H-1B VISAS - The Plight Of The American Worker

H-1B visas are giving life to the catchphrase “you’re fired” ironically originated by Donald Trump on the Celebrity Apprentice. Why is it ironic? Well, the Donald was just a celebrity when he coined the phrase and now he is the U.S. President fighting to revive the American workforce and protect Americans from such abuses as the loophole in Immigration Law exploited via the H-1B visa.

In The Navy You Can Sail The Seven Seas

Criminal Hackers Wanted By The FBI

Four individuals—two Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers and two criminal hackers—have been charged by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California in connection with one of the largest cyber intrusions in U.S. history, which compromised the information of at least 500 million Yahoo accounts.

One of the criminal hackers was arrested yesterday by Canadian authorities. The two FSB officers and the second hacker, last known to have been in Russia, are currently fugitives wanted by the FBI.  

The indictments were announced today by U.S. Department of Justice Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord, FBI Executive Assistant Director Paul Abbate, and Northern District of California U.S. Attorney Brian Stretch during a press conference in Washington, D.C.

The FSB is an intelligence and law enforcement agency of the Russian Federation, and it’s believed that the two FSB officers work in an FSB unit that serves as the FBI’s point of contact in Moscow on cyber crime matters. According to McCord, “The involvement and direction of FSB officers with law enforcement responsibilities make this conduct that much more egregious—there are no free passes for foreign state-sponsored criminal behavior.”

According to the indictment, from about April 2014 up to at least December 2016, FSB officers Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin directed this cyber intrusion conspiracy—which involved malicious files and software tools being downloaded onto Yahoo’s network—that resulted in the compromise of that network and the theft of subscriber information from at least 500 million accounts. This stolen information was then used to obtain unauthorized access to the contents of accounts at Yahoo, Google, and other webmail providers.

The indictment says that Dokuchaev and Sushchin paid, directed, and protected two known criminal hackers who took part in the scheme—Alexsey Belan, a Russian national and resident, and Karim Baratov, born in Kazakhstan and a naturalized Canadian citizen and resident. Belan, who has been indicted twice in the U.S. in the past for cyber-related crimes, is currently on the FBI’s Cyber’s Most Wanted list and is the subject of a Red Notice for Interpol nations, which includes Russia.

The information stolen from the 500 million user accounts came from Yahoo’s proprietary user data base, which contained information such as users’ names, recovery e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and certain information needed to manually create account authentication web browser cookies.

What were the alleged perpetrators after? In part, they used access to Yahoo’s networks to identify and access accounts of possible interest to the FSB, including those of Russian journalists, U.S. and Russian government officials, and employees of U.S., Russian, and other providers whose networks the conspirators sought to exploit. Additional victim accounts belonged to private sector employees of financial, transportation, and other types of companies.                                                                                                                    
However, the co-conspirators were not above using the information they stole for personal financial gain. For example, Belan allegedly searched Yahoo user communications for credit card and gift card account numbers. He also leveraged the contact lists obtained from at least 30 million Yahoo accounts to perpetrate his own spam scheme. 

Computer intrusions, by their very nature, are international in scope, so they require an international effort to unmask the worldwide hacking networks responsible for them. And this case was no different. Abbate expressed the Bureau’s gratitude to our international partners for their assistance and support leading up to these criminal charges today—specifically mentioning the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Toronto Police Service, and the United Kingdom’s MI5.

Another important aspect of this case involved the victim companies—including Yahoo and Google—coming forward and working with law enforcement. This collaboration ultimately resulted in countering the malicious activities of state actors and bringing criminals to justice. It also illustrates that the FBI can successfully work these kinds of investigations with victim companies while respecting the various concerns and considerations businesses might have about the impact of going public.

“This is a highly complicated investigation of a very complex threat,” said Abbate. “It underscores the value of early, proactive engagement and cooperation between the private sector and the government.”                  

Among the FBI’s major investigative priorities are to protect the U.S. against foreign intelligence operations and espionage and to protect the U.S. against cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes. This case involved both. And it doesn’t matter to us whether the perpetrators of such crimes are run-of-the-mill criminals or sophisticated foreign states and their agents. With the help of our partners here and/or abroad, we will identify those responsible and hold them accountable for their actions.

