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Morning Buzz: Monday 8.20.07
There's queasiness about the Zell deal with Tribune, a who's who of L.A. political lawyers, a debate over sexual athletes and a new dispatch from New York on Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake. Plus more, naturally.
News
Questions about Zell deal
Tribune Company shareholders gather tomorrow to approve Sam Zell's $8.2 billion plan to take the company private, but the swirling question is whether the deal will fall apart. “A lot of people are betting it won’t get done, at least not at that price,” said Dave Novosel, senior analyst at the market research firm Gimme Credit. “From the beginning, it was dicey whether cash flow going forward was good enough to cover the debt, and Tribune has been struggling since then — declining revenue, weaker margins.” NYT, LAT
Who's who in L.A. law
Pete Wilson, Bob Hertzberg, Dario Frommer, Darry Sragow and Phil Recht are featured on the government page of the L.A. Business Journal roundup. LABJ
Suggestion of misused influence
The son of Sharon Harper, top assistant to county chief executive William Fujioka, has kept his employment with the county despite complaints that he associates with criminals. LAT
Electeds and their cars
Ten of the 16 L.A. officials who have city cars have put them in for taxpayer-supported repairs, a total of 22 times costing $29,890. LAT
Schwarzenegger's budget calls, neighborhood councils
Rick Orlov's Tipoff column in the Daily News.
Duncan and Blake, redux plus more
New York magazine fills in details of the suicide couple's life and paranoias.
Noted
Sexualizing athletes, pro and con
Apparently spurred by Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard's Playboy spread, two Daily News columnists squared off in print over the rightness of liking athletes for their sex appeal. Jill Painter (younger) says go for it, Tom Hoffarth (older) says grow up. The pic of Beard is, I believe, from Sports Illustrated.When will Reggie steal a Ferrari Enzo?
Mystery writer-cop Will Beall argues in an Op-Ed that Los Angeles reality is so wacky that it tops fiction, and he starts with the saga of Reggie the alligator. He alludes to a dominatrix, and also this:
Living in L.A., being a cop and a writer here, is something like being with a dominatrix. She calls you names, walks on your fingers with spike heels and you think, what part of this was supposed to be fun again? Then she kisses you.
I was at a homicide scene once when a flock of wild green parrots alighted in the jacarandas over the body. The little birds shook loose a wafting purple storm, anointing the dead gangster with jacaranda blossoms. I remember thinking the blossoms would mess up the crime scene. I also remember thinking: My God, I have to write about this.
1961 time capsule opened downtown
Oops: Richard Nixon was never governor of California. Nice to see a Pat McGee-for-mayor bumper sticker again.Downtown News
Blogger in Book Review
Carolyn Kellogg of Pinky's Paperhaus reviewed Das Kapital: A Novel of Love and Money Markets in Sunday's L.A. Times.
Meet Treva Silverman, Hollywood writer
Ken Levine blogs her story: the writing voice of Rhoda from the old "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and a veteran of shows like "That Girl" and "The Monkees" as well as the film Romancing the Stone.
© 2003-2008 • About LA Observed • Contact the editor
| The sister of the former Countrywide CEO says her brother has been vilified by publicity seeking politicians and uninformed reporters.
| Small business owners swear by trade exchange organizations, which is why the operator of Joe Barter has such hopes.
| The Clippers trade for Marcus Camby, the Kings hire a coach, and Russell Martin shines at the All-Star Game.
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