Lindsay Lohan’s brother speaks out

Reports are out that troubled Actress, Lindsay Lohan, has voluntarily entered rehab. This will be the fifth time around for Lohan. Her brother, Michael Lohan Jr., says his sister is “fully committed” to making rehab work this time.  Also, he blamed Lohan’s past failures at getting clean on “leeches” in her social circle. More on the People website.

Heroic pilot’s story optioned by Hollywood producers

Photo: Gary Friedman/ Los Angeles Times -- Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and wife Lorrie at the Rose Parade in Pasadena on January 1, 2010

  Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s incredible story is going to be a movie. Captain Sully became a hero on January 15, 2009, when he landed a crippled U.S. Airways jetliner, like a glider, on the Hudson River saving the crew and 155 passengers on board.

Captain Sully was the Grand Marshal of the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. Also, he wrote his memoir, “Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters,” with Jeffrey Zaslow. Hollywood Producers, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall  have teamed up with Flashlight Films to option the memoir and develop it into a movie. More details on The Wrap.  

Actor Gene Hackman’s new book

Gene Hackman is going solo for his new novel. The actor has signed a deal with Pocket Books for a western set in 19th century New Mexico, according to GalleyCat. He’s co-authored three other westerns.

Hackman has appeared in nearly 100 films. He won the Best Actor Oscar for the “French Connection” (1971) and Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in “Unforgiven” (1992). Hackman is such a good character actor that it’s said he’s worth watching even in a bad movie.

Hackman  new western, “Jubal’s Bounty,” is due out next July.

Comcast’s Steve Burke replacing Zucker

It didn’t take long for NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker’s replacement to be announced.  No surprise, one of the key players in the Comcast/ NBC Universal deal, Steve Burke, is taking over Zucker’s job. Burke is Comcast’s chief operating officer. Interesting these changes are happening before the Comcast/NBC Universal deal gets final approval from the Feds. Read more on The Wrap.

Photo: Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images/Mrs-O.org --First Lady Michelle Obama toured a New York herb garden with local school children and some First Ladies from various countries September 24, 2010

Catching up on some of the activities of First Lady and Health Advocate, Michelle Obama.  Mrs-O, a website dedicated to the first lady’s fashion, style, and special interests, is a faithful follower of almost everything Michelle. Also there’s a ton of comments, from some of the thousands of Michelle fans, on the two-year-old site. I’m a Michelle follower and an occasional visitor to Mrs-O.

In the photo above, Mrs. Obama toured an herb garden with a group of curious school children, last Thursday, September 24. Several First Ladies, from a number of countries, joined the tour at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York.   

The tour included a farm-to-the-table-lunch – part of Mrs. Obama’s healthy eating program.

Also in the Mrs-O post, a description of who and what the first lady was wearing — down to her “silver pointed toe flats.”  Mrs. Obama is no Lady Gaga, however, she has many admirers of her fashion taste and sensible style.

How hot is it? So hot that the sun loving flowers in my Burbank yard are wilting. Yesterday, the temperature climbed  to 109 degrees in the Media City. Even at 8 p.m. last night is was still 100. More triple digit heat is headed our way today.

Other parts of the Southland are suffering in this heat wave, too. On Monday, the thermometer soared to 109 in Pasadena, 102 Santa Monica and 102 in West Hollywood as well. The all time record high of a 112 was shattered  in Los Angeles yesterday when the temperature reached 113.  Also, there were a ton of heat-related power outages in the L.A. area. Utility crews are scrambling to restore power to thousands of users today.

Here in Burbank, I noticed a number of large broken tree limbs littering the ground on some streets late yesterday. Trees apparently get stressed in the heat resulting in some of the weak limbs snapping  off. Watch out, some of those branches are pretty large and can cause damage to vehicles and other property.

The new drama, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” rolled right over the competition this weekend to become the number one film in the country. This sequel to the 1987 film, “Wall Street,” collected an estimated $19 million at the domestic Box Office.   

