LBN Archive

OBAMA TO RAISE INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING: President Obama will call for $50 billion in spending on roads, rail, and airports when he announces a new package to boost the flagging economy Monday. More money will be spent over six years on infrastructure, and the total cost hasn’t been determined, but the $50 billion is a large chunk. The president wants to see 4,000 miles of railways maintained and built for coast-to-coast travel, plus rebuilding 150,000 of roads and bettering 150 miles of runway at airports. This plan focuses on long-term growth instead of short-term job gains, and is aimed at boosting the economy—or voters’ attitudes about the economy—for the midterm elections.

LBN-INVESTIGATES: In May 2010, there were 154.6 million people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force.

NETANYAHU SEES HOPE IN PEACE TALKS: Making their first public statements since peace talks began in Washington this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and lead Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat spoke in optimistic tones about the prospect of an agreement. Netanyahu referenced “a sense of readiness that exists in the Arab world.” Erekat struck a similar tone, saying, “This is the time for decisions.” Despite the optimism, the talks must reckon with a history of failure, and the upcoming end to Israel’s moratorium on West Bank settlements on September 26 could stop the talks entirely if Israel does not extend it. So far, the leaders have organized a framework for the negotiations, with Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas agreeing to meet every two weeks for a year. Also in their favor, American diplomats have committed to staying involved for the entire process.

LBN-THE “INSIDE” STORY:  A senior Iranian cleric has dismissed the Nazi Holocaust during World War II as a “superstition created by the West”. Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi (pictured) proclaimed over the weekend: “The Holocaust is nothing but superstition, but Zionists say that people of the world should be forced to accept this. Americans and Westerners are affected by superstitions such as the Holocaust.”

COMPANIES FUND LAWMAKERS’ CHARITIES: New rules, passed in 2007, were supposed to limit the amount of influence corporations could have on Congress, but, according to a New York Times investigation, companies have found another way to make their presence felt: giving money to lawmakers’ charities. Companies like AT&T and Chevron give generously, sometimes up to $5 million, to foundations created by congressmen or their families. Last fall, Altria, a cigarette maker, sent thousands of dollars to charities of House members, while legislation concerning the sale of cigarettes over the Internet was being considered. “We are not apologetic about it at all: it is part of our overall effort to work with policy makers,” a spokesman for Duke Energy, which gives money to these charities, said. “Social settings are always a good way to get to know people.”

BRITAIN MAY REOPEN PHONE HACKING CASE: The U.K. could reopen its investigation into a tabloid that managed to eavesdrop on famous people’s private phone calls, seeking new evidence from The New York Times, which interviewed a former reporter for the tabloid. Sean Hoare told the newspaper that the former editor of New of the World, Andy Coulson, personally asked Hoare to listen in. Coulson is now the head of communications for the prime minister, and has said he had no knowledge that the tabloid was tapping into celebrities’ and politicians’ calls. British police want a transcript of the interview with Hoare. News of the World is accusing the Times of making up stuff to hurt a competitor.

U.S. HELPS FIGHT IN IRAQI ATTACK: U.S. combat operations in Iraq may be over, but the violence is not. In broad daylight Sunday, suicide bombers and armed insurgents stormed the Baghdad headquarters of Iraq’s army, claiming at least 18 lives and injuring 39 others. American troops joined the battle, providing “suppressive fire while [Iraqi] soldiers located the two terrorists that entered the compound,” according to a military spokesman, though no U.S. troops were among the casualties. The U.S. also contributed helicopters, aerial drones, and other aides to the Iraqis, a sign that the country’s military is still heavily reliant on U.S. guidance and supplies.

SUMMER’S BLEAK BOX OFFICE: Movie attendance this summer was the worst in 13 years, as 552 million people left the house to watch one of the season’s films. In total, the industry made $4.35 billion, an uptick of two percent from last year. With some 3-D movies bombing, Hollywood may take more care with choosing which films to present in the format in the future. Inception, the moody Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle, proved the summer’s winner, taking in $660 million. “The summer isn’t just for dopes,” a Warner executive cheered. But top honors go to Toy Story 3, which made more than $1 billion at the box office globally.

ARE RESTAURANT KITCHENS CLEANER THAN YOURS?: New research suggests that at least one in seven home kitchens would fail the sort of health inspection restaurants commonly undergo. The study, carried out in Los Angeles County, California, concluded that just 61 percent of home kitchens would receive an A or B grade on such a screening and that at least 14 percent would fail. In contrast, 98 percent of restaurants in that area receive a B or higher. The results were based on an online survey asking respondents about things like fridge temperature and food preparation and storage practices. Experts believe the results are not representative of all households and that the percentage of home kitchens that would pass such an inspection is actually lower than estimated.

LBN-MEDIA INSIDER:   ***Lindsay Lohan has “multiple offers” for her first television interview since getting out of jail/rehab — and one of her biggest suitors is “Today.”

HOUSING WOES BRING NEW CRY: Let Market Fall: The unexpectedly deep plunge in home sales this summer is likely to force the Obama administration to choose between future homeowners and current ones, a predicament officials had been eager to avoid.  Over the last 18 months, the administration has rolled out just about every program it could think of to prop up the ailing housing market, using tax credits, mortgage modification programs, low interest rates, government-backed loans and other assistance intended to keep values up and delinquent borrowers out of foreclosure. The goal was to stabilize the market until a resurgent economy created new households that demanded places to live.

LBN-HOLLYWOOD INSIDER:   ***The Paramount Chairman and CEO, Brad Grey, who recently bought a home in Bel-Air has sold his six-bedroom, 11-bathroom Pacific Palisades house, and the WSJ reports. Buyer is Jordan Kaplan, CEO of Douglas Emmett, the locally based real estate investment trust. Purchase price: $21.5 million (down from the initial listing of just under $30 million). It’s the kind of place you wouldn’t mind hanging out at during the holiday weekend: outdoor kitchen with a wood-burning oven, sunken tennis court and a trout-stocked pond. Inside there’s, well, pretty much everything. Also from the Journal: An oceanfront Malibu estate that was listed for $49.95 million has been reduced by $10 million. The estate is owned by Jonathan Frank, a real-estate investor.

