Eric Kleefeld: Walker Won On Anti-Union Law - What Now? (Talking Points Memo)
Wisconsin Republicans won big this week, with their newly-passed law curtailing public employee unions overcoming a court challenge brought on the procedures used to pass it. Now that months of wrangling over its passage are behind us, what will the law's impact actually be?
Andrew Tobias: Claptrap - 3
Robert Reeves: "Thought you would be interested in what the right wing is circulating. If it is untrue, someone should respond."
Jim Hightower: BIG COAL BUYS ACCESS TO 4TH GRADERS
Unbeknownst to most Americans, grade schoolers are being targeted by the American Coal Foundation with a propaganda package stealthily titled, "The United States Of Energy."
Susan Estrich: You Make Feel So Young (Creators Syndicate)
It was about six years ago that my old friend Anne and I were sitting around daydreaming, and I started talking about my "perfect" house: three bedrooms (I have two children), convenient to my son's school, a yard for the dogs and, oh, yes, a peek at the ocean. Then I mentioned my spending limit, and we both burst out laughing. Not possible. When we stopped laughing, Anne announced that her mother would find it for me.
Rodney L. Taylor: Confucius and the Teaching of Goodness (Huffington Post)
We might recall that Confucius' response to that question was to say there was a single teaching: the teaching of 'shu,' reciprocity. And when asked to explain this teaching, he responded by saying, "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you" (Analects: 15:23).
Richard Roeper: OK, so maybe LeBron James had a point (Chicago Sun-Times)
But this is yet another case of a supremely talented, generally good guy speaking before thinking. Whether he's taking his talents to South Beach, Tweeting about winning multiple championships, mocking Dirk Nowitzki's illness or lambasting the "haters," James continues to chip away at his own image. All those hilarious commercials, all the charity work, all the amazing on-court moves - and yet James has become the Darth Vader of sports.
Roger Ebert: Review of "How to Live Forever" (3 stars)
If someone could give you a pill that allowed you to live for 500 years, would you take it? Not me. Although I'm not keen on dying this minute or this year, I consider death to be the completion of the journey I embarked on at my birth, and do not expect the circle to be unbroken.
Roger Ebert: Review of "The Big Uneasy" (2 stars)
Using soil and flood-control experts, Google maps, new footage and damning video, Shearer builds a compelling case against the Army Corps' flawed planning and leaky levees. I was convinced. Unfortunately, I was also convinced that trapped within this 98-minute film is a good 30-minute news report struggling to get out. Shearer, who is bright and funny, comes across here as a solemn lecturer.
David Bruce has 42 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $42 you can buy 10,500 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," "Maximum Cool," and "Resist Psychic Death."
Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 - March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, "The Old Redhead". No television personality of the 1950s enjoyed more clout or fame than Godfrey until an on-camera incident undermined his folksy image and triggered a gradual decline; the then-ubiquitous Godfrey helmed two CBS-TV weekly series and a daily 90-minute television mid-morning show through most of the decade but by the early 1960s found himself reduced to hosting an occasional TV special.
Source
Walter Lanier "Red" Barber (February 17, 1908 - October 22, 1992) was an American sportscaster.
Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds (1934-38), Brooklyn Dodgers (1939-1953), and New York Yankees (1954-1966). Like his fellow sports pioneer Mel Allen, Barber also gained a niche calling college and professional football in his primary market of New York City.
Source
Alan J was first, and correct, with:
Arthur Godfrey
Jim from CA, retired to ID, wrote:
Arthur Godfrey
Leo responded:
That would be Arthur Godfrey.
