Real Life Screenwriters
Shane has been sick the past few days, so no new updates from him. In the meantime, I found this well done video about the realities of being a ‘Hollywood Screenwriter’.
Snoop Dogg Gets Eight Zero
I love Snoop Dogg. This is his new (clean version) single called Sensual Seduction and the video…well…I can’t say it any better then Rolling Stone’s Daniel Kreps does…
From the moment the clip starts — with a frizzled fade-in worthy of your most worn-out VHS tape — you’re hooked. Utilizing every cheesy special effect the glorious Eighties had to offer, Snoop goes all “I’m Rick James, bitch” on us, busting out the keytar and surrounding himself with woman who look like Prince groupies from the 1999 era. To mask Snoop’s Auto-Tuned vocals, Tha Doggfather’s teeth are firmly clenched on either one of those robotic voice things that Peter Frampton used to employ, or he’s smoking weed out of the most futuristic hookah ever.
Rolling Stone : Snoop Dogg Resurrects Rick James’ Style for Pimpin’ New Video, Bitch
There are a bunch of effects that seem like they are from the Fairlight CVI (computer video instrument) which I used back in the early 1990s - even before my Video Toaster days. This page shows some of the CVI’s effects, so you can see what I mean but the CVI was very low resolution so it’s possible they recreated the effects in After Effects or something. The video’s director was Melina, but I can’t find the production company information so far
Lott Rumors: Something Really Not Gay Is Going On
Trent Lott Jesus lott380_90591 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
“It is [a sin]….You should try to show them a way to deal with that problem, just like alcohol…or sex addiction…or kleptomaniacs.” - Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott, Associated Press, June 15, 1998.
Matthew Shepard Online Resources - Hate Speech - Claremont Institute, Trent Lott, Reggie White
For they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind.
Lott talked about the problem of homosexuality in 1998 - when Republicans had 33% of the gay vote. Back in 1998…
The national gay and lesbian Log Cabin Republicans executive director Rich Tafel said, “Senator Lott has insulted every gay person in the Republican Party. It was an insult to [openly gay] Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona, an Appropriations subcommittee chairman in the House, and to the dedicated and loyal gay and lesbian Republican activists across the country that helped the GOP win its majority.” Log Cabin cited a “New York Times” report that the Republicans won control of Congress in 1994 with 33% of the national gay and lesbian vote, the highest percentage of any minority group.
Now in 2007 -the whirlwind is being sown. Mississippi Republican Trent Lott is suddenly resigning and the rumors and carefully worded statements are interesting. A blogger - Big Head DC - broke the story.
The boy happens to be real, and his “stage name” is Benjamin Nicholas. One of the politicos Big Head DC has learned he’s alleged to have been involved with is the married Sen. Trent Lott, 66, who unexpectedly announced his retirement on Monday. Lott is well-known to have been against a plethora of gay rights issues throughout his terms in Congress. He was also good friends with Sen. Larry Craig throughout his time in Congress.
Nicholas told Big Head DC today via e-mail that he didn’t want to go on the record to talk about his dealings with Lott, because, said Nicholas, “Trent is going through his fair share of scrutiny right now and I don’t want to add to it.” However, e-mail and other records confirm that the two have met on at least two occasions.
Big Head DC » Trent Lott Fallout: The Gay Escort Who Knew Too Much
But is it true? Counterpoint from Joe.My.God.
UPDATE III: JMG commenter McMorris directs us to a damning and well-researched accusation that Benjamin Nicolas has been plagiarizing the works of well known writers and posting them verbatim on his blog as his own. And the likelihood of this Trent Lott business being true becomes a lot dimmer.
UPDATE IV: Rob Capriccioso, the author of Big Head DC, has had some credibility issues in the past.
Joe. My. God.: Trent Lott In Gay Escort Scandal???
If you read the story, the credibility issue that Big Head DC had was about the Deborah Palfrey D.C. Madam case, but what is interesting is that the error made was ‘waved off’ by Larry Flynt, who said that Big Head DC was barking up the wrong tree about some information. So - interesting that that is not what happening about this story. Here’s what First Amendment Hero Larry Flynt has to say…
HUSTLER Magazine has received numerous inquiries regarding the involvement of Larry Flyntand HUSTLER in the resignation of Trent Lott. Senator Lott has been the target of an ongoing HUSTLER investigation for some time now, due to confidential information that we have received.
Blogged with Flock
And J.M.G. says
Hmm, that’s not quite a confirmation, the way I read it. But it certainly pushes the story back into the possibly-believable column.
Plus - Lott mysteriously and suddenly resigned. Here’s what Greg Sargent from Talking Points Memo said about Lott’s statement.
Doesn’t this seem kind of no-frills and abrupt for such an announcement? No family there, no supporters, etc.
Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Trent Lott’s Odd No-Frills Retirement Press Conference
Watch it yourself.
