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Last Updated: 18 February 2005
FOX's "Point Pleasant" airing on Thursdays at
9:00pm ET/PT; Richard plays Ben Kramer
ABC's "Desperate Housewives" wins Golden Globe
and SAG Awards
See Richard next weekend at the "Return
to Cascade" Sentinel Convention in Los Angeles
New release dates for Richard's feature films:
Keep an eye on The USA Network for Richard's
episodes of "The District"
Catch Richard's "Judging Amy" episodes on TNT's
"Primetime in the Daytime"
Cellular now available on DVD, Netflix, and
Pay-Per-View; Richard plays Craig Martin
Got a Burgi fan on your gift list? Amazon.com
has you covered!
Learn more about the official RBFC charity,
the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC)
Buy your official RBFC tee-shirt today!
Write to Richard through the RBFC
** To refer back to earlier News
pages, visit our Archive Page and select the appropriate quarterly listing
**
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[18 Feb 05] *** Richard Burgi's
new series Point Pleasant now airing on FOX *** --
FOX's supernatural
drama Point Pleasant premiered on Wednesday, January 19th, following
a special one-hour American Idol. The second part of the premiere
aired Thursday, January 20th at 9:00pm ET/PT -- the show's permanent home
in the FOX schedule, following the popular teen drama The O.C.
Point Pleasant, went into production in November '04 and is based
in San Diego, CA, where it is shot at the Stu Segall Productions
studios and in the "old town" area of nearby La Mesa. FOX has greenlighted
a 13-episode order (including a re-shoot of portions of the pilot). As
of February 8th, the production was roughly mid-way through the initial
episode order. Richard plays Dr. Ben Kramer.
Cast breakdowns give the following description of Ben: "A local
physician who shares his seaside home with his wife and daughter, he feels
uneasy about the young girl whom he's taken into his home. But, after seeing
the growing bond his wife and daughter have with Christina, Ben decides
not to push the matter - not just yet anyway. The role is listed in his
late 40s and the doctor is described as intelligent and confident."
Episodes and anticipated airdates announced thus far:
19 Jan -- "Pilot" (premiere part 1)
20 Jan -- "Human Nature" (premiere part 2)
27 Jan -- "Who's Your Daddy?"
03 Feb -- "The Lonely Hunter"
10 Feb -- "Last Dance"
17 Feb -- "Secrets and Lies"
10 Mar -- "Unraveling"
Point Pleasant will be pre-empted on February 24th for a FOX
special, with a repeat of the pilot airing on March 3rd. The show will
air its next new episode on March 10th.
With the show now on the schedule, the FOX network website has
launched an official Point Pleasant page, which can be found at:
http://www.fox.com/pointpleasant/
The foxnow.com website
offers a detailed -- and tantalizing -- description of the show:
"The quiet beach community of POINT PLEASANT is about to get much
louder when a sudden, violent storm washes in more than the tide. Local
lifeguard Jesse spies Christina [Elisabeth Harnois] floating in the sea
and immediately dives in to save her life. He takes her to the home of
Dr. Ben Kramer [Richard Burgi], whose daughter Judy and wife Meg take an
immediate liking to Christina. For Christina, Point Pleasant offers both
respite from her protected boarding-school existence in New York, and the
opportunity to search for her mother, Ann - who, surprisingly, grew up
in the area but has never been a part of Christina's life. Aside from the
Kramers' fondness for her, and Jesse's budding attraction, it seems that
secret desires, repressed feelings and heightened emotions inexplicably
begin to flare when Christina is near. Christina never knew her mother,
and doesn't realize that she's never truly known her father, either. Christina
is the offspring of a mortal woman and the Devil - and although she doesn't
know it, the battle for her soul has begun."
Described as "a cross between'Peyton Place' and The Omen,"
as well as "a gentler Rosemary's Baby on the Jersey shore," the
supernatural series focuses on a mysterious girl (Christina,
played by
Elisabeth Harnois), who washes ashore one day after a
shipwreck.
