Cash for peerages (continued)

The Conservative Party has (finally) published a list of the lenders to whom it owes nearly £16m.

Johan Eliasch - £2.6m
Lord Ashcroft - £3.6m
Lord Laidlaw - £3.5m
Michael Hintze - £2.5m
Lord Steinberg - £250,000
Henry Angest - £550,000
Dame Vivien Duffield - £250,000
Alan Lewis - £100,000
Graham Facks-Martin - £50,000
Lady Victoria de Rothschild - £1m
Raymond Richards (deceased) - £1m
Charles Wigoder - £100,000
Cringle Corporation - £450,000
TOTAL - £15.95m

However the identity of backers who loaned £5m which has been repaid by the Conservatives will remain hidden. These anonymous lenders includes foreign nationals.
According to UK electoral law, donations from foreign nationals are illegal - but not loans.
Meanwhile, a Metropolitan Police probe into the original "cash for peerages" allegations - which initially focused on the Labour party, has been widened into an investigation of other political parties.
Details of Conservative lenders
Police loans inquiry is widened (Details)

I think the latest issue of the satirical magazine Private Eye sums up my feelings precisely - it is a "House of Frauds."

Abdul Rahman

An Afghan who faced a possible death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity has arrived in Italy where he has been granted asylum.
Abdul Rahman was freed in Afghanistan on Monday after being deemed mentally unfit to stand trial on a charge of apostasy (Conversion, or apostasy, is a crime under Afghanistan's Islamic law). Afghan MPs had earlier demanded 41 year-old Rahman, should remain in the country.
Afghan convert 'arrives in Italy'

Execute someone for converting to Christianity? I'm sorry but I thought this attitude was consigned to the dustbin of history, after US-led forces drove the Taleban from power.
Back in 2001, the Taleban demolished two giant Buddhist statues which were cut into the Afghan mountainside between the second and fifth centuries AD. These statues were among Asia's great archaeological treasures but to the blinkered Taleban, they were idolatrous and contrary to their perception of Islam. So how has attitudes changed in the "new" Afghanistan today, where a Muslim can be condemned to death for wanting to read the holy Bible instead of the holy Qur'an?

Houston, you have a problem.....

A newspaper report claims that singer Whitney Houston has become a crack addict.
The allegations were made by Tina Brown, sister-in-law of the multi-Grammy winner as she discussed her own drug secrets to The National Enquirer.
The tabloid also claimed that Whitney "spends her days locked in her bedroom amid piles of garbage, smoking crack, using sex toys to satisfy herself and ignoring personal hygiene."
I don’t know how true this story is but Whitney, sort yourself out girl!!
Houston, you got a problem...crack!

Arsenal 2-0 Juventus

OK - I know that the job is only half-done.
However congrats anyway to Arsenal. That was a cracking result, but don't forget this match isn't over yet.
Arsenal 2-0 Juventus (vid-clip)

World Cup broadcasts in the classroom

Lucky Argentine students in the Cordoba, Mendoza, Santa Fe and Formosa provinces will be able to view the national squad's World Cup matches in their classrooms.
Critics of the plan have stated the schools risk losing their educational focus, however those in favour (including the Education Minister, no less) argue that watching the matches will allow students to learn about other cultures. A more credible claim is that it would also help fight truancy rates, which rocketed during the previous tournament in 2002.
World Cup TV for Argentine pupils (details)

Viva Vida (again)!!

And now a couple pics of our favorite Cuban, Vida Guerra.
Vida Guerra Biography

Bad Doggie!!

Probably one of the weirdest stories I've read to date....
According to one of our tabloid newspapers, schoolboy Nathan Ferro was thrown to the ground, immobilised and robbed of his £130 Samsung mobile phone by a mugger in Northumberland Heath Park. Sadly nothing unusual, one might think.
Except the mugger was a Labrador Retriever. And police believe it may have been stealing to order. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We are aware of the allegation and will be following it up.”
Boy mugged by labrador

South Park (continued)...

