Paul Newman: A Rare Breed of Hollywood Icon

Paul Newman came from my parents' generation of movie stars. Oh sure, there was The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Verdict, and that hustler flick with Jackie Gleason -- movies that came out on my watch -- but by then Newman's matinee idol days were long gone. He had matured into icon.

And then he became "King of Salad Dressing."

Okay, he was more than just a master of mayonnaise and paprika. Paul Newman, who passed away from cancer at the age of 83, was legend. One of the great stars from Hollywood Heyday and in the league of Bogie and Brando, yet a tad too old to tilt my wheel.

"Oh but those dreamy blue eyes," my mother would argue in protest, "they make me melt inside. How can you not get all tingly thinking about him?"

Well, it's like this. Imagine me asking my teenage daughters whether they would swoon over someone like say, oh... Paul McCartney. Now there's a dreamboat to die for. Who cares if he's past 64, the cute Beatle still has a way with sexy. Of course my teenagers would glance at the turkey neck and say, "Yeah, right, Mom." Which is exactly how I felt whenever Mom sat transfixed by the television, another old Newman movie reeling her in. Meh.

Newman endeared himself to a new generation as the voice of Doc Hudson in the animated feature, Cars, but will always be remembered as heart stealer of a certain demographic, the same aging white women who form the current core of support for presidential hopeful John McCain. I'm not sure what the connection means, just felt obliged to mention it.

In his later years, Newman seemed to pass on the glitterati. His icy blue eyes still smoldered, but the aging fan base had to be getting to him. Besides, he could afford to leave the red carpet behind. Race car driving became his passion. He always seemed happy to lend his star power to NASCAR.

Now that I'm no longer repulsed by turkey neck, I can finally appreciate the idol worship of the big band generation. Paul Newman was that rare breed of Hollywood actor who didn't need clamoring masses to reaffirm his self-worth. For that, he stands head and shoulders above what generally passes today as megastar.

There aren't many people in Hollywood who can command universal respect and admiration, but Newman was one of them. Many will remember him as a talented actor, devoted husband, loving father, political activist, and philanthropist, but most of all, a man who lived life on his own terms.

And we are poorer for his loss.

A Note of Business.

Just a note of business: I received an email from a reader (I think it was a woman) who wanted to talk about working on a Western Buddhism. Well I somehow got rid of the email or can't find it so please resend your message. I was very interested in what you had to say.

Rally on the River JFXtival Sure Beats Driving

A week ago, on a gorgeous Sunday, anywhere from three to five thousand men, women, children, dogs, and miscellaneous "amphibiai" traversed a section of Baltimore rarely seen on foot. A long stretch of highway forever dumping vehicles into the city, I-83, or as we Baltimoreans like to call it, the JFX.

The Jones Falls Expressway takes its name from the winding body of water lying underneath. Some call it a stream, others call it river, but whatever its moniker, the winding stretch of flora and fauna used to be pristine. Now, it's just a muddy slick of its former self. Tomorrow it could be a contender.

And that's exactly the point of the annual "Rally on the River." Last Sunday, people came from far and wide to soak up the sun, walk, bike, run, kayak, moon bounce, hula-hoop, skate board, scooter, play chess, eat, drink, laugh, dance, you name it, they came to have a good time.

And the JFX did not disappoint.

For a mere five bucks and the cost of a rental, one could leisurely bike down the usual site of rush hour purgatory. The Jones Falls Watershed Association closes its southbound lane for a fundraiser to help clean up and protect this secluded patch of nature and give people a reason to let loose.

The Rally was a blast. Lots of fun activities, things to see and do, stuff never shown in the local paper. For some odd reason, it usually depicts the event as a walk down a lonely highway. The Rally is anything but.

This was my first time playing next to traffic (the northbound lane remains open to vehicles) and I have to admit, it was an eye opener. "Rally on the River" must be the best kept secret in town. Look for it next September.

Animals Farmed For Meat Are The No. 1 Source Of Food Poisoning Bug, Study Shows.

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2008) — A study by researchers from Lancashire, England, and Chicago, IL, found that 97 percent of campylobacteriosis cases sampled in Lancashire were caused by bacteria typically found in chicken and livestock. The work is based on DNA-sequence comparison of thousands of bacteria collected from human patients and animal carriers. Campylobacter jejuni causes more cases of gastroenteritis in the developed world than any other bacterial pathogen, including E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium and Listeria combined. Wild and domestic animals act as natural reservoirs for the disease, which can also survive in water and soil.

James: This is part of the reason that I became a vegetarian to avoid this kind of stuff but it must also be said that vegetables can become tainted too. We "veggies" can get a little self-righteous sometimes so here's a good dose of reality for us because it must be said that even vegetarians are taking lives too so to some degree we can not avoid taking lives.

Few of us are in a position to judge meat eaters or anyone else for "killing by proxy." Being part of the world economy entails "killing by proxy" in every act of consumption. The electricity that runs our computers comes from facilities that harm the environment. Books of Buddhist scriptures are printed on paper produced by an industry that destroys wildlife habitat. Worms, insects, rodents and other animals are routinely killed en masse in the course of producing the staples of a vegetarian diet. Welcome to samsara. It is impossible for most of us to free ourselves from this web; we can only strive to be mindful of entanglement in it. One way to do so is to reflect on how the suffering and death of sentient beings contributes to our comfort. This may help us to be less inclined to consume out of mere greed.

