Anita Collins Chumps the Archbishop

Anita Collins took the Archdiocese/Archbishop of New York for a $million. And over a seven year period, the Catholics didn't even flinch. Or for that matter, even notice. Which, of course, means that the $million was chump change. Chump...chump...chump!

Alright, so the Arch-CHURCH didn't do back round checks on new hires back in 2003. If one had been done, well, Anita would have been exposed for a prior 1999 conviction in which she sucked on a temp agency. But, really, how could the religiots have ever guessed. Anita Collins was a devout worshipper. In addition she was a volunteer, a regular Mass attendee and so white, that she flew below arch-scrutiny's radar. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/she_mortal_sinner_6QHcyZwaVGSrlNgKedatFN

She was crafty... issuing some 450 fake invoices from "companies" she owned. Keeping the payment checks below the $2500 limit, no one noticed. (A check greater than $2500 required an arch-supervisor's authorization.) Anita bought some nice stuff... clothes, jewelry, paintings, furniture, collector dolls etc.

The compelling issue is how a $million could NOT be missed. A requisite must be that a $million is not enough to be of much consequence. Try this test... would you miss a $million from your bank account? But surely, the Archdiocese of New York is b-i-g business and it deals in mega millions, rendering a mere million arch-meaningless.

Some data...

• archdiocese founded 1850
• area, approx 4700 sq mi
• population 5.8 million of which 2.6 million are Catholics
• approx 1800 priests in service
• about 3200 nuns
• Timothy M Dolan is the Archbishop
• 370 parishes
• St. Patrick is the patron

Cyrus R Vance, the Manhattan District Attorney, is on the case. Cy, who made a patoot of himself in the Domique Strauss-Kahn disaster, may have a better outing with the frail Collins. She has already given it up, admitting her errant and larcenous ways. Good for both of them. He needs a win and she needs to confess. Catholics confess as a way of clearing mortal sins from their eternal slates and possible forever damnation (hell.)

No word yet how Archbishop Dolan will wring out Collins. For sure, he needs to recover as much of the purloined cash as possible. A liquidation and auction will be needed. As these things go, purchased goods only bring back about twenty cents on the dollar. There is no statement about how much the old lady kept in cash.

Somehow feeling bad for the church seems misplaced. Loaded with money, power and influence, the Archdiocese will poor mouth while basking in the buffer zone glow of existential insecurity. As for Collins, she is an American hero. If she had continued to beat the system for more, she would have become a super hero. Super hero? Oh, that would have been reached when she hit $five million. Rats, er Chumps!! In case it comes up, an arch-hero earns over $ten million...

Helen Mirren should play Anita Collins in the TV movie...

So long 4 now...

Alex Morgan is Rising

Alex Morgan, a 22 year old soccer phenomenon, is on the rise. Not yet a starter for Team USA, her 2 goal contribution yesterday to the USA's domination over Canada in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament finals (4-0) was impressive. Indeed her play was excellent.

Fast and determined, the forward came to national attention in the USA National Team's loss in FIFA 2011. Notably, she was the youngest player on that squad with a birth date of July 2, 1989. Having scored in the semifinal game, her first goal against Japan in the final game was a thing of beauty. She plays professionally for the Western New York Flash.

It goes without saying there are already gold expectations for the USA in the upcoming summer Olympic women's soccer games. In no small measure, Ms. Morgan is a factor of great significance. She has the un-learnable quality of being able to score. Players can play well, be fast, have all of the tools - but only a handful are scorers. In the old days, money player was a name bandied about...

In addition, Alex Morgan is a paradigm for the sport. So far untarnished in reputation, she has the great potential to move women's soccer to a not-seen-before public esteem. Her clean-cut California looks and her electric smile cannot be discounted. And good for her!

More to come...

Alex può giocare a calcio!
(Alex can play soccer!)

Connoisseur of the Sublime

Like a rubber ball memory bouncing off of a city store side-wall, his fascination with the hair line came back to him. No, not the frontal hairline, the one so fragile and disappointing in many men his age. Perhaps his frontal disinterest was the result of his own decimation of so many years ago... But, alas, his flash back is what could be called the retro-ear hair line...

From forever, maybe from seventh grade when Mary Lou Persichetti wore her hair up, did Sally become a retro-ear hair line pervert. While males his age then, now and in-between, typically harden over more traditional female bounty, Sally Ontiero had his own way of juicing up. He recollected on his flight to LA how he used to hope the strippers, whom he would go watch with Billy and Meko at the Troc in Philly, would start their acts with their hair up. Many did... affording Sally a thrill beyond compare.

