- With all of the buzz about the government demanding that Craigslist crack down on prostitution ads on its site, I suppose it was only a matter of time before this happened. Seven alleged members of a prostitution ring operating exclusively through classified ads placed on Craigslist were arrested in New York early Wednesday morning on charges of enterprise corruption, conspiracy and money laundering. The New York State's Attorney General made the announcement, but in reality it could have been any one of the 50 state attorneys general. Law enforcement has clearly made online pimping one of its top priorities, with agencies around the country staging a series of efforts to curb the alleged use of the site by drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminals. Yes, I said hookers AND drug dealers. The type of ads on Craigslist became a national issue after the April 14th murder of an erotic masseuse Julissa Brisman, allegedly by medical student and Craigslist user Philip Markoff. So "Room Service Entertainment" might be the first major online prostitution ring to be caught up in a sting, but just know it’s far from the only one and will surely be followed by others in the weeks ahead. According to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the company used the online service to run its regional prostitution ring both before and after the site reforms Craigslist instituted last fall. Cuomo doesn’t sound impressed by Craigslist’s efforts to reinvent itself and make its site less hooker-friendly. “Until Craigslist gets serious about putting real protections in place, it will continue to be an environment where criminal operations thrive with impunity,” said Cuomo. “Even after so-called reform of the website last fall, this prostitution ring easily gamed the system and allegedly used Craigslist to spread its illegal operation throughout all five boroughs and beyond. Today's arrests underscore the inherent risks posed by Craigslist and, most importantly, the need for protections that are full-fledged, not half-baked.” Cuomo also explained that RSE originally advertised in the Village Voice newspaper, but soon found that Craigslist brought in the bulk of its business. According to the attorney general, RSE used Craigslist's Erotic Services section to post pornographic or semi-pornographic photographs and a phone number to call to arrange a "date." The company’s alleged co-owners, Scott "Sal" Rosenberg, 45, and Josef Davenport, 31, were hit with a 47-count state indictment. Five RSE “bookers,” who fielded calls at RSE's headquarters in Queens County, New York, were also arrested. The indictment charges that the bookers answered telephone lines and asked each potential "John" his location and his desired services. They were under strict instructions not to explicitly discuss sex during the telephone conversations with the "Johns" and instead use designated terms to describe the services. Drivers would deliver the prostitute to the John, then come back to pick her up when the “date” was complete. If you’re wondering what the seven indicted individuals are charged with, they each face charges of enterprise corruption, a B felony. If convicted, Rosenberg faces a minimum of 4 ½ - 9 years and a maximum of 12 ½ - 25 years' imprisonment; the other defendants face a minimum of one to three years and a maximum of 8 1/3 – 25 years' imprisonment. Like I said, expect this to be the tip of the Craigslist hooker ring iceberg………..
- Where else would Eminem go as he prepares to release of his first new studio album in five years and wants to drum up interest in the record but his hometown of Detroit? As he prepares a full-scale blitz to accompany the release of "Relapse," the world’s premier white rapper held a special free concert in Detroit, tearing through eight songs in 35 minutes at the Sound Board theater in the MotorCity Hotel Casino. Seven of the tracks were from "Relapse" (including the singles "We Made You" and "Crack a Bottle" and a medley of "Hello" and "Insane") and of course, he gave the audience an encore performance of the one Eminem song that anyone who has ever heard of him knows: his 2002 hit "Lose Yourself." For the encore, he brought the other members of his group, D12 on stage. Oh, and he may have been gone for five years and made a crap load of money during that time, but Eminem hasn’t ventured from his normal wardrobe. At the free concert, he rocked a gray hoodie, black T-shirt and black baseball cap, right out of the Eminem style book. Em actually admitted to being "a little bit nervous 'cause I don't have my right-hand man (the late MC Proof) with me." Replacing Proof and attempting to fill his role was D12's Denaun Porter, who took over as hype man, while longtime Eminem DJ Alchemist manned the turntables and laptop. The night was also a chance for a little self-efficacy, as Eminem poked fun at the well-chronicled rehab stint he raps in great detail about on "Relapse." Hejoked that, "This might actually be one of the best shows I've ever done, 'cause when I get offstage I'm actually gonna remember it.” In case he doesn’t remember any of the show, he can always watch the portions that will be shown tonight on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for the third of Eminem's appearances on the late-night program. Actually, the entire concert was filmed and it was a packed house, with nearly 2,200 tickets distributed for the show. Showing that even rappers are succumbing to the fad that is Twitter, Eminem Twittered different locations where fans could pick up tickets on Tuesday, including restaurants, a music store, a shoe store, Saint Andrews Hall and under a mailbox. Other notables from the Detroit rap scene also showed up, including Obie Trice. They heard a set list that went something like this: "3 A.M.," followed by "Hello/Insane," followed by "Beautiful," "Crack a Bottle," "We Made You," "Underground” and the aforementioned "Lose Yourself" encore with D12. Not a bad night of music…….
