Question for Barefoot

"barefoot" wrote in message
oups.com...

dude..once, twice...going to the idiot claiming in australia...

The English language is your friend, stop abusing it.

you may have asked the other guy, but we can all tell what you are
insinuation...just shut it...

Firstly, who is this "we"?
Is it yourself and "Chuck"?

Secondly, the above make little to no sense to those that can actually read;
sentence structure is apparently not your friend.


YOU started it when you started calling me
that last time...

calling you what?
It seems you are the one who like to call people names Mike.

so just drop it...because, you are claiming that you are looking for
this "chuck" guy,

Im not "claiming" anything, Infact, Im still awaiting a response from the
"chuck" individual as to why he would post such a thing on a newsgroup when
it is obvious it should have been emailed to you, yet all i keep seeing on
my screen is your fractured grammer.

but sometime next week, you'll be pulling the "split
personality" theory that you and your sock pulled out of your ass last
month..

The only socks I like to use are the ones that keep my feet warm

so shut it..loser.

(groan) More bravado....Or what big bad Mike?....oh hang on...I thought you
were supposed to come give me a visit in August..what happened to that tough
guy?


mike

Mike... iIs this the name guy? I found this on the internet about an
autograph collector named Gabe.

http://www.arrivistepress.com/Decemb...aphs1204.shtml


Hollywood Chase Scene
By Carl Kozlowski

It's the night of the world premiere for Alexander, and thousands of
people have mobbed both sides of Hollywood Boulevard in the hopes of
glimpsing movie stars and getting autographs. Angelina Jolie crosses
back and forth, signing for at least 20 minutes, while Colin Farrell
conquers the crowd the way his title character stormed the planet:
moving ever forward, stabbing at the papers before him, albeit with a
pen rather than a sword.

But neither Jolie nor Farrell is the most unique person in the crowd.
That honor would have to go to Gabriel Marks, who for the past four
years has plunged into Los Angeles' aggressive autograph-hound
subculture with a zeal that has landed him the almost-impossible
autographs of celebrities ranging from Tom Hanks to director Oliver
Stone. He's persistent, fast and knows how to bob and weave, dodge and
dart through a crowd.

But the striking thing about Marks' success is that he's just 16 years
old. Although he looks like TV's lovable Fred Savage from The Wonder
Years, he's been at this game -- mixing it up with celebrities and
hanging out outside bars on school nights -- since he was 12. His
parents aren't shuttling him around; as they don't really approve of
his hobby, so Marks has hoofed it the hard way on the city's
notoriously under-used train and bus routes when he can't score rides
from other autograph hounds.

"It's not something I'm terribly supportive of, because of the hours he
keeps," says Judy Marks, schoolteacher and Gabriel's exasperated
mother. "They go to the premieres or events, but then afterwards they
try to follow the limos to the afterparty, and he often doesn't come
back until 4 a.m. I'm always worried about his safety because he got
robbed on Hollywood Boulevard once."

For Gabriel Marks, the obsession started in the fall of 2000. His
school had a contest where students had to write a poem in honor of the
then-upcoming Grinch movie, and those judged as the dozen best artists
would be able to attend the film's premiere at Grauman's Chinese
Theater. Gabriel lost, but he was determined to be part of the
excitement and showed up to collect autographs from the likes of
Patrick Stewart and Courtney Love.

He was star-struck, and the event sparked his career as an autograph
hound. However, despite the thrill of it all, now Marks is experiencing
a bit of angst. In fact, he sounds more like a world-weary 60-year-old
than a 16-year-old kid.

"To be honest, there's no point in me doing this. It's just a hobby,"
he says. "I have family, things I do outside of this, and if I don't
quit soon I'll get sucked in and never leave, like the rest of these
guys."

The "guys" he's referring to are indeed mostly males, and mostly much
older than Marks. They're not exactly the GQ type: doughy dudes with
mismatched clothes who will run full-force at a moment's notice to
surround Elijah Wood as he exits a play, or thrust nude photos in the
faces of ex-Playboy centerfolds like Krista Allen or Pamela Anderson in
the hopes of a signature that can make their fantasies complete.

In L.A., autograph-seeking requires almost war-like strategies as
seekers stake out the best spots to corner celebrities and trade tips
on who's at what club or at which party via two-way radios and cell
phones. Marks says his goal is mostly to build a collection, just "an
interesting hobby," but for most of the hounds, it's a living and a way
of life. Occasionally, they "move up" by becoming paparazzi.