BttbBob replied:
Well, I was sitting on this barstool in a Penn Station lounge (that's in NYC for those not in the know) waiting to catch the 'Lake Shore Limited' back to Michigan from a three week Coast Guard training session on Governor's Island. I love trains. I was in my dress blues all spiffy and suchlike, ya know, as I always traveled in uniform. Surprise! Down sets this lovely lady smack dab right next to me with this big bright smile and a big ol' head of... yup, you got it... red hair. She was waiting to catch a commuter train on out to Long Island and as we both had time we engaged in some rather 'interesting' conversations, innuendo and knee-rubbing with not a few beverages lubricating the process. Sad to say I had to turn down her offer to see her 'country place' out on LI. Had to be back on board my cutter in Port Huron by Monday morning and this was a Friday afternoon. Sigh. Just not enough time, so sorry. Duty calls and all that... It's true some women like guys in uniform. That's why I always traveled in mine...All spiffy and suchlike...
Cuz, as I always say... ya never know...
Adam answered:
Arthur Godfrey...well OK then.
Sally said:
Arthur Godfrey was often called, "The Old Redhead," along with other names...
Arthur was not a nice man at all. My grandmother just adored him, and no one talked when she had him on the radio, doing his breakfast show, many years ago. I never cared for him then, but attribute that to my young age. Later on, however, when he had his talent show, I became infatuated with Julius LaRosa (I was probably 12 or 13 immature years old, as were kids of that age back then).
When Godfrey FIRED him, on air, myself and the other members of the Julius LaRosa fan club were horrified!
From that point on, we (fan club members) all vowed to never watch Godfrey again. When his show came on the TV, and we (family) were visiting Bubbe's house, I stood up and huffily left the room!! Yeah, that showed Godfrey how miffed was I!
PS: Gonna have my g/babies from tomorrow (Dad and I share the big day) through Wednesday. School is out, and camp doesn't start until a week from Monday. How much mischief can we get into over 4 days??
Charlie replied:
Arthur Godfrey
KEN BOPP responded:
RED BARBER...BROOKLYN/LA DODGERS PLAY BY PLAY. 'THE BASES ARE FOB...FULL OF BROOKLYN' , IS ONE OF HIS GREAT EXPRESSIONS THAT COMES TO MIND.
MAM wrote:
Arthur Godfrey is probably the answer you are looking for. But Red Barber, who broadcast Yankee games from 1954 through 1966 was also known as 'The Old Readhead'.
And, Joe S responded:
Not even going to look this one up for verification. It's Arthur Godfrey, who my younger sisters called Ahffy Gahffy.
He was a nasty man, prone to insulting his cast. Never liked him.
Julius La Rosa currently lives in Westchester County, New York.
The firing did not hurt La Rosa's career in the short run. Immediately afterwards, "Eh, Cumpari" became a major hit, followed by "Domani." Ed Sullivan immediately signed La Rosa for appearances on his CBS Toast of the Town TV variety show, which sparked a feud between him and Godfrey. La Rosa's first appearance on Toast of the Town following the firing got a 47.9 Trendex rating, and La Rosa would appear 12 more times on Sullivan's show that year.
La Rosa had a three times a week television series, The Julius La Rosa Show, during the summer of 1955, featuring Russ Case and his Orchestra. The short-lived series lasted only 13 weeks. La Rosa tired of revisiting the Godfrey affair, in part because it had been rehashed so many times, but he was also known to declare publicly that Godfrey was, indeed, the individual who made his career, but always adding, "He wasn't a very nice man."
The social life of the badger is gradually being exposed thanks to some smart technology. (I wonder if the badgers mind this invasion of their privacy. No wonder they're so ornery with humans always poking around and suchlike)
Many animals are tracked above ground but until recently what goes on inside their setts and burrows has been largely hidden. Now a project to track them using magnetic fields and sensor collars is giving scientists a unique look at these elusive creatures. (The collars... I bet they just hate the damn'd collars)
"Detailed information about badger locations underground is currently impossible to obtain with existing technology," said Dr Andrew Markham, a computer scientist at the University of Oxford (and badger badgerer)
"With a camera you can only monitor a small area, typically one chamber at a time," explained Dr Markham. "To monitor a whole sett would be very difficult. "And it is quite challenging to identify badgers when they are underground." (Well, Hello? The varmits don't want to identified, I'm thinkin')
The research team was keen to see if the process could be automated, thereby minimizing human-badger interaction. (Ever notice how the British are always 'keen' on doing things? Anyway, I'm sure the badgers, being British badgers, certainly are 'keen' about this consideration)
A longer project is planned to start later in 2011. This will see collars put on more badgers, with an expansion of the area being monitored. (Oh, great, say the badgers. Why can't those nosy hair-less bipeds just leave us alone?)
