February 2011

There Is something Bernie Madoff wants America To Know

Madoff: ‘I’m not a horrible person’

legacy/bernie madoff.jpg

The New York Magazine got an interview with the ex-billionaire, the swindler of the century, Bernard Madoff, who made off with billions of dollars of his clients funds, including among his rich investors, were some widows and orphans, people who were left wiped out.

Well, Bernie Madoff wants America and the world to hear his message.

Bernie Madoff to American and the World: 'I Am a Good Person.'

Bernie wants everybody to know that his Ponzi scheme was no fun for him. He hasn't spent his time laughing at those whom he duped, hitting his side and getting a kick out of the naiveté. of the suckers. No. Bernie wants America and the world to know that this whole swindle was --

Charlie Sheen Warns That He's a Warlock

legacy/charlie sheen7.jpg

This morning on NBC's Today show? Anything new? Well, Charlie Sheen made a complete jackass out of himself.

Charlie Sheen  to CBS: 'Apologize while ‘licking my feet’

Charlie Sheen to the World. ‘Tired of pretending I’m not special’

The interview Charlie Sheen gave to this morning's Today show, and the interviews, to the radio call-in shows, the rants that he has been making, during this latest round of the saga of Charlie Sheen vs Charlie Sheen vs the World, show why people should not be left with too much time on their hands, but should keep busy doing something, even if that something is clipping their own finger nails.

Hosting the Oscars Requires A Master of Ceremonies

This Isn't Work That Just Anybody Can Do.

legacy/hathaway-franco.jpg

Anne Hathaway and James Franco are two personable, good everyday, working, screen actors, who do a good job in scripted movies. They have both appeared in movies that are pleasant to watch. But, as the hosts of last night Academy Award's show, they both came up short. James Franco came up, quite short. Now, who fault is it? The producers? The writers? The two good actors own egos?

Natalie Portman Wins An Oscar

legacy/Natalie Portman.jpg

Last night at the Oscars, Natalie Portman won the prize given, by majority vote of the Academy members, to the best actress in a leading role, for her performance in Black Swan. Ms. Portman's win was a deserving choice.

Natalie Portman was born in 1981. Ever since she appeared as Mathilda in the 1994 released movie, The Professional, it has been crystal clear that she is an actor with great talent. She was twelve when the The Professional was filmed. It is not fair to compare one actor to another, but comparing the talent of Ms. Portman to the talent of the very great actor Jody Foster, is an easy comparison to make. And for years, it appeared to be just a matter of time before Natalie Portman would claim an Oscar.

I don't believe that Oscars define who is the best in the film business.

Charlie Sheen's Rant Animated

Charlie Sheen has become a caricature

legacy/Charlie Sheen.jpg

Yes. The Internet is a buzzing it self nutty over Charlie Sheen. Why? Because Charlie Sheen has become a cartoon? His self? Or real life like self has become something from a reel life? A sit-drama? A portrait of a drug addicted bore? Maybe, his world now is so weird that it 's surreal? So unreal?. So much like just an exaggeration of excesses? Like he is the actor who now lives in a distorted world? Like his world exists only on the reel? Like in real life he can be a man without substance? Or essence? A non- person who becomes what he plays at being? A thing? A creature of addiction? An easily classifiable and identifiable face? With only the visual likeness of a man?.Who demands pardon from his fans? Why? Because he believes that he is always just kidding? How can one know what he believes?

Forfeit Not Fight: Boy Says No to Wrestling Girl

legacy/Joel Northrup.jpeg

Today on the Internet is the story of Joel Northrup, the high school boy who competed in the 91-year-old Iowa wrestling tournament, that had been an all-boys event until this year. Yesterday, Thursday, young Northrup forfeited a match, rather than to wrestle a girl. Today, Friday, Northrup was knocked out of the tournament. The forfeiture hurt.

I do not fault the Northrup kid for refusing to wrestle the girl. Maybe I am 20th century. I still believe that there is a difference between boys and girls, and that boys should not wrestle girls.

Also, today, reports USA Today, the girl found her match and was eliminated from the tournament after two loses.

Bill Monroe, R.I.P.

legacy/bill monroe.jpg

Another veteran newsman took the exit. Bill Monroe died yesterday, Thursday, at a Washington-area nursing home. He was ninety years old. For ten years in the mid 1970s and early 1980s, he was the host of the NBC News Sunday talk show Meet the Press. Before that, he worked on the NBC Today Show. I remember watching him on both shows.