James: One of the main reasons that I practice vegetarianism is to increase loving-kindness and compassion. I know that I can't completely avoid taking lives even being a vegetarian but I can limit the number of lives that I take. As an omnivore I was taking lives of insects in the course of producing the staples of a vegetarian diets as mentioned above but I was also taking the lives of animals. So I wanted to live so that I was taking the least amount of lives possible--causing the least suffering and harm.

While I don't agree with the taking of animal life for food I try not to judge people who do eat meat as terrible people. It is a personal choice either way. I have many, many family and friends who eat meat and I still love them and respect them as much as I did before I became a vegetarian. I just tot along my faux meat products and veggies to BBQ's and dinners where most will be eating meat.

~Peace to all beings~

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

This is a lighthouse half way between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. I wanted to get the feel of a pleinair painting and I think it worked out pretty good. I took a photo of the light house on my way home from surfing and painted as fast as I could to get that look.

11x14 oil on canvas panel

The Part of Chicken Little Will be Played by President Bush

We interrupt the nation's impending catastrophic doom for the story time minute. Today's tender tale is that favorite children's classic, Bush'n Little.

All around Bush'n Little there was nothing but ruin and collapse. One day, wayward debris plopped down on his feathered brain.

"Laura! Dick! Come quickly. The sky is falling!" he chirped.

"Better do something at once, Bush'n Little," chimed in Brother Dick. "Go agitate those big guns down in Congress or play in traffic. Leave us alone for a change."

And so, Bush'n Little picked himself up out of Pennsylvania Avenue and trundled down the road. He met Fallson Paulson and McCan't McCain along the way. The three of them happened upon Dosie Pelosi, a beguiling creature with her own agenda.

"Oh please, Dosie Pelosi, the sky is falling. Can't you see?," pleaded Bush'n Little. "We need huge wads of cash for my buddies back at the hen house so that they can build a bridge up to the sky. That'll keep it from falling down, for sure."

"I see nothing of the sort, Bush'n Little," snarled Dosie, "And even if I did, you chickens have made such a mess of things, what good would it do?"

Fallson Paulson dropped to one knee. "Fair and gentle soul, Dosie Pelosi, have pity on feathered friends flocking together," he pleaded. "We need your help to stop the sky from crashing over all of us. You must get on board behind our cash grab or the entire sky will collapse."

"Fallson Paulson! How you do make me laugh," Dosie replied. "The Kingship is now up for grabs and I would be a fool to enhance the stature of your contestant over my own." At that point, the wily fox keened her eyes on McCan't. "Pray tell, what are you doing here, McCan't? Shouldn't you be out campaigning?"

"I put that on hold along with today's scary debate to follow in the path of Bush'n Little," replied McCan't with more than just a hint of pride. "He flaps about in noble acts of selflessness, screaming and warning like a bat out of hell, yet proposes nothing worthwhile. Nada. Zip. I can learn much from his chicken ways."

"Speak up, McCan't," urged Dosie, "I must determine whether I should kiss up to you."

"Uh, nope, sorry," said McCan't. "No can do. I cannot speak up. Too political. Besides, Bush'n Little is the one in charge. What he says goes."

And with that, Dosie Pelosi turned her back on the motley crew to seek out her own source of sustenance. The sky and everything in it could rain down on the world, she didn't care. She had everything she owned tied up in off-shore bank accounts, private foreign investments, and a slew of other hedges against catastrophe. She would be just fine in her own little padded lair.

But Bush'n Little and company? Somebody's lunch. She'd make completely certain of it.

Remember Burma. One Year Anniversary of Brutal Crackdown.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the brutal and fatal crack-downs on the peaceful demonstrations of the Burmese monks in what was called the, "Saffron Revolution." I am posting this message to let the Burmese people who are living all over the world know that I have not forgotten their struggles, suffering and hopes. I still stand firm and tall for your right to live in a peaceful, vibrant and healthy society.

I call on all Buddhists and non-Buddhists to remember the sacrifices of Aung San Suu Kyi, the monks and the laity when you meditate tonight and/or tomorrow. I also think it would be really positive and a powerful symbol of unity to light a candle tomorrow for the struggle for peace and democracy in Burma. As well as to remember those who lost their lives. I personally will try and keep a candle lit for most of the day. For as Buddha said, "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."-BuddhaAlso, please take a minute to sign a petition to be sent to the U.N. Secretary General to urge him to call for the release of all political prisoners and to support a global arms embargo toward the Burmese military junta "government." Also, here's a video (part one) from one of the leaders of the peaceful protests U Gawsita on why the monks started the protests:

~Peace to all beings~

Road to White House Runs Through David Letterman

"The economy is about to crater."

"Now that I'd like to see."

"Crater? I barely know her."

Bada bum.

But don't blame Letterman for what passed as witty repartee on last night's Late Night With David Letterman. After scheduled guest John McCain cancelled at the last minute, Dave struggled mightily to go on with the show.

I can only imagine the campaign's sorry cancellation call.

"Mr. Letterman? Uh, the Maverick has decided to suspend his presidential campaign to save our economy and he can't grace your show with his presence either. Make do with anything you can scrounge up around the studio (recently demoted MSNBC pundit Keith Olbermann was only too happy to oblige). Or suck it up, we don't care, there's work to be done inside the beltway." Click.

Yeah, buddy, well nobody puts Davey in the corner! Not even a powerful Senator of the U.S. Congress. We taxpayers don't care if we're about to take it up the wazoo for a gazillion dollar bailout or that Dubya's idea of saving the economy is to steal from the rich and give to the richer, we want our late night entertainment and we want it now!!

Clearly a bit of tension filled the studio as Dave's camera crew caught the GOP Nominee in a sit down with Katie Couric. You could have cut Dave's pride with a knife. Does McCain have any idea who he's tangling with?