Oliver Stone directed both the original and the sequel. “Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps” picks up 23 years after the original with Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gekko out of prison and reformed. Douglas won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in “Wall Street.” In the sequel, Gekko tries to warn Wall Street right before the 2008 financial meltdown. The cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, and Carey Mulligan.

In second place, a new 3D animation, “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” with around $16.3 million. The film is based on an adventure fantasy book series by Kathryn Lasky.

“The Town”, last week’s number top film, fell to third place earning an estimated $16 million. The teen comedy, “Easy A”  landed in fourth with about $10.7 million.

Rounding out the top five, the new romantic comedy, “You Again” with an estimated $8.3 million. Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver, and Betty White star. The film is about a young woman who discovers her older brother is about to marry the girl who bullied her in high school.

UPDATED: 5:53 p.m.

The city of Burbank sent out an e-mail a short while ago announcing the Buena Vista Library, at 300 North Buena Vista Street, will be opened until 8 p.m. this evening due to the extreme heat.

You know, it’s still going to be hot at that time. To really provide residents with a cool place to relax, the library should stay open until at least 10 p.m. For more information here’s the library’s phone number: (818) 238-5620

The calendar says it should be fall, but this weekend, the Southland is baking in summer-like heat. Yesterday afternoon, when it was over 100 here in Burbank, I had to run some errands. Instead of the usual crowds at the post office, bank, and Trader Joe’s on Alameda Avenue – I found only a few brave souls willing to suffer through the heat.

The temps hovered in the 90s and 80s through much of Saturday evening.  Things cooled off to the low 70s after midnight, however by 9 a.m. the temperature was up to 86 and rising.

The forecast is for a high of at least 105 in the Media City today. A benefit to all this heat — I ‘ve noticed increased activity by butterflies and bees in my flower garden. A lovely sight.

 Lindsay Lohan back on the streets

Photo: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times -- Lindsay Lohan heading to court in Beverly Hills , September 24, 2010

 After a freaky Friday that included court drama and a short stay in jail, Actress Lindsay Lohan is a free woman once again. After failing a court-ordered drug test, Lohan appeared in a Beverly Hills court yesterday. True to his word, Judge Elden Fox, sent her to the slammer for 30 days without bail.

However within hours, Lohan’s lawyer got another Los Angeles Superior Court judge to reverse the bail ruling. Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, pointed out defendants convicted of misdemeanors are allowed bail under the law. Sometime before midnight, Lohan walked free on $300,000 bond.

Did Lohan get a break because she’s a celebrity? Folks are debating that today. The way I see it, the major difference between Lohan and the average inmate in Los Angeles County jail is the money to pay for lawyers and to post bail.  The Los Angeles Times has more on the debate here.  

Jay-Z’s memoir and hip hop decoder

Business Mogul/Hip Hop Artist, Jay-Z, has a book coming out. It’s a memoir and a decoder for 36 of Jay-Z’s songs — which provide an intimate look at his art, according to the publishing site Galleycat.

The printed and e-book formats of “Decoded” include illustrations and lyric analysis as well as the autobiography content. “Decoded” goes on sale in mid- November, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

 NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker on the way out

No surprise, NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker is leaving the network. Zucker made the announcement himself in a company memo yesterday. NBC is in fourth place and who can forget Zucker’s orchestration of the Conan O’Brien/Jay Leno financial/public relations disaster.

Zucker apparently got the word from Comcast that once it’s deal to buy NBC is official, he would be getting the boot. Unlike most NBC employees who lose their jobs at the network and barely score chump change, Zucker will probably get one of those multi-million-dollar executive parachutes. More on Zucker’s departure at The Wrap.

The leaves are turning colors and dropping from the giant Mulberry tree in my Burbank yard. For the past few days, we’ve had mild temperatures, some fog, a little drizzle, and a definite fall like chill in the mornings. Ah, but hold on, we’re about to be hit by a blast of summer by the end of the week.

