New Delhi, Aug 31, 2009: Pasadena City College arranges shelter fire affected people. Surging wildfire in California is threatening several neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Thousands of people have been asked to evacuate their houses and shift to safer places. Red Cross has set up shelters for people who leave their houses.Earlier the evacuation orders were basically advisory in nature, but now local authorities have issued compulsory evacuation orders.
In the meantime Pasadena City College in the up-market Los Angeles area has also established shelter house for people being evacuated from their houses. They will give preference to their students living in the affected areas.
Pasadena City College is a community college located on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, USA. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States.
The school attracts students from throughout southern California, enrolling a large percentage of student from outside of the bounds of the Pasadena Area Community College District, established in 1966.
The district includes the cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino, Temple City, La Canada Flintridge, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and portions of Rosemead and El Monte.
Evacuations were in place for parts of La Canada Flintridge, Altadena and Pasadena, as firefighters try to get control of the 20,000-acre-plus Station Fire. A few miles to the east, the Morris Fire in San Gabriel Canyon, was 95 percent contained.
In the meantime two firefighting officials were killed while on their duty in the affected area. L.A. County Coroner's officials have confirmed that two firefighters were killed when their vehicle overturned in the Angeles National Forest, south of Acton, where fire crews anxiously worked to contain the monstrous Station fire. The 45,500-acre fire has destroyed 18 homes and threatened over 10,000 more residences, 500 commercial properties and 2,000 other structures. The blaze rained ash on cars as far away as downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, spreading in all directions in hot, dry conditions.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Beaver Valley residents flee fast-moving wildfire
A blaze of “human origin” forced the residents of Beaver Valley and Whispering Pines to hastily pack their cars and flee their homes Sunday as fierce, dry storm cells pushed the blaze first north, then south.
The fire consumed at least 500 acres yesterday and held steady overnight, without the reported destruction of any structures. Fire crews gathered up from a wide region over night attacked the fire this morning, hoping to keep it contained on Diamond Point and away from the forest communities of Whispering Pines, Beaver Valley and Geronimo Estates.
A few people spent the night in a makeshift evacuation center at Payson High School’s gym, but most apparently stayed with family and friends as they waited through the night for word on whether the fire had reached their subdivisions.
The fire started just off Houston Mesa Road opposite the popular Water Wheel Campground, about a mile up the road from several hundred homes in Beaver Valley Estates, on the banks of the East Verde River.
Winds pushed the fire back across the road, forcing the hasty evacuation of the busy campground and burning up both sides of the creek running through the popular swimming hole and waterfall.
However, a storm cell moved through the area as the fire spread, pushing it back across the road. Flames then went racing up the steep slopes of Diamond Point, moving back down rapidly toward Beaver Valley.
With most of the big fire crews in California, local fire departments including Beaver Valley, Houston Mesa, Payson and Hellsgate raced to respond, with help from Tonto National Forest crews.
The Forest Service deployed water-dipping helicopters and two fire suppression bombers, which flew in from Prescott. Without resources to surround the wind-whipped fire, crews concentrated on cutting a fire line and dumping retardant between the unpredictable fire and the homes of Beaver Valley, nestled among the trees and surrounded by thick brush.
The order to evacuate came just after 2 p.m. yesterday, prompting residents to hastily throw together their most precious possessions and join a procession of cars making their way out along narrow, winding, Houston Mesa Road.
Residents of Whispering Pines were directed out the Control Road, since the fire was burning on both sides of Houston Mesa Road between them and the highway.
Several residents reportedly remained in the development to water down their roofs. Constructed alongside the East Verde in a thickly forested area about six miles farther up Houston Mesa Road from Beaver Valley, the community’s only exit besides Houston Mesa is the long, forested, dirt Control Road.
Residents of Beaver Valley made their way out Houston Mesa Road, since the fire remained on the other side of the East Verde River. Thick smoke that drifted all the way into Payson harried them as they hurried out. Many initially stopped at a pullout and overlook near Shoofly ruins, to watch the whole mountain above their homes burn, sending up a thick column of smoke that developed its own thunderhead — like a mushroom cloud.
Beaver Valley residents had to make their way out through the single exit from the cul-de-sac town as the fire roared toward them. The Beaver Valley Fire Department has been pleading with the U.S. Forest Service for a long time for permission to bulldoze a rough, roughly 250-foot road along a Gila County right of way to create a back door to the community, which has many second homes and retirees. Fortunately, the residents had time to get out the front door on Sunday.
A change of wind and the line of retardant laid down by repeated round trip bomber runs from Prescott stopped the fire perhaps a quarter mile from the East Verde River. The winds that had been driving the fire down on Beaver Valley now turned and drove the fire back up the slope and over the top of the mountain.
Fire crews worked through the night to create a narrow break of bare ground along the edge of the burn area closest to Beaver Valley, fearful that the smoldering stumps and roots would remain hot enough to re-ignite the thick manzanita and oak brush between the development and the burn area.
Crews hope to prevent the fire from continuing to move to the west through the thick forest four or five miles to Geronimo Estates, a small community built a long a steep, narrow canyon - with most of the houses hidden in thickset trees, many perched on the side of the canyon. The only access to that community lies along forested dirt roads.
The fire consumed at least 500 acres yesterday and held steady overnight, without the reported destruction of any structures. Fire crews gathered up from a wide region over night attacked the fire this morning, hoping to keep it contained on Diamond Point and away from the forest communities of Whispering Pines, Beaver Valley and Geronimo Estates.
A few people spent the night in a makeshift evacuation center at Payson High School’s gym, but most apparently stayed with family and friends as they waited through the night for word on whether the fire had reached their subdivisions.
The fire started just off Houston Mesa Road opposite the popular Water Wheel Campground, about a mile up the road from several hundred homes in Beaver Valley Estates, on the banks of the East Verde River.
Winds pushed the fire back across the road, forcing the hasty evacuation of the busy campground and burning up both sides of the creek running through the popular swimming hole and waterfall.
However, a storm cell moved through the area as the fire spread, pushing it back across the road. Flames then went racing up the steep slopes of Diamond Point, moving back down rapidly toward Beaver Valley.
With most of the big fire crews in California, local fire departments including Beaver Valley, Houston Mesa, Payson and Hellsgate raced to respond, with help from Tonto National Forest crews.
The Forest Service deployed water-dipping helicopters and two fire suppression bombers, which flew in from Prescott. Without resources to surround the wind-whipped fire, crews concentrated on cutting a fire line and dumping retardant between the unpredictable fire and the homes of Beaver Valley, nestled among the trees and surrounded by thick brush.
The order to evacuate came just after 2 p.m. yesterday, prompting residents to hastily throw together their most precious possessions and join a procession of cars making their way out along narrow, winding, Houston Mesa Road.
Residents of Whispering Pines were directed out the Control Road, since the fire was burning on both sides of Houston Mesa Road between them and the highway.
Several residents reportedly remained in the development to water down their roofs. Constructed alongside the East Verde in a thickly forested area about six miles farther up Houston Mesa Road from Beaver Valley, the community’s only exit besides Houston Mesa is the long, forested, dirt Control Road.
Residents of Beaver Valley made their way out Houston Mesa Road, since the fire remained on the other side of the East Verde River. Thick smoke that drifted all the way into Payson harried them as they hurried out. Many initially stopped at a pullout and overlook near Shoofly ruins, to watch the whole mountain above their homes burn, sending up a thick column of smoke that developed its own thunderhead — like a mushroom cloud.
Beaver Valley residents had to make their way out through the single exit from the cul-de-sac town as the fire roared toward them. The Beaver Valley Fire Department has been pleading with the U.S. Forest Service for a long time for permission to bulldoze a rough, roughly 250-foot road along a Gila County right of way to create a back door to the community, which has many second homes and retirees. Fortunately, the residents had time to get out the front door on Sunday.
A change of wind and the line of retardant laid down by repeated round trip bomber runs from Prescott stopped the fire perhaps a quarter mile from the East Verde River. The winds that had been driving the fire down on Beaver Valley now turned and drove the fire back up the slope and over the top of the mountain.
Fire crews worked through the night to create a narrow break of bare ground along the edge of the burn area closest to Beaver Valley, fearful that the smoldering stumps and roots would remain hot enough to re-ignite the thick manzanita and oak brush between the development and the burn area.
Crews hope to prevent the fire from continuing to move to the west through the thick forest four or five miles to Geronimo Estates, a small community built a long a steep, narrow canyon - with most of the houses hidden in thickset trees, many perched on the side of the canyon. The only access to that community lies along forested dirt roads.
Baker Hughes to Buy BJ Services for $5.5 Billion
Baker Hughes Inc. agreed to buy BJ Services Co. for $5.5 billion, the largest oilfield-services company takeover since 1998, in a bet on U.S. natural-gas shale formations.
The price represents a 16 percent premium to BJ Services’ stock price on Aug. 28 and will leave BJ Services stockholders owning about 27.5 percent of Baker Hughes’s outstanding shares, Houston-based Baker Hughes, the world’s third-largest oilfield- services provider, said in a statement today. BJ Services shareholders will receive 0.40035 share of Baker Hughes’s stock and a cash payment of $2.69 a share.
BJ Services is the third-biggest provider of so-called pressure-pumping services, whereby slurry, often sand and water, is injected into a well to stimulate production. Pressure pumping is used in unconventional gas plays such as shale formations to break up rock. The method is expected to account for about 20 percent of the combined company’s revenue, compared with less than 1 percent for Baker Hughes last year.
“Baker’s hoping to fill a product hole that they had,” said Ted Harper, who helps oversee about $6.1 billion at Frost Investment Advisors in Houston. “They’re buying an asset that is highly correlated to a rebound in natural-gas prices, and they look to benefit as to what they hope to see as higher activity rates for land rigs somewhere down the line.”
Gas futures in New York have dropped 47 percent this year.
Valuations ‘Reasonable’
It appears that the deal valuations are “reasonable,” although BJ Services had climbed 32 percent this year in New York trading before today, said Philip Weiss, an analyst at Argus Research in New York who has a “hold” rating on the companies and doesn’t own their shares.
Baker Hughes fell $3.16, or 8.3 percent, to $34.93 as of 12:15 p.m. in composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange. BJ Services rose 89 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $16.32. The companies said the deal could close as soon as the end of this year.
The addition of BJ Services, also based in Houston, will help Baker Hughes “compete for the growing large integrated projects by incorporating pressure pumping into our product offering,” Baker Hughes Chief Executive Officer Chad Deaton said in the statement.
The acquisition will add to earnings in 2011, Baker Hughes said. The company said it expects to realize cost savings of about $75 million in 2010 and $150 million in 2011.
The takeover is the second-largest of an oilfield-services company in history, and the biggest since 1998, when Baker Hughes agreed to buy Western Atlas Inc. for about $6 billion, according to Bloomberg data.
‘Obvious Transaction’
It’s an “obvious transaction” because Baker Hughes needed to be in pressure pumping, said Dan Pickering, an analyst at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. in Houston whose firm has a “hold” rating on the companies and who doesn’t own any of their shares. He said North America is waiting on a cyclical recovery, while work outside of the U.S. is becoming more bundled for oil and gas projects.
“The international side of the business is the real attraction,” Pickering said. “North America is something that I think you get when you buy BJ Services.”
Baker Hughes’s board will be expanded to include two of BJ Services’ board members, according to today’s statement. BJ Services previously was spun off from Baker Hughes in 1990. The company said on a conference call with analysts and investors that there is a $175 million breakup fee.
Deal ‘Fair’
Pickering called the price of today’s deal “fair.” Deaton, speaking on the conference call, said the deal came together early this morning after discussions in the last couple of months. It was better to do the transaction now than a year ago, Deaton said, and international work should continue to increase.
“North America is where there is some risk, there’s no doubt,” Deaton said on the call. “But we believe natural gas is going to play a key role in North America for many, many years to come.”
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is advising Baker Hughes, as are law firms Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, Howrey LLP, and Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP. BJ Services is using bankers at Greenhill & Co. and Bank of America Corp., and lawyers at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Andrews Kurth LLP.
Schlumberger Ltd., based in Paris and Houston, and Halliburton Co., also based in Houston, are the largest oilfield-service providers.
To contact the reporters on this story: Edward Klump in Houston at
The price represents a 16 percent premium to BJ Services’ stock price on Aug. 28 and will leave BJ Services stockholders owning about 27.5 percent of Baker Hughes’s outstanding shares, Houston-based Baker Hughes, the world’s third-largest oilfield- services provider, said in a statement today. BJ Services shareholders will receive 0.40035 share of Baker Hughes’s stock and a cash payment of $2.69 a share.
BJ Services is the third-biggest provider of so-called pressure-pumping services, whereby slurry, often sand and water, is injected into a well to stimulate production. Pressure pumping is used in unconventional gas plays such as shale formations to break up rock. The method is expected to account for about 20 percent of the combined company’s revenue, compared with less than 1 percent for Baker Hughes last year.
“Baker’s hoping to fill a product hole that they had,” said Ted Harper, who helps oversee about $6.1 billion at Frost Investment Advisors in Houston. “They’re buying an asset that is highly correlated to a rebound in natural-gas prices, and they look to benefit as to what they hope to see as higher activity rates for land rigs somewhere down the line.”
Gas futures in New York have dropped 47 percent this year.
Valuations ‘Reasonable’
It appears that the deal valuations are “reasonable,” although BJ Services had climbed 32 percent this year in New York trading before today, said Philip Weiss, an analyst at Argus Research in New York who has a “hold” rating on the companies and doesn’t own their shares.
Baker Hughes fell $3.16, or 8.3 percent, to $34.93 as of 12:15 p.m. in composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange. BJ Services rose 89 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $16.32. The companies said the deal could close as soon as the end of this year.
The addition of BJ Services, also based in Houston, will help Baker Hughes “compete for the growing large integrated projects by incorporating pressure pumping into our product offering,” Baker Hughes Chief Executive Officer Chad Deaton said in the statement.
The acquisition will add to earnings in 2011, Baker Hughes said. The company said it expects to realize cost savings of about $75 million in 2010 and $150 million in 2011.
The takeover is the second-largest of an oilfield-services company in history, and the biggest since 1998, when Baker Hughes agreed to buy Western Atlas Inc. for about $6 billion, according to Bloomberg data.
‘Obvious Transaction’
It’s an “obvious transaction” because Baker Hughes needed to be in pressure pumping, said Dan Pickering, an analyst at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. in Houston whose firm has a “hold” rating on the companies and who doesn’t own any of their shares. He said North America is waiting on a cyclical recovery, while work outside of the U.S. is becoming more bundled for oil and gas projects.
“The international side of the business is the real attraction,” Pickering said. “North America is something that I think you get when you buy BJ Services.”
Baker Hughes’s board will be expanded to include two of BJ Services’ board members, according to today’s statement. BJ Services previously was spun off from Baker Hughes in 1990. The company said on a conference call with analysts and investors that there is a $175 million breakup fee.
Deal ‘Fair’
Pickering called the price of today’s deal “fair.” Deaton, speaking on the conference call, said the deal came together early this morning after discussions in the last couple of months. It was better to do the transaction now than a year ago, Deaton said, and international work should continue to increase.
“North America is where there is some risk, there’s no doubt,” Deaton said on the call. “But we believe natural gas is going to play a key role in North America for many, many years to come.”
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is advising Baker Hughes, as are law firms Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, Howrey LLP, and Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell LLP. BJ Services is using bankers at Greenhill & Co. and Bank of America Corp., and lawyers at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Andrews Kurth LLP.
Schlumberger Ltd., based in Paris and Houston, and Halliburton Co., also based in Houston, are the largest oilfield-service providers.
To contact the reporters on this story: Edward Klump in Houston at
Disney buying Marvel Entertainment in $4 billion deal
In what Walt Disney Co. President and CEO Robert Iger called “a great opportunity at the right time,” Disney is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. in a $4 billion cash-and-stock deal, putting Spider-Man under the same umbrella as Mickey Mouse.
Under the terms of the deal, Marvel shareholders will receive $30 cash and 0.745 shares of Disney stock (NYSE: DIS) for every share of Marvel stock (NYSE: MVL) owned.
At closing, the amount of cash and stock might be adjusted such that the total value of the Disney stock issued is not less than 40 percent of the total merger consideration, based on its trading value at that time.
Both boards of directors have approved the deal, which is slated to close by the end of the year.
On a conference call with investors, Disney said that the deal will be accretive to earnings in two years.
Disney also said that the deal will result in the issuing of 59 million new shares, but Disney would enter a buyback program to repurchase the same amount of shares during the next 12 months, as to not dilute stockholder value.
The deal gives Disney ownership of Marvel’s portfolio of more than 5,000 characters, which include such iconic characters such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, many of which have been turned into successful movie franchises in recent years.
Disney will continue to honor the distribution deals in place for Marvel films, such as Paramount Pictures’ deal for the “Iron Man” franchise, for the duration of the agreement.
“Our intention is to respect the deal in place,” Iger said in the conference call, saying it was not only “the right thing” to do but also the “right thing from a legal perspective.”
One distribution channel that will likely benefit in the short term is Disney’s new DisneyXD channel, which is focused on programming for boys ages 6-14. The channel already shows 20 hours of programming each week featuring Marvel characters.
One parallel that was brought up during the call was the 2006 deal that saw Disney buy Emeryville animation studio Pixar for $7.4 billion. Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said on the call that the Pixar deal made Disney a better company and made Pixar a more attractive company as well.
Marvel Chief Executive Officer Ike Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties. Disney’s officers on the investor call reiterated that Disney is not looking to gut the company, or slap Disney’s name on Marvel’s products.
“The goal here is not to rebrand Marvel as Disney,” Iger said.
Perlmutter will bring in a handsome payday from the deal. According to Marvel’s last DEF 14A statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which was filed March 24, Perlmutter is Marvel’s largest shareholder, controlling more than 29 million shares, or 37.21 percent of the company, through direct ownership, stock options and trusts.
Perlmutter’s stake will bring in about $881 million in cash after the close of the deal, as well as 21.878 million shares of Disney stock, which based on Friday’s closing price of $26.84,
Under the terms of the deal, Marvel shareholders will receive $30 cash and 0.745 shares of Disney stock (NYSE: DIS) for every share of Marvel stock (NYSE: MVL) owned.
At closing, the amount of cash and stock might be adjusted such that the total value of the Disney stock issued is not less than 40 percent of the total merger consideration, based on its trading value at that time.
