'Ringside Seat' To Total Lunar Eclipse

From Elizabeth Weise, USA Today

If you step outside late tonight into early Tuesday morning, you may notice the moon looks like a luminous rotten orange. It's a total lunar eclipse that will be visible to everyone in North and Central America, including Alaska and Hawaii.

"We've all got a ringside seat to this one," says Alan MacRobert, editor of Sky & Telescope magazine.
"We'll be watching it together."

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth lines up directly between the sun and the moon, so there is no direct sunlight to hit and reflect off the moon's surface. The only light that reaches it is "filtered and bending through our atmosphere," MacRobert says. That gives it the color of "all of the world's sunrises and sunsets" together.

The total eclipse will last for 72 minutes, a deeper "night within a night," as he puts it. The moon will be partially eclipsed for about an hour as it goes into and out of the Earth's shadow. The total eclipse will last from 2:41 to 3:53 a.m. ET.

"It's going to take a long time to watch the whole eclipse, about 3½ hours," says Rebecca Johnson, editor of StarDate magazine.

The color the moon takes on during the eclipse depends on what's in Earth's upper atmosphere, or stratosphere, says Fred Espenak, a scientist emeritus with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and eclipse specialist.

Read more here.

A Frozen Lighthouse

On the shores of Ohio, near Lake Erie, there stands a lighthouse that is literally frozen. Waves crashed onto the Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse and the subzero air temperature quickly turned the lighthouse, covered in water, into an ice castle.

The unusual and oddly beautiful sight caused a huge bump in Web searches for "frozen lighthouse" and "lighthouse frozen solid." During the week, lookups for both terms surged over 1,000%. You can check out some video of the lighthouse here. If anyone deserves a Hawaiian vacation it's that lighthouse keeper...

Anonymous Donor Gives $40K To Food Bank

NEW HOPE, Minn. (WCCO) — Christmas came early for a Twin Cities food bank struggling to keep up with the growing number of hungry families this holiday season.

The Emergency Foodshelf Network in New Hope stocks and serves more than 230 food pantries in Minnesota.

“We are running leaner than we have probably run in years,” said Executive Director Lori Kratchmer, who says this year donations are down at least 20 percent. “Across all suburbs around the metro area so, it’s really broad, the need, and it continues to be greater and greater.”

But Wednesday, a Christmas miracle arrived in a plain white envelope. Up front, administrative assistant Carol Deters opens up the mail. She just had a hunch.

“I said, I just love these mysterious envelopes because you never know what little goody you are going to find on the inside. And we opened it up and it was a check for $40,000,” Deters said.

Deters says $40,000 can purchase 37,600 meals.

“I was just so excited and we were running around and yelling, needed it,” she said.

There was no note, and when the staff tried to call the person whose name was on the check, the number was unlisted. The donor wanted to remain anonymous.

Read more here.

'Santa Claus’ Donates $100,000 to Joplin Salvation Army

The Joplin. MO Salvation Army has once again gotten an early Christmas gift from “Santa Claus.”

Five checks totaling $100,000 were dropped into the Salvation Army’s red kettle at Walgreens, 20th and Main streets, sometime between 5 and 9 p.m. Monday, Capt. Jason Poff said.

“They were folded and hidden within dollar bills,” he said. “Really, it feels surprising, shocking, amazing all at the same time when you open up a bucket and $20,000 checks start falling out.”

This is at least the fifth consecutive year in which the local organization has received a substantial anonymous donation, in the form of Commerce Bank cashier’s checks with the remitter identified as “Santa Claus.” Over the past five Christmas seasons, the local Salvation Army has reaped $350,000 in checks from the anonymous Santa.

Secret Santa Drops Thousands in Salvation Army Kettle

Somewhere out there, a secret Santa just saved Christmas for a lot of Tennessee Valley families.  And they did it with the biggest gift ever to a Salvation Army red kettle in our area.

Most of us are familiar with the ringing bells outside of stores this time of year.  And many of us even drop in our spare coins.  But Tuesday night, somebody threw down a few bills instead.  "I just kept screaming and digging in and looking for more," says Salvation Army donations coordinator Jennifer Fisher.  Every morning, Fisher helps count the kettles from the day before.  But nothing prepared her for the seemingly never-ending stack of Benjamin's.  Co-workers even grabbed their cameras and caught the moment.  In the end, 55 fresh $100 bills.  That's $5,500!  "I was just sorting through and kept finding different little piles of hundreds!" laughs Fisher.

Salvation Army spokesperson Kimberly George says the money came from a kettle at the K-Mart in Fort Oglethorpe.

Disney to close Toontown Fair

Walt Disney World will close Mickey's Toontown Fair in February to make way for the under-construction expansion of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.

The final day of operation for Toontown Fair, home to meet-and-greets with animated characters such as Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell and a Goofy-themed children's roller coaster, will be Feb. 11.

Disney says it will move characters in the area to new locations. Mickey, Minnie Mouse and Disney's stable of animated princesses will continue to meet guests at various locations in the Magic Kingdom before moving into a new permanent home this spring in the building currently known as Town Square Exposition Hall along Main Street, USA.

Tinker Bell, meanwhile, will be shipped to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Read more here.