LBN-SPORTS INSIDER:   ***Only two Americans are left in the U.S. Open’s men’s bracket after John Isner was defeated by Mikhail Youzhny, the 12th seed. In a sluggish performance, Isner made several mistakes: he had 61 unforced errors and his serve was broken four times. Isner lost 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (5), 6-4 in 3 hours and 18 minutes—a match far shorter than the record-breaking marathon contest at Wimbledon earlier this year. Mardy Fish and Sam Querry have advanced to the fourth round.

POWER PEOPLE READ THE LBN E-LERT: Influencers all over the world read the LBN E-Lert daily including:   ***12 members of the White House staff.   ***Attorney and political commentator Susan Estrich.   ***Over 100 winners of the Academy Award.   ***Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Judith Regan.   ***Over 300 winners of the Grammy Award.   ***The Mayors of New York, Paris, London, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami.   ***Entertainment attorney Bruce Ramer.   ***3 Nobel Prize winners.    ***Professors from Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Stanford, Duke, Columbia, NYU, UCLA and USC.   ***Leading executives from Intel, Starbucks, Ford Motor Company, Exxon, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Staples.   ***Actress Goldie Hawn.   ***Veteran Hollywood agent Jeff Berg.   ***Famed movie producer Mike Medavoy. —– All smart people who understand that information is power the LBN E-Lert is a power-tool.

LBN-NOTICED:   ***Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver pedaling their bikes northbound on Main Street in Santa Monica. ***Actress Vivica Fox channeling her wild side as she goes to dinner at Mr Chow’s in Beverly Hills, CA.   ***Christina Aguilera finishing up her meal with her husband and child at the 3 Square Café & Bakery in Venice, CA before hopping into her red Ferrari sports car and driving away.   ***“Bachelor” actress Vienna Girardi spotted with businessman Matt Nordgren at at Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood, CA on Sunday night.   ***Andy Roddick out and about with his wife Brooklyn Decker, exiting the Sunset Marquis hotel in Hollywood, CA. ***BE AN LBN-CORRESPONDENT — Send your celebrity sightings to: LBNElert@Timewire.net.

LBN-COMMENTARY By CARLA COLLINS (Comedian & Author of Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags):  Angel: Modern Family-This show made sitcoms funny again and won a fist full of Emmys. ‘Nuff said. Vampire: Jesse James and Kat Von D-Sure they’re a perfect match considering both sport more ink than Obama’s health care bill but do we really need these two bloodsuckers making headlines? I just don’t want to picture them together. It would be like two Ed Hardy hoodies going at it.  Douche Bag: Baby Showers-I don’t want to be anywhere 30 white women are gathered without alcohol being present. These are heinous events where I’m obliged to take part in stupid crafts, drink tea and eat scones. Scones are like the soccer of the pastry world: kinda gay and no one cares about them in North America. Plus these showers now force the poor mom-to-be (who already looks like a puffy Val Kilmer in drag) to eat melted chocolate out of a disposable diaper. What kind of poor man’s “2 Girls, 1 Cup” am I witnessing? If I get invited to another one of these hellish occasions I’m bringing Nuvaring and a pit bull.

LBN-COMMENTARY By PAUL KRUGMAN: The inadequacy of the Obama administration’s initial economic stimulus has landed it — and the nation — in a political trap.

LBN-COMMENTARY By ROSS DOUTHAT: Obsessing about extremists and conspiracy theories, on the right and on the left, is often a way for the elites to gloss over their own failures.

LBN-COMMENTARY By ROBERT REICH (Former Secretary of Labor, Professor at Berkeley): The rich are better off with a smaller percentage of a fast-growing economy than a larger share of an economy that’s barely moving. We learned that lesson decades ago; until we remember it again, we’ll be stuck in the Great Recession.

THE LIST RANT By ERICKA T. BASS:   1. Listen up, public breastfeeding is neither “beautiful” nor a “miracle” except for asshole mothers. Please bond with your stupid child in private.   2. I have a whore friend of mine who actually spent $6,000 on a veterinarian bill. What a f–king idiot!   3. If the TV show Cheaters, went off the air I would consider holding a funeral with friends gathering at my house and shedding tears. I would beat my chest in mourning and wept with everyone else.   4. Congressman Rangel belongs in jail. Big time.   5. I am sorry about Michael Douglas but have no plans to stop smoking. Ever.  5. Lassie is an ugly dog.   6. All the women I meet from web dating have thick lips and craft, bulging eyes tense with an urge to confess to awful sin.   7. When I was a child my hair hung in ringlets over my neck and I had a soft smile.   8. I took my first set of nude photos when I was 15.   ***Shout back at Ericka T. Email: LBNElert@TimeWire.net  (Note: The opinions of Ericka T. are those of her and her alone and don’t necessarily represent the opinions of the LBN E-Lert.)

LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW:

LBN-OVERHEARD:   ***Behind her brave public face, Elin Woods is hiding a shocking secret – she was so deeply depressed over her husband’s cheating scandal that she nearly became suicidal. Sources close to Tiger Woods’ ex-wife tell The Enquirer that Elin also suffered stress-induced vomiting after she ate, wept uncontrollably, and rarely slept – but intensive therapy and her love for her two young children saved her life.   ***“Ugly betty” star America Ferrera’s father  died a broken man, never realizing his final desperate wish to reconcile with his famous daughter .The Emmy-winning actress’ estranged dad Gregorio Ferrera passed away from diabetes and obesity complications in his native Honduras on Aug. 22.   ***A judge in the Bahamas has dropped the charges in the extortion case involving John Travolta at the actor’s request.  The two defendants — Tarino Lightbourne and Pleasant Bridgewater — were charged with trying to allegedly get millions from John in return for keeping an ambulance waiver secret on the day Jett died. The first trial resulted in a mistrial.

