Thursday, December 25, 2008 . Flash Flood Watch

Christmas in Santa Barbara

hungry

The busiest days at the Santa Barbara Airport are Friday, Dec. 19 through
Sunday, Dec. 28, according to officials there.

Bad Santa

decorations ..

Annual Christmas decor . Annual Christmas Feast

Wendy McCaw, farewell Laura Schlessinger and "America Supports You"

No comment Wendy....
Update:
Wendy McCaw [Santa Barbara News-Press] and Laura Schlessinger's good-bye...

? ? ?

Where is the traditional Business Wire announcement?

Is Robert Eringer replacing Schlessinger?
Investigate:
The Department of Defense Inspector General's report.
"America Supports You/Operation Family Fund" and Laura Schlessinger

[][]

Veterans Today:
Tis the Season
"Way back in May 2006, the editor of Veterans Today posted this concern about the growing number of Support Our Troop and Veterans organizations that crawled out of the woodwork to benefit and viewed as a need to well, “Support Our Troops,” given that the vast majority of Americans were (and are) either apathetic or did not really care about something they could not relate to – Our Troops."
December 06, 2008

Read the entire report by Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired

News: Charities' costs sap aid for vets
May 03, 2006

KingOf*Hearts*

Laura Schlessinger's "charities" investigated for fraud

Celebrity and "America Supports You/Operation Family Fund"

Laura Schlessinger

Wendy McCaw's Santa Barbara News-Press is busy reorganizing

Coincidentally, "dr" Laura Schlessinger is no longer doing her column at the News-Press [she gave a sudden notice and lame excuse on December 14, 2008]. Making Wendy look the fool again ["shackup-slut"]. McCaw clams and gives it up 100% to Schlessinger's poor manners, she's squirrely in social apropos and unprofessional. Who is in the drivers seat anyway? Where's the communication with readers and the Wendy timely 'appreciation' for Laura's kudos to the News-Press and her years as a loyalist? No farewell send off? Business Wire [protocol] announcement? These are two odd ducks. Both McCaw and Schlessinger are habitual prevaricators and refuse to be even the slightest transparent. They prefer their darkness and the rumor mill.

Schlessinger wrote:
"From me to you, adieu to Page 2 Final column: Today will be my last Page 2 column for the News-Press. All the "problems" (aka: union issues) notwithstanding, I am appreciative and proud to have had the opportunity to contribute to my community's local paper.
You folks cannot imagine all the stress and strain that the people who work for the News-Press have withstood with the constant attacks on the paper and its efforts from those with a determined political agenda. I am impressed and grateful for their courage and fortitude.
It is curious to me that there might be many in Santa Barbara who don't quite know why they're supposed to "hate" the News-Press but choose to do so because they've heard this-or-that. I encourage you to support your local newspaper so that it can grow and flourish and provide you with the information you need as a citizen and a neighbor."

"All the stress and strain that the people who work for the News-Press" ?
How often was she there? Her contacts were?

Workers struggling for their rights are not her elitist political agenda. The paper is attacked because of it's lack of integrity, for the way they divide the community and for their deaf uncaring ears.

Coincidentally, at this time "dr" Laura Schlessinger's government charity "America Supports You" is under investigation for not supporting the troops.

[ Exclusive: Pentagon Pro-Troop Group Misspent Millions ]

They did support celebrities that did PR for them.

Laura was a major "America Supports You/Operation Family Fund" celebrity.

Where's her project manager, Mike Cash, now? She did huge promotions and used the News-Press to advertise [free propaganda] these alleged support the troops pro-war rallies to solicit money for PR. Curious, the News-Press and Laura are quiet now the troops got screwed.

Supporting The Troops?

[][]

The alleged 54 year old Robert Eringer writes "the investigator" at the News-Press.

What is he investigating the week Laura abandons ship?

"Dec 13, 2008 - Some local scams are exposed The racket? Work-at-home, "mystery-shoppers" and other get-rich-quick schemes. Here's how they work: Local con men place nationwide ads offering information on work-at-home "opportunities" -- or they offer interviews for entry into a so-called "job placement program." You phone a toll-free number to inquire; their objective is to extract your credit card details -- and exact payment to "get you started" on what essentially is a non-starter."

His CIA/FBI contacts are useless? Laura Schlessinger's "America Supports You" is a big story for those who do care when the military and PR celebrities screw the troops and their families.

Why is Eringer writing in an elitist paper about scams that target
the poor and gullible?

The Department of Defense Inspector General report is far more important information for Americans to know.

Talk about "The racket?", investigate all radio celebrity "charities". KEYT TV reaches the people for smaller "get-rich-quick schemes".

