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The 35th annual STAR Awards Gala packed the galleries at The Haggin Museum in Stockton on Oct. 20 as 11 Stocktonians were recognized for their extraordinary commitment and contributions to the visual and performing arts.
The 35th annual STAR Awards Gala packed the galleries at The Haggin Museum in Stockton on Oct. 20 as 11 Stocktonians were recognized for their extraordinary commitment and contributions to the visual and performing arts.
The event was presented by the Stockton Arts Commission, the Stockton Arts Foundation, and the city of Stockton with a lavish reception hosted by San Joaquin Culinary Arts students and local winery Venidos Aurora. Judy Caruso Williamson is chairwoman of the STAR Awards Committee.
The 2012 award categories and honorees are:
STAR Awards: The Arts Commission's highest award was presented to Stockton native Raoul Mora, a 37-year veteran visual art instructor at Hamilton Junior High School and Franklin High School. He also has 40 years as an adjunct instructor at San Joaquin Delta College. His works have been honored locally at The Haggin Museum; in Sacramento and at the state Capitol; Mexico; New York; and Arizona. He is a co-founder of the Stockton Mexican Heritage Center, where he serves as art curator.
The second STAR Award was presented posthumously to John Falls, past president and 11-year member of Stockton Civic Theatre's Board of Directors who, along with Dr. Donald Lamond, co-chaired the highly successful $1 million capital campaign in 1981, which guaranteed construction of Stockton Civic Theatre's present facility on Rose Marie Lane. Kevin Falls, accepting his father's award on behalf of family members, was a recipient of SAC's 2004 Career Achievement Award for his distinguished work in film and television.
Career Achievement Award: A graduate of Stagg High School and University of California, Los Angeles, Mary Muller Niven's early career in the food service industry included positions at University of the Pacific, San Joaquin Delta College and UCLA. She was named director of dining operations for the 1984 Olympics athletes. In 2000, she was hired as vice president of food and beverage at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, and in 2006 she was named vice president of Disney's California Adventure, overseeing a $1.1 billion upgrade, the second-largest expansion in the history of the Disneyland Resort.
Patron Award: Patty Fensterwald graduated from Stockton High School and University of the Pacific. While living in Virginia and Washington, D.C., she served as the first chairwoman of the 400 member Friends of Kennedy Center. She returned to Stockton and resumed volunteer leadership activities as vice president for volunteers at Stockton Civic Theatre, the vice president of the Opera Guild and a member of its Scholarship Committee. She continues to enthusiastically support the Stockton Symphony, the Stockton Opera Association, the Brubeck Institute, The Haggin Museum and Stockton Beautiful.
Outstanding Arts Educator Awards: The Arts Educator Awards were a Holton family affair.
Arthur Holton III was an award winning band director at Lincoln High for 21 years and an esteemed member of the Music faculty at Delta College for the past 10 years. His Lincoln Bands performed in three Tournament of Roses. In 1986 he created the Stockton Concert Band, and for many years was principal clarinetist of the Stockton Symphony.
Arthur J. Holton Sr. was honored posthumously. With great support from his wife, Thelma, he created and directed the Stockton Chorale for 40 years, thrilling Stockton audiences for generations. On several international tours, the Chorale performed in major European concert venues and Carnegie Hall. Holton Sr. was the outstanding Division Chair of Visual and Performing Arts at Delta College for several generations served on the Stockton Symphony Board, the Friends of Chamber Music. The Holton family's leadership in music education is a remarkable legacy.
Volunteer Award: Stockton native and businessman John Bevanda's devotion to preserving and promoting the cultural life of our city is significant. Over the years he has served on the board of The Haggin Museum, Stockton Beautiful, Stockton Civic Theatre, Tidewater Gallery, Downtown Improvement society, Friends of the Fox, Stockton Heritage Board and the Magnolia District.
Mayor's Award: Joy Neas is an urban planner who has used her artistic skills and tireless devotion for the betterment of Stockton. She got her master's degree in urban planning and set about saving many old hotels that were ready for demolition. Thanks to her, there is now a review process required prior to the tearing down of historic buildings.
Marian Jacobs Founders Award: Vince Perrin, former director of the Stockton Arts Commission, president of the Friends of the Stockton Public Library, and member of Friends of the Fox, was the recipient of the newly established award named for the founder of the Stockton Arts Commission.
Outstanding achievement in the business of the arts: Middagh Goodwin received this first-time recognition for his leadership as creator and director of the Plea for Peace Center, where he promotes positive youth development through engagement in the arts and social justice.
The Comet Award: Jagged Lines of Imagination is the realized dream of Jon Guerzon, executive director, whose efforts provide after-school and mentor classes in which children can work one-on-one with lead artists in developing personal art projects.
Sponsors: Major sponsors of the STAR Awards were Friends of the Stockton Public Library, Disneyland's California Adventure, San Joaquin Delta College, University of the Pacific, San Joaquin Delta College Culinary Arts Department, Financial Center Credit Union, Vinedos Aurora, San Joaquin County Office of Education. Arturo Vera Photography, and Deck the Walls, Bank of Stockton and Kroloff Law Offices.
Information: Judy Williamson at (209) 608-5828.
- Information and photos submitted by Judy Williamson


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Preview of Logitech's solar-powered iPad 3 keyboard folio
Here's a quick look at one of the more anticipated iPad accessories this year, Logitech's new Solar Keyboard Folio.
Two "dye-sensitized solar cells" on the outside of the folio charge the NiMh batteries, which have a two-year life span.
The folio works with the new iPad and the iPad 2 and will retail for $130. Logitech is currently taking pre-orders, and the product site on Amazon shows a two to three week wait.
I'll have a full review in a couple of weeks. Initial impressions: I like the size, weight, easy installation and removal of the iPad and, of course, the solar-powered feature. But the keyboard is not full size, so it may be a little small for some users, and the faux leather may not be too durable.
To connect with Denver Post technology writer Andy Vuong, please "like" him on Facebook at facebook.com/byandyvuong.
You can also visit insidetechknow.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hugh Grant bugs a slimy journalist
(4:21) Actor Hugh Grant tells of how he recorded a conversation between himself and journalist Paul McMullen who revealed details of phone hacking by the media.
(4:21) Actor Hugh Grant tells of how he recorded a conversation between himself and journalist Paul McMullen who revealed details of phone hacking by the media.
You can comment as a guest, but registering gives you added benefits
Latest comment: I don't pity HG or SG, but to hack murder victim's mobiles is really going beyond the par and has sullied the name of good journalism in this country. Why people buy the gutter press, I really don't know. The fact is, hacking anything is illegal, therefore everyone involved should be named and shamed and preferably get a prison sentence.
ReplyVote up (186)down (81)
Guest: (2630 days ago)
Not a lot of time for H.G. the actor.....but as a commentator...10/10 !!
ReplyVote up (181)down (79)
Guest: davey dave dave (2630 days ago)
ruffled, greasy hair. Ill fitting, ill matching suit/shirt combo. Peanut tie. Sallow, greasy complexion. The perfect tabloid hack.
ReplyVote up (161)down (74)
Guest: (2628 days ago)
This man is wrong he should not be alowed to hack into peoples internets and be a nosy one.
ReplyVote up (160)down (75)
Guest: azbeaux (2630 days ago)
Sorry, am I missing something. Are there no such things now as morals? Compare the two men, one intelligent and risking his career (we've seen how Mr Murdoch decides which party shall run the UK what could they do to Hugh) and one trying to justify sleaze and dishonesty as acceptable behaviour. We can't accept this, we can stop buying the trash (I did years ago). Met Mr Grant some years ago. A courteous, thoughtful and interesting man.
ReplyVote up (169)down (135)
Guest: (2630 days ago)
I would love to see some of the "journalists" have their lives scrutinized and printed in so called papers for everyone to judge. I am growing very tired of this style of reporting. It seems to have taken over from well reported and thought provoking journalism. 5 second sound bite journalism. Sad
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Guest: (2630 days ago)
The News of the World newspaper is now closing down. I am not sorry to see the back of this odious rag. For years, they have dug into the backgrounds of people who may have had something in their distant past which is better forgotten. The 'journalists' uncover it, splash it sensationally over two pages of their paper and ruin the life of the individual(s) concerned. That type of item is of no merit at all and it's only purpose is to sell more papers and make more money. Who appointed them the guardians of morality? Who asked them to pry into the lives of folks trying to live their lives? And I wonder how many of the reporters' private lives would stand up to the same scrutiny. Murdoch may not be intimately involved in the way the paper has been run, but his hands are as dirty as anyone who does the digging.
ReplyVote up (145)down (141)
Guest: (2629 days ago)
It's a story as old as mankind, the 'race to the bottom' occurs any time an advantage can be had by transgressing or circumventing rules, customs or moral precepts. We see it in war, business, politics, sports, everywhere. You can fight it three ways, law, backed up by rigorous and impartial enforcement (not always feasible and even when i6t is it brings it's own set of problems) opprobrium, as here but that only works after some heinous transgression is exposed and is soon forgot, or by taking away the prize, again not always feasible. In the case of the tabloids, they feed off human nature, fighting them is like the war on drugs, you are never going to win, the best you can hope for is to contain the problem.
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Guest: guest (2630 days ago)
Props to HG for pwning that odious weasel
ReplyVote up (122)down (161)


