Saturday, March 31, 2007

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Master of the Universe, Les Moonves, clinging to the shadows, shows glowing approval of wife Julie Chen's "asset management" (image via nysocialdiary)
First Quarter 2008 Fundraising Deadline Tonight!



The first salvo of the 2008 Presidential election is the first quarter fundraising totals, as any politics geek will tell you over milk duds and Ovaltine (tm). Those financials will determine the second round, namely, Who is actually a "Top Tier Candidate", and, less honorably, Who is Second Tier B-Lister, and, finally, when will that amiable dunce Chris Dodd and Joe "Chloroform" Biden just give it up and pack their bags and call it a Dark Night of the Political Soul.

Mitt Romney, curiously, is lowering expectations. While Senator McCain appears confident (a front?)-- although not earlier. Hillary, clever by a half, has her $11 million warchest left over from her sweet, sweet Senate cakewalk that she can convert into 1Q fundage. From TheHill:

"With the first-quarter fundraising deadline approaching Saturday at midnight, presidential candidates hope to have plenty to brag about after this weekend.

"Top-tier candidates intend to use their war chests to separate the contenders from the pretenders. While the deadline for filing first-quarter totals with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is April 15, some candidates might release their numbers next week to create a media buzz on their appeal to voters.

"Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) will be fundraising right up to the deadline. “America’s Mayor” attended a fundraiser in Utah on Friday and was due to appear at 2 p.m. in Florida on Saturday.

"Similarly, John Edwards (D) attended fundraising events Friday in Indianapolis and Youngstown, Ohio. He then swings through Miami, Charleston and Raleigh on Saturday for more fundraising before the midnight deadline.

"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) planned to go to Boston for a fundraiser Friday night, and another in Florida on Saturday.

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) was to raise funds in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday night and rest up Saturday for the Gridiron Dinner in Washington D.C. that evening.

"Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) appeared at two Florida fundraisers Friday — in Tallahassee and Jacksonville. The senator won’t raise money Saturday, however, choosing instead to campaign in Iowa at one of the parties his supporters are simultaneously throwing around the country.

"Unlike the other top-tier candidates, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will not be raising money this weekend. Taking advantage of the Senate’s recess to visit Iraq, he left the country Friday."

The full story (TheHill)
Woody Allen, Or, "The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants"



Woody Allen is, by far, the most complicated of American filmmakers (Marty Scorcese is a close second). His subjects, of late, have been rather Nietzchean by way of Manhattan. The "Good" and "Moral" types who play by societal rules are, in film after Woody Allen film, the suckers who get their lunch money taken by Life, whereas the Machiavellian schemers who ply their trade in the shadows to get what they want, even if doing so transgresses Natural Law, end up the anti-heroes, the Winners. How curiously un-American (Which may be why Allen is so revered on the other side of the Atlantic and in the drawing rooms on the Upper West Side)

Allen himself is a cautionary tale. By Puritanical American standards, sleeping with and then marrying the adopted child of one's girlfriend is usually grounds of dismissal from Cafe Society. Usually. But Woody, by virtue of his American genius, has countered that trend. He is the exception.

"The heart wants what the heart wants" is how Woody explained his behavior at the time with Soon-Yi. And that philosophy is still operative. Say those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"ONE of the best moments in the documentary 'A Table in Heaven' - a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the creation of the new Le Cirque - shows a woman in a slinky dress slipping Woody Allen her card on the eatery's opening night. While his wife Soon-Yi looks on, Allen sheepishly puts the card into the breast pocket of his tweed blazer."

Cringe-inducing, to be sure; yet, who among us didn't see that one coming from a mile away? If this were a scene in a Woody Allen movie -- and it really very well could be -- Carlo Di Palma would follow with his camera the trajectory from the tweed pocket, lingering for a second on the surface of the fabric, then, abruptly, to the sheepish ruins of Soon Yi's face, played, to sympathetic effect, by Ziyi Zhang. Sam Waterston, playing Woody's alter-ego would reply, anxiously but guilt free, "What?" Gesticulating wildly, "Honey, I-I-I'm a Director, she's an actress, it's just business. This happens to me all the time, nothings going to happen. Stop worrying." And, placated, Zhang would say, relieved, "I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm making such a big deal about. Forget it. Let's just order dinner."

Finally, of course, the TellTale Confessional Woody Allen voiceover, in muted tones, "Who'm I kidding. As soon as Dinner is over, I'm going to use that number. I'm such a schmuck. I've got a beautiful, caring wife ... Why do we always hurt the one's we love?"

(Page Six)
Puffy, Thou Art "Cruised"



(image via nationalledger)

Lots of P Diddy sex chatter this week, Tantric and otherwise. Earlier in the week we posted about P Diddy being able to *allegedly* go for hours having sex (For further reference see, P Diddy: "He Love You Long Time.". Now, Sean Combs got cruised by some USDA prime cut beefcake over in the UK; but, so to speak, as students of ancient mythology are well aware, penetrating The Golden Ass is not so easy (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). From the 3AMGirls:

"The 37-year-old rap guru left the exclusive Maddox Club launch party after just 10 minutes, when a chubby toff tried to, ahem, get to know him better.

"We watched as the horrified Diddy man spurned his advances - and ordered his minders to help him flee the building.

"As the amorous reveller attempted to grind against the hip-hop mogul, ladies' man Diddy yelled at his burly goons: 'I'm ready to leave, right now!'"

What a coincidence. The "toff" was ready to come right now (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment).

"One guest reveals: 'This guy was quite drunk and he'd already made passes at one of the barmen. But when Diddy walked in, the guy made it his mission to try and get in there with him.'

"Diddy - who was born plain old Sean Combs - had arrived with just two minders and was picking scantily-clad babes to join him at his VIP table.

"But his assailant certainly had balls! Guest Henry Addo tells us: 'The guy just went in for the kill, grabbing a vodka bottle off Diddy's table and lunging towards him. He looked like he was puckering up as he tried to grind against him - and Diddy wasn't amused. He couldn't flee the club fast enough.'"

and, as we all know, Diddy once "Ran the city." Diddy's feet are no doubt faster than that "toff's" needful inches ...

"His admirer - in his late 30s - had earlier been going around the club kissing men on the cheek. But Diddy wasn't risking that.

"And the king of bling was already feeling blue after being stood up by his new best pal, British beauty Sienna Miller. 'It was a bad night all round for him,' says our perfectly-placed partygoer."