Both boards of directors have approved the deal, which is slated to close by the end of the year.
On a conference call with investors, Disney said that the deal will be accretive to earnings in two years.
Disney also said that the deal will result in the issuing of 59 million new shares, but Disney would enter a buyback program to repurchase the same amount of shares during the next 12 months, as to not dilute stockholder value.
The deal gives Disney ownership of Marvel’s portfolio of more than 5,000 characters, which include such iconic characters such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, many of which have been turned into successful movie franchises in recent years.
Disney will continue to honor the distribution deals in place for Marvel films, such as Paramount Pictures’ deal for the “Iron Man” franchise, for the duration of the agreement.
“Our intention is to respect the deal in place,” Iger said in the conference call, saying it was not only “the right thing” to do but also the “right thing from a legal perspective.”
One distribution channel that will likely benefit in the short term is Disney’s new DisneyXD channel, which is focused on programming for boys ages 6-14. The channel already shows 20 hours of programming each week featuring Marvel characters.
One parallel that was brought up during the call was the 2006 deal that saw Disney buy Emeryville animation studio Pixar for $7.4 billion. Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said on the call that the Pixar deal made Disney a better company and made Pixar a more attractive company as well.
Marvel Chief Executive Officer Ike Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties. Disney’s officers on the investor call reiterated that Disney is not looking to gut the company, or slap Disney’s name on Marvel’s products.
“The goal here is not to rebrand Marvel as Disney,” Iger said.
Perlmutter will bring in a handsome payday from the deal. According to Marvel’s last DEF 14A statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which was filed March 24, Perlmutter is Marvel’s largest shareholder, controlling more than 29 million shares, or 37.21 percent of the company, through direct ownership, stock options and trusts.
Perlmutter’s stake will bring in about $881 million in cash after the close of the deal, as well as 21.878 million shares of Disney stock, which based on Friday’s closing price of $26.84,
Farm Progress Show starts Tuesday in Decatur
The 2009 Farm Progress Show, the nation's biggest outdoor agricultural exhibition, will be held Tuesday through Thursday at the permanent biennial show site at Decatur.
The show opens at 8 a.m. daily and closes at 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 4 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $10 for adults $5 for ages 13-17.
The show site is northeast of Decatur, south of Interstate 72 (Exits 150 and 144) and west of Richland Community College.
More than 500 exhibitors will display new farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; and many additional farm supplies and services.
Field demonstrations will include side-by-side tillage, GPS and precision equipment, and tractor and combine performance comparisons on hundreds of corn acres to be harvested. Livestock handling and horse training demonstrations are included.
The show also includes a wide variety of informational programs, entertainment and food offerings.
The show opens at 8 a.m. daily and closes at 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 4 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $10 for adults $5 for ages 13-17.
The show site is northeast of Decatur, south of Interstate 72 (Exits 150 and 144) and west of Richland Community College.
More than 500 exhibitors will display new farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; and many additional farm supplies and services.
Field demonstrations will include side-by-side tillage, GPS and precision equipment, and tractor and combine performance comparisons on hundreds of corn acres to be harvested. Livestock handling and horse training demonstrations are included.
The show also includes a wide variety of informational programs, entertainment and food offerings.
'View' co-hosts win 1st Daytime Emmy
Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters won the Daytime Emmy Award for best U.S. talk show host.
This is the first time in a decade the oft-nominated panelists of the popular chat show have won the award, which was announced Sunday.
None of the co-hosts were present to accept the honor.
In another series first, "The Bold and the Beautiful" won the Emmy for daytime drama series at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
Susan Haskell won the Emmy for best actress for her work on "One Life to Live" and Christian LeBlanc took home the statuette for best actor for his performance in "The Young and the Restless."
"Rachael Ray" was the winner of the prize for entertainment talk show and "Tyra Banks" earned the gong for informative talk show.
"Cristina's Court," presided over by Judge Cristina Perez, picked up the trophy for legal show, "Cash Cab" garnered the Emmy for best game show and "Good Morning America" was named outstanding morning program.
This is the first time in a decade the oft-nominated panelists of the popular chat show have won the award, which was announced Sunday.
None of the co-hosts were present to accept the honor.
In another series first, "The Bold and the Beautiful" won the Emmy for daytime drama series at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
Susan Haskell won the Emmy for best actress for her work on "One Life to Live" and Christian LeBlanc took home the statuette for best actor for his performance in "The Young and the Restless."
"Rachael Ray" was the winner of the prize for entertainment talk show and "Tyra Banks" earned the gong for informative talk show.
"Cristina's Court," presided over by Judge Cristina Perez, picked up the trophy for legal show, "Cash Cab" garnered the Emmy for best game show and "Good Morning America" was named outstanding morning program.
Cullman County courthouse serving influx of Jefferson County residents
Don Neely never had as enjoyable a time waiting in line for his driver’s license as he did Tuesday. But then again, he was waiting in Cullman, not Jefferson County.
It took Neely, who lives in Gardendale, just a few minutes to get his license renewed at the Cullman County Courthouse — a task that would have taken many hours in Jefferson.
“That’s the reason I came here,” Neely said. “A lot of people don’t know you can get your license renewed in any county.”
Neely is just one of many Jefferson County residents who have visited the Cullman County Courthouse in recent weeks to have their driver licenses renewed. The influx is due to Jefferson County’s current budget crisis, which has resulted in a partial government shutdown and long lines in that county’s courthouse.
“I saw them (lines) on TV, and that was enough for me,” Neely said. “You can’t find a place to park there either.”
Cullman County Probate Judge Leah Patterson-Lust said the pilgrimage of Jefferson County residents has been almost non-stop.
“Since the first day their annex offices were closed, we have seen people steady every day,” Patterson-Lust said. “The first and second day, they were lined up in the hall.”
As of Friday afternoon, Patterson-Lust said there appeared to be no signs that the amount of Jefferson County visitors was decreasing.
“That’s staying steady,” she said. “We’re expecting it to get worse, as more people find out about us.”
To date, the probate office has not been overwhelmed by the increase in customers, Patterson-Lust said.
“We’re doing okay,” she said. “What does sort of bother me is older people having to wait in line.”
Patterson-Lust noted, however, that the probate office does not have any extra staff to call upon, should the increase in Jefferson County residents become too burdensome.
“Of course, we’re going to provide good service,” she said.
But while Cullman is shouldering part of Jefferson County’s problems, it is also benefiting from additional revenue.
“We keep $1.50 per license renewal,” Patterson-Lust said. “The rest we pay out to the state. But I don’t know how much or any of a profit will come out of it.”
It took Neely, who lives in Gardendale, just a few minutes to get his license renewed at the Cullman County Courthouse — a task that would have taken many hours in Jefferson.
“That’s the reason I came here,” Neely said. “A lot of people don’t know you can get your license renewed in any county.”
Neely is just one of many Jefferson County residents who have visited the Cullman County Courthouse in recent weeks to have their driver licenses renewed. The influx is due to Jefferson County’s current budget crisis, which has resulted in a partial government shutdown and long lines in that county’s courthouse.
“I saw them (lines) on TV, and that was enough for me,” Neely said. “You can’t find a place to park there either.”
Cullman County Probate Judge Leah Patterson-Lust said the pilgrimage of Jefferson County residents has been almost non-stop.
“Since the first day their annex offices were closed, we have seen people steady every day,” Patterson-Lust said. “The first and second day, they were lined up in the hall.”
As of Friday afternoon, Patterson-Lust said there appeared to be no signs that the amount of Jefferson County visitors was decreasing.
“That’s staying steady,” she said. “We’re expecting it to get worse, as more people find out about us.”
To date, the probate office has not been overwhelmed by the increase in customers, Patterson-Lust said.
“We’re doing okay,” she said. “What does sort of bother me is older people having to wait in line.”
Patterson-Lust noted, however, that the probate office does not have any extra staff to call upon, should the increase in Jefferson County residents become too burdensome.
“Of course, we’re going to provide good service,” she said.
But while Cullman is shouldering part of Jefferson County’s problems, it is also benefiting from additional revenue.
“We keep $1.50 per license renewal,” Patterson-Lust said. “The rest we pay out to the state. But I don’t know how much or any of a profit will come out of it.”
Gold Derby by Tom O'Neil
Most of our gurus disagree over who'll win this Sunday night at the Daytime Emmys, but Matthew "Boidiva02" Cormier and Michael "Emmyloser" Jenkins concur on who'll prevail in the top diva smackdown: Susan Haskell ("One Life to Live").
Also check out our posters' predix in these races: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing, drama directing. See more Daytime Emmy predix in our forums.
BEST ACTRESS: EMMYLOSER'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood of winning)
1. Susan Haskell, "One Life to Live"
2. Debbie Morgan, "All My Children"
3. Maura West, "As the World Turns"
4. Jeanne Cooper, "The Young and the Restless"
5. Susan Flannery, "The Bold and the Beautiful"
EMMYLOSER'S COMMENTARY: Unlike last year, where the nominees largely underwhelmed with their submissions, these ladies greatly impressed in half as many episodes. This is a great race with five strong submissions, and against weaker competition I can see myself voting for any of them. This is the kind of competition the Daytime Emmys should be about in every category.
To pick a winner, though, I have to go with Susan Haskell. While I had a hard time wrestling her name away from Debbie Morgan's and Maura West's, there's an undeniable gravity to her reel, a power in her performance I can't not root for. Haskell meets the material head on, as Marty discovers the man she's fallen in love with has held her captive, kept her from her son, and orchestrated and participated in her rape years earlier. It's a horrifying realization, and Haskell, rather than deliver mere highly emotional reactions, draws out the horror and the madness of everything that's happened to her. The reel is not only riveting, it's easy to follow, and makes you long to see what comes next. The heft of this material and the strength of the performance may make this reel unstoppable.
Debbie Morgan seems likely to benefit more from the intangibles of Emmy voting than any of the other ladies, and that's why I give her the number two slot. She had year-long buzz for Angie and Jesse's reunion early last year. Her win would be most historic, as she'd be the first African American winner in this category. And while all of the ladies here have Emmys already, it's been the longest since she won hers. Of course, I don't mean to ignore her performance, which is wonderful. Most of the punch comes at the beginning and end of the reel, but the middle doesn't fall flat. After a year of buzz, though, it may leave some voters a little disappointed.
Maura West is largely underestimated in this race, maybe because she won this award two years ago with a much more in-your-face version of the scenario she submits here, Carly and Jack admitting the reasons they can't be with each other. It may be because her show's writers gave her mostly recycled story lines in 2008. West has a great charm on screen, no matter what she or her character is doing, which for the first half of the reel I thought was the saving grace. But once Carly and Jack actually start to discuss their failed and unsustainable relationship, West is fantastically moving. She makes Carly every bit the manipulator she's accused of being, but she makes you feel for her anyway. She is, as Jack says during one scene, a force of nature. If voters compare this reel to the one she submitted two years ago, she won't stand a chance against Haskell or even Morgan. Taken on its own, however, it has a real shot.
Jeanne Cooper and Susan Flannery are a couple of steps behind the others. Both give excellent performances, but neither has enough in her reel to put her in the top tier. Jeanne Cooper does a great job of giving two distinct characters in ritzy Katherine and country gal Marge, but there's nothing else in her reel that sizzles. Typically, a double role is a huge advantage, but the dual role is all that puts Cooper in the race. If these characters were being played by different actress, this reel would not be up for Emmy consideration for anyone. It's also less advantageous than it could be because Marge and Katherine are really only dealing with each other. Cooper interacts mostly with herself.
Susan Flannery, likewise, does a great job as Stephanie has to accept that the love of her life is dying. It's a nice change of pace for Flannery, who more often than not is bullying and bulldozing her way through Emmy reels. But there is just not enough of a spark here to make her a real threat to the top three.
BEST ACTRESS: BOIDIVA02'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood of winning)
1. Susan Haskell, "One Life to Live"
2. Susan Flannery, "The Bold and the Beautiful"
3. Jeanne Cooper, "The Young and the Restless"
4. Debbie Morgan, "All My Children"
5. Maura West, "As the World Turns"
BOIDIVA02'S COMMENTARY: It's the battle of the Susans in this race. You have clear-cut front-runner Susan Haskell submitting a powerhouse tape in which Marty, after months of laying in bed with amnesia, finally remembers some of the truths about her life, including the fact that her former rapist is the man that has nursed her back to health and made her fall in love with him. Marty discovers Todd's many lies, including the fact that she has a son Todd never told her about. She goes through many expressions and emotions that are evident on her face and body but not overly done. Haskell's expertise as an actress is clear as she successfully moves from one emotion to the next.
Susan Flannery is the spoiler here. In her episode, Stephanie learns her ex-husband, who is in a coma, will not survive and she has to break the news to his children so the family can say their goodbyes. Flannery has a magnificent moment by his bedside where she says her final goodbye to him before he dies. There is subtleness to this tape that the other tapes lack and this is what I call the Susan Flannery Factor that tends to give her the Emmy over other people, even in years when it's not expected.
Jeanne Cooper submitted an episode in which she plays two characters — sophisticated Katherine and working-class Marge. In the episode Katherine comes upon a drunken Marge at a bar and the two reminisce about their history together. Utilizing flashbacks, Cooper is effective in playing two very different women. Voters love dual roles so this gives her an advantage.
Debbie Morgan, the first African American to be nominated for lead actress, submitted her most talked-about tape, in which Angie is reunited with long-presumed-dead husband Jessie after nearly two decades. There is a real sense of sadness on her face and body that shows she was really feeling the emotions; but I question if this sweet simple tape can compete against ones in which the lead character learns that her lover raped her and another featuring the death of the lead character's ex-husband.
Next up is Maura West, who submitted a tape in which Carly learns ex-husband Jack is going to marry his new girlfriend Janet and she must deal with the fact she won't have him anymore. The tape takes awhile to get started and, while competent, isn't enough to beat four other actresses.
Also check out our posters' predix in these races: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing, drama directing. See more Daytime Emmy predix in our forums.
BEST ACTRESS: EMMYLOSER'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood of winning)
1. Susan Haskell, "One Life to Live"
2. Debbie Morgan, "All My Children"
3. Maura West, "As the World Turns"
4. Jeanne Cooper, "The Young and the Restless"
5. Susan Flannery, "The Bold and the Beautiful"
EMMYLOSER'S COMMENTARY: Unlike last year, where the nominees largely underwhelmed with their submissions, these ladies greatly impressed in half as many episodes. This is a great race with five strong submissions, and against weaker competition I can see myself voting for any of them. This is the kind of competition the Daytime Emmys should be about in every category.
To pick a winner, though, I have to go with Susan Haskell. While I had a hard time wrestling her name away from Debbie Morgan's and Maura West's, there's an undeniable gravity to her reel, a power in her performance I can't not root for. Haskell meets the material head on, as Marty discovers the man she's fallen in love with has held her captive, kept her from her son, and orchestrated and participated in her rape years earlier. It's a horrifying realization, and Haskell, rather than deliver mere highly emotional reactions, draws out the horror and the madness of everything that's happened to her. The reel is not only riveting, it's easy to follow, and makes you long to see what comes next. The heft of this material and the strength of the performance may make this reel unstoppable.
Debbie Morgan seems likely to benefit more from the intangibles of Emmy voting than any of the other ladies, and that's why I give her the number two slot. She had year-long buzz for Angie and Jesse's reunion early last year. Her win would be most historic, as she'd be the first African American winner in this category. And while all of the ladies here have Emmys already, it's been the longest since she won hers. Of course, I don't mean to ignore her performance, which is wonderful. Most of the punch comes at the beginning and end of the reel, but the middle doesn't fall flat. After a year of buzz, though, it may leave some voters a little disappointed.
Maura West is largely underestimated in this race, maybe because she won this award two years ago with a much more in-your-face version of the scenario she submits here, Carly and Jack admitting the reasons they can't be with each other. It may be because her show's writers gave her mostly recycled story lines in 2008. West has a great charm on screen, no matter what she or her character is doing, which for the first half of the reel I thought was the saving grace. But once Carly and Jack actually start to discuss their failed and unsustainable relationship, West is fantastically moving. She makes Carly every bit the manipulator she's accused of being, but she makes you feel for her anyway. She is, as Jack says during one scene, a force of nature. If voters compare this reel to the one she submitted two years ago, she won't stand a chance against Haskell or even Morgan. Taken on its own, however, it has a real shot.
Jeanne Cooper and Susan Flannery are a couple of steps behind the others. Both give excellent performances, but neither has enough in her reel to put her in the top tier. Jeanne Cooper does a great job of giving two distinct characters in ritzy Katherine and country gal Marge, but there's nothing else in her reel that sizzles. Typically, a double role is a huge advantage, but the dual role is all that puts Cooper in the race. If these characters were being played by different actress, this reel would not be up for Emmy consideration for anyone. It's also less advantageous than it could be because Marge and Katherine are really only dealing with each other. Cooper interacts mostly with herself.
Susan Flannery, likewise, does a great job as Stephanie has to accept that the love of her life is dying. It's a nice change of pace for Flannery, who more often than not is bullying and bulldozing her way through Emmy reels. But there is just not enough of a spark here to make her a real threat to the top three.
BEST ACTRESS: BOIDIVA02'S PREDIX
(Ranked by likelihood of winning)
1. Susan Haskell, "One Life to Live"
2. Susan Flannery, "The Bold and the Beautiful"
3. Jeanne Cooper, "The Young and the Restless"
4. Debbie Morgan, "All My Children"
5. Maura West, "As the World Turns"
BOIDIVA02'S COMMENTARY: It's the battle of the Susans in this race. You have clear-cut front-runner Susan Haskell submitting a powerhouse tape in which Marty, after months of laying in bed with amnesia, finally remembers some of the truths about her life, including the fact that her former rapist is the man that has nursed her back to health and made her fall in love with him. Marty discovers Todd's many lies, including the fact that she has a son Todd never told her about. She goes through many expressions and emotions that are evident on her face and body but not overly done. Haskell's expertise as an actress is clear as she successfully moves from one emotion to the next.
Susan Flannery is the spoiler here. In her episode, Stephanie learns her ex-husband, who is in a coma, will not survive and she has to break the news to his children so the family can say their goodbyes. Flannery has a magnificent moment by his bedside where she says her final goodbye to him before he dies. There is subtleness to this tape that the other tapes lack and this is what I call the Susan Flannery Factor that tends to give her the Emmy over other people, even in years when it's not expected.
