John Kerry Can Retire Today
He has turned 65.That 1943 list has some surprising names: Arthur Ashe? Bobby Fischer?Janis Joplin died 38 years ago, and she’d still be only 65 this year?
The Who2 Blog
Blagojevich: “I Want to Make Money”
Later on November 7, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH discussed the open Senate seat in a three-way call with JOHN HARRIS and Advisor B, a Washington D.C.-based consultant. ROD BLAGOJEVICH indicated in the call that if he was appointed as Secretary of Health and Human Services by the President-elect, then ROD BLAGOJEVICH would appoint Senate Candidate 1 to the open Senate seat. HARRIS stated “we wanted our ask to be reasonable and rather than… make it look like some sort of selfish grab for a quid pro quo.”
Illinois Politics Enters Bizarro World
Are you kidding? Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested at his house by the FBI this morning, possibly in his pajamas, at 6:15 am.The charge: Plotting to sell the state’s U.S. senate seat to the highest bidder. (That’s the seat being vacated by Barack Obama. Blagojevich has total power to appoint Obama’s successor.)
“Emma, How About One With Just You and the Giant Rodent?”
There’s just something funny about this photo series of Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman, and a giant felt mouse.
Down Goes De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya, age 35, got clobbered over the weekend.
Morrison and Kinison, Wouldabeens
Rock god Jim Morrison wouldabeen hitting retirement age today at 65, and comedian Sam Kinison wouldabeen 55 today, if both hadn’t died young.
Sunny von Bülow Dies After 28 Years in a Coma
In her long, silent years at the Milstein Building at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital, and then at a nursing home on the Upper East Side, doctors said Mrs. von Bülow never showed any signs of brain activity; she was fed through a tube in her stomach. Yet there were always fresh flowers in her room, and photographs of her children and grandchildren sat on a bedside table.Good heavens: Sunny von Bülow has died in Manhattan at age 76.
The Helpful Glory of “Power Moby-Dick”
Meg Guroff of Washington, D.C. has alerted us to her excellent site, Power Moby-Dick, which we’ve now linked from our own Moby-Dick profile.Power Moby-Dick adds helpful definitions and notes right alongside the full text of the book. So next to the famous opening, “Call me Ishmael,” we have the comment “Ishmael: A wanderer, the older son of the biblical Abraham.” And so on. It’s a big boost.
9 to 33 Years in Prison
O.J. Simpson got it.
Nearly One Billion Dollars
Barack Obama raised it.
Liza Minnelli Has Never Felt Better In Her Life
The New York Times, 2008: “I just feel like I’ve come through a whole bunch of stuff,” she explained in the living room of her Upper East Side apartment… “But I have never felt better in my life. I feel free. I feel happy. I feel completely solid.”The Larry King Show, 2006:KING: First, let’s check on a couple of things.MINNELLI: OK.KING: How is your health?
Roger Ebert’s “Phantom” Face
“I cannot speak, eat or drink, and have lost a lot more pounds, and, believe me, it would have been a more fun doing it the Pritikin way… Compared to other people, I’m lucky. For example, see how much I’m enjoying myself right now.”That’s thumbs-up movie reviewer Roger Ebert, bravely making the best of a bad situation in a recent blog post.
The Biblical Laws for Riding Shotgun
“If two men declare the seat at the same time and neither agrees to abide in the back, they shall each kill one bullock and offer its head at the altar.”Who knew?
Santa Feels the Pinch
Times are tough all over.On the plus side: Fewer local jobs means more time to make toys, right?
“There’s No Underwear in Space”
Remember the white dress I wore all through that film [Star Wars]? George [Lucas] came up to me the first day of filming, took one look at the dress and said: “You can’t wear a bra under that dress.””OK, I’ll bite,” I said. “Why?” And he said: “Because… there’s no underwear in space.”Excerpts from Carrie Fisher’s new autobiography, Wishful Drinking.
Steven Spielberg, That Sly Dog, Was Born in 1946
Our friends at Answers.com asked us to take a closer look at the birth year of director Steven Spielberg. Who2 says 1946, but many sources online say 1947. Spielberg himself often led people to believe he was born in 1947. (Even the great Roger Ebert wrote a 50th birthday tribute to the director in 1997.) So which year is correct?
Roman Polanski Wants 1977 Sex Case Dismissed
Thirty years after he became a fugitive to avoid a prison sentence for having sex with a teenager, Academy Award-winning director Roman Polanski asked a judge Tuesday to dismiss the case.
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2008
It’s the second-biggest traffic-driver of the year on Who2: The annual Victoria’s Secret TV extravaganza. (The biggest traffic-driver is Black History Month, which — thank heavens — at least salvages our reputation as a thoughtful site.)
“A Big, Sprawling Space Saga of Rebellion and Romance!”
Heh! Dig this old trailer for the original Star Wars — “the story of a boy, a girl, and a universe.”
Happy 73rd Birthday, Woody Allen
Woody Allen was born as Allen Stewart Konigsberg on this day in 1935. (Just a few weeks after Luciano Pavarotti!)