http://www.236.com en Copyright 2008 Mon, 12 May 2008 17:37:37 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss

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"NBC says Fallon to succeed O'Brien on 'Late Night'"- HuffPost
"Officially Official: Late Night Falls for Fallon" - E! Online

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]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_mata/jimmy_fallon_announces_his_mov_6481.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_mata/jimmy_fallon_announces_his_mov_6481.php Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Fallon Conan Obrien Jimmy Fallon Jay Leno Jimmy Fallon Late Night Jimmy Fallon NBC Jimmy Fallon press conference Jimmy Fallon taking over for Conan Jimmy Falon Jimmy Falon Late Night Jimmy Falon NBC Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Mon, 12 May 2008 17:37:37 +0000 People magazine arrived at my door (yes, I get it delivered; and yes, I have the depth of skillet). Much to my delight, it's the World's 100 Most Beautiful issue! Imagine, EXTRA pages of nice-looking famous people and advertisements that appeal to readers who find nice-looking famous people fascinating. But as I began rifling through the hefty pages and weighty material my delight became despair, and my mood plummeted faster than the housing market. First, I'm not IN this special double issue of People magazine. I'm not named one of THE WORLD'S 100 MOST BEAUTIFUL people. I'm upset (not as upset as I was when I wasn't named one of Forbes magazine 400 richest people) and rightly so. I'm cute, puckish...adorable in that "oh-what-an-amusing-middle-aged-queen" kind of way. (Why just look at that delicious, 260 year old photo of me next to my byline, taken in a dinghy in a cove off of Sydney harbor!) As I went through the magazine, back and forth, forth and back, my upset turned to puzzlement and then rapidly slid down into the pan of panic, (the kind of panic that only a double-session with Dr. Finklestein could alleviate) because I had absolutely NO IDEA who half of the "famous" people on this list were! None! Never heard of them. Couldn't pick them out of a police lineup if they were wearing "Hello, My Name Is..." name tags. But there they were, in high gloss color print, staring at me with their wind (or at least wind-machine) swept hair, shiny lips and recently veneered teeth, all subliminally screaming at me, "WE'RE THE WORLD'S MOST 100 BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE...and we're FAMOUS!" But if they're famous, shouldn't I have heard of them? Maybe not be thoroughly familiar with their work, but as a fellow member of the "show biz community" shouldn't I have at least in passing, caught mention of their names? What has happened? Is it me? Am I too old? (I don't really think that's the case--again, look at that delicious photo of me next to my byline). Have I fallen so far out of the loop that even idle water-cooler chatter evades me? Kate Hudson is on the cover. I know who Kate Hudson is. I like Kate Hudson. Whether she's actually one of the World's 100 Most Beautiful People is a matter of debate, but beauty is subjective...fame, isn't. The trouble began a few pages after Kate Hudson. There was Rebecca Romijn, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Love Hewitt. All big stars, all stored in my information warehouse. Then it happened. On Page 80: "Taylor Swift." I've never heard of her. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and she's very pretty. But who is she? Is she some kind of an actress? A model? Is she dating someone famous? Did she break up a famous political marriage? (And if so, wouldn't that make her infamous, rather than famous)? Taylor Swift was followed by Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Banks, Vanessa Hudgens and other "celebrities" whose names I've never heard celebrated. There were entire pages of unknown famous people, which, I'm pretty sure, is an oxymoron. People like Audrina Partridge, Whitney Port, Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag. There's Joy Bryant, Sarah Larson, Anna Friel...Isla Fisher, Christina Hendriks, Laura Prepon...Miranda Lambert, Ingrid Hoffman, Ginnifer Goodwin. Page 134 is devoted entirely to the cast of something called, Gossip Girl. I gather this is some sort of a teenage soap opera that appears on some minor television network. Yet, the space it's given by the magazine implies it must be an important show with a lot of gravitas, like Sixty Minutes or a society altering experience, like The Sopranos. The Gossip Girl page features pictures of seven REALLYREALLYREALLY good-looking people...none of whom I--or any of my friends, colleagues or peers--have any knowledge. Leighton Meester (a girl) Penn Badgley (a boy), Ed Westwick, Blake Lively (sounds like a dance step) Taylor Momsen, Chace Crawford and Jessica Szohr. I'll bet even Kathy Griffin doesn't know who they are. Fame isn't generational...or at least it shouldn't be. James Dean died the year I was born...but I knew who he was. Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Betty Grable...all well before my time, but all stars, and rightly so. I'm not living in a bubble...I know all about Justin Timberlake and Rhianna; I even know that Miley Cyrus is AKA Hannah Montana. On Page 90 of People magazine's WORLD'S 100 MOST BEAUTIFUL issue is some raven-haired creature named Minka Kelly. I have a question: Exactly what the hell is a Minka Kelly??? Answer: I don't know. Perhaps she's one of Mischa Barton's friends. ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/larry_amoros/what_the_hell_is_a_minka_kelly_6480.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/larry_amoros/what_the_hell_is_a_minka_kelly_6480.php Audrina Partridge Betty Grable Blake Lively Brooke Shields Chace Crawford Christina Hendriks Ed Westwick Ginnifer Goodwin Hannah Montana Heidi Montag Ingrid Hoffman Isla Fisher James Dean Jennifer Love Hewitt Jessica Szohr Justin Timberlake Kate Hudson Kathy Griffin Lana Turner Laura Prepon Lauren Conrad Leighton Meester Miley Cyrus Minka Kelly Miranda Lambert Mischa Barton Penn Badgley People Magazine Rebecca Romijn Rhianna Rita Hayworth Taylor Momsen Mon, 12 May 2008 17:11:13 +0000 flowers from each of them. C'mon, we all know that the former president is a famously romantic gift buyer, having given a special someone a pin of the New York skyline, a marble-like bear's head from Vancouver, a hat-pin and a gold brooch on previous occasions, when he had far less shopping flexibility. You'd think for his own survival he would have done better. But then again, his survival skills seem to be in fast retreat these days. Actually, to be fair, the flowers weren't the extent of Bill and Chelsea's generosity. As The New York Times also noted--"jointly, they gave her a vase and a small perfume bottle, both from West Virginia." Hmmm. Both from West Virginia. What a coincidence. Just amazing. Is there a remote possibility that these gewgaws were pressed upon Bill and Chelsea during their campaigning, probably by someone white who would never vote for someone black, and probably stealthily gift-wrapped in a shameless example of political re-gifting? And it's not like the Clintons don't know what it is to be generous. Hey, when they were in the White House, they accepted a million bucks in gifts from people who never, ever intended to curry favor with them (like Denise Rich.) These gifts were never reported, since they were turned over to Clinton's presidential library, and under federal law are exempt from reporting. Included in those goodies were presents totaling $6,000 from Nelson Mandela. I ask you: when someone who has been in prison for 27 years gives you gifts worth $6,000--someone who was not earning a penny, who was working and shvitzing in a lime quarry--can't you find a graceful way out of it? Or, at the very least, you graciously accept the gifts, but return them and make a contribution to one of the many charities Mandela supports, rather than dumping them into the U-Haul with all the other stuff. But I digress. Father's Day is coming up next, so I can't wait to see what Hillary and Chelsea cough up for Bill. Here's an idea.]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/adam_hanft/on_top_of_everything_bill_and_6474.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/adam_hanft/on_top_of_everything_bill_and_6474.php Bill Clinton gifts Bill Clinton Monica Lewinsky Clinton library Clinton presidential library Clintons income Hillary Clinton Mother's Day Mother's Day Mothers Day Mon, 12 May 2008 16:01:35 +0000 More...]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_kalb_and_lynn_harris/about_a_bomb_6473.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_kalb_and_lynn_harris/about_a_bomb_6473.php About a Bomb Breakup Girl Mon, 12 May 2008 15:43:29 +0000 Barack Obama's confusing presidential primary campaign. He simply hasn't closed the deal, appealed to white working class voters, shown us that he's a regular guy, or been sufficiently entertaining. I'd like to join the chorus of literally dozens of voices that are now calling for Barack Obama to get out of the race and go back to doing whatever it was that he did before he hogged the spotlight from Hillary Clinton. In the meantime, we can look back and imagine the campaign he could have run if he just knew more about politics. February 7: After controversial remarks by wife Michelle Obama, she is suddenly replaced on the campaign trail by Jessica Simpson. Obama announces a national initiative for women to "just sit there and smile." February 20th: With reports that the primary in Texas is a possible win for him, Obama buys several cowboy hats and a small ranch just outside of Buda, Texas--a small town north of San Antonio. He invites the press and photographers out to watch him clear brush and toss cow patties around with his children. Controversy about the ranch's location erupts when an email campaign suggests "Obama is secretly a 'Budist' and that's pretty damn close to Muslim, I think." Obama sells the ranch and buys another one near Lubbock, which seems more on the up and up. March 13: Concerned that he is losing support from key demographics such as White Ethnic voters, Older voters and Willfully Ignorant voters, Obama asks the press to stop referring to him as either African-American or mixed race. He asks that from this point forward he be referred to as White Plus! March 25: As some critics question Obama's foreign policy experience, he begins to tell a story several times on the campaign trail where he