An unclaimed money property search under the name Monique Imes brings back 15 results.  The largest amount is for claim 957542086 for $4.050.24 to “Imes Monique / M M Momar Inc.” in care of Steven Imes (brother and manager) and Big City Artist Management (her management company) for wages, payroll and salary from “Gep Atl LLC DBA Entertainment Partners” (an adminstrative and payroll service for the film industry).  All told, GEP has paid the controller $10,464.13 in the name of the best actress.  SCIE (another film industry company) has thrown in $629, and Walt Disney (“The Mouse”) has paid in $159.70.  Disney also has $32.51 total in four pending payments that will be paid to the controller if Mo”Nique does not claim this change by May 31, 2010.

As for the winning men last night, they did not fair as well as the women in newly found walking around money.  Jeff Bridges has no listing in California or through his Montana property, and Christoph Waltz has no Hollywood cash that has been paid over to the controller.  While he could have unclaimed funds in Great Britiain (he has a house in London), the British Bankers” Association Dormant Accounts site requires much more specific information than stateside search engines.  Name only queries are not possible.  With his Berlin property, it is even more difficult to search online for German funds.

In a meeting that could only happen in California, this Sunday the Academy Awards show producers need to let California state controller John Chiang shower money on nominees and past winners.  After all, he has cash and other property for a lot of the people who sit in the first few rows, and he is trying to advertise the Locator Unit of his unclaimed property fund.  Actors get money and the California unclaimed property unit gets free air time to show hundreds of millions of viewers how it can rain money.  Even if the unclaimed money unit gets no air time, it gets a lot of buzz in the Oscar crowd and at the parties after the show.  Yes, top line actors tend to have more unclaimed property in dormant accounts than the general population.  If you are not attending the Academy Awards in person and need to see how to claim your money in all states, Gnivas has more links here.

These are monies the California controller is currently holding for the best actor and best actress nominees, based on recent searches of the California Unclaimed Property Search engine:

• Jeff Bridges — None with the California controller, although the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) unclaimed money site shows it is holding unclaimed residuals for Lloyd Bridges.
• George Clooney — None for George, but more than $2,000 for his aunt, Rosemary Clooney from MCA Records, WB Studio Enterprises, and Paramount.  While George (or Ms. Clooney”””’’s estate executor) is looking at these amounts, the state also lists $15,000 in cashier”””’’s checks from Bank of America California for Miguel Ferrer.  It is not clear if this is the same Miguel who is George”””’’s cousin from Rosemary”””’’s marriage to Jose Ferrer.  What is clear is another one of his cousins, Gabriel Ferrer, has a father-in-law (Pat Boone) who is owed $126.09 that Delta Woodside Industries paid to the California controller.  The last known address for Pat is off a bit.  He lives at 904 N. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.  The controller record has the address as 904 N Veverly Drive.
• Morgan Freeman — Nothing for Freeman with the California controller and nothing in Mississippi.
• Jeremy Renner –Renner (or at least someone with his name) is owed $340.21 from News Publishing Australia and $52.92 from the Aftra/SAG Credit Union.
• Colin Firth — Firth has one entry, $1,278.12 from Walt Disney

For best actor winners since 2000, three currently have unclaimed money, and five do not.  In the haves, Adrien Brody (2002) has more than $800 in his name from SCIE.  Sean Penn (2003, 2008) is probably not too worried about the 66 cents pending from Walt Disney.  The $3,346 from NBC Universal should be of more interest.  Forest Whitaker (2006) has $50.60 from an apparent joint account with his sister fron the Aftra/SAG Federal Credit Union.  Russell Crowe (2000), Denzel Washington (2001), Jamie Foxx (2004), Philip Seymour Hoffman (2005) and Daniel Day-Lewis (2007) have their Oscar statues to console them in the knowledge the controller has nothing with their name on it, at least not now.

For best actress nominees, Chiang cannot help Sandra Bullock get $100 from State Farm.  The Texas state comptroller is holding that money.  Likewise the $250 from Republic Underwriters sent to “The Blind Side” star in care of Austin law firm Wright & Greenhill.  He can help Helen Mirren with the $39.76 from Pacific Bell and the $126.68 from NBC Universal for “wages, payroll, salary.”  For Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe and Meryl Streep, the California controller has no good news for them.  Hope the gift bags are good enough.

Chiang could hand out checks to five of the last nine best actresses.  As previously mentioned, Nicole Kidman is due $14,491.05 from NBC Universal.  She also has $2,182.04 from Wells Fargo.  Helen Mirren still has that Pacific Bell money.  Charlize Theron has $209 on deposit, also from NBC.  Reese Witherspoon has $97.42 paid to the controller from Tiffany & Company.  Kate Winslet comes in with $193.69 from SPE Corporate Services.

In the world of large and small amounts, Oscar winner Rene Zellweger has unclaimed money in at least two states.  California wants to give Zellweger more than $2,500 for a disputed escrow check, and Texas is holding $6.82 for the “You had me at hello” starlet.

California wants to give Rene Zellweger $2,500

The Academy Award winner also has the much smaller sum of $6.82 waiting for her from the Texas comptroller.  Darden”””””””’’s Restaurants, Inc., the corporate parent of Chili”””””””’’s, dutifully paid in the $6.82 in 1993, apparently from the time Zellweger waited tables at Chili”””””””’’s before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992.

