The Weekly Poll
This week's poll is... the Paul Newman 'Tribute' edition
What are your favorite Paul Newman movies and why?
I'd list them all for you to choose from, but why? You know what they are! You relish the memories of seeing them for the first time. You've looked forward to seeing them again and again since then... So, unload... Let it out... Let us remember a man who was not only a great actor, but a marvelous philanthropist and loyal husband, as well.
BadtotheboneBob
Send your responses to BadtotheBoneBob (BCEpoll (at) aol.com)
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Part of Obama's Economic Plan: Simplify Tax Filings (barackobama.com)
Obama and Biden will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes. Obama and Biden will ensure that the IRS uses the information it already gets from banks and employers to give taxpayers the option of pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and return. Experts estimate that the Obama-Biden proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.
John H. Scully: ANOTHER REPUBLICAN FOR OBAMA (Posted on andrewtobias.com)
It is very clear to me that we are now in our worst economic crisis since 1929, and the possibility of systemic failure is real. While reasonable men and women can differ on the immediate steps we should be taking, it is demonstrably apparent after eight dreadful years of gross mismanagement and incompetency that we need to expunge from our polity the Bush-Cheney-McCain-Palin axis of ideological pap and judgemental disasters.
Michael Moore: Ask Everyone You Know: "Are You Registered to Vote?" (michaelmoore.com)
Our attention has been consumed with Wall Street drama and the comedy event of the season -- tonight's vice-presidential debate -- but many people don't realize that in most states if you're not registered to vote by Monday, you cannot vote for president in November. In some states, the deadline is as early as this Saturday!
Here's How to Fix the Wall Street Mess ...from Michael Moore (michaelmoore.com)
The richest 400 Americans -- that's right, just four hundred people -- own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans combined. 400 rich Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is $1.6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly $700 billion -- the same amount that they are now demanding we give to them for the "bailout." Why don't they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They'd still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves!
Mark Morford: What's your poison, citizen? (sfgate.com)
New game! Which toxic news story is most insulting? Play now!
Jonathan Storm: Katie Couric is having a field day with Palin appearances (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
One prominent female national figure is looking pretty good on TV these days, and it's not vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palin's joint appearance Monday night with running mate John McCain on "The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" was a public-relations disaster, conveying the impression of a father coming to the defense of his naive daughter who had gotten into trouble at school.
Felicity Lawrence: "Food and class: why what you eat has nothing to do with choice" (guardian.co.uk)
Our diet today is as much about class as it always has been - and it will take more than Jamie Oliver to change that.
Steven Rea: The irreverent Bill Maher takes on religion with 'Religulous' (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Bill Maher had to face down protests when he showed up at the premiere of "Religulous" at the Toronto International Film Festival a few weeks ago.
MARK SLUTSKY: Beyond belief (montrealmirror.com)
In fact, it seems at times that there's a war going on between the powers of rational thought and the, shall we say, faith-based community. "I think there's been a battle between those two forces from the beginning of civilization," says Bill Maher. "But the difference, of course, in the United States is that reason is getting its ass kicked. Unfortunately. And that's a problem."
Rick Bentley: 'Sports Night' DVD set revives memories for Robert Guillaume (McClatchy Newspapers)
Robert Guillaume has bittersweet memories of his work on the series "Sports Night." He recalls fondly the quality of writing and what he calls the "first legitimate character" he got to portray in his career through the two seasons of the show.
Will Harris: A Chat with Jack McBrayer, Co-star of "30 Rock" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (bullz-eye.com)
On "30 Rock": ' I think all of us as a cast just totally defer to the creative instincts of Tina and the writers, because we totally just trust what they are putting together and creating for us.
Luaine Lee: Jason O'Mara goes back in time in ABC's 'Life on Mars' (McClatchy-Tribune News Service)
When Jason O'Mara was a struggling actor in London he improvised a recipe that saw him though the lean times. "I got really good at going to the supermarket and buying frozen sausages which were very cheap and lots of dry spaghetti and tomato sauce, and basically I lived on that for months," says the Irish actor in a meeting room at a hotel here.
Reader Suggestion
Re: Smothers Brothers
Hey Marty,
Just wanted to let you know about a Smothers Brothers clip I put online.
