Pablo Picasso’s “dream” painting has turned into a $139 million nightmare for Steve Wynn.
In an accident witnessed by a group that included Barbara Walters and screenwriters Nora Ephron and Nicholas Pileggi, Wynn accidentally poked a hole in Picasso’s 74-year-old painting, “Le Reve,” French for “The Dream.”
A day earlier, Wynn had finalized a record $139 million deal for the painting of Picasso’s mistress, Wynn told The New Yorker magazine
The accident occurred as a gesturing Wynn, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that affects peripheral vision, struck the painting with his right elbow, leaving a hole the size of a silver dollar in the left forearm of Marie-Theresa Walter, Picasso’s 21-year-old mistress. “Oh shit, look what I’ve done,” Wynn said, according to Ephron, who gave her account in a blog published on Monday.
Wynn paid $48.4 million for the Picasso in 1997 and had agreed to sell it to art collector Steven Cohen. The $139 million would have been $4 million higher than the previous high for a work of art, according to The New Yorker.
You would have thought that meant the American public.
SICKENING VICTIM ACT FOOLED JUDGE
IT WAS all just an act. Lynne Stewart, a former lawyer who specialized in spreading terror and hate around the world, lumbered into a courtroom looking sick, crestfallen and oh, so sorry.
She bounced out of the bleak room hours later like she’d just won the lottery. And, well, she had.
…A clearly admiring Judge John Koeltl sentenced her to just two years and four months in prison.
“I can do that standing on my head!” Stewart crowed after court.
They always seem to forget that if it were up to the animal they collaborated with, they most likely wouldn’t have a head.
What a traitorous toad.
Brian M. McLaughlin, 54, is accused in an indictment of stealing money from several organizations in which he held official positions, according to a statement from federal prosecutors in Manhattan. He and his associates are accused of stealing from labor unions, the state of New York and not-for-profit groups.
…He also is a seven-term Democratic state assemblyman.
A warm Swill salute to the Gateway Pundit for what might be a short-lived story.
“Were you interviewed face to face by a male governor of the school for this job? It’s a simple question…To assess your suitability for this job? And you did not wear the veil for that interview?”
British Prime Minister Tony Blair stepped into the debate over the integration of Muslims into British society on Tuesday, calling the full veil worn by some Muslim women “a mark of separation“.
Controversy has erupted in Britain over the wearing of the veil with some leaders of Britain’s 1.8 million Muslims accusing the government of stirring up Islamophobia.
…Asked if a woman who wore the veil could make a full contribution to British society, Blair said: “It is a mark of separation and that’s why it makes other people from outside the community feel uncomfortable.”
“No one wants to say that people don’t have the right to do it, that’s to take it too far, but I think we do need to confront this issue about how we integrate people properly with our society and all the evidence is when people do integrate more they achieve more as well.
…Blair called for a debate on how the Muslim community integrates into British society and on how Islam comes to terms with the modern world. His government has begun to question whether Britain’s traditional policy of promoting a multicultural society — where different communities live side by side without having a single British identity imposed on them — has backfired by contributing toward the isolation of some communities.
…”What is happening, especially in the last few months, has been a barrage of demonization of the Muslim community to such an extent that the community is now scared and the whole community feels vulnerable,” MCB General Secretary Muhammad Abdul Bari told BBC Radio.
“Scared” and “vunerable” like the way the British feel about “bombs in the subway”, “on buses” and “airplanes”? THAT kind of “scared”?
You can thank your freakin’ neighbors for that, Abdul.
Fierce US critic Venezuela and US-backed Guatemala fought a bitter battle for Latin America’s open seat on the UN Security Council, forcing voting into a second day under pitched lobbying by the United States.
Guatemala led in all but one of the 10 rounds of voting, which was a tie, but Caracas held on to enough support to deny Guatemala the two-thirds majority of votes cast in a particular round needed to win.
