On the national scene, we have the NYT showing again how biased it really is, rejecting a counter point Op-Ed by John McCain to one published by the Times from Barack Obama.  It's not the rejection itself that's a problem, we should expect this sort of nonsense, but the rationale as to why it was rejected.  "It (McCain's piece) should 'mirror' Barack Obama's."  Eh?  "Mirror Barack Obama's?"  Essentially, what the Times was asking of McCain, was to effectively parrot Obama's Iraq position, and the position they endorse.  Ideological hegemony, NYT style.

Then there's Obama's "Triumph of the Will" speach in Germany.  Does no one else see the similarities between Obama's speaches and Hitler's Nuremburg rallies?  No, I'm not comparing Obama to Adolf, that's just absurd.  But it that sort of personal charisma, and people swooning because he sounds good that should worry people.  There's sound and fury, but no subatance people.  It scares me to see how eailly swayed and at time guillible the American people are.

In the State of NY, some things just aren't going away.  Remember Trooper-Gate?  Well, four Spitzer appointees are under charge from the Public Integrity Commission.  Two have already cut deals, while former Pressman Darren Dopp, and former State Police Suprintendent Felton Spencer are fighting the charges (sort of).  It may be a matter of time before criminal charges are filed against Dopp, and possibly others in their role in the use of State Police for political puroses, then leaking confidential information to the press.  Of course, the shiftless Times-Union will not even face a whiff of charges over thier role in this.  Typical.

These charges come on the heels of Joe Bruno's retirement from the NYS Senate to take a private sector job.  Joe walked away first from re-election, then from the Senate entirely.  The fact was he was burned out from the politics, and the personal vendettas and vitriol thrown at him, compounded by the death of his wife.  But even once he had sailed off inot the sunset, he still can't escape the Spitzer dirty tricks scandal. 

On an even more local level, Mike Conners (Albany Co. Comptroller), released a scathing report on the financial practices of the Albany County DA's office.  The focus revolved around the petty cash fund of the DA's office, and the lax practices involving it.  Naturally David Soares (Albany County DA) was upset at some of the accustaions.  But Soares is already in trouble, from his lack of attention to local criminal investigations, preferring the national spotlight, and his bungling of the Spitzer Trooper-gate scandal.  If an even mediocre challenger to his post arose, he'd be bounced from office.

LONDON & WASHINGTON - 21 July 2008 - Britain should no longer rely on assurances by the United States that FOX NEWS does not torture its viewers, an influential parliamentary committee said in a report released Sunday.

Britain had previously taken those assurances at face value, but after the CIA acknowledged FOX NEWS hires only screeching women with brothel madam - or even $1,000 Eliot Spitzer hooker - hair as newscasters, Britain should change its stance, according to the report, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons.

The foreign secretary, David Miliband, told Parliament in April that the technique, in which the women scream at full volume about things they know nothing about, amounted to torture.

“Given the clear differences in definition, the U.K. can no longer rely on U.S. assurances that FOX NEWS does not use torture, and we recommend that the government does not rely on such assurances in the future,” the report said.

First off, you don’t want to pick just any woman to cheat with. Why would you want to go and do something silly like that? No, you want to pick a woman who’s instantly recognizable to reporters, photographers and just about anyone who’s been near a television or newspaper since former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer added the “former” to his description. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Ashley Dupre. Her “friends” call her Kristen. And she addresses her friends by client number. Sadly, 9 is already taken.

Second, you don’t pick just any old place to hook up. If you’re going to go for it, you might as well go for the gusto. So be sure to pick a well-known Manhattan hotel where Lindsay Lohan and her lesbian lover, Samantha Ronson, are staying. There will be plenty of press and paparazzi there.

Finally, be sure your wife doesn’t find out from the nosy neighborhood yenta. Get with the program. This is the information age. A story in the New York Post that will spread via e-mail faster than the old Nigerian bank scam is the way to go.