Alaska Vic Reports
Sarah 'Love' In Alaska
Oh, Yeah...We Love her up here ..LOL
My favorite is the one of the band "Sarah and the Pit-Bulls"
I'll hafta see iffen we can get them on the show!
Vic in AK
Thanks, Vic!
Free Stuff
Palin Ringtones
Hello Marty!
In an effort to fight the terrorists through mobile technology, FunMo.com, creators of the famous Shaq/Kobe fued rap ringtone, are looking to inject a little fun into the campaign trail. They have created SarahPalinTones , a collection of free ringtones based on some now infamous sound bytes from the Vice Presidential nominee herself.
Sarah Palin may not make the best interviewee, but when remixed into free FunMo ringtones, it sounds like she could always pursue a career in.....rap music.
sarah-palin-promo.jpg
The six premium
SarahPalinTones can be downloaded for free now at Funmo.com
Best,
Tali
Thanks, Tali!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Not quite as hot.
Last night (Wednesday) was watching Craig Ferguson, who was interviewing Jennifer Love Hewitt.
They were talking about texting 'shorthand' and she was in the middle of relating how well her mother was adapting to it, and used the
term 'OMFG' - except CBS censored her & deleted the audio for the 'F', but since she didn't realize her audio had been cut, she continued to explain
what the letters stand for.
Of course she didn't say 'fucking', but 'f-ing' which wasn't deleted.
For gawd's sake, it was 1:14am, and it was only a letter.
The Next Strike
Screen Actors Guild
Film and television actors ratcheted up pressure on Hollywood's major studios on Wednesday when negotiators, stalled in labor talks with producers, sought backing to put a strike authorization vote to guild members.
Contract negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild, which is the largest U.S. actors union with some 120,000 members, passed a resolution seeking the endorsement of SAG's national board for guild members to vote on whether to call a work stoppage, which, if it occurred, would be the second halt this year.
Late on Wednesday, SAG released the resolution passed by its contract negotiating committee, but said it would have no further comment.
A strike authorization ballot is not a vote on a work halt, but it does give union leaders leverage in the contract talks that stalled back in July after a final offer from the AMPTP.
Screen Actors Guild
'Out Of Context'
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard says the decision by a women's shelter to cut her act from its annual benefit was based on a misleading account of what she said about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
The 53-year-old comedian, in criticizing Palin for opposing abortion rights, challenged whether she would keep the baby if she became pregnant after being violated by a group of black men in New York. Bernhard made the remarks last month during her one-woman show in Washington, before Palin visited New York to campaign.
"In no way am I making any sort of joke about crimes against women - quite the contrary. I'm speaking out about someone who doesn't do enough to protect women," Bernhard said Wednesday. "I think if you look at the real issues I'm addressing, my intent becomes clear. I am a die-hard advocate for women's rights, and fully support the work of Rosie's Place."
The comedian, who's known for profane and outrageous material, said she only decided to set the record straight after "an innocent charity which does great work" became "collateral damage."
Sandra Bernhard
Broadway Theaters To Dim Lights
Paul Newman
Broadway theaters will dim their lights Friday at curtain time for Paul Newman, who died last week at age 83.
Newman appeared in five Broadway productions, starting in 1953 in William Inge's "Picnic." He then appeared in Joseph Hayes' thriller "The Desperate Hours," in 1955, followed by Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" in 1959.
Newman co-starred with his wife Joanne Woodward in James Costigan's comedy "Baby Want a Kiss" in 1964. His last Broadway appearance was as the stage manager in a 2002 revival of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," for which he received a Tony nomination.
The Broadway League, the trade association for Broadway theaters and producers, says lights will be dimmed for one minute at 8 p.m. EDT.
Paul Newman
UNICEF Campaign
Salma Hayek
Hollywood mom Salma Hayek is lending her star power to a UNICEF campaign to eradicate tetanus in mothers and babies around the world within four years.
Hayek, a paid spokeswoman for Pampers' tetanus vaccine program, recounted her experiences during a recent trip to the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where she met with tetanus victims.
The Pampers-UNICEF partnership has already provided over 50 million vaccines to mothers and babies in developing countries, where tetanus kills up to 140,000 infants and 30,000 women each year, according to the U.N. agency.
