Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-15 of 15
- Her parents were active in the French underground and committed suicide during the war. She was adopted and brought to the US by an American family where she attended Hollywood High school and some college. She was a talented pianist and singer. Eventually, she fell in with Charles Manson and his "Family." Although not charged with any of the Family murders, she was a strong supporter of Charles Manson during his 1970-71 trial. She got ten years to life in prison for her involvement in a shootout with the police in Hawthorne CA in August 1971.
- In Louisiana, where politics is often a matter of tradition and going along with established order and dominance by elderly politicians, the boyish-looking David Vitter is an improbable officeholder. He was first elected to political office as an outsider, and never really fit in with his fellow public officials until recently. A graduate of Harvard University and an attorney by profession, he first came to notice in 1991. That year, he ran for the Louisiana state House of Representatives, in a district in Metarie, an affluent suburb of New Orleans. He was seeking to succeed the highly controversial incumbent, former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke, who ran for Governor that year. He won in an upset and one of his first proposals was to limit the number of terms a state lawmaker could serve in the legislature. This didn't endear him to fellow legislators of either party. Nevertheless, he was easily reelected in 1995. He still wasn't very high-profile until early 1999. After the 1998 Congressional elections, U.S. Representative Bob Livingston, who was expected to be the next Speaker of the House, suddenly announced that he would resign from Congress after facts about his past were publicized by pornographic publisher Larry Flynt. A special election was called for the Spring of 1999. The district, like his legislative district, was heavily Republican, and he ran. Also running was former Governor David Treen and his predecessor in the legislature, David Duke. Treen was considered the heavy favorite, but Vitter won in a surprise. In contrast to his state legislative service, Vitter kept a low profile in Congress, although not the Congressional district. He was also an effective fund-raiser. In 2004, U.S. Senator John Breaux, a somewhat conservative Democrat, announced that he would retire, and Vitter immediately announced his candidacy. After waging one of the more effective campaigns of the year, he won by larger than expected. He came to national attention recently with his attempts to help with the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. He is up for reelection in 2010.
- A native of Texas, this future champion of law-abiding citizens and scourge of murderers had never wished or expected to become a public figure. She had a low-key childhood, eventually marrying an Army Intelligence officer named Larry Tate. His job required international travel, so she lived in many parts of the world. They had three daughters, Sharon Tate, Debra Tate and Patricia Tate (aka Patti). Her husband very much ruled the home when present and her children all became very close to her partly as a result. Oldest daughter, Sharon Tate, became noticed for her immense beauty and she participated in many beauty pageants and talent shows, eventually moving to California to become a model and actress. In spite of her reservations about Hollywood, Doris agreed to support Sharon's ambitions and, later, her husband retired from the military and moved the entire family to southern California. Life was good, although she disliked some of the men that Sharon dated. In the mid-1960's, Sharon became engaged to celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring and Doris looked forward to the wedding, but the engagement broke off. Shortly afterwards, Sharon married director Roman Polanski, who had directed her in The Fearless Vampire Killers: Vampires 101 (1967). Sharon's career was showing great promise. In January of 1969, Doris found out that she was to become a grandmother, which thrilled her to no end. She enthusiastically helped with choosing baby clothes and helping to decorate the planned nursery. But, on August 10, 1969, life as she knew it ended when she learned that the previous night, her beloved daughter had been brutally murdered, being stabbed 16 times, along with four other people (including Sebring), at her home in Los Angeles. The news devastated her, and she took little notice when the funeral was attended by a virtual who's who of Hollywood celebrities. The next night, a Los Angeles couple was butchered in a similar manner. The killers were unknown and remained at large for a while. Then it was discovered that one of the murderers, Susan Atkins, had been caught. It turned out that Atkins was living on a former movie set with a group of drugged-out transients, lead by Charles Manson, who later became known as "The Manson Family". Doris Tate was horrified by Atkins gloating attitude and remarks in her confession, including the statement, "Killing people is fun. The more I do it, the better I like it". Atkins confessed that she had killed Sharon, along with others, on Manson's instructions. Before long, other participants, including Charles 'Tex' Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel were arrested and charged with the murder. At first, it was unclear whether Manson, himself, could be convicted, but when family member Linda Kasabian, who had acted as lookout but couldn't bring herself to participate, agreed to testify, his conviction became ensured. Doris watched with disbelief as the ensuing trial dragged on for over a year while the defendants engaged in bizarre, disruptive behavior, seeming to gloat over what they had done. It was an enormous relief when the killers were found guilty and sentenced to death in 1971. However, in 1972, the California Supreme Court overturned the death penalty. Throughout the 1970's, Doris Tate was profoundly depressed and became a recluse, unable to even talk about her late daughter without falling apart. That changed in 1982, when she learned that former Manson follower, Leslie Van Houten, was being considered for parole and had gained 300 signatures in support. This outraged her and, although Van Houten hadn't participated in her daughter's murder, she launched a public relations campaign to keep all the killers in jail. After making several television appearances and an interview with The National Enquirer, she succeeded. She then proceeded to appear at parole hearings of her daughter's killers, vigorously opposing their releases. She became a nationally-known advocate of victims rights.