So what was T.J. Earle thinking? I mean, seriously? Was he trying to get caught? The guy is the vice president of a major construction company, and he’s putting himself in a position to lose half of his shit? I don’t want to lose half of my shit, and I’m sure half of my shit is about half of a percent of half of his shit.

Stupidity is alive and well.

I have always been prone to obsessively photograph things. My son accused me of being 'snap happy' this weekend. (what? photographing three string mops against the wall outside the camp dining room is odd to you? You will eat those words when that shot appears here and you love it).

I need to always carry a camera with me because when I don't, I am disappointed. I think, "What a great shot! Why didn't I carry a camera?" (or as a producer friend used to say, "Amy, that is not a shot, that is real life").

My poor husband. We have been on the road every weekend this summer and I am always shouting, "Wait! Stop, I have to get that shot". That is almost as annoying as the fact that my bladder has a 2 hour shelf-life in the car. All that aside, I really am alot of fun on a road trip.

Back to the photo above. What the hell is this area used for? (Please feel free to speculate in the comments section) "Will everyone riding in the car with a woman they are paying to have sex with please check in at the Escort Area".

Could this have been a final piece of Spitzer legislation? Ok, cheap shot but it was a great wrap up for this ridiculous post.

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) A woman has sued the call girl linked to the downfall of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, claiming Ashley Dupre used her lost driver's license to appear on a "Girls Gone Wild" video.

The lawsuit by Arpaio was filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton on July 11 and reported Thursday in The Star-Ledger of Newark.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre on Girls Gone Wild video

Girls Gone Wild Beach Bikini Contest 2008 3

Girls Gone Wild Bikini Contest 2008 4

Girls Gone Wild Bikini Contest 2008 2

Girls Gone Wild Bikini Contest 2008

One of the great things about hosting a blog at Wordpress.com is the various tools and statistics they provide (thanks, Matt). You can see how much traffic your posts attract, how your visitors are finding your blog, what search terms people are using to find you (but sadly, not which search engine they used), and what hyperlinks in your posts they click on.

We were quite surprised this morning, when we noticed that nasdaq.com was sending traffic our way because of this article we posted yesterday about the U.S. economy. We had mentioned that New York and New Jersey utilities, including Consolidated Edison, had recently gotten steep rate increases approved by regulators, some as much as 25% and 50%.

Within a few hours, visitors to Nasdaq who looked up Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED), were seeing a link to our blog in the "Comments From The Blogs" section on nasdaq.com. This is yet another example of how blogging has really gained legitimacy, and how mainstream media and even Wall Street have taken notice of what is being discussed by bloggers. To be sure, it is a bit of a trip, realizing that almost anyone with a computer and Internet access can have their voice heard by the world. To us, that's perhaps the greatest thing about this experiment they call the Internet. It transcends borders (although some regimes try to surpress it), it makes the world a very small place, and it gives you access to views and opinions you would otherwise never hear. How great is that?

Now that Routing By Rumor is (almost) a household name, we want to let the New York Stock Exchange know that we are available, should Dick Grasso's old job still be open. However, in light of the firestorm that his $140 million retirement package caused, we want to go on record as saying that we will not accept a deferred compensation package of more than $75 million. We think that even Eliot Spitzer, the former New York State Attorney General turned New York Governor (and no friend of Dick Grasso's), who's career crashed and burned in a sex scandal, would approve of that.

- Routing By Rumor

We have searched through many pages at Youtube to find the real Girls Gone Wild Videos, after plenty of hours of tedious searching through spam and crap we have come up with about 14 real videos, below are the results of these findings - enjoy :

View all : Girls Gone Wild Videos

Girls Gone Wild whipped cream Video

Hot Girls Gone Wild strip video

Girls Gone Wild Ultimate Rush Mesa college Student

girls gone wild hot scenes

GIRLS GONE WILD EUROPEAN TOUR

The most recent “ass-display” was in Atlantic City. Hooker Ashley Dupre (left inset), who brought down former governor of New York, was spotted with her  very proud mother (right inset) almost butt-naked [creating traffic jam?].  In NY Post, the mother was bragging to a reporter that her daughter is heading to LA [for a TV contract]. Meaning one bad girl is rising to stardom at another man’s peril; and the parent is showing off her slut-child’s ill-gotten accomplishment.

