Automatic Writing

We've Moved!

2008-01-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

NAMM 2008 Videos

2008-01-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

More NAMM Show 08

2008-01-17T17:21:00.001-08:00

Leo Fender's wife, Phyllis, with her special edition Blondie guitar made by G&L Guitars in Fullerton. G&L was Leo's second venture. His lab is still intact at G&L's headquarters, where the McClaren family now runs the business. Photo courtesty of G&L

More NAMM photos

NAMM Show 2008

2008-01-17T16:52:00.001-08:00

More Namm

Cabana Boys, Fullerton College

Refrigerators and Guitars

Cookie and Elmo start the show, followed by the NAMM band

Pelican

2008-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

NAMM 2008

2008-01-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

Update: NAMM!See photo blogThat's right, it's NAMM time again. Keep a look out. I'll post photos from the show here on Thursday. The show runs through Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center. NAMM is one of my favorite conventions. Music retailers come to get a look at the latest musical instruments and other products -- guitar straps, metronomes, deejay turntables.

Black Friday

2007-11-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Good Friday. Shoppers still doing their thing today in Orange County.

Newport Beach

2007-10-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Orangey Sky

2007-10-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Newport Beach this morning....

Water dropping helicopters on their way to the fires

Newport Beach Concours de'Elegance

2007-10-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Story in this week's OCBJ.

Orange County Auto Show

2007-10-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the autos, robots and creatures at the show, which started today at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Brasher Falls, New York

2007-08-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Village of Brasher Falls, where life is slooooow, cell phones don't work and everyone sells worms!

Four Pigs

2007-08-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

Astor Classics Event Center and museum

2007-08-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

If you ever get the chance to visit, say you're in Anaheim for Disneyland, make sure you check out the museum.

More on Art Astor

Here is a side story I wrote about Art Astor's 100,000 square foot event center and museum:
On a tour through radio station owner Art Astor’s Astors Classics Event Center—home to his auto and communications museum—it’s hard not to be astonished at the breadth of his collection.

“Everything works,” he says.

And everything has a story.

He’s got a 1921 Rolex watch still in its original box, a round silver pocket watch that Adolph Hitler gave away. Slot machines from 1916, and some that you play for cigarettes.

There are radios: Detrola radios made by the Detroit Radio Co., Jackson-Bell radios, GM (the automaker) radios, a $40,000 Zenith Stratosphere radio.

Room after room, there’s another display. He’s got the first TV displayed at the World’s Fair, binoculars from World War I, a bar radio, early portable record players, a contract signed by Lucille Ball, a $50 check signed by Mae West, electric trains, tennis rackets, a 1925 Hush-A-Phone that you could speak into and no one around could hear, a 1905 dial phone that was invented by a mortician and a collection of colorful, plastic radios from the 1930s to 1950s.

The radios are encased in intricately carved and varnished wood furniture. Radios back then were made to be heard and not seen. Radios often were disguised as a piece of furniture or something else, such as a teakettle or an ashtray. Brunswick Corp., the bowling ball company, made a radio that was tucked in a pullout drawer.

Astor’s meticulous side is apparent when you see the 275 cars—shiny and well kept—lined up by year. “You have to be appreciative of things and keep them in good order,” Astor said.

“He’s a real car nut,” says Randy Ema, who restores Deusenbergs in Orange. “He’s a go-getting guy. He lives for the deal. It’s keeping him youthful.”

Astor’s got Western actor Tom Mix’s Rolls-Royce and Gary Cooper’s 1938 Cadillac.

“That’s one of my finest,” he says.

In his Chrysler room, there is a 1936 Chrysler Airflow designed by Walter Chrysler, which looks like a PT Cruiser.

“It didn’t do well,” he said. “The style was ahead of its time.”

In 1934, the Orange County Packard dealer only sold one car that year—bad economy—and Astor has it.

Art Astor, Robert Escalante, a couple of car guys

2007-08-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

Read in this week's OCBJ: SoCal radio station owner and collector extraordinaire Art Astor, and Robert Escalante's Custom Auto Service, which restores Packards.
Astor Classics Event Center and Living Automotive and Communication Museum in Anaheim is one of California's treasures, for sure. Astor has an expansive collection of antique everything.

More on Astor

Custom Auto Service in Santa Ana restores and fixes Packards for Johnny Depp, business bigwigs and others

Wartime Radio Revue

2007-04-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

Photo credit, WWR
In this week's Orange County Business Journal:

In a perfect world, Pete Jacobs would like his 16-piece Wartime Radio Revue swing band to play in front of dancers who plunk down a $7 cover charge. But in reality, his band and others know corporate gigs pay the bills.

Companies need bands for holiday parties, fund-raisers and sales meetings.
Wartime Radio Revue, which plays big band music heard on the radio during World War II, has performed at swing dance haunts in Orange County—the Atomic Ballroom and Tia Juana’s Long Bar & Grill, both in Irvine.

“We are trying to keep a culture alive—the music, dance, dress—everything that was part of the scene,” Jacob said.

The band has played venerable venues, such as The Derby, El Capitan Theatre and the Hollywood Bowl. In July, Wartime is set to play at A Midsummer Night Swing at New York’s Lincoln Center. It spent eight years playing at Disneyland.

The best paying gigs are the ones the boss springs for. Depending on the event and the company’s budget, Jacobs has two other bands at the ready—the Class of ’69 and the Pete Jacobs Quintet.

Corporate gigs typically pay $3,500 to $5,000 and sometimes more. Aliso Viejo-based Quest Software Inc. paid the Tijuana Dogs, another local band on the corporate circuit, significantly more to play retreats in the Caribbean. Next week, the band is off to the Bahamas for a Quest gig.
read the rest here.

Dawn Gibbons' ties to Sierra Nevada

2007-03-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

A followup on the story I wrote for Nevada Today on the Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons - Warren Trepp - eTreppid saga.
This today from the Wall Street Journal:

Nevada Company's Capitol Ties
Defense Contractor Paid
Gov. Gibbons's Wife
For Consulting Work
By JOHN R. WILKE
March 30, 2007; Page A4

The wife of Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons was hired as a consultant to a defense contractor at the same time that her husband, who was then a member of Congress, helped the company get funding for a no-bid federal contract.

Dawn Gibbons got about $35,000 in consulting fees in 2004 from Sierra Nevada Corp., of Sparks, Nev., the company said. Mr. Gibbons, a five-term Republican who served on the armed services and intelligence committees, sought funding that year for Sierra Nevada for a $4 million contract to develop a helicopter radar-landing system.

The consulting fees paid to Mrs. Gibbons could draw new scrutiny from federal investigators already examining ties between Mr. Gibbons and another Nevada defense contractor, eTreppid Technologies, and Warren Trepp, its majority owner. Mr. Trepp, a big campaign contributor to Mr. Gibbons, is former chief trader for collapsed junk-bond dealer Drexel Burnham.

A federal grand jury in Washington has begun to issue subpoenas for documents, according to witnesses contacted in recent weeks. The case arose after a former business partner sued Mr. Trepp over the ownership of valuable software algorithms; he also alleged that the congressman helped eTreppid win secret defense contracts and that Mr. Trepp gave Mr. Gibbons gifts including private jet flights, a Caribbean cruise and casino chips, in addition to $90,000 in campaign contributions through firms he controls.
read the rest here.