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I've decided that I need to up my game when it comes to webservers. However I'm not yet ready to switch to Nginx or one of the other webservers out in the wild as I need something up and running rapidly.
Granted the numbers are definitely against Apache in a lot of benchmarks but historically I've always had a good experience and the entry level makes it much more appropriate for me to stick with it.
However Apache 2.2 is rather long in the tooth, thankfully 2.4 has been out for a while now. The problem I have is that I tend to favour Ubuntu as a platform and there is no sign of a 2.4 version appearing on the horizon anytime soon as they are waiting for it to be implemented upsteam in Debian before including it in Ubuntu.
Now there are PPAs available out there but im not overly happy using them (especially on production environments) So the only option is to compile.
Continue reading "Compiling Apache 2.4 on Ubuntu 12.04" »


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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Actress Scarlett Johansson has cut ties with the charity Oxfam International amid criticism over her support for an Israeli company based in the West Bank.
"Scarlett Johansson has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years," Johansson's spokesman said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter Wednesday.
"She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam," the statement said.
Johansson, 29, was this month named the first global brand ambassador of SodaStream International Ltd., which has been criticized by pro-Palestinian activists for maintaining a large factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, the entertainment industry trade newspaper noted.
Johansson addressed the controversy last week, saying she is a "supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine," THR said.


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2006-10-12 / People/Social
Leg. Mejias presents Girl Scout Gold and Silver Awards
Nassau County Legislator David Mejias (D-North Massapequa) was cordially invited by the Plainedge Association of Girl Scouts to present seven local members with Girl Scouts' two highest honors, the Gold and Silver Awards. The ceremony, known as the Flyup/ Bridging Ceremony, advanced these girls to t
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WJHA U14 girls edged in title game
The Warwick Junior Hockey Association U14 girls team hosted Burrillville on Sunday for the state championship but fell just short in a 2-1 loss. The team was seeking its fourth championship, having won twice as a U12 team and once more in the U14 division.
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Skip to comments.Hyannis West student, 5, warned for making Lego gun (Faces Possible Suspension)
Posted on 01/29/2013 5:36:33 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas
HYANNIS (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A 5-year-old boy faces possible suspension, after building a gun out of legos, during his after school program.
Joseph Cardosa is part of the after school program at Hyannis West Elementary School, on Cape Cod. His parents received a letter a few days ago that said Joseph has received his first written warning for using toys inappropriately, and that upon a secon written warning, he will be suspended from the program for two weeks.
Joseph's parents, Shelia Cruz and Octavio Cardosa, say the school is taking things too far.
"It's not like he's designing a machine gun," said Cardosa...
The principal of Hyannis West Elementary told Fox 25 "we need a safe enviornment for our students," and said: "While someone might think that making a Lego gun is just an action of a 5-year-old, to other 5-year-olds, that might be a scary experience."
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxboston.com ...
I'm so sick of cowardly parents bowing before the gods of free babysitting.
What is this joint? A girlyman finishing school?
I have a photo of myself (age 6) gleefully aiming my plastic black tommy gun at my grandfather. My mother told me it was his favorite photo of me.
Would it be OK if he put an orange block on the end?
oooooo scary.
I'm telling you: use their own tactic against them. Start calling them "hoplophobes" ceaselessly. They LOVE the term "homophobe" because it implies something is wrong with the person who finds homosexuality distasteful. Make their argument an irrational fear.
Some will argue, "Well of course I'm afraid of them - they're dangerous." Respond mockingly: "I know! Spiders, too! Those things are venomous! They can kill!"
I remember 'playing army' as a kid. One kid's dad had a huge collection of b-b guns and rifles (sadly some would probably be collectable by now, and we really beat them up) and even some old flint lock pistols.
We'd open up his closet, pick out the gun we wanted to use that day, and run around in teams shouting 'bang bang' when we wanted to 'shoot'.
We were probably around 6 years old...and actually were living on the campus of of liberal utopia learning institution...but nobody thought twice about it.
Kids playing with guns used to be considered quite normal.
A co-worker of mine is a liberal; and, his 8 y/o kid goes to a very liberal elementary school....I call it the Tower of Babble, because its where all the English as a second language kids of foreign university professors go. He is beside himself - his kid wants toy guns (but can't have them), his kid got in school suspension for the ole' point and bang with his finger, and he had to go to a special 'hearing' when his kid drew a gun. More than anything, he is embarassed, being a good liberal, that he can't 'control' his kid's urge to play with guns.
What he cannot seem to understand is the 'forbidden fruit' manner in which guns are looked at in his world is feeding his kid's curiosity about them. I don't understand what the harm would be, to get the kid a nerf gun or something, but he won't even consider it.
IMHO I think kids need to be taught that guns are NOT scary things but tools to be treated and handled properly. We need to teach our kids gun safety as early as possible, much like teaching them to be safe around water with swimming lessons, or street safety by teaching them to look both ways before venturing out into the road to retrieve their ball.
The liberals in this country have themselves made kids fearful about every little thing with actions like this after school program treated this Lego thing. They coddle them, heap false self esteem on them and make everybody winners with no losers, instead of teaching them the real lessons of life's hard knocks. Kids come out of schools nowadays thinking life is fair, when it is not and that leaning to spell, do math and be able to read efficiently are secondary to "feeling" good about themselves.
What's "scary" is not this kid's Lego gun, but the way liberals have ruined the educational system in this country that was number one in the world rankings when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's to number 25th on the list today. There is too much emphasis on zero tolerance in schools today instead of working with the kids to teach them right and wrong and what is acceptable in society and what is not. Teaching them their basic lessons properly in math, language, science and reading, will make kids better adults and citizens when they grow up, instead of these feel-good-about-themselves, scared little bunny rabbits where they don't know how to function in the real world.
I work with an adult who is one of the feel good crowd. I schedule the work assignments and he is constantly complaining that I am not doing it fairly. I've asked for examples and he never could come up with any.
In the past when the work was not assigned he would pick out the easiest jobs for himself. The supervisor caught on and that is why I was given the tasking.
now you're starting to understand...
If you were to just take that photo to a "skuoll" today they would suspend you for just having that paper image.
I can trust that if my kids want to shoot, they can come and ask me and we'll go out and bust a few caps. There is no forbidden fruit, guns are a practical part of their life, the know how to safely handle a weapon and understand the destruction that exits the muzzle.
We should have seen it coming when they outlawed the "Red Rover" (let Susie cross over) game 20 years ago.
This is an idiot statement that could only be made by someone who has exactly zero experience with children in this age group.
I think that's a bit obscure. I just ask all gun grabbers:"Why do you think you should be able to curtail my civil rights?"
The principal of Hyannis West Elementary told Fox 25 "we need a safe enviornment for our students," and said: "While someone might think that making a Lego gun is just an action of a 5-year-old, to other 5-year-olds, that might be a scary experience."
Oh for...
You know, even if this principal turns out to be woman I still feel compelled to say, "What are you, a f-g?"
I think it's a scary experience for any child to have to attend a Massachusetts public school considering the indoctrination they're subjected to every day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Nineteen alleged members of a Congolese rebel group — including one U.S. citizen — sought outside help in their effort to overthrow Congolese President Joseph Kabila, offering mining rights in their resource-rich country in exchange for weapons and training, a prosecutor said Thursday.
But those the 19 found in South Africa to help their cause were not mercenaries. They were undercover police officers.
Belonging to an organization called the Union of Nationalists for Renewal, the men sent an email "wish list" asking for machine guns, radios and even surface-to-air missiles and arranged for a training camp, prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told a magistrate judge at a court hearing in Pretoria, South Africa's capital.
The alleged conspirators remained under watch by officers for months but never made it to their training camp. The only weapons Abrahams said the group was offered came the night before the arrests, when undercover police officers coaxed the men to pose for photographs with Kalashnikov assault rifles and other high-powered weapons.
Abrahams said the plot — apparently led by a man who claims to be the eldest son of Congo's assassinated President Laurent Kabila — posed a serious danger to the stability of a nation long engulfed by conflict. The men wanted to "wage a full-scale war" in mineral-rich eastern Congo, Abrahams said. "The accused would take back the (Congo) by coup and conventional warfare."
Police arrested the men Tuesday as they were on their way to what they believed would be a paramilitary training camp in South Africa's northeast Limpopo province to prepare for their armed attack in Congo, Abrahams said. Their cover, the prosecutor said, was to pretend to be training as game rangers to fight the unchecked poaching of rhinoceros in South Africa.
The men first met the undercover officers of the South African Police Service in September, Abrahams said, after investigators received a tip the coup plotters wanted assistance in preparing for battle. The men met off and on for weeks with the officers at restaurants and a hotel, once showing a map with the locations of the Union of Nationalists for Renewal's some 9,000 rebels, the prosecutor said. An email sent later asked for thousands of machine guns and grenades, as well as missiles, cash, radios and satellite phones, he said.
The alleged rebels acknowledged they had no cash, but promised the undercover officers they'd get mining rights in the country's east as payment for their services, Abrahams said. Congo, sub-Saharan Africa's biggest country, is estimated to have mineral deposits worth trillions of dollars. However, it lacks roads and railways, as its feeble government and weak army remain unable to control much outside of its capital, Kinshasa.
Making deals on Congo's mineral resources in exchange for armed support to take power has been a pattern set by rebels for decades, including when Laurent Kabila came to power in the 1990s. Records of mineral deals still show the names of Zimbabwean generals who sent troops to fight alongside Kabila's then rebels against longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
Two men from the Congo group are on the run and believed by police to still be in South Africa: leader Etienne Kabila and a man called "General Yakutumba," Abrahams said. Kabila claims to be the son of Congo's assassinated president, something the Kabila family denies. Laurent Kabila's son Joseph Kabila is the current president of Congo.
Congo's Information Minister Lambert Mende told The Associated Press on Thursday the government wants those accused to be extradited to face justice in Congo.
"Concerning the so-called Etienne Kabila: We know this is not his first coup (attempt); he has always been used for a long time by all the enemies" of Congo, Mende said.
The man identified as "General Yakutumba" could be William Amuri Yakutumba, a former Congo army captain who now runs his own anti-Rwanda militia in eastern Congo. Congo's mineral-rich east has been unstable, and often engulfed in fighting, since the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda. The rebel group M23 briefly took over the capital of an eastern province late last year before withdrawing.
One of the suspects who appeared Thursday in court was James Kazongo, a U.S. citizen who lives in Middletown, Delaware. Kazongo at one point told undercover officers the group wanted to overthrow the Congolese government and asked for mercenaries and for the items on the email "wish list," Abrahams said.
However, Kazongo in court politely and calmly denied the allegations, saying he only arrived in South Africa four days earlier.
"I entered legally into South Africa and I'm allowed to stay in South Africa for another three months, but now I don't want to," he told Magistrate Maryke de la Rey at one point.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Jack Hillmeyer later said that consular officials had confirmed Kazongo's identity and his U.S. citizenship.
"South African authorities got in touch with our consular officers, who have visited him. We have been in touch with him and communicated with his family and provided consular services," Hillmeyer told the AP.
Kazongo's wife Jeannine, reached by the AP in Delaware, confirmed her husband had been arrested, but declined to comment further.
Some of the other arrested men knew only French and Swahili. Several told de la Rey that they had been denied access to lawyers and their family and had been beaten by police. Nearly all requested to see a doctor for medical treatment.
The men face charges of violating South Africa's Foreign Military Assistance Act, which bars people from plotting coups or mercenary activities in foreign nations. De la Rey ordered the men held until a bail hearing Feb. 14, where prosecutors could present more evidence. That could include the surveillance video, photographs and audio that Abrahams said police captured at every meeting with the accused rebels.
The men, who have yet to hire lawyers, did not enter pleas at Thursday's hearing.
The arrest of the alleged coup plotters represents the latest example of South Africa finding itself caught in the middle of international intrigue. In January, a South African judge found Nigerian Henry Okah, an alleged gunrunner and leader of a militant group in Nigeria,, guilty of plotting a dual car bombing in his country that killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more on Oct. 1, 2010.
Associated Press writers Michelle Faul in Johannesburg and Saleh Mwanamilongo in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.
Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.