The nature of her cable show is being compared to Tila Tequila’s, which I think is absurd, an unfair media analysis because, unlike Ashley, Tila is no whore in any sense. Any TV show from Ashley Dupre, if any thing, would be an ill of the society. What other skill does she have other than getting laid for dough. Her show probably would teach teenage girls how not to go college and make money by sleeping around with men. In essence, it is like telling girls it’s okay to be streetwalkers and famous for it. Is this world really fair? While many ladies go to school and work hard to be somebody, here is media, MTV, and some hungry productions such as Handprint Entertainment reward an infamous call-girl with a TV contract? It’s sickening, really.

The wish of every parent is for his or her child to grow, get a decent career, and live a responsible life. No one wants his/her offspring to be famous for prostitution, at least not publicly. But for Carolyn Capalbo, she appears to love every bit of it: she’s been using every minute of her daughter’s fame. She claims how good and sweet her daughter is. Despite the notoriety, her little girl is still an angel who can never be blamed for engaging in “sex for pay.”

The issues here is Ashley Dupre lost her $4 K per night job – clearly grounded with no stellar skills to get a standard job. Then she tried to sue GirlsGoneWild and parties for money, but to no avail. So in such situation, she would be desperate for money in order to maintain her lifestyle. And the best option is to turn her notorious fame into a cash cow. Of course, 'mum' would be happy since some bucks would surely pass on to her. We’d see how the show goes.

Quote of the day:

“I think it's unfair that men put laws on a woman's body, I think a woman has a right to choose with her own body. I mean, I don't think prostitution is a career. But maybe [it is] a little steppingstone.” ---- Heidi Fleiss

Latest Scoops On Ashley:

1. Ashley Dupre Still Trading For Sex In NYC ( with another married man) 

2. Jersey Girl Charges "Ashley Dupre" with Identity Theft

One advice from Phoenix, Jerk Spitzer: Shave your head. You look like a loser trying to put your hair above that bald spot but failing to cover it. Be a man, shave you entire head, look better and get more chicks. Amen.

• 50 gets medieval on the Middle East….virtually: Apparently 50 Cent isn’t content to just chill out with Timbaland, smoking blunts, cutting shitty rap albums, making wretched movies and promoting Vitamin Water. The man has decided to pursue a career in the world of video games as well. Granted, this shouldn’t be a surprise as he has already released one game in 2005, 50 Cent: Bulletproof, but at least that was set in New York. This new offering will take place in the Middle East. The plot of the game centers around 50 Cent doing a concert in a “fictional Middle Eastern setting,” where he and his G-Unit group don’t get paid in cash for the gig. Instead of monetary payment, the promoter gives 50 a diamond-encrusted skull, which is promptly stolen in an ambush, leading 50 and his G-Unit crew to go on a shooting spree, killing Arabs left and right to find the skull.

Let me just bypass the obvious racist and xenophobic themes infesting this premise because, quite frankly, discussing American antipathy towards Arabs is a little old hat. My main question is, "what the shit is 50 Cent doing putting on a show in a war-torn Arab country?" The only place that anyone famous ever goes in the Middle East to do a concert is Dubai and no one in Dubai would EVER stiff you if you’re wealthy. The second your plane lands you are instantly greeted by three buxom Persian "masseuses", a bottle of Dom Perignon, a hotel suite, and your own private island. They may give you a diamond encrusted skull just because they have one laying around and it would be a nice gesture, but they certainly wouldn’t ambush you for it. I would suggest that 50 was doing a U.S.O. show in Iraq or Afghanistan, but Uncle Sam doesn’t pay you for those. 50 don’t do charity events.

