Memories of the Al Gore Administration
What if the Supreme Court had given the election to Al Gore instead of George W. Bush? New York magazine imagines.
The Who2 Blog
Amelia Earhart’s Finger Bone
According to this story from Discovery.com, a bone fragment found on the uninhabited Pacific island of Nikumaroro may be part of Amelia Earhart’s finger.
Amelia Earhart and her finger disappeared 73 years ago while attempting an around-the-world flight with navigator Fred Noonan.
Bernard Madoff’s Son Commits Suicide
Mark Madoff, the elder son of jailed-for-life investment fraud Bernard Madoff, has committed suicide. He hung himself with a dog leash in Manhattan. It happened on the second anniversary of Bernard Madoff’s 2008 arrest.
George Custer’s Last Flag Sells for $2.2 million
Yes, Sotheby’s in New York made headlines again today, with the sale of a 7th Cavalry standard (flag) that is one of the last remaining artifacts of the General Custer debacle at the 1863 Battle of Little Big Horn.
Neil Armstrong Answers Your Questions
Here’s a letter to Robert Krulwich of National Public Radio’s science blog, in answer to a question he posed about why the first men on the moon didn’t travel very far from the lunar module.
The letter is from Neil Armstrong, who just happened to be the first man to step foot on the moon. He also took a lot of the photos and video from Apollo 11’s 1969 trip.
Elizabeth Smart’s Captor Found Guilty
Today a federal jury in Salt Lake City, Utah found Brian David Mitchell guilty of kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart back in 2002, when Smart was just 14 years old.
Brian David Mitchell never denied that he took Elizabeth Smart from her home and held her captive for nine months of sexual abuse. Mitchell’s defense that he did it because he was out of his head with delusions.
Richard Pryor, The First Black President, +5
Surprising but true: Richard Pryor died only five years ago today, on 10 September 2005, of a heart attack. He was only 65.
It’s Not a Mugging, It’s Ad Copy
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was mugged in London recently. The thieves gave him a black eye and took $315,000 worth of jewelry — including a Breitling “H
John J. Audubon’s Big Expensive Book(s)
They’re calling it “the world’s most expensive book”: A copy of John J. Audubon’s Birds of America was sold at auction yesterday for about $11.5 million.
Read about the sale here at The Guardian.
It’s a big book. It’s actually four books, and they contain 435 prints — handpainted watercolors — that are about two feet by three feet.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Attacker Goes to Jail
It’s two years in the slammer for Aretha Wilson, the woman who in 2005 crashed a party and jabbed a broken beer bottle into the face of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Read the brief news item here.
The Spot Where John Lennon Died Is Now the Shampoo Aisle
Surely this will be the strangest photo to come out of the 30th anniversary of John Lennon’s death.
Jon Stewart Mocks the ‘War on Christmas’
Jon Stewart mocked the alleged War on Christmas pretty darn good in last night’s Daily Show. This after Fox News attacked a renamed “Holiday Parade” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Skip ahead to the 4:50 mark for the really funny part: a parody with Rudolph, Charlie Brown, and the whole “holiday” gang.
Julian Assange Arrested
The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, was arrested today in London.
Julian Assange has been accused of sexual assault and is wanted by Swedish authorities. Reports are that British authorities will agree to extradite him to Sweden.
Assange’s defenders claim the charges are just a way to keep WikiLeaks from publishing more classified documents, but who knows.
Below is a long-ish report from India with a limited number of video clips of Julian Assange:
The Tax Deal: A Stroke of Obama Genius?
Andrew Sullivan puts the best possible face on the deal for Democrats.
Pearl Harbor Day Tribute: Chester Nimitz
Here’s a December 7th salute to Admiral Chester Nimitz.After the disaster of Pearl Harbor in 1941 (disaster for American forces, that is), Nimitz was the man appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt to take over the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet and clean up the mess.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Just Look Like Movie Stars
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt delivered the movie glamour on Monday night at the world premiere of The Tourist in New York City. Angelina Jolie stars with Johnny Depp in the big-budget thriller, set and filmed in Venice (
Oh Dear Heavens, Kelsey Grammer is Getting Married Again
Step aside, thrice-wed Danny Bonaduce, because Kelsey Grammer is lining up number four.
Johnny Cash Memorabilia For Christmas Shoppers
There was an auction yesterday of Johnny Cash memorabilia, and the hottest item ended up being a blue jumpsuit that Johnny Cash wore while rehearsing at Folsom Prison in California.
It went for $50,000.
The auction was held by Juliens Auction. You may remember them as the ones who auctioned off the chest x-rays of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. If you don’t remember that, join the club!
Ray LaHood is a 65-Year-Old God Among Transportation Secretaries
Happy 65th birthday to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. He was born on this day in 1945.
From Dropout to Doctorate: A Bill Cosby Educational Timeline
{Editor’s note: First published on December 5, 2010. See our Bill Cosby biography for updates on his later convictions and imprisonment.} “My father said, ‘Junior, it takes a man to play …..