Dick Cheney Now Linked To C.I.A. Concealment, Is Officially The Shadiest Dick Ever
Wow. The New York Times has two sources reporting: C.I.A. director Leon E. Panetta's been testifying to Congress that Dick Cheney ordered the C.I.A. to withhold information regarding a secret counter-terrorism project. And just how sketchy is this Dick? Sketchier than your weed dealer, Dan Abrams, the Gotti family, the guys who buried Hoffa, whoever makes the Shake Shack sauce, and anybody who's ever tried to conceal anything that probably shouldn't be hidden...combined. The Times' sources say that Panetta is pointing the finger to Cheney to the intelligence committees in the House and the Senate. From what's understood, it only took Panetta actually learning of the program - the nature of which is still widely unknown - to shut it down, which happened on June 23. The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush administration had put a high priority on the program and its secrecy. So, what do we know about it? It wasn't the C.I.A.'s interrogation program. It didn't involve anything regarding domestic intelligence. The program never went operational. ""Because this program never went fully operational and hadn't been briefed as Panetta thought it should have been, his decision to kill it was neither difficult nor controversial," one intelligence official, who would speak about the classified program only on condition of anonymity. "That's worth remembering amid all the drama."" People think it was really, really bad, whatever it was. "Most of those interviewed, however, have said that it was an important activity that they felt should have been disclosed." What isn't shady about this? Counter-terrorism - which quickly became a euphemism for "constitution-negating government action" in the Bush administration's "Homeland Security" efforts - has always been, by nature, a sketchy enterprise. It requires the government to (literally) tap into networks of people who operate under the most clandestine circumstances possible, in some of the most low-tech ways one can engage in criminal action. But still: the Bush administration was as transparent (regarding anything) as a brick wall. As the Times helpfully points out: In the eight years of his vice presidency, Mr. Cheney was the Bush administration's most vehement defender of the secrecy of government activities, particularly in the intelligence arena. He went to the Supreme Court to keep secret the advisers to his task force on energy, and won. Yes, it's true: the guy even kept his solar panel fetish in the closet. Either way, whatever this is, it wouldn't be a far stretch to imagine it as one of several reasons President Obama's sympathetically protecting Dick, still. Also, as much as we don't like to think about it, he probably wants to keep some things in his administration a secret. Shit, might as well learn from the best, right? Cheney Is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A.... MORE >>
Raccoon Infiltrates John Varvatos' SoHo Flagship
SoHo's full of all kinds of interesting creatures going shopping on a Saturday afternoon: celebrities, locals, foreign tourists. Competition for their patronage is stiff. But now, John Varvatos can lay claim to the awesome, hot new clientele in town: raccoons! Yes, that's a real, live raccoon you see in John Varvatos' SoHo shop, on the corner of Spring and Greene. According to the nice lady I talked to when I called, animal control sadly took him away before they had time to name him, after a significant crowd had gathered outside. She had no idea how he got in, and no idea where Animal Control took him to. I also inquired if they sell fur, and she said they didn't, that some of their items had shearling on it, and I was like, is that fake fur? And she was like, no, but it's like, wool. So I concluded that the animal was not going to be hastily skinned and used for a John Varvatos product. Varvatos' trademark streak of rock and roll aesthetics in his work goes uninterrupted. After using guys like Iggy Pop in his fashion campaigns, using rock photographer Danny Clinch to shoot them, and most significantly, saving CBGB from becoming a Chase branch by turning it into one of his high-end fashion boutiques to much controversy and outcry by angry people who still thought CBGB meant something besides its status as a relic - which he preserved by keeping much of the original rock club intact - this isn't surprising. He's embracing some punkass animals looking to stir up some shit in his stores! Rock. More of this, please. [Special thanks to our tipster Cheryl Tan, who has a blog and who is having an awesome day.] MORE >>
Bruno's First Big Lawsuit Dropping Assault And Battery Claims
During the release of Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen and Fox faced a bunch of lawsuits, most of them claiming the film's irreversible damage to reputations, none of which were even moderately successful. Now, Bruno's first litigation failures have arrived. Richelle Olson's scene (which was apparently cut, per the comments) has her hosting a charity bingo game with a mostly elderly audience when "Bruno" starts to call out the numbers with "vulgarities." Olson, her husband, and their lawyer Kyle Madison originally alleged that Baron Cohen and her camera crew assaulted her, which caused her to run off stage crying hysterically, falling unconscious, and hitting her head on a concrete slab, which caused two brain bleeds and now has her "confined to a wheelchair." Universal then released that it was actually Olson assaulting Baron Cohen, and showed the footage of it to Madison. He's since amended the lawsuit to drop the charges of assault and battery. But they're still pressing on: "The amendment to the original complaint does not change the cause of the injuries plead in the original complaint," Madison says. "Mrs. Olson's brain injuries were never alleged to have been derived from an assault or battery. She suffered two brain bleeds after the confrontation ensued with Mr. Baron Cohen. According to California case law, any injuries deriving from intentional infliction of emotional distress are recoverable. Mr. Baron Cohen and those associated with the production of 'Bruno,' are accountable for inflicting serious emotional distress and the resulting injuries to Mrs. Olson." The movie is currently wiping the box office competition all over the place; they're slated for the third-highest comedy opening in Australia, and the film's now projected by the studio to make $35.8M in the weekend wrap, which, according to Nikki Finke, would make it one of the five highest R-rated comedy openings ever. Again, if Borat's record shows anything, it's that Baron Cohen and his respective studios set up enough legal shields to protect themselves from almost any kind of liability, anywhere. Ambulance chasers and their clients are always more than suspect; they bring to mind a particularly bad episode of The People's Court. That being said, how fair is it of Baron Cohen and his team to descend on otherwise non public-figures and film scenes with them that can potentially change the way they live their lives thereafter? Maybe not at all; many of the people got in front of the camera under somewhat false pretenses. Then again, they're in front of the camera. There's always that. 'Bruno' bingo victim drops assault and battery claims [THR, Esq.] 'BRUNO' IST BIG: $14.2M Friday Opening; Sacha Too Shocking For $40M Weekend [DHD] MORE >>
