The Weekly Poll
Results
The 'Taking it Personally' Edition
Has the unexpected death of a celebrity ever affected you in a profound manner?
Adam in NoHo up first wrote...
No, not really. I've worked with enough famous people to know that they are just like you and me, or entitled little shits. Either way, you get a little 'so sad' from me and I move on. I don't think I've come across any who I thought, 'well, you know, you just need to live forever'.
As a huge fan, even long-time film composer Jerry Goldsmith's death didn't affect me that much It was no surprise by the time it happened, and in a way his (and Hollywood's) better days were behind him. But he was still working has A-game until the end.
That said, Jim Henson's death made me cry a little.
maw declares...
With the exception of the President being assassinated, hell no.
DC Madman does too...
No. My life doesn't revolve around celebrities.
Joe S makes it three in row...
In a word, no. There is a sense of loss when an important figure dies, like Picasso for instance, but never in a profound manner.
mj notes a great man...
I haven't been emotionally caught up in any celebrity since before I was a teenager (I don't even remember feeling tied to one as a child, except for Silver, the Lone Ranger's horse), so the death of public figures hasn't really affected me much.
One sort of exception that hit me hard was when I woke up one New Year's Day to learn that Roberto Clemente had died in the crash of a plane he'd chartered with his own money while ferrying relief supplies to victims of an earth quake in Nicaragua. That hit me hard, and I'll never really know why.
I miss having Richard Feynman around, but his death didn't affect me since I wasn't familiar with his non-scientific, philosophical and commentary works until after his death.
lbradway struggles with...
John Lennon. Still have trouble listening to Beatles music.
SallyP(al) verbose as ever was (haha, just teasin'!) said...
In my lifetime, I have seen many a "celebrity" pass on to the great beyond. So, in reading this week's question, I had to do a quick, "mind review" while the memorial procession ran through that memory part of my brain.
The JFK assassination - Yes that certainly impacted my life.
RFK - Stunned!
MLK - While an influence in my life of protest, guess I didn't feel it as much as others. But, it was still significant for me.
Malcolm X - Now that one pained me. I heard him speak in person on several occasions. Okay, I didn't like his message of exclusion, but I tell you he was every bit as mesmerizing a speaker as Obama, for the times.
Loved Elvis - While devastated by his death, though it appalling that such a heartthrob would allow himself to die on the toilet! (How could he have done the to ME?)
John Lennon - Really saddened me because he and I were on the same wave length regarding the War...
But the one, the one who reduced me to tears was precious little John, John Kennedy. Who could forget his famous salute as his father's coffin passed by? As his colorful life ran across the pages of the newspapers and magazines, I watched him from my Peripheral Vision - like I would a distant relative... I not only loved that little boy, but I loved the legacy he held - the hope and potential...
Actually, it was his death which closed that era for me - and I will probably never get over it either. Every November, when PBS reruns the Kennedy tapes, it is for John Jr that I mourn...
Camelot is gone.
Now my hope for the country has been transferred to Barack, his golden family, and the dream he has given to the world.
That Mad Cat, JD needed some prunes...
WHEN ELVIS DIED ON THE TOILET I WAS CONSTIPATED FOR TWO WEEKS.
rdmcd was simple...
no
Well, then, Poll-fans, my answer has to be no, too. Although I was saddened by Jerry Orbach's 'retirement' from the Law and Order squad knowing that the real reason he was leaving the program was that he was dying from Prostate cancer. Aaaah-sooooo... It comes to us all, doesn't it?...
Thanks fer yer patience... Yer the Best!
BadToTheBoneBob
New Question
The 'GLAAD says it's bad' Edition
Bruno is a hit! #1 at the Box Office! Rave Reviews!
However, GLAAD says it reinforces gay stereotypes - Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) - Media Release
Others seem to think Bruno is merely 'Camp' and good example of it, at that - New York Movies - Sacha Baron Cohen in Queerface for Brüno
What do you think?
Send your response to
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Boiling the Frog (nytimes.com)
It's difficult to get people to do what it takes to head off a catastrophe foretold. And now, both the economic and the environmental frogs are sitting still while the water gets hotter.