Jeanne Cooper submitted an episode in which she plays two characters — sophisticated Katherine and working-class Marge. In the episode Katherine comes upon a drunken Marge at a bar and the two reminisce about their history together. Utilizing flashbacks, Cooper is effective in playing two very different women. Voters love dual roles so this gives her an advantage.
Debbie Morgan, the first African American to be nominated for lead actress, submitted her most talked-about tape, in which Angie is reunited with long-presumed-dead husband Jessie after nearly two decades. There is a real sense of sadness on her face and body that shows she was really feeling the emotions; but I question if this sweet simple tape can compete against ones in which the lead character learns that her lover raped her and another featuring the death of the lead character's ex-husband.
Next up is Maura West, who submitted a tape in which Carly learns ex-husband Jack is going to marry his new girlfriend Janet and she must deal with the fact she won't have him anymore. The tape takes awhile to get started and, while competent, isn't enough to beat four other actresses.
Lindsay Lohan's Days Are Never Drama-Free
Lindsay Lohan left her cell phone at a deli yesterday. When she returned a few minutes later to retrieve it, an employee refused to give it back to her. LiLo wasn't too pleased to hear that, of course. (Let's hope the Italian ice she's holding made up for it.) But most of the time, she only has herself to blame for her troubles. Yesterday she tweeted that she was at a store in SoHo. But then she got annoyed when a gazillion photographers materialized outside a few minutes later. [Sun, P6]
• Salman Rushdie was spotted making out with a hot, young babe at the Inglourious Basterds party at the Standard Grill the other night. [P6]
• Jennifer Aniston supposedly "feels rejected and upset" after Bradley Cooper dropped her and started dating Renee Zellweger. [Us]
• Speaking of Zellweger, she used her appearance on David Letterman's show last night to promote the Blue Parrot, the Mexican restaurant she co-owns with Ron Perelman, Jon Bon Jovi, and Larry Gagosian, among others. [People]
• Ryan Alexander Jenkins, the reality show contestant suspected of killing his model ex-wife, Jasmin Fiore, was officially charged with murder yesterday. He's also believed to have mutilated her body. Grim. [NYDN, People]
• Is Cameron Diaz dating Keanu Reeves? Possibly. [Sun]
• Donald Trump was responsible for dethroning Carrie Prejean as Miss California a few months ago, of course. But now he's in talks with her to have her join the cast of the next Celebrity Apprentice. [Fox News]
• Speaking of the Donald, Jared Kushner asked Trump for permission before he asked Ivanka Trump to marry him last month. [People]
• The Sex and the City sequel hasn't started filming yet and there are already reports of tension between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. [LES]
• Those burial plans for Michael Jackson that seemed to have been finalized earlier this week? It turns out they weren't so final, after all. [NYDN]
• She's trying her best, but Penelope Cruz is having a tough time hiding her growing baby bump. [DM]
• Heroes star Hayden Panettiere is dating Harry Morton, the owner of Pink Taco and son of Hard Rock co-founder Peter Morton. [P6]
• Tyra Banks was spotted having dinner with her boyfriend John Utendahl, even though they usually keep the relationship on the down-low. [P6]
• Who is Jesus Luz to Madonna's kids? He's "mommy's friend." [MSNBC]
• Sean Penn is in the middle of a divorce, but he's keeping his spirits up. He was looking "very single" with a couple of ladies in LA the other night. [NYDN]
• Spencer Pratt says he wants to be the next Brad Pitt. Good luck! [NYDN]
• Salman Rushdie was spotted making out with a hot, young babe at the Inglourious Basterds party at the Standard Grill the other night. [P6]
• Jennifer Aniston supposedly "feels rejected and upset" after Bradley Cooper dropped her and started dating Renee Zellweger. [Us]
• Speaking of Zellweger, she used her appearance on David Letterman's show last night to promote the Blue Parrot, the Mexican restaurant she co-owns with Ron Perelman, Jon Bon Jovi, and Larry Gagosian, among others. [People]
• Ryan Alexander Jenkins, the reality show contestant suspected of killing his model ex-wife, Jasmin Fiore, was officially charged with murder yesterday. He's also believed to have mutilated her body. Grim. [NYDN, People]
• Is Cameron Diaz dating Keanu Reeves? Possibly. [Sun]
• Donald Trump was responsible for dethroning Carrie Prejean as Miss California a few months ago, of course. But now he's in talks with her to have her join the cast of the next Celebrity Apprentice. [Fox News]
• Speaking of the Donald, Jared Kushner asked Trump for permission before he asked Ivanka Trump to marry him last month. [People]
• The Sex and the City sequel hasn't started filming yet and there are already reports of tension between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. [LES]
• Those burial plans for Michael Jackson that seemed to have been finalized earlier this week? It turns out they weren't so final, after all. [NYDN]
• She's trying her best, but Penelope Cruz is having a tough time hiding her growing baby bump. [DM]
• Heroes star Hayden Panettiere is dating Harry Morton, the owner of Pink Taco and son of Hard Rock co-founder Peter Morton. [P6]
• Tyra Banks was spotted having dinner with her boyfriend John Utendahl, even though they usually keep the relationship on the down-low. [P6]
• Who is Jesus Luz to Madonna's kids? He's "mommy's friend." [MSNBC]
• Sean Penn is in the middle of a divorce, but he's keeping his spirits up. He was looking "very single" with a couple of ladies in LA the other night. [NYDN]
• Spencer Pratt says he wants to be the next Brad Pitt. Good luck! [NYDN]
Previewing the men's field
It's tennis fans most exciting time of the year: the start of the 2009 US Open tennis tournament. All eyes are fixed on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for what promises to be two wildly entertaining weeks of world class tennis. This year's field will feature all of the usual favorites (Federer, Nadal, et al) as well as several strong contenders gunning for their first Grand Slam title, and a few dark horse candidates worth keeping your eye on.
View photos of Roger Federer and Serena Williams during the pre-US Open press conference
Here we will break down each player's chances for success over the course of the fortnight beginning with the favorites:
Roger Federer - Is there anything left for the mighty Fed to accomplish? Fifteen major championships to his credit - good for solo possession of the all time record, and the defending champion of the past five US Opens, you have to wonder at this stage in the game where he will draw motivation from. A sixth consecutive title would be another record he would hold to himself, and after having systematically mowed down both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic en route to claiming the Cincinnati Masters title I wouldn't bet against him here.
Andy Murray - Entering the dreaded realm of "Best Player Never to Win a Major". Murray has surrounded himself with a fantastic supporting team this year, and the results have paid huge dividends on the court. Has usurped Rafael Nadal as the world #2 and took home the Rogers Cup title in Montreal earlier this month. Can be passive at times - often preferring to play cat and mouse tennis with his opponents which can get him into trouble, but still anything less than a semi-final appearance here would be surprising.
Rafael Nadal - Oh, what a difference a few months can make. After having reduced Federer to tears following their five set Australian Open final - the kind of tears which clearly reflected the "I have no idea how I'm ever going to beat this guy again" mindset, and storming his way through the clay court season, it all started going wrong for Rafa in Madrid. Losing in the final on his beloved clay surface to the Fed, then a shocking upset to Robin Soderling in the third round of the French Open, followed by a summer spent on the sidelines with wonky knees leaving him unable to defend his Wimbledon title, Rafa is still finding his form heading into this years Open. With his athleticism, foot speed, and world class mental toughness however, it would surprise no one if he were the last man standing when the dust settles - even if he is standing on shaky knees.
Novak Djokovic - The Joker has flown under the radar a bit this year, at times having shown flashes of his world class game reaching the finals of four Masters series events and winning two events (Belgrade, Dubai), but has been somewhat absent on the grand stage. Playing well, but not quite in the discussion of being a real threat to take home the title. He looked to be in top form at Wimbledon before crashing out in the quarters to a red-hot Tommy Haas, and I look for Djokovic to reach the quarters or the semis here so long as he can win back the crowd support he lost last year after his (in)famous post-match comments following his match with Andy Roddick.
And speaking of Roddick, A-Rod heads the list of strong contenders poised for a breakthrough. History is often pitiless to losers, but his epic Wimbledon five setter against Federer probably won him more fan support than he's ever enjoyed at any point in his career. Having hired Larry Stefanki as his coach early in the year, Roddick shed 15lbs. and improved his previously shaky net game as well as his backhand to the degree that he now appears to have very little weakness or vulnerability anywhere in his game. He desperately wants to add another major title to his resume and would love nothing more than to do it in front of the home crowd. Other contenders worth watching are:
Juan Martin Del Potro - The 6'6" Argentinean with the huge bomb of a serve, backhand, and inside-out forehand plays well on hard courts, having taken home the Legg Mason title in Washington DC earlier this month, then immediately following it up by reaching the final of the Rogers Cup before running out of gas in the third set against Andy Murray. If his fitness level is where it should be, watch out for the big man.
View photos of Roger Federer and Serena Williams during the pre-US Open press conference
Here we will break down each player's chances for success over the course of the fortnight beginning with the favorites:
Roger Federer - Is there anything left for the mighty Fed to accomplish? Fifteen major championships to his credit - good for solo possession of the all time record, and the defending champion of the past five US Opens, you have to wonder at this stage in the game where he will draw motivation from. A sixth consecutive title would be another record he would hold to himself, and after having systematically mowed down both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic en route to claiming the Cincinnati Masters title I wouldn't bet against him here.
Andy Murray - Entering the dreaded realm of "Best Player Never to Win a Major". Murray has surrounded himself with a fantastic supporting team this year, and the results have paid huge dividends on the court. Has usurped Rafael Nadal as the world #2 and took home the Rogers Cup title in Montreal earlier this month. Can be passive at times - often preferring to play cat and mouse tennis with his opponents which can get him into trouble, but still anything less than a semi-final appearance here would be surprising.
Rafael Nadal - Oh, what a difference a few months can make. After having reduced Federer to tears following their five set Australian Open final - the kind of tears which clearly reflected the "I have no idea how I'm ever going to beat this guy again" mindset, and storming his way through the clay court season, it all started going wrong for Rafa in Madrid. Losing in the final on his beloved clay surface to the Fed, then a shocking upset to Robin Soderling in the third round of the French Open, followed by a summer spent on the sidelines with wonky knees leaving him unable to defend his Wimbledon title, Rafa is still finding his form heading into this years Open. With his athleticism, foot speed, and world class mental toughness however, it would surprise no one if he were the last man standing when the dust settles - even if he is standing on shaky knees.
Novak Djokovic - The Joker has flown under the radar a bit this year, at times having shown flashes of his world class game reaching the finals of four Masters series events and winning two events (Belgrade, Dubai), but has been somewhat absent on the grand stage. Playing well, but not quite in the discussion of being a real threat to take home the title. He looked to be in top form at Wimbledon before crashing out in the quarters to a red-hot Tommy Haas, and I look for Djokovic to reach the quarters or the semis here so long as he can win back the crowd support he lost last year after his (in)famous post-match comments following his match with Andy Roddick.
And speaking of Roddick, A-Rod heads the list of strong contenders poised for a breakthrough. History is often pitiless to losers, but his epic Wimbledon five setter against Federer probably won him more fan support than he's ever enjoyed at any point in his career. Having hired Larry Stefanki as his coach early in the year, Roddick shed 15lbs. and improved his previously shaky net game as well as his backhand to the degree that he now appears to have very little weakness or vulnerability anywhere in his game. He desperately wants to add another major title to his resume and would love nothing more than to do it in front of the home crowd. Other contenders worth watching are:
Juan Martin Del Potro - The 6'6" Argentinean with the huge bomb of a serve, backhand, and inside-out forehand plays well on hard courts, having taken home the Legg Mason title in Washington DC earlier this month, then immediately following it up by reaching the final of the Rogers Cup before running out of gas in the third set against Andy Murray. If his fitness level is where it should be, watch out for the big man.
Bold wins at Daytime Emmy Awards: 'Bold and the Beautiful,' 'The View'
After 22 years on the air, "The Bold and the Beautiful" finally won its first victory as best drama series when the Daytime Emmy Awards were bestowed at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. It had been nominated for the top Emmy several times, but many award gurus believed it might never win, being a half-hour program competing against one-hour rivals.
See a list of Daytime Emmy winners here. Also check out the list of winners at the Creative Arts ceremony. Read the transcript of our live chat session here.
Another big shock at the Daytime Emmys was the victory by "The View" for best talk-show host, a category that has never been won by a multiple-host program over more than 35 years. Historically, there's a strong bias in favor of single-host programs winning in the separate category as best talk-show too, but "The View" did manage to break that jinx once — in 2003 when it tied with "The Wayne Brady Show." This year Emmy watchers were outraged that "The View" wasn't nominated for best talk show, only reaping a bid in the host race. Its stars, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters didn't bother to travel from New York to Los Angeles for the ceremony. "We're accepting it on their behalf," presenter Jennie Garth said when no one appeared at the podium to claim the statuette for best hosting. However, co-presenter and "90210" costar Lori Loughlin warned, "We're not giving it back!"
There were lots of first-time winners at the Daytime Emmys, including Tamara Braun ("Days of Our Lives") as best supporting actress and "Days" co-star Darin Brooks as best younger actor. Accepting his trophy, Brooks got bleeped by TV censors, then gushed, "Ooo, did I swear? I knew that was going to happen!" That "Days" reaped two acting honors surprised many Emmy watchers. The program is often shrugged off by the conservative TV industry at awards time because it skews to a young, hipster demographic.
First-time champ Vincent Irizarry ("All My Children") shared the laurels for best supporting actor with another rookie victor, Jeff Branson ("Guiding Light"), who acknowledged cancellation of his program, gasping, "72 years! I give this to all of us."
Another first-time champ was Julie Berman ("General Hospital"), who exclaimed as she claimed the younger-actress trophy, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! This is so scary. I haven't shaken this much since I auditioned for this part!"
Among repeat winners was Christian LeBlanc ("Young and the Restless") as best actor. Susan Haskell ("One Life to Live") won best actress for the first time, but previously triumphed in the supporting-actress race back in 1994.
"Rachael Ray" proved that its upset victory over "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last year as best talk show (entertainment) was no fluke. After Ellen's program won the talk-show category four years in a row, Rachael's yakfest took its second consecutive victory.
Just like last year, the Discovery Channel's "Cash Cab" again crossed the finish line first in the race as best game show, repeating its breakthrough victory for basic cable. Accepting its second trophy, its producer said, "I think it's pretty staggering that for two years in a row we've been seen in the same light as international game-show icons like 'Jeopardy' and 'Millionaire,' and to win out against that kind of competition is a little shocking, but no less wonderful."
There was speculation among pundits this year that "Dr. Phil" might finally win best talk show (informative), but "The Tyra Banks Show" prevailed for a second year in a row. Accepting the prize, Banks roared, "This is for the women out there who just do not feel beautiful and do not have time to do your makeup because you're rushing after your kids. I get it. This is for the kids in high school that feel insecure when they walk onto that campus because they're surrounded by hate. This is for you guys! You rock!"
The evening included a heartfelt farewell to the canceled "Guiding Light." Betty White introduced the video tribute, saying, " 'Guiding Light' started off on radio in 1937 and, in 1952, it became the first soap opera on TV and to this day it has become the longest-running drama in TV and radio history. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end."
The ceremony included a grandly staged tribute to "Sesame Street" upon its 40th anniversary, which came a curious time in its awards history. For decades, "Sesame Street" so dominated the race for best children's show that, in 1995, TV academy spun off a separate category for pre-school children's shows just to get it out of the way and let other juvenile programs share the gold. Ever since that new category was hatched, "Sesame Street" romped through it too — except this year when it was beaten by "Between the Lions" on Saturday night at the Creative Arts ceremony.
Underdog victories over popular competition happens often at the Emmys because the awards aren't chosen by popular ballot like other showbiz peer-group awards like the Oscars, Grammys and Tonys. Emmys are decided by a few dozen jurors who view video samples submitted by nominees as examples of their best work.
Gold Derby's award prophets did an excellent job forecasting who'd win. Check out our posters' predix in these categories: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing, drama directing.
See more Daytime Emmy predictions in our forums, which is always buzzing with chat about all showbiz awards.
See a list of Daytime Emmy winners here. Also check out the list of winners at the Creative Arts ceremony. Read the transcript of our live chat session here.
Another big shock at the Daytime Emmys was the victory by "The View" for best talk-show host, a category that has never been won by a multiple-host program over more than 35 years. Historically, there's a strong bias in favor of single-host programs winning in the separate category as best talk-show too, but "The View" did manage to break that jinx once — in 2003 when it tied with "The Wayne Brady Show." This year Emmy watchers were outraged that "The View" wasn't nominated for best talk show, only reaping a bid in the host race. Its stars, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters didn't bother to travel from New York to Los Angeles for the ceremony. "We're accepting it on their behalf," presenter Jennie Garth said when no one appeared at the podium to claim the statuette for best hosting. However, co-presenter and "90210" costar Lori Loughlin warned, "We're not giving it back!"
There were lots of first-time winners at the Daytime Emmys, including Tamara Braun ("Days of Our Lives") as best supporting actress and "Days" co-star Darin Brooks as best younger actor. Accepting his trophy, Brooks got bleeped by TV censors, then gushed, "Ooo, did I swear? I knew that was going to happen!" That "Days" reaped two acting honors surprised many Emmy watchers. The program is often shrugged off by the conservative TV industry at awards time because it skews to a young, hipster demographic.
First-time champ Vincent Irizarry ("All My Children") shared the laurels for best supporting actor with another rookie victor, Jeff Branson ("Guiding Light"), who acknowledged cancellation of his program, gasping, "72 years! I give this to all of us."
Another first-time champ was Julie Berman ("General Hospital"), who exclaimed as she claimed the younger-actress trophy, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! This is so scary. I haven't shaken this much since I auditioned for this part!"
Among repeat winners was Christian LeBlanc ("Young and the Restless") as best actor. Susan Haskell ("One Life to Live") won best actress for the first time, but previously triumphed in the supporting-actress race back in 1994.
"Rachael Ray" proved that its upset victory over "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last year as best talk show (entertainment) was no fluke. After Ellen's program won the talk-show category four years in a row, Rachael's yakfest took its second consecutive victory.