The flight attendant up a row had innocently bent forwards to sell some coffee or juice or tea. Bam-Bam!! A vision, right there, Sally spotted a perfect, natural retro-ear hair line. Like flood waters breaching a levee, he felt a rush of passion as he became big below. It had been years since such a thing occurred. In fact, Sally had more or less forgotten about his perversion. Aging and a lowering testosterone level can be a bitch.

trimmed, ugh

Once, while reading a magazine of no value, Sally learned that some girls trimmed their hairlines. Somehow, the thought of doing this struck the Mickey Mantle era XY'er the same way as bush sculpting. In his mind, natural was the only acceptable option. Oh, yes, Sally DOES have a dumb cell  phone. A Luddite, not.

Back in the day, that is when he plowed regularly, Sally would kiss a woman with passion while pushing her hair back off of her face. Although she wouldn't know what he was up to, his nuzzling and kissing behind the ear was always a winner. Sally reasoned that this was one under rated erogenous zone. But the turn on for him was the retro-ear hair line, its shape, its sharpness, its smell... Once he juiced in his pants just looking and touching and kissing the SPOT. That was a long time ago.

Sally has always been a student of beauty and loveliness...

While Zooey, Jessica and Mena have decent hairlines, Sally opts for a clean, sharp and arched delineation. Finding perfection is rarely gained and just as well. For it is in the search that hope springs eternal. Sadly, the finding of the paradigm leaves nothing left to want.

With his eyes wide shut he hears...

We have begun our initial descent into Los Angeles.

He thinks about her, the attendant. A kid really, probably twenty-eight. Does she have any idea about her retro-ear hair line? Ah, probably not. Unless she has a friend, who like Sally, is a connoisseur of the sublime. By then, his tumescence had passed and he was happy to silently pass gas.

Ciao

Light as Air

Commercial Street on a cold, brrrr, cold Friday night... The tourists, fair assed as they are, must have gone back to Boston. Now, not summer, in fact the dead of winter, was no time to hang in Portland-Maine. No indeed. Anybody with any sense went south. Not him, not Pete. Pete walked without company tonight. The street was dead.

He was the kind of kid, who stood up when the teacher said sit. Say he yes when the right answer was no. Contrary just to be that way was his mien. So it would come as no surprise to anybody who knew him that Pete wintered in Portland-Maine. Cold and underpopulated, Portland-Maine.

Retired and without any present-day tethers, he lived his life like a helium balloon. Free and light as air, he was the slave of wind and updrafts. With enough kincaid to last him 10 years beyond whenever he would die, he had not a worry. Sure he spent little, living frugally, renting off season and driving a 10 year old Mitsubishi, er, Evo. Observers would say he had a small nut. He did, but his sac nuts were average and working.

With a MacBook Pro and an iPhone, a man like Pete needed nothing more! Well other than the Evo. A teenage dream--- that's how the double sixer lived. Eating what he wanted, when he wanted... up all night and asleep whenever, he lived a novel life. Now at least... But then again, who has a permanent pass?

Whenever anybody asked him about his past, Pete Pierce stared through his inquisitor as if he had x-ray vision. Never looking back made his life simple. Without any recollections, life is one clean slate after another. Without memory baggage, there was nothing to do but have fun in the present. Without any weight, a man could be free and light as air.

So he righted into the Commercial Street Pub, a bar up about six feet off of the ground. As Pete went by its windows, he could see the ankles and shoes and legs of the people already in out of the cold. And from what he could tell the ankles and shoes and legs were having fun. The band was playing, the Commercial Street Pub had live music on weekends. Warm bars in cold places have a certain distinct comfort aura, one that cannot be duplicated when bars are located in warm places, like Florida.

Friday was always a good night. Ever since Pete Pierce was old enough to want to fuck, he liked Friday. It was pick-up night. The girls were out for it on Fridays. Saturday, on the other hand, was date night... or so it seemed. For sure the odds were his on Fridays. But tonight...

As was his custom, he drank beer. Pete could control the buzz with beer. Once he got the shit kicked out of him at a party. He was vodka drunk. When he came to his senses, he found his face purple and scraped and he had a broken nose. Vodka drunk never again.

Three into a five bottle buzz, the tap came out of nowhere. He felt it on his right shoulder. When he turned to see who owned the tapper, he saw nothing. Quickly he turned left thinking it was one of those situations when a cute-assed idiot plays shoulder schizophrenia. But no, nobody there either.

