Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Bruce Loudon: Aussie pilot Steve Smith saved 30 in Mumbai restaurant (theaustralian.news.com.au)
An Australian helicopter pilot emerged last night as an unsung hero of the Mumbai massacre, credited with saving the lives of more than 30 people he jammed into a storeroom as the jihadi terrorists embarked on their murderous rampage.
For Heroes of Mumbai, Terror Was a Call to Action (nytimes.com)
MUMBAI, India - On any ordinary day, Vishnu Datta Ram Zende used the public-address system at Mumbai's largest railway station to direct busy hordes of travelers to their trains. But last Wednesday just before 10 p.m., when he heard a loud explosion and saw people running across the platform, he gripped his microphone and calmly directed a panicked crowd toward the safest exit. The station, Victoria Terminus, it turned out, was suddenly under attack, the beginning of a three-day siege by a handful of young, heavily armed gunmen.
Michael Pollack: Heroes At The Taj (forbes.com)
After a terrifying day, one eyewitness thanks his saviors.
Michael Roth: What's a Liberal Arts Education Good For? (huffingtonpost.com)
A quick look at several members of President-elect Obama's leadership team can stand as an example of how those with a liberal arts education are shaping the future of our society.
"Dusty! Queen of the Postmods" by Annie J. Randall: A Review by Christel Loar
As Randall thoroughly explores, Dusty Springfield's physical transfiguration and visual impact were only the tip of her transformation.
Daniel Menaker: Zombies, Torture, Bloodsuckers (huffingtonpost.com)
Seems to me that movies are, however unknowingly, projections in more ways than one. If I were to guess what might be the next such cinematic manifestation of social anxiety, it would be--in light of neuroscientific discoveries--movies that call into question what most of us believe to be free will.
Rick Bentley: Meet the soon-to-be famous cast of 'Twilight' (McClatchy Newspapers)
No one can accuse "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke of casting famous actors just to lure their fans to the theater. The "Twilight" cast is a collection of relatively unknown performers.
Danielle Riendeau: Interview with Michelle Ehlen (afterellen.com)
We chat with the writer/director/star of the indie comedy "Butch Jamie."
'Dammit, this guy is cool' (guardian.co.uk)
Benicio Del Toro has always been fascinated by Che Guevara, now he's playing him in a two-part biopic. He talks to Simon Hattenstone about cigars and socialism.
Shared Interest
and
Shared Interest
"One of my best investments yields just 2.5% interest (taxable, no less), but allows Shared Interest to catalyze hundreds of micro-loans to poor South African women."-Andrew Tobias
FINCA
and
FINCA
"Another group Charles and I support is FINCA, "providing financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs." Already working with 700,000 of them in 21 countries, it seeks your help to do more. Click here. And don't miss its donation calculator. See the astounding impact $50, let alone $5,000, can have. (Gather the kids around to work through the numbers with you.)"-Andrew Tobias
Microplace
and
Microplace
"And here's another great one, backed by eBay: Microplace. You can choose to back a micro credit effort anywhere in the world (even the U.S.). You'll see "examples" of the kinds of borrowers your investment will go to fund, but not be at risk on any specific micro-loan. What fun! I just funded a bunch of loans like this one (charcoal) and this one (baking) in Ghana and this one (pig s---) in Costa Rica. In 21 months (in the case of the Costa Rican investment, some are longer-term, many shorter), I'm even quite likely to get my money back with 1.5% interest. But if the interest seems silly, another way of looking at it is by comparison with charitable giving, where you not only get no return on your money, you get no return of your money."-Andrew Tobias
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The Holiday Movie Season Edition
Are you planning to go to the cinema and see one of the new 'Holiday Season' movies?
A. Yes! I avidly want to go see___________ with___________ (unless I go alone, that is, cuz I need some space or my partner hates what I want to see)...
B. No! I'd rather stay home and watch holiday classic movies and/or college football bowl games on TV. Besides, I'd rather wait until the movies come out on DVD than sit in a jammed packed theater listening to people's stupid cell phone ring tones and their inane conversations (or something like that, haha)...
C. Maybe... It depends on whether the whole 'holiday season' thing starts driving me crazy and I need to escape for a few hours, dagnabbit!... I might go see__________...(but, then again, I might just go to the bar)
'Fess up now, Poll-fans! The truth shall set you free!
Send your response, and a (short) reason why, to BadToTheBoneBob ( BCEpoll 'at' aol.com )
wrote:
See Nelly Bell toys
Reader Contribution
Christmas Card
Marty
Thought you might be interested in George and Laura Bush's Christmas card this year. The sunset must signify the final days of Bush's pResidency.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Still sunny and cooler than seasonal.
New Video
'Prop 8: The Musical'
Since Proposition 8 passed in California, much of Hollywood has been up in arms. Now, they are singing and dancing, too, in a new Web video called "Prop 8: The Musical."
The video was posted Wednesday on FunnyOrDie.com, the video site co-founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. The site has found a niche in getting professional talent to quickly create topical comedy videos.