Just like last year, the Discovery Channel's "Cash Cab" again crossed the finish line first in the race as best game show, repeating its breakthrough victory for basic cable. Accepting its second trophy, its producer said, "I think it's pretty staggering that for two years in a row we've been seen in the same light as international game-show icons like 'Jeopardy' and 'Millionaire,' and to win out against that kind of competition is a little shocking, but no less wonderful."
There was speculation among pundits this year that "Dr. Phil" might finally win best talk show (informative), but "The Tyra Banks Show" prevailed for a second year in a row. Accepting the prize, Banks roared, "This is for the women out there who just do not feel beautiful and do not have time to do your makeup because you're rushing after your kids. I get it. This is for the kids in high school that feel insecure when they walk onto that campus because they're surrounded by hate. This is for you guys! You rock!"
The evening included a heartfelt farewell to the canceled "Guiding Light." Betty White introduced the video tribute, saying, " 'Guiding Light' started off on radio in 1937 and, in 1952, it became the first soap opera on TV and to this day it has become the longest-running drama in TV and radio history. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end."
The ceremony included a grandly staged tribute to "Sesame Street" upon its 40th anniversary, which came a curious time in its awards history. For decades, "Sesame Street" so dominated the race for best children's show that, in 1995, TV academy spun off a separate category for pre-school children's shows just to get it out of the way and let other juvenile programs share the gold. Ever since that new category was hatched, "Sesame Street" romped through it too — except this year when it was beaten by "Between the Lions" on Saturday night at the Creative Arts ceremony.
Underdog victories over popular competition happens often at the Emmys because the awards aren't chosen by popular ballot like other showbiz peer-group awards like the Oscars, Grammys and Tonys. Emmys are decided by a few dozen jurors who view video samples submitted by nominees as examples of their best work.
Gold Derby's award prophets did an excellent job forecasting who'd win. Check out our posters' predix in these categories: best drama series, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, younger actor, younger actress, talk show (entertainment). talk show (informative), talk show host, game show, drama writing, drama directing.
See more Daytime Emmy predictions in our forums, which is always buzzing with chat about all showbiz awards.
Baker Hughes To Buy BJ Services For $5.5 Billion
In a move to cement its status among top-tier energy service companies, Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) on Monday agreed to acquire BJ Services Co. (BJS) in a deal valued at $5.5 billion.
The transaction, which company executives say could be completed as early as the end of this year, would give Houston-based Baker Hughes the ability to offer the same integrated approach as larger rivals Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) and Halliburton Co. (HAL). Crude oil and natural gas producers both in the U.S. and abroad are showing an increasing preference for hiring contractors that can provide a full spectrum of services that range from surveying potential hydrocarbon reservoirs to enhancing production from aging fields.
The merger "is making us much more competitive as we go after all these complex projects around the world," said Baker Hughes Chief Executive Chad Deaton in a conference call with investors.
Baker Hughes shares were recently down more than 7% at $35.33, a sign that investors are skeptical of the deal's price. BJ shareholders will get $2.69 in cash and 0.40035 share of Baker Hughes for each share of BJ. That values BJ Services at a 16% premium to Friday's closing price. BJ shareholders will own slightly more than one-quarter of the combined company.
Simmons & Co. analyst Bill Herbert said that the premium paid for BJ Services "isn't offensive," but it represents about 30 times the company's earnings in 2010. By 2011, the multiple will fall to 15 times earnings, compared with a projected multiple of 12 at Baker Hughes for that year, Herbert said in a note.
This consolidation is expected to open more doors to major overseas energy developments, which outshine exploration and production in North America - traditionally a major market for both Baker Hughes and BJ Services. Business in North America is biased toward exploration and production for natural gas, a sector that's likely to remain weak as prices have recently slumped to seven- year lows below $3 a million British thermal units.
Baker Hughes expects to realize annual cost savings of about $75 million in 2010 and $150 million in 2011 from the merger. The combination is expected to be accretive to earnings per share in 2011.
Both companies, like many in the oil patch, have been reporting slumping results of late during the price plunge, which is crimping production and exploration as demand wanes for oil and natural gas.
This deal is the biggest in the oilfield services patch since deepwater drilling company Transocean Ltd. (RIG) combined with Global Santa Fe in 2007.
It "fills a compelling strategic need for BHI as (national oil companies) are calling for increasingly more and not less integration," Herbert said in a note.
The transaction, which company executives say could be completed as early as the end of this year, would give Houston-based Baker Hughes the ability to offer the same integrated approach as larger rivals Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) and Halliburton Co. (HAL). Crude oil and natural gas producers both in the U.S. and abroad are showing an increasing preference for hiring contractors that can provide a full spectrum of services that range from surveying potential hydrocarbon reservoirs to enhancing production from aging fields.
The merger "is making us much more competitive as we go after all these complex projects around the world," said Baker Hughes Chief Executive Chad Deaton in a conference call with investors.
Baker Hughes shares were recently down more than 7% at $35.33, a sign that investors are skeptical of the deal's price. BJ shareholders will get $2.69 in cash and 0.40035 share of Baker Hughes for each share of BJ. That values BJ Services at a 16% premium to Friday's closing price. BJ shareholders will own slightly more than one-quarter of the combined company.
Simmons & Co. analyst Bill Herbert said that the premium paid for BJ Services "isn't offensive," but it represents about 30 times the company's earnings in 2010. By 2011, the multiple will fall to 15 times earnings, compared with a projected multiple of 12 at Baker Hughes for that year, Herbert said in a note.
This consolidation is expected to open more doors to major overseas energy developments, which outshine exploration and production in North America - traditionally a major market for both Baker Hughes and BJ Services. Business in North America is biased toward exploration and production for natural gas, a sector that's likely to remain weak as prices have recently slumped to seven- year lows below $3 a million British thermal units.
Baker Hughes expects to realize annual cost savings of about $75 million in 2010 and $150 million in 2011 from the merger. The combination is expected to be accretive to earnings per share in 2011.
Both companies, like many in the oil patch, have been reporting slumping results of late during the price plunge, which is crimping production and exploration as demand wanes for oil and natural gas.
This deal is the biggest in the oilfield services patch since deepwater drilling company Transocean Ltd. (RIG) combined with Global Santa Fe in 2007.
It "fills a compelling strategic need for BHI as (national oil companies) are calling for increasingly more and not less integration," Herbert said in a note.
Key dates for Marvel Entertainment
Walt Disney Co said on Monday it plans to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion in a deal that would add characters such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four to its entertainment empire.
The following are some key dates for Marvel:
* 1939 - Martin Goodman founds "Timely Publications" later to become "Marvel Comics." Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics No. 1, includes the first appearance of The Human Torch.
* 1939 - Goodman hires teenager, Stanley Lieber, as an assistant. Lieber eventually took the name Stan Lee and became one of the company's most popular artists. Lee served as the company's editor-in-chief from 1941-1942 and 1945-1972.
* March 1941 - Captain America comic launched, the company's first blockbuster title.
* May 1961 - The first Marvel Comics branded comic published, the science-fiction "Amazing Adventures No. 3".
* August 1962 - Spider-Man first appeared in the comic book "Amazing Fantasy No. 15." The character got his first solo in "The Amazing Spider-Man," in March 1963.
* September 1963 - X-Men team of mutant superheroes first appeared in "The X-Men No. 1."
* 1986 - Company sold to New World Entertainment. Three years later, it was sold to MacAndrews & Forbes, owned by Ronald Perelman.
* 1991 - Marvel taken public in an initial public offering.
* December 1996 - Company declares bankruptcy.
* June 1997 - Bondholders take over control of company, financier Carl Icahn named chairman.
* October 1998 - Company emerges from bankruptcy
The following are some key dates for Marvel:
* 1939 - Martin Goodman founds "Timely Publications" later to become "Marvel Comics." Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics No. 1, includes the first appearance of The Human Torch.
* 1939 - Goodman hires teenager, Stanley Lieber, as an assistant. Lieber eventually took the name Stan Lee and became one of the company's most popular artists. Lee served as the company's editor-in-chief from 1941-1942 and 1945-1972.
* March 1941 - Captain America comic launched, the company's first blockbuster title.
* May 1961 - The first Marvel Comics branded comic published, the science-fiction "Amazing Adventures No. 3".
* August 1962 - Spider-Man first appeared in the comic book "Amazing Fantasy No. 15." The character got his first solo in "The Amazing Spider-Man," in March 1963.
* September 1963 - X-Men team of mutant superheroes first appeared in "The X-Men No. 1."
* 1986 - Company sold to New World Entertainment. Three years later, it was sold to MacAndrews & Forbes, owned by Ronald Perelman.
* 1991 - Marvel taken public in an initial public offering.
* December 1996 - Company declares bankruptcy.
* June 1997 - Bondholders take over control of company, financier Carl Icahn named chairman.
* October 1998 - Company emerges from bankruptcy
Big Brother 11 pandora's box
New Delhi, Aug 31, 2009: Big Brother 11 pandora's box. Afternoon in the Big Brother House and leisurely talk amoung house guests.
A 2:42pm BBT, the live feeds came back! The Mystery of the HOH Door is now solved! It was a luxury comp, that could have some consequences.
Natalie said "So it was $10,000 to split between the house, Kev?"
Jordan: (to Jeff) "How much do you think you grabbed?"
Jeff: "$1,000?"
Jordan: "Noo.."
Kevin: "I thought the money looked fake at first!"
Jordan: "I grabbed like 5 or 6 $100's. The pool filter had, like.."
Kevin: "That was so much fun!! They said once you make the choice to go in that door...someone grabbed my arm and I screamed like a little bitch! Then they handcuffed me."
It was the mystery door! Kevin said he heard something behind the door.
Kevin: "There's a whole room behind that door!!"
Kevin said that BB gave him a "choice".
Jeff is saying that Natalie was being greedy during the luxury comp. He also said something about "opening Pandora's box".
Natalie is out of the Diary Room.
Jeff: "What up, SNAKE?!"
Natalie: "That was $10 G's in the backyard??? Didn't look like it.."
They think something is still up & that Natalie knows something
A 2:42pm BBT, the live feeds came back! The Mystery of the HOH Door is now solved! It was a luxury comp, that could have some consequences.
Natalie said "So it was $10,000 to split between the house, Kev?"
Jordan: (to Jeff) "How much do you think you grabbed?"
Jeff: "$1,000?"
Jordan: "Noo.."
Kevin: "I thought the money looked fake at first!"
Jordan: "I grabbed like 5 or 6 $100's. The pool filter had, like.."
Kevin: "That was so much fun!! They said once you make the choice to go in that door...someone grabbed my arm and I screamed like a little bitch! Then they handcuffed me."
It was the mystery door! Kevin said he heard something behind the door.
Kevin: "There's a whole room behind that door!!"
Kevin said that BB gave him a "choice".
Jeff is saying that Natalie was being greedy during the luxury comp. He also said something about "opening Pandora's box".
Natalie is out of the Diary Room.
Jeff: "What up, SNAKE?!"
Natalie: "That was $10 G's in the backyard??? Didn't look like it.."
They think something is still up & that Natalie knows something
Disney: Marvel's existing deals to stay in place
Shares of Marvel Entertainment soared more than 25 percent in premarket trade after Walt Disney Co announced it will acquire the company and its library of characters including Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men.
Marvel shares last traded at $48.40, up 25.2 percent from their closing price on Friday.
Disney shares closed at $26.84 on Friday.
Marvel shares last traded at $48.40, up 25.2 percent from their closing price on Friday.
Disney shares closed at $26.84 on Friday.
Ataris Pallidipennis Stal
The Ataris Pallidipennis Stal is a bug (more formally, a form of beetle) which is native to South Africa.
The reason it's in the news today is because one of them was found in a shipment of flowers from South Africa at customs in Miami. Now the idea that there's a bug or a beetle in a shipment of flowers shouldn't cause all that much excitement: however, we do have to be very careful indeed about introduced species.
That«'s what the problem is about Ataris Pallidipennis Stal, not that there's one in the country: but how many others might be coming in by the same route. And if there are others, and they manage to establish themselves, what might happen next?
Most introduced species manage to go nowhere of course. They get eaten by the first predator that likes the look of them, die from the change in climate, whatever. But those few that manage to establish themselves can cause huge problems. Rabbits are not native to Australia, they were deliberately introduced. But as they have no natural predator there they multiplied, well, like rabbits, and have stripped large areas of the country of vegetation. Cane toads are causing similar problems (they were introduced to eat an insect which was itself causing problems).
Cats arriving in New Zealand (along with rats) have virtually wiped out ground nesting birds like the Kakapo and some offshore islands have been deliberately stripped of both cats and rats to give the birds a chance. Zebra mussels are causing problems at power station water inlets and everyone should have heard the horror stories about Japanese bindweed by now.
The point isn't that one single Ataris Pallidipennis Stalhas been found it's that we are pretty sure that we only ever find a minute portion of these stowaways: so how many more of them are there out there and what sort of problems might they cause?
The reason it's in the news today is because one of them was found in a shipment of flowers from South Africa at customs in Miami. Now the idea that there's a bug or a beetle in a shipment of flowers shouldn't cause all that much excitement: however, we do have to be very careful indeed about introduced species.
That«'s what the problem is about Ataris Pallidipennis Stal, not that there's one in the country: but how many others might be coming in by the same route. And if there are others, and they manage to establish themselves, what might happen next?
Most introduced species manage to go nowhere of course. They get eaten by the first predator that likes the look of them, die from the change in climate, whatever. But those few that manage to establish themselves can cause huge problems. Rabbits are not native to Australia, they were deliberately introduced. But as they have no natural predator there they multiplied, well, like rabbits, and have stripped large areas of the country of vegetation. Cane toads are causing similar problems (they were introduced to eat an insect which was itself causing problems).
Cats arriving in New Zealand (along with rats) have virtually wiped out ground nesting birds like the Kakapo and some offshore islands have been deliberately stripped of both cats and rats to give the birds a chance. Zebra mussels are causing problems at power station water inlets and everyone should have heard the horror stories about Japanese bindweed by now.
The point isn't that one single Ataris Pallidipennis Stalhas been found it's that we are pretty sure that we only ever find a minute portion of these stowaways: so how many more of them are there out there and what sort of problems might they cause?
Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 Winners Contain Some Upsets
The Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners were a little surprising last night. The Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners had some usual suspects, but the Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners had some relatively new names and shows in the mix. At least two of the major Emmy Awards winners were upset
Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 Winners Contain Some Upsets choices, as the Daytime Emmy Awards put on a big show - even if it ended a little too late for the CW's liking.
The biggest Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winner of the night was The Bold and the Beautiful, which won its first Best Drama Series Emmy, and the first for a CBS program in 22 years. However, the Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 were held on the CW, so by the time The Bold and the Beautiful cast and crew got their awards, it was 10 pm EST and the CW stopped their broadcast.
The CW didn't have the same patience for late awards show as other networks do - but it blacked out the acceptance speeches of the major Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners, nonetheless. The Daytime Emmy Awards are already likely to get lousy ratings for being on the CW, no matter when it ended.
But the actual Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners hardly cared about ratings. In addition to The Bold and the Beautiful's upset, a major upset took place in the Best Talk Show Host category. Ellen DeGeneres had held that honor for the last four years, but she was dethroned by the ladies of The View - who weren't even in attendance.
In addition, Guiding Light had one last Daytime Emmy Award winner, as Jeff Branson tied for the Best Supporting Actor award with Vincent Irizarry of All My Children. Guiding Light was also part of a major tribute from the Daytime Emmy Awards 2009, as its final episode approaches on September 18.
The Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 acting honors also went to Susan Haskell from One Live to Live for lead actress, Christian LeBlanc from The Young and the Restless for lead actor, and Tamara Braun from Days of Our Lives for supporting actress. Darin Brooks from Days of Our Lives and Julie Berman from General Hospital won the younger actor and actress Emmys.
Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 Winners Contain Some Upsets choices, as the Daytime Emmy Awards put on a big show - even if it ended a little too late for the CW's liking.
The biggest Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winner of the night was The Bold and the Beautiful, which won its first Best Drama Series Emmy, and the first for a CBS program in 22 years. However, the Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 were held on the CW, so by the time The Bold and the Beautiful cast and crew got their awards, it was 10 pm EST and the CW stopped their broadcast.
The CW didn't have the same patience for late awards show as other networks do - but it blacked out the acceptance speeches of the major Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners, nonetheless. The Daytime Emmy Awards are already likely to get lousy ratings for being on the CW, no matter when it ended.
But the actual Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 winners hardly cared about ratings. In addition to The Bold and the Beautiful's upset, a major upset took place in the Best Talk Show Host category. Ellen DeGeneres had held that honor for the last four years, but she was dethroned by the ladies of The View - who weren't even in attendance.
In addition, Guiding Light had one last Daytime Emmy Award winner, as Jeff Branson tied for the Best Supporting Actor award with Vincent Irizarry of All My Children. Guiding Light was also part of a major tribute from the Daytime Emmy Awards 2009, as its final episode approaches on September 18.
The Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 acting honors also went to Susan Haskell from One Live to Live for lead actress, Christian LeBlanc from The Young and the Restless for lead actor, and Tamara Braun from Days of Our Lives for supporting actress. Darin Brooks from Days of Our Lives and Julie Berman from General Hospital won the younger actor and actress Emmys.
How political correctness protected 'Creepy Phil'
It's a nightmare that shoots fear through the heart of every parent. Your child is abducted, and you never hear from her or about her again.
In 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop near her South Lake Tahoe home. Last week, 29-year-old "Allissa" admitted she was Jaycee and had been imprisoned for 18 years as a sex slave by "Creepy Phil" (neighbor's words) Garrido in sheds and tents concealed in his backyard in Antioch, Calif., some 170 miles away.
She bore him two daughters, the first when she was 14. According to the El Dorado County Sheriff's office, neither Jaycee nor either of the girls had ever been to a doctor, or to school.
Political correctness protected Creepy Phil, but ultimately did him in.
First, PC twisted the investigation of Jaycee's kidnapping.
For all these years, law enforcement has been fixated on their prime suspect in Jaycee's abduction: her stepfather, Carl Probyn. His life was made a living hell of investigation followed by more investigation by one agency and then another. His grief-stricken wife divorced him.
There was not in 1991 nor to this day any evidence that Carl had been involved in Jaycee's kidnapping. The police operated from the feminist template that pointed the finger of accusation at the father whenever anything happens to a young female child. PC pointed to the suspect, and no lack of evidence deterred "investigators." Carl told ABC news that he had been a suspect right up to the moment Creepy Phil confessed.
