Jessica Vega, a New York woman who faked having cancer so donors would pay for her “dream wedding” and Caribbean honeymoon, was released from jail Wednesday after repaying the guests she conned and agreeing to community service. Makes that stomach flu you used to skip work last month seem tame at least. Vega apologized in court for the scam and was sentenced to time served. She had been behind bars less than two months since her arrest. After her unbelievable stunt unraveled, she pleaded guilty in April to charges of scheming to defraud and possession of a forged instrument. When she left the Orange County Jail in upstate New York a few hours later, she apologized again, insisting that “of course” she was sorry. Officials say Jessica Vega had paid back more than $13,000 to her guests, with nine victims getting checks ranging from $500-3,700. Vega also was sentenced to five years of probation and must do 300 hours of community service while undergoing mental health treatment. She was living in Montgomery, 60 miles north of NYC, when she began the scam, which picked up steam when a newspaper did a story on her. Residents of the area, touched by her claim to be dying of leukemia, had donated her dress, the wedding rings, an Aruba time-share and more. Sometime after the 2010 wedding, the groom, Michael O’Connell, went to the newspaper with questions about Vega’s story, and they divorced. Police investigated and Vega was arrested in early April in Virginia, where she was surprisingly again living with O’Connell and their two kids. The judge said he doubted that Vega was the sole perpetrator of the scam. O’Connell said afterward he had “absolutely nothing” to do with it.
It’s Booosh’s fault! Vice President Joe Biden told reporters: I don’t “blame people” for voting for a felon over Obama in the West Virginia primary… Then he went on and blamed Bush. The Politico reported: Here’s a clip from Vice … Continue reading → Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Gateway Pundit Discovery Date : 18/05/2012 16:45 Number of articles : 2
The Los Angeles Film Festival unveiled its lineup of nearly 200 features, shorts and more today. This year’s event, which comprises work from 30 countries, will open with the North American premiere of Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love ( as previously announced ), while the world premiere of Warner Bros.’ Magic Mike by Steven Soderbergh will close out the festival, which runs June 14 – 24 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Other gala events include Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World , Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild. And Dreamworks Pictures’ People Like Us will have its World Premiere in LAFF’s Summer Showcase screenings. Directed by Alex Kurtzman and written by Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert, and the film stars Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, Michael Hall D’Addario, Philip Baker Hall, Mark Duplass, Michelle Pfeiffer, and centers on a 20-something fast talker who is tasked to fulfill his estranged father’s last wishes. LAFF’s lineup below include 30 World, North American and U.S. premieres, 19 of which are in competition. The festival’s International Showcase spotlight narrative and documentary selections from outside the U.S., while Summer Showcase are advance screenings set for release this summer. Narrative Competition (10) (with LAFF descriptions): All Is Well – Portugal (Director Pocas Pascoal, Producer Luis Correia, Cast Cheila Lima, Ciomara Morais) – Strangers in a strange land, two beautiful Angolan sisters fleeing a civil war in their homeland struggle to survive in Lisbon. Pocas Pascoal’s deeply personal saga shows us the face of exile with quietly stunning power. North American Premiere Breakfast with Curtis – (Director/Writer/Producer Laura Colella, Cast Theo Green, Jonah Parker, David Parker, Virginia Laffey, Aaron Jungels, Yvonne Parker, Adele Parker, Laura Colella, Gideon Parker) – A balmy eastern summer and a lush, rambling backyard are the perfect settings for this mirthful tale of unlikely friendships and rekindled neighborliness amongst a quirky and charming cast of bohemians. World Premiere The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man – Mexico (Director/Writer Arturo Pons , Producer Ozcar Ramírez González, Cast Gael Sanchez Valle, Pedro Gamez, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Eligio Melendez, Luis Bayardo, Marco Perez) – A young man and a dead man journey north through a subtly surreal desert landscape, picking up a wagonful of odd characters