Saw today the South Park episode "The Return of Chef" (not exactly a "return" since Isaac Hayes, who plays Chef, announced on March 13th that he had quit the show, claiming "growing insensitivity towards personal spiritual beliefs." - see my earlier blog entry).
Funny and sad at the same time, with a heartfelt speech at the end and a resurrection (of sorts) . If you get the chance, please see it.
Meanwhile, it has now been reported that Isaac Hayes is recovering from a mild stroke, which apparently played a part in his decision to leave South Park. It has also been reported that Hayes had no intention of quitting South Park, but "someone had quit in his name."
Is that bizarre or what?
In any case, I hope Isaac makes a complete recovery from his illness.

Whether Or Not Chef Is Actually Dead, Isaac Hayes Is Done With 'South Park'
The Return of Chef (details)

Pam Grier

Currently watching Hit Man on TCM. Curious piece - a somewhat ordinary blaxploitation remake of the Brit gangster classic "Get Carter."
But hey, Pam Grier - the undisputed kick-ass queen of blaxploitation herself - is in this movie and that's what really counts. Beautiful and talented, this actress is 100% dynamite!! And she's more than just a pretty face - Grier sung backup on several Bobby Womack albums.
She's in her fifties now, but I still can't help fancying her.
Anyway, Hit Man is still a better flick than the flop Stallone remake of "Get Carter" a few years back.
Hit Man (1972)

Dallas

According to "Variety" Australian director Robert Luketic is gathering his cast for the movie remake the classic 1980's TV series Dallas.
Apparently Jennifer Lopez is being sought for the part of Sue Ellen Ewing, Luke Wilson is negotiating to play Bobby Ewing, John Travolta has an offer to star as J.R. Ewing and Shirley MacLaine is down for the part of Miss Ellie Ewing.
None of the actors has yet accepted the proposed roles.
You'd think Hollywood would be tiring of movie remakes. I prefer to lovingly remember classic TV shows, instead of recoiling at the thought of viewing updated movie flops like Thunderbirds, I-Spy, Bewitched and Dukes of Hazzard.
Dallas movie

Norman Kember: update

Some good news just released on BBC News:

British peace activist Norman Kember has been freed in Iraq after being held hostage for almost four months, according to UK Foreign Office sources.
Fellow hostages Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden, also freed, have been hospitalised.
Apparently a "multi-national force" was used to secure the hostages' release.
British Iraq hostage Kember freed (details)

Cash for peerages (continued)

Now the Metropolitan Police has been called in to investigate whether the law was broken regarding the "cash for peerages" scandal.
There is a law prohibiting the sale of peerages. However the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act of 1925 hasn't been used since 1933, when a spy named Maundy Gregory was fined £50 and jailed for six months.
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has questioned the competence of party treasurer Jack Dromey, who admitted not knowing about £14 million of secret loans the Labour Party received from various donors in the run-up to the last general election.
As for the Conservatives - they have refused to disclose the identity of the wealthy supporters who lent cash to their party.
Mercutio (from Romeo and Juliet) summed it up best:
"a plague o' both your houses."
Police probe into cash for honours

Wily coyote

Had a little chuckle at the antics of "Hal" the coyote, who was on the loose in New York's Central Park. Apparently he's been on the run since Sunday, but police sharpshooters finally got Hal yesterday with a tranquilizer.
NY's wily coyote finally trapped (details)

Diana's memorial

And on it goes....

A report into the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain project criticises it for being "poorly managed".
The fountain, which first opened in July 2004 - £2.2m over budget - is now managed by the Royal Parks Agency and costs £250,000 a year to maintain.
Well.....duh! This memorial has been described as a "muddy bog" and an "open drain" by MPs and in my opinion I have to agree. I also find it incredible that the Department for Culture Media and Sport permanent secretary Dame Sue Street said last year that visitor numbers to the monument had been underestimated. Have people forgotten how popular Diana was?
Diana fountain 'poorly managed' (details)

Cricket, lovely cricket

Congrats to captain Freddie Flintoff & his England team for their 212-run win over India in the third Test in Mumbai today.
Besides being England's first Test win in India for 21 years, they have tied the series 1-1 and retained second place in the LG ICC Test Championship table.
But England's victory is remarkable, considering their awful luck with injuries during this tour.
England beat India to tie series (details)

Monica Bellucci

Just finished watching "The Matrix Revolutions" on TV - a bit of a muddled movie in my opinion, not helped by the criminal underuse of the gorgeous Monica Bellucci.
I could go on about how we were spoilt after seeing the first ground-breaking Matrix movie, but that's old news. So here's a pic of the Italian beauty instead...
Monica Bellucci's movie database

Spring is here (again)....