The full nitty gritty (3AMGirls)

Friday, March 30, 2007

Will George Hamilton's "Permatan" Replace Bob Barker?



We were surprised to learn that "The Price is Right" was still on. Who still watches this shit other than stoners and ancient Methuselans on the verge of a natural death? That's some "pimp" demographic right there, no?

Then we started to go on a roll. Bob Barker is still alive? That Senatorial hair -- who can replace that fucking inscrutable, goddam Senatorial head. Of. Hair.

And then, we thought: oh no. They didn't. Les Moonves didn't go there. Les wouldn't kick things up a notch and offer employment to ... the founder of the Cocoa Butter Open. Oh yes he did. Les Moonves opened a can of sunblocker on the asses of morning tv viewers. And his name is George Motherfucking Hamilton. From TMZ:

"TMZ has learned that George Hamilton is the front-runner to replace Bob Barker on the "Price is Right."

"We're told that CBS honcho Les Moonves and the show's producers think George is 'wonderfully charming' and 'could really make the show work.'"

This, from the arbiter of all things nut-brown tanned, Les Moonves.
The Death of the Demo (And, Albums Aren't Doing Too Hott Either)



Remember when the RIAA's attack pit-bull Hilary Rosen was suing 12-year olds, and everyone remotely forward-thinking about The Digital Age was warning the record industry to get off their fucking high-grade weed and see the-train-that is-a-coming? That train was iTunes. And Apple has foun\d a way for broke-ish college kids to listen to their music without taking out a bank loan. As if kids were really going to keep spending $20 a CD.

Kids need music as the unofficial soundtrack of their lives; if the recording industry prices out the kids, they will in vent ways to steal said music. And so, the record industry, behind the curve, is now following Apple. And the "payola" thing went the way of the dinosaur (Or, more accurately, payola went The Way of the Dick Clark). And who the fuck needs A & R people?

And if the recording industry isn't being bitchslapped around enough, the end of the demo tape is upon us. From Paidcontent:

"Once upon a time, aspiring rock stars sent dozens of demo tapes to record label bosses in the hope of getting signed. Now, in the age of MySpace, SonyBMG is scrapping that system - the label has partnered with blog software maker Six Apart to offer artists sites that, from next Monday, will be its primary method of hearing unsigned new acts in the UK. 'If you want our A&R team to hear your music, then don’t send a CD, REGISTER A BLOG,' the world’s number two record company says.

"The company will instead direct budding acts to ColumbiaDemos.co.uk or RCADemos.co.uk, each of which is a landing page for Six Apart’s easy-to-use Vox multimedia blogging software that, upon registration, automatically joins new members with a corresponding 'neighborhood' for each of the two label imprints. Label bosses including Columbia MD Mike Smith and SonyBMG Europe CEO Ged Doherty have started their own blogs, one of which says: 'We don’t want demo CDs anymore, it takes ages for you to do, they get lost and it’s a waste of plastic.'" (More Paidcontent)

"Albums," or CDs, aren't having a good time of it either. It's all good. We ultimately approve on the grounds that the end of the CD and the album era is a boon for the environment. Papermag's brilliant David Hershkovits hips us to this article we missed in the Gray Lady, which says, ""Last year, digital singles outsold plastic CD’s for the first time. So far this year, sales of digital songs have risen 54 percent, to roughly 189 million units, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan. Digital album sales are rising at a slightly faster pace, but buyers of digital music are purchasing singles over albums by a margin of 19 to 1. Because of this shift in listener preferences — a trend reflected everywhere from blogs posting select MP3s to reviews of singles in Rolling Stone — record labels are coming to grips with the loss of the album as their main product and chief moneymaker."

(Papermag)

(NYTimes)

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Corsair Classic

Another Hollywood Madame Speaks on Lasorda, Affleck, Willis



Hookers and celebrities go together like Sushi and Sake. And Hollywood Madame's are like Hydra's, cut off one head and another grows to take its place. One could almost write a history of Hollywood by tracking the rise and fall of the Madames (And, whatever happened to madame Alex?). So, the following revelations are not so unexpected. Although we did expect better from Ben Affleck, we really did. From Marksfriggin:

"Howard said they have another guest to get in there, Jody 'Babydol' Gibson, who was a madam out in California. He said there are a lot of chicks out there who try to do stuff like that but they don't get away with it. Howard read some notes about her and how she got caught. She went to prison for a little while and now she's released a book about her life called 'Secrets of a Hollywood Super Madam.'

"Howard had Gary bring Jody in a short time later. Jody said she never thought she'd get in trouble for what she was doing. She said she was targeted for what she was doing and she thought she was just putting Playboy chicks into better lives. She told Howard about how she had opened a modeling agency after releasing an album of her own. She said that she moved into the modeling agency thing and then started introducing the girls to guys. She realized what she was doing was right when she saw one of the girls show up in an expensive Mercedes.

"... Jody said that she does name some of the guys in her book. She said that Tommy Lasorda is one of the guys who she mentioned so Howard asked her about that. She said that Tommy had a girl that she had from Sweden. She liked Tommy because he was fast in bed. She said she charged him $1,500 to get him this woman. She kept all of that information in her payout log.

"Jody talked about some of the other clients like Ben Affleck. She claims that he's packing 8 inches and after doing coke all night, he seemed like he could go forever. That's according to the prostitute that she sent out with him. Jody also claims that Bruce Willis had 4 women. Howard read that he ate out this one chick so he wondered how a guy can do that with a chick he doesn't even really know. He said he could never do that himself."

Bruce Willis? No surprise there. "Bruno" knows porn star Alicia Klass (More in an anal way than Biblically, we hear). But Affleck still throws us for a loop. More (Marksfriggin)
Hedi Heading Out The Dior



It seems strange that even after all the big-media buzz surrounding Hedi Slimane that Dior couldn't sweeten his contract soas to get him to stay. According to the awesometastic Kim Hastreiter of PaperMagazine:

"So boys, get ready to shed a tear... cause according to an article in today's Women's Wear Daily 'The Hedi Days Are Over: LVMH Dumps Slimane,' I guess it's official... Menswear guru Hedi Slimane will be leaving Dior. And the boys are crying in my office that's for sure.

"After a year or so negotiating, it seems that Dior and Slimane just could not find a way to sign a contract together to continue. I just saw Hedi Slimane this past Sunday night sitting by himself in a couch in the dark at the front bar of Indochine with his eyes closed (napping?). Slimane was in town for Elton John's 60th birthday and has been around town this week stopping into V Man's party with Calvin Klein Jeans at the Box Monday night. So who's gonna step into Hedi's skinny shoes?"