In 1992, she fell seriously ill and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She died in July 10 of that year. - Elizabeth Dole was born Salisbury, North Carolina, during The Great Depression. Her parents, John Van Hanford and Mary Ella Cathey, were the owners of a successful floral business and the family didn't suffer the financial hardships of so many around them. Her parents were believers in striving for excellence and friendly competition, and instilled those beliefs in Elizabeth and her older brother, John. Nicknamed Libby, she showed leadership traits from an early age and in school was a high achiever. She attended Duke University and excelled there, also, becoming Student Body President. Then she attended Harvard, at a time when few women did, and earned a Master in Education and then a law degree from Harvard Law School.
After graduating, she moved to Washington, D.C., and found work for the government. Her first White House job was as a staff assistant in the Dept. of Health, Education & Welfare. In 1968 she was appointed legislative assistant to Betty Furness, Consumer Affairs Advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1973, she was appointed by President'Richard Nixon' to the Federal Trade Commission.
Shortly before her appointment, she met U.S. Senator Bob Dole at the 1972 Republican National Convention. They were initially friendly acquaintances, but a friendship ensued, which gradually became a courtship, and they married in 1975. They immediately became on of Washington, D.C.'s premier power couples. In 1980, Bob Dole ran for President for the first time, but was too preoccupied with Senate duties to campaign extensively, and his candidacy fizzled out quickly. That year, Ronald Reagan was elected President.
Elizabeth Dole quickly became a visible member of the new Reagan Administration. Elizabeth played a prominent role in the transition to the Reagan White House. In 1981, she was appointed Soecial Assistant for Public Liaison, in charge of carrying the Administration's communications to business and labor groups. In 1983, Reagan appointed her as U.S. Secretary of Transportation. During her four years in this post, Elizabeth Dole was an active, accomplished Secretary. She promoted intitatives regarding air bags for automobiles, brake lights on the rear windshields of cars, and improved airline safety
In 1987, her husband launched anther Presidential campaign, and she resigned to help his campaign. Though it showed initial promise, it imploded after the he lost the New Hampshire primary to then-Vice President George Bush, who went on to win the general election. Elizabeth Dole went on to serve in the Bush administration as Secretary of Labor, which she was appointed to in 1988, immediately after the election. There, she helped pass an increase in the minimum wage. And while she wasn't considered an ally of organized labor, they did credit her for being accessible. In late 1990, she resigned to become President of the American Red Cross, and assumed that post in February of 1991. She took an unpaid leave of absence as her husband ran for President again in 1996. This time he won the nomination, but was defeated in the general election by President Bill Clinton. In that election, voters thought more highly of her than of First Lady Hillary Clinton, but her husband ran a lackluster campaign and was heavily outspent. In retrospect, analysts were surprised he didn't lose by a wider margin than he did.