BOB HERBERT: The Human Equation (nytimes.com)
The crisis staring America in its face and threatening to bring it to its knees is unemployment.
Susan Estrich: What Mothers Know (creators.com)
You don't need a briefing book on being a mother to answer this one:
What do you do when your daughter comes home complaining that she wants to drop off the swim team or quit the play or, with the little ones, never go to school again because the other kids are being so mean, calling her names and saying unbelievably terrible things about her family and especially her mother?
Froma Harrop: Cities Are Back -- but for How Long? (creators.com)
Why are cities growing faster than the rest of the country? That's happening and reverses a decade-long trend, according to new U.S. Census figures. Gainers in 2008 included such diverse locations as Chicago, Los Angeles, Columbus, Ohio, and Lincoln, Neb. The Census found that cities losing people, such as Cleveland, were shrinking at a slower rate.
Is Martina Navratilova Actually Bad For Gay Rights? (COURTESY OF QUEERTY.COM; Posted on curvemag.com)
Tennis star Martina Navratilova has arguably done more for gay visibility (aka "mainstreaming") than any other athlete or celebrity - and did so at a time when it was particularly inconvenient. So how come she's suddenly become one of the community's biggest problems?
Chris Erskine: There's nothing like a day at the beach (latimes.com)
Of suntan lotion and harems.
"Answers from the Heart: Practical Responses to Life's Burning Questions" by Thich Nhat Hanh: A review by Chris Faatz
Thich Nhat Hanh is a favorite at Powell's. His many books, including the epochal 'Being Peace' and 'Peace Is Every Step,' fly off the shelves. Anyone interested in Buddhism, and many who are already experienced explorers of the path, eventually find their way to his work.
JENNY BLOCK: My First Win (curvemag.com)
Lammy award winning author Jenny Block shares what it was like to get the gold.
Roy Edroso: Downtown's Lady Boswells: Lydia Lunch's 'Will Work for Drugs'; Reverend Jen's 'Live Nude Elf' (villagevoice.com)
Bohos pause from their alternative lifestyles to type up two new memoirs.
Amita Parashar: Queen Margaret (advocate.com)
What happens when you drop foulmouthed comedian Margaret Cho in Peachtree City, Ga.? Suffice it to say Focus on the Family had better watch out.
Dirty Little Secret (advocate.com)
Comedian Carol Leifer likes to watch on-demand porn - a lot of it! But when the DirecTV bill came, she got caught.
Brandon Voss: Wainwright Unveils his Prima Donna (advocate.com)
Prima Donna, the debut opera from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, will be presented July 10 at the 2009 Manchester International Festival, a biennial arts festival of original work in Manchester, U.K.
noted:
KYBALION TV
Svarmoder
Hi Marty,
I launched a web series (Svarmoder) that has made 150,000 visits in all of its contents. Please check them out.
:::: SVARMODER :::: KYBALION TV ::: is the original site.
And here's the same stuff, with English subtitles.
Paco
Thanks, Paco!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestion
(Name Corrected) Link
Hello,
Here's a link that hours can be wasted at. This fellow finds old cameras with film in them and develops the photos to see what is there. Kinda cool, kinda spooky.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Not quite as hot, but still unpleasant.
Hosting Emmy Awards
Neil Patrick Harris
Actor Neil Patrick Harris, best known as the star of TV comedy "How I Met Your Mother," will host the prime-time Emmy Awards in September, organizers said on Monday.
The selection of Harris, 36, marks a return to a more traditional hosting format for the annual ceremony, which hands out television's top honors and is broadcast live in the United States.
Last year, in a nod to the impact of reality TV, the job of hosting the prime-time Emmys was given to five reality show emcees whose ad-libbed presentation and lack of rehearsal was widely panned by critics.
Neil Patrick Harris
Inspired Back To Non-Fiction
Tariq Ali
Pakistani-born writer, political activist and filmmaker Tariq Ali thought he had switched for good from non-fiction to fiction in 1990 after the Berlin Wall fell but switched back when the United States decided to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ali had published the first three titles in his "Islam Quintet" of novels, which chart the encounter between Islam and western Christendom over the centuries, when 9/11 happened and the U.S. government led by then resident George W. Bush took the decision to invade both countries.