Man Implants TV Camera

Reuters photo

NYU photography professor Wafaa Bilal displays the digital camera mount, which he has had implanted in the back of his head as part of a year-long art project, at his apartment in New York December 7, 2010. The concept of the project, titled "The 3rd I", is based on the idea of capturing things subjectively, without the interference of a viewfinder, according to Bilal. For the next year, images from the camera will be streamed over the internet and at a museum in Qatar which commissioned this project.

Tom's Take:  Tell me the world isn't becoming a huge freak show!

Warning: Electronic Pickpocketing

Time-Lapse Of The White House Christmas Tree

Watch a behind-the-scenes time lapse of the official White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room of the White House, showing the work and energy that goes into decorating the White House for the holidays.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

This has been around in the internet for a few weeks, but always good to see again!  And if you haven't see it yet...enjoy!

On Nov.13 2010 unsuspecting shoppers got a big surprise while enjoying their lunch. Over 100 participants in this awesome Christmas Flash Mob. This is a must see!

This flash mob was organized by http://www.AlphabetPhotography.com to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Special thanks to Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara, The Welland Seaway Mall in Welland, Canada, and Fagan Media Group.

What A Crock!

General Motors this Holiday Season, is thanking you the people for helping them get back up. Copyright GM Corp.

Pat Down Leaves Airline Passenger In Tears

Heaven Is For Real

Mickey Mouse Turns 82

Oh boy! Mickey Mouse is one old rodent!

Walt Disney's most famous cartoon creatiobn turned 82 on Thursday.

Mickey’s first appearance with sound -- and the first of his films to be distributed -- was in "Steamboat Willie" on Nov. 18, 1928.

The falsetto-speaking mouse appeared in "Plane Crazy" six months prior, alongside Minnie, but in that feature he was as quiet as a, well, mouse.

Ub Iwerks was the main animator for both shorts as well as co-director with Walt Disney, who also provided the vocals for the star of the show (he handed over voice duties to Jimmy MacDonald in 1946 after he got too busy with his empire).

The popular mouse first spoke actual words in "The Karnival Kid" in 1929.

In 1978, Mickey became the first cartoon to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In an effort to bring the famous mouse back into the spotlight, last year the Walt Disney Company announced they would be rebranding Mickey Mouse as a more mischievous rodent, starting with the upcoming video game "Epic Mickey."
--nydailynews

Argentina: How To Handle a Loud-Mouthed Politician

This Is Argentina is facing some major budget issues, and tensions among legislators are high. So when lawmaker Carlos Kunkel wouldn't shut up during an Upper House session today his colleague, opposition member Graciela Camano, smacked him. Watch!

Keeping up with the Kardashians comes at a cost

The reality show star is pimping a new prepaid debit card targeted at kids that is as bursting with hidden fees as Kim's shirt, featured prominently on the plastic, is bursting with integrity. Yeah, I think using sex to sell hidden fees to kids is pretty messed up. Just take a look at all these fees:

Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard

• Card Purchase (Includes monthly fees for 6 months) $59.95
• Card Purchase (Includes monthly fees for 12 months) $99.95
• Monthly Fee (Applies after initial purchase period) $7.95
• Card Replacement - Primary or Companion $9.95
• ATM Withdrawal - Domestic $1.50
• ATM Inquiry or Decline - Domestic $1.00
• ATM Withdrawal - International $2.50
• ATM Inquiry or Decline - International $2.00
• Point of Sale - Decline -Domestic $1.00
• Point of Sale - Decline - International $1.00
• External Checking or Savings Transfer (To/From) $1.00
• Account to Account Transfer * $1.00
• Retail Load Fee (MoneyGram) $1.00
• Load Account by Debit/Credit Card ** $1.00
• Cancel Account - Request Balance Mailed by Check $6.00
• Service Center Care-Live operator $1.50
• Bill Pay - Per Item $2.00
• Replacement Card Expedite Fee (Overnight) $25.00
• Fee for transferring money from external accounts and to other cardholder accounts
• 2.5% surcharge of transaction amount applies

Fox Continues Homeric Odyssey

Fox has renewed "The Simpsons" for next season, the show's 23rd.

That means the longest-running comedy in television history will have a whopping 515 episodes in the can when the 2011-2012 season is over.

"Like many 22-year-olds, 'The Simpsons' is extremely happy remaining at home, on Fox, and hopes it doesn't have to go out into the real world for many years to come," Al Jean, executive producer, said in a statement.

Since launching on Jan. 14, 1990, "The Simpsons" has become a staple for Fox and a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.

nydailynews

Thank You!

November 11th is Veterans Day, a day to honor America's military Veterans. Since 1954, the Veterans Day National Committee has worked to ensure Veterans Day receives proper and widespread observance. Part of that outreach this year includes this video for students explaining how and why we honor Veterans, not just on Veterans Day, but year-round.

On the VA Veterans Day page you'll find not only this video but also Veterans Day History, local and national observances and resources to teach students the value of honoring our Veterans. Visit the site at http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday and be sure to follow VA on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/VeteransAffairs­) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/DeptVetAffairs

The Power Of An Earthquake

This past September, a quake rocked Canterbury, New Zealand. But rather than scenes of destruction and rubble, the tremors left behind some bizarre scenes—like these warped tracks atop pristine countryside.  This is not photoshopped.

