Manhunt For Fugitive Ex-LAPD Officer Comes to Firey End in Southern California Mountain

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Will Lester

The week-long manhunt for former Los Angeles Police officer came to an end this week as the fugitive ex-cop, wanted for two murders in Orange county as well as the fatal shooting of a Riverside, CA police officer, was killed after a running gunbattle and standoff with pursuing officers up in the mountains around Big Bear, CA.

Former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner was the prime suspect in a double homicide in Irvine, CA earlier this month. The victims were found in a parking structure during the early morning hours of Feb 3rd and identified as Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence. Quan was the 28 year old daughter of a former LAPD officer named in Dorner's manifesto. In the screed, Dorner accused then-captian Randy Quan of failing to adequately represent him during disciplinary hearings in which he filed a false complaint against a fellow officer. Dorner was eventually fired from the LAPD.

In the early morning hours of Feb 7th, Dorner is believed to have exchanged fire with LAPD officers assigned to protect an individual named in the manifesto in Corona, CA. One officer was grazed by bullet fragments and Dorner then reportedly made his way to Riverside where he fatally shot a policeman in an ambush and wounded another.

By noon, the burned out remains of Dorner's pickup were discovered outside of Big Bear, CA- a mountainous area dotted with lakes and ski resorts about 110 miles east of Los Angeles. Authorities mounted a search of the area, but by Friday conceded that Dorner could be hundreds of miles away. Police in Nevada and Arizona were alerted and given Dorner's description. A SWAT team in Northridge searched a home-improvement store after recieveing a call saying that somebody matching the fugitive's description was spotted there over the weekend. Police in the Mexican border city of Tijuana also raided a hotel after responding to a tip that Dorner was staying there.

As it turned out, Dorner hadn't venured as far as anyone had anticpated, entering the unlocked door of a nearby condo and taking the owners' hostage when they returned home. After staying in the condo for the better part of 5 days under of staying almost literally under the nose of the police and media the fugitive tied up the couple and stole their Nissan SUV. However, the man was able to free himself and called the police who now had a description of the vehicle Dorner had commandeered.

Almost immediately, Dorner was spotted by California Fish and Game officers patrolling a stretch of California route 38 and a running gunfight ensued where the fugitive ex-cop comandeered another vehicle.

Details of the chase over icy rural roads emerged late Tuesday as authorities pieced together what appeared to be the fugitive's last, desperate movements.

The encounter began about 12:45 p.m. as Dorner was driving a purple Nissan on Highway 38 when he passed a Fish and Wildlife vehicle.

Dorner's car was tucked behind buses when officers saw him and swung their cars around in pursuit. The murder suspect, authorities said, attempted to evade them by turning off onto Glass Road. At some point, they said, Dorner crashed and abandoned the small car.

With officers still in pursuit, Dorner then stopped a truck driven by local resident Rick Heltebrake, ordering him out. Heltebrake, a ranger at a nearby Boy Scout camp, didn't want to leave his dog behind.

Dorner allowed Heltebrake and his Dalmatian, Suni, to get out and then took off, according to an account from a friend of Heltebrake.

Behind the wheel of the stolen truck, Dorner was once again careening down Glass Road and passed another Fish and Wildlife vehicle coming from the opposite direction, officials said. Again an officer recognized Dorner.

That officer radioed his colleagues traveling behind him that Dorner was heading their way in a silver pickup truck.

When Dorner saw a third Fish and Wildlife truck approaching, he rolled down his window and allegedly took aim. Dorner opened fire as the vehicle passed, strafing the truck with a handgun, officials said.

The badly damaged state truck skidded to a halt. A game warden exited the vehicle and fired a high-powered rifle several times as Dorner sped away, according to authorities.

Dorner subsequently crashed that truck, authorities said, and ran into the cabin.

After crashing the truck, Dorner exchanged gunfire with San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies in the woods, fatally wounding Deputy Jerimiah McKay, before barricading himself in a vacant cabin. Deputies fired tear gas into the cabin before the structure caught fire and burned down with him still inside.

According to the San Bernardino County Medical Examiner, Dorner died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, most likely as the cabin was burning around him. The remains found in the charred cabin were positively identified as Christopher Dorner on Friday.

BREAKING- Manhunt Underway For Former Los Angeles Police Officer Suspected in Multiple Homicides

Aftermath of fatal ambush in which former LAPD officer Chris Dorner (inset) is suspected of opening fire on two Riverside police officers.

A 33 year old former Naval Reservist and LAPD officer is the subject of an intense, multi-state manhunt on the West Coast Thursday night after allegedly killing two people in Irvine, CA this month and opening fire on police officers in at least two southern California cities this week.

Police in California and Nevada are searching for 33 year old Chris Dorner after being named as a 'person of interest' in a double homicide in Orange County over the weekend. 28 year old Monica Quan and her fiancee Keith Lawrence, 27, were found shot to death in their car in a parking structure in Irvine, CA in the early morning hours on Sunday. Quan was an assistant coach for the UC Irvine Anteaters women's basketball team and also the daughter of the retired LAPD Captain who represented Dorner at his disciplinary hearings that led to Dorner's 2008 dismissal from the force.

Within hours of the double-homicide in Irvine, Dorner posted a lengthy manifesto online promising revenge on those he claimed were responsible for his dismissal from the LAPD. On Monday morning, a citizen in the San Diego suburb of National City reportedly finds 'police equipment' in a dumpster- although investigators at the time declined to elaborate- just that it wasn't immediately identified as belonging to Dorner or the LAPD. Police in National City send a bulleitin to other law enforcement agenices inquiring about the lost equipment.

Dorner, an ex-Navy reservist, reportedly checked into a hotel on the San Diego Naval Base earlier this week before somebody matching his description attempted to steal a boat from a yacht club in the Point Loma area of San Diego. The would-be theif was thwarted by mechanical problems and left the boat's 81 year old owner tied up.

Hours after the unsuccsessful boat theft, LAPD officers in Corona, CA assigned to guard one of the individuals named in the manifesto exchanged gunfire with an individual believed to be Dorner. That same morning, two police officers in Riverside, CA were ambushed while their marked police cruiser was sitting at a traffic light- one of the policemen died from his injuries while the second is expected to recover. As the search was being expanded into Nevada and northern California, two women delivering newspapers in a truck similar to Dorner's were shot by LAPD officers- one in the hand and the other in the back.