I also have some suggestions for in-game content to spice things up a little. First, I think that 50 cent should use his body as a gun. Since the man has been shot 9 times and presumably still has some bullet bits riddling his body, he should just be able to shoot those things out of his body to kill a terrorist or two. If he ever runs out of body bullets, he can just eat some ammo to reload. Also, for a nice cross-promotion deal there should be bottles of Vitamin Water Formula 50 lying around that he can drink to restore his health. Of course, his enemies wouldn’t be able to drink it because they are terrorists who, as we well know, are deathly allergic to the wonders of capitalist enterprise and Coca-Cola products. Finally, I think the end game boss should be Osama Bin Laden, whom 50 Cent can only kill by defeating him in a freestyle battle broadcast live on Al-Jazeera.

• Bra Bats: You heard me…Bra Bats. A nineteen year-old woman in Norwich, England felt a vibrating sensation on one of her breasts, but thought that it was just her cell phone vibrating in her jacket pocket. When she decided to investigate the matter further, a full five hours later, she discovered a baby bat nestled in the padding of her bra. How could you go this long without realizing that you have a tiny mammal on your teet? Well, the woman wears a size 34FF bra, so I suppose the bat just had a lot of room to hide. The woman said that the bat, “looked cozy and comfortable” and that she, “was sorry for disturbing it.” Although this whole matter is a bit unsettling, I am quite certain that MTV will turn the idea into a hidden-camera reality show where male contestants vie for the affections of a woman, woo her into the back of a party bus and then get ambushed by a flock of bra creatures when they try to sleep with her. Tila Tequila is seeing how many bisexual fruit bats she can fit down her shirt as we speak.

• Finally, at the crossroads of politics and prostitution lies a TV deal: Ashley Dupre, the call girl who oh-so-lovingly ended Ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's political career, has abandoned her dream of being a hussy-for-hire turned musician for her other dream of being a whore turned reality TV show star, which is a tad redundant. She is teamed up with the production house Reveille to pitch a show that, according to a close source, “is the story of a woman who is desperately seeking a second chance, and is willing to put her life under the microscope on national TV to try to redeem herself." Clearly a reality TV show is the best way to redeem yourself in the eyes of the public. Just look at the immense respect that we as a nation now feel for Flavor Flav, New York, the bitch who spit in New York’s face, and that creepy Italian guy who tried to sleep with Tila Tequila, got rejected, but eventually got his own reality TV show complete with tons of hanging meat and a discothèque that he could invite sluts to. I’m sure Ms. Dupre will be vindicated in no time.

At long last, the rest of the world will get to see what Eliot Spitzer thought was hot enough to ruin his career over.

Now that Ashley Dupre has dropped her $10 mil lawsuit against Joe Francis and "Girls Gone Wild," Joe says he's got "the green light" to release the skin show Dupre gave him during Spring Break 2003. The porntrepreneur adds that he's got Dupre in "some very interesting sexual situations."

She'll also be appearing in his magazine.

Dear Dave Chappelle,

It has been over two years, since we rendezvoused regularly and now I've watched your DVDs so many times you might as well be on TV land. I miss your freshness. Speaking of freshness, what does a gal have to do to get a Roca Pad around here?

I just want to know what you would do with things, and laugh. Did you see R Kelly was acquitted? Would you have done a remix of your remix? And what about the presidential race, Barrack and Hillary? Eliot Spitzer? That astronaut diaper lady? Freeing Tibet?

I miss your white people and your black people. Buddy, I just miss you. If I could ask Paul Mooney a question, it would be: What would have to happen to have Dave come back? Or maybe a better question would be: What would I have to do to have Dave come back? Take a semi-nude portrait with your DVDs across my body. Dave, just look up and to the left. Or what would MISTER DIPLOMAT have to do? I hear Zach Ward is one mean spooner. Have you ever been spooned by a white guy? If you want to try it, I am sure Zach would totally be game. He would do it for the sake of comedy. Zach would do anything for the sake of comedy. I mean anything. Think about it Dave, anything.