Yesterday was historically the first day of spring, as opposed to March 1st - the official first day as designated by the UK Meteorological Office (see earlier post).
Where have all the flowers gone?

But it's still bloody freezing in London! The only plus side to this cold weather is that the pests and diseases which built up from previous years of mild winters should be taking a pasting.

South Park

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!"
Thus declared South Park's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to the trade paper Variety, as part of their ongoing "battle" with the Scientology Church.
Thus far the "battle" has resulted in an American TV channel dropping a South Park episode which mocked Scientology and actor Tom Cruise (who is a follower of its church). It has been alleged that Cruise threatened to boycott promotion of his upcoming Paramount film, Mission: Impossible III unless a sister cable TV network withdrew the anti-Scientology episode of South Park. Furthermore, the offending episode will NOT be aired in the United Kingdom (for fear of litigation).
It has also led to the departure of Isaac Hayes (who played Chef), claiming the outspoken animated series was insensitive to "personal spiritual beliefs".
South Park 'battling' Scientology (details)

Well done South Park, for highlighting the absurdity of the Scientology church!
I'm saddened by Isaac Hayes though - I've been a fan of his musical work since the 1970's. But if the claims are true, then his departure reeks of hypocrisy. It's funny that Hayes (who was a regular on South Park since its US TV debut in 1997) has been silent about the treatment of Christianity and other religions on South Park - until they poked fun at Scientology, to which he belongs.
And as for the touchy Tom Cruise - if the allegations about his threats are true, then perhaps he should consider becoming a Muslim fundamentalist instead.

Cash for peerages (continued)

The Labour party has now released the names of the wealthy businessmen who secretly lent them a total of nearly £14m. Labour continues to deny sleaze allegations following revelations that some of the lenders were later recommended for peerages.
New laws are now planned to ban secret loans to parties in future. Both Conservative & LibDem parties support these changes.

NAMES OF LABOUR PARTY LENDERS:
Rod Aldridge - £1m
Richard Caring - £2m
Gordon Crawford - £500,000
Prof Sir Christopher Evans - £1m
Nigel Morris - £1m
Sir Gulam Noon - £250,000
Dr Chai Patel - £1.5m
Andrew Rosenfeld - £1m
Lord David Sainsbury - £2m
Barry Townsley - £1m
Derek Tullett - £400,000
Total: £13,950,000

Labour reveals secret loans list (details)

Well, it doesn't take a genius to understand that ALL parties should declare any incoming funds, regardless of its source.
As for the proposal to let the tax-payer support political parties, I don't welcome the fact that my money could end up funding the ultra-right British National Party, or a radical Muslim party looking to introduce Sharia Law in the UK (or even George Galloway). COMPLETE transparency of funding is required - and a ceiling on the spending of political parties should be established.
Finally Tony Blair needs to take stock of a recent YouGov poll (for the Sunday Times) which showed 56% of people surveyed believed he had given peerages for money. When many of the most senior people in the Labour Party (including the treasurer, the deputy prime minister, the chancellor of the exchequer and the lord chancellor) claim they knew nothing about these loans, is it any surprise that his government is now considered as sleazy as John Major's from the 1990's?

Well done, Fulham

Well done to the lads from Craven Cottage for beating Chelsea (aka: Chelski; Chavski).
It was nice to see the high and mighty Chelski brought down to earth...
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea (vid-clip)

Superheroes

It appears both Marvel and DC comics have jointly filed a trademark on the word "super-hero."
Details here
If the story is true, then both Marvel & DC should be condemned for their actions and I hope this "trademark" is treated with the contempt it deserves...