(Thanks to Kat and Deborah for info on "Point Pleasant," to Becky
and Danny for the screengrabs, and to FOX for the promotional cast photo) |
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[18 Feb 05] *** Runaway hit ABC
drama, Desperate Housewives, wins Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild
Awards *** -- Desperate Housewives won in two categories at the 2005
Golden Globe Awards; the show itself for Musical or Comedy Series,
and Teri Hatcher for Actress, Musical or Comedy.
The 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards resulted in similar wins
for the show's cast as a whole, and for Hatcher in particular. In the Primetime
category, Desperate Housewives won the award for Outstanding Performance
by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, with Teri Hatcher winning for Outstanding
Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.
Interestingly, the Desperate Housewives clip played at the SAG Award
show was from one of Richard Burgi's episodes, "Pretty Little
Picture," and featured the scene which ended with Susan's towel getting
caught in the door of Karl's car as he drove away.
As you may recall, Richard has appeared in two episodes of Desperate
Housewives, playing Susan (Teri Hatcher) Mayer's cad of an ex-husband,Karl
Mayer. His first, "Pretty Little Picture," aired on October
17th, with his second, "Move On," aired on January 9th -- roughly
a week before the premiere of Point Pleasant.
"Pretty Little Picture" introduced us to Karl and his nubile, if rather
vacuous, girlfriend Brandi (Anne Dudek) when the pair arrived on
Susan's doorstep to pick up daughter Julie (Andrea Bowen). The bright
red sports car seems to indicate a certain degree of "mid-life crisis,"
and Karl's devil-may-care attitude towards his child support responsibilities
-- and his bragging about closing escrow on a new cabin -- announces "selfish
jerk!" like a neon sign. When he explains away his reprehensible behavior
with a casual "the heart wants what it wants," Susan -- and the audience
-- goggles in disbelief.
When next we see Karl in "Move On," he has broken up with Brandi
after learning she has been cheating on him. At loose ends, Karl plays
on Susan's sympathies and finagles an invitation to Julie's birthday party,
then envelops Susan in a hug while Susan's new beau, Mike (James Denton)
watches from the doorstep. Later, Karl turns Julie's karaoke birthday party
into a tense affair by inviting Susan's nemesis, Edie Britt (Nicolette
Sheridan) along as his guest. Edie takes pleasure in rubbing Susan's
nose in one of Karl's pre-divorce indiscretions, which leads to Susan performing
a rather... spirited improv version of "New York, New York." Later still,
Karl comes over to apologise for hurting Susan yet again, and then announces
his desire for them to get back together. Susan feels immense relief when
she realizes she's no longer in love with Karl, and promptly skedaddles
over to Mike's place, leaving Karl shaking his head in confusion.
While Karl was to have played a more significant part in the season's
unfolding story, Richard's work on his new series, Point Pleasant, precluded
any further visits to Wisteria Lane in the immediate future.
** International Markets Update ** -- Desperate Housewives will begin
airing in France on Canal Plus in September '05.
The Futon Critic website gave
this description of "Desperate Housewives" shortly after its Fall 2004
premiere:
"A primetime soap with a truly contemporary take on 'happily ever
after,' 'Desperate Housewives' takes a darkly comedic look at suburbia,
where the secret lives of housewives aren't always what they seem.
Looking down on her friends and family isn't a way of life for Mary
Alice Young... it's a way of death. One day, in her perfect house, in the
loveliest of suburbs, Mary Alice ended it all. Now she's taking us into
the lives of her family, friends and neighbors, commenting from her elevated
P.O.V."
To learn more about the show, visit the "Desperate
Housewives" page at the ABC website.
(Thanks to Deborah for the info, and to Danny for the screengrabs) |
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[18 Feb 05] *** Richard to
attend "Return to Cascade" Sentinel Convention next week *** -- Barring
unforeseen professional or personal commitments, Richard will be attending
the "Return to Cascade" convention, which will be held February 26-27,
2005 at the Westin Hotel (LAX) in Los Angeles.
