Michael Jackson Dead at Age 50
The L.A. Times reports that Michael Jackson died after a cardiac arrest today.[Update: Jackson has indeed died. He passed away at 1:07 pm Pacific time, according to the LA County Coroner.]For a look back:
The Who2 Blog
The Ongoing Saga of South Carolina’s Governor, Mark Sanford
Oh, South Carolina governor Mark Sanford — way to knock Jon and Kate off the front pages!First reports had Sanford as “missing.” Next came word he was “hiking the Appalachian Trail,” followed by a wave of “the media is making too big a deal of this!”Then it turned out he wasn’t hiking the Appalachian Trail, he was in Argentina. Because he likes to walk around by himself.
Rog, Sandra, El and Adolf
No movie begins with scenes of a man and a woman who are utterly incompatible unless it ends with them in love, unless perhaps it might be one about Hitler and Eleanor Roosevelt.Roger Ebert gets whimsical as he reviews The Proposal.
Our 1000th Blog Post
This is it.Who2’s first blog post, on 18 September 2005, covered the last words of Pope John Paul II. (“Let me go to the house of the Father,” they were reported to be.)Post #100, from 6 September 2007, was “Still No Word on Steve Fossett.”
Comanche Was *Not* the Sole Survivor of Custer’s Last Stand
Our biography of the noble horse Comanche has stated for several years that he was the only U.S. Army survivor of the Battle of Little Big Horn — more popularly known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”
Hemingway vs. the Bull
New Ernest Hemingway art by Paul Hehn. Other new Hemingway sketches from Mr. Hehn can be found here, here and here.
The National Archives on YouTube
Today marks the official launch of the YouTube channel for the U.S. government’s National Archives. Go here for the main page.
Bo’s Shame
Cute new “baseball card” for the First Dog released by the White House today.But what’s this?”Even though Bo is a Portuguese Water Dog, he doesn’t know how to swim.”How humiliating for him. Did the White House really need to trumpet the failings of this poor dog?
Robert Pattinson Makes Out on the Beach
The glamorous life of a movie star: Robert Pattinson makes out with co-star Emilie de Ravin on location for their movie Remember Me.Looks like fun.Alas, with a bit of context it seems somehow less glam:
A Fascinating Guy You Never Heard Of
We stumbled on this obituary from the New York Times, published in May of 2007. It’s about Dr. John K. Lattimer, a urologist and Columbia University professor.
Cronkite On the Ropes?
Walter Cronkite, 92, who once held the title of “Most Trusted Man in America,” is gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources. The network began updating his obituary more than a week ago, a source adds.CBS News executive Linda Mason, designated to speak on Cronkite’s behalf, had no comment.More from TVNewser.
Billy Joel Splits With Slightly Taller, Slightly Younger Wife
Alas: Singer Billy Joel and his wife, Katie Lee, are divorcing.They married in 2004, when Joel was 55 and Katie Lee was 22. “They grew apart,” an anonymous friend tells the NY Post.(Photo supplied by WENN.)
Happy 60th Birthday, Chris Van Allsburg!
The children’s artist and author was born in Michigan on this day in 1949. His family operated a creamery in Grand Rapids.Van Allsburg’s biography has a swell story about how he lied to an admissions counselor about Norman Rockwell in order to get into art school at the University of Michigan.
Clinton Breaks Her Elbow
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has broken her elbow after a fall, says Reuters. She’ll have surgery and continue on with her schedule.We’re glad Secretary Clinton is OK. We would have hated to add her to Destination: Sidewalk.
Proof Through DNA
Mental Floss has a fascinating (and brief) piece on 5 Historical Figures ID’d by DNA. Check it out.
John Hinckley Gets a Driver’s License
The almost-assassin of Ronald Reagan is getting out more these days.
J.D. Salinger Deaf, Ninety
J.D. Salinger is suing someone again. No surprise there, but this is a surprise: Court documents filed in the case describe Mr. Salinger, now 90, who lives in Cornish, N.H., as totally deaf, with ‘several age-related health problems,’ including a recently broken hip that has put him in a rehabilitation facility. Mr. Salinger has not been photographed or granted an interview for decades.Geez, he’s 90?
Imelda Channels Gordon Gekko
“For me, greedy is giving. I was First Lady for 20 years; you have to be greedy first to give to all. It is natural.”She’s back!
Caroline’s Prince Not-So-Charming
Princess Caroline of Monaco’s husband Prince Ernst August of Hanover denied in court on Monday drunkenly beating up a hotel manager with a knuckle duster on the Kenyan island of Lamu in 2000.The German aristocrat… said through his lawyer at his retrial in Germany that he gave Josef Brunlehner “two symbolic slaps” because he was annoyed about the noise and laser show at the hotel disco.
R.I.P., James Knox Polk
U.S. President James K. Polk died 160 years ago today, at the age of 53.