Seems Roman rapist Polanski got special treatment in jail. Surprise.
From the LA Times blog. Not sure why they didn’t mention Polanski’s trips to the hospital.
In an interview with Zurich’s Radio One, Yussi Akram said Polanski was able to regularly call his wife and attorneys and communicated frequently with guards at the prison outside the city. Akram also said Polanski’s cell was equipped with a special emergency button he could use to summon guards.
Meanwhile, a close friend of the director’s said Polanski is depressed and has lost 30 pounds.
“His fear of the U.S. verges on panic and he has lived with that fear for so long that it’s become obsessive,” director Janusz Morgenstern told a Polish radio station, according to ABC News. He added Polanski’s children have been pulled out of school in part because of taunts from other children.
Where he will live until the court’s final decision on extradition is made.
His ski chalet “Milky Way” in Gstaad, Switzerland.
This is disgusting. Not only that Vidal would think and say such a thing but that the Atlantic would print it.
His words speak for themselves. The 13 y/o Polanski raped was a hooker and Polanksi was wrongly accused because of anti-Semitism.
JOHN MERONEY:In September, director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland for leaving the U.S. in 1978 before being sentenced to prison for raping a 13-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson’s house in Hollywood. During the time of the original incident, you were working in the industry, and you and Polanski had a common friend in theater critic and producer Kenneth Tynan. So what’s your take on Polanski, this many years later?
VIDAL:I really don’t give a fuck. Look, am I going to sit and weep every time a young hooker feels as though she’s been taken advantage of?
I’ve certainly never heard that take on the story before.
First, I was in the middle of all that. Back then, we all were. Everybody knew everybody else. There was a totally different story at the time that doesn’t resemble anything that we’re now being told.
What do you mean?
The media can’t get anything straight. Plus, there’s usually an anti-Semitic and anti-fag thing going on with the press – lots of crazy things. The idea that this girl was in her communion dress, a little angel all in white, being raped by this awful Jew, Polacko – that’s what people were calling him – well, the story is totally different now from what it was then.
During the 1970s, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and producer Robert Evans were celebrated for lifestyles of sexual extravagance.
Well, they’re all virgins, every last one of them. I can testify to that. And the last one you mentioned, he’s a super virgin.
They’ve certainly never been criticized and condemned for their sexual excesses. But Polanski was condemned even before he pled guilty to raping a girl.
Well, believe it or not, anti-Semitism is very strong out here, even though this is a Jewish business. L.B. Mayer was the worst anti-Semite of all.
But he was Jewish.
Well, Mayer’s view was, “The public will turn on all of us if they know that one of us has done anything.”
You think anti-Semitism is motivating the prosecution of Polanski?
Anti-Semitism got poor Polanski. He was also a foreigner. He did not subscribe to American values in the least. To [his persecutors], that seemed vicious and unnatural.
What are “American values”?
Lying and cheating. There’s nothing better.
So you’re saying that a non-Jewish director wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught up in a sex crime scandal? Such a thing wouldn’t be an issue for Martin Scorsese?
Well, he’s an absolutely sexless director. Can you think of a sex scene that he ever shot?
Errol Flynn stood trial for raping underage girls in 1943, and was acquitted. Was he treated differently than Roman Polanski?
Everybody liked Errol Flynn.
He also commented on barry.
You said earlier this month that you now wish you had supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries instead of Barack Obama. You said that she would make a better president.
Well, I was in a thoughtful mood.
Do you really wish you had supported Mrs. Clinton?
She would have been a wonderful president. As for my support for Obama, remember that I was brought up in Washington. It was an all-black city when I was a kid. And I’ve always been very pro-African-American – or whatever phrase we now use. I was curious to see what would happen when their time came. I was delighted when Obama appeared on the scene. But now it seems as though our original objection to him – that experience mattered – was well-founded.
Barack Obama’s books seemed to persuade many people to support him. Have you read them?
No. Does one ever read a politician’s books?
Well, Obama actually wrote them himself.