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NEW YORK (CNN) - After more than two decades behind bars, David Ranta walked out of a Brooklyn courthouse Thursday afternoon with an apology from a judge and one immediate wish: "Get the hell out of here."
Ranta had been convicted of second-degree murder in 1991 for killing a rabbi during a botched diamond heist. But two decades later, a onetime witness said he had been coached into identifying Ranta in a police lineup - and after an investigation, prosecutors recommended that Ranta's conviction be tossed out.
"Mr. Ranta, to say that I'm sorry for what you have endured would be an understatement and grossly inadequate, but I say it to you anyway," Judge Miriam Cyrulnik said during an emotional hearing that left even the judge wiping her eyes.
Asked what he wanted to do now, Ranta told reporters at the courthouse, "Get the hell out of here." And with that, he walked out with his lawyer, carrying a small mesh bag that held his belongings.
"Right now, I feel like I'm under water swimming," he said. "This is overwhelming."
Hours later, his lawyer told CNN that Ranta intends to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of New York and the New York Police Department.
"My client had 23 years taken from him. It is a lifetime, it's a generation," attorney Pierre Sussman said. "And if you look at those before and after pictures, before he went in, and now that he's out, it's a different person."
For now, Ranta plans to relax and reconnect with his family, Sussman said.
One of his first requests after leaving the courtroom, Sussman said, was "a juicy chicken parmesan sandwich with a side of fries."
Ranta, now 58, was sentenced to 37 1/2 years to life in prison in the killing of Chaskel Werzberger, a rabbi in Brooklyn's Williamsburg community.
Since Ranta's trial, another man's widow has identified her now-dead husband as the killer; a onetime jail inmate has said he made up statements about Ranta to boost his own fortunes; and the man who, as a boy, picked him out of a lineup has come forward to say he was coached by a detective.
Prosecutors have determined the evidence underpinning Ranta's conviction "has been degraded to such an extent" that it would no longer support the verdict, said John O'Mara, the deputy district attorney in charge of Brooklyn's conviction integrity unit.
Louis Scarcella, one of the detectives who investigated the case, told CNN that Ranta admitted his involvement in the heist attempt and that he stands by the arrest. As for claims that police coached a witness, he said, "No way that happened."
But O'Mara said the investigation found "a number of things that were wrong with the case."
"It was cumulative," he said. New evidence led prosecutors to believe "that we could no longer be confident" that Ranta was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A key part of the investigation that led to Thursday's ruling started two years ago, when a witness in the case changed his story.
Menachem Lieberman was 13 years old when he identified Ranta in a lineup.
In 2011, he told investigators that he identified Ranta after being told by a detective to "Pick the guy with the big nose."
"I was too young back then to realize that this was a setup. To me this was just basically, I never saw a lineup before, I was just part of the process," Lieberman said in an exclusive interview with CNN's AC360 on Thursday. "I think as years went by ... as more and more I saw on the news, I saw innocent people get set free in various ways. I started to think back to the trial I was involved in, and remembered where I was told who to pick out of the lineup."
After Lieberman came forward, O'Mara's unit began to dig into Ranta's case.
"As he started to investigate, the whole case fell apart," Lieberman said. "So I guess an innocent man was in jail but is now free. The sad part is that the killer never met justice."
When questioned by detectives, Ranta initially denied any involvement in the killing. Then he acknowledged knowing one of the jail inmates who identified him, according to prosecutors. He admitted he had been near the scene and knowing his friends had planned a holdup. Then he admitted he had been involved in planning the diamond heist, acted as the lookout and had seen the other men with the gun.
"The police had an alleged confession from him, but there was no physical evidence," Michael Baum, the lawyer who represented Ranta at his trial, told CNN. "The jewelry courier, he testified for the defense, saying that Ranta wasn't the guy."
Four years after Ranta's conviction, a woman named Theresa Astin came forward to say her husband had been the killer. Joseph Astin, who had died in a 1990 car accident, had been possible suspect before: Scarcella had brought the courier to the morgue in hopes that he could identify Astin as the gunman, but he couldn't.
Baum sought a new trial for his client based on the widow's testimony, without success. Then in 2011, Lieberman came forward.
"It was on his conscience for all these years," Baum said. "He was 13 years old at the time. He was just a kid. He was just doing what they told him to do."
As O'Mara began to dig into the case, details unraveled. One of the two jail inmates who put the finger on Ranta had since died; the second told prosecutors he had fabricated earlier statements he made about Ranta, hoping that his cooperation would help his own criminal case. His girlfriend at the time confessed that her account was manufactured as well. And Theresa Astin reiterated her previous testimony.
Scarcella said the case against Ranta was "very simple," and he sharply disputes Lieberman's account of being coached.
"They're saying that I framed it," Scarcella said. "I want to go on record saying this: I never framed anyone in my life, and you would have to be a low, low devil to do something like that. I slept very good for the last 22 years."
But Sussman, Ranta's attorney, called the case "a travesty of justice from the beginning."
"The detective work that was done on this case was at best shoddy and at worst criminal. And I don't use that word lightly," he told CNN. "But when a closer examination is done of the detective work ... It becomes clear that there were so many leads that weren't followed, there were so many notes that weren't taken and just a general lack of attention to an investigation that required nothing but close scrutiny of the scene, of witnesses and so forth. That didn't happen."
Copyright 2013 CNN. All rights reserved.