"Prop 8: The Musical" may be a 3-minute Internet video, but it has a blockbuster cast - including Jack Black (who plays Jesus), Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho, Rashida Jones and others.
The video was conceived and written by Marc Shaiman, the Tony Award-winning composer of "Hairspray" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." McKay, who had previously collaborated with Shaiman on the song-and-dance routine Ferrell, Black and Reilly did at the Oscars earlier this year, sent him an e-mail floating the idea of a video.
'Prop 8: The Musical'
Named Smartest Person In TV
Seth MacFarlane
Who says cartoons are for kids? "Family Guy" and "American Dad" creator Seth MacFarlane tops Entertainment Weekly's list of the 25 smartest people in television.
The magazine says "Family Guy" DVDs and merchandise have earned a reported $1 billion. MacFarlane is the highest-paid writer on TV, with a "Family Guy" spinoff called "The Cleveland Show" in the works.
"30 Rock" creator and Sarah Palin imitator Tina Fey is second on the magazine's list. CBS Paramount Network Entertainment chief Nancy Tellem is third. Oprah Winfrey came in sixth.
Seth MacFarlane
TV Hall of Fame
Bea Arthur
"Maude" and "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur is happily poised to enter the TV Academy Hall of Fame, but she acknowledges it's her own fault the recognition didn't come sooner.
Arthur says the academy approached her five years ago about her joining the ranks of past honorees, who include Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby.
"I said, `So sorry, very nice of you, but I can't possibly accept. There are so many talented people in the business,'" Arthur recalled.
Other inductees are TV and movie writer Larry Gelbart ("M-A-S-H," "Tootsie"), the late talk show host and producer Merv Griffin ("Wheel of Fortune," "Jeopardy!"), writer-producer Sherwood Schwartz ("Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch") and former Capital Cities/ABC executives Thomas Murphy and Daniel B. Burke.
Bea Arthur
Latest Inductees
California Hall of Fame
Hollywood stars Jane Fonda and Jack Nicholson are among the latest notable figures being inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
Musicians Dave Brubeck and Quincy Jones, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, sculptor Robert Graham and chef Alice Waters will also be inducted at the Dec. 15 ceremony in Sacramento.
"Dr. Seuss" author Theodor Geisel, photographer Dorothea Lange, architect Julia Morgan, scientist Linus Pauling and former Gov. Leland Stanford will be inducted posthumously.
First lady Maria Shriver started the program in 2006 to honor those who've helped shape the state.
California Hall of Fame
Leaving CNN
Miles O'Brien
Miles O'Brien, who has been CNN's chief technology and environment correspondent since ending his stint as anchor of "American Morning" in April 2007, is departing as the network dismantles its science and technology unit. Six producers also will be leaving.
CNN's coverage of science, technology and the environment has been integrated into the general editorial structure, according to spokeswoman Christa Robinson.
No departure date for O'Brien has been announced.
Miles O'Brien
Awards First Chinese Chef 3 Stars
Michelin
Michelin on Tuesday awarded its top three-star accolade to a Chinese chef for the first time in the celebrated gourmet guide's 108-year history, as it released its maiden directory to fine dining in China.
The Michelin guide for Hong Kong and Macau awarded 28 restaurants in the two cities star ratings, including top billing for one restaurant in each city.
Hong Kong's three-star restaurant was Lung King Heen, a Cantonese eatery in the luxury Four Seasons Hotel, whose innovative head chef Chan Yan-tak is the first Chinese granted this prestigious culinary award.
Only 72 restaurants worldwide hold three Michelin stars.
Michelin
Oscar Trial Opens
Mary Pickford
Opening statements have begun in a trial that will decide the fate of an Oscar won by silent film star Mary Pickford.
Jurors will decide whether to allow the sale of a statuette won by Pickford for 1929's "Coquette." Heirs of Pickford's third husband, Buddy Rogers, say the actress wanted the award sold and proceeds donated to charity and they're just trying to carry out that wish.
But the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Oscars each year, claim they should be able to buy back the award for $10. They claim Pickford's award is bound by a rule instituted in the 1950s that the Academy has the right to buy back Oscars before they go to the open market.
Mary Pickford
Upset By Judge's Ruling
Kid Rock
Kid Rock is upset that he can't pick the good deed that will serve as his punishment for a brawl at a Georgia Waffle House.
In a post on his Web site, the rocker blasts a judge for denying his request to serve his 80 hours of community service by performing for U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East.
Georgia State Court Judge Alvin T. Wong noted that Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert J. Ritchie, had performed for the troops before and "would do so even if he was not under a sentence to perform community service.
"Besides, giving him credit for something he would otherwise love to do in front of a camera completely defeats the punitive purpose of performing community service," Wong wrote.
Kid Rock
'Sound of Music' Hotel Blocked
Salzburg
The Austrian city of Salzburg has blocked plans to open a hotel in a former home of the von Trapp family immortalized in "The Sound of Music" after protests by neighbors.
The "Villa Trap" had been expected to open this year in a quiet, upscale Salzburg neighborhood.
Area residents had feared tourists would tie up traffic and make a nuisance of themselves.