I’m sure he did. He’s highly educated – and rather better than a country like this deserves. Put that in red letters.
Put this is red letters: barry did not write his books. He doesn’t write his speeches – not even that race speech. And I hope this old pervert lives long enough to see who barry really is.
Samantha Geimer wants it all to stop. She has lobbied in the past to have the case dropped because each time it is brought up she has to go through it all over again, including the media trying to get at her. She was especially upset that they released her grand jury testimony – she has teenage sons.
She lives in Hawaii and is being stalked according to her attorney, Lawrence Silver. Her house is being staked out and photographers are trying to take photos/video “through holes drilled in their cars and offering gifts to her children in exchange for information.”
She is the one being victimized because the cowardly pedophile fled.
Silver’s October 23 filing with the Second District Court of Appeal seeks a dismissal of the case against Polanski. He said he has been inundated with more than 500 media calls from around the globe, including Larry King and Oprah.
The pursuit has caused her to have health-related issues. The pursuit has caused her performance at her job to be interfered with and has caused the understandable displeasure of her employer and the real possibility that Samantha could lose her job.
This statement makes one more demand, one more request, one more plea: Leave her alone.
This is just wrong. He should have had to spend the time in jail while he fought extradition. As was, they let him out to go to the hospital at least twice. And Wednesday, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court gave him a deal: house arrest in his ski chalet in Gstaad Switzerland, monitoring bracelet, surrender of his passport and $4.5M bail.
It’s unclear why he was released. Twice the Swiss courts denied him bail, including the Minister of Justice, who told Swiss TV that he was not going to appeal Polanski’s bail ruling.
Given Mr. Polanski’s history of international travel while defying a judicial order, a $4.5 million bail and an electronic bracelet do not mean that law enforcement lets its global guard down. Mr. Polanski has given us more than 30 years of proof that he does not feel bound to respect any court decision with which he does not agree. The world law enforcement community should do all in its power to make sure that the Swiss judicial process is allowed to run its course, and if Mr Polanski defies the conditions of his release, no country should welcome, offer safe haven to, or defend his conduct.
LA prosecutors had scheduled a December 10th hearing.
News report of Susan Boyle’s interview where she claims she was beaten every day and bullied at school. Doesn’t name the source of the interview. Will see if I can find it.
Recently uncovered video of Susan Boyle from 2001. From News of the World. Filmed in Linlithgow Rose Social Club in West Lothian, Scotland by Marie Logan. Susan came in second, to singer James McCracken. Wonder where Mr McCracken is.
Courtesy of DocRobbie314
Funny face she makes when she’s finished. Not sure what’s up with her tooth.
Matt Lauer: We have just a little surprise for you. Now, the Orpheum, one of the most famous theaters in all of Los Angeles– and we just wanted you to be welcome. So, if you can turn around now– (laughter) you’re headlining at the Orpheum. (laughter) How does– how does it feel to see your name up in lights like that?
SusanBoyle: That’s awesome.
Matt Lauer: You like it? (laughter) Good. We’re off to a good start. (laughter)
MATT LAUER VOICEOVER: Susan Boyle laughs easily, and playfully.
Matt Lauer: Are you giving me that mischievous look?
SusanBoyle: I am. I’m being very mischievous. (laughter)
VOICEOVER: And it’s not just the glamorous make-over. This just isn’t the same shy, awkward woman who was greeted with rude snickers when she walked onto the stage of “Britain’s Got Talent.” (audition video)
Her voice made skeptical jaws drop. And when her breathtaking rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” hit YouTube, the plain Jane from a tiny village in Scotland became an instant phenomenon.
Simon Cowell: Three yeses!
Matt Lauer: Now, seven months later, you’re one of the most talked about, and one of the most googled, one of the most internet-viewed women on the planet.
SusanBoyle: It feels very surreal. You know, as if it’s not really happening.
Matt Lauer: Was there a moment when you realized it had happened? “My goodness, I’m famous” ?