She returned to the American Red Cross in 1997, but resigned in 1999 to seek the Republican Presidential nomination. She was noted as the first woman to be a credible candidate for President, but her campaign was completely overshadowed by overwhelming Republican for then-Texas Governor George W. Bush, and she dropped out of the race a few months later and endorsed Bush. She decided not to serve in this Presidential administration and retired to private life. But in 2001, elderly U.S. Senator Jesse Helms announced his retirement. In the autumn of that year, Elizabeth Dole explored running, and with the wholehearted support of her husband, she ran. Initially the heavy favorite to win, she was thrown on the defensive and lost ground in the polls to former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. But in October of 2002, she rebounded and won the election. In 2005, she was appointed by her fellow Republican Sentators to Chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to help more Republicans win U.S. Senate elections in the 2006 elections. However, the 2006 elections were a major setback for Republicans and Democrats regained control of the U.S. Senate. In the Senate, Dole complied a conservative record and maintained a high profile in Washington, D.C. However, she did not frequently visit North Carolina, and took for granted her high personal approval ratings. As the year 2008 approached, Bush had become highly unpopular even in conservative states like North Carolina and Democrats saw an opening. Democratic state Senator Kay Hagan entered the race, and the novelty of two credible women candidates running against each other in the South gave Hagan free publicity. Democrats funded Hagan heavily and she quickly pulled even with Dole in the polls. By September, the race had become increasingly hostile, with numerous negative ads airing across the state. In the 2008 elections in North Carolina, Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama surprised everyone by narrowly winning the state, and Dole was defeated for reelection. She has indicated that this is her last campaign and that she will now retire to private life. - Jane Harman was born the daughter of immigrants who escaped World War II- her father from Poland and her mother from Russia. She grew up in post-war Los Angeles, where her father was a physician, and became enamored with President John F. Kennedy, which inspired her to become politically active in her adulthood. Her parents placed a high priority on education, and after finishing high school, she graduated from Harvard Law School and married her first husband. After practicing law, she became an aide in the United States Senate in 1972. After Jimmy Carter was elected President, she took a position in The White House. In 1978, she left politics so she could spend more time with her children, a decision which drew some national publicity. However, her marriage fell apart later that year, and in 1979, she took a job at The Pentagon, working as a lawyer. The following year, she met her next husband, who was the wealthy and powerful CEO of Harman International Industries, a manufacturer of high-end audio, video and electronic systems. She also remained highly active in Democratic politics. In 1992, a Congressional district including a the San Pedro section of Los Angeles and several affluent suburbs came open and Harman moved there to run. It was expected that her Republican opponent would be Maureen Reagan, a moderate and daughter of former President Ronald Reagan. But Reagan lost the primary to conservative Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joan Flores. Helped by the unpopularity of then-President George Bush and very large campaign treasury, Harmon won the election. In Congress, she compiled a moderate to liberal record, usually supporting President Bill Clinton, but not uncritically. In the Republican landslide of 1994, she was reelected by 812 votes and increased her margin in 1996. In 1998, she ran for Governor of California. She spent an estimated $30 million, much of it her husband's, but finished third in the Democratic primary, which was won by Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis. In 2000, she ran for Congress against the Republican who had succeed her, Steven Kuykendall, and won a narrow victory. Back in Congress, she focused on defense and intelligence issues. In 2001, redistricting made her district solidly Democratic. That same year, she became the top ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. After terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, her position brought her to some national prominence. She annoyed party liberals by supporting the Iraq War and some foreign policies of President George W. Bush, though she opposes him on most domestic policies.
- Although Jerry Brown comes from a political family, he has an unusual background for a politician, even in California, and is considered an oddity in some corners. The son of longtime California public figures Pat Brown, he originally didn't plan to be a public official. After attending public schools, he planned on entering the priesthood, and became a Jesuit in 1958, the year his father was elected Governor by a record-breaking margin. However, this life didn't suit him and he left the order in 1960 to become a lawyer, which he did after graduating from Yale Law School in 1964. He worked for some prestigious law firms during the 1960s. His family suffered a setback when his father was soundly defeated for reelection in 1966 by retired actor/businessman Ronald Reagan. In 1970, he was entered public life when he ran successfully for Secretary of State. In that office, he was highly critical of then-President Richard Nixon. He was also a stickler for following state election law regulations, which annoyed many in his own party as well as Republicans. He had planned on challenging Reagan in 1974 to avenge his father's defeat, but Reagan didn't seek reelection that year, so that he could lay the groundwork for a Presidential bid in 1976. Brown was the Democratic Party's nominee for Governor that year and was expected to win by a landslide. However, his Republican