Mr. Monroe was one of those plain speaking, plain looking journalists, who, when either reporting on the news or interviewing news makers, came across as a person who was not easily snowed, and as one who wouldn't let a news maker try to get away with trying to snow the audience.

Jumping Into Icy Water? For Luck?

legacy/lantern festival.jpg

There is a festival taking place on the island of Taiwan. Young people are jumping into icy water for luck. The name of the festival is the Lantern Festival.

Lantern, like in light?

 

From Focus Taiwan -- "The 2011 Lantern Festival kicked off (today) Thursday in Miaoli County with the ceremonial lighting of the centerpiece "Auspicious Jade Rabbit" lantern. The main lantern, which is 20.5 meters tall and weighs 30 tons, is just one of the many attractions at the 12-day festival, which is expected to draw at least 5 million visitors, the organizers said."

The day time weather in Taipei, Taiwan is from 57°F to 63°F. Most folks are wearing coats.

IBM's Watson Wins at 'Jeopardy!'

But Is IBM's Watson As Smart As a Human Infant?

legacy/jeopardy.jpg

Is it really man vs machine?

Past  Jeopardy! champs, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, battle IBM's Watson, in a three-day exhibition, the minds of two of the finest veteran human Jeopardy! players against a rookie player. A programmed machine's artificial mind, ended with the humans losing? Ken Jennings hamming it up for the cameras, welcoming the machine as the overlord. But what did it mean? A boost for the Jeopardy! show ratings? A lot of free media advertisement for IBM . And what else?

Shame 101: Charlie Sheen?

Good Time Charlie Is Having Too Good A Time for Shame?

legacy/charlie-sheen-rehab.jpg

Yeah, he makes his living by playing the lead in a TV sit con. But his joking? around about crack is a bit too much. Charlie says: If you can handle crack go for it? He sounds like a smart ass headed for the career termination bureau, or a guy who likes to take mug shots.

Don't kids watch bad Uncle Charlie on Tv? There's a kid on the show Two and a Half Men? Well, he isn't the kid's role model? Or is he?

Some times being a badass is cool, like in the movies. Even in the movies the hero doesn't beat up on prostitutes - not even allegedly. Nor does the hero trash hotel rooms. Rock stars do the trashing to sell albums, but, even the alleged smacking around of women has never been cool. But --

No Shame To Berlusconi's Game?

Shame 101? Equals No Shame?

legacy/Silvio Berlusconi.jpeg

When the head of a government thinks that he is so far above the law, and that he can do anything he wants, then there is always trouble.

In Italy, the Prime Minister of that country, Silvio Berlusconi, has been accused of having paid sex with an underage teen runaway and he has been ordered to stand trail. He is charged with child rape and with abuse of power..

The prosecutors charge that the 74-year-old, Mr Berlusconi, paid a 17-year-old for sex and used his influence to cover it up.

The billionaire prime minster, according to prosecutors, began a relationship with the teen age girl when he was probably just 16.

Mr.Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing, says he will fight the charges "tooth and nail."

Floppy Organ

No, not that organ

legacy/floppy_organ.jpg

Back in the dark age history of early computers, programmers figured out that they could make a mainframe's front panel lights blink the meter of songs; soon they realized that they could make the magnetic tape drives "sing." In this case, the the computer is a PC with two 3 1/2 drives, and two 5 1/4 drives, interfacing with a MIDI device. The "organ" can make four simultaneous notes via the four drives; each drive has a different range and timbre. In the video below, the organ performs Bach's Toccata and Fugue.

He's Coming Back!

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he's returning to acting.

legacy/Arnold Schwarzenegger.jpg

Arnold's gig as the governor of California is up. He's been term limited out of a job, and he is not Constitutionally qualified to get the step up, to the White House, so he has to step back into acting, rather back into movie stardom.

The Associated Press reports --"After seven years in the California governor's mansion, Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning to his old day job: acting. Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter that he's ready to start considering film roles again."

Last night, Thursday, Arnold tweeted the news that he's coming back.

Marketing Predictions for 2011

legacy/Pepero.jpg

With the impending predicted doom of 2012 and dates with multiple ones in them, numerologists and other kooky-types are having a field day determining the auspiciousness of certain dates. Since I’m generally skeptical of big, earth-shaking predictions and the importance of numerology, I’m going to close my ears to the dire warnings posted around the net.  While a certain percentage of the population focuses on the probabilities of a Zombie Apocalypse, I predict that the rest of us will succumb to the powers of subliminal (and non-subliminal) marketing schemes concocted by brilliant advertisers.

 

Pages