Pampers, owned by Procter & Gamble Co., said it would give UNICEF the money for one tetanus vaccine for every pack of specially marked diapers it sells before the end of the year. It expects that to produce 70 million more vaccinations.
Salma Hayek
Named Smokies Ambassador
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton, who often refers to her Smoky Mountains upbringing, will serve as the ambassador for the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There will be events throughout 2009 celebrating Congress' approval to form the park on June 15, 1934.
Parton, who grew up in the foothills of the Smokies in Tennessee's Sevier County, said she's always been an advocate for the park, but she is honored to become "official."
The 62-year-old country singer will lend her endorsement through media announcements and publications and has written an album titled "Sha-Kon-O-Hey" - the phonetic spelling of the Cherokee words for "Land of Blue Smoke."
Dolly Parton
Comedy Central Special
Russell Brand
Russell Brand has signed up to take part in a stand-up special for US channel Comedy Central.
The comedian, who courted controversy when he recently hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in LA, will film the show next month in New York before it's broadcast in 2009.
Brand added: "Comedy Central is the home of South Park, The Daily Show and The Sarah Silverman programme.
"I am thrilled to have such esteemed neighbours - particularly Sarah whom I shall be constantly troubling for cups of sugar and milk, breastmilk."
Russell Brand
Charged In Tax Case
Helio Castroneves
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and TV "Dancing With the Stars" champion Helio Castroneves was indicted Thursday on tax evasion and tax fraud charges, accused of using offshore accounts to hide millions of dollars in income from the Internal Revenue Service.
Castroneves, 33, is charged with conspiracy and six counts of tax evasion for purportedly failing to report to the IRS about $5.5 million in income between 1999 and 2004, according to court documents. Each count carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Also facing charges are Katiucia Castroneves, 35, the race car driver's sister and business manager, and attorney Alan R. Miller, 71, of Birmingham, Mich. All three are scheduled to make court appearances Friday and it wasn't immediately clear if they had hired defense lawyers. None were under arrest Thursday.
The indictment charges that Castroneves illegally concealed income from Penske Racing Inc. and the Brazilian firm Coimex International S.A. Neither company is charged with any wrongdoing.
Helio Castroneves
Profits From Bailout
Hollywood
Hollywood may benefit from the proposed $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system, the Los Angeles Times said late on Wednesday.
The plan which was endorsed by the U.S. Senate would provide tax breaks worth more than $470 million over the next decade for movie and TV producers that shoot in the United States, the paper said.
One provision in the bill would provide film and TV producers with the same tax deductions that American manufacturers such as General Motors Corp and Boeing Co receive for making their products at home, according to the paper.
Specifically, the legislation would allow filmmakers who shoot in the U.S. to qualify for a tax deduction granted in 2004 to domestic manufacturers that capped the top tax rate at 32 percent instead of 35 percent, the paper said.
Hollywood
Paparazzi Called Cops
Heather Locklear
A photographer who called 911 to report Heather Locklear allegedly driving erratically runs a paparazzi agency and profited from images she took of the actress's subsequent arrest, the woman's attorney said Wednesday.
But Nicholas Tepper, who represents photographer Jill Ishkanian, said in a written statement Wednesday that her phone call to authorities was motivated by "civic duty" and a concern for Locklear's safety.
He also defended Ishkanian's right to then take photos of the arrest.
He said Ishkanian then sold the photos to celebrity gossip site TMZ for $27,000 - but did it through a third party, KM Press Group, because her standing in the industry has been damaged by a lawsuit against her former employer, US Weekly.
Heather Locklear
Right-Wing Humor
'An American Carol'
It's a movie genre you don't hear much about in Hollywood: the right-wing comedy. For that matter, it's not much of a genre at all.
But it's exactly what conservative producer-director-screenwriter David Zucker created with "An American Carol." The gag-filled liberal lampoon stars Kevin Farley, brother of the late Chris Farley, as a scruffy Michael Moore clone named Michael Malone, an infamous documentary filmmaker leading a slapstick campaign to abolish the Fourth of July.