Go to PaperMagazine to find out (PapermagBlog)
Corsair Classic

Maria Callas in Pasolini's "Medea," at her most Tragic and Scorpio-intense:

Karl Rove Spits Fire

Karl Rove goes after the African-American vote like only he can:

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



"Big Gay Al" giving a candid assesment of what is was like to "go there" with his ex. (image via wireimage)



If the journalism thing hadn't marinated, Geraldo Rivera could have easily become a marginally successful porn star in the 1970s. (image via fishbowldc)
P Diddy: He Love You Long Time



We tend to not believe much of what drops out of P Diddy's perpetually gaping maw. Remember when Sting regaled us with the baroque falsehood that he could allegedly have sex for up to six hours before achieving a Happy Ending? Aftrerwards, of course, The Stinger semi-recounted and backtracked, saying, laughably, that those six-hours of sweaty Dantean Hell includes foreplay (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). If true, Pity Trudy Styler.

Enter: P Diddy. According to the Daily Mirror:

"His lifestyle is clearly lavish - even decadent. In his dressing room full-size portraits of him hang on the wall, dozens of candles flicker, the finest champagnes are on offer alongside Ciroc vodka, and he is dressed by the world's best designers.

"Surrounded by the trappings of great wealth Diddy is nonetheless polite, if rather raunchy as he talks about his love.

"'I've spent a lot of time with Kim in Paris,' he told us. 'And it's been perfect.

"'As soon as we landed, we went straight to the Eiffel Tower, drank champagne at the top and just kissed and kissed.'

"He even claimed: 'Then we went up to my suite and had tantric sex for at least 30 hours, ordering up whipped cream and strawberries while we were at it.'

"Diddy, real name Sean John Combs, goes on: 'As meticulous as I am with my work, I'm more meticulous with lovemaking. I like to do it for a long time.'"

He so horny, he love you long time.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Lunch at Michael's



(image via crookedbrook)

Holiest of Holies! The fellow Michaelsologists at FishbowlNY have, as always, assessed the talent in the most glitziest of New York Chattering Class watering holes -- namely: Michael's -- and given us the boldfacers, and, if possible, snippets of their conversation:

"Here's a rundown of today's menu:

"1. A table of distinguished looking gentlemen including ad man Jerry Della Femina and Good Morning America's Joel Siegel.

"2. Peter Brown and guest.

"3. Ben Silverman and Matt Blank.

"...8. New York Social Diary's David Patrick Columbia and Alice Mason.

"9. Peggy Siegal.

"... 11. CBS Newsman Maurice DuBois (Who knew he was so tall?) and hotelier Jonathan Tisch, whose new book, Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough, offers his take what it takes to make it in the hospitality industry. Do tell ..."

And, of course, there are the robust whispers among the Chattrering Class that Tisch is interested in Gracie Mansion. Not if Dick Parsons has anything to say about it. Moguls and their Mayoral ambitions ...

"12. Gerry Byrne and his stunning wife, Liz. We were introduced by our good pal Lisa Silhanek, IGM's director of fashion, who has known this New York power couple "forever." Thanks!

"14. Tom Brokaw and wife Meredith listening with rapt attention to guest Ken Burns throughout lunch. Just wondering what era the authors of The Greatest Generation and The Civil War, respectively were talking about."

We'd pay the going lecture rate for a Charlie Rose talk at the 92 Street Y. Seriously, we would.

"15. Martha Stewart Omnimedia's Susan Lyne and Hearst's top guy George Green — talking about ...?

"16. Nikki Haskell.

"17. Brad Grey, fresh off the Sopranos premiere blowout at Radio City last night. Here's a bit of industry trivia: Did you know that the Bronx-born Hollywood hotshot's first client when he was an agent was Bob Saget? Now you do.

The full list here (FishbowlNY)
Corsair Classic

On Bjork's 'Volta'




The above is such a vicious tease of what's to come, namely: Bjork and Timbaland. Our heart beats a little bit faster at the prospect of this release. If you are anything like The Corsair, you are avidly awaiting Björk's latest, "Volta" with baited breath. From Pitchforkmedia:

"When Björk was creating her new album Volta (due out May 7 in Europe and May 8 in America on One Little Indian/Atlantic), the state of the world was on her mind. As she told Pitchfork's Brandon Stosuy, a trip to tsunami-ravaged Indonesia in January 2005 inspired her to think about the human race as "a tribe," and to make 'some universal tribal beat' for this album.

"Nowhere is Björk's concern for the planet more apparent than on Volta's first single, 'Earth Intruders'. Based on a loopy, frenetic Timbaland marching beat, with added percussion by African collective Konono N°1, it's the album's catchiest song, with Björk chanting 'We are the Earth's intruders / We are the sharp shooters.'"

And, from Scott Lapatine's Stereogum:

"Over the past few days we've been receiving emails about an odd MySpace friend of Björk's (bottom right on her list of 'friends'), myspace.com/ itshardtofindbandnames. Location: Iceland. Name: Gerome Voltaire. The page for Mr. (or Ms.?) itishardtofindbandnames, created on 3/21, has interesting snippets of audio, bizarre video, and this message:

"What I'm presenting here at the moment is something I recorded at some listening session in Reykjavik with an Icelandic artist, which I then cut up and added noises and images to. I hope she doesn't mind.
Sounds like a leak-y fan to us, but then again, prominently linked on Björk's Myspace? And so many tips in our inbox suggest that the site (and subsequently leaked vids) are proof that Björk is getting all Trent Reznor on us."

Bjork is playing United Palace Theater on May 5th, and we. Are. So. There. Fuck that Oscar dress mess mishap.
Aniston and Cox Kiss

The Kiss, only significantly hotter -- but aesthetically less appealing -- than Gustav Klimt:



(image via perezhilton)
Bob Cusack: John McCain Considered Switching Parties in 2001



Although Senator John McCain is a man of Republican military tradition going back two generations, we always were bewildered about what on earth made Senator John Kerry so sure that he had a shot in hell at bringing the diehard Arizonan onto his ticket? Was Kerry privy to esoteric secrets from within the Senate well?

Now, from TheHill, a remarkable piece by reporter Bob Cusack stating that McCain actually considered switching to a Democrat after his tussel with the Rove machine and -- more astonishing -- John Edwards was to be that agent of change. From TheHill:

"Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions.