In true Southland style, a warming trend is set to kick–off tomorrow, the first day of autumn. Mostly sunny skies predicted for the Media City with a high in the 80′s — perhaps even 90 on Thursday. By Sunday, we could be sweltering in triple digit heat again. So don’t put away those flip-flops, tee shirts, and shorts just yet.

Photo credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept./L.A. Times -- Mug shot of Bell Mayor Oscar Hernandez September 21, 2010

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is cracking down on corruption in the city of Bell. Yesterday the mayor, Oscar Hernandez, and seven other current and former Bell officials were arrested by police and D.A. investigators.

The Los Angeles Times, which broke the story, reported “…a battering ram” had to be used to break into the home of Mayor Hernandez, in order to arrest him.  Hernandez was taken into custody Tuesday morning along with city council members Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga and George Mirabal as well as ex-council members George Cole and Victor Bello, and ex-Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia and ex-City Manager Robert Rizzo.

The eight defendants are charged with ripping off more than $5.5 million from the city of Bell and its citizens. They are due to appear in court later today. At a news conference yesterday, Los Angeles County District Attorney, Steve Cooley, gave a harsh assessment of their alleged crimes: ”They used the tax dollars collected from the hard-working citizens of Bell as their own piggy bank, which they then looted at will.” The Times has more on the arrests, reaction from Bell residents, and additional photos here.

A similar city government scandal is festering in Media City. I’ve been covering the scandal, on this blog, for more than a year. Elements of the scandal have been picked up by the national media as well. Right now, millions of taxpayer dollars are being used to defend the city and its police department against lawsuits and a long list of alleged crimes and misdeeds. However, the city council and some powerful city hall insiders are refusing to give the public an accounting of this money.

On last night’s city council written agenda, there was a listing of the cases discussed in the secret closed door session by council members and the city attorney. The agenda stated 8 cases involved “existing litigation” and  7 cases “anticipated litigation.” Also, the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department are conducting investigations here in Burbank.

Despite claims of fiscal responsibility and the need for budget cutbacks, the city council is approving big raises for a “select group” of employees – many already bank  six-figure salaries. Recently, the council voted to jack up utility rates, even though, Burbank Water and Power officials admit residents have reached a 20 percent reduction goal several years ahead of schedule. Something is seriously wrong in Burbank.

Paris Hilton’s guilty plea in Vegas

Photo: Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun -- Paris Hilton and her attorney David Chesnoff in a Las Vegas courtroom today, September 20, 2010

 Hotel Heiress Paris Hilton pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor cocaine charges in a Las Vegas court today.  Hilton got a plea deal: one year probation, $2,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, and she must complete a drug abuse program.  Also, if  Hilton violates her probation she risks going to jail for a year!

The drug charges followed the socialite’s arrest at the Wynn Las Vegas last month. At first, Hilton denied ownership of the cocaine and the purse it was found in. However, today the judge made her admit she’d lied.

More on Hilton’s case and what she had to say in court in this Las Vegas Sun report. Also, on the newspaper website, some nice photos of Hilton looking more like she was attending a fashion show rather than a court sentencing.

Jamie McCourt testifies in court

Some pretty amazing testimony in Frank and Jamie McCourt’s nasty divorce and legal battle over the Los Angeles Dodgers today.  Jamie McCourt took the stand and claimed she didn’t read nor really understand the document she signed in 2004 giving her estranged husband sole ownership of the Dodgers.

 However, Steve Susman, Frank McCourt’s attorney, pointed out in court  – Jamie McCourt practiced law at one time. Hmm, interesting. More on Jamie McCourt’s testimony on the Los Angeles website.

Ben Affleck’s film tops the Box Office

The final numbers came out today and the crime drama,  ”The Town,” easily won the domestic weekend Box Office. Ben Affleck wrote, directed, and starred in “The Town,” which debuted with 23.8 million, to become the new number one film in the country.