At one point, Dave suggested McCain's surprise suspension of his run for the presidency was a ruse to counter sliding poll numbers, not a noble sacrifice to save the economy. He may have been joking, but the bite was unmistakable.

More so as he questioned McCain's failure to substitute "sexy babe" running mate Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. Gotta wonder what those two have been hiding. Heaven forbid the press should make mincemeat out of her before the election.

So, yeah, all the late night commotion got me thinking whether I want this sort of shoot from the hip style running the White House.

And here I thought Dave was a McCain supporter.

(video is over 9 minutes long but worth it. May disappear in foreseeable future)

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Waitmomo Caves

By Maree Shogren



Adam took me back to his hometown in Huntsville, Alabama for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago and introduced me to caves. I had never experienced such fear, intrigue, adrenalin and the will to live after getting in, and then out, of the cave on Green Mountain. I was so happy to be out of that cave and I was still alive! So now we look for caves to go in on our vacations or any other adrenalin inducing activities.



The north island of NZ is littered with more than 300 caves that people know of. There are probably a lot more that are yet to be discovered, but since most of the cave systems there are under privately owned farmland, there are only 7 caves that the public is allowed to go in. We were able to see 4 of them – 3 of them in one day. The cave tour companies lease the land from the farmers in order for people to experience them and charge an absurd price to do so.



The first cave we went in was Aranui Cave, which was discovered in 1910 by a Maori hunter who was chasing a wild boar in the jungle when it suddenly disappeared right in front of him. On closer inspection he found that the boar had escaped into the mouth of the cave. Since it was one of the first caves to be open to the public and back then they didn’t realize how badly humans and climate could damage the place, they mistakenly poured concrete throughout the cave to make the pathway less muddy, but in turn ruined the cave floor forever and tourists through the generations have snapped off many of the stalactites coming down from the ceilings. Of all the caves we went in this was probably the least impressive one. It did have an alabaster column in it that Adam said was rather rare and that he’d never seen one before. Oh! And we got to see a cave Weta which if you’ve seen the cave crickets in Alabama....these were 10 times the size as those and could very well knock someone out if it fell from the ceiling and landed on your head!



The second cave was Ruakuri Cave. Ruakuri, or ‘den of dogs’ as it translates into English, was first discovered by local Maori between 400 and 500 years ago. The name comes from the wild dogs that made their home in the cave entrance. They had started making the cave accessible to the public in the 1980’s, but then there was a big land dispute over who owned the caves. A farmer thought he should own the land above and below and the government thought they should own the land below, yadda, yadda...so the cave was left untouched for 18 years.


The farmer who snuck in the cave to plant this sign has darned good handwriting.

When they decided to go back and take a look at re-opening it, the whole cave system was full of chest-deep mud. This posed some problems, but they quickly decided to dig it out and very carefully. With new technology having been developed, they used an elaborate and scientific system to make this cave accessible, but also keep the integrity and climate of the cave intact. Just to go in, you have to go through an underground airlock 7 stories high. Since the Maori people believe that the living should not go underground (it’s where the dead live) they put a large greenstone at the bottom of the airlock, which is the entrance to the actual cave, with a constant flow of water dripping on it that you’re supposed to dip your fingers in to get cleansed before you enter the underworld. When you exit, you re-dip, just to ensure no bad spirits had followed you out. Then you walk down a Star Trek type of corridor complete with an airtight steel door at the end. Once inside they lock the door behind you and turn the lights on in the cave.

The first thing you notice is that the walkways are all suspended above the cave floor. The second thing you notice is a giant ‘cave curtain’. I had never seen one of these and I thought it was the coolest cave formation ever. It was probably about 10 feet tall with perfect ripples. It looked like it would make a nice drapery at home in my living room. So intricate and delicate and it took over 250,000 years for it to be made drop by little drop. This cave was awesome and our guide was a very knowledgeable geologist. He had helped dig the cave out in the beginning and loved his job. We also had our first glowworm sighting and we were able to actually see the worms up close and they weren’t worms at all! We went through a series of airlocks and saw quite a few rooms with stalagmites everywhere, one of which looked like a little gnome city. There were tons of fossils to ooooo and ahhhhh over as well.




Suspended walkways made for a unique experience, that allowed you to view the original cave floor.

The third cave we went in was the Waitomo Glowworm Cave. The tour starts out with a short walk into a giant room that apparently has fantastic acoustics. A bunch of different choirs from around the world (and even Kenny Rogers) have recorded songs in the room. Then we go into a dark grotto and get into an aluminum boat. Our guide stands on the bow and gingerly pulls us through the grotto using ropes attached to the cave walls. Everyone is really quiet and you can only here water dripping every now and then. There is no visible light down there and as your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness you can start to make out the shapes of the people around you and then…bam! The whole ceiling of the cave is covered in what looks like stars shining on a crystal clear night.

It was kind of weird to be able to see by the light of the glowworms. I mentioned earlier that they aren’t actually worms so I’ll explain that: Glowworms are actually fungus gnat larvae. They make a little hammock out of their silk webbing and attach themselves to the cave ceiling and then let out more webbing with dewy droplets on it to ensnare unknowing bugs. They have enzymes in their poop that make their butts glow. The unknowing bugs fly towards the ceiling thinking that it’s actually the sky and get caught and then eaten. Another interesting tidbit is that this is the only time in a fungus gnat’s life that they actually get to eat. Once they morph into gnats they no longer have a mouth or a stomach.


Gross Gloworm slime traps.