as they go in this darkly humorous satire of contemporary Mexico. North American Premiere Crazy and Thief – (Director/Writer Cory McAbee, Producers Cory McAbee, Scott Miller, Cast Willa McAbee, John McAbee, Gregory Cook, Graham Stanford) – With only a homemade “Star Map” and their own imagination to guide them, a brother and sister take a fantastical journey through the real world in this ode to being a little kid from cult director Cory McAbee. North American Premiere Dead Man’s Burden – (Director/Writer Jared Moshé, Producer Veronica Nickel, Cast Barlow Jacobs, Clare Bowen, David Call, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Richard Riehle) – This tense, classically crafted indie Western, set in the aftermath of the Civil War, starts with a startling act of violence: a daughter shoots down her father on the open range. Then her long lost brother returns. This is not going to be just any old family reunion. World Premiere Four – (Director/Writer Joshua Sanchez, Producer Christine Giorgio CAST Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, Aja Naomi King, EJ Bonilla) – Over the course of a steamy 4th of July night, a father and daughter, each trapped in loneliness, reach out for sexual connection — he with a self-hating teenage boy, she with a smooth-talking wannabe homeboy — in this psychologically complex, beautifully acted drama. World Premiere A Night Too Young – Czech Republic (Director Olmo Omerzu, Writers Bruno Hájek, Jakub Felcman, Olmo Omerzu, Producer Jiří Konečný CAST Martin Pechlát, Jirí Cerny, Natálie Rehorová, Vojtech Machuta, Jan Vasi) – On New Years Day, two innocent 12-year-old boys score vodka for three strangers and get invited to an adult party they’ll never forget. This darkly comic tale by gifted 26-year-old Czech director Olmo Omerzu upends the conventions of the coming of age movie. North American Premiere Pincus – (Director/Writer/Producer David Fenster, Cast David Nordstrom, Paul Fenster, Christi Idavoy, Dietmar Franosch) – An anchorless carpenter returns to his Miami home to help his ailing father. To escape the burden of his responsibilities, he seeks comfort in women, weed and his otherworldly German friend Dietmar. World Premiere Red Flag – (Director/Writer/Producer Alex Karpovsky, Cast Alex Karpovsky, Onur Tukel, Jennifer Prediger, Caroline White, Keith Poulson, Dustin Guy Defa) – Writer/director/star Alex Karpovksy reveals his sterling comic chops playing an indie filmmaker named Alex Karpovsky who, unexpectedly dumped by his girlfriend, takes to the road for a misbegotten mini-tour of film screenings and overly ardent groupies. World Premiere Thursday till Sunday – Chile (Director/Writer Dominga Sotomayor, Producers Gregorio González, Benjamin Domenech, Cast Santi Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld, Francisco Pérez-Bannen, Paola Giannini) – With uncommon beauty and style, this Chilean road movie finds a family at a crossroads, as the daughter slowly realizes the divide between the adults in the front seat and the kids in back. North American Premiere Documentary Competition (with LAFF descriptions): 25 to Life – (Director Mike Brown, Producers Mike Brown, Yvonne Shirley) – William Brawner contracted the HIV virus through a blood transfusion as a toddler and kept it a secret as an adult while living a promiscuous, womanizing life. 25 years later, he comes clean, and this unflinching, sure-to-be-controversial documentary records his struggle for redemption. World Premiere A Band Called Death – (Directors Jeff Howlett, Mark Covino, Producers Matthew Perniciaro, Scott Mosier, Kevin Mann, Jerry Ferrara FEATURING David Hackney, Bobby Hackney, Sr., Dannis Hackney) – Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and inspiring family chronicle, this is the captivating and little known story of the Hackney brothers and their band Death, the best punk band the world almost never heard. World Premiere Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives – (Directors Sara Lamm, Mary Wigmore, Producers Kate Roughan, Zachary Mortensen, Sara Lamm, Mary Wigmore FEATURING Ina May Gaskin, Stephen Gaskin, Pamela Hunt, Farm Midwives past and present, Kristina Kennedy Davis) – Ina May Gaskin and the courageous midwives of the Farm commune inspired the modern midwifery movement. This beguiling documentary tells their empowering story with depth, intelligence and wit. World Premiere Call Me Kuchu – (Directors Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall, Producer Malika Zouhali-Worrall) – To be openly gay in Uganda is to risk imprisonment and death, yet brave men like David Katos, the