LA Times points finger at 'Diddy'...but did he?

1999's Pulitzer prize winner, Chuck Philips resume will be featured on monster.com soon. No seriously, it will.

Philips writes for the entertainment section of the LA Times.

Philips' six months of investigating and writing a story linking Sean 'Diddy' Combs to the murder of Tupac Shakur has become nothing more than a debauchery.

The story first appeared online at latimes.com on March 17th stating that FBI documents and interviews with unnamed sources stated that associates of Diddy and Diddy himself, planned the attack on Shakur in November of 1994.

Diddy issued a statement stating that 'The story is a lie...It is beyond ridiculous and completely false... I am shocked that the Los Angeles Times would be so irresponsible as to publish such a baseless and completely untrue story." Then The Smoking Gun caught wind of what was happening and published a story on it.

Directly after The Smoking Gun's feature Philips and his supervisor Marc Duvoisin issued apologises for not further researching their story.

So what caused the big commotion? Falsified FBI records typed on a typewriter by a 31 year old inmate with a 9th grade writing ability.

Times editor Russ Stanton stated 'We published this story with the sincere belief that the documents were genuine, but our good intentions are beside the point.'

BULLSHIT! Did they even read the records or were they just looking for a good story because Britney looks like she's heading back to a place of sanity?

James Sabatino apparently typed up these so called FBI records and stated he was issued them because he is writing up a lawsuit against Diddy because of some unpaid work.

The Smoking Gun stated that their were numerous misspellings, unusual acronyms and redaction's that should have sent up large red flags that said 'This is False.' There was also numerous black marker cross outs among these records.

The Smoking Gun also stated that the FBI ceased to use typewriters over 30 years ago.

Oh and by the way Sabatino is in a federal prison for fraud. If Philips took the time to know his confident of FBI information he would have turned up that Sabatino is nothing more than a person in a state of delusion. Sabatino has been reported exaggerating his career in the gangster rap world. He has stated he managed many of todays most popular hip hop artists. His father even stated to a federal judge that '[Sabatino is] a disturbed young man who needed attention like a drug.'

A mastermind at conning people? Or did a talented journalists fail to fully investigate leads?

Philips I hope your checkbook is ready. I hear a lawsuit coming at you.

Yesterday and Today

As a birthday present I received tickets to a show entitled 'Yesterday and Today' at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT. The show is a tribute to The Beatles. As an avid Beatles fan I was and wasn't looking forward to the experience of watching some hasbens perform some of the best written, composed and performed pieces of music. I was looking forward for the music to be sung and performed live and I wasn't excited to listen to someone butcher the music. I went into the performance with an open mind and was blown off my feet. Not only was the performance amazing, it was also something that I never experienced before.

The friend who got my the tickets, bartends at the Theatre, so I got there a little early and was able to observe theatre people working before the show. Let me just tell you, it was intense. Not only were they changing lights that I didn't even notice where out, they were matching up the running carpets to a T and moving easels a millimeter at a time to find the perfect spot. All that tedious work paid off though because the foyer looked great.

The box office workers were nuts, not only were they bribing me for my drink (which I never received) they were dancing crazy later in the show. The wine servers were interesting to say the least. Nice ladies, but I couldn't tell if they were super Italian or wannabe Italians (Guidettes), I avoided them for most of the night, I can't be associated with Guidos.

I also had the privilege of listening to the band rehearse. I wasn't too impressed by the rehearsal, they did an awesome cover of Tom Petty's American Girl. It was pretty stellar.

After the house opened I was ushered to my seat. I was the first person in the theatre, I felt like I had a big L on my head, but I was stoked, I wanted to see the show, plus with my friend behind the bar, I looked like an outcast standing by myself hugging my coat. I became the Usher's confidant. After about 15 minutes people started strolling in, a few at first then a few more, and after every seating the usher had a few words to say about the people he ushered, one story imparticular had me in stitches; the usher seated a man directly behind a bald man, the non-bald man said to the usher, 'Can I sit somewhere else, because his shiny head is going to distract me'. The things people say when they've had one too many martinis.

The curtain was open before the show started, the set design didn't grab me, it looked like a bunch of high school kids painted it for their version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I learned to love it later in the show with the amazing lighting.

I was seated directly behind the drummers teenage son, he was a cool kid, although he was air playing the drums the whole show which was kind of annoying.

The Show:

The show was amazing. It was just a band singing the art of the Beatles, it was an all request audience interaction show. Prior to the show there were baskets and ballots where you would fill in your name, the Beatles song you wanted to hear play, and the reason why. I requested For the Benefit or Mr. Kite, Happiness is a Warm Gun, and I Want You. Before the band would play the show they would read the names, ask you to identify yourself and then read of your reason why. Their were lots of laughs and red faces in the audience. The house lights were up for the non-singing part of the show and it made it much more intimate.