On Thursday afternoon, Dorner's truck was discovered engulfed in the mountain resort town of Big Bear- about 110 miles northeast of Los Angeles- as authorities locked down nearby schools and conducted door to door searches. However, searchers conceded that he could've stashed another vehicle in the area or carjacked another motorist after disposing of his truck. Meanwhile federal agents and a Las Vegas Police bomb squad combed through a home that Clark County, NV records showed was owned by Dorner. While FBI agents and the Nevada Highway Patrol issued bulleteins warning law enforcement to be on the lookout for anybody matching Dorner's description, investogators found no concrete evidence that he was planning on heading back to Las Vegas.

There are a number of disconcerning aspects about Dorner's manifesto- a portion apparently addressed to retired Lt Quan says that while it may be "too late" for Dorner to have a family of his own, he promises to take away Quon's. Dorner also hinted that he may have more to his arsenal than pistols or 5.56mm rifles.

Do not deploy airships or gunships. SA-7 Manpads will be waiting. As you know I also own Barrett .50's so your APC are defunct and futile.

What seems to have gotten little notice outside the social media and the conservative blogosphere is Dorner's gushing praise of President Obama, California Senator Dianne Feinstein as well as media and entertainment figures like Mia Farrow or CNN's Piers Morgan for their efforts on gun control while criticizing NRA president Wayne LaPierre, Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his family.

“Mr. Morgan, the problem that many American gun owners have with you and your continuous discussion of gun control is that you are not an American citizen and have an accent that is distinct and clarifies that you are a foreigner. I want you to know that I agree with you 100% on enacting stricter firearm laws. … If you had [sic] a well regulated AWB [assault-weapons ban], this would not happen. The time is now to reinstate a ban that will save lives. Why does any sportsman need a 30 round magazine for hunting? Why does anyone need a suppressor? Why does anyone need a AR15 rifle?”

Curiously, many of the same individuals who attempted to falsely link the Tea Party with the 2011 mass killings in Tuscon, AZ or 2012 theater shooting in Aurora, CO suddenly bristled when it was pointed out they were being praised by a suspected mass murderer.

In a 2009 shooting in Pittsburgh, PA that killed three police officers, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette felt it was worth pointing out that the shooter- Richard Poplawski- voted for Sen John McCain during the 2008 presidential election. Yet not quite four years later, a number of media outlets has decided that Dorner's political leanings were irrelevant and unimportant.

Feds Arrest Four Southern California Men Accused of Plotting Violent Jihad

Four Southern California men were arrested this weekend and charged on Monday with plotting a violent jihad against the United States according to a criminal complaint filed in a US District court.

One of the men, Sohiel Omar Kabir, 34, allegedly traveled in July to Afghanistan, where he arranged for terrorist training to be conducted with Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives.

Kabir, who lived in Pomona, is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Afghanistan, federal authorities said.

In 2010, Kabir allegedly introduced Ontario resident Ralph Deleon, 23, and Upland resident Miguel Alejandro Santana, 21, to "radical and violent Islamic doctrine," according to the complaint.

"Kabir influenced Santana and Deleon to convert to Islam," the complaint said.

The complaint said the men studied Internet essays and lectures by Anwar Awlaki, a radical Muslim cleric and U.S. citizen who was killed in Yemen in 2011 by missiles fired from a U.S. Predator drone aircraft.

After arriving in Afghanistan, Kabir told the two men that he had arranged for them to travel to that country for terrorist training, the complaint alleged.

Santana and Deleon are accused of telling a confidential source working for the FBI that they planned to go to Afghanistan to take part in "violent jihad," the complaint said. Santana is a permanent resident born in Mexico, authorities said, and Deleon is a permanent resident born in the Philippines.

In September, the two men recruited Riverside resident Arifeen David Gojali, 21, to travel overseas with them and join Kabir for terrorist training, according to federal authorities. Gojali is a U.S. citizen.

Santan, Gojali and Deleon were apprehended Friday by authorities with the Joint Terrorism Task Force. They appeared before a magistrate Monday in federal court in Riverside.

Kabir was taken into custody in Afghanistan. The investigation is ongoing. If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in federal prison.

Authorities allege that Kabir kept in touch with his co-conspirators in Afghanistan via Skype and social networking sites. The four men were reportedly interested in training at a Taliban camp near Jalalabad and waging jihad against foreign targets in Afghanistan or Yemen using explosives. Federal agents reportedly moved in to make the arrests when a confidential informant told them that Santana, Gojali and Deleon had sold off posessions to purchase plane tickets from Mexico City to Istanbul with the intention of travelling on to Afghanistan from there.

Post Benghazi Update- State Department Insists Deadly Consulate Attack was 'Spontaneous' Demonstration; Filmmaker Identified, Questioned by Authorities

Violent protests and attacks on American embassies throughout the Middle East continued on Friday and over the weekend. Demonstrators in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan and Yemen had stormed the grounds of US diplomatic missions, set fires and tore down the stars and stripes while hoisting a black islamist flag with arabic script.

The continued unrest comes as the White House and State Department repeatedly denied that the deadly attack on the Benghazi consulate was premeditated in any way. The attacks that killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens, Diplomatic Security officers and former Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty and information officer Sean Smith took place on the 11th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks.

While President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton maintain that the mob that had stormed the grounds of the US Consulate in Benghazi had formed 'spontaneously' in response to a short anti-Islam film that appeared on YouTube, Libyan officials have claimed otherwise. In an interview with NPR, Libyan president President Mohammed el-Megarif said the Benghazi assault was a military-style attack that used heavy weaponry such as RPGs and mortars to assault the consulate and safehouses as well as keep reinforcements at bay. Such an attack, el-Megarif points out, would require comprehensive advanced planning. Egyptian PM Hesham Kandil said that at least some of the rioters in Cairo who were arrested after clashes with police in front of the US Embassy there had confessed to being paid to show up. In the face of all that, White House Press spokesman Jay Carney claimed that the protests, arson, looting and murders directed at American diplomats throughout the Middle East and arab world somehow aren't directed at the USA, but rather a visceral reaction to the anti-Muslim video circulating online.