The new teen comedy, “Easy A,” racked up $17.7 million, good enough for second place. It was followed by the new horror flick, “Devil,” which managed only $12.2 million, despite being the creation of M. Night Shyamalan. 

Last week’s top film, “Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D” came in fourth with $10 million, and in fifth place, the new animation “Alpha and Omega” with $9 million.

Photo credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Dept. -- Randy Quaid

 A bad turn of events for Actor Randy Quaid and his wife. Both were arrested Saturday evening  for allegedly squatting in a guest home, on a property they once owned, in the upscale community of Montecito, in Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputies reportedly were called to the property in the 13oo block of Mountain Drive to check out possible squatters in a home. When deputies arrived at the scene they discovered 59-year-old Randy Quaid and his 47-year-old wife, Evi.

The Quaids claimed to have owned the property since the 1990s, according to the sheriff’s department. However, the representative for the new owner allegedly produced documents that proved to deputies that the Quaids had sold the property several years ago.

Randy Quaid, a well-known character actor, has appeared on television and in a number films including ”The Last Detail” (1973) , “Midnight Express” (1978), “Independence Day” (1996), and  ”Brokeback Mountain” (2005).  He’s the brother of Actor Dennis Quaid.

Photo credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Dept. -- Evegenia "Evi" Helena Quaid

Randy Quaid and his wife were both booked for residential felony burglary. Also, Evi Quaid was slapped with a resisting arrest charge. The bail: $50,000 each.

Uh-oh! Lindsay Lohan failed a court-ordered drug test

Instead of calling a news conference when they’re in deep, deep, whatever, a lot of celebs turn to Twitter to tell their side of the story. The latest to do so, the troubled Lindsay Lohan. Late Friday reports were all over the Internet about Lohan possibly testing positive for drugs.

Early Saturday morning, Lohan went online and copped to failing a recent drug test on her Twitter page. Here’s a sampling of what she wrote: “Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test and if I am asked, I am prepared to appear before judge Fox next week as a result.” 

The 24-year-old actress has more than a million fans and friends following here on Twitter. So she got some support — but it’s not going to help her much when she goes before the judge. Lohan just got out of rehab on August 24. Before that, the actress did about two-weeks of jail time for violating probation on a couple of DUI convictions.

 The judge warned Lohan that if she violates her probation again – she’ll do 30 days in Los Angeles County Jail. Lohan definitely has a serious problem — and one that is probably best dealt with in a lock-down treatment facility. For more of Lohan’s tweets click here.

Man drives through gate at Warner Bros.

A New York man is facing a court hearing this week, after police say he crashed through a barrier at Warner Bros. in Burbank, last Friday. It happened at the VIP entrance, Gate 5, at Warner Boulevard and Avon Street.

 The suspect, 43-year-old  Michael Rodriquez-Cintron, drove around the studio lot for several minutes before he was stopped by security personnel, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Times report says a fake gun and several bottles of an unidentified flammable material were discovered inside the suspect’s vehicle. Cintron was arrested and is due in court for an arraignment on Tuesday.

Controversial Elle magazine cover

A lot of buzzing on the Internet and elsewhere about Actress Gabourey Sidibe’s photo on the cover of Elle magazine’s 25th anniversary issue. First, let me say I like this picture of Gabby. She looks like a vibrant, fresh faced 25-year-old woman. In other photos, Gabby has looked much older because her face was caked with tons of make up. However, that’s not what the controversy is about.

Gabby is a dark skinned, African American woman. In the Elle cover photo, her skin appears to be lighter. You say, big deal? Well, it is to some folks who read negative messages in things like this.

Elle magazine is being accused of lightening Gabby’s skin. Photoshop Instructor, Ron Marsh, disagrees: “They didn’t lighten her phyical skin.” Marsh says the typical airbrushing tools found in Photoshop were probably used.  The kinds of tools, he insists, are used in the retouching and airbrushing photos all the time. Last week,  I attended Marsh’s two-day advanced Photoshop class in Burbank.

