Illinois Senator Barack Obama is not only the front runner in the major political polls, but he’s also          outselling his opponent, Arizona Senator John McCain, in a local presidential cookie poll.

Super popular Porto’s Bakery & Cafe At Magnolia Boulevard and Hollywood Way in Burbank has been offering John McCain and Barack Obama cookies for several weeks. I dropped by the Cuban-style bakery on Thursday, October 23 and discovered the presidential cookie poll was well underway.

Friendly counter staff members “Robert” and “Jasmine ” told me they were delighted with the cookie poll and their customers’ reaction to it. On this day, Obama was leading with 1,771 Democratic donkey style cookies to 833 McCain Republican elephant style cookies. They are priced at $1.60 each. I returned to check out the latest count yesterday and, ahem, to pick up a few of the yummy bakery goods.

So on October 30, the number of cookies sold for Obama had jumped considerably. The count stood at Obama 2,085 and McCain 943.  In terms of the presidential cookie poll, Porto’s suggests its customers “vote early eat often.”  A portion of the proceeds from this cookie sale goes to the American Red Cross and Ike Disaster Relief Operations.  

It will be interesting to see if the Porto’s presidential cookie poll predicts the winner of the presidential race on Election Day, November 4.        

Google file photo

Music legend Phil Spector’s second murder trial hit a bump on its second day. Actually, an alternate juror stumbled and reportedly broke his foot in the parking lot of a Downtown Los Angeles court Thursday morning. The prosecution had been scheduled to call witnesses yesterday, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler decided to delay the trial until Monday.

The 68-year-old Spector is being retried in the death of actress Lana Clarkson. The 40-year-old actress was found shot to death in the hallway of Spector’s Alhambra mansion back in February of 2003.

In his opening statement on Wednesday, defense attorney Doron Weinberg argued Clarkson committed suicide. On the other side, prosecutor Alan Jackson claims Spector shot Clarkson, with a .38 Special pistol, for refusing his sexual advances.

Spector’s first murder trial, 13 months ago, ended with a jury deadlocked 10-2 for conviction. If he’s found guilty of second degree murder, Spector faces a prison term of at least 18 years.

Back in the 1960s, Spector became famous as a music producer for his full-bodied, hard rocking “Wall of Sound” technique heard on classics like “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes. The technique has been used by artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Mariah Carey.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove – Burbank

Go ahead, freak out and have some fun!!

Google file photo

Eccentric rock music legend Phil Spector is on trial for murder, for the second time, in Downtown Los Angeles. Spector is accused of shooting to death actress Lana Clarkson after she allegedly blew off his sexual advances during an encounter at his mansion in February of 2003. The first trial ended in a hung jury  — with the jurors deadlocked 10-to-2 for conviction.

 Yesterday, prosecutor Alan Jackson’s opening statement included details of Clarkson’s death and a long list of women whom he says have been threatened by a gun wielding Spector over the years.

Later, defense attorney Doron Weinberg claimed the 40-year-old actress was despondent and killed herself in the hallway of Spector’s mansion. Weinberg called it a “suicide.” The gun reportedly belonged to Spector.

Spector made his mark as a record producer. His claim to fame is the “Wall of Sound” effect. Spector created this effect back in the 1960s by corralling large numbers of musicians to play together to produce a booming, layered rock sound. The “Wall of Sound” effect can be heard on classic hits like the 1963 “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes and the 1965 “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’ ” by the Righteous Brothers.

In his later years, the 68-year-old Spector became a recluse, hiding out in a pseudo-castle in the suburb of Alhambra. If convicted of second degree murder, Spector faces a sentence of around 20 years in prison.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove – Burbank

In and around Burbank, many residents have been gearing up for Halloween for weeks now. Some of the home decorations were up as early as mid-September. Some are pretty elaborate with colored lights, gravestones lining the walkways, huge blow-up pumpkins and creepy characters. My favorite Halloween duo; a couple of homespun scarecrows.

More and more adults are joining the kids in dressing up and getting their ghoul-on. This year there’s an extra treat for those living in the Burbank and Glendale area. The Church of Christ at 2021 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale is holding its annual Fall Family Festival on Halloween, Friday October 31. There will be food, fun, games, and a chance for the kids to trick or treat. For more information check the church’s website  www.glendalechurchofchrist.org

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove – Burbank

The closer it gets to Election Day the more political yard signs I see in my Burbank neighborhood. The most popular are those for the presidential candidates. Barack Obama signs started popping up first, more than a month ago. Lately, the folks backing the John McCain/Sarah Palin ticket have put out yard signs to show their support. Now, that’s all good.

