Las Vegas Review-Journal finds Paris Hilton coke bust more newsworthy than the death of Danny Gans

Editor Thomas "McCloud" Mitchell and the gang at the Las Vegas Review-Journal must be proud this morning. A look at their website and a scan of their archives reveal that they've posted more stories about Paris Hilton's cocaine arrest in the past three days than they'd posted about local superstar Danny Gans in the three days after his sudden, shocking and untimely death.


Las Vegas Review-Journal on the arrest of Paris Hilton:

No special treatment for Paris Hilton, police say
Posted 08/28/2010

'Vapor trail' leads to Strip arrest of Paris Hilton, nightclub mogul Waits
Posted 08/28/2010

Arrest report states Hilton had rolling papers, prescription pill
Posted 08/30/2010

PARIS HILTON -- A LITTLE FREAKED
Posted 08/30/2010

PHOTOS OF PARIS HILTON'S ARREST
Posted 08/28/2010

PARIS HILTON HOURS BEFORE ARREST
Posted 08/29/2010

Club operator on up-and-down ride
Posted 08/29/2010

RJtv FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL and FOLLOWING THE PARIS HILTON CASE
Posted 08/30/2010

Las Vegas Review-Journal on the death of Danny Gans:

May 4, 2009 Gans friends share feelings, memories

May 3, 2009 Gans has final word in life story

May 3, 2009 Gans looked ahead

May 3, 2009 WEEK IN REVIEW: Top News The deaths of two local icons, both in their early 50s, bracketed a sorrowful week for Las Vegas.

May 2, 2009 Gans'final act leaves mystery

May 2, 2009 CELEBRITY MEMORIES

May 2, 2009 'He can't be replaced'

Disneyland's fire-breathing dragon snuffed

We reported in June of last year that the debut of Maleficent, the 40-foot-tall, 10,000 pound mechanical automated fire-breathing dragon from Sleeping Beauty, in Summer Nightastic, Disneyland's big summer update of its spectacular Fantasmic light, water and fireworks show, would be delayed for weeks because its head fell off and its neck snapped during rehearsals.

Today Disneyland officials confirmed Maleficent is now out of the show indefinitely, after it collapsed during Saturday night's show (as seen in top photo).

Somebody book Art Vargas for Jerry's telethon

They're talking in Las Vegas about Art Vargas killing at the Bootlegger Bistro Saturday night with a swingin' show, a packed house and a wild, cheering crowd that went even wilder when Vargas was joined onstage by Louis Prima's daughter Lena for a version of Old Black Magic. The gig was the latest showcase for the old school showman and topnotch singer that could soon have him headlining in his own room on the Vegas Strip where he belongs, and amid the musical impressionists, magicians, acrobats and superstars, there's surely a place.

With word that Jerry Lewis was filling next weekend's MDA telethon with a roster of little-known Las Vegas acts, we're more than a little disappointed-- and surprised-- to see that Vargas is not among those scheduled. Put this guy and his Swank Set on at 11 pm Sunday and they're guaranteed to bring down the house at the South Point and have those phones ringing and web hits adding up.

Summer reading

Our readers while away the summer with the guys who kicked the hornets' nest.

Send your Tabloid Baby photos here!

Las Vegas Sun features Tabloid Baby video clip in Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon preview

The Las Vegas Sun has posted a clip from the Tabloid Baby YouTube channel as part of a feature story tribute to Jerry Lewis as his 45th annual Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon approaches.

The clip depicts Jerry in full throttle mode in the final hour of the 2009 MDA telethon, which added $60.5 million to the cause.

The Sun's reliance on material posted by the Tabloid Baby team reveals clearly how the Las Vegas news media looks to Tabloid Baby since our site excoriated local journalists for the shamefully lax and negligent coverage of the mysterious and untimely death of Las Vegas superstar Danny Gans.


The Sun article notes that the telethon from the South Point Casino-- far from the legendary Strip that 84-year-old Jerry Lewis helped put on the map and cultivated--faces obstacles in this tough economic times and confusing celebrity grid:

"He just keeps marching on, even with the changing economy, even without the support of stars who once clamored to be seen on the telethon.

“'You hear the list of performers this year — Brad (he searches for a word) Stump, Helen Utch, Ruth Belmenent,' he said. 'And these people are some of the best talent in America. But it’s a big difference' from big-name stars.

“'People don’t want to do a telethon anymore because they have to get off their butt, get on a plane, come here and do it,' he said. 'But I don’t want them when they don’t want to, because they don’t come with the right attitude. If they come out of pressure, they’re no good to me.'"