Previous winner Kim Basinger needs to be reunited with more than $500 in salaries/wages from EP Talent Services, as well as unlisted “safe-deposit box contents” from City National Bank.

Even before the show starts, Barbara Walters could fill out a form to claim Account Number 021735939/016490397.  She is listed on the New York Comptroller Unclaimed Funds site for an unstated amount of cash paid in by Tiffany in 2002.

With all these famous people, all the assets, all the glitz, question remains — What about the agents?  Looks like the Zellweger waitress money is not in for a percentage.  All the Tiffany money looks safe.  Now about those salaries, wages, and payroll.

Elvis and the Chairman of the Board have Both Left the Building

In addition to the usual state, federal and international unclaimed money and abandoned property sites detailed in the article, another interesting site is the American Federation of  Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) Unable to Locate search engine for the Los Angeles local.   While AFTRA notes it started a new tracking procedure in September 2008 to help identify and locate members for whom the union receives payment, it should be able to locate the earthly remains of this individual (hint: Graceland):

Performers with Funds in UTL Trust as of 3/5/2010   Presley, Elvis

Or this dashing gent, who once appeared on a special with Elvis Presley:  Sinatra, Francis Albert  Sinatra, Frank

Free Money for the Dead, the Living, and the Grateful Dead

The AFTRA site can be searched alphabetically by last names.  This is a dream destination for show business estate administrators, agents, heirs, and the curious.  Other dead performers with AFTRA accounts include

• Judy Garland,
• Bud Abbott and Lou Costello,
• James Cagney,
• Lucille Ball,
• animator Chuck Jones,
• and Mr. Hawaii 5-0, Jack Lord.

In the world of the living, the local is holding money for such notables as

• Art Linkletter (listed as Arthur Linkletter),
• Ed “Too Tall” Jones,
• La Toya Jackson,
• and while this individual may not be the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, the union also has money for a “Jones, Jerry.”

For the Grateful Dead, it has cash waiting for Jerry Garcia, designated “Garcia, Jerry 226.”

The following recipes are listed by preparation time, longest to shortest.   Please do not immediately roll out the dough just after you’ve mixed it.  Your tastebuds will thank you for letting the dough rest.  On the Betty Crocker Heart Cookies (Recipe #3), you can substitute almond flavoring for the mint extract.  If all you have is vanilla extract, go with that alone.  The almond or mint add a nice touch, but don’t make these cookies too expensive for 1/2 a teaspoon of extract.

Chocolate Truffles (source:  The Southern Living Cookbook, 1987, page 170)

• 1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• cocoa

Place chocolate morsels in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts.  Add butter and powdered sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating with an electric mixer after each addition.  Pour mixture into a bowl; cover and let sit 12 hours in a cool, dry place (do not refrigerate).

Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; roll lightly in cocoa.  Yield: 2 dozen.

Microwave instructions:  Place chocolate morsels in a 1-quart glass bowl.  Microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) for 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is softened (writer’s note: err on the side of 2 minutes, not 3); stir well.  Add butter and powdered sugar, stirring until powdered sugar dissolves.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating with an electric mixer after each addition.  Pour mixture into a bowl; cover and let sit 12 hours in a cool, dry place (do not refrigerate).

Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; roll lightly with cocoa.

NOTE:  The yolks are not cooked.  You are working with uncooked eggs.  If you do not feel comfortable with this recipe, do not make it.

Shortbread Hearts (source The Silver Palate Cookbook, 1982, page 261)

For these cookies, everything is cooked.

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) sweet butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar together until light.
2. Sift flour and salt together and add to creamed mixture.  Add vanilla and blend thoroughly.
3. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 4 to 6 hours.
4. Roll out chilled dough to 3/8-inch thickness.  Using a 3-inch-long heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies.  Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar.  Place cut-out cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and refrigerate for 45 minutes before baking.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until just starting to color lightly; cookes should not brown at all.  Cool on rack.

20 cookies.

Heart Sugar Cookies (source Betty Crocker’s Cookie Book, 1984, page 33)

Prepare dough as directed for sugar cookies.

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose* or whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Granulated sugar

Mix powdered sugar, margarine, egg, vanilla and mint extract.  Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Cover and refrigerate at least three hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Divide dough into halves.  Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered board.  Cut into 3 1/2-inch heart shapes.  Paint Valentine’s Day messages on cookies with Artist’s Coloring or Cookie Paint (below).  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

2 to 2 1/2 dozen

Artist’s Coloring

Beat 1 egg white until foamy.  Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth.  Divide among custard cups.  Tint each with about 4 drops food color.

Cookie Paint

Tint small amounts evaporated milk with different food colors.

Another post from Ars Technica reveals something bigger than the price win for the Nexus One:  Google’s business model for selling the Nexus “could knock one of the major pillars out (of) the current, much-reviled US carrier model and result in faster, cheaper, more flexible service for mobile users.”  The Nexus One is carrier independent.  First, you chose the Nexus One.  Then, comparison shop for service based on rates, coverage, experience — whatever you decide.  Google’s Nexus One breaks the tie-in between the phone you want and the carrier you have to have if you want that phone.  With a few caveats mentioned in the article, unbundling the physical phone from the telecom service provider  points to lower rates, more competition, more choice, and even better reception.

Enjoy

Here’s the link to the main Verizon MiFi Sale story.  Have the comparison chart complete with 3gstore added to moremobileinternet.com and Verizon offerings (well, they’re all Verizon offerings, just different plans and price points).