Janet Reynolds speaks to a gathering on August 28, 2008; the night Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president.

Janet Reynolds, President of the Burbank Democratic Club, says the group has filled requests for 50 Obama signs in Burbank. Reynolds volunteers 15 hours a week at the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley headquarters. When it comes to distributing yard signs, Reynolds says the “DPSFV has done in the 1000+ range.”

For some folks in the Southland it has become necessary to get replacement signs. Over the weekend, I heard reports of political signs being defaced in Whittier. Earlier this month, there were reports about Obama yard signs vandalized in Montrose. 

Reynolds says “…many many yard signs are being stolen in the San Fernando Valley.”  She says that while working at the DPSFV in Van Nuys,”…people come in to get more yard signs because they have had them stolen.” That’s the really bad part of all this.

 Sticking a political sign in your yard should not be that big of a deal. It should be considered a right, just like casting your ballot for the candidate of your choice. So it is really bad news when some small minds try to stop the free expression of others by vandalizing or stealing yard signs.

I have yet to hear of anyone changing a political view because their yard sign was stolen. Actually, most folks who have their signs defaced or ripped off become more determined to display a political sign and to vote for their favorite candidate. 

More tragic news today for actress Jennifer Hudson and her family. The body of a young boy was discovered inside a white SUV with a license plate matching a vehicle that belonged to the actress’ brother, Jason Hudson.

A neighbor on the West Side of Chicago spotted the abandoned Chevy Suburban this morning; authorities were called, the body removed,  and the vehicle impounded. On Friday, the bodies of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason, were found in the family home on the South Side of Chicago. Both victims had been shot to death.

This afternoon, Hudson and family members completed the grim task of identifying the boy’s body discovered in the SUV as that of 7-year-old Julian King. The boy disappeared from the family home, along with the SUV, on Friday. Julian reportedly died from gunshot wounds.

Hudson’s brother-in-law, 27-year-old William Balfour, was taken into custody for questioning on Friday. Balfour is an ex-con who is on parole for a number of convictions including attempted murder. Balfour spent nearly 7 years in prison.

 Balfour has not been charged in the case, however, he was reportedly transferred back to prison for a parole violation. At a news conference this afternoon, Chicago Police Superintendent, Jody Weis, says Balfour “remains a person of interest” in the investigation.

Hudson won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in the 2006 movie musical, “Dreamgirls.” She had been scheduled to appear at the Hollywood Awards in Beverly Hills today with cast members of her new film, “The Secret Life of Bees.” Also, the singer has a new hit single, “Spotlight,” and a new self-titled album, too.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove  –  Burbank

Back in August, gas was selling at over $4 a gallon and many worried it was going to crack the $5 a gallon mark.

Recently, I heard a radio news announcer say gas prices have “fallen off a cliff.”  True, the price of a gallon of gasoline is coming down at the pumps, but they need to keep falling in order to have a real impact on the budgets of most consumers.

On Friday, the average price of regular gas was $2.78 a gallon nationwide. A drop of 53 cents in two weeks, according to the Lundberg Survey. This report says the nosedive in gas prices, which began in mid-July, was prompted by a decline in oil prices. 

Well, the prices at local gas stations are not quite as low as the national average in this survey, but they are coming down. The Automobile Club of Southern California says the average price of gas in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area last Friday was $3.22 gallon. Now, that’s about right. Last Wednesday, I filled up in Burbank and paid $3.21 a gallon.

In September, I was paying as much as $3.70 gallon. Back in mid-August, I was shelling out $4.03 a gallon. So, that’s a definite improvement. I’d feel a lot better about gassing up if the price per gallon dropped to $2.50 or so.

Also, now that gas prices are going South, what about food prices? They’re still really high and from what I can tell from my grocery receipts the prices are going up!  Also, the prices in restaurants are creeping up as the portions continue to shrink.

Earlier in the year, the steady rise in food prices was blamed on an increase in transportation costs brought on by the jump in gas prices. What I want to know now is when is the cost of food going into a slide? Lower food prices would really help those of us trying to cut expenses — which is just about everyone these days.

The FBI is now involved in the intensive search for entertainer Jennifer Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King. The child disappeared from a South Side Chicago home on Friday, where the bodies of Hudson’s mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson and brother, Jason Hudson, were found. Autopsies yesterday revealed both victims died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Today, Hudson posted a notice on her MySpace page asking for the public’s help in finding her nephew. The actress and her family are offering a $100,000 for the safe return of the child, according to her publicist.