Jaycee's mother, Terry Probyn, was reunited last week with Jaycee. Carl Probyn was not invited to the reunion.
Next, PC shielded Creepy Phil during probation checks.
Garrido has a long rap sheet stretching back to 1971. He was convicted in 1976 of kidnapping a 25-year-old woman in South Lake Tahoe. He kept her in a mini warehouse in Reno, repeatedly raping her.
He was sentenced to 50 years to life in 1977, but was released in 1988, to federal parole, and then in 1999 transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. As a convicted sex offender, the conditions of his probation included wearing a GPS locator on his ankle and submitting to supervised probation (including surprise visits to his home).
The caseload of Phil's parole officer was reduced to allow more time for meeting and home visits with him. Published reports indicate that officers visited Phil "two or three times per month." Despite repeated surprise visits to Creepy Phil's home by his probation officer(s) over the years, nobody ever noticed the presence of Jaycee or her two daughters
Neighbors told reporters that they frequently heard children playing in Phil's backyard, but the yard was carefully concealed by trees, bushes and fencing. Last week, local papers published aerial photos showing the tents and sheds where Jaycee and her daughters lived.
In 2006, a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor resulted in a law enforcement check of the premises that missed the backyard. Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf apologized last week, acknowledging that his officers "should have been more ... curious and turned over a rock or two" – or looked through the backyard.
In 2008, a special "task force" of local law enforcement agencies focused on sex offenders and visited Phil. They never looked in the backyard either.
PC dictates that sex offenders can be "rehabilitated." It's not true. Numerous studies come to the opposite conclusion. In California, PC dictates that paroled sex offenders have "privacy rights." My own San Diego County Sheriff opposed "Megan's Law" disclosure of the location of sex offenders in the neighborhoods because that would "violate their right to privacy."
Creepy Phil was shielded from any real scrutiny during almost 10 years of "supervised" California state probation. In the nightmare that is the PC world, "supervised" means "hear no evil, see no evil."
But then Creepy Phil made a PC mistake: He got religion.
In April, 2008, Phil started his own church, registering "God's Desire" as a California corporation using his home address. He told people he was thinking of leaving his printing business and preaching full time. He sometimes broke out in religious songs he had written, and claimed God spoke to him through a small box he carried around. He began writing a blog of his religious beliefs.
Last Tuesday, Phil and Jaycee's two girls tried to enter the University of California, Berkeley campus, to hand out religious literature. They were immediately apprehended by campus police. At the campus where the "free-speech" movement began in the 60s, religious speech is not tolerated.
A background check by the campus cops determined that Phil was a sex offender, and they called his probation officer. The probation officer ordered Phil to appear with the girls for a meeting the next day.
Jaycee came to the meeting, stating she was "Alissa," Phil's wife. Under questioning, Phil admitted he had abducted "Alissa" and that she was Jaycee Dugard.
The media seem perplexed by this story. How could Creepy Phil hide Jaycee in plain sight all these years? Political correctness, backed up by the state legislature, enforced by law enforcement templates and probation biases explains a lot of what went on here. To date, no report or analysis has even mentioned this angle to the story.
I'll bet no one in the media will ever acknowledge the role of political correctness in the sad saga of Jaycee Dugard and Creepy Phil.
In 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop near her South Lake Tahoe home. Last week, 29-year-old "Allissa" admitted she was Jaycee and had been imprisoned for 18 years as a sex slave by "Creepy Phil" (neighbor's words) Garrido in sheds and tents concealed in his backyard in Antioch, Calif., some 170 miles away.
She bore him two daughters, the first when she was 14. According to the El Dorado County Sheriff's office, neither Jaycee nor either of the girls had ever been to a doctor, or to school.
Political correctness protected Creepy Phil, but ultimately did him in.
First, PC twisted the investigation of Jaycee's kidnapping.
For all these years, law enforcement has been fixated on their prime suspect in Jaycee's abduction: her stepfather, Carl Probyn. His life was made a living hell of investigation followed by more investigation by one agency and then another. His grief-stricken wife divorced him.
There was not in 1991 nor to this day any evidence that Carl had been involved in Jaycee's kidnapping. The police operated from the feminist template that pointed the finger of accusation at the father whenever anything happens to a young female child. PC pointed to the suspect, and no lack of evidence deterred "investigators." Carl told ABC news that he had been a suspect right up to the moment Creepy Phil confessed.
Jaycee's mother, Terry Probyn, was reunited last week with Jaycee. Carl Probyn was not invited to the reunion.
Next, PC shielded Creepy Phil during probation checks.
Garrido has a long rap sheet stretching back to 1971. He was convicted in 1976 of kidnapping a 25-year-old woman in South Lake Tahoe. He kept her in a mini warehouse in Reno, repeatedly raping her.
He was sentenced to 50 years to life in 1977, but was released in 1988, to federal parole, and then in 1999 transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. As a convicted sex offender, the conditions of his probation included wearing a GPS locator on his ankle and submitting to supervised probation (including surprise visits to his home).
The caseload of Phil's parole officer was reduced to allow more time for meeting and home visits with him. Published reports indicate that officers visited Phil "two or three times per month." Despite repeated surprise visits to Creepy Phil's home by his probation officer(s) over the years, nobody ever noticed the presence of Jaycee or her two daughters
Neighbors told reporters that they frequently heard children playing in Phil's backyard, but the yard was carefully concealed by trees, bushes and fencing. Last week, local papers published aerial photos showing the tents and sheds where Jaycee and her daughters lived.
In 2006, a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor resulted in a law enforcement check of the premises that missed the backyard. Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf apologized last week, acknowledging that his officers "should have been more ... curious and turned over a rock or two" – or looked through the backyard.
In 2008, a special "task force" of local law enforcement agencies focused on sex offenders and visited Phil. They never looked in the backyard either.
PC dictates that sex offenders can be "rehabilitated." It's not true. Numerous studies come to the opposite conclusion. In California, PC dictates that paroled sex offenders have "privacy rights." My own San Diego County Sheriff opposed "Megan's Law" disclosure of the location of sex offenders in the neighborhoods because that would "violate their right to privacy."
Creepy Phil was shielded from any real scrutiny during almost 10 years of "supervised" California state probation. In the nightmare that is the PC world, "supervised" means "hear no evil, see no evil."
But then Creepy Phil made a PC mistake: He got religion.
In April, 2008, Phil started his own church, registering "God's Desire" as a California corporation using his home address. He told people he was thinking of leaving his printing business and preaching full time. He sometimes broke out in religious songs he had written, and claimed God spoke to him through a small box he carried around. He began writing a blog of his religious beliefs.
Last Tuesday, Phil and Jaycee's two girls tried to enter the University of California, Berkeley campus, to hand out religious literature. They were immediately apprehended by campus police. At the campus where the "free-speech" movement began in the 60s, religious speech is not tolerated.
A background check by the campus cops determined that Phil was a sex offender, and they called his probation officer. The probation officer ordered Phil to appear with the girls for a meeting the next day.
Jaycee came to the meeting, stating she was "Alissa," Phil's wife. Under questioning, Phil admitted he had abducted "Alissa" and that she was Jaycee Dugard.
The media seem perplexed by this story. How could Creepy Phil hide Jaycee in plain sight all these years? Political correctness, backed up by the state legislature, enforced by law enforcement templates and probation biases explains a lot of what went on here. To date, no report or analysis has even mentioned this angle to the story.
I'll bet no one in the media will ever acknowledge the role of political correctness in the sad saga of Jaycee Dugard and Creepy Phil.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
3 Homes Destroyed, Many More Threatened by LA Fire
LAKEVIEW TERRACE - A broad swath of the northern Crescenta Valley was evacuated, as the out of control Station Fire tripled in size to more than 20,000 acres and burned towards homes from Pasadena to the San Fernando Valley.
The Station Fire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon near a ranger station and the Angeles Crest Highway above La Canada Flintridge, has forced the evacuation of 4,000 homes and is less than 5 percent contained, fire officials said.
A 20,000-foot-high mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke and water vapor towering over northern Los Angeles could be seen for miles and was making air quality unhealthful.
At a news briefing tonight, Mike Dietrich of the U.S. Forest Service said about 1,800 firefighters were battling the blaze, with more on the way, assisted by water- and fire-retardant-dropping helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including a DC-10.
Three residences in the Angeles National Forest had been destroyed and three civilians injured -- two in the Tujunga Canyon area and one off Highway 2 near Mount Wilson.
The wildfire was posing a new threat in the Acton area, and resources were being shifted there, he said.
The fire has crested the top of the mountains and flames were visible in Acton.
"It is currently over the divide," he said. "There's a half-mile wide fire front that is three to four miles from Acton and could be there possibly by early morning."
Dietrich said the fire was "a perfect storm of fuel, weather and topography coming together.
The fire burned at will. It went where it wanted to go. Went six to eight miles in four hours to the west and north into the forest."
Three residences were destroyed among the 75 houses and cabins in upper Big Tujunga Canyon, he said.
Hundreds of firefighters were being sent along Soledad Canyon Road and the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway to prevent the fire from blowing across the roads linking Santa Clarita with Palmdale.
"We are up in the Acton area assessing the situation, and also Santa Clarita," said Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp.
No evacuations orders had been issued yet, but personnel were getting ready for possible evacuations in Acton and the Soledad Canyon area, he said.
Some 250 deputies, 50 Los Angeles police officers and 24 Orange County deputies were assisting with security.
County fire had provided 60 fire engines and was adding 150 more, while fire crews as far away as Tucson, Ariz., arrived tonight at the command post at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Lakeview Terrace, where flames flickered five miles to the east above La Crescenta.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is to visit the command post Sunday morning.
At a briefing late this afternoon, fire officials said the fire was spreading in all directions.
On its southern flank, the fire was bearing down on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory campus in Pasadena, where heavy flames could be seen.
The fire was also threatening a neighborhood across the Arroyo Seco canyon.
To the west, the fire was burning to Mount Lukens, where a lot of microwave towers and police radio transmitters are located. The equipment so far has not been damaged, according to broadcast reports.
To the north, the fire had crossed Big Tujunga Canyon and was burning toward Acton and Josephine Peak, past the Big Tujunga (ranger) Station along both sides of the Angeles Forest Highway near The Narrows bridge and landmark.
One person was severely burned when power lines fell on a ranger station in Big Tujunga Canyon. The victim was airlifted out of the freshly evacuated canyon, home to 75 cabins and numerous campgrounds.
Several homes in Big Tujunga Canyon were damaged and dozens of recreation cabins destroyed, fire officials said.
"There have been many many evacuations from Sunland to La Canada," said Randi Jorgensen of the Angeles National Forest.
No homes have been destroyed, but some residences along Starlight Crest Drive were damaged, Jorgensen said.
"Between 23 and 34 recreational cabins have been destroyed in Big Tujunga Canyon," she added. "This fire has been very busy."
As the fire neared the Los Angeles city limits, city firefighters were deployed in the Tujunga area, said the LAFD's Erik Scott.
"The fire is two ridges away from entering the city of Los Angeles," Scott said.
Fire officials said their goal is to keep the fire south of Mount Gleason and Divide Road, which runs east and west about eight miles south of the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway.
On the east, the fire has burned to the Red Box Sheriff's Station and the junction for Mount Wilson road from State Route 2.
Numerous strike teams have been stationed along Angeles Crest Highway near Mount Disappointment to prevent the fire from spreading east two miles to Mount Wilson.
The winds had picked up this evening and were blowing the fire southeast, away from the historic telescope and major broadcast installations on Mount Wilson.
Fire officials said the wind caused the fire to move north this afternoon, and meetings were being held to discuss how quickly it might reach Soledad Canyon Road and the Antelope Valley Freeway, about 15 miles north of the present fire lines.
This afternoon, residents in the northernmost reaches of Glendale and La Crescenta were told to get out of their homes, said Bruce Quintelier of the Angeles National Forest.
A shelter was set up at La Canada High School, 4463 Oak Grove Drive.
Evacuations also were in place north of Vista del Valle Road and east of La Canada Boulevard, including the La Canada Country Club area.
In northwest Pasadena, a voluntary evacuation was in effect for the Florecita neighborhood, including Florecita Drive, Florecita Way, Florecita Lane and Florecita Terrace, and an evacuation center was set up at Jackson Elementary School, 593 W. Woodbury Drive, said city pokeswoman Ann Erdman.
Near Mount Wilson, evacuations were ordered at Camp High Hill near the Red Box Sheriff's Station and the Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire burned south overnight and came within five miles of the steel forest of mountaintop antennae on Mount Lukens, Disappointment Peak and Mount Wilson.
Loss of communications facilities there would cripple fire and police departments across Southern California, which not only use mountaintop transmitters to communicate in the field but in many cases relay signals from other mountaintop sites back to dispatch centers via microwave facilities that are now threatened.
"These are extremely-crucial to the infrastructure and public safety protection, and the daily lives in the L.A. basin," Dietrich said.
Nearly all of the 22 Los Angeles TV stations transmit from those sites, and more than two-thirds of the region's FM radio stations broadcast from there as well.
The Station Fire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon near a ranger station and the Angeles Crest Highway above La Canada Flintridge, has forced the evacuation of 4,000 homes and is less than 5 percent contained, fire officials said.
A 20,000-foot-high mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke and water vapor towering over northern Los Angeles could be seen for miles and was making air quality unhealthful.
At a news briefing tonight, Mike Dietrich of the U.S. Forest Service said about 1,800 firefighters were battling the blaze, with more on the way, assisted by water- and fire-retardant-dropping helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including a DC-10.
Three residences in the Angeles National Forest had been destroyed and three civilians injured -- two in the Tujunga Canyon area and one off Highway 2 near Mount Wilson.
The wildfire was posing a new threat in the Acton area, and resources were being shifted there, he said.
The fire has crested the top of the mountains and flames were visible in Acton.
"It is currently over the divide," he said. "There's a half-mile wide fire front that is three to four miles from Acton and could be there possibly by early morning."
Dietrich said the fire was "a perfect storm of fuel, weather and topography coming together.
The fire burned at will. It went where it wanted to go. Went six to eight miles in four hours to the west and north into the forest."
Three residences were destroyed among the 75 houses and cabins in upper Big Tujunga Canyon, he said.
Hundreds of firefighters were being sent along Soledad Canyon Road and the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway to prevent the fire from blowing across the roads linking Santa Clarita with Palmdale.
"We are up in the Acton area assessing the situation, and also Santa Clarita," said Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp.
No evacuations orders had been issued yet, but personnel were getting ready for possible evacuations in Acton and the Soledad Canyon area, he said.
Some 250 deputies, 50 Los Angeles police officers and 24 Orange County deputies were assisting with security.
County fire had provided 60 fire engines and was adding 150 more, while fire crews as far away as Tucson, Ariz., arrived tonight at the command post at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Lakeview Terrace, where flames flickered five miles to the east above La Crescenta.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is to visit the command post Sunday morning.
At a briefing late this afternoon, fire officials said the fire was spreading in all directions.
On its southern flank, the fire was bearing down on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory campus in Pasadena, where heavy flames could be seen.
The fire was also threatening a neighborhood across the Arroyo Seco canyon.
To the west, the fire was burning to Mount Lukens, where a lot of microwave towers and police radio transmitters are located. The equipment so far has not been damaged, according to broadcast reports.
To the north, the fire had crossed Big Tujunga Canyon and was burning toward Acton and Josephine Peak, past the Big Tujunga (ranger) Station along both sides of the Angeles Forest Highway near The Narrows bridge and landmark.
One person was severely burned when power lines fell on a ranger station in Big Tujunga Canyon. The victim was airlifted out of the freshly evacuated canyon, home to 75 cabins and numerous campgrounds.
Several homes in Big Tujunga Canyon were damaged and dozens of recreation cabins destroyed, fire officials said.
"There have been many many evacuations from Sunland to La Canada," said Randi Jorgensen of the Angeles National Forest.
No homes have been destroyed, but some residences along Starlight Crest Drive were damaged, Jorgensen said.
"Between 23 and 34 recreational cabins have been destroyed in Big Tujunga Canyon," she added. "This fire has been very busy."
As the fire neared the Los Angeles city limits, city firefighters were deployed in the Tujunga area, said the LAFD's Erik Scott.
"The fire is two ridges away from entering the city of Los Angeles," Scott said.
Fire officials said their goal is to keep the fire south of Mount Gleason and Divide Road, which runs east and west about eight miles south of the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway.
On the east, the fire has burned to the Red Box Sheriff's Station and the junction for Mount Wilson road from State Route 2.
Numerous strike teams have been stationed along Angeles Crest Highway near Mount Disappointment to prevent the fire from spreading east two miles to Mount Wilson.
The winds had picked up this evening and were blowing the fire southeast, away from the historic telescope and major broadcast installations on Mount Wilson.
Fire officials said the wind caused the fire to move north this afternoon, and meetings were being held to discuss how quickly it might reach Soledad Canyon Road and the Antelope Valley Freeway, about 15 miles north of the present fire lines.
This afternoon, residents in the northernmost reaches of Glendale and La Crescenta were told to get out of their homes, said Bruce Quintelier of the Angeles National Forest.
A shelter was set up at La Canada High School, 4463 Oak Grove Drive.
Evacuations also were in place north of Vista del Valle Road and east of La Canada Boulevard, including the La Canada Country Club area.
In northwest Pasadena, a voluntary evacuation was in effect for the Florecita neighborhood, including Florecita Drive, Florecita Way, Florecita Lane and Florecita Terrace, and an evacuation center was set up at Jackson Elementary School, 593 W. Woodbury Drive, said city pokeswoman Ann Erdman.
Near Mount Wilson, evacuations were ordered at Camp High Hill near the Red Box Sheriff's Station and the Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The fire burned south overnight and came within five miles of the steel forest of mountaintop antennae on Mount Lukens, Disappointment Peak and Mount Wilson.
Loss of communications facilities there would cripple fire and police departments across Southern California, which not only use mountaintop transmitters to communicate in the field but in many cases relay signals from other mountaintop sites back to dispatch centers via microwave facilities that are now threatened.
"These are extremely-crucial to the infrastructure and public safety protection, and the daily lives in the L.A. basin," Dietrich said.
Nearly all of the 22 Los Angeles TV stations transmit from those sites, and more than two-thirds of the region's FM radio stations broadcast from there as well.