SusanBoyle: I didn’t give it much thought. All that I know is, there was a lot of attention. “How do you cope with all this?” Wah! (holds her head in her hands) You know?
VOICEOVER: Her precipitous rise to fame was scary — even as fans clamored for more of her magical voice and gutsy courage –there were hurtful headlines, and rumblings about her ability to cope.
SusanBoyle: I did have a period of self-doubt, when I wasn’t good enough. And there are times when, because I’m shy, sometimes I wished it would go away.
Matt Lauer: Because you could make it go away. You could say “You know what, I had my moment.” I’m gonna go back to my small town in Scotland and I’m gonna get my life back.”
SusanBoyle: Well, sometimes you do think that because it’s only human nature.
Matt Lauer: How would you say your confidence level is today, versus when we first saw you on that stage on April 11?
SusanBoyle: I’ve grown up a bit. I’ve become more of a lady, I don’t swing my hips as much (gestures), you know (laughter). I think I’ve matured.
Matt Lauer: You don’t long for a simpler life again?
SusanBoyle: I accept now that my life will never be the same. And I don’t want it to end.
Matt Lauer: And that’s okay with you.
SusanBoyle: It’s okay. It’s just comfortable in my shoulders right now.
VOICEOVER: It isn’t likely to end anytime soon. Her debut album, featuring 11 cover tunes and one original, was so hotly anticipated, it smashed worldwide records — easily becoming amazon.com’s biggest CD pre-order ever.
Matt Lauer: U2, in 2009, you sold more in advance. Bruce Springsteen. The Dixie Chicks. Coldplay. That list and Susan Boyle is on the top of that list.
SusanBoyle: Oh heavens. (Puts her head down.) That’s quite awesome.
Matt Lauer: Do you feel pressure?
SusanBoyle: No, I don’t feel pressure just now. I just feel a sense of humility.
Matt Lauer: The variety is incredible on the album. There are some hymns. You’ve got “Silent Night” on there. There are some ballads. There’s a Madonna song (laughter).
SusanBoyle: I like Madonna anyway, she’s good.
VOICEOVER: Madonna’s song “You’ll See” (video audio) is part of what makes this album so personal for Boyle. She says it’s directed at the teachers who beat her as a child, and the kids who taunted her so cruelly.
SusanBoyle: That was a kind of statement I was trying to make because I was bullied a lot in school.
Matt Lauer: A little bit of ‘you know, you may have done that -
SusanBoyle: You may have done that to me when I was younger -
Matt Lauer: But you can’t bully me anymore’.
SusanBoyle: ‘Cause I’m grown up now.
VOICEOVER: Talking about it for the first time ever, Boyle revealed that her life has always been difficult because of mild brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation at birth.
SusanBoyle: I do have a slight disability. I had difficulty trying to express myself properly, and music was kind of a release for me.
VOICEOVER: It’s a release that allows her to take risks — like tackling the Rolling Stones ballad “Wild Horses” (video audio) which she first performed on “America’s Got Talent.” (video)
Matt Lauer: I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I never thought Susan Boyle and the Rolling Stones. (laughter) Why did you choose that song?
SusanBoyle: Well the song itself is, a kind of, autobiography. Sort of dedication to my mother.
VOICEOVER: It was Boyle’s mother Bridget, who died in 2007, who always pleaded with her to give singing a shot.
Matt Lauer: Is it bittersweet for you, Susan, that she never got to see what’s happening?
SusanBoyle: She sees what’s happening. She’s still with me. She’s still here.
Matt Lauer: I got a kick out of something I was reading about you the other day. and it talked about the fact that you’ve splurged on a couple of items, said that you went out and you bought a brand new burgundy – and I thought it was gonna say like Maserati or Mercedes. And what it said was a brand new burgundy sectional couch. (Susan covers her face, laughs) Is that the biggest splurge you’ve gone with?
SusanBoyle: Yes. Well, you’ve gotta do your home up, haven’t ya?
Matt Lauer: So you bought some new furniture.
SusanBoyle: Yeah.
