Friday, June 30, 2006
'Chicken or Beef?'
Day of Upsets
In better news, Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal advanced setting up an interesting third-round encounter. And Andy Roddick also advanced, despite a tumble that provided this rather enjoyable photograph.
Morning Wood: James Marsden
James Marsden heats up the new issue of Men's Fitness. He sure looks fit, but according to the sexy "Superman Returns" co-star, sports weren't a big part of his youth:
Blood Hounds of Broadway
Olivia Newton-John Is 'Totally Hot'
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Crime of Fashion
Page 1 Consider (06/29)
'Half' Right
A.O. Scott's review of the "Strangers With Candy" movie sounds about right (devotees of the series, admirers of Ms. Sedaris and fake-news junkies who can never get enough of Mr. Colbert will find reasons to see it and to convince themselves that it is funnier and more satisfying than it really is.).
But his inadvertently calling Derrick Blank Jerri's "stepbrother" rather than her "half brother" touched a nerve with me. People who have one parent in common are half siblings. People whose parents remarry people who already have children inherit a stepparent and stepsiblings. One is blood, one is not. (I can't quite explain my boyfriend's calling my stepfather my "father-in-law.")
I remember editing a story for a major news organization about Gen. Wesley Clark during the 2004 presidential campaign and the reporter was working the angle about how similar the backgrounds were between Clark and Bill Clinton, including both being "only children." When I reminded the news editor of Roger Clinton, he actually tried to blow me off and say that that didn't really count(!) ... Take it from me: I have a (half) sister and I can assure you, she counts.
Jimbo for Roddick?
Much to my surprise, Andy Roddick actually won his first-round match at Wimbledon yesterday, but we all know how successful his partnership with his big brother turned coach, John, has been. Now comes (the rather intriguing) word that Andy has been in contact with someone else who knows a thing or two about tennis, Jimmy Connors.
"We've talked on the phone a couple of times," Roddick told reporters at Wimbledon after his hard-earned first round victory over Janko Tipsarevic. "Nothing's going to happen here but we're both intrigued by the prospect of working together. We've bounced the idea off of each other. It's positive. But there are a lot of details that go into it."
When Paul Gilbert started coaching Roddick the first thing he told him was to lose the visor. Something tells me that the first thing Jimmy Connors will do is tell Andy to grow some bangs ...
(Reuters)
David Wright Fuels Up
A More Dangeous World -- For Americans
Bob Herbert's op-ed in today's Times is definitely word a read. He examines how the U.S. is doing in "war on terror" (hint: it's not good). Pick up The Times for the full thing, but here are some highlights:
After all the sound and fury of the past few years, how is the U.S. doing in its fight against terrorism? Not too well, according to a recent survey of more than 100 highly respected foreign policy and national security experts. The survey, dubbed the “Terrorism Index,” was conducted by the Center for American Progress and Foreign Policy magazine. The respondents included Republicans and Democrats, moderates, liberals and conservatives. The survey’s findings were striking. A strong, bipartisan consensus emerged on two crucial points: 84 percent of the respondents said the United States was not winning the war on terror, and 86 percent said the world was becoming more --not less -- dangerous for Americans.
The sound and fury since Sept. 11, 2001 — the chest-thumping and muscle-flexing, the freedom fries, the Patriot Act, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the breathtaking expansion of presidential power, Guantanamo, rendition, the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars --seems to have signified very little.
“The experts also said that recent reforms of the national security apparatus have done little to make Americans safer. Asked about recent efforts to reform America’s intelligence community, for instance, more than half of the index’s experts said that creating the office of the director of national intelligence has had no positive impact in the war against terror.”
Robby Ginepri Ousted
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Brandon Routh: Spirit of '78
Unless you've been sleeping under a rock then you know that "Superman Returns" flies into theaters today, giving Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert's "Strangers With Candy" a real run for its money at the box office.
What I didn't know was hunky new Man of Steel Brandon Routh was immortalized yesterday at Madame Tussaud’s House of Wax here in New York -- which happens to be around the corner from where I work (thanks for the call, Clark Kent).
I'm sure we're going to be learning everything and more about the new super guy in the coming weeks and years, but I already know that this guy evokes Christopher Reeve so strongly that I almost feel like a little kid in '78 swooning over my first man in tights. I've read that Dana Reeve sent Brandon a letter noting the unbelievable similarities shortly before her death, and you can't help but think that she and Christopher are watching the excitement for this character build all over from a big multiplex in the sky.
Queerty has a bunch more pictures over here.
Previously:
Madonna's Hand Signals
Morning Wood: Lucas Black
Lucas Black caught my eye recently in the "Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" trailer, but a quick look at his IMDB page and his screen credits are long and impressive, including "Sling Blade," "Cold Mountain," "Friday Night Lights" and "Jarhead."