Monthly Archive: November 2009

Shoeless Tiger Got Knuckle Rub!

Best details yet, courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel:Authorities have yet to speak to the 33-year-old golf pro about the accident, but a source familiar with the crash scene told the Orlando Sentinel that Woods was not wearing shoes when wife Elin Nordegren Woods pulled him out of his Cadillac Escalade following the accident.

Chelsea Clinton is Engaged

Chelsea Clinton is engaged.The lucky fellow is Marc Mezvinsky, whom she’s been dating for several years. He’s an investment banker and his father and mother are described as “longtime friends” of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Chelsea is their only child.

About That Jezail Bullet

An earlier post about Afghanistan mentioned the “Jezail bullet” of Dr. Watson.

Obama, Sherlock Holmes, and Afghanistan

Today’s Mike Lupica column expresses exactly how I feel about sending more troops to Afghanistan.You know when we are going to be out of Afghanistan, where the United States has become just one more losing road team? Sometime around the 12th of Never. The more who die there, the more we send over.

Nic Cage Loves Pachinko!

“Mr. Cage doesn’t do realism or, rather, he doesn’t do it all that persuasively. Like Al Pacino he is a maximalist and more apt to turn the volume up than …..

Susan Boyle Debuts at #1

I Dreamed A Dream, the first album by reality star Susan Boyle, has debuted at #1 on the British charts.Albums sold in the first week: 410,000.

Tiger Woods Accident Update

Recapping day three of Tiger’s Troubles:Tiger Woods released a statement saying the accident was his responsibility alone and that his wife had acted “courageously.”Woods refused to speak to Florida Highway Patrol troopers for the third day in a row.

“Mr. Woods Was Unavailable for an Interview”

The Florida Highway Patrol has issued a statement about how its officers were denied a meeting with Tiger Woods on Sunday — the third day in a row they were turned away.Golf.com quotes a statement from Sgt. Kim Montes of the FHP:

How Old is Rachel Uchitel?

When was Rachel Uchitel born? 1975, we believe, though we don’t have an exact date of birth. By that reckoning, she is now 34 years old.Her age has been consistent across news stories since 2001. A few key items:

Wikipedia Drops Rachel Uchitel Page

There seems to be a behind-the-scenes battle going at Wikipedia over Rachel Uchitel, whom The National Enquirer accuses of having an affair with golfer Tiger Woods.Uchitel had a Wikipedia page earlier, but a visit today at 5:20 pm Eastern time shows this screen instead:

Tiger Woods 911 Call Transcript

The Orlando Sentinel now has the full transcript of a neighbor’s 911 call on Tiger Woods. A few key moments:Operator 2: What happened; what’s wrong?Neighbor: I have a neighbor; he hit the tree. And we came out here just to see what was going on. I see him and he’s laying down.Operator 2: You mean it was an auto accident?Neighbor: Yes, it was an auto accident, yes.

Tiger Woods 911 Call — Audio

Here’s a recording of the 911 call from Friday morning outside Tiger Woods’ house.A neighbor made the call, though he didn’t mention Woods’s name. He told 911 personnel that Woods had hit a tree, that he was now on the ground outside his black Escalade, and that he was unconscious.[Update: Here’s the transcript of the 911 call.]

Rachel Uchitel and the Promotional Touch

The National Enquirer claims that golfer Tiger Woods has been dallying with a woman named Rachel Uchitel.Uchitel seems to have a certain self-promotional touch in any case. Here she is in a profile from Black Book last year:

Rachel Uchitel PHOTOS Over Time

We’ve been trying to grasp what Rachel Uchitel really looks like.She’s the nightclub manager whom The National Enquirer claims is the other woman in the Tiger Woods and wife brouhaha. Uchitel has an online photo trail going back to September 2001, when she was photographed in tears with the picture of her fiancee, Adam O’Grady.Here’s how Rachel Uchitel looked in December of 2010, after the Tiger Woods story broke:

The “Kobe Special”

“Hiking the Appalachian Trail” seemed to be a lock for Scandal Phrase of 2009.But here comes a late entrant: the Kobe Special. TMZ.com claims that Tiger Woods told a friend on Friday that he was going to need a “Kobe Special” to placate his wife Elin.

New Profile: Rachel Uchitel

For better or worse, we’ve just posted a new profile of Rachel Uchitel.She’s the New York nightclub manager whom The National Enquirer claims began an affair with golfer Tiger Woods in June.

TMZ: Tiger Woods’ Injuries “Caused by Wife”

The gossip website TMZ is now claiming that Tiger Woods was injured during an argument with his wife, Elin, before his traffic accident on Friday morning.We’re told he said his wife had confronted him about reports that he was seeing another woman. The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up.

