Marcia Clark Investigates: The First 48- The Billionaire Boys Club

Source: Underground LA– Sue Horton’s Billionaire Boys Club.

Source: The New Democrat

“World famous prosecutor, Marcia Clark, investigates one of the world’s most infamous cases: The Billionaire Boys Club. Was the leader of the club, Joe Hunt, so obsessed with money and power that he became a cold blooded killer? Or was Joe Hunt scammed by one of the world’s best con artists? Marcia will examine the First 48 and dive into the world of greed, money and power to unweave the tangled web of ambition and lies that strangled The Billionaire Boys Club.”

From A&E

Source:A&E– Marcia Clark’s A&E true crime show.

I don’t want to compare the Billionaire Boys Club to the Hollywood Rat Pack or even the Hollywood Brat Pack, because the two Hollywood entertainment groups were actually talented and have real accomplishments on their resumes. Also, neither of them are currently in jail or are doing a life sentence in prison for anything. But the BBC does have few things in common with The Rat Pack at least.

 

Both groups were based in Los Angeles. Both groups lived the high life by having great times and spending a lot of money on their social lives. The difference being The Rat Pack could afford to live the way they did because they brought in a lot of money for themselves and the people they worked for. TRP included both Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, as well as several other great people like Sammy Davis and Peter Lawford. Money was never an issue with these guys.

Source: Picmog– Murder made Joe Hunt famous

Where the BBC separates with TRP and successful social clubs in Los Angeles and I’m sure several other places, is for one the other social groups were legitimate businesses. And because of that and that they were successful they brought in a lot of money again for themselves, but the people they worked for which just meant that money was always coming in for them. They lived the high life, but they also invested their money wisely and didn’t spend everything plus more than they were taking in. And that is where I mercifully drop the Billionaire Boys Club-Rat Pack comparison.

Now, who were the Billionaire Boys Club? Think about Bernie Madoff and Ponzi schemes, but then add murder to that and then go back 25 years. The Madoff scans were going on during the late 2000s ( 2007-09 ) in that time period during the start of the global financial crisis and at the start of the Great Recession. The BBC were operating during the early and mid 1980s and by late 1983 the American economy was booming again and the BBC wanted that action ( to use a catch phrase ) and be part of that, but not do the work and come up with a business where their clients would benefit from it. They saw their business as a zero sum gain where they would get everything, instead of seeing their investments as exactly that as investments and transactions where both sided would invest and then benefit from those investments mutually.

The crime that put Joe Hunt ( the leader and founder of the BBC ) in life for prison without the possibility of parole, has to do with their murder of Ron Levin. Who was just a much better, more experienced, more accomplished scam artist than Joe Hunt could ever be in his best drunken fantasy. There are a few expressions that seem very app here intaking about the BBC. You don’t exchange verbal jabs with a wiseass, unless you’re also a wiseass. You don’t get into a fist fight with the world heavyweight champion, unless you’re also an accomplished pro heavyweight boxer. And you don’t try to con a con artist or even work with one, unless you’re an accomplished con artist yourself. And can tell when that person is being real with you, or just scamming.

Joe Hunt and his partners murdered Ron Levin, because he was scamming them and they couldn’t get their money back from Levin and needed that money back. The BBC were at best a talented but lazy group of high school seniors headed to some preppy Ivy League school, or another great school in the Northeast or Pac 12, who wanted everything now and didn’t have the patience to wait or do the work themselves and pay the price needed to be successful investors. Like getting a degree in business management, to use as an example and then getting a job on Wall Street or working for some other investment firm and learning the tricks of their trade. And then commit their last amateurish act by murdering a fellow scam artist, because that person scammed them.

 

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Vanity Fair: Bryan Burrough: ‘The Miranda Obsession’

Source: Vanity Fair– Male friends of Miranda Grosvenor?

Source:The New Democrat

“Paul Schrader took the first phone call at his hotel in New Orleans. It was 1981, and Schrader, who wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver and went on to direct American Gigolo and other films, was in Louisiana to shoot Cat People, with Nastassja Kin-ski. The woman on the line introduced herself as Miranda Grosvenor, and before Schrader could get rid of her, she had somehow managed to keep him talking for 20 minutes, gossiping about Hollywood and a number of famous men she seemed to know all about.”

From Vanity Fair

“Natalie Wood Investigation Vanity Fair.”