Other updates:
Las Vegas Sun
Review Journal
The Review Journal story links Michael Milken to eTreppid
Mike Milken Myths, according to Mike Milken.
His note to editors and reporters.
(As an interesting side note: Milken's argument for why Boomers don't need to worry about social security in a WSJ story.)
Warren Trepp's new production: Legally Blonde on Broadway
Den of Thieves excerpt

Sun Worshipping Seal

2007-03-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, another seal at Newport Beach. This one climbed up on the rocks and raised his head to the sun, then laid down to rest.

Surfer Cuffed

2007-03-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

During today's fishing boat episode in Newport Beach (see prior post), this surfer ran past the yellow caution tape and went surfing because.... he wanted a wave to himself? He wanted to showoff? He thought it might be funny? It was sort of funny. He ignored (or didn't hear) the lifeguard hollering for him to get out and was subsequently cuffed and put in the backseat of the police truck. He seems to have taken it in stride.

There he is

Beached Fishing Boat in Newport

2007-03-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Action at the beach. The captain of this fishing boat, Emerald Sea, apparently fell asleep and ran ashore (that's the rumor version). Here's what the Register says. The boat was tied to the tugboat out yonder to keep it from moving any closer. Apparently, they were awaiting some more pulling power to yank it out of there.

Dolphin Pods

2007-03-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, Dolphin pods have dotted the Newport Beach ocean. These were taken along lifeguard tower 48-62. Mating season? I've never seen them gather and just hang out for hours like that.

By the way, it's the year of the dolphin. That's according to the international Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

You'll have to click on these photos to see more clearly.

Seal Squad Newport Beach

2007-03-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Update: The dispatcher at animal control said the seal went back in the water. She said sometimes seals or seal lions look ill but they're not. If they are sick they might beach themselves and rest, then go back in the water. But the thing to do is call City of Newport Beach's animal control at 644-3717 or Friends of the Seal Lion in Laguna Beach, 949-494-3050.
Friends of the Sea Lion said seals are mostly solitary beasts and the seal could've been molting.
Or he could've just needed a nap.
About 2:30 pm today, a seal beached himself in Newport Beach between lifeguard tower 44 and 48. Seal sightings in Newport are rare. The seal didn't look well. He had tags on his tail. A prior stint in rehab?

A squad of about 40 or so barking seals not far from the shore waited for the seal to return to the water. Dolphins swam with the seals and birds flew over head.

The City's marine/animal control department said they were on their way to rescue the seal. But by about 3:30 the barking seals left and the beached seal looked as though he was fading quickly. Sad and beautiful it was.

This from City of Newport Beach:

What should I do if I see a Sea Lion on the beach?

Pinnipeds divide their time between the ocean and the beach, returning to shore to rest, mate, give birth, and for some species molt their fur. Seals and sea lions will come ashore, as well, to stay warm and dry when feeling ill. Because they seek rest on the beach for a variety of reasons, not all seals and sea lions on the beach require intervention. Below are steps to follow if you DO see a seal or sea lion on the beach:

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE:

Marine mammals are protected by Federal Law and it is unlawful for unauthorized persons to handle them. Do not touch or feed the animal. Do not try to return the animal to the water. If the animal is ill, it has come on shore to be warm and dry. Feeding a severely malnourished animal can actually hurt them!

KEEP OTHERS AWAY:

To assure the safety of the public and the animal, please keep others and their pets away from the pinniped. These are wild animals and they do bite, allowing the opportunity for disease transmittal.

MAKE NECESSARY OBSERVATIONS :

From a minimum distance of 50 feet, observe the animal's physical and behavioral characteristics such as approximate length, fur color, and the presence or absence of external ear flaps. This will help us determine the rescue equipment and volunteers needed. Observe the overall appearance of the animal. Is the animal so thin that you can see its ribs and spine? Are there visible wounds? Does the animal have any identification tags or markings?

DETERMINE THE EXACT LOCATION:

For accurate directions, determine the exact location of the stranded animal. We will not be able to help the animal if we are unable to find it.

LOCATE THE NEAREST PHONE:

From the nearest phone, call Pacific Marine Mammal Center at 949-494-3050 or Newport Beach Animal Control at 949-644-3717.

Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama 2007

2007-03-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's almost Mother's Day and it's time for the skateboarding moms (newbies, pros and everyone in between) and "aunties" (those who aren't moms) from all over the world to join together. From Barb Odanaka, founder of the group:

The International Society of Skateboarding Moms is proud to present the fourth annual MIGHTY MAMA SKATE-O-RAMA, Sunday May 13th (Mother's Day) at the Laguna Niguel skateboard park in Orange County, Calif.

The MIGHTY MAMA SKATE-O-RAMA is party on wheels for Women Who Dare To Have Fun. The event (which starts at 10 am, with introductions of the skate moms at 11 am) features skateboarding women of all ages and abilities, in a non-competitive, family-friendly atmosphere. You don't have to be a "mom" to participate--all women are welcome, along with their supporters. As always, the event will feature a rockin' raffle of great skate gear and other cool stuff with all proceeds benefitting children's literacy programs. Spectators are welcome!

The 20,000-square foot Laguna Niguel skateboard park is located at 27745 Alicia Parkway in Laguna Niguel, CA. The skatepark charges a $10/person daily fee (or $60 for an annual pass) and requires full safety gear (knee pads, elbow pads, helmet) and a signed liability waiver.

For more information on the International Society of Skateboarding Moms or the MIGHTY MAMA event, please visit www.skateboardmom.com. Or check us out on MySpace.

Some of the fun

eTreppid Unsealed?

2007-03-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Documents in the case of eTreppid and Dennis Montgomery, former partner of eTreppid's chief, Warren Trepp may be unsealed.
More eTreppid.

eTreppid, The Life and Times

2007-03-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

More about eTreppid, the company behind the scandal, in Nevada Today.

Is eTreppid's video compression technology so battlefield special that it warranted a secret sole-source contract?

By Sherri Cruz
03/09/07

Before it was at the center of a scandal involving a federal investigation of the governor of Nevada, eTreppid Technologies LLC was once a run-of-the-mill company, developing software and vying for business through licensing deals.

eTreppid makes data compression software, which shrinks images, audio and video data so that it can be transmitted faster through technologies such as video cameras, cable and media players.

The Reno-based company, founded in 1998, doesn't appear to have been wildly successful. It announced one deal in 2002 with General Electric Co.'s subsidiary GE Security Inc., which used eTreppid's technology in its ClearCast line of video surveillance cameras that were marketed to casinos.

GE has since discontinued the ClearCast line and is now using VisioWave technology in a new camera. "We acquired more capable video technology, more suitable to the needs of our customers," said Steve Hill, a spokesman for GE.

eTreppid also made a run at the movie industry but it didn't win that business, according to a story in the Hollywood Reporter.

Alas, things turned around for eTreppid in 2004 when eTreppid and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) announced a $30 million military contract win in a press release dated Feb. 18 that year.

What was unusual about the win is eTreppid didn't have to compete for the contract. Other companies weren't considered. Which begs the question: Is eTreppid's technology so superior that only eTreppid could have done the work?

We don't know because the contract was obtained under Federal Acquisition Regulation code 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) (6), which says contracts that need to be secret for "national security" reasons may be awarded to a sole source if it "demonstrates a unique and innovative concept" and certain other criteria are met: "This authority may be used for any acquisition when disclosure of the Government's needs would compromise the national security."

ETreppid's chief executive Warren Trepp got help winning the contract from a powerful friend, Gov. Jim Gibbons. Then a congressman, Gibbons was a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Department of Defense and doles out defense money.

Gibbons has said in past news releases and recent news stories that eTreppid's technology wowed him, and in theinterest of national security, he opened doors for Trepp. The FBI is investigating Gibbons for possible ethics violations.
Trepp and Gibbons deny any wrongdoing.

But given the mere appearance of compromised ethics surrounding the $30 million deal, should alarms have sounded for Gibbons, Trepp or federal officials? Given their fast friendship, shouldn't that have warranted a competitive bidding situation?
Ken Hoffman, a spokesman for USSOCOM said: "USSOCOM would have no way of knowing what the relationship is between Gov. Gibbons and Mr. Trepp. To the best of our knowledge, USSOCOM was not approached by any political figure on behalf of eTreppid."

After winning that contract, eTreppid registered in March, 2004 with lobbying group Innovative Federal Strategies LLC (formerly Copeland Lowery Jacquez Denton & White) to land more defense work. The lobbying group is now facing its own scandal.

Also under wraps is a civil lawsuit filed in Jan. 26 by Dennis Montgomery, Trepp's former partner. It has been reported that Montgomery's allegations of improprieties by Gibbons and Trepp led to the investigation.
Government officials have said disclosing contents of the suit would hurt national security. In the lawsuit, Montgomery is disputing the ownership of software he says belongs to him. "No other person on Earth, to my knowledge, has created the types of programs I have created," he said in his press release. He didn't disclose what software is in dispute.
Montgomery didn't return a phone call for this story.

Montgomery is listed on eTreppid's archived site as executive vice president and chief technology officer. For 20 years, prior to joining eTreppid, he was a consultant for companies such as Eastman Kodak Co., Hexcel Corp. and Kaiser Permanente, according to his bio.

Among eTreppid's claims gleaned from press releases and a few stories: It developed "revolutionary" technology that compressed data faster than anything else in the market. ETreppid has five patents listed with the U.S. patent office.
Montgomery is listed as the inventor of all of them. ETreppid, the "assignee," is the likely owner of those patents.
Hoffman said eTreppid's advantage was that its product was proprietary. "ETreppid owned the exclusive rights to the product, and there were no similar competing products," he said. The potential value of the contract was $30 million, he said. USSOCOM only spent $9.6 million for the software. The contract has since ended, he said. "ETreppid provided the products contracted for."

Some experts in eTreppid's line of business are skeptical that eTreppid won based on its merits.
"The history of compression research is littered with ambitious individuals and companies making extravagant claims that turned out to be quite unfounded," said Andreas Wittenstein, president of Bitjazz Inc., a video compression company based in San Geronimo, Calif. Wittenstein, who had never heard of eTreppid, characterizes the data compression market
as small and fragmented. None of the four other data compression experts contacted for this story had heard of eTreppid either.

Evaluating eTreppid's technology is difficult, given what little public information there is about the company. There are few press releases and only an archived version of its old Web site. The company only has a front page up now.
In another release put out by eTreppid on Feb. 18, 2004 a consultant for the U.S. Air Force, Pete Wiedemann, reviewed eTreppid's technology: "eTreppid compression is, in a word, impressive." Who is Wiedemann? A Google search brings up few references. Apparently, he does a lot of defense consulting in a variety of areas, according to fedspending.org. In 2004, he was paid $283,000.

In the release, Wiedemann speaks in jargon: "Just the single-pass, lossy compression by itself yields high quality at very tight ratios, making it a valuable tool for communications and storage of a wide variety of data; Its ability to add lossless iterative re-compression magnifies that capability, achieving even tighter compression."
Lossy means some of the data is lost in the process of compression. Lossless keeps data intact.

Wittenstein dismisses much of eTreppid's claims. "The concept of 'iterative lossless compression' raises a red flag for any information theorist," he said. "Iterative data compression gains are a common hoax."
"eTreppid Technologies may truly have developed a superior product," he said. But without being able to evaluate the technology, he said he has no way of knowing.

Read my story about Warren Trepp.

eTreppid's mirror
eTreppid's patents
Dennis Montgomery's press release
eTreppid's registration with lobbyist

data compression sources
JPEG
MPEG-4
MP3
BitJazz
xiph.org
one river media

This page has been updated to include the full story.

King Doublebass

2007-02-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

photos top right, Brad Johnson, partner; bottom, Jason Burns, founder

My latest story at the OCBJ:

Miles Mosley needed a new upright bass for a big gig—playing with retro soul act Gnarls Barkley at the Grammys. He wanted the best of both worlds: a new bass with the feel of an old one.

“So we took a new bass and beat the crap out of it,” said Jason Burns, founder of Santa Ana’s King Doublebass.

Now that’s customizing.

King Doublebass makes upright basses, the cool kind with custom-painted flames that a Stray Cat might play. Indeed, it counts Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats as a fan. Other King players include Tim Skold of Marilyn Manson and Mike Kroeger of Nickelback.

Upright basses are a jazz staple. Rock musicians tend to use them as showpieces, according to Brad Johnson, Burns’ partner in King Doublebass.

“It attracts a lot of attention,” he said.

Especially when a bass has a snazzy paint job or glows in the dark. Players can twirl it, hop up on the side and “slap” it—an exaggerated way of plucking the strings. For rockabilly bands and others, the upright bass becomes a performance prop. Read the rest here.

King Doublebass

2007-02-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

This week in the OCBJ, read about Dwight Manley, head of the Jockeys' Guild, a Numismatist (student of coins), one time sports agent for Dennis Rodman and a Brea developer. He became part of coin-collecting history after selling his 1913 Liberty Nickel in 2003 for a then-record $3 million.

Next week, in the OCBJ, it's upright bass maker, King Doublebass of Santa Ana.
Jason Burns, founder

Who is Warren Trepp

2007-02-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

My story from Nevada Today:

Warren G. Trepp is king of scandalous headlines these days. But in his community, the Friend of Jim's is known as the "King of Hearts" for his philanthropic work.

Trepp is entangled with Gov. Jim Gibbons in a possible ethics violation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal Nov. 2006. Gibbons helped Trepp get lucrative government contracts for his Reno-based company eTreppid Technologies LLC. Trepp financially supported then-congressman Gibbons' election campaign. But was it a quid quo pro? And did Gibbons break any rules? The FBI is investigating.

Trepp and Gibbons, good friends, deny the allegations.

Trepp's wife of nine years, Jâlé, also has been dragged into the scandal, following the release of an email exchange between she and her husband that had the appearance of bribing Gibbons. Trepp has questioned the authenticity of the emails.

Making matters worse, Trepp is involved in a civil suit with his former business partner Dennis Montgomery, inventor of eTreppid's technology. Montgomery alleges he was forced out of the company January 2006 and that Trepp prompted his home to be raided. Trepp denies those charges. They are fighting over software code.

Normally, Trepp's company keeps a low profile, said George Bebis, director of the Computer Vision Laboratory at the University of Reno, Nevada. ETreppid has hired about three of Bebis' students.

"They do a lot of classified work for the Army – they don't want a lot of publicity," Bebis said. ETreppid makes audio, video and data compression technology, which allows high quality transmission at lower costs.

For Trepp, his business endeavors have been marked by scandals. This happens to be his third. But who is Warren Trepp?

Some people walk into a room and command attention, said Catherine Atack, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. "That's not Warren," she said. "He's unassuming. He's extremely modest," she said. Trepp and Atack meet weekly to talk theater. "He definitely guides us in that respect," she said.

"He's been great to us," said George LeBard, executive director of Project Mana, a non-profit that helps feed people. "He's very supportive, willing to listen to our story."

LeBard has met Trepp on several occasions. "He's a nice guy," he said. "He's not real talkative. He'll shake my hand and say 'Keep up the good work.'"

Trepp helped found the Parasol Community Foundation , which unites about 60 nonprofits in the area under one umbrella and one roof. It was Trepp's vision, along with community activist, Carla Hanson, who has since died, to make better use of nonprofit resources by collaborating and sharing space. Trepp was chairman until 2005. At his farewell event, songwriter Paul Williams wrote a poem dubbing him the "King of Hearts," for his generosity.

Trepp recruited Dean Meiling, a retired managing director of Newport Beach-based Pacific Investment Management Company, to take over as chairman.

Trepp is still a big donor to Parasol, said Howard Thomas, executive director of the organization. The nonprofit doesn't comment on donation amounts, he said.

But to get some more insight on Trepp, let's start with scandal No. 1.

It was the 1980s and "junk bonds" were all the rage. Junk bonds—high yielding bonds with higher default rates—were used to finance a whirlwind of mergers and acquisitions at the time. The company at the forefront of junk bonds was Drexel Burnham Lambert, headed by another king, Michael Milken, dubbed the "Junk Bond King." To the right of Milken was Trepp, chief bond trader.

Junk bonds led to bad business. Milken pleaded guilty to securities fraud in 1990. He paid $900 million in penalties altogether and the rest of the Drexel officers, including Trepp, paid $300 million in fines, according to the book "Banking on Fraud." Milken was sentenced to 10 years in prison but served less than two.

The Securities and Exchange Commission alleged Trepp had "parked" $366 million in bonds in 1986 for Reliance Group Holdings, an insurance company.

"Trepp had agreed to buy the securities to allow Reliance to get the paper off its books, then sell the bonds back to the company at no risk of loss," according to a 1997 story in Institutional Investor.

The SEC waited until 1995 to file a complaint, nine years after the fact.

The SEC dismissed charges against Trepp in 1999. From the SEC: "Although the law judge found that Trepp violated the law, she dismissed this matter because she concluded that the only remedy available to the Commission, a cease-and-desist order, could not be imposed because the Division had not shown that Trepp was reasonably likely to violate the securities laws in the future."

Meanwhile, Trepp moved from California to Nevada. He bought seven homes in 1987 in Incline Village and demolished them to build one 8,000-square-foot home, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trepp said at the time: "I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle… and the tax benefits are huge."

In 1993, Milken, freed from prison, moved to Trepp's neighborhood. He bought a six-acre lot nearby for $8 million—big money at the time. That year Milken was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, which he set out to beat. (Trepp is a big donor to the Prostate Cancer Foundation —between $250,000 and $499,000 annually). Milken also was rebuilding his life in other ways, becoming more philanthropic and taking up yoga, according to a cover story in Business Week.

Trepp became entrenched in the community as well. In 1995, he started the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and was busy with Parasol, founded in 1996. His mother, Florence Trepp, who died last year, also was involved with Parasol. Florence was a professional ballroom dancer and taught dancing with her husband, according to herobituary.

In 2005, Gibbons took a minute on the House floor to "congratulate my good friend and wonderful Nevadan, Mrs. Florence Trepp on her 80th birthday." He noted her community service to the Parasol Foundation and her Polish roots.

Trepp also founded Nevada Security Bank now under The Bank Holdings umbrella. At one point he was a principal shareholder through his Friendly Capital Partners LLC.

In 1995, with his former wife Jeanette Trepp, Trepp donated $1.76-million for a resource center at St. Monica Catholic High School, known as the Jeanette & Warren Trepp Resource Center.

The year 1998 seemed to be a good one for Trepp. He founded his company, eTreppid, married his second wife Jâlé S. Bora in October, and by December, he was preparing for the March 1999 opening of the musical Chicago at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Trepp, along with Barry and Fran Weissler, produced the show.

The Weisslers have produced a number of plays, including Grease and Fiddler on the Roof. Trepp has gone on to produce other plays and movies, such as One Last Dancestarring Patrick Swayze, and most recently "The Times They Are A-Changin'", which opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York. The Trepps also have contributedto the New York City schools for kids to attend Broadway shows.

In 1999, Trepp put his Incline Village compound on the market for $35 million. The 8.7 acre waterfront property included 600-feet of shoreline on Lake Tahoe and three custom homes, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trepp sold his Incline Village home about a year later for $32 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.

During that time, Trepp teamed up again with Milken and a couple of Silicon Valley "NRIs" (non-resident Indians) and headed to India. The duo, said to be worth a combined $21 billion at that time, were interested in investing in Indian technology companies through it's Friendly Capital fund of $100 million, according to the Economic Times India. The duo targeted Y2K work.

In 2000, Trepp's Friendly Capital helped fund XyVision Enterprise Solutions Inc., a Wakefield, Mass.-based developer of Internet content and publishing software. A company spokeswoman said Trepp is no longer involved in the company.

Around 1999, Trepp became associated with "coingate," scandal No. 2. This time it involved Thomas Noe, an Ohio Republican party fundraiser who was convicted of illegally funneling money to the Bush re-election campaign.

Noe, a former coin dealer, managed a $50 million rare coin fund for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

Meanwhile, Trepp was dealing in coins himself. He started Santa Ana, Calif.-based rare coin wholesaler, Spectrum Numismatics International Inc. in 1991. In 1999, Spectrum became a division of Greg Manning Auctions Inc. Greg Manning became the Escala Group in 2005.

In a stringy affair, Noe purchased 500,000 shares of Greg Manning at a 36% discount in 2002 from Trepp, according to the Toledo Blade. Noe went on to steal millions from the fund he managed for the state and was found guilty in Nov. 2006. Trepp was never accused of any wrongdoing.

In 2002, Etreppid provided video compression technology for GE Interlogix's (now GE Security Inc.) video surveillance products. That same year, Trepp entered into lighter fare. He and Tom Clydesdale, as Rap Ventures LLC, opened the Rapscallion Seafood House & Bar in Reno. Clydesdale is owner and president of Village Realty Executives in Reno.

In 2004, eTreppid reaped a $30 million, five-year no-bid contract by the United States Special Operations Command. ETreppid was ranked the 16th largest defense contractor that year, according to Aerospace Daily.

Gibbons touted several defense contracts June of that year, including eTreppid. He stated that eTreppid: "allows higher-quality automatic target recognition from compressed video information. This technology can be integrated into the Predator, operated from Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas."

Which leads us back to scandal No. 3.

Read my story about eTreppid here.
more eTreppid.

Meth Mouth Mania

2007-02-12T07:14:00.002-08:00

Meth draws a lot of attention in Nevada. But it's just part of a larger drug problem in the state. Here is my latest story. Read it in Nevada Today:

“Meth mouth” is a ghastly thing.

Surely, you’ve seen the before and after photos of how the drug meth—short for methamphetamine—rots a user’s teeth. Lately, the state has been blanketed with frequent and graphic media coverage of meth’s toll.

The drug speeds users to zero in a matter of months. That’s because it’s easier to get hooked on meth. It messes with dopamine levels in the brain and creates a “seeking behavior.” Users often end up chasing the original high, never to be achieved again. Meanwhile, the addiction devastates a user’s body, mind and spirit.

Meth mouth screams for attention.

But is it the “colossal struggle of our times” as framed by Gov. Jim Gibbons?

How about problem gambling or prescription drug addiction, both more frequent for Nevadans than meth? What about the ravages of poverty or homelessness, felt by so many Nevadans? Death by alcohol kills more people in Nevada than meth.

Don Richter, at the forefront of the anti-meth campaign, puts it this way: “We think the meth war is going to be long term.” Richter, founder of Reno-based Secret Witness, a crime solving organization, said the problem is at the U.S. border – meth is now being made in Mexico.

“They’re just coming in with backpacks full of it.”

And so, in the past year, meth has moved to the top of the list of things to care about in Nevada. How did that happen? More on that later.

First, let’s put the meth problem in perspective. The number of meth users in Nevada is estimated to be about 40,000, according to the federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health (based on annual averages for 2002 through 2004). That number is small compared to the number of people who abuse alcohol and other drugs. Nationally, the estimated number of meth users is 1.3 million and use is declining. That’s right, declining.

Michael Pollan

2007-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

A brilliant piece of journalism in the New York Times Magazine: Unhappy Meals by Michael Pollan.
It's 15 pages but well worth the read.
The lead

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

says it all. Then Pollan gets into the nitty gritty.
He will be in Newport Beach March 16 and 17

Las Vegas Yet Again

2007-01-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

NAMM 2007 Clayton Cameron

2007-01-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Clayton Cameron, drummer for Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and others giving a brushing demo

Peruvian skeletons imported by Inter-American Trading Co. Aren't these the coolest things? A Peruvian family makes them and the Denver, Colo. company imports them. They cost between $10 and $22.

Bassist Carol Kaye and ?? Carol played with the jazz greats of the 1950s. Her mom saved up so she could take lessons. "It was jazz that did it for me," she told me last year. She named Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw as major influences.

NAMM 2007 Photos

2007-01-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

NAMM 2008 here.
I've been to a lot of trade shows and NAMM is by far the best. Music is everywhere. People are playing drums, trumpets, accordions, and instruments I've never seen before. Impromptu performances are going on all over. Professional musicians hold mini music lessons.

But NAMM is really about business. It's where the musical instrument makers, the retailers and the distributors gather to do business.

Legendary jazz drummer Louis Bellson was there today! I stopped by to say hi and scored an autograph and a CD. The late great Irv Kluger, my former drum teacher, used to tell me about working with Louis. Irv had so many stories. I wished I had paid closer attention.

The show is mostly about working musicians, not the celebrity types. But there were a few. There was a huge long line waiting for guitarist Steve Vai.

Here are some of the sights:

Chris Gardner Spiritual Genetics

2007-01-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

Christopher Gardner, the inspiration for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, was in Orange County yesterday at Joe's Garage in Tustin to speak at the local auto dealers annual meeting.

He looked stunning (can you say that about a man?) in a grey suit, pink shirt underneath and a hot pink hankie in his top pocket that he occasionally used to dab his forehead. He reeked of humbleness. He was humble enough to sit and eat with the auto dealers who came to see him. He didn't rush in at the last minute when it was his turn to speak.

As you probably know, he's a motivational speaker, an author and a millionaire, who at one point in his life lived homeless with his son. But he says he's first and foremost a father.

As a speaker, he's funny, frank and engaging, a natural storyteller. He's working on a book about spiritual genetics, a follow-up to his recently published The Pursuit of Happyness.

Spiritual genetics is a concept that says we can choose the spirit we want to embrace, choose the people we want to be. "I could've embraced the spirit of my step-father," he said. His step father was abusive to the extreme, he said. "I chose to embrace the spirit of my mother."

I'm sure some of the people at the meeting were anticipating his rags to riches story, which he told, but getting wealthy, he said, was the means to accomplish his true mission in life: "to break the cycle of men who are not there for their children."

Great message. I was inspired to be a better father! A better mother, anyway.

Here's some of what he had to say:
On the movie: "These guys spend $70 million to recreate what I did with nothing."
on Will Smith's son: "He has more talent in his little toe than Will Smith has in his whole body."

His journey to fame started with Barbara Walters, who interviewed him for 20/20. He didn't want to do the show at first. His initial response was: No. "Why me?"

They didn't give up, he said. "We had some serious conversations." He agreed to do it only if it didn't focus on his millionaire-ness -- the toys, the stuff the property. He wanted to tell the tale of an enlightened father.

He said one of the scariest things in the world: "is Barbara Walters saying your first and last name and you don't know what she's going to say next."

He said that show was the second highest rated 20/20. The day following the airing, the calls poured in, including one from Oprah. He said he declined the invitation and got a message back that: "it's not nice to say no to Oprah."

Gardner finally made it to Oprah, where he shed some tears. "I broke down crying," he said. "There's no crying on Wall Street."

He got a another call from a producer who wanted to do a reality series about homeless people, involving cleaning them up and getting them a job and giving them money -- if they win.

Gardner: "Homelessness is not a game," he told the guy. "But if you're thinking it is," he said, send him the money because he already won.

He also got a call from movie producers who wanted to "take a meeting."
"I'm from Chicago," he said. "I take the train. I take a nap." He's never taken a meeting. He said he has never been fond of Los Angeles. "I do not like LA. I do not get it."

Turns out they want to do his story and they want Will Smith to play him. "I'm a huge Will Smith fan. I love his movies, his music." Next thing, they were filming in San Francisco, which is where he started in the field of science after being discharged from the Navy. He was 22 years old, single, no kids and was making $7,500 a year.

Here's where his story gets interesting. He vindicates homeless people, who are typically blamed for their homelessness.

"Life happens," he said. "If this was a different venue I'd say something else. I will say it anyway: Shit happens and sometimes it happens to you."

to be continued.....

Chris Gardner and NAMM

2007-01-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

Busy week this week.
Chris Gardner, the inspiration for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, will be speaking at the Orange County Auto Dealers annual gathering. I'll fill you in on some of what he has to say. I have yet to see the movie.

Also, later this week is NAMM, the annual musical instruments trade show at the Anaheim Convention Center. Who doesn't love music. I'll post some photos here.

But read about it first at OCBJ.

How To Increase Homelessness

2006-12-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

A book for the season, "How to Increase Homelessness," posted on LA's Homeless Blog. And a great idea, adopt a homeless person.

Letters for a Better World

2006-12-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

In light of the ongoing wars and the quaint notion of world peace, Adele Seigel popped into my mind yesterday. She was 78 when I met her in 1998 and author of a book called “Letters for a Better World.” I wrote a story about her here.

Her self-published book, which called for world peace, is a compilation of a decade’s worth of letters she wrote to world leaders such as Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, Syria’s former President Hafez al-Assad, Pope John Paul II, Al Gore when he was vice president, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and North Korea’s President Kim Jong.

Surprisingly, some world leaders, such as President Carter and Sen. Harry Reid, actually wrote back. I'm sure an assistant drafted the response, but who'd think a politician would sign off on a thoughtful five-paragraph letter. Here’s part of Sen. Reid’s 1995 response to Adele’s concern over the Balkan war:

“While the arms embargo has been successful in keeping Bosnian Muslims from defending themselves it has done nothing to bring the war to an end. As U.N. forces who are forbidden to engage in combat have watched helplessly, Serbian soldiers have laid waste to villages and towns across Bosnia.”

She got right to the point in her letters, often admonishing a world leader for not being more peace minded. She wrote in 1990 to Sen. Edward Kennedy: “If you do not get with it, we will have to elect another Congress. People are getting disgusted.”

Here’s an excerpt of what she wrote in 1990 to the first President George Bush:

“He (Sadaam Hussein) should be advised that a New World government is about to come into existence whereby all the nations will have to work together and help each other. Also, all weapons and all other kinds of armaments will have to be reconverted to be used for more constructive purposes.”

She knew people thought she was crazy but writing letters was her way of making a difference. She ran around, literally, mostly trips to the post office, and had a sense of humor despite her futile battle for world peace.

Maybe she was a crazy lady but I liked her spunk. Reading her book again is like a lesson in history.

This brings to mind someone who told me that world peace would never be. Here's some background. I was working on a story June 2002 for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and had an opportunity to chat with Barry McCaffrey, retired four-star general and former Clinton administration drug czar. He was fighting to keep funding for the Crusader tank. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wanted to eliminate funding for the Crusader tank. (The tank lost).

As a side note, I asked him if there might come a time when we might not need ammunition and soldiers for wars. He could've laughed heartily but he didn't. He said humans are prone to war. Here's an excerpt from my story:

McCaffrey dismissed the notion that the number of wars will diminish, saying it's human nature. He said the U.S. is likely to attack Iraq within 18 months. North Korea is another threat, with chemical weapons and a million-man army. "On any given day they could be a menace to U.S. forces," he said. Another 20 nations possess nuclear or chemical weapons.

When it's time to fight, aircraft isn't going to do the job, he said. "At the end of the day, artillery is the dominant weapon on the battlefield," he said.

I always find it interesting that the Iraq war began at the time he estimated. Here's the story.

Leo Fender History

2006-12-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

The door to Leo Fender's office, still intact at G&L Guitars in Fullerton, reads: "Laboratory: Mr. Fender Only." Leo developed the Telecaster and Stratocaster.

Leo, who surprisingly wasn't a musician, did everything from scratch. He welded the guitar-making benches and made tools. In the photos (below) of his office you'll notice a boat design -- he was fond of boating -- and tins full of nuts and bolts, magnifying headgear, money in an envelope...

Read about G&L and the Fender history at OCBJ.
Take the full tour of the factory at G&L.

The Leo Fender story is one of my favorites. Here's a little background:
By the late 1940s, Clarence Leonidas Fender, born in a barn on his family's ranch and orange grove in Fullerton, had established himself as a tinkerer with his own radio repair shop on Spadra Road, now Harbor Boulevard. In 1946 he started The Fender Electric Instrument Co. in Fullerton. His sidekick, George Fullerton – the "G" in G&L -- joined him in 1948. Fender developed the famed Stratocaster and the Telecaster in the 1950s. After battling strep throat infections for a number of years, Fender sold his company for $13 million to CBS in 1965, a huge sum of money at the time for a music company.

He had a work contract for another five years -- he resigned in 1970 -- and had to refrain from competing with Fender for 10 years. During that time, as an investment, he bought a parcel of land near Valencia Ave. and built several industrial buildings that he leased to small businesses. He used some of the buildings for his company, CLF Research. The CLF stood for Clarence Leo Fender. At CLF, Fender made instruments for Music Man Instruments -- now Ernie Ball -- and finally, in 1979, after his noncompete agreement was over, he founded G&L with Fullerton, his long time friend and associate. Fender died in 1991.

For a complete history, read George Fullerton's Guitar Legends: The Evolution of the Guitar from Fender to G&L, published by Hal Leonard Publishing Corp.

NAMM 2007

2006-12-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

THE musical instrument show of the year is coming to the Anaheim Convention Center in January.

These are some of the shots I took this past January. I'll be attending again next month. Yamaha, the largest instrument maker, is based here in OC, as are G&L Guitar, founded by legendary Leo Fender, inventor of the Telecaster and Stratocaster, Rickenbacker and several entrepreneurial music companies.

Some of the musicians who attended: Dave Navarro, Mick Fleetwood, Gene Simmons, Micky Dolenz from the Monkeys, American Idol judge Randy Jackson, Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, pop singer Kelly Clarkson.

Pictured is Carol Kaye, one of the few females who played with the jazz greats of the 1950s. Some of what she told me: "I never thought of myself as a woman playing guitar," she said. "The man doesn’t think of himself as a man playing bass." It was poverty that brought her to music. "My mother knew I was lonely," she said. Her mom saved up so she could take lessons. "It was jazz that did it for me," she said naming Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw as major influences.

Staying in California

2006-12-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Why do California companies stay, despite the high costs of doing business in the state? Is it the sun, the surf? It's pretty much the workforce.
Read it at Nevada Today.

Vegas Homeless Feeding Ban Illegal

2006-11-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas tried to ban people from feeding the city's poor and homeless by handing out citations and fines. A U.S. District Court Judge recently said he intends to kill the city's ordinance.

Oscar Goodman, the city's infamous mob attorney turned mayor argued: if you feed them they will come. Goodman said he wanted the poor and homeless to go to shelters, where they could sleep and eat.

Was benevolence the mayor's motivation? I suspect not, though I'd love to chat with him. I found the shelters overstuffed when I visited Las Vegas this past summer. I also found that beds and meals cost money! Most shocking was the number of homeless people since I moved away about six years ago. The minute I pulled up to my hotel, Gary and Diane asked me for money. They were the first people I talked to about being homeless.

Why do I care? I spent part of my youth in Las Vegas, went to University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and for 12 years altogether, it was my home. I've always had a love-hate relationship with the city and I believe that if the city began to focus more on community and social issues, such as homelessness and education, it would be a fine place to live.

Following is the longer version of a story I originally wrote for Nevada Today.

Meet Robert.

He’s a Teamster, who used to ski professionally. He gets a kick out of the Kahuna show in the morning on KKLZ. The Department of Motor Vehicles gets his blood boiling. He enjoys McDonald’s coffee late at night. He likes to see the free movies at the library on Tuesdays. He’s a voracious reader, currently reading about pro-golfer John Daly.

Occasionally, Robert will hit a few balls himself. “I love to hit a bucket of balls,” he said.

But he usually does that past midnight, when he doesn’t have to pay. He can’t afford a golf club membership or a round.

See, Robert doesn’t even have a place to turn in at night, a place to shower. He works sporadically. His last job was helping out on the construction of Hooters Casino Hotel.

Robert, who didn’t want his last name used for this story, wanders the streets as one of the Las Vegas area’s estimated 12,000 homeless. The word “homeless” is a catchall for people who are supposed to be miscreants, alcoholics, drug addicts, gamblers, and lazy and stupid beggars.

For sure, many homeless have addictions.

They likely also have underlying emotional and mental disorders, medical issues or physical handicaps. That makes it difficult for them to hold a regular job, which keeps them down. Eventually, they stop caring what people think and they drop out of society.

The question is: Even if they are to blame for their situations, should they be denied basic needs such as food and shelter and perhaps most important, dignity?

Las Vegas seems to have answered “Yes.” The city has been antagonistic toward its growing homeless population and recently made news around the world for making it illegal to give food to homeless in city parks. Mayor Oscar Goodman said homeless are congregating in parks, scaring away neighbors. City officials contend that the new law helps homeless people by keeping them at local shelters.

One thing is clear, local charities aren’t meeting the need and the city seems to be breeding a culture of homelessness. Many of the homeless are children and families with children. Many more are on the verge of homelessness—the so-called “working poor.”

“It’s tough,” Robert said. “Everybody likes to think they know what a homeless person is like,” he said. “We’re just like the United States of America. We’ve got different problems,” he said.

“We’re not idiots, we’re not all stupid.”

When he’s rustling around in the trash across from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Robert doesn’t look bright. He looks menacing. His jeans and t-shirt are stained and filthy. His hair is unkempt and his face has deep wrinkles burned by the sun.

Still, he doesn’t look as old as his 54 years. Maybe it’s all the walking he does.

As a homeless person, Robert’s always on the go and in the Las Vegas heat, he’s usually seeking shelter. The bus is good for cooling off, he said. “The library would be a No. 1 spot.” But he also likes the library because it’s one of the few places where people treat him kindly.

“They are the single nicest people for the homeless on Earth today,” he said. Robert tends to define places by the level of kindness. He points to the 24-hour Laundromat next to the Coffee Bean on Maryland Parkway – “They’re very, very nice.”

Robert avoids shelters such as the Salvation Army because they haven’t proven helpful for him. Where to sleep isn’t a matter. “I don’t sleep 8 hours. When you’re on the street, eight minutes, yes. Eight hours, no.”

A bit on shelters. The Salvation Army makes a distinction between beds and cots. The 114 cots are free – but usually full. Beds cost $4 to $6, depending on the dorm. The 200 or so beds are nearly full every night, according to Thomas Bell, shelter supervisor.

“First nighters” who want a free cot must get in line at 6:15 p.m. to sign up. If he scores a cot, he can keep it for 30 consecutive days. But he must check in everyday by 8 p.m. and be out at 5:30 a.m.

The shelter serves one free meal at 2:45 p.m. Additional meals cost $2.50. Catholic Charities has similar policies. If the charge for beds and meals weren’t enough to keep the homeless on the streets, then the drug and alcohol policy surely is. The Salvation Army’s mantra: “We have a zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs.”

Bell said the Salvation Army has to charge for its beds and meals to stay in business. Donations aren’t enough, he said.

Father Joe Carroll, who used to run Las Vegas’ M.A.S.H. Village, said charging homeless for food and shelter isn’t helpful. But Las Vegas shelters don’t have a choice, he said. The agencies need more support, financially and otherwise, from the city and the county, he said. “Agencies have become the enemy.”

Carroll knows a thing or two about Las Vegas’ homeless problem. His rehabilitation shelter served about 500 people a night for eight years before Carroll bumped heads with Goodman, the then-incoming mayor. “The mayor believes they’ll leave town.” The prior mayor, Jan Laverty Jones, had another vision, Carroll said. “She thought we should address the need.”

Once Goodman took office, the city changed its mind on a land deal that would’ve allowed M.A.S.H. to expand, Carroll said. M.A.S.H. closed in 2002 and Carroll left Las Vegas and took many of his staff with him. Carroll’s Father Joe’s Villages instead built a shelter in Indio, Calif.

Carroll is optimistic about what a shelter combined with rehabilitation can do. “I believe I can get you off alcohol in 30 days or less.” Homeless need immediate help and then the education and skills to build a new life, he said. “That’s why M.A.S.H. was a two-year program,” he said.

Carroll suggests those who take a hard line on homelessness get to know a homeless person. “Meet them,” he said. “When people don’t understand something, they fear it,” he said. “They’re regular people.”

Las Vegas will lose its battle with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, which is fighting the new ordinance, Carroll said. “It’s unconstitutional,” he said. “Prejudiced against the poor.”

Everything Robert owns is inside a backpack. He’s got a small $15 radio he bought downtown, another pair of jeans, two pair of jockey shorts, a McDonald’s card for coffee, ChapStick and a cell phone that isn’t working at the moment. “If you have a cell phone and a bus pass—you have those two things you can do anything you want in this town.”

His bag has been stolen several times along with his identification. Trying to get a new identification at the Department of Motor Vehicles has merely raised his blood pressure.

Robert said he doesn’t do drugs but he drinks sometimes. He once gambled but said he doesn’t anymore.
He tries to stay clean so he can get hourly-wage jobs through Manpower, which tests for drugs and alcohol. “I can’t panhandle,” he said. “That takes balls.”

“I do not draw unemployment. I do not draw anything.”

How does Robert eat? He tugs on his belly roll and asks: “How do I stay thin?” He said there are certain chefs and cooks around town who will share the night’s leftovers rather than throw it out. They will pour him a cup of coffee and stuff a to-go container. In return, Robert said he mops the kitchen floor.

He recently spent five days in jail, though he was only sentenced for four. “They’re so backed up,” he said. Jail’s upside: Shower. “The most I shower is when I go to jail.” He’s been in jail about 20 times, never for a violent offense or for stealing. His most recent offense was not showing up on a charge of “impairing the flow of pedestrian traffic.” He said he was sitting on a bench with his legs out.

“We’ve got a lot of crazy cops and a lot of good ones, and a lot of lazy ones that spend their time with people like me,” he said.

Gail Sacco, who has been giving food, water and clothing to the city’s homeless for about 14 months, said homeless people are arrested repeatedly for non-violent offenses such as open containers and sitting on park benches. Once they’re arrested, that makes it more difficult for them to get a job.

Robert wasn’t always homeless. He’s a college graduate and was married. He chokes up when he talks about his ex wife. These days, he keeps his hope in check: “Don’t get too crazy about what you want because you’re not going to achieve it,” he tells himself.

“My ambition is to see tomorrow’s sun come up.”

Gary Wheeler’s ambition is to get the heck out of Las Vegas.

Wheeler, born in Johnson City, New York 53 years ago, is three-weeks new to the streets. He used to share an apartment with a friend, paying $200 in rent. He didn’t want to say how he ended up homeless. But alcohol and gambling, which have possessed him nearly his whole life, may have played a part.

“I drink too much,” he said. “That’s everyday, everyday, everyday, at least a case of beer by myself,” he said. “I’m an alcoholic.” His father, who died about 10 years ago, was an alcoholic and a gambler. He owned several bars and pawn shops in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

“He came out to Vegas one time and lost three quarters of a million,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler began drinking in the sixth grade and dropped out in 10th grade.

He said he’s tried all of the treatment programs but nothing works. “I don’t gamble any more,” he said. “I don’t have any luck gambling because I always lose,” he said.

Wheeler works. He’ll clear palm tree cuttings for cash. “Believe it or not, I’m not lazy.” He goes to the truck stops and washes gas tanks for $50. He also washes windshields at gas stations until he’s thrown off the property. Wheeler will panhandle, too.

But he said his days in Vegas are numbered to two weeks. If he can sober up enough to get on an airplane—he’s already been refused once—he flying to Louisiana, where he’ll work on a boat that delivers supplies to oil rigs. “It will get me on my feet,” he said.

“I’m going to be a swabbie and a cook. That’s it.”

But today he’s got more pressing matters. “I’m going to get me a quart of beer right now. I’m thirsty. I’m hung over. I need one,” he said.

“That’s the truth.”

Diane Diorio’s story in short is one of abuse, from her mother, to her former husband, who died of a drug overdose one Thanksgiving, to herself. Not too long ago she tried to commit suicide by swallowing sleeping pills. “I woke up and I was pissed.”

Diorio, 49, is an attractive woman, buff from clearing palm tree cuttings. “We worked yesterday in the heat weeding a large yard for $50,” she said.

“I can do a lot of things,” she said. “I have so many skills. I ran three offices.” She and her then-husband owned a countertop fabrication business in Chicago. Their company remodeled all of the McDonald’s restaurants countertops in the 1980s, she said. “We were really, really successful,” she said. Diorio also writes poetry and plays guitar and piano. She can’t afford to get her musical instruments out of storage because she hasn’t paid the rent.

“I lost everything.” She hasn’t seen her four children in years.

She stays off the streets by staying with men she meets. “I just hope and pray the next one is a gentleman,” she said. Typically, they become controlling, she said. She married a man who offered her health insurance. Diorio said she is bipolar and is on a mood stabilizer.

“I just feel like the world has won,” she said. “My hair keeps falling out. My speech is becoming very crass. I’ve become cynical,” she said.

“I’m pissed.”

Hawleywood's Barber Shop

2006-10-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hawleywood's--No Broads Allowed! Truly, I felt like I trampled on sacred grounds when I went to do a story about this men's hangout and barbery. But really, they were all nice guys.
Owner Donnie Hawley is about to open a much larger barber shop in Long Beach and Hawleywood's may even be the next reality show if the pilot goes well.

Read about Hawley's barber shop in Costa Mesa in this week's OCBJ.

Anaheim in Hemispheres Magazine

2006-10-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

I just finished a slew of stories on the city of Anaheim for Hemispheres Magazine, United Airlines inflight magazine.

Check it out here in December!

Anaheim is probably best known as the home to Disneyland, but there's a lot going on there. The city is revitalizing its entire downtown with new housing, stores, and businesses. It's part of a national "New Urbanism" trend, or flight from the suburbs back to the cities.

Some of the new projects include A-Town and the Gardenwalk.

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

2006-08-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Originally published in Nevada Today
press photo

Darby O’Gill has a flat on the freeway and is a wee bit late to his gig at McMullan’s Irish Pub on West Tropicana. No matter. His band is hanging out, eating bar food and getting drunker by the minute. So are the fans.

For Darby O’Gill and the Little People, drunkenness is part of the act.

The fivesome are a rollicking and bawdy Irish drinking band, named after a 1950s movie that starred Sean Connery. Throughout the night they play traditional Irish songs, even originals such as “I got so drunk (I crapped meself).” They turn tunes such as the Pussycat Dolls pop hit “Don’t Cha” and Radiohead’s “I’m a Creep” into an Irish jig.

“We’ll play any request,” says singer and fiddler Nancy Whiskey, who in real life is Tristan Moyer.

“If we know it or not,” says drummer Paul Sinnott, who plays the role of Paddy O’Furniture.

“Except Winger,” Moyer says.

“We won’t play Winger,” confirms Sinnott.

The banter is a constant during and after performances. They encourage the audience to get in on the act by singing along to a chorus of cussing, which has gotten them fired from a few bars in town. O’Gill, whose real name is Andy Morris, lets the audience know it’s okay to drink into the night. “Work is for sobering up,” he says with the tongue of an Irishman .

A socially responsible drinking band they’re not. But it’s all for fun.

“The band runs on the energy of barely not liking each other,” says Sinnott. He’s the only one with a real accent. He’s from Liverpool. The audience thinks it’s an act, he says. “They don’t know that we’re giving each other real shit.”

Whether it’s an act or not—and it’s hard to tell because each becomes their character—the audience digs it. Pints raised, the fans shout along.

The band has two CDs: Traditional Irish Dance Music: Volume 1 and Darby O’Gill Live. The band’s next CD, to be released on St. Patrick’s Day: Just Because You Live on the Top Floor Doesn’t Mean You’re Above Everybody Else.

Morris says he inadvertently brought along the wit from his former band, the Kickwurmz, a rock and rap act with funny rhymes. Kickwurmz broke up around 2001. “We kind of felt as though the genre had passed,” Morris says. About that time Morris was getting into Irish music.

Darby O’Gill and the Little People have been going strong for four years. They play four nights a week – steady gigs that pay. In fact, none of them need a day job. That’s why Morris started the band – to never, ever have a “real” job again.

The band says that’s the allure of being a musician.

“My liver is fucking dead but at least I don’t have to refill diet Cokes,” says Joe Brailsford.

Brailsford is Ringo Malarky, the accordion player with an air of Keith Richards. Morris and Brailsford met at Roxy’s Diner at the Stratosphere. Morris was a disc jockey and Brailsford was waiting tables. Morris said he played guitar. Brailsford said he played accordion. Tada! Irish band.

Why an Irish band? It’s all about filling a niche and making some green stuff. Morris saw a lot of Irish pubs around town but not a lot of Irish bands.

“It’s hard to get a group together,” says Morris. “But we got it going on.”

The band has all of its original members except for the revolving Phil McCrackin bass-player role. Third bassist Ted Sablay recently left to play keyboard and guitar with The Killers, which release their Hot Fuss follow-up, Sam's Town, in October.

Moyer sings, chews gum and fiddles at the same time. Moyer says she plays the fiddle because she’s a bad violinist. Her best instrument is her voice, which alone, makes the band worth seeing. Her tone is jazzy and husky, Ella Fitzgerald crossed with Bjork.

She keeps up with the boys in the band, easily holding up her end of the whiskey conversation.
“I never drank ‘til I was 21,” says Moyer, who began performing with the band when she was 17. “Now I’m an alcoholic.”

Moyer listens to everything from the Beatles to country. She sings praises of the outlandish Peaches, who performed recently at the House of Blues.

During a break – they do three sets of 45 minutes – Moyer and Morris complain about Las Vegas radio.

“The radio here is truly crapped out,” Morris says. But they are both big KNPR fans. “I’m a member,” Moyer says.

When Moyer’s off stage, she’s studying biology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. One of her friends says science is her passion.

On his days off, Brailsford kills people and beats fruit. Not real people. “I play World of Warcraft.” He says he’s a level 60, which apparently, is a high-level plateau. Brailsford also indulges in fruit ball – hitting fruits with a bat. These are the things that entertain him.

“In Las Vegas all we’ve got is bars and casinos, bars and casinos, fucking bars and casinos,” Brailsford says.

“Ringo’s the only one who lives his role,” Moyer says.

Sinnott does wardrobe work for TV and movies. “I get bored in the day,” he says. “But we make enough not to work,” he says.

“We just don’t get health benefits,” Moyer says. “But we get booze and free food.”

Check out the band at The Auld Dubliner in Lake Las Vegas, McMullan’s Irish Pub on West Tropicana or Fado Irish Pub at Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Note: Tristan Moyer plays strings on The Killers new album Sam's Town, which rocks!

Homeless in Vegas

2006-08-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

After hearing about Las Vegas' new "don't feed the homeless" ordinance, I was compelled to drive to Vegas and find out what it was like to be without a place to turn in at night, a place to shower.

I spent three days talking to "homeless" people. I'm reluctant to call them homeless for all that the word conjures -- drunk, stupid, drug addict.

What I found was regular people with more than the usual troubles.
This is Robert. To read more, visit Nevada Today.

Las Vegas, 2006

2006-08-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

These are all near Charleston and Main Streets in Las Vegas, except for the Moulin Rouge ruins, which are on Bonanza. The Moulin Rouge Development Co. is working to renovate this casino, which was, in its day, a place for "colored" people. Many black people weren't accepted as patrons in Las Vegas' other casinos. A who's who of entertainers performed there. The Desert Breeze apartments are next to the Moulin Rouge. A 3-bedroom apartment goes for $900. Stan, in the office, says it's the best deal in town.

Calico California

2006-08-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

Eddie Money

2006-07-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

These were shot Wednesday, July 27 at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach. About 5,000 people were there. The mall puts on a six-week summer concert series. The show is produced by Stonebridge Productions.
Band members:
Eddie Money
Tommy Girvin, lead guitar
Lee Beverly, bass
Chris Frazier, drums
Randy Forrester, keyboards

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2006-07-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

I shot these July 2005. The concert was part of the Las Vegas 100th year celebration. It was my first time as a pro photographer!

Old Las Vegas

2006-05-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Old Vegas around 1969

Skimboarding Aliso Beach

2006-02-26T22:02:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas

2005-07-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

The Vegas I know (and love)

Art in Las Vegas

2005-07-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

Artist Mike Biggs gets ready for a First Fridays art event in Las Vegas at the Arts Factory

Newburyport Massachussets

2004-09-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Skateboard Mom helps open Newpburyport's new skateboard park.