Bill Cosby Defiles Hollywood Royalty

Alan Ladd Jr.'s Wife Accuses Bill Cosby of Rape, Says 'the Truth Deserves to Be Known'

By Suzy Byrne16 hours agoYahoo Celebrity

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Cindra Ladd, with her producer husband Alan Ladd Jr., is the latest woman to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual assault. …

Bill Cosby's comedy tour continues, as do thestanding ovations, but that hasn't silenced his growing number of accusers. Another woman has come forward to share her story about being a victim of "America's dad."

Cindra Ladd, a former entertainment executive in the movie business and the wife of Blade Runner, Braveheart, and Chariots of Fire producer Alan Ladd Jr., penned an essay detailing her alleged rape by Cosby, who she also claims drugged her, when she was a 21-year-old living in New York City in 1969.

Related: Complete Guide to What Ex-'Cosby' Stars Have Said About Bill Cosby Sex Allegations

Like many of the accusers, Ladd said Cosby, who was married to his wife Camille at the time, befriended her and was a "perfect gentleman," she wrote on Huffington Post. One night when they were headed to a movie, she came down with a headache and when she considered canceling, he told her he had a "miracle cure his doctor gave him," in the form of a capsule. When she questioned him about what it was, "He asked, 'Don't you trust me?' Of course I did. This was Bill Cosby."

"For more than 45 years I have tried to recall exactly what happened that night," Ladd wrote. "To this day it remains a blur. I have a vague recollection of feeling like I was floating while walking through Times Square and watching some kind of Japanese samurai movie with him. I don't remember where the theater was nor very much of the evening."

She continued, "What I do recall, vividly and clearly, is waking up the next morning nude in the bed of his friend's apartment and seeing Cosby wearing a white terrycloth bathrobe and acting as if there was nothing unusual. It was obvious to me that he had had sex with me. I was horrified, embarrassed and ashamed. There was a mirror above the bed [of his friend's apartment], which shocked me further."

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Bill Cosby during one of his shows earlier this year in Canada. (Splash News)

Ladd said that after making some awkward small talk, she hightailed it out of there. "Once in the elevator, I broke down crying, which I continued to do as I walked home to my apartment," she said. "It never occurred to me to go to the police. It was a different time and 'date rape' was a concept that didn't exist. I just kept asking myself over and over in disbelief why this had happened to me. Other than my roommate, I did not discuss that night with anyone for 36 years."

Related: What We Know About the Model Pursuing Criminal Charges Against Bill Cosby

It was when Andrea Constand, the director of operations for the women's basketball program at Cosby's alma mater Temple University, publicly accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2005 that Ladd revealed the incident to her husband of 30 years.

"I always thought I was the only one," she wrote. "I couldn't believe he had done this to others. I told my story to our attorney, who is also a good friend, because I was considering going public then, but eventually chose not to because the case was settled."

Ladd, who went on to become an entertainment executive and now is focused on philanthropic endeavors, said, "This is the first time I have chosen to speak out about that night. It is also the last time I intend to address it publicly. I have no plans to sue, I don't want or need money. I have no plans for a press conference or for doing any interviews. So why speak out at all and why now? The simple answer is that it's the right thing to do. The truth deserves to be known."

Ladd concluded her essay by sharing that she came into contact with Cosby one time since the alleged rape "when my husband, a highly successful Oscar-winning film executive and producer, introduced me to him," she wrote. "I was shaking, wondering if he would recognize me by my unusual first name. His reaction spoke volumes. To Bill Cosby, I was just another stranger."

Related: Camille Cosby Speaks Out

Ladd joins a list of more than 20 women, including models Janice Dickinson and Beverly Johnson, who have accused The Cosby Show veteran of similar misconduct. His lawyer has repeatedly denied the claims of all the women, calling them "unsubstantiated, fantastical stories about things they say occurred 30, 40, or even 50 years ago" in a statement.