Adam and I had a great day of spelunking and were looking forward to our last cave adventure the following day. Squeezing through the entrance into the Green Mountain cave was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Our next adventure is about to trump that.

Top Ten Revealing Fashion Trends

(WARNING: Photos used in this article may be too revealing for children under 13-years old. Parental guidance suggested)

Gack! It's passing for fashion.... or worse ....political statement.

Starting with Kylie Minogue's Q Magazine cover, a fashion trend emphasizing previously unmentionable body parts is beginning to attract media attention and engulf runways. For now, cooler heads can breathe a sigh of relief. The trend doesn't appear to be spreading... yet.

Daring and shocking perhaps, yet unlikely to go mainstream. Which means most people have enough sense to gawk and LTAO before forwarding these pictures to friends. Then again, what do I know? Never thought pajama pants would become trendy and now the lady across the street wears them outside.

So, if you're someone who wants to be caught dead in any of these outfits, by all means, go to town. Just please snap a picture of yourself first. With any luck, someone will forward it to The Spewker.

We could use a good laugh now and then.

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60th Primetime Emmy New Category Awards

The 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards did a night of firsts at the the Nokia Theatre in Hollywood. A preliminary list of winners is here.

I love how they call the winners "outstanding" whatever in their category. Not "best" just "outstanding." That gave me an idea. Why not make up some "outstanding" categories from last night's broadcast and crown my own winners? Better than writing a diatribe. For better or worst (this is really a late post), here goes.

Outstanding Hot Outfit: There was low, low cut, chic, and chic sexy. There was Christine Applegate looking radiant and oo-lah-lah (I hope she does kick Christian Slater’s behind in their time slot). And then there was Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In a smoke’n hot apricot gown, Louis-Dreyfus emanated from the stage of a New York diner reminiscent of a Seinfeld episode, "The Contest." She later lost in her category to Tina Fey who graciously mentioned her as comic inspiration.

Outstanding Surprise of the Evening: I strongly disagree that the evening held few surprises why, it’s hard to narrow them all down. For instance, I had no idea Lorne Michaels actually wrote for Saturday Night Live. I thought he just lorded over cast members. Rob Reiner writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour? I thought Meathead was his only TV credit. Who knew Tommy Smothers got high in 1967? Or that Martin Sheen would utter the least controversial political statement of the evening (everyone needs to vote)? And was that David Morse on stage with the winning cast of Mad Men? Didn’t he play some part in runaway winner John Adams? But to me, the biggest surprise of the evening was how Presenter Neil Patrick Harris and I thought exactly the same thing at almost exactly the same time. Howie Mandel’s yarblings and Steve Martin gushings were tremendous wastes of time, especially in light of presenters and winners being rushed off stage.

Outstanding "What’s YOUR problem?" Moment: This was a toss up. After accepting her award and making a nice short statement, Glenn Close had the gall to eat up more time babbling about some "Sisterhood of the Traveling Divas," ostensibly including the likes of her, Dame Judi Dench, and others (bet Dame Judi loved being included in that category). Still, the winner is Howie Mandel. After doing his St. Elsewhere rap, Howie asked specific members of the audience, "Why do you applaud?" The bit was barely funny. Degrading members of the audience for their polite reaction was downright rude.

Outstanding Presence of Mind During "Get the Hell Off the Stage" Music: Steve Colbert who won for best writer. As the music tried to shush him away, Colbert had the fortitude to thank Jon Stewart for humble beginnings and his wife and family for all their support.

Outstanding Production Gaffe: Mike flubbings for Vanessa Williams and America Ferrera and some nincompoop cut off Tom Hanks’ acceptance speech (don’t they know he is Hollywood royalty?). Perhaps winners Glynn Turman and Cynthia Nixon weren’t supposed to present three successive times. But, the home audience never saw the presenter for outstanding actor in a drama series (Keifer Southerland?) because production came back so late from commercial. Whoever is responsible for that idiotic move, you win.

Outstanding Presenter Who Couldn’t Get a Laugh if His Life Depended On It: No, it wasn’t Ricky Gervais trying to tickle his Emmy away from Steve Carell. Loved how Carell would not crack a smile. Tom Bergeron of Dancing With the Stars wins hands down. Hated that drama/comedy drop gag and the rest of his performance was as flat as toilet paper.

Outstanding "Wait Until I Get You Home" Look: Love the Rickles and love that he got two standing ovations. They tried to snuff out his line about the O.J. jury (all white front row) and "The Emmy goes to Herbie Dickman" line went right over my head. But the look on wife Barbara’s face when he said, "Today she sits in Malibu on the sand with the jewelry signaling ships," had me rolling. I imagine by now she’s used to the embarrassment.

Outstanding Cast in a Time Warp: They either have the best makeup artists, face lifts, and hair colorists in Hollywood or the fickle finger of fate has smiled on their saggy behinds. The five-member presenters of Laugh-In, especially Gary Owens, are amazingly well preserved. Jon Stewart leaning in for the French kiss win with Ruth Buzzy only to have her clobber him with that ratty brown handbag was one of the evening’s highlights.

Outstanding Cast in Time to Move On: Presenters Mary Tyler Moore and Betty White. If you’re going to do face lifts, you really should do them right. Are these grand dames of TV in their 80s? 70s? MTM’s face was so tight you could bounce a quarter off it. Don’t get me started on Betty White’s retirement colony pantsuit.

Outstanding Political Commentary: The award goes belatedly to Tommy Smothers. After accepting his long denied best writing award from 1968, Tommy had the best political lines of the night. "I can't stay silent when hearing peace is only attainable through war. Nothing is scarier than watching ignorance in action. I’m accepting the Emmy on behalf of other people who won't be silenced. Truth is what you get other people to believe." The audience laughed, but he wasn't joking.

Runners-Up: Laura Linny, lead actress in a miniseries or movie, saved time by thanking supporters privately and showed appreciation for "great community organizers who organize our country." Feigning disdain for political commentary, presenters Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert instead did a metaphor about prunes. Colbert said, "America needs a prune, granted shriveled and at times hard to swallow, but this dried up old prune has the experience we need," while Stewart countered, "After eight years, you would think America would have had enough." Kirk Ellis who won for best writing for miniseries John Adams had the grace to thank Tom Hanks and add "A period in our history when articulate men articulated complex thoughts in complete sentences. They used words ---" and yikes, got cut-off. Must have been a Republican in the tech booth.

Outstanding Imitations Making Gallagher Look Good: Josh Groban. Suicide was not painless as he sang theme songs from M*A*S*H to The Love Boat, to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to the gospel style of The Jeffersons. Esther just Rolled over in her grave.

Outstanding Catch Phrase: Hard to pick just one. There was Barry Sonnenfeld who won best director for a comedy series, Pushing Daisies. "Love TV and fear the Internet." Tom Hanks acknowledged Presenter Sally Field as "Mom" and almost launched into a Forrest Gumpism. Guess he forgot about their roles in Punchline. Then there was Don Rickles, big winner after fifty-five years of no acknowledgments saying, "This crap got me no place." Paul Giamatti, best lead actor in a miniseries or movie, thanked "my fake wife, Laura." However, Tina Fey, big winner of the evening, also wins this category with the line, "Better to be a writer than an actor. At weddings, people are less interested in talking to you."

Outstanding Classy Remark: Even though they sat the cast of House way toward the back, Greg Utanes, best director of a drama series, thanked the Academy. And Presenter Sandra Oh acknowledged and waved hello to her parents. Winner? Seven times nominated first-time winner, Alec Baldwin, for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. He was the first of many who was gracious enough to thank his co-nominees. Other winners followed his lead throughout the rest of the evening.

Outstanding Missed Opportunity: Presenter Bill Peterson, aside from wearing some questionable black number with velvet-looking lapels, let the biggest opportunity for a laugh slip right past his fingers. After accepting Tom Wilkinson’s award on his behalf, and hearing Conan O’Brien say he would hand an award accepted for someone else to Steve Carell, it would have been hysterical if Peterson had actually handed Wilkinson’s Emmy to Carell.

Outstanding Theory About Mad Men's Win: It was the only nominee in the drama category that had more than one word in its title.

Gone But Not Forgotten: George Carlin, Bernie Brillstein, Joey Bishop, William F. Buckley, Charlton Heston, Les Crane, Alice Ghostly, Ivan Dixon, Cyd Charisse, Mel Ferrer, Claudio Guzman, Barry Morse, Deborah Kerr, Larry Harmon, Estelle Getty, Roger King, Sydney Pollack, Ron Leavitt, Bernie Mac, Eric Lieber, Suzanne Pleshette, Abby Mann, Dick Martin, Delbert Mann, Harvey Korman, Jim McKay, Lois Nettleson, Mel Tolkin, Richard Widmark, Stan Winston, Tim Russert, and Isaac Hayes.

Outstanding Line of the Evening: Jeff Probst, first winner as outstanding lead for a reality program category. "G’night."

Bill Clinton Strikes Again

It's deja vu all over again.

He endorses him. He doesn't. He equivocates. They do lunch. He hems and haws, confuses the meaning of a simple word like "is," then spits out the party line like he's doing everyone a favor. Somehow, I've seen this show before.

Less than forty-five days out from the election and Big Bill is too busy to hit the campaign trail for Barack Obama. Sour grapes and all, Billary needs to move on. But then, they never did put the country before personal ambition, great public servants that they are.

Gavin Rossdale Gives Little Kingston a Lift

Hey, hon, that ain't no milkshake!

Rockers Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale are known throughout the globe as loving, affectionate, hands-on parents. Hats off to them for recognizing the wisdom of investing time in their children.

But strawberry creme Starbucks? Even if not blended with coffee, that can't be healthy for a tiny 2-year old body. Sugar and cream are its main ingredients.

Or dare I suggest little Kingston is sucking down a *GASP* strawberries and cream frappuccino disguised as strawberry creme? In that case, Gavin Rossdale is the most negligent, uncaring celebrity parent on the planet.

Does moi detect a brewing scandal?

Oh okay, I'm being ridiculous, but you have to admit a 2-year old sucking down Starbucks is not from the book of Dr. Spock, or for that matter T. Berry Brazelton. And what's with this kid getting carried around all the time? Does he have a phobia of his feet touching the ground or something?

I don't know, maybe it's me, but I'd like to see new big bro of the Rossdale-Stefani Clan get around on his own little flappers for a change. Sipping a V-8 or munching a ritz would be a much better image for Kingston Rossdale. And a whole lot healthier.

Underage Sex Slavery Calls For Response and Mo' Gossip

"Call + Response," a new documentary funded solely through donations, explores the underbelly of the juvenile sex trade. With compelling first hand accounts by activists such as Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, and Ashley Judd, along with performances by musical artists including Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, members of Nickel Creek and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, the film goes undercover and calls upon everyone to stop the misery.


Too many drugs in the House of O'Neal. Daughter Tatum an admitted coke head and now the boys. Ryan O'Neal and son Redmond were arrested after police found a suspicious substance resembling methamphetamine. Lawyers for the tony two denied any wrongdoing.

Lego has created a cadre of glitterati to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. Mini figures such as Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Posh and Becks, and Simon Cowell will go on display, but won't be released to the public.

Another star-studded fundraiser for Barack Obama netted about $9 Million in contributions. The main attraction was a concert by Barbra Streisand. Notable celebrity supporters included Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Lee Curtis, Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And speaking of Obama, actor Ed Norton has agreed to stop publicizing his upcoming documentary about the rise of Barack Obama. According to Norton,

We're making a historical record and not something to play a role in the election, so we have an agreement that this is something we won't talk a lot about or publicize until the election is over. I can't really comment on our access to Obama because it's part of our arrangement with the campaign, but it's a fascinating thing to be able to be documenting. We'll have an opportunity to talk about that process when it's all unfolded but we kind of have to stay off the record about it until it's all resolved.

Some Burmese Monks Take up Arms.

The Dalai Lama has said repeatedly that war is an outdated policy but some Buddhist monks in Burma aren't listening to His Holiness nor their senior monks. They are tired of peaceful protests and want to take up arms (weapons).

Rangoon, Burma -- If Ashin Zawta has his way, the next time the government of Burma (Myanmar) clamps down on dissent it will have to deal with a new force: monks with guns. "Last September the Army proved too powerful for us and defeated our nonviolent tactics," says the young monk, whose real name, like those of other activists in this story, has been changed for security reasons. "We need weapons. That is the only way we can bring down this regime."

James: This is troubling news in my mind because monks have traditionally been pacifists and urged waring parties to put down guns instead of picking them up. War is a disturbing reality in this world of samsara but it is the practice of those who are not monks though war should be avoided at all costs by everyone if possible. The Sangha is where many lay followers turn too for spiritual guidance in troubled times such as in Burma. The monks are to be examples of the power of peace and non-violence which is the inheritance of all monks from Buddha.

However, that gift is lost and lineage tarnished once monks embrace their anger so fully that they are willing to kill. Can a monk shooting guns still consider himself a monk? I say no. Look at the example of the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. The Dalai Lama never condones violence to resist the Chinese oppression in Tibet as it only breeds more violence and suffering. Thich Nhat Hanh was hated by both sides in the Vietnam war because he refused to side with Americans nor the Communists. He opposed violence from all sides.

How can we solve and reduce violence as Buddhists committed to non-violence (especially ordained monks who take additional vows from the laity) when our Buddhist leaders and teachers take up weapons despite teaching us non-monks to practice non-violence as taught by Buddha? It would be tragic to see robed monks shooting bullets in the streets of Burma. I hope they retake refuge in Buddha and not in the desire of revenge which only causes more suffering for all involved.

~Peace to all beings~

Congressman Ron Paul Refuses to Endorse John McCain

And he's not the only Republican bucking the tide.

Congressman Paul says he cannot endorse a candidate with whom he fundamentally disagrees on all the major issues. Federal reserve spending, taxes, education, foreign policy, and especially Iran. An implicit signal to his supporters to back Obama-Biden. You'd think Texans would have gotten the message by now.

Long time Conservative and former editor of The National Review Wick Allison also admits that McCain is not the right man for the job. He says Conservatives are "cemented to political programs when they clearly don't work" and view the war against terror as a theological expansion of America's mission to defeat evil. He further cautions against a philosophy that would make "George Washington cough out his wooden teeth."

We've come a long way from being isolationists, but unilaterally becoming the "Avenger of Evil" under a mistaken notion of religious duty is as bad as the terrorists.

I used to believe kill or be killed was the only way to defeat our enemies, but fall of the Roman Empire provides a valuable lesson in the possible repetition of history. Perhaps failed diplomacy wasn't responsible for the war as much as the people who delivered the message. Obama-Biden have better foreign policy expertise between them. In this critical area, the contest isn't close.

John McCain is so out of touch with mainstream America, he can't keep his answers straight any more, like he has to choose between what he's been coached to say and what he really believes. In his defense, I can't blame him for doing what needs to be done to claim victory. McCain had to energy his Conservative base or risk losing them at the polls. But at what price comes the pacification of such a small portion of the electorate?

Conservative values are basically good and decent. I have no qualms with the majority of them, believing many traditional values are worth following. I only draw the line when Conservatives insist on imposing those values on non-subscribers. It isn't the role of government to keep library books off the shelves, decide what a woman should do with her body, or institute tax policies that favor 2% of the population holding 90% of the wealth.

The system is broken. John McCain is essentially promising more of the same. Don't get me started on earmarks for special interest groups.

Barack Obama recently wowed a sizable crowd with his comments about the meltdown on Wall Street. The video is long, but the first five minutes pack a wallop.

Obama's are the sentiments most capable of turning this country back in the right direction. "The dream of the American people must not be endangered any more!"

Time is running out to register to vote. If you haven't done so already, get off your patootey now! This election is a pivotal time in American history. Whichever candidate you support, stand up and be counted.

Inspiring Presidential Campaign Signs

An undercurrent of Alaskans against Palin has finally washed up on the mainland. On September 13th, Alaskan women rallied to reject McCain-Palin's bid for the White House. So many Obama-Biden supporters pounded the pavement with campaign signs, police had to be called in for crowd control.

Whew! That's a relief. I was beginning to think gender might decide this election. As I recently responded to one misguided pundit, the day we elect a candidate solely because she brings a vagina to the table is the day we seriously endanger our system of government.

For the most part, campaign rally signs were clever, tastefully voicing public sentiment against Palin in an amusing way.

"Sarah (does not equal) Hillary"

"I'll need reproductive rights some day"

"Don't insult my pit bull"

"Palin: Bush in a skirt"

"Palin Anti-Christ"

"Hockey Momma for Obama"

"Polar bear mommas say no to Palin"

"No more (hangers) We deserve better"

"Why do sexists love Sarah?"

"Real women vote on the issues not the gender"

"The Alaska disasta"

But hands down, the top campaign sign came from a blogger who recently cruised Alaska and stopped in Juneau to visit the Governor's mansion. Support for Obama-Biden littered the surrounding neighborhood, inspiring one bit of controversy for a curious window dressing.

One commentator levied charges of photoshopping, demanding to know how the mansion could sit in such close proximity to a residential neighborhood. The ramshackle contrast to mansion opulence was disorienting, although charges of photoshopping were unnecessary and harsh.

"Definitely not photoshopped sir," replied one of the adventurers, or at least a person of the same name. Links were provided and I'm here to give my seal of approval. The Obama-Biden support is real, in your face, and from people who live in proximity to the Governor's mansion.

Gawd, can't these people afford a campaign sign? Support written in dirt isn't exactly the kind of endorsement one should gloat about.

Then again, what does that say about Alaskans' standard of living under Governor Palin?



More signs from Women Reject Palin Rally here

Larger photo of Obama support at Today's Special: Palin's Stomping Grounds:

Hayden Panettiere Sets the Record Straight

Poster child for "The Truth About Celebrity Politics."

See more Judd Apatow videos at Funny or Die

McCain Palin Make Curious Voter Appeal

The dynamic duo is currently campaigning in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Meanwhile, Svetlana Pankratova and He Pingping dazzle crowds in Trafalger Square.

Sarah Palin Too Sexy for Her MILF

Sarah Palin "has yet to say so much as hello to the press corps." She'd rather spend the plane ride from Reno to Denver scrutinizing her SNL spoof.

Personal mission to uncover and destroy every scintilla of media bias or too sexy for her MILF?

Indulging the media with a short question and answer, then catching the viral video like the rest of the planet must not be Sarah's style.

[Source]

O.J. Simpson Vegas Trial Better Send in the Clowns

There's O.J. Simpson looking smug as a bug in a rug on the day of opening statements in his robbery and kidnapping trial. Simpson and co-defendant Charles "CJ" Stewart face a dozen charges that could theoretically send each to prison for life.

The case concerns a well-publicized Vegas hotel room scuffle wherein Simpson and friends allegedly held two memorabilia dealers captive using threats of bodily harm. Simpson claims he entered the room only to retrieve his own memorabilia and the situation quickly escalated out of control.

As expected, the trial offers soap opera drama writers can only dream about.

For one thing, Simpson entered the Vegas courtroom wearing the same cool and collected expression and beige suit as the days he waltzed into Los Angeles for the murder trial of ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.

For another, three of Simpson's five accomplices are convicted felons. Four of them plead guilty and agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for lighter sentences. Of those, star witness Michael McClinton previously testified that Simpson asked him to bring guns to the hotel room and told him to look "menacing" during the confrontation.

One of the memorabilia dealers tape recorded the scuffle and sold it to TMZ, reportedly for more than $100K. Thomas Riccio's audio tape is expected as key evidence later in the trial. Riccio also profited from an autobiography revealing every "niggly detail" of the hotel scuffle and subsequent proceedings. No doubt a sequel is in the works following issuance of a verdict.

And then there's Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass, the little pistol who could. She initially kept Simpson locked up for arrogance and/or ignorance, later setting bail at $250K. Presiding over the selection of jurors, Glass chided each one saying, "If you think you are going to punish Mr Simpson for what happened in 1995, this is not the case for you."

But not according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens. Over objections from defense attorney Yale Galanter, Owens referenced Simpson's infamous murder acquittal, positing,

Ladies and gentlemen, you are the jurors in this case and the final story is going to be told by you. You will be able to write that final chapter, the chapter of arrogance and hypocrisy and that will be the true verdict. The verdict you can feel good about. That's a different case and different facts, but the effect of the judgment is something you may consider.

Talk about impropriety. Thankfully, no request for mistrial ... yet.

Much fuss is being made over the composition of jurors. The nine-woman, three-man panel is composed solely of Caucasians, some with connections to law enforcement. Two African-Americans serve as alternates. Little wonder in a place like Clark County, one of the remaining bastions of good old boy justice.

To top things off, Bruce Fromong, the prosecution's opening witness, second memorabilia dealer, and former Simpson confidant, became unraveled on cross-examination, complained of lightheadedness, and was quickly escorted out of the courtroom. Paramedics examined the multiple heart attack survivor but found nothing amiss. Fromong took the witness stand again this morning, offering little to support the prosecution's case.

No one wants to see fulfillment of justice denied more than I, especially when it comes to O.J. But not an the expense of fundamental rights or principles of fairness and decency.

America prohibits double jeopardy, aka, retrial of the same crime following acquittal. Using subterfuge to circumvent constitutional safeguards makes our justice system look like a three-ring circus and even if somehow gratifying, the audience needs to realize they are the clowns.

Adrianne Curry Unleashes Another Idiotic Tirade

Hurricane Ike barreled into the Texas coast this past Saturday, devastating the landscape, homes, and people's lives. Likely to go down in history as a mammoth storm the size of the Lone Star State, clean-up efforts are estimated at $18 to $22 billion. Largely resulting from a storm surge 10 to 15 feet above normal tide, the death toll now stands at 27 people confirmed dead.

Initial predictions of a category three to four storm may have fooled many residents into a false sense of security. As evacuation highways moved at a snail's pace, many decided to stay put and hunker down. The picture changed drastically late Thursday evening when the National Weather Service issued warnings of "certain death" and "death likely" for anyone who remained. Given the choice of stewing in backups or riding out the storm, diehards chose the latter, a choice many would later regret.

But former Playboy model and reality TV star Adrianne Curry wasn't about to let the survivors off scott free. Although she may want to conserve what little she has left, the outspoken bubble brain was quick to unleash another piece of her mind.

In a September 14th blog entry later revised, Curry posted her mood as "aggravated" and proclaimed,

I am sorry, but I believe all these people should have to pay the bill for their individual rescues! When they issue a "certain death" warning and you are f*ng dumb enough to stay, you do not deserve free aid. I watched people being interviewed on the news claiming they bought a bunch of beer and BBQ to sit through the storm. I bet these same people are crying for help as I type. This is f*ng stupid! Why should we have to foot a dime for these dumba***s that ignored these warnings?
FREE transportation was provided, many buses left half empty. FREE shelters were provided, many not filled up. People value MONEY and POSSESSIONS more than their own lives? IDIOTS! I feel like we reward stupidity in this country, and this is the perfect example of it...

...(Revision) I never said they should DIE, I said if they value their MONEY and POSSESSIONS more than their own LIVES they should have to pay for endangering the lives of rescue workers, and sucking up more money this government DOESN'T have. someone claimed they didn't want to lose their job…I wasn't aware the bank was open that day!

I'm not sure which is more moronic, Curry blasting suffering hurricane victims who probably can't afford to reimburse federal or state governments for rescue efforts, or the 1,188 people (and counting) who posted comments and 500 kudos in response to her heartless tongue lashing.

The anorexic dominatrix image on Curry's blog speak volumes about the woman who is more famous for marrying Christopher Knight than any of her own accomplishments. Too bad she can't show more compassion for the less fortunate, those who suffer from misplaced priorities, questionable judgment, and/or the inability to mobilize in the face of impending disaster.

[Source]

George Clooney Hungry for Sack of Potatoes Tails Kidman

[click to enlarge]

Gotcha! That's Nicole Kidman cradling newborn Sunday Rose as they exit the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London with a Clooney-esque driver bringing up the rear.

When, oh when will we get a good look at that growing baby?

Saturday Night Live Plugs Sarah Palin Credentials

If you consider being a GILF, the ability to see Russia from home, and a fervent desire to become president credentials.

Brangelina Love Nest Lost in Translation

Brangelina, the official power couple of 2009, recently made a $2 million donation from their Jolie-Pitt Foundation to create a treatment center in Ethiopia for children suffering from AIDs and tuberculosis. But the official naming of daughter Zahara's clinic may have to wait for the screaming and incessant crying to subside.

All is not well at the seaside Château Miraval.

When not napping or giving free reign to wild mood swing, Angelina Jolie has been busy bashing her baby daddy for work-related absences. She is "fed up" and wishes Pitt would "stick around more" according to one insider. Jolie also engages in shouting matches with her infant twins' grandmother, Jean, who probably just wants the poor thing to eat.

Reportedly suffering from postpartum depression and sleep deprivation, Jolie's behavior appears of little concern to Pitt. "Everyone is well. Everyone is healthy," he claims in a People Magazine interview.

Famous last words.

Faith and Wisdom.

The Buddha compared faith to a blind giant who meets up with a very sharp-eyed cripple, called wisdom. The blind giant, called faith, says to the sharp-eyed cripple, "I am very strong, but I can't see; you are very weak, but you have sharp eyes. Come and ride on my shoulders. Together we will go far." The Buddha never supported blind faith, but a balance between heart and mind, between wisdom and faith. The two together will go far. The saying that blind faith can move mountains unfortunately omits the fact that, being blind, faith doesn't know which mountain needs moving. That's where wisdom is essential, which means that a thorough understanding of the teaching is crucial.

-- Ayya Khema, When the Iron Eagle Flies

~Peace to all beings~

Queenstown and Beyond

Queenstown seemed like a pretty cool place. It's sits at one end of a huge windy lake. I'm not sure if the lake is a reservoir or natural. Unfortunately we were unable to take a look at Queenstown or do anything near it. We were exhausted by the time we got there. We ate, showered and went straight to bed. Up early the next day we had a 7 hour drive ahead of us. We had to catch a plane in Christchurch at 4:30 in the afternoon. It would would have been nice to see the town, but time was running out, and i also had wanted to go see Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in the country.


Really nice place to be a shepherd.

We'd gotten up early enough to take an hour and a half to make a detour that would take us to another dead end road, right in front of the mountain. Mt. Cook sits at the end of another lake, vivid blue like Peyto Lake in Canada or Cracker Lake in Montana. This one was definitely man made with canals splitting off to irrigate farmland. The mountain chain rises right up out of the plains, like the Tetons. The Remarkables, as they call them, are growing as fast as your fingernails, and that causes stress. We were told that the top 6o feet of Mt. Cook simply collapsed a few years back.



It was a pretty area, considerably different than the mountains farther south. We had no time to stay tough, and turned back around. After leaving the area we drove through some areas that were like the American West, particulary Idaho. We even passed some old gold mines that looked very western. Driving over just a few hills though and everything turned green and pastoral, and eventually flattened out.



Once again the airport experience was crazily relaxing and easy going. We arrived in Hamilton right on time, and finally got a decent rental car. A brand new 4 door automatic Camry. Man, it drove great compared to the other cars we'd had.


I'm pretty sure that this mountain was featured at the beginning of the second Lord of the Rings movie, filmed during winter.




The big lake that's next to Queenstown.