Everyone, including the rich, need to know when their tax money is favoring PR over troop support.

[][]

Far more interesting is Eringer's pal, Jeff Stein, Congressional Quarterly...

The CIA and its reporter friends: Anatomy of a backlash
The backlash from the "intelligence community" over John Brennan's withdrawal -- which pro-Brennan sources are now claiming was actually forced on Brennan by the Obama team -- continues to intensify. Just marvel at how coordinated (and patently inaccurate) their messaging is, and -- more significantly -- how easily they can implant their message into establishment media outlets far and wide, which uncritically publish what they're told from their cherished "intelligence sources" and without even the pretense of verifying whether any of it is true and/or hearing any divergent views:
Jeff Stein, Congressional Quarterly, 12/5/2008:

A Note to Readers: SpyTalk has a Brand New Blog
As of this week, SpyTalk has expanded from a weekly column to a daily blog at Congressional Quarterly's new-ish CQ Politics site. I'll still be offering regular, in-depth reporting and analysis on national security issues, particularly the sprawling U.S. intelligence "community, there.

Jeff Stein wrote extensively about Eringer's work.
and will no doubt be there for Eringer's future court room drama.

[][]

Rumor Mill… Wendy McCaw and Arthur Von Weisenberger, reorganizing?

Supporting The Troops?

Here's a really sad story:
Surviving spouses of war veterans have been wrongfully denied up to millions of dollars in government benefits over the past 12 years due to computer glitches that often resulted in money being seized from the elderly survivors' bank accounts.

"Twelve years of seizing last-month benefits from surviving widows and orphans, contra the law. What a racket. You really can’t blame that on “computer glitches” — it’s simple laziness, corruption, and greed." Teddy Partridge

[] [] []

1. 

• The forgotten Vets...

• Pentagon's Massive Fraud And Waste

"But this should be a lesson as to why we can't let those who would rather
sell a war than support a Soldier back into Washington"

UNDER INVESTIGATION: "America Supports You".. 'Honors' Laura Schlessinger, one month later Deryk Schlessinger's case was completed*. CRONIES1

INVESTIGATE LAURA SCHLESSINGER!1

"America Supports You" 'honors' Laura Schlessinger, one month later Deryk Schlessinger's case was completed*. CRONIES2

More exploitation of American children...
America's Child Soldiers: US Military Recruiting Children to Serve in the Armed Forces

Recruiting children, exploiting children... How Laura Schlessinger...

She's been unyielding in her political stance. Mandatory draft, guns in school for boys, girls grow up to stay at home for the next depression.

Her next book tour for Fox news: "In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms". We can hardly wait. She's so pleased that the current financial disaster means less young people go to college and more join the Army. Parents follow her
parenting role model for a world of "Godless crazy people like ...."

Video: PR Firms = Propaganda


*"America Supports You" 'honors' Laura Schlessinger, one month later Deryk Schlessinger's case was completed*. CRONIES1

INVESTIGATE LAURA SCHLESSINGER!1

"America Supports You" 'honors' Laura Schlessinger, one month later Deryk Schlessinger's case was completed*. CRONIES: At least $9.2 million was...

"A Defense Department project, supposedly designed to support U.S. troops, was used instead to channel millions of dollars to personal friends and allies of its chief. The "America Supports You," or ASY, program was led in a

"questionable and
unregulated manner,"

according to a Department of Defense Inspector General report, obtained by Danger Room. At least $9.2 million was "inappropriately transferred" by the project's managers. Much of that money served only to further promote ASY, instead of assisting servicemembers."

Laura Schlessinger had an "America Supports You" section on her web site for a long time. There was even a nice photo of an injured soldier. I can't find much "America Supports You" now. Maybe I missed the "America Supports You" page? Or her cronies gave her a heads up. She seems to have dropped her project manager Mike Cash the last several months.

The July 30, 2007 "America Supports You" 'honor' was picture perfect.
[see photo above]
Deryk's completed investigation was announced August 31, 2007
*Deryk Schlessinger's investigation was completed. HE WAS NOT CLEARED.

Schlessinger enablers did their part with blogs like:

1. VINDICATION [there was no vindication]

2. Dr Laura Schlessinger, Deryk Schlessinger, MySpace Controversy, Progressive Democrats
Alleged Citizen Journalist, Mick, wrote a more bizarre interpretation:
What he writes about Ms. McCaw and Jerry Roberts is jaw dropping...

"DoD may appear to merge inappropriately
the public affairs and information operations functions"

While the Pentagon preps for a new administration,
a scandal from an earlier era is rearing its head.