The 2010 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon begins Sunday, Sept. 5 at 9 pm EDT, live from the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. It concludes Labor Day, Sept. 6 at 6:30 pm EDT. Check listings for local stations, start and end times, or visit mda.org.


Social media followers of MDA’s Twitter, Facebook and sites will get a behind-the-scenes look at the show during the broadcast.

Read the only behind-the-scenes account of Jerry Lewis and the MDA telethon in Chapter 6 of the book, Tabloid Baby.

(NOTE THE BABY PICTURE)

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN M. BOWEN/ LAS VEGAS SUN

Funeral for Farrah Fawcett's father

Funeral services are taking place this morning for Farrah Fawcett's father, who joined his Angel on Monday.

The Houston Chronicle reports that that James Fawcett died Monday at 92. After the 10 am service at the Brookside Champions funeral home in Houston, he'll be buried in the Houston National Cemetery.

James stood tall at his daughter's funeral in June 2009.


(TOP PHOTO: Studio 54, Sept 17, 1978 Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Getty Images)

Missing woman found dead in her house

Police in Las Vegas have been looking for Billie Jean James since she went missing on April 22nd. They used helicopters with infrared technology to search the surrounding desert, while volunteers fanned out and highly-trained search dogs sniffed through her two houses, which were cluttered and packed to the rafters with junk, because 67-year-old Billie Jean was apparently a compulsive hoarder. She and her husband reportedly built the second house on their property to hold all the stuff she hoarded.

This week, Billie Jean's husband Bill called police and said he found her body in the back room of one of the houses, underneath all the clutter. "She's been in the house this whole time," he said. "I didn't see a lot, but I recognized her shoes. I saw her feet first."

Was Billie Jean's body really there the whole time? One expert says the triple-digit heat, rotting food, decay and other smells associated with a hoarder's house could have thrown the search dogs off the scent. Police are still investigating.

Stay tuned...

Vegas is coming up Vargas!

"Swingin'!" "Smokin'!" "Great!"

Those were only a few of the superlatives tossed toward entertainer Art Vargas after last weekend's triumphant return to Las Vegas in a showcase bound to get the singer and his classic, retro-flavoured act his own showroom on the Strip where, among magicians, impressionists, tributes and comics, there is definitely a lucrative niche awaiting.

The heat from the three-night stand at the Rampart casino at the Summerlin Resortis already evident as Team Vargas has announced another show on Saturday night at his favourite haunt, The Bootlegger Bistro on Las Vegas Boulevard.

This time it's only five minutes from the Strip.

He's getting closer!

Art Vargas & The Swank Set
Live at The Bootlegger Bistro!
Sat Aug 28th
Bootlegger Bistro
(702) 736-4939
shows at 9:30 pm and Aug. 29 12:30 am

The Bootlegger Bistro
7700 Las Vegas Blvd. So.
Las Vegas, NV

Karen Carpenter book is pop culture classic

Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter stood out on the shelf of Book Soup and seemed like a good summer read. The details of the Seventies star's death scene seemed promising enough, but we admit we expected the book to be a camp clip job hagiography written by a fan.

As it turns out, Little Girl Blue is finely-written, exhaustively-researched and nothing less than a classic rock bio penned by a music teacher who's dedicated decades to the subject and wrung from it a revelatory tragic saga As far as we know, this is the first clear representation of the baleful star's life, no longer clouded by family censorship and shading, painting a vivid portrait of the family dynamics that fed Karen's anorexia, and compiling other juicy details like the fact that Karen had a "microphone voice"-- powerful on records but so soft that it could hardly be heard across a room, and revealing that the smarmy incest rumours about brother and sister were trumped by the fact that, after treatment for his Quaalude addiction, brother Richard Carpenter married his first cousin.

Randy L. Schmidt's music credentials come into play with a fascinating overview of their creative and recording process and the Carpenters' place in the music, cultural and political scenes of the Seventies. This book could get the Carpenters into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Dreary, dumpy & dank: Steve Friess insults Los Angeles architecture in reheated cover story for LA Weekly

Guess who wound up with an LA Weekly cover story? Las Vegas blogger, New York Times stringer, Gay Vegas author, concert promoter and comp queen Steve Friess, that's who, with an article on the death of Mike Penner, the Los Angeles Times sportswriter who went public in a column as a transsexual and returned to work as Christine Daniels in 2007, changed his mind about the process and resumed his original name in 2008, and allegedly committed suicide in 2009. The article and its cover placement are confusing in that Friess's work is little more than a reheating of and elaboration of a number of previously published pieces on the subject, including a well-publicised article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times in March.