Ruth Madoff Coupon Clipping At California Pizza Kitchen
Poor Ruth Madoff's been reduced to coupon clipping. Sadly, since Cipriani's no longer running their Buy-Nine-Truffle-Strewn-Lobsters-Get-An-Iced-Tea-Free promotion, Ruthie went elsewhere: California Pizza Kitchen. How'd it go? Terribly. Also, tasty tips for her! First, it should be noted that any New Yorker in their right mind wouldn't be caught in tourist trap CPK; sure, they have decent salads, if you want pear and Gorgonzola on your pizza, they have it, and if you work on Park in the 30s, it's a great place to go, I guess. That being said, the Page Six reports issues with Ruthie's dining experience: Slinking into the East Side eatery with a young female friend, she ordered a salad and white wine, but quickly got flustered. "The waiter said she was upset because she had coupons and they expired before she could use them," a witness told us, adding that several diners told the waiters they shouldn't serve her. One bit of good news for Ruth, though — she'd just learned her Ponzi-schemer hubby, Bernie Madoff, will be locked away in upstate Otisville, the prison his lawyer had requested. "I'm so glad! It's just what we wanted," she gushed to her dining companion. On her way out, one female diner shouted "Goodnight, Ruth!" The frosty-blond Madoff ignored her, but her dining partner cringed. Emphasis mine. Really, that's kind of sweet, that she was gushing about her hubby being close to her. Maybe she's eyeing it for an investment! Their stock just went up five percent, though I don't know how much the introduction of a Cheeseburger Pizza will help them. And honestly, CPK isn't the type of company that's above serving Ruth Madoff. Seriously. That being said, we've done Ruth the favor of highlighting some promotions that she can more than take advantage of over the next few weeks as she adjusts to her new fiscal disposition. Lucky for her, it's Restaurant Week in New York, beginning tomorrow! Look at all of these awesome Upper East Side eateries Ruth can take advantage of in her quest to shave a little scrilla here and there! Finally, in lieu of correcting that whole Pizza/Salad debacle, she can trek out to Williamsburg, where one of New York Times soon-to-retire food critic Frank Bruni's (and my!) new favorite pizza joints resides: Motorino has a great $10 prix-fixe lunch that comes with a personal pizza AND a salad. Also, Williamsburg hipsters will no doubt enjoy the ironic cache that comes with having Ruth Madoff in your neighborhood. A win-win situation for everyone! PIZZA PREDICAMENT FOR RUTH MADOFF [Page Six] MORE >>
The Day Of Free Slurpee Reckoning Is Upon Us
Whenever someone gives out free things, it can be anything from a positive, organized promotion to lawsuit-inducing mass hysteria. And today will be no exception, because today, my friends, is FREE. SLURPEE. DAY. Things you should know about getting a free Slurpee on a hot-as-balls summer day: it's gonna be tough, so bear down. We suggest wearing riot gear, or at least making some kind of scene so people will be okay with you cutting in line. Maybe an oversized costume, so people will be charmed - har har, how cute, he's dressed as a giant iPod or whatever - and let you pass through. Maybe buy a single Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups so you don't have to wait, and you can snap your fingers and be all like, I'M A PAYING CUSTOMER, GODDAMNIT, MOVE. BY THE WAY I HEAR THIS SLURPEE IS FREE. IS THIS TRUE? Or maybe you might just have to wait it out. Gawker's crack team of culinary experts does not suggest mixing flavors on this day - it's July 11th, 7/11, get it? - and you know some flavors will be more well-tended to than others, more often than not, the Coca Cola one. Go with that. Today is also a wonderful day for 7/11 to trot out a bunch of cute, press-releasey trivia on the Slurpee. Ready? Slurpee drinks are all served at 28 degrees. Slurpee was "invented" when some sodas were put in a freezer to cool them down - and they became all slushy. Winnipeg, Canada is generally thought to be the Slurpee capital of the world, due to their amazing Slurpee fanaticism. When Slurpee first hit the market, it wasn't self-serve. The machine was behind the counter and the clerk served the product to you. At Slurpee, we call it a BrainFreeze. The scientific name for it is Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia. Really. Sugar is the anti-freezing agent in most Slurpee drinks. American Slurpee is injected with air. Canadian Slurpee is not. [Ed. Fuckin' Canadians. HA! Yet again, another way in which we trump you. Our Slurpees have air.] Every day more than 11.6 million Slurpee drinks are consumed around the world. n 2004, 7-Eleven created an edible Slurpee straw. [Ed. Excuse me? Is this edible plastic we're talking about? Genius. I love to chew on plastic. Seriously.] Only one private individual owns a bona fide Slurpee machine. The rest are in 7-Eleven. Wonderful! Other things you may not have been aware of that you might want to be: Last year's food riots aren't so far in the past, speaking of riots! Last month world hunger "reached the 1 Billion Mark." The globalizing forces of the world are now thinking that maybe people dying everywhere from a lack of free Slurpees might not be so good, so they're staring at teenage asses and then tossing a bunch of money at the problem and we're gonna see what happens, starting with the whole "teach a village of landlocked people how to fish" idiom and moving forward from there. Anyway. Just something to think about when you're sucking down that wonderful cup of icy goodness. In the First World, we get free Slurpees.... MORE >>
Click here to safely unsubscribe now from "Gawker: Top Stories" or change your subscription or subscribe
| Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498 |
No comments:
Post a Comment