"George Bush was quite an inspiration to me to start writing non-fiction again," Ali told a news conference at the Semana Negra book festival in Gijon, northern Spain.
Ali likened U.S. presidents to Caesars, or emperors of Ancient Rome.
"Of course, there are always different types of Caesars. You can be a Caesar like Caligula, which is Bush, or like Augustus, which is Obama," he said.
Tariq Ali
Man With An Opinion
Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has criticized his staff for setting up a Web site seeking donations to cover the city's cost from the Michael Jackson memorial.
Villaraigosa says the city is responsible for protecting public safety and should pick up the $1.4 million tab for police overtime and other services from the event last week at Staples Center.
The mayor, who was on vacation in South Africa during the memorial, called the city's donation Web site "ridiculous." He says he will not ask the public or Staples Center owner AEG Live to pay.
Antonio Villaraigosa
'House' Downloader
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry has admitted illegally downloading a hit US show starring his former comedy partner Hugh Laurie.
The broadcaster and wit told an audience in London that he had used BitTorrent file-sharing to get a copy of Laurie's show House.
Speaking at the iTunes Festival in London's Roundhouse, Fry said: "The last thing I illegally downloaded - was it a gay sex romp? ... It was the season finale of House."
The QI host pointed out he had legally downloaded the entire series but was in Indonesia and had been unable to download a legitimate copy of the final episode, according to www.stuff.tv.
Stephen Fry
Launching Book Via Video Conference
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood is getting the word out about her new novel with a coast-to-coast video launch connecting various book festivals across the country.
Atwood is set to attend the Word on the Street festival in Toronto on Sept. 27, but will simultaneously appear at sister events in Vancouver and Halifax via interactive video conferencing.
She's promoting her new novel, "The Year of the Flood," about two women who have survived a natural disaster that has obliterated most human life.
Festival organizers say Atwood will use the video-conference technology to speak with fans, answer questions and sign autographs long distance.
Margaret Atwood
Bastille Day Concert
Johnny Hallyday
Up to 800,000 people were expected at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for a free concert by French rock icon Johnny Hallyday on France's Bastille Day national holiday on Tuesday, police said.
The concert in the Champ de Mars park will close with a fireworks display to mark the 120th anniversary of the tower, the world's most visited tourist attraction, which draws some six million people each year, organisers said.
The gig is part of a farewell tour by Halliday, France's answer to Elvis Presley, and is part of nationwide July 14 celebrations that include the annual military parade on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
The national holiday also sees fire stations across the country opening their doors to host dances for all to attend.
Johnny Hallyday
Signature Tattoo
Paul McCartney
A Paul McCartney fan has followed through on her pledge to get the former Beatle's autograph tattooed on her arm.
Audrey McCombs of Fortuna, Calif., stole the show at McCartney's Saturday concert in Halifax when she held up a sign that read: "Will you sign my arm so I can get it tattooed?" McCartney brought the young woman on stage and signed her shoulder to the delight of the estimated 50,000 spectators on the Halifax Common.
As a bemused McCartney looked on, McCombs ran screaming around the stage to hug the band before being escorted off by security.
McCombs told the several news sources on Monday that he had the tattoo done Sunday afternoon.
Paul McCartney
Even In Death, No Rest
Emmett Till
When his mother put the battered body of 14-year-old Emmett Till in the ground more than 50 years ago, it was supposed to be the end of a sad saga for the boy whose lynching became a rallying point for the civil rights movement.
But even in death, Till cannot rest. Four years after his body was exhumed as part of an investigation, his original glass-topped casket has been found in a rusty shed at a suburban cemetery where workers are accused of digging up and dumping hundreds of bodies in a scheme to resell the burial plots.
The casket, which was seen by mourners around the world in 1955, was surrounded by garbage and old headstones. When authorities opened it, a family of possums scampered out.
Till's current grave site does not appear to be among those disturbed at Burr Oak Cemetery, the historic black burial ground south of Chicago where authorities have charged a manager and three gravediggers with the gruesome reburial scheme. The manager is also suspected of pocketing donations she elicited for a Till memorial museum, though she has not been charged in connection with those allegations.
Emmett Till
Control Humans
Cats
If you've ever wondered who's in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It's your cat.
Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.
This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.
"The embedding of a cry within a call that we normally associate with contentment is quite a subtle means of eliciting a response," said Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. "Solicitation purring is probably more acceptable to humans than overt meowing, which is likely to get cats ejected from the bedroom."
Previous research has shown similarities between cat cries and human infant cries.
Cats
Notorious Family
James Raphael Mitchell
The son of a late San Francisco pornography mogul was being held without bail Monday on suspicion of killing his former girlfriend and fleeing with their 1-year-old daughter, prompting an Amber Alert that ended with his arrest off a highway near Sacramento, authorities said.
A neighbor, Lynn Treboutat, said she saw James Raphael Mitchell run from the home with his screaming daughter, then drive away Sunday evening. The toddler's first birthday party was held at the home Sunday, Treboutat said Monday.
Mitchell's father is Jim Mitchell, part of a pioneering family owned adult-film empire who directed the 1972 porn classic, "Behind the Green Door." The movie was one of the first X-rated flicks with a plot line.
Jim Mitchell was convicted in 1991 of manslaughter and weapons charges in the shooting death of his brother Artie in Marin County. The slaying led to a spectacular trial, and the elder Mitchell served half of a six-year prison sentence.
He died on July 12, 2007, two years to the day before the alleged murder and kidnapping. His funeral was attended by politicians and pornographers alike.
James Raphael Mitchell
Jackson Portrait Dropped From Auction
Andy Warhol
A New York art gallery has temporarily removed an Andy Warhol portrait of Michael Jackson from the auction block.
The Vered Gallery in East Hampton says enormous interest prompted the decision. The auction was to close Sunday.
The 30-by-26-inch painting shows a smiling Jackson in a red jacket from his "Thriller" days. Pre-sale estimates ranged anywhere from $1 million to $10 million.
Gallery co-owner Janet Lehr says in a statement she wants to offer the 1984 work to "the greatest number of prospective purchasers." She did not immediately return inquiries for comment Monday.
Andy Warhol
Switches Numbers To Aid Darfur Project
Tracy McGrady
Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady will switch jersey numbers next season to help raise awareness for his Darfur humanitarian project, the National Basketball Association team said on Monday.
McGrady, who along with injured Chinese star centre Yao Ming formed the backbone of Houston's attack, will surrender his No. 1 jersey to new teammate Trevor Ariza, a swingman.
McGrady, who could miss up to the first half of next season while recovering from left knee surgery, also wore No. 3 while at high school.
McGrady hopes to raise attention for the "3 Points" documentary film that will debut in America later this year, a movie chronicling his 2007 journey to Darfur refugee camps in Chad.
Tracy McGrady
Harry Potter Locations
Tourists
A new TV and film location map for tourists has been produced to highlight the Cotswolds locations used in the latest Harry Potter film.
These include the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral, as well as the Forest of Dean, the birthplace of Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
Bruno is an Austrian fashion reporter and the film has already led to a 120 per cent rise in searches for hotels in Vienna, according to website hotels.com.
The company's communications director Alison Couper said: "It's interesting to see the impact a character like Bruno can have on people's behaviour. He might not be the obvious 'ambassador' but he is certainly increasing interest in Vienna."
Tourists
Discounts For Cyclists
Berlin Brothel
A Berlin brothel has come up with a novel way to negate the impact of the global economic crisis and target a new group of customers at the same time -- offering a discount to patrons who arrive on bicycles.
"The recession has hit our industry hard," said Thomas Goetz, owner of the "Maison d'envie" brothel.
Customers who arrive on bicycle or who can prove they took public transportation get a 5-euro (4 pounds) discount from the usual 70-euro ($100) fee for 45 minute sessions, Goetz told Reuters. He said the environmentally friendly offer was working.
"We have around 3-5 new customers coming in daily to take advantage of the discount," he said, adding the green rebate has helped alleviate traffic and parking congestion in the neighbourhood.
Berlin Brothel
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