| Grindhouse Gang
It was during a typically long and muggy Florida summer that I first wandered into the dimly lit recesses of a local video store and plucked from its dusty shelves the movies of the Australian suspense maestro Richard Franklin, including his 1978 Patrick, with its comatose yet telekinetic title character. In short order, I would similarly discover the work of the American urban-terror specialist William Lustig (of Maniac and Maniac Cop fame), and that of the Italian splatter king Lucio Fulci (New York Ripper, Don't Torture a Duckling) — my fondness deepening, with each successive trip to the rental counter, for the golden age of grindhouse cinema. It was only later that I came to realize how thoroughly VHS and cable had cannibalized the theatrical exploitation market, so that by the time I made it to New York and Los Angeles in the 1990s, the decaying movie palaces along 42nd Street and Hollywood Boulevard that once served up exploitation movies by the pound had shuttered or been converted into more traditional places of worship (those with altars in place of screens).
Gringolandia — The US Migrant Boom Hits Mexico
Elizabeth Rogers and Alex Kelly embarked on the trip of their lives. Selling their Chicago condominium, the couple flew to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, this past winter for a needed break from the old work routine. Based in beautiful but expensive Banderas Bay, the young travelers visited beaches, endured roving street vendors and explored the wonders of the tropical Pacific coast, a place where the waters hop with migratory humpback whales, dolphins and sea turtles. Rogers was struck by the gay-friendly atmosphere. "A lot of rainbow-colored flags and that kind of thing, which is nice," said the young woman. "That's accepted down here, I think." Lodged in a Puerto Vallarta condo, the Rogers-Kelly team quickly stumbled across the pricey real estate market that defines Puerto Vallarta and surrounding areas.
County leader acts to save jobs
COUNTY Council leader Angus Campbell is attempting to save staff at the award-winning Dorset History Centre in Dorchester from redundancy. Around six-full time jobs are in danger as the service - which must save £81,500 over the next three years - looks to cut costs. Now Coun Campbell has written to fellow leaders at Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole - which run the centre with Dorset County Council - to explore other money-saving options. .
Schneider: Show us the money
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fundraising records are shattering. That's what's happening as we begin to tabulate results for the first scorecard of the 2008 campaign. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, raised an amazing $26 million in contributions for the first quarter -- nearly three times as much as the previous record holder, former vice president Al Gore, for money raised during this three-month period. At a campaign event Monday, Clinton told the audience that she was proud of her fundraising. "I'm proud that I have such strong financial support from across the country, with so many donors who are believing in my campaign," she said. Clinton is not the only Democrat who had high fundraising totals. Former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina, is reporting a very impressive first-quarter take of $14 million.
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