Hudson’s brother- in-law, William Balfour, is in police custody as either a possible suspect or a person of interest. Balfour, who is on parole, has not been charged in the case. Authorities will only say they are questioning a number of people in connection with the investigation. 

On her newly released self-titled album the singer praised and thanked her family members for their love and support.  A single from that album, “Spotlight,” is number one on the Billboard R&B charts. Hudson won a best supporting actress Academy Award in 2007 for her role as Effie White in the movie musical ,”Dreamgirls.”

Recently, Hudson had been on the road promoting her new film, “The Secret Life of Bees.” She had been scheduled to appear with other cast members of “The Secret Life of Bees” tomorrow to accept an ensemble cast honor at the Hollywood Awards in Beverly Hills.

“I’m a plumber… just a plumber,” that’s how Joe Wurzelbacher described himself when he lashed out at the media for scrutinizing his opinions and personal life, last weekend. Yeah, Joe is that guy.  Joe the Plumber. The Joe that Republican presidential candidate John McCain mentioned repeatedly in the third and final presidential debate. In fact, McCain referred to Wurzelbacher as “my buddy, Joe.”

Wurzelbacher was thrust into the public arena after having a brief chat with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama back on October 12. During the encounter, Wurzelbacher complained about Obama’s tax plan, which he says would keep him from purchasing the $250,000-plus small plumbing business where he works. McCain jumped on this and portrayed it as an example of how Obama’s tax plan hurts the small business owner.

McCain’s strategy for using Joe the Plumber to trash Obama’s tax plan is typical politics. The surprise in this drama is the Holland, Ohio plumber named Joe. Fast forward to reports that now show shy Joe is  loving his 15 minutes of fame so much he wants to extend it.

On Thursday, Keith Olbermann on Daily Kos reported rumblings in the publishing industry about Joe the Plumber putting out feelers that he’s looking for a book deal. Also in the last few days, a flurry of stories on the Internet about Joe the Plumber mulling over a run for Congress.

Then, there’s the interview chat Joe did Friday on the Washington Times website. Joe answered questions and spouted off freely about his views. He said Obama made him “scared for America.” Also, Joe says that when he met Obama, despite all he’d heard about the candidate’s ‘presence’, he came away thinking the Illinois senator was “very average.”  This from a guy who apparently doesn’t understand our tax system nor that he needs a plumber’s license to work in his own community.

In the glare of the spotlight and caught up in dreams of fame and major dollar signs, Joe the Plumber seems to have forgotten that he is really the one who is average and “just a plumber” by his own assessment.  

There is an intense search underway today for 7-year-old Julian King, the nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. King disappeared from a South Side Chicago home where two adults were murdered yesterday. An active Amber Alert is spreading the word about the missing boy; who is 4 feet 11 and weighs 130 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.

 Inside the Chicago home authorities made a grim discovery; the bodies of two of Hudson’s relatives.The actress’ mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson and her brother, 29-year-old Jason Hudson, both had been shot to death.

A suspect, William Balfour, was taken into custody late Friday. Balfour is an ex-con, still on probation, after reportedly serving 7 years in prison for a number of convictions including attempted murder. Balfour once lived at the Chicago home where the two bodies were found. He had a relationship with Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia. Balfour is being questioned, but has not been charged. 

Jennifer Hudson shares her Oscar victory with her mother, Darnell Donerson. 

This tragic situation comes at a time when Jennifer Hudson is riding a wave of success. She blew many folks away with her performance of Effie White in the 2006 movie musical “Dreamgirls.” The performance won Hudson an Academy Award for best supporting actress. Hudson was in Chicago last week, for the screening of her latest movie, “The Secret Life of Bees” at a film festival.

Also, Hudson’s new self-titled album is moving up the charts with the help of a hot single, “Spotlight.”

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is taking a break from the hectic campaign trail to visit his gravely ill grandmother, Madelyn Dunham. She still lives in the same Honolulu, Hawaii apartment where she helped raise a teenage Obama.

Recently, 85-year-old Dunham reportedly broke her hip and apparently her health worsened last week. Late yesterday, Obama flew to her bedside and will spend today with the woman he says helped shape his values and his character.

When Obama’s campaign announced his intentions to take a break from campaigning to visit Dunham, some asked how could he leave the campaign at such a crucial time? Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham Sutoro, who was probably the greatest influence on him, died of cancer at the age 52, in 1995.

Obama has said he regrets not being with his mother to hold her hand during those last moments. He doesn’t plan to make the same mistake with his grandmother. I understand all too well. On May 13, 2003, my father had a heart attack and passed away a few hours before I was able to hop a plane for the Bay Area.  