You wouldn’t have to go back to Comedy Central. You could come to Carrboro. That's right, North Carolina. You could stay with me and perform at DSI. After shows, we could go walk back to my house and drink Arnold Palmers. Dave, it would be fabulous. Drop me an email when you're ready. I'm waiting.

-Mister Paula Pazderka

...

Larry Craig, (Idaho) and David Vitter(Louisiana) — “two United States Senators implicated in extramarital sexual activity” — have named themselves as co-sponsors of S.J. Res. 43, the Marriage Protection Amendment. If passed, the bill would amend the Constitution to declare that marriage “shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.”

...

Vitter:

In early July 2007, Vitter's phone number was included in a published list of phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, a company owned and run by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, also known as the "D.C. Madam", convicted by the U.S. government for running a prostitution service. Hustler magazine identified the phone number and contacted Vitter's office to ask about his connection to Palfrey. The following day, Vitter issued a written statement:

This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible. Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there - with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.

The statement containing Vitter's apology said his telephone number was included in phone records dating from his days as a member of the House of Representatives.Phone records show that Vitter's number was called by Palfrey's service five times, the first on October 12, 1999, and the last on February 27, 2001.Two calls were placed while House roll call votes were in progress.

...

Craig:

On June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on suspicion of lewd conduct. The nature of the alleged activity has been categorized by some as cottaging. According to the police report, the police officer sat in a bathroom stall as part of an undercover operation investigating complaints of sexual activity in the restroom. After about 13 minutes of sitting in the stall, the police officer observed Craig lingering outside and frequently peeking through the crack of the door on the stall. Craig then entered the stall to the left of the officer's stall. The police officer made the following observations, which he recorded in his report of the incident, as to what happened next:

At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. ... The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. Craig then proceeded to swipe his left hand under the stall divider several times, with the palm of his hand facing upward.

According to the incident report and criminal complaint filed in court, the officer showed Craig his police identification beneath the partition separating their stalls, and the officer then pointed his finger towards the restroom exit. Craig initially said no, but he ultimately complied with the officer's request to leave the restroom. After Craig and the officer left the restroom, Craig was reluctant to go with the officer and demanded the officer show his police identification a second time. Once the officer complied with the request, Craig, the arresting officer, and a police detective, who was stationed outside of the restroom, went to the airport police station.

After the arresting officer read Craig his Miranda rights, the officer interviewed Craig about the restroom incident. At one point, Craig handed his business card to the arresting officer, which identified him as a U.S. Senator, and said to him, "What do you think about that?" Craig told the officer that he was worried about missing his flight, and the arresting officer asked the police detective to call the airline to hold the flight. The detective reported that no one answered the telephone for the airline, and the arresting officer proceeded with the interview.

Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct by signing and mailing a plea petition, dated August 1, 2007, to the District Court in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He paid $575, including fines and fees.

...

From CBS: Craig and Vitter have been in the front ranks of GOP members of Congress who preach family values, antigay rights, and opposition to same-sex or civil marriage. Both are married with children.

True, the Democrats have some bad apples, too. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana still hasn't really explained how $90,000 in cash found its way into the family freezer. But in a recently published gallery of members of Congress already in the pokey or under investigation, the count was 13 Republicans and two Democrats.

...

After Senator Larry Craig was admonished by the Senate Ethics Committee for acting improperly after his arrest for lewd contact toward another man in an airport bathroom in February 2008, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington questioned why the committee had not taken similar action against Vitter. The committee later dismissed the complaint.