After the opening number was over the band introduced themselves and told the audience how the show would play out. Then the show really took off, the first half was pretty mellow, and the audience loved the interaction. The lead singers Billy McGuigan, Matthew McGuigan and Jeff Tuohy told the audience about their lives, their interests and love for the Beatles.

Billy and Matt were military brats, instead of going to the movies on the weekend they stayed in and their father would pull out Beatles records and guitars. They said the wouldn't thank the academy for any award they may receive they would thank government cheese. Because closed the first half of the show and the McGuigan's dedicated it to their father who died at the age of 42 to Leukemia.

Jeff Tuohy is from Southbury, and he didn't elaborate much about his background mostly because the McGuigan's joked the entire time that he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and if you're from CT you will agree.

The whole show was amazing, but a few numbers need to be talked about individually. Jeff Tuohy's rendition of I Am The Walrus, was amazing. He didn't sound like Lennon he sounds more like Bono's version of the song, sung for the 2007 movie Across the Universe.

Billy sang Oh, Darling and it sent chills up my spine. Not only did he hit all the right notes but the emotion was there as well making it that much more believable.

Matt sang A Day in a Life. At first I didn't think he would be capable of doing it, but the boy can sing people. I felt like I was at an actual Beatles show. Okay lets not go that far, but it was pretty darn close.

Right before the closing my request was played. (SCREECH!) Happiness is a Warm Gun was sung by Jeff, and he did an awesome job, he sang the hell out of the song. After the performance I got to meet Jeff and he personally thanked me for requesting it. I guess they don't get a lot of requests for it.

Come Together was the last song of the evening.

The show went over and the performers never lost energy. It was high intensity and mind blowing.

The last show is the 30th. I recommend that you go see it!

Are Women Really to Blame?

I'm not sure if everyone knows the story of how the three Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) started, but I'm starting to get this feeling that maybe there was only suppose to be one religion after all.

Before I even start I want to state for the record that I'm an agnostic. I don't believe in one particular religion or God. I believe in a higher power that explains that which can't be explained in the universe. I'm not pushing religion on anyone, just expand your minds with me for a while.

How It All Started

Abraham was a Jew and lived in Mesopotamia, he was married to Sarah, who was barren. Feeling guilty of not being able to give a child to Abraham, Sarah asked her maid, Hagar to sleep with Abraham and become pregnant. (Is it getting confusing yet?) 9 months later out pops Ishmael. Three strangers visit Abraham and promise him that there will be more members of his family than their are grains of sand, and Sarah will be the mother. Sarah mysteriously gets pregnant by Abraham and out pops Issac.

Evan though Ishmael is the first born, Issac becomes the child of the covenant and is considered the first born. Sarah becomes jealous of Hagar and Ishmael (the illegitimate child) and asks them to leave, so they do. Ishmael's line will form Islam.

Issac will later marry Rebecca and have 12 sons (one of which is GO GO GO GO JOSEPH!) aka The 12 Tribes of Israel.

One Religion

So here's my thinking, If Sarah hadn't jumped the gun and asked Hagar to sleep with Ab, there would only be one religion (assuming Jesus never came around) Judaism. We would be a world of Jews. Speaking in terms of facts, if the three Arbrahamic religions believe in one God (well give Christianity a break here) and Judaism is the oldest of the three, why would that said God want to form two new religions devoted to him. I mean I know his/her/it's name is God, but no one can be that conceited.

So poor Sarah, she might as well go up there with Eve.

Silce-of-Life Profile

Background- If I have any readers out their beside my class, this blog was created because of a course I am taking currently at a college in CT. It's a New Media class, aka Blogging. So here's my blog.

A couple weeks ago the class was given a handout about 'Profiles', so I've decided to try my hand at writing one for practice, you never know I might be a Barbara Walters one day and this exercise will benefit me profusely if I am.

So what's a profile? It's an biographical essay on a person, sometimes referred to as an interview. Enough of the text book let's get to the nitty gritty.



Holly Lutters: A Profile

With the bellow of late 90's music, under a flickering light at Applewoods Diner in Bristol, CT Holly Lutters, a 20 year old college co-ed sat stirring her burnt coffee with a spoon. Lutters was at the restaurant celebrating a friend's (my) birthday so I took the opportunity to have a moment with her.

Lutters is currently attending Newbury College in Boston, MA studying Media Writing with a vast amount of minors including English and Psychology. Originally from Terryville, CT she started to develop her love and skill for writing at the local high school. Lutters says she plans on pursuing her masters in Journalism after she receives her bachelors in 2009. She stated her ideal job would be an Arts and Entertainment column in The Boston Phoenix. Very ambitious.

Okay, enough about the smart stuff, lets get down the real Holly Lutters. After taking her metabolism boosting Vitamin B-Complex she's ready to answer my hard hitting questions. I decided to conduct her interview based off a facebook or myspace profile.