Richard will be joined by Sentinel costars Garett Maggart
and Bruce A. Young, and by series creators and producers Danny
Bilson
and Paul DeMeo of Pet Fly Productions. Other guests will
be announced as they are confirmed, and will include many of the behind-the-scenes
creative minds who helped make The Sentinel into the show fans know and
love..
Complete information on the convention -- venue, fees, guests,
registration, program highlights, FAQ -- can be found at the official convention
website at: http://www.cascadeconvention.com/
(Thanks to Cacade Conventions for the information) |
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[18 Feb 05] *** New premiere
date announced for "In Her Shoes" *** -- The premiere of "In Her Shoes"
has been pushed back into October to allow the film to be considered
for the next Academy Awards -- the Oscars.
"In Her Shoes" stars
Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley
MacLaine. Richard joined the cast in February '04 and "wrapped out"
in mid April with some location scenes in Philadelphia. Richard plays
Jim
Danvers, one of Rose's (Collette) love interests. According to
the character breakdown, Danvers is "a handsome, suave attorney at the
law firm of Lewis, Dommel and Fenick. He's also a cold-hearted ladies man
who dumps women without thinking twice."
Based on the Jennifer Weiner book of the same title, "In Her
Shoes" was screenwritten by Susannah Grant and is directed by Curtis
Hanson. Rebecca Klein, writing for The
Action Insider, gives this brief description of the film's premise:
"This feature film from Fox 2000 will star Cameron Diaz as Maggie
Feller, a free-spirited but immature party girl who dreams of stardom.
She moves in with her career-oriented older sister Rose after getting evicted
from her own apartment.
Sibling rivalry follows when Rose kicks Maggie out after she trashes
the apartment and sleeps with Rose's boyfriend."
Shirley MacLaine plays Ella Hirsch, Maggie and Rose's grandmother.
Mark
Feuerstein plays Simon Stein, another love interest for Rose, while
Ken
Howard plays Michael Feller, Rose and Maggie's father.
To learn more about "In Her Shoes," visit author Jennifer Weiner's website
at http://www.jenniferweiner.com/
Production details on "In Her Shoes" can be found at the IMDb website
at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/
(Thanks to Richard, Kat, and Deborah for the information and the
subsequent sleuthing) |
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[18 Feb 05] ***
New premiere dates announced for "Fun with Dick and Jane" *** -- According
to an article issued by Reuters.com, the premiere of "Fun with Dick
and Jane" has been pushed back into December to give the producers more
more time to complete the film. Sony's Jeff Blake told Reuters that
they were having to rush to meet the original June premiere date, which
made the Christmas holidays the best alternative.
Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni headline this update of the 1977
original, which starred Jane Fonda and George Segal. Carrey
and Leoni play Dick and Jane Harper, a couple who find themselves
on the verge of financial collapse when Dick loses his job. The Harpers
turn to a life of crime to pay the bills, apparently preying on their wealthy
neighbors and friends.
Richard Burgi, who worked on the film for five weeks, plays neighbor
Joe Klieman (spelling uncertain).
The production began principal photography in Los Angeles in early
September '04, with outdoor "neighborhood" location work taking place on
the Rancho Palos Verdes, CA shoreline. The film has since done location
work across Los Angeles and was still shooting in January.
(Thanks to Richard and Kat for the initial info and to Deborah for
the online sleuthing) |
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[18 Feb 05] *** Richard's episodes
of "The District" airing in repeats on the USA Network*** --
With CBS having dropped "The District" from the Fall 2004
schedule, the USA Network has picked the show up for syndicated
broadcast.
USA is currently airing the show in two-episode blocks on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:00am and 12:00 noon, with additional
late-night airings throughout the week. Remember to check your local listings
or the USA Networks website for
scheduling information.