The sheer entertainment value of having Venezuela on the Security Council is worth whatever disruption they might cause. Let’s face it, the Council is useless anyway, and I want the list posted of every nation that voted for Venezuela as this farce continues to show everyone how even the members of the UN regard it as a joke.
…JIM FETZER, BELIEVES BUSH ORCHESTRATED 9/11: Well, you are wrong, Bill, because you haven’t studied the case. We’ve created an organization consisting of experts and scholars, pilots, aeronautical engineers, mechanical engineers, structural engineers, physicists. We’ve been examining what the government’s been telling us. And, frankly, Bill, it’s a fantasy.
None of the major claims made by the government can be sustained. We’ve been looking at this from every point of view. The government has a story it wants to sell us? We’re not buying it. O’REILLY: OK, you don’t have to buy anything. You’re American. You want to be a nut? You can be a nut. And you are a nut, because in order for any conspiracy of this magnitude to take place, thousands of Americans would have to buy into it, would have to know about it, and would have to keep their mouth shut about it. That’s never going to happen. You’re like the guys who think that the space aliens kidnapped Elvis or something like that; that’s where you are, in my opinion.
So your opinion is that Bush murdered everybody on 9/11 to seize control and make him the dictator of America, or whatever the crazy thing is. And my opinion is, you’re nuts.
major dad adds,
“Making George Bush the world’s greatest actor when they told him in the schoolroom and the most malevolent, ee-ville GENIUS the world has ever seen. Ever. EVER.”
Comments made by TV analyst and former Miami player Lamar Thomas during a sideline-clearing brawl involving the Hurricanes and Florida International will be edited out before the game is replayed later this week.
Thomas may also lose his job with Comcast Sports SouthEast, a regional cable network available in 5.5 million homes.
…“Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” Thomas said as the brawl raged out of control. “You come into our house, you should get your behind kicked. You don’t come into the OB playing that stuff. You’re across the ocean over there. You’re across the city. You can’t come over to our place talking noise like that. You’ll get your butt beat. I was about to go down the elevator to get in that thing.”
Miami and Florida International have campuses 9 miles apart in Miami-Dade County. It was the first meeting between the two programs, and the Hurricanes went on to win 35-0.
As the fight slowed, Thomas’ comments continued.
“I say, why don’t they just meet outside in the tunnel after the ball game and get it on some more? You don’t come into the OB, baby,” Thomas said. “We’ve had a down couple years but you don’t come in here talking smack. Not in our house.”
major dad said “it’s astonishing!” I said no, it’s not. “It’s Miami.” And he agreed. There weren’t t-shirts in the 80’s for the Notre Dame-Miami game that said…
Catholics versus the Convicts
…for nothing. And Donna Shalala says Coker’s job is safe.
THAT’S astonishing.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been using campaign donations instead of his personal money to pay Christmas bonuses for the support staff at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives in an upscale condominium. Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use.
Questioned about the campaign expenditures by The Associated Press, Reid’s office said Monday he was personally reimbursing his campaign for $3,300 in donations he had directed to the staff holiday fund at his residence.
That’s what her supporters are saying about the government wanting to put convicted terrorism enabler Lynne Stewart away for thirty years. I dunno ~ I sure don’t see it that way. Dumped in a spider hole until Ahmadinejad’s Iman of the Twelfth of Never comes back and THEN some isn’t long enough for my thinking.
But it’s neither here nor there now.
Civil rights lawyer jailed on terror charges
Attorney helped sheik who wanted to blow up New York City landmarks
Civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison on a terrorism charge for helping a client, a blind sheik who plotted to blow up New York City landmarks, communicate with his followers.
Stewart, 67, could have faced up to 30 years in prison. She smiled as the judge announced his decision to send her to prison for less than 2½ years.
…Japan has taken one of the hardest lines against the North. Last Friday, the Cabinet approved closing ports to North Korean ships and banning trade with the North.
On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that his country may impose more sanctions depending on how other countries respond to the U.N. measures. Australia announced that it would go beyond the U.N. resolution by banning the North’s ships from entering its ports except in dire emergencies.