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Resistance to oil shocks behind UK's ranking in global resilience index
The study, which was conducted in partnership with Oxford Matrica, ranks 130 countries by their overall resilience - combining economic, risk and supply chain qualities to form an overall global ranki
New CII office
We have an office full happy people after our first day at Lombard Street. We look forward to welcoming members here. pic.twitter.com/a0ZWX6n4nT— Chartered Insurance Institute (@CIIGroup) September 17, 2018
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¡Feliz Día De La Hispanidad!
Tag Archives: Día de la Hispanidad
Ambeth Ocampo on Tomás Pinpín
Everybody's favorite scholar and today's foremost historian, the very friendly Ambeth Ocampo, shares with us some tidbits of a great Filipino, culture hero Tomás Pinpín, to commemmorate Día de la Hispanidad which happens tomorrow (or just a few minutes from now as of this writing).
Read the rest of the article here.
October 12, 1492 is the day Columbus set foot on America. This was an event once commemorated as the "discovery" of America but in 1992 was celebrated and repackaged as the "encuentro de dos mundos" or the encounter of two worlds, the meeting of the Old World (Europe) and the New (the Americas). When I was in college, we had 12 units of Spanish in our curriculum and each year on Oct. 12, students celebrated the Spanish National Day or Día de la Hispanidad with song, dance, and food. After college, I looked forward to the annual reception in the Spanish ambassador's residence in Forbes Park to meet old friends and partake of the largest paellas in Manila.
Día de la Hispanidad for me is better associated with T. Pinpín, a narrow forgotten street in downtown Manila named in honor of the 17th century engraver Tomás Pinpín. Unfortunately, not much is known about him, not even basic information, date of birth and date of death — however Pinpín's name lives on, at least in Filipiniana bibliographies, for the wonderful books he printed, many of them rare today. He is also remembered for a bilingual Spanish-Tagalog book he wrote and printed that resulted in his being conferred the title of "Prince of Filipino Engravers" that makes me wonder who is "the King" of Filipino Engravers. His other textbook title is "Patriarch of Filipino Printing" that again makes me wonder if the printing profession was exclusively male in the past because many book companies or publishing houses today were established or run by women: Esther Vibal, Socorro Ramos, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Gloria Rodríguez, Reni Roxas, Karina Bolasco, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Maricor Baytión and many more. So if Tomás Pinpín is the "patriarch" of Filipino Printing, we have to determine the "matriarch."
Tomás Pinpín was active in his profession from 1610, when his name first appeared in Blancas de San José's "Arte y reglas de la lengua tagala" (the first Tagalog grammar ever published), to 1639, when he published the "Relación de la Vida y Martirio del Jesuita P. Mastrilli" (Report on the life and martyrdom of the Jesuit Fr. Mastrilli). While Pinpín's name does not appear in books after 1639, no one is sure whether this is due to death, retirement, or the passing of his printing press to his son Simón.


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Garry Rayno's State House Dome: Highway funding a never-ending battleBy GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau
October 26. 2013 7:54PM
Two of the biggest fights last session were over how to pay for highway and bridge construction, rehabilitation and maintenance.
The House Public Works Committee and the House wanted a gas tax hike to pay for the shortfall in the Interstate 93 widening project from Salem to Manchester, as well as the growing red-listed bridges and paving projects.
The House barely approved a 12-cent increase over a three-year period, but the Senate shot it down.
Meanwhile, the Senate approved a casino gambling plan that would have dedicated about 40 percent of the state's revenue to fixing transportation infrastructure and finishing the I-93 project. The House killed that plan.
Now transportation officials are scrambling to find a way to not only continue construction along the I-93 corridor beyond 2015 or 2016, but also along the Spaulding Turnpike in the Little Bay Bridges area.
Both projects have been included in the state's 10-Year Highway Improvement Plan for years, although the funding remains highly questionable.
The I-93 widening is $250 million short; about $40 million will have to be found somewhere for the Spaulding work.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Chris Clement said as state bonds are paid off, additional money will be available for the Spaulding projects, but that will stall the project meanwhile.
Clement and the Executive Council, as the Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation, are working to develop recommendations for the 10-year plan.
DOT included about $500 million in turnpike projects that are unfunded without new revenue.
The transportation system is funded basically in three ways: federal highway money, which has been stagnant; gas tax and car registration revenues that go into the highway fund, and tolls that pay for the turnpike system.
Clement said his primary focus is on the highway fund. "I'm agnostic on revenue sources," he said.
"I'm concentrated on providing the best value for the traveling public and New Hampshire taxpayer in the most efficient way possible, but it's been 22 years." The gas tax was last raised in 1992,
In the past, lawmakers instituted an auto registration surcharge that was repealed after a year, sold a bridge to the turnpike system and, last year, tried to raise the gas tax.
The one-time fixes are over, Clement said, and his department faces a $48 million deficit in fiscal 2016 and a $110 million deficit the year after.
All told, the 10-year highway plan contains about $900 million in unfunded projects, including the $500 million in new turnpike projects and the $250 million for the I-93 widening.
"For the sake of transparency, I wanted to put in the turnpike projects that are not funded in the 10-year plan to show the shortfalls," Clement said.
The projects include widening I-93 from the I-89 junction in Bow to Exit 16 in Concord from two to three lanes, costing $194 million; reconstructing and reconfiguring Exits 6 and 7 on I-293 in Manchester, costing $143 million; widening the F.E. Everett Turnpike from Merrimack to Bedford from two to three lanes, at $70 million; reconstructing the Exit 6 interchange, rehabilitating the General Sullivan Bridges and rebuilding toll plazas on the Spaulding Turnpike, $85 million; building open road tolling at the Bedford Toll Plaza on the F.E. Everett Turnpike, for $18.5 million, and a few smaller projects.
There is a cost to stalling the projects because, Clement said, costs escalate every year.
The commission is about to finish its work and turn over its recommendation to Gov. Maggie Hassan, who will decide what she wants to keep in the improvement program. Then it will be up to lawmakers to make recommendations.
House Public Works Committee Chairman David Campbell, D-Nashua, says he does not want to produce a plan that is not funded.
Several terms ago, the 10-year plan was a wish list with projects that would never be completed without additional funding. But lawmakers and transportation officials worked to develop realistic blueprints for the last few two-year cycles.
Campbell said he did not want to return to the days when the plan was a wish list.
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The Dean of the Executive Council, Raymond Burton, R-Bath, hardly ever misses a meeting, and for the Oct. 16 meeting, he participated by phone because he was undergoing additional treatment for cancer.
Burton has served as councilor for most of the northern half of the state for 35 years.
Known for his constituent service, he traveled the highways and byways of northern New Hampshire in one of his restored older model cars, flew into all the airports in his district, walked in uncountable parades and appeared at what must be tens of thousands of events.
Burton, 74, often passed out combs bearing his name when he campaigned.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the District 1 councilor.
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LGC RECOMMENDATIONS: The committee to review a hearings officer's report on the N.H. Local Government Center essentially finalized its report last week and is expected to introduce legislation for 2014 containing some of its key recommendations.
One would ban lawmakers from being executive director of the risk pools that were once under the LGC's umbrella.
Former Senate President and current Sen. Peter Bragdon, R-Milford, is the executive director of Health Trust, which oversees LGC's health insurance program.
The committee noted the recommendation should be forward looking and not retroactive.
Another key issue was what entity should regulate public risk pools: current regulator the Bureau of Securities Regulation or the Insurance Department.
The committee recommended the bureau continue overseeing the pools and gave the agency more authority in areas like determining surpluses and how much should be returned to cities, towns and counties that use the trusts' services.
Health Trust officials have maintained those decisions should remain with its board of directors and its actuaries and experts.
The report leaves open the possibility that the bureau be moved to the Insurance Department, where it once was before it was moved to the Secretary of State's Office.
The committee calls for separate boards, with independent resources to hire auditors, etc., and with specific recommendations on who should serve on the board of directors and how they should be chosen.
The committee recommends the separate trusts be barred from commingling money, and that all the trusts buy reinsurance to cover catastrophic events, something the trusts have balked at doing.
The hearings officer ruled in 2012 that the LGC had misspent more than $50 million that should be returned to its customers.
That order is under appeal at the state Supreme Court.
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ARTS AWARDS: The 2013 Governor's Arts Awards will be presented at a ceremony Nov. 6 at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. One of the recipients will be Peter Ramsey, longtime executive director of the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
Ramsey, a Manchester state representative, will share the Special Community Impact Award with Stephen Dignazio, executive director of the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem.
Other recipients include Brian Chagnon of Farmington, SAU 61 TV studio manager, Arts Education Award; Concord Hospital, Cultural Access Leadership Award; Frumie Selchen of Wonalancet, executive director of the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire, Distinguished Arts Leadership Award; Barbara Fisher of Sunapee, Folk Heritage Award; Thomas and Barbara Putnam of Keene, Individual Arts Patron Award; Marguerite Mathews of the Pontine Theatre in Portsmouth, Lotte Jacobi Living Treasure Award; and Pedro Pimentel of Concord High School, Youth Arts Leadership Award.
The Governor's Arts Awards recognize contributions made by individuals, organizations and communities to the cultural life of New Hampshire.
"The arts have long contributed to both New Hampshire's cultural identity and economy," said Gov. Maggie Hassan. "The Governor's Arts Awards are an opportunity to thank members of our arts community for the outstanding work they've done throughout the state."
The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.