opponent, then-state Controller Houston Flourney, turned out to be a stronger for than expected, and on election day, Brown just barely won in the state's closest Governor's race in decades. As Governor, Brown was controversial. He helped form the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board, and staffed it with liberals who were charged with being biased against farmers and landowners and being in the pocket of labor activist Cesar Chavez, who was unpopular in rural California at the time. He also stirred up controversy when he appointed his personal friend and aide, Rose Bird, as Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court, even though she had never been a judge before. He also won the attention of the tabloids by dating popular singer Linda Ronstadt. In 1976, he wasn't helped when a ballot initiative he supported, allowing farm workers to organize on farmers' land, lost by a landslide and contributed to Jimmy Carter narrowly losing the state to Gerald Ford in the Presidential election that year. It was uncertain whether Brown would win reelection in 1978, and he was opposed by state Attorney General Evelle Younger, a former Los Angeles County District Attorney who had overseen the murder conviction of Charles Manson by Deputy District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi in 1969. However, Younger took an extended vacation to Hawaii during the summer, and Brown took advantage of Younger's absence to take control of the campaign and move into a wide lead. On election day, Brown won by 1.3 million votes, breaking the record his father set in 1958. However, his victory was tempered by the fact that his Lieutenant Governor was unseated by entertainment executive Mike Curb, a fierce critic, and that his protégé Rose Bird was nearly removed from the Court amid ethics charges. Things went downhill for him, and in 1980, his longtime adversary, Ronald Reagan, was elected President by a decisive margin. In 1982, Brown ran for the U.S. Senate, but had become widely unpopular by then. In spite of an inept campaign by his opponent, San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson, he was defeated in an otherwise good year for his party. Afterwards, he left the country for a while, lecturing in several Asian nations. In 1986, he received more bad news when three state Supreme Court Justices he had appointed, including Rose Bird, were removed from the Court by landslide margins. He returned to California in 1989 and became state Democratic Chairman, but kept a low profile. In 1992, disturbed by the growing influence of big money in politics, he launched an improbable campaign for President. He had little establishment support even in his home state, but campaigned with vigor. In spite of limited financial resources, he won primaries in Maine, Colorado, Vermont, Connecticut, Utah and Nevada. He was the first to attack Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton on possible conflict-of-interest in a questionable land deal that became known as The Whitewater Scandal, which would haunt Clinton throughout his whole Presidency. Clinton won both the nomination and general election. He wasn't offered a job in the Clinton administration, which suited him as he regarded both Bill Clinton and his controversial wife Hillary Clinton as shady and opportunistic. After practicing law, he returned to elective office when, against expectations, he ran for Mayor of Oakland, a moribund city in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, as a reformer and won by a landslide. In office, he pushed priorities that differed from those he had earlier in his career: vigorously fighting crime, bringing business downtown, and encouraging charter schools, which alienated some liberals. He achieved success in all of those endeavors and was reelected in 2002 by an even larger margin. In 2006, he made his most improbable comeback to date. He ran for state Attorney General, even though he had been skeptical of law enforcement and friendly to trial lawyers during most of his career and had appointed judges widely condemned as overly lenient on criminal defendants. In spite of that, he won his party's nomination easily and defeated a credible opponent in the general election by a wide margin. He will assume office in January of 2007.
- Production Designer
- Production Manager
Jose Menendez was born to a prosperous family in Havana, Cuba. His father was a well-known soccer player who owned his own accounting firm. His mother was a swimmer who had been elected to Cuba's sports hall of fame. Although the family was not among the elite, Jose's parents were celebrity athletes and he and his two sisters wanted for nothing. But in 1959, this seemingly idyllic life was uprooted. Fidel Castro overthrew the ruling government and seized the property of the wealthy and upper-middle class. In 1960, a 16 year-old Jose left the country to live in the United States, flying with his sister's fiancé. In high school, he was a high achiever and won an athletic scholarship, but could not afford to attend an Ivy League college. While attending Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, he met his future wife, Mary Louise Anderson, nicknamed Kitty to those who knew her. They married in 1964. After graduating, he passed the CPA exam and he became a successful businessman. In all of his workplaces, he was credited with being an highly intelligent and diligent, but was widely disliked as arrogant and rude to co-workers and abrasive to subordinates. He became the father of two sons, Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez, and was a stern and demanding father. He was also an unfaithful husband, with a string of mistresses. His family moved to southern California and he became an executive for RCA, and became acquainted with a number of show business celebrities. But he was experiencing marital problems and his relationship with both sons was deteriorating. In 1989, while he and his wife were watching television, they were shot to death by their sons.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
A likable, boyish-looking actor with thick eyebrows and a friendly smile, Justin Long is a native of Connecticut.