LBN-QUOTE: “The news that Craigslist shut down its “Adult Services” section must have made Charlie Sheen weep!”—–Ericka T. Bass.

LBN-HISTORY: On September 6, 1959, the first Barbie Doll was sold by Mattel Toy Corporation.

MOSQUE BUILDING OWNERS NIXED $18M OFFER BEFORE TAKING $4.8M ONE: The original owners of the Ground Zero mosque site mysteriously spurned dozens of higher bids before selling the prime downtown real estate at a bargain-basement price.  The Pomerantz family, which had owned the building since the late 1960s and fielded offers after the patriarch died in 2006, rejected at least one bid that was nearly four times what prospective mosque builder Sharif El-Gamal eventually paid.  El-Gamal did offer what could be viewed as a sweetener to his $4.8 million bid in July 2009 — a job as a property manager for a son of the family, Sethian Pomerantz.

OBAMA READIES ECONOMIC PACKAGE: President Obama heads to the Midwest for an economy-related tour with less than two months until congressional elections: He speaks at a Labor Day rally in Milwaukee Monday and plans an economic speech in Cleveland Wednesday. He is scheduled to hold a news conference at the White House Friday. Late last week, Obama said at the White House that “new ideas” to boost the economy and help increase job hiring are on the way. Armed with the “positive” news that private payrolls climbed 67,000 in August, according to the Labor Department, the president will be promoting his policies in Wisconsin and Ohio. “I will be addressing a broader package of new ideas next week,” Obama said, adding that job numbers are still “not nearly good enough.” On top of these new measures, the president is asking Congress to help small businesses by passing legislation that includes $12 billion in tax breaks and $30 billion worth of aid to free up credit.

ANTI-WAR GROUPS LOSE MOMENTUM: Anti-war activists are struggling to mobilize, exhausted and disillusioned with the very president they catapulted to victory. Prominent anti-war activists are having difficulty raising money and convincing people to turn out for events, despite the increase in public opposition to the Afghan war. One reason for such a tepid movement is quite simply fatigue: “I was totally exhausted,” said United for Peace and Justice founder Leslie Cagan, “I have a long history of anti-war activism—about 45 years—but the last eight or nine years have been totally intense. In a post 9/11 world, it’s just nonstop.”

TROOPS OWED $324M IN BACK PAY: For many veterans, the prospect of free money from the government just seems too good to be true. Around 145,000 troops who were kept on duty beyond their original discharge date due to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks are eligible for cash bonuses totaling $324 million, but no one seems to want to collect them. Under a measure passed last October, military personnel who were forced to remain on duty because of the “stop-loss” policy, are eligible for $500 in back pay for each month of involuntary service — the average sum owed is between $3,500 and $3,800. Thousands of veterans, however, have ignored the letters reminding them to file the paperwork to collect their checks. “It is unusual, and because it’s unusual maybe that’s why some people are questioning whether this is legitimate,” said the Pentagon official in charge of enlisted personnel management.

LBN-SEE IT: Actress Joan Collins, yesterday and today.

A SIMPLE QUESTION: Do you have the GUTS to forward this LBN E-Lert to your friends, family and associates? Do you? Do you?

LBN-HEALTH WATCH: US researchers say the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) may change with the seasons, citing brain scans of patients showing higher levels of disease activity in the spring and summer. It is not clear why changes in weather should have this sort of effect, but it does have significant implications for researchers studying effectiveness of drug treatments for MS. Clinical trials assessing a new medication’s effectiveness often last between six and 12 months. Thus, with medications for MS, the time of year in which such a trial is carried out may impact the results.

ADULT SERVICES CENSORED ON CRAIGSLIST: Online classified service Craigslist’s decision to censor its adult services section could be a model for other websites, a leader in the fight against prostitution ads said Saturday. “This step is very much in the right direction,” said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who spearheaded a letter from 17 attorneys general who recently banded together to urge Craigslist to discontinue its adult services section.

‘MACHETE’ OPENS WEEKEND AT #1: As summer film season officially ends, the crime film Machete pulled in $3.9 million on Friday at the domestic box office, just beating George Clooney’s latest The American, which took in $3.8 million. If the latter keeps up the momentum it has shown since opening on Wednesday, it’s projected to move into first place for the weekend. Last weekend’s top earner, Takers slipped into third place, while Warner Bros latest from the department of syrupy romantic comedies, Going the Distance opened fifth, raking in just $2.3 million.

WHO READS THE LBN E-LERT? Singing sensation Colette Carr along with over 320,000 other “influencers” in all 50 of the United States and 24 foreign countries.

LBN-NOTICED:   ***Ellen and Chuck Scarborough at Bottega Del Vino’s sidewalk cafe in NYC after a morning walk in Central Park with their dog, Oliver .   ***Emma Thompson, of “Nanny McPhee Returns,” in crisp white and navy linen, with her daughter, Gaia, 10, devouring caramel sundaes at Serendipity 3 in NYC.   ***Sean Lennon in Juicy Couture’s Bleecker Street store in NYC buying items from the label’s Bird line, presumably for girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl.   ***“Entourage” starlet Dania Ramirez shopping at Century 21 downtown in NYC with her sister.   ***Danny Bergen at Hugo Boss on Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood, and Jack Black at Equinox.   ***Producer and manager Bruce Edwin having lunch yesterday at Enterprise Fish Company in Santa Monica yesterday.    ***Making sure to remain focused on her expanding work efforts,  Kim Kardashian turned up at Nordstrom Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, CA on Saturday evening to promote her new line.   ***Rachel Bilson looking darling in her white summery frock at the local Nature Mart in Los Feliz, CA.   ***George Clooney and  Elisabetta Canalis were spotted out to dinner at Ago Restaurant in West Hollywood, CA.   ***Bridget Marquardt and Holly Madison attending the OK! Magazine’s Fifth Anniversary Party at La Vida in Hollywood, CA.  ***BE AN LBN-CORRESPONDENT — Send your celebrity sightings to: LBNElert@Timewire.net.