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Division of Vocational Rehabilitation conducting 2013 needs assessmentUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Tina M Shelton, (808) 692-0897
Director of Communications, Office of Dean of Medicine
Robin Brandt, (808) 592-5900
Director of PBRRCT, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Director of Communications, Office of Dean of Medicine
Robin Brandt, (808) 592-5900
Director of PBRRCT, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Posted: Mar 8, 2013
Employment – even in the best economic times – is challenging for persons with disabilities. The most recent data shows that the employment rate of working-age people (ages 21 to 64) with disabilities in Hawai'i was 40% in 2011. The percentage of working-age people with disabilities working full-time/full-year in 2011 was only 26.3%.
Do you or someone you know have a disability? Do you need help finding or keeping employment due to a disability? Hawai'i Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the State Rehabilitation Council invite you to participate in a needs assessment. Hawai'i Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is a state-federal program for individuals with disabilities who require assistance to prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment.
The purpose of the needs assessment is to gather input about the employment needs of people with disabilities. You can participate by joining a meeting via telephone or webinar, complete a survey, or read and share on a blog.
According to Dr. Robin Brandt of the Pacific Basin Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, webinars and teleconferences will be held on the following dates and times:
Saturday, March 9, 2013
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Friday, March 15, 2013
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Monday, March 18, 2013
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
If you would like to participate in a webinar or teleconference, please select a date and register at: http://tinyurl.com/vrneeds2013.
To participate by filling out an online survey, please go to http://tinyurl.com/vrsurvey2013.
To read and add comments to the 2013 Needs Assessment blog, please go http://tinyurl.com/vrblog2013.
If you have questions or require auxiliary aids or accommodations due to a disability, please contact staff at (808) 592-5900 or email email@example.com. Neighbor island residents can call 1-866-447-9023 toll free.
For more information, visit: http://tinyurl.com/vrblog2013


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1 (1) - Eric Fisher, OT Central Michigan; 3 (63) - Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati; 3 (96) - Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas; 4 (99) - Nico Johnson, ILB, Alabama; 5 (134) - Sanders Commings, CB, Georgia; 6 (170) - Eric Kush, OC, California (PA); 6 (204) - Braden Wilson, FB, Kansas State; 7 (207) - Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton
Top Picks Analysis: The Chiefs chose the ceiling over the floor, taking Fisher over the presumptive favorite to go No. 1 overall, Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel. Joeckel, also a left tackle, was the far safer pick and ended up going No. 2 to Jacksonville. Fisher's advantage in athleticism, however, was enough to convince new Chiefs coach Andy Reid and his hand-picked general manager, John Dorsey, that the CMU star was the best option. The Chiefs then snared the talented but troubled Kelce with the first pick in the third round. Reid coached Travis' brother Jason in Philadelphia and believes he can get the most out of a kid who is more of an old school in-line type in that he can block and catch the ball. Davis is dynamic but coming off a down year after sitting out all of 2011 due to injury.
Best Value Pick: Johnson is an assignment-sure, selfless beast of a middle linebacker between the tackles who doesn't mind blowing up lead blocks so his teammates can grab the glory and clean things up.
Questionable Calls: Davis is just not consistent enough when on the field and has injury concerns to boot so it was more than questionable when Kansas City called his name on the second day.
Summary: If Fisher is truly can't miss, this will work out just fine in the end but Reid and Dorsey looked a little overmatched overall. The book on Reid in his final years in Philly was that the game was slowly passing him by. His first draft in K.C. won't do anything to dismiss those concerns.
Undrafted rookie free agent signings: Tennessee QB Tyler Bray; Kansas QB Dayne Crist; Maryland LB Darin Drakeford; Ole Miss DE E.J. Epperson; Florida WR Frankie Hammond; UW-Milwaukee Demetrius Harris (basketball); Ole Miss OL A.J. Hawkins; Texas DB A&M C.J. Jones; Alabama A&M RB Kaderius Lacey; Sacramento State TE TJ Knowles; Vanderbilt DL Rob Lohr; Missouri DE Brad Madison; Columbia DE/OLB Josh Martin; Kansas S Bradley McDougald; Columbia OLB Josh Martin; Kansas DE/LB Toben Opurum; Jackson State WR Rico Richardson; Charleston RB Jordan Roberts; New Haven DT Raheem Stanley; Michigan WR Darryl Stonum


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If you have any hackberries around your house, you have probably noticed falling leaves that have little protrusions on them. It looks strange and serious but rarely does it cause damage to the tree. What you are seeing is a type of gall. Referred to as spindle or nipple gall, the spindle-like protrusions on the leaves are caused by mites that gather around buds in the spring and enter the leaves as they unfurl. As the mite enters the leaf, it injects a substance that scientists believe to be a growth promoting hormone which causes irregular tissue growth that ulti
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BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says the asset freezes it has imposed against 18 people held responsible for embezzling state funds in Ukraine include the country's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
The 28-nation bloc revealed the names of those targeted by its sanctions early Thursday.
The list includes what appear to be Yanukovych's closest aides, including a former interior minister, justice minister, the prosecutor general, the head of the security services and Yanukovych's son.
The sanctions also target former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his son.
The EU said Wednesday it was freezing assets of Ukrainian officials held in the EU but did not name them pending the publication in the official legal journal Thursday.


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A few months back a good friend of mine (actually Lance from Liquorature) gave me a bottle of Effen Vodka. It has taken me a while to put the spirit on my review schedule, but recently I invited a few friends over for a Sunday Afternoon Vodka tasting, and I had the chance to taste this spirit alongside four other premium spirits.
Effen Vodka, is produced from wheat grown in Northern Holland which has been continuously distilled at (what their website says is) a lower temperatures than other Vodkas to avoid caramelization of the sugars during distillation. The product is filtered five times through a patented 'bottom-up' process which apparently pumps the spirit up through the filtrate.
Here is an excerpt from my review:
"… I noticed the spirit was extremely creamy when served at a temperature that was just above freezing. I let my nose take a few cautious sniffs. My first impression was that this spirit was what I would call grainy and medicinal. It had a light vegetal aroma reminding me of a raw alcohol which had just been distilled…"
You may read my full review here:
Review: Effen Vodka
As well I have included a recipe for a brand new cocktail I call, the Green NV.
Please enjoy my review and my cocktail suggestion!


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The three stars of big-screen comedy "Project X" don't exactly scream "Hollywood."
Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown appeared eager to speak with media outlets about the Todd Phillips-produced "Project X" at The Metro Thursday — and inexperienced and slightly awkward when it came time for photos (typically it's the opposite for a movie star).
It also should be noted that Mann, who lives with a roommate, Cooper, who lives with his aunt, and Brown, who lives with his parents, hardly had the credits to qualify for an IMDB page before filming this comedy, in theaters Friday, about a high school house party gone wrong.
And yet, the little-known actors had no problem pointing out to each other how "Hollywood" they've become, busting each other's chops during our conversation at Metro Thursday because, well, that's what guys in their early 20s do.
Q: What sort of feedback have you guys been getting for the film?
Brown: People were screaming stuff at us (after an advance screening at The Vic Theatre) like we were rock stars, like, "Take off your shirt!" It was a validating experience. We must have done something right for everyone to have stuck around.
Mann: It was insane. Everyone was super-wasted by the time we got there. We were way far behind. We'd just gotten off the plane. It totally caught us off guard. But it was fun.
Brown: There were autograph hounds and paparazzi waiting for us at (O'Hare Airport) for the first time in our lives. It was terrifying and weird.
Cooper: There weren't paparazzi. It was, like, six or seven unemployed people in Chicago who think our autographs will somehow be worth something one day.
Q: Why do you think the film opted to use unknown actors?
Mann: You're watching (home video) footage, so it lends itself to authenticity. You're stepping into their lives for this one night. It would have taken you out of the film if you saw a familiar face.
Brown: If Zac Efron was in the movie, any plausible sympathy for the characters would be gone. If there were three established movies stars trying to be nobodies throwing a wild party, people wouldn't buy it.
Q: What sort of acting experience did you guys have before "Project X"?
Cooper: None. I did a video for my Bar Mitzvah when I was 13. I played myself. My mom really wanted me to do it.
Brown: I was Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" in sixth grade. … I was more interested in a stand-up career. For some reason, I got the urge to audition for "Project X" during (a nationwide) casting call on the Internet, and it all snowballed from there.
Mann: I did one movie (2010's "It's Kind of a Funny Story"). Originally, they told me I had too much experience to audition because they wanted unknowns. But nobody knew who I was. It took some convincing to get that audition.
Cooper: When we shot the scene in ("Project X") in the grocery store, that was our first real acting day. I remember thinking, "Act like you know what the (heck) you're doing." I hadn't really acted before that.
Q: What has the wait been like for the film to hit theaters?
Cooper: Horrible. After the movie, you're on a high. All these people are interested in you. And then that dies down and the movie gets lost for a bit before resurfacing. It's a roller coaster. I moved out (of my aunt's home) after the movie and I went broke when I didn't book anything. Right now, I have $400 to my name. I spent all my money on sushi and had to move back in with her.
Brown: We filmed the movie in the summer of 2010 and did re-shoots in 2011. It's been a weird year of ups and downs, but the next few weeks will get really, really intense for us.
Q: Are you prepared for all the frat guys who will be calling Oliver by his character's name (Costa) and quoting lines from the film when they run into you five years from now?
Cooper: As long as they really enjoy the movie, I think we'll be really happy. It's not like I'll say 'I'm an actor, blah blah.' That's just the nature of the business.
Brown: "Nature of the business?" Hollywood agent Oliver Cooper over here …
Cooper: Hopefully the movie does well. But I won't be so quick to move out this time — especially with my (spending habits). As soon as I have money, I'm the kind of guy who is like, "Who wants free drinks?"
Twitter @aboutluisgomez