Rob Zombie Attacks: Halloween 2
Rocker-cum-writer/director Rob Zombie's re-imagination of the Halloween franchise is a dark, gory fantasia where John Carpenter's original circa '78 characters are a collection of layered, psychologically disturbed misanthropes. The former White Zombie frontman’s prior film pursuits -- House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects -- were littered with gruesomely violent acts, and Halloween II (in theaters Friday) is no exception to the Zombie film norm. Halloween II continues where his first remake left off, focusing on Michael Myers's sister, Laurie, as she picks up the pieces of her brother's killing spree. Mellow Zombie talks about the state of the film industry in '09, his personal absence of the 'fear factor' and how to market a movie the right way.
What’s going to shock people in this film?
Two things that they don’t expect from this type of movie: they’re surprised by how involved they get with the characters as an actual drama and then they’re actually surprised just how graphic and realistic the violence is. Not in a goofy splatter movie way but in a real life way. People are walking out of it going, “Holy crap, way more fucking intense than I was prepared to deal with!”
Are there any horror films that scare you?
No. Nothing. I see them and I appreciate them and I can like them, but they don’t scare me in any way. Unfortunately. That shock has worn off.
Describe the first time you saw John Carpenter’s Halloween?
I saw it on its original run back when it came out in ’78 at the drive in on a double feature. I was probably 13 or 14. I thought it was super scary and awesome. It’s hard to believe now, because that movie’s been so copied and imitated and every aspect of it almost seems like a cliché, but at that time, it was so fresh and original. It was just mind-blowing. The only movie that you could relate it to was Psycho.
What’s different about the mask in the sequel?
There was the famous mask that they used in John Carpenter’s and through all the subsequent sequels, they always had a new mask, and they always, to me, looked really shitty. It never had any real purpose or significance or any kind of symbolic nature to it. We’ve been using the same mask for the first film and now our second film and it just keeps degenerating. It’s crumbling and falling apart. Sort of like as Michael Myers’s state of mind deteriorates, so does the mask. In this version, it’s pretty dirty and filthy and ripped apart and half of it is missing, you can see half of his face exposed. Picking apart at the legend.
What’s different about your version of Laurie?
In the first movie, we don’t really know much about her. We just kind of introduce her, ‘Oh here she is, Laurie Strode. Happy-go-lucky all- American girl.’ But now, she’s Laurie Strode, girl who wakes up and finds out that her parents are murdered and most of her friends are murdered too. She’s scarred on the inside and out. I tried to play upon the idea that a lot of times, people who have been through really tragic events will try to reinvent themselves to distance themselves from who they were. So she’s trying to be a more outgoing, punk-rock type girl. It’s a totally different character. She’s lashing out at everything, trying to make sense of how destroyed her life is now.
An unofficial trailer was leaked online and viewers are saying that this one is better than the official trailer. What hand do you have in the marketing of your films?
I always disagree with the way studios want to market my films. It’s been a source of contention on every single one of my films. I try to make movies that are different from the norm and the problem is that studios don’t really want to market anything different from the norm. They want to make everything look like ‘the norm’. So, no matter how layered you make a movie or how character driven, they still want to market it like it’s a generic slasher movie. I liked that trailer that got leaked because I feel that it more so incorporated the scope of our film and the feel of our film as opposed to some of the other spots that felt like a totally different movie to me.
Do you want viewers to view this as a Rob Zombie film?
I think that’s a great quality if people can do that, because as a director, if you can have your voice in the film, so people can watch it and go, wow that’s obviously a Spielberg film, a Scorsese film, a Tarantino film, it just jumps out that you know it’s that person because their directing style is so strong. That’s a great compliment. I get that a lot, that people say, ‘That’s so you, you come through so strong in your movies.’ It’s a little harder to step back and judge it. What about that, it is exactly, I’m not sure.
Tell us about the soundtrack.
The most significant song in the movie is “Nights in White Satin.” It plays almost constantly through the first fifteen minutes of the movie, over and over. I always like to take a really classic song that you’ve heard a million times and try to twist it around so you never quite hear it the same again. I did that in Devil’s Rejects with “Free Bird”. Now people are like, ‘I can never hear “Free Bird” again without picturing that movie.’ That’s a great thing considering how many times most people have heard [that song] in their life.
What’s going on with El Superbeasto and Tyrannosaurus Rex?
El Superbeasto is finished and that’s coming out September 22nd and Tyrannosaurus Rex is still a future project. That’s not in any kind of status right now. It’s a script I’ve written that may or may not be the next film for me. I would like for it to be my next film. You never know for sure.
What’s the most difficult thing about making a film now?
Nothing ever seems to get easier. And in 2009, with the economy slowing down, studios are tightening their budgets, they don’t want to spend the money and they don’t want to take any kind of risks. Not that they ever did want to take risks. As more and more time goes on, it really feels like all they want to do is make sequels, remakes or something based on a graphic novel. It’s really difficult to try to get any new, original material through the system.
Where do you hang out?
I don’t really have a favorite anything. I always try to go somewhere different. I love Nobu when I’m in New York. We used to go to Katsuya all the time before TMZ swooped down on it. Now it’s too annoying. We also used to go to Madeo, but last time it was a nightmare with photographers. New York doesn’t have that going on. That people shoving video cameras in your face, asking you stupid questions every time you step out of a place.
What’s going to shock people in this film?
Two things that they don’t expect from this type of movie: they’re surprised by how involved they get with the characters as an actual drama and then they’re actually surprised just how graphic and realistic the violence is. Not in a goofy splatter movie way but in a real life way. People are walking out of it going, “Holy crap, way more fucking intense than I was prepared to deal with!”
Are there any horror films that scare you?
No. Nothing. I see them and I appreciate them and I can like them, but they don’t scare me in any way. Unfortunately. That shock has worn off.
Describe the first time you saw John Carpenter’s Halloween?
I saw it on its original run back when it came out in ’78 at the drive in on a double feature. I was probably 13 or 14. I thought it was super scary and awesome. It’s hard to believe now, because that movie’s been so copied and imitated and every aspect of it almost seems like a cliché, but at that time, it was so fresh and original. It was just mind-blowing. The only movie that you could relate it to was Psycho.
What’s different about the mask in the sequel?
There was the famous mask that they used in John Carpenter’s and through all the subsequent sequels, they always had a new mask, and they always, to me, looked really shitty. It never had any real purpose or significance or any kind of symbolic nature to it. We’ve been using the same mask for the first film and now our second film and it just keeps degenerating. It’s crumbling and falling apart. Sort of like as Michael Myers’s state of mind deteriorates, so does the mask. In this version, it’s pretty dirty and filthy and ripped apart and half of it is missing, you can see half of his face exposed. Picking apart at the legend.
What’s different about your version of Laurie?
In the first movie, we don’t really know much about her. We just kind of introduce her, ‘Oh here she is, Laurie Strode. Happy-go-lucky all- American girl.’ But now, she’s Laurie Strode, girl who wakes up and finds out that her parents are murdered and most of her friends are murdered too. She’s scarred on the inside and out. I tried to play upon the idea that a lot of times, people who have been through really tragic events will try to reinvent themselves to distance themselves from who they were. So she’s trying to be a more outgoing, punk-rock type girl. It’s a totally different character. She’s lashing out at everything, trying to make sense of how destroyed her life is now.
An unofficial trailer was leaked online and viewers are saying that this one is better than the official trailer. What hand do you have in the marketing of your films?
I always disagree with the way studios want to market my films. It’s been a source of contention on every single one of my films. I try to make movies that are different from the norm and the problem is that studios don’t really want to market anything different from the norm. They want to make everything look like ‘the norm’. So, no matter how layered you make a movie or how character driven, they still want to market it like it’s a generic slasher movie. I liked that trailer that got leaked because I feel that it more so incorporated the scope of our film and the feel of our film as opposed to some of the other spots that felt like a totally different movie to me.
Do you want viewers to view this as a Rob Zombie film?
I think that’s a great quality if people can do that, because as a director, if you can have your voice in the film, so people can watch it and go, wow that’s obviously a Spielberg film, a Scorsese film, a Tarantino film, it just jumps out that you know it’s that person because their directing style is so strong. That’s a great compliment. I get that a lot, that people say, ‘That’s so you, you come through so strong in your movies.’ It’s a little harder to step back and judge it. What about that, it is exactly, I’m not sure.
Tell us about the soundtrack.
The most significant song in the movie is “Nights in White Satin.” It plays almost constantly through the first fifteen minutes of the movie, over and over. I always like to take a really classic song that you’ve heard a million times and try to twist it around so you never quite hear it the same again. I did that in Devil’s Rejects with “Free Bird”. Now people are like, ‘I can never hear “Free Bird” again without picturing that movie.’ That’s a great thing considering how many times most people have heard [that song] in their life.
What’s going on with El Superbeasto and Tyrannosaurus Rex?
El Superbeasto is finished and that’s coming out September 22nd and Tyrannosaurus Rex is still a future project. That’s not in any kind of status right now. It’s a script I’ve written that may or may not be the next film for me. I would like for it to be my next film. You never know for sure.
What’s the most difficult thing about making a film now?
Nothing ever seems to get easier. And in 2009, with the economy slowing down, studios are tightening their budgets, they don’t want to spend the money and they don’t want to take any kind of risks. Not that they ever did want to take risks. As more and more time goes on, it really feels like all they want to do is make sequels, remakes or something based on a graphic novel. It’s really difficult to try to get any new, original material through the system.
Where do you hang out?
I don’t really have a favorite anything. I always try to go somewhere different. I love Nobu when I’m in New York. We used to go to Katsuya all the time before TMZ swooped down on it. Now it’s too annoying. We also used to go to Madeo, but last time it was a nightmare with photographers. New York doesn’t have that going on. That people shoving video cameras in your face, asking you stupid questions every time you step out of a place.
Teddy Kennedy Jr. Eulogy: Ted Kennedy Funeral
One of the more moving moments of Ted Kennedy’s funeral events was the eulogy delivered by his son Ted Kennedy, Jr. Read more about it below, see photos, get the transcript or text of Teddy Jr.’s eulogy and watch the video.
Teddy Kennedy, Jr.
Ted Kennedy Jr. is the oldest child of Senator Edward Kennedy and his first wife Joan Kennedy. He spoke at his dad, Ted Kennedy’s funeral held today at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston. The Ted Kennedy Jr. eulogy was emotional, poignant and very personal.
Teddy Kennedy Jr., is a childhood cancer survivor. During his eulogy, he told a particularly sweet story about attempting to sled with his dad’s help on a snow and ice covered hill near their home with his father, shortly after his leg had been amputated when he was still unaccustomed to his artificial limb.
During Ted Kennedy Jr.’s eulogy, he also said this:
“Although it hasn’t been easy at times to live with this name, I have never been more proud of it than I am today.”
And this of his dad:
“He was not perfect, far from it. But my father believed in redemption and he never surrendered. Never stopped trying to right wrongs, be they the results of his own failings or of ours.”
You can view photos of Ted Kennedy and his widow Victoria Kennedy as well as the video of Teddy Kennedy Jr.’s eulogy below. You can also go here for the complete text or transcript of Ted Kennedy Jr.’s, eulogy at his father, Ted Kennedy’s funeral.
Teddy Kennedy, Jr.
Ted Kennedy Jr. is the oldest child of Senator Edward Kennedy and his first wife Joan Kennedy. He spoke at his dad, Ted Kennedy’s funeral held today at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston. The Ted Kennedy Jr. eulogy was emotional, poignant and very personal.
Teddy Kennedy Jr., is a childhood cancer survivor. During his eulogy, he told a particularly sweet story about attempting to sled with his dad’s help on a snow and ice covered hill near their home with his father, shortly after his leg had been amputated when he was still unaccustomed to his artificial limb.
During Ted Kennedy Jr.’s eulogy, he also said this:
“Although it hasn’t been easy at times to live with this name, I have never been more proud of it than I am today.”
And this of his dad:
“He was not perfect, far from it. But my father believed in redemption and he never surrendered. Never stopped trying to right wrongs, be they the results of his own failings or of ours.”
You can view photos of Ted Kennedy and his widow Victoria Kennedy as well as the video of Teddy Kennedy Jr.’s eulogy below. You can also go here for the complete text or transcript of Ted Kennedy Jr.’s, eulogy at his father, Ted Kennedy’s funeral.
The Big Gigs: Our critics' music picks
Jason Aldean comes from Macon, Ga., home of Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers and Young Jeezy. Aldean is the eclectic music town's country star, thanks to the hits "Hicktown," "She's Country" and "Big Green Tractor." Like Travis Tritt, he likes to put a little drive in his country. Eli Young Band opens. (7:30 p.m. today, grandstand, $29.) (J.B.)
Whether or not you know the difference between Cajun and zydeco music, it doesn't really matter in the case of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, who blend Louisiana's two homegrown genres boldly and beautifully -- and are the kind of party band that will entertain those who don't know much about either. Highly recommended. (3:30 & 4:30 p.m. today, Leinie's Lodge Bandshell. Free.) (C.R.)
Pop star Kelly Clarkson's fourth album, "All I Ever Wanted," has turned out to be a charm. The smash singles "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Don't Hook Up" have returned the luster to the career of the first "American Idol." Opening is Eric Hutchinson, who is making noise with "Rock and Roll." (7:30 p.m. Sun. grandstand, $35.) (J.B.)
Not to be confused with the omnipresent touring version of the Wailers led by Bob Marley's longtime bassist Aston (Family Man) Barrett, the Original Wailers are another group of former Marley bandmates, including guitarists Junior Marvin and Al Anderson and organist Earl (Wya) Lindo. They play all the classics, with Anderson and Marvin handling most of the vocals. (8:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Leinie Lodge Bandshell. Free.) (C.R.)
Whether or not you know the difference between Cajun and zydeco music, it doesn't really matter in the case of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, who blend Louisiana's two homegrown genres boldly and beautifully -- and are the kind of party band that will entertain those who don't know much about either. Highly recommended. (3:30 & 4:30 p.m. today, Leinie's Lodge Bandshell. Free.) (C.R.)
Pop star Kelly Clarkson's fourth album, "All I Ever Wanted," has turned out to be a charm. The smash singles "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Don't Hook Up" have returned the luster to the career of the first "American Idol." Opening is Eric Hutchinson, who is making noise with "Rock and Roll." (7:30 p.m. Sun. grandstand, $35.) (J.B.)
Not to be confused with the omnipresent touring version of the Wailers led by Bob Marley's longtime bassist Aston (Family Man) Barrett, the Original Wailers are another group of former Marley bandmates, including guitarists Junior Marvin and Al Anderson and organist Earl (Wya) Lindo. They play all the classics, with Anderson and Marvin handling most of the vocals. (8:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Leinie Lodge Bandshell. Free.) (C.R.)
knock yourself
First, understand, UFC is violent. Bones were broken on Saturday. Brains were boxed. Three fighters lost consciousness --- the first two clubbed silly with fists, the other's brain deprived of oxygen with a chokehold until his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.
One of the fighters on the undercard, Chris Tuchscherer, a heavyweight with a blonde-spiked haircut, was kicked in the family jewels so hard that he spit blood. And then after a five-minute recovery period, and some urging to get the fight going from a member of the Oregon State Athletic Commission, the bout continued and the fighter's face was so badly beaten and bloodied his hair turned light pink.
It got so bad that one of the UFC pay-per-view broadcast cameramen outside the fence, flinched and wiped his face after his cheek was with spattered with blood.
Most of crowd loved most of what it saw on Saturday. They must have. Because they stood, and roared, and jumped around and celebrated with back slaps when the knockouts were replayed on one of six jumbo video monitors in the arena. And that's not to say those who loved the show were cavemen. But if we're conducting a sociological study here, the basis for the study could revolve around the level of tolerance each of us has for violence.
No crime there, right?
I hated the Tuchscherer fight because I don't like seeing humans run over by dump trucks. I followed the guy toward the locker room after the fight, and as he disappeared I saw his wobbling legs, and the confusion as he turned the wrong way in the arena halls.
A fan in the arena, leaned over to me as I walked back, saw me cringing, and said, "Don't judge the sport on that fight. I didn't like seeing that one either."
It's true, isn't it?
We judge a sport by its worst moments. Its lowest form is what it is. We talk about the concussions in football, and the drugs in baseball. And in the end, I figure UFC has come a long way since its inception, but still has work to do. Because when we talk about the worst of UFC, we have to talk about its crude nature.
Someone is going to die in the Octagon someday. We're headed straight there, and anyone who saw the damaging blows to the brains on Saturday, including UFC head Dana White, can't ever say they didn't see it coming.
I'd say that the state athletic commission needs to stop worrying about entertainment dollars and start putting the safety of the fighter first. And that the UFC referees need to be quicker to stop fights. And that the gloves of the fighters should have more padding.
But I also think doing any of these things would hurt its popularity with the people who paid to watch on television or bought tickets to be inside the Rose Garden.
Because it turns out most of those in the crowd were rooting for big knockouts and devastating kicks. And as hard as I tried to pull for one fighter or another to win, I always found myself secretly pulling for the fight to be settled by a decision and for everyone to walk away with his marbles intact.
I rooted for brain cells. And for bones to stay whole. And the best moments for me came when I saw two skilled fighters, each too talented to get knocked out by the other, working against each other. And also, I was surprised by the humility in the competitors, especially in the back hallways, away from the crowds, where some of them popped their heads into the opponent's dressing room to make sure nobody got seriously injured.
I gave this sport a chance. And I'll continue to watch it, mostly just to see if it can continue to evolve. But I don't yet understand what it is about the awful violence that sends some witnesses into a merry frenzy.
I left feeling conflicted and sick. And thinking a lot about humankind.
These guys train hard, sure. And they sacrifice. And there's redeeming value in giving all of yourself in pursuit of reaching a goal. That's undeniable evidence that there's something buried in this sport that speaks to all of us.
Todd Duffee, a heavyweight who set an Octagon record by knocking out Tim Hague in 7 seconds with a single punch, said: "With what I'll make tonight, I'll break even. I had to take out a student loan to pay for my travel costs."
A few minutes later, on the 100-level concourse at the Rose Garden, Hague was spotted walking along in a daze all by himself.
These guys became human.
I like the fighters. I just don't like the fights.