"In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist.

"Democrats had contacted Jeffords and then-Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) in the early months of 2001 about switching parties, but in McCain’s case, they said, it was McCain’s top strategist who came to them.

"At the end of their March 31, 2001 lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Bethesda, Md., Downey said Weaver asked why Democrats hadn’t asked McCain to switch parties.

"Downey, a well-connected lobbyist, said he was stunned.

“'You’re really wondering?' Downey said he told Weaver. 'What do you mean you’re wondering?'

“'Well, if the right people asked him,' Weaver said, according to Downey, adding that he responded, 'The calls will be made. Who do you want?' Weaver this week said he did have lunch with Downey that spring, pointing out that he and Downey 'are very good friends.'

"He claims, however, that Downey is grossly mischaracterizing their exchange: 'We certainly didn’t discuss in any detail about the senator’s political plans and any discussion about party-switchers, generically, would have been limited to the idle gossip which was all around the city about the [Democrats’] aggressive approach about getting any GOP senator to switch in order to gain the majority. Nothing more or less than that.'

"Downey said Weaver is well aware that their discussion was much more than typical Washington chit-chat.

"'Within seconds' of arriving home from his lunch with Weaver, Downey said he was on the phone to the most powerful Democrats in town. One of the first calls he made was to then-Senate Minority Leader Daschle.

"'I did take the call from Tom [Downey],' Daschle said in an interview. 'It was Weaver’s comment' to Downey that started the McCain talks, he added.

"Daschle noted that McCain at that time was frustrated with the Bush administration as a result of his loss to George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican primary."

A-ha; residual damage. And how can there not be? How does one kiss and make up with someone who -- allegedly -- accuses you illigitimate children and slanders your wife's sanity, of all places, the thick of the South Carolina Republican Primary. More:

". .. Other senators who played major roles in the intense recruiting effort, according to Democrats, were then-Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) as well as Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

“'John [Edwards] at that time was working with McCain on a couple things and there was a sense that because of his relationship that he might be a good person to talk to him,” Daschle said. 'He was clearly one of those that we thought could be helpful.'

"A source close to Edwards said Daschle’s comments are accurate."

Hot damn this is The Juicy! And who said butter doesn't melt on John Edward's smooth, silver tongue. Less than a full-term in the Senate and he was on a deep cover double-secret mission to turn one of the most stalwart of Republicans. The full story here (TheHill)
Diane Von Furstenberg: "I can’t believe (Padma's) leaving (Salman Rushdie)"



She'll always have "Top Chef;" He'll always have his Fatwa. The leggy, supersexy TV host is apparently kicking Booker Prize author Salman Rushdie to the curb (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). At least, apparently, that is what was overheard from CFDA prexy Diana "Cheekbones" von Furstenberg. Next to having a fatwa decleared upon you with a bounty, this has to be a close second in bad news for the brainy author. From the salmon-colored weekly (via gawker):

"Is it curtains for author Salman Rushdie and his fourth wife, the actress, chef and reality-show hostess Padma Lakshmi?

"Late last week, a source overheard designer Diane von Furstenberg obsessing over the news that the luscious Ms. Lakshmi, 36, was set to drop the 59-year-old novelist, her husband of three years, like a heavy sack of unread best-sellers.

"'I can’t believe she’s leaving him,' Ms. von Furstenberg kept saying, according to the source. The wrap-dress queen is a longtime friend of the couple and attended their wedding in April 2004, along with editor Tina Brown, comedian Steve Martin and assorted other famous guests."

The good news: Persia's present distraction with The West, which flares up every 500 years or so, ought to give Rushdie some breathing room on the fatwa.
Al Franken ... Still Not Funny



We never quite got the whole Al Franken phenomenon. "Stuart Smalley"?! He is a politically earnest man (see: above), to be sure, but how did this man ever get on SNL? He was never even remotely funny to us. We suppose he is an acquired taste, like yogurt. And although the late, greatSenator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's former goldenboy staffer Laurence O'Donnell boldly predicted on NBC's "The McLaughlin Group" that Franken would indeed be "the next Senator from the State of Minnestota," Al still has to get past that mighty campaign financing hurdle. This, from Politico's Shenanigans:

"Al Franken needs cash.

"In what some have described as 'cheesy and kitschy,' Franken's campaign is begging for dollars -- oh, the irony of a millionaire begging for chump change. The former 'SNL' star and 'O'Reilly Factor'-enemy-turned-Senate-hopeful laid out the use of campaign donations in explicit detail in an e-mail to supporters issued earlier this week.

"'$25 buys us a phone for a month. Every phone we can buy goes into our phone bank, and it means we can get one more volunteer in our office calling Minnesotans to let them know about our campaign and our events.'

"' ... $2,300 pays our rent for a month. Or, I suppose, buys us a whole lot of phones and pizza."

"He begs off by vowing, 'And, I promise, I won't ask you for money again (for at least a couple days).'"

More cringe-inducing unfunniness (Politico)
Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



"Juicy J", Viacom's CEO Philippe "Hard Out There For a Pimp" Dauman and DJ Paul discuss, laconically, how hard it is to let a good 'ho go. (image via flickr via paidcontent)
Diane Sawyer's Big "Get"



"crack is wack ..."

Diane Sawyer will bring her network A-game and, as Alessandra Stanley so archly phrased it, a "poised, creamy insincerity" to the procedings. What procedings? From TVNewser:

"A big get: Diane Sawyer will interview Dina Matos McGreevey, the ex-wife of former Nj governor Jim McGreevey, on Good Morning America next Monday and Tuesday.

"I hear it was a very competitive booking, and GMA got the only morning interview. (Oprah has her booked in the afternoon.)"
Why Can't Comedians Stretch to Dramatic Roles?



Bill Murray is a spectacular exception, but then he always embroidered the dark, underclass edge of the Chicago streets -- ask Chevey Chase -- to his brand of humor. Tom Hanks also seems to have surmounted the learning curve of comedy actor to dramatic actor. Off the coast of the remote island of Drama float aimlessly the stranded careers of comedy actors that have tried to hug that distant shore. The misses are legion, everyone from Jim Carrey in the hypernoxious "The Majestic" to David Spade in Lost and Found serve as examples. On Popwatch:

"While you were sleeping, very little changed — at least in regards to Reign Over Me, the Adam Sandler drama that got drowned out amidst all the TMNT/300/Shooter noise at the box office and opened poorly last weekend. There's still no sunshine for this bleak, R-rated, post-9/11 story, which debuted with just $7.5 million: It earned a mere $570,820 on Monday and, I think, we can just about kiss it future prospects goodbye.

