Jenkins travels light to Canada after killing ex-wife

Ryan Jenkins and his wife, model Jasmine Fiore, whose naked body was found stuffed in a suitcase. The reality TV contestant has fled to Canada as police sought him for questioning. (AP/Neitzel/WireImage)

I haven't posted anything about this case because I thought it was yet another body-in-a-suitcase story, but I've decided that there's enough here to make it blog-worthy and nominate the killer for this week's Sick Fuck of the Week award. So here go--

This story is about a reality TV contestant and model--the ideal American couple--who thought they would get married and live happily ever after. Two months later, the marriage was annulled because he allegedly turned out to be a psycho, and three months after that, she was found naked in a suitcase.

A reality show contestant--that is, a fake--and a model with an obvious-to-the-naked-eye-mostly-fake body--a match seemingly made in heaven that ended up in hell.

Jasmine Fiore's nude body was found strangled and stuffed inside a suitcase in a dumpster outside Los Angeles Saturday by a bum looking for recyclables after her ex-husband, Ryan Jenkins, reported her missing. Her teeth had been pulled and fingers cut off to hinder the identification of the body.

By the time she was identified on Tuesday, Jenkins was long gone.

His SUV and an empty boat trailer were found late Wednesday at a marina in Washington, and someone claims he arrived by boat some 10 miles away at Point Roberts near Canada. It is believed he crossed the border on foot.

Law enforcement officials are saying they will leave "no stone unturned" to find him.

Fiore, 26, and Jenkins, 32, married in a quickie Las Vegas wedding in March. The 26-year-old swimsuit model ended the marriage in May, claiming Jenkins was a control freak and "insanely jealous."

Today it was reported that Jenkins, originally from Calgary, beat up a former girlfriend several years ago and was ordered to see a shrink for sex addiction.

He was initially charged with assault causing bodily harm when he was busted in July 2005 but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, for which he was sentenced to 15 months probation in January 2007 and ordered to undergo psychological counseling for domestic violence and outpatient treatment for sex addiction.

This prince charming reportedly was also facing trial in Nevada for punching Fiore on the arm with enough force to throw her into a pool in June. Jenkins was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence and had a court date in December.

Jenkins was a contestant on the VH1 reality shows Megan Wants a Millionaire and I Love Money 3, which wrapped up production in July. The last show--on which he was dubbed "Smooth Operator" by a castmate--might never air because of Ryan possibly having murdered and mutilated Fiore. Now deleted, Jenkins' profile on VH1's website described him as an investment banker. How "real" is that?

"I never had a good vibe with him," Fiore's mother, Lisa Lepore, told celebrity gossip website TMZ, describing Jenkins as "really cheap and just weird."

"I want to hold him down and pull his teeth out," Lepore told the Daily News.

"We want to ask everybody in Canada not to hide him," she added. "He can't get away with this."

Jenkins has been charged with first-degree murder.

So, will they find him, or will he get away with it?

If this were a Law & Order episode, he would foolishly ship himself to who knows where in a suitcase only to be found in a baggage claim carousel by ultra-smart detectives as the ominous keyboard music crescendoes...

Sources: HLN, Daily News, TMZ, MSNBC
Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Forbes: The most expensive cities in the world

(An interesting article about cost of living, economy)

By Sarah Lynch
Forbes.com Jul 8th, 2009

Think your morning commute is expensive? Think again. The ride on a bus or subway in Tokyo costs $3.25. Grab a newspaper and a cup of coffee on the way and the total comes to $11.70. That's more than anywhere else in the world--24% more than what those same things cost in New York even.

Tokyo is the world's most expensive city, according to Mercer's 2009 Worldwide Cost of Living survey released today, with the cost of living up 13.1% from 2008; the city ranked at No. 2 in 2008's survey. Japan's capital is followed by Osaka and Moscow, which held the top spot in last year's rankings. Geneva comes in fourth.

The significant changes from last year are due to massive swings in exchange rates, with many currencies at their weakest in years against the U.S. dollar, during the March 2009 survey period. Because of this, New York moved up 14 spaces to No. 8 from No. 22. London dropped to No. 16 from No. 3 as the pound dropped as low as 1.37 against the U.S. dollar during the study period. Six months earlier, one pound was worth $1.86.

"Changes in exchange rate tend to be one of the major drivers, I would argue the major driver, in cost of living," says Rebecca Powers, a principal consultant at Mercer. Even with the U.S. dollar weakening over the past four months--it's now worth $1.65--due in part to the Obama administration's stimulus package, the cost of living in London, when measured against the value of the U.S. dollar, is significantly lower than it was a year ago, when the pound was worth more than $2.

Other notable jumps from last year's ranking to this year's are Dubai, which moved to No. 20 from No. 52, and Caracas, which moved to No. 15 from No. 89. Both climbed so quickly because the local currencies are pegged to the greenback; the more the dollar's value increased, so did the cost of living in those places (but Caracas also has a high rate of inflation, pushing up prices for basic goods).

All U.S. cities included in the ranking also experienced a rise, including Los Angeles, up 32 places, and Washington, D.C., up 41 places.

