|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
Sean Penn: 'Iraq Is Not Our Toilet.' James Hirsen
THE LEFT COAST
REPORT
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Sean Penn: 'Iraq Is Not Our Toilet' Wondering where Sean Penn has been? The Oscar-winning actor recently surfaced at a town hall meeting. Penn was evidently emboldened by previous events of the day in which the House voted 218-212 to withdraw troops from Iraq by September 2008.
Story Continues Below
Hundreds gathered at the meeting to get an earful of anti-Iraq war talk. They would not be disappointed. Penn was present along with Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee, a member of the Out of Iraq caucus. Maybe the many "Impeach Bush" signs that were displayed by people outside inspired Penn to let the insults fly like a pizza pie. "You and your smarmy pundits — and the smarmy pundits you have in your pocket — can take your war and shove it," Penn wailed about the president to applause and cheers. "Let's unite not only in stopping this war, but in holding this administration accountable." While Rep. Lee told the crowd that the war was "illegal and unwinnable," Penn tried to finesse the support of the troops as he proceeded to undercut their mission.
"Let's make this crystal clear: We do support our troops, but not the exploitation of them and their families," Penn said. "The money that's spent on this war would be better spent on building levees in New Orleans and health care in Africa and care for our veterans. Iraq is not our toilet. It's a country of human beings whose lives that were once oppressed by Saddam are now in 'Dante's Inferno.'" Nice to know Penn was educated in the classics at Ridgemont High. 2. 'Chucky' Made Me Do It A 7-year-old Liverpool lad allegedly stabbed a neighboring lady 21 times with a kitchen knife. What was the tyke's explanation for why he engaged in such violent behavior? "I think I got the idea from Chucky," the boy told the Liverpool Echo, alluding to the horror film with the evil character of the same name. "I saw it at my uncle's." The youngster alleged that he was merely acting out what he saw in the 1988 movie, "Childs Play," that featured a serial-killing doll and spawned a bevy of sequels, which also feature bloodthirsty dolls engaged in serial murders. Fortunately, the boy's strength was still at a 7-year-old's level, and the female victim's injuries were not life threatening. 3. This Week in Hollywood Nation This week's News is Big Entertainment and Entertainment is Big News picks are:
Jolie-Pitt Baby Pic Brings in Millions Looks like the newest Jolie-Pitt child is a real moneymaker. Unmarried mom Angelina Jolie reportedly agreed to sell pictures of her newly adopted son Pax to People magazine for an amount somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 million. Brad and Angelina previously netted $4.1 million (donated to charity) for photographs of their biological daughter Shiloh. Paparazzi Sue Denise Richards and Pam Anderson Celebrity photographers Scott Cosman and Rik Fedyck claim in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court that actress Denise Richards "launched into a verbal tirade and physical assault" upon the two men "which lasted well over 20 minutes." According to the suit, Richards allegedly "snatched their laptop computers from their hands, and threw them over the balcony," where one of the computers allegedly hit an elderly woman in a wheelchair. Also included in the suit is the allegation that Anderson and Richards lied to the local police causing the two paparazzi to be falsely arrested thereby diminishing their reputations. The photographers are claiming "severe, extreme, and significant emotional distress; anxiety; and mental anguish including, but not limited to nightmares, sleeplessness, and fear of the possibility of losing their livelihood." 'Inmate Idle' Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has taken a page from Simon Cowell. Six finalists from arpaio's first "Inmate Idle" recently performed for thousands of prison inmates. The Arizona sheriff claims that the contest has created positive camaraderie and filled in the inmates' idle time. Serving as judges in the competition were Arpaio, Alice Cooper, and an Elvis impersonator who was played by detention officer Bret Kaiser. The Dick Clark Company is considering a national talent show version of Arpaio's concept. Supreme Court Justice Appears on Quiz Show Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer recently appeared on the NPR radio quiz show "Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me." Breyer failed to answer correctly the questions that were posed to him about rock stars David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, and Iggy Pop. He spent around 25 minutes in conversation with wisecracking host Peter Sagal and punchline spewing panelists Paula Poundstone, Luke Burbank, and Mo Rocca. Breyer quipped to the comedians that a funny Supreme Court justice "is like being one of the shortest tall people." What's next? Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg going on "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" 4. Anna Nicole Smith Legal Battles Continue Tests initially pointed to a blood infection as the cause of death of Anna Nicole Smith. However, further investigation showed that a high level of the drug chloral hydrate was actually what brought about Smith's demise, according to a joint report issued by Star Magazine and the National Enquirer. Tests also indicated that methadone, the drug Smith reportedly took on many occasions, was not present. Chloral hydrate is a sedative often used to treat insomnia. Tragedy was linked to the medication in the past when the lifeless nude body of 36-year-old Marilyn Monroe was found in the bedroom of her Brentwood, Calif. home. The Los Angeles County coroner concluded that the legendary star died as the result of having ingested Nembutal and chloral hydrate. Smith was found to have scarring due to numerous injections in her buttocks. The blood infection that ultimately ensued was caused by an unsterilized needle, which created an abscess on her left buttock. The infection alone was serious enough to have caused her death even if she had not ingested the chloral hydrate. She developed a fever and her temperature rose to 105 degrees. Levels 104 degrees and above are considered dangerous and should immediately be treated at a hospital, but instead Smith was merely given an ice bath along with an antibiotic. Still, on the evening of Feb. 7, 2007, Smith took the chloral hydrate and it took a fatal toll. She was found dead by a nurse the following afternoon. The findings serve to create more questions that bear on the custody tug-of-war that is taking place between Howard K. Stern, Larry Birkhead, and Virgie Arthur over Smith's baby daughter, Dannielynn. The focus of the custody dispute centers on Howard K. Stern, Smith's live-in attorney and boyfriend. Under Bahamian law, Stern is presumed to be the father if, as has been reported, he is the designated father on Dannielynn's birth certificate and lived together with Smith the requisite time period prior to the delivery of Dannielynn.
That presumption, however, can be rebutted. The alleged circumstances during the period of time that Stern resided with Smith could detrimentally affect his claim of fatherhood for Dannielynn. Former boyfriend and potential father Larry Birkhead has alleged that Stern brought methadone in a duffle bag into Smith's hospital room while she was pregnant. In addition, Smith's bodyguard reportedly told police that "Howard K Stern acted strangely" and gave her drugs. Stern was present at both the unusual death of Smith's son, Daniel, and at Smith's own still question-riddled death. While laughing and joking he had videotaped a pregnant Smith who appeared to be heavily drugged and whose face was painted with clown makeup. He is heard aloofly commenting that the video he is shooting would be "worth money." Many investigations continue in an effort to determine whether Smith's death was a suicide, homicide or accident. Bahamian authorities are looking into the death of Daniel Smith and the circumstances surrounding the prescribed methadone that Daniel and his mother allegedly used. The Seminole Police Department, which is run by Florida's Seminole Indian tribe, is conducting an ongoing investigation into Smith's death as well. Even if no crime is found to have been committed in these investigations, if facts implicating Stern in negligent or reckless acts surface, such facts will likely play a role at custody proceedings in the Bahamas. 5. Britney Spears' British Injunction Attorneys for troubled pop singer Britney Spears obtained an injunction in a U.K. court designed to seal the lips of those who would reveal stories about Spears' recent rehab stint. According to the injunction, anyone who has been leaking information "about Ms. Spears' time in a rehabilitation clinic" is prohibited "from further disclosures invading her privacy." The injunction was issued at the High Court by Judge Charles Gray. Britney entered Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility in California after engaging in a series of troubling activities that included shaving her head, tattooing her arm, and thrashing a car with her umbrella. Spears' lawyers indicated that they planned to ask the court to force media outlets that had printed stories about the singer's rehab to reveal their sources so that the leaker could be identified. The lawyers then stated that action would be taken against the talkative source. If it seems strange that journalists are being forced to reveal their sources, remember this is the post-"Scooter" Libby era. Editor's Notes:
The Left Coast Report is put together by James L. Hirsen and the staff of NewsMax — The Left Coast Report Archives Get your FREE copy of James Hirsen's new book 'Hollywood Nation' — Click Here Now.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Print Page 
Forward Page 
|
| All Rights Reserved © 2008 NewsMax.Com |