Was the “Mel Gibson tape” redone?
The following image is a screen shot of a generic, music sound file. It is not the Mel Gibson vocal, audio file for the tape that has been in the media for the past several days. A vocal file has clusters of peaks and valleys with more white space in between “sounds.”
I’m not a bona fide audio engineer, however I’ve been way down in the bottoms of audio files and I know what can be done with a few strokes of a computer keyboard or mouse. I’m going to weigh in on the Mel Gibson tapes.
When I first heard the tapes I thought that he sounded like an animal in a trap, screaming in vain, not fully cognizant of the fact that he is trapped in the futility of trying to best a vindictive? woman.
Now I’m wondering (after hearing more of the tape) if the tape was edited. I’m thinking: is it possible that someone removed Oksana Grigoriev’s dialogue from the tape (either by erasure or by just lowering the volume handles,) re-recorded her “part” then mixed it into the original audio file containing gibson’s voice? In other words “a mixed overdub.”
Is it also possible that Grigoriev’s words were provocative on a (the original) sound track which was later altered to present a softer speaking voice (and words) which were more defensive than provocative?
It’s not that tough to do. Nor would it be that tough to find someone who could do it, especially in Hollywood. There seems to be just too much difference in the sound quality of the two voices. I realize that the difference could be due to the microphone’s close proximity to Grigoriev.
There’s just something about the woman’s (too) calm, collected, easy manner of speaking that doesn’t ring true. If I’m totally wrong I apologize to the woman.
July 14, 2010
Open Letter to Sean Penn from Maria Conchita Alonso
The following story was culled from a Zimbio.com post.
Written by Jake on Mar-29-10 1:21pm
Maria Conchita Alonso at Rally for Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup press conference at Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. (May 24, 2010 - Photo by Photo Agency)
Maria Conchita Alonso, an actress best known for her work in movies such as The Running Man, has written an open letter to Sean Penn, asking Penn to stop supporting Hugo Chavez. Alonso, who is Venezuelan, castigates Penn for supporting a man she considers to be a dictator.
She brings up a number of points, including elections she considers rigged, Chavez’s cult of personality, and Chavez’s nationalization of many industries.
The full letter can be read below:
Dear Sean, WHY?
Even though I have great respect for your artistic talent, I was appalled by a recent television interview where you vigorously showed support for the regime of Hugo Chavez. Therefore, I’ve decided to set the record straight for you regarding the Chavez regime, supporting my case based not only on my political ideologies, but on proven facts you choose to ignore. Otherwise, I believe your position would be different.
Being born in Cuba, a country where freedom of speech is non-existent, it’s startling to observe how Venezuela, where I was happily raised, is fast becoming Cuba’s mirror image: Dismantling of fundamental democratic rights deserved by its people and citizens of the world.
For example, you said that all Chavez-winning elections in Venezuela were “transparent.”
Then WHY didn’t the government allow a manual recount of the votes and computer information when doubt set in? After all, how do you explain how these votes that were strongly favoring the opposition mysteriously reflected the opposite results the morning after, thus permitting Chavez to continue on? On what are you basing your conclusions? I strongly recommend that you read a report by the U.S. State Department written in 2009 entitled “The Fraudulent Elections in Venezuela”.
We live in a Republic comprised of three autonomous branches of government: Supreme Court, Congress and Executive, thus, a true democracy. Then WHY do you accept violations by part of the government of Venezuela to ignore its Constitution whereby one man, military-educated Chavez, controls all branches of government? His military background is revealed by his philosophy: “I order, you obey and if you disagree you’re a traitor to the country.” And your voice is silenced along with the ability of freethinking. Did you know solely the government controls 92% of media communications?
You’ve strongly criticized your own governments’ overspending and corruption, whereby the budget for We the people never ends up in the hands of those who need it most. Then WHY do you support a government with over $100 million in oil revenue that has 71% poverty? Or don’t you know that corruption is so rampant that the rightfully deserving poor never sees a “red cent”? In addition, the fact is that Chavez gives away millions of dollars; belonging to the Venezuelan people, to other countries in order to build a false sense of philanthropy of a man whose self-proclaiming ego is blinded by power behind a communist Cuban-style revolution, expanding such regime.
We live in the U.S.A., the land of opportunity to do and say what we desire, respecting dissenting points of view, of course and without reprisals. Then WHY do you defend a government whose stronghold upon its people is so oppressive that a big price is paid for exercising freedom of speech: Persecutions, closing of radio and television stations, jail…and even death?