"We want to see how different they are above and below ground and how they interact with each other," said Dr Markham. "Do they always sleep in the same burrow or do they move from sleeping chamber to sleeping chamber?" (and they want badger porn, I just know it, the perverts)
CBS starts the night with '60 Minutes', followed by the LIVE on the East Coast (tape delayed and edited for the Left Coast) '38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards', then a RERUN'The Good Wife'.
NBC opens the night with 'Dateline', followed by a RERUN'America's Got Talent', then the FRESH'T-rump's 2011 Miss USA Pageant'.
ABC begins the night with a RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', followed by a RERUN'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', then a RERUN'Castle', followed by a RERUN'Body Of Proof'.
The CW offers an old 'Friends', followed by another old 'Friends', then the movie 'Rush Hour 2'.
Faux has a RERUN'American Dad', followed by a RERUN'Bob's Burgers', then a RERUN'Simpsons', followed by a RERUN'Cleveland Show', then a RERUN'Family Guy', followed by a RERUN'American Dad'.
MY has an old 'How I Met Your Mother', followed by another old 'How I Met Your Mother', then an old 'The Closer', followed by another 'The Closer'.
A&E has 'Criminal Minds', another 'Criminal Minds', still another 'Criminal Minds', followed by a (F) 'The Glades'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Shawshank Redemption', followed by a FRESH'The Killing'.
FX has the movie 'Hancock', followed by the movie 'Hancock', again.
History has 'Pawn Stars', another 'Pawn Stars', 'Ice Road Truckers', followed by a FRESH'Ice Road Truckers', and 'Swamp People'.
IFC -
[6:00 AM] In America
[8:15 AM] The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
[10:30 AM] Waking Life
[12:45 PM] Onion News Network
[1:15 PM] Onion News Network
[1:45 PM] Onion News Network
[2:15 PM] Onion News Network
[2:45 PM] Onion News Network
[3:15 PM] Onion News Network
[3:45 PM] Onion News Network
[4:15 PM] Waking Life
[6:30 PM] Right at Your Door
[8:30 PM] Gone Baby Gone
[11:00 PM] The Whitest Kids U'Know
[11:30 PM] Onion News Network
[12:00 AM] Freaks and Geeks
[1:00 AM] Undeclared
[1:30 AM] Mr. Show With Bob and David
[2:05 AM] Hard Candy
[4:20 AM] Occupations
[4:25 AM] The Making Of: Transformation
[4:30 AM] Onion News Network
[5:00 AM] The Whitest Kids U'Know
[5:30 AM] Undeclared (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:10 AM] French Film
[9:00 AM] E2: DESIGN II - Adaptive Refuse in the Netherlands
[9:30 AM] E2: DESIGN II - Architecture 2030
[10:00 AM] Where The Water Meets The Sky
[11:00 AM] ALL ON THE LINE - Kara Janx: That Dress is Great if You're Going to the Prom With Justin Bieber (Episode 2, Season 1)
[12:00 PM] ALL ON THE LINE - Between the Sheets (Episode 3, Season 1)
[2:00 PM] Kool: Dancing In My Mind
[2:30 PM] French Fil
[5:20 PM] The Eyes of Tammy Faye
[6:45 PM] Eraserhead
[8:15 PM] Made for Each Other
[10:00 PM] Wild at Heart
[2:05 AM] ALL ON THE LINE - Between the Sheets (Episode 3, Season 1)
[4:05 AM] David Bailey: Four Beats to the Bar and No Cheating
[5:05 AM] The Eyes of Tammy Faye (ALL TIMES EST)
U.S musician Bob Dylan performs at the London Feis Festival, in Finsbury Park, Saturday, June 18, 2011, just weeks after his 70th birthday.