LBN-INVESTIGATES: The highest-rated single TV show in history was the last episode of M*A*S*H, seen by 60.2% of TV-owning households, then about 50 million households.

LBN-SNAP: Stylist and Editor, Polly Mellen.

IRAN STONING WOMAN TO RECEIVE 99 LASHES: Iranian authorities ordered Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani—who earlier this year was sentenced to death by stoning for allegedly committing adultery—to receive a whipping for a photo that appeared in the Times of London newspaper in which she was captured without her headscarf. Ashtiani will receive 99 lashes for purportedly appearing in the photo without her hijab. Her son Sajad Ghaderzadeh has appealed to the Vatican to intervene in her mother’s death sentence, which was temporarily halted in July following an international outcry. The Vatican issued its first public comment on the case today, calling the punishment “brutal” in an official statement. A Vatican spokesperson said no formal appeal has reached the Vatican but they are “following the case with attention and interest.”

This is an exclusive LBN E-Lert dinner that includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and a non- alcoholic beverage for only $37.00.

Click Here to reserve your seat.  Click here to learn more about Alana Stewart.

LBN-COMMENTARY By MAUREEN DOWD: Even in the thick of a historical tragedy, Tony Blair never seemed like a Shakespearean character.  He’s too rabbity brisk, too doggedly modern. The most proficient spinner since Rumpelstiltskin lacks introspection. The self-described “manipulator” is still in denial about being manipulated.  The Economist’s review of “A Journey,” the new autobiography of the former British prime minister, says it sounds less like Disraeli and Churchill and more like “the memoirs of a transatlantic business tycoon.”  Yet in the section on Iraq, Blair loses his C.E.O. fluency and engages in tortured arguments, including one on how many people really died in the war, and does a Shylock lament.

LBN-COMMENTARY By DAVID LETTERMAN: Tiger Woods’ divorce is final and he bought an apartment in New York City. It’s making New Yorkers forget about the whole mosque thing. 

LBN-COMMENTARY By FRANK RICH: President Obama’s bloodless speech on the “end” of the Iraq war showed how the whitewashing of our recent past is well under way.

LBN-COMMENTARY By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN: American has gone from being the world’s superpower, with guns and butter for all, to being the frugal superpower. Get used to it.

LBN-COMMENTARY By DOUG GILES: The Slum Lord Millionaire: Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf Man, it was hard picking an op-ed mark this week because the chum slick was so thick with fresh chunks of juicy lunacy from Islam and our pals on the left.  Here’s what I ping-ponged back and forth on Friday: Should I write about James Lee, the whiny and pathetic wannabe mass murderer? Y’know Mr. Lee, don’t ‘cha? He’s the radical pro-abortion, Al Gore ogling tree humper who got thumped by SWAT after grabbing hostages at the Discovery Channel. That’s a possible target of interest for a column (no pun intended) because liberals, not conservatives, it seems, are the ones who’re snapping lately.

LBN-COMMENTARY By MORRISSEY: We’re all lonely, but I’d rather be lonely by myself than with a long list of duties and obligations. I think that’s why people kill themselves, really. Or at least that’s why they think, ‘Thank heaven for death.’

LBN-COMMENTARY By ROBERT G. ZUCKERMAN (International Photographer): Should a Muslim employee at Disneyland be allowed to wear a headscarf at work? Well, if they are in costume as Mickey Mouse then no, but remember that Disney profited greatly from Aladdin and many Arabian characters, many of whom wore traditional head dressing and other garb. So in this instance, absolutely yes and in any other non-Disney character position, absolutely yes!

LBN-COMMENTARY By LIZA LEWIS: A Muslim employee at Disneyland should not be allowed to wear a headscarf at work.  Absolutely not!!!  “Give an inch, take a mile”!  I am so sick and tired of this politically correct crap.  It’s Disneyland’s policy, pure and simple.  It wasn’t too long ago that we had that idiot woman in Florida trying to have her picture taken wearing a veil concealing her face at the DMV!  I say the buck stops here.  We are not the UK! 

LBN-HISTORICAL COMMENTARY By ANNA NICOLE SMITH: You never know if they like you for who you are or what you are. Would he love me or the money?

LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW:

LBN-OVERHEARD:   ***Steve Wynn’s night-life operations were rocked last week after two of his top lieutenants, Victor Drai and Cy Waits, left his Las Vegas resort company. Wynn’s split from Drai may have been expensive, but both men say it wasn’t ugly. Wynn bought Drai out of his management role running Vegas clubs Tryst and XS for about $20 million, sources estimate. The divorce came after what Vegas insiders described as “friction” between the two. They pointed to Wynn hiring Sean Christie, instead of Drai, to manage Wynn’s Encore Beach Club, and Drai spending too much time in California to launch Drai’s in the W Hotel in Hollywood this spring.   ***Lady GaGa will be debuting her first creation since she was named the creative director at Polaroid Imaging Products. In 2011, the new Gagaliciously-designed analog Polaroid camera and may hit stores.  UK MD Graeme Chapman described the product, saying, “Obviously, the design’s pretty wacky but it’ll definitely appeal to her fans, and with over 10 million of them on Facebook, we’re pretty sure this will do well.”   ***A JetBlue spokeswoman has confirmed that flight attendant Steven Slater no longer works for the airline.  She didn’t elaborate on how Slater and the airline parted ways, but said it occurred last week.   ***Kanye West has finally apologized to Taylor Swift.  The rapper went on a tweeting rampage Saturday morning, discussing his past mistakes, including an apology to Taylor Swift for interrupting her during last year’s VMAs. He also claims to have written a song for Taylor Swift and wants her to have it.

LBN-QUOTE:   “It is amazing how quickly the kids learn to drive a car, yet are unable to understand the lawnmower, snow-blower, or vacuum cleaner.” – Ben Bergor.

LBN-HISTORY:   On September 5, 1885, Jake Gumper bought the first gasoline pump to be manufactured in the U.S.