He was born and raised in Fairfield, the second of three sons. His father, R. James Long, is a Professor of Philosophy at Fairfield University, and his mother, Wendy Lesniak, is a former Broadway actress. He is of German, Sicilian, and Polish descent. He attended Fairfield Prep, and after graduating, he attended Vassar College. He first really showed his promise as a member of the comedy troupe "LaughingStock." His performing talent garnered favorable notices and he won roles in some independent productions, notably Galaxy Quest (1999). However, he refused to act full time until after he graduated, which he did in 2000. He first gained notice when he played the nervous teenager Warren Cheswick in the TV series Ed (2000). The following year, he starred in the offbeat horror film Jeepers Creepers (2001). The film, with its ghoulish ending, was a major hit on the horror circuit and raised his profile.
He played the boyfriend of Britney Spears in Crossroads (2002), and won a supporting role in the Vince Vaughn comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004). He had high-profile roles in some offbeat independent films, most notably Raising Genius (2004) and Waiting... (2005), and scored commercial success again when he played Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend in Herbie Fully Loaded (2005). In 2007, he appeared as second lead in the fourth "Die Hard" film, Live Free or Die Hard (2007).
He continues to win acclaim and fans. He scored commercial success again with a role in the Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy The Break-Up (2006). He is private about his personal life and does not make a point of attending nightclubs and parties. However, his personal life did get scrutiny in 2008, due to his romance with actress Drew Barrymore that year.
In addition to his film appearances, he is a spokesman for the Apple Mac computers, appearing with John Hodgman in its commercials.- Actress
- Writer
- Music Department
Karla DeVito grew up in Mokena, Illinois, about 35 miles southwest of Chicago, which at the time was a small farming town. From her earliest years, she showed an artistic bent, and a love of music and performing.
After graduating from high school, she enrolled at Loyola University in Chicago with a major in theater. It didn't take long for her to get noticed among the theatrical community in other productions.
Karla did Children's Theatre with Bill Murray at "Second City" and was in national companies of the popular musicals "Hair" and "Godspell".
She branched out and became a backup singer for Bruce Springsteen, Meat Loaf and 'Blue Oyster Cult'. She became a lead singer in her own right, and opened for Hall & Oates and Rick Springfield. Karla's first solo album "Is This a Cool World or What?" was released by CBS/Epic in 1981.
In 1981, she also got the female lead in "The Pirates of Penzance" on Broadway, replacing Linda Ronstadt. A short time later, Robby Benson was cast to play her love interest, and they immediately hit it off. They became a couple in real life, married in 1982 and their daughter Lyric was born in 1983. Their son Zephyr followed in 1992.
She collaborated with Robby on the song "We Are Not Alone" that appeared in the soundtrack for the motion picture The Breakfast Club (1985). Robby and Karla also wrote songs for her second album "Wake 'Em Up in Tokyo" released by A&M in 1986.
In 1990, Karla and Robby co-starred in the film Modern Love (1990) which also marked the screen debut of their daughter Lyric.
Though her career slowed down when she became a mother, Karla continued to be active in the entertainment business, appearing in guest roles in TV series and an acclaimed stage musical called "Open Heart" authored by, and co-starring husband Robby.
In 2012, after he produced, composed, and engineered Lyric's debut album "Lyric's Love Light Revolution" Robby Benson announced that his next musical project was a new album featuring Karla Devito. Shortly after, Karla confirmed they had already begun producing new material for the album.
