy Envy everywhere.
So why didn't my wife get the job at City Hall?
Ciao
Much Love the Boobies
Ana, you've proven the point - Ruby's PR coaching has won the day.
I completely agree with the former newspaper reporter, and unless you've been interviewed, you have no clue. And Kevin, you hit the nail on the head about the ugly postings here. Jealousy? What drives people to spew such venom and cynicism just because someone didn't tow the "PR" line as effectively as others and has a few grammatical errors in her writings? Jennifer hasn't committed any crimes. Did Jennifer submit false timecards for her past positions?
Yes, this is San Francisco. If this were a serious town nobody would give two shits about this story.
"A few nothing incidents where she showed up passed out in front of his door?"
Wow. Jennifer, you have done what I would have previously thought impossible - you've actually made me question whether or not I will vote for Newsom again.
A consensual affair is one thing, and not something I'm particularly concerned about. But I really don't want to think about my mayor having sex with passed out chicks. Not the kind of guy I want running my city and not the kind of image I needed to start my morning.
Thanks a lot.
it's the part where she gossips about the ruby y gavin relationship, which she probably only learned about through second-hand knowledge (innuendo at best)then reiterates it as common knowledge among "those in the know."...sheesh! She sure sounds like a paranoid, juvenile, woman-bashing, jealous, publicity-hounding bigot.
I know about these Marin / SF elitists, rich, small-private schools, wealthy vacations to Africa, huge houses, wine country estates, Tahoe pads, SUVs, art-collecting, wine tasting spoiled rich kids who have never had to have a real job in there lives...they have the time and money to save the world..or to be an actor.
Jen- get a real job and shut your trap.
Gavin - I think you were better off with the Xanu Hubbard lady.
My fave part of Lori Stern's post was the childish Internet rhetoric of have any of you ever [blah blah blah]?...I didn't think so. I mean that's about as sophisticated a persuasion technique as asphinctersayswhat?
Add in the I've never posted before and never will again with two followups and at least one trumpeting their departure, and it's Classic Outrage Newb. Sigh.
Uh, don't they teach grammar at Stanford? Wow! Instead of disparaging others Ms. Seibel should be spending her free time in remedial english.
Yeah, that's the thing. Aside from the fact that this post is just more proof of Gavin's propensity for dating dumb women (which is irritating, but which I don't really factor into his success as a mayor) for me, the really disturbing part about her post is that it's likely Newsom is the one who gave her the impression it was a "few nothing incidents" where Ruby was passed out.
And I mean, if that's his own interpretation of what went on there, I'm a lot more inclined to question his judgment and his fitness to be mayor than I was before.
I'm taking a stand here: I LIKED the houndstooth jacket.
CloseObserver, you write like one who has first-hand knowledge.
The relationship between the press and the people they report on is a strange one, and it always has been. It's a big game of "Gotcha!", and it has always been flawed and tricky and rife with self-interest on both sides of the fence, which is why I quit.
The "Gotcha!" game is only important when we're talking about real news--events or decisions that affect the public interest. The Newsom-Tourk affair fails to pass that test.
Remember a couple of months ago when Newsom got angry with a TV reporter for asking him about showing up tipsy to an event? He was right to get angry. It was an obviously sensational, invasive question, and Newsom rightly didn't dignify it with an answer.
Now, if Newsom shows up tipsy to a Board Meeting? Whole 'nother story, and fair game. But the press has morphed into some horrible E! Hollywood nightmare version of itself, and this is the result.
This is San Francisco. A lot of us have saved bees from pools (and aren't catty to humans)
What? Have you read this thread? This town is as petty and little and nasty as the rest of them, despite its residents' propensity for self-congratulation.
Hey, Ana -
Do you know something we don't? You note, "It seems to me that Ms. Rippey-Tourk has handled this entire situation with as much class...It is to her credit that she has not responded with disparaging remarks about anyone. She has taken responsibility for her past actions...."
How do you know any of this is true, unless you are Ruby herself?
Seriously, how do you know any of this? I'm not sticking up for the Bee Catcher here, but you are really swallowing the PR "be quiet" recommendation hook, line and sinker, unless you have more information than we do....
Getting back to the resume section on Infiltration that post #87 SF Equire pointed out. HMMM....makes me wonder who Jen is working for....scientology, conservative party, Delancey street...or a group even more sinister?
. Infiltrate It
" Why pursue such a challenging career at this point in your life? My answer: THEY'RE ALL connected. Arts, politics, humanitarianism, the environment, poverty alleviation, global peace, homelessness, education, etc…they are all intertwined. Hollywood has A VOICE. It has a very powerful voice. Is it the smartest, most informed, purest voice? Certainly not. But its’ voice resonates throughout the world through modern technology and global distribution systems. It AFFECTS and INFLUENCES our mindsets and actions every day. If one can’t beat it, WHY NOT INFLITRATE IT. It’s just another means to an end."