When the Eliott Spitzer prostitution scandal, then governor of New York, hit the headlines, commentators contrasted the end-results: Spitzer resigned while Vitter stayed on. In response, Jeff Crouere, a New Orleans conservative political commentator, called on Vitter to resign saying he was an ineffective representative and reflected poorly on the state. Additionally, one gauge of the scandal's impact, local fundraising, indicated that Vitter has weathered the controversy well: first quarter 2008 finance reports show that he made, according to The Times-Picayune, an "impressive haul". Vitter once again received unwanted attention after the suicide of Palfrey in May 2008.

...

Craig announced that he would serve out his Senate term, but advisors say that Craig will not seek reelection. His term ends January 3, 2009.

Vitter is up for reelection in 2010.

Below is the great news:

The Middle Falls at Letchworth State Park is just one of the attractions to draw international visitors. The park, established in 1907, averages between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors every day. (WILL YURMAN staff photographer)

Unprecedented funds from Albany mean many state parks will be upgraded

Jill Terreri • Staff writer • Democrat and Chronicle • June 28, 2008

The signs of long-neglected parks were clear: cabins held together with duct tape, a broken pool, 50-year-old bathrooms and caved-in roads.

But to bring attention to the dismal conditions, state park officials had to document them.

"We asked each of the park directors to start taking pictures of their uglies," said Carol Ash, the state's commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "This was heresy, to show the public the ugly things in the parks, because everyone is used to showing them the great things."

The photos made their way to the governor's office and inspired an un-precedented $132 million investment this year for state parks and historic sites. The funds will finance major upgrades at levels not seen in a decade — the first steps in an effort to reverse years of underinvestment.

Locally, the funds mean a redesigned swimming pool, renovated locker rooms and a reliable source of clean drinking water at Letchworth State Park, and a new police substation and park office at Hamlin Beach.

In recent years, Ash said, only $30 million was spent annually on capital improvements at all of the 213 state sites.

"You look at the $30 million ... and you look at the $650 million to $700 million in needs and there is no way but to continue to sink," Ash said. "Pretty soon people would stop coming."

The work on critical infrastructure such as drinking water systems and bridges will clear the way for a private fundraising campaign planned by state parks, which will allow donors to put their names on more visible developments, such as nature centers.

The renovations come at a time when camping bookings statewide are up 15 percent, tied perhaps to high gas prices, which are prompting some vacationers to stay closer to home or opt for a cheaper getaway. But that rising popularity also coincides with a fiscal crisis in state government, which has led the current operating budgets for parks to be cut by 4 percent over last year.

In the Genesee region, about $7 million will be spent on upgrades at Letchworth and Hamlin Beach in fiscal year 2008-09, compared to $900,000 per year over the last decade. About $3 million will come from state capital funds for state parks, the rest from federal and private sources and the state Legislature.

The stagnant capital support meant that inflation and increased construction costs cut the spending power of that $900,000 by about 40 percent over the last decade, said Richard Parker, who oversees state parks in the Genesee region.

Other funding includes:

$4 million for the Allegany region, which includes Allegany State Park and Midway State Park, on Chautauqua Lake.

$16 million for the Niagara region, which includes Niagara Falls State Park and parks in Erie County. Only about half of that total comes from state capital funds, because many of the upgrades will be funded with money released following the relicensing of the Niagara Power Project.

$16 million in upgrades for state parks in New York City, although only $3 million comes from funding set aside for capital improvements in state parks.Plans for the upgrades in the state park system began with a 2006 report written by Parks and Trails New York, an advocacy organization, which exposed problems in many, but not all, of the parks.Once Gov. Eliot Spitzer was inaugurated, the report was built upon by park managers across the state.Bolstered by their photos of the parks' "uglies," the managers determined that the total bill for all of the upgrades would be between $650 million and $700 million, Ash said.Ash calls this year's $132 million in funding a "down payment" on the total bill, although there is no commitment for capital funds beyond this year. So the park plans to spend this year's money wisely and quickly, using local contractors and designing future projects so they are ready to be constructed during the next budget year, she said.This will leave the governor and the state Legislature with no choice but to fund the remaining projects, she said.