One of the fighters on the undercard, Chris Tuchscherer, a heavyweight with a blonde-spiked haircut, was kicked in the family jewels so hard that he spit blood. And then after a five-minute recovery period, and some urging to get the fight going from a member of the Oregon State Athletic Commission, the bout continued and the fighter's face was so badly beaten and bloodied his hair turned light pink.
It got so bad that one of the UFC pay-per-view broadcast cameramen outside the fence, flinched and wiped his face after his cheek was with spattered with blood.
Most of crowd loved most of what it saw on Saturday. They must have. Because they stood, and roared, and jumped around and celebrated with back slaps when the knockouts were replayed on one of six jumbo video monitors in the arena. And that's not to say those who loved the show were cavemen. But if we're conducting a sociological study here, the basis for the study could revolve around the level of tolerance each of us has for violence.
No crime there, right?
I hated the Tuchscherer fight because I don't like seeing humans run over by dump trucks. I followed the guy toward the locker room after the fight, and as he disappeared I saw his wobbling legs, and the confusion as he turned the wrong way in the arena halls.
A fan in the arena, leaned over to me as I walked back, saw me cringing, and said, "Don't judge the sport on that fight. I didn't like seeing that one either."
It's true, isn't it?
We judge a sport by its worst moments. Its lowest form is what it is. We talk about the concussions in football, and the drugs in baseball. And in the end, I figure UFC has come a long way since its inception, but still has work to do. Because when we talk about the worst of UFC, we have to talk about its crude nature.
Someone is going to die in the Octagon someday. We're headed straight there, and anyone who saw the damaging blows to the brains on Saturday, including UFC head Dana White, can't ever say they didn't see it coming.
I'd say that the state athletic commission needs to stop worrying about entertainment dollars and start putting the safety of the fighter first. And that the UFC referees need to be quicker to stop fights. And that the gloves of the fighters should have more padding.
But I also think doing any of these things would hurt its popularity with the people who paid to watch on television or bought tickets to be inside the Rose Garden.
Because it turns out most of those in the crowd were rooting for big knockouts and devastating kicks. And as hard as I tried to pull for one fighter or another to win, I always found myself secretly pulling for the fight to be settled by a decision and for everyone to walk away with his marbles intact.
I rooted for brain cells. And for bones to stay whole. And the best moments for me came when I saw two skilled fighters, each too talented to get knocked out by the other, working against each other. And also, I was surprised by the humility in the competitors, especially in the back hallways, away from the crowds, where some of them popped their heads into the opponent's dressing room to make sure nobody got seriously injured.
I gave this sport a chance. And I'll continue to watch it, mostly just to see if it can continue to evolve. But I don't yet understand what it is about the awful violence that sends some witnesses into a merry frenzy.
I left feeling conflicted and sick. And thinking a lot about humankind.
These guys train hard, sure. And they sacrifice. And there's redeeming value in giving all of yourself in pursuit of reaching a goal. That's undeniable evidence that there's something buried in this sport that speaks to all of us.
Todd Duffee, a heavyweight who set an Octagon record by knocking out Tim Hague in 7 seconds with a single punch, said: "With what I'll make tonight, I'll break even. I had to take out a student loan to pay for my travel costs."
A few minutes later, on the 100-level concourse at the Rose Garden, Hague was spotted walking along in a daze all by himself.
These guys became human.
I like the fighters. I just don't like the fights.
Canada FIRE UPDATE
Hundreds of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes this morning after an estimated 7,500-acre, quick-moving brush fire came dangerously close to communities.
La Cañada officials issued mandatory evacuations at noon today for residents in the communities just west of previous evacuations, which were ordered Friday night. More than 150 residents were ordered to evacuate Friday.
Station Fire photo galleries (Glendale News-Press)
Station Fire photo galleries (La Cañada Valley Sun)
“Do not risk your life to save your home,” county Supervisor Mike Antonovich said in a news conference today. “Save your life and let the public safety save your home.”
The Station fire started at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday near the Angeles Crest Highway just north of La Cañada in the Angeles National Forest. Firefighters lost control of the fire when it jumped a main ridge Thursday night.
The fire remained 5% contained this morning, but 1,800 homes and 52 building are still threatened.
“Our strategy right now is to kick the fire when it’s down and fall back to a defensive mode when we need to and go back after it again,” said Mike Dietrich, the fire’s incident commander.
So far, the blaze’s intense heat has resulted in one firefighter being rushed to a nearby hospital for dehydration and renal failure, officials said. The firefighter was going to be released from the hospital today.
While the fire is shifting east into Altadena, fires continue to burn locally, city representative Kevin Chun said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station closed streets along Oceanview Boulevard in La Crescenta today. The streets include Bristow Drive, Derwood Drive, Manestee Drive and Highrim Road.
A 24-hour American Red Cross emergency shelter set up at La Cañada High School has been home for some residents who left their houses and belongings Friday night and early this morning during mandatory evacuations.
Three evacuations were ordered between 10:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 this morning, said Lt. David Fender, sheriff’s incident commander.
Most residents left their homes, but a few opted to stay, he said.
At that time, sheriff’s officials asked those who stayed for information regarding their next of kin, Fender said.
“If it’s mandatory, it means it’s very dangerous,” he said. “We want them to leave.”
About 50 residents and their pets went to the emergency shelter overnight, said Linda Mayer, Red Cross spokesperson. The Pasadena Humane Society was at the center to take care of pets, she said.
Large farms animals that need to be evacuated can be taken to Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.
Residents who were asked to evacuated received calls from La Cañada’s reverse 911 system, warning them that they had two hours to gather their valuables and leave their homes.
Phoebe Von Migula, who lives in Alta Canyada Road, was caught off guard by mandatory evacuation, especially because she hadn’t really packed any valuables. She packed important documents and vintage photographs.
“They didn’t say, ‘We’d like you to leave,’” she said. “They said, ‘Leave, the flames will be here in two hours.’”
Von Migula got to the shelter at 4 a.m., but she didn’t sleep because she was concerned about her rescue cat, Suzy.
She had to leave Suzy at home because she refused to go inside a crate.
“She fought and screamed and yelled,” Von Migula said. “I couldn’t fight with her any more because I didn’t want to hurt her. She’s guarding the house.”
Though Von Migula is concerned about her home being damaged in the fire, she is more worried about her cat.
“It would be the biggest thing on my mind, except for Suzy,” she said. “It’s silly to see a little kitty worries you more than a house, but she doesn’t know and I couldn’t explain it to her.”
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena will also be closed until Sunday evening due to the fires.
La Cañada officials issued mandatory evacuations at noon today for residents in the communities just west of previous evacuations, which were ordered Friday night. More than 150 residents were ordered to evacuate Friday.
Station Fire photo galleries (Glendale News-Press)
Station Fire photo galleries (La Cañada Valley Sun)
“Do not risk your life to save your home,” county Supervisor Mike Antonovich said in a news conference today. “Save your life and let the public safety save your home.”
The Station fire started at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday near the Angeles Crest Highway just north of La Cañada in the Angeles National Forest. Firefighters lost control of the fire when it jumped a main ridge Thursday night.
The fire remained 5% contained this morning, but 1,800 homes and 52 building are still threatened.
“Our strategy right now is to kick the fire when it’s down and fall back to a defensive mode when we need to and go back after it again,” said Mike Dietrich, the fire’s incident commander.
So far, the blaze’s intense heat has resulted in one firefighter being rushed to a nearby hospital for dehydration and renal failure, officials said. The firefighter was going to be released from the hospital today.
While the fire is shifting east into Altadena, fires continue to burn locally, city representative Kevin Chun said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station closed streets along Oceanview Boulevard in La Crescenta today. The streets include Bristow Drive, Derwood Drive, Manestee Drive and Highrim Road.
A 24-hour American Red Cross emergency shelter set up at La Cañada High School has been home for some residents who left their houses and belongings Friday night and early this morning during mandatory evacuations.
Three evacuations were ordered between 10:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 this morning, said Lt. David Fender, sheriff’s incident commander.
Most residents left their homes, but a few opted to stay, he said.
At that time, sheriff’s officials asked those who stayed for information regarding their next of kin, Fender said.
“If it’s mandatory, it means it’s very dangerous,” he said. “We want them to leave.”
About 50 residents and their pets went to the emergency shelter overnight, said Linda Mayer, Red Cross spokesperson. The Pasadena Humane Society was at the center to take care of pets, she said.
Large farms animals that need to be evacuated can be taken to Hansen Dam Equestrian Center.
Residents who were asked to evacuated received calls from La Cañada’s reverse 911 system, warning them that they had two hours to gather their valuables and leave their homes.
Phoebe Von Migula, who lives in Alta Canyada Road, was caught off guard by mandatory evacuation, especially because she hadn’t really packed any valuables. She packed important documents and vintage photographs.
“They didn’t say, ‘We’d like you to leave,’” she said. “They said, ‘Leave, the flames will be here in two hours.’”
Von Migula got to the shelter at 4 a.m., but she didn’t sleep because she was concerned about her rescue cat, Suzy.
She had to leave Suzy at home because she refused to go inside a crate.
“She fought and screamed and yelled,” Von Migula said. “I couldn’t fight with her any more because I didn’t want to hurt her. She’s guarding the house.”
Though Von Migula is concerned about her home being damaged in the fire, she is more worried about her cat.
“It would be the biggest thing on my mind, except for Suzy,” she said. “It’s silly to see a little kitty worries you more than a house, but she doesn’t know and I couldn’t explain it to her.”
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena will also be closed until Sunday evening due to the fires.
Jaycee Lee Dugard pictures, photos, and slideshow
Jaycee Lee Dugard was found after being kidnapped for 18 years. Today, she has been reunited with her mother and is staying in a motel in Antioch, California. Although no one has seen current pictures of Jaycee Lee Dugard, the nation waits anxiously. Her photo had been age progressed using technology currently available. In addition to viewing pictures and photos of Jaycee Lee Dugard, her current photo, compared to the age progression picture could prove enlightening for other missing children cases. The picture of Jaycee Dugard as a child was used by many missing children organizations. Her face, though we haven’t seen how she has aged, has already been familiar to many.
Jaycee Dugard has two children, ages 11 and 15 that were born to her captor, registered sex offender, Phillip Garrido. Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy Garrido are expected to be formally charged in the case tomorrow. Jaycee went by the name ‘Alissa’ while she was being held captive and was forced to live in a shed that was secluded in the back of the Garrido home. One of the prevailing questions as this case unfolds is how was a registered sex offender able to live under the radar for 18 years with a child he kidnapped, and then father two children with her. Though the world anxiously awaits to hear Jaycee Dugard’s story or to hear her speak, it is imperative that she receives the medical and psychological attention needed. It might be years before Jaycee Dugard is ready to speak to the media.
Neighbors, however, have been speaking with the media, and present a picture of an insane, eccentric, and highly irrational member of their community: Phillip Garrido. One neighbor even called the local sheriff’s office, according to a report on CNN, after witnessing the children living in the backyard. The report states that the authorities were called to the home, spoke with Phillip Garrido, but left without investigating the home. There is no doubt that many legal entities are going to be held accountable in this case. Since Garrido was a registered sex offender and not a sexual predator, he was able to get away with more lenient monitoring than he would have otherwise. Sexual offender laws vary from state, and within California, more monitoring was not legally required. This case could possibly prove valuable to changing sexual offender laws in the state of California.
Jaycee Dugard has two children, ages 11 and 15 that were born to her captor, registered sex offender, Phillip Garrido. Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy Garrido are expected to be formally charged in the case tomorrow. Jaycee went by the name ‘Alissa’ while she was being held captive and was forced to live in a shed that was secluded in the back of the Garrido home. One of the prevailing questions as this case unfolds is how was a registered sex offender able to live under the radar for 18 years with a child he kidnapped, and then father two children with her. Though the world anxiously awaits to hear Jaycee Dugard’s story or to hear her speak, it is imperative that she receives the medical and psychological attention needed. It might be years before Jaycee Dugard is ready to speak to the media.
Neighbors, however, have been speaking with the media, and present a picture of an insane, eccentric, and highly irrational member of their community: Phillip Garrido. One neighbor even called the local sheriff’s office, according to a report on CNN, after witnessing the children living in the backyard. The report states that the authorities were called to the home, spoke with Phillip Garrido, but left without investigating the home. There is no doubt that many legal entities are going to be held accountable in this case. Since Garrido was a registered sex offender and not a sexual predator, he was able to get away with more lenient monitoring than he would have otherwise. Sexual offender laws vary from state, and within California, more monitoring was not legally required. This case could possibly prove valuable to changing sexual offender laws in the state of California.
UFC 102
UFC 102 is finally here, and we finally get the battle of the legends as Randy Couture battles Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the night’s main event! Elsewhere, Demian Maia and Nate Marquardt will face off for a possible middleweight title shot, Krzysztof Soszynski looks to continue his rise at 205 against Brandon Vera, Keith Jardine and Thiago Silva battle for their roster spot and more! Check out the full roundtable for all the details, and remember to join us Saturday at 10PM for our live UFC 102 coverage!
UFC 102 Post fight press conference
It was an incredible UFC 102 and here is the post fight press conference, and the results from all the fights.
Click to see the Press conference LIVE.
Here are the results for the UFC 102 fight video between Couture and Nogueira.
After 3 Brutal Rounds, Big Nog wins by decision. It was an incredible fight.
Nogueira wins the fight by decision. 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
And all the other fight results too.
Main Bouts:
-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Randy Couture
-Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva wins by KI in first round
-Jake Rosholt def. Chris Leben by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 1:30, R3
-Nate Marquardt def. Demian Maia by KO at :21, R1
-Brandon Vera def. Krzystztof Soszynski by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Bouts:
- Aaron Simpson def. Ed Herman by TKO (Injury) at :17, R2
-Gabriel Gonzaga def. Chris Tuchscherer by TKO (Strikes) at 2:27, R1
-Mike Russow def. Justin McCully by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
-Todd Duffee def. Tim Hague by KO at :07, R1
-Mark Munoz def. Nick Catone by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
-Evan Dunham def. Marcus Aurelio by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Kimbo Slice to fight Fedor rumor View Live
Kimbo Slice ready for UFC fights and could kill Fedor video View Live
Andrei Arlovski says Fedor not as good as Brock Lesnar and he is right (with video) View Live
Brock Lesnar wants to fight Fedor video View Live
UFC 101 White responds the Fedor signing with Strikeforce View Live
Fedor resigns with Strikeforce View Live
UFC signs some big name Affliction
fighters View Live
Fedor is not fighting in UFC View Live
Fedor Emelianeko has not signed with the UFC View Live
A great UFC 102 Couture vs Nogueira postfight video soon to come.
more info: Grandmaster Gambordella is the author of 42 books wwwin.com
Click to see the Press conference LIVE.
Here are the results for the UFC 102 fight video between Couture and Nogueira.
After 3 Brutal Rounds, Big Nog wins by decision. It was an incredible fight.
Nogueira wins the fight by decision. 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
And all the other fight results too.
Main Bouts:
-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Randy Couture
-Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva wins by KI in first round
-Jake Rosholt def. Chris Leben by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 1:30, R3
-Nate Marquardt def. Demian Maia by KO at :21, R1
-Brandon Vera def. Krzystztof Soszynski by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Bouts:
- Aaron Simpson def. Ed Herman by TKO (Injury) at :17, R2
-Gabriel Gonzaga def. Chris Tuchscherer by TKO (Strikes) at 2:27, R1
-Mike Russow def. Justin McCully by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
-Todd Duffee def. Tim Hague by KO at :07, R1
-Mark Munoz def. Nick Catone by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
-Evan Dunham def. Marcus Aurelio by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Kimbo Slice to fight Fedor rumor View Live
Kimbo Slice ready for UFC fights and could kill Fedor video View Live
Andrei Arlovski says Fedor not as good as Brock Lesnar and he is right (with video) View Live
Brock Lesnar wants to fight Fedor video View Live
UFC 101 White responds the Fedor signing with Strikeforce View Live
Fedor resigns with Strikeforce View Live
UFC signs some big name Affliction
fighters View Live
Fedor is not fighting in UFC View Live
Fedor Emelianeko has not signed with the UFC View Live
A great UFC 102 Couture vs Nogueira postfight video soon to come.
more info: Grandmaster Gambordella is the author of 42 books wwwin.com
Thiago Silva vs Keith Jardine video
New Delhi, Aug 30, 2009: Thiago Silva vs Keith Jardine video. Thiago Silva gave a thrilling performance last night in Portland. Not many people had expected him to come up with such great performance. But people who have watched him over a period of time say he has consistently improved.He knocked out Keith Jardine in Portland last night in magnificent way. Keith Jardine looked a pale shadow of himself.
Twenty six year old Thiago Anderson Ramos da Silva is a professional mixed martial arts fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
Once a member of the renowned Chute Boxe Academy, Thiago now trains with established fighting stable American Top Team.
Prior to signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thiago fought almost solely in his native country of Brazil. During his first 9 professional bouts, Thiago attained a perfect 9–0 record, winning 7 of these bouts by KO or TKO.
As a member of the vaunted Chute Boxe Academy, which produced MMA champions such as former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Thiago gained the UFC's attention as a top light heavyweight prospect.
“Tonight was my night,” said Silva, now 14-1. “I’m back.”
Jardine (14-7-1) opened the bout with a flurry that missed, but his follow up kick to the leg landed to a thud. The next kick Jardine threw was caught by Silva though, and the Brazilian took the fight to the mat. Jardine quickly got to his feet and went back to work as Silva looked to counter, and counter he did, drilling “The Dean of Mean” with a left hook that dropped him to the mat. The follow-up barrage from Silva finished Jardine off, bringing in referee Herb Dean to halt the bout at 1:35 of the opening round.
“This fight was very important to me because I love fighting here,” said Silva. “UFC is my life.”
Twenty six year old Thiago Anderson Ramos da Silva is a professional mixed martial arts fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
Once a member of the renowned Chute Boxe Academy, Thiago now trains with established fighting stable American Top Team.
Prior to signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thiago fought almost solely in his native country of Brazil. During his first 9 professional bouts, Thiago attained a perfect 9–0 record, winning 7 of these bouts by KO or TKO.
As a member of the vaunted Chute Boxe Academy, which produced MMA champions such as former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Thiago gained the UFC's attention as a top light heavyweight prospect.
“Tonight was my night,” said Silva, now 14-1. “I’m back.”