"Which is troubling. Because this makes for yet another recent example of a popular comedian attempting to stretch into dramatic fare and falling flat."

(Popwatch)
Rose McGowan, Control Freak



The Avellan twins harsh on Rose's "mellow" (image via wireimage)

True American badasses don't need to telegraph their bad-assiness. Alleged "actress" Rose McGowan is not to be tossed aside lightly ... she must be thrown with great force. We archly place "actress" in ironic quotations preambling Rose because, quite frankly, Rose doesn't Act per se, or do anything approximating the Craft. Rather, McGowan essentially uses Hollywood to project herself -- no doubt to salve some psychic wound -- as a "tough girl," one who "takes no guff." Whether in The Doom Generation or Jawbreaker or her uncredited, non-speaking role as wife of the spectacularly untalented shock-rocker Marilyn Manson (Averted Gaze), Rose tediously rehashes that same goddamned role, ad nauseum. She's tough; and she's taking no guff!



Rose McGowan, at some awards show, somewhere,being controversial. (image via manson-house)

And now she's an Ass, not a bad-ass, mind you, just an Ass. From those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"ROSE McGowan had her female co-stars in 'Grindhouse' ready to scratch her eyes out at the L.A. premiere after she had her reps warn them not to wear red because McGowan didn't want her own red dress upstaged. 'It caused quite a stir. The feeling is she's self-obsessed,' said our spy. Among the beauties ordered to do without red were Rosario Dawson, Jordan Ladd and Sydney Tamiia Poitier. But McGowan was in for a rude surprise when two minor cast members, twins Elise and Electra Avellan, paraded into the theater in bright red outfits. 'It was basically a '[Bleep] you!' to Rose,' said the source. McGowan's rep had no comment, but a pal of hers told us, 'She wanted the girls to coordinate what they wore so they would look amazing and sexy and beautiful.'"

Or, that she would look amazing and sexy and beautiful and everyone else would serve as a stunning landscape for McGowan's fantasy where she's the saucy girl gone savage.

We'd rather not, Rose; we'd rather not.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Corsair Classic

Reese and Gyllenhaal are Dating



Sad that at this late stage in our civilization that a woman's being more successful than her husband is considered a dealbreaker in a marriage. We'll be Ryan not mention any specific names. According to perezhilton:

"Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are definitely a couple, sources close to both actors confirm exclusively to PerezHilton.com.

The pair met last year (pictured above) working together on the film Rendition and raised eyebrows after being spotted spending time together in New York on March 1st and 2nd.

Since then, the couple's special friendship has turned romantic!

"'They are 100% dating," says a close insider.'" We wish both the best.

Full post here (Perezhilton)
Jeff Jarvis on How Arianna Did Got the Hillary Ad Scoop



Web 2.0 hustler/argonaut Jeff Jarvis did what a lot of us bloggers wanted to do but simply didn't have the moxie: He asked Arianna how she do that voodoo that she do. From Buzzmachine:

"I talked with Arianna Huffington tonight and asked how she got her scoop revealing who made the Hillary 1984 attack commercial. It was a true case of networked, bottoms-up journalism.

"While the rest of media was tripping over themselves to do the same story of the Hillary ad, weeks after it came out, and idly wondering who made it, Arianna dispatched her troops to do real reporting. She said about 30 people were involved at first, making phone calls and digging into what they knew, debunking some leads and following others. Finally, it came down to contacts and a little technology. Arianna said that YouTube revealed nothing about the video’s maker or his account. But the guy apparently left some turkey tracks with his email. And a Huffpo person knew someone who knew someone — and so on — who confirmed the identity of the mysterious video man, Phil De Vellis.

"Then Arianna called him. She said he was genuinely surprised and thought he would never be unmasked. She offered him the chance to write a post about what he did and why. After some delay — when he apparently dealt with his employers and become a former employee — he came back and delivered that post.

"Arianna is admiring of him ...

"... I look at it differently. I think he hid, the chicken, behind online anonymity."

You do your thing, Jarvis. The full post (Buzzmachine)
Will Bloomberg Run For President as an Indie?



The Corsair's old pal and employer David Hershkovits, editor of Paper Magazine, the downtown hipster bible, writes today about the persistent rumor as to whether or not Mayor Michael Bloomberg will run for President as an independent. David writes in the PaperBlog:

"If you're sick of the Republicans and the Democrats, you might find solace in the thought that New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is giving serious consideration to throwing his hat in the ring as a third party candidate. Rev. Al Sharpton calls him 'Ross Perot with a resume.' Even though he hosted their convention in New York, he is not considered a viable Republican candidate as the Washington Post points out: 'He supports gun control, has raised taxes, backs same-sex marriage and signed a law banning the use of trans fats in fast-food restaurants. The mayor once filed suit on behalf of the city against two dozen gun dealers." What he does have is money, lots of it. Like $5.5 billion. Which allows him to play it coy for now as he waits to see how the candidates hold up in the early stages of the campaign.

"Even as he officially denies his interest saying, 'How can a 5-foot-7, divorced billionaire Jew running as an independent from New York possibly have a chance?' Bloomberg has bigger problems than fudging his height. The New York Times, a strong supporter of the Mayor, is leading an investigation into a secret spy unit that was organized when New York City hosted the Republican convention. 'A review by our colleague Jim Dwyer of court records and some of the still-secret documents tells a stunning story. The police may have overreached and misused surveillance authority in a wide undercover effort to head off disruptions. In the months leading to the convention, officers were dispatched around the United States, and to Canada and Europe. The so-called R.N.C. Intelligence Squad, run with the help of a former senior C.I.A. official, was supposed to sniff out potential troublemakers, but it seems to have spent a lot of effort infiltrating and compiling dossiers on groups that clearly posed no danger.

"The Mayor is fighting the public release of the surveillance records."

Will Bloomberg ultimately run for President as an indie? He could; Bloomberg could ostensibly spend $500 million of his own personal fortune and not break a sweat. But I don't think he will for 2 reasons: 1) McCain will pick Lieberman as his running mate on a "Fusion" ticket, and both McCain and Lieberman believe in what Bloomberg believes, thus his run would be moot from an ideological standpoint; 2) The police spy issue will ruin him among all-important "Independents" in 2008, who are fiercely Libertarian on privacy and social issues.

