Pablo Picasso’s World War II Mistress is 100 and Still Going Strong
Salute to François Gilot, who just turned 100 and is still giving charming interviews to The New York Times. We wrote about François Gilot seven years ago in a piece …..
Biographies
Marlene Dietrich and Champagne: She Didn’t Quite Say That
Here’s a story about Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich, Champagne, and a bad quote. The actress liked her sparkles, that much is clear. A supposed Marlene Dietrich quote about Champagne is …..
Shirley Chisholm, Unbought and Unbossed
Shirley Chisholm, unbought and unbossed. Has there been a better political slogan this side of “I Like Ike“? No, there hasn’t. I had always thought the “unbought and unbossed” reference …..
Martin Luther King Pushed for Global Justice, Not Just Civil Rights at Home
MLK’s vision for nonviolence included abolishing what he called triple evils – racism, poverty and militarism – and his anger at the Vietnam War led him to push for a broader agenda.
Betty White’s 100th Birthday People Magazine Cover
People magazine, getting ahead of the news, published this 100th birthday tribute to actress Betty White earlier this week. The issue date is January 10, 2022. Unfortunately, Betty White died …..
Betty White Joins the 99 Club, Alas
Betty White, the actress and entertainer whose working career spanned an astonishing nine decades, has died at age 99. She passed on Friday morning at her home in California; the …..
bell hooks outlived Evel Knievel
Both were daredevils in their own way. Evel Knievel jumped over buses and fountains on a souped-up motorcycle. Dr. bell hooks jumped over sexists and racists with her deep thinking …..
Elfrida von Nardroff is Dead: Won More Than Charles Van Doren on Rigged Game Show
You’ve heard of Charles Van Doren, the poster boy for game show cheating in the 1950s. But have you heard of Elfrida von Nardroff? She won more than Van Doren …..
Frank Sinatra’s Christmas Special (and his Blue Suit)
Happy Holidays With Bing and Frank, the special was called, and it aired on December 20, 1957. The conceit is that Bing Crosby drops in on Frank Sinatra on Christmas …..
New Astronaut Sleeping Bag Prevents Old Astronaut Eye-squashing
We’re always here for fresh astronaut news, whether it’s an Apollo 11 anniversary or John Glenn outliving Phyllis Diller. Today’s astronaut story is in a more scientific vein: how to …..