Bravo still has abusive Housewife on program

NEW YORK CITY -- As you may well know, I have already posted thrice about Kelly Bensimon -- more times than any other person.

To date, Bravo is still condoning women hitting men by keeping her on. It is revolting and everyone should be outraged by Bravo's support for a domestic abuser.

Three weeks ago, Ms. Bensimon was arrested for hitting her boyfriend. Since then, nearly everyone in the media has publicly come out and basically condoned her abusive ways and laughed at the male victim of her abuse. One of the most disgusting example of this came from Al Roker, who called the male victim a "wimp" for getting punched by Ms. Bensimon.

The actions of the media surrounding this case has been nothing short of disgusting. I never knew that the media would be so heartless in treating male victims of domestic violence like non-humans.

Once again, I am calling for the removal of Kelly Bensimon form the Real Housewives of New York City. This time I am also calling for a boycott of ALL of the Real Housewives shows (including the Atlanta and Orange County series) until Ms. Bensimon is fired. I will keep on posting these action alerts until this abuser is off the show.

Send your thoughts to NBC Universal or to Bravo and tell them that you will be BOYCOTTING all of the Real Housewives episodes until they fire Ms. Bensimon!

Fighting over America's Next Top Model
NEW YORK CITY -- It's bad enough that people are pushing each other and fatally stampeding each other on the day after Thanksgiving in New York City, Barnwell and other locales big and small, looking to be the first to take advantage of the big sales.

On Saturday, things got a whole lot uglier at a casting call for the 5 foot 7 inch and under cycle of America's Next Top Model.

Three people were arrested and charged as the casting call became a free-for-all. It all started when an immature person yelled "Fire!" and "There's a bomb!"

The driver of the Beemer was Sedrick Myrtil, a student at upstate Binghamton University.

"People were really freaking out about the smoke," the 21-year-old said. "There was pandemonium, and the cops got really upset about my car."

His mom was also smoking Sunday - angrily demanding to know why he was in the city when he had told her that he wasn't.

"I thought he was in school," said Violette Myrtil, 64, of Rockland County.

 

Mr. Myrtil's mother has every right to be angry with him over his lies. His lying over his location directly caused the cancellation of the casting call.

There were a lot of disappointed women who never got to try out. And a lot more disappointed (and angry) fans.

Folks, has it come down to this?

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable that a 99-cent hamburger gets people murdered these days. Unbelievable that people would stampede each other at the shopping center during the annual day after Thanksgiving sale so that they are the very first to get to a sale. Unbelievable that a 21-year-old man lying about his location caused a bunch of people have to fight in order to get their shot at fame with the CW and Tyra Banks.

And speaking of, WPIX -- the flagship CW station -- said that they are cooperating with the New York Police Department and Nassau County Sheriff's Office in regards to this incident.

But it took the 5 foot-11 inch model another 19 hours in order to produce a statement of any kind, and she didn't answer her fans' accommodations. Instead, it was this statement:

"We appreciate the efforts of the NYPD and will assist them in any way possible in this matter," Ms. Banks and her executive producer Ken Mok said tersely.

What's more, evidence of the free-for-all is still at the location.

What has happened to order? What has happened to civil?

What a sad day for a lot of aspiring models.

Domestic violence, celebrity style
Usually, I don't talk about the NFL anymore after the first winless season in 32 years. But, I have to bring up this story since it deals with domestic violence when celebs are involved. A Tampa Buccaneer linebacker is recovering after being stabbed in the neck by his girlfriend. Via.

The girlfriend of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Geno Hayes stabbed him in the head with a pair of scissors and in the neck with a knife, Hillsborough County deputies say.

Hayes was taken to a hospital by a friend, and he was treated and released, Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

Deputies arrested 19-year-old Shevelle Bagley at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Carter said.

Bagley was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

The incident began with an argument Saturday, and Bagley grabbed a pair of scissors, stabbing Hayes and causing a superficial wound to Hayes' head, Carter said. Hayes got the scissors away from Bagley.
Then Bagley "grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the neck," Carter said.