Still, David -- a onetime and future possibility for Gracie mansion -- makes for an interesting read. (Papermag)
Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Judging from this unflattering picture we're guessing Donatella's going to call her new scent "Old Leather." (image via wireimage)



Presenting: "Common" (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment); to which we respond, disdainfully: "Aye ... 'Tis Common"(image via wireimage)
Aronofsky to Rein in his Self-Indulgence



Granted, we cannot fault eccentric director Darren Aronofsky for taking on the unheralded existential Question of Immortality in an unconventional way. Nor can we fault Aronofsky's exceptional taste in women. But "The Fountain," his supposed magnum opus sucked worse than buxom Kim Kardashian's sex tape. Translating The Great Question of Immortality into the Sci-Fi/ Romance genre was ... odd (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment).

Good to hear Aronofsky is bringing his "offbeat" approach to a more accesible, surmountable script. That sounds like a workable artistic compromise. From Variety:

"Darren Aronofsky is in talks to direct Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon in boxing drama 'The Fighter' for Paramount Pictures.

"Pic would mark Aronofsky's second studio project. Sci-fi romancer 'The Fountain' fell flat at the box office when Warner Bros. Pictures released it last fall.

"Project is based on the rise of Boston boxer 'Irish' Micky Ward, who nabbed the world lightweight title with the help of his once down-and-out half-brother Dicky, who became a trainer.

"While Par would look for Aronofsky to turn in a pic with broad appeal, he isn't necessarily expected to take a traditional approach."

All good.
Robin Leach Worth $100 Million Plus?



It is profoundly unfortunate that someone named "Leach" should have done a show called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". That having been said, Robin Leach, bottom-feeding remora that he is, doesn't seem to be doing bad for himself despite the sleazy sheen that ensorcells him like an greasy nimbus (Saint with an air of restrained contempt). From Marksfriggin:

"Howard talked to Robin (Leach) about how much stuff he's done in his career. He said they started Entertainment Tonight, Star Search, Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous and other things. He also started the Food Network and sold that off. He said he usually sells stuff off after 5 years and that's a good rule for that kind of thing. He said you reach plateaus and you just have to move on. He said that once the Food Network got to 60 million households he figured it couldn't go any higher and got out. He said the investment was about $50 million. He said they thought it was a great idea at the time and it worked out well for him. He said that he was in it for about 25 percent of what they sold it for. Howard asked what the price was when they sold it. It was close to $500 million when it sold. Howard said it's no wonder all of these women want to marry him. Robin claims it has nothing to do with the money."

Oh, to be sure. A troll like Robin -- yes, we are most definitely "hating" -- has upwards of $100 mil and that has nothing to do with the models falling all over him. (Marksfriggin)

Monday, March 26, 2007

Bolton: "Jeb Bush may be putting together the backup team"



The cold engine of politics at the Presidential level entails preparing for all eventualities, especially with regards to something as "final" to Bush 42 narrative as his legacy. The moment that Senator John McCain decided to fight the Second Iraq War after the Bush manner, reasoning historically that a withdrawal would be not unlike our ignominious pullout of Vietnam (of which he has a great existential involvement), he became George Bush's man for 2008. The tacit agreement was that McCain would continue Bush's War, securing his legacy and McCain would be the Establishment candidate, a position alien to the formerly maverick McCain. McCain is even allowed the wiggle-room to criticize Rummy; he is not, however, allowed the "wiggle room" to lose the Primary. That would be verboten.

But McCain-as-Establishment-candidate was not to be the final chapter. It never is. Florida watchers have noticed that behind the scenes the "Jebbys" -- who, incidentally, is a dark horse for Veep -- are subtly making plays for Mitt Romney. What's going on? From the intense, brilliant political reporter Alexander Bolton from TheHill:

"George’s and Jeb’s followers are lining up against each other in the 2008 presidential election.

"Many prominent GOP operatives close to President Bush have joined Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while a majority of those close to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) are lining up behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R).

"It is clear that the Bush family is hedging its 2008 bets, said one political scientist. Or the divergence could signal a schism between the two brothers’ politics. Or, as one fundraiser close to the Bush family argued, it may just be happenstance.

"McCain’s campaign has signed the lion’s share of the best known lieutenants of the president’s election campaigns. Terry Nelson, Mark McKinnon, and Steve Schmidt, who worked on Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, now serve McCain. Nelson served as Bush’s political director, McKinnon and Schmidt handled media strategy. Matt David, who handled rapid response, also works for McCain.

"Brian Jones and Danny Diaz worked for the president as media specialists for the Republican National Committee (RNC). They are also on McCain’s team.

"While Romney has recruited veteran talent from DC’s Republican circles, he has drawn fewer high-profile operatives who worked for the president. Romney has hired two well-known Bush-2004 operatives: Matt Rhoades, who served as research director, and Kevin Madden, who worked with the press.

"Ben Ginsberg, Bush-2004’s legal counsel, and Bob Perry, a Texas homebuilder who funded Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and helped sink Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) 2004 challenge, also support Romney.

"Fifty-five of the president’s biggest fundraisers — those who have reached 'Ranger' and 'Pioneer' rank — are backing McCain. (Rangers raise $200,000 or more while pioneers raise half that.) Thirty-one major Bush fundraisers are in Romney’s camp.

"But the trend of Bush allies lopsidedly favoring McCain over Romney flips in Florida, where Jeb Bush has governed for most of the past decade.

“'Jeb Bush may be putting together the backup team,' said Ross K. Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. 'Should McCain falter and prove not very appetizing, they’ve designated his successor.'"

The full, interesting article (every article by Alexander Bolton is noteworthy) here.
Is This The End of Rome?



Granted, HBO's brilliant "Rome" is an extremely cost-prohibitive enterprise not to be undertaken by the faint of heart. The first season is estimated at about $100 million (Though costs were split with BBC and Italy's RAI TV). That having been said, it has a rabid fanbase of high-end viewers, in the United States an d Europe. HBO's "Rome," which roughly ends where "I, Claudius," the greatest television drama ever (with the possible exception of Alex Hailey's "Roots"), begins -- at the beginning of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

But for the bold HBO executive, there is still maneuvering room to continue the series. Of course, the production costs are too expensive -- especially considering that the co-production contracts with BBC and RAI have expired. The wiggle room between the aged Augustus presiding over Episode I of "I, Claudius," and the crowning of Octavian at the closing of HBO's masterful "Rome" has at least one full-feature film in it. If television is too expensive, why not produce a film (And why not Time Warner's New Line studio, which has experience at the lavish production), where the chances of recouping costs -- especially in Europe and overseas B.O -- is a not unlikely. It would be the epitome of prestige pictures and, we cannot fail to note, the actors would be more than game to sign on board.