Curiously, a few days prior to the American consulate in Benghazi being overrun, Canada had announced they were closing down their embassy in Tehran and expelling all Iranian diplomatic personnel from Canada. The Canadian government cited their official designation of Iran as a terrorist-sponsoring state, their continued support of the Syrian regime's military crackdown on its citizens and an attack against the British Embassy in Tehran that the UK insists was orchestrated by Iran's ruling mullahs. I thought Canada's Foreign Affairs ministry was newsworthy in and of itself at the time, but it's taken on greater significance since the murder of American diplomats on September 11.

Meanwhile, the Obama Administration, State Department and US Media's response to the slaughter in Benghazi has been disheartening at best.

While insisting that an attack utilizing heavy weaponry such as RPGs and mortars WASN'T pre-planned, the Obama Administration and American media outlets quickly went on the counterattack- not against the people who murdered our ambassadors and torched our diplomatic posts, but rather Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the purported filmmaker.

A number of press outlets immediately jumped on Romney shortly after he issued a statement criticizing a message from the State Department that the Administration themselves had backed away from. So as Obama flew out to a Las Vegas campaign fundraiser as American embassies throughout the middle East were burning, there was the matter of a compliant media coordinating questions shortly before a press conference former governor Romney's non-existent gaffe and 'jumping the gun' to the point while President Obama briefly issued a statement and took no questions before leaving to continue his re-election campaign in Nevada.

However, that paled in comparison to what took place in Southern California on Friday night when Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies showed up at the house of one Nakoula Basseley Nakoula to take him into custody. Nakoula, who made The Innocence of Muslims film under the pseudonym Sam Basile, was identified as a Coptic Christian who emigrated here from Egypt and was sentenced to 20 month in prison after being arrested in a 2009 check-kiting scam. Nakoula had also reportedly agreed to become a government informant after his 2009 arrest in exchange for a sentence reduction. Reportedly the deputies were there to escort him to an interview with federal probation officials. However, the late night visit by deputies only came after calls from Islamist groups like Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to prosecute the filmmaker for insulting the prophet Muhammed.

Over the weekend, images of Nakoula with his face hidden and flanked by deputies had circulated throughout the web. Curiously, some of Obama's more prominent supporters [in the entertainment industry of all places- NANESB!] had come out in favor of prosecuting Nakoula on ambiguous 'hate crimes' charges.

Meanwhile, the press had thoughtfully taken it upon themselves to reveal Nakoula's face and home address to the world. Unsurprisingly, Nakoula and his family have fled their Cerritos, CA home to an undisclosed location. Google- which is the parent company of YouTube- has since rejected a White House request to take down the offending video.

Los Angeles City Council Decides They're Not Big Fans of Freedom of Speech

Having apparently solved all of the problems facing the city of Angels, the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution on Thursday calling for more 'diversity' in talk radio and calling on management of local TV and radio stations to limit any comments construed as racist or sexist on public airwaves.

The City Council has approved a resolution calling on local TV and radio stations to limit any “racist” and “sexist” comments on their broadcasts.

The City Council voted 13-2 to pass the resolution with a motion urging “the management of radio and television stations in Los Angeles to do everything in their power to ensure that their on-air hosts do not use and promote racist and sexist slurs over public airwaves in the City of Los Angeles”.

The resolution was introduced earlier this month by councilwoman Jan Perry after local talk-show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou referred to Whitney Houston as a 'crack ho' during a February show on KFI 640 AM.

The resolution- which is largely nonbinding- reportedly gained momentum after nationally syndicated talk show host Rush Limbaugh referred to a Georgetown coed who testified before a February hearing in the House of Representatives that she spent thousands of dollars anually on birth control as a 'slut'. Limbaugh's comments led to calls of a boycott of his show's sponsors, primarily from well funded left wing groups branding themselves as 'media watchdogs'. Limbaugh's show also airs in Los Angeles on KFI.

Conservative Blogger, Pundit, Author, Entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart Dead at Age 43

Internet publisher and founder of the 'Big' series of conservative websites Andrew Breitbart died of apparent natural causes early Thursday morning.

Breitbart was walking near his house in the Brentwood neighborhood shortly after midnight Thursday when he collapsed, his father-in-law Orson Bean said.

Someone saw him fall and called paramedics, who tried to revive him. They rushed him to the emergency room at UCLA Medical Center, Bean said. Breitbart had suffered heart problems a year earlier, but Bean said he could not pinpoint what happened.

Breitbart was a prolific commentator who founded several websites devoted to covering politics, entertainment and everything in-between. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Drudge Report before breaking off to start his own outlets -- including Big Government, Big Hollywood and Breitbart.tv.

Perhaps Breitbart's best known for upstaging Congressman Anthony Weiner's press conference in June 2011 and demanding an apology from the Congressman shortly before the Brooklyn Democrat adressed the media, confessing to sending sexually explicit mesages via Twitter from his office and fabricating a story about his account being hacked. Weiner would resign within a few weeks and his heavily Democrat district went to Republican Bob Turner in a September 2011 special election.



Breitbart was also a prolific user of Twitter- sometimes retweeting hate-mail and death threats as often as he used the social network to promote the newest articles on his own 'Big' websites. Unsuprisingly, the hate-tweets directed at him continued when news of his death broke.

While not as big a follower of the Breitbart family of websites as other bloggers, I actually did hear a live interview with him on the Hugh Hewitt radio show what turned out to be a few hours before his death. Besides fielding questions about an ongoing dispute between him and Current TV's Keith Olberman and Simon Schuster, Breitbart also defended his taste for early 80's alternative music when pressed by the host.

Breitbart typically displays the following quote on his 'Big' websites.

"I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and -- famously -- I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I've lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I've gained hundreds, thousands -- who knows? -- of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night,"

Breitbart also authored a number of books books including Hollywood, Interrupted and Righteous Indignation- the above quote appearing in the latter. Reportedly, Breitbart had recently completed a follow-up to Righteous Indignation.

Whitney Houston: 1963-2012

Singer Whitney Houston was found unresponsive in her Beverly Hills hotel room on Saturday afternoon and pronounced dead shortly after paramedics arrived.