Bagley's bail was set at $25,000. She has since been released.

Hayes, 21, was a sixth-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2008 NFL Draft. The former Florida State University player made eight tackles last season for the Bucs.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

Speaking of domestic violence amongst celebs, Oprah Winfrey warns Rihanna that Chris Brown will hit her again.

Oprah Winfrey has a message for pop princess Rihanna, who prosecutors say was beaten to a pulp last month by boyfriend Chris Brown: "He will hit you again."

Former Manhattan sex-crimes prosecutor Linda Fairstein's warning is starker: He also could kill you.

Fairstein compared the fist-happy crooner to O.J. Simpson, who repeatedly beat his wife without consequence before she was slain in 1994.

Rihanna's reported reconciliation with Brown after her Feb. 8 pummeling sparked an outpouring of debate, controversy and motherly advice.

"Love doesn't hurt," Winfrey said on her show Friday, while announcing she will dedicate a program this week to discussing domestic violence.

"I want to do a show about it, dedicated to all the Rihannas of the world."

Speaking directly into the camera, Winfrey said, "If a man hits you once, he will hit you again. He will hit you again."

Sex crimes expert Fairstein warned Rihanna - as 21-year-old Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty is known - that she risks not just another bloodying, but her very life.

"Many of the circumstances in her case were like the early warning signs in the O.J. Simpson case," Fairstein said.

She pointed to several "red flags" that suggest Rihanna could be in the same danger as Nicole Brown Simpson was 15 years ago, getting hit repeatedly but not pressing charges and then reconciling with the former running back.

The allegation that Chris Brown choked Rihanna while saying "Now I'm really going to kill you" is a particularly bad sign, Fairstein said.

"Choking behavior is a very interesting factor. It's hands on, face-to-face. It's a very intimate type of violence," she said.

New police techniques that assess an offender's potential lethality based on a list of warning factors should be used in this case, Fairstein said.

Also, a Real Housewife of NYC was arrested for assaulting her boyfriend.

New York's newest "Real Housewife" is denying blockbuster charges that she beat up her boyfriend, but the bruised beau said it happened - and it wasn't the first time.

Kelly Killoren Bensimon, 40, was arrested last week for misdemeanor assault after 30-year-old Nicholas Stefanov called cops, saying she punched him.

Bensimon, who appears on Bravo's hit reality show "The Real Housewives of New York City," hit him "with a closed fist, thereby causing informant to suffer a laceration below informant's left eye and substantial pain," the criminal complaint he filed with police charges.

The model/editor/reality TV star - who is actually divorced - turned herself in Thursday, two days after the incident. She was released on her own recognizance.

"The allegations are by a jilted lover saying she struck him during the course of an argument," said her lawyer Stephen Turano. "We deny the charges, and we are hopeful this will be resolved."

In an exclusive interview, Stefanov said he still loves Bensimon, but blamed stress from their recent engagement and the pressure of being on the show for causing her to snap.

"She is a great girl," he said. "I do want to work it out. But what are you supposed to do when a girl is hitting you, just sit there like a punching bag?

"If I had hit her, I'd be sitting in a jail cell right now," he said, adding that it was not the first time he's been socked by Bensimon.

Stefanov said he called cops because he wanted the incident on the record, but that he doesn't want to press charges. It's out of his hands now, however, as cops are obligated to charge Bensimon and even filed a restraining order against her on his behalf.

Stefanov said the couple was fighting over the "usual stuff that couples fight about." Stefanov said Bensimon "sucker-punched" him during the fight, but noted that at least she "had the courtesy to take her [engagement] ring off first." She also returned it to him that night, he said.

Turano took issue with Stefanov's account.

"They are most certainly not engaged and his allegations of past abuse are false," the lawyer said.