Matt Lauer: Is there someone in your life now, is there someone special in your life now?
SusanBoyle: You mean a boyfriend?
Matt Lauer: Yeah.
SusanBoyle: No comment. (winks/ laughter)
Matt Lauer: And a wink, too. Good luck to you, Susan. It’s been a real pleasure.
SusanBoyle: Thank you very much.
Matt Lauer: Thank you.
——————————————————–
Web exclusive
Matt Lauer: Can you give me a hint of the things you weren’t so proud of?
SusanBoyle: Being a naughty girl when you’re a kid.
Matt Lauer: You don’t seem like the naughty type. I don’t know why. I look at you–
SusanBoyle: Everybody’s mischievous.
Matt Lauer: In the states we call them rascals. Were you a bit of a rascal? You were a devil?
SusanBoyle: No. Only kidding.
Matt Lauer: You seem like you were a pretty tame child.
Tame? Well, tameish. I used to go for walks and go and get lost and everybody used to go looking for me. Very psycho.
Matt Lauer: So you were a little bit hard to handle at times.
Yes, I agree 100%. The Bears are done. Not sure about Lovie Smith though. He’s signed through 2011.
Milton Bradley will be gone come April. The Ritters are fans first and there’s no way they want to start the season getting hassled about that loser.
I think the story of Tiger Woods is a little off. Why would he have lost consciousness (for six minutes) after hitting a fire hydrant and then a tree if he was just pulling out of his driveway? And why would his wife have to break a window to extricate him? And where was he going at that time?
The tree had a scuff mark and the airbags had not deployed so one would think it was a low speed impact and yet it was loud enough for his wife to hear it from inside. His injuries evidently were just about his mouth. Did he hit it on the steering wheel? Did he have a seizure and bite his tongue? No idea. Police say alcohol was not involved.
Fire hydrant presumably bottom left where the striped horses are and the tree he hit is to the right with a tire mark in the mulch/dirt but no severe damage to the trunk.
The single-vehicle accident occurred about 2:25 a.m. in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando, according to police. Woodspulled out of his driveway in a 2009 Cadillac SUV and struck a fire hydrant and then a tree, according to an incident report from the Florida Highway Patrol in Orange County.
Chief Daniel Saylor said Windermere police found Woods on the ground in front of his vehicle. Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, was with him. She told police she used a golf club to break the vehicle’s rear window in order to get Woods out, he said.
Woods was semi-conscious and tried to get up, but police made sure he stayed on the ground until Orange County fire and rescue arrived about 10 minutes later, he said.
An officer on the scene said Woods’ only visible injuries were cuts to his upper and lower lips and blood in his mouth, Saylor said.
Secret Service Director MARK SULLIVAN issued this statement today. No mention of the what will happen to crashers.
The Secret Service is deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner on Tuesday, November 24.
The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list.
Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours.
The Secret Service safely processed more than 1.2 million visitors last year to the White House complex. In the last several years, the agency has successfully protected more than 10,000 sites for the President, Vice President and other Secret Service protectees, screening more than 7 million people through magnetometers at campaign related events, with more than 1 million during the Inauguration alone.
Even with these successes, we need to be right 100% of the time. While we have protocols in place to address these situations, we must ensure that they are followed each and every time.
As our investigation continues, appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated.
The men and women of the U.S. Secret Service are committed to providing the highest level of security for those we are charged to protect, and we will do whatever is necessary to accomplish this mission.
BRIAN WILLIAMS is doing the Secret Service a little PR. He was an invited guest at the State Dinner and said he noticed the State Dinner crashers, (Tareq & Michaele Salahi) first from his vehicle. He said there was a jam up because a SUV was trying to turn around (presumably the “Real Housewives” production crew who had actually attempted to follow them into the WH). He saw the couple get out – both of them getting touchups.
WILLIAMS:
After their vehicle was turned away, they hopped out. What attracted our attention was there was at least one camera trailing them. And a makeup woman got out and fixed the woman’s hair and then started powdering the man’s forehead.
