Anne Thrax

Breaking News in California: [Quoted from MyNewsLA Contributing Editor] The State Bar is asking a judge to order a “confidential witness” to testify and produce documents in connection with an internal investigation into whether its own employees may have assisted troubled former attorney Thomas Girardi escape discipline over the years. Girardi was disbarred earlier this year by the state Supreme Court and ordered to pay $2.28 million, plus 10% interest, for funds allegedly stolen from clients. The State Bar on Jan. 10 had recommended that Girardi’s law license be taken away, in large part for allegedly misappropriating nearly $2 million that belonged to the minor children of air crash victims. The only other discipline Girardi received was a private reproval in 1999. The State Bar has hired the law firm of Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg LLP to find out why. Because the investigation involves the handling of complaints by State Bar employees, including attorneys within the Office of Chief Trial Counsel, the chief trial counsel was recused from conducting the probe, according to the State Bar petition filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. During the investigation, Aaron M. May of Halpern May found out that a “confidential witness” likely has relevant information and so he issued a subpoena on July 11 directing the person to appear for an Aug. 11 deposition and bring the requested documents. May cited authority for the subpoena power to an attorney for the witness, but the lawyer, without challenging the law given, argued it was barred on other grounds and the witness did not appear, according to the State Bar’s court papers. “It is not disputed that confidential witness was served the subpoena or that he or she refused to comply with the subpoena,” State Bar attorneys state in their court papers. “As such, confidential witness is in contempt of the State Bar pursuant to (the state California Business and Professions Code.)” The State Bar is asking a judge to issue an order to show cause directing the “confidential witness” to appear before the court at a specified date and explain why the person has not attended, testified or produced the documents per the subpoena. Both sides they are “generally available” for a hearing Oct. 28, according to State Bar lawyers. _________________________ The State Bar needs a judge to compel a confidential witness to appear and produce documents at a deposition regarding this person's knowledge as to the identity of State Bar employees who assisted Gerardi in circumventing State Bar disciplinary action.

HA! I think it was Andy's idea.

I know I've posted so many times about Dorinda's atrocious decorating choices, but that bedroom of hers at BSM. Looks vulgar as a Hong Kong brothel. But hey, maybe that's the look she was going for. In which case - well done Dorinda! Quote of the Episode Phaedra: Dorinda, you are so bad! You need a spankin' don't ya? hahahahahaha!!

My theory is a little different. I think Andy told Dorinda she was "paused" because he knew Dorinda would refuse accept it if he said "fired". So he strung her along with the word "paused" and the possibility of a come-back. Then he tossed off this cheap little UGT show and knowing Dorinda's need for cash, using her house to shoot a show featuring fired housewives desperate for another chance to be on TV. This way Andy gets a cheaply produced show and gives all those ex-wives what they've been begging him for, and he can now wash his hands of them all, having granted them their second chance.

Personally I lost my appetite for lobster after seeing Dorinda's gross display -- plus the licking of her fingers while doing it -- UGH!! Some folks don't realize that it's the New England lobsters that need all that pulling apart to get to the meat in the claws. But Pacific lobsters are all tail. They don't have claws, and all that ripping and tearing and licking is unnecessary to eat them. Just run a blade down the middle of the tail and all that beautiful tail meat pulls right out.

There's a word for that - sadist.

Ha! Hannah probably knows better than anyone that it's useless to try to talk to Dorinda about anything. Dorinda knows all, and if you question her, she'll never shut up telling you all about it.

I never watched Atlanta, but I have to say I'm really enjoying Phaedra and Eva, and completely agree that the show would have been pretty much a bust without those two fun ladies. Their THs were what kept me coming back. LOL if Dorinda thinks she's ever going to have a man in her life ever again. Unless she's paying big money to keep him, that is. But I'm thinking she can't afford that anyway if she's having to hire out Bluestone Manor like it's an Airbnb.

Oh - Mr. Lynch, Hannah's father.

I am convinced Andy cooked up this show to make Dorinda look absurd in every circumtance. Fishing for more compliments (there are never enough for Dorinda) she wonders aloud why nobody has yet mentioned her talent for lobster dissembling. The only one who has more of a look-at-me persona is Jill. Surprise! Poor Jill - I laughed so hard when she says "crickets?" in her TH. Yeah, nobody was thrilled. I cracked up when Eva said "I thought it was mimosas!" What happened to Dorinda - when we saw how fresh faced she looked in the Season 10 clip of Dorinda at Jill's Anti Bullying Fundraiser. They're all finding out that this Bravo show ain't like the one they were fired from (Jill: "They get Turks & Caicos and I get Bluestone Manor. What did I do wrong?") Is everything Dorinda wears 15 to 20 years old or what? At breakfast she wore those blue pjs with the feather cuffs (I'm sure those scream elegance to her). The black embroidered atrocity that she wore at the sound bath has to be 40 years old. That pink caftan reminds me of something Endora would wear. Then the camo track suit during the manipedis, and the dreadful sparkly flapper dress -- I swear she has the world's strongest love of tacky. Then we get the sound bath guy. Put a long wig on him and I'd swear it's the shaman from that wigwam in Mexico where Emily faints and has to be taken out? Then the spooky house with ghosts -- I really didn't realize Dorinda's love of the woo-woo. Nobody is digging this and I don't blame them. Boring.

Suffice it to say that Dorinda's taste differs greatly from mine. For all the trouble she takes inside the house, do you think she could manage to hire a guy with some black gloss paint to go over that entrance gate once or twice? Looks like it hasn't been painted in 20 years. And what is Dorinda's deal that each room should have a completely different style from the others? For all her efforts, Vicki finally got herself back on TV, and I can tell she's disappointed that all it got her was sent out to be a captive guest at Dorinda's. Brandi is just as sloppy and uninteresting as ever. I never watched RHOA but I'm enjoying those ladies more than I am anyone else.

Sutton's dating conversation with Kyle - Kyle mentions that Erika isn't on dating apps, but is getting set up with dates, and Sutton sniffs, "I don't care if they're rich - I don't need money in order to make myself feel better" seems disingenuous when Sutton raked off big time from "dating rich" or did she just forget that part?

Not surprising those two didn't stay together. She was so demanding of affection and understanding yet dismissive of him at the same time - way to go attempting to save a marriage with that attitude. Good luck to her if she thinks she's getting more than 50/50 custody when he's been the SAHD for years, and LOL if she thinks she's going to avoid paying spousal support to Ryne -- he'll likely get it if he asks for it.

I don't think Noella has anything to worry about when it comes to child custody. That guy left town for months without even asking about the kid. I think she's safe there.

Shannon did get lucky with a decent looking dress after seeing her clearly distraught call to production about her dress not working for her. I read somewhere they went to Bloomingdale's or something and bought it off the rack. Shannon has graduated from flattening the body bloat with multiple pairs of spanx to the much more attractive option of wearing a waist cinching corset. There are some photos of her standing where you can see the curved outline of the corset on her lap area.