Froma Harrop: Inequality of Effort Mars Valentine's Day (Creators Syndicate)
My friend in Omaha, Nebraska, assures me that a disturbing phenomenon once focused on the coasts has invaded the heartland. He speaks of young couples where the woman is nicely dressed and her male date or mate is in slob mode. The women are neat and stylish, often wearing some (or a lot of) makeup, but their male partners are in soiled sweatshirts and baggy jeans, hems dragging on the floor. This is a sign of gross inequality. It flashes a disparity of effort. The women are trying, and the men are not.
Dan Buettner: "A 'blue zones' diet: Live longer from what you eat" (CNN)
People in blue zones have been eating the "right" foods because the right foods -- beans, grains and garden vegetables -- were cheapest and most accessible. Their kitchens were set up to cook them quickly and they had time-honored recipes to make simple peasant food taste delicious. Finally, their communities gathered around this food: They sat down at the table with people who ate the same way. They weren't surrounded by people who grilled burgers and ate cheese puffs.
One of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, with an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize, also wrote 11 episodes of the TV series "Topper" back in 1953-54. What is the name of this award-winning writer/composer/lyricist?
Laurel and Hardy were primarily comedy film actors. However, many of their films featured songs, and some are considered as musicals in their own right. The composer Leroy Shield scored most of Laurel and Hardy sound shorts although they were often misattributed to Marvin Hatley.
The duo's "cuckoo" theme, entitled "Dance of The Cuckoos", was composed by Roach musical director Marvin Hatley as the on-the-hour chime for the Roach studio radio station. Generally known as "The Dance of the Cuckoos" it was copyrighted with the name "Ku Ku" and was first heard on the opening credits for Blotto (1930) and the Spanish version of Night Owls (1930). Laurel heard the tune on the station, and asked Hatley to use it as the Laurel and Hardy theme song. In Laurel's eyes, the song's melody represented Hardy's character (pompous and dramatic), while the harmony represented Laurel's own character (somewhat out of key, and only able to register two notes: "coo-coo"). The original theme, recorded by two clarinets in 1930, was re-recorded with a full orchestra in 1935.
Source
Randall was first, and correct, with:
Laurel and Hardy
Mark. said:
Laurel and Hardy.
Alan J answered:
Laurel & Hardy.
Cal in Vermont wrote:
Laurel and Hardy. I like the one where they joined the French Foreign Legion and the piano movers bit.
Deborah responded:
How coincidental - I was just thinking of Laurel & Hardy the other day, My oldest dog is named Oliver, and I was remembering famous people named Oliver. Laurel & Hardy were the first.
Lovely weather but still no rain. At least the roads are dry (a cyclist's concern).
Mac Mac replied:
Laurel and Hardy
zorch said:
Abbot and Costello.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, wrote:
Laurel and Hardy
Joe S answered:
Laurel and Hardy. I haven't felt much like playing for the past month or two, but I do love Laurel and Hardy.
Dave took the day off.
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BttbBob has returned to semi-retired status.
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• In December of 2010 in Dayton, Ohio, police officer Jonathan Seiter stopped a man for a routine traffic violation, and the man started to attack him. Officer Seiter was unable to draw his gun, and the situation was dangerous. Angela Pierce, an African-American, was in a car with an elderly aunt, and she jumped out of the car and started punching the attacker with her fists. She later told CNN, "I didn't even think about what [the suspect] could have had. I didn't think about what he could have done to me. I just went and tried to help." With her help, and with the help of police backup in the form of Ohio Highway Patrol Sgt. Chris Colbert, who arrived after Ms. Pierce, Officer Seiter was able to subdue the attacker. Usually, ordinary citizens should not get involved in altercations between police officers and other people, but in this case Ms. Pierce did the right thing. Sgt. Larry Tolpin of the Dayton Police Department said, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not endorsing that citizens participate in this manner. But under this particular circumstance, it was very commendable of her."