Behind the Numbers

To generate its ranking of the world's most expensive cities, Mercer, an international consulting firm, looked at more than 200 cities across six continents, examining the cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, food, clothing, transport, household goods and entertainment to calculate an overall cost of living. The survey is used to help multinational companies determine compensation packages for employees living abroad. Mercer uses New York as the base city for the index and scores the cost of living there at 100 points. Cities scoring higher are more expensive; lower than 100, and they're cheaper. All cities included in the ranking are in comparison to New York, and currency is measured against the U.S. dollar.

"Since we're polling those places in a local environment, we're getting costs in a local currency," Powers says. "When the currencies fluctuate, that has a significant affect on costs." Powers says these cost fluctuations are making multinational companies reassess the need for expansion abroad.

"Companies have been much more guarded about their investments," she says. "While you can still argue that there is interest in emerging markets, the general pattern of money flowing into the same markets was interrupted when companies started looking at their money."

Johannesburg, South Africa (No. 143) bottoms out the complete list of cities with a score of 49.6. Also at the tail end are Monterrey, Mexico (No. 142), and Asuncion, Paraguay (No. 141).

Tokyo Steady, Shaky Everywhere Else

The main constant in these rankings, since Mercer's first set was released in 1994, is Tokyo's place at or close to the top. Osaka has only fallen outside the top 10, once, when it slipped to the No. 11 spot last year. While the value of the yen is strong against the dollar, Japan--and Tokyo in particular--has always featured prominently due to the high cost of international goods, says Mercer senior researcher Nathalie Constantin-Metral. One can count on Japan being expensive in good times and bad alike for the yen.

But there's no telling what will happen in a place like Moscow--which zoomed up to the top spot last year, and fell out of it this year. It will all depend, says Constantin-Metral, on the performance of Russia's currency. The ruble had been on a long, steady climb against the greenback as of March 2008; but it bottomed out at the beginning of March 2009. It's been on a recovery trajectory ever since, but still has a long way to go. Either way, the rankings make clear that the more the ruble slips, the less expensive a city Moscow becomes.

American cities, then, have more in common with a place like Moscow than anywhere in Japan. The more the dollar--and prices--move, the more or less expensive U.S. cities get, which means it's all up in the air as to what will happen over the year ahead. Tokyo and Osaka may be expensive, but at least everyone knows it for certain. Just about everywhere else, it seems, nobody knows for sure what the cost of living is like until the year is already in the rear-view mirror.

World's Top Five Most Expensive Cities To Live

1. Tokyo, Japan

2. Osaka, Japan

3. Moscow, Russia

4. Geneva, Switzerland

5. Hong Kong

Michael Jackson memorial to be watched by millions

Album cover for Michael Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous.

I knew Michael Jackson's death was a HUGE event the second I heard about it, which was right when it happened as I was tracking news feeds online. I thought Michael is American royalty and as such his death would be treated. Indeed, it has been the top story for a week, making headlines daily with every new detail or speculation reported in a nearly 24/7 coverage that has left many who didn't understand Michael's reach mystified.

Yes, he's no Kennedy--no present or former U.S. president would get anywhere near the attention Michael is getting, by the way. Even the passing of Mother Teresa--revered as a modern-day saint by Christians throughout the world--from a heart attack at 99-years-old on Sep 5, 1997, was overshadowed by Lady Diana's sudden death in a violent car accident days earlier on Aug 31. The first one transcended royalty; the second one was royalty and, therefore, commanded the general public's attention for weeks and months following the tragedy.

There's no question now that the "King of Pop" has turned out to be more than a media- or fan-concocted term for one of the most--if not the most--talented and fascinating pop artist of our time. The aftermath of his death is the evidence.

Critics claim media coverage has been excessive. Perhaps. After all, the media is not known for its restraint. Nevertheless, in this case (unlike so many others), I believe the public's hunger for all things Michael has been the driving force behind this "excessive" coverage and not the other way around. Viewers, listeners and readers aren't viewing, listening and reading about Michael simply because of the information and images saturating the media. They are seeking this information online with fervor. While some wish they could get away from it (good luck with that), many more seem captivated by this story, even those who didn't care much for him or his music while he was alive.

Why?

I think there's just so much triumph and tragedy in his story--enough to engage anyone with a spec of curiosity regardless of age or music preference.

The extremes are mindboggling. Michael was a collection of dualities--the contrasts between his bold larger-than-life persona on stage and his extremely shy and eccentric character off stage...between the genius and discipline that drove him to the pinnacle of success and the self-destructive forces he surrendered to...between his joy and sadness, his love for humanity and his disillusionment with it after being repeatedly let down.

It's a gripping tale, and people won't be getting enough of it anytime soon, if you ask me.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The memorial will be held Tuesday at the 20,000-seat Staples Center in Los Angeles, and Michael's family is giving away 17,500 free tickets for the event to fans via an online lottery. If that website doesn't crash, it will be a miracle.

UPDATE: Within hours of the announcement, the website got 500,000,000 hits--that's half a billion visits, and, as expected, it crashed.

