There's a specific kind of person who thinks, after watching tons of procedural justice TV shows, that he could commit the perfect crime. And there's an even more specific kind of person who actually can. Enacting an elaborate plot to frame his ex-girlfriend for armed robbery, Queens resident Jerry Ramrattan almost became the latter.
It's almost that time of year: 9/11 time. One media outlet would like to commemorate the 10th-anniversary of our national tragedy with a "9/11/back-to-school fashion photo spread," whatever that means.
Why had no one thought to ask death-soaked bubonic replicant Donald Trump, America's foremost lover of declaring bankruptcy, about the debt ceiling until now? In retrospect, it was irresponsible to form a single opinion about the issue of raising America's borrowing limit before soliciting the advice of this prominent capitalist cartoon character, from television. What is to be done, Mr. Trump?
Mark Malkoff struggled heroically to get thrown out of an Apple store. Having a pizza delivered didn't do it. Bringing in a band didn't do it. Dressing as Darth Vader didn't do it. Not even the goat got him ejected.
You never read tech news, do you? Good. Somehow, the story of the accidental early release of a Facebook iPad app everyone was expecting is threatening to turn into a week-long saga. Make it stop! This is the most boring shit ever.
In your ominous Tuesday media column: the first big scandal book deal of many sure to come, Peter Chernin lives, Gannett rips off Groupon, Tim Hetherington's final pictures released, and corporate infighting at Thomson Reuters.
My personal favorite way to remember how far to the right the Republican party has move in only a few years is this 2008 Al Gore-funded commercial in which Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi urge the country to address climate change.
With all that fun British phone hacking news, you may have missed some exciting phone surveillance news here in the States. The NSA's lawyer says the U.S. government might have the authority to physically track Americans with their cell phones.
Unfortunately we missed the premiere of the second season of Logo's gay housewives show The A List last night, but luckily we ran into Dustin and Jayden, Manhattan's most annoying homosexuals, and they were talking about what happened. Here's what we overheard.
Oregon Rep. David Wu, a tigersuit-clad furry sex monster, apparently won't sit out the rest of his House term before resigning. He's issued a statement announcing his imminent resignation — just as soon as the debt ceiling debacle draws to a close, which it never will.
At the end of last night's fluffy-duffy speech to the public about the debt ceiling, President Obama urged everyone to call their representatives to request his "balanced" approach to deficit reduction, which apparently means $3 trillion dollars in spending cuts along with zero dollars in new tax revenue. What the hell was he talking about? Who cares! Because people too his cue, and are now breaking the phone system.
Here's a trailer for the financial thriller (such a thing exists in these economic crater times) Margin Call, a fictionalized look at the real story of the hours before the financial world near collapsed in 2008. Sounds exciting?
Inside officially started yesterday, July 25, when the first film segment posted to YouTube at 2 PM EST. Christina Perasso (Emmy Rossum) is locked in that room with just a laptop and an intermittent Wifi connection as her lifeline to the outside world. No one knows how this scenario is going to play out, or how long Christina can even survive—she's in there without food or water. It's all part of an experiment in Social Film created by Intel and Toshiba, and her fate is truly in the hands of her family and friends, both old and new, and you, the viewers.
Amy Winehouse is laid to rest. Blake Fielder-Civil memorializes her from yet another jail cell. Jesse James and Kat Von D broke up. Lauryn Hill's boyfriend left her for a model while she was pregnant with his child. Tuesday gossip is somber.
Speaking of hugely popular chain stores with a liberal reputation which are actually staunch enemies of unions: Starbucks! The Industrial Workers of the World have been trying, with little success, to organize Starbucks workers for years. This week, they're picketing select Starbucks locations in major cities, partly in sympathy with Chilean Starbucks workers who are already on strike. From an IWW press release:
A popular papa from the '90s had a little incident at the happiest place on earth, which, to be honest, is sort of understandable. It's not that happy! Also today: a power couple split, an ungrateful singer, and lady-killing actor.