claims to have fought Al-Qaeda "his entire life," including stating, "Back when I lived in Indonesia, I used to go hunting Al-Qaeda with my friends Biggs and Wedge every day with rifles we bought using our allowance money," and claims to have personally "bagged Osama bin Laden" at a hunting trip in Montana in late 2005. When these reports are proven false and it's revealed that Biggs and Wedge are minor figures from the first Star Wars film, Obama initially claims that "Star Wars was based on me," until he is finally forced to admit that he was "real tired from lots of basketball and helping people so it's possible I mistalked," but continues to defend the "essential almost realness" of his statements. April 12: On a tip from Barack Obama, Reverend Jeremiah Wright is taken from his bed at 3 a.m. by a federal SWAT team and never seen again. April 24: Trailing badly in the delegate count, Obama begins hinting publicly that "the big states" shouldn't count. "I am fighting for the people--the real America, the little states. We don't need to be beholden to states like California and New York that look down their noses at the regular ole po' folks like you and me." Critics are critical of his use of the word "beholden" and a speech writer is fired. On Morning Joe, David Axelrod suggests that August may bring a floor fight at the convention to discount the votes of California and New York or "whatever states subtraction leads us to." April 29: On CNN, Obama states America doesn't have any problems that can't solved "by opening a can of whoop-ass". In the same interview, he also threatens to "kick the hummus" out of Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and breaks several chairs. May 8: In a last ditch effort to capture the nomination, Barack Obama legally changes his name to Bob O'Patriot. ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/lee_stranahan/how_obama_blew_it_the_campaign_6472.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/lee_stranahan/how_obama_blew_it_the_campaign_6472.php Barack Obama elite Election 2008 Hillary Clinton Iran Hillary Clinton obliterated Hillary Clinton Pennsylvania Hillary Clinton West Virginia Obama bitter Obama elite Obama frontrunner Obama patriotism Obama Pennsylvania Obama West Virginia Mon, 12 May 2008 15:38:32 +0000 WE have to move on. That night in February was amazing--going for hours, with all those people watching--I've never been so excited. I wanted it to last forever...actually maybe it has. I no longer look forward to our meetings, I no longer wait up for you, and I've been drinking a lot every time we're supposed to spend the night together. This is so hard, I never wanted it to end like this. I still care about you a lot, but I don't see how a trip to West Virginia can help. My feelings for you may never fade completely, but we can't go on this way; it's not healthy. The longer we do this the harder it will be to end, so I think it's best to make a clean break now rather than end up resenting each other in a few months. Best wishes, Alex Leo ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/alex_leo/dear_2008_primaries_when_we_6457.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/alex_leo/dear_2008_primaries_when_we_6457.php 2008 primaries 2008 primary season Alex Leo Barack Obama breaking up with the primaries Democrats Election 2008 Hillary Clinton West Virgina primaries West Virginia Mon, 12 May 2008 12:04:38 +0000 "If you can't get something done within seven seconds there's no place for you in this organization." NEW YORK, NY (Sportsman's Daily Wire Service)--Roughly 90 seconds after naming Mike D'Antoni head coach of the hapless New York Knicks, owner James Dolan made "seven seconds or less" the organization's new mantra, effective immediately--if not sooner. D'Antoni's up-tempo Suns were instructed to shoot within the first seven seconds of the shot clock. While it's a style that seems almost preposterously ill-suited for the plodding, half-court oriented Knicks roster, Dolan believes a "seven seconds" approach will lead to sounder--and snappier--managerial decisions. "One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi...seven Mississippi," intoned Dolan from the podium during a rare press appearance. "Seven seconds, if you remain focused, gives you all the time you need to make good decision--while you were sitting there sucking your thumbs, I decided to sell my shares in Yahoo, what I'm having for lunch and how I'm going to explain all this to my dad (Cablevision owner Charles Dolan). From this point forward, there will be no second guessing and no second opinions. I would like to continue, but my assistant is informing me that my seven seconds are up." When Dolan's assistant said he'd actually been talking for 16 seconds, Dolan paused for six seconds before firing him and announcing his successor (based on the first random name that came up in his Blackberry)--an impressive demonstration of his new "seven seconds" technique. "I didn't expect this when I signed on," said recently appointed Knicks President Donnie Walsh. "I can barely clear my throat in seven seconds, let alone make a considered executive decision. If I had known this was going to be the policy, it would have taken me two seconds to say "no." Two to tell Dolan he's an idiot. And the remaining three to hail a cab to the airport. Are my seven seconds up yet?" Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, a book about rapid cognition and the often correct conclusions we reach in the blink of an eye, believes Dolan's approach could work. "When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or see Eddie Curry meandering about in the paint like a velociraptor mired in a tar pit, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions--which to a remarkable degree are sound ones. In view of this, seven seconds can be an eternity, enough time to permit second-guessing and doubt. I would suggest to Dolan that he consider narrowing his executive decision window to 3-4 seconds, tops. That's where he'll start seeing real results, perhaps even on the floor." Jack McCallum, the long-time NBA writer for Sports Illustrated and author of Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns has seen the limits of D'Antoni's approach first-hand and while he's a fan of D'Antoni's up-tempo approach, he's not convinced it will produce a competitive Knicks team any time soon. "From what I've seen and what I know, Dolan's incapable of producing a cogent thought in seven days, let alone seven seconds. Most importantly, I don't see it translating to fan-friendly basketball considering the collection of slow-footed, overpaid stiffs on their roster. But what I'm wondering is, how does Ms. Dolan feel about this? Seven seconds? Try telling your wife your sack time will now be limited to basically two three-second violations with a second allotted for foreplay...I don't know about Dolan, but at the McCallum household, that's a flagrant 2- automatic ejection and a minimum one-month suspension. I wish him luck." ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/the_sportsmans_daily/knicks_owner_to_adapt_dantonis_6455.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/the_sportsmans_daily/knicks_owner_to_adapt_dantonis_6455.php 7 seconds rule Blink James Dolan James Dolan New York Knicks Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell Blink Mike D'Antoni Mike D'Antoni New York Knicks Mike Dantoni New York Knicks New York Knicks seven seconds seven seconds seven seconds rule Mon, 12 May 2008 11:55:19 +0000 she's within striking distance of the popular vote. And while that's clearly not true, I disagree with those who claim she's not even in the ballpark. In fact, she's very well within the MLB standards of a ballpark. Observe: ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/michael_drucker/hillarys_in_ballpark_range_6452.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/michael_drucker/hillarys_in_ballpark_range_6452.php Barack Obama Election 2008 Hillary Clinton Mon, 12 May 2008 11:09:02 +0000 Mr. Saturday Night: Both could bring back anti-semitism in one fell swoop. My dad was Jewish, and even I start thinking of lamp shades when I see them. You know what's weird? If you are half-Jewish and half-Irish, and people always think when you say half-Jewish that it's some kind of backing away from the Jews. But why aren't people allowed to love Irish mothers, too? It's the combined sperm and eggs that made me so fabulous. As Woody Allen said, "The heart wants what the heart wants." I'm not sure how that fits in, but I love quoting it. In fact, I'm not entirely sure what it means, but I love him. Is he Jewish? Also, wouldn't the perfect ending of the Bush reign of terror be, if at the Texas wedding of Jenna (the smart drunk who hates her dad), they all fell into the sink hole?]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/monica_johnson/random_political_thoughts_joe_6451.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/monica_johnson/random_political_thoughts_joe_6451.php Billy Crystal antisemitsm George Bush wedding Jenna Bush Jenna Bush wedding Joe Lieberman Texas sinkhole Woody Allen Mon, 12 May 2008 10:56:17 +0000 Michelle Duggar is pregnant with her 18th child. She also home schools all of her kids, gives them names beginning with the letter "J," and gives birth by coughing for four minutes. NOTE: We made that last bit up, but we'd bet the farm that it's true. 23/6 sent her an e-card for Mother's Day and she kindly shared some of her favorites with us: Dear Mama, Yesterday you called me Justin, but I forgive you because I know you're only forgetful when you're pregnant. Also, Joseph told me to tell you that you're a MILF. I don't know what that means, but I love you Mama. Happy Mother's Day! Love, Jason (#13) Dear Michelle, Thank you for making our family appear normal. Best Wishes, Brad & Angelina Dear Michelle, Good news! I'm newly certified in Laser Vaginal Tightening. Let's talk after baby #18's appearance. Best Wished on this Mother's Day, Dr. David Lefkowitz, OBGYN ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/anne_polsky/what_to_expect_when_youre_expe_6447.