Karla has remained one of the most idealistic and multifaceted talents in the entertainment industry, achieving success in music, stage, writing, and motion pictures. Her YouTube page has received thousands of hits from fans who still admire her today and encourage her to continue with further creative projects.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Lisa Lampenelli is one of the most high-profile insult comics. Though actually born in Connecticut, she is identified as a New Yorker, where she built up her career on the stand-up comic circuit. She is known for her outrageous pot shots at celebrities as well as references to her own weight and sexuality. Her acid wit and boisterous delivery has won many fans, some of whom had gravitated towards Andrew Dice Clay, and has won her the nickname "Comedy's Lovable Queen of Mean." She has been a regular at celebrity roasts on Comedy Central and has made a couple of television and film appearances. She has also been in negotiations for her own sitcom.- The son of a career military officer, Michael Peterson moved with family several times during his childhood. To pass the time while traveling, he became an avid reader. He became a fervent fan of Ernest Hemingway and wanted to be a celebrated novelist in the same vein. He graduated from Duke University in 1965 and got a analyst job a government think tank. His research led him to strongly favor the Vietnam War and shortly after wards, he enlisted in the Marines. He saw combat in Vietnam and won a purple heart. Upon returning to the United States, he became a government consultant and married his first wife, a school teacher. They had two children. He lived overseas for much of their marriage. While they lived in Germany, he became close with a friend of his wife's, a widowed neighbor named Elizabeth Ratliff. But in 1985, Ratliff died of a fall down the stairs in what was ruled an accident. Peterson ultimately became the guardian of Ratliff's two children. in 1983, During this time, he wrote a novel, "The Immortal Dragon", which became a best-seller. His second novel, "A Time of War: A Bitter Peace", also scored success. Peterson won considerable wealth from those successes.During the late 1980's, the mixed family moved to North Carolina. In addition to his work as an author, Peterson became a columnist for a local newspaper, writing an opinion column. However, his next novels were less successful and his marriage failed. In 1997, he fell in love with a longtime neighbor, Kathleen Hunt Atwater, who was also divorced and a successful executive at Nortel. Their marriage at first seemed idyllic. Both were active in community affairs, and in 1999 Michael Peterson ran for Mayor of Durham. His campaign started off well, but his credibility was undermined when it was revealed that his purple heart medal was the result of an automobile accident in Japan, not in combat as he had claimed. He lost badly. Their financial situation deteriorated in 2000 as Peterson's writing career declined. Michael Peterson began to stray and spend time on adult web sites. Things got worse when Kathleen was slated to be laid off from her well-paying job. Then, on December 9, 2001, she was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home by Michael. He claimed that she had fallen accidentally and he discovered her too late to save her. But police were suspicious of the great amount of blood at the scene. Subsequently, they discovered Michael Peterson had a very large life insurance policy, enough to solve his financial debts. They also learned that Kathleen had stumbled upon her husband's computer files with their proof of his infidelity. And a tip from a relative pointed out that Kathleen Peterson's death greatly resembled the death of Elizabeth Ratliff 16 years earlier. Armed with this evidence, prosecutors charged him with murder. The ensuing trial created headlines throughout the region. After a few days of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and he was sentenced to a term of life in prison. He maintains his innocence to this day.
- An physician and frequent candidate, Dr. Monica Monica has parlayed her unusual name into a commodity, helped by circumstances not of her own making. The descendant of Italian immigrants, she had ambition to be a doctor and was a high achiever academically in her youth. She graduated from Tulane University Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude, and then she received an M.D. and PHD from Louisiana State University Medical School. She also received a post graduate degree in Heath Care Administration from Tulane University. She married and moved to Metarie, Louisiana, where she set up her medical practice. The field of medicine she practiced was Ophthalmology, a complex field which deals optical diseases and surgery. In that capacity, she became respected for her careful work and her friendly, supportive ways with her patients, who thought highly of her. During this practice, she became concerned with public policy regarding medicine, particularly with regard to the high insurance premiums her practice had to pay, and she became an advocate of malpractice reform. In January 1999, the Congressman who represented her community, Bob Livingston, suddenly resigned from Congress after an extramarital affair he once had was publicized by adult magazine publisher Larry Flynt. Monica decided to run for Congress in the special election to succeed him. Her name brought publicity due to President Bill Clinton's impeachment due to his lying in a lawsuit about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, although she protested, "This is not a politically cute trick. I was Monica long before the other one was. It's on my driver's license." She spent a significant amount of money on the race, but was overshadowed by some of the other candidates, including white separatist David Duke and state Representative David Vitter, who ultimately won the election. In the 2000 general election, Dr. Monica was again a candidate, but did not wage a serious candidacy. She resumed her practice, but remained an advocate on health care issues. She also, during time away, dabbled in acting. In 2005, her practice was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, she ran unsuccessfully for the Louisiana state Senate.