As to whether she has a specific religious belief Holly stated she believes in Karma. Since I'm Holly's friend on facebook I know this is true because everyday she sends me some Buddha loving through a Karma application. I'm all zenned out. Upon asking what her life's philosophy is, we had a little tet-a-tet:

Holly: 'I would rather die than be mediocre.'

Me: 'Isn't that from a movie?'

Holly: 'Now it isn't, IS IT?!'

Me: 'Yes, American Beauty'

Holly: ' Damn it! Now I need to change it!'

With no specific role models Holly stated she's a 'trail blazer' and likes to set her own path. Apparently Holly likes to be original, which should benefit her later in her career.

Previously romantically linked to a published author, her current relationship status is: 'It's Complicated', but she wouldn't mind if Ryan Phillippe came around declaring his love for her, even if he did cheat on Reese.

Holly enjoys taking pictures with her Canon SLX5, she described the camera as her baby. I felt embarrassed when she used my Fuji to take some shots later in the night. My camera could never measure up to her ultra zoom lens and 30mega pixels. No, seriously her camera is awesome.

Some of Holly's favorites include, the television shows Friends and Sex and the City, both of which are no longer in production. Holly says she doesn't watch much T.V. Her favorite band is Foo Fighters;

Holly: 'I love Dave Grohl with all my heart.'

Me: ' You know he's married, right?'

Holly: ' Yea, but he cheats on his wife all the time. I read it somewhere.'

Me: ' With you?'

Holly: 'No! He wishes!'

Holly has a whole book devoted to pet peeves, but a few of them are, repetitive sounds (i.e. foot tapping), paper cuts, animals dressed as humans, the Weimaraner dogs, and bad continuity in films. So for the lucky men out there that get a date with Holly, be sure to avoid all that has been mentioned above.

I decided to shake up the interview a little bit by asking whether she thought Hannah Montana (or is it Miley Cyrus?) is a positive role model for young girls. Her response was, 'I don't know. I don't follow the tweens. All I know is that she performs in a wig and it's weird.' She also went on to say that the fact that you can purchase a Hannah Montana wig makes her think it's a cult.

My last question to Holly was what kind of mark do you want to leave on the world? Holly said that she doesn't expect to leave a mark on the world 'I don't want to leave mark, I don't intend to leave a mark.'

If you didn't have enough of Holly in this profile and can read her personal blog. Holly described her blog as not an emo blog, it's more of a random thoughts blog.

She's fabulous but she's evil. Damn It Barbie You Ruined My Life!

Margaret Wolfe Hungerford’s coined phrase ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, no longer holds true in today’s society, it should now be read as ‘Beauty is in the eye of the advertising company’. Thank You Barbie!

Role model or not, Barbie has ruined the image of beauty in the world. Damn her! Or him for that matter. Yes women put your minds at ease, Barbie was created by a man.

Thank you Jack Ryan the thoughtful creator of Barbie. Some things you may not know about Jack Ryan: besides having a penis which somehow gives him absolute power in knowing the true aspects of a women's body, he was also a missile designer. Oh yea, I think I see lots of yellow light bulbs flashing. Barbie does resemble a torpedo after all.

Barbie was 'redesigned', if you will, a few years back because her proportions were very inaccurate. 'Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions…found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body…her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea and eventually die from malnutrition.” (Media Awareness Network) I know I want to look like a Barbie doll now for sure and live life on the toilet bowl! Even with the new design she's still smaller than Karen Carpenter (In my defense I love Karen Carpenter).

Barbie isn't a good role model. Yes the girl could do numerous jobs, she is styling it as vet, wearing heels as a pediatrician, the girl even worked at McDonald's and could still afford her Barbie Dream House and Barbie Convertible, but other than that she's a shiny hard toy. A child can't seek emotional happiness from Barbie, you can't even hug Barbie without her fingers poking your eye. And after a week of use, Barbie has lost both of her heels, a shirt and her hair is so frizzy and natty you can't even put your own comb through it without it breaking. Barbie sucks!

One adolescent boy argued 'I blame Barbie for the Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez craze. I also blame Barbie for the craze in implants and liposuction to become good looking. I also think that Barbie has made a demand ... for beauty salons and operations to become beautiful.' (BNet) Barbie even has men bashing her now, but she's still as popular as ever. WHY?!

40 years ago the average models weight was 8% less than the average female, today it's 23% less. Thanks Jack and your ideal female fantasy.

There's one women out there who started standing against the airbrushing Barbie effect. Give it up for Jamie Lee Curtis! In a 2002 edition of More Magazine, Curtis refused to be airbrushed and asked to pose in her skivvy's to show women of the world, she's just as flawed as everyone else. Go Jamie Go!

Kirsty Brinkley has even been reported saying that 'If I were standing next to a model of today, you’d only notice me on the page because I’d take up more room.'

Conclusion, the Barbies of the world need to go. Women who try to make themselves look like a plastic torpedo need to hit the self destruct button. Impressionable little girls need positive role models not the Victoria Secret models of the world telling them what's 'fierce'. Oh yea Tyra I went there.