Hotel organizers say they will appeal Wednesday's decision by the urban planning committee.
Salzburg
Ad Revenue Declines
Radio
Newly released data suggests that the U.S. radio industry could be on track to record its worst annual drop in ad revenue in decades.
According to the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), total ad revenue for all U.S. radio markets dropped 10 percent in October from a year earlier. Local revenue fell 15 percent, while national revenue slipped 1 percent.
October marked the industry's 18th consecutive month of year-on-year revenue declines, according to James Boyle, a senior broadcast analyst at research firm C.L. King & Associates in New York.
"One actually has to go all the way back to 1954, when radio ad revenue was down 9 percent against the prior year's dip of 2 percent" to find a worse decline, Boyle said. "1954 was the fourth straight year of substantial radio advertising underperformance versus total domestic ad revenue."
Radio
Ex-Thin Lizzy Guitarist Loses Plagiarism Case
Gary Moore
A German court has ordered former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore to pay damages after ruling the guitar solo in his 1990 hit "Still Got the Blues" had been plagiarized from a German song written in 1974.
A court in the southern city of Munich said on Wednesday the solo in Moore's song was too similar to the one in "Nordrach" by the band Jud's Gallery not to have been copied -- even though the German song was not available on record at the time.
Moore had denied knowing the song, which the court said could only have been heard live or on radio at the time.
The court said it had no evidence the solo had been lifted deliberately, but that this was immaterial in copyright infringement.
Gary Moore
More Children Removed
Alamo Christian Ministries
Arkansas child welfare officials seized six more children Wednesday from the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries as authorities in California visited another church compound, officials said.
With Wednesday's operation, state officials have seized 32 children associated with the jailed evangelist's ministries over stories of alleged beatings and sexual abuse. Alamo, 74, faces federal charges in Arkansas that he took children across state lines for sex.
In California, child welfare officials went to the ministry's compound in Santa Clarita, said Louise Grasmehr, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Since establishing his ministries in Arkansas, Alamo has been a controversial and flamboyant figure. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, describes the ministry as a cult that rails against homosexuals, Roman Catholics and the government.
Alamo Christian Ministries
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
List of top 20 prime-time programs in the Nielsen ratings for Nov. 24-30
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Nov. 24-30. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
1. "Dancing With the Stars," ABC, 21.1 million viewers.
2. "Dancing With the Stars Results," ABC, 20.65 million viewers.
3. "60 Minutes," CBS, 18.64 million viewers.
4. "NCIS," CBS, 18.12 million viewers.
5. "The Mentalist," CBS, 15.93 million viewers.
6. "Sunday Night Football: Chicago at Minnesota," NBC, 15.92 million viewers.
7. "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 15.81 million viewers.
8. "Two And a Half Men," CBS, 14.95 million viewers.
9. "CSI: Miami," CBS, 14.33 million viewers.
10. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 14.11 million viewers.
11. "House," Fox, 12.87 million viewers.
12. "CSI: NY," CBS, 12.3 million viewers.
13. "Amazing Race 13," CBS, 11.83 million viewers.
14. "Barbara Walters Special," ABC, 11.61 million viewers.
15. "Cold Case," CBS, 11.52 million viewers.
16. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC, 11.33 million viewers.
17. "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," ABC, 11.08 million viewers.
18. "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick," NBC, 10.82 million viewers.
19. "Samantha Who?" ABC, 10.71 million viewers.
20. "CSI: Thanksgiving Special," CBS, 10.68 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Odetta
Odetta's monumental voice rang out in August 1963 when she sang "I'm on My Way" at the historic March on Washington, where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.
She had hoped to perform again in Washington next month when Barack Obama is inaugurated as the nation's first black president. But the acclaimed folk singer, who influenced generations of musicians and was an icon in the civil rights struggle, died Tuesday after battling heart disease. She was 77.
With her classically trained voice and spare guitar, Odetta gave life to the songs by workingmen and slaves, farmers and miners, housewives and washerwomen, blacks and whites.
First coming to prominence in the 1950s, she influenced Harry Belafonte, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and other superstars of the folk music boom.
In 1999, she was honored with a National Medal of the Arts. Then-President Bill Clinton said her career showed "us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world."
She was nominated for a 1963 Grammy awards for best folk recording for "Odetta Sings Folk Songs." Two more Grammy nominations came in recent years, for her 1999 "Blues Everywhere I Go" and her 2005 album "Gonna Let It Shine."
Among her notable early works were her 1956 album "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues," which included such songs as "Muleskinner Blues" and "Jack O' Diamonds"; and her 1957 "At the Gate of Horn," which featured the popular spiritual "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."
Born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Ala., in 1930, she moved with her family to Los Angeles at age 6. Her father had died when she was young and she took her stepfather's last name, Felious. Hearing her in glee club, a junior high teacher made sure she got music lessons, but Odetta became interested in folk music in her late teens and turned away from classical studies.
Odetta is survived by a daughter, Michelle Esrick of New York City, and a son, Boots Jaffre, of Fort Collins, Colo. She was divorced about 40 years ago and never remarried, her manager said.
Odetta
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