Cash for peerages

The Labour Party says it plans to reveal the names of people who give it commercial loans - as it fends off "cash for peerages" claims.
The Tories quickly followed Labour in saying they would reveal details of future, but not past, lenders.
Labour is trying to end the row over three men nominated for peerages after secretly lending Labour millions.
MORE HERE

And they wonder why the British public couldn't care less about politics!

Adriana Lima

Adriana Lima features on the cover of the new GQ with the headline “The World’s Most Voluptuous Virgin.” Inside, Adriana says “Sex is for after marriage. (Men) have to respect that this is my choice. If there’s no respect, that means they don’t want me.”

Hmm...guess that's why the musician Lenny Kravitz is now Adriana's ex-boyfriend.

Britain revokes US Independence (continued)...

SUBJECT: NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE (REBUTTAL)

"To the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

We welcome your concern about our electoral process. It must be exciting for you to see a real Republic in action, even if from a distance. As always we're amused by your quaint belief that you're actually a world power. The sun never sets on the British Empire! Right-o chum!"

A FULL ANALYSIS OF THE ORIGINAL "REVOCATION" AND "REBUTTALS" HERE

I found this damn funny!!

Britain revokes US Independence...

Declaration of Revocation

"To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories.

Except Utah, which she does not fancy."

MORE HERE

PS: to our friends across the pond - relax, it's a spoof declaration (but it's still very funny).

John Profumo

Viewing political scandals - from the current Tessa Jowell mess back to the so-called "sleaze" which appeared to envelop John Major's Tory government in the 1990's, one looks at the Profumo affair of the 1960's with a sense of wonderment. John Profumo, CBE was a man who fell on his sword and didn't seek a return to the political arena, preferring obscurity instead (David Blunkett & Jeffrey Archer please note).
Now Profumo is dead. And to me it feels another era died with him. For example, Jeffrey Archer - found guilty of perjury in 2001 and sentenced to a total of four years' imprisonment - still holds the title Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (Archer was released on probation, after serving half of his sentence in 2003).
John Profumo - Obituary

Eurovision Song Contest

Ho-hum......another year, another crap UK entry.
Daz Sampson was chosen as the UK's entry for the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest after winning a live public vote on BBC 1 with the rap dance track "Teenage Life."
Sampson beat five other competitors, including Blue star Antony Costa and former Hear'Say singer Kym Marsh.
Gruesome details:
Dance track wins Eurovision vote

Driving Ms. Dozy

Donna Maddock must be missing a few brain cells.
First of all, this part-time model is caught on a police speed camera applying make-up while driving at 32mph - compact mirror in one hand and an eye liner in the other (Donna was fined £200 and had six points put on her licence after pleading guilty to careless driving). And the reason for risking life and limb to apply some make-up? She wanted to look her best for a date with a "secret lover" who has a girlfriend and child.
Details:
What can you do while driving?

Then it transpires dozy Donna is already serving a 20-month ban for drink-driving on a separate occasion. Finally Donna tells The Sun newspaper (who bought her story) that she's done naughtier things in a motor. “I’ve had sex in cars, tractors, wagons. The poshest was a Mercedes."

So far this story is being treated as a joke - but how funny would it be if this idiot had run over a mother with a pram?

Congratulations Gooners!!!!

Arsenal 0-0 Real Madrid (agg 1-0)

YEAHHHHHH!!!...some heart-stopping moments, but it's bye-bye to Becks, Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo & Co...
PS: sorry about your exit, Liverpool.

Farewell, L!VE TV

Oh dear - it appears the L!VE TV channel is off the air again. It has now metamorphosed into an adult channel called Babeworld.
Sad really. But I suppose the last incarnation of L!VE TV never caught the oddball fun of shows like "Topless Darts", "The Weather in Norwegian" and "Britain's Bounciest Weather with Rusty Goffe (a trampolining dwarf)" which were aired during the 1990's.
And let us not forget the L!VE TV News Bunny. A permanently cheerful giant rabbit who would mutely gesticulate in order to demonstrate his opinions, usually beside newscasters during bulletins.

Gone, but not forgotten....RIP.

Everything you always wanted to know about forum posting...

...But was too afraid to ask:
Posting And You...