country’s first openly gay activist, have fought back. This heartbreaking and stirring documentary takes us inside this life and death struggle for human rights. US Premiere Drought – Mexico (Director Everado González, Producer Martha Orozco) – Contrasting the lives of a cattle-ranching community with the arid northeastern Mexican landscape that surrounds them, this cinema vertité documentary paints a poetic portrait of a community on the verge of extinction. US Premiere The Iran Job – USA/Germany/Iran (Directors Till Schauder, Producers Sara Nodjoumi, Till Schauder FEATURING Kevin Sheppard, Leah Sheppard, Hilda, Laleh, Elaheh, Abdullah, Zoran “Z” Milicic, Kami Jamshidvand, Ali Doraghi, Mehdi Shirjang, Gholamreza Khajeh, Asadollah Kabir, Fereidoon Reisi, Mohammad Ahmadi, Ehsan) – An American pro basketball player signs up for a season with upstart Iranian Super League team A.S. Shiraz. This sports documentary takes a surprising turn when this gregarious charmer meets three strong Iranian women fighting the repressive regime. World Premiere Sun Kissed – (Directors Maya Stark, Adi Lavy, Porducers Jocelyn Glatzer, Maya Stark, Adi Lavy) – With remarkable strength of spirit, a husband and wife examine their lives and why their children and others have been struck with a rare genetic disorder in this powerful portrait of a small Navajo community. World Premiere Vampira and Me – Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. World Premiere Words of Witness – Egypt/USA (Director/Producer Mai Iskander, Featuring Heba Afify) – Updating your Facebook status is a political act in this street-level documentary depicting the recent Egyptian revolution as seen through the eyes and social network accounts of a young female journalist working for an English language newspaper. US Premiere International Showcase (15): Bestiaire , Denis Côté – Canada Bunohan: Return to Murder , Dain Said – Malaysia (Oscilloscope Pictures) Canícula , José Álvarez – Mexico The First Man , Gianni Amelio – France – US Premiere The Last Elvis , Armando Bo – Argentina Neighboring Sounds , Kleber Mendonça Filho – Brazil (The Cinema Guild) On the Edge , Leila Kilani – France/Morocco/Germany P-047 , Kongdej Jaturanrasamee – Thailand Return to Burma , Midi Z. – Taiwan/Myanmar Sister , Ursula Meier – Switzerland (Adopt Films) – North American Premiere The Strawberry Tree , Simone Rapisarda Casanova – Canada/Cuba/Italy Summer Games , Rolando Colla – Switzerland Teddy Bear , Mads Matthiesen – Denmark (Film Movement) Unforgivable , André Téchiné – France (Strand Releasing) Without Gorky , Cosima Spender – UK Summer Showcase (16) : About Face , Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (HBO Films) Beauty Is Embarrassing , Neil Berkeley Big Easy Express , Emmett Malloy Celeste and Jesse Forever , Lee Toland Krieger (Sony Pictures Classics) Gayby , Jonathan Lisecki (Wolfe Releasing) Gimme the Loot , Adam Leon (IFC Films) The House I Live In , Eugene Jarecki It’s a Disaster , Todd Berger – World Premiere La Camioneta : The Journey of One American School Bus, Mark Kendall – USA/Guatemala Neil Young Journeys , Jonathan Demme (Sony Pictures Classics) An Oversimplification of Her Beauty , Terence Nance – USA/France People Like Us, Alex Kurtzman (Dreamworks Pictures) – World Premiere The Queen of Versailles , Lauren Greenfield (Magnolia Pictures) Reportero, Bernardo Ruiz Robot and Frank , Jake Schreier (Samuel Goldwyn Films) Searching for Sugar Man , Malik Bendjelloul (Sony Pictures Classics)
Singer is seen kissing Florence and the Machine guitarist Robert Ackroyd. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry and Robert Ackroyd at the second weekend of the Coachella festival in California Photo: PacificCoastNews.com It was more than just the music that Katy Perry took in over the weekend at Coachella in California. The single pop star was seen also taking in the affections of what appeared to be a new boyfriend. The singer was spotted holding hands, kissing and generally canoodling with Florence and the Machine guitarist Robert Ackroyd. This was the second weekend in a row that Perry was at Coachella. She debuted her new hair color at last week’s festivities, and this week, it looked like she was debuting her new love. Click for pix of Katy and Robert canoodling at Coachella The couple were photographed Sunday. Perry was in a lavender romper to match her brand-new purple locks, while Ackroyd sported a plain, white T-shirt and jeans. When Perry tweeted about this past weekend’s festivities, she made no mention of her new beau, instead writing about Radiohead and her dream to make a Sublime hologram happen,