The 48 year old singer has been described as having a voice for the ages, tarnished by addiction and an abusive relationship with ex-husband Bobby Brown.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Houston followed in her mother's footsteps and began performing in a gospel choir in Newark's New Hope Baptist Church.

Houston first achieved noteriety in the late 1980s- sports fans will best remember Houston's flawless performance of 'The Star Spangled Banner' before Super Bowl XXV in 1991.



Her rendition of the national anthem was so successful, it was re-released as a single and enjoyed great commercial success. Houston then reportedly donated the proceeds from the single's sales to the American Red Cross.

Houston also appeared in a number of movies throughout the 1990s and married Bobby Brown, although by the late 1990s a number of missed performances and rapid wieight loss led to reports of drug use. The trainwreck that was her marriage to Bobby Brown was the subject of a 2004 reality show on the Bravo Network.

Brown and Houston seperated in 2006 and Houston enjoyed something of a comeback in recent years. She was scheduled to perform at a gathering for music executives before the Grammys this weekend.

Campaign Treasurer's Arrest Leaves California Democrats Scrambling

California Democrat officeholders and party officials have been left frantic and scrambling since the arrest of prominent Democrat campaign financier Kinde Durkee last month. [BREAKING: I can't seem to find my world's tiniest violin; I think it's in the shop for its 20,000 sad sad song tune-up- NANESB!]

Durkee was arrested at her Burbank, CA offices on September 3rd by the FBI on charges of mail fraud. Durkee allegedly used funds raised from Democrat party donors to pay her own mortgage, travel expenses and American Express credit card bill.

Since the arrest, donors and candidates are trying to assess the full extent of the losses while attempting to raise money to replenish funds misappropriated by Kinder or frozen by the state's Fair Political Practices Commission. Complicating matters is that Durkee co-mingled money from the nearly 400 different accounts she controlled at First California Bank, making it difficult to determine exactly how much funding each campaign had available.

In late September, multimillionaire Senator Dianne Feinstein filed suit against both Durkee and First California Bank, alleging fraud and estimating her campaign's losses to be in the neighborhood of $5 million (much of that self-funded). In the meantime, much to the chagrin of statewide Democrat Party officials, First California has reportedly turned over the accounts under Durkee's control to a California court to determine who exactly has claim to what.

The bank angered clients when it handed over control of the 398 bank accounts associated with Durkee to a California state court on September 23, recusing itself from sorting out how much of the recovered money should be doled out to whom.

"In yet another attempt to escape liability for the fiasco that they helped create, First California Bank has turned most of the accounts that Durkee controlled over to the courts," the Los Angeles County Democratic Party said.

Hmm....Perhaps we touched on another reason why Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D- CA18) announced that he had decided not to run for another term this week.

Let me be honest- I can't say that this story makes me sad, because it doesn't. Not in the least. I grew up in a very blue state controlled by Democrats and aside from a stint in the US Army, I've spent the majority of my adult life in another dark blue state largely controlled by Democrats. The way the democrats have engaged in class warfare and the politics of envy and avarice while simultaneously representing the wealthiest ZIP codes in the United States would be laughable at face value if they didn't keep getting elected by the same cadre of vapid, wealthy elitists who whine endlessly that wealthy people like Rupert Murdoch or the Koch Brothers are bad for America.

All of a sudden, this Durkee decides to help herself to their millions and out come the lawyers and sob stories when in reality, Durkee pretty much personified the end result of what passes for economic policy from the Democrat party these days- find an entity with lots and money and help yourself to it while convincing them you're doing them some sort of service.

Boston Globe: Former Miss Iceland Was Tipster That Led FBI To Whitey Bulger's Santa Moncia, CA Condo

Anna Bjornsdottir after winning Miss Iceland in 1974- Pageantlover.com Photo

If Whitey Bulger was a cat person before his arrest, he probably isn't now.

A 57 year old yoga instructor and former Miss Iceland is reportedly the tipster who notified the FBI of fugitive Boston mobster Whitey Bulger's whereabouts, according to an article in the Boston Globe. The FBI captured the 81 year old former Winter Hill Gang leader with his 60 year old girlfriend Catherine Greig at their Santa Monica, CA condo in June of this year after 16 years on the run.

Bulger is facing prosecution on multiple counts of drug trafficking, extortion and his role in at least 19 homicides in Massachusetts, Florida and Oklahoma. Bulger operated the south Boston Winter Hill Gang throughout the 1970s and 80s while enjoying protection from the FBI thanks in large part to Agent John Connolly who was a childhood friend of Bulger's. Bulger also used his status as a confidential informant for the FBI to undercut operations of the rival Patriarcha crime family, only to step into the vacuum left behind when their leaders were incarcerated, under surveillance or in hiding.

Recent photos of Bulger (R) and Bjornsdottir (L)- AP

Greig and Bjornsdottir reportedly met while caring for the same stray cat on the grounds of their Santa Monica condo. The former model and Miss Iceland did not recognize the couple until a recent trip back to Iceland when she saw a televised bulletin put out by the FBI regarding the couple.

For 15 years, the FBI investigation into Bulger's whereabouts went almost nowhere. There were miscellaneous reports circulating that Bulger was hiding out in British Columbia or Costa Rica, but the last reputable sighting of him was at a London, England hotel in 2002. However, by shifting the focus to Bulger's travelling companion Greig and broadcasting bulletins during daytime TV shows, an arrest was made in less than a month.

Now, however, there's some concern over both Mrs. Bjornsdottir's safety and the integrity of the FBI's tipline for those who wish to remain anonymous. The former Icelandic beauty queen did not come forward on her how volition- details about her identity and personal life were leaked and then published in the Boston Globe.

While there are those in the media and law-enforcement who feel that Bjornsdottir is in no imminent danger owing to the fact that Bulger's few remaining friends and allies are dead or incarcerated, law enforcement can no longer guarantee her safety now that the Globe has published her personal information.

“They can’t guarantee her 100 percent safety going forward,” said former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan. “It’s unnecessary publicity and unnecessary harassment.

“There is a huge risk to the (tipster) program, generally, to be able to cultivate informants if their identification is at risk,” added Sullivan, a partner in the Ashcroft Law Firm. “It has a chilling effect.”