- Nancy Pittman grew up in a wealthy household in Malibu, where her father was a successful engineer and her mother was a society matron. She and her two younger brothers wanted for nothing materially, and her childhood years were devoted to school and surfing. However, the wealth didn't bring her happiness. At 16, she befriended some slightly older girls who were lived with an older man whom they spoke of glowingly and the teen aged Pittman convinced them to introduce her to him. The man was Charles Manson. She was immediately taken with him and ran away from home at the age of 16 to be with him. She quickly became one of his most ardent backers and traveled with him to various parts of California. Ultimately, they settled upon a former film set which became known as Spahn Ranch. She stayed loyal to Manson after hearing about the murder of Gary Hinman and Manson's role in it. She was also present at the ranch when Manson sent Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian to commit murders at a house formerly occupied by producer Terry Melcher and actress Candice Bergen. Manson had once done some business with Melcher, which had gone badly and which may have been a factor in the murders. She was with Manson when they returned to the ranch and told Manson of the events that night. It is widely believed that she, Manson, and a few others drove to the house later than night to tamper with the crime scene. After the arrest of Manson and his family for the Tate/LaBianca murders, she was one of his most conspicuous supporters, singing and handing out placards to passers by.
After the trial, she drifted into the Aryan Brotherhood and moved to a house in Stockton with a few other members. Two house-mates, James and Lauren Willet, were subsequently murdered by other members who lived there. Pittman ultimately was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to Lauren Willet's murder. She served some eighteen months in prison and wound up marrying one of the co-conspirators. They subsequently divorced and she moved to the Pacific Northwest with her children and changed her name. She has renounced Manson and keeps a low profile, striving to shield her children from any fallout from her past. - Stephen Breyer holds the somewhat dubious distinction of being the second-longest junior member of the United States Supreme Court in American history, holding that distinction for some 12 years, until the confirmation of Samuel Alito in 2006. Breyer was the oldest of two sons of Gerald and Anne (nee' Roberts) Breyer, a middle-class Jewish family in San Fransisco. His father was the legal counsel to the San Fransisco Board of Education. Stephen excelled academically and was an Eagle Scout. He was an active participant on his debate team in high school, and had ambitions to be a lawyer. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Stanford University, he earned a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School. In 1964, he served as a law clerk for retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, and in 1965, he worked in the anti-trust division of the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1967, he left the government to become a law professor at his old alma mater of Harvard Law School, and that same year he married Joanna Hare, a British-born psychologist from a distinguished family. He was well-regarded at Harvard, and in 1970, Breyer wrote "The Uneasy Case for Copyright", a detailed and critical examination of copyright law that remains influential to this day. In 1973, he returned to Washington, D.C. to work for the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, where he met a number of influential Democratic politicians and rising liberal activists. One of them was the future First Lady, Hillary Clinton, although the acquaintance was minor. In 1974, he published another book (co-authored with Paul MacAvoy), "The Federal Power Commission and the Regulation of Energy." That same year, he became Special Counsel for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which was dominated by the Watergate Scandal hearings, and once again made a positive impression with his diligence and low-key approach. In 1975, he left that post and returned to Harvard Unniversity, and in 1977, he became professor at the university's Kennedy School of Government. He became a leading authority on administrative law, and lectured about government regulation of business. In 1979, he returned to the U.S Senate Judiciary Committee to work as Chief Counsel. In that capacity, he worked behind the scenes on highly technical legislation, and was key to passing helped Airline Deregulation Act of 1979, which was most notable for closing the Civil Aeronautics Board.
In 1980, he was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over eastern New England and Puerto Rico. He had been strongly recommended by U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, with whom he had worked closely over the past year. Breyer became the last Carter judicial nominee to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Shortly after joining the court, he wrote and published another book, "Regulation and Reform" in 1982, which again was well-received for its methodical analysis of administrative and regulatory law. He made a good impression on local observers of Federal law and jurisprudence, and in 1985 he was appointed to the U.S. Sentincing Commission, where he served until 1989. He played a key role in producing the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which made penalties for Federal crimes more uniform. In 1992, he wrote another book on Federal administrative law, "Breaking the Vicious Circle: Toward Effective Risk Regulation and Regulation and Its Reform," which this time advocated specific solutions to complex regulatory issues, which was again well-received. That year, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States. In 1993, Supreme Court Justice Byron White announced his retirement, and Breyer was given some consideration to succeed him. But Clinton chose Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal judge from The U.S. Washington, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, instead. In 1994, however, another member of the Supreme Court, Harry A. Blackmun, announced his retirement. Breyer wasn't initially Clinton's first choice. But he was highly recommended by Senator Edward Kennedy. With Clinton's popularity plummeting around the nation, he was anxious to avoid controversy, and Breyer was less controversial than some other possible choices. Also helping him was that he was well-regarded by some Republican U.S. Senators, including Fred Thompson, with whom he had worked with closely when Thompson was Chief Minority Counsel on the Senate Judiciary committee in 1974, and also Orrin Hatch, a strong conservative who was an influential member of that committee since 1977. As a result, Clinton nominated him. Initially, some Democrats were leery of him. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden called some of Breyer's economic theories "elitist and presumptuous." However, he made a favorable impression during the confirmation hearings with his intelligence and low-key manner, and most Republicans concluded that Breyer was the best they could hope for from the Clinton administration and that he couldn't be worse than Blackman had been. He was confirmed by a vote of 87 to 9.