Photo by Joel Ryan
Marilyn Monroe was definitely the star at tonight's auction of Hollywood memorabilia, with the iconic dress she wore in the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch" sold for a blockbuster $4.6 million.
Monroe's red-sequin number from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" didn't do badly, either, for a "little girl from Little Rock": $1.2 million.
Monroe's saloon girl costume from "River of No Return" sold for $510,000. The gold charmeuse gown covered with bugle beading, red fringe accents, and gold velvet train with red netting benefitted from having been worn by TWO Hollywood goddesses: The Helen Rose dress was originally created for Betty Grable for the "Cuddle Up a Little Closer" number in 1953's film "Coney Island."
But Marilyn wasn't the only apple of collectors' eyes: The blue cotton dress with polka dot trim worn by Judy Garland during her first two weeks' filming as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" pulled in a cool $910,000 - more than ten times the estimate.
Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp" bowler hat brought in $110,000.
Actor Albert Brooks and wife Kimberly Shlain arrive at a special screening of his new film 'Drive' at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival in LosAngeles, California June 17, 2011.
Photo by Fred Prouser
An Americana folk opera based on a teenage Bill Clinton debuts this weekend in New York, featuring some of the exaggerated Southern characters who surrounded him growing up, such as his fun-loving mother.
It is the brainchild of Arkansan Bonnie Montgomery, who has spent the last four years composing "Billy Blythe."
The opera is based on a day in the life of a teenage Clinton. She enlisted a friend, Britt Barber of Atlanta, to write the lyrics. Last fall, Montgomery premiered a part of the opera in Little Rock.
The Metropolis Opera Project in New York debuts the entire opera at The Medicine Show Theater on Sunday and Monday.
Actor Bryan Cranston arrives with wife Robin Dearden at a special screening of his new film 'Drive' at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival in LosAngeles, California June 17, 2011.
Photo by Fred Prouser
An Oregon man has given the Library of Congress a rare and unusual gift: a 120-year-old map supporting the theory that the Earth is flat.
Don Homuth, of Salem, Ore., says the map was given to him by his eighth-grade teacher. It was created by Orlando Ferguson of Hot Springs, S.D.
Homuth used to live in Fargo and was a North Dakota state senator.
Library of Congress spokesman Robert Morris told The Forum newspaper that officials checked more than 75 maps before confirming the design was one-of-a-kind.
He says the only other known copy of the map is in the Pioneer Museum in Hot Springs.
Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who shot to stardom in 2009 when her performance on a television singing contest became an internet hit, will see her life portrayed on stage in a new musical.
"I Dreamed a Dream," named after the title of the song she sang that made her an overnight celebrity, will tour internationally from 2012 after premiering at Theater Royal in Newcastle, England, on March 23.
"I never thought my life story would end up on the stage but a lot has happened in two years and it is a very exciting prospect," Boyle said.
Boyle will be played by actress Elaine Smith, best known for her role in the British comedy series "Rab C Nesbitt" and a favorite of the singer.
A combination of four pictures shows yodellers dressed in traditional Swiss costumes performing at the 28th Federal Yodelling Festival in Interlaken June18, 2011.
Photo by Pascal Lauener
Princess Diana's younger brother has married a Canadian philanthropist in a low-key wedding at his ancestral home in central England.
A spokesman said the wedding of Charles Spencer and Karen Gordon in Althorp on Saturday was attended only by close family and friends.
Spencer, an earl, had been married twice before. He has four children from his first marriage, to Victoria Lockwood, and two children from his second marriage, to Caroline Freud.
Gordon, a former fashion model, is the founder and chief executive of Whole Child International, a Los Angeles-based charity that works to help orphaned, abandoned or abused children.
NBC has prevailed in a lawsuit brought by a writer who claimed that the network stole a screenplay to create the hit series "My Name is Earl."