"I didn't tell anyone, not even my brother John, I had this part," said Farley, sitting in a conference room chair across from Zucker at Vivendi Entertainment, the film's distributor. "We wanted to keep it close to the vest. Meanwhile, I'm growing a beard and getting fatter. I had just gone through a divorce, and my brother was like, 'You need help!'"
Keeping mum is something both Farley and Zucker said they're accustomed to: In left-leaning Hollywood, conservative political inclinations aren't popular. In fact, when they first met about the role - Zucker said Larry the Cable Guy and Frank Caliendo were also considered - Farley wasn't sure if the veteran director knew he was a Republican.
"I think I've always been on the right side of things," said Farley. "I had a dad that was an influence on me. He was part of the Young Republicans at Georgetown University. He then ran for several public offices in Madison, Wisconsin, which is a bastion of left-wing politics. I grew up in the middle of that, so I'm used to being a fish out of water."
'An American Carol'
CA Referendum
No on 8
Hollywood, long considered a bastion of liberal thinking, is being chided for not opening its wallet to save the right to same-sex marriage in California even as several A-list gays and lesbians rush to the altar.
With a month to go before a November 4 referendum seeking to abolish the newly won right of same-sex couples to marry in California, some in the entertainment community are anxious that more of their own are not supporting gay rights by donating money to defeat the proposed ban.
Recent opinion polls show that 38 percent of California voters would support a ban on same-sex marriage with 55 percent opposed. But supporters of the ban, including several religious and conservative groups, have edged ahead in fund-raising.
By late September, opponents of gay marriage had raised $14.7 million, while supporters brought in $13.5 million, according the official records.
No on 8
In Memory
House Peters Jr.
House Peters Jr., a TV actor who became the original Mr. Clean in Proctor & Gamble's commercials for household cleaners, died Wednesday. He was 92.
The elder Peters' most memorable role came as Mr. Clean - a muscular man with a bald head, a hoop earring and a no-nonsense attitude toward dirt and grime. From the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, Peters Jr. helped advertise the famous household cleaner with the trademark jingle, "Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean."
Peters Jr. played many supporting roles through his career, including working with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry on their television shows. He also appeared in "Perry Mason," "Gunsmoke," "The Twilight Zone" and "Lassie."
"He always played the heavy," Jon Peters said, referring to his father's customary roles as a villain or brawny character. "Even though he wasn't happy about being cast in those roles, he worked really hard at it."
His father's acting career spanned 1935-1967, according to his Web site. He also wrote an autobiography, "Another Side of Hollywood," in which he describes growing up the son of an actress and silent film actor in Beverly Hills. His father, Robert House Peters Sr., has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Peters Jr. was born Jan. 12, 1916, in New Rochelle, N.Y., as Robert House Peters Jr. His son said Peters Jr. studied drama in high school and became inspired to pursue an acting career.
He also is survived by his wife, Lucy Pickett, a daughter, another son and four grandchildren.
House Peters Jr.
In Memory
Nick Reynolds
Nick Reynolds, a founding member of the Kingston Trio who jump-started the revival folk scene of the late 1950s and paved the way for artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, has died. He was 75.
Born on July 27, 1933, in San Diego, Nicholas Reynolds demonstrated an early love of music and did sing-alongs with his two sisters and their Navy captain-father, who taught him to play guitar.
He graduated from Coronado High School in 1951 and attended the University of Arizona and San Diego State University before attending Menlo College, a business school near Palo Alto. He graduated from Menlo in 1956.
It was during the mid-1950s that Nicholas Reynolds met Bob Shane, who introduced him to Stanford student Dave Guard. Guard and Shane knew each other from playing music in Guard's native Hawaii. The three formed the Kingston Trio.
In 1958, "Tom Dooley" earned Reynolds, Guard and Shane a trophy for best country and western performance at the first Grammys. The group, defined by tight harmonies and a clean-cut style, went on to win a Grammy the next year for best folk performance for its album "The Kingston Trio At Large."
Later member John Stewart joined the group in 1961, replacing Guard. Stewart died in January, also in San Diego.
Reynolds is survived by his wife Leslie, sons Joshua and John Pike Reynolds, daughters Annie Reynolds Moore and Jennifer Reynolds, and his two sisters.
Nick Reynolds
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