* Source of official information in this posting is the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

UCLA Bruin Pride

My collegiate roots. Be true to your school.

#CHANELGroundControl

I am a fashionista and a Chanel girl. Enjoy this film of the Fall-Winter 2017/2018 Ready-to-Wear show presented by Karl Lagerfeld at the Grand Palais.

The Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall-Winter 2017 Fashion Show Live

I have been obsessed with Louis Vuitton for years. Here is the Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall-Winter 2017 Fashion Show by Nicolas Ghesquière from the Cour Marly at the Louvre...

24K Magic At The Bank Nightclub At Bellagio

Bruno Mars is an excellent performer and he is coming to my spot on March 11, 2017. See you there and "don't look too hard might hurt ya'self." Hilarious! 

Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall-Winter 2017 Fashion Show

Countdown to the Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall-Winter 2017 Fashion Show in Paris, France. The show will be on Facebook Live Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 6:30 PM (Paris Time) from the Cour Marly inside the Musée du Louvre.

I love haute couture and my Louis Vuitton!

Officer Keith Wayne Boyer End Of Watch

My father was a sergeant in the military police in the Latin American Armed Forces. Additionally, I have a family member who is currently a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. And I have countless friends, ex-boyfriends and former lovers who are police officers. Police officers risk their lives every day against seemingly insurmountable obstacles for our safety and security. All honor, dignity and respect to Officer Keith Wayne Boyer who was killed in the line of duty on 2-20-2017 by a career criminal.

I Am Who I Am By Chanel

Prada Fall/Winter; Fashion Week In Milan, Italy

Gold's Gym Founder Joe Gold

To my friend Joe Gold, resting in heaven, thanks for the special memories and lifetime gym membership you gave me after I 'accidentally' dropped a bowl of oatmeal over Arnold Schwarzenegger's bestie Alan Wurtzel's head at Napolean on Main Street. You laughed about that for at least a month. Thank you for giving me your own personal World's Gym sweatshirts, holes and all, that I keep now as mementos in memory of you. Thank you for letting me open that Dom Perignon that Arnold gave you one year on your birthday and for not kicking me and Lee Priest out of the gym... LOL. And most of all, thank you for sharing all of the stories of the history of the two most famous gyms of all... Gold's Gym Venice and World Gym Santa Monica where the most incredible bodies in the world were built, shaped and chiseled one workout at a time. 

I miss you "darling"...

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

Always Stay Humble And Kind...

Thank you to Tim McGraw for spreading love, peace and positivity with his song Humble And Kind at a time when the world seems to be spinning in a vortex of ignorance, hatred, chaos and negativity. Not long ago my friend Molly asked me “Jacqi, what do you want for Christmas?” My answer was immediate and simple. I said “peace.” I did not know what a significant and profound statement that was at the time.  

And yes, I love me a cowboy! 

BMW RLL 2017 Drivers Lineup

BMW RLL announces the drivers lineup for 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

by Horatiu Boeriu

In 2017, BMW Team RLL will again be represented by two BMW M6 GTLMs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). Bill Auberlen (US) and John Edwards (US) will be the regular drivers from the USA next season. They will be joined by two new team-mates from Europe: in 2017, Auberlen will start alongside Alexander Sims (GB), whose fine performances in this season included overall victory for the ROWE Racing team with the BMW M6 GT3 at the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps (BE).

At the wheel of the second BMW M6 GTLM, BMW works driver Martin Tomczyk (DE) will join Edwards for the GTLM class races. The quartet will be supported by DTM drivers Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler, as well as Kuno Wittmer (CA) and Nick Catsburg (NL) for the endurance races on the calendar. Auberlen, Sims, Farfus and Spengler will also share driving duties in the BMW M6 GTLM Art Car for the 24 Hours of Daytona (US) on 28^th/29^th January 2017, a car designed by US artist John Baldessari.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “We are looking forward to an exciting second season with the BMW M6 GTLM in North America. Of course, our goal is to record the first win with this car. Competing with the 19^th BMW Art Car in Daytona will be a real highlight to start the year off. I’d like to thank Dirk Werner and Lucas Luhr for their hard work last season – and now it’s time to welcome Alexander Sims and Martin Tomczyk. I am convinced that they will both settle in very quickly at BMW Team RLL and will soon be successful. I wish Dirk all the best in his new sporting challenges. We have been delighted to have him on board since 2010. He impressed us with his speed, his professionalism and his down-to-earth nature.”