 So to those who ask, “How could Obama leave his presidential campaign at a critical time like this?”  My retort to them is, “How could he not?”

Meanwhile, final preparations are underway today in Las Vegas for an Obama rally at a local high school stadium on Saturday. Obama is scheduled to speak at around 3 p.m. at Bonanza High, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Also, early voting is underway in Nevada and is scheduled to continue through October 31.

Sarah Palin shows off her fashion style at the Republican National Convention last month.

I’ve never been impressed with the political babble of Republican V.P. candidate, Sarah Palin. I don’t buy into the Alaska governor’s boast that one of her qualifications for the second most powerful position in the nation is that she’s ”a hockey mom.”  However, Palin gets the props and kudos from me for her campaign fashion style.

I love the tailored jackets and skirts with just the right amount of flair; and the cool eyewear. Now, it turns out that while Palin has been traveling the country telling the so-called Joe six-packs and Jane the hairdressers in the crowds that she’s one of them; she was wearing threads from some of the most upscale retailers in the country.

Several media reports have confirmed that the Republican National Committee paid 150 thousand dollars to outfit Palin and her family in just the month of September. On the campaign trial, the Palins have been decked out in clothes and accessories from stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Barneys New York. The revelation was found in recent campaign finance reports.

The McCain campaign has accused Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle of being “elitists” and out of touch with small town America. It seems to me, McCain’s own V.P. running mate has been dressing pretty high class for someone who claims to be a down home hockey loving “gal” from Wasilla, Alaska.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

Voters at a Burbank polling place during last February’s Presidential Primary Election.

The get out the vote campaign in Los Angeles County turned out to be a super success. Last weekend, the number of voters registered in the county hit a record-breaking 4,195,016. The last time the registration rolls leaped the 4 million mark was back in 2002.

Monday was the deadline to register to cast a ballot in the historic November 4 Presidential General Election. On Tuesday, the number of registered voters in the county had jumped 18,756 to 4,213,772. Some of those voters will mail in their ballots, some might take advantage of early voting going on now at the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk building in Norwalk, but most will probably be heading to polling places on Election Day.

Tomorrow afternoon, L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Dean Logan, will be holding a press briefing at the Elections Operations Center in Santa Fe Springs to talk about preparations and expectations for the upcoming election. Also, there will be a dedication ceremony for the operations center.

The event is open to the public as well as the media. More information at the lavote.net website, which is run by the L.A. County Registrar-Record/County Clerk’s office.

Entertainer Britney Spears has more to sing about today. In Van Nuys this morning, a mistrial was declared in the singer’s driving-without-California-license trial after jurors could not reach a unanimous decision. Jurors have been deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal since yesterday; and felt further deliberations would not help them reach an agreement.

So Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Steele dismissed the jury. A short time later, prosecutors announced they were dropping the criminal charge. Spears was on trial for not having a valid California driver’s license when she was involved in a hit-and-run on a parked vehicle back in August 2007.

During the trial, her attorney argued that Spears had a Louisiana driver’s license during the time of the accident because that is where she is a permanent resident. The prosecution countered with evidence that showed Spears married, had children, and filed divorce documents in California, so therefore, she was a resident of this state. Apparently, most of the jurors bought the defense’s argument.

Also, Spears is celebrating her first # 1 hit in more than 8 years on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Womanizer” entered the chart at # 96 on October 16; then quickly jumped to #1 . The song will be on Spears’ upcoming album, “Circus,” which is set for release on December 2 — the singer’s 27th birthday.

Hopefully, all this good news will inspire the troubled entertainer to get her life back on the right track.

Two so-called witnesses in the kidnapping of 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger are being held by U.S. Marshals today. Cole’s maternal grandfather, 51-year-old Clemons Tinnemeyer and his alleged companion, 42-year-old Terri Leavy, went before a federal magistrate in Riverside yesterday and then were turned over to the  Marshals.

Both were apprehended on fugitive arrest warrants. Tinnemeyer was arrested in Riverside last Friday night. Leavy was picked up in Fontana on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, new details are coming out on how young Cole was found on a street a few blocks from the Las Vegas Strip, last Saturday night. A bus driver spotted Cole and offered him a ride. Once the child was on the bus, authorities were called. A short time later, Cole was turned over to police detectives.

 Las Vegas police have made it clear the investigation is not over. They are now focusing on the drug-related aspects of the case and searching for the alleged kidnappers. They still want to talk to Jesus Gastelum, considered a person of interest in the case.

Cole was snatched from his Las Vegas home by armed men last Wednesday. Authorities believe the grandfather may have ripped off millions from a Mexican drug cartel and the kidnapping of the child was done to send him a message.