Mark Gable sued NBC Universal in 2008, claiming the network took copyrighted elements from his screenplay "Karma" to create "Earl," the Jason Lee comedy that aired for four seasons on the network. The suit detailed similarities between "Karma" and the pilot episode of the series, including a main character who wins the lottery and attempts to use the money to turn bad karma into good karma by seeking out wronged persons from his past in order to make amends.
Gable said in 1995 he circulated his script in Hollywood. One recipient was United Talent Agency, which represented "Earl" co-producer Brad Copeland.
But the lawsuit was dismissed on summary judgment by a district court judge in February. The judge couldn't find enough "substantially similar" in the two scripts.
Perhaps the only thing extraordinary in this case is that the judge refused to take expert testimony from David Nimmer, a copyright scholar whose treatise, "Nimmer on Copyright," is regarded as one of the best ever written on copyright law. The plaintiff introduced a 20-paragraph report by Nimmer of comparisons between the two scripts and a lengthy legal analysis of the Ninth Circuit's take on copyright infringement cases.
Suspected crime boss Marco Antonio Guzman Zuniga (C), alias "El Brad Pitt", is presented to the media by the Federal Police in Mexico City June16, 2011.
Photo by Jorge Dan Lopez
Eighteen people from Southern California and Florida are facing federal charges in an alleged telemarketing scam that solicited more than $25 million for independent films.
According to two indictments filed Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court, the defendants lied to investors nationwide and falsely promised 1,000 percent returns.
One indictment says Cinamour Entertainment LLC took about $15 million from about 450 victims to promote "From Mexico with Love," which cost $5 million to make and earned only half a million at the box office.
The other indictment alleges telemarketers for Q Media Assets LLC fraudulently raised about $9 million for a film called "Eye of the Dolphin" and a sequel. The film made about $70,000 and the sequel went straight to video.
An actor impersonating President Barack Obama mocked the Republican presidential hopefuls and made jokes about the real president's biracial roots to a room full of conservative activists on Saturday.
The Republican Leadership Conference turned the podium over to impersonator Reggie Brown, who drew raucous applause from the GOP's supporters when he projected lewd photos of disgraced and resigned Rep. Anthony Weiner on Saturday. Brown returned to Weiner when describing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign: "His supporters are dropping faster than Anthony Weiner's pants."
The room grew more uncomfortable as Brown turned to the candidates who are looking to make Obama a one-term president.
Brown took a shot at former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who missed the conference because "he's having his foot surgically removed from his mouth."
"Don't worry: it's covered under Obamneycare. Along with spinal transplants," Brown said.
Organizers then cut off Brown's microphone and turned on music.
Models wear creation of Dolce & Gabbana men's Spring-Summer 2012 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, Milan, Italy, Saturday, June 18, 2011.
Photo by Luca Bruno
A deer fawn apparently dropped by a bald eagle onto a high-voltage line was behind a power outage this week in western Montana, a Northwestern Energy official said on Friday.
"It's a first-time thing," Northwestern spokeswoman Michelle Sullivan said. "A deer dangling on the line, that's never happened before."
Sullivan said linemen investigating the cause of the outage in a rural neighborhood of East Missoula couldn't believe their eyes when they found the carcass of the fawn draped over electric wires more than two stories high.
Workers blamed the eagle after homeowner Lee Bridges reported that one of the birds had spent 15 minutes perched in a spruce in her yard that morning just after the neighborhood lost electricity.
Bald eagles can have wingspans of nearly 8 feet and weigh up to 14 pounds. Accounts suggest the fawn was just days old, if that.
Mercedes-Benz is making a greener hybrid Popemobile for Benedict XVI, the Wirtschaftswoche weekly paper said Saturday.
However a Vatican spokesman denied the paper's prediction that it should be ready for Benedict's visit to his native Germany in September.
According to the report, the new Popemobile will be based on the four-wheel drive M Class Mercedes with a hybrid electric-petrol motor.
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery will allow it to drive 30 kilometres (16 miles) without any polluting emissions.
