Local News

State Assembly Bill Seeks to Disclose Political Ad Donors

January 31, 2012

Public interest groups are urging citizens to back a bill up for a vote Tuesday in the California Assembly that would require the disclosure of large donations to political advertisements shown across the state. Under AB 1148, also known as the  California Disclose Act , the three largest donors to TV, radio, web and printed political advertising must be named. “This would be a huge win for democracy in California, allowing citizens to give proper weight to the different messages they hear and make informed decisions at the ballot box,” MapLight , a nonprofit that tracks the influence of money in politics, wrote in an email message to supporters. The California Chamber of Commerce has announced its opposition, dimming the bill’s prospects, the  San Jose Mercury News stated. Beverly Hills voters who want to share their thoughts on the proposal with 42nd Assembly District representative Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) can contact his office here . (Note: Beverly Hills is joining the  newly created 50th Assembly District  in the November 2012 election due to redistricting. Until then the city is represented by Assemblyman Feuer as part of the 42nd Assembly District.) Be sure to follow  Beverly Hills  Patch on  Twitter  and “Like” us on  Facebook . See the original post here: State Assembly Bill Seeks to Disclose Political Ad Donors

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Renée Zellweger Lists Connecticut Country Crib

January 31, 2012
Renée Zellweger Lists Connecticut Country Crib

SELLER: Renée Zellweger LOCATION: Pomfret, CT PRICE: $1,500,000 SIZE: 3,400 square feet (approximately, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms YOUR MAMAS NOTES: While snacking on some dry toast backed up with a stiff, mid-day gin & tonic pick-me-up Your Mama received an unexpected press release that announces Oscar-winning actress Renée Zellweger has listed her rural retreat in puny and purdy Pomfret, CT on the market with an asking price of $1,500,000. Miz Zellweger has been a bright light in Tinseltown for quite some time and is best known perhaps for her roles in Cold Mountain, Jerry Maguire, Chicago, Nurse Betty and the Bridget Jones’s Diary franchise and for her long list of high-profile man-friends and who include Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Jack White, Kenny Chesney–to whom she was married for about 8 minutes–Luke Perry, John Krasinski, André Balazs, Dan Abrams and, for about 2 years until their March 2011 bust up, Bradley Cooper who People magazine named as “The Sexiest Man Alive” for 2011. Anyhoo, property records show the sinewy and squinty-eyed movie star procured her pastoral Pomfret property in November 2004 for $1,320,000. The press release we received reveals Miz Zellweger acquired the 39 acre farmlette, located in the northeastern corner of Connecticut about 3.5 hours by car from Midtown Manhattan, as a “vacation retreat.” She renovated, updated and upgraded the property’s primary structures, which include a vintage main house, separate guest house, and fully detached recreation barn while retaining respect and admiration for the age and integrity of the antique structures. The actress also spent handsomely on extensive landscaping improvement that include various gardens, terraces and dry-stone walls that look as if they pre-date the late-18th century spread. The main house, a quirky and humble but dignified Federal-style Colonial built around 1770, measures around 3,400 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms that include a commodious (if casual) master suite with vaulted ceiling with heavy, exposed rough-hewn beams, private en suite facility on a dressing area with, as per press release, “an extensive suite of closets.” Visibly aged and pleasantly worn wide plank wood floors–either original or reclaimed–spread throughout the main lounging and entertaining areas that spoke off around the center stair hall and include a cozy formal living room with fireplace and an army of 9-over-9 pane sash windows, a formal dining room with fireplace and antique crystal chandelier, and a ebony-paneled library also with fireplace plus floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases. A fourth fireplace–this one with brick fireplace original built-in bread oven–warms the family room/media room and the well-equipped (and surprisingly over-sized) and natural light bright kitchen has custom white-painted cabinetry, butcher-block counter tops, high-grade commercial-style appliances, a massive center island lorded over by a heavy-duty pot rack laden with a cacophony of pots and pans that could easy ensnare a bouffant hair do and/or mentally incapacitate an elderly person if it were to fall unexpectedly from the white-painted wood-paneled ceiling. A sunny sun porch with pitched ceiling and original (or antique reclaimed) wide-plank wood floors looks out past the mature tree branches, through a mossy split-rail fence, down a gentle planted slope to a tree- and lawn-ringed amorphous swimming pool with wide flagstone coping. A separate guest house has a living room, bedroom, kitchenette and full bath while an antique barn located across the large gravel motor court from the main house has been re-purposed into an airy entertainment pavilion with soaring exposed wood vaulted ceiling, hardwood floors, a old-timey (but probably new-fanged) wood stove and hefty, rough-hewn posts that anchor the massive antique timbers that cross the interior of the capacious space. The high-profile but low-key Miz Zellweger has owned a number of other prominent properties that include a secluded ranch-style residence in the Hollywood Hills she bought in March 2000 for $1,875,000 from The Wallflowers front man Jakob Dylan and sold a few years later when she snatched up a 6,410 square foot mansion in a plum section of Los Angeles’ hoity toity Bel Air ‘hood that she owned only briefly and sold in July 2003 for $7,000,000 to Will & Grace alum Debra Messing. Most recently she sold a pair of rambling apartments–or a trio of contiguous units, depending on how one counts, that comprise about 5,000 square feet in a grand Beaux Arts townhouse building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for a combined $7,950,000. As far as we know Miz Zellweger still owns a charming farmhouse in East Hampton, NY she acquired in April 2003 for $2,150,000. In early 2010 there were scads of rumors and reports Miz Zellweger and her then man-beau Bradley Cooper picked up a contemporary house in the Rustic Canyon area of Pacific Palisades but to be honest children, we don’t know anything about this house at this point…meaning it’s not clear if it was purchased by Miz Zellweger, Mister Cooper or if they bought it together, which we sort of doubt. We have no inside intel about whether or not Miz Zellweger plans to continue to lighten her real estate load or if she’ll hang on to her house in the Hamptons. listing photos: Coldwell Banker Previews International Read the original: Renée Zellweger Lists Connecticut Country Crib