You are fortunate enough to live in a country where you can buy property and claim it as your own to do whatever you want with it. Then WHY do you promote the interests of a government that violates the Constitution by hindering the possibility of development: Land, industries, commerce, communications companies, foreign investment opportunities, financial institutions and private property? This is an everyday scenario in Venezuela.
Then WHY haven’t you informed yourself on these facts by reading Venezuelan and international newspapers exposing thousands of cases?
Given your sense of community and respect for all people, I think you would defend the security of the citizens in your country. Then WHY do you validate a government that has converted Venezuela into the second most dangerous country in the world, where impunity is above 90% and its people live in a constant state of stress and fear of getting killed? Many wonder if this situation isn’t but a diabolic strategy by the part of the government, something to think about. Do you know that the weekend of March 13th there were 67 counted homicides only in Caracas? Furthermore, in the first 50 days of this year, there have been 140 express kidnappings for fast money (a 50% increase in 2009 versus previous years). After 11 years of the Chavez government, more than 16,000 people has been murdered by armed gangs and we’re not even at war like in the Middle East.
In the U.S.A. the arm of the law comes down hard on government or private sector where cases of fraud and corruption are discovered. Then WHY do you defend a politician who promised to sweep corruption, but has ended up sponsoring illicit enrichment by part of his closest allies and civil servants, placing Venezuela as the most corrupt country in the Americas and in its political history? Corruption has increased 68% and inflation 31% in 2009. What a coincidence, Sean that the majority of those “corruptors” are members of the government you have chosen to embrace.
You’ve demonstrated admirable assistance to those in need, due to natural disasters or poverty, those with desperate pleas to get their misfortune exposed for the whole world to see.
Then WHY do you applaud the efforts of a government that has notoriously increased poverty (65% to 71%), produced scarcity of staple products and created an energy and water shortage crisis never seen in Venezuela? Not to mention the numbers of children begging in the streets. You may have missed it because the government tends to take the scenic routes for its guests. I invite you see the real Venezuela, stay for a couple of weeks without the logistics the government of said country organizes for you and you’ll be amazed with the results in your unaided observations.
Sean, you live in a country where your parents had the freedom to teach you principles and respect for entities and human beings, where education hasn’t been manipulated by political agendas of those in power. Then WHY are you in favor of a country where day after day education isn’t plural by obligating a single-minded agenda and lack of respect for family structure? Did you know Sean that in Venezuela there is political indoctrination at a very early age, better known as “brainwashing”? And let me tell you that if parents don’t agree, they will lose custody of their children, just like in Cuba, a country you’ve placed on a pedestal.You are a product of a Jewish father.
Then WHY is your fascination with a government that has overtly stated its hatred against the Jewish community worldwide, to the extent that the State of Israel condemned anti-Semitic attacks in Venezuela? Do you think it’s fair that many Jewish-Venezuelan families have emigrated because the Chavez government robbed their personal files when their temples and offices were under attacked in 2008?
I don’t think so, Sean, that you would support violence as a means to impose your agenda.
Then WHY do you support a government with close relationships with FARC, ETA, Cuban G-2, Government of Iran, Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, among others, which are the most feared terrorist movements in the world?
You have said that you applaud the actions that Chavez has instituted for his “pueblo”.
Then WHY do you back him up when he himself has recently publicly recognized his failure for effective social programs (missions) in the areas of education, social service and hospitals; where each day the number of the uncared rises for lack of appropriate facilities and respective upkeep, and a country where the mothers give birth in the streets? This you can see on YouTube in investigative programs run on German, Swedish, Italian and Spanish television stations.
Sean, have you considered researching the existence of the growing list of political prisoners, including journalists, on your own? For your information Chile, Peru and Costa Rica has that data. Furthermore, many of these prisoners are tortured and their families persecuted and threatened, just like the Cuba you stand up for.
Is that what you support when you publicly declare that all those that say that Chavez is a dictator should go to jail?
Sean, you have the right to say what you want, but as far as I know, your statements are contradictory to “Freedom of Speech”, the same one you enjoy in this country; by coincidence, “The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.”
My intention isn’t to convince you, but to let you know what is truly happening in this beautiful country of noble people, Venezuela. I would encourage you to investigate in depth the “inside story” and realize for yourself the dark side behind the person you choose to idolize.