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Singer turned designer, Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham ranked number one on the 2007 worst dressed list put out earlier this year by the originator of the snarky fashion critique, Mr. Blackwell. It was the 48th time the self-proclaimed critic of good fashion taste had selected his top 10 worst dressed. And it would be his last. 

Mr. Richard Blackwell  1922-2008

Mr. Blackwell reportedly died yesterday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles due to complications from an intestinal infection.

For several decades, Mr. Blackwell’s annual worst dressed list was highly publicized and a Hollywood tradition. Some of the famous who have been dissed on the list are Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Madonna, Fergie and even Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. Occasionally, men made the list; notably Milton Berle, Boy George, and Elton John.

Mr. Blackwell, born Richard Sylvan Selzer in 1922, got his career start in entertainment as an actor. He appeared in small roles on Broadway and in the movies. Also, he did some modeling. In 1958, he launched a line of his own fashion designs with modest success. Real celebrity came for Blackwell in the 1960s  when he began announcing his worst dressed lists.

Blackwell is considered the godfather of the chatty and sometimes catty commentators who are critiquing celebrity fashion styles today. 

Blackwell was 86.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is on a roll with the destination being the White House. Yet, his campaign is not letting up, despite leading in the polls, getting impressive endorsements, and raising mega-bucks. I think that shows Obama is running not only an inspiring campaign, but also a smart campaign.

Yesterday, I got another one of those Obama campaign e-mails, which included a thank you for your support, an update on fundraising along with a report on the latest campaign developments. In the e-mail, campaign manager David Plouffe said, “… with just 16 days left in this election, we can’t slow down now.” Apparently these e-mails are going out routinely to regular supporters, small donors like myself, whom the campaign has been courting since the early days of the Illinois senator’s run for the president. 

True, they need to keep their eye on the prize, but I believe the Obama campaign should get stroked for some recent achievements. In September, the campaign raised a record haul of $150 million. The average contribution was under $100. The campaign has more than doubled what it collected in August.

Also yesterday, Obama got some very important endorsements: from newspapers like the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Las Vegas Sun, and Los Angeles Times and former Bush Administration Secretary of State and prominent Republican, Colin Powell, who says he’s going to vote for Obama. Powell, a retired Army general who was once the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is admired by many as an American hero.

Senator Obama has cautioned his supporters not to get “giddy” or “cocky” over all these kudos and achievements. And he’s right. 

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

A voter marks his ballot during the February 5, 2008 California Presidential Primary.

If you want to make your voice heard in the upcoming historic November 4 Presidential General Election you need to get a move on and register to vote today. October 20 is the deadline to register. In Los Angeles County, folks have been registering to vote by the thousands. So many new voters have signed up that a new record has been set in this county.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder /County Clerk Dean Logan says the number of registered voters has exceeded 4,142,514; a record set back in 2002. That record was shattered a few days ago. As of October 18, 2008, the number of people registered to vote in L.A. County stood at 4,195,016. That number will probably be pushed higher with registration drives over the weekend and last minute folks who sign-up today.

Logan says the huge number of new voters signal a “… historic interest in the 2008 Presidential Election.” Los Angeles County reportedly has the highest number of registered voters of any county in the nation. 

Instructions for getting registered can be found at http://www.lavote.net/, a website run by the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office. 

The jury in the San Fernando Valley trial of pop star Britney Spears deliberated briefly on Friday before taking a break for the weekend. The jurors, eight women and four men, are set to return to a Van Nuys court Monday to continue working on reaching a verdict in the singer’s misdemeanor case.

Unlike most celebrity trials, this one has not had a lot of strange twists and weird drama. At the center of the case is a traffic accident; back in August of 2007 Spears hit a parked car and left the scene. Later, Spears settled with the owner of the parked car, but prosecutors went after her for driving without a California license.

The defense claims the entertainer did not need one because she had a valid Louisiana driver’s license at the time. Spears’ attorney, Michael Flanagan, has argued that Louisiana is really the singer’s permanent place of residence. Jamie Spears, her father, took the stand and backed up that assertion.

However, Los Angeles City Attorney Michael Amerian presented evidence that showed Spears signed a document stating she was a California resident when she filed for divorce in 2006 from ex-husband Kevin Federline. Not only did Spears not testify in her own defense, she hasn’t shown up to court one day so far.

Apparently, Spears was offered a couple of plea deals, but her attorney says they were rejected because she doesn’t want a criminal record.

If convicted, Spears could be forced to pay a fine and be sentenced to as long as six months in jail.