Why so much hatin'? These two black widows have more in common than they might realize...blond, man-eaters, notches on Great Leader's bed post...Jen and Ruby also share another trait: Both have a set of loose lips. The only difference being that Jen's are on her face...
Newsom has proven that he lacks the judgement to be mayor.
The only "gotcha" relationship going on between Newsom and the Chronicle is "gotcha back covered with puff pieces, Gavster, now make with the entitlements for us or else we cover your administration for real"
i agree with ana. Hank, where have you been? if you've followed the story, ruby tourk is the only one in this mess who has refused to make any public comment. wouldn't you be tempted to defend yourself publicly if press and girlfriend were slamming you? i agree that ruby's choice to have an affair with her husband's boss is pretty low, but i think ruby's silence has served her well.
I would not crucify so harshly this woman. She is just in love with her man. Give a peace. Yes, she said some things, but jeez people, you are not very inspiring yourselves either.
Most of you are just very american morons. haha
Who needs Peter "Baloney" Ragone when you've got a mouthpiece like JS?
IMO-All this drunken/stoned/mayor/girlfriend/kimono crap is all smoke. The REAL issue is what a crappy mayor Gavin Newsome is. He's a total wanker and he we're not supposed to notice what a mess the city is in because he's "good looking" and has girl probs.
A real mayor would address the plague of murders in the city, the disfunctional public transportation, the disintegrating roads, a decent wireless system, following his staff recommendations on "healthy saturdays", fixing the planning and building inspection departments, well, and all the other f*cked up city departments (could MTA be any more disfunctional?).
An actual relationship with the Supes would be a good start. Meanwhile, we can only pray that Baloney Ragone will perform as well on the re-election campaign as he did in the Mayor's office, and Gavin and his regime will be history. I never thought that anyone could make Willie Brown look good, or at least, better.
Did Ms. Siebel use poor judgement in speaking to the press and posting here? Yes. Does she need to hire a better flack? Probably.
But unless we suddenly find out she was responsible for premeditated murder I don't think she deserves the public cyber-stoning she's getting here.
joliejean + ana = Ruby Tourk and/or her PR person
Ok, everyone, Jen apologized. It was on the news, it referenced the original article and her post here. She said she's sorry. Let's let this thing go.
Y'all don't mind if I plug my soon to be published morality tale?
Title:
"The Lights On in the Mayor's Office and It's 2 a.m."
Synopsis:
Newsom, The Mayor, is the protagonist. A well educated, likeable guy,tall, neck a bit too long which gives him a kind of vulnerability both physically and figuratively. The story plays off his naiveté for aggressive, publicity seeking young women and his own desire for publicity. He mistakenly believes publicity, rather than hard work, is what will launch him into the governorship and evetually the Presidency.
The lead women are desparetely in love with his fame, although the first wife, Kimberly G. clearly thinks she can do better and flies off into the New York sunrise. This next one, a girl named Jen, hatches a plan that can give her what she wants--stardom in Hollywood--and Gavin what he wants--unparalleled celebrity in the political world.
The two hope that then, with this unparalled fame they can reach high offices and bring their love of wine and Africa to the common people and make the world a better place to live.
The scheme at first develops as planned but begins to founder when the SF Bloggers discover the pair's true motives through a news story covered by the Chron.
Newsom struggles with unanticipated feelings of regret and a desire to start working because thre's a lot of hungry, poorly cared for people in the city of SF and he has to see them once a year when he drives through their hoods in his limo (kind of like Buddha's early travels when he was still a prince). And shit them bloggers are mean! It's looking like his guilt may obstruct his ability to avail himself of Jen's gift of publicity . . .
The author, Burpy Rip Tea, deftly navigates the complexities and irony of such moral treachery in this stirring novel. Soon to be published by Maxim.
kimberly....love it. That's what I was trying to say!
Kimberley,
Maxim though?? This is a friggin' movie. I got it, Tom Cruise can play Gavin and Katie can play Jen (with cameos by the real Jen and Gavin).
hmm...just a thought. It's a shark feedin' time.
if ms. siebel has personal knowledge that the mayor was having sex with unconscious/incapacitated women, let's subpoena her before a grand jury and see if there's enough here to get a rape indictment.
Sorry, but this dialog won't stop simply because some Newson flak demands it, but rather after it's played out. Assuming Jennifer doesn't post another missive here and rekindle the flames.