Richard's episodes of The District are:
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"Worst Block" episode #1.03, prod. #102
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"Surveillance" episode #1.04, prod. #103
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"How They Lived" episode #1.06, prod. #105
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"The Santa Wars" episode #1.10, prod. #110
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"The D.C. Strangler" episode #1.11, prod. #109
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"The Agony and the Ecstasy" episode #1.19, prod. #119
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"Running Towards Fire" episode #1.20, prod. #117
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"The Second Man" episode #3.07, prod. #307
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"Good-bye, Jenny" episode #3.11, prod. #311
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"Jack's Back" episode #4.01, prod. #401
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"Blind Eye" episode #4.06, prod. #405
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"In God We Trust" episode #4.09, prod. #409
Visit the USA Network site for additional information:
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/thedistrict/
Richard appeared in three of the show's four seasons in a total
of twelve episodes, playing the recurring role of the prickly and suspicious
Captain
Vincent Hunter, head of the DC Police Department's Internal Affairs
Division.
Unfortunately, the show did not take maximum advantage of the Hunter
character, though they established an intriguing back-story for him in
the first season episode "The DC Strangler." Ella Farmer (played by
the late Lynn Thigpen) told Chief Mannion (Craig T. Nelson)
a bit about Hunter. He was a highly-decorated officer with a relatively
high solve rate while in Homicide, a department he left after discovering
his wife -- also a police officer -- in bed with his partner..
A complete listing of Richard's episodes of "The District" can
be found on the Biography page, with
an expanded listing and episode details on the District
Guide page.
(Thanks to Debbie for the USA info, Becky and Erin for the District
screengrabs, and to the Epguides website for production details) |
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[18 Feb 05] *** Look for Richard's
episodes of Judging Amy on TNT's "Primetime in the Daytime" ***-- To
date, Richard has appeared in six episodes of the popular CBS Primetime
drama, playing Judge Amy (Amy Brenneman) Grey's ex-husband, Michael
Cassidy. While Michael has not been seen since "Marry, Marry Quite
Contrary," he retains joint custody of their daughter Lauren (Karle
Warren) and still has feelings for Amy. Though Michael has been mentioned
with increasing frequency on the current CBS season, it now seems unlikely
that Richard will be able to continue playing the role due to his new series,
Point
Pleasant.
Meanwhile, viewers have a chance to catch up on Richard's episodes on
TNT's "Primetime in the Daytime," where "Judging Amy" airs Monday -
Friday at 12:00noon and 1:00pm ET/PT. Richard's episodes, in
original order, are:
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"The Justice League of America"
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"Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition"
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"Lost in the System"
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"People of the Lie" (Monday, Feb 21 @ 12:00pm)
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"The Best Interests of the Child" (Tuesday, Feb 22 @ 1:00pm)
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"Marry, Marry Quite Contrary"
Visit the TNT website for further information, and check your local listings,
as well as the TVNow website.
TNT's website -- http://www.tnt.tv/
TVNow listing -- www.tv-now.com/
(Thanks to Becky and Erin for the District screengrabs, and to the
Epguides website for production details) |
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[18 Feb 05] *** "Cellular" now available
on DVD, at Netflix, and on Pay-Per-View *** -- "Cellular," Richard's
most recent movie to hit theaters, is now available for purchase on DVD.
The film is also now available for rental at Netflix, and is coming to
Pay-Per-View Cable this month.
Richard completed principal photography on the action-oriented
thriller "Cellular" in late November '03, playing the supporting
role of
Craig Martin, husband of kidnap victim Jessica Martin
(Kim Basinger). The New Line Cinema thriller premiered in theaters
on September 10th and was met with good ratings and reviews.
Roger Ebert, writing for the Sun
Times, gave "Cellular" 3 1/2 stars and called it "...one
of the year's best thrillers." Ebert also said of the film:
"The movie is skillfully plotted, halfway plausible and well acted;
the craftsmanship is in the details, including the astonishing number of
different ways in which a cell phone can be made to function -- both as
a telephone, and as a plot device."