LBN-FACESPACE:

1. Name: Ryan Eisenman

2. Which living person do you most despise? At this time, it would have to be the owner of the car wash that just scratched my car and refused to accept responsibility.

3. When and where were you happiest? During the 90’s while I was living in Greece, working as a model. Feels so good laughing until your stomach hurts!

4. What is your profession? Macintosh Digital Lifestyle Consultant, AKA (Apple Certified Computer Consultant).

5. Which talent would you most like to have? The gift of gab.

6. If you could be any fictional character, which one would you be and why? James Bond. I don’t think I need to explain.

7. What is your greatest regret? I try not to regret anything because it’s all about how you look at things and hindsight is 20/20. I believe that I’m on my path and everything always happens or doesn’t happen for a damn good reason.

8. What are your favorite names? The names of stars in our night sky like Arcturus, Alpha Centauri and Orion. I also love the names of airplanes that are alpha numeric and named after birds like the SR-71 Blackbird and the YF-22 Raptor.

9. What one occasion do you lie? When I’m trying to surprise someone like a surprise birthday party.

10. Email and Website: ryan@macsos.net ; www.macsos.net

U.S. TO EASE UP ON CORRUPTION FIGHT:  Corruption may be rampant among Afghan officials, but for the time being, dealing with it will not be a priority for the United States. Military commanders are shifting to a strategy which would see them look the other way on some corruption because they are worried about creating power vacuums for the Taliban to exploit. “There are areas where you need strong leadership, and some of those leaders are not entirely pure,” said a senior defense official. “But they can help us be more effective in going after the primary threat, which is the Taliban.” Until now, the U.S. had taken a hard line on graft in Afghan government, which seemed to reach all the way up to President Hamid Karzai’s senior aides—one of them was recently arrested (and later determined to be on the CIA’s payroll). The strategy has been developed primarily by the military and it is unclear how far the White House and State Department are willing to back it.

OBAMA TO OFFER TAX CUTS TO SPUR HIRING: President Obama says he’ll offer a new package of tax cuts and other incentives for businesses to hire people, as the unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August. That’s the first time the jobless rate has risen since April; last month, about 54,000 new jobs were lost. Obama plans to outline his proposal Wednesday, when he discusses the economy in a speech in Cleveland. New incentives include: extending research and development tax credits, boosting spending on infrastructure including highways, and keeping the part of the Bush tax cuts that help the middle class. With only eight weeks till the midterm elections, there’s not enough time for the president’s plan to help the economy much before voting begins. No massive stimulus plan will be offered.

BERNANKE SAYS HE FAILED TO SEE FINANCIAL FLAWS:  Ben S. Bernanke, who told Congress in 2007 that the subprime mortgage crisis was “likely to be contained,” said Thursday that he had failed to recognize flaws in the financial system that amplified the housing downturn and led to an economic disaster. Under pointed but polite questioning from members of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Mr. Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, signaled that the central bank was eager to embrace its expanded powers under the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law that President Obama signed in July.

GROWTH IN JOBS BEATS ESTIMATES, EASING CONCERNS: American businesses added more jobs in the last three months than originally estimated, calming fears of a double-dip recession. Yet the pace of growth signaled that the wheels of the economic recovery were still spinning in place.  The private sector added 67,000 jobs in August, with some of the strongest gains in health care, food service and temporary help, according to the Labor Department. That was higher than consensus forecasts, and the government upwardly revised its numbers for June and July, suggesting that job creation was slightly stronger over the summer than originally reported.

BP REPLACES BLOWOUT PREVENTER: BP replaced the busted blowout preventer on the well that leaked for months into the Gulf of Mexico, another step toward killing the well. No oil leaked while the old equipment was removed or the new one was installed. The new blowout preventer is needed to keep the oil from leaking during “bottom kill,” in which thick drilling mud and cement are pushed in from the bottom. That operation will probably begin next week.

SYRIA’S SOLIDARITY WITH ISLAMISTS ENDS AT HOME:  This country, which had sought to show solidarity with Islamist groups and allow religious figures a greater role in public life, has recently reversed course, moving forcefully to curb the influence of Muslim conservatives in its mosques, public universities and charities. The government has asked imams for recordings of their Friday sermons and started to strictly monitor religious schools. Members of an influential Muslim women’s group have now been told to scale back activities like preaching or teaching Islamic law. And this summer, more than 1,000 teachers who wear the niqab, or the face veil, were transferred to administrative duties.

LBN-HOLLYWOOD INSIDER:   ***Comic Robert Schimmel, a frequent guest on Howard Stern’s radio show, has died after suffering serious injuries in a car accident. He was 60. Schimmel’s spokesman says Schimmel died Friday evening in a Phoenix hospital. Schimmel was a passenger Thursday in a car driven by his 19-year-old daughter Aliyah.  Aliyah Schimmel swerved to avoid another car and the vehicle she was driving rolled to the side of the freeway. She is hospitalized in stable condition.

WIESENTHAL WORKED FOR ISRAELI SPY AGENCY, BOOK ALLEGES:  Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor who gained worldwide fame for decades as a one-man Nazi-hunting operation, was in fact frequently on the payroll of the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, a new biography asserts.  The assertion, based on numerous documents and interviews with three people said to be Mr. Wiesenthal’s Mossad handlers, not only punctures a widely held belief about how he operated; it also suggests a need to re-evaluate the standard view that the Israeli government took no interest in tracking down Nazis until the 1960 capture in Argentina of Adolf Eichmann, and little thereafter.  Mr. Wiesenthal died in 2005 at the age of 96 in his Vienna home.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE: In addition to being read in all 50 of the United States, the LBN E-Lert is read daily in 24 foreign countries (in a total of 11 separate time zones) including: China, India, England, Mexico, Iraq, Israel, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Germany, France, Greece, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Korea, among others.

LBN-HEALTH WATCH:   ***According to researchers, teenagers who sleep less than eight hours a night on weeknights eat more fatty foods and snacks than their better-rested peers, particularly if they are girls. It is unclear why sleeping less might prompt teens to have poorer eating habits, but it has been shown that getting too little sleep lowers the body’s production of the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin, which can make a person feel hungrier and fuel cravings for high-calorie snacks. Over time, these bad eating habits can lead to weight gain and obesity.