When I first heard this story earlier today, I initially thought that Anna revealed herself as the tipster that broke the case on her own volition.

Now that it's becoming apparent this information was leaked by somebody other than Bjornsdottir, aside from the obvious questionable judgement the Globe had demonstrated in publishing her photo, most recent whereabouts and amount received from the reward money, there's also some serious questions regarding the FBI's ability to protect the identity of anonymous tipsters. Think about it- how many witnesses would be willing to come forward with information that could break a particularly difficult case wide open will have second thoughts now?

Standing Up: A Tale of Two Riots and Steps Merchants Took To Protect Their Businesses

It seems almost inevitable that this month's rioting and looting in London would draw comparisons to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

To be fair, there are some very valid comparisons to be made. One could argue that in both instances, an evaporating police presence and hypersensitivity to the perception of police brutality only served to fuel the rioters brazen aggression in the early going.

Before the first pane of glass was broken in Tottenham, it seemed as though enablers such as Ken Livingstone were prepared to make any number of excuses for the socioeconomic reasons leading up to the unrest while very conveniently ignoring the more immediate consequences of the rioters widespread looting, arson and assaults [one wonders if these same politicians would have such a forgiving outlook if it was their home or business that was picked clean by looters and firebombed- NANESB!].

Growing up in Western New England, I saw televised coverage of the LA riots unfolding pretty close to real time, including the brutal, unprovoked and near-fatal beating of truck driver Reginald Denny.

At the time, I couldn't help but wonder how much further things would spiral out of control. But in the second day of the LA riots, I saw something that was strangely reassuring. Abandoned by the LAPD and with the California National Guard still at least a day away from showing up, Korean merchants armed with pistols, rifles and shotguns began fortifying their shops and exchanging gunfire with approaching looters and roving gang members.

Not surprisingly, the gun-phobic Northeastern press was aghast and horrified at the armed Korean 'vigilantes' defending their livelihoods taking the law into their own hands. A contemporary account from the New York Times reads:

One of the most gripping and, increasingly, controversial television images of the violence was a scene of two Korean merchants firing pistols repeatedly from a military stance. The image seemed to speak of race war, and of vigilantes taking the law into their own hands.

I'll admit that I found it fascinating but not for the inflammatory and just plain wrong reasons the New York Times cited. Having grown up in a fairly liberal state, I was told that keeping a firearm for self-defense was a fallacy and if I did so, I was far more likely to injure or kill a member of the household than an intruder. Yet that particularly dubious statistic unravelled pretty quickly for all the world to see on live TV.

From the looks of it, there were two clear choices of what to do in such a dire situation. Find yourself at the mercy of unchecked thugs and criminals like Reginald Denny and others found themselves, or protect yourself, your business and your family by taking up arms like the Koreans did. Granted some businesses were lost to arson and looting, but by day two of the riots the armed merchants made it clear that rioters bound and determined to burn or loot their businesses would pay a heavy toll.


Fast forward nearly 20 years and on the other side of the Atlantic, the closest thing you have to the defiant Koreans fending off a murderous, rampaging mob are Turkish and Kurdish shopkeepers armed with baseball bats, knives and pool cues greeting the looters in England. Granted it had the desired effect this time around, but one has to wonder what the presence of even an old Lee-Enfield .303 rifle or over-under shotgun might've done to disperse the marauding crowd.

However, the United Kingdom has among the strictest gun control laws in the world- something many gun control advocates were hoping the USA would emulate some day. Yet since the UK's 1997 prohibition on private ownership of handguns, crime has only increased.

Even more problematic, without any debate or consultation the legal standard for what constitutes self-defense in England, hinging on a magistrate or prosecutor's definition of 'reasonable force' ex post facto. Yet many Britons feel that the people who have been engaging in a week-long spree of arson, assault and robbery will get off with a light sentence- if they're ever caught.

For all the complaints about America's supposedly lax gun laws, I'll take my chances with that versus a disarmed society where you're on your own once the police decide they can no longer protect you.

Report: Fugitive Octagenarian Irish Mobster Whitey Bulger Arrested in California

Reports are circulating on the Wednesday night that 81 year old fugitive Winter Hill Gang leader James 'Whitey' Bulger was arrested in the Los Angeles area with his 60 year old girlfriend, Catherine Greig.

The two were arrested without incident, the FBI said. The FBI had been conducting a surveillance operation in the area where the arrest was made, Santa Monica police Sgt. Rudy Flores said.

Bulger- [or "the guy who's picture is up at the Post Office" as he's been referred to for most of my adult life- NANESB!] was the leader of the Winter Hill Gang when he fled in January 1995 after being tipped by a former Boston FBI agent that he was about to be indicted. Bulger was a top-echelon FBI informant.

Over the years, the FBI battled a public perception that it had not tried very hard to find Bulger, who became a huge source of embarrassment for the agency after the extent of his crimes and the FBI's role in overlooking them became public.

Prosecutors said he went on the run after being warned by John Connolly Jr., an FBI agent who had made Bulger an FBI informant 20 years earlier. Connolly was convicted of racketeering in May 2002 for protecting Bulger and his cohort, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, also an FBI informant.

As head of the Winter Hill gang, Bulger would provide information to the FBI about the rival Patriarcha family out of Providence, RI while enjoying almost complete protection from the Boston office of the FBI thanks to former Agent Connolly and others.

Bulger had been on the run for the last 16 years and was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for his suspected role in at least 19 murders. Since then, there has been sporadic reports of Bulger browsing bookstores in western Canada or dying of natural causes and being cremated in Central America. The last reliable sighting of Whitey Bulger was reportedly in London in 2002 when a British businessman who had met Bulger a few years prior saw the fugitive in a hotel gym.

Most recently, the FBI manhunt focused on Bulger's girlfriend, with TV bulletins showing Greig and Bulger together.

Bulger's younger brother William was elected to the state senate and President of UMass, while the FBI suspected he might've been aware of his older brother's criminal activities and may have sporadically been in contact with him.