How 'bout A Turkey Cake?

Thanksgiving is coming quickly and here's something new to serve up. It's a Turkey Cake:

It's a layer cake. The layers are made of turkey and stuffing. It's frosted with mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. The turkey, mind you, is ground, and mixed with instant oatmeal. And the coupe de grace is — wait for it — a topping of mini marshmallows.

Video: 'Wheel' Puzzle Solved With One Letter

It may be the most amazing solve of a “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle ever…A New York fashion magazine editor nailed a long answer with just one letter for a clue!

26 year old Caitlin Burke nailed the phrase “I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This” with only the letter “L” showing on the board.

The woman from Clinton Township, New Jersey won a $6,500 trip to the Caribbean. Pat Sajak was clearly shocked by the quick answer and you can see the entire clip here:

The Perfect Trick Play

The game is between two middle-schools, but no one information is available.

Loyalty: Dog Still Waits for Dead Master

Wayne Giroux’s family sure misses him after he was killed by a drunk driver this summer. But there’s also someone else who misses Wayne — his dog Spot.

From WFAA-TV:

It’s hard to tell who misses Wayne more… Paul or the dog.

At the same time, every day, Spot hangs around this quiet country road waiting for Wayne to come home.

“I have no doubt that‘s what she’s waiting for,” Paul said. “It breaks my heart every time I go over there.”
Twice a day, Spot leaves her post when Paul looks in on her. But he knows it’s not him the dog really wants to see.

“If you can ever find anything that loves you that much, it’s the most precious gift in the world,” he said.
It’s possible, one day, Spot might give up. But Paul doesn’t think so.

Around here, friends are for a lifetime.

Chilean Miner Finshes NYC Marathon!

Chilean miner Edison Pena ran the first half of the New York City Marathon in two hours and seven minutes, until knee pain and exhaustion forced him to walk for 10 miles. He slapped on two ice packs at a first-aid station and got treated for cramps at a medical tent in the 18th mile, but he kept on going, and finished the marathon in 5 hours, 40 minutes and 51seconds!

“The Wonder of You” by his favorite artist Elvis blared out of the speakers as he crossed the finish line.

Retired Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer was the very last runner to start the race but finished in an impressive 4:13. For every person he passed in the race, Timex will donate $1 to the New York Road
Runners youth fitness program.

-Model Veronica Webb finished the race in 4:59

-Subway Spokesman Jared Fogle said he just hoped he could finish the marathon and he did in a very
respectable 5:13

-“Today Show” host Meredith Vieria ran her first marathon in 5:59

-Another “Today Show” member Al Roker ran the race in 7:09.

See the full list of results here.

MJ's New Album Vocals Are Genuine: Music Studio

Sony Music on Friday released a brief "teaser" of a new Michael Jackson single and insisted that the vocals on an upcoming new album were genuinely those of the late "Thriller" singer.

But controversy over the December album release of "Michael" was stoked by a representative of Jackson's father Joe, who said the perfectionist performer would never have wanted his unfinished material to be released.

A short clip on the official michaeljackson.com web site for "Breaking News" -- a song that Jackson is said to have recorded in 2007 -- consisted of TV news soundbites on Jackson's June 2009 death, followed by a faint scream of less than two seconds.

The full song will be released on Monday. The new album "Michael" will be released December 14.

Read more here.

From Space: Florida at Night

These photos were taken by NASA astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock on Nov. 1, 2010.

It is a picture of the Southeastern United States at night with the state of Florida taking front stage.

Wheelock is currently orbiting Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft and commander of the Expedition 25 crew.

As the ISS orbits, Wheelock has taken numerous snapshots of the blue and green planet, including cities and famous landmarks that dot the sphere.

He is uploading his individual photos onto his personal Twitter page via twitpic.com. All of these images are courtesy of NASA, Wheelock and twitpic.com.

Here's a close-up view of the Interstate 4 corridor that stretches from Tampa to Orlando and ends by running into I-95 near Daytona Beach, Florida.

You can clearly see the "dark" waters of Tampa Bay and the bridges connecting St. Petersburg to Tampa at the bottom of the image.  Also quite visible is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge connecting St. Petersburg to the Palmetto and Bradenton areas of west-central Florida.

Working your way to the top of the image and following I-4 west to east, you can pick out the city lights of Lakeland, Orlando (and its extensive coverage of surrounding cities) and finally Daytona Beach along the Florida Atlantic Coast.

By the way, at the top right of the image is the Space Coast, including Titusville and Cape Canaveral.

Nuns get $220K from Wagner card sale

From the AP:

BALTIMORE -- A rare Honus Wagner baseball card that was bequeathed to an order of Roman Catholic nuns has sold at auction for $262,000.

The Baltimore-based School Sisters of Notre Dame put the card up for sale after inheriting it from the brother of a deceased nun. The sale price exceeded the expectations of auctioneers at Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries.

The nuns will receive $220,000 from the sale. The total sale price includes a 19.5 percent buyer's premium. Sister Virginia Muller, who was entrusted with the card, says the proceeds will go to the order's ministries in more than 30 countries around the world.

Collector and card shop owner Doug Walton bought the card.

About 60 of the T206 Honus Wagner cards, produced between 1909 and 1911, are known to exist.