Obama Pardons First Turkey

“There are certain days that remind me of why I ran for this office. And then there are moments like this where I pardon a turkey and send it to Disneyland.”President Barack Obama on Wednesday.Happy Thanksgiving from Who2!

More Fingers from Galileo

CNN reports here that Florence, Italy’s Museum of the History of Science plans to exhibit what they believe are two fingers and a tooth once belonging to astronomer Galileo.

‘No More Chicken, No More Exercise’

When I got done, I said ‘No more chicken, no more exercise.’ The first day after we finished shooting, I ate three hamburgers, three French fries, three cokes. Are you familiar with Japanese bento? A 3-person bento box — I ate the whole thing. God, no more chicken.Singer/actor Rain on breaking his training regimen after filming Ninja Assassin.

Governor Sanford’s Ethics Charges

According to this story from The State in Columbus, South Carolina, the governor there, Mark Sanford, faces 37 charges of ethics violations.The various charges boil down to using public funds imprudently. Reading between the lines — since the ethics charges themselves seem like small potatoes — we assume these charges are an attempt to make the governor suffer at least a little for last year’s ridiculous scandal.

Movie Review: FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY

Paul Newman Memorial Movie ReviewFAT MAN AND LITTLE BOYViewed at home, courtesy of NetflixMeal: Popcorn and 2/3 of a bottle of Luzon Jumilla Spanish wine (2005)We happened to have FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY in the house, courtesy of Netflix, so we watched it tonight with many fond nods and mental genuflections in the direction of Westport, Connecticut and the ghost of Paul Newman.

Video of Thierry Henry and the “Hand of Gaul”

That’s the instantly-infamous “Hand of Gaul” goal by French captain Thierry Henry on Wednesday night. The extra-time goal put France into the 2010 World Cup over the heartbroken Irish side. …..

Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts

Soon to be released by Process Publishing is this collection of letters from not-so-appreciative fans of long-dead weirdo comedian Andy Kaufman, titled Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts.

Oprah’s Out!

Says she’ll end her show in 2011.

Happy 50th Birthday, Allison Janney

The West Wing star was born in Boston in 1959. Which gives us the chance to run this truly unflattering photo from the “Broadway Bares Strip-A-Thon” for charity last June.More flattering photos here.(Photo: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.)

Memphis Cancels Iverson

NBA star Allen Iverson is no longer with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies terminated his contract after he played only three games. It’s possibly the end of Iverson’s NBA career, a roller coaster of a ride that began in Philadelphia in 1996. He was called “The Answer” back then, but since 2006 the one-time league MVP has played for Denver, Detroit and Memphis.The official site for the Grizzlies — with their statement about Iverson — is here.

The Family Circus = Mad Men?

From an interview with artist Jeff Keane about a new collection from the early days of ‘The Family Circus’:Q: When you look at the photos in the introduction, it’s a less flattering caricature in these initial strips than it is now.

William Blake’s Heavenly Imagination

Fans of poet-painter (and engraver) William Blake will appreciate all the detail in the long review of a new exhibit at New York’s Morgan Gallery.

Goodbye to ‘The Equalizer’

British actor Edward Woodward has died in England of “various illnesses, including pneumonia.” He was 79.

Book Review: ‘Road Dogs’ by Elmore Leonard

Here’s a funny moment from Road Dogs, the latest novel by veteran crime writer Elmore Leonard.The setup: Road Dogs brings back Jack Foley, the charming bank robber from Leonard’s 1996 book Out of Sight. This time Foley is on Venice Beach, hanging out in the mansion of a former prison buddy. Page 233:

The Screenwriter Who Saved Christmas — Again and Again

Dig the filmography of Romeo Muller, the guy who wrote the now-classic holiday TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.From The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show through Strawberry Shortcake in the Big Apple City and on to Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody… watta career!

The Esquire Experiment

I can’t remember the last time I wanted to go out and buy a magazine, but this Esquire “starring” Robert Downey, Jr. is tempting:

Jan and Kjeld

It sure is amusing.

James Bond Hates Foie Gras?

It seems to me that I distinctly remember James Bond liking foie gras. Nonetheless, here he was protesting it in Britain over the weekend.

Tim Burton at the MOMA

Filmmaker Tim Burton will be the subject of a five-week exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, beginning November 22nd.

Sesame Street Opens, Then and Now

As Google notes today, the 40th anniversary season of Seasame Street is coming right up. The first show airs on November 10th.Herewith, the colorful hi-tech show opener for season 40, followed by the decidedly low-tech opener for season 1 in 1969 — where “special effects” means camera zooms at 0:19 and 0:42.

Photo of Heidi Klum

Halloween With the Stars

Three costumes from Halloween 2009…Heidi Klum as a raven…Pop singer Debbie Gibson as a devil…