Friday, 29 July 2011

Alex Trebek's Hotel Burglar Put Under Restraining Order

The woman who broke into Alex Trebek's hotel room early Wednesday morning has been put under a restraining order. Lucinda Moyers, a 56-year-old two-time convicted thief, has been ordered to stay at least 150 yards from the Jeopardy! host and his wife, E! News reported. STORY: Alex Trebek Injured While Chasing Burglar in San Francisco Hotel Moyers was arrested Wednesday after breaking into Trebek's Ssn Francisco hotel room and stealing an unspecified amount of cash and a bracelet from his mother that he'd worn on the show every day for 20 years. In the process of chasing her down, Trebek snapped his Achilles tendon, fell and then injured his other leg. "I woke up and saw a figure in our hotel bedroom and I thought I was dreaming," he told Today of the incident. "I realized immediately that someone had been in the room, and I put on my underwear and ran down the hall to see if I could find her." He eventually caught up to Moyers. VIDEO: Alex Trebek on Burglary: 'I Thought I Was Dreaming' "She came out of the middle room where the ice machine is, and I said, 'What were you doing in our room?' She said, 'I wasn't in your room,' so I said, 'What were you doing?' She said, 'I was visiting friends.' I said, 'No you weren't.'" Later the same day, he kept his obligation to host the National Geographic World Championship at Google's Mountain View offices. He used a wheelchair to enter the auditorium and leaned on the podium while quizzing contestants. Trebek will undergo surgery on Friday. He expects to be in a cast for about six weeks. STORY: Alex Trebek Lauded by Fans for Chasing Burglar, Injury Moyers, who denies breaking into Trebek's room, was booked on felony burglary and possession of stolen property. She has been twice convicted of residential burglary, in 1990 and again the following year. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Jeff Ross has increased her bail to $625,000, with an arraignment set for Monday. Related Topics Alex Trebek Jeopardy!

Friday, 15 July 2011

Goodbye Bafana

The autobiography the film was based on, Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend, was derided by Mandela's longtime friend, the late Anthony Sampson. In Sampson's book Mandela: the Authorised Biography he accused James Gregory, who died of cancer in 2003, of lying and violating Mandela's privacy in his work Goodbye Bafana. Sampson said that Gregory had rarely spoken to Mandela, but censored the letters sent to the prisoner and used this information to fabricate a close relationship with him. Sampson also claimed that other warders suspected Gregory of spying for the government, and that Mandela considered suing Gregory.

In his own autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela mentions James Gregory in two occasions. The first was during his imprisonment in Pollsmoor:

"Often, Winnie's visits were overseen by Warrant Officer James Gregory, who had been a censor on Robben Island. I had not known him terribly well, but he knew us, because he had been responsible for reviewing our incoming and outgoing mail. At Pollsmoor I got to know Gregory better and found him a welcome contrast to the typical warder. He was polished and soft-spoken, and treated Winnie with courtesy and deference".
The second occasion that Mandela mentions Gregory in his autobiography is on the day of his release in 1990 from prison:

"Warrant Officer James Gregory was also there at the house, and I embraced him warmly. In the years that he had looked after me from Pollsmoor through Victor Verster, we had never discussed politics, but our bond was an unspoken one and I would miss his soothing presence".
The Goodbye Bafana, The Making Of DVD contains an interview with Nelson Mandela where he speaks of James Gregory as follows:

He was one of the most refined warders. Well-informed and courteous with everybody. Soft spoken. Very good observations. I developed a lot of respect for him.