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Western Outlaw

April 30, 2011

Argument Leads to Police Questioning Homeless Man

Filed under: Julian Assange - Wikileaks — Tags: , , , — Mal @ 11:31 pm

By JACOB ADELMAN Associated Press LOS ANGELES January 11, 2011 (AP)

A trip to Hollywood for appearances on “Dr. Phil” and “Entertainment Tonight” got off to a rough start for an Ohio homeless man whose golden voice has made him an Internet sensation.

A disturbance report was made after Ted Williams and his daughter got into a heated argument Monday at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa.

“It was minor. Both parties were angry but there were no signs of visible abuse,” Los Angeles police Officer Catherine Massey said Tuesday. She said the two “were brought in, calmed down, talked to and released” and she did not know the nature of the argument.

Williams and his daughter were held at the Hollywood police station for less than an hour and they were not arrested, Massey said.

She declined to name Williams’ daughter, but a statement from “Entertainment Tonight” identified her as Janey (pronounced juh-NAY’) Williams.

Ted Williams told ET in a Tuesday night show that it was a family gathering that got out of control.

“I wanted to bring it to a close by just saying ‘shut the hell up and let me talk to your mother.’ when that was said out of my mouth my daughter exploded, just erupted into this jump up in my face type of thing, fists started flying, none of which were mine, none of which were mine, but it could have escalated to the point where it could have gotten really ugly. so in the process of doing that, I got scratched on my face,” he told ET.

Janey Williams told ET she was angry because her father, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, had resumed drinking.

“He has consumed at least a bottle of Gray Goose a night. That’s not including the Coronas he ordered, that’s not including the Budweisers he ordered, the other alcohol, the wines. He drinks heavily,” she said.

Ted Williams denied to ET that he had been drinking.

It was not known whether the two returned to the hotel next to the Hollywood Boulevard home of the Academy Awards presentation.

“Due to guest privacy laws, we don’t share details of our guests or their stays,” said Dan Shaughnessy, director of sales and marketing for the Renaissance.

Williams flew into town to tape appearances on TV’s “Dr. Phil” show and “Entertainment Tonight.”

“Entertainment Tonight” covered his meeting with voiceover actors at a Screen Actors Guild Foundation sound studio who offered to help Williams become a guild member voiceover artist, according to a show statement.

The two-part “Dr. Phil” episode was taped over the weekend to air Tuesday and Wednesday. On the Wednesday segment, Williams meets with his ex-wife, Patricia, and five of his nine children, according to a statement from the show.

“In this emotional reunion, Williams talks openly with his family about the man he is today, the influences that threaten his sobriety and what his children can expect from him in the future. his children respond in a very raw and candid manner,” the statement said.

“Everyone is pulling for Ted, but his 15 minutes are going to be over and then he’ll be left to manage a life filled with temptation,” host Phil McGraw said. “We’re going to try and help him prepare for that because it would be a real tragedy if he did not make the most of this extraordinary second chance.”

Williams, 53, trained to be a radio announcer but found his life derailed by drugs and alcohol in the 1990s. He has served time in prison for theft and forgery and has been cited with numerous misdemeanors, including drug abuse.

Williams became famous almost overnight after The Columbus Dispatch newspaper posted a Web video of him last week. Viewers were enthralled to hear a deep, honeyed professional voice coming from the shabbily dressed man.

Since then, he has done a TV commercial for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, appeared on various news shows, recorded voiceover promos for cable news and was offered an announcing job with the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.

Although he says he has been clean for more than two years, the recovering addict has acknowledged that it has been challenging dealing with sudden fame.

“I wanted a nerve pill yesterday, to be honest with you,” he told CBS on Friday.

———

Associated Press writer Robert Jablon contributed to this report.

Argument Leads to Police Questioning Homeless Man

Congress dismisses Julian Assange’s remarks on black money

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — Mal @ 10:30 pm

Congress today dismissed WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange’s remarks about the Indian black money stashed in Swiss banks, saying it will not join issue with individuals or comment on “hearsay”.

“at the last count, there are 130 embassies and high commissions in new Delhi. If by a thumb-rule of 10 you have officers reporting back to their country, it could make 1300 or 13000 reports in a week or a month.

“If you are going to allow this, what can legally be called hearsay, to determine the national discourse, then very serious questions are to be raised about the maturity of that discourse,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.

Tewari was responding to questions on Assange telling a news channel that he had read Indian names in the Swiss bank data and that India should pursue the issue of black money more aggressively.

“Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has responded to it appropriately and holistically both inside and outside Parliament. After what he has said, we have nothing to add or substract,” Tewari said.

He also refused to comment on Assange’s remark that the Indian government’s response to the WikiLeaks cables was “one of the worst” in the world, saying “I do not want to join issues with any particular individual.”

Congress dismisses Julian Assange’s remarks on black money

Charlie Sheen's Houston Show: 'Filthy, Dirty and Hilarious'

Charlie Sheen regained his mojo in Houston on Tuesday night.

The actor resumed his my Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is not an Option tour in the Lone Star State, where he was a hit with the audience, according to the Houston Chronicle.

"He was self-effacing, outrageous, filthy dirty and hilarious," the paper's Ken Hoffman wrote. "I know, I know; the whole thing was surprising. Whatever you've heard about half-filled audiences walking out on Sheen in other cities, it didn't happen in Houston. He had the wild crowd in his palms — they loved him."

Sheen took the stage at Houston's Verizon Wireless Theater in a Houston Astros jersey, which he gave away to a female ticketholder celebrating her birthday. underneath that, he wore a University of Houston jersey, which also gave to someone in the audience. (He was wearing a T-shirt that said "Duh! Winning" underneath that; attendees could purchase the shirt in the lobby for $30.)

according to the Chronicle, Sheen spent 45 minutes talking about his ex-wives, his former job on two and a half Men and his former drug habits.

"it was like paying $100 to watch an AA meeting — only funny," Hoffman wrote.

He also talked about running for president, saying some polls put him ahead of Sarah Palin and President Obama. "Hey, at least I was born here," said Sheen, who recently revealed himself to be a "birther."

Roastmaster Jeffrey Ross -- who has been praised as the only good thing about some of Sheen's previous shows — again was present on this stop of the tour. among his quips:

"if this is winning, this must not be a custody hearing."

"Charlie was disappointed when he got to Texas. He thought it was the Porn Star State."

"this is pretty tricky. how do you roast a meltdown?"

Charlie Sheen's Houston Show: 'Filthy, Dirty and Hilarious'

Berlin braces for surges in May Day violence

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — Mal @ 6:31 pm

The anarchist uproar following the eviction of a Berlin squat in January could mean the city faces more leftist violence than usual during this year

SaskEnergy Willow Award Gala – Saskatchewan Library Association

I arrived at the parking lot of the John Diefenbaker School a few minutes after 11:00 a.m on April12th.  I was greeted by a committee of parking lot attendants who checked me against their clipboard; fortunately I was on the list.  I was shown where to park and then handed off to another student who escorted me inside to collect my name tag.  I was then handed off again to yet another student who showed me the coat room and then took me on a tour of the school.  And what a tour it was.  this school certainly went all out for the Willow Awards Gala. 

In the hallway leading to the younger grades, there was a large bulletin board with a display titled The Best Book in the World.  The teacher and students of one class had combined parts of each of the Shining Willow Award Nominees to create one story, illustrated by the students.  Each of the classroom doors were decorated to look like the cover of one of the nominated books.  The Diamond Willow Nominees were presented on another bulletin board with postcards to the author.  The older grades had done up a bulletin board about the Snow Willow Award Nominee authors in the style of old west wanted posters.   There was willow artwork and arrangements all over the place.

After my tour I was dropped off at the library which had been turned into a lovely little dining room.  All the teachers blessed enough not to be on lunch supervision, the Willow Board, the Mayor of Prince Albert, other dignitaries and the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Dr. Gordon Barnhart, sat down to a very lovely lunch provided by a local caterer.

Then it was time to start the Gala.  after being lined up according to the seating chart, we followed a bag piper up a red carpet.  probably the only time in my life I will get to walk up a red carpet like a celebrity.  The speeches were given by the dignitaries, and since the intended audience was children, not a single speech was boring. 

Triumphant music started, the lights dimmed and then the real celebrities were escorted down the aisle through the spotlight: the nominated books.  The music teacher wrote a song about the Willow Awards that the Grade five students preformed.  Short videos, skits or reviews were done for each of the books before the master of ceremonies said “May I have the envelope, please?”

Shining Willow – Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Mélanie Watt

Diamond Willow – Jolted: Newton Starker’s rules for survival by Arthur Slade

Snow Willow – Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

Mélanie Watt was unable to attend, though she did make a video that was played for the audience as her acceptance speech.  Arthur Slade and Susin Nielsen were able to attend and gave book talks in the morning.  I hope I get to go again next year.

 www.willowawards.ca

SaskEnergy Willow Award Gala – Saskatchewan Library Association

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