Casting Hamster for Short Film!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

As if Hollywood wasn't competitive enough with all the beautiful humans out there, actors now have to contend with GERBILS for roles in Tinsletown. From Craig's List came this ad:

"I am looking for a hamster. I know I could buy one, but then I would own it. So, I was hoping to just rent one for $50.00 for a couple hours. The hamster will work in a studio shoot on a green-screen. He is playing Rocky, the captain of a boat. Please send picture."

According to the website Defamer, "Fuck! Our hamster already made plans! Whatever--his headshots haven't arrived yet anyway."

Netherlands--Buzz Kill.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Amsterdam's famed marijuana bars have weathered many challenges over the years and are still smoking. But now they face an unwelcome blast of fresh air: on July 1, the Netherlands will be one of the last European countries to ban smoking in bars and restaurants in compliance withh EU law.

The Health Ministry says the ban will apply to cafes that sell pot, known as coffee shops. But this being Holland, which for centuries has experimented with social liberalism, there's a loophole: The ban covers tobacco, but not marijuana, which is technically illegal anyway. But that still leaves coffee shops and their customers in a bind.

According to the Associated Press, Dutch and other European marijuana users traditionally smoke pot in fat, cone-shaped joints mixed with tobacco. "It's the world upside down: In other countries they look for the marijuana in the cigarette. Here they look for the cigarette in the marijuana," said Janson den enting, manager of coffee shop Dampkring.

Wisconsin Cook Gets Revenge

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A Wisconsin restaurant cook has pleaded guilty to food-tampering for garnishing the steak of a complaining customer with strands of hair.

Ryan Kropp, 24, was apparently upset that the customer demanded a new steak and admits he inserted hair into the second piece of meat. Kropp said he plucked the hair from his face, BUT a co-worker testified that Kropp gleefully told the kitchen staff, "These are my pubes"--a slang term for pubic hair.

Attack of the Giant Lobster!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The Great white shark and the giant squid are no longer the most fearsome predators lurking in the world's oceans. According to the Weekly World News, their place as the primo monster of the deep has been taken by a mutant strain of enormous lobsters--and one scientist fears the mammoth creatures are waging a war of vengeance against human beings.

Mark Lagrange was diving near Kennebukport--the site of another 2002 attack and the summer home of former prez George H.W. Bush--when the aggressive shellfish sprung without warning and grabbed him around the torso with its powerful pincers.

"I was minding my own business, swimming around and looking at the sea life, when I felt a searing pain," Lagrange says. "I looked around and saw my blood gushing into the ocean and this humungous lobster hanging onto me! It shook me like a rag doll. All I could think of was the many times I've eaten lobster--boiled, broiled, steamed and grilled. I realized it was payback time. This giant lobster was going to eat me!"

The lobster was caught and brought to a scientist who says that apart from its freaksih size--it was 30 feet long and weighed 587 pounds, the giant selfish had the ability to think and plot revenge.

So forget the famous lobster and bacon sandwich at Neiman Marcus, and stick to scallops.

The $10,000-a-Month Psychic

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Susan Day is one of a small but expanding cadre of corporate psychic consultants--the professionalized face of an occupation better known for hokey headscarves and crystal balls.

But according to Newsweek Magazine, she's the real deal as heads of Fortune 500 companies seek out her services.

For a flat rate of $10,000 a month, Day's insight is available for rent. She has about five monthly clients at a time, offering them unlimited 24-hour access. In a typical call early last year, a prominent Wall Street money manager asked whether he should pull out of a risky, multi-million dollar energy deal or let his money ride.

"My gut," Day recalls saying, "is that you're not going to get your return." The money manager listened and yanked his investment, she says, just before the deal nose-dived.

The relationship between psychics and the powerful has always been close. In the bible, Joseph found favor with Pharoah by uncannily interpreting the Egyptian leader's dreams. Centuries later, the supposed forecasting abilities of Nostradamus and the "mad monk" Rasputin endeared both men to the upper classes.

Cheech Marin: From Comic to Art Collector

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hundreds of fans and art appreciators showed up at the L.A. County Museum of Art Sunday for a lecture and book signing by famous comic Cheech Marin. Cheech? That's a name we associate more with lowbrow humor than fine art. Yet Cheech Marin, half of the '70s comedy duo Cheech and Chong, collects art and is one of the nation's leading advocates for Chicano art.

For the past five years, the actor has taken his personal art collection on the road.

"I love Chicano art and these guys are great painters!" enthused Marin to the packed auditorium. "Some years ago my collector mania kicked in. I knew back then that in order to collect art I had to keep working. After all I'm not a billionaire philanthropist," he laughed.