• In January 2011, Eva Orchard of Clearfield, Utah, experienced car trouble while driving on a cold mountain road. Because she knew little about cars and had no cell phone with her, she simply waited in her car and hoped that someone would stop and help her. Fortunately, after 20 minutes, a kind man named Bill stopped. Investigating the source of the car trouble, he thought that she had a faulty fuel pump. He had a cell phone, so he called AAA to come and tow the car, and he called Ms. Orchard's daughter. After the AAA tow truck arrived, Bill drove Ms. Orchard to where her car was being towed. He also declined payment for having helped her. In a letter to the editor of the Standard-Examiner, Ms. Orchard wrote, "I want everyone to know there are some really good Samaritans out there. I thank Bill for stopping and for all he did to see that I was well taken care of on such a cold morning."
• In September of 2010, a taxi driver in Thailand found US$6,500 and Bt26,000 that a passenger had left behind. Duan Sosarn, age 34, whose right hand had been amputated, is an honest taxi driver. He took the money to Police Radio FM 91, which then located the passenger who had lost the money: Myo Htut, from Burma. Mr. Sosarn said that he wanted to be a good example to his son and that keeping the money would have been wrong. The police gave Mr. Sosarn a shield of honor on October 13, which is National Police Day in Thailand.
• Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach celebrated Purim in 1963 in grand style. Flush with money from a standing-room-only concert the previous night, he hired a small truck and a driver, and then went to three stores - a wine shop, a pastry shop, and a grocery shop - where he bought out the entire inventory of each of the three stores. After the truck was fully loaded, he started to make deliveries of shalach monos (gift baskets for the needy) to families throughout Jerusalem.
CBS opens the night with a FRESH'The Neighborhood', followed by a FRESH'Bob Hearts Abishola', then a FRESH'All Rise', followed by a FRESH'Bull'.
On a RERUNStephen Colbert (from 1/29/20) are Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.
On a RERUNJames Corden, OBE, (from 1/23/20) are Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, and Demetri Martin.
NBC begins the night with a FRESH'America's Got Talent: The Champions', followed by a FRESH'Manifest'.
On a RERUNJimmy Fallon (from 2/6/20) are RuPaul and Meghan Trainor.
On a RERUNSeth Meyers (from 2/5/20) are Ewan McGregor, Rob McElhenney, Erin Jackson, and Ilan Rubin.
On a RERUNLilly Singh (from 1/15/20) are Cameron Monaghan and Noel Fisher.
ABC starts the night with a FRESH'The Bachelor', followed by a FRESH'The Good Doctor'.
On a RERUNJimmy Kimmel (from 2/6/20) are Billy Crystal, the Tenderloins, and Kelsea Ballerini.
The CW offers a FRESH'All American', followed by a RERUN'Black Lightning'.
Faux has a FRESH'9-1-1: Lone Star', followed by a FRESH'Prodigal Son'.
MY recycles an old 'L&O: SVU', followed by another old 'L&O: SVU'.
A&E has 'Live Rescue', followed by a FRESH'Live Rescue: Rewind', then a FRESH'Live Rescue'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Godfather', follwoed by the movie 'The Godfather: Part II'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Shattered Mirror
[7:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Muse
[8:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - For the Cause
[9:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Quickening
[10:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - To the Death
[11:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Body Parts
[12:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Broken Link
[1:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Apocalypse Rising
[2:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Ship
[3:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places
[4:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - ...Nor the Battle to the Strong
[5:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Trials and Tribble-ations
[6:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Assignment
[7:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Let He Who Is Without Sin...
[8:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Things Past
[9:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Ascent
[10:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Rapture
[11:00PM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Darkness and the Light
[12:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Broken Link
[1:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Apocalypse Rising
[2:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - The Ship
[3:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places
[4:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - ...Nor the Battle to the Strong
[5:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - Trials and Tribble-ations (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'Below Deck', followed by a FRESH'Below Deck', then a FRESH'Below Deck: Sailing Yacht', followed by a FRESH'Spy Games', then a FRESH'Watch What Happens: Live'.