But then on his own blog, Benjamin Nicholas says…
It looks like a Washington DC-based blog called BigHeadDC is making claim that there was (or, is) a working relationship between myself and Senator Trent Lott. There are falsely pieced-together quotes that serve no purpose other than to sensationalize a completely fabricated scoop.
I will continue to offer a great sense of confidentiality to the people I see. I have not, nor have I ever seen or had contact with Senator Trent Lott. It’s as simple as that. It never happened.
So - either something is going on or nothing is.
If dirty poltics interest you, you might want to want the reviews we posted of the D.C. Madam’s girls… or just search this blog for the words Palfrey or Vitter for a lot more…
“Reasonableness Ruled The Day”
WGA Strike on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Nikki Finke is reporting good news on the Writer’s Strike…
I am thrilled to give you a report on how today’s contract talks went between the writers and the producers. And they went well, according to my sources. “It was very productive, very level-headed, and it seemed as though the producers came ready to bargain,” an insider told me tonight. “Reasonableness ruled the day.”
In fact, the AMPTP reps for the studios and networks showed up to the negotiating session with what was described to me as “a very comprehensive proposal which laid out to all the entire roadmap to the deal. Over the course of the session, the producers addressed every single issue, and the writers listened and kept getting up to caucus.”
Deadline Hollywood Daily » EXCLUSIVE: Today’s Talks Productive: “Reasonableness Ruled The Day”
Blogged with Flock
I’ve always said that this would end by Big Media coming to the table and making a deal, so this is all positive. It’s still early but if this is wrapped up quickly, it’s good for everyone.
Kitchen Nightmares Preview: Campania
Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, Blackpool on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I’ll be live blogging Kitchen Nightmares on Wednesday at 9pm Eastern, 6pm West. Come back and comment and also check out our Gordon Ramsay category for a ton of info about Kitchen Nighmares.
Next up on Kitchen Nightmares - Campania, an Italian restaurant located at 15-17 Broadway in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
Campania is named for the Campania region of Italy, home of Naples and the original pizza. Chef / Owner Joe Cerniglia seems like one of the first U.S. Kitchen Nightmares chefs with a real restaurant pedigree. He even seems to be something of a minor ‘celebrity chef’…
Joe Cerniglia began his restaurant career at the famed Gallagher’s Steak House in NYC at the age of 23. A self-taught chef, Cerniglia soon became the executive chef of the landmark steakhouse Gallagher’s. From there, he became the vice president of operations, both nationally and internationally.
During his time with Gallagher’s Steakhouse, Cerniglia soon became known as a guru for all things concerning grilling, making regular appearance on national and local television shows such as the Fox News Channel, Good Day New York, WOR 11, NBC and a host of other radio and print productions.
(snip)
Cerniglia regularly gives live cooking demonstrations at Chef Central in Paramus and Macy’s at Herald Square in New York City.
ZoomInfo Web Profile: Joe Cerniglia
And the reviews of Campania that I’ve found are all good, although one or two do mention slow service, but not in a complaining way. Here’s a review from over a year ago - so there’s no ‘pre-Nightmares’ BS - but recent reviews are just as excellent.
By far the best Italian food in New Jersey!: The food here is absolutely outstanding. My fiance and I had heard about it a few months ago and first visited on a Saturday night - the (young) chef/owner is absolutetly brilliant at pasta - we had his homemade raviolis filled with braised veal and sage in a mascarpone brodo - heaven! A couple sitting next to us knew the owner personally and told us that he makes his own fresh mozzarella and pasta every day, along with a huge variety of seasonal dishes. We’ve since been back quite a few times and the food is just as exciting on each visit. If you like fish, the chef always highlights an exotic and totally fresh fish preparation - I had a piece of halibut baked under parchment paper with mussels and clams. The waiter presented it to us tableside and removed the parchment - this may have been the best piece of fish I’ve ever eaten (the parchment allowed the fish to steam and absorb the flavors and aromas of the herbs). The menu is extremely varied with an emphasis on food from the Campania regiion in Italy. Hint - this place gets packed on the weekends - go on a weeknight if you like a quieter dinner.
Campania Restaurant, 17-15 Broadway, Fair Lawn, NJ on Yahoo! Local
Huh. Packed house, great food - not much of a Nightmare really, is it? It will be interesting to see how they portray the restuarant. I think it actually could be pretty positive, unless Fox sticks to their stupid script. The preview videos on Fox’s website show Ramsay actually defending the chef - by attacking a customer. Bet she was paid…
Here’s an interesting related video and hey! It’s Chef Gordon Ramsay actually making food, something we rarely see in the U.S. It’s Ramsay milking a buffalo and making the first true Buffalo Mozzarella in Scotland. (Think water buffalo, not bison.) The clip includes fast driving, thick accents and the word ‘knackered’. Brilliant…
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