On his own blog, Friess describes his LA Weekly work as "one of the finer pieces of journalism, with the space and time truly needed, I've had a chance to do." Yet, his contribution to the Penner/Daniels saga appears to be a GLBT activist slant which points blame at Penner's co-worker wife, a competing journalist who wrote that Penner as Daniels resembled a man in drag, and even respected journalist Evan Wright (Friess challenges Wright's claim that he'd put the brakes on a Vanity Fair article because of Daniels' fragile mental state). And although he promises revelations from Penner's wife and Penner himself ("Dillman has never spoken on the record about her husband's transition, and Penner never answered the media's questions about their relationship..."), those teases do not pay off.

For all his alleged research (phoning people who had already appeared in other articles), Friess insinuates that he never even read, nor ventured to find the LA Times blog Penner wrote during his transition and which the Times has removed from its site and archives ("...Daniels also never wrote of it in her blog on transgenderism, according to those who read it when it was available online.").

The Las Vegas public figure who came to our attention after he attacked Tabloid Baby online and in print for asking questions about the Las Vegas media's lax coverage of the death of local superstar Danny Gans, is most egregiously ungrateful in his use of the forum to toss off lazy, disputable and easily fact-checked insulting of various Los Angeles locations, all of which seem to have been cooked up at the kitchenette table of his Las Vegas apartment:

"a dreary apartment building on Sepulveda just north of National..."

"...a small shop of roughly 1,000 square feet nestled in a dumpy Studio City strip mall..."

"...a circuitous and dank hallway in L.A.'s fortress-like, nondescript Westwood Villa Apartments..."

CBS News loses another black star

CBS News has lost another of its prominent African American stars with the death this weekend of 48 Hours reporter Harold Dow. Dow reportedly died unexpectedly yesterday at 62. He'd gotten his start in television in Santa Monica, and had been based in New York since 1982, when we worked with him at the CBS Nightwatch overnight show. He was a hardworking, genial colleague.

Dow's death makes him the second African American star of CBS News to died in his prime since Katie Couric took over as chief newsreader in September 2006. Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes fame died at 65 in 2006.

Both men were known to sport earrings.

Art Vargas returns to Las Vegas tonight

Singer and entertainer Art Vargas returns to Las Vegas tonight for a three-night stand that could give him to move, as the late, great Danny Gans put it, from Cleveland to "playing for the Yankees."

The engagement at the Rampart Casino in The Resort at Summerlin, is miles from the center of the Las Vegas action, but is seen as an opportunity for bookers, critics, columnists and trendsetters to witness an exciting act that deserves a showroom on the Las Vegas Strip

Vargas is a veteran showman known for his Bobby Darin impression in the Legends tribute show that's taken him from the Strip to venues across the county. It's his own retro solo show, which has played lounges, clubs and rooms away from the Vegas mainline, that has generated excitement in recent months, with Vargas seen as a potential successor to the Las Vegas attractions like Louis Prima, Wayne Newton and Danny Gans.

RAMPART CASINO
Aug, 20, 21 & 22 ( Fri, Sat, & Sun) 3 nights!

Swingin’ the Music that defined the Golden era!
In true Vintage Vegas Style,
Las Vegas showman Art Vargas
brings to life Vintage Las Vegas
through exciting song & dance performances,
reminiscent of the legendary stars
of Vintage Las Vegas... Live!
Acclaimed as one of Vegas' best performers!
The Los Angeles times says:
“Art Vargas is Vintage Vegas thru and thru!"
With The Swingin’ Swank Set band
and featuring the fabulous Vargas girls!
Nostalgia, Excitement, Classic Cool...
Nobody does it like Vargas!!
NO-BODY Ya Hear that!!?

Experience the BEST!
Get your Tickets now! For Aug 20, 21, & 22
Call RAMPART CASINO (702) 507-5900

The answer is "D"

The Las Vegas Weekly is filling summer pages with The Vegas IQ Test.

This is Question #10:

Gypsies are now referred to as "Roma"

We were intrigued by a headline that appeared on the New York Times website this afternoon that read :

Expulsion of Roma Raises Questions in France

Roma? Did they mean residents of Rome? Romanians? The lead didn't provide any answers:

LA COURNEUVE, France — About 100 French riot police swooped down on an encampment of Roma here at 7 a.m. Thursday, taking names and filling out expulsion orders.