FX has the movie 'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation', followed by the movie 'Transformers: The Last Knight'.
History has 'Washington', followed by a FRESH'Washington', and another 'Washington'.
IFC -
[6:00A] Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
[8:00A] Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
[10:00A] AVP: Alien vs. Predator
[12:00P] The Purge
[2:00P] That '70s Show
[2:30P] That '70s Show
[3:00P] That '70s Show
[3:30P] That '70s Show
[4:00P] That '70s Show
[4:30P] That '70s Show
[5:00P] That '70s Show
[5:30P] That '70s Show
[6:00P] Two and a Half Men
[6:30P] Two and a Half Men
[7:00P] Two and a Half Men
[7:30P] Two and a Half Men
[8:00P] Two and a Half Men
[8:30P] Two and a Half Men
[9:00P] Two and a Half Men
[9:30P] Two and a Half Men
[10:00P] Two and a Half Men
[10:30P] Two and a Half Men
[11:00P] Two and a Half Men
[11:30P] Two and a Half Men
[12:00A] Two and a Half Men
[12:30A] Two and a Half Men
[1:00A] That '70s Show
[1:30A] That '70s Show
[2:00A] That '70s Show
[2:30A] That '70s Show
[3:00A] That '70s Show
[3:30A] That '70s Show
[4:00A] The Purge (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:00am] Hogan's Heroes
[6:30am] Hogan's Heroes
[7:00am] Hogan's Heroes
[7:30am] Hogan's Heroes
[8:00am] Hogan's Heroes
[8:30am] Hogan's Heroes
[9:00am] Hogan's Heroes
[9:30am] Hogan's Heroes
[10:00am] Hogan's Heroes
[10:30am] Hogan's Heroes
[11:00am] Hogan's Heroes
[11:30am] Hogan's Heroes
[12:00pm] Eraser
[2:30pm] The Professional
[5:00pm] Face/Off
[8:00pm] Total Recall
[10:30pm] Escape From New York
[12:30am] Escape From L.A.
[3:00am] Eraser
[5:30am] The Andy Griffith Show (ALL TIMES EST)
SyFy has the movie 'Twister', followed by the movie 'The Magnificient Seven'.
TBS:
On a RERUNConan (from 11/7/19) is Lil Rel Howery.
Nearly 35 years after Freddie Mercury and Queen triumphantly performed what is widely considered to be the greatest rock concert of all time - their 22-minute, six-song performance at London's Wembley Stadium for Bob Geldof's Ethiopian famine relief benefit, Live Aid - Queen and their current frontman, Adam Lambert, have reenacted the same set for another worthy cause.
On Sunday, the rock heroes performed Fire Fight Australia at Sydney's ANZ's Stadium to raise funds for bushfire relief - playing, in order, "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Radio Ga Ga," "Hammer to Fall," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions." It marked the first time since 1985 that Queen had recreated this specific set in full - a set that was introduced to a whole new audience in 2018, after Oscar-winning actor Rami Malik staged it for the final sequence of Bohemian Rhapsody, the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.
"This is Australia's pain, but it's humanity's problem," Queen guitarist Brian May declared. "My heart has broken seeing the plight of the animals [that have been injured or killed in the Australian fires]. I hope the concert will help them too. We all need this tragedy to never happen."
This weekend's 10-hour Fire Fight Australia concert also included performances by Alice Cooper, Olivia Newton-John, k.d. lang, 5 Seconds of Summer, and, via satellite from Melbourne, Michael Bublé. The benefit raised a reported $9.5 million for key organizations providing crucial rescue, recover, and rehabilitation assistance in Australia's fire-affected areas.
Lizzo has been the target of many body-shaming debates over the last year and now Time Magazine's 'Entertainer of The Year' is speaking up about how men are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny that women constantly find themselves saddled with.
Tuesday, the singer elaborated on the topic during an interview with Brazil's TV Folha, following her first performance in Rio de Janeiro.