Some girl, who looked like Fiona Apple, was singing Paper Bag. She was a wannabe and a pretty good one at that. Tap-tap again. A should-have-been familiar face this time smiled at him as he turned right and looked down. Asian, she was, Filipino, in fact. Short, maybe four-ten or five-zero, she was toothy. Sometimes small people don't have enough room to fit all of their teeth into their tiny mouths. Pete wondered why her teeth were big enough for a six footer?

But she was pretty. Asian hair, well-well... Cawks like Pete loved Asian hair. Millie  had it all going there. Their eyes locked for just a little too long. Three extra seconds make all the difference. Twenty-two years made no difference, not to Pete nor to Millie. Not tonight, not ever. You see, they had history.

It was a long time ago, back when he was double four and she double two. Then, he was a medico in the Mass General emergency room and she was a green nurse from Iloilo City. He had no recollection, but Millie was an elephant when it came to events and dates. Not that their history mattered much, but everything can't be minimized or neglected as if events and people fall off of timelines and disappear. No.

And so it came to pass on a frigid January night in Portland-Maine that two people crossed paths, again. Their chemistry was transcendent. Talking until their tongues were tired, they agreed to meet in six hours at Becky's Diner-for breakfast. There is no telling what will happen but the story is already written. Ha! If only Pete had a time machine... Being free and light as air can mean many things!

Big Bang Theory cast and their time machine

Buonanotte...

Toxic Mold Did It?

Toxic mold is science fiction stuff. Growing, hidden above, below and around a person, unseen and unheard, sickening and killing, insidiously and overtly, MOLD... Causing anything from a runny nose, to rashes to sinusitis to pneumonia to allergic reactions and even death, mold has become an increasing problem as buildings have become more insulated and less '"airy."

The key for mold growth is moisture. Damp and humid to overt flooding are key. Coupled with oxygen and organic matter to grow on, mold has a field day. Ubiquitous and virtually omnipresent, mold spores await the biologic triggers to reproduce. Consequently, mold is inescapable. It is manageable but unavoidable.

Make no mistake about mold; it is an intricate, cool biologic adaptation. Just waiting and lurking to have its way, mold can produce mycotoxins, which help the organism protect itself and to survive. Indeed, the classic mycotoxin, penicillin, has been used to save the lives of millions of people. So, mold isn't all bad...

Today it is commonplace to do mold checks on homes and work places. When the spore count is too high or there is an overt growth center, properties need remedial actions in order for them to be sold or deemed habitable. Any property which has sustained flooding is a focus of mold inquiry.

Among the worst of the molds is...

STACHYBOTRYS

Stachybotrys atra, also known as Stachybotrys chartarum (SC), is regarded by the media and implicated by the public health community as a potentially dangerous toxic mold. S. chartarum is known to produce at least 170 different mycotoxins (poisons from a fungus), has been associated with several infant deaths, and was implicated in the $32 million Texas lawsuit. The mycotoxins produced by this fungus cause rashes, inflammation and hemorrhaging of the lung, and suppression of the immune system.

And another bad actor is...

ASPERGILLUS

Aspergillus fumigatus is responsible for ailments from allergy-type illnesses to life-threatening generalized infections (aspergillosis). This mold grows in both the lungs and sinuses, threatening permanent lung damage (fibrosis) or even death. Aspergillus is of particular concern in hospitals and nursing homes as immuno-compromised individuals are much more susceptible to aspergillosis.

Other aspergillus species (i.e. A. flavus, A. clavatus, and A. parasiticus) also produce mycotoxins. These mycotoxins may be carcinogenic, affect the liver, kidneys, and basic cellular functions. Some of these toxins commonly contaminate grains and are heat stable so they survive cooking. http://www.ehagroup.com/mold-iaq-services/toxic-mold/

And so the case of Brittany Murphy may become a defining moment for what could be called mold litigation. For under rock dwellers, Ms. Murphy was an on-the-rise actress, who died mysteriously at the age of 32. Found collapsed at home on December 20, 2009, she was pronounced dead on her arrival at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The cause of death was acute pneumonia and severe anemia. Prior ro her demise, the actress had lost a considerable amount of weight. While illegal drug use was suspected, it was never proven. Toxicology at death uncovered only medications typically used for respiratory infections.

Brittany's mother, Sharon Murphy, has argued that toxic mold killed her daughter. To complicate matters, Murphy has sued her lawyers for malpractice in advising her to settle any claims with the builders of her daughter's house before the toxic mold argument could be fully developed.