We had to read four graphs down to learn that "...the Roma — who are sometimes referred to as Gypsies, though they dislike the name — have been caught up in a major push by the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy to crack down on crime and illegal immigration."

Now we know. Is that a common term?

UPDATE (FROM SAM PETERS): Don't feel roma'd! Remember, it's roma moths, roma cabs, Fleetwood Mac's Roma Woman, Roma Rose Lee and, as Paul McCartney sang, "Live a little, be a Roma get around (get around)..."

Amid fight over mosque, Disney girl challenges The Mouse

Disneyland refers to its employees as "cast members," with a dress code that's been relaxed over the past fifty years but remains relatively strict. The "Disney look" is meant to ensure all teh guests feel comfortable around all the cast members. Female cast members can wear small stud or smaller hoop earrings; men may not wear earrings. Fingernails that are long, dirty or painted in a color that is not natural are not allowed. Hair must be of a natural color, looking natural even if it's not the natural color. Makeup must be only on women, minimal, and natural-looking. Visible tattoos are expressly forbidden. Male cast members are still forbidden from having long hair, sideburns can't pass the earlobes, and mustaches can't extend beyond the corners of the employee's mouth.

This week, a cast member challenged the dress code.

Imane Boudial filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in downtown Los Angeles yesterday.

Imane is 26 and a hostess at the Storyteller's Restaurant in Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel. She's claiming discrimination because she was sent home for wearing her hijab head scarf covering to work.

Imane says she's been sent home four times times-- without pay.


A Disneyland spokeswoman says Imane's been offered a chance to work with the head covering (a Muslim expression of faith) away from customers while Disneyland tries to find a compromise that would allow her to cover her head in a way that fits with her "on stage"hostess uniform.

Imane Boudial has worked at Disneyland for two and a half years, but didn't try to wear the hijab to work until this past weekend.

The immigrant from Morocco has been in the United States for five years. After she became a U.S. citizen in June, she decided to challenge Disney's dress code.

She says:

"The Constitution tells me I can be Muslim, and I can wear the head scarf.

"Who is Disney to tell me I cannot?"

The shot heard 'round the world

“There’s a long drive ... it’s gonna be ... I believe —
the Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!
The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!

“Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands!
The Giants win the pennant,
and they’re going crazy, they’re going crazy ...

“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, I do not believe it!”

Russ Hodges
October 3, 1951

Danny Gans' garage emptied for auction

The family of the late Las Vegas superstar Danny Gans is selling off the entertainer's car collection.

Ten vehicles owned by the The Man of Many Voices, who died suddenly in May 2009, will cross the block during the Third Annual Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Collector Car Auction, which runs from September 23rd through 25. The Gans fleet will be sold during a SPEED television broadcast billed "as a tribute to the memory of the Las Vegas icon."

Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson president, says: "Danny was a renaissance man blessed with many talents. His career, which spanned professional sports, music, comedy and theater, endeared him to fans of all ages and backgrounds worldwide. We're honored that his family would ask Barrett-Jackson to share his love of car collecting with the world. His amazing collection will be the cornerstone of our event in the City of Lights, which he loved as much as he enjoyed performing for his fans.

"Danny's collection was as multi-faceted as the man himself. Like many collectors, he sought a variety of cars, ranging from Resto-Mod versions of those he wanted as a young man to late model iron that caught his eye. Each was personalized, driven by him and bears a memorable license plate.

"The cars were meticulously maintained and Danny often drove them to work. Not only are they wonderful collectibles, they're a piece of Vegas history with celebrity provenance."

The news release announcing the auction also includes quotes from Gans' three children.


Gans' son Andrew:

"Talking about cars and helping my dad bring them to life was always something I looked forward to while growing up. He loved the hobby and relished every nut, bolt, motor and paint job. Even selecting a license plate was important him. His cars were more than sheets of metal, rubber and glass. Each was a cherished work of art and he was the artist who made sure every detail was refined and exact. When the cars were finished, he and I would take the first ride together."

Daughter Amy:

"While my mother designed our house, there was no doubt the garage belonged to my dad. He wanted it to reflect the 1930s and 40s era. My dad carefully planned every inch to reflect the passion he had for his collection. Once the garage door opened you were immediately drawn in and treated to a piece of automotive history and in every direction you would look, you were taken to a new destination. Now, the cars will go into the garages of those who want to celebrate his life, as well as cherish the cars he loved so passionately."