"I think that women are always going to be criticized for existing in their bodies," Lizzo said. "And I don't think I'm any different than any of the other great women who've come before me that had to literally be politicized just to be sexual, or sexualized just to exist. Things on them that were beautiful were called flaws and they persisted against that and fought against that."
"Now, I'm able to do what I do because of those great women. And they all look completely different," she continued. "They don't all look the same. And they all had to deal with the same type of marginalization and misogyny."
"So what does that tell you about the oppressor-what does that tell you about men?" she said while calling out the double standard between how we perceive women and men's physical appearances. "Get it together. We don't talk about your dick sizes, do we? And say that's not a conventional dick size-it's too small. We still let y'all asses run all over the goddamn place."
Elton John was forced to cut short a concert in New Zealand after falling ill with walking pneumonia, according to the BBC and multiple news outlets. The singer, who is continuing his multi-year farewell tour, lost his voice mid-way through his set at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday.
Despite its ominous name, walking pneumonia is a relatively mild form of the illness that is generally caused by a lung infection caused by bacteria or viruses that is similar to a serious cold - but would certainly make a two-hour concert difficult.
According to the report, John was checked by a medic midway through the show and performed multiple songs, including "Candle in the Wind" and "All the Girls Love Alice," but had to give up the ghost as his voice abandoned him during his 1972 hit "Daniel."
He later apologized to fans in a social media post. "I played and sang my heart out, until my voice could sing no more. I'm disappointed, deeply upset and sorry. I gave it all I had. Thank you so much for your extraordinary support and all the love you showed me during tonight's performance. I am eternally grateful. Love, Elton xx," he wrote.
A planned April premiere in Beijing and a tour of other cities in China for the new James Bond film, No Time To Die, has been cancelled because of ongoing problems caused by the coronavirus quarantine, Deadline has confirmed.
Daniel Craig and the cast will not attend the Beijing screening or the subsequent publicity tour of China, which have been halted because of uncertainty surrounding the evolution of the epidemic. Cinemas across the world's second-largest box office market remain shuttered indefinitely amid efforts to suppress the spreading of the disease. There is currently little clarity on when business may return to normal. The death toll in China now exceeds 1,600 people.
Cary Joji Fukunaga directs No Time To Die, in which 007 has left active service. However, his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) coaxes him out of retirement for the fight against a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
The release date in North America is April 10, via MGM's United Artists Releasing banner, with Universal Pictures International launching in the UK and a select international territories on April 2. The last James Bond movie, Spectre, made $881M worldwide, with nearly $84M from China.
While climatologists use highly technical instruments and satellites to measure rise in global sea levels, Venetians suggest a much simpler method: just count the steps of centuries-old buildings that are now under water.
"When the palazzos on the Grand Canal were built around the 16th century, the main sea level was below the first step," Giovanni Cecconi, the president of the Venice Resilience Lab, tells NBC News.
"Nowadays, the water is about 3 feet over it. Divide that by 500 years, and you'll get an average sea rise of up to half a feet per century."
The whole city, Cecconi explains, can be used as one beautiful ruler that has been measuring the changes in the average sea level across the centuries. He took NBC News for a ride on his small motorboat across the canals on a day of exceptionally low tide, when the water temporarily recedes to reveal the city's hidden treasures claimed by the sea.
"Do you see those heads of lions?" Cecconi says, referring to a sequence of statues sculpted at the base of a palazzo. "They are all well below the green line, the main sea level drawn up by the algae. These days they are almost always underwater, but when this building was built in the 1500s, they were well visible to guests who entered it."
A judge has ruled that officials in a Virginia city have the authority to approve the removal of a 176-year-old slave auction block from a street corner.
Circuit Court Judge Sarah Deneke's ruling on Friday upheld the Fredericksburg City Council's vote in favor of relocating the weathered stone to a local museum, The Free Lance-Star reported.