Cosby, who saw several of his comedy projects axed due to the allegations, continues his comedy tour across the United States. While several performances have been canceled, his next date is Jan. 30 in Ohio followed by nine performances in February. He has received standing ovations at many of his recent shows.

copied from yahoo news..........

from Jig Saw Jam: how to do the puzzle fast

Yesterday's Comments

dkmGames: Should I increase the fit tolerance for challenges? It is currently fixed at 5 (max = 20).

bambi: what is going on this wont load either!

annlacko: I think it could be slightly increased. Since I don't see numbers, just a sliding bar to adjust fit tolerance, I would say 7 or 8 (centered under the black little square with the back color selections).

bambi: finally was able to open the puzzles. Many thanks

foobar: Should you make pieces snap together more easily? No. I think the current level of challenge is fine. I think if you made it easier there would be more rejected sub 4 minute times.

akimbo: I thought it was on my end. I almost always (on the challenges) have to click a piece into position multiple times to get it to attach to the puzzle.

LThomson: Seems like the current level is fine.

artanis: If people are finishing this puzzle at 5 minutes, then I think the tolerance is fine. I too sometimes have to click a couple of times, but I don't waste time trying to get them in. Instead I go to the next piece and since the puzzle jumps a little with every connection, they sometimes go in by themselves. If not, I nudge them in at the end. But then again, I'm NOT a big finisher! :)

WB8FBG: where was the picture taken, please.

katshe: I'd love to see the tolerance upped a little. Thank you, dkmGames, for being on top of things and also for reading our comments! Whether you decide to change settings or not, being heard is much appreciated.

peardrop: I've done puzzles for more years than I want to remember. I don't possible see how someone does these in 5 minutes. H---, I can't even find the edges in that amount of time. And the "Edges" click doesn't work. I'm never out of the +150 finished range. Not complaining, I do enjoy doing them. I just can't figure out these folks who do it in the 15 minutes or so range. Happy Monday, peardrop

Alain: Il est vrai que d'être entendu est bien. Je pense qu'il n'est pas nécessaire d'augmenter la tolérance. J'ai un petit truc pour ceux qui veulent baisser leur temps. Ne placer pas la dernière pièce et recommencer le puzzle, en faisant cela plusieurs fois on peut gagner 4 à 5 minutes, en effet notre cerveau s'habitue aux formes et couleurs des pièces, même si la main reste imprécise.
Google Translate :
It is true that to be heard is good. I think it is not necessary to increase tolerance. I have a little something for those who want to lower their time. Do not place the last piece and start the puzzle, doing this several times you can earn 4 to 5 minutes, in fact our brain gets used to the colors and shapes of the parts, even if the hand remains unclear.

martha: I would like you to increase tolerance. It's frustrating when you know a piece goes somewhere and you have to click several times to get it on. I often arrange pieces and I would lose those pieces that were difficult to fit.

Sharona: The people who complete the puzzles under 5 minutes very likely train on the puzzle before actually completing it to the last piece. Having said that, the speed of completion also depends on the technology used. My brother has a sensitive touch screen, since he got his ipad his times are so much faster.

Sharona: i am in favour of increasing the tolerance a bit. Let's give it a two week trial, and see what people think. Liek Martha, I have to re-click several times sometimes.

dkmGames, I made a suggestions a few days ago that the comments page will be accessible by clicking on a link, so if someone comments on the mystery, this does not ruin the surprise for others; some people obviously feel very passionately about this.

hebebear: Nice puzzle I sent in from a trip to Belgium some years ago. The netting made it into a much more interesting puzzle that it at first seemed.

Sharona: Beautiful photo for the challenge!

tribble: Derek, what happened to the note you added to the comment section about not spoiling the mystery puzzle? It was there for some time but it is gone now, it seemed to do the trick for stopping the spoilers!
As for people who practice the challenge puzzle and click the back button before the last piece is put in, is there a way to make it so we can't restart the challenge?

tsii: I think a slight increase in tolerance will work. Right now, tablet users have a great advantage. Perhaps would be interesting to post next to the time if the time was done using the app (so tablet was used). Would be interesting statistic. 

toots: Maybe there should be an "auto" finish for the last 3 - 5 pieces. The people who are going back would be THWARTED---HAHAHAHA ARH!