In a story on the E! Online website, Elle Editor-in-Chief, Robbie Meyers, dismissed the controversy: “At a photo shoot, in a studio, that is a fashion shoot, that’s glamorous, the lighting is different. The photography is different than a red carpet shot from a paparazzi.” She emphasized, “We absolutely did not lighten her skin.”

Oh, and some others criticized Gabby’s cover photo because it was cropped mid-chest.   The actresses on the other three Elle anniversary issues, Megan Fox, Amanda  Seyfried, and Lauren Conrad, are shown in full-length shots. Meyers blows off that  criticism as well describing Gabby’s cover photo as “incredible.” I think Elle magazine deserves kudos for the photos it published of Gabby. See more of them on Elle’s website.

More changes for the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers. A press release from the organization yesterday announced the departure of Manager Joe Torre and his replacement– another former New York Yankee, Don Mattingly.

In the release, Dodger General Manager, Ned Colletti, praised Torre for his contribution to the team:  ”Joe Torre has been a great friend, a strong leader and an incredible presence for this organization and I cannot thank him enough for his service to the Dodgers. I respect his decision to step aside…”

“It has been an incredible honor to wear the Dodger uniform and I will always carry with me some very special memories from the past three seasons,” Torre is quoted in the release as saying. “This was not a decision I took lightly but I believe it’s the right one for myself and my family…”

Late yesterday at a news conference, The ex-Yankee manager admitted he was retiring from the Dodgers, but not from baseball. Can you really blame him for heading for the door? Late last month, Dodger management dumped Big Time Attendance Draw/Slugger, Manny Ramirez, and pretty much threw in the towel on the season.

Meanwhile team owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt,  are ripping each other apart and dragging the team through the mud in a Los Angeles divorce court. No wonder, there’s growing concern about the McCourts handling of the legendary team and its impact not only on the Dodgers, but on all of Major League Baseball!   

The new manager, Don Mattingly, takes over next season. Mattingly is probably best known for his 14 years as a first baseman for the Yankees. As a player, he won some awards and racked up some pretty good stats.  He’s been a coach for the past seven years — the last three, as the Dodgers’ hitting coach. However, Mattingly has NEVER held a manager’s job. The Los Angeles Times points out that this season Mattingly filled in for Torre a couple of times and the results were not impressive.

At that Dodger Stadium news conference, Mattingly tried to generate some confidence: “I’m excited about this opportunity… I feel like I’m ready.” I hope he is. Mattingly has an incredibly difficult job ahead of him and huge shoes to fill.

President Barack Obama has another bestselling book to his credit without going on a promotional tour or doing any of those author interviews. In fact the picture book, “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters,” doesn’t hit store shelves for another two months, but it’s already a hot seller.

President Obama was inspired to write the book by his daughters, Malia and Sasha. “Of Thee I Sing” is a tribute to 13 Americans, including trailblazers Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackie Robinson, and George Washington, as well as to the ideals that helped shape our nation, according to the Publishers Weekly website.  It is illustrated by Loren Long and published by Knopf  Books, a division of Random House.

“Of Thee I Sing” is due out on November 16 in both hardcover and e-book. Proceeds reportedly will be donated to a scholarship fund for the children of deceased and disabled soldiers.  

“Of Thee I Sing” is in the top 20 on the Barnes & Noble  and Amazon.com bestseller lists.

President Obama’s previous bestsellers are “Dreams of My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.”

Photo credit: Sports.spreadit.org --Reggie Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy

A lot of chatter on the Internet and in the media about New Orleans Saints Running Back Reggie Bush’s decision to forfeit his 2005 Heisman Trophy. This is a big deal, not just for USC and  Southland football fans. The former USC tailback is the first player to give up the Heisman in its 75 year history. The award is considered one of the top honors in sports.