A kiosk with information about the auction block will replace it, the newspaper said. It wasn't immediately clear when city officials plan to move the auction block to the Fredericksburg Area Museum
Two businesses near the auction block, a restaurant owner and commercial building owner, sued to block the removal of the slave auction block. They said the block is listed as a landmark in a historic district and a point of interest on a tourist map. They argued they will lose business from tourist traffic if the auction block is removed.
The businesses also argued that the City Council's powers are limited to only those expressly granted by the state. But the judge concluded that Fredericksburg's city charter was granted by the state and gives it the authority to control, manage and dispose of its property.
The family that owns a house in southwest England where an artwork from Banksy appeared in time for Valentine's Day has covered the mural after it was defaced.
Temporary fencing was also added Saturday to the home in Bristol and closed-circuit television has been installed to protect the artwork, which shows a young girl firing red flowers from a catapult.
The elusive artist confirmed the mural as his creation on his official Instagram account on Feb. 14. It was later defaced with an expletive.
Kelly Woodruff, the daughter of Edwin Simons, who owns the rented home on which the artwork appeared, said the family felt a "strong responsibility" to ensure that the artwork could be enjoyed by the general public.
"Due to the mindless vandalism to the artwork, the family have taken the very difficult decision to cover the artwork to try to protect it," she said. "All measures are temporary and we ask that the public are patient while we work out the best way to clean the damage, restore and protect it for the future, so everyone can enjoy Banksy's work."
A orangutan named Sandra, who was granted legal personhood by a judge in Argentina and later found a new home in Florida, celebrated her 34th birthday on Valentine's Day with a special new primate friend.
Patti Ragan, director of the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, says Sandra "has adjusted beautifully to her life at the sanctuary" and has befriended Jethro, a 31-year-old male orangutan.
Prior to coming to Florida, Sandra had lived alone in a Buenos Aires zoo. Sandra was a bit shy when she arrived at the Florida center, which is home to 22 orangutans.
"Sandra appeared most interested in Jethro, and our caregivers felt he was a perfect choice because of his close age, calm demeanor, and gentle nature," Ragan said in a news release. "Sandra still observes and follows Jethro from a distance while they are in the process of getting to know and trust each other. But they are living harmoniously in the same habitat spaces as they continue to gain confidence in their relationship."
On Friday, Sandra celebrated her birthday, complete with pink signs and wrapped packages. Jethro, who was once in the entertainment business, attended the party.
The redesigned "Sonic the Hedgehog" showed plenty of teeth at the box office, speeding to a $57 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday, while "Parasite" saw one of the largest post-Oscars bumps in years following its best picture win.
Paramount Pictures' "Sonic the Hedgehog" came in well above expectations, especially for a movie that just months ago was a laughing stock. After its first trailer was greeted with ridicule on social media last year, "Sonic" was postponed three months to give its title character a design overhaul - including fixing Sonic's eerily human teeth.
Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" had its biggest weekend in its 19th week of release. Neon put "Parasite" into its widest release yet (2,001 theaters) following its historic win at the Oscars. ("Parasite" was the first non-English-language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards.) And despite the film already being available for weeks on digital platforms and on DVD, its $5.5 million weekend is the largest Oscars bump for a best-picture winner since "Gladiator" in 2001.
Last week's opening of "Birds of Prey" followed up its limp debut by sliding to second with $17.1 million. Following its disappointing opening, some theaters retitled the movie "Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey," instead of "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. "Sonic the Hedgehog," $57 million ($44.3 million international).
2. "Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey," $17.1 million ($23 million international).
3. "Fantasy Island," $12.4 million ($7.6 million international).
4. "The Photograph," $12.3 million.
5. "Bad Boys for Life," $11.3 million ($11.1 million international).
6. "1917," $8.1 million ($6.4 million international).
7. "Jumanji: The Next Level," $5.7 million ($1.9 million international).
8. "Parasite," $5.5 million.
9. "Dolittle," $5.1 million ($8.8 million international).
10. "Downhill," $4.7 million.
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