Fellow "Housewives" co-star Bethenny Frankel stood by Bensimon: "I cannot imagine this being true, but all I can say is love shouldn't hurt."

Bensimon was married to famed fashion photographer Giles Bensimon until they split in 2006. They have two daughters.

In recent years, Bensimon and Stefanov have been staples of the society pages, photographed together at swanky celebrity parties.

Bensimon is due back in court March 31. Turano said he doesn't think the charges will stick.

A Bravo rep declined to comment, saying, "We don't comment on the personal lives of our talent."

Outside her posh SoHo home, Bensimon refused to comment Monday night as two doormen shielded her with an umbrella and tried to shoo a reporter away.

I shouldn't have to do this, but I applaud the NYPD for arresting the abuser in this case. And I really do hope that the charges stick. What better way to send a message that domestic violence will not be tolerated by sending the newest member of the Real Housewives of New York City off to jail for some time.

Also, the New York Daily News FINALLY had a common sense poll. It was about whether Ms. Bensimon should be charged. And the results were, to my surprise, very encouraging:

21 out of every 25 people who voted said that Ms. Bensimon should be charged with assaulting her boyfriend.

I think Mr. Stefanov should follow the EXACT same advice Ms. Winfrey and Ms. Fairstein gave to Rihanna. Because the fact and the matter is: Ms. Bensimon could indeed kill Mr. Stefanov the next time.

With that said, here is the problem I got with each one of these cases -- Samhita hit on this last month when it was first reported that Chris Brown was arrested for domestic violence.

Famous men, as well as famous women, have no right to privacy whatsoever. Almost as soon as Ms. Bagley and Ms. Bensimon were arrested for beating up their boyfriends, the media immediately released the names of the male victims.

That is the beef I have. And it is a huge one at that.

It is NOT OK that the media ran the name of the Bucs linebacker that was stabbed by his girlfriend. It is NOT OK that the media ran the name of boyfriend that was beaten by Ms. Bensimon. And it is NOT OK that the media ran the name of the Barbados music sensation after she was beaten up by Chris Brown.

The least these sleazy media outlets could do is respect the domestic violence victim's privacy.

LAPD and LASO to investigate TMZ and others, including LAPD's own office, for leaking Rihanna photo

Remember the disgusting photos of a beaten-down Rihanna?  Well the photo is leaked and that has caused the Los Angeles Police Dept and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office to investigate TMZ and other gossip sites, as well as an internal investigation into its own police force.

"The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence," reads an official statement by the LAPD. "The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination."

Let's hope that the LAPD and LASO slap a charge on those responsible for the photo leak.

Rihanna's privacy violated by TMZ

LOS ANGELES -- Well, looks like TMZ has gone too goddamn far this time.

They have the pics of one Rihanna badly beaten by her 19-year-old boyfriend Chris Brown.  I'm not going to post the pics here, as only disgusting sites like TMZ is only obsessed with doing.

What's next?  Posting pics of every scratch a man has gotten from his abusive wife? Or vice versa?

I'm glad that Jessica Valenti gave a big fuck you to TMZ, Gawker and other tabloid media for posting these pics for the purpose of increasing their own traffic.

Phelps fallout: Lott will charge Gold medalist swimmer if smoking occured on the Richland County side of Columbia
COLUMBIA -- Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott intends to send a message that Olympic heroes are not above the law in charging Michael Phelps if it is determined that he smoked a bong pipe on the Richland County side of Columbia (part of the capital city is also in Lexington County).  Via The State:
Still no word on whether Jimmy Metts, the Sheriff of Lexington County, or T.P. Carter, the Chief of the Columbia Police Department, will pursue charges against Phelps.  Columbia is served by three jursidictions, just like Batesburg-Leesville.

Bridi dies from infection

BRASILIA, Brazil -- I've some very sad news to report.

Mariana Bridi, 20, has died from the infection that caused her hands and feet to be amputated.