Regardless of their status, the seekers are fanatical about guarding
their tactics, making Marks feel like a traitor to the cause as he
ducks into a Hollywood Starbucks and then the courtyard of the famed
Egyptian Theater to discuss his adventures further.

"Another reason I'm quitting is that so many of these people are
morons. These jerks out here ruin the stars. Every time you're out
here, you hear people saying how much will they get for it on eBay,"
says Marks, with a righteous fervor. "No one sells on eBay. Ninety-nine
percent of what's on eBay are forgeries, I guarantee it. The real ones
sell through private companies to rich people who will buy anything.
Man, I've seen Frankie Muniz [Malcolm of Malcolm in the Middle] sell
for $75! Rich people like to buy them and hang them all over the house
because it's memorabilia and fun to collect and to own."

Marks' complaints about the tactics of his fellow hounds is echoed by a
long-time collector named "Melrose Larry" Green, an eccentric local
personality who runs a conservative talk-radio show and whose giddy
energy has led to regular-guest status on the Howard Stern show.

"Its one thing to be an autograph collector for your wall. but some
people here are trying to sell it, and that to me is ripping off the
celebrity," says Green, who could easily pass for Larry David if it
weren't for the enormous cowboy hat with a Bush pin adorning his head.

"Some people pose a security risk. Look at John Lennon; it's a fact.
There should be rules for autograph seekers, just like for day workers
on film sets in L.A. There should be a special section for them."

Green's points are soon made clear by the explosion of activity that
accompanies the bevy of stars walking across Hollywood Boulevard to the
Alexander afterparty. Suddenly, there are dozens of hounds coming from
every direction, forming a human wall around Colin Farrell. It seems
impossible to get through and get an autograph or take a photo, but
Marks plays the youth card and garners yet another success.

But when Oliver Stone marches through with his own mass of bodies
surrounding him, trouble ensues. Stone is turning down most autographs,
but after he finally complies with Marks, the youngster's blue pen goes
flying. The combination of Marks' elation over scoring the signature
and dejection over losing his pen is a sight to behold:

"It's my only one! You've gotta have a blue one, because it's the only
color that shows up in photos!" he says in mounting frustration as he
tears through his bagful of photos in search of a new writing
implement. He starts searching the sidewalk and adjoining curbside --
even darting into traffic -- but still no pen. Meanwhile, a bum with
mangled hair and a sign saying "Will Tell Lies for A Dollar" laughs
hysterically at his plight and pretends to have a pen.

Another frustration for autograph hounds is event security, which Marks
claims once even injured his neck while shoving him out of the way at
the Daredevil premiere. They have the Alexander party entrance blocked
off extra tight. Combine security with the hassles Marks gets from the
other hounds, who alternate between being friendly and mocking his
youth, and it's also clear why he might consider giving up the game.

Before he makes that decision, though, he shares a few more secrets:
live theater, like plays, only draws has-beens like Joanne Worley and
Ed Begley, Jr. (yet strangely enough, an older group of hounds chases
even those former stars too). Prince has replaced Brando as the Holy
Grail of autographs because he stopped signing 15 years ago. Tom Hanks
can survive a couple flops like The Ladykillers and still be the best
star in town, but Sylvester Stallone is a "spot on perfect" example of
a star who wouldn't sign when he was hot but is all too happy to sign
now that he's not.

Marks sees himself pursuing politics someday, and campaigning is one
occupation that should reward the mastery of crowds that he has
developed. But every politician has a skeleton in the closet, and as
Marks prepares to hop in a car to the next event, he decides to come
clean with his own worst behavior as a hound:

"One time I was taking Vince Vaughn's picture as he came out of a bar,
when a guy came out of nowhere and punched him in the face," he
recalls. "I sold it to a tabloid for $250, but then I felt bad when it
appeared everywhere because they got the story wrong. So, Vince, I'm
sorry. And that's one thing I'll never pull again."

What an amature... 250 bucks for that photo. If you're going to whore
yourself for something like that, best to hold out for some real
dough. It's probably worth 10 times that!

Good story about hounds and good point about why celebs don't want to
sign (the mobs and the view of who the seekers mainly are). The
business is too much greed now. The kid's hobby is lost in the whole
crap that is going on.

