Hi Greetings!

Commentary, News — By Buddy Sampson on May 24, 2010 at 7:54 pm

We are excited about the new look of The Scoop LA. We’ve heard your comments and we will be continuing to update the site, because after all, we are loyal to our readers. I want to first start by mentioning our VP of Business Development and Communications, Carol Phillips Ickes.

Carol, of Williamsburg, Virginia is an invaluable Godsend to The Scoop LA and has worked tirelessly to improve our brand. Our columnist Eugenia Wright calls her a genius. I call her an angel. She’s a bit of both. I want to thank her and embarrass her for our readers.

We also are proud to have Mr. Andre Cohen on our staff, who takes the best photos ever, including the pictures you see of me and others in this writing.

He’s not only a great photographer, but he’s a great guy as well and we’re very fortunate to have him with us. You’ll be seeing exciting things from The Scoop LA soon. We will be co-sponsoring events, including a concert by Jennifer Day, who will be performing June 22nd. We hope to regain our presence in the community on events and we will be partnering with some of the other media outlets to give you some great content and involve ourselves more closely with community as well as Hollywood events.

I want to give a shout out to Diversity News, a fine new publication that we don’t consider a competitor, but a friend. Visit their site, www.diversitynewspublications.com. Lee Bailey, who used to be on radio as Lee Bailey’s Radioscope, runs a publication called EurWeb. Visit their site at www.EurWeb.com.  The Hollywood Bowl season is here and you have to make a point of seeing some of the shows there. The opening of The Bowl is June 18th and I believe there are still tickets left. It’s still the best hang in town.

Speaking of hangs, you have to go to The Playboy Jazz Festival. It’s this weekend, June 12th and June 13th and I understand that there’s still tickets left for that show as well. We went to the Playboy Jazz Festival in Woodland Hills and got to see some great acts, including Oleta Adams. I was particulary impressed by The Calabasas High School Jazz Band, who opened the show. I caught the bandleader, Josh Barroll, who’s led the ensemble for 13 years, patiently giving instructions to the kids before they took the stage. “It’s a ton of fun,” said Barroll. “They know more than you think, but they need to be pushed in the right direction. But their attention is all over the place. They can get lost pretty easily.” Kudos to Calabasas High and Josh Barroll for a labor of love and helping to develop young musicianship.

Aesthetic Everything

We attended the Aesthetic Everything Event, in Beverly Hills, which was effectively stewarded by Vanessa Florez last week.But what is Aesthetic Everything? “Aesthetic Everything is a network of aesthetic professionals, it’s about 10,000 people,” said Vanessa Florez.”It’s a communications company and a networking company and it’s really just branding, marketing, publicity and we incorporate celebrites, in getting the products in their hands and promoting it that way. It’s sort of like a gifting suite, but it combines the fact that I have a company that has aesthetic vendors or aesthetic clients.” Florez is a very tall, gorgeous lady with a tremendous spirit to match. I expected a lady, a Beverly Hills type, that had her nose in the air. But Vanessa Florez was one of the nicest and warmest people I’ve ever met, quick to give you a hug and incredibly down to earth.

With her raging beauty and intelligence, she was impressive in many ways and I heard she’s quite a singer, too. Unfortunately we arrived too late to hear her sing, but our fine columnist Eugenia Wright was there to check out all the action. Check out her column. I had a chance to interview a television icon, Peter Lupus, who played the strongman in the TV series “Mission Impossible.”

He was also an incredible guy and, at 78, still quite a physical specimin. “I started exercising when I was 14 and taking supplements,” said Peter Lupus.”In fact, I was one of the first people, even before LaLanne(Jack La Lanne), taking vitamins and minerals that started way over what the normal was. The doctors told me that it would kill me. Well, they’re all gone and I’ve hung out, I’m still here because I try to eat right and watch my diet.” He holds all kinds of records for lifting weights at his age. Hmmm, makes me want to go back to the gym.

Jennifer Day

I’m acting as Publicist for the Jennifer Day show June 22nd, which will be at the Jennifer Day Theater at 13752 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks at 8PM. Admission is only $20 and you will have all the food you can eat and drinks are included in the equation. Day puts on a very sexy show and I guarantee you’ll be entertained.

New Ms. Scoop

We have a great new Ms. Scoop, CC Perkinson. Now CC is as gorgeous as a fashion model, but she is a truly insane lady who positively cracks me up. She’s a friend and I tease her that when I know she’s going to be at an event, I carry a pocket strait jacket.

She’s from Texas and I’ll tell you that she hasn’t been affected by Hollywood at all. She’s an amazing lady, an amazing person, who just happens to be drop dead gorgeous as well.

Ali-Ollie Woodson

Read Kim’s Kronicles. Ali-Ollie Woodson was a Temptation and he passed away last week. His singing and his talent will be missed. It’s always surreal to me to run into someone and then hear that they passed away. I had ran into Ali-Ollie Woodson in Hollywood a month or so ago and we chatted for a bit. Next thing I heard, he was gone. Life is fleeting, get all the gusto you can. Please put him and his family in your prayers.

President Obama

The poor guy can’t catch a break. When he begins to focus on pressing national matters, like jobs, then he gets a right cross from the BP oil spill. I can’t believe that there are some idiots that are blaming him for it. There are those that want him to scream and yell. I have to admit, when you know there’s a guy that may have his finger on the nuclear button, wouldn’t you want a guy that’s cool and collected? I say support him for another term. He has a lot of work to do.

Finally another message to you, our readers. Stay positive in these tough economic times. Be with family and make sure everyone knows that you love them. If you have parents, make sure they know you appreciate them

My Dad would have had a birthday June 8th and my Mom’s birthday would have been July 15th. I’m not ashamed to say I miss them and wish they were still here. But that doesn’t stop you. Admire, respect and make sure all of your loved ones know you care about them.

And Peace, Blessings and Light to you all,

Buddy Sampson