 

Officials said in a statement early Saturday that 20-year-old Mariana Bridi's condition deteriorated overnight. She died at 2:30 a.m.

 

The Espirito Santo State Health Secretariat said in the statement she died from complications related to a generalized infection. It was caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is known to be resistant to multiple kinds of antibiotics.

Bridi had been in the hospital in the city of Serra in southeastern Brazil since Jan. 3. She fell ill in December and doctors originally diagnosed her with kidney stones, local media said.

Bridi was twice a finalist in the Brazilian stage of the Miss World pageant.

Ms. Bridi will sorely be missed.  A young life cut way too short.  She would have been 21 later this year.

Her family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Model's hands amputated after disease

BRASILLIA, Brazil -- A 20-year-old model's hands and feet were amputated after she came down with septicemia.

In the last week, she's had both hands and feet amputated. Doctors removed both kidneys and in the most recent surgery last night removed part of her stomach.

"They say her situation is very critical and that her chances (of survival) are not really significant, but she keeps on surprising everyone," Henrique Fontes, executive director of Miss World Brazil told CNN.

"Two weeks ago the doctor gave her 24 hours to live and she's been fighting and resisting -- she's quite amazing."

Mariana Bridi is in intensive care.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Bridi and her family.

Blog for Choice

Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the most important civil rights decision handed down from the Supreme Court in 19 years on this day in 1973.

As I am posting, many of you in Washington already know that earlier today, misogynists from all over the country took part in the "March for Life". I dub that march as the March for Death and Misogyny, because everyone there are rallying in support for anti-choice laws that kill tens of thousands of women.

And speaking of misogynists, Wiliam Getha of Augusta, GA is the latest misogynist to come out of his hole.

Coming up at 5 p.m., the National Organization for Women will hold a vigil at the Supreme Court's steps.

And while we no longer have to worry about anti-choice laws for the next two years in Washington, that is a much different story in Columbia and in Atlanta. Hardline misogynists still hold a majority in both states' legislatures.

In fact, South Carolina is NOT ONLY trying to make it mandatory for women to view ultrasounds before having abortions, BUT ALSO dictate where women can view that ultrasound.

The rightists want to claim that somehow that they are for less government. That, my friends, is a BIG LIE. In the past 29 years, conservatives have only given lip service when it comes to reducing the size of government.

And nowhere is that more evident than the conservatives' support for government control over women's lives.

Since the beginning of this nation's founding, conservatives have treated women as dispensable. In fact, conservatives in Washington have given dogs more rights than women. And then, conservatives all over the nation cheer the deaths of Gerri Santoro (1935-1964) and Becky Bell (1971-1988) as if the anti-choicers had won the World Series.

That my friends, is how little respect conservatives have for women.

I am pro-choice because I know that one day it could be my wife, my girlfriend, my best friend, my godsister, one of my cousins that could die because of anti-choice laws.

I am pro-choice because I oppose government intrusion into women's private lives.

I am pro-choice because I want women to have the same 100% reproductive freedom as I currently enjoy.

I am pro-choice because I oppose coercion of all kinds.

[cross-posted at Aiken Area Progressive]

Grateful Dead has unfinished music
Topic: Music

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pay attention right now, Deadheads.

There may be some unreleased material by the Grateful Dead coming near you.

"We've got some unfinished music," Lesh clarifies. "We're all still evolving in our own ways. You can always improve your playing. Let's see what kind of a goulash we can make out of it. Besides," he adds, "I just got two new electric basses."

All of the surviving members of the Grateful Dead are all in their sixties. Jerry Garcia, the band's leader, died in 1995.

Presale tickets go on sale a week from today. They will perform as The Dead under the banner "A Evening With" beginning on April 12 in Greensboro, NC. It will last for 29 days, wrapping up on May 10 in Mountain View, CA near the band's hometown.

Via.

[cross-posted from Aiken Area Progressive]

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Now playing: Grateful Dead - Touch Of Grey
via FoxyTunes