Her personal website is a revelation of sorts, for it provides a glimpse into the person she wants the world to see. What do I see in her bio, resume, gallery, reel, etc? Someone who has led a very sheltered life, who has never had to use or develop their intellect or moral compass to survive and succeed in this dog eat dog world. All those long, badly written sentences about chique environmentalism sound insincere, artificial, contrived, unimpressive. Perhaps a long vacation in the south of France is in order.
Hello, Hank E!
You could be right about a PR "clam it" order (and no, I'm not Ms. Rippey-Tourk--though I happen to think she has a novel-worthy name and I wouldn't mind looking like her!). From what I've read between the lines, it appears (to me, anyway) that Ms. Rippey-Tourk was doing the private & direct amends part (aka Step 9) of a recovery program when she told her husband what she had done. Then Mr. Tourk did what he had to do and that's how we all know about it.
Addicts that have enough guts to make it through Step 9 are usually dead-serious about their recovery--they're using all of the strength they have to be honest, take responsibility for their actions (past, present and future) and move forward with their lives.
It is my hope and belief that this is what Ms. Rippey-Tourk is and should be doing in lieu of badmouthing ill-tempered commentators or selling her story to People.
Ana
A message for Gavin--"Loose lips sink ships". Look at the mess she is making of your career. Another message for Gavin--"LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS".
In the words of Gary Radnich "NOBODY CARES!!!!!!!""""
Well, obviously people do care...because they're posting here.
Correction...IF this were spun better, no one would care. But Siebel's doing a pretty good job of unspinning the whole thing. Making what at first sounded like a consensual affair now sound like date rape is not really too helpful. And I say this as a (possibly former?) fan of the Gavster.
For the record, I have been a long-time fan of the mayor, for his policy innovation and practical ideas.
I reserve judgement at this point in time as to whether or not he is an effective mayor. However, this affair threw down some SERIOUS red flags about what kind of husband/father he will be, and if this is what Ms. Siebel is interested in (not clear) she'd better think long and hard.
This woman was a) his campaign manager/close friend's wife, b) suffering from a serious substance abuse problem, and c) the mother of a 6-month old infant left with whom while she jaunted off to snort cocaine and pursue Gavin?
The fact that he could get it up for Ruby (made even worse by the details posted above about potential rape scenario) signals serious character flaws and should scare the heck out of his current girlfriend.
here's yer bible verse for today:
"like a gold ring at the end of a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion."
proverbs 11:22
Call it a conspiracy theory, drama or real life..but for those of you out there who need a recap of the situation, there is a storm brewing in SF over the fallout from our Mayor, Gavin N. and his extra-marital affair with his secretary, Ruby Tourk, who is married to Gavin's ex-campaign manager, Alex Tourk. Along comes Jen Siebel (related to founder of Siebel Systems, who is on the board of Stanford, Jen's alma-matter). Jen is an aspiring actress, who believes in infiltrating Hollywood, and infiltrating any person, group or community in order to get her wishes of stardom. So she hooks up with the Mayor and begins a publicity-stunt gone terribly wrong. The director of her latest movie and her publicist suggest she gives a SF Chronicle reporter an interview to promote the movie. Instead the reporter quizzes her over the sex-scandal where Jen blames the victim (or to paraphrase her words..there was a drunk girl passed out in front of the Mayor's door and he had heart). The following day the SF bloggers came out in force, bemoaning her cruel insensitivity to the Ruby Tourk, who Jen calls the culprit. Jen responds to the blog with a crass tone, again blaming Ruby Tourk for this whole mess and Gavin as the victim. The story made the front page of the paper and several local television stations covered the story and Jen's blog response. This is the beginning of a terrific Hollywood saga, complete with sex, rehab, infidelity, loyalty issues, Delancey Street and politics among other themes. The Hollywood version should focus on Jen, a rich-grown up kid, who has never really worked a real job, but enjoys traveling to Africa and drinking fine wines and Gavin, a good-looking adulterer with a penchant for attractive young girls and expenisive wines, who periodically takes advantage of the young girls when they are drunk and alone.
Check out Kimberley's post #173...compelling shit...ain't it?
I suggest Tom Cruise plays Gavin, Katie plays Jen, with real cameos by the real Jen and Gavin. This saga is not over yet. Stay tuned to worldofmoss.blogspot.com for following, breaking news.
Jen's time would be better spent improving her knowledge of grammar.
Jen's time would be better spent improving her knowledge of grammar.
Oh for fuck's sake people, stop throwing rape accusations around. It's dumber than a bag of bricks and totally unwarranted.
See what I mean about people saying (and repeating) stupid stupid stupid stuff?
