James MacArthur, R.I.P.

James MacArthur, who had a stage and screen career that spanned four decades died yesterday, Thursday. The Associated Press reports that James MacArthur died from natural causes in Flordia. He was 72 years old.

James MacArthur was "Danno," the character, detective Danny Williams on "Hawaii Five-O,"

From NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams --"Without him (James MacArthur), we would not have one of the great phrases in the modern American lexicon. Book him, Danno. murder one. "

James MacArthur's 'Danno" was the sidekick of Steve McGarrett, the lead character, the role played by the late Jack Lord.

Yes, I was a fan of Hawaii Five-O. I remember James MacArthur's Walt Disney movies. The movies are classics that hold up very well today. The first of which stands out in my memory is "The Light in the Forest." with Fess Parker, and then "Swiss Family Robinson," and "Kidnapped," and "Third Man on the Mountain," He made other movies too, and had many guest appearances on TV shows.

James MacArthur, R.I.P.

Captain Kangaroo's Mr. Baxter Passes

James Wall, a children's show television actor, who represented a bit of television history, passed away. He was Captain Kangaroo's neighbor "Mr. Baxter." The Associated Press reports that Mr. Wall died in New York City after a short illness. He was 92.

Mr. Wall was a former vaudevillian. In 1962, he joined the crew of Captain Kangaroo, the popular children's show, as a stage manager. Six years later, in 1968, the persuaded the show's producers to create its first African-American character. Until 1978 Mr. Wall played Mr. Baxter, a recurring character on the show.

James Wall made history for his role of Mr. Baxter. He was also a long time CBS stage manager, for broadcasts including "60 Minutes," "Face the Nation," and the US Open Tennis Championships. In 1994, Mr. Wall was honored by the Director's Guild of America with an achievement award.

Yes, I remember seeing him on Captain Kangaroo. I was no longer a kid, but I had, then young, relatives who were. And I liked the show. It was good to see a knowledgeable African-American character on an American kid's show.

James Wall, R.I.P.

President Obama On The Daily Show

The word is that Mr. Obama, the President of the United States was "light on the jokes but heavy on policy" when, last night, he put in an appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It was a campaign, pre-Jon Stewart Washington rally gig for Mr. Obama.

Mr Stewart is planning a big rally on the Washington mall this weekend, called the "Rally to Restore Sanity," most folks think / some hope that the rally will help in the progressive cause, to get progressives to get out there in the communities of America to save the Republic from the haters and the right-wing crazy people.

Mr Stewart couldn't have the POTUS on his show and not needle the man a little. Needle him he did, pressed him here and there, asking why Mr. Obama wasn't able to do more. Mr. Obama was before a friendly crowd so all went well and ended well. To see the full episode of President Obama's appearance on the Daily Show click here.

Good Time Charlie Caught The Blues?

Charlie Sheen, who a lot of people like, (I like his show, Two And A Half Men),-- Charlie, the son of Martin Sheen, who a lot of people really like -- Papa Sheen is a good actor and a good human being -- Charlie has goofed up again.

But no jail time. No court date. Just a police escorted trip to a psychiatric hospital to see if his head is on straight, and a night spent cooling his heels, while his head got a look at.

The word is that Mr. Sheen trashed a hotel room, after he got drunk, in the company of a lady for hire. The word from his people is that he had a negative reaction from medication. Oh, boy, what an original excuse for Mr. Sheen's bad boy behavior.

Item from the Associated Press --"Charlie Sheen's publicist says the actor has been discharged from a NYC hospital after he was taken there for a psychiatric evaluation Security at the Plaza Hotel called police early Tuesday to report he was disorderly and had broken furniture. " See the video.

Bieber Mystique Mystery

As with Twilight, my ability to understand the appeal of Justin Bieber is hindered by the fact that I am not, have never been and shall never be a tween-age girl. At least, that's why I imagine the Bieb's not much on my radar. Like so many shiny pop stars, I'm indifferent to the kid, but apparently a vast array of other confirmed adults aren't. I can't fathom why Bieber is newsworthy on the likes of CNN. It's more than a little incongruous to hear mention of the kid's new perfume line next to reports of violence in the Middle East and horrific storms battering Midwestern towns. Why Bieber and not one of the many other thoroughly commoditized pop stars?

I think, on at least some level, our culture is collectively waiting for Justin Bieber to go crazy and destroy himself just like a vast majority of pop singers who got snatched up by the genuinely evil wing of the music industry at a tender age. Unless the kid is secretly the next Madonna, I'd say his descent into drug abuse, sexual scandal and general self-destruction is a foregone conclusion.

People lose control of their lives in periods of confusion, stress and excess, all of which currently abound in Justin Bieber's life. Everything from the clothes he wears to the way he talks was baldly manufactured by industry cynics like Ryan Good, his "swagger coach" who, like some kind of pop culture Frankenstein, wanted to see if he could cobble together some kind of zeitgeist abomination from tired hip hop tropes and solder them to an adolescent creampuff. Justin Bieber doesn't just lack street cred, he lacks the ability to even pursue it. He's an effeminate teen from suburban Canada. That he somehow escaped the next iteration of Degrassi only to become Usher's lingo-spouting protege is either absurdist comedy or science fiction.