Unfortunately, the troops being "screwed" over is not a big story, or new, for many people. Schlessinger can purge her website and go on her next book tour. There she only screws the gullible with the fake booksale schemes. And her famous "I'm a licensed psychotheraphist". For media interviews she only smoozes with dimwits who would never ask the right questions or expect ethics.

Pentagon Misspent Funds Aimed at Supporting Troops

America Supports Propaganda

Dr. Laura's Mother Found Murdered...

...6 years ago this December

After decomposing several months, Yolanda Schlessinger's corpse was beyond an accurate conclusion for the cause of death, of course, heart "disease" was a part of it.

The first officials to observe the body at the Beverly Hills condo had no doubt it was a murder scene. The headlines were appropriately brutal.

Dr. Laura's Mother Found Murdered

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21, 2002
CBS News:
"The body of Yolanda Schlessinger, 77, was found Monday in her Beverly Hills condominium. Police would say only she had been dead for a long time." [... when found December 16, 2002. "She had apparently been dead about two months, making it hard to determine injuries or trauma."]

City of Beverly Hills December 18, 2002

"On December 18, 2002, an autopsy was conducted by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. The autopsy disclosed that the deceased was a homicide victim."

Almost as chilling as abandoning her mother was Laura's continued lack of sanctity and respect in the following update:
"*** 1/2 UPDATE: The body of Yolanda Schlessinger sat in the Los Angeles morgue for 10 extra days before her daughter Laura claimed the 77-year-old woman's remains on December 28."
10 extra days...

Laura managed to keep the Yolanda Ceccovini Schlessinger story about a shocked grief ridden Laura. After years [20 years?] of abandoning a mentally troubled parent, Laura claimed she was "overwhelmed by sadness". Laura also claimed she is a licensed psychotherapist, marriage and family therapist. She can't stop claiming she is licensed. Her associates and advertisers don't care for the gullible or ethics and she gets by with that also.

Where's the license?

It seems her ancient MFCC, Marriage, Family and Child Counselor, was abandoned long ago. She has no active license, she's a fraud. It appears she has major unresolved abandonment, as well as chronic lying and low self-esteem issues.

Old people die sad and alone in a society like Laura Schlessinger's ilk create.
[YOLANDA]

Yolanda, Lundy [as she preferred], is an icon in her own rite. She represents the treatment of the mentally troubled and the deadly consequences when society trusts charlatan posers and frauds like Dr.John Romulus Brinkley, radio history or Laura Schlessinger.

Lundy Schlessinger's story is intriguing and important. I hope to find more time for Lundy Schlessinger and other abandoned and mentally impaired that suffer and die from neglect and/or murder.

Laura's role model example: "Just ditch those difficult parents"
Alone at the End Excerpts...

I bet Laura does want to smack a few parents...

Laura Schlessinger: Dr. Laura's Mother Found Murdered2

Mother of ‘Dr. Laura’ Found Dead
By Jill Leovy and Mitchell Landsberg
December 21, 2002 in print edition B-1

Excerpts from the LA Times:
Neighbors said they had last seen Yolanda Schlessinger, 77, in September.
[3-4 months]

In a 1994 People magazine profile, Schlessinger said the estrangement dated to 1986, when her mother walked off the job as Laura’s secretary.

Neighbors described Yolanda Schlessinger as a friendly, pleasant, talkative person who seemed “quite bright,” said Edna Neidorff, a former resident of the apartment complex in the 400 block of North Palm Drive.

Neidorff said the victim was chatty with neighbors. They called her “Lundy,” the name she listed on the condo roster.

Licia Masi lived in the same building as Yolanda Schlessinger. Masi said that earlier this week, her daughter, a building manager, had called police to check on Schlessinger.

The case presents detectives with difficulties because so much time has passed, Gilmond said.

Although not a professionally trained psychotherapist, “Dr. Laura”

She has publicly acknowledged on numerous occasions that she has been estranged from her mother, who she said was “Sophia Loren-like,” since sometime in the mid-1980s.

She has said her parents fought constantly, and her father was physically and emotionally abusive.

In her show, Schlessinger frequently draws a distinction between good and bad mothers. The theme is so typical of her that she and her fans wear shirts emblazoned with “I Am My Kid’s Mom.”

Masi, the building manager’s mother, said Yolanda Schlessinger was a charming, very conversational person, who spoke English as well as Italian and dressed very elegantly.

Although she believed the blond, blue-eyed Schlessinger was in her 70s, Masi said the woman looked much younger and had a youthful, jovial manner.

“It’s so strange that she had no visitors,” Masi said. She said Schlessinger never mentioned her famous daughter.

Neidorff described her acquaintance, Schlessinger, as a “lovely lady” who seemed “very wise.”

“She was very friendly,” she said.