‘Hunger Games’ star may land a lead role in the film adaptation of Jeannette Walls’ best-selling memoir. By Fallon Prinzivalli Jennifer Lawrence Photo: Getty Images With the success of “The Hunger Games,” it’s no surprise Jennifer Lawrence is a sought-after leading lady. With three films hitting theaters this fall — including “House at the End of the Street” and “The Silver Linings Playbook” — she has a busy schedule, but it looks like Lawrence might add another project to her repertoire. Deadline Hollywood reports that Lionsgate’s production president, Erik Feig, has acquired the rights to gossip columnist Jeanette Walls’ best-seller “The Glass Castle: A Memoir.” Gil Netter (“The Blind Side”) is set to produce and Marti Noxon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “I Am Number Four”) is attached to pen the script. Walls’ book follows her nomadic childhood as she grew up moving around the Southwest desert with her parents and three siblings. When he was sober, her father Rex nurtured his children’s imagination and taught them to embrace life. Her mother Rose Mary was an artist who would rather paint and write than be responsible for her family. When their money was finally gone, they returned to West Virginia where her father drank and stole and Walls and her siblings were forced to support each other. While her tale seems grim, she paints her parents in a loving light because, despite her family’s flaws, they played a huge role in her success. Upon its release in 2005, the book spent more than 250 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list, which was a first for any memoir. The story is a departure from the male-centered movies Lionsgate usually releases. They’re known for films such as “Warrior,” “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Abduction” and “Conan the Barbarian.” But perhaps with the overwhelming success of “Hunger Games” and its strong heroine, the company will focus on more female-lead narratives. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet
Move aside, Basketball Wives . Step off, Jenelle Evans. Two girls on TLC’s My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding just set the new high water mark for reality TV fights, and it may take a long time to top this. At a wedding in West Virginia, two girls (one from each side of the family) got into it after one said the soon-to-be newlyweds are basically a bad fit. My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding Fight Mellie (the smaller of the two) hails from the groom’s side, while Diamond was the maid of honor on the bride’s side. There was no love lost to start with. The tipping point came after the ceremony, though, when Mellie began running her mouth about how the bride and groom don’t belong together. Diamond then shoved Mellie to the ground HARD … outside the church. The ladies proceeded to beat the ever-loving snot out of each other, tearing at clothing, rolling around on the ground until they were both half naked, etc. Your move, Jenelle .
Little tolerance for sociopaths like Virginia Foxx by David Atkins Representative Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Subcommittee on higher education, went on G. Gordon Liddy’s radio show to say this : I went through school, I worked my way through, it took me seven years, I never borrowed a dime of money. He borrowed a little bit because we both were totally on our own when we went to college, totally…I… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Hullabaloo Discovery Date : 13/04/2012 16:08 Number of articles : 2
Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery face off on what ‘Songs From This Decade’ the top seven should tackle. By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery Jessica Sanchez Photo: FOX For weeks, it’s felt like we’ve been screaming into the void. We keep begging “American Idol” to get with the program and borrow a page from rivals like “The Voice” and “X Factor” by having the finalists sing songs that were released in the decades since Randy Jackson played bass for Carlos Santana. It’s a novel concept, we know. Seriously, enough with the Billy Joel and Michael Jackson theme nights! Not another collection of Elton John, disco or Frank Sinatra songs, please! Give us something contemporary, dudes — or at least something that may give our aunt in Virginia pause. Finally, “Idol” producers seem to have heard our pleas and given the top seven a shot at sounding halfway relevant this week with “Songs From This Decade” night. Now, the reality singing gods giveth and they taketh away, so while we’re in mortal fear