It will be watched my millions of people all over the world, whether on TV or online. It will be up there with Obama's acceptance speech. I'm sure of it.

City officials have a gargantuan task to accomplish, not only because of the scope of the event, but also, in my opinion, because of the emotions that have been percolating since Michael's death and that will reach a boiling point that day.

Despite California's current running-out-of-money financial state of emergency, a Los Angeles councilwoman said earlier today that the City of Los Angeles has funds set aside in its budget earmarked to secure citizen's safety and for extraordinary events. "And this is an extraordinary event," she said noted.

The city, however, needs help the private sector to pay for services other than security, such as sanitation and information technology, she added. Michael's celebrity friends could contribute with donations; I hope they do.

As of the time of this post, there was no word yet on whether or not Michael's body would be at the memorial.

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Some recently posted MJ stories:
Did Michael Jackson crave anesthesia?, posted July 2
Michael Jackson dies after cardiac arrest, posted June 25
Stars will shine in wake of Michael Jackson's death, posted June 26
Michael Jackson -- What the doctor ordered? posted June 27

Michael Jackson's cause of death 'deferred'

Michael Jackson's electrifying performance made the 1993 Super Bowl halftime show one of the best and most memorable ever. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Some media sources are saying the initial autopsy exam shows Michael Jackson died of a heart attack. However, as previously reported, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office is not making an official announcement as to the cause of death.

Instead...

Michael Jackson's cause of death "has been deferred," which means a medical examiner has ordered additional studies--toxicology, neuropathology, pulmonary tests--that will take four to six weeks to complete, Craig Harvey, operations chief and spokesman of the Los Angeles Coroner's Office told reporters during a press conference.

"Once the studies are completed, we anticipate to be able to close the case and issue a final cause of death," he said.

"There's no indication of external trauma or foul play, and the LAPD has requested that a security hold be placed on the investigation [into his death], so there's only limited information we can share at this time," he added.

The autopsy was finished at 1 p.m. today, but the press conference was delayed for hours.

His body will be released to his family and the mortuary tonight.

So we'll have to wait.

I expect the media now will focus on obtaining information about the funeral arrangements and burial, which is likely to be watched worldwide.

The media also will follow the LAPD investigation into Michael's death closely, hoping something dramatic will turn up. One of the questions that needs to be answered is, why was there a doctor living with Michael? What was his role there?

Source: CNN, BNO

Singles--move to the East, move to the West!

The U.S. Census has created a list that reveals the best cities in the U.S. for singles of either sex. We've divided it by best cities to male and single and best cities to be female and single…just remember…the best city for one sex, makes it the worst city for the other sex

Best for Men

New York Metro: Single Women outnumber men by 210,000. No wonder the New York Yankees players have so much luck with the ladies.

Washington D.C. and Philadelphia: Over 50,00 more single men than women. With all those fancy dates Obama keeps throwing Michelle…no guy can possible measure up.

Best for Women

Los Angeles: Nearly 90,000 more unmarried men than women…that would explain the scene last weekend at Teddy’s…dudes a plenty. No wonder Paris loves Los Angeles.

San Francisco: 65,000 more single men that women. It’s possible there’s a little more going on than the census reveals in that state.

Source: RyanSeacrest. com
Copyright © 2009

Fairytales can come true

Sergio Garcia was crowned prom queen on May 23 at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. "You don't have to be a certain gender to accomplish things," said Garcia, adding that he identified more with being a queen. (Photo by Liz O. Baylen, Los Angeles Times via AP)

An openly gay teen was voted prom queen at Los Angeles' Fairfax High School in a campaign that began as a stunt but ended up spurring discussion on the campus about gender roles and teen popularity, the Associated Press and Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week.

Sergio Garcia, 18, was crowned queen May 23 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, AP reported. "I feel invincible," he said in his tiara and charcoal-gray tuxedo. Yes, he wore a tiara.

A queen with no king, since Proposition 8 banning gay marriage in that state was upheld by the California Supreme Court Tuesday.

It was all fun and games until a few days before the coronation, when he gave a speech that won over some cynics and led to an ovation and his unlikely victor, according to the report.

"At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it's no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes," Garcia told a gymnasium full of seniors, AP reported.

"I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye."

Well...he's right. For one, there's a penis somewhere in there not meeting one's eyes, and that's definitely atypical. According to the report, Garcia assured the crowd he wouldn't wear a dress on prom night. Darn!

"I will be wearing a suit," he said. "But don't be fooled, deep down I am a queen." Ha! Good for him! Although I would've loved to see him in a prom gown...

Garcia said he the fliers advertising the prom and the election didn't specify the queen must be a girl and thought the role would suit him better than prom king. I don't wish to be a girl," he told the LA Times. "I just wish to be myself."

The school has long been a haven for students who would be considered outcasts at many schools, AP reported, noting that one of the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers attended that school.

Senior class president Vanessa Lo said she and many other students were initially against the idea but were won over by Garcia's speech and became convinced he wasn't just an attention-seeking clown, according to the report.

Long live the Queen!!!

Source: The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA Today

Copyright © 2009