“CAN I CALL YOU JOE?” Great line! Savvy Republican Vice Presidential nominee Alaska Governor SARAH PALIN, in folksy manner, asked the question of Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee SENATOR JOE BIDEN in their much anticipated Debate last Thursday evening.

Well no one knew what to expect from Governor Palin after hearing her gaffes in two earlier interviews, most times shielded from the media, but her performance was lively. HIGH FIVES in her unabashed performance. DELIGHTFUL PERSONALITY. “I want you to know who I am! “Now we know! She definitely let her hair down! Hey, under different circumstances would like to see her excel BUT NOT TO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!

I like Senator Biden who played his role - experienced, confident, cool, careful not to make Ms. Sarah feel male assassinated! Biden works in Washington but NOT an insider - far from it! Evenings Joe catches the last train from Washington home to his family in Delaware - HE GETS IT! Always liked his hardball style, but during the Debate showed passion for the plight of the hardworking lunch box carrying laborers in the construction industry, steel mills, auto industry, railroad workers , farmers, and others who commute daily to their jobs - men who work hard to put food on the table for their families! WOMEN as well, many single parents!

SIDEBAR - several years ago I spent a week in ALASKA - Anchorage and Fairbanks, during the famous IDITAROD Sled DOG races but didn’t learn a lot about the people, folksy like Governor Palin, but liked both towns; perhaps one day will return.

After the VP Debate, THE PIT BULL IS ON THE LOOSE, LIPSTICK AND ALL! Ms. SARAH, feeling bold, confident, embolden off her PERSONAL success in the debate felt she can take on Obama with vicious SMEAR attacks against his character, trying to drag him down in the voters eyes! I don’t like what is going on with the campaign and Obama forced to counter attack! At the time of this writing THE MAVERICK SENATOR McCAIN WAS LOSING IN THE POLLS! DESPERATE!!!

IT’S ABOUT THE ECONOMY STUPID!!! GOD help us if the Republican ticket wins!!! THESE ARE SCARY TIMES! THE BAILOUT DID NOT PROTECT homeowners strapped in foreclosures who have lost their homes, some on the verge; loss of jobs! The WAR IN IRAQ SUCKED MONEY FROM THE HOME FRONT! Victims of HURRICANE KATRINA, NOW IKE - people suffering who have lost everything - KATRINA VICTIMS STILL WAITING FOR HELP!!! In these times of ECONOMIC STRESS THE FAT CATS OF WALL STREET CLEANED OUT THE CUPBOARD, MAIN STREET LEFT HOLDING THE BAG OF CRUMBS!

LOOKS LIKE THE JUICE HAS RUN OUT OF JUICE!!! The LAST time I saw football great O.J. SIMPSON was the day of his mother EUNICE SIMPSON’s funeral November 16, 2001, at Evergreen Baptist Church in San Francisco’s Bayview District on Third Street. In the congregation were AL COLLINS, OJ’S old school POSSE - PASTOR JOSIAH “JOE” BELL, REV. CALVIN TENNYSON, REV. GEORGE LEE. Everyone was glad to see OJ at the REPAST held at Southeast Center community room; picture-taking, hugs with seniors who remembered him...THE STAR WAS HOME!

Later gathered with the family at sister CARMILITA SIMPSON DURIO’S home in the Ingleside area of the City. OJ was upbeat, joked, ate a healthy plate of SOUL FOOD. Teased me when telling others “WATCH WHAT YOU SAY - SHE’LL WRITE IT!!!”

Mrs. Simpson called me “HER REPORTER” while Carmilita called me “THE FAMILY REPORTER”. This writer is HAPPY Mrs. Simpson did not live to see what happened in LAS VEGAS last September when OJ and other characters bust through a casino hotel room; and the drama in that LAS VEGAS courtroom last Friday, IRONICALLY 13 years to the date, October 3, 1995 when O.J. was ACQUITTED of killing his wife NICOLE SIMPSON and RON GOLDMAN, to hear those famous words declared by late Defense Attorney JOHNNIE COCHRAN “IF IT DOESN’T FIT YOU MUST ACQUIT!!!” NOT THIS TIME!

As you’ve read or heard, the Las Vegas JURY found the Heisman Trophy winner and National Football League Hall of Fame inductee, O.J. SIMPSON GUILTY of armed robbery and kidnapping and 10 other counts!!! Handcuffed, led to jail! Sentencing December 5. HE MAY NEVER enjoy the outside life again as a free man, time to reflect over his life, ALL he had were memories and his memobilias which he said were STOLEN from him!!!