“I think that will help Australia make a quite clear contribution to the United Nations sanctions regime,” Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
A VIDEO last week showed the Taliban’s military commander Mullah Dadullah beheading eight men accused of spying for British and US forces in Aghanistan.
…MOHAMMED Dadullah Akhund is the perfect image of a Mad Mullah terror leader. Black beard, black turban, and one leg missing.
When he is not being filmed cutting the heads off victims he is seen embracing suicide bombers before sending them to their deaths.
One person’s religious fundamentalist is another person’s terrorist. Stop the ugly stereotypes and embrace our differences. We need to reach out more and identify the root causes.
Understand the anger and disenfranchisement that drives regular, friendly chaps to bad hair, goats and anti-social behaviour.
(Pffft. “Mullah Dadullah” ~ sh*t. Who names these guys?)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) — More than 90 Sri Lankan sailors were killed Monday afternoon when an explosives-laden truck rammed into their convoy, Defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told CNN.
“These men were all unarmed. This is a deliberate barbaric terrorist attack,” he said.
…Witnesses said bodies were strewn across the scene of the incident. A navy official accused Tamil Tiger rebels of carrying out the suicide attack.
The latest attack comes as foreign mediators struggle to keep alive the four-year old Norwegian-brokered cease-fire which has unraveled amid clashes that have killed at least 1,000 combatants and more than 100 civilians since July.
Maybe we can send Jimmeh over for some dialogue.
World Stuff | Mr. Bingley | 7:31 am | Comments Off on I Suppose This Is Chimpy’s Fault Too
Red wine may help prevent stroke damage
A couple glasses a day could protect the brain, mouse studies suggest
Red wine might work to protect the brain from damage after a stroke and drinking a couple of glasses a day might provide that protection ahead of time, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday.
In an effort to better understand how red wine works, the scientists from Johns Hopkins University fed mice a moderate dose of a compound found in red grape skins and seeds before inducing stroke-like damage.
They discovered that the animals suffered less brain damage than similarly damaged mice who were not treated with the compound, which is called resveratrol.
…Hubert Hoffman was earlier arrested by the police in a routine check at a railway station in the Polish capital of Warsaw.
He complained to the arresting officers that President Lech Kaczynski and his twin brother Jaroslaw, was responsible for turning Poland back to a Communist style dictatorship. He was reprimanded to show more respect for the country’s rulers. Hoffman replied with a loud fart and was immediately arrested. He was charged for “contempt for the office of the head of state.”
They did a fantastic job. Kudos to Ed Bradley and the crew. As much for their report as for the people they interviewed. The ‘second stripper’ was a revelation. Well spoken, completely together ~ wow. I hadn’t visualized that. (I had the strippers I’ve met through the years who’ve been married to Marines I worked with in my head. As in “stripper” ~ BINGO! “Candy” comes to mind.)
Nifong needs to go down like a BIG DOG and those three kids need to file a wrongful prosecution lawsuit of biblical proportions.
Like I said in my earlier post ~ Nifong is toast if Ed Bradley and co. are working for the defense. The tragedy of it all is the three young lives ruined needlessly. UPDATE: A link is available now.
“This woman has destroyed everything I worked for in my life. She’s put it on hold. She’s destroyed two other families and she’s brought shame on a great university. And, worst of all she’s split apart a community and a nation on facts that just didn’t happen and a lie that should have never been told,” says David Evans.
You know, whatever her motivations, I wouldn’t put it all on the accuser. She can shriek herself blue in the face from the Duke Bell Tower and that’s her right, lies or not. No. It’s up to the District Attorney whether the case goes forward on the evidence. When there IS no evidence, there is no case. “60 Minutes” shouldn’t have to come to Durham to make a case that’s been made in the press (and blogs) almost since the very beginning. Every revelation has been one more confirmation of exoneration. And yet it continues. The astonishing thing in the interviews was the fact that at least one of the young men had NEVER been questioned by either the Durham police or a representative of the DA’s office. NO. ONE. Hey! I watch “The Closer” ~ the cops crawl all over you like a fly on roadkill.