What happened? In a statement posted yesterday on the Saints’ website, Bush  blamed the media for his decision: ”The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting.” Hmm. Even thought he admits “mistakes,” Bush doesn’t really take full responsibility for this awful  situation nor the dishonor he has brought to himself and USC.  

Recently, after a lengthy investigation, the NCAA determined Bush took cash and gifts from would-be agents while in college, according to the Los Angeles Times. That’s a clear violation of National Collegiate Athletic Association standards. There’s a good chance Bush would have been stripped of his Heisman, so he gave it up.

Also in that statement, Bush offers to help  ”…establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made.”  Again, Bush needs to come clean about his mistakes before he can really help others to avoid them or find redemption from them.

Here’s the full statement by Reggie Bush regarding the Heisman Trophy from the Saints website.

One of the greatest honors of my life was winning the Heisman Trophy in 2005. For me, it was a dream come true.

But I know that the Heisman is not mine alone. Far from it. I know that my victory was made possible by the discipline and hard work of  my teammates, the steady guidance of my coaches, the inspiration of the fans, and the unconditional love of my family and friends. And I know that any young man fortunate enough to win the Heisman enters into a family of sorts. Each individual carries the legacy of the award and each one is entrusted with its good name.

It is for these reasons that I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005. The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting. In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals. Nor should it distract from outstanding performances and hard-earned achievements either in the past, present or future.

For the rest of my days, I will continue to strive to demonstrate through my actions and words that I was deserving of the confidence placed in me by the Heisman Trophy Trust. I would like to begin in this effort by turning a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made. I am determined to view this event as an opportunity to help others and to advance the values and mission of the Heisman Trophy Trust.

I will forever appreciate the honor bestowed upon me as a winner of the Heisman. While this decision is heart-breaking, I find solace in knowing that the award was made possible by the support and love of so many. Those are gifts that can never be taken away.

The winning numbers in the Mega Millions lottery game are apparently getting harder and harder to pick. The result: richer jackpots. Right now, the Mega Millions jackpot is stuffed with at least 44 million bucks.

The next draw is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 14 at 8 p.m.

Lady Gaga night at the 2010 VMA ceremony

Photo: Picture Perfect/Rex USA/People Magazine -- Pop Star and Fashion Rebel, Lady Gaga, styles on the white carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Sunday, September 12, 2010

 Lady Gaga wore the most outrageous outfit to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles last night. The 24-year-old singer went on to win 8 awards – a record for the VMAs.  However, the appearances by Kanye West and Taylor Swift probably produced the most drama. Last year, West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video to declare the award should have gone to Beyoncé.

People has the drama, the performances, the fashion, and more from the VMAs here.

Action flicks dominate weekend Box Office

George Clooney got drop kicked to the curb and beyond by a female action hero over the weekend.  “Resident Evil:Afterlife 3D” starring Milla Jovovich annihilated the competition with a debut estimated at $27.7 million — to become the new number one film in the country.

In this fourth installment of the “Resident Evil” franchise, Milla Jovovich plays Alice Clones who hooks up with some survivors in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The cast includes Ali Larter and Wentworth Miller.

The action drama “Takers” captured second place with around $6 million. Last week’s top film, Clooney’s “The American” managed only third with about $5.8 million, followed by the actioner “Machete” with  $4.2 million and rounding out the top five, the romantic comedy, “Going the Distance” with an estimated $3.8 million.

Booking photo courtesy Burbank Police Dept. -- 35-year-old Manuel Retana

 Two suspects. Both accused of sexually victimizing a child.  The Burbank Police Department chose to release the mug shot of one suspect — while refusing to do so in the second case. Did the BPD apply its policy fairly?  I don’t think so.

Here are the details. The male suspect is 35-year-old Manuel Retana. He was arrested last Tuesday, September 7,  and accused of  “using his forearm” to brush up against the breast of an 11-year-old girl on a bus.

In a Burbank court last Thursday, Retana pleaded not guilty to committing a lewd act on a child. Retana had been held on $100,00 bail, but was released on his own recognizance, according to an article on the Burbank Leader website.

Retana’s mug shot has been given out to the media, along with a request for more information on the suspect and for any other alleged victims to contact the BPD.

Now the second case involves a female suspect and former teacher at David Starr Jordan Middle School in Burbank. Oh, and the wife of a Los Angeles Police officer.

Photo: Scott Smeltzer/Glendale News-Press/Los Angeles Times --Amy Beck, a former Burbank middle school teacher, shown here at an event in April of 2009.

Last March, Amy Beck shocked a lot of folks when she turned herself into Burbank Police, admitting to having a sexual affair over several months, with a 14-year-old student. Beck and her attorney claimed the 33-year-old mother of three was overcome with guilt and decided to fess-up to the crime.

I requested Beck’s booking photo and was turned down by the BPD at least twice. I first reported this in a blog post on March 11. The reason: the BPD did not consider Beck “… a danger to the community.”  Hmm. You might remember, Beck was originally charged with four counts of unlawful sex with a minor and one count of oral copulation. Beck reportedly volunteered to stay behind bars rather than attempt to post the $175,000 bail.

Thanks to a special deal, Beck was allowed to plead no contest to charges of unlawful sex with a minor and committing a lewd act on a child.  In May, the former Burbank teacher was sentenced to two years in state prison. Also, Beck is required to register as a sex offender. Despite the seriousness of this crime, BPD did not put out a public request for more information on the Beck case nor ask for any other possible victims to come forward.

This is a strange policy being carried out by the BPD. On the surface, it appears to be a double standard, or discriminatory, or worse, racist.  Since both cases occurred on Police Chief Scott LaChasse’s watch, he can’t blame the administration of his predecessor. LaChasse has some explaining to do.

President Barack Obama joined  Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon Memorial today.

Here is the full text of President Obama’s remarks:

Secretary Gates.  Admiral Mullen and members of the Armed Forces.  My fellow Americans.  Most of all, to you — survivors who still carry the scars of tragedy and destruction; to the families who carry in your hearts the memory of the loved ones you lost here.

For our nation, this is a day of remembrance, a day of reflection, and — with God’s grace — a day of unity and renewal.

We gather to remember, at this sacred hour, on hallowed ground — at places where we feel such grief and where our healing goes on.  We gather here, at the Pentagon, where the names of the lost are forever etched in stone.  We gather in a gentle Pennsylvania field, where a plane went down and a “tower of voices” will rise and echo through the ages.  And we gather where the Twin Towers fell, a site where the work goes on so that next year, on the 10th anniversary, the waters will flow in steady tribute to the nearly 3,000 innocent lives.

On this day, it’s perhaps natural to focus on the images of that awful morning — images that are seared into our souls.  It’s tempting to dwell on the final moments of the loved ones whose lives were taken so cruelly.  Yet these memorials, and your presence today, remind us to remember the fullness of their time on Earth.

They were fathers and mothers, raising their families; brothers and sisters, pursuing their dreams; sons and daughters, their whole lives before them.  They were civilians and service members.  Some never saw the danger coming; others saw the peril and rushed to save others — up those stairwells, into the flames, into the cockpit.

They were white and black and brown — men and women and some children made up of all races, many faiths.  They were Americans and people from far corners of the world.  And they were snatched from us senselessly and much too soon — but they lived well, and they live on in you.

Nine years have now passed.  In that time, you have shed more tears than we will ever know.  And though it must seem some days as though the world has moved on to other things, I say to you today that your loved ones endure in the heart of our nation, now and forever.

Our remembrance today also requires a certain reflection.  As a nation, and as individuals, we must ask ourselves how best to honor them — those who died, those who sacrificed.  How do we preserve their legacy — not just on this day, but every day?