Carson Kressley - Hasta La Vista Baby!

Carson Kressley got the guillotine last night on the New Celebrity Apprentice for jacking up a task as project manager for team Prima wherein the contestants were tasked with competing against each other to sell the most select exercise equipment live on QVC from Muscle Beach in Venice, CA.

The teams initially convened at my old stomping ground Gold's Gym Venice to receive instructions for the task.

Carson Kressley was my favorite. He is just so charismatic and hilarious dressed up all stylish like a living doll. And when he said last night that he had a small crush on my buddy advisor Patrick Knapp Schwarzenneger I was rolling.

Carson, hasta la vista baby!!!

Bend It Like Beckham

A few years ago I stopped at a Starbucks on my way to work and saw a fabulous Bentley with blacked out windows going through the drive thru. I was curious as to who was behind the wheel so I waited until the driver opened the window to see who was placing an order. And damn if it wasn't David Beckham in the flesh looking very special on his way to work for the L.A. Galaxy. Nice. Very nice!

Here he is in British Vogue with his son Brooklyn at the launch of Kent & Curwen's latest collection at London Fashion Week Men's on January 8, 2017.

Inspirational Words By Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold using the power of social media to spread a positive message; in his charming Austrian accent, of course. I like it so much I am giving him my platform for my global audience.

Please study this quote from Lincoln's inaugural, @realDonaldTrump. It inspired me every day I was Governor, and I hope it inspires you. pic.twitter.com/QRoOFTZfQ9

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) January 6, 2017

Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger, The Hollywood Reporter and The New Celebrity Apprentice

Below is an article and Q & A with my buddy Patrick Knapp by The Hollywood Reporter. I am so proud of Patrick. He has developed into a fine person and dedicated attorney. How cool that I was there at his Beverly Hills law firm now Bloom, Hergott, et al. (then Bloom, Dekom, et al.) working side by side with him on various projects (some for his uncle Arnold; some for Stallone) when he was a junior lawyer fresh out of the USC Gould School of Law. There were times when our boss senior partner Jake Bloom would bellow out to his assistants Danny and Vi “get Jacqi and get Patrick” and then give us a project and tell us to work on it together. And I don’t want to say we were clueless at the time but we were both new to the entertainment law game and learning. Okay, maybe we were both deer in headlights but we were smart enough to figure things out. Ha ha!  I wrote about it in a posting directed to Patrick of July 13, 2011: http://jacqibone.blogspot.com/2011/07/patrick-knapp-arnold-schwarzeneggers.html that was and still is popular all over the world. Patrick’s uncle Arnold did a great job molding Patrick into the man he is today. 

Like I said Patrick, thanks for paying me back the five bucks you borrowed to buy food off that catering truck that time. I don't know what was funnier, a catering truck on Rodeo Drive or Arnold's nephew borrowing money off little ole me. Hilarious!

Here is the article…

January 02, 2017 9:00pm PT by Ashley Cullins

Meet the Hollywood Lawyer on 'The New Celebrity Apprentice' (Q&A)

Hollywood action hero and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger began his run as the boss on The New Celebrity Apprentice Monday night — and he's doing it with the help of his nephew.

Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger is one of the Governator's advisors this season, and he's no stranger to Hollywood. The German-born USC law alumnus is a partner at noted entertainment firm Bloom Hergott, where his uncle is a longtime client.

The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Knapp Schwarzenegger before the holidays to find out how and why he decided to enter the world of reality television after decades of deal making behind the scenes.

When did you know you wanted to become an attorney, and why?

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to become the first in our immediate family to attend graduate school. As an economics and political science major at UCLA, I learned that many of the individuals who had a profound impact on our history and society were lawyers: Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and any number of U.S. presidents to just name a few. I also had a few successful lawyer friends who I looked up to and who would tell me all about what it is like to be a lawyer. So the legal profession always really impressed me. And I am quite analytical by nature, so the torturous and cerebral law school training was a perfect fit. It would provide me with the skill set to strengthen my intellectual stamina and give me the confidence to tackle a competitive marketplace — particularly competitive and intimidating for a young immigrant with English as a second or third language.