Anyone else see the irony in the 'Join Mayor Gavin Newsom' ad posted by Google at the top of this blog?
ah screw it
To hmmm: It's not an accusation anyone here made, it's basically what Siebel herself said. Whether it really happened that way or not, the fact that this is how the mayor's girlfriend seems to think it happened is disturbing.
I think she should keep her hands off Mayor McHottie and leave him for the rest of us.
Jennifer's version of how things happened is quite suspect considering the fact that she did not know Newsom at the time of the affair. It does appear that she is parroting his dismissive private view of the events. If, this is in fact, what he says privately, it is very disturbing. He is not the contrite man he appears to be.
Can I vote to not have her represent women's issues please? Scary that that's her pet cause.
If you want some hard core women't issues, ask Ruby. Married, child, sexual harrasser/ predatory boss. And now facing slander by another woman!
While rape may be too strong a word, it's definitely not cool to take advantage of someone (especially an employee) while they're drunk.
The problems with Jen's statements to the press and here, is that they've opened up a whole lot of questions about the affair.
Did Gavin care about Ruby? From Jen's accounts it sounds like he doesn't, but he may have played down his true feelings, not a bad strategy with a new flame.
Had Gavin been drinking heavily the night Ruby showed. Oddly enough, if Gavin was as wasted as she was, it somewhat lets him off the hook, taking advantage wise.
It may be naive or unrealistic but I think most people want their public servants to have it together in their personal lives. Who they hang around with and what they do with their free time reflects who they are as a person.
While it must be really difficult at times to live in a goldfish bowl, especially if you're single, we are the company we keep.
Well, it would serve S.F. right if these two stars married each other and became the dymanic duo for all you "folks". Just think of the possibilities for spending your tax dollars these two could dream up...they're endless...in fact, I'm laughing right now thinking about it...
dynamic..my brain was laughing and not focusing on my crappy copy editing skills..
Maybe she could start a well-digging brigade for the poor in the Tenderloin or Hunters Point...I'm sure the water table is quite low over there and wouldn't require much man-power...
Gavin's life is an inane soap opera and he has dragged the entire city of San Francisco into it. Isn't it clear how vacant and foolish these people are?
We're trying to lead America by example in our efforts to end the war and global warming. But our Mayor and his court undermine any credibility that this city might have in the eyes of the rest of the country.
Who still takes Gavin seriously? It's what I always ask myself about that last 30% of Americans that still think Bush is doing a great job. Wake up people our mayor is an embarassment and right now, so is our city.
Siebel said no such thing. She implied that Tourk showed up at Newsom's house very drunk (hearsay)a handful of times during their affair. That's all she says.
Again, it is highly highly irresponsible (and talk about slanderous) to continue to suggest that a serious crime was committed. No one posting here--including Siebel--knows any such thing.
Rape is NOT "too strong a word" for "taking advantage of someone while they are drunk." "Taking advantage of" is the euphemism for rape. SOmeone posted the legal definition above, which includes having intercourse with someone who is incapacitated by drugs, alcohol, or for any other reason and unable to issue legal consent to such activity.
That said, we do NOT know what happened between Newsom and Tourk, and speculation based on Jen's regrettable comments here doesn't do anyone any good. If Tourk hasn't made such an accusation, then no one should make it for her.
I wanna get back to Jen's comment, "It's not like I haven't given him tough love at times over this."
Jen - do you care to explain yourself here? What type of tough love did you dole out?
Was it kinky, tie-me up, rough love? Or...was it whispering in his ear about what a bad, bad boy he has been?
Jennifer is the real deal and you need to give her a break. She is kind-hearted and generous, and it's those qualities which make her the genuine person she is, which unfortunately opens her up for this unfair scrutiny. We criticize those people in the press who seem to rehearsed but we don't make any allowances for anyone who is real, either. She has worked hard for everything she has accomplished, and earned every bit on her own merit. You can make presumptions that she got into Stanford by family connections alone, but then why did she get acceptance offers from every top university in the country? She chose Stanford for undergrad and business school because it is the Bay Area where she grew up and loves. So maybe it's time for the Bay Area to recognize that she's not the villian here and give her a little love back...
I am mainly dissapointed by this whole scandal because of possible political impact it can have in the future for this country and those who will use it as finger pointing at San Francisco values. I am quite happy that women are coming to more power. And this is not helpful. I expected much more integrity from our mayor. What a dumb mistake.
Thanks for sharing Jennifer. pretty funny!
She's not 32, people! She's 34 and acts like she's 17. The PR machine must be going nuts trying to spin this one for the mayor. I grew up in the Bay Area and I used to admire this girl but now I just pity her. How can someone with such a good education be so naive?