From Carrie Hefferman

Source:Carrie Hefferman– Chris Walken and Natalie Wood, in 1981.

“Whitney Walton was hardly a household name when she died quietly recently while working at her job as a social worker in Baton Rouge, and she wanted it that way.

In the 1970s and ’80s under a different guise, though, she counted dozens of big-name Hollywood stars and standout entertainment figures as her phone pals.”

Source: The Advocate– Miranda Grosvenor?

From The Advocate

The only people who know who Miranda Grosvenor actually is, would be whoever Miranda is in real-life, the people who know her and perhaps Bryan Burrough himself, assuming she’s been honest and forthcoming with her. To the rest of the world she’s just Miranda Grosvenor and had I not been watching YouTube on my TV ( which you can do if you have Verizon FIOS ) looking at videos there doing research for future blog posts, I would have have no idea who she is either, because I would’ve never had heard of her.

She’s not a woman that even men who’ve had let’s say phone relationships with her ( for lack of a better term ) how else do you describe people who only communicate through phone calls who never actually physically meet her, know who she really is and have I guess until Bryan Burrough did this story for Vanity Fair and Vanity Fair in conjunction did this documentary about the last days of actress Natalie Wood with a segment about this Miranda Grosvenor woman, no one else would know who she possibly is either, because she hasn’t made it public who she is and the men she spoke to famous entertainment and in some cases political celebrities like Senator Ted Kennedy, haven’t made there conversations public either. And have said they’ve spoken to this woman either.

I believe it was actor/comedian Buck Henry who said that probably every man wants to talk to a Miranda Grosvenor at some point. Someone who sounds sweet, sexy, intelligent, and interesting, with literally no strings attached. Married men could communicate this way with her because they’re literally not cheating by doing this. All these guys were doing was sharing their personal thoughts and being entertained by a woman whose name they don’t even know and have never even seen before even through photographs, let alone actually met. Where they’re literally just free to be themselves and have nothing to lose, because they’re probably never going to make these conversations public and Miranda or whoever she really is, doesn’t want the conversations to be made public either.

I have some experience with online dating so I have some idea what these guys were going through talking to woman online and even over the phone, knowing they may never actually physically meet who they’re talking to. I did have one advantage though which was I got to at least see photos of the women that I talked to. But I can see why guys would be intrigued by this especially if they’re not married and currently single and perhaps looking for something different when it comes to romance and dating, perhaps coming off of a bad divorce or breakup. And perhaps thinking they might actually meet the woman they’re talking to in person. Which is what at least one guy that she talked to wanted to do.

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Paramount Movies: Sunset Boulevard (1950) Starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson

Source:Percy’s Seattle– a Billy Wilder classic.

Source:The Daily Review 

“The film’s working title was A Can of Beans. Although most contemporary and modern sources refer to the film asSunset Boulevard, the opening title card is a street sign that reads Sunset Blvd. The opening scene of the film is accompanied by offscreen narration spoken by William Holden as his character, “Joe C. Gillis.” “Gillis” informs the viewer that the crime scene is situated on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA, where the murder of a lowly screenwriter has occurred at the home of a major screen star. Although Gillis is the murder victim, he refers to himself in the third person. He then switches to the first person as the film flashes back to six months earlier.”

From Percy’s Seattle

“Director Billy Wilder music from Salome by Richard Strauss.”

From Adam Bell

I don’t like using the word-perfect that often, because perfect is almost never seen and heard of, but Sunset Boulevard along with North by Northwest, is about as close to a perfect movie as anyone could ever see.

Great plot about a young almost wannabe screenwriter who at this point is desperate for work, so he can make his car payment. Whose on the run from repossessors and stops off at what he believes is an abandoned house only to discover that one of the top actress’s ever in Hollywood lives there. Which is how Joe Gillis (played by William Holden) meets Norma Desmond, (played by Gloria Swanson) otherwise they probably never meet each other.

Joe Gillis, is considering giving up Hollywood and going back to Ohio and getting a blue-collar job. Norma Desmond, hasn’t worked in a while and the Hollywood studios no longer want her.

Norma Desmond, finds out that Joe Gillis is a Hollywood writer, struggling at that and owes three months back rent on his apartment, as well as a car he can’t afford. She knows he needs money, which is what she has plenty of and needs a job, which she has one for him.

She’s not working now as an actress and doesn’t have any roles coming her way and decides to write her own script and get back into movies that way. And hires Joe to be his proofreader and to fix up her script so someone would take it and make a movie from it.