On the court, he has compiled a mostly liberal record. He consistently claims that the court should consider the potential consequences of its rulings instead on affected people and interests rather than make rulings solely on the basis of the Constitutional text and history. This has put him at odds with some conservative members of the court, most notably Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. He has cited international law in a few of his rulings, which proved to be controversial in some legal circles, and has been a consistent supporter of Roe vs. Wade, which made abortion a Constitutional right. These stands and his debate skills have made him the unofficial leader of the liberal faction of the Court. However, some liberal advocates are lukewarm about Breyer, regarding him as too willing to defer to law enforcement and insufficiently skeptical of business interests, and he is not considered an aggressive judicial activist in the tradition of Earl Warren and William Brennan. The court has been at the center of many legal controversies, and he been in the forefront of some of them. In 2005, he authored another book, "Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution," which is a statement of his judicial and Constitutional philosophy. The book was the topic of much discussion in legal and Constitutional circles. - Actress
- Soundtrack
A doe-eyed, honey-blond actress of extraordinary beauty, Suzy Kendall was one of the most popular British actresses of the 1960s. Yet, she never really sought the spotlight and accepted fame only reluctantly. Born as Freida Harrison, her goal was actually to be a clothing designer and, in fact, she majored in fabric and fashion design at Derby College. In pursuing her studies, she inevitably ran into fashion photographers and agents. With few exceptions, they were very taken by her looks and urged her to go into modeling. While not particularly interested in that line of work, she was flattered by the compliments and saw a chance to make some extra income. In addition, she saw it as a way to draw attention to her fashion ideas. So, she signed up with a recommended agency, who gave her the name Suzy Kendall. To her surprise, she immediately was in constant demand. This was at a time when there was increased crossover in the British entertainment industry, with singers appearing in motion pictures. Before long, she began to receive film offers and, while not trained as an actress, was persuaded by her agents to accept film and television roles. The first roles were minor in nature, but included a part in the spy caper The Liquidator (1965), which was a major success. She became internationally known with her prominent role in To Sir, with Love (1967), a sort of British version of Blackboard Jungle (1955). That same year, she starred in the crime thriller The Penthouse (1967), playing a woman taken hostage by violent criminal predators. She disliked the film, but it was a major hit. It was around this time that she met the highly talented and famous but insecure Dudley Moore, with whom she co-starred in 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968). They immediately hit it off and gradually became a couple, marrying in 1968. At Moore's urging, she accepted the title role in Fraulein Doktor (1969), in which she plays a World War I femme fatale, based on Mata Hari. In spite of some good reviews, it was not a success. However, her career was boosted again in The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), in which she plays the girlfriend of a murder suspect who becomes the target of the real killer. The film was an international success and made director Dario Argento a household name among horror fans. By this time, she wanted to become a mother and cut back on her career. But Moore's career had found worldwide success and he didn't think the time was right for raising children. This and their increasing time spent apart took a toll, and they subsequently divorced. However, their marriage ended amicably and they remained good friends for the remainder of his life. She continued to work through the 1970's, mostly as threatened heroines in violent horror films of uneven quality. She soon found herself in a professional rut in an industry that wasn't all that important to her. She remarried and settled into a private life, concentrating on her marriage and raising their child. She did briefly return to the public eye in 2002, when she hosted a memorial service for her late former husband, Moore, who was friends not only with her but her current husband, as well, even giving their daughter piano lessons.
Her daughter, Elodie Harper, is a journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation.