It must be the pagan in me but I love Halloween. My house is decorated for the holiday including an 8ft. blow-up spider and a 100lb Jack-O-Lantern. Since I just had weight loss surgery, I'm not going to be raiding the candy cauldron too much this holiday, but one peanut butter cup won't kill me. I also hope to scare a few parents with my grim reaper routine. One minor complaint: kids these days tend to forget to say trict or treat. They just hold out their bag and expect candy. When they come to my house they better remember to say trick or treat or they might not like the results!
For the history of Halloween go here.
Here's hoping you have a terrific fright night!!!!

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While I was away having surgery, one of the great movie stars passed away, Deborah Kerr (rhythms with star) at the age of 86 from Parkinson’s disease.
Naturally her passing made me think of my favorite Kerr movies topped by From Here To Eternity, and including a movie on my all-time favorite scary movies list, The Innocents. Go here for my complete list.
The Kerr canon also includes four films with her all time favorite co-star, Robert Mitchum. The Hollywood tough guy and the genteel English lady were an unlikely pair and that is what made the teaming so divine in such classic flicks as Heaven Knows Mr. Allison and The Sundowners. They also acted together in The Grass Is Greener (with Cary Grant and Jean Simmons) and in the 1985 TV movie Reunion at Fairborough. Said Mitchum of Kerr: "The best, my favorite...Life would be kind if I could live it with Deborah around."
One can’t talk of her career without mentioned An Affair to Remember and The King and I. In the category of a guilty pleasure is the 1967 comedy version of Casino Royale. Kerr played the superspy Mimi opposite David Niven and has mentioned that she enjoyed the part because it gave her the rare opportunity to use her real Scottish brogue. She was typecast as a gentle Englishwoman early on and her real life class meant that the typecasting stuck despite the versatility of her screen career. Check out the NYTimes obit.
One of the true legends is gone.

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The idea began in February and culminated with surgery Oct. 18.
After spending more than half my life morbidly obese, I had gastric lap band surgery on Oct. 18. Anyone who thinks this is the easy way to weight loss is totally insane. (See my post-tummy picture as an illustration that it is painful at first.) It took a major commitment to understand that I would have my stomach physically altered in order to reach the finish line of my weight loss goals.Ten days post surgery and I am down 20lbs already, thanks to a liquid diet that includes dairy products and protein shakes. The weight loss will now slow as I begin to eat a bit more food, and the true restriction of the lap band follows in a few weeks with my first fill, which will tighten the ring around my stomach.
I am confident already that I made the right choice—getting into a pair of jeans this morning that has been on my shelf for 15 years was a great motivator. This is certainly not the right choice for everyone and I am sure I will have bumps along the way. However, if you are interested on info on the lapband, band2gether is a great site, featuring people who have been through the surgery talking about every aspect of the procedure. For a general website on bariatric surgery visit here.

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Phillip's Seafood Managers, Merritt Dworkin (left) and Kristopher Diemar (right) sample the appetizers that Chad Shaver prepared at the restaurant's 1st Anniversary Party at the Pier at Caesars on October 18th.
(photo by Lew Steiner)

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Although it's only Oct. 19, it's never too early to start making your Halloween plans — especially when there are so many tasty options in the area to choose from.
While next week's edition of Atlantic City Weekly will give you a run-down of all of the local events — from haunted hayrides to dance club parties to bar bashes — here are a couple of events to keep on your radar.
First, each of the Borgata's three night spots — mixx, mur.mur and Gypsy Bar — will have a separate Halloween bash on Saturday, Oct. 27. The one at mixx (entitled "Haunted House") will feature A.C. favorite DJ Skribble and guitarist Dave Navarro.
Skribble spoke recently to AC Weekly columnist Ray Tyler about the event. Look for it in next week's "The City Beat" column. There will also be audio excerpts from the interview on our ever-expanding audio page.
Also on Saturday, Oct. 27 — which seems to be the night for Halloween parties this year since the holiday falls on a Wednesday — there will be a Halloween party at the new dance club Providence, located at the Tropicana Quarter. This one will feature the popular DJ Reach.
Should be a lot of boo-gie-ing going on next weekend.

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Wednesday night, the 52 members of the Atlantic City Democratic Committee selected three possible candidates for position of Interim Mayor. They are AC Business Administrator, Dominic Capella; Democratic Committee Chairman, Battalion Fire Chief, Scott Evans and former Atlantic City Council Woman, Barbara Hudgins.
At the start of the meeting these three names were put up for a vote. Councilman Marty Small made a motion to add more names, but his motion was rejected by Evans. The Committed voted on the three names.
After the vote, a second motion was made to reconsider the first vote but it failed and the three names will be submitted to the Atlantic City Council. It will be up to City Council to select an Interim Mayor by November 9th from the three choices. The interim Mayor will serve until a new Mayor is elected in November of 2008.
If the AC City Council does not select one of the three proposed candidates, a special election could be held within 45 days.

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Ivanka Trump, the beautiful 25 year old daughter of Donald Trump visited the Taj Mahal last Thursday night to give invited guests an opportunity to see the new $14 Million Penthouse Suites atop the Taj Mahal. Ms. Trump, also hosted an exclusive showing of the new Ivanka Trump Jewelry Collection including the Graduated Pave Diamond Bead Necklace, listed in the catalog for $350,000.
Ivanka Trump is a member of the Trump board of directors and serves as vice president of development and acquisitions of the Trump Organization LLC. She has been expanding the Trump Brand in the states and into the global market including Chicago, West Palm Beach, Las Vegas, Atlanta,Jersey City, Hawaii, Central America, Toronto, Scotland, and Dubai and the Trump SoHo in New York City, their downtown Condominium Hotel Project.
Ms. Trump, a former runway model and a regular on the Apprentice TV Show, was just featured in Harper’s Bazar under the headline, “The New Queen of Diamonds.” She has appeared on the covers of The Evening Standard/UK, Forbes Magazine and Golf for Women. The Ivanka Trump Boutique is located in New York City.
(Photo by Lew Steiner)

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I'm so glad to see that the Rockies are still hot. It really wasn't that the Phils weren't good enough, they were facing a team that was in the zone. In between watching Grey's Anatomy and ER, I saw the Diamondbacks (who know their western division rival very well) not able to hit against the Rockies starters and relievers. On the other hand, those pesky Rockies delivered clutch hits once again. My colleague Jeff (from Boston) doesn't want to hear this, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Rockies take the World Series from the Sox, assuming they both make it to the Fall Classic.

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As of this morning, it looks like summertime has finally left the Jersey Shore region and fall has arrived. The ocean temps are still high, but the weather forecast calls for crisp and cool temps this weekend.
What to do this first real fall weekend? Go get a pumpkin. Or check out a couple cool festivals taking place in the area.
First, in Atlantic City on Saturday (noon-4pm), there's an Oktoberfest party at Gardner's Basin, which will feature a Steel Pier Reunion with Ed Hurst and music by Jim Craine and his five-piece band.
That same day in Smithville, there's an Irish Festival with live music, plus a Celtic Market and Irish dancers. It takes place from 10am-5pm. Wait to do the raking; have some fun this weekend.

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Going Forward:
William Speedy Marsh new Acting Mayor of AC
City Council President, William Speedy Marsh was sworn in as the new Acting Mayor, a few hours after Bob Levy resigned as Mayor of Atlantic City.
Marsh told NBC TV 40, “We have to convince people that this is over. We are starting new and we have to do the things that residents expect us to do as elected officials to move the city ahead.”
Marsh will remain as Acting Mayor until City Council picks an Interim Mayor. The Interim Mayor will serve until a new Mayor Is elected in a special election next year.
The Democratic Committee will submit three names to the City Council and it will be up to City Council to select an Interim Mayor within 30 days. If they do not select one of the three proposed candidates, a special election could be held within 45 days.

Posted by Lew Steiner at 01:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bob Levy is a good man who made some dumb mistakes. I'm glad the mayor of Atlantic City resigned rather than continue to be a political football tossed around by more adept politicians who threw him under the bus to further their political ambitions. I don't know why Levy, who served his country in Vietnam, felt the need to embellish his record by claiming to be a Green Beret. I prefer to remember that he did serve in Vietnam. Hopefully Levy will now enjoy his life out of the spotlight.
All these stories about his "mysterious" disappearance seemed blown out of proportion. Considering the previous crooks that have been elected mayor of Atlantic City, Levy's transgressions were minor. Still, it has become clear he was never cut out to be a politician.
(Levy is pictured in sunglasses at right, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last May)

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I was bummed out when I got sick after returning from the Toronto Film Festival Sept. 16. That meant I couldn't take advantage of the warm ocean temperatures for the final weekends of the month. Little did I imagine that I would be hitting the waves with a bunch of other folks on Sunday, Oct. 7. The waves were great Sunday afternoon and after I caught my first one, I raised my hands like Hiro in Heroes and declared, "My first October wave ever!." Yes, it was embarrassing but I didn't care. There was parking in Ocean City (hurrah!). However, there were enough out-of-towners, who also hit the ocean, to create a little traffic headed for the Parkway at 4pm as I returned to Somers Point.
This was a great way to wash those Phillies right out of my hair after they were swept by the Rockies. Not that I'm giving up on the team (I've been a fan since 1964 after all). However, I was disappointed. We had the misfortune of hitting a buzz saw known as the Colorado Rockies. I hope the Rockies go on to win the National League title and give Boston or Cleveland a battle in the World Series. That will lessen the sting of the sweep.

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First there was yesterday's news that MGM Mirage is looking to bring a City Center type project to Atlantic City. Now, according to the Newark Star-Ledger, comes news that The Cordish Co., which operates the Atlantic City Outlets at The Walk, is considering entering into the casino biz in Atlantic City. The article says that Cordish is looking into possibly purchasing some Trump Resorts property in Atlantic City. Although neither Trump nor Cordish officials have commented publicly on the rumor, it's an interesting development considering that Trump Plaza, one of three Trump casinos in town, is located right in front of The Walk.

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I’m feeling the butterflies as the Phillies are preparing to start their post-season in a few minutes. Now, I just have to explain to the cardiologist that I need to wear my headphones while I’m taking my stress test to quality for bariatric surgery in two weeks. Go Phillies!!!

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Academy Award winning actor Christopher Walken is coming to town this month to shoot some scenes for the movie $5.00 A Day, directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, A Lot Like Love). The movie is about a conman and his relationship with his son, played by Alessandro Nivolo (Jurassic Park III, Laurel Canyon). When his estranged son re-enters his life it sparks a cross-country journey for the two.
The movie will feature several scenes filmed at Resorts and no doubt at some point will incorporate the boardwalk, since almost every film with an Atlantic City setting takes cinematic advantage of the 'walk.
“Not only will the movie bring positive national exposure to the city, but the economic impact of the filming should benefit Atlantic City greatly,” said ACCVA Executive Director Jeffrey Vasser. “The filming of the Atlantic City segment for Ocean’s Eleven generated more than $729,000, and the independent film Duane Hopwood generated $160,000.”

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Well we know who's the breadwinner in the Cyrus family these days. The daughter of Billy “Achy-Breaky Heart” Cyrus, and the star of the Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, is leaving the Cheetah Girls in the dust. Tickets for Miley Cyrus' concert tour, kicking off later this month, are selling out in minutes at many venues. Just to check, I tried ordering tickets for her Boardwalk Hall concert on-line and was told I couldn’t be helped.
Cyrus' Memphis show filled 12,000 seats in eight minutes; a ticket for the Charlotte, N,C. show went for $2,565. The top price for tickets is $65 but the average resale is $214, besting Timberlake, Beyoncé and The Police.

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The Phillies take on the Colorado Rockies beginning tomorrow at 3pm at Citizens Bank Park. The Rockies are very much like the Phillies, a team that wasn’t expected to be in the playoffs, but that got sizzling hot. The Rockies are the only team hotter than the Phils. However, needing 13 innings to beat the Padres and Trevor Hoffman Monday, has weakened their bullpen even as it strengthened their resolve. The Phillies will be ready and waiting with Cole Hamels on the hill and Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard as the murderer’s row to counter balance the Rockies murderer’s row of Kaz Matsui, Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday and Todd Helton.
Let the post-season begin!

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My journey to a new state of wellness is headed for the next major stage. I will be getting the bariatric surgery known as the gastric lap-band later this month, if all goes well with the hospital date and insurance paperwork. After decades of living in the world of the obese, I am hoping to crossover to a new life at a healthy weight.
It won’t be easy. Anyone who says getting a weight loss surgery is the “easy way,” has no idea what it feels like to struggle with a body that does not want to cooperate. For more information on bariatric surgery go here.
These days, doctors understand more and more that diets don’t work and that the “fattening” of America continues. The lap-band will be a tool that allows me to eat less without being assaulted by irrational hunger cravings. I have had to come to terms with the reality that by constricting my stomach to the size of an egg, I will be eating a different way for the rest of my life.
Today, I started a liquid pre-surgery diet. I’ve never used liquid meal replacements, so this might be the hardest part of the trip to defeat sleep apnea, high blood pressure and diabetes. However, I am determined to reach the finish line.

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It won’t affect current TV shows and movies for a while, but the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East, representing 12,000 writers, might go on strike Nov. 1. Negotiations continue between the guilds and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the makers of films and television programs. The writers are looking for payment of residuals for new media outlets like movies on the Internet. The producers don’t want to pay residuals until they have recouped the costs of making the movies. Knowing how creative bookkeepers in Tinseltown can be when it comes to when a movie breaks even, this might be a bitter fight. And, down the road, The Directors Guild and Screen Actors Guild contracts expire in June. George Clooney and Brad Pitt would look just swell on a picket line. In anticipation of the strike, producers have been backlogging as much product as possible, by green-lighting projects quickly to get them completed before the possible strike.
Here’s hoping that the two sides find a way to just get along before we get a new bunch of “unscripted” shows.

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I think I still can’t quite believe it, even if the late great Tug McGraw said, Ya Gotta Believe!

The Phillies are in the playoffs ….The Phillies are in the playoffs …. The Phillies are really in the playoffs!

Saturday’s loss made me start having those bad thoughts that we could still blow this, but those Miracle Mets sure made the road an easier one. Of course the Fightins did their part, beating the Mets the last eight times they faced them.
I became a Phillies fan in 1964. The Mets have taken us off the hook. The worst official meltdown in baseball history is now the 2007 Mets, 7 games ahead with 17 to play. Let’s call the pinch grand slam home run by Greg Dobbs as the “Chico Ruiz” play that really started the collapse.
Now onto the next step. Padres or Rockies? Since the Rockies are the hottest team in baseball, with the Phils the second hottest team, I’m leaning toward the Padres. They have to toss their ace tonight, Jake Peavy. The Phils have “Hollywood” Cole Hamels ready to go no matter who they face Wednesday, and MVP J-Roll as our fearless leader . Of course if it is the Rockies, expect s lot of runs scored between Citizen’s Bank and Mile High Stadium. We’ve come this far; I believe we can make it through to the next round.
Ya Gotta Believe!!

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