Or they’re supposed to. La Shawn Barber’s on the story, as ever. And WOW is all I can say about this dissection of the case.
…with football on the telly and leaves skittering across the yard triggers an instinctive reaction.
“Must Bake COOkies“
So I did. Herewith:
Butterscotch Chippy Oatmeal COOkies
…à la ths.
In the bowl ~
1 C butter (I use Land o’ Lakes baking/spreadable butter w/ canola ~ better cholesterol wise)
1/4C granulated sugar
3/4C dark brown sugar, packed
1- 3 oz. box instant butterscotch pudding
Navy SEAL falls on grenade to save comrades
Monsoor was only the second member of force to be killed in Iraq
A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret.
“He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it,” said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. “He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs’ lives, and we owe him.”
…Prior to his death, Monsoor had already demonstrated courage under fire. He has been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions May 9 in Ramadi, when he and another SEAL pulled a team member shot in the leg to safety while bullets pinged off the ground around them.
Bless his brave heart. Damn.
A Swill thank you to GALA for the heads-up on this.
Vote for Prop 204. You’ll take a lot of shit for it like we did here in the Sunshine State, but you’ll never know how glad you’ll be to have passed it. What you WON’T have is…
25 MILLION GALLONS of PIG POOPIE
…heading down stream in ONE poop swoop like we had in Norf Cacklelackey.
And that’s worth every bit of print poop you take for passing it.
South Park beats down the 9-11 Conspiracy idiots.
(h/t to Allah) ths UPDATE: Truthers strike back!
Well anyways like I said, I think this will get more people wanting to look at these “silly” conspiracy theories only to find themselves having themselves having restless nights researching controlled demolitons.
Yeah, I can see that happening: “You know, if Cartman thinks there’s something to this, maybe I should do some research.“
Feds probe trip that Kolbe made with pages
NBC exclusive: Congressman alleged to have been inappropriate in ’96
Federal prosecutors in Arizona have opened a preliminary investigation of a camping trip Congressman Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., took 10 years ago that included two teenage congressional pages, a Justice Department spokesman told NBC News.
…NBC also interviewed the two former pages, who are now in their late 20s. One of them said that Kolbe was a gentleman and never acted in an improper fashion. He recalled that the pair spent time in Kolbe’s house at one point — and briefly were alone with him on the trip — and that Kolbe always acted professionally and decently.
The other would not comment on Kolbe’s behavior during the trip or characterize it in any way.
“I don’t want to get into the details,” he said. “I just don’t want to get into this… because I might possibly be considered for a job in the administration.”
However, the former page — who is the one to whom Kolbe allegedly paid special attention — said he had a “blast” on the trip and did not report anything improper to his parents or any House officials after the trip. He said he has a favorable impression of the page program to this day and likes Kolbe.
RoundOne.
Now, there’s no sign of Foley or Dirty Harry on MSNBC.com’s home page, so I’m wondering how long before this makes front and center. ( World News Tonight had a piece on how conservative Christians are leaving the GOP in droves because they’re “too close to homosexuals”. ) UPDATE: Got the link.
Arguments among Christian conservatives — primarily that many of the gay men caught up in the Mark Foley scandal prove that Republicans have been too tolerant — threaten to tear the party apart.
“It’s time for what we call a ‘Come to Jesus Meeting,'” said Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition. “Homosexuality is a dysfunctional lifestyle, and it must be addressed.”
“Has the social agenda of the GOP been stalled by homosexual members and/or staffers?” Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council wrote in an e-mail to activists. “Does the party want to represent values voters or Mark Foley and friends?”
Synchronize your watches…6:22 p.m. CST in 3…2…now.
“If I can get an elephant led by a mariachi band into this country, I think Osama bin Laden could get across with all the weapons of mass destruction he could get into this country,” Bhakta said.
The mariachi band was not immediately available for comment.
Fun | Mr. Bingley | 
October 17, 2006 4:14 pm | 
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