Ding Dong Bin Laden's Freakin' DEAD Sports Chowdah Update- Weaver Unraveled @ Fenway; Heat Scorch C's in Game 1; B's Shipping Up to Boston w/ 2-0 Lead

MLB: After a fairly unimpressive continuation of their West Coast road trip where they dropped 2 out of 3 to the Orioles, the Red Sox made their way back to Fenway on Friday to start off an 11-game homestand. That didn't go too well, either- although struggling OF Carl Crawford got his 3rd RBI of the season at Fenway (7th overall) to break a 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the 9th for a 3-2 Boston win.

AP Photo

On Monday, the Red Sox continued their homestand against one of the few teams they had early success against this season as they played host to the Angels.

However, despite the 4 game sweep on the Angels on the road the Red Sox had yet to face Jered Weaver, who was coming into Monday night's game undefeated in his 6 starts and with a 0.99 ERA.

The Angels took the 2-1 lead in the top of the 5th inning off of Clay Bluccholz but after a 1-out double from the Carl Crawford [should I use the adejctive 'struggling' anymore?- NANESB!] and walking Varitek, Jacoby Ellsbury hit into a fielder's choice ('Tek was out at second). With 2 away, Ellsbury managed to steal second while 2B Dustin Pedroia was fouling pitch after pitch from Weaver off in a tenacious 13-pitch at bat that culminated in a 2-RBI single to put the Red Sox up for good.

Adrian Gonzalez added some considerable insurance with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th with a bases-clearing double, followed by Youk bringing in Gonzalez with another RBI double and Big Papi cranking one into the Monster seats to make it 9-2 Boston. The Angels would get a couple of runs back in the top of the 8th and 9th, but Hideki Okajima would close things out and Boston wins by a final of 9-5.

Tonight's matchup will feature Jon Lester (3-1; 2.52 ERA) getting the start against Dan Haren (4-1; 1.23 ERA). First pitch will be at 7:10 ET on NESN.

NHL: After winning game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals by a 7-3 final, the Bruins would need overtime for the 4th time in this year's playoffs.

Philly took the early 2-0 lead on two goals from James Van Riemsdyk about nine minutes apart in the first before the Bruins would tie it up on goals from Chris Kelly and Brad Marchand to close out the first at 2-2.

And that was all the scoring there was in regulation, believe it or not. Philly netminder Brian Boucher would leave halfway through the second with some sort of injury and have Sergei Bobrovsky fill in for him between the pipes until returning in the 3rd period- Bobrovsky would stop all 6 shots faced.

Tim Thomas, on the other hand, stayed in net throughout the entire game stopping 52 out of 54 shots faced, including all 46 shots sent his way by the Flyers after allowing goal #2 in the first.

David Krejci would break the deadlock 6 minutes into the OT, getting one past Boucher even though the lineman signalled 'no goal' and play continued for another 18 seconds. The play was then reviewed by video and Kejci's shot was ruled a goal.

This puts Boston ahead 2 games to none with the series heading back to Boston on Wednesday ngiht. As glad as I am they're up, it's still pretty early to bust out the champagne and start drunkenly slurring 'Na na na na Hey hey hey.....good byyye!' in light of what happened in last year's eastern conference finals and- more recently- the fact that Montreal started off the last series with back to back wins on the road.

The series resumes on Wed, May 4 at the garden at 7PM ET. The game will be televised on the VS network.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty

NBA: With a whole week off before facing their next opponent, it probably wouldn't be too surprising that there would be some rust as the Celtics took on the Miami Heat.

Dwayne Wade had a 38 point night for Miami while Guard James Jones came off the bench for 25 points on Sunday afternoon's game.

Ray Allen led the Celtics scoring with 25 points in the 99-90 loss to Miami in Sunday's game- Paul Pierce had 19- everybody else was held to single digits.

Game 2 will get underway Tuesday Night in Miami at 7PM ET and will be televised on TNT.

NFL: Looks like the on-again off-again NFL lockout is back on again less than a week after a federal judge in Minnesota had it overturned. An appeals court in St. Louis had issued a temporary ruling in the NFL's favor. The 3-judge panel had ruled 2-1 in favor of the league pending a June 3 hearing.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The Patriots selcted Colorado University tackle Nate Solder with their first round pick of the 2011 draft. Virginia's Ras-I Dowling at cornerback and Cal RB Shane Vereen picked up in the 2nd round. Of course, there's the whole question of whether or not there's going to be a 2011 season for the Class of 2011, let alone how much playing time they'll get...



OTHER PATRIOTS NEWS: The Daughter of former BC/Patriots QB Doug Flutie has managed to land a spot on the 2011 New England Patriots cheerleading squad (although again- with the lockout looming, whether or not there's a 2011 season will depend on the labor situation).

Flutie, a Miss Massachusetts finalist as well, is currently a resident of Natick, MA



Alexa and the other finalists will be introduced at an event in Foxbourogh on Tuesday night.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR; 1932-2011

Cleopatra demands Mr Bubble!

Actress Elizabeth Taylor passed away at the Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday. She was 79 and had been reportedly suffering from congestive heart failure for the last few years.

Born to American parents in London, Taylor started her film career early in life, most notably depicting a plucky teenager in 1944's National Velvet who trains an unwanted horse to compete in England's Grand National Steeplechase.

In the postwar years, Taylor made the transition to more mainstream, adult roles fairly smoothly and by 1960 had won an Oscar for her portrayal of a promiscuous bachelorette in Manhattan (even though she was unimpressed with the role) and signed a $1 million contract for Cleopatra, making her the highest paid actress in Hollywood at the time (she would reportedly double her salary to $2 million by working overtime on the set).

In 1967, Taylor would win a second Oscar for her role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?, portraying the belligerent and alcoholic wife of a New England college professor. Taylor's box office appeal would fade by the 1970s, however, and she married a grand total of 8 times with 4 children.

Besides the divorces and treatment for alcoholism, she was seen in her later years making cameos on The Simpsons and the soap opera General Hospital while launching a line of jewelry available through Christie's and fundraising for AIDS research.

Los Angeles City Comptroller: $111 Million in Stimulus Money Created Less Than 55 Jobs.

Using the Obama Administration's newest metric, there's still no word on how many 'lives touched' by the stimulus money in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles City Controller said on Thursday the city's use of its share of the $800 billion federal stimulus fund has been disappointing.

The city received $111 million in stimulus under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) approved by the Congress more than year ago.