On 17 Sep 2006 15:09:57 -0700, "BrnTbird" wrote:

Mike... iIs this the name guy? I found this on the internet about an
autograph collector named Gabe.

http://www.arrivistepress.com/Decemb...aphs1204.shtml


Hollywood Chase Scene
By Carl Kozlowski

It's the night of the world premiere for Alexander, and thousands of
people have mobbed both sides of Hollywood Boulevard in the hopes of
glimpsing movie stars and getting autographs. Angelina Jolie crosses
back and forth, signing for at least 20 minutes, while Colin Farrell
conquers the crowd the way his title character stormed the planet:
moving ever forward, stabbing at the papers before him, albeit with a
pen rather than a sword.

But neither Jolie nor Farrell is the most unique person in the crowd.
That honor would have to go to Gabriel Marks, who for the past four
years has plunged into Los Angeles' aggressive autograph-hound
subculture with a zeal that has landed him the almost-impossible
autographs of celebrities ranging from Tom Hanks to director Oliver
Stone. He's persistent, fast and knows how to bob and weave, dodge and
dart through a crowd.

But the striking thing about Marks' success is that he's just 16 years
old. Although he looks like TV's lovable Fred Savage from The Wonder
Years, he's been at this game -- mixing it up with celebrities and
hanging out outside bars on school nights -- since he was 12. His
parents aren't shuttling him around; as they don't really approve of
his hobby, so Marks has hoofed it the hard way on the city's
notoriously under-used train and bus routes when he can't score rides
from other autograph hounds.

"It's not something I'm terribly supportive of, because of the hours he
keeps," says Judy Marks, schoolteacher and Gabriel's exasperated
mother. "They go to the premieres or events, but then afterwards they
try to follow the limos to the afterparty, and he often doesn't come
back until 4 a.m. I'm always worried about his safety because he got
robbed on Hollywood Boulevard once."

For Gabriel Marks, the obsession started in the fall of 2000. His
school had a contest where students had to write a poem in honor of the
then-upcoming Grinch movie, and those judged as the dozen best artists
would be able to attend the film's premiere at Grauman's Chinese
Theater. Gabriel lost, but he was determined to be part of the
excitement and showed up to collect autographs from the likes of
Patrick Stewart and Courtney Love.

He was star-struck, and the event sparked his career as an autograph
hound. However, despite the thrill of it all, now Marks is experiencing
a bit of angst. In fact, he sounds more like a world-weary 60-year-old
than a 16-year-old kid.

"To be honest, there's no point in me doing this. It's just a hobby,"
he says. "I have family, things I do outside of this, and if I don't
quit soon I'll get sucked in and never leave, like the rest of these
guys."

The "guys" he's referring to are indeed mostly males, and mostly much
older than Marks. They're not exactly the GQ type: doughy dudes with
mismatched clothes who will run full-force at a moment's notice to
surround Elijah Wood as he exits a play, or thrust nude photos in the
faces of ex-Playboy centerfolds like Krista Allen or Pamela Anderson in
the hopes of a signature that can make their fantasies complete.

In L.A., autograph-seeking requires almost war-like strategies as
seekers stake out the best spots to corner celebrities and trade tips
on who's at what club or at which party via two-way radios and cell
phones. Marks says his goal is mostly to build a collection, just "an
interesting hobby," but for most of the hounds, it's a living and a way
of life. Occasionally, they "move up" by becoming paparazzi.

Regardless of their status, the seekers are fanatical about guarding
their tactics, making Marks feel like a traitor to the cause as he
ducks into a Hollywood Starbucks and then the courtyard of the famed
Egyptian Theater to discuss his adventures further.

"Another reason I'm quitting is that so many of these people are
morons. These jerks out here ruin the stars. Every time you're out
here, you hear people saying how much will they get for it on eBay,"
says Marks, with a righteous fervor. "No one sells on eBay. Ninety-nine
percent of what's on eBay are forgeries, I guarantee it. The real ones
sell through private companies to rich people who will buy anything.
Man, I've seen Frankie Muniz [Malcolm of Malcolm in the Middle] sell
for $75! Rich people like to buy them and hang them all over the house
because it's memorabilia and fun to collect and to own."

Marks' complaints about the tactics of his fellow hounds is echoed by a
long-time collector named "Melrose Larry" Green, an eccentric local
personality who runs a conservative talk-radio show and whose giddy
energy has led to regular-guest status on the Howard Stern show.

"Its one thing to be an autograph collector for your wall. but some
people here are trying to sell it, and that to me is ripping off the
celebrity," says Green, who could easily pass for Larry David if it
weren't for the enormous cowboy hat with a Bush pin adorning his head.

"Some people pose a security risk. Look at John Lennon; it's a fact.
There should be rules for autograph seekers, just like for day workers
on film sets in L.A. There should be a special section for them."