Marin says that you can't love or hate Chicano art if you've never seen it. For the longest time it wasn't really recognized in the art world. Marin said that his collection was recently on exhibit at the famous Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., where thousands of visitors showed up.

"The Chicano school of art is just fantastic," he raves. "I remember being in New York back in the 70's art scene in Tribeca and there were all these talented Mexican artists. Someone told me, "No those are all Puerto Ricans," and I said "NO....man these are Mexican artists and someone should take notice."

Sikh Sues Disney World.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A Sikh man is suing the Disney corporation, claiming he was turned down for a job at Disney World because his turban and bushy beard didn't "fit the Disney image."

Sukhbir Channa, 24, who studies music at the University of South Florida, had previously worked at Disney World playing trumpet in a toy soldier costume that covered him from head to toe. But he says that when he applied for a summer job as a non-costumed street musician, "they told me anything that involved me being seen by the audience wasn't possible." Channa is seeking $1 million in damages.

The Love Guru: No Love Lost by Critics

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

There's no love lost between critics and the comedy The Love Guru which opened nationwide today. According to New York Times film critic A.O. Scott," The Love Guru is downright antifunny, an experience that makes you wonder if you will ever laugh again." Ouch!
"Lines like "I think I just made a happy wee-wee," or"I'm making diarrhea noises in my cup"-- result into infantile, regressive scatological humor."

The film, a comedy starring Mike Myers of SNL fame (and the Austin Powers movies), is a "comedy" about Pitka, (Myers), who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He then moves back to the United States to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality.

Here's how some other critics chimed in:

Joe Morgenstern in "The Wall Street Journal"- "The road taken by The Love Guru could hardly be lower and leads nowhere."

Richard Corliss in "Time Magazine"- "As much as I'd like to I can't join in the chorus of critical contumely. The Love Guru is a shambling, hit or miss--a fine mess."

Harry Knowles of "Ain't It Cool News"- "With this film, Myers puts a shotgun in the mouth of comedy and kills it. This isn't merely a bad film, but a painful experience that you keep telling yourself to leave...one of the most inept, pathetic, awful experiences I've ever suffered through."

(And those were the NICE reviews).

For Fashion E.R.s: Trendy Tee Shirts.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Thank goodness there's an answer to the most stressful question of the day: "What should I wear?" Every smart gal knows that she can solve that quandry with "jeans and a tee."

Whether you are partial to James Perse, Michael Starrs, Three Dots or Petit Bateau, tee-zone.com has everything from Acrobat to Zooey (and even choices for men too!).

Info provided by SaxFacts: http://www.robinsax.com/

Onassis Jewels Sold

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to US magazine, Athina Onassis, 23- sole heir to her tragic family's estimated $3 billion shipping empire and step-granddaughter to Jackie Onassis--sold off 44 of her mother Christina's jewels for a record-breaking $29 million. The reason? "You can't keep jewels in safety deposit boxes forever," said John Souglides, international director of Jewelry at Christie's auction house.

The most treasured piece, a pear-shaped, 38-carat diamond necklace, was at the center of an intense bidding war, ultimately won by an anonymous collector for $7 million(twice the estimated sale amount!). So why did the jewels fetch such high prices?
"Onassis is a name with the glamour to bring people in," said a source.

Excerpts from a Cat's Diary......

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Day 983 of my captivity...
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on their carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter" I am. Bastards.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tortmentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow--but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released--and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now........

Murdoch Strikes Fear and Awe at The Wall Street Journal

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to The Atlantic Monthly, people (reporters and writers) at The Wall Street Journal, are "running around frightened and confused," under the new ownership of tabloid king/ Aussie publisher Rupert Murdoch.

"The push is toward news, news, news. It feels like Murdoch wants to make us more like every other newspaper in the country," says one source at the paper. "Murdoch says he wants to turn it into something more like The New York Times, but I suspect it will end up looking more like USA Today," said the source.

Another longtime Journal reporter recalls that a former editor-in-chief, Paul Steiger, used to warn reporters who complained about the paper's hidebound ways, "It could be worse-we could be owned by Rupert Murdoch."

"The world is changing exponentially," said Murdoch in an interview. "While it's right to be respectful of the past, these days it is certaintly fatal to be bound by history. He who stands still will be overrun."

There are those reporters who are already making plans to leave, or know they will jump ship at the first decent opportunity. He called this group "the Extremists"; it included reporters like the Pulitzer winning Bandler who left for Fortune Magazine. Then there were those who knew that the takeover could spell disaster for the kind of journalism they loved, but were reluctant to believe that Murdoch would really dismantly something so admirable and successful. He called this group "the Hopefuls."