How can HBO end such a magnificent series in such an ambiguous way after only two seasons?
Novak: "(Gonzales) is the Least-popular Cabinet member on Capitol Hill"



The tail-end of the second term -- legacy time -- is usually the time that Presidents transform from dignified, silver-haired heads of state into "lame ducks." From our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"... not many Republican lawmakers would speak up for Gonzales even if they were sure Bush would stick with him. He is the least-popular Cabinet member on Capitol Hill. The word most often used by Republicans in describing the management of the Justice Department under Gonzales is "incompetent."

"Attorneys general in recent years have ranged from skilled political operatives close to the president (most notably Bobby Kennedy under John F. Kennedy) to non-political lawyers detached from the president (such as Ed Levi under Gerald Ford). Gonzales is surely close to Bush, but nobody has accused him of being skilled at politics. He puzzled and alarmed conservatives with a January speech in which he claimed that he would take over from the White House the selection of future federal nominees.

"The saving grace that some Republicans find in the dispute over U.S. attorneys is that, at least temporarily, it blurs debate over an unpopular war. But the overriding feeling in the Republican cloakroom is that the Justice Department and the White House could not have been more inept in dealing with the president's unquestioned right to appoint -- and replace -- federal prosecutors.

"The I-word (incompetence) is used by Republicans in describing the Bush administration generally. Several of them I talked to described a trifecta of incompetence: the Walter Reed hospital scandal, the FBI's misuse of the Patriot Act and the U.S. attorneys firing fiasco. 'We always have claimed that we were the party of better management,' one House leader told me. 'How can we claim that anymore?'"

The 2008 election -- certainly from the standpoint of "Team Billary" -- will be all about "Competence." Take The Corsair's word on this; our crystal ball is clear. The Republican Party (Possibly under a McCain-Lieberman ticket) will favor the esoteric concept of "Character," as well as, ancillary to that, a resolute stance on the waWar on Terror. The problem for Team Hillary is that if Al Gore decides to run (And, say, picks Governor Bill Richardson as his running mate), even Hillary, with all her years of experience on the Hill, cannot match that twosome of Competence and Experienced Leadership. (Novak)
A Kinder, Gentler Pat Buchanan?



If there were such a political animal as a "McLaughlin Group Drinking Game" -- and thank god there isn't -- all participants would be forced to do a shot of Beefeater Gin every time Pat Buchanan made a vaguely anti-semitic remark. Or, better yet, one would have to take a swig when Pat Buchanan let drop a sulfurous anti-Mexian immigration rant. Or talked about the Zulus. Even Buchanan's mentor, conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. once wrote, "I find it impossible to defend Pat
Buchanan
against the charge ... (of anti-Semitism)." So we were duly amazed that he is not so much of a fan of Leni Riefenstahl, Hiltler's fave documentarian-propagandist. During an exchange on last Sunday's McLaughlin Group:

"John McLaughlin: Exit question: Will (this) documentary called "An Inconvenient Truth" be ... the best documentary of all time -- the most impactful, the most impactful of all time?

"Pat Buchanan: I'm afraid .. I regret to say Leni Riefenstahl's documentary "The Triumph of the Will" (is)."

Regret? Afraid? What's this world coming to when Pat Buchanan doesn't offer up anti-semism on the early shift on sunday Morning.
Steve Jobs' "Gift" to Obama?



Obama drama! What if Silicon Valley's king-of-all-hipsters Steve Jobs was a stealth member of "Team Obama"? Politico blogger Ben Smith proposes an interesting theory today, explaining:

"Apple's Steve Jobs hasn't been much of a player in presidential politics lately. His last contribution to a presidential candidate went to Bill Bradley.

"But a friend in the entertainment business points out that he gave Barack Obama a huge, tacit gift this month:

"By declining to exercise his copyright, Jobs kept the famous '1984' ad on the air. He could easily have asked YouTube to pull the a video composed largely of an old Apple spot, and YouTube probably would have done so without any legal action required. That could have happened after the first 2,700 views of a video that's now been watched 2.7 million times.

"What's more, the company isn't typically seen as a shrinking violet in the intellectual property arena. But when I asked Apple spokesman Steve Dowling about this last week, he declined to comment on any aspect of the video."

The full post here (Politico)
Prince Harry's Boozy Night at "Boujis"



whoopsie! (image via newsoftheworld)

Prince Harry, formerly of the Nazi regalia and on his way to a tour of duty in Iraq, was snapped by Newsoftheworld canoodling with a woman other than his steady girlfriend Chelsea Davy and got a little punchy at some Eurotrash hotspot named "Boujis (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)." Fast forward to the closing scene: Harry, thoroughly saucy from booze, lands, noisily, on his arse. Forget pimps, it's hard out there for a Prince. From the extremely downmarket Newsoftheworld:

"FIGHTING drunk Prince Harry exploded into booze-fuelled rage on Saturday after being caught on a secret date.

Our astonishing pictures show the paralytic prince crashing onto his backside as a minder tries to manhandle him into his car.

"Other photographs show how, seconds earlier, Harry ran amok, attacking one snapper and yelling at him to 'F*** off' as he sneaked out of a London club following a night out with very close friend Natalie Pinkham.

"The 22-year-old prince — due to head to Iraq for a six-month tour with his unit in weeks — was furious that he'd been spotted meeting former TV presenter Natalie, 29, while girlfriend Chelsy Davy is away on her gap year."



Just walk it off, bother; just walk it off. (image via newsoftheworld)

"The two had spent the night canoodling on the dance floor of Boujis, with Harry caressing the beauty whose boobs he once famously groped on another wild night out in London nearly four years ago.

"One fellow clubber revealed yesterday: 'He and Natalie were dancing very close and his hands were everywhere.'"

And then, for the coup de grace, his ass was everywhere. (Newsoftheworld)
Ken Ohlbermann Asks Porn Star Mary Carey Out



MSNBC's magnum of chloroform Ken Ohlbermann apparently has a thing for porn "star" Mary Carey, who has been a guest on his show. Carey, you'll remember is the pron star who bears a striking resemblance to a certain unnamed pop-star who herself "needs guidance." When last we heard of Carey, she was running for Governor of Cah-lee-for-nia under a "tax-free" lapdance platform. She has, we imagine, performed under all sorts of platforms (Said with an air of restrained laughter).