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Wrinkle repair claim is called ‘unsupported’

January 31, 2012

Hot topics: Watchdog group suggests change in Neutrogena “Rapid Wrinkle Repair” advertising; 1-800-Get-Thin investigated by California insurance agency; PIP breast implant maker charged A consumer watchdog group wants NeutrogenaA toA curtail its “unsupported” claim that the company’sA Rapid Wrinkle Repair can significantly reduce or eliminate … (more) Excerpt from: Wrinkle repair claim is called ‘unsupported’

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Christopher Plummer continues winning streak; nabs SAG Award for ‘Beginners’

January 31, 2012

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Christopher Plummer ‘s Oscar chances were bolstered Sunday as the veteran thespian picked up a Screen Actors Guild Award for ” Beginners .” “I just can’t tell you what fun I’ve had being a member of the world’s second-oldest profession,” the Toronto-born screen legend said as he accepted the best supporting actor trophy. Here is the original post: Christopher Plummer continues winning streak; nabs SAG Award for ‘Beginners’

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Brad Goreski And Gary Janetti Play ‘Plead The Fifth’ With Andy Cohen

January 31, 2012

Stylist Brad Goreski had his boyfriend, ” Will & Grace ” writer/producer Gary Janetti , a little worried when the pair agreed to play “Plead the Fifth” on ” Watch What Happens Live ” (Weeknights, 11 p.m. EST on Bravo). Host Andy Cohen asked, “Tell us one unflattering thing about Gary we would be surprised to hear.” To which Brad replied, “He loves getting blowouts.” A worried-looking Gary obviously thought Brad was going to say something else and just about exploded in relief when he heard the word “blowout.” Then, Cohen asked Brad to name a celebrity he would refuse to style. Diplomatically, Brad replied, “My door’s always open.” When Gary was in the hot seat, Cohen asked him “Will or Grace?” The answer: Will, natch . But Gary showed he could be just as diplomatic as Brad when asked what was the worst project he’d ever written for. He plead the fifth on that. Watch Andy and his guests in the Bravo clubhouse on “Watch What Happens Live,” Weeknights at 11 p.m. EST on Bravo. TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser. Here is the original post: Brad Goreski And Gary Janetti Play ‘Plead The Fifth’ With Andy Cohen

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Matthew Broderick’s Day Off

January 31, 2012
Matthew Broderick’s Day Off

Matthew Broderick needed a day off again after 26 long years, so the star of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” relived his iconic ’80s role by calling in sick and enjoying a day of fun in Los Angeles. To launch the 2012 CR-V, Honda brought “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” back, casting Matthew Broderick, 49, as himself in the following funny video containing 26 references to the classic 1986 movie. For Ferris Bueller fans everywhere, including Californiality , watching Matthew Broderick play hooky from work is a vicarious treat which also brings back memories of care-free fun back in the day. Big thanks to Matthew Broderick and Honda for reminding all of us middle-aged folks that we didn’t just imagine the 1980s.

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Blake Griffin discusses his monster dunk over Kendrick Perkins

January 31, 2012
Blake Griffin discusses his monster dunk over Kendrick Perkins

http://www.youtube.com/v/TjhwbaRCz-Q?version=3&f=user_uploads&app=youtube_gdata Video by Melissa Rohlin See the original post: Blake Griffin discusses his monster dunk over Kendrick Perkins

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Lakers author Roland Lazenby & LA Times’ Mark Medina on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

January 31, 2012
Lakers author Roland Lazenby & LA Times’ Mark Medina on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

http://www.youtube.com/v/ILYT2RRBQb8?version=3&f=user_uploads&app=youtube_gdata Lakers author Roland Lazenby & LA Times’ Mark Medina on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant Go here to read the rest: Lakers author Roland Lazenby & LA Times’ Mark Medina on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

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Clippers and Blake Griffin Explode All Over the Thunder

January 31, 2012
Clippers and Blake Griffin Explode All Over the Thunder

Brent Barry of NBA TV called it their signature win of the season, even more than their overtime win over the Miami Heat. The Clippers indeed put on a spectacular performance in their 112-100 thrashing over the Oklahoma City Thunder, owners of the best record in the NBA. more › Go here to see the original: Clippers and Blake Griffin Explode All Over the Thunder

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Christian Louboutin Returns to Los Angeles as Oscar Week Approaches

January 31, 2012

Monsieur Christian Louboutin , the inventor of some of the world’s most coveted shoes — yes, the ones with high heels and the red bottoms — is spending his 20th anniversary in the business at Neiman Marcus on Wilshire in Beverly Hills. See original here: Christian Louboutin Returns to Los Angeles as Oscar Week Approaches

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Raw Police Video