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Ran: Studio Canal Collection (US - BD RA/B)
Gabe checks out Akira Kurosawa's final epic on this somewhat epic Blu-ray disc.
Some films intimidate me as a writer beyond my comfort zone, while other films are a challenge to write about simply because their prestige has lead to so much discussion concerning their many and varied qualities already. Ran is both of these types at once – a film I feel I've never read satisfactorily, and one that has been studied into the ground. I'm going to keep my thoughts on the subject brief as a result, and ask that viewers trust me enough to see the film and form their own opinions. (In other words, I apologize for the quality of this review).
Ran is not Kurosawa's most entertaining, modest, or moderately paced film, and will surly be difficult for many uninitiated viewers. I highly recommend those not yet familiar with the master's work to start with the basics – The Seven Samurai, Rashumon and Yojimbo. These are his most accessible, entertaining, and enduring films. All three have also been remade and mimicked ad nauseum over the years, which ads a hint of familiarity, and all three are relatively original stories. Anyone who watches these three films and doesn't enjoy themselves should probably quit there Kurosawa quest altogether right there. Ran is a more artistically driven feature, and like many of the master's films is based on the works of William Shakespeare, and traditional Japanese history/lore (specifically Sengoku-era warlord Mōri Motonari in this case). Large sections of the film thusly feel more like staged costume drama than modern filmmaking.
Speaking candidly and more personally than I'd normally care to admit in print (pseudo print) the stage and acting elements of the film mostly lose me, and I find the first hour of the film a big of a slog, but when the first act climaxes in the form of a bloody and bombastic tone poem of a battle I find myself on more comfortable footing. This scene is shockingly assured, and has truly earned its place in epic battle history. The rest of the film reverberates from these events, delving into darker melodrama, and downright terrifying character study. Again, this melodrama is hyper-stylized, and heavily influenced by the very Japanese art of Noh theater, so the uninitiated will probably be somewhat baffled by all the long silences and long faces. The most critical praise has been hefted onto Tatsuya Nakadai's shoulders for his ghost-faced performance as Hidetora, and it certainly is the film's most broad and attentive performance, but I'm personally more regularly impressed by the efforts of Mieko Harada, who plays Lady Kaede in varying shades without changing the tone of the overall acting style.
Lionsgate starts their new Studio Canal collection (which might as well be called their 'we swiped this from Criterion Collection') here, with a film so colourful and visually breathtaking it would be hard not to notice either rousing success or utter failure. I personally haven't seen the film since its initial US DVD release from Fox Lorber, which was lumpily non-anamorphic, so I have no personal frame of reference concerning the semi-recent Criterion DVD release. The video section of this review is based only on what is presented here, not in terms of improvement or lack there of between various transfers. The results are unfortunately not quite as rousing or eye-popping as most of us might have wished. Ran isn't that old (1985), it was definitely shot 35mm (though apparently not using an anamorphic process), and featured a decent budget for the type, so my expectations were pretty elevated.
The two problems I'm having are those of overall detail, and the overall brightness and clarity Kurosawa's pallet. Details are relatively consistent between scales and focal lengths, but never near as sharp as the format is capable. I can't recall any instances of the sharpness pushing beyond even DVD abilities. Had this been a DVD I would've been very satisfied, even impressed with the consistency, but this is a Blu-ray, and I'm sure fans were expecting an upgrade. It seems to me that this could be the material's limit, because there is a slight presence of edge enhancement, especially on the otherwise satisfactory blacks. This could mean the disc's authors pushed the sharpness a bit beyond capacity. The colours also clearly effected by the limited possibilities of the source material, and the brightest and fullest warm hues are speckled with noise, and even occasional bleeding. During the big centerpiece massacre the Blu-ray serves its purpose in the form of poppier colour elements, specifically the rich stage blood and fire elements that stand hard against the charcoal blacks and grays of the scorched earth of the battle. The starker daylight scenes are a bit more yellowed and dulled, and thus less impressive than the more heavily contrasting and smoke-filled battle.
A much smaller and expected issue is that of grain. The frequency of the grain here is a little chunkier than I had anticipated, created more of a digital noise look, and again appearing more like the short coming of standard definition compression. But grain is expected, and really isn't a problem otherwise. We should be thankful that those Lionsgate people didn't crank the DNR and turn the whole thing into a blobby mess. I also should say that my eyes adjusted to the transfer's minor problems very quickly, and that most of the experts seem to agree that this is the best version of the film available on home video for the time being.
Ran has been remixed for Blu-ray into a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Auido track. The bulk of the centered effects and set dialogue is unfortunately a bit tinny, and the dialogue especially reverberates more than I'd like. There isn't really any distortion on these elements, and sudden jumps in volume reveal a lack of overall compression. The rear and stereo channels are often busy with ambient elements such as calm winds, chirping birds and bugs, galloping horses, warring samurai, and fire, but often these surround elements sound more like embellishments for the sake of embellishment, rather than natural or immersive elements. However, the Dolby 2.0 track, which is apparently the original stereo track, doesn't fair too much better in this field, so it's possible it's just an issue of design. When aural elements bleed into the scene from offstage they are almost always presented in the center channel only, reveling more of the intended structure of the soundtrack. This isn't a The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly mono to surround sound monstrosity, but I'm leaning slightly more towards the 2.0 track just in terms of naturalist sound, and lack of dialogue reverb. The DTS track does have an advantage concerning the graceful, mournful musical score, which is altogether warmer, and which utilizes the LFE more effectively.
Though, of course, entirely sacrilegious of me to suggest listening to it, but the English dub track actually isn't too bad, in terms of performance or sound.
Lionsgate has neglected to include most of the Criterion disc's extras, including the audio commentary, but they grabbed one of the bigger morsels – AK (71:30, SD), a retro behind the scenes documentary by Chris Marker which was made available on various other DVD releases of the film. Technically and tonally the film is kind of similar to many of Werner Herzog's behind the scenes films, with a calm narration (in French) guiding the audience gently through various making-of processes. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of focus to the doc, and there are long scenes of raw preparation that are frankly uninteresting to watch. Idol chit-chat, costume preparation, and images of sleepy cast and crew define most of the film, which rarely picks up to entertain beyond a few haunting images and amusing flubs. This one is for the purest fans only, the rest of us are going to probably doze off. 'Akira Kurosawa: The Epic and the Intimate' (41:50, SD) is another French made doc made up of interviews with various Frenchmen who had some kind of attachment to Kurosawa. These retrospective tales would probably be better served with a little less talking head make up, but the tales are informative, especially in lieu of the missing commentary tracks.
'The Samurai' (52:50, SD) is an uncannily old fashion documentary pertaining to the real history of Ran's most colourful characters. The whole thing kind of shouts made for public television, and the facts are presented in rough and general terms, but those without any working knowledge of the historical samurai will probably learn something. 'Art of the Samurai' (41:10, SD) doesn't exactly up the entertainment scope on the extras. It features a French expert in samurai culture describing some of the finer points of history, technique and gear, occasionally intercut with scenes from Ran to illustrate a point. The doldrums are finally ended with the film's original trailer.
Kurosawa's last epic comes to US Blu-ray, and the results are disappointing, but acceptable. I wish I could say this high definition transfer is a revelation, and a must see, but the limits of the source material are enough to keep expectations down. The soundtrack isn't much better, but again, this has everything to do with the original material, and not some misguided re-mixing on the part of the disc's producers. Everything I'm reading tells me this is the best the film can and will look, unless someone discovers some new pristine original negative that defies all assumptions. I'm feeling more critical of the disc's extras, which certainly fill the time quota, but fail to inform in an entertaining manner. You're likely to learn something about the feel on-set, and of the history of historical Samurai, but the Wikipedia and imdb.com pages feature a dozen times more information about the film's back story and reception. Fans might want to update for the slight video quality increase, but should hang on to those Criterion discs for the special features alone. Hell, I'm thinking of buying one.
Reviewer Note: Huge thanks to Troy Anderson at Andersonvision.com for the screencaps, which have been resized for the page.
Review by Gabriel Powers
BoBoi Member Join Date: June 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 1,109
It's a real shame that Criterion is beginning to lose a lot of their rights over to Studio Canal. I have the AUS release of this, and it looks no better than a DVD Upscale. The color saturation in this is way overblown as well.
There are other releases from Studio Canal that are plagued with problems as well, i.e. the incorrectly pitch audio problem in The Deer Hunter, wrong master used in Pierrot Le Fou etc.
They should just give all their rights to Criterion.
There are other releases from Studio Canal that are plagued with problems as well, i.e. the incorrectly pitch audio problem in The Deer Hunter, wrong master used in Pierrot Le Fou etc.
They should just give all their rights to Criterion.
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,713
Ran isn't a great transfer, but I can't imagine Criterion doing anything more with Ladykillers or Contempt. I mostly miss the commentary tracks.
RThomas Member Join Date: November 2008 Location: France Posts: 75
BoBoi wrote: There are other releases from Studio Canal that are plagued with problems as well, i.e. the incorrectly pitch audio problem in The Deer Hunter, wrong master used in Pierrot Le Fou etc.
Is that about the not tinted shots at the party, when Samuel Fuller is on screen, as mentioned by DVDBeaver?
My memory might be fuzzy on this but, when Pierrot was broadcast in France or released on VHS, I'm not sure these shots were tinted. It could be that Godard and Coutard had not really made up their mind about this until late in the post-production and that, due to a technical mistake, the final decision was only picked by domestic or export copies, while the "wrong" choice landed in the other market.
Even if Coutard approved the Criterion master, it would be easy to forget, 40 years later, the outcome of a debate with Godard about filters when they presumably had a myriad of discussions about every aspect of the photography.
Is that about the not tinted shots at the party, when Samuel Fuller is on screen, as mentioned by DVDBeaver?
My memory might be fuzzy on this but, when Pierrot was broadcast in France or released on VHS, I'm not sure these shots were tinted. It could be that Godard and Coutard had not really made up their mind about this until late in the post-production and that, due to a technical mistake, the final decision was only picked by domestic or export copies, while the "wrong" choice landed in the other market.