- Ah, the dignity and class of international diplomacy. Who isn’t inspired and moved when political leaders from diverse, radically different nations located halfway around the world from one another gather to work out solutions for the crises facing our world? For example, President Barack Obama has been leading the charge for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, defending it as the best way to resolve the world’s most heated, long-running religious royal rumble match. President Obama offered up his idea and Ron Dermer, an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded in very classy, dignified fashion by saying that Obama’s idea is "childish and stupid.” You stay classy, Ron Dermer. That’s sure to soothe any tensions in the ongoing negotiations and paint your side as the more respectful, intelligent in the debate. But I suppose if that’s how you feel, then props on having the kahones to say it. What I don’t want to see is the response that Dermer offered up when pressed on his comments. Netanyahu and his entourage had barely arrived home from their visit to Washington when Dermer went on the record to deny that he meant that the two-state concept itself childish and stupid. “I told reporters that the focus by the media on the concept of solving the Israel-Palestinian issue through a two-state solution is childish and stupid, but I deny that I described the idea that way,” he said. No, no, no. You don’t double back on a comment like that. The “I was misquoted / misinterpreted” defense is absolute bullsh*t and you know it, Ron. If President Obama supports the creation of a Palestinian state and you think it’s childish and stupid, stand behind those sentiments. It doesn’t matter if the man you work for, Prime Minister Netanyahu, has yet to weigh in on the concept. Actually, Dermer seems like the only member of the Israeli contingent willing to discuss the idea of a two-state solution in the Middle East. During his trip to Washington, Netanyahu continually ducked questions about Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and tried to place the focus on the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program. All Netanyahu would say about his peacemaking talks with Obama was that, “There was an agreement that we need to immediately begin the peace process, I said I am willing to open peace talks with the Palestinians, by the way with the Syrians as well, of course without preconditions, but I made it clear that in any peace agreement there must be a solution to Israel's special security needs.” Ya know, I think from here on out, if anyone from the Israeli side is going to comment on this process, it should be my man Ron Dermer. He’s a classy, dignified spokesman for his country and not at all childish or stupid…….
- See what happens when unintelligent, self-absorbed, vapid idiots who should never, ever become famous are suddenly thrust into the public eye for no good reason? Yes, I could be talking about any number of people - really, anyone who has ever appeared on a reality TV show - and you probably think you know where I’m going with this: those tools Heidi and Spencer from The Hills on MTV. But no, I’m actually referring to Jon and Kate Gosselin of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8." These two are on TV not because they have contributed anything worthwhile to the world, but because he knocked her up and she ended up having eight kids as a result. Everyone likes a freak show, and few things are freakier than a woman giving birth to eight kids at once. TLC capitalized on that sad fact by dropping these two idiots into their own show and as its fifth season is about to premiere, the angle for that fifth season seems to be the two attention whores who agreed to appear on a reality TV show now complaining that the public attention and media coverage of their lives is too much. With their marriage supposedly on the rocks, family members are surfacing to give their takes on the situation too. According to the latest story from Kate's brother and sister-in-law Kevin and Jodi Kreider, Kate had Jon sign a contract stipulating that he could date other people -- as long as he showed up for the filming of the show. I would be surprised and disgusted by that - if I could muster even one ounce of interest in the lives of these two ass hats. I don’t care if some random loser with a wife and eight kids is out dating SoCal skanks and showing up at “home” only when the cameras are rolling. It doesn’t matter to me if the two of them are married, on the outs or just two paid actors faking the whole thing. I’ll say it again: when you put two a-holes who have a combined IQ of 74 and the combined emotional maturity of a 7-year-old on TV and make them famous for no real reason, this is what you get. Stop dropping contracts for reality shows on mentally stunted, socially backwards freaks with no moral compass or dignity and you won't have these problems. As for Jon and Kate….do whatever you want to do, live the lives you’ve created for yourselves and stop b*tching. You signed up for this and if you didn’t know what you were getting into, you shouldn’t have signed the contract, losers……
- With the summer upon us, it’s time to hit up your favorite national park….and be sure to pack your favorite firearm when you go. Yes, in times past it may have been illegal to tote your 9mm or Glock into Yosemite or Yellowstone, but no longer. In a 279-147 vote, the House of Representatives approved a Senate amendment that permits concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges where allowed by states. Previously, gun owners were forced to keep their weapons unloaded and stored while in the park. That’s a problem because let’s face it, you never know when some fellow park goer might start a beef and you need to pull your piece to settle things down, maybe fire off a warning shot or two. Thankfully, Congress recognized this problem and now gun owners will be allowed to pack heat at national parks unless firearms are banned by state law. Some officials worry that allowing gun holders to bring their loaded weapons into national parks will make it more difficult for them to pursue wrongdoers, but I like to think that it will spice life up a bit in national parks, which, let’s face it, can get a bit boooooooring. Besides, five of the most-visited national parks are in states that allow concealed weapons, so banning guns in parks is just a bad idea. After all, what could possibly go wrong when you have people with loaded guns in parks where wild animals could startle and/or attack them? That’s what I thought……..
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