Jardine (14-7-1) opened the bout with a flurry that missed, but his follow up kick to the leg landed to a thud. The next kick Jardine threw was caught by Silva though, and the Brazilian took the fight to the mat. Jardine quickly got to his feet and went back to work as Silva looked to counter, and counter he did, drilling “The Dean of Mean” with a left hook that dropped him to the mat. The follow-up barrage from Silva finished Jardine off, bringing in referee Herb Dean to halt the bout at 1:35 of the opening round.
“This fight was very important to me because I love fighting here,” said Silva. “UFC is my life.”
Couture vs Nogueira video
PORTLAND, OR, AUGUST 30 – Couture vs Nogueira video: History in the making. It wasn’t in Manila, but Saturday night at the Rose Garden Arena, mixed martial arts had its “Thrilla”, as veteran heavyweight legends Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Randy Couture turned back the clock like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier did in 1975, reminding fight fans just what greatness is in a three round war won by Nogueira in the main event of UFC 102.
“It was beautiful to fight him,” said Nogueira, the only man in history to hold the UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles. “He’s a true champion and he’s one of my idols. It was a beautiful show today.”
“I’m disappointed about losing, but you gotta love this sport,” said Couture, a three time heavyweight and two-time light heavyweight champion.
Both Nogueira and Couture were coming off losses - the 33-year old Nogueira to Frank Mir last December, and the 46-year old Couture to Brock Lesnar – leading many to wonder whether the two had hit the end of the line in their storied careers. But as the old fight game adage goes, the great ones always have one great fight left in them.
And that’s what we saw tonight, as Nogueira outpointed Couture by three scores of 30-27 in a fight that was much more competitive and drama-filled than those numbers would indicate.
The bout began with a spirited standup exchange, and the pace remained high in the early going, with Couture beating Nogueira to the punch. Nogueira remained patient though and soon hit paydirt, dropping Couture with a hard right hand. Nogueira then almost finished things with a choke while on the mat, but Couture gamely fought his way free and the two rose and exchanged punches, with Couture cutting Nogueira over the left eye. As the round entered its final two minutes, the two heavyweights traded blow after blow as the crowd rose to its feet, and one of the best rounds of the year ended with a stalemate along the fence and Couture going back to his corner with a mouse under his eye and Nogueira needing work on the cut over his eye
“It was beautiful to fight him,” said Nogueira, the only man in history to hold the UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles. “He’s a true champion and he’s one of my idols. It was a beautiful show today.”
“I’m disappointed about losing, but you gotta love this sport,” said Couture, a three time heavyweight and two-time light heavyweight champion.
Both Nogueira and Couture were coming off losses - the 33-year old Nogueira to Frank Mir last December, and the 46-year old Couture to Brock Lesnar – leading many to wonder whether the two had hit the end of the line in their storied careers. But as the old fight game adage goes, the great ones always have one great fight left in them.
And that’s what we saw tonight, as Nogueira outpointed Couture by three scores of 30-27 in a fight that was much more competitive and drama-filled than those numbers would indicate.
The bout began with a spirited standup exchange, and the pace remained high in the early going, with Couture beating Nogueira to the punch. Nogueira remained patient though and soon hit paydirt, dropping Couture with a hard right hand. Nogueira then almost finished things with a choke while on the mat, but Couture gamely fought his way free and the two rose and exchanged punches, with Couture cutting Nogueira over the left eye. As the round entered its final two minutes, the two heavyweights traded blow after blow as the crowd rose to its feet, and one of the best rounds of the year ended with a stalemate along the fence and Couture going back to his corner with a mouse under his eye and Nogueira needing work on the cut over his eye
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Watch live match Tottenham Vs Birmingham, free Internet, Premier League 2009
Arsenal coach, Arsène Wenger has confirmed today that the Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas will miss the match which will measure your team against Manchester United on Saturday, so it is also doubtful for the duels that will face the Spanish team with Belgium Estonia and 4 to 9 September.
Although Fabregas, the Arsenal coaching staff and doctors were optimistic for their participation in the meeting this weekend, the Catalan player could not overcome their problems in the thigh, which occurred last Saturday, during the dispute the Premier League match against Portsmouth and he was forced to leave the game at halftime.
Arsenal captain had a week to recover margin-did not participate in the second leg of the Champions League prior to Celtic, and depending on your feelings in practice, Wenger would make a final decision.
"Fabregas is out and the tests that have been submitted this morning are not conclusive. Why not travel. The ideal is to come and play but will not be one hundred percent," said French coach at the press preview shock.
Confirmed its low for the match against Manchester United, the Arsenal captain is now doubtful for the meetings that face the Spanish combined with Estonia and Belgium, for which has been convened by Vicente Del Bosque.
The Spanish coach said yesterday that Cesc was able to play, after speaking with doctors at his club, and promised that in any event no timeframe for full recovery, so the player must travel with a medical report to be reviewed by the doctors of the 'Red'.
Although Fabregas, the Arsenal coaching staff and doctors were optimistic for their participation in the meeting this weekend, the Catalan player could not overcome their problems in the thigh, which occurred last Saturday, during the dispute the Premier League match against Portsmouth and he was forced to leave the game at halftime.
Arsenal captain had a week to recover margin-did not participate in the second leg of the Champions League prior to Celtic, and depending on your feelings in practice, Wenger would make a final decision.
"Fabregas is out and the tests that have been submitted this morning are not conclusive. Why not travel. The ideal is to come and play but will not be one hundred percent," said French coach at the press preview shock.
Confirmed its low for the match against Manchester United, the Arsenal captain is now doubtful for the meetings that face the Spanish combined with Estonia and Belgium, for which has been convened by Vicente Del Bosque.
The Spanish coach said yesterday that Cesc was able to play, after speaking with doctors at his club, and promised that in any event no timeframe for full recovery, so the player must travel with a medical report to be reviewed by the doctors of the 'Red'.
Bush 41 will not attend Kennedy service
Former President George H.W. Bush will not attend Ted Kennedy's private funeral mass in Boston on Saturday, his spokesman Jim McGrath told CNN.
McGrath said the 41st president spoke to Kennedy's wife Vicki and his niece Caroline to let them know. Earlier reports had said that all four living presidents would attend the service.
Former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are still scheduled to attend.
McGrath said the 41st president spoke to Kennedy's wife Vicki and his niece Caroline to let them know. Earlier reports had said that all four living presidents would attend the service.
Former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are still scheduled to attend.
KISS, Jason Aldean, Stone Temple Pilots, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Styx
KISS [ tickets ] has revealed dates for its fall US tour in support of "Sonic Boom," the venerable rockers' first new studio album in 11 years. The North American portion of the group's "KISS Alive 35" tour (the number refers to the band's 35th anniversary) kicks off Sept. 25 and 26 in Detroit, and continues through early December.
Tickets hit the box office Saturday (8/29) for upcoming shows in Cleveland; Toronto; Uncasville, CT; Boston; Long Island, NY; New York City; Washington, DC; Hampton, VA; and Greenville, SC.
Tickets hit the box office Saturday (8/29) for upcoming shows in Cleveland; Toronto; Uncasville, CT; Boston; Long Island, NY; New York City; Washington, DC; Hampton, VA; and Greenville, SC.
Red Bull Soapbox Race
The Red Bull Soapbox Race will take over Piedmont Park on Saturday, and organizers are expecting a crowd not unlike that for Paul McCartney — about 50,000 people.
Of course, this crowd gets in free. (Free!) Not that Sir Paul didn’t haul a big production into town, but he didn’t need space to race 50 gravity-powered vehicles, either.
Here’s what you need to know before the show gets on the road on Aug. 29.
Rain? What rain?
At last year’s race in Philadelphia, a hurricane remnant came through — poured rain, but skipped the lightning or tornadoes. The race went on. The same rules apply here. As of Friday morning, Saturday’s forecast calls for lows in the 60s, highs in the mid-80s and showers likely in the afternoon.
What to bring, what not to bring.
On the list of no-nos: pets, tents, glass containers, food to be sold, alcoholic beverages, weapons. But, you can bring your own food and drinks, or buy them on-site. Free water stations will be set up, too. Chairs and blankets are OK, too, although they won’t necessarily help you get a good view of the race.
How to get there…by MARTA.
As always, MARTA is the easier option to get to Piedmont Park when there’s a big event. Here’s a map from the Green Concert that described how to walk from the MARTA stations to the park. (Just ignore those special entrances and such; seems most did during the Green Concert, anyway.)
How to get there…by bike.
This will probably be my mode of transportation to the races. (Wave if you see me there!) Volunteers from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition will be on hand to valet park bikes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to get there…by car.
Don’t. OK, this isn’t a no-car event like the Green Concert, but there are even more street closings to get in the way, and another huge crowd to fight for parking. Cars and Piedmont Park don’t mix.
Here are the streets you won’t be able to get to with a car. The time and day of closing is listed:
9:30 a.m. Friday: 10th Street from Argonne to Charles Allen.
7:30 p.m. Friday: 10th Street from Piedmont to Monroe; Charles Allen from 9th Street to 10th Street.
All day Saturday: 10th Street from Piedmont to Monroe, Charles Allen from 9th Street to 10th Street; Argonne between 9th Street and 10th Street.
Resident traffic only, Friday and Saturday: Argonne, Myrtle, Taft and Charles Allen between 8th and 9th.
Of course, this crowd gets in free. (Free!) Not that Sir Paul didn’t haul a big production into town, but he didn’t need space to race 50 gravity-powered vehicles, either.
Here’s what you need to know before the show gets on the road on Aug. 29.
Rain? What rain?
At last year’s race in Philadelphia, a hurricane remnant came through — poured rain, but skipped the lightning or tornadoes. The race went on. The same rules apply here. As of Friday morning, Saturday’s forecast calls for lows in the 60s, highs in the mid-80s and showers likely in the afternoon.
What to bring, what not to bring.
On the list of no-nos: pets, tents, glass containers, food to be sold, alcoholic beverages, weapons. But, you can bring your own food and drinks, or buy them on-site. Free water stations will be set up, too. Chairs and blankets are OK, too, although they won’t necessarily help you get a good view of the race.
How to get there…by MARTA.
As always, MARTA is the easier option to get to Piedmont Park when there’s a big event. Here’s a map from the Green Concert that described how to walk from the MARTA stations to the park. (Just ignore those special entrances and such; seems most did during the Green Concert, anyway.)
How to get there…by bike.
This will probably be my mode of transportation to the races. (Wave if you see me there!) Volunteers from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition will be on hand to valet park bikes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How to get there…by car.
Don’t. OK, this isn’t a no-car event like the Green Concert, but there are even more street closings to get in the way, and another huge crowd to fight for parking. Cars and Piedmont Park don’t mix.
Here are the streets you won’t be able to get to with a car. The time and day of closing is listed:
9:30 a.m. Friday: 10th Street from Argonne to Charles Allen.
7:30 p.m. Friday: 10th Street from Piedmont to Monroe; Charles Allen from 9th Street to 10th Street.
All day Saturday: 10th Street from Piedmont to Monroe, Charles Allen from 9th Street to 10th Street; Argonne between 9th Street and 10th Street.
Resident traffic only, Friday and Saturday: Argonne, Myrtle, Taft and Charles Allen between 8th and 9th.
Tom Brady: Belichick tight-lipped about Brady injury
Patriots coach Bill Belichick predictably declined to provide details on Tom Brady's shoulder injury after Friday night's game.
Asked about Brady's status, Belichick replied: "Bumps and bruises like everybody else that played in the game." Belichick also refused to disclose whether or not Brady was scheduled to play the third quarter before sustaining the injury. For what it's worth, Chad Ochocinco "tweeted" late Friday night that he got a call back from Brady who said he was fine and there was nothing to worry about. Aug. 29 - 12:25 am et
Source: ESPN.com
Asked about Brady's status, Belichick replied: "Bumps and bruises like everybody else that played in the game." Belichick also refused to disclose whether or not Brady was scheduled to play the third quarter before sustaining the injury. For what it's worth, Chad Ochocinco "tweeted" late Friday night that he got a call back from Brady who said he was fine and there was nothing to worry about. Aug. 29 - 12:25 am et
Source: ESPN.com
Next step not clear for Vicki Kennedy
Even in a family sadly experienced in public mourning, the sight of Victoria Reggie Kennedy standing by her husband’s casket at the John F. Kennedy Library, greeting a seemingly endless number of well wishers, or leading a group of prominent political figures in honoring Ted Kennedy’s memory at a service Friday night, seemed to have special meaning. They were, in a sense, the public affirmation of the role the dark-haired Louisiana lawyer who became Kennedy’s second wife had come to play in his life.
Friends of Kennedy say it was Vicki who rescued him from his famously self-destructive habits when they were married 17 years ago, becoming both confidante, protector and adviser. As Kennedy battled with the brain cancer that would ultimately kill him, she organized his treatment and managed his time, and after he died she planned how he would be remembered and who would be attending. “It was as if the good Lord had sent her,” former Sen. John Warner, a close friend of Kennedy’s, said in an interview with POLITICO.
Vicki Kennedy played a far more active part in her husband’s career than the wives of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy — Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, whose grief over their slain husbands embedded them in the national consciousness. And as a widow she is likely to live a different kind of life — though how she will define it is not clear.
Her very public moments this week left some wondering whether Vicki Kennedy will remain on the national stage, pushing her husband’s issues—including the one he never saw to fruition, health care reform. But it is at least as likely that she will revert back to the life she had before she met Kennedy, this time as a 55-year-old working mother with two grown children, Curran Raclin and Caroline Raclin, now in their twenties.
Kennedy has told friends she isn’t interested in filling her late husband’s Senate seat either temporarily—if state lawmakers revert back to an old system that would allow the governor to fill the vacancy—or in the long-term, by running in a special election. “All this stuff about her going to the Senate is completely wrong,” Bob Shrum, the longtime Kennedy speechwriter and adviser, said in an interview.
But that hasn’t stopped the pundits—and even some Kennedy aides— from chattering about the possibility. Appearing on ABC News on Thursday, Cokie Roberts called Kennedy a “political person” and said she wouldn’t be surprised if she did in fact make a run for the Senate. “She knows politics. She knows substance. It’s normal for someone who’s been that involved to want to stay involved,” Roberts said.
A former longtime Kennedy aide agrees: “She’s the logical choice to keep the seat. She’s a very sharp lawyer, she knows the issues well, and she could carry the torch for Teddy on the health care issue. She would complete his mission.”
But friends say they take Vicki Kennedy at her word. “I believe her when she says she has no interest in public office,” said Pam Covington, a friend of Kennedy’s for close to two decades. “I’ve never heard her even hint at that.
“I don’t know what’s in her heart of hearts that she’s not talking about,” Covington added. “But my guess is that she is happy to carry on Teddy’s legacy in other ways.”
Rep. Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat and a longtime Kennedy friend, said he can see Vicki continuing to be an advocate for the passage of health care reform. “It’s something that is central to his legacy and I think that she will work to see that legacy completed,” Markey said.
As many have noted in recent days that legacy was sometimes challenged by issues in Ted Kennedy’s personal life. He divorced his first wife in 1982 and his name quickly became shorthand for comedians’ jokes about politicians behaving badly. In the months leading up to his testimony at the rape trial of his nephew William Kennedy Smith, the senator began dating Vicki after she invited him to party celebrating her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. (The two families had been longtime friends: Vicki’s father Edmund, a judge, supported John F. Kennedy for Vice President in 1956 and Vicki’s mother Doris was the only delegate from Louisiana to vote for Ted Kennedy for president in 1980.)
Friends of Kennedy say it was Vicki who rescued him from his famously self-destructive habits when they were married 17 years ago, becoming both confidante, protector and adviser. As Kennedy battled with the brain cancer that would ultimately kill him, she organized his treatment and managed his time, and after he died she planned how he would be remembered and who would be attending. “It was as if the good Lord had sent her,” former Sen. John Warner, a close friend of Kennedy’s, said in an interview with POLITICO.
Vicki Kennedy played a far more active part in her husband’s career than the wives of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy — Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, whose grief over their slain husbands embedded them in the national consciousness. And as a widow she is likely to live a different kind of life — though how she will define it is not clear.
Her very public moments this week left some wondering whether Vicki Kennedy will remain on the national stage, pushing her husband’s issues—including the one he never saw to fruition, health care reform. But it is at least as likely that she will revert back to the life she had before she met Kennedy, this time as a 55-year-old working mother with two grown children, Curran Raclin and Caroline Raclin, now in their twenties.
Kennedy has told friends she isn’t interested in filling her late husband’s Senate seat either temporarily—if state lawmakers revert back to an old system that would allow the governor to fill the vacancy—or in the long-term, by running in a special election. “All this stuff about her going to the Senate is completely wrong,” Bob Shrum, the longtime Kennedy speechwriter and adviser, said in an interview.
But that hasn’t stopped the pundits—and even some Kennedy aides— from chattering about the possibility. Appearing on ABC News on Thursday, Cokie Roberts called Kennedy a “political person” and said she wouldn’t be surprised if she did in fact make a run for the Senate. “She knows politics. She knows substance. It’s normal for someone who’s been that involved to want to stay involved,” Roberts said.
A former longtime Kennedy aide agrees: “She’s the logical choice to keep the seat. She’s a very sharp lawyer, she knows the issues well, and she could carry the torch for Teddy on the health care issue. She would complete his mission.”
But friends say they take Vicki Kennedy at her word. “I believe her when she says she has no interest in public office,” said Pam Covington, a friend of Kennedy’s for close to two decades. “I’ve never heard her even hint at that.
“I don’t know what’s in her heart of hearts that she’s not talking about,” Covington added. “But my guess is that she is happy to carry on Teddy’s legacy in other ways.”
Rep. Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat and a longtime Kennedy friend, said he can see Vicki continuing to be an advocate for the passage of health care reform. “It’s something that is central to his legacy and I think that she will work to see that legacy completed,” Markey said.
As many have noted in recent days that legacy was sometimes challenged by issues in Ted Kennedy’s personal life. He divorced his first wife in 1982 and his name quickly became shorthand for comedians’ jokes about politicians behaving badly. In the months leading up to his testimony at the rape trial of his nephew William Kennedy Smith, the senator began dating Vicki after she invited him to party celebrating her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. (The two families had been longtime friends: Vicki’s father Edmund, a judge, supported John F. Kennedy for Vice President in 1956 and Vicki’s mother Doris was the only delegate from Louisiana to vote for Ted Kennedy for president in 1980.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