The pope would not be allowed to use a purely electric-driven car as the Popemobile must have the capacity to take off swiftly in case of emergency, the paper said.
Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player for the E Street Band who was one of the key influences in Bruce Springsteen's life and music through four decades, has died. He was 69.
Clemons was hospitalized about a week ago after suffering a stroke at his home in Singer Island, Fla. He died of complications from the stroke, spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty said Saturday.
Known as the Big Man for his imposing 6-foot-5-inch, 270-plus pound frame, Clemons and his ever-present saxophone spent much of his life with The Boss, and his booming saxophone solos became a signature sound for the E Street Band on many key songs, including "Jungleland," a triumphant solo he spent 16 hours perfecting, and "Born To Run."
In recent years, Clemons had been slowed by health woes. He endured major spinal surgery in January 2010 and, at the 2009 Super Bowl, Clemons rose from a wheelchair to perform with Springsteen after double knee replacement surgery.
But his health seemed to be improving. In May, he performed with Lady Gaga on the season finale of "American Idol," and performed on two songs on her "Born This Way" album.
An original member - and the oldest member - of the E Street Band, Clemons also performed with the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and Ringo Starr's All Star Band. He recorded with a wide range of artists including Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison and Jackson Browne. He also had his own band called the Temple of Soul.
The stage "always feels like home. It's where I belong," Clemons, a former youth counselor, said after performing at a Hard Rock Cafe benefit for Home Safe, a children's charity, in 2010.
Born in Norfolk, Va., Clemons was the grandson of a Baptist minister and began playing the saxophone when he was 9.
He was influenced by R&B artists such as King Curtis and Junior Walker. But his dreams originally focused on football. He played for Maryland State College, and was to try out for the Cleveland Browns when he got in a bad car accident that made him retire from the sport for good.
His energies then focused on music.
In 1971, Clemons was playing with Norman Seldin & the Joyful Noise when he heard about rising singer-songwriter named Springsteen, who was from New Jersey. The two hit it off immediately and Clemons officially joined the E Street Band in 1973 with the release of the debut album "Greetings from Asbury Park."
Clemons emerged as one of the most critical members of the E Street Band for different reasons. His burly frame would have been intimidating if not for his bright smile and endearing personality that charmed fans.
In a 2009 interview, Clemons described his deep bond with Springsteen, saying: "It's the most passion that you have without sex."
Clemons continued to perform with the band for the next 12 years, contributing his big, distinctive big sound to the albums, "The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle," "Born to Run," "Darkness on the Edge of Town, "The River" and "Born in the USA." But four years after Springsteen experienced the blockbuster success of "Born in the USA" and toured with his group, he decided to disband the E Street Band.
During the breaks, Clemons continued with solo projects, including a 1985 vocal duet with Browne on the single "You're a Friend of Mine" and saxophone work on Franklin's 1985 hit single "Freeway of Love." He released his own albums, toured, and even sang on some songs.
Clemons also made several television and movie appearances over the years, including Martin Scorsese's 1977 musical, "New York, New York, in which he played a trumpet player.
The break with Springsteen and the E Street Band didn't end his relationship with either Springsteen or the rest of the band members, nor would it turn out to be permanent. By 1999 they were back together for a reunion tour and the release of "The Rising."
But the years took a toll on Clemons' body, and he had to play through the pain of surgeries and other health woes.
"It takes a village to run the Big Man - a village of doctors," Clemons told The Associated Press in a phone interview in 2010. "I'm starting to feel better; I'm moving around a lot better."
He is the second member of the E Street Band to pass away: In 2008, Danny Federici, the keyboardist for the band, died at age 58 of melanoma.
Samples of a cuddly toy version of Germany's beloved cross-eyed opossum called Heidi are seen in a box at the Koesener toys factory in Bad Koesen, eastern Germany, on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The animal came from a zoo in Denmark to the Leipzig Zoo, where they found out that it is cross-eyed.
Photo by Jens Meyer
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