LBN-VIDEO LINK: WATCH: Bristol Palin Talks Breakup With Levi On Tonight Show

LBN-MEDIA INSIDER:   ***The L.A. Times looks today at the Los Angeles-spawned Andrew Breitbart phenomenon, though not as deeply as national pubs have. One interesting note: a documentary film crew has been following Breitbart for months, and he’s working on an investigation of government treatment of black farmers that he calls a “huge scandal here that is going to upset the status quo in America.”

LBN-INVESTIGATES: According to a recent Gallup poll three years in the making, 700 million people worldwide, or about 16% of the world’s population would, if given the chance, leave their own country and move permanently to another one. A move to a country in Europe was the most popular choice among those polled (210 million), followed by America (165 million) and Canada (45 million).

WHO READS THE LBN E-LERT: Fox News political analysis and best-selling author Dick Morris along with over 320,000 other “influencers” in all 50 of the United States and 24 foreign countries.

LBN-SNAP: Singer Natalie Merchant

LBN-NOTICED:   ***Eva Longoria Parker having a quiet dinner at Nobu in Los Angeles, CA.   ***Seeking out new ways to spend her free time aside from her previous partying ways, Lindsay Lohan spotted heading out for a night at the movies at The Grove on Hollywood, CA.  ***Bringing an end to the week with a little family time, Emily Osment spotted enjoying the lovely weather in Sherman Oaks, CA at the local Cheesecake Factory.   ***Sarah Michelle Gellar and baby Charlotte Prinze leaving Coral Tree Cafe in Brentwood, CA.   ***BE AN LBN-CORRESPONDENT — Send your celebrity sightings to: LBNElert@Timewire.net.  

This is an exclusive LBN E-Lert dinner that includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and a non- alcoholic beverage for only $37.00.

Click Here to reserve your seat.  Click here to learn more about Alana Stewart.

LBN-COMMENTARY By CHARLES M. BLOW: According to a new Gallup poll, richer countries in general are less religious. But that doesn’t seem to be true of the United States. (Read more on the LBN Blog)

LBN-COMMENTARY By BILL O’REILLY: One of the most underreported ongoing stories around is the war in Mexico between the government and the drug cartels. Here are the grisly stats: More than 28,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since 1996. In Iraq, 4,421 Americans have been killed. In Afghanistan, 1,141. The truth is that Mexican drug merchants are even more deadly than al-Qaida. They have more firepower and more money and are just as willing to kill civilians as are the homicidal jihadists. Yet, we Americans know little about the chaotic situation south of the border. The reason is that the drug cartels don’t seem to threaten us directly. But, of course, they do. Illegal narcotics from Mexico wind up in almost every community in the United States. The FBI estimates that about 70 percent of crimes from coast to coast are drug-fueled.

LBN-COMMENTARY By RABBI STEVEN LEDER (Author and Senior Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles): A Muslim employee at Disneyland should be allowed to wear a headscarf while at work just as a Jew should be able to wear a kippah or a Christian a cross on a necklace.  Outward expressions piety, humility, modesty and faith ought to be not only tolerated but embraced as one of the great freedoms afforded to us as Americans.   

LBN-COMMENTARY By BOB GRANT: Of course a Muslim employee should not be allowed to wear that absurd head dress.  This case illustrates why their way of life is incompatible with ours.  They want Sharia law?  Well, let them go back from whence they came and they can have Sharia law all they want.  Why do they come here to be with us infidels?  I am sick of our catering to them out of fear!

LBN-HISTORICAL COMMENTARY By FRANK SINATRA: Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.

LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW:

LBN-OVERHEARD:   ***Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil didn’t just fail three field sobriety tests during his June DUI bust — he failed epically with a blood alcohol level almost three times the legal limit, according to police.   ***Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson, 43, had harsh words for Taylor Swift, 20, in an interview with Nylon Guys magazine (via E!). Robinson said of Swift’s music: “I find it embarrassing that adults are like, ‘Taylor Swift is very talented.’ She’s not. She might be cute, but she’s horrible,” he told the magazine.

LBN-QUOTE:   “Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time.” – Author Unknown.

LBN-HISTORY:  On September 4, 1899 – An 8.3 earthquake hit Yakutat Bar, AK.

LBN-FACESPACE:

1. Name: Gail Pettis

2. Have you hated anyone?  I don’t think so–I really hope not,           because according to a quote by Marian Anderson, “You lose a lot of time, hating people.”

3. What is your profession? Jazz singer.

4. What is your greatest fear? The fear of missed opportunity from not taking risks.

5. Are you superstitious? No.

6. Do you believe in an after-life? Yes.

7. Coffee or tea? Coffee, coffee, coffee!

8. If you had to choose between knowing only the past or the future, which would you prefer? This is a tough one!  Knowing the things I have experienced and overcome in the past serves as a great encouragement.  But it would also be nice to face the future without the hindrance of dwelling on the disappointments of the past. I may need another cup of coffee to figure this one out.

9. Is the world a better place than 20 years ago? Yes, definitely yes! 

10. Email and website:  gail@gailpettis.com,  www.gailpettis.com

U.S. ECONOMY LOST 54,000 JOBS IN AUGUST; JOBLESS RATE ROSE TO 9.6%: The unemployment rate rose in August for the first time in four months as weak hiring by private employers wasn’t enough to keep pace with a large increase in the number of people looking for work. The Labor Department says companies added a net total 67,000 new jobs last month, down from July’s upwardly revised total of 107,000. Overall, the economy lost 54,000 jobs as 114,000 temporary census positions came to an end. State and local governments shed 10,000 positions. The jobless rate rose to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent in July

LITTLE PROGRESS ON PEACE TALKS’ FIRST DAY: Aside from setting a schedule for the reopened peace talks, Israeli and Palestinian leaders ended the first day without much progress. The stakes are high when they meet again Sept. 16: Israel’s partial moratorium on new settlements in the West Bank is due to expire on Sept. 26. Jewish officials are largely opposed to extending it, but if construction resumes, the talks threaten to break down entirely. Any discussion of the settlements is usually bitterly fraught, with the sides unable to even agree which ones are at issue. “Talking about the settlement blocs without a detailed map is like playing chess with yourself,” one Israeli official said.