Agreed, Chavez did win his first elections, but like Hitler, he betrayed what the country gave him: The vote of confidence.
Read this story, and more from Maria Conchita Alonzo on the web
Maria Conchita Alonso Challenges Oliver Stone Over Hugo Chavez Film
From The Huffington Post
Tom Gregory: Maria Conchita Alonso, Charlie Chaplin, and Walt Disney Take on a Dictator
February 6, 2010
Walt Disney Meets Salvador Dali: “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”
First published January 21, 2010 - revised 1/25/10, 11:00 pm
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - Flixter.com
Director/Writer Terry Gilliam must have channeled both Salvador Dali and Walt Disney to create this film.
I don’t know if it’s partly because I know one of the players, but I say “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” is one of the best movies I’ve seen.
Plot synopsis from IMDb: “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium’, a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this ‘coming of age’ milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter’s hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all… ”
From the opening scenes and throughout most of the movie there’s a “dream-imagery” which evokes the inner-fantasy part of a cozy opium-den (not that I would know) or a Daliesque landscape with bright blue-skies, rowboats and a bovine carcass floating in the water. The water scene reminds one - of the clips in Dali’s Un Chien Andalou when “the woman’s left eyeball is sliced-open with a straight-edge razor,” or “the piano/horse scene.”
The warm reds, golds, maroons, purples and whatevers of the living-quarters of Dr. Parnassus’ horse-drawn wagon A.K.A. *The Imaginarium are so soothing that I wanted those scenes to go on and on without end. Another memorable scene reveals artistic excellence when a “wall of reality” is peeled open.”
This is a streeetch, however there is a little coffee-house, in one of my favorite cities, Santa Ana, California called The Gypsy Den. I first discovered it when I was living in Santa Ana - Right, just like Columbus.
The Gypsy Den is on First Avenue and Broadway, if I recall correctly. It is anchoring a corner in the Hispanic area of Santa Ana. For me that is part of its charm. The interior is authentic Gypsy: old stuffed divans, couches and sofa-chairs, old oil-paintings, posters, old pictures and books. I recall scarves, candles, brass, a coffee-bar with pastry cases, giant coffee cups and California girls pouring coffee and serving cinnamon roles A.K.A. rolls.
There’s an old cigarette-burned piano in a stage-like area, and tables near windows which let in California sunshine. There’s a garden-of-eden patio on the North, in a bit of heaven - an old Santa Ana coblestoned town-square. Three blocks north on Broadway, you’re in Mexico, USA.
There is a point to all this, The Gypsy Den is a bit of Dr. Parnassus’ Imaginarium.
Paloma Faith - Flicker.Com
All of the actors shine: Christopher Plummer’s Dr. Parnassus is as powerful as a Star Wars character. The team effort of Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Jude Law and Colin Farrell (listed in order of appearance,) all playing the character named Tony is interesting and seamless.
Tom Waits as Mr. Nick, the devil should get top kudos for best performance of a devil. Lily Cole’s (Kewpie-Doll) Valentina, the good Doctor’s daughter-in-peril is sexy-sweet-charming, and Paloma Faith is stop-cold stunning [see photo.] She is Mr. Nick’s flashy, diamond-girlfriend, Sally. Verne Troyer is magnificent as Dr. Parnassus’s diminutive assistant.
If I were giving out awards I’d give Christopher Plummer an award for best actor; I’d give an award to Tom Waits for best supporting actor, or to Verne Troyer for best supporting actor. I’d give out awards for set design, art design/direction, costumes, music and more. Lily Cole is very believable as Valentina. Andrew Garfield deserves a mention. His character, Anton is the Imaginarium’s barker and Valentina’s love interest. Tony (The late Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell) should get an award for being able to wear the same suit.
*Yeah, I realize that the phenomenon of the Imaginarium extends far beyond the boundaries of the wagon.
January 18, 2010
Join Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson “Shout out for Wild Horses - Take Action!”
