SNIPPETS

JULY 25,  2010

Louisiana (Reuters) - Swindlers, scammers and even a few strippers are flocking to the Gulf Coast in search of a piece of the $20 billion BP Plc has set aside to compensate residents for spill-related losses.  Adjusters passing out emergency funds in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states are on high alert for fraud even as they pay out legitimate claims following the April 20 oil rig explosion and spill that killed 11 workers and devastated the livelihoods of many fishermen, tourism workers and others.

Aw, come on guys.  Give the strippers a break.  At least they can accurately describe what they do.  Compare please to Wall Street executives and White House aides.

JULY 24,  2010

NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 23 (UPI) -- An Illinois man is asking a court to award him $2.5 million from his son, who he says stole Chicago Cubs season tickets for 2007 through this year.  Gerald Adelman of Northbrook said he received the tickets in 1993 from the son of a client.

Who fights over tickets to a losing team?  Some people just don't do their research.

JULY 23,  2010

PORTLAND, Conn., July 22 (UPI) -- The husband of a Connecticut woman ticketed for allegedly throwing a milkshake into another car said he thinks the other driver should also have been ticketed.  Carlos Vega of Portland said he was riding in the Chevrolet Suburban while his wife, Yajira, was driving Tuesday and she threw a milkshake into the window of a car that cut her off in traffic, the Hartford Courant reported Thursday.

Yeah, let's have some moral equivalence here, even in a racist, sexist, Islamophobic society.  Right on!

JULY 22,  2010

A little message from the people, from The New York Post:   Director M. Night Shyamalan may need to take his name out of his own movie trailer. When the promo for "Devil" -- which he produced -- played before a Friday night screening of "Inception" at the 34th Street IMAX theater, the crowd booed when the screen showed, "From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan." "Then everyone erupted in laughter," a moviegoer reports. Shyamalan directed "The Sixth Sense" but his subsequent pictures -- including "The Happening" and "The Village" -- have flopped. A rep for Universal had no comment.

Occasionally, paying attention to the audience is not a bad idea.  The audience is the final arbiter, not the critics or the film-school instructors. 

JULY 21,  2010

Parental advice, via the New York Post:   Some Republican congressmen have been warned to keep their distance from the female lobbyists who prowl Capitol Hill.  Sources say House Minority Leader John Boehner has told GOP congressmen who partied with lobbyists "to knock it off."  His spokesperson said, "Boehner has always told all our members that they will be held to the highest ethical standards."  While there's no evidence of anything more than friendly flirtatious behavior, the lawmakers have been told to keep partying to a minimum in this midterm election year.

Things must be serious when even Republicans are warned about having too much fun.

JULY 20,  2010

From The Washington Times:  Want your baby to resemble your favorite celebrity? A Los Angeles sperm bank is already one step ahead.  California Cryobank, a clinic that has been in the fertility business for more than 30 years, has launched a celebrity-inspired service called "Donor Look-A-Like," which allows clients to search for potential donors who mirror certain "actors, athletes, musicians, or anyone else famous enough to be found on the Web."

What happens if the celebrity later becomes involved in a scandal?  Can the kid sue the parents for making a poor choice?

JULY 19,  2010

From London's Daily Mail:  Mel Gibson is poised to quit the US after selling his mansion near New York.  The disgraced Lethal Weapon star, who faces allegations of violence from his Russian former girlfriend, sold the mock Tudor property, known as Old Mill Farm, for £16 million – £10 million less than the asking price.

Also faces allegations – and proof – of racism, anti-Semitism and generally obnoxious behavior.  Bye, Mel.