Amanda Knox is Not Guilty of Murder
Amanda Knox is headed home to Seattle: an Italian appeals jury found her not guilty of murder.
The Who2 Blog
Peter Gent, Author of ‘North Dallas Forty,’ Has Died
His first novel, North Dallas Forty, showed the pain, glory, mayhem and racism of the NFL. And, weirdly, made the Dallas Cowboys more popular than ever.
Teddy Roosevelt and the History of Football
This week the blog for Smithsonian.com has an article called “Score One for Roosevelt,” recounting how President Teddy Roosevelt helped “save” American football.
Amanda Knox is Like Jessica Rabbit, Says Her Lawyer
The Amanda Knox trial just got that much crazier. Her lawyer, speaking solemnly in court, compared her to Jessica Rabbit.
Anderson Cooper With a Limo and a Llama?
Yes, Anderson Cooper with a limo and a llama. And a Letterman.
In the History of ‘African-American’
This week there was an anniversary in the history of the American anti-slavery movement of the 19th century. A minor piece by the great abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, in his publication The Liberator, made a suggestion that at the time that seemed trivial to white Americans, yet his advice eventually worked its way into our daily language.
Just a Nice Photo: Siegfried and Roy
Siegfried and Roy kicked off Oktoberfest last week. Nice to see Roy out and about!
SNL Premiere: Alec Baldwin Plays Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett likes John Garfield, tomcats, and Charleston Chews. Sing it!
Chevy Chase Turned Down the Lead Roles in Star Wars, Titanic, Jaws, The Godfather, Magnum P.I, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia and Casablanca
And he turned down Dumbledore in Harry Potter. Or so it seems from this new list. He’s like the Kevin Bacon of turned-down movie roles.
Wangari Maathai, Nobel-Winning Planter of Trees, Dead at Age 71
Three billion trees, millions of fiery words, and one Nobel Peace Prize later, Wangari Maathai has died in Kenya.
The Joe Namath Diet: Coffee and a Chaw
Good old Joe Namath: always great for a juicy quote.
Throwing Einstein on the Bonfire?
Neutrinos have been measured going faster than the speed of light. (Maybe.) Does that mean sweet old Uncle Albert Einstein was wrong about everything?
Birthday Twins: Bruce Springsteen and ‘Left Behind’ Author Jerry B. Jenkins
They were born on the same day in 1949, then both got things started in 1973. And both are looking pretty good for 62.
What Would Be a Better Title for Cameron Crowe’s New Movie?
Cameron Crowe’s next movie features lions, zebras, porcupines, otters, and a heaping pile of feel-good. How heaping? Let’s watch the trailer.
Who Was the Horta on ‘Star Trek’?
Remember the Horta, from the Star Trek episode titled “Devil in the Dark”? I grew up watching Star Trek in black and white, so I’m always stunned to see it in color. It was news to me that the Horta was anything other than black with grey spots. In fact, it’s brown and orange, which makes it look like a shag rug or a wet piece of pepperoni pizza. And it turns out there’s a Hungarian underneath it, giving it life.
Kyle MacLachlan from ‘Portlandia’
Here’s a photo of actor Kyle MacLachlan on the set of the TV comedy Portlandia, the creation of SNL’s Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (formerly of the rock band Sleater-Kinney).
Roy Acuff Has a Great Speckled Birthday
Country music star Roy Acuff was born on this day in 1903. Let’s puzzle over the confounding lyrics to his big hit, “The Great Speckled Bird.”
Selyna Bogino Juggles Five Basketballs in a Rather Amazing Way
Acrobat Selyna Bogino has a special way with basketballs. And apparently, a lot of practice time on her hands.
Vincent Price and a Black Cat
From the blog Thought Patterns, a photo of Peter Lorre and Vincent Price. The photo is part of a collection, “Audition for a Black Cat,” photos of people in line waiting to audition their cat for a part in a movie.
‘I Want to Enjoy This Battle Against Him’
Is Rafael Nadal the most gracious, yet still proud, loser in the history of professional sports? We say yes.