Some things never seem to change
Kids still call each other names
Should get better but it's sad and strange
Every insult still the same
Growing up in small town hell
They bide their time to forget about
Take a swing with a bat and then wait
By the school gates
All this pushing and shouting
When you don't know where the love is
And human kindness
Where are you going to find it
Where are you going to find it
-Lyrics roughly plucked from Tracey Thorn song, 'A-Z'
One of Jen's comments from her interview.... "Women throw themselves at Gavin. What girl wouldn't want to be with him in San Francisco?..."
Uh...girls that don't live in the Marina.
And why did Jen keep mentioning George Clooney during her interview? Clearly she wants everyone to know that they dated. I'm surprised she didn't throw in "What girl wouldn't want to be with George in LA?"
Thanks for the bad poetry.
Re George Clooney -- You watch. He has the sense God gave him, and you can bet he will have NO COMMENT to the media about Jennifer Siebel, or his previous relationship with her.
Stop bashing someone who's only fault has been to naively think that she could trust the news to speak the "truth". This is just a typical "Chronicle bashing" interview that has now maliciously involved an innocent party in this vicious circus we call the "news". Jen is a smart, generous, caring individual who has never done anything in her life to deserve this kind of attack. Two people are to blame here...bottom line. Neither one is Jen Siebel. Gavin has admitted, apologized and moved on graciously, and so should Alex Tourk. This issue is NOT about Jen's schooling, or acting, or her being a girls girl or not, it's an issue of two people who made one HUGE mistake which the media continues to exploit. There has been more news about this, than the war in Iraq. Shame on us.
Jen is an intelligent, level headed, gracious person who got wrapped up in something she has nothing to do with, yet feels passionately about. Who would stand back and let their loved one be bashed or misinterpreted without trying to protect them?? I think any person who has any sort of integrity and courage would try and speak out to protect the ones they love. Just because some things got misconstrued, does not make Jen the villain here. She is an innocent victim in all of this, just like Mr. Tourk. I say, good for her for standing up for the person she loves. It shows that she is a person with a back bone who would stand by anyone she knows and loves.
Siebels website list other interviews done with other media outlets so please stop the inexperienced and taken advantage bent...."the only one not being guided by a PR specialist" Yeah, her best friend is doing it for free so she is not being handled. (Ruby Tourk said nothing so why does she need a PR handler?)(And Ruby Tourk confessed to the husband because the word was getting out and she felt that it'd be best to come from her instead of sending the poor guy in to City Hall to be embarrased behind his back every day.
The name dropping of Clooney and Wilsey and Uncle Siebel also is what makes most folks skeptical of her "up from the bootstraps" claims of her friends.
And why protest it? Are you not supposed to start a production company just because a few million from a billianaire uncle is easy to get? Was Gavin not supposed to take a share of the retail conglomerate that Getty funded and named him chief of staff on?
10 bucks says Gavin has already dumped Siebel but now has to quietly pretend that it had nothing to do with this mess. And Siebel is so embarrased she will fade away scorned and probably dying to take back the positive comments she made about Gavin because of her insecurity/ego.
But why did Gavin take the hit on the Alcohol? Some might say he did this only because he knew the cocaine accusations would be coming so it was wise to pre-empt it. Now we've even got the not sure I am an alcoholic "just think I'd be better off without it" (Talk about going out on a limb)
Expect to see Gavin back out drinking "in moderation" soon.
And in reality....this is all pretty much ado about nothing in the grand scheme. Gavin has the job not because he is the best man for it but because he was the guy that they could get elected. Who is they? They are the real people who run this town. SF is a town of the old guard rich and Gavin is just a lackey anyway.
two bleach blonde sluts, & a rich, over-privileged yuppie who can't keep his dick in his pants. Look around; they sort of DO represent what San Francisco has become in the new century.
Gavin honey, you're right, who are any of us to throw stones at you or at Atherton's patron saint of drowning bees?
We ought to be throwing them at ourselves for electing another of this small town's self-appointed ruling class from the shallow end of the gene pool. We can't expect actual self-examination, real regret or a thoughtful apology from such self-involved automatons. Go back to making money for the Gettys, Gavin, pretend that "Falstaff" is art, that you're a tea-totaler, whatever it takes. Just don't imagine that those of us who call you on your shit are 'haters' or in any way envious of what you are or have. Coupled up with the over-privileged embicile JenJen, you have exactly what you so richly deserve.
The point about this all being a "morality tale"--what we are all doing here is letting the newspaper and REAL people become our actors in dramas. It's great to discuss morality, and worthiness of public officials, and there's lots of comedy and drama and real concerns about the mayor's too public life and bad choices, but these are real people and this "discussion" is way out of line.