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Wichita Airport: New Name New Look New Logo

Posted: Monday, 26 January 2015 9:28PM Wichita Airport Unveils New Logo WICHITA, Kan.  -  Wichita city leaders today unveiled a new logo for the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. The new logo contains a dominant "W" for Wichita and a smaller "E" for Eisenhower. The Wichita City Council approved the name change last year. The airport name pays tribute to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His granddaughter Mary Eisenhower was in Wichita for today's unveiling. "My grandfather loved aviation and the great state of Kansas, of course," Mary Eisenhower said. "I don't think it could get any better for him than this right now." Some 20 highway signs are already being switched out to reflect the name change. "You'll see the new name reflected in everything from highway signage, to marketing materials, and the social media channels," said airport director Victor White. This is the third name in Wichita airport history. It was first known as Wichita Municipal Airport before being renamed Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in 1973.   KAKE News

copied from KNSS radio homepage

The Tragic and Confusing Life of Francesca Hilton

PERSONAL FINANCE 1/13/2015 @ 10:54AM 15,994 views

The Tragedy of Francesca Hilton, Daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Hilton Founder

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Everyone loves a good rags-to-riches tale.  But Francesca Gabor Hilton’s life followed a dramatically different path.  Born to Hollywood star (and Kim Kardashian predecessor), Zsa Zsa Gabor, and founder of the famed Hilton hotel dynasty, Conrad Hilton, Francesca was raised attending celebrity parties, living in mansions, earning blue ribbons in horse-riding competitions, and jet-setting to Paris, Rome, and other fashionable cities.  But her life was not as idyllic as it seemed.

Zsa Zsa Gabor wrote in her autobiography that Francesca was born following a pregnancy that resulted from rape by her husband at the time, Conrad Hilton.  The couple divorced before Francesca was born.  Francesca told the LA Times in 2007 that she spent Christmases and occasional upscale lunches with her father.  But their relationship was never close. When Conrad died in 1979, he left his only daughter a scant $100,000 out of his estate, with most of the wealth earmarked for charity.  Conrad Hilton’s estate, which was worth about $200 million at the time, included massive Hilton Hotel stock interests.

Francesca sued to challenge the will but lost.  At the same time, one of her half-brothers, Barron Hilton, also challenged the estate in probate court and walked away with voting interest and income rights over the majority of Hilton Hotel corporate stock.  Already acting as CEO of the company, he dramatically grew the value and holdings of the Hilton empire and became a Forbes 400-ranked billionaire in the process.   In 2007, Barron Hilton announced that his estate plan, like his father’s, would leave the large majority of his holdings (specifically, 97% of $2.3 billion) to charity when he dies — much to the chagrin of his famous granddaughter, Paris Hilton.

Unlike her well-to-do grand-niece, Francesca stopped enjoying the support of wealthy parents many years ago.  She tried to earn a living from a variety of jobs — including acting, stand-up comedy, and working for her father’s charitable foundation.  She watched her mother go through six more husbands after Conrad Hilton, before finally “settling down” with Prince Frederic von Anhalt in 1986.  While von Anhalt and Zsa Zsa were both coy about their actual ages, well-accepted media reports have placed the couple’s age difference at 25 years, at least.

Their marriage appeared to be one of convenience more so than love.  At least, that’s what thisVanity Fair story from 2007 suggests, even though von Anhalt said he loved Zsa Zsa. Nonetheless, the relationship gets the prize for lasting the longest of Zsa Zsa’s nine marriages.  In fact, going on 29 years, the marriage has outlasted all of Zsa Zsa’s prior eight marriagescombined.