Joe, is not impressed with the script so far, but believes he can work with it. Still has friends in Hollywood and has one his friends Betty Schaefer (played by Nancy Olson) help him rewrite the script and they work on it together.

Norma Desmond, is lonely and desperate to get back into movies and doesn’t want to live off her royalties and investments. She wants Joe to perhaps help her get back into the movies, but what I at least believe she’s looking for is male companionship and believes her script will get her back into movies.

I don’t think it is ever clear that she thinks Joe Gillis, someone who she’s never heard of who can’t afford either his apartment or car and hasn’t worked in a while, is a talented writer and someone who has a future in Hollywood. Joe, needs a job obviously as well as money and I see them as basically using each other to meet their short-term interests. I don’t see them as a writing team that is going to write their own movie together.

Gloria Swanson, has just turned 50 at this point and so has her character in Sunset Boulevard. But Hollywood already sees her has washed up and way past her prime. Gives you an idea of how Hollywood sees the world different at least in the 1940s and 1950s than the rest of us.

And in many ways this movie is pretty sad, because it shows how Hollywood treats its stars once they believe they no longer have any use for them and almost treat them like strangers and as people they don’t want to be seen with anymore.

Gloria Swanson, is her beautiful and brilliant self now playing someone who s past her prime, but as an actress she still has everything going for her and is still the star of the movie. Bill Holden, is his usual charming and even funny self who mixes in clever humor in a very serious if not dark and depressing, but a great movie.

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The Fiscal Times: Liz Peek: ‘Why The Elite Attack Mainstream America’

Source:The Fiscal Times– I guess this is supposed to be Middle America.

“The United States is at war. No, I don’t mean in Afghanistan or Syria; I mean right here in River City. Right here where our opinion-makers and political leaders are doing their level best to demean and discredit historical American values. A new film, Nebraska, that parodies our heartland, provides exhibit A.

Nebraska played at the Lincoln Center Film Festival in New York recently to an enthusiastic audience. Directed by Alexander Payne, whose body of work includes The Descendants, Nebraska speaks volumes about the country we live in. While one reviewer lauded the picture as a “nuanced portrait of small-town life” that “contemplates the loss of the stout Midwest that once formed America’s backbone,” I found it mean-spirited and insulting.

RELATED: WHY VOTERS TRUST THE GOP WITH THEIR TAX DOLLARS

Only people who actually believe that Midwesterners are mute and moronic could think this movie portrays accurately or with sympathy the folks who live in between our coasts. Rather, the film paints small-town America as culturally deprived, small-minded and venal – inhabited by folks “clinging to guns or religion,” as Barack Obama so famously put it. It’s hard to picture Johnny Carson or Warren Buffet emerging from such a bleak landscape.

This is the great divide in the U.S. today. It is not between blacks and whites – or rich and poor; it is between the elites in California or New York and ordinary people who wouldn’t know a Wagyu beefburger from an heirloom tomato. The pundits who cannot imagine how anyone can live in Nebraska’s farm country also can’t imagine why anyone ever voted for George W. Bush; they do not and cannot understand the Tea Party. And, they are scornful of what they do not understand.

The elites do not celebrate the rich history of our plains states, the struggle to tame the frontier and to create the world’s most productive agricultural society. In their hearts, they also deride the assembly line workers who built our industrial base, the hard hats who kick back with Bud at the end of their shift, instead of cozying up to the New Yorker.”

From The Fiscal Times

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Baltimore Orioles: 1966 World Series Champions

Source:Outfield Fly Rule– the Orioles win the 1966 MLB World Series.

“Note: Leverage Index is an average of the leverage of situations, with 1 being average, below 1 being low-pressure, and above 1 being high-pressure.

Since beginning life as the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901, moving to St. Louis as the Browns a year later, and heading east to become the Baltimore Orioles in 1954, the franchise was just never all that competitive. In their first 65 years of existence, they played in one World Series, losing in 1944. They cracked a .600 winning percentage just once (1922), and in 65 years they managed a .500 record or better just 18 times. Between 1946 and 1959, the Browns/Orioles finished in the bottom 3 of the AL in 13 of the 14 years, with the high mark being a 5th place finish in 1957. Times were lean, to say the least. In 1959, the club hired Yankees farm system director Lee MacPhail to be the GM. Things quickly changed.