What have been the highlights of your legal career up to this point?

Becoming a partner at Bloom Hergott in 2003 certainly is one of them. We are probably the best known entertainment law firm in the world, which has shaped the entertainment industry for decades, so I take great pride in that. We represent a lot of the biggest talent in show business, and over the 21 years I have practiced law I have worked on deals and projects which have entertained billions of people around the world. I love when people in Brazil, China or Germany tell me how much they enjoyed Fast and Furious 7, Karate Kid, National Treasure or Terminator 5, and I know I contributed to that. And I of course also consider it a major highlight to be joining Arnold Schwarzenegger’s New Celebrity Apprentice boardroom as an advisor along with Tyra Banks, Warren Buffet, Jessica Alba, Leeza Gibbons and Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Why did you want to serve as an advisor on The New Celebrity Apprentice?

I have always been big fan of Celebrity Apprentice. It is super entertaining and raises so much money for charity. It has raised over $15 million so far, and there really is no other show like this. So I was very excited about Arnold taking over the show and, once we concluded Arnold’s deal, NBC and Mark Burnett started looking into possible boardroom advisors. The emphasis was on giving the boardroom a sense of authenticity, so it would feel like Arnold’s boardroom. They wanted to have someone from Arnold’s actual team in the boardroom, and I was very honored when I was asked to come on board as an advisor. Being in front of the camera had never before crossed my mind. As a talent attorney I am always the behind-the-scenes power broker, protecting and negotiating the best deals for my clients. To join The New Celebrity Apprentice and share the stage with talent I would ordinarily represent was new and exciting.

What were you most looking forward to as part of your work on the show?

Meeting some of our contestants and boardroom advisors, for sure. I grew up with Motley Crue and Culture Club in Europe in the '80s, so meeting Vince Neil and Boy George and seeing them actually collaborating on a music task was really something. I had also watched a few of the fights and interviews of UFC standout Chael Sonnen and four-time world champion boxer Laila Ali, so I was thrilled to meet them as well. During the day the other advisors and I would check in on the teams to see how they were doing on their tasks, and that gave us a great opportunity to interact with all the contestants. But my favorite part was definitely the boardroom. We had some very tough boardroom decisions, which created not only great suspense and drama but also great comedy. And, surprisingly, I actually felt so comfortable in the boardroom that many times I would completely forget about all the cameras around us. It was so similar to the dynamics we lawyers and talent representatives encounter in actual real-life boardroom negotiations.

What were the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenge was probably fitting the shoot in with my already very busy law firm job. I made it clear to the network and production that I would only consider becoming an advisor if it does not interfere with my law practice. You don’t want to tell your clients that you cannot attend to their deals because you are busy shooting a reality show. Fortunately the show was moved from NYC to L.A. So we shot everything here, and production was absolutely amazing accommodating my schedule, and I was able to do both seamlessly. The only thing which suffered was my personal life, as I barely saw my wife and four little kids during the production period, and I have to applaud my wife, Bliss, for being such a trooper.

Have you learned anything from the experience that you can apply to your law practice?

I learned a lot. Take on new challenges and take yourself out of your comfort zone. You will feel your heart pounding again, the way I felt it the night before our first shoot day and the way I felt it in the past during the bar exam or that first important meeting with a studio head as a junior associate. Also seeing athletes and entertainers like Jon Lovitz, Vince Neil, Porsha Williams, Snooki Nicole, Boy George, Carrie Keagan, Eric Dickerson, Carson Kressley, and so on in action confirmed to me how business-savvy they are and that it is not a coincidence that they have managed to turn themselves into very successful and valuable brands and businesses. And, finally, I learned a lot about what makes people and teams succeed. Of course you need individual talent, effort, perseverance, etc. But in a team context you also need great leadership, someone who can rally his or her team and can create great teamwork, which allows everyone to play to their strengths. And unless someone sets the right goals and direction, you miss your target. All of the above applies as well to our law practice and to any other business, family, sports team, endeavor, society, country, etc.