In that time, Zsa Zsa’s age finally caught up with her, especially after a 2002 car accident that left her wheelchair-bound with partial paralysis, followed by multiple strokes, surgeries, and other health problems, including losing the ability to speak and the amputation of her leg due to an infection.  The Prince has remained as her husband and full-time caregiver throughout, despite numerous bumps in the road, such as his public claim that he had an affair with Anna Nicole Smith, his bizarre plan to cause Zsa Zsa to become a 94-year old mother (through an egg donor and surrogate mother), and mounting financial difficulties.

Von Anhalt battled to remain as the decision-maker for his wife after Francesca filed legal challenges to him and sought a court-appointed conservator, claiming that he mismanaged Zsa Zsa’s funds, botched her medical care, and refused to allow her to visit her mother.  Von Anhalt denied the charges, refuted the public claims that he imprisoned rather than cared for Zsa Zsa, and eventually settled with Francesca out of court.  In exchange for monthly reporting to Francesca Hilton’s attorney, and weekly visits of one-hour, the legal fight came to an end.  The hard feelings remained, however.

Back in 2005, von Anhalt filed a lawsuit on behalf of himself and Zsa Zsa, accusing Francesca of fraud and forgery, in obtaining written permission from her mother to refinance her mansion.  Von Anhalt said Francesca Hilton did it to pillage her mother’s equity in the Bel Air mansion, but Fransceca said she did it with her mother’s approval and permission to refinance the home and save it from foreclosure.  The lawsuit was dropped after Zsa Zsa did not appear in court or sign an affidavit saying that she wanted to be part of the lawsuit against her daughter.

Despite the fact that there were no ongoing lawsuits pending when she died, Francesca’s friend and publicist told Radar Online that the bitterness remained until her death on January 6, 2015, at age 67.  Not long before her passing, Francesca Hilton said that, “My mother wanted to be a princess, so she married an evil queen.”  Francesca also said she was still very angry with the Prince and challenged him to sue her.  By then, only weeks before she died, Francesca was flat broke and alternated between living in her car and a low-end apartment building when she could afford the weekly rent.

Things became so bad for Francesca that when she suddenly passed away, no one came forward to claim her body.  With Zsa Zsa as her only family member (unless you include Paris Hilton and the other, well-to-do side of the Hilton family), Francesca’s remains were held in the morgue for days.

So who stepped forward to take care of her final resting arrangements?  None other than Prince Frederic von Anhalt himself.  He also called for an investigation into her death, claiming she left him troubling voice mail messages alluding to suicide.  Francesca’s publicist says Francesca would have been very upset if von Anhalt handled her funeral and burial arrangements.  He even blamed von Anhalt for Francesca’s death, saying, “Everybody that really knows Francesca knows why she passed away.  It was a massive heart attack caused by the stress of one Frederic von Anhalt.”

Ultimately, authorities ordered an autopsy and did not allow von Anhalt to claim Francesca’s body.  One of Francesca’s half-brothers, Stephen, reportedly will step forward and claim the body, so that Francesca’s friends can lay her to rest in the manner they believe she would have wanted.

It was quite a fall from grace for the daughter of the woman called “glamour personified” and one the world’s most successful hoteliers of all time.  With all of the time, energy and money invested into battling over her mother’s best interests, it’s too bad that Francesca did not take more care to plan for her own estate.  Francesca could have planned out her funeral and burial arrangements, even if she did not have assets to plan for.  Exercising that forethought would have ended any concern that the man she battled against so fervently may have been the one to plan her funeral and burial.

It’s a lesson for everyone.  No one knows when the end will come. Francesca was so worried about her mother that she probably never stopped to think about her own mortality.  Everyone should take the time to plan out their estate — or at least their funeral and burial wishes — so that it’s not left up to chance.  Francesca certainly did not plan to pass away at the age of 67, before her 97-year-old mother, but it happened. Delaying planning for what happens after you die is never a good idea.

Danielle and Andy Mayoras are co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! You can find them on Facebook , Twitter, and Google Plus.

copied from Forbes and here is a link to the page:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/trialandheirs/2015/01/13/the-tragedy-of-francesca-hilton-daughter-of-zsa-zsa-gabor-and-hilton-founder/