Green's points are soon made clear by the explosion of activity that
accompanies the bevy of stars walking across Hollywood Boulevard to the
Alexander afterparty. Suddenly, there are dozens of hounds coming from
every direction, forming a human wall around Colin Farrell. It seems
impossible to get through and get an autograph or take a photo, but
Marks plays the youth card and garners yet another success.

But when Oliver Stone marches through with his own mass of bodies
surrounding him, trouble ensues. Stone is turning down most autographs,
but after he finally complies with Marks, the youngster's blue pen goes
flying. The combination of Marks' elation over scoring the signature
and dejection over losing his pen is a sight to behold:

"It's my only one! You've gotta have a blue one, because it's the only
color that shows up in photos!" he says in mounting frustration as he
tears through his bagful of photos in search of a new writing
implement. He starts searching the sidewalk and adjoining curbside --
even darting into traffic -- but still no pen. Meanwhile, a bum with
mangled hair and a sign saying "Will Tell Lies for A Dollar" laughs
hysterically at his plight and pretends to have a pen.

Another frustration for autograph hounds is event security, which Marks
claims once even injured his neck while shoving him out of the way at
the Daredevil premiere. They have the Alexander party entrance blocked
off extra tight. Combine security with the hassles Marks gets from the
other hounds, who alternate between being friendly and mocking his
youth, and it's also clear why he might consider giving up the game.

Before he makes that decision, though, he shares a few more secrets:
live theater, like plays, only draws has-beens like Joanne Worley and
Ed Begley, Jr. (yet strangely enough, an older group of hounds chases
even those former stars too). Prince has replaced Brando as the Holy
Grail of autographs because he stopped signing 15 years ago. Tom Hanks
can survive a couple flops like The Ladykillers and still be the best
star in town, but Sylvester Stallone is a "spot on perfect" example of
a star who wouldn't sign when he was hot but is all too happy to sign
now that he's not.

Marks sees himself pursuing politics someday, and campaigning is one
occupation that should reward the mastery of crowds that he has
developed. But every politician has a skeleton in the closet, and as
Marks prepares to hop in a car to the next event, he decides to come
clean with his own worst behavior as a hound:

"One time I was taking Vince Vaughn's picture as he came out of a bar,
when a guy came out of nowhere and punched him in the face," he
recalls. "I sold it to a tabloid for $250, but then I felt bad when it
appeared everywhere because they got the story wrong. So, Vince, I'm
sorry. And that's one thing I'll never pull again."

yeah...
i bet this is Gabe.
never saw this article aas it is quite old.
Most of this article is quite bogus. it missed it's mark...
for one, yeah, Gabe probably did come out by himself. But from the
first time i, or anyone else noticed him on a regular basis, he was
already being picked on for being the FATTEST individual we had ever
seen. Of pudgy individuals, he's the pudgiest by far.
and as far as i can remember, he's always ran his mouth. He's had more
than 1 run in with security or whatever because he refused to comply
with written street warnings, security guards etc. He's also run his
mouth for one reason, he was under age, and if you touched him he'd
call the cops (which he was quick to do if anyone half assed touched
him, and on several occassions the cops came and blew off the
accusations).
he's become over 18 now. he works for an autograph dealer for less than
$5 an autograph now. and is constantly broke.
i don't think the writer actually interviewed his mother, cause if she
didn't approve of the lifestyle, she could have always grounded him. if
the interviewer had called his mom, he's have noticed someone who had
no control over their own child.
I personally don't have too many problems with Gabe, he can be ok at
best. He's out every single day.
if he was complaining about being in the autograph game 2 years ago,
and he's still in it. Then he's already hooked and not about to get out
of it...He's told me about becoming an actor and taking acting lessons
(apparently he has an agent and goes on auditions.)
but he's also told me his diet. wow, you can't even believe. HE could
control it, but doesn't. It's the same as his mouth. He was alright, as
far back as i can remember, but he started rolling with a paparazzi
(because they have no scruples) and the agenda was clear...if someone
is tough, mean , or had an attitude, all gabe really did was call them
names, with the hope that he'd be attacked so that the paparazzi could
get a photo of a celebrity or security person attacking an underage
person, when he became of age, the paparazzi had no more use for gabe.

Funny, Gabe was worried about these posts. I hadn't seen them in a
while (the situation with my wife has gotten to it's final end) and
really hadn't seen a lot of posts that interested me. But he insant
messaged me asking why anyone was asking about him etc..
apparently, his problems have spilt over into EVERYONE noticing them,
and it's a cause of concern for him.
mike