Helicopter roundup
The following information is from The Cloud Foundation Website and an email I received from The Cloud Foundation
“Read the new People Magazine Article & then call for immediate Congressional hearings on BLM”
“Dear Supporters, the excellent People Magazine article by Helin Jung starts out: Willie Nelson wants to know: “Why are there more horses asses than there are horses?” The country legend’s gripe comes from his concern for the American West’s wild horses and burros, which are being rounded up by the thousands and placed into holding corrals by the federal government’s Bureau of Land Management. The capture of 2,500 horses started in the Calico Mountains of Nevada last month, but the agency expects to round up a total of 12,000 of the estimated 37,000 horses on BLM land by the end of this year…”
“Read the whole article here on the People Magazine website, and then take action!
Protests continue: join the New York City protest on Sunday, the Reno protest on Monday and/or the Sacramento protest on Thursday the 21st! Click here for details.”
“Ruby Pipeline: The Real Reason Behind BLM’s Push to Remove Wild Horses? ”
by Makendra Silverman
Makendra@TheCloudFoundation.org
Tel: 719-351-8187
“The Real Reason Behind BLM’s Push to Remove Wild Horses: Is Ruby Pipeline the Smoking Gun?
“Wild horse advocates rally in Denver to stop roundups, ask Senator Udall for help in BLM investigation”
“Denver, CO (January 7, 2010)—The Cloud Foundation asks the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reveal the truth behind removing healthy wild horses from the Calico Complex of northwestern Nevada. It does not appear to be coincidental that the multi-billion dollar corporate project, the Ruby Pipeline, would run through the Calico Complex—site of the controversial roundup of more than 2,500 mustangs and the Buckhorn Wild Horse Herd Management Area. BLM removed over 200 wild horses at Buckhorn in December 2009 without public notice” read more
“Call for Hearings on the BLM & For An Immediate Moratorium on Roundups”
“Take a moment for Wild Ones! We are making a difference”
“Write your Senators and Congress people, ask that they call for hearings on the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro program, immediately.”
Access the Cloud Foundation’s website
——————————————————————————————————
UPDATE January 20, 2009
Eagle Roundup of 550 Nevada Mustangs
“The BLM plans to leave only 100 wild horses on 670,000 acres of public land in Nevada that Congress set-aside principally for their use. They are now proposing to roundup and remove 550 “excess” wild horses in yet another inhumane winter roundup planned to begin February 7th.”
Sacramento Protest: A protest is scheduled for the California State Capitol following large protests in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This is another locally organized rally supported by The Cloud Foundation, In Defense of Animals, Return to Freedom all the other American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign member organizations.
When: Thursday January 21st
Where: Capitol Mall, at 10th and L Streets (map)
Time:11:00am -1:00pm
Tucson Protest: Tucson is joining the national movement of Wild Horse enthusiasts along with the Cloud Foundation and local horse rescue Equine Voices.
When: Friday January 22, 2010
Where: Senator John McCain’s Downtown Tucson Office
407 West Congress Street Suite 103, Tucson Arizona 85701
Time: 10am – 12PM
Phoenix Protest:
If you are interested in helping further plan this protest, please contact info@thecloudfoundation.org
When: Saturday, January 30th
Where: BLM Phoenix Office, One N. Central Avenue Suite 800
Time:
TBA
January 10, 2010
Bernie Dexter of BernieDexter.Com: Model, Designer and Businesswoman
BabyGirl Botique Model, Bernie Dexter
photo Levi
A LasVegasBuffetClub viewer had a link to this woman on her MySpace pages. As soon as I saw the photos I knew I had to post them on these pages.
I’m certain that it’s no coincidence that the model resembles the late Bettie Page. Bettie Page passed away December 11, 2008.
Bettie Page from the Bettie Page Website
The model is Bernie Dexter of BernieDexter.com. Ms. Dexter embodies a similar, sweet-tart-sexiness like Bettie Page-A quality that lifted Ms. Page to the top-rungs of cheesecake modeling. The photos are devastatingly sexy yet playfully innocent-as wholesome as Apple Pie, even with the lingerie.
If I were comparing the careers of these two ladies, I’d say that Bernie Dexter seems to be a legitimate fashion model, whereas Bettie Page was more of a men’s magazine model, albeit both appear in similar outfits. *Ms. Dexter works in lingerie principally to sell clothing, and the late Ms. Page graced her lingerie for the express purpose of creating cheesecake photographs that were used to titillate dirty old men, and young boys. Well…There’s definitely one common-thread between these ladies: they both seem to really get in to their work.