DEPOSITORS PANIC OVER BANK CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN: One of the principal owners of the Afghan bank at the center of an accelerating financial crisis here said depositors had withdrawn $180 million in the past two days. He predicted a “revolution” in the country’s financial system unless the Afghan government and the United States moved quickly to help stabilize the bank. Khalilullah Frozi, one of the two largest shareholders of Kabul Bank, said reports indicating that the institution had lost as much as $300 million were overstated. But he predicted that if Afghan depositors continued to withdraw their money at the current rate, Kabul Bank would almost certainly collapse, undermining confidence in the nascent financial system the Afghans have been trying to build with American help.

BLASTS KILL 43 AT PAKISTAN RALLY:   A bomb blast at a rally in the city of Quetta, Pakistan killed 43 people and wounding over 100 on Friday. The attack follows three bombings in Lahore earlier this week, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility. Friday’s attack took place at Shi’ite rally in which people gathered to express support for the Palestinian people. Alongside disease, crop destruction and homelessness, a major aspect of the fallout from the floods that have devastated the South Asian nation is its Army’s inability to contend with Taliban attacks.

HURRICANE EARL BATTERS THE EAST COAST: Rain and winds from weakening Hurricane Earl, now a Category 2 storm, still packed a wallop when it hit North Carolina’s Outer Banks Thursday night. Hurricane conditions are expected to persist through Friday for North Carolina’s coast. According to the National Hurricane Center, which issued an advisory at 2 a.m. EDT on Friday: “On the forecast track the center of Earl will pass near the North Carolina Outer Banks tonight will approach southeastern New England on Friday night.”

BP: NO MORE OFFSHORE DRILLING, NO MORE FUNDS: BP claims that if Congress passes legislation barring the oil giant from getting new offshore-drilling permits, it may not have enough money to pay for the damage caused by the Deep-water Horizon oil spill. A ban would also stunt the company’s ambitious restoration efforts, they argue. “If we are unable to keep those fields going, that is going to have a substantial impact on our cash flow,” David Nagle, BP’s executive vice president for BP America, told The New York Times. Another overhaul bill, passed by the house July 30, concerns BP because of an amendment that would bar companies with 10 or more fatalities on onshore or offshore drilling facilities from Outer Continental Shelf drilling permits. “If BP needs to sell assets to meet its financial obligations, that’s a decision they have to make,” said Daniel Weiss, chief of staff for Rep. George Miller (D-CA), who wrote the provision. Meanwhile, BP announced Friday that the cost of the cleanup has risen by another $2 billion over the last month to a total of around $8 billion.

NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN U.S. FELL, STUDY SAYS: The number of illegal immigrants in the United States, after peaking at 12 million in 2007, fell to about 11.1 million in 2009, the first clear decline in two decades, according to a report published Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center. The reduction came primarily from decreases among illegal immigrants from Latin American countries other than Mexico, the report found. The number of Mexicans living in the United States without legal immigration status did not change significantly from 2007 to 2009. Some seven million Mexicans make up about 60 percent of all illegal immigrants, still by far the largest national group, the Pew Center said.

FBI AGENT SAYS AMANDA KNOX IS INNOCENT: FBI Special Agent Steve Moore, who once claimed that Amanda Knox was guilty of murdering her British roommate, now says there’s no doubt she’s innocent. “When Amanda Knox gets out, if she needs a roommate, I’ll send my daughter over,” Moore told Good Morning America. “The evidence is completely conclusive.” After independently researching and analyzing Knox’s case for the past year, having obtained the crime scene video, autopsy photos, and legal documents, Moore said his opinion has quickly changed. “There is no DNA evidence. What they’re saying is that whoever killed Meredith cleaned up in Amanda’s bathroom. That’s all they say,” Moore said. “They found Amanda’s DNA in her own bathroom? Astounding.” Since her November 2007 arrest, Knox has spent about three years in an Italian prison.

NEW YORK POLL FINDS WARINESS ABOUT MUSLIM CENTER: Two-thirds of New York City residents want a planned Muslim community center and mosque to be relocated to a less controversial site farther away from ground zero in Lower Manhattan, including many who describe themselves as supporters of the project, according to a New York Times poll.  The poll indicates that support for the 13-story complex, which organizers said would promote moderate Islam and interfaith dialogue, is tepid in its hometown.

REPUTED BIN LADEN ADVISER GETS LIFE TERM IN STABBING:  A reputed former top adviser to Osama bin Laden who stabbed a federal jail guard in the eye with a sharpened comb in 2000, leaving the guard with severe brain damage, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday.  The defendant, Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, was a founding member of Al Qaeda and helped manage Mr. Bin Laden’s businesses, prosecutors have said. He was arrested in Germany in 1998 after the bombings of two American embassies in East Africa, and extradited to the United States, where he was awaiting trial on broader terrorism charges at the time of the assault.

YOUNG VOTERS ABANDONING OBAMA:  American youth’s crush on Obama is cooling. Though many young people are still passionate about liberal social issues, a weak job market and faltering economy has led many to lose confidence in the Democratic Party. According to a new Pew survey, compared to 2008, far fewer 18- to 29-year-olds today identify as Democrats. This shift has serious implications for the upcoming midterms; the youth vote’s ability to upend the results in November and hand back a majority to Republicans can certainly compromise Obama’s agenda.

WHO READS THE LBN E-LERT? UFC champion and mixed martial arts legend Tito Ortiz along with over 320,000 other “influencers” in all 50 of the United States and 24 foreign countries.