The tide began to turn in 1960, Brooks Robinson‘s first year as a productive starter. Over the first 6 years of the 60’s they’d be over .500 5 times, winning 90 or more games 3 times. They were on the cusp of something big. In 1965, the pitching staff was stellar, with 7 competent starting pitchers, but the offense was league-average. MacPhail decided to take a job with the league office as the Commissioner’s top aide, but before he resigned, he and successor Harry Dalton began talks to improve the offense. Several weeks after his departure, Dalton finished what they started, trading staff ace Milt Pappas, reliever Jack Baldschun (acquired 3 days earlier from the Phillies), and OF Dick Simpson (acquired one week earlier from the Angels) to Cincinnati for 30 year old former MVP Frank Robinson. With this trade, now considered one of the most lopsided in history, Baltimore went from flawed contender to a team ready to start a dynasty. Robinson won the Triple Crown in ’66, and 65 years of demons were ready to be exorcised.”

From Outfield Fly Rule

“This video is from the Memories on 33rd Street that was released via VHS by the Baltimore Orioles organization in 1992. The narrator of this video is Jon Miller.”

Source:Baltimore Orioles– welcome to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

From the Baltimore Orioles 

If you think about it, the 1966 MLB World Series is not that different from the 1969 MLB World Series. The main difference is that the Orioles got the key hits and runs in 1966 and didn’t get them in 1969 against the New York Mets. But all 4 games in 1966 between the Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers were very winnable for both clubs. It’s just that the Orioles got a little better pitching and key hits and runs when they needed them. The Dodgers didn’t because the Oriole had just a little better pitching in this series.

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Pop Candies TV: Dyan Cannon- At Los Angeles Lakers Game (2013)

Source: Pop Candies TV– Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, at her favorite sporting event, a Los Angeles Lakers game.

“Dyan brings some yummy brownies to this awesome Laker game!”

From POP Candies TV 

“Dyan Cannon arrives at the Laker Game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, 03/17/13

Thanks for watching this video!

Video Credit: Getty Images.”

Source:Sugar POP TV– Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, at an LA Lakers game in 2013.

From Sugar POP TV

Dyan Cannon would 75-76 at this point and still looks better than women in their sixties, fifties, forties, thirties, twenties even and good looking women as well. I mean she was born during the Great Depression, pre-World War II even and she still has guys, young guys checking her out wherever she goes. And still fills out denim jeans and boots as well or better than women young enough to be her daughter and even half her age.

The woman is not just a goddess who lives in Hollywood because she’s an entertainer, but she’s a true Hollywood Goddess. Who should be in the Hollywood Hall of Fame. ( If there’s such a thing ) A great actress, very funny, still gorgeous and baby-face adorable and has a body that makes guys young enough to her grandson want to check her out. But other than these things, just an ordinary woman. Sorry I brought her up.

You can also see this post at The New Democrat, on WordPress.

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The Social Design: Dyan Cannon- The Doctor Wives (1971) The Card Game

Source:The Social Design– Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, in The Doctors Wives, from 1971.

“Sassy, sexy Dyan Cannon at the country club card table, keeping the other wives nervous. From the 1971 film “Doctors’ Wives”, directed by George Shaefer. Starring Dyan Cannon, Richard Crenna, Carroll O’Connor, Gene Hackman, and quite a few others. Produced by Frankovitch Productions. This is not my material, I am just a fan. No infringement intended.”

From The Social Design

Dyan Cannon is one of my favorite sexy babies all time. And not just because she’s baby-face adorable, hot and with a real nice body. Even though all of those things are true, but she’s also very funny especially when she is so cute personally and she can also act.

This scene from The Doctors Wives is a pretty good example of that. These women are all married to big shot doctors who also happen to be workaholics. Who are perhaps more in love with their jobs than their wives.

The men and women are supposed to be playing cards. But Dyan or her character is horny and feels the need or craving for sex. And knows her fellow players are not satisfied with their husbands. And thinks it might be their fault that their husbands don’t spend a lot of time with them. And offers to have sex with all the men to show the women what they’re doing wrong with their men.

A very funny scene with a very funny adorable sexy hot actress, Dyan Cannon.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

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NBC Sports: FBS 1968- Rose Bowl- Columbus Buckeyes vs Southern California Trojans: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports– coverage of the 1969 Rose Bowl.