Letchworth

In the Genesee region's largest state park, plans are under way for a redesigned swimming pool, an improved drinking water system, new cabins and repaved roadways. Letchworth State Park, which straddles the border of Livingston and Wyoming counties, sits on more than 14,000 acres and hosts about 750,000 visitors every year, or between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors daily during the peak season.

The park, established in 1907, boasts the spectacular Genesee Gorge and three waterfalls that draw international visitors.

There are more than 65 miles of hiking trails, hook-ups for recreational vehicles and a variety of cabins that are occupied at 95 to 97 percent of capacity during the summer. The Glen Iris Inn offers rooms for overnight stays and indoor and outdoor dining.

The park's camping facilities are sold out every year over Columbus Day weekend, when the Arts Council for Wyoming County hosts its annual arts and crafts show. The event draws between 75,000 and 85,000 people and 325 vendors.

Two principals with the Arts Council, Director Patti Hughes and Show Coordinator Sunny Simmons, have nothing but praise for the park staff. Workers do the best with the resources they have and have corrected problems as they've come up, they said.

However, there is room for improvement.

"They don't put the money into it like they used to," said Simmons, who coordinates all of the shows for the arts council.

The park's 59-year-old pool in the south end of the park closed last summer because it was leaking water and minor repairs couldn't keep up with the pool's problems. The pool will be closed again this summer but a new design has been completed, incorporating a water slide, a shallow area for children and a section for lap swimming. Construction is slated to begin once the weather breaks next year, with an opening during 2009-10. Unlike the current facility, the new pool and its new locker room will be accessible to people with physical disabilities.

A $3 million upgrade of the drinking water system in the southern portion of Letchworth will allow the park to connect to the water supply from the nearby village of Castile.

Road projects totaling about $2 million will stabilize and improve the park's thoroughfares. A landslide last year forced one section of road to be reduced to one lane. It has since been repaired and both lanes are open.

Three cabins in the park's year-round camping area will be replaced and new cabins will be built, bringing the number of cabins in that area from 18 to 23.

Construction on the $1.6 million project will begin in late summer or early fall, according to David Herring, capital facilities manager for the Allegany and Genesee regions.

Hamlin

A new police substation and park office are planned for Hamlin Beach State Park, in Hamlin. The new building will replace two cottages that were combined to create the current facility, which dates back to the 1960s.

"It's just not a very attractive place for our patrons," Herring said.

Construction, estimated to cost between $1.4 million and $1.5 million, is slated to begin by Labor Day, with an opening next spring.

The new building will offer more room for the park staff and the park police and will be located closer to the main park road, said Marty Howden, facility manager at Hamlin Beach.

And the new location will put park staff and the park's five police officers closer to the area where visitors congregate.

"It's not really adequate at this point," Howden said.

The improvements are years in the making and will benefit a new generation of park users.

"Parks are being looked at more as the vacation of choice," Ash said. "People are going to stay closer to home, and they're going to be demanding the kinds of places in our state parks that are affordable, that they can have a good time, that they can take their kids to.

"We intend to be there to meet that demand as it happens."

JTERRERI@DemocratandChronicle.com

Anyone plan on camping more often, swimming at the new pool at Letchworth once it opens or enjoying any of the other parks that are slated to be improved?

Its boss was Mark Brener, 62. He dealt with a stack of medical bills for his late wife by starting the escort service, an idea that dawned on him several years ago as he surveyed sex-related advertisements in the weekly newspaper The Village Voice, an associate of Mr. Brener’s said.

The venture reinvigorated Mr. Brener. He dyed his hair black, donned a leather jacket and recruited three women to help him. The four seemingly had little in common beyond a desire for extra money and a willingness to earn it in alternative ways.

read full story http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/nyregion/07emperor.html?hp