Even if Coutard approved the Criterion master, it would be easy to forget, 40 years later, the outcome of a debate with Godard about filters when they presumably had a myriad of discussions about every aspect of the photography.
bradavon Member Join Date: April 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,945
Lets not forget it's generally agreed Studio Canal's Ran DVD (specifically the UK Warner and then Optimum) is better than Criterion's effort. They messed around with the colours loads. I own it, it's fine but the Warner and Optimum DVDs are better. Not counting extras.
triply Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: India Posts: 328
The only Ran I have is the Criterion disc and I'm happy with it, simply because the movie is my favourite Kurosawa film. I was planning on picking up the Blu-ray. The less-than-steller marks given aside, for me more Ran is good Ran.
I wasn't aware that Studio Canal's Ran releases are better than Criterion. I just blind buy Criterion releases without consulting Dvdcompare.net! But thanks for pointing that out Bradavon. I will pick it up, just to generally compare all releases.
I wasn't aware that Studio Canal's Ran releases are better than Criterion. I just blind buy Criterion releases without consulting Dvdcompare.net! But thanks for pointing that out Bradavon. I will pick it up, just to generally compare all releases.
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,713
The best comparison I read is actually on DVDBeaver. There's a guy on that site that really knows his Kurosawa.
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
Disc Details
Release Date: 16th February 2010
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Japanese and French, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Japanese, English, and Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: A.K.: Feature Length Documentary, Akira Kurosawa: The Epic and the Intimate, Art of the Samurai, The Samurai, Trailer
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Mieko Harada, Hisashi Igawa, Kazuo Kato, Takeshi Kato, Kenji Kodama
Genre: Adventure, Drama and War
Length: 162 minutes
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text:
February 13, 2013 07:45 ET
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 13, 2013) - Angel Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ANG) ("Angel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will be commencing a Phase 1 drilling program on its El Cafetal Project, situated in the Middle Cauca gold belt in Antioquia, Colombia. A contract for a minimum of 900 meters of diamond core drilling has been signed with SMART DRILLING S.A.S, a Colombian company. The Company expects the drill to be mobilized onto the property on or about the 20th of February, 2013. Angel Gold has all necessary permits in place and the initial three drill pads and access roads are ready, along with necessary environmental and erosion control measures. The Company plans to begin each drill hole with HQ or equivalent diameter core and reduce to NQ or equivalent diameter when rock conditions dictate.
The Company has conducted a program of surface and underground rock sampling, MMI soil sampling geochemistry and an Induced Polarity/Resistivity geophysical program on the property with encouraging results. A zone of sheeted or sub-parallel, near-vertical, sulfide-rich veins and veinlets are partially exposed in outcrop and historic underground workings in the central part of the property. This area coincides with MMI gold geochemical values in excess of 30 ppb Au and Induced Polarity chargeability anomalies. The coincident geochemical/geophysical anomalies extend over a length of 1300 meters along an east-west trend and average about 300 meters in width. The initial drilling program will concentrate on the area where the mineralized zone is exposed at the surface and where historic workings are most densely distributed. More information regarding the El Cafetal Project and Angel Gold's other properties may be obtained at www.angelgoldcorp.com.
"I am pleased that Angel Gold is aggressively moving forward to the next step of exploration on the El Cafetal property with the upcoming drill program," stated Stella Frias, President and CEO of Angel Gold Corp.
About Angel Gold Corp.:
Angel is a Canada-based gold exploration company focused on responsible development of mineral resources in Colombia, host to some of the world's largest gold deposits. Angel has been working in Colombia for over three years and is advancing two main gold projects: the El Cafetal Gold Project and the Buritica West Gold Project. In addition, the Company continues its acquisition strategy in Colombia, having recently claimed over 6,800 hectares in four separate project areas.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Angel Gold Corp.
Blanca Stella Frias, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed the content of this News Release and therefore does not accept responsibility or liability for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this News Release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The transaction described in this News Release is subject to a variety of conditions and risks which include but are not limited to: regulatory approval, shareholder approval, market conditions, legal due diligence for claim validity, financing, political risk, security risks at the property locations and other risks. As such, the reader is cautioned that there can be no guarantee that this transaction will complete as described in this News Release. We seek safe harbour.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
For investor relations please contact:Contact Financial Corp.Rob Gamley(604) email@example.com Gold Corp.837 Hastings Street West, Suite 408Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 3N6604-684-6264604-684-6242 (FAX)email@example.com
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text:
Senior cyclist killed near South St. Seaport; police search for bus
By Daniel Wallace
Police are still searching for the driver of a bus that killed a 65-year-old female cyclist on Water St. on Sept. 16.
Jen Shao, a Chinatown resident, was riding her bike in the far right-hand lane of Water St. at 9:42 am when she was struck and killed by a passing bus near the intersection of Gouverneur Lane. A nearby fruit vendor, Abdul Mannan, saw people running toward the road and left his cart. Arriving at the curb, he saw Shao lying lifeless on the ground.
There was no blood, but she was clearly dead, Mannan said. Her cycle was beside her.
Police said Shao had probably lost balance and fell under the rear wheels of the passing bus, which proceeded north on Water St. without stopping. Police were not sure if the driver knew if he or she hit a cyclist and they did not know what type of bus it was.
The director of Ng Fook Funeral Home, where Shaos body was taken, said she was a Chinatown resident with at least one son but he had no additional details.
Since she was killed, police have been looking for information. A security guard in the J.P. Morgan Chase building on Water St. said officers canvassed the area thoroughly and came into his building asking to review security tapes.
Cameras were pointed in the wrong direction, though, said the guard, who declined to give his name.
Police have posted notices on nearby newsstands soliciting eyewitness accounts.
But bicycle advocacy groups in the city believe police activity is not enough.
This is another tragic example of the loss of human life that could have been prevented, said Matthew Roth of Times Up!, a bicycle group.
According to Times Up!, 121 cyclists were killed by automobiles in the city between 1995 and 2001. And over 17,000 pedestrians or cyclists were struck and injured in the city each year.
This year, bicycle fatalities are on the rise.
The number of deaths has almost doubled, said Noah Budnick of Transportation Alternatives, another bicycle group. Through July there have been 11 fatalities; there were only six fatalities through July 2004.
Budnick believes the rise in fatalities is the result of cyclings increasing popularity in New York and the citys corresponding failure to keep pace. Of over 6,000 miles of city streets, only 420.1 miles have either dedicated bike lanes or suggested routes.
In 2004 the city reissued the NYC Cycling Map, offering safety suggestions for concerned bicyclists. On the map, Water St. is listed as a recommended biking route.
But on Water St. where Shao was killed, there is no bike lane.
As tragic stories like Shaos pile up, cyclists are getting angry.
Theres an anti-cyclist bias in the city, said Robert Fader, a New York personal injuries lawyer who represents between 25 and 30 bicycle cases each year. Drivers seem to think they dont have to share the road with bicycles; and that sentiment sometimes spills over to the police. Cyclists are upset.
Channeling their anger, bicycle groups are fighting back. This June, Times Up! sponsored a street stenciling project that memorialized pedestrians and cyclists killed by motor vehicles. The goal of the project was to raise public awareness of the alarming number of sudden deaths that occur within New Yorks landscape of concrete and continual motion, where such things are easily forgotten
There are far too many cyclists dying in a city where the streets could be made safer, said Roth. We hope to change that.
One way in which advocacy groups are trying to reduce the cycling hazard is through the New York City Bike Safety Action Plan, which was created by Alternative Transportations Budnick and has been sponsored by 20 organizations in the city.
The plan recommends, among other things, that the police increase their enforcement of traffic laws, particularly in residential areas. Current policy mandates only that police issue summonses in cycling and pedestrian accidents if they witness the violation.
The plan also asks the city to perform a study of cyclist deaths over the past 10 years, citing the causes, factors and locations of each incident.
A similar study was done in Toronto, Budnick said. And a very substantial list of recommendations to improve bicycle safety resulted.
Budnick said the action plan was presented to the Police Department and the city Department of Transportation in July; and a copy was sent to Mayor Bloombergs office.
He said city officials have, so far, not responded.
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text:
Technical Details
|Download driver for: SONY VGN-CS11S/P
|Supported System
|Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2003
|File Size
|7831 kb
|Wireless State Device Driver for 64bit for SONYVGN-CS11S/P
How to Update Sony Drivers by Yourself?
There are a number of frequent alerts and other messages which you may get in the driver upgrading process, several of which I've paraphrased and listed right here together with information on what to do:
QUESTION: I have a vaio SVF15323CXB using a Broadcom BCM 43142wireless adapter that I want to update . If I can, does anyone know what should i do? Thank you
ANSWER: This notebook posseses an enclosed cover in the bottom everything and part is built|-in that's why we don't advise changing the laptop computer.if you want a driver for your wireless adapter, it is recommended that you go and download a driver updater which can search for drivers automatically.
Way to Update Drivers with Device Manager
1. Find Control Panel.
Depending on your version of Windows, Control Panel is usually available from the Start Menu or the Apps screen.
Note: If you don't see these options, your Control Panel view may be set to Large icons, Small icons, or Classic View, depending on your version of Windows. If so, find and choose Device Manager from the big collection of icons you see and then skip to Step 3 below.
2. Open Device Manager
From the open Control Panel window, click System, choose the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button.
3. In Device Manager, you can check for updates, update your drivers or troubleshoot driver problems
Still can't Fix SONY VGN-CS11S/P Driver Problem? Don't Give Up! Try DriverTuner
1. Click here to download DriverTuner and double click it to install
2. Scan your computer for outdated drivers. Select the ones(here you should select SONY VGN-CS11S/P) you want to update and click download
3. When the download process is finished, click SETUP to install them. Voila! Your driver for SONY VGN-CS11S/P has been updated. Sometimes a restart is required to put the drivers into use.
|Fix Driver Problems
|Driver Update Tool
Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP


text:
Cyprus Phil
Cyprus Phil is a character in Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London, 1961. The protagonist visits Phil to find out where his boss, Harold Cartwright is. After talking, the protagonist kills Phil. Cyprus Phil is a reference to music group Cypress Hill.
Template:GTA London 1969 Characters Template:GTA London 1961 Characters


text:
MOSCOW (AP) — Members of a U.S. congressional delegation visiting Moscow have urged Russian officials to allow the completion of U.S. adoptions of Russian children, which were caught in limbo by the Russian ban.
The ban on adoptions by Americans was signed by President Vladimir Putin in December in retaliation for a U.S. law that sanctions Russians said to have violated human rights. A number of American families were in different phases of a complex adoption process when the Russian ban came.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who was part of the delegation, said Thursday during a meeting with members of the lower house of Russia's parliament that the U.S. is ready to provide all the necessary guarantees that the children would be given due care.


text:
Gate. Monday , August 27th , 2018 - 08:18:32 AM
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Any content, trademark's, or other material that might be found on the Bottegadeisassi website that is not Bottegadeisassi's property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does Bottegadeisassi claim ownership or responsibility for such items, and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


text:
Imports System.Math
Module GAUSSE
Public Sub Init()
Static Initialized As Boolean = False
If Not Initialized Then
Initialized = True
End If
End Sub
Public Function Normal(Optional ByVal Sigma As Double = 1.0#, Optional ByVal Mean As Double = 0.0#) As Double
Dim Norm As Double = 0.0#
Norm = (GetGausse() * Sigma) + Mean
Return Norm
End Function
Private Function GetGausse() As Double
' This Function returns a standard Gaussian random number, based upon the polar form of the Box-Muller transform.
' since this calc is capable of returning two calculations per call, it's been written to save the second calc for the next
' pass through the function, thus saving some time on alternate calls.
' Only call the Init sub once in the life of the app, but it's only needed if you haven't seeded the random number generator already.
' NEVER call INIT or randomize within a loop, or as a function of time - this can seriously degrade the 'randomness' of the data.
' (The reason for this is that the randomize function reseeds the random number generator with a seed derived from the system clock.
' If you call randomize within a loop, especially a tight loop, the odds are good that you will repeatedly reseed the random number
' generator with the SAME seed as the prior call - which results in the same 'random' number being generated...) If randomize is called
' once from an event that depends upon operator input, such as a form load event, you would be OK, however.
Static blReturn2 As Boolean = True ' Flag to calc new value pair, or return previously calculated second normal rnd.
Static dblReturn2 As Double = 0.0# ' Alternate return value
Dim Work1 As Double = 0.0#, Work2 As Double = 0.0#, Work3 As Double = 0.0#
Const Two As Double = 2.0#, One As Double = 1.0#
blReturn2 = Not blReturn2 ' toggle the return value source flag
If blReturn2 Then ' On odd numbered calls
Return dblReturn2
Work3 = Two
Do Until Work3 < One
Work1 = Two * Rnd() - One
Work2 = Two * Rnd() - One
Work3 = Work1 * Work1 + Work2 * Work2
Work3 = Sqrt((-(Two) * Log(Work3)) / Work3)
' a second valid value will be returned with Work2 * Work3. Calculate & save in static variable for the next pass, for efficiency.
dblReturn2 = Work2 * Work3
Return Work1 * Work3
End If
End Function
End Module
Dim Return1, Return2 as Double, Mean as Double = 100.0, Sig as Double = 2.5
Normal2(Return1, Return2, Sig, Mean)
' Return1 and Return2 now contain a pair of normally distributed random numbers,
' weighted to have a mean of 100 with a sigma of 2.5
' *******************************************************************************************************************
' *** GetGausse2 written as a sub, to return 2 values per call, instead of declaring static variables and ***
' *** storing second value for the alternate calls as in GetGausse. This results in more than 40% improvement ***
' *** in performance (Normal: 0.160 seconds per million calls, Normal2: 0.094 seconds per million calls on my ***
' *** current PC, VB.Net v12) - loquin ***
' *******************************************************************************************************************
Public Sub Normal2(ByRef Norm1 As Double, ByRef Norm2 As Double, Optional ByRef Sigma As Double = 1.0#, Optional ByRef Mean As Double = 0.0#)
Dim t1, t2 As Double
Call GAUSSE.GetGausse2(t1, t2)
Norm1 = t1 * Sigma + Mean
Norm2 = t2 * Sigma + Mean
End Sub
Private Sub GetGausse2(ByRef Value1 As Double, ByRef Value2 As Double)
Dim Work1 As Double = 0.0#, Work2 As Double = 0.0#, Work3 As Double = 0.0#
Const Two As Double = 2.0#, One As Double = 1.0#
Work3 = Two
Do Until Work3 < One
Work1 = Two * Rnd() - One
Work2 = Two * Rnd() - One
Work3 = Work1 * Work1 + Work2 * Work2
Work3 = Sqrt((-(Two) * Log(Work3)) / Work3)
Value1 = Work1 * Work3
Value2 = Work2 * Work3
End Sub


text:
Just days after he committed suicide, there are now many reports as to why Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Russell Armstrong might have taken his own life.
According to a shocking new report by RadarOnline, Russell was not only bisexual, but might have taken his own life because a third party had informed him they would be making that revelation in a tell-all book about him.
In fact, Radar claims Russell's alleged bisexuality was the real reason Taylor Armstrong finally decided to file for divorce last month, and not because of mounting financial problems or alleged physical abuse.
"When Taylor found out about Russell's gay explorations, that was the final straw for her and it prompted the divorce," an insider close to the situation states. "She could put up with the fights about money and being sued, but the fact that Russell might have been cheating on her with a man was just too much for her."
"About six months ago Taylor confided in a close friend that she'd found history for a gay website called Adam4Adam.com on Russell's laptop," the insider continued. "He was also spending a lot of time at the gym, but his body wasn't changing, which she claims led her to believe he was meeting with men he'd met off the website and not spending time working out as he claimed."
Another insider adds that Russell was approached for comment about the impending tell-all book, which included great detail about what he liked in the bedroom. "Not only was it going to come out that Russell was bisexual, but there were people on the record that were going to talk about the kind of sex he liked," the source said. "He was into S&M type stuff; choking, rough-housing and slapping."
Russell's attorney Ronald Richards however ademantly defends his client citing the report is a total fabrication. Ronald states he was not aware of any tell-all book or adultery when it came to Russell. And unfortunately Russell is no longer here to defend himself.
Meanwhile, Russell's mother John Ann Hotchkiss revealed yesterday that she blames the Bravo network for her son's death. During an interview on HLN on Wednesday evening, Ann stated Russell suffered from being criticized on the show by other cast members, and was anxious about the new season.
"'Mom they're just going to crucify me this season,'" he told his mother recently, Ann said. "I don't know what to do. I'll never survive it.'" She added: "I thought he meant business-wise."
In fact Radar is reporting Russell's family is seriously considering suing Bravo. "Bravo is at fault and somebody needs to pay," Russell's step brother Wade Jackson revealed. "Russell's whole family was very close and they're considering suing Bravo." "I'm sure somebody will sue them," Jackson added about the Armstrong family plans to litigate against the network.
I believe blaming Bravo might be a bit of a reach as the network did not force Russell to appear on the show. He could have easily walked away after the 1st season did not go so well for him. While the Housewives are typically under contract with Bravo, the husbands are not. Plus blaming reality tv or any network just seems unfair considering he had many other problems in his personal life, including financial issues and an impending divorce. So we have to ask –
[polldaddy poll=5434161]
Photo credit: WENN


text:
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