I wouldn't want this poor girl to be so hurt by all of this she does something awful to herself. Who hasn't made a shameful mistake they are lucky enough to keep private?
This is like a public beheading . . . only in the non-accountable, anonymous virtual realm...or like MySpace and anonymous teenagers who spread mean rumors about others. Having posted anonymously to a blog for the first time today, I can tell you I won't be doing it again. It's cowardly. Not to defend her, but Jen is the only one who signed her real name.
Re Comment #15:"i am turning that google alert off so don't expect to hear from me again" Jennifer MUST keep Google Alert ON and set to her own name! How else will she know Kelly Pfleger is leaving Don Johnson to rescue old beau Gavin?!!!
[211] Posted by: Gena | March 13, 2007 12:48 PM "... Two people are to blame here...bottom line. Neither one is Jen Siebel. Gavin has admitted, apologized and moved on graciously, and so should Alex Tourk."
Um - earth to Gena - Alex Tourk DID move on. He resigned, and he's been wise enough to keep his mouth shut in public about the issue. Your friend Jen hasn't been so wise. It's really none of her business... if as Gavin's girlfriend she wants to PRIVATELY console him for whatever, that is her business - publicly speculating about someone she probably never met - Tourk - is just bad breeding, and even worse PR. She's hardly an "innocent victim" here - no one came after her - she stuck her own foot in her mouth instead of saying "No Comment." Isn't "No Comment" the first thing they teach you in Starlet School?
Okay, there are so many MARINA stereotypes out there about Marina Girls and this Marina Girl for 10 Years can say with absolute certainty that she Does Not Want to be with Gavin!!!
Reasons:
1. I like my privacy
2. I like drinking wine at parties
3. I am not terribly political
4. I would not want to be through what Jen Siebel just went through
Go Bears!
when you have to preface your comments with "I shouldn't say this," then you probably shouldn't say this.
"Girlfriend, uninterrupted" - good title for her article in the SF Chron. Girlfriend, you've just been interrupted, in a bad bad way. The funniest part about it is she thinks they're in love! HAH!! I saw with my own 2 eyes him mac'n on a 22 year old at the opening of a restaurant in Napa. By the end of the night they were leaning against the bar (well she was leaning back against the bar and he was basically on top of her) kissing. I am talking all out, full blown make out session - Jennifer and he have something in common - they're both super classy. But actually, you know what Jennifer.. Now that I think about it, what I witnessed that night was Gavin being completely vicitmized by this young attractive girl, you are so right, he was helpless, she just totally took advantage and man handled him! He was so helpless that he walked her back to his hotel room that night :) PS - this was in Decemeber, prettttyyyy sure you two were dating. That's ok though, I am sure he picked you up the next evening to have you attend some holiday parties with him. You just keep sticking by your wonderful man girlfriend : )
As a taxpayer, I am less concerned about whether Jenn is/isn't an airhead, or Ruby is/isn't a skank--though, admittedly, this has been most entertaining. I wish SOMEONE will actually get to the bottom of Ruby's bogus "catastrophic illness" paid leave.
HAHA!!
Marina Girl That Does Not Want To Be With Gavin:
You TOTALLY proved a Marina stereotype!
Your reasons:
>1. I like my privacy
OK, good reason
>2. I like drinking wine at parties
MARINA GIRL!!! And selfish, too. If your BF realized he had an alcohol problem, couldn't you alter your lifestyle to support him?
>3. I am not terribly political
MARINA GIRL!!! People like you allow 30% of the population decide who gets elected.
>4. I would not want to be through what Jen Siebel just went through
MARINA GIRL!!! You're identifying more with an over-privileged actress than with the terrified SF public that has to deal with a shallow mayor with poor judgement.
And MARINA GIRL, why wasn't the following reason on your list:
1. He's a mimbo with one failed marriage under his belt already, a friend's tattered marriage to go with it, and can't show up to any event without some idiot tartlet on his arm.
And to the posters who keep using this blue blood train wreck to judge all San Franciscans, please understand that most of the city is not some socialite den, that there are lots of blue collar families, artists, small business owners (a lot of them immigrants), activists, and students here who can only imagine a life where your biggest problem is what you said to an entertainment reporter.
And yes, SF is relatively small, so these things can truly impact us. If we still don't have free wi-fi because of this debacle then I'm gonna be PISSED!
The Mayor's actions in this affair are indefensible. That's a given. Alix Rosenthal's post said it all.
However:
People who say goodbye, or "I'm going away now and not going to listen to you anymore," in a penultimate paragraph need to be spanked.