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger Tonight On The New Celebrity Apprentice

Be sure to watch my friend and former colleague Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger tonight on the season premiere of The New Celebrity Apprentice to see which celebrity is the first to get TERMINATED by his uncle Arnold; the original gangster Terminator. The show airs at 8 PM PST on NBC.

Looking good Patrick!!!

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

The Good Life In 2017

New Year’s Day is such a spiritual day for me.  It is the day after I’ve reflected on the events of the past year in contemplation of what is to come. It is the moment when my life is a blank canvas and, notwithstanding destiny, I have the power of choice over my actions to chart the course of the year to come.

As you are reading this, remember that life has a beginning and an end. Do not waste one precious moment of your life. Go out and make it count.

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

To The Owner Of My Heart

To All The Lovers In The World

When love penetrates your soul…

WWE Superstar John Cena and Pro Bodybuilder Lee Priest

I have been close friends with professional bodybuilder Lee Priest for a very long time. He is such a unique, outspoken person and our friendship has always been effortless. We use to have so much fun at World Gym in Venice and otherwise. I was just chatting with him last night (U.S to Australia); having that awesome connection we’ve always had. Here he is with my celebrity crush WWE Superstar John Cena. I love you Lee!

Arnold Schwarzenegger Is The Boss In The 2017 New Celebrity Apprentice

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FLANKED BY TYRA BANKS AND PATRICK KNAPP

I am sure you’ve heard by now that The Donald’s successor on the hit show Celebrity Apprentice is the charismatic Arnold Schwarzenegger. Serving as advisers to Arnold will be his nephew (my former colleague) Patrick Knapp, Warren Buffet, Tyra Banks, Jessica Alba and Steve Ballmer (former CEO of Microsoft and current owner of the L.A. Clippers). And by the way, my posting to Patrick of July 13, 2011 on this blog is by far the most popular posting being viewed incessantly all over the world.

The celebrity cast is as follows:

Laila Ali - retired boxing world champion and daughter of Muhammad Ali

Brooke Burke-Charvet - actress, TV host and CEO of ModernMom.com

Eric Dickerson - pro football hall of fame running back

Boy George - Grammy-winning singer

Matt Iseman - America Ninja Warrior host

Carrie Keagan -  actress, writer and former host of VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live with Carrie Keagan

Carson Kressley - Emmy-winning reality TV fixture and celebrity stylist

Lisa Leslie - 4-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion

Jon Lovitz - comedian and former Saturday Night Live star

Vince Neil - lead vocalist of Mötley Crüe

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi - former star of Jersey Shore

Kyle Richards - actress and star The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Chael Sonnen - former UFC fighter and mixed martial artist

Porsha Williams - singer and star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta

Ricky Williams - Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Texas and ESPN sports analyst

Carnie Wilson - singer and member of Wilson Phillips

Khloe Kardashian's Revenge Body

I am all about self empowerment and Khloe Kardashian is knocking it out of the park by using a negative issue in her life (i.e., her life long issues with weight) as motivation to fuel success. In her upcoming new TV show she shares her experiences, techniques and resources to help others facing the same and similar issues of low self-esteem caused by internal and external sources of pain. Khloe's motto "turn haters into motivators" is a mutated version of my motto which is pain is a great motivator. Rock on Khloe.

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

Rebel With A Cause

Does the status quo evoke provocative feelings in you? For most people, the answer is an overwhelming yes. Is your life imperfect? Did something happen to you that is not right? Be a warrior and rebel against your circumstances no matter how insurmountable they may seem. Do something constructive to effectuate a change.

Don't be a victim; be victorious. This song is for you.

DJ Asaf Borgore In L.A.

I received an email blast from DJ Asaf Borgore that was so funny and creative I decided to give him some attention on my global platform. Here he is with Kylie Jenner. How cute is Kylie. 

September 15, 2016

911: In Memoriam Of The Fallen

Statham Police Officer Run Over By Suspect During Traffic Stop

The dash cam footage in this Fox 5 news story of a suspect violently resisting Statham Police Officer Marc Lofton then, while evading, callously running over his legs with her car is so graphic and outrageous. This scene exemplifies the dangers of police work and why police officers need our prayers and support. Thank God this lady was apprehended and put in jail. For family, loved ones and friends of police officers, these types of incidents are up close and personal.