Watched some of the proceedings on COURT TV. midday FRIDAY caught the Jury’s verdict on CNN when I came home late that evening, O.J. looked sad, dazed perhaps scared, not knowing what the verdict would be. When heard he looked blank, unemotional, turned to look behind him where his sister Carmilita and others sat. Saw her wheeled out in a wheelchair. It was said she FAINTED when the judgment was read! ( FLASHBACK - so many times we saw Eunice wheeled in out of the courtroom during the FIRST trial)!

As opposed to 13 years ago, NO ONE CARED!!! OJ No longer a TV REALITY DRAMA! SAD to look at a man who once had it all! Born in San Francisco where the start of his fame on the football field began! The Simpson family lives were INTERRUPTED the night that horrible call came O.J. accused of killing his wife Nicole and a friend RON GOLDMAN. The CAR CHASE ON THE LA FREEWAY, the thought he would commit SUICIDE! The start of a nightmare!

I met Nicole years ago in the 80s when OJ hosted a 75th birthday celebration (October 23 date of her birthday) for his mother at The Sheraton Palace Hotel on Market/Montgomery; his buddy AL COLLINS was there. SO happened I was the lone newspaper writer on the scene, invited PERSONALLY by the family - THUS my destiny with the events to follow years later. Captured many photos that evening; one OJ leaning down to kiss EUNICE, selected by JET MAGAZINE as PHOTO OF THE WEEK!

BRIEFLY...my acquaintance with CARMILITA SIMPSON, came about when occasionally tailgating with her and friends at Candlestick during the 49ers games, the time OJ returned to the NINERS - traded from Buffalo Bills, (PRIOR to BILL WALSH, DeBartolo, Montana ) a time when the team was not winning, high hopes OJ would make a difference, put the team in the win column, not to be! My friendship with the Simpsons continued. Wrote often about the family in this column then featured in the Sun Reporter Newspaper. ESPECIALLY about Eunice, a mother’s pain!!!

Sisters Shirley Simpson-Baker and Carmilita (both in the courtroom daily during the first trial) with their respective families moved up north - near Sacramento. The Simpson family STILL going through so much around OJ...PAINFULLY THEY CARE!!! AND I CARE FOR THEM!

EARLIER that day, Friday, spent several hours at RASSELAS on FILLMORE JAZZ Club and Restaurant - too long off the scene, enjoyed conversations, delicious Ethiopian food and a brief hello to drummer BILL NORWOOD setting up for the 9 o’clock show - by then the front lounge packed!

Enjoyed in depth conversation with one of my favorite people WADE “SPEEDY” WOODS, Editor, SF POST Newspaper, reflecting on past history of the Fillmore. Speedy, as he’s affectionately called, is a longtime community activist, born and raised in the City;...Musician EARL DAVIS, sharp as all get out, shared he’s no longer performing in the spotlight at 1300...CHARLES SPENCER, owner of the legendary CHICAGO BARBERSHOP across the street from Rasselas is attempting to SELL the business - an institution at the spot for many years!!! Hated to hear that for BLACKS are losing a foothold in the Fillmore area, where once Black-owned businesses thrived!;....

BIG CONGRATULATION HUG to SUNCERRAY HUDSON who is looking forward to her NEW POSITION with the University of California at San Francisco, where she’s been employed for 24 years! She will be working BI-COASTAL managing the business affairs of a successful research unit! GOOD NEWS
in these times of hearing about folks losing their jobs!; You would have thought JB - JULIUS BANKS, lost his WALLET when causing a commotion looking for his OBAMA BADGE...NEVER found it, but once he quieted down, introduced two ladies in his company - NIA WAGNER AND FRANCES NEWBURN.

SHORT TAKES - SUNDAY out at the ‘STICK ...”STEVE YOUNG’S DAY”! NINERS LOST to the New England Patriots 30-21! ALL ABOUT THE NINERS DEFENSE!!! BUT QB O’SULLIVAN threw 3-TDS, showed some improvement in his game getting out of the POCKET BEFORE BEING SACKED!!! HALFTIME Celebrated the RETIRING OF Hall of Fame 49er QB STEVE YOUNG’S No. 8 JERSEY.

SPEAKING ABOUT SPORTS - MAD AS ALL GET OUT MONDAY, missed all the Baseball Play-off games, AND Monday night football due to digital TV cable problems!!! Took me OFF MY GAME, Almost didn’t file a column this week, scrambled and RAMBLED, IT’S WHAT IT IS!!!

HEY, IT’S NICE TO BE NICE AND TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE...LOOK FOR ME...I'LL BE THERE...
E-MAIL Rochelle at iheard@earthlink.net