“But very private – an interesting combination. She had an accent that someone told me was Italian

Alone at the End

Long Estranged from Her Daughter, Dr. Laura's Mother Dies Mysteriously

By Alex Tresniowski

Excerpts:

Lundy never even met Deryk, Laura's 17-year-old son with second husband Lew Bishop, a retired professor of biology at USC. In recent years

Laura claims to have lost track of
Lundy altogether

Yet Shelley Herman, a television writer who worked with Laura in the '80s, says Laura "could have found her mother if she wanted to. Why did she have to die alone?" She remembers Lundy as a cheerful assistant who was inexplicably cut off by her daughter. "It's interesting that Laura is always bad-mouthing her mother," says Herman, "but Lundy never said a word about her to the press."

Whatever issues kept them apart will now, sadly, remain unresolved. In her last years

Lundy liked to dress in tasteful St. John outfits and occasionally drive her Cadillac to local bridge clubs. According to someone who spent time with her recently, she also listened to her daughter's radio show. "It just breaks my heart to think of her so alone," says Marcovitch.

"It's everyone's nightmare to die without
your loved ones."

Thou shalt honor
father and mother

Dr. Laura's Mother Found Murdered...

Dr. Laura's Mother Found Murdered3

Is She Dr. Laura or Dr. Strange Love?

Some family values. Your 77-year-old mother lies dead and decomposing
for two months in a condominium not far from the radio complex where
you sternly hector millions about how to live a moral life while
attacking those who "deviate."

And you never bothered once to inquire how your own mom was doing? Maybe
send a minion over to knock on the door once in a while? For two months,
the mail piled up, the condo fees went unpaid, and you, successful
syndicated radio advice guru "Dr. Laura" Schlessinger, never noticed
these and other worrying signs that, as the police suggested, your
mother may have been murdered?

Of course, when you finally found out, after the building manager called
the police, you were "horrified by the tragic circumstances" of her
death.

But was it really appropriate to add, self-servingly, that she "died as
she chose to live, alone and isolated." You said, "My mother shut all
her family out of her life over the years, though we made several futile
attempts to stay connected."

Those are not kind words to speak of one's dead mother. Ties it all in a
neat little bow, doesn't it? Italian-born Yolanda Schlessinger was
"Sophia Loren-like," and you found her difficult. In a 1998 interview,
you claim a childhood "that would curl your hair."

Welcome to reality: Good family values don't come easily. Problem is,
you've made it sound as if they do. You are one of the leading
conservative sloganeers who arrogantly claim a lock on the moral high
ground while deriding those, such as homosexuals, who dare to "deviate"
from your "norm." Using the title "doctor," earned in physiology rather
than medicine or psychology, has lent a false credibility to your
depictions of homosexuality as a "biological error," a "dysfunction" and
a "deviancy" -- words that encourage hate crimes.

Worse, honoring and caring for one's parents is at the heart of your
philosophy, as spelled out in your own presumptuous 1998 book, "The 10
Commandments: The Significance of God's Laws in Everyday Life." You
wrote: "God's commandment of honoring parents is basically the message
that parents are a conduit of God. Any profanity or harm to the parent
is as if we've profaned God."

You wrote, "By honoring our parents, we learn to honor God. By honoring
God we become decent human beings."

You obviously failed that test. "Even bad parents deserve to be honored
if only at a minimal level," you wrote. Thus surely "honor thy father
and thy mother" intends something more than letting a septuagenarian
woman go months at a time without even a drive-by visit from her
daughter.

You also wrote: "There is often a profound unwillingness to give
anything to a parent perceived as being unloving or undeserving.... That
avoidance is part of the mentality that says, 'If it doesn't obviously
serve me, I won't do it and I shouldn't have to!' " Apparently, that is
your mentality.

But you, whose shallow perceptions are laced with bursts of meanness and
contempt for others, will no doubt continue as a hot media product and a
darling of the religious conservatives. "A positive voice for positive
values without equal in our time," gushed the Rev. Robert Schuller.

What can we draw from all this? That family relationships are
exceedingly complicated and often painful. That maintaining true "family
values" is not a matter simply of attending church, being heterosexual
and mouthing platitudes, but demands humility, resiliency and deep
compassion. That religious texts like the Bible can provide inspiring
lessons in the hands of sincere teachers and also can be used as clubs
by the cynical and ambitious.

And finally, that the "Dr. Laura" show typifies the dangerous hypocrisy of those who build profitable and politically potent empires on the basis of claiming a monopoly on simplistic answers to complex problems.
The guilt and shame they induce in those who might resist their nostrums
is loathsome, made more so when they themselves so casually ignore them.
[]
Yolanda Schlessinger...