"I'm disappointed that we've only created or retained 55 jobs after receiving $111 million," says Wendy Greuel, the city's controller, while releasing an audit report.

"With our local unemployment rate over 12% we need to do a better job cutting red tape and putting Angelenos back to work,” she added.

According to the report, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works generated only 45.46 jobs (the fraction of a job created or retained correlates to the number of actual hours of work) after receiving $70.65 million, while the target was 238 jobs.

Similarly, the city’s department of transportation, armed with a $40.8 million fund, created only 9 jobs in place of an expected 26 jobs.

The audit says the numbers were disappointing due to bureaucratic red tape, absence of competitive bidding for projects in private sectors, inappropriate tracking of stimulus money and a laxity in bringing out timely job reports.

But gosh! Haven't they heard? Since the first stimulus and 'Recovery Summer' was so successful, the Obama Administration wants another $50 billion in infrastructure spending! Even though signifcant infrastructure spending and improvement was promised with the first $787 billion in stimulus funding.

Hat-tip: 3wood over at Correspondence Committee.

Democrat Maxine Waters (CA-35) May Face Ethics Panel

Wow....it's always the quiet ones, isn't it?

House ethics investigators are looking into whether Ms. Waters violated House rules by using her senior position on the House Financial Services Committee to help a Boston-based bank, in which Ms. Waters and her husband had a financial interest.

Ms. Waters and lawyers for the ethics panel had been in negotiations for several days in order to reach a plea agreement. But those talks failed by the time Congress adjourned Friday for a six-week summer break, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The ethics panel could announce formal charges against Ms. Waters as soon as next week.

It is still possible that Ms. Waters could reach an agreement with the ethics committee

As the Wall Street Journal helpfully points out, Waters will be the second Congressional Democrat who could find themselves under investigation for using their position to leverage inappropriate deals or favors.

And as the Los Angeles Times helpfully points out, both Waters and Rangel are black [Just putting that out there, since you're not likely going to hear it too often- especially if there's any sort of trial- NANESB!].

"Hey Now, You're An All-Star" Sports Chowdah Update for July 12-14

Well....that only took 14 years.

Atlanta Braves C Brian McCann was the unlikely hero for the National League on Tuesday night, driving in 3 RBIs to secure the National League's first All-Star win since 1996.

Washington Nationals closer Matt Capps was credited with the win with just five pitches worth of work and the Dodger's Jonathan Broxton held off a late rally in the bottom of the 9th for the 3-1 win. Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria scored the only run of the night for the AL in the bottom of the 5th on a Robinson Cano sac-fly. The Yankees Phil Hughes was hung with the loss while the ChiSox's Matt Thorton gave up the game-winning double to McCann in the top of the 7th.

The win on Tuesday night also means that the National League will have home field advantage to start off this year's World Series.

Tuesday night's game capped off three days of festivities including the 2010 MLB futures game, the Home Run Derby and the Legends/Celebrity Softball game.

Although six Red Sox players were nominated to the 2010 All Star game, only Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz and Jon Lester saw the light of day Adrian Beltre struck out in his only at-bat, leading off the bottom of the 9th while Papi went 1 for 2 with a single, also in the 9th. Lester had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 6th.

The Celebrity Softball game featured actors Mario Lopez and Micheal Clarke Duncan along with rapper MC Hammer, and former MLB players Bo Jackson and Tim Salmon...

as well as Access Hollywood anchor Maria Menounos.
Victoria's Secret model Marissa Miller.
And USA Olympic Softball gold medalist Jennie Finch.

The home run derby took place on Monday night
Not too surprisingly, Big Papi pretty much won that contest going away after squaring off against Florida's Hanley Ramierez in the final round. Papi was interviewed by Erin Andrews afterwards, where he said a few words in honor of the late Jose Lima who passed away earlier this year. I'm just hoping his explosive performance at the Derby doesn't wear him down further into the regular season- anybody else notice a slump in his performance after an equally impressive HR Derby at the All-Star game in Pittsburgh a few years back?

Speaking of ESPN and Erin Andrews, the ESPYs were on tonight- just a hop skip and jump up the I-5 from Anaheim at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater. I caught some of the red carpet show prior to the actual awards at the same bar I caught the concurrent Red Sox/Celtics/Bruins games (all nationally televised, no less) before I had to go to work for a few hours.

(Reuters)

Had no idea Erin Andrews was so tall...or Danica Patrick was so diminutive. Yea- I know Erin's wearing heels, but she's towering over the Indycar driver like a sequoia over a garden gnome....

OK....slight exaggeration on my part, but the size differential is noticeable.

Pedophile Film Director Released By Swiss Judge

Swiss authorities denied a US Request for extraditing Roman Polanski to stand trial in Los Angeles for the 1977 rape of a 13 year old girl. The Swiss Justice Ministry determined that Polanski had already served time when he served 42 days of a 90 day sentence that included a psychological evaluation while awaiting trial. Polanski fled the country in 1978.

This means that Polanski is a free man. After being arrested in September 2009, Polanski spent two months in a Swiss jail before being placed under house arrest at his luxury chalet.

The dismissal of the extradition request means that it's unlikely prosecutors in LA will continue pursuing charges. It's probably for the best that this has been settled as noted legal scholar Whoopi Goldberg pointed out that Polanski wasn't guilty of 'rape rape'....

I guess it pays to be a Hollywood douchebag.

Blue State Graft Watch- 'It's Good To Be the Mayor' Edition: Sanctuary City Mayor Seeks Refuge at Dodgers, Lakers Games

Los Angeles mayor, former MEChA Chapter president and all around Ticket Master Antonio Villaraigosa is under investigation by a city ethics commission regarding his acceptance of tickets to entertainment industry events like the Oscars as well as Lakers and Dodgers home games and concerts.

