Lena Horne: An Appreciation
“Rampersad compared Horne with [Jackie] Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers great, in that she was given ‘a kind of role of leadership within the black world’ that was to some extent bestowed on her by white American society.
The Who2 Blog
Elena Kagan is the Next William Rehnquist
Neither one had judicial experience before being nominated to the Supreme Court.William Rehnquist was nominated to the court (and then became Chief Justice) after serving as a lawyer in the Richard Nixon administration. Elena Kagan was nominated after serving as a lawyer in the Bill Clinton administration, and as Solicitor General under Barack Obama.
John Dillinger’s Fake Gun Sold
The wooden gun that gangster John Dillinger carved and then used to escape jail in Indiana in 1934 was sold at auction last December.
According to Heritage Auction Galleries, the “gun” went for $19,120. They also say there’s no way of knowing for sure if it’s the same hand-carved fake. There are two others vying for that title.
Carved into the side of the gun: “Colt 38.”
Inside Elvis’s Racquetball Court
Yes, he had one. It doesn’t look like much racquetball got played.
Gordon Brown to Step Down
Gordon Brown will give up his post as leader of the Labour Party, meaning he’ll be done as Prime Minister by September at the latest. The deal is thought to improve Labour’s chances of making a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.
Assassins’ Birthday
Today, May 10th, is the birthday of actor John Wilkes Booth, the man who killed President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.It’s also the birthday of jailbird James Earl Ray, who admitted to killing Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.
Lena Horne, Singer and Barrier-Breaker, Dead at 92
Reluctant barrier-breaker, one might say:
Russell Crowe: Jacko Used to Prank Me
According to this story out of New Zealand, tough-guy actor Russell Crowe says in an interview that the late pop singer Michael Jackson used to call him up and pretend to “be in trouble” as a prank.
Crowe says after he rose to stardom in L.A. Confidential, he met and befriended Jackson and found they had a similar sense of humor. So they would occasionally crank call each other.
Abrams + Spielberg = Top Secret Goodness
The cat is out of the bag on the top-secret J.J. Abrams + Steven Spielberg movie project at Paramount.It’s sci-fi, it’s called Super 8, and it will be out in 2011. Trailers are going out with screenings of Iron Man 2.
Dillinger to Henry Ford: Killer Cars, Dude!
Jalopnik proves that the famous testimonial letter from John Dillinger to Henry Ford (“Drive a Ford and watch other cars fall behind you”) was faked, probably by Ford itself.
‘Ponies Should be Tethered Up Outside’:
Your Guide to British Voting Etiquette
Yes to pirate costumes and drunken voting; no to giant rosettes and the Queen. Rules for voting in today’s U.K. elections.Dogs must be in an “accompanying” role rather than “free-range,” while horses and ponies must be left outside. Pot-bellied pigs are at the discretion of local officials.
The War, Back Home
Jennifer Karady photographs scenes from soldiers’ lives, restaged at home.(Credit: Jennifer Karady/SF Camerawork)
Kent State +40 Years: On the Scene
Hans Holznagel reports in from Kent State University on the 40th anniversary observances there this week.See Part 1 and Part 2.
Does Justin Bieber Know What ‘German’ Means?
It’s hard to say from this video that’s been making the rounds, but it sure does look as though young song stylist Justin Bieber doesn’t know what the word “german” means.
The host cuts Bieber some slack, at first explaining Bieber’s confusion as perhaps being due to the host’s “kiwi accent.”But even after Bieber is shown the word, he still says he doesn’t know what it means. “We don’t say that in America,” explains Justin. The host is as polite as can be.
They Say Faisal Shahzad Tried to Bomb Times Square
Below are several links on the man accused of trying to set off a car bomb in Times Square in New York City. His name is Faisal Shahzad, and he was arrested before he could make his flight to Dubai. Authorities say he is cooperating with the investigation, and there are still quite a lot of unknowns.First, here’s President Barack Obama’s first public statement about the incident:
This Election is Getting to the Brits
…and in marvelous ways!
Happy 32nd Birthday, Erin Andrews
Erin Andrews is 32 years old today.Congratulations, Ms. Andrews. You are tearing up Dancing With the Stars — and, apparently, Maksim.
Actress Lynn Redgrave Dies
English actress Lynn Redgrave has died at the age of 67, according to press reports.
Redgrave was the daughter of actor Michael Redgrave and the sister of Vannessa Redgrave (and the aunt of the late actress Natasha Richardson. Lynn was nominated twice for an Oscar award, first for 1967’s Georgy Girl, and again for 1998’s Gods and Monsters. She had been undergoing treatment for breast cancer off and on since 2003.
Lynn Redgrave Dead at Age 67
Actress Lynn Redgrave has died at age 67.No official cause of death has been given, but her children said in an announcement that Lynn Redgrave “passed away peacefully after a seven year journey with breast cancer.” Redgrave underwent a mastectomy in 2003.
Dude, You’re Going Off-Off-Broadway!
The “Dude, you’re getting a Dell” guy is preparing a one-man autobiographical show.