So, with an identity crisis hanging over his head stoked by loads of money, irresponsible adult influences like Ryan Good and the need to prolong the novelty of being a singing moppet, Justin Bieber seems like he's on the road to some pretty dark days. Whether or not he knows he's a brand-name product, the kid has to be aware that his prospects for maintaining his current level of success for much longer aren't very good. People who peak as teenagers are sad, destructive people. If it's true for every high school quarterback who never left his lame home town, it can be true for millionaire teen idols. In Justin Bieber we've got a modern day Leif Garrett on our hands. How long before the Bieb is crying in front of a VH1 camera with his horrible beard and rehab philosophy?

I want to make it clear that I personally don't want Justin Bieber to fall apart like so many in his position have. A handful of performers in the past have managed to come out of adolescent stardom with their bodies, minds and dignities intact. As long as he isn't as vapid and moronic as his image suggests, Bieber might just survive his own celebrity.

Another Sex Survey, Yawn!

Half Of Women Have Bad Sex - Survey

So what else is news? Not this. A new survey is out with old news. Those who conducted the survey issued the underwhelming results: "Half of Women Have Bad Sex."

Last night on their show The Young Turks devoted time to this survey, Right. See the video.

Yesterday, everybody had sex on their mind. Well, that isn't anything new either. The Huffington Post ran article on the new sex survey that is supposed to answer the " how sex has changed in the last 20 years?"

Quote the Huffington Post --"The most comprehensive U.S. study on sexual health and behavior in two decades sought to shed some light on the traditionally mysterious topic. (Huh, huh? Mysterious to whom?) The mission of the study was to determine educated generalizations about the sexual activities of the population and thus advance the sexual health of the nation. Nearly 6,000 participants ages 14 to 92 were surveyed using Knowledge Networks, an online research company commonly used for national studies including government polling. The lead researchers -- from Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University School of Medical ... This study was sponsored by Church & Dwight Co., the maker of Trojan brand condoms -- "

Stop right there. Right! Trojan condoms have a vested interest in filling the already crowded with sex surveys net with more surveys about sex

So we get another study about stuff, we know about and hear about all the time.

It Should Be A Movie

The very talented actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evi. have fled north of the border. The Quaids say they are fearful of prosecution in the states and want to start a new life in Canada.

During the last few years, it seems that Mr.Quaid has been living the kind of life that a character, in the kind of movies that he likes to make would live.

The man has been living beyond his means, running up hotel bills then skipping out on them, living the life of a squatter in a house that he once owned, sold and moved out of long ago.

The Globe and Mail reports that the Quaids were arrested in Canada on outstanding warrants from California, issued because they missed court dates, "over allegations of vandalizing a Santa Barbara home they formerly owned. They also have been charged for allegedly defrauding an innkeeper in Montecito, Calif.," over a $10,000 hotel bill.

Wags are saying that Mr and Mrs Quaid came up with this wild story of persecution, and the wilder tale about their fears of being murdered in Hollywood, to escape being sent back to California to face court charges, and to get out of jail in Canada. Anyway, the proceedings in their asylum case is proceeding.

My take on this: Mr. and Mrs Quaid, should pay their bills and make a movie.

Is Mel Gibson Persona Non Grata?

Press reports this week hailed the return of Mel Gibson to the screen for a cameo in the upcoming flick Hangover 2, the in-production sequel of the raunchy R-rated comedy, and bug-out box office hit, The Hangover. Today, the press is full of stories about how some of the self-righteous actors and crew members of the sequel blackballed Mr. Gibson, for his recent behavior off camera. These relative unknowns, until the release of an over-the-top, trashy flick, with a gross closing scene, refused to work with Mr. Gibson on moral grounds, and threatened to walk off the picture, unless Mr. Gibson, an A-list actor was treated as a pariah. So? So Mel Gibson was kicked to the curb.
Reports the The Independent -- "Earlier this week, it was revealed that (Director Todd) Phillips had asked Gibson to take a cameo role as a tattoo artist in the blockbuster sequel ( Hangover2 ). "I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," Phillips said on Thursday, claiming his decision to cast Gibson was endorsed by Jeff Robinov, the president of Warner Bros. "But I realize film-making is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."

It is thought ( Zach) Galifianakis – also the star of Phillips's latest film, Due Date – may be behind the protest. In a podcast interview to promote Due Date, he explained that, as an actor, "you don't have a lot of control; you just show up and vomit your lines out. I'm not the boss. I'm in a deep protest right now with a movie I'm working on, up in arms about something... It's very frustrating."

Galifianakis also claimed to have declined roles in the past for moral reasons.

Well, was The Hangover a moral film? Well, okay?

More Rehab, More Rehab. What Can Be Done?

Today's news about Lindsay Lohan. Item from the Associated Press --"The 24-year-old troubled actress avoided additional jail time Friday for failing a drug test while on parole, but the judge ordered her to continue attending rehab until Jan. 3, 2011. " See the video.

But what can the judge do? Send her to jail? Wouldn't that be a waste of jail space? Cutting her free? Well ,the judge can't do that. Suggesting that she pull a Roman Polanski and just flee. Well, Ms Lothan, -- at this point, I seriously doubt anyone would want her back. Maybe she could join Polanski in Paris?

Of course. Polanski is a rascal of the first order, a man who stands convicted by his own confession of what amounts to child rape. Lindsay Lohan is a nuisance. She is guilty of being foolish. If she had only followed the original rules of her probation, taken a few classes. And if she had hired a driver to drive her around, this mess would not have grown into what it has become. The girl is a talented actor. It's a shame that she can't get her act together off camera long enough to -- Well, er. It's a shame.

Now, on her way back to rehab, her mouth got busy winding that rehab will kill her career, that it is expensive, the time away from working is costing her money. Yeah, so?

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