Serial Bride Married Four Times

Cash-for-citizenship scam
From NY Daily News:

A serial bride from the Bronx married four men in a cash-for-citizenship scam before officials caught on to her on her fifth trip down the aisle, city records show.

Officials say Sonia Estrada, 46, appears to have never gotten divorced.

"She was a pay-for-play wife," said one city official. "Each guy paid her a few thousand bucks and got their papers. She had a real racket going."

Estrada has been issued four New York marriage licenses - one in 1985, two in 1992, and one in 1994. A new system in the city clerk's office flagged her fifth application when she tried to marry again in July, sources said.

After failing to find any record of divorce from her four previous husbands, the fifth application was denied, records show.

Officials quickly began to suspect it was a citizenship scam. One of her husbands said he had no idea.

"I didn't know she was married," said Luis Montoya Rendon, a Colombian immigrant. "If she did that, she's a liar. It's wrong."

Records show her other husbands are Pedro Chinchilla, also of Colombia; Fredy Jorge of Peru, and Juaquin Mejia of the Dominican Republic. Estrada, who has three daughters with a man she has not married, was summoned to an administrative tribunal to explain herself. When confronted with evidence of her past marriages, Estrada blamed her dead twin, Gloria. Administrative Law Judge Ingrid Addison didn't buy it.

"It appeared all too convenient to accuse Gloria, since she was no longer around to dispute it," Addison wrote in her decision.

Estrada's case has been referred to the NYPD, sources said. She could not be reached for comment.

Couple Gives Away $11.2M Jackpot

A Canadian couple that won over $11 million (Canadian) has given it all away. Beneficiaries include friends, family, charities, hospitals, and even the local fire department.

The Daily Mail reports: 

Allen and Violet Large, both in their 70s, said their good fortune earlier this year had been a ‘big headache’ and they had decided against going on a spending spree.

‘What you’ve never had, you never miss,’ Violet, 78, told the Toronto Star.

She and Allen, 75, eventually decided it was better to give than receive and were totally at ease with handing over the money.

The couple has been married for 36 years and called the money “nothing” compared to having “each other.”

But it‘s not as if the couple couldn’t have used the money for other things. When they won the jackpot,

Violet was undergoing cancer treatment including chemo therapy and surgery. No matter.

The couple reportedly gave money to the hospitals where Violet received treatment, as well as cemeteries, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and churches.

The Partisans: Is Obama A Keynesian?

Rally For Sanity, 10/30/10

What A Story!

The 10 Most Overpriced Products

www.walletpop.com says convenience comes at a price and they list 10 overpriced products you should avoid if you want to save money.

6. Coffee has a 300% markup – That $3 cup of coffee you buy at the corner cafe is made for a quarter.

3. Movie theater popcorn has a 1,275% markup – You pay $6 for a medium-sized bag of popcorn in theaters, compared to buying three bags of microwaveable popcorn sold in a box for about $3 at the store. The average movie theater makes 40% of its profits from concessions.

2. Bottled water has a 4,000% markup

1. Text messages have a 6,000% markup – outgoing text messages on a cell phone typically costs users 20 cents, while it only costs carriers three-tenths of a cent to process.

See the rest of the list here.

Boo!

From USA Today

Crist: Bubba the Love Sponge Influencing the Election

Is Bubba the Love Sponge swaying next week's election?

CandidateKendrick Meeks

The syndicated radio host (Bubba the Love Sponge is his real name; he had it legally changed) has been encouraging his listeners, known as "The Bubba Army," to vote for his preferred candidates. Among them: Charlie Crist.

According to browardpalmbeach.com, Bubba's influence is no joke: He consistently ranks high in ratings, and when he ran for Pinellas County sheriff in 2004, he won almost 30 percent of the vote.

Crist, Bubba pointed out, left the Republican Party shortly after siding with teachers and vetoing a controversial bill that would link their pay to student achievement. That, Bubba said, is because he has "'nads." He also cited Crist's efforts to force insurance companies to insure autistic kids, to protect women seeking abortions, and his support for police officers.

Twice this week, Gov. Crist called in to the show, which airs in South Florida on 93.1-FM. He said that whenever the economy gets tough, people get angry, and that "my former party, the far right wing" is capitalizing on that anger. He alluded to the fact that Marco Rubio has a hold on an estimated 40 percent of the vote, with the other 60 percent being split between himself and Kendrick Meek -- to the detriment of both.

"Sixty percent of Floridians don't want Marco Rubio," Crist said. "We need to unite those of us who want common sense."

Read more here.

At WS: "Give Me Some Pot And Some..."

Reporters from around the country are in San Francisco this week covering the World Series and that means the eyes of the nation are on on us, reports Lori Preuitt at nbcbayarea.com.

If the reporter from our sister station in Dallas is any indication, the country thinks we are potheads.
Newy Scruggs from NBCDFW said during his live report that people next to him "are smoking weed."  The anchors then asked, "Is it legal there?" Ask that question again next week.

Scruggs didn't do any real trash talking, unless you consider saying Giants fans are high on pot.  He quickly added that we were "nice people," but said that was in part because we were "half buzzed out."

The anchors back in Dallas recommended Newy hold his breath.

Newy came back at the following newscast and went even further.  He claimed to have found the location of the pot smokers behind a rock on the banks of McCovey Cove and whined, "Police aren't even doing anything!"

Read more here.

Actor James MacArthur: Original Danno Dies

From The AP:

Stage and screen actor James MacArthur, who played "Danno" in the original version of television's "Hawaii Five-0," died Thursday at age 72. MacArthur's agent, Richard Lewis, said the actor died in Florida of "natural causes," but no direct cause was specified.

In a career that spanned more than four decades, MacArthur was most recognized for his role as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams on "Hawaii Five-0," which aired from 1968 to 1980. Episodes often ended with detective Steve McGarrett, the lead character, uttering what became a pop culture catch phrase: "Book 'em, Danno."

Awesome And Risky

Don't try this at home

People Are Awesome:  A compilation of awesome people doing incredible things.

The Scariest Moments In Movie History

TV Guide polled readers and asked them to list the scariest scenes in movie history.
In no order, the top moments included “Come play with us Danny” scene with the ghostly twins in “The Shining.”

The shower scene from “Psycho”

The scene from “The Exorcist” when a possessed Linda Blair walks backwards on all-fours

Just about any scene that involves Tim Curry’s “Pennywise the Dancing Clown” in Steven King’s “IT”.

See the rest here.

Yikes! First Nail Polish..Perfume Next!

Justin Bieber launching fragrance line

It was just a week or so ago, we learned Bieber was introducing a line of nail polish products (presumably for his female teen fans, although one never knows for sure these days).   Now comes word the pop star is launching his own fragrance line, called “My World,” but with a twist.

Rather than funky-looking bottles, Bieber has teamed up with Etoile Nation Beauty to create wristbands and dogtags infused with a unisex scent.

The teen sensation has personally picked out the scents, named Icon, Energy, Tour and Web.

Who is advising this kid?   Does the world seem to becoming a freak show?

'Hiccup girl' Charged With Murder

All that hiccupping may have driven her over the edge

A 19-year-old woman who gained national fame in 2007 because she couldn't stop hiccuping for five weeks has been charged with murder, in what police are calling a botched robbery.

Jennifer Mee, who appeared on NBC's "Today" several times in 2007 after she started hiccupping about 50 times a minute and couldn't stop, has been charged along with two others with first-degree murder in St. Petersburg, Fla.



NYDaily News reports St. Petersburg police as saying Mee, Laron Raiford, 20, and Lamont Newton, 22, lured their victim, Shannon A. Griffin, to a home and robbed him at gunpoint, The Associated Press Reported.

Griffin was shot and killed during a struggle, police said. He was found with "several gunshot wounds to his upper body," NBC reported.

Sgt. T. A. Skinner of the St. Petersburg Police Department told the AP that the three confessed.
Mee, Raiford and Newton could face the death penalty, according to Florida law.

During her appearance on "Today," Mee, who was 15, complained at the time that her hiccups forced her to miss school and caused her so much agony that she often burst into tears.

Call Me Senator - From David Zucker

Director David Zucker writes and produces the hilarious but sad tale of Barbara Boxers disrespect of our Military. In the wonderful style of his great movies Airplane, Naked Gun, Naked Gun 2.5, Scary Movie 3, Scary Movie 4, An American Carol, David hits to the core of Senator Boxer's famous hearing.

Telling It Like It Is

Edgy political ad...worth watching.

747 Buzzes Golden Gate Bridge

"And on your right, you should see the Golden Gate Bridge. And further down on your right, the terrified faces of the drivers on the Golden Gate Bridge."

Mr. C, Actor Tom Bosley Passes At 83

Tom Bosley, the rubber-faced TV veteran who made character acting an art form and was best known as Richie Cunningham's dad on "Happy Days," died Tuesday in Palm Springs, Calif.

He was 83 and had been battling lung cancer and a staph infection.

According to David Hinckley at nydailynews.com, While Bosley began as a theater performer and won a Tony in 1959 for his portrait of Fiorello LaGuardia in "Fiorello!" on Broadway, he carved his television career out of supporting roles.

Over six decades, his easy-going, down-home style made him one of TV's most familiar and reassuring personalities.

On "Happy Days" he played a hardware store owner Howard Cunningham who came home every night to sit in his easy chair and be the kind of calm and fair-minded Middle American Dad that every kid wanted.



After "Happy Days" he had another long run as Sheriff Amos Tupper in Angela Lansbury's "Murder She Wrote." He also played the title role in the popular "Father Dowling Mysteries."

Because of his warm, ingratiating manner, he played a number of priests - even though, he noted with amusement, he was Jewish.

He was also a natural as a pitchman, and later generations of TV viewers knew him from his ads for Glad trash bags.

His "Happy Days" castmate Henry Winkler said yesterday that Bosley was an underrated actor.
"I saw him before I ever got to Hollywood on Broadway, and he was great," Winkler told TMZ. "And then I got to act with him for 10 years and he was great. Tom Bosley was our mentor."

Read more here.

Is Homer Catholic?

"The Simpsons" just got a blessing from the Vatican

According to Reuters, the official Vatican newspaper has declared that beer-swilling, doughnut-loving Homer Simpson and son Bart are Catholics -- and what's more, it says that parents should not be afraid to let their children watch "the adventures of the little guys in yellow."

"Few people know it, and he does everything to hide it. But it's true: Homer J. Simpson is Catholic", the Osservatore Romano newspaper said in an article on Sunday headlined "Homer and Bart are Catholics."

The newspaper cited a study by a Jesuit priest of a 2005 episode of the show called "The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star". That study concludes that "The Simpsons" is "among the few TV programs for kids in which Christian faith, religion and questions about God are recurrent themes."

The Simpsons pray before meals, and "in its own way, believes in the beyond," the newspaper quoted the Jesuit study as saying.

It's the second time the animated U.S. TV series, which is broadcast in 90 countries, has been praised by the Vatican.

But executive producer Al Jean told Entertainment Weekly on Monday he was in "shock and awe" at the latest assertion, adding that the Simpsons attend the "Presbylutheran" First Church of Springfield.

"We've pretty clearly shown that Homer is not Catholic," Jean said. "I really don't think he could go without eating meat on Fridays -- for even an hour."

In December 2009, the Osservatore Romano described the show as "tender and irreverent, scandalous and ironic, boisterous and profound, philosophical and sometimes even theological, nutty synthesis of pop culture and of the lukewarm and nihilistic American middle class."

"The Simpsons", which introduced the catch-phrase "D'oh", is the longest-running prime-time TV series in the United States and is now in its 22nd season.

It's All About 'Me'

Ahree Lee took a picture of herself every day for three years (2001-2004) and then turned them into a short film collage that was nominated for numerous awards, including the 2007 Webby.  It was also featured at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, the Silver Lake Film Festival, the Film Fest New Haven, New Haven and the Light Plays Tricks 6 Short Film Festival in Canada.

'June Cleaver' Dies At 94

From The AP:

Barbara Billingsley, who gained supermom status for her gentle portrayal of June Cleaver, the warm, supportive mother of a pair of precocious boys in "Leave it to Beaver," died Saturday. She was 94.

Billingsley, who had suffered from a rheumatoid disease, died at her home in Santa Monica, said family spokeswoman Judy Twersky.

When the show debuted in 1957, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, was 9, and Tony Dow, who portrayed Wally, was 12. Billingsley's character, the perfect stay-at-home 1950s mom, was always there to gently but firmly nurture both through the ups and downs of childhood.

Beaver, meanwhile, was a typical American boy whose adventures landed him in one comical crisis after another.

Billingsley's own two sons said she was pretty much the image of June Cleaver in real life, although the actress disagreed. She did acknowledge that she may have become more like June as the series progressed.

After "Leave it to Beaver" left the air in 1963 Billingsley largely disappeared from public view for several years.



She resurfaced in 1980 in a hilarious cameo in "Airplane!" playing a demur elderly passenger not unlike June Cleaver.

When flight attendants were unable to communicate with a pair of jive-talking hipsters, Billingsley's character volunteered to translate, saying "I speak jive." The three then engage in a raucous street-slang conversation.

"Top Ten Reasons to Watch the Baseball Playoffs"

Phillies All-Star first baseman Ryan Howard appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman" last night from the dugout of a rainy Citizens Bank Park.

Wanna Take a Ride?

Take a weather balloon, a GPS unit, an HD camera and an iPhone and you have a homemade spacecraft that can reach 100,000 ft altitude.

August 2010 - Like many youngsters, and those young at heart, seven-year-old Max Geissbuhler and his dad dreamed of visiting space -- and armed with just a weather balloon, a video camera, and an iPhone, in a way they did just that.

The father-and-son team from Brooklyn managed to send their homemade spacecraft up nearly 19 miles, high into the stratosphere, bringing back perhaps the most impressive amateur space footage ever. The duo housed the video camera, iPhone, and GPS equipment in a specially designed insulated casing, along with some hand-warmers and a note from Max requesting its safe return from whomever may find it after making it back to solid ground. All told, father and son spent eight months preparing for their homemade journey into space, in hopes of filming "the blackness beyond our earth."

Kids Behind NYC 'UFO'

The Chelsea UFO theories have been deflated.

The mysterious objects that hovered over West 23rd Street on Wednesday were almost certainly errant party balloons.  And they came not from Mars, but Mount Vernon.

"It was just a freak thing. Frankly, I'm shocked by it," Angela Freeman, head of the Milestone School in the Westchester suburb tikd NYPost.com, where the cluster of balloons was inadvertently launched.

"The kids had an engagement party for a teacher, and a mother brought four dozen balloons, and she's coming through the door. It is very windy in Mount Vernon. Suddenly, 12 of the balloons let loose."

The cluster of balloons meant for language-arts teacher Andrea Craparo went skyward at around 1 p.m. The first "UFO" sighting was at about 1:30 p.m.

When Freeman heard the news, she realized the "UFO" frenzy that brought parts of Chelsea to a dead halt were her balloons.

"It makes sense. The balloon just went right down the West Side," she said.

The sightings prompted several calls to 911, according to the NYPD.

Read more here.

Manhattan UFO?

Shiny objects floating over Manhattan spark UFO frenzy

A mysterious shiny object floating high over Manhattan's West Side set off a flurry of reports and wild speculation Wednesday that a UFO was flying over the city.

Police and the FAA said they began getting flooded with calls starting at 1:30 p.m. from people reporting a silvery object hovering high over Chelsea.

Law enforcement sources said they believed the object was likely some sort of balloon, but as of late Wednesday they had not confirmed exactly what it is.

A Daily News reporter could see a tiny, silver dot floating approximately 5,000 feet above 23th St. and Eighth Ave., where dozens of people gathered late in the afternoon to catch a glimpse.

"It's been hovering there for a while. I'm just kind of baffled," said Joseph Torres, 49, of Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, who spotted the object after leaving a movie. "How can it be ordinary? There is something going on."

Despite clear skies, it was not easy to make out the tiny object shimmering overhead.



Read more here.

New "Back to the Future" Set Shows Original Marty McFly

It might be hard to imagine anyone besides Michael J. Fox playing Marty McFly in "Back to the Future," but another actor originally had the now-iconic role.

CBS.com reports fans of the film can see the original Marty - actor Eric Stolz - in footage that's part of the extras package in the "Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy" set, which will be released on Blu-Ray on Oct. 26.



Details on the switch, which happened five weeks into shooting the film, are also provided in the extras. Part of the clip was posted on The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday.

Director and co-writer Robert Zemeckis said the casting change was "this horrific decision; it was heartbreaking for everybody."

Executive producer Steven Spielberg said that Zemeckis consulted him before pursuing the switch.

"(Zemeckis) showed me the first five weeks of shooting that he had put together," Spielberg said. "And he said, 'I just don't think we're getting the laughs I was hoping we would get.'"

The decision changed pop culture history. Zemeckis was able to "convince the studio to let me reshoot five weeks of work," and Fox was cast in the career-defining role.

The original "Back to the Future" was released on Oct. 26, 1985, went on to gross $381 million worldwide and lead to two sequels.

Happy Meal Shows No Signs Of Decomposing

Even after six months!

Looking almost as fresh as the day it was bought, this McDonald's Happy Meal is in fact a staggering six months old.

The UK's Daily Mail reports, the meal has been photographed every day for the past half a year by Manhattan artist Sally Davies the kids meal of fries and burger is without a hint of mould or decay.

Entitled 'The Happy Meal Project', Mrs Davies, 54, has charted the seemingly indestructible fast food meals progress as it refuses to yield to the forces of nature.

Sitting on a shelf in her apartment, Sally has watched the Happy Meal with increasing shock and even her dogs have resisted the urge to try and steal a free tasty snack.

'I bought the meal on April 10 of this year and brought it home with the express intention of leaving it out to see how it fared,' she said.  'The first thing that struck me on day two of the experiment was that it no longer emitted any smell. And then the second point of note was that on the second day, my dogs stopped circling the shelf it was sitting on trying to see what was up there.'

Expecting the food to begin moulding after a few days, Mrs Davies' surprise turned to shock as the fries and burger still had not shown any signs of decomposition after two weeks.

'The fries shrivelled slightly as did the burger patty, but the overall appearance of the food did not change as the weeks turned to months.

'And now, at six months old, the food is plastic to the touch and has an acrylic sheen to it. The only change that I can see is that it has become hard as a rock.'

Justin Bieber To Launch Nail Polish Line

This is so bizarre, Nostradamus must have predicted this!

From NY Daily News:

Justin Bieber's about to nail the teen beauty market.

The 16-year-old singer has teamed up with Nicole by OPI to design a new collection of nail polishes – inspired by his hit songs – that will debut exclusively at Wal-Mart in December, AOL's Style List reported.

Beiber's beauty treatments will come in dark blue, bright red and lavender, among other shades. But instead of being named for primary colors, they'll reportedly be named after his hit songs.

The lavender shade will be called One Less Lonely Girl, the blue will be called Me + Blue and the red will be named OMB!, according to Style list.

Teen fans won't be able to paint their nails all 14 shades just yet. While the first six colors will hit stores in December, the complete line won't be available until January.

The teen idol is not the first star to come out with a line of polishes. Nicole by OPI also is collaborating on nail polishes with tennis star Serena Williams and with Katy Perry, MTV.com reports. Perry's first color, called Black Shatter, is a "crackle" style of nail polish.

Read more here.

Spooky

This October has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, all in one month.  It happens once in 823 years.

Hollywood's Ugly Open Secret

The Oscars, the Walk of Fame and the Hollywood sign are some of Tinseltown's famed icons. But as with most fairy tales, there is also a hardcore underbelly.

Now Gwyneth Paltrow has spoken out about one of the industry's dirtiest secrets – the casting couch.

In the November issue of Elle Magazine, 38-year-old Paltrow revealed that early in her career she had a brush with someone who "suggested that we finish a meeting in the bedroom."
Her reaction?

"I left," she told Elle. "I was pretty shocked." Paltrow said she could see how someone who didn't know better might worry that their career would be ruined if they didn't perform a specific sexual act.

Customized Favre Jersey

FBI Seizes John Lennon Fingerprints Before Auction

Getty Image

According to Reuters, A set of John Lennon's fingerprints being auctioned for at least $100,000 was seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday 30 years after the singer's death.

The 1976 signed application for Lennon's U.S. citizenship was one of the hallmarks of about 850 celebrity items in an online sale timed around Lennon's 70th birthday on Saturday.

The fingerprint card was being shown to media at a midtown New York store early Wednesday in an auction preview of more than 90 Beatles items when the FBI faxed a subpoena there and took the card.

Lennon was born in Liverpool, England and had been investigated by the FBI in the early 1970s for anti-war activity.

Peter Siegel, co-founder of GOTTA HAVE IT!, the shop selling the fingerprint card, said he was bewildered by the FBI action and interest during the week also by Homeland Security.

"This great icon has been deceased for 30 years," he said. "This is not a national threat."

Read more here.

Hey Punk! Get Off My Lawn!!

Over 52? Then you're probably grumpy

Britons find being older than 52 is nothing to laugh about because that's the age when they start becoming grumpy, according to a survey on Friday.

Reuters reports, the poll of 2,000 Britons found those over 50 laughed far less than their younger counterparts and complained far more.

While infants laughed up to 300 times a day, that figure had fallen to an average of six laughs by teenage years and only 2.5 daily chuckles for those over 60, the survey for cable TV channel Dave found.

Men were also found to be grumpier than women.

One reason for the decline in mirth might be the lack of joke-telling skills. The study found the average Briton only knows two jokes.

Kramer Makes An Entry (All Of Them!)

Every single Kramer entrance, in chronological order. Enjoy!

Eagles Grounded

These Eagles are not flying high anywhere anytime soon!  More sickness has come over the group and they have postponed another two shows!

Don Henley remains under the weather, which has forced the Eagles to postpone two more shows tonight in Orlando and tomorrow in Ft.Lauderdale. The re-scheduled dates are October 26th for Orlando, the October 27th for Ft.Lauderdale, and October 29th for Tuesday night’s canceled concert in Lubbock, Texas.

The Eagles‘ tour is scheduled to resume on Sunday at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

Diversity On The Forbes Power Women List

At the tops of the world’s largest institutions, “diversity” seems a foreign word. Only 3% of the 500 biggest public companies in the U.S. have females CEOs. Worldwide, female heads of state can still be counted on two hands. Forbes annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women pinpoints the “minority” group of globally influential women. The list itself also represents a cross-section of races, ages, ethnicities and sexual preferences.

The top-10 ranking alone reveals three powerhouse black women, whose success plants the seed of possibility for generations of women to follow: Michelle Obama (No. 1), Oprah Winfrey (No. 3) and Beyonce Knowles (No. 9). The GLBT community is also well represented at the top. Openly gay Ellen DeGeneres (No. 10) has brought lesbianism to the mainstream with massive platforms on TV, Twitter and Facebook.

Lady Gaga (No. 7), too, is openly bisexual and champions gay rights on the national stage. At just 24, Gaga wields a daily audience of 25 million on Facebook and Twitter and earns $62 million a year, proving that youth is not an obstacle to wealth or influence. Indra Nooyi (No. 6), CEO of $43 billion beverage giant PepsiCo, is an Indian-American. Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel (No. 4) and Australian mega-bank Westpac CEO, Gail Kelly (No. 8), reflect a growing global distribution of power.

Read more here.

Rock & Roll Legends Auction Starts

The Gotta Have It Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction has Paul McCartney‘s original handwritten lyrics for “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, “ a “Please Please Me” album autographed by all 4 Beatles, John Lennon‘s fingerprinted and signed application for US residence.

Elvis Presley‘s brown suede jacket worn at the “Million Dollar Quartet” Sun Studio sessions, Bob Dylan’s handwritten and dated lyrics to “Song to Woody,” the first song he ever recorded.

The auction is  live through October 15th.

Read more here.

$15,000 Gingerbread House

Neiman Marcus is selling a $15,000 Gingerbread House in its Christmas Book. The “house” has 381 pounds of gingerbread, 571 pounds of royal icing and thousands of lollipops, cookies and gumdrops.

It stands more than six feet high and is among the most decadent of the gifts on offer from the luxury retailer.

For the first time in 84 years, the extravagant Christmas Book will be available on the iPad, and you’ll be able to order online.

Check out the catalog here:

911 Callers Are a Joke

It appears residents in Broward County, Flori-duh have their definitions for "nonsense" and "emergency" mixed up.

According to the Broward Sheriff's Office call center, nearly half the 911 calls they receive are for things not quite a life or death situation - unless you consider a fast food order an emergency.

It's Back! "Back To The Future"

BTTF will be in AMC Theaters Saturday, October 23rd and Monday, October 25th.

Starting Oct. 26th, the new 25th Anniversary Trilogy will be available on Blu-ray & DVD - newly restored for enhanced picture quality, hours of bonus features, new interviews with Michael J. Fox, and more!

Old Media Buries the Lede

Communists and Socialists Dominated ‘One Nation’ Rally

From Ron Futrell:

Here’s the Associated Press slide show of yesterdays “One Nation” rally. There are more than 30 pictures here and not a single one showing the communist and socialist messages being spread by these Obama, Reid and Pelosi supporters. Check out the photos and notice what is missing from the pictures sent out by the AP and pay close attention to the left wing, Democrat groups who put this event together.

Now check out the people the activist old media will not show you. They were there, loud and proud but apparently the photographers could not find them. Americans For Prosperity found them and the communists and socialists were in plain view and wearing Obama-Biden shirts.




Read more here.