A SUCCESSOR IN NORTH KOREA?: To the experts following North Korean politics, the country’s upcoming Worker’s Party gathering looks like déjà vu. It is eerily reminiscent of the gathering 30 years ago that saw Kim Jong Il come to power and speculation is swirling that he is preparing to pass the mantle to his youngest son, Kim Jong Un. South Korean activists believe that the party congress will begin tomorrow and last through the weekend, with “the reorganization of its leadership structure” topping the agenda. The elder Kim, whose health is believed to be deteriorating, has already made two trips to China this year, possibly to earn an endorsement for his son. Kim Jong Un is a mysterious figure and little is known about.

LBN-MEDIA INSIDER:   ***In a piece that declares that the gossip sheet Page Six is dead, the Village Voice offers up details about the Hollywood Reporter offering Page Six editor Richard Johnson $1 million to jump ship and write for its new regime according to The Wrap.   ***Jay Leno’s overall audience is bigger than Conan O’Brien’s was in the Tonight Show chair, but it’s way off what Leno used to get. And in the key demographic that advertisers look for, well, Leno is no Conan.

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LBN-NOTICED:   ***Bill Clinton having a Guinness at the bar at Rugosa in East Hampton while he picked up 10 dinners for his and Hillary’s Secret Service detail and four for his own dinner party, including a vegetarian plate.   ***Gwyneth Paltrow, her brother, Jake, and kids Apple and Moses, chowing down at Bostwick’s Chowder House in East Hampton.   ***John McEnroe tending bar at Union Square Ballroom in NYC for the launch of the new Dunlop Biomimetic racquet.   ***Actress Claudia Wells having yogurt on Main Street in Santa Monica last night. ***Hillary Duff with her doggie shopping at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, CA late afternoon.   ***Manager Michael Black and Tina Sinatra having dinner at the Palm in Los Angeles, CA.   ***Karissa Shannon attending OK! Magazine USA’s Fifth Anniversary Party at La Vida in Hollywood, CA.   ***Kim Kardashian showcasing her killer curves in a skin-hugging peach corset dress while walking on Sunset Strip on her way to the Viper Room in Hollywood, CA.   ***The ladies of the hit show “90210,” including Shenae Grimes, attending the Taste of Beverly Hills Wine & Food Festival’s opening night in Beverly Hills, CA.  ***BE AN LBN-CORRESPONDENT — Send your celebrity sightings to: LBNElert@Timewire.net.

This is an exclusive LBN E-Lert dinner that includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and a non- alcoholic beverage for only $37.00.

Click Here to reserve your seat.  Click here to learn more about Alana Stewart.

LBN-RECOMMENDS By MARGARET CARLSON (Columnist for Bloomberg News): I read little poetry but made an exception for Joe Hassett’s W.B. Yeats and the Muses. The mystic Yeats came down to earth inspired by nine fascinating women who, in widely differing ways, moved him. Newly available letters and manuscripts provide a fascinating context illustrating Yeats’ contention that “works of lyric genius, when the circumstances of their origin is known, gain a second beauty, passing as it were out of literature and becoming life.”

LBN-HOLLYWOOD INSIDER:   ***Ben Vereen has landed a guest role on “How I Met Your Mother.”     ***The second LBN Dinner Club is set for next Wednesday night at Ruth Chris Steakhouse in Beverly Hills and will feature Alana Stewart discussing her book “My Journey with Farrah.”  The cost of the dinner is $37.00 click here to sign up.  ***Larry Rudolph has officially signed on to save Lindsay Lohan’s career.  The former manager for Britney Spears plans to turn around Lohan the way he right-turned Spears, who once shaved her head between rehab stints — and this year will guest star on Fox’s hit “Glee.” Lohan is eager to get back to work and has made that clear to anyone who’ll listen.   ***Emmy winner Bryan Cranston will host “Saturday Night Live” on Oct. 2, the actor announced on an ESPN radio show.   ***Fred Keller has signed to produce and direct the new CBS drama series Blue Bloods.

LBN-COMMENTARY By PAUL KRUGMAN: Here’s hoping that President Obama goes big next week with new proposals for boosting the economy.

LBN-COMMENTARY By Michael Levine: Curtailing entrepreneurial freedom with high taxation is a bad play for America because our gamble is (and it’s been our gamble for well over 200 years) that the explosion of energy that we arouse by allowing everyone to pursue happiness creates such enormous creativity that it downs the more disciplined efficient systems of centralized dictatorship.

LBN-COMMENTARY By ROBERT B. REICH: To fix the U.S. economy, we must finally deal with wage inequality.

LBN-COMMENTARY By Martha ZOLLER (Host of the Martha Zoller Show): I do not think a Muslim employee at Disneyland should be allowed to wear a headscarf. Disney offered alternatives to the employee in question and she should have taken one of them or gotten another job. Simple as that.

LBN-HISTORICAL COMMENTARY By DALE CARNEGIE: Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.

LBN-A DIFFERENT VIEW: Christy Turlington

LBN-OVERHEARD:   ***Its love for Jesse James and Kat Von D, according to the LA Ink star. “Jesse is only my ninth boyfriend. I don’t hang out with anybody unless I am in love,” Kat said at the opening of her Wonderland gallery in West Hollywood on Thursday.   ***Supermodel Bridget Hall is fighting her drunk driving arrest — and insists to Page Six she didn’t touch a drop of alcohol Saturday night. The Sports Illustrated beauty claims the Breathalyzer used by cops who pulled her over at 3:17 a.m. Sunday in East Hampton must have been on the fritz.   ***Kirstie Alley’s house smells like a zoo. The animal-loving ex-“Cheers” star owns a menagerie of 25-plus pets, and pals say they’re stinking up her ritzy Hollywood Hills mansion. “It’s like Noah’s Ark run amok at Kirstie’s!” an insider said. “Everywhere you turn there are animals — dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and chinchillas.”

LBN-QUOTE:   “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

LBN-HISTORY:   On September 3, 1967, motorists stopped driving on the left side of the road and began driving on the right side in Sweden.