Official 'Cellular" website: http://www.cellularthemovie.com/
The "Cellular" DVD is available in retail stores and at Amazon.com,
where it is presently listed at $19.56
(Thanks to Deborah for the heads-up on the DVD release) |
[18 Feb 05] *** Check out the Burgi Bonanza
at amazon.com *** -- All the items listed below are available at either
amazon.com or its subsidiary, amazon.ca, and all feature Richard Burgi
in some capacity. **NOTE** The prices listed below may have changed
since we last looked them up at Amazon.com.
Your amazon.com account information will work equally well with the
Canadian subsidiary.
Amazon in the USA: http://www.amazon.com/
Amazon in Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/
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24 Season One (2002) DVD Set -- $14.99 (75% discount)
Richard appears in 12 episodes of the first season of FOX's ground-
and record-breaking drama series. The first episode introduces him as Alan
York, concerned father of a missing daughter. As the series unfolds, we
discover Alan is not who he appears -- he is, in fact, Kevin Carroll, a
cold-blooded assassin and mercenary.
The series and series lead Kiefer Sutherland would go on to earn Golden
Globes for this season. |
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Books on 24 (both mention Richard's character)
1) 24: The House Subcommittee's Findings at CTU by Marc Cerasini
and Alice Alfonsi -- $16.95
This book is set within the world of 24, providing background information
on the characters involved in the unfolding story
2) 24: The Unofficial Guide by Jim Sangster -- $13.95
A more traditional approach to the series guide -- episode listings,
production details, et cetera |
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation- The Complete Third Season on DVD
-- $67.49 (25% discount)
Richard appears in the episode "High and Low" as paragliding instructor
Rick Weston. (Trivia note: "Starship Troopers 2" costar Colleen Porch also
appears in "High and Low").
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Cellular DVD, Widescreen, Region 1 encoding -- $19.56 (30% discount)
Available for pre-order; DVDs will be released on 18 January 2005.
ASIN: B0006D3HGA
Richard plays Craig Martin, husband of Kim Basinger's Jessica Martin.
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1) Cellular (novelization by Pat Cadigan) -- $7.99
2) Cellular (Score) [SOUNDTRACK] -- $14.99 (12% discount)
The novelization will be an interesting read, especially if it delves
a little deeper into the character of Craig Martin (Richard's role in "Cellular")
"Cellular" is presently in theaters worldwide after premiering on September
10th 2004.
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Decoys (2004) DVD [US market version] -- $22.46
Richard plays Detective Francis Kirk in this tongue-in-cheek take on
the "aliens need humans to reproduce" sci-fi theme. Director Matt Hastings
has described "Decoys" as a meeting of "American Pie" and "Species."
There are two versions of the DVD currently available. The US-market
version available through amazon.com does not include the deleted
scenes and bloopers included in the Canadian-market version (see next entry). |
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Canadian-market version from amazon.ca
Decoys (2004) DVD -- CDN $29.71 (15% discount)
Release date: July 20, 2004
ASIN: B00029QQRK
The Canadian-market DVD includes an assortment of deleted scenes, the
bloopers, a "making of" special, and a photo gallery. The deleted scenes
help explain some aspects of the film which are confusing or vague in the
theatrical release, and Richard's scenes and bloopers are hilarious. |
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Firefly - The Complete Series DVD -- $34.99 (30% discount)
Richard appears in the episode "The Message" as Lt. Womack, an unscrupulous
Alliance Enforcement officer. Womack is after an old war buddy of Malcolm
and Zoe's and is quite determined to get what he's after.
Had the series continued, Womack would probably have become a recurring
character. |
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1) Starship Troopers 2 - Hero of the Federation (2004) DVD -- $13.96
(30% discount)
2) Starship Troopers 2 (Score) [SOUNDTRACK] -- $17.98
Richard plays Captain V.J. Dax in "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the
Federation." The DVD includes the widescreen movie, a "making of" featurette
which includes interviews with the cast and behind the scenes footage,
a photo gallery, and look at the animation process.