To make matters more odd, Brittany's husband, Simon Monjack was found dead in the SAME house on May 23, 2010. The cause of his death was acute pneumonia and severe anemia. Whaaat? Yup, acute pneumonia and severe anemia!! What are the odds of a young married living-together couple dying of the same disease process five months apart? Logic argues that their same disease process likely had the same etiology. Of some import is the fact that neither Brittany nor Simon had autopsy findings to suggest mold infections.

Initially, Sharon Murphy had declined a request by the LA coroner's office to inspect the property for mold. Was this inspection ever completed? Sharon and Brittany Murphy bought the house from Britney Spears for $3.85 million in June 2003. Sharon ultimately sold the property for $2.7 million in July 2010. Of interest is the fact that Sharon, who lived in the house with Brittany and Simon, was never reported to have become ill during this time period. Also noteworthy, is the fact that Sharon moved out of the house towards the end of her ownership for fear of... mold!

There had been prior litigation against the house builder, Elliot Horitch (and others), stemming from 2006. That case was settled for $600,000 in January 2010. As part of the settlement, Sharon gave up her right to further sue for damages, including wrongful death actions. Hmmm.


The suit says that the law firm that was first hired in early 2009 “should have known that Brittany and Simon had died and that their deaths were the result of complications from conditions associated with the subject property,“ the suit alleges. The law firm “had a duty to advise and/or inform (Sharon Murphy) that she may have had a wrongful death claim.” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/brittany-murphy-death-mold-275478

The toxic mold argument has some attraction, BUT this is messy case. The story has the makings of a TV movie. Sharon Murphy is a central character. Over involved mothers often have mental processes bordering bizarre. Bizarre!! Sick house, dead movie star, dead husband, weird diseases, Hollywood, alive mother, three in a house, money, litigation everywhere... Could there be more here? Betcha!

Can't wait for the next chapter... Is there any triangulation to come???

Ciao...

Miley Cyrus is not a Hero

Hero expectations are both necessary and oftentimes disappointing. Heroes cannot be REAL. How could  heroes sustain over time if, indeed, the purported icon is human.

Human = imperfection

Despite knowing that fact, society continues to bless its movie idols, singers, sports stars and many others with the adoration befitting a hero. And it continues to expect paradigmatic performance and  behavior.

But without idols of perfection to adulate, life would be boring and without focus. Trying to emulate perfection is, of itself, a good thing. Getting better and better is far superior to a state of capped off mediocrity. Besides that, hero worship allows a person to feel safe and secure in knowing there is a greater power. So, indeed, heroes serve valuable purposes.

A conversation snippet overheard in a convenience store check out line...

Dad and daughter...

Yes, Samantha, be like Hanna Montana. 

I love her so much Daddy...

I know sweetheart.

It was then 2008 and David Simmerlee encouraged his daughter, Sammie Simmerlee, to emulate Hanna. Played by Miley Cyrus, Hannah was a regular schoolgirl (Miley Stewart) by day and a pop singer (Hannah Montana) by night. The Hannah Montana show appeared regularly on the Disney Channel (2006-11). The qualities and values of the fictional Miley/Hannah are consistent with the ethos of the Disney Corporation. Disney...

Well, by birthday 18 (dob 11/23/1978), real Miley was video imaged bong piping. While many thought she was inhaling marijuana, the declared agent of altered thinking was salvia. Legal in California, ah, what can a person say? Legal or not, Ms. Cyrus is certainly impaired by whatever she was lung bathing.

Now 19, the adult minded Miley has admitted she is a stoner and smoker. Having done  pole dancing (in a performance),  her dress is now more racy and suggestive than Walt Disney would have condoned (at least for public consumption.) Check this pole dancing video from the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.

And now she has appeared in West Hollywood - BRALESS!!! Dressed in a retro, cool style Miley was wearing a flimsy white top covered by a flannel shirt. In truth, she looked nice, but the absence of her support would most definitely violate the old fashioned Disney propriety.

David and Sammie, at home, Saturday evening

Sammie, you can't go out like that...

Aw, Dad, why not?

I can see your nipples.

Aw, Daaaaaad...

Sam, you are 15 years old. Go dress like a lady or else you can't go to the mall. And put on a bra.

But Dad, Miley Cyrus...

Damn Heroes

thought David...

Now with at least 5 tattoos and a lust for life

Miley Cyrus has morphed into a 

young adult.

David Simmerlee hates tattoos... oh boy!!

Fini


ok un po 'più
Buon Compleanno, Liam

Golshifteh Farahani

Golshifteh

is banned

in Iran

just like

the

Barbie

doll!

There is

a curious

similarity therein...

Farahani