And youngest child Emily:

"I'm glad that our family is working with the Barrett-Jackson team to showcase my dad's precious car collection. Barrett-Jackson attracts collectors who love cars as much as my dad did. Their auction is similar to my dad's shows because there's always something for everyone. I know my dad's cars are in good hands and his legacy will be treated with great care and respect."

Gans' wife Julie, who told police she awakened in the middle of the night to find her husband's lifeless body in bed next to her, is maintaining the silence she's kept since his death. She and the family moved from the death mansion in Henderson, Nevada, to the Los Angeles area shortly after the tragedy.

Barrett-Jackson will sell Gans' 1932 Ford 3-window coupe, 1934 Ford 3-window coupe, 1955 Chevrolet Cameo pickup and 1955 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan. The group also contains a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko SC tribute car, 1970 Plymouth Barracuda coupe, 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette coupe, 2000 Dodge Viper and 2008 Harley-Davidson Street Glide FLHX.

The Chevrolet Cameo pickup and Chevrolet 210 sedan are heavily customized.

"The black 210 with the plate 'DBL5' includes touches that reflect the showman's personality, such as his logo embroidered into the trunk.

"The black on black 2000 Viper coupe has silver stripes and wears the plate 'TMOMV' (The Man of Many Voices)."

"The amethyst black 2003 Corvette coupe is a stunner with ghost purple flames, a 5.7 supercharged V8, Borla exhaust and custom wheels; its plate reads 'DDG.' The 2008 Harley is a 105th anniversary edition clad in black with purple ghost flames. The full dress bike is slathered in chrome and has the plate 'GANS.'"

Redmond O'Neal completes drug rehab

Farrah Fawcett's drug addict son Redmond O'Neal has completed a year-long court-ordered drug rehab program.

Redmond O'Neal's father, the troubled actor Ryan O'Neal, was not there to watch the 25-year-old graduate yesterday from the hardcore treatment.

Redmond was among a "class" of seventeen drug or DUI convicts in Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Tynan's courtroom. He hugged the judge before speaking at the emotional ceremony.

"I just wanted to thank Judge Tynan and tell everyone how much I appreciate everything you have done for me," he said. "To the newcomers, you do this. That's it."

FATHER & SON MUGSHOTS OCT 2008 DRUG ARREST

The courtroom was filled with friends and family members of graduates.

Redmond's latest try at rehab try began last September after a stint in jail that stemmed from a January 2008 drug arrest and a probation violation.

Now that he's completed the program, Redmond's criminal record will be expunged and is free to move out of the court-ordered sober living facility.


He inherited about $4.5 million after his mother died in June 2009.

Why are we making a hero out of this asshole?

The image of flight attendant Steven Slater telling JetBlue passengers to f--- off before sliding down an emergency slide with a couple of bottles of beer in his hand made him an obvious tabloid figure, but it's surprising to see that this example of airline arrogance and incompetence has been turned into some kind of working class hero when he's more a symbol of all that's wrong with air travel the past ten years, and an airline industry that treats customers as badly in the sky as they do on the ground, overbooking and canceling flights, charging us for blankets, food and maybe even the toilet while tossing us half bags of peanuts and telling us we ought to be grateful.

Readers back Donald Duck groper

A woman from Pennsylvania is suing Disney, claiming she was groped at its Epcot Center by a cast member dressed in a Donald Duck costume.

We like the responses the story got from readers of The Daily Mail in England and Orlando's Channel 13 website. Not a lot of sympathy for the plaintiff:

UK:

I would have just smacked his beak and stamped on his webbed feet.
- Sugarbell, Wolverhampton

Did she ever wonder about the cast member inside? Donald is 5"1 at his highest, how many men do you know that are that small, or is she claiming that a woman molested her???? in those outfits you have tunnel vision, and lose most of your senses. Just sombody trying to make a fast buck
- Holly, Northampton

How pathetic, when is this whole 'claims' culture going to end? Flashbacks and 'digestive' problems - come on - who are you trying to kid?!
- Jane, London

He's welcome to touch both of my breasts for £32,000.
- George, Brighton

Naughty Donald!!
Another one on the bandwagon!! Fancy having to stand up in court and accusing Donald Duck of molesting you. This is too funny!!
- Nick, Birmingham

Surely the Duck deserves anonymity until the case is over?
- kerry livermore, London, England


Florida:

jdoe wrote:
What a load. This cant be real. What a white trash low-life to try and say that a guy in a full costume touched you. You can barely see in those things, let alone the fact that most of the disney cast member emloyees are homosexual, not being offensive, it is actually true.