I worked for Murdoch, back in the early 90s at STAR magazine and it was one of the most fun, memorable jobs I've had. I interned at STAR and learned a great deal about the tabloid biz under Brian Haugh, a former editor who was a brilliant writer and humorist. Those were the glory days of the tabloids. Will Murdoch turn the Wall Street Journal into another STAR magazine? It remains to be seen, but I wouldn't doubt it.

Mini History of Father's Day

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Sonora Dodd of Washington, first had the idea of a "Father's day." She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sanora wanted a special day to honor her dad, William Smart. Smart who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their 6th child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other 5 kids by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.

After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her dad had shown in raising his kids as a single parent. It was her dad that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless and loving man. Sanora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

Prez Calvin Coolidge in 1924, supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential procolamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. Prez Nixon signed the law which finally made it permanent in 1972.

Dad, thank you for being mentor, hero, guide, role model and a friend!

Visit www.robinsax.com website for more interesting Father's Day information.

Irving the Jewish Dog!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Morty visits Dr. Saul, the veterinarian and says, "My dog has a problem."
Dr. Saul says, "So, tell me about the dog and the problem."
"It's a Jewish dog. His name is Irving and he can talk," says Morty.
"He can TALK?" the doubting doctor asks.
"Watch this!" Morty points to the dog and commands, "Irving, Fetch!"

Irving the dog begins to walk toward thd door, turns around and says, "So why are you talking to me like that? You always order me around like I'm nothing. And you only call me when you want something. And then you make me sleep on the floor with my arthritis. You give me this fahkahtkta food with all the salt and fat and you tell me it's a special diet. Maybe if I should stretch out a little, the sciatica wouldn't kill me so much! I should roll over and play dead for real for all you care!"
Dr. Saul is amazed, "This is remarkable! So, what's the problem?"
Morty says, "He has a hearing problem! I said FETCH not KVETCH!"

The Sweet Kiss Off.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Chew this over: Hershey's, an American icon and the country's largest candy maker, is kissing some 1,500 jobs of its 13,000 workers goodbye and moving a portion of its production to Monterrey, Mexico. The restructuring plan, to take place over three years, will force some of its U.S. plants to close or scale back.

In a bittersweet deal, workers age 50 and older were offered early retirement packages that added several years' worth of service to their pension plans, says Diane Carroll, secretary-treasurer of Chocolate Workers Local 464, which represents about 2,500 Hershey's employees in Hershey and Reading, PA.

"For older people who were planning to retire in three or four years, it's a big benefit," she says of the "enhanced" retirement package. "But many people weren't ready to retire."

Inside the Seniors Studio

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

In their first YouTube film review for last year's high school hit "Superbad," octogenarian Hollywood vets Marcia Nasatir and Lorenzo Semple bicker about which dirty words are most offensive-and repeat them, over and over.

"The Real Geezers" began as a gimmick, but now has a dedicated Web following that includes many Hollywood insiders. The critical duo spoke with Newsweek Magazine in an interview.
According to Semple, he and Marcia were arguing at a dinner party. Nasatir called it a "frank discussion."

Semple- "It was so frank and loud that one guest got up and said, "You two ought to shut up and put your show on the road." So it occured to me that, well maybe we should.
Nasatir- "I would like movies to address more issues. The pictures now are what I call "me pictures." It's "me,me,me."
Nasatir's favorite films are foreign flicks. "You know, with words underneath."
You can visit The Reel Geezers on YouTube.

Bento Box Lunches for the Preschool Set

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Tired of giving your kids peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches for lunch? A new small subset of type A trendy parents have started sending their kids to school with bento boxes, packed meals that emphasize portion control and nutritional balance.

The boxes are quite cute, like little airline dinners and meet the guidelines set by Japan's food pyramid: three parts grain, one part meat and two parts veggies-no junk food, no candy, and as little oily, greasy food as possible, according to Newsweek Magazine.

Deborah Hamilton of lunchinabox.net goes the extra mile by making faces out of cheese and bunnies our of apple slices.

Sharon Stone Not Welcome in China.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Sharon Stone is not welcome at the Shanghai International Film Festival, as the backlash in China against her continued, according to the Associated Press. Ms. Stone stirred outrage in China after suggesting that the recent earthquake had been the result of bad karma.

The founder of one of the nation's biggest cinema chains, UME Cineplex said Stone's films would be banned from his theaters in China and Hong Kong.

Ng See-Yuen, called Stone's comments "inappropriate," and said she should not bring her personal politics to bear on a natural disaster according to the Beijing Times. Beijing department stores have distanced themselves from Stone and removed ads bearing her image.