A tip of the hat to the folks at the F.O. Bulletin Board for this little gem...

Norman Kember: 100 days on....

It has been 100 days since since peace activist Norman Kember was kidnapped in Iraq.
Mr Kember, of north-west London is being held by the "Swords of Righteousness Brigade" (along with three other captives). The kidnappers have demanded the release of Iraqi prisoners.
Details:
Vigils held for kidnapped Kember

Following is a list of foreigners believed to be held hostage in Iraq as at January 2006:
HOSTAGE NATIONALITY DATE OF CAPTURE
Mohammed Rifat Canada April 8, 2004
Wael Mamduh Jordan April 12
Saad Saadoun Kuwait June 5
Ali Ahmed Mousa Somalia July 29
Unidentified hostage Jordan Sept 1*
Four unidentified hostages Jordan Sept 5*
Two unidentified hostages East Asian Sept 13*
Khalifa al-Breizat Jordan Sept 14*
Two unidentified hostages Turkey Sept 14
One unidentified hostage Syria Sept 16
Unidentified hostage Turkey Oct 9
Two unidentified hostages Turkey Oct 14
Unidentified Somalia Oct 30
Noureddin Zakaria Sudan Oct 30
Radim Sadiq U.S. Nov 2
Ghazi Abu Hamzeh Lebanon Nov 13*
Two unnamed Turkey Dec 25
Two unidentified South Korea Jan 9, 2005*
Unidentified Turkey Jan 13
Sayed Abdel Khalek Egypt Jan 13*
Joao Jose Vasconcelos Jr. Brazil Jan 19
Mohammed Haroun Hamad Sudan March 9*
Maher Ataya Sudan March 9*
Nabil Tawfiq Sulaiman Egypt March 19
Mitwali Mohammed Qassem Egypt March 19
Jeffrey Ake U.S. April 11
Six unidentified Jordan May 6
Ali Abdullah Turkey June 7
Unidentified Turkey June 21*
Samuel Edward Egypt Sept 26
Abderrahim Boualam Morocco Oct 20
Abdelkrim El Mouhafidim Morocco Oct 20
Norman Kember Britain Nov 26
James Loney Canada Nov 26
Harmeet Singh Sooden Canada Nov 26
Tom Fox U.S. Nov 26
Mahmoud Saedat Jordan Dec 20
Six unidentified Sudan Dec 23
Jill Carroll U.S. Jan 7, 2006
Two unidentified Kenya Jan 18
Thomas Wischke Germany Jan 24
Rebiti Drata Germany Jan 24

NOTES - *Date kidnap announced.

No Show At Today's Record Fair...

There is a Record Fair in Kilburn (North-West London) today - however due to lack of funds, I have decided against attending.
Considering the prices of some of the classic vinyl on offer at these fairs (I once saw a 12" US import single of "Fantasy" by Earth, Wind & Fire on offer for £40), a healthy bank balance is definitely required....

Happy Birthday, Spitfire

Today is the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the iconic Supermarine Spitfire, an aircraft that played a vital role in the 1940 Battle of Britain (alongside the equally memorable Hawker Hurricane).
Details:
Spitfire maiden flight celebrated

Charmaine Sinclair

Out of my list of favorite ladies, Charmaine Sinclair (ex-model and reported ex-girlfriend of Robert DeNiro) still rules supreme. In the mid-1990s, she was a veritable honey-skinned goddess, who oozed pure style - to me she was one of the sexiest glamour models from the UK.
She's retired now and while little is known of her current whereabouts, I wish her well.


Charmaine Sinclair trivia

Welcome to Selfridges...prison?

Selfridges, one of the smartest department stores in London's Oxford Street, has agreed a deal with the Metropolitan Police to allow the force to instal up to 10 cells in former staff offices on the site to deal with shoplifters, credit card fraudsters and other retail criminals.
The cells, which are expected to be up and running later this year, will not house violent offenders, those suspected of having taken drugs or keep people overnight.
Details:
Selfridges to get police cells

Only God Can Judge Me

Our Tone has been criticised by anti-war campaigners after he suggested on Michael Parkinson's ITV1 chat show that his decision to go to war in Iraq would ultimately be judged by God.
Details:
PM attacked on Iraq 'God' remarks

Gee - and silly me thought Tony Bliar was accountable to the British electorate....
Then again, last year Dubya allegedly claimed he was on a mission from God when he launched the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq (according to Palestinian politician Nabil Shaath in a BBC interview).
Details:
George Bush: 'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq'

Spring is here (no, really!)