of hearing Jason Mraz and Train songs, we’re also a bit torn about what is likely to turn into an Adele-valanche. Be careful what you wish for. But we’ll take it. So here’s what songs MTV News’ resident “Idol” experts think the remaining contestants should tackle. They failed to take our advice on last week’s ’80-themed show , and look how that one turned out … DeAndre . Read on for our picks! Joshua Ledet Josh smashed it last week and is once again at the top of his game. But here’s the thing: The guy remains an R&B tabula rasa, personality-wise. It’s hard to see him headlining an arena tour or filming an iconic video. Since we hear he’s way more confident off-camera than on, L-Deezy needs to get a little grimy, and what better way to do that than with Usher’s “OMG”? Or, if he must, I offer a one-time-only Adele dispensation for “Someone Like You.” — Kaufman I see him going one of two ways tonight: Either he embraces his brassy, sassy side and does Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” — which he’d kill,
Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery face off on what ‘Songs From This Decade’ the top seven should tackle. By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery Jessica Sanchez Photo: FOX For weeks, it’s felt like we’ve been screaming into the void. We keep begging “American Idol” to get with the program and borrow a page from rivals like “The Voice” and “X Factor” by having the finalists sing songs that were released in the decades since Randy Jackson played bass for Carlos Santana. It’s a novel concept, we know. Seriously, enough with the Billy Joel and Michael Jackson theme nights! Not another collection of Elton John, disco or Frank Sinatra songs, please! Give us something contemporary, dudes — or at least something that may give our aunt in Virginia pause. Finally, “Idol” producers seem to have heard our pleas and given the top seven a shot at sounding halfway relevant this week with “Songs From This Decade” night. Now, the reality singing gods giveth and they taketh away, so while we’re in mortal fear of hearing Jason Mraz and Train songs, we’re also a bit torn about what is likely to turn into an Adele-valanche. Be careful what you wish for. But we’ll take it. So here’s what songs MTV News’ resident “Idol” experts think the remaining contestants should tackle. They failed to take our advice on last week’s ’80-themed show , and look how that one turned out … DeAndre . Read on for our picks! Joshua Ledet Josh smashed it last week and is once again at the top of his game. But here’s the thing: The guy remains an R&B tabula rasa, personality-wise. It’s hard to see him headlining an arena tour or filming an iconic video. Since we hear he’s way more confident off-camera than on, L-Deezy needs to get a little grimy, and what better way to do that than with Usher’s “OMG”? Or, if he must, I offer a one-time-only Adele dispensation for “Someone Like You.” — Kaufman I see him going one of two ways tonight: Either he embraces his brassy, sassy side and does Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” — which he’d kill,
Easter Bunny Arrested For Drug Possession SMH… Bunnies gettin’ high off more than just hops One Easter Bunny was arrested this week after police found he was carrying around more than Easter eggs and candy. Joshua Lee Bolling, 24, was arrested and charged on Thursday with illegally possessing prescription narcotics. Police arrested Bolling after businesses at the Piedmont Mall in Danville, Virginia complained that the Easter Bunny was acting suspicious. “His suspicious behavior took place while he was on breaks and not during his contact with children,” a police release said. Mall security tailed Bolling, eventually catching him with pills they say he did not have a prescription for. Bolling was not hired by the mall but was contracted by a company as part of their Easter festivities. Police did escort him away from the scene so that he would not be arrested in front of the children. We didn’t know the bunny moved that white too. Good thing they didn’t arrest buddy in front of those poor kids. Good move, one-time. Source WENN More On Bossip! Beyonce Releases NEVER SEEN VIDEO EVIDENCE OF PREGNANCY And “4-Year Anniversary To Jay-Z” Never Seen Pictures (20-Pics) [Video] Thickly Thick Goodness: Women That Looked Better When They Had The Extra Weight You Mad?? Bossip Confirms That Reggie Bush Has Been Thirsting For Kimmy’s Cakes For 6 Months, Bitter That She Chose Kanye Over Him! [+ Pics Of Kim And Kanye Today!] All Hail Sisqó! Celebrities Caught Out And About Rocking Thong Th-Thong Thong Thongs!