So does anyone who has graduated from any sort of university and would still write (or say):
"I just wish her the best in her recovery and marriage and I just wish that she would leave Gavin and I alone and stop causing all of this drama and gossip," (from the SFGate article describing her apology). Yes, let's ALL leave she alone!
The best education money can buy apparently can't teach native speakers to know and understand English usage. Leland Stanford Junior College rules!
"Ruby threw herself at poor Gavin, and being the spineless gem that he is just couldn't stop himself"
What a display of sterling logic for a big city mayor's potential mate--defending arrogance at its finest--and in addition, she possesses those great humanitarian skills of bumblebee-saving, African well-digging and a classless mouth..she has the common touch!
Not even The Branson School, Stanford and money can erase stupidity.
Ruby's rehab = abortion?
The number of people who've written in to insist "everybody does it" - coupled with the mayor's 70% approval rating - just gives voice to how many true scumbags there are in San Francisco.
It's no wonder the likes of Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly, have so much fun with this town.
Gavin: quit - now. It's the only classy thing left for you to do, Man. You f*cked up - really, really, bad. No matter how you try to spin it - even in the best of settings - every day your face is out there, you just remind us of that primping loser, Xerses, in "300".
Stop the bleeding. Now.
This whole situation is hilarious. I mean, Jennifer Siebel is right. Gavin Newsom is a great mayor if you're a sheltered, white, upper middle class princess who has never faced adversity of any kind, excluding, of course, being properly castigated on a website for being stupid and/or psycho enough to interject her ill formed opinion where her handlers should have warned her not to. Newsom has proven himself particularly adept at being completely incapable of relating to anything that occurs in San Francisco outside of the Marina and Pacific Heights. Seeing as that's undoubtedly the world in which this unfortunate Siebel creature resides, it makes perfect sense that she thinks he's "all that." This is just further emphasized by the absurd defense that's been posted here repeatedly by her indignant sorority sisters, each of whom seems to be devoid of, oh, I don't know, common decency, taste, morals, or values of any kind. Jennifer Siebel is the sweetest girl in the world who had to work extra hard to be more beautiful than anyone at school, get picked first for every round of field hockey, and prove that she's smarter than everyone else around her while, my personal favorite, saving bees from drowning? Well, bully for Jennifer Siebel! Relevance? She can be Mother Teresa spliced with Princess Diana and still be a complete mental retard. Thus far, based upon the completely tasteless comments she made to the Comical, followed by the bizarre, rambling, frequently incoherent excuse she offered here, she has gone a very long way in convincing me that's exactly what she is. I mean, she "loves him"? They've been dating for what? A week?! God spare me the empty headed heart aches of the bourgeoisie.
Gavin Newsom is a joke. Unfortunately, the majority of this city's population is an even bigger joke as demonstrated by their unwavering approval of this completely inept man who has done practically nothing to improve life in San Francisco for anyone since he took office. You want San Francisco values? Value #1 - style wins out over substance every single time. It's been repeatedly proven by the Mayor with his tacky, egomaniacal actions and it is being reinforced here with the insipid defense being offered by Jennifer Siebel's shallow, sheltered, and completely clueless girlfriends.
whats most interesting about the payements is that it has been reported that Alex Tourk was the one who questioned and recomended that his wife be given them?
Which is interesting in that he brought a lawyer to his resignation meeting with Newsome and worked out a severance plan that proved to be also illegal (to be paid out of Newsom's campaign fund)
Now Newsom is paying Tourk directly out of pocket.
The conclusion is Newsom will play fast and loose with the loopholes when it comes to cash (other peoples cash)
Who know's maybe people think Newsome is an easy shakedown? Or Newsome just beleives in the cost of doing business as he is clearly millions ahead in dollars and in social political prestige.
At worst Gavin will get at least $2 million for a book and for sure be backed financially in another SF retail/restaurant business. If not being welcomed back in to Plumjack after his "rsignation" due to rules about elected officials in private sector business conflict/ethics laws.
I didn't know about Jennifer Siebel until she dated Gavin Newsom. I didn't even know she was an actress. Good luck to her with that. In terms of this ordeal, I'm really disappointed in her comments. I also feel sorry for her because she comes off as really dumb--- the quintessential ditz. At a local bookstore in the east bay I heard a couple talking about how "Mr. Newsom needs to move on before the next Siebel gaffe." Either that or she gets an agent (or a better agent) pronto. Jennifer has this illustrious list of achievements that seem almost inconceivable coming from the very same person who made such disparaging, classless, crass, and naive remarks about the Ms. Tourke. Jennifer, two to tango. You have done a lot in your life so make up for this verbal debacle by thinking before you talk from now on and ditching the air of self importance and grandiosity. And one more thing: Yes, Gavin is a hot mayor and many men and women want him. But don't talk about this - it's so tacky!!!