Apparently according to the Meteorological Office spring is here. It classifies the first day of spring as 1 March. Furthermore March, April and May are regarded by the Met office as the "spring months." However the actual date is under dispute (refer following link):
What day does spring start?

Well at the moment it bloody doesn't feel like it. The current arctic-like conditions has left London cold, icy and grey.
Oh well, here's a sunny pic to cheer everyone up.........

Water, water everywhere.....

A water company in Kent has been given the go-ahead to force 65,000 householders to install water meters.
Folkestone and Dover Water applied for "water scarcity status" because of the drought affecting the South East.
Following the government ruling, other water firms are expected to adopt similar measures.
Details:
Homes forced to get water meters

First of all, "New" Labour once opposed water metering, before the 1997 election. They branded it "a tax on family life." But it's not the first time this government has done a volte-face (and it won't be the last).
Secondly we as consumers are being forced to pay for years of under-investment (by previous governments and then by the privatised water companies) in maintaining and repairing the infrastructure (pipes and treatment plants) which has played a part in these shortages.
Finally, I know operating costs has previously made this idea a non-starter, but shouldn't we look at desalination plants again? Being an island nation, we're surrounded by water.
Details:
Proposed desalination plant

Police survey - no surprise at results....

Apparently nearly one third of Asian and black people in England and Wales fear police harassment if they make a complaint against their force, according to an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) study.
But less than 20% of white people told the IPCC they were similarly worried.
More details:
Ethnic groups 'fear police more'

A bit of a no-brainer really, considering the following article:

ANTI-RACIST campaigners and black police officers yesterday criticised a police force that allowed white officers who circulated overtly racist e-mails to keep their jobs.
Images sent by Merseyside officers included the head of a gorilla superimposed on a black woman in a bikini and entitled “Miss Africa”. Another showed the decapitated head of a black man who died after jumping on to a metal fence during a police chase. It was captioned: “Don’t run from the police.”
A third featured white eyes and teeth on a black background with a caption suggesting that it depicted a night scene in Harlem, New York.
More details:
Police keep jobs despite racist e-mails

It makes one despair for relations between police and ethnic minorities in the UK...

Terrence Howard Refuses To Perform 'Pimp' Song At Oscars'

Saw the following in yesterday's Daily Mirror:

OSCAR hopeful Terrence Howard has refused to sing at the Academy Awards after other black Hollywood stars urged him not to.
Howard, up for Best Actor for his role as a drug dealer in Hustle And Flow, was invited to sing It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp at the ceremony.
But he pulled out after Sidney Poitier, Will Smith and Denzel Washington warned him it could be harmful to black actors.
Rappers Three 6 Mafia will perform a toned down version of the song on Sunday.
Full story:
OSCARS' STAR NO TO SONG

An interesting tale - and quite different from the following story in the Indianapolis Star:

Howard, 36, is nominated for his lead performance as DJay, a Memphis pimp pursuing his hip-hop dreams in Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow." And even though he performed "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" in the film, he doesn't think he could do justice to the Oscar-nominated song when it comes to the live telecast.
"We don't have time in the schedule to work all that stuff out," says Howard in an interview at the annual Oscar nominees luncheon on Monday, Feb. 13. "It took me seven months to find DJay and find that voice. I don't think I could give it the full service that I gave it in the film."
Instead, he believes the performance will be left to the Memphis-based trio Three 6 Mafia. Jordan "Juicy J" Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard wrote the music and lyrics for the song.
More details:
No Oscars 'Pimp' Performance for Howard

How this story went from "not enough time to perform" to "a righteous stand for the black man" is beyond me. But I have one question for Terrence Howard:
If the first story is true and he is upset about the negative message of the song, then why do the movie in the first place?
Could it be a case of "Money talks".......?