The law requires that gifts of more than $50 need to be declared, but a lawyer for the mayor said that since Villaraigosa was performing 'official mayoral duties' such as handing out certificates of achievement to athletes, celebrities, etc. at these events, they don't need to be reported. Apparently the mayor was performing 'official duties' at all 81 events he received tickets to. Events such as:

11/3/05 Lakers v. PH Suns Staples Center -- up to $2,100
9/10/05 Aretha Franklin Concert -- cost unknown
11/3/05 Latin Grammys Shrine -- up to $500
4/3/06 Dodger's Opening Day Dodgers Stadium -- up to $400
11/28/06 Lakers vs. Bucks Staples -- up to $2,100
2/6/06 Musi-Cares Pre-Grammy Concert -- cost unknown
2/8/06 Grammy Awards -- cost unknown
2/26/06 Jose Jose Concert -- cost unknown
3/2/06 Carlos Santana Concert for D. Huerta -- cost unknown
3/5/06 78th Academy Awards Kodak Theatre -- $4,200 per seat
4/13/06 Luis Miguel Concert/Presentation -- cost unknown
6/27/06 BET Awards Show Shrine Auditorium -- cost unknown
7/8/06 Bebe, Reyli, Mexican Institiute Hollywood Bowl -- up to $80
7/22/06 Grammy Foundation Dinner/Concert -- cost unknown
7/29/06 Reventon Super Estrella Concert Coliseum -- up to $150
8/15/06 Shakira Concert Staples Center -- Tix started at $19.50
8/26/06 Smokey Robinson Concert Greek Theatre -- up to $80
8/27/06 58th Emmy Awards Shrine Auditorium -- (2) Tix at $1,300 each
9/30/06 Pepe Aguilar Concert -- unknown, but cost in 2010 at Gibson was $135
11/11/06 Vicente Fernandez Concert -- unknown, but cost in 2010 at Gibson was $300
12/22/06 George Lopez Concert -- cost unknown
4/15/07 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- up to $450
1/12/07 Lakers vs. Clippers Staples -- up to $2,200 (floor seats)
1/28/07 13th Annual SAG Awards -- cost unknown
2/3/07 Director's Guild Awards -- mayor presented Aldrich Award, seat cost $175
2/11/07 49th Annual Grammy Awards -- cost unknown
2/17/07 Mana Concert -- cost unknown
2/25/07 79th Annual Academy Awards $4,200 per seat -- entire Villaraigosa family attended
6/26/07 BET Awards Show -- cost unknown
9/16/07 59th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards -- 2 tix up to $1,300 each
10/3/07 AFI's 40th Anniversary Celebration -- cost unknown
11/18/07 American Music Awards -- cost unknown
11/20/07 Mary J. Blige Concert Nokia Theatre -- up to $95
3/29/08 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- up to $500
3/31/08 Dodger's Opening Day Dodgers Stadium -- up to $500
10/13/08 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- playoff prices N/A
10/15/08 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- playoff prices N/A
3/28/08 Lakers vs. Grizzlies Staples Center -- up to $2,300 (floor seats)
4/11/08 Lakers vs. New Orleans Staples -- up to $2,000 (floor seats)
5/23/08 Lakers vs. Spurs Center -- up to $3,400 (for courtside)
1/27/08 14th Annual SAG Awards -- cost unknown
2/10/08 50th Annual Grammy Awards -- cost unknown
2/15/08 Gloria Trevi Concert Gibson Amphitheatre -- up to $94.75
2/24/08 80th Annual Academy Awards -- $4,200 per seat (may have taken multiple tix)
4/18/08 Placido Domingo's 40th Anniversary at LA Opera -- up to $1,750
5/10/08 Juanes Concert Nokia Theatre -- $125
6/24/08 BET Awards Show -- cost unknown
7/16/08 ESPY Awards -- cost unknown
9/6/08 Frankie Beverly and Maze Concert -- cost unknown
9/6/08 LA Opera-Opening Weekend -- up to $250
9/11/08 Alejandro Fernandez Concert -- cost unknown
9/21/08 60th Primetime Emmy Awards -- (2) tix at $1,300 each
9/28/08 Luis Miguel Concert -- cost unknown
10/16/08 Tina Turner Concert -- cost unknown
11/16/08 Vicente Fernandez Concert Gibson Amphitheatre -- up to $200.50
4/13/09 Dodger's Opening Day Dodgers Stadium -- up to $500
6/28/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- up to $500
7/21/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- up to $500
10/7/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- playoff prices N/A
10/16/09 LA Dodgers Game Dodgers Stadium -- playoff prices N/A
3/16/09 Lakers vs. Minnesota Staples Center -- up to $260 (possible suite)
3/17/09 Lakers vs. 76ers Staples Center -- up to $2,500 (floor seats)
6/4/09 Lakers v. Orlando Playoffs Staples Center -- up to $4,200 (courtside)
6/7/09 Lakers v. Orlando Playoffs Staples Center -- up to $4,200 (courtside )
10/27/09 Lakers v. Clipper(opening night) Staples Center -- more than $2,500 (floor)
1/11/09 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards -- cost unknown
2/8/09 51st Annual Grammy Awards -- cost unknown
2/22/09 81st Annual Academy Awards -- $4,200 per seat
5/20/09 American Idol Finale -- cost unknown
7/13/09 Beyonce Concert Staples Center -- up to $200
9/12/09 Alejandro Fernandez -- cost unknown
9/20/09 61st Primetime Emmy Awards -- (2) tix $1,300 each
10/8/09 LA Philharmonic-Opening night Walt Disney Hall -- cost unknown, scalper tix up to $15,000
10/25/09 U-2 Concert Rose Bowl ***Mayor paid for this one event
4/13/10 Dodger's Opening Day Dodgers Stadium -- up to $500
5/2/10 Lakers vs. Utah Staples Center -- up to $4,100 (courtside)
1/17/10 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards -- cost unknown
1/30/10 Director's Guild of America 62nd Dinner -- mayor scheduled, but didn't attend
1/31/10 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Staples Center -- cost unknown
3/7/10 82nd Academy Awards Kodak -- $4,200 per seat
5/26/10 American Idol Finale Nokia -- not avail to public, scalper tix $5,000

The LA Weekly's estimate on the pricetag for those tickets being between $50,000 and $100,000 might actually be short of the mark, since another blogger uncovered six more events that the mayor's office failed to disclose, including the first two games of this year's NBA finals. Counsel for the Mayor's office also declined to say who exactly Villraigosa received the tickets from.

Not surprisingly, MEChA member and absentee Mayor Villaraigosa hopped on board the 'Boycott Arizona' bandwagon shortly before all of this broke. Nothing like a big, juicy distraction.