The video of Stone making her comments to a TV reporter at the Cannes Film Festival recieved over 750,000 views on YouTube.

Stone claims her words were taken "out of context," according to various bloggers.

"Get Smart The Movie" to Hit Theaters Soon.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

After being in development since 1999, "Get Smart The Movie," has finished production and is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 20, 2008.

The remake will star Steve Carrell as Max, Anne Hathaway as 99, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Agent 23, Bill Murray as Agent 13, Alan Arkin as The Chief and Masi Oka (Heros) as the nerdy anyalist pal Bruce, according to Wouldyoubelieve.com website.

Bernie Kopell ("Doc," from "The Love Boat" and part of the original Get Smart TV series), will be doing a cameo and there are rumors that the original Agent 99, Barbara Felton may also make a surprise appearance in the new action comedy.

T.V. ads will apparently push "The Rock," in first position, Anne Hathaway in second and ironically Steve Carrel, the star, in third. Mel Brooks, Buck Henry and Leonard Stern, all members of the original TV version were not even contacted by the movie's creative team until shooting was well under way and their contribution was "minimal" at best, according to the Get Smart web page.

There are numerous intense action scenes as well. This is NOT the sedate action of the TV series, but intense James Bond-like style action. The humor is also reported to be "crass and crude" with the "subtlety of Al Sharpton." Expect to see lots of vomit jokes, ass jokes and scatological humor throughout the movie.

Brooks' next film "Pizzaman."

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mel Brooks' latest project is "Pizzaman,"- a serious horror film that marks Brooksfilms' return to the genre. The company produced the successful "The Fly," and its not-so-successful "The Fly It."

Brooks said the project is in the script and rewrite stage and that he hasn't shopped it to the studios yet.
Brook's writing partner, Rudy DeLuca's collaboration with the legendary comic, goes back to 1976's "Silent Movie," and continued with "High Anxiety," "Life Stinks" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving it."

I last saw Brooks hanging out at a popular Italian Beverly Hills Restaurant mugging for delighted diners, while munching on knocchi with pesto sauce. He then got up and sang "Happy Birthday to" our party and gave me a giant hug. I also once interviewed to be his personal secretary some years ago, but didn't get the job. Bummer, but the interview was one of the funniest ever.

Animal Law- They Treat Four Legs, Two Legs and No Legs.

By: Vickie J. Rubinson
Animal Law

Jessica Riker is a paralegal from Tampa Florida, who joined attorney Jennifer Dietz to handle workers' compensation defense and animal law. Riker says Dietz is one of the leading animal law attorneys in the U.S. and opened her own animal law practice, "Animal Law Attorneys" in 2007. Jessica is the first paralegal in the country to specialize in animal law.

"Many of my duties are similar to those of any litigation paralegal, including client intake work, retainer agreements and "welcome to the firm" letters. I review and summarize all vet records for the attorneys and I prepare the drafts of the initial demand letters, which are sent out to the opposing parties," she told Legal Assistant Today magazine.

"We depose animal investigators, veterinarians and other animal experts. I write a great deal of demand letters to insurance companies based on the vet records and that facts provided in the case."

Jessica says the biggest challenge in this particular field involves enormous amounts of telephone calls she receives daily from her clients.

" Animal law involves the clients' pets which are very dear to them. I think it's because the loss is so personal," she explains. " They call to check the status of the case so they can feel that justice is being served in the wrongful death of their beloved pet."

Regarding having any advice for paralegals thinking of going into animal law, Jessica warns, "You need to realize that most of the cases involve the injury or death of a pet. You also need to be able to work quickly and efficiently to try to keep legal costs down because the legal invoices often are paid by people and not by insurance companies."

The Tokyo Bar Hostess

By: Vickie J. Rubinson
Book Review: BAR FLOWER: My Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess.
Author: Lea Jacobson

Bar Flower is the story of a young American's descent into Japan's erotic underworld and to the brink of her own destruction. Have I got your attention? It gets better.

During daylight hours, the city of Tokyo is the very image of robotic conformity. At night, however, it transforms into a "floating world" of escapism as "all-work" salarymen seek a place to play.

Though fascinated by Japanese language and culture, American Lea Jacobson had some difficulty adjusting to Japan's rigidly structured society. Lea found work as a nightclub hostess on Tokyo's Ginza strip and transformed herself into a doll-like confection whose job it was to flatter, flirt and engage in mock relationships with her middle-aged clients.

Working as a hostess-the occupation a direct descendant of the geisha tradition- quickly became lucrative and addictive. Jacobson's searing insights into Japan's cultural dynamics, erotic fascinations, and her own spiral into sensory excess create a haunting and mesmerizing memoir that will leave readers transfixed.