Bernie Dexter - BabyGirl Botique
photo Levi
BernieDexter.Com is apparently based in Portland Oregon. This is not an advertisement. However if I inadvertently advertise Ms. Dexter’s business on these pages, and that advertisement helps proliferate her business so that her photos show up on more webpages, so be it. I’ll take the all the blame.
She brings to mind a Chocolate-Raspberry, Creamcake with dark-chocolate frosting - or should I say cheesecake…
*UPDATE January 11, 2010 - Everyone can relax now. I just found a virtual mine of Bernie Dexter Youtube videos.
Bernie Dexter’s “rockabillybelle’s” YouTube channel
*When I “discovered’ Bernie Dexter, I had no idea just how successful this young woman is. She’s huge and she’s everywhere…how extremely cool. This is Pop-Culture at it’s finest…
The photos were borrowed from:
The top and bottom photos are from the BabyGirl Botique - Blog pages
Visit BabyGirl Botique’s main website
Visit BabyGirl Botique’s Myspace pages
Visit the Bettie Page Website
Visit the BernieDexter Website
Visit Bernie Dexter’s YouTube channel: “rockabillybelle”
Visit the Betty Page page of LasVegasBuffetClub.Com
Visit the main pages of LasVegasBuffetClub.Com
January 9, 2010
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Tom Waits is the devil
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Following is a IMDb synopsis of the movie “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” with a steller cast including: the late Heath Ledger, most women’s heartthrob Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Colin Farrell and the aforementioned Tom Waits.
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium’, a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this ‘coming of age’ milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter’s hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all” more information from IMDb
In The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Tom Waits is the devil. I’m just guessing, however, I imagine Waits will slip into this role as easily as a stinky foot settling into an old house slipper. I’m also guessing that this film is high art. The muses must have been working overtime.
I am really looking forward to devouring this film. “The film’s world premiere was during the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, out of competition.[] The UK release of the film was scheduled for 6 June 2009 but pushed back to 16 October 2009 due to its successful premiere at Cannes. The film was given a limited release in the US on Christmas Day 2009 and a wide release on 8 January 2010″ more from Wiki
Tom Waits
Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
I imagine that Waits (Mr. Nick, the devil) will show off the same Tom Waits’ flash-bang acting style that I expierienced in a room at the Tropicana Motor Hotel in Hollywood in the mid 70s. Picking up my Martin D-28, Waits manhandled that sweet guitar as though it were a weapon, snapping the strings with ice-cold defience and a laser focused energy producing sounds that stung like hot bullets through the ego. If that guitar were a gun, I’d be long-dead under the rubble of the long-gone Tropicana Motor Hotel.
My good friend CEW would accuse me of parasitical journalism for posting this article.
November 22, 2009
Sheryl Crow Joins Fight for Wild Horses & Burros
Sheryl Crow's horse "COLORADO"
photo Mail Chimp
Sheryl Crow Asks President Obama & Secretary Salazar to Stop the Assault on America’s Wild Horses and Burros
Actors Ed Harris, Wendie Malick, and Over 100 Organizations Demand Roundup Moratorium, Protesting Nevada’s Calico Complex Roundup to begin December 1
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. (November 20, 2009)—Sheryl Crow speaks out for the wild horses and burros on America’s public lands in the west. The multi-GRAMMY®-winning singer-songwriter and mustang owner joins The Cloud Foundation, over 130 organizations, scientists, authors and celebrity supporters calling on President Obama, Members of Congress and the Department of Interior to place an immediate moratorium on all wild horse and burro roundups until a long-term and humane policy to manage the animals is developed.
“With one voice we are insisting that our government stop managing these beautiful and important animals to extinction” —Sheryl Crow
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) removal plan for Nevada’s Calico Complex wild mustangs is fueling outrage across the country and internationally. In a unified sign-on letter (full text below), wild horse supporters outline their opposition to the Obama Administration’s October 7, 2009 announcement [read news release here ] regarding the management of wild horses and burros. Groups oppose moving 26,000 wild horses to purchased lands in the east and the current government practice of removing entire wild horse and burros herds from public lands specifically designated for the animals by Congress in 1971.
“We ask that President Obama or Secretary Salazar cease all BLM roundups as of this date to prevent further suffering. We request that the government and BLM begin to work in good faith with wild horse advocates for a sustainable solution. The Calico Roundup, scheduled to begin in December and continue through the dead of winter, is inhumane and must be stopped!” —Sheryl Crow read more from The Cloud Foundation website, sign the petition, access photos and more…
November 13, 2009
Movable Buffet: Final entry
photo by Sarah Gerke
The following post is the last entry from LA Times’ blogger Richard Abowitz whose daily blog (The Movable Buffet) the LasVegasBuffetClub has used as a valuable source of information time and again. Thanks Richard for your excellent reporting.