“The 1969 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1969. It was the 55th Rose Bowl Game. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the USC Trojans, 27–16. Rex Kern, the Ohio State quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.

From Wikipedia.”

From John Quinn

1969 Rose Bowl, at one point this was a regular matchup in the Rose Bowl, to the point that they met several times in the regular season in the 1970s and 80s with a home and home series. And they brought that series back again in the 2000s once both programs were national championship contenders again, at the same time.

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Only Waxing: Real Time With Bill Maher- The Paul Ryan Budget

Source:Only Waxing– Elliot Spitzer on Real Time With Bill Maher.

Source:The Daily Times 

“Andrew Sullivan Schools Maher and Spitzer on Paul Ryan and Budget. Very surprising.”

From Only Waxing

What Representative Paul Ryan (Chairman of the Budget Committee) tried to do in the last Congress and so far in this Congress, was an attempt at least on paper to balance the Federal budget. But by only concentrating on around 15-20% of the Federal budget.

And most of those cuts coming from non-Social Security and Medicare social-insurance programs. And if you saw Bill Maher in this video someone who I normally disagree with layout, Chairman Ryan attempts to balance the budget by going after the small appetizers or side dishes. Imagine a meal consisting of steak, mashed potatoes and lets say a caesar salad (good meal, right) instead of targeting the meat of the meal or even the potatoes the stuff that fills people up in the meal normally. What Chairman Ryan goes after a couple of leafs in the meal. “Big meal with too much food, we are going to take away a couple of leafs and call it fat reduction instead of deficit reduction.”

The meat and potatoes in the United States Government’s budget is defense, Social Security, Medicare and to a certain extent Medicaid. And then there are a bunch of public assistance programs of around 30 trillion-dollars or so that aids workers who do not make enough money, or are unemployed. Which is why I believe Paul Ryan and his followers are as interested in deficit reduction, as the typical career politician (lets say House or Senate) is interested in raising taxes or cutting Social Security during an election year when they are up for reelection, or getting a real job and earning their money. In others words: not at all.

If House Republicans were serious about deficit reduction, then they would write and pass a plan that solves the problem by going at the meat of the Federal budget. And not just picking away at salad leaves in it. Chairman Ryan is right I believe about the seriousness of the debt and deficit, but is not ready to solve the problems.

If I’m starving and its late at night and I haven’t had anything to eat all day, I don’t snack on a couple of crackers thinking my hunger will go away. I make myself a meal or buy one. The same thing with deficit reduction, that if you are serious about the budget you go where the meat is. Or in this case the money and you cut back in areas where you can afford to save money. That will help you solve the problem.

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Mod Cinema: Such Good Friends (1971) Dyan Cannon Stars

Source:Mod Cinema– Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon.

“Based upon the novel by Lois Gould and adapted (under the pseudonym Esther Dale) by Elaine May, Such Good Friends focuses on Julie Messinger (played by Dyan Cannon), a woman with intense, often wild emotions that are held in check beneath a rather conventional façade. After her chauvinistic and self-centered husband Richard checks into the hospital for a simple mole removal that goes seriously wrong, Julie discovers that he has been titanically unfaithful to her. This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and Julie decides it is time for her to break out of her shell, no matter what the consequences. She begins to exhibit a sexual interest in other men (sometimes indiscriminately, as when she seduces her family doctor, played by James Coco), and speaks her mind to others, including her egocentric mother (Nina Foch) and her hypocritical best friend (Jennifer O’Neill). At the end, Julie wanders into Central Park and, presumably, a new life.”

From Mod Cinema

This sounds like a hell of a script. A woman who finds out her ailing husband has cheated on her and decides to get revenge on him by going out with his friends. It also sounds like a very funny movie, especially considering Dyan Cannon is the lead actress and she’s so adorable and funny to begin with.

I mean think about it, the wife of a very wealthy man who will never have to work a day in her life, just as long as she’s married to this man and doesn’t screw that up. Just screws him without hurting him. Whose husband is now in the hospital with a rare and perhaps fatal condition. A man whose given her so much.

And how does she take his serious condition? Does she freak out and spend time with her family and seek their support? No! She goes into his little black book to see who he’s been socializing with. And decides the best thing to do is not to make sure that her husband can get the best care that he can, but to get try to get revenge on him by sleeping with his friends while her husband is in the hospital. Except for the obvious physical attraction. I’m glad this woman is not my wife. Actually, I’m glad I’m not married, but that’s a different story.

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