According to an intrepid Corsair Spyrate, Carey, who was being interviewed on FreeFM last Friday afternoon told of getting a rambling message on her phone from Ohlbermann. Apparently Ohlbermann used the skeevy chat-up line "My producer gave me your number" as he fished for a "date." Astonishingly, Carey declined on the grounds that she was "going out with someone at the time."

What is more mindblowing, true believer: The fact that Ohlbermann was turned down by a porn star who appeared on his little cable chat show, or -- and this is the pisser -- the fact that said hard core porn star didn't believe in the concept of "cheating"?

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Elizabeth and John Edwards to Discuss Cancer on "60 Minutes" with Katie Couric



According to Drudgereport, Elizabeth and former Senator John Edwards will be appearing on CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday to discuss the return and spread of the cancer that is unfortunately no longer in remission. Katie Couric is particularly well-suited to this important interview for many reasons evident, we believe, in the above "Reporter's Notebook" graphic.

One, Katie has a long history reporting on cancer, from its devastating effects to advocating preventative screening. Colon cancer, in particular, has been a major subject to her since her husband, Jay, died in 1998.

Two, health reporting, in general, is Katie's strength. No other anchor has increased health reporting and made it a staple of the Evening News. Health reporting is something she braught over from "The Today Show." If there is any discernible difference in CBS Evening News since Couric took over -- at this early, early date for judgements -- it would be the noticeable addition of health reporting.

Three, Katie is unique in that she reports on stories like this with compassion. We know, we know, Katie's "informality" has left some of the traditional viewers of the Evening News cold. She doesn't speak with the "Voice of God" that one expects from the musty, hyper-masculine newsrooms of the past (So brilliantly parodied in "The Legend of Ron Burgundy") Katie represents a pleasant change from the back-slapping locker-room culture of the old newsrooms. The Corsair welcomes this generational change, this "Voice of Compassion," which, in this emotionally intense and multifaceted story, is the right approach. From CBSNews:

"Presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth will discuss her recent cancer diagnosis and his presidential bid in an interview with Katie Couric. The interview will be broadcast on 60 Minutes on Sunday, March 25 at 7:00 PM, ET/PT.

"The Edwardses announced a recurrence of Elizabeth's breast cancer at a news conference on Thursday. John Edwards said a biopsy of his wife's rib showed that the cancer had returned.

"Her illness is no longer curable, but it is treatable, they said.

"'We can suppress it, we can even shrink it, but we can't eradicate it,' said Dr. Lisa Carey, Edwards' oncologist.

More (CBSNews)
Advisor Urged Bush to Skip Gridiron Dinner



President Bush apparently skipped the Washington A-List annual satire of politics and newsmakers for political reasons. According to our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"The reason given by the White House for President Bush missing the 122nd annual Washington Gridiron dinner March 31 is that he will entertain Brazil's President Lula da Silva that weekend. But a key adviser urged him six weeks ago to skip the gathering of the journalists club.

"The adviser attended the Jan. 27 Alfalfa dinner in Washington and was struck by the 'tepid' greeting given the president by the elite audience. If an audience presumed friendly to Bush was cool, he feared the reception from hostile newsies.

"Vice President Dick Cheney cleared up a schedule conflict so that he could substitute for the president at the Gridiron dinner."

Great. Another evening of shooting in the face jokes and rubbery chicken.
Snoop Dogg: Banned in the UK



Remember the "mini riot" at Heathrow Airport caused by Snoop Dogg? It involved Snoop Dogg's entourage -- when does it not involve the entourage? -- and the Bobbies. Back then, it was described thusly by ThisisLondon:

"A mini-riot erupted at Heathrow airport after rapper Snoop Dogg and a 30-strong entourage clashed with police in a departure lounge.

"The men - mostly minders - apparently turned violent after being refused entry to a first-class lounge, smashing up a duty free shop, throwing bottles and attacking officers.

"It took riot police over an hour to arrest the '20-stone men', who were then led out in handcuffs, with one shouting: 'This is how it goes down in LA.'" Snoop Dogg

Charmed, I'm sure. The repercussions continue. Snoop Dogg has been banned from Britain. According to the 3AMGirls:

"HOME Office Minister John Reid has banned rapper from entering Britain - throwing the star's UK tour into chaos.

"He is now barred from the country for life after his involvement in a mass brawl at Heathrow Airport last April that left several police officers injured.

"But more than 65,000 fans have already bought tickets for next week's Heavyweights Of Hip-Hop dates featuring Snoop and P Diddy.

"And official outlets were still selling the few remaining tickets for the shows last night on the basis of Snoop's headline appearance.

"A Home Office source said: 'This is not the first time that Snoop Dogg has been refused entry to the UK.

"'He has a history of serious criminal activity in the US and is facing charges of possessing a firearm and having cocaine on his person. The Home Office does not treat people differently because they're celebrities.

"'If Snoop Dogg does turn up at a UK port he will be turned away.'"

Which should sell Snoop about another million albums and grant him "Rock God" status in the UK. Way to punish him, Britishers.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Dick Morris Still Obsessive-Compulsive Re: Hillary



Soiled Washingtonian whoremonger and seedy Francophile Dick Morris has been thwarted yet again in his scheme to "Swift Boat" Senator Hilary Clinton by tying her to the railroad tracks as he twists his moustaches and cakles as he rubs his hands together. Or something like that. From the Ben Stein Blog on Politico:

"Nothing dissolves on close inspection like the Stop Hillary movement, which is basically a small bunch of failed business schemes that pile up debt while Hillary herself raises money off their attacks.

"The latest: Clinton apostate Dick Morris appears to have scaled back his involvement in "Hillary, the Movie," which had earlier been described as a collaboration between him and David Bossie, the longtime Clinton foe who runs Citizens United.

"As recently as last month, Morris spoke about the project in the first person plural.

"The blurb on the left is from Google's cache two days ago. The one on the right is from the site today. And Morris is no longer listed as a producer, only as an interview subject.

"Bossie hasn't returned my calls on the subject, and Morris didn't respond to an email seeking comment.

"UPDATE: Morris emails: 'I have decided that my other time commitments ..'"

Unfortunately that didn't stop Dick from posting yet another full blown Obsessive-Compulsive Hillary post on TheHill Pubdits Blog today. Let it go, Freakshow. Let. It. Go. The full story here (Politico)