“In a very Vegas way, I got lucky.”
“In October 2005, I was hired by L.A. Times editors who had found my Vegas writing online. I became one of the first bloggers in the history of the L.A. Times. Vegas was booming in those years, and tourists from California were pouring into town, many buying investment homes. The idea of a blog that documented daily the happenings and entertainments that drew so many to Vegas made sense on a lot of levels. Obviously, much has changed since then, and I am sad to report the Movable Buffet blog is being discontinued.”
“The Vegas news and events that were covered here you will now find covered by other L.A. Times blogs in entertainment and travel. For those of you who enjoy my Vegas coverage for the Los Angeles Times, my print column continues to run in Sunday Calendar (along with photos from Sarah Gerke). I also hope to blog about Vegas again soon, and so please keep an eye out.”
“I have to thank Sarah, the Buffet’s loyal photographer, above all others. She was on board with this blog from Day 1. She shot Vegas out of pure joy. Thank you, Sarah. Your photos, as so many readers have commented, have always been incredible. I also need to thank the fantastic staff of the L.A. Times, who for four straight years has hosted this blog, edited its entries and made suggestions that have made me a better writer, reporter and even person.”
“But most of all, I want to thank those of you who have read me daily or even once. I hope I wrote something you enjoyed. I am very grateful to all. Thank you. Be well.”
– Richard Abowitz
October 20, 2009
“Who knows beauty: Rush Limbaugh or Perez Hilton?” Story is from LA Times’ Richard Abowitz.
LA Times' Planet Hollywood
photo by Sarah Gerke
The following story is a repost from (The LA Times) Richard Abowitz’s Movable Buffet.
“Does it say anything that the Miss USA pageant picks Perez Hilton as a celebrity judge and Miss America goes another way?”
“This press release today from the Miss America organization:”
“The Miss America Organization (MAO) announced today that Rush Limbaugh has been named as one of the national judges for the 2010 Miss America Pageant, which will be held at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 30 and broadcast live on TLC.”
“I admit Rush Limbaugh is not my image of a beauty judge. On the other hand Perez Hilton single-handedly made the Miss USA pageant at Planet Hollywood back in April a national news story. I don’t think Limbaugh has that kind of cheek. But we will see.”
September 7, 2009
Leslie Van Houten Denied Parole for Role in Manson Murders By SARAH NETTER - ABC News
This post was moved July 10, 2010
“Van Houten’s Father Says, ‘There’s Nothing Wrong With Leslie,’ Victim’s Sister Had Advocated Against Parole”
Leslie Van Houten 2010
Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
ABC News Story, July 6, 2010 By SARAH NETTER
One-time Charles Manson disciple and convicted murderer Leslie Van Houten has been denied freedom yet again.
Van Houten went before a California parole board for the 17th time today, backed by supporters who said she no longer deserves to be behind bars.
The parole board denied the request.
Van Houten was one of five people, including Manson, sentenced to death for her participation in a drug-fueled murder spree ordered by Charles Manson in 1969 at the height of California’s “Summer of Love.” The sentences were later commuted to life in prison.
“Leslie, my God, is unbelievable,” her father, Paul Van Houten, said. “I’ll guarantee you there are people on the outside who haven’t done as well.”
Van Houten, 60, has been described by her supporters and prison staff as a model inmate. She is working as a college tutor while studying for her master’s degree in humanities and has not had one prison infraction on her record in more than 40 years.
But Debra Tate , whose pregnant sister, Sharon Tate, was one of seven people slain by the so-called Manson family during two nights in August 1969, said she had collected 60 letters asking the parole board to keep Van Houten behind bars.
Tate, who has made a full-time job of advocating to keep Manson and his followers in prison, said she has no doubt that Van Houten has been a model prisoner, but pointed out that she thrived only in a tightly controlled environment.
“Is a tiger dangerous if it gets out of its cage? We proved that at the L.A. zoo,” Tate said. “In the cage they are fine. You cannot let them out.” read more from ABCNews.Com
View a LasVegasBuffetClub post on the Manson Family from April 9, 2009
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