John wrote:
Give me a break, all this woman wants is money for nothing at all. More than likely she thinks Disney will roll over and play dead. I hope they go to court and the judge throws out this frivilous law suit and then puts her in jail for contempt of court! Why 2 years later? This is a SCAM nothing more.

Allie wrote:
Ok who is paying her bill's is she on welfare. or is it just 6 diffrent baby's daddys.

gloria wrote:
Bear ..I doubt if you would've gotten away with decking a Disney character. You must have run away really fast

Ocean wrote: J
ust one more Crock of " _hit" again with someone looking for a payoff. He could sure do alot of groping with those gloves on. The best part is she is so devastated she can't work,GIVE ME A BREAK!

John L. wrote:
Roast that sucker. MAKE HIM WELL DONE.

Thapper wrote:
This case isn't what it's quacked up to be. Sounds like this lady is a little Goofy. Did Huey, Dewie and Louie dress up like Michael Jackson and molest her kids?

Bear wrote:
My wife was groped by one of the Disney Chipmunks in 1980, I decked his butt. He first grabbed her breast while we were taking a posed photo and she thought it may have been an accidental touch until he grabbed her butt before moving away. So I hit him once, really hard. I think he got the message.

Jim wrote:
I hope hippo lady gets what she deserves- a prison sentence for perjury and a bill from Disney lawyers for defending this rediculous lawsuit.

Keep your job wrote:
No freer lonch for you phony. Can't peform your job liar That suit Donald is so big , he couldn't feel an apple in his hands if he wanted to. Did you perform anything else in those two years ? phony.

ric wrote:
What did he do? Rip her breast off so she can't strip anymore?

alice wrote:
HE HAD A PARTNER "DAISY"YOU PEOPLE NEED TO GET A LIFE. POOR DONALD

Cathy wrote:
What a bunch of hooey. Another citizen wanting a FREE LUNCH. Two years and she cannot work. GARBAGE.You and your lawyer should be thrown out of court and charged for the aggravation you caused. Get a life and move on.. You make us all SICK...FREELOADER..You are a disgrace to your family. Steve wrote: Now she can't perform her job? How hard is it to say, "Would you like fries with that?"

Roger Ortkiese wrote:
Two years this women has took to sue the disney corp. Come on lady. Another unwarranted law suit. That will most likely just raise the price of admisson for the rest of us. Like we can afford it now..

Anna wrote:
Has this woman ever worn one of those costumes? You can barely see & there is no way the person could have felt anything. She sounds like a person who has emotional issues and should seek counseling. Donald Duck’ accused of groping woman at Epcot?????????????

Molly wrote:
What a moron.....those characters touch people all day long...she just wants "lifetime passes"!!!

Give Me a Brek wrote:
First of all, Donald is never alone. He is with escorts that watch his every move. Second, Donald is usually a woman because they can't find many men that small. Third, these characters have very limited field of vision and touch. It's next to impossible to 'grope' anybody in these costumes. Third, why did she wait two years?? Why did she not report it immediately? Because it never happened.

Hitchens' cancer presents no ironies

VANITY FAIR

Atheist Christopher Hitchens wrote the book God Is Not Great in 2007, and, while promoting his followup, a memoir, in June, was stricken and diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus that has spread to his lymph nodes.

He writes on VanityFair.com that "irony is my business and I just can’t see any ironies here," yet concludes that aiding his admittedly slim chances at survival are not only "a group of brilliant and selfless physicians" but "an astonishing number of prayer groups."

We wish Hitch the best.

Bobby Hebb and The Beatles

All the Elvis master recordings for $763.99

One thousand numbered sets of The Complete Elvis Presley Masters are now on sale for $763.99. The three-box set includes every Elvis recording, digitally remastered, in chronological order, from 1954 through 1974: 30 CDs, 711 master recordings, 103 additional rare recordings, more than 35 hours of Elvis music-- and a 240-page hardcover book. The set ships in October.

Mitch Miller was still alive?

The enemy of rock 'n' roll is reported dead at 99.

See Hines, Hines & Dad at 5:05 on this clip

With the death of Maurice Hines Sr. at 88, Maurice Hines is the sole survivor of the classic entertainment act Hines, Hines & Dad. The brilliant Gregory Hines, (featured in Chapter 9 of Tabloid Baby, "Dead Heat On A Maury-Go-Round-- or Sammy's Glass Eye") died seven years ago August 9th. Go to 5:05 on the above video clip to see the team in action in their glory.

And how many of us confused Dad with pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines?