Who2 Editorial Blog

Notes and Commentary from the Editors

Friday, September 05, 2008

Wait -- Walter Reed Middle School?

Was John McCain standing in front of an accidental photo on national TV last night?

The political blog Talking Points Memo is also on the case.

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 8:12 AM 0 comments

"Bond... 69-Year-Old Bond"

George Lazenby, the forgotten Bond, turns 69 today.

It was '69, coincidentally, when he played superspy James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. That was his only Bond film.

He's not the oldest actor to play Bond, not by a long shot. Sean Connery turned 78 in August, and Roger Moore turns 81 (!) next month. The current Bond, Daniel Craig, is a lad of 40.

All six of the actors who have played Bond since 1962 are still living. Two of them (Moore and Connery) have been knighted, and Pierce Brosnan (being Irish) was awarded an honorary OBE in 2003.

Could there be an anti-curse for those who have played Bond?

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 7:33 AM 0 comments

John McCain Accepts GOP Nomination

"You know, I've been called a maverick; someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment and sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you."

John McCain formally accepted the Republican nomination for president last night. The Boston Globe has the full speech transcript.

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 7:11 AM 0 comments

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Good Day, Paul Harvey!

Paul Harvey is 90 years old.

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 4:12 PM 0 comments

So Long, Bill Melendez

"Charlie Brown has a big head, a little body and little feet. Normally, a human takes a step every 16 frames -- about two-thirds of a second. But [Charles Schulz's] characters would look like they were floating at that pace. After several experiments, I had them take a step every six frames -- one-fourth of a second... It was the only way that worked."

Bill Melendez, the animator who brought Charlie Brown and Snoopy to life in A Charlie Brown Christmas, has died at age 91.

The Los Angeles Times has the full story.

Who knew? He was born José Cuauhtemoc Melendez in Mexico in 1916. He came to America with his family at age 12, and then somehow ended up working for Walt Disney.

Here's a nifty 2006 interview with Melendez about A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 7:07 AM 0 comments

Sarah Palin Convention Transcript

Courtesy of The Chicago Sun-Times, here's the transcript of Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican Convention last night.

It seemed to go well. But did she really sneer at Obama's work as a community organizer? "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."

That's one of the most mean-spirited comments I've ever heard in a political speech.

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 6:53 AM 1 comments

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Bristol Palin's Boyfriend Joins the GOP Convention

Taking things over the top: Levi Johnston, the boyfriend of Bristol Palin, will now attend the Republican National Convention.

Bristol is the 17-year-old daughter of GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Bristol's pregnancy has been a surprise story of the last few days, and Johnston is now being pulled into the spotlight as well.

[Update: ABC News weighs in with "Levi the Teen Dad Hits the Big Time."]

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 9:35 PM 3 comments

"In a World..."

Don LaFontaine, movie voiceover legend, has died.

(At Cedars-Sinai, natch.)

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 2:21 PM 0 comments

Christa McAuliffe +60

Citizen astronaut Christa McAuliffe would be just 60 years old today.

She was a 37-year-old schoolteacher from New Hampshire when she died in the 1986 explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

McAuliffe was the same age as actors Billy Crystal and Samuel L. Jackson and former vice president Al Gore.

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 7:06 AM 0 comments