I can't believe these are San Franciscans, people who pride themselves on being open-minded. So we ignore the circumstances of people's births, skin and hair color as long as they're not blonde with wealthy parents? I'm neither, but I think this is so unbalanced and illustrates much more about the poster's resentment than it does about a woman who has every right to tell us to take a closer look at "the other woman."
Jennifer didn't murder anyone, and she didn't take her family's wealth and flaunt it in clubs. She went to Africa. But her trip to Africa wasn't hard enough for some of you? So what? She didn't cheat on her husband, nor did she take pay she wasn't entitled to. Why are so many of you making assumptions about her admission to school (aka Bush). And deconstructing her website, please. Who cares what she writes on her website? What does that have to do with San Francisco's problems?
Wow. This really is an awesome thread.
Re: Stop bashing someone who's only fault has been to naively think that she could trust the news to speak the "truth". This is just a typical "Chronicle bashing" interview that has now maliciously involved an innocent party in this vicious circus we call the "news".... Two people are to blame here...bottom line. Neither one is Jen Siebel.
......
Ever hear of the phrase, "discretion is the better part of valour"? By speaking the "truth" Jen has done some real damage, not only to Ruby, but her husband Alex, Gavin and probably most of all, Jen herself.
Publicly trashing someone who is going through the painful and difficult process of getting clean and getting their act together, is neither classy, diginified nor compassionate. The more her friends defend her actions, the more it's clear that Jen doesn't feel remorse or get how unkind and destructive her behavior was.
Jen's comments were rambling but heartfelt (or perhaps I am confusing heartfelt with the lower case letters at the beginning of every sentence in her post). But she's not running for office. My S.O. would defend me if I were criticized. Why don't all of you holier than thou types get a life and leave her alone?
SFist should really thank the Chronicle for today's article-- I'm sure the number of hits grew tenfold today.
One analysis of the Newsom/Tourk drama that I haven't seen anywhere yet concerns the actual content of Mr. Tourk's great work for the beloved mayor and former-supervisor--specifically the fact that Tourk was the mastermind of SF's local welfare reform, "Care Not Cash."
Remember that? CNC cut cash assistance to welfare recipients while trumpeting the idea that "services" would replace direct cash. Those of us opposed to the law pointed out the basic fact that the law would not actually fund or create ANY new services whatsoever. Instead, after convincing the electorate that this was a humane solution to homelessness, we got "Project Homeless Connect." Ask anyone who actually provides services to real homeless people, and they'll tell you the PHC is basically a massive PR campaign for already-existing services. Thanks for nothing, jerks. But special thanks to the Chronicle's Kevin Fagen, for his frequent sappy, "heart-wrenching" mega-series of articles about how wonderful every new Newsom homelessness initiative is....
What does this have to do with the sex scandal? Simple: Many of us involved in SF politics have known for years that Newsom, Tourk, Ragone, et al, have ZERO PRINCIPLES. They are liars in the vein of the most stereotypical cliche of dishonest politicians. That one would betray another should neither surprise us, nor elicit the slightest sympathy.
since city business is ignored, who else are we supposed to snark on?
This is San Francisco. A lot of us have saved bees from pools (and aren't catty to humans)
I just wanted to post this again.
This place is a fuckin' high school cafeteria.
Wolf Blitzer on CNN just did a piece on SFist and the Siebel blog.
Kevin, thank you. Sasha and Jane, so if a poster uses folks he’s automatically the Mayor or from his office? Oh, I also use broad for female, which makes me Ed Asner.
I’m not the Mayor, nor did I vote for him.
But this is the sort of comment I see from a few folks. I guess neither of you got the point: that in 2007, people blog. People respond. You don’t need the media as a filter. Nor do you need the Mayor’s office as your backing. You can do it as an individual: how clever of us to have our own computers! Jennifer did. I did. That master’s degree sure came in handy.
Whether or not you both agree with what we said is one matter, but at least you heard from the person, as Kimberly above stated. She signed her real name, as did I.
I thought Americans wanted politics without the PR-guided machine and the political correctness. That transparency was demanded.
Well, folks, you got it. But now it seems you don’t want it, because of what was unleashed above against Jennifer for stating an opinion.
Heck, maybe we can’t handle it yet. The PR departments, tabloids and trash weeklies that we say we dislike for their warping of the truth will still be in business for a long time yet. We seem to prefer getting humanity from them.