The soundtrack CD presents the entire "Troopers 2" suite, which includes
the haunting Dax's Theme. |
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[18 Feb 05] *** The Official RBFC
charity, the Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center (FSLMMC), has
chosen a new name -- the Pacific Marine Mammal Center *** --
A recent letter from the MMC (excerpted below) details the name change:
"With the expansion of our responsibilities to include cetacean rehabilitation,
as well as the expansion of our education programs to include a broader
curriculum, we have made the decision to take a leap and give ourselves
a name that more fully reflects what we do -- Pacific
Marine Mammal Center.
We are excited about the new name, as it is more reflective of our
work with all marine mammals, as well as of the ever-expanding scope of
environmental education programs we offer. We have big plans for the next
couple of years including a renovation of our upstairs education area and
the reconstruction of our outdoor pools and pens to accommodate our steadily
growing patient load and improve the water quality for the animals.
We are very proud of our history, founders, board members, staff,
and volunteers, included. Who would have thought that the rescue of that
first tiny harbor seal pup 33 years ago would have such an impact on the
lives of the thousands of marine mammals that we have given a second chance
at life? We are so grateful to those of you who are long-time donors and
to those of you who are new friends. It is your support that has allowed
us to build our solid foundation and to provide our quality animal care
and education programs over the years. You can be assured that the core
values and vision of our organization will always remain the same."
**RBFC News** -- A recent visit to the PMMC revealed that the
RBFC had joined the ranks of supporters whose names appear on a handsome
plaque outside the Center's gift shop. Our heartfelt thanks to all of
you who've joined us in supporting the PMMC in Richard's honor!
(Thanks to Deborah, Kat, and MJ for the info) |
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[18 Feb 05]*** Buy your Official Richard
Burgi Fan Club tee-shirt today! *** -- Featuring the official RBFC
logo seen at left on the upper left chest, these tee-shirts are heavy-duty
cotton. The shirts are short-sleeved, cream-colored, with the logo silk-screened
in black, and are available in Adult Extra Large size. The shirts can be
paid for by check, or by credit card through PayPal, with the prices as
follows:
Continental USA -- $10 ($12 PayPal) -- includes S&H
International -- $15 ($18 PayPal) -- includes S&H
If paying by check, please make the check payable (in US funds) to Kathleen
Cole, not to the RBFC, and mail the check to the address
below:
The RBFC
10153 1/2 Riverside Drive #494
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
U.S.A.
 PayPal
transactions are processed through their website at http://www.paypal.com,
using wbkat852@aol.com as the RBFC payment address / account.
The process is fairly simple -- new PayPal customers must first register
with PayPal, which takes about five minutes. (Instructions are provided
on the PayPal website).
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[18 Feb 05] *** Write to Richard care of
the RBFC! *** -- Richard has asked us to encourage anyone interested in
sending cards or letters to him to use the RBFC mailing address, which
is listed below. This allows Richard to better handle
his incoming mail, which he certainly enjoys receiving, provided it comes
through appropriate channels.
Mr. Richard Burgi
RBFC
10153 1/2 Riverside Drive, #494
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
USA
We cannot emphasize strongly enough that mail should not be
sent to Richard's home address! Receiving fan mail through his
home address is a disquieting experience and cause for concern, especially
from the standpoint of privacy and safety. If you have come across
what you believe may be his home address, please, do NOT use it! We
-- and Richard -- would greatly appreciate it if you would let us
know where you came across the address by using this e-mail
link to the RBFC.
While postcards, letters, and cards will be promptly forwarded
to Richard, we cannot forward packages; he has asked that no gifts
be sent to him. Though Richard appreciates the goodwill and generosity
those gifts represent, he finds them a little overwhelming. Richard
would be honored if, instead, wellwishers made a donation in his name to
a local children's shelter or literacy program, or to the Pacific
Marine Mammal Center .
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