The ‘Viscount of Vapidness’

Hee!For those who aren’t in the know, Seacrest is much more than just a fey TV personality with no discernible talent. But as famed TV critic Tom Shales wrote in a great piece called “Ryan Seacrest Inc”, Ryan is trying to mimic Rupert Murdoch.

T Minus Zero: Liftoff

I never get tired of photos of Saturn V rockets at liftoff. Something primal there.It took 15 seconds for the Apollo 11 rocket just to clear the tower — that’s how much weight was being lifted. Astounding.

Dave Chappelle’s Secret Show

In the wee hours of this morning, comedian Dave Chappelle gave a surprise show in the middle of downtown Portland, Oregon. Despite no advance press, “thousands” showed up to see him in Pioneer Courthouse Square for a free show. The region’s newspaper, The Oregonian, has a nice bit of coverage here.

T Minus 1 Day and Counting: The Pad Führer

T Minus 1 Day and Counting: The Pad Führer

I admit… [that] I got stuck every time we had VIPs and all that jazz, and some of them, the dumbest guys you ever will meet.I mean, like Gephardt, Senator Gephardt. One time he came up on the Atlas pad, and, you know, the typical press corps all around, and well, he comes up and he says, “My good man, where are the engines on this thing?” Now, you’ve got to understand, he’s the number-two man on the Space Committee, okay?I said, “Senator, they are way down there, below.””Oh, you mean it goes up like this?”

Elliot Page Photos

We got ’em, courtesy of photo researcher Iris Hehn and WENN.Plus! New photos of: actress Mila Kunis, skateboarder Tony Hawk, perpetual oddity David Lynch, and astrology-lovin’ former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

T Minus 2 Days and Counting: Steak and Eggs

The crew of Apollo 11 share the traditional launch day breakfast of steak and eggs on 16 July 1969. From left: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Director of Flight Crew Operations Donald “Deke” Slayton.

“That’s One of the Worst Opening Pitches I’ve Ever Seen”

President Obama will throw out the first pitch at tonight’s All Star Game.ESPN has a video of worst first pitches, but why not go straight to the all-time classic from Mark Mallory, mayor of my own city of Cincinnati, on Opening Day 2007:

Madoff Gets 20 Years Off for Good Behavior

Did we say he’d be out in 2159? Make that 2139:Confessed swindler Bernard Madoff was in a medium security prison in Atlanta after being moved from his New York jail cell, U.S. official prisons bureau records showed on Tuesday…

T Minus 3 Days and Counting: Basic Transportation

17 June 1969: the Apollo 11 astronauts arrive in Florida for the final time from their training center in Houston. After this they were headlong to the launch.It always startles me that these guys flew themselves out from Houston.

Paul Newman = The Green Lantern?

So we found out earlier that The Joker was based on the guy who played Major Strasser in Casablanca. Weird, but OK, fine.But c’mon: now we’re supposed to believe that the Green Lantern was based on… Paul Newman?