We need not look far for our answer.  The perpetrators of this evil act didn’t simply attack America; they attacked the very idea of America itself — all that we stand for and represent in the world.  And so the highest honor we can pay those we lost, indeed our greatest weapon in this ongoing war, is to do what our adversaries fear the most — to stay true to who we are, as Americans; to renew our sense of common purpose; to say that we define the character of our country, and we will not let the acts of some small band of murderers who slaughter the innocent and cower in caves distort who we are.

They doubted our will, but as Americans we persevere.  Today, in Afghanistan and beyond, we have gone on the offensive and struck major blows against al Qaeda and its allies.  We will do what is necessary to protect our country, and we honor all those who serve to keep us safe.

They may seek to strike fear in us, but they are no match for our resilience.  We do not succumb to fear, nor will we squander the optimism that has always defined us as a people.  On a day when others sought to destroy, we have chosen to build, with a National Day of Service and Remembrance that summons the inherent goodness of the American people.

They may seek to exploit our freedoms, but we will not sacrifice the liberties we cherish or hunker down behind walls of suspicion and mistrust.  They may wish to drive us apart, but we will not give in to their hatred and prejudice.  For Scripture teaches us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

They may seek to spark conflict between different faiths, but as Americans we are not — and never will be — at war with Islam.  It was not a religion that attacked us that September day — it was al Qaeda, a sorry band of men which perverts religion.  And just as we condemn intolerance and extremism abroad, so will we stay true to our traditions here at home as a diverse and tolerant nation.  We champion the rights of every American, including the right to worship as one chooses — as service members and civilians from many faiths do just steps from here, at the very spot where the terrorists struck this building.

Those who attacked us sought to demoralize us, divide us, to deprive us of the very unity, the very ideals, that make America America — those qualities that have made us a beacon of freedom and hope to billions around the world.  Today we declare once more we will never hand them that victory.  As Americans, we will keep alive the virtues and values that make us who we are and who we must always be.

For our cause is just.  Our spirit is strong.  Our resolve is unwavering.  Like generations before us, let us come together today and all days to affirm certain inalienable rights, to affirm life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  On this day and the days to come, we choose to stay true to our best selves — as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

This is how we choose to honor the fallen — your families, your friends, your fellow service members.  This is how we will keep alive the legacy of these proud and patriotic Americans.  This is how we will prevail in this great test of our time.  This is how we will preserve and protect the country that we love and pass it — safer and stronger — to future generations.

May God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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While President Obama attended  this 9-11 event in Arlington, Virginia, Vice-President, Joe Biden, and Dr. Jill Biden attended another at Zuccotti Park in New York City.

First Lady, Michelle Obama, and Former First Lady, Laura Bush, flew to Shanksville, Pennsylvania for the memorial ceremony in honor of the passengers and crew of United flight 93. 

Photos, videos, and text of  the 9-11 speeches and remarks on the White House blog.

Another member of the Schwarzenegger family is gearing up for a publicity blitz. Katherine Schwarzenegger is the 20-year-old daughter of Actor/Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and former TV Journalist/Author, Maria Shriver.

The USC student is set to go on a promotional tour in the next few weeks for her first book, “Rock What You’ve Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who’s Been there and Back.” Schwarzenegger says her own struggles with self-worth and  body image prompted her to write a book to inspire young girls.

“You don’t have to look like you’re on a billboard to feel beautiful. I really wanted to correct girls’ perception of that.” Schwarzenegger said in a PR Newswire press release.  

Also, the book is about growing up with famous parents and relatives –the Kennedy family. Schwarzenegger says that at home, her father is more of a food watchdog than her mother. She says that when Arnold the movie star was preparing for a movie role, he would tear through the house, trashing all the ice cream and junk food.

According to the Barnes & Noble website, the busy Southland college junior also blogs about body image and self-esteem for the ABC Family show “Huge.”

Katherine Schwarzenegger’s book, “Rock What You’ve Got,” goes on sale next Tuesday, September 14.