He again noticed them inside during cocktails. Video of nonchalant crashers being announced and walking, smiling, past reporters.
He said security couldn’t have been tighter. [Obviously that's a lie.]
Secret Service Agent ED DONOVAN’s statements one, two.
He gave the same analogy – balloon boy plus he added balloon girl – and that if it turns out it was their 15 minutes it will be “tragic and almost pathetic” because WH personnel worked hard and it was an honor to be invited and to be there.
This is truly amazing. Seems blondes have more fun…a blonde cheerleader penetrates the Secret Service…blonde spy sent by Oprah Winfrey…jokes are endless. Also seems the WH wasn’t doing “profiling” what with the Arab name. According to wiki:
Tareq is the son of Israeli-born Palestinian parents, Dirgham & Corinne Salahi. Dirgham was educated as a petroleum geologist and worked in the Middle East and United States.
*CNN: The crashers are named in at least 16 lawsuits in Virginia area – some as plaintiffs, some as defendants. Husband crasher sued his own mother over the winery they own, which filed for bankruptcy in February, and the winery sued wife crasher.
*Photo: wife crasher shaking barry’s hand with hubby looking on.
ROXANNE ROBERTS from RELIABLE SOURCES (Washington Post) has been on it since she saw the State Dinner crashers, Michaele & Tareq Salahi, walk in and then saw their Facebook page. Good thing for eagle-eyed gossip reporters. She should be promoted to WH press corps. Might be a first on truthful reporting.
Anyway. They are accomplished party crashes and publicity seekers. *Video of crashers’ entrance. *Even BRIAN WILLIAMSnoticed them in/outside the WH. Even though it is not known if they met FLOTUS, POTUS or the guests of honor – posted is a picture of barry, the Black-Eyed Peas and the crashers (below). They also have posted other pix from Inauguration week, including one from inside barry’s security box from the Inauguration concert.
At least Fergie shoved wife crasher to the side.
*And they also posted a pix of Deputy Chief of Mission for the Indian Embassy, Ambassador ARUN K. SINGH (below), who they have been pictured with before. GAWKER.COM believes this might have been the connection that got them through security. Singh & the Salahis (co-chairs of America’s Polo Cup) worked together on the June 2010 India – US polo match.
No statement from the guest of honor – PM of India MANMOHAN SINGH.
WH says they weren’t invited (guest list) and have launched their own investigation.
Secret Service said they weren’t invited. SS Agent (previous statement) ED DONOVAN said the crashers entered the SE side of the WH and that the first tier of security failed but provided no details:
We’re being intentionally vague on that. All we are saying is that procedures we have in place weren’t followed.
*Official Secret Service statement released today by Director MARK SULLIVAN.
*REP PETER T KING (R-NY), the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee told the NY Times:
Obviously, somebody dropped the ball, I mean, you’re talking about the president of the United States and the vice president and a powerful world leader, the prime minister of India.
The fact they went through the magnometer is incidental. They could have had anthrax on them. They could have grabbed a knife from the dining room table.
Bravo production crew (Real Housewives) say they have an on-tape admission they were invited. When asked for her invitation wife crasher rummaged through her purse and said “it must be out in the car”. Husband crasher said it was a “last-minute invite”.
Salahi spokesperson MAHOGANY JONESsaid they were invited:
At this time the Salahis will not make any formal comments regarding the rumors and media speculation surrounding the White House State Dinner.
We will be addressing this specifically with several media platforms.
Salahi’s lawyer PAUL W GARDNER:
My clients were cleared, by the White House, to be there. More information is forthcoming.
Salahis themselves have not made a public statement.
Instead they are going to stretch their 15 to 30 and appear on LARRY KING Monday.
Interesting comment made by wife crasher on their Facebook page:
Paid respect to our Veterans today at Arlington National Cemetery. Visited my dads grave site – a US “Ghost” Army Hero. With Love & Respect – I miss you dad so much… XO – MICHAELE
Ghost – does that mean her dad was secret ops? Perhaps that give her an in somehow?