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/anne_polsky/what_to_expect_when_youre_expe_6447.php Michelle and Jim Duggar Michelle Duggar Michelle Duggar 18 kids Michelle Duggar family Michelle Duggar Mother's Day Michelle Duggar pregnant Mother's Day Mon, 12 May 2008 10:15:50 +0000 The White House would not comment, but the couple are expected to honeymoon in Europe. After that, they plan to live in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse in Baltimore's Federal Hill. She plans to return to teaching, and he will work for Constellation Energy. -- Associated Press 5/11/08 Did you catch that? I know. It should be "the couple is expected." It's like just writing about the Bushes makes you stupider. No, not that. "Constellation Energy." Doesn't that mean anything to you? Vaguely. Didn't Parliament-Funkadelic use it to power the Mothership? You know I hate it when you talk about old people music. Sorry. Constellation Energy is the 33rd worst corporate air polluter in the United States. Well, then there's nowhere to go but up. I'll bet Henry Hager will get them into the high twenties in no time. I can see beyond his accomplice-date-rapist good looks. That boy's a comer. They also just happen to have an application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build the first nuclear power plant in America since Three Mile Island. Just him and Jenna? Constellation Energy. The company that's hiring Henry Hager. The President's new son-in-law. You can't let anyone be happy even for a day, can you? You know where they want to open their new nuclear reactor -- if they get permission? Calvert Cliffs. Fifty miles from the White House. Well, unless they put it up before November, that's not really a Bush problem, is it? And you know who's going to build it? You know what bugs me about Henry Hager? People Magazine says when he wanted to marry Jenna, he talked to the other twin first. And then he asked George and Laura and "they kept the plan a secret from their daughter" for more than a month. Makes you wonder how he's handling the honeymoon, just one-on-one. Or if he's getting some folks from the hotel to hold her down. Stop trying to change the subject. You know who's going to build Constellation Energy's new nuclear plant? No, and I don't want to know. I just want it to all be over. Here's a clue: They have over a billion dollars in cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts in Iraq, and ties to the Bin Laden family. Please don't say "Bechtel." The Bechtel Construction Co. of Frederick, Maryland.]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_kelly/mr_jenna_bush_gets_a_piece_of_6446.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_kelly/mr_jenna_bush_gets_a_piece_of_6446.php Bush family Bush toast for Jenna Bush twins Bush Wedding Bush wedding photos Constellation Energy Constellation Energy Henry Hager Crawford Texas wedding George Bush George Bush daughters wedding George W. Bush Henry Hager Henry Hager Jenna Bush Jenna Bush Jenna Bush married Jenna Bush pictures Jenna Bush wedding Laura Bush Mon, 12 May 2008 10:09:12 +0000 first U.S. airlift today, which is bringing 28,000 pounds of supplies to the seriously ravaged country, estimated to have as many as two million of its people victimized by last week's cyclone. There is little good news related to this event, but we can be grateful that American Airlines is not bringing the aid as they have the worst on-time arrival record of any American airline and mishandle 7.34 bags per 1,000. ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/sybil_adelman_sage/myanmar_formerly_known_as_burm_6445.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/sybil_adelman_sage/myanmar_formerly_known_as_burm_6445.php American Airlines Burma Burma cyclone Myanmar Myanmar aid Myanmar cyclone Myanmar junta Myanmar relief Myanmar victims Mon, 12 May 2008 09:52:16 +0000 ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/anne_polsky/crisis_watch_amy_winehouse_6441.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/anne_polsky/crisis_watch_amy_winehouse_6441.php Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse drugs Amy Winehouse heroin Amy Winehouse prison Myanmar Myanmar cyclone Myanmar junta Myanmar relief Sun, 11 May 2008 17:18:36 +0000 Meet the Press have against Mother's Day? ]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_mata/tim_russert_hates_your_mom_6440.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/chris_mata/tim_russert_hates_your_mom_6440.php Meet the Press Mothers Day Tim Russert your mom Sun, 11 May 2008 16:24:20 +0000 How I Helped O.J. Get Away With Murder by O.J. Simpson's former crony, Mike Gilbert, tells of Gilbert's role in Simpson's acquittal. He suggested how to bloat his hands so the bloody glove wouldn't fit. Gilbert claims that weeks after the trial, having smoked pot, taken a sleeping pill and been drinking beer, Simpson revealed to him that he'd gone to Nicole's condo and committed the murders with the knife she'd had in her hand when she opened the door, which was never found. Simpson's lawyer is denying the account, claiming that Gilbert is "a delusional drug addict who needs money," while Gilbert is equally critical of the attorney. Questions: If convicted felons aren't allowed to profit by writing about their crimes, shouldn't that law apply to accomplices? What happened that Gilbert, once loyal enough to protect a murderer, has had such a reversal? How many talk shows will the author be on this week? Can we all refrain from buying the book? But, more important, would Gilbert know how I can squeeze into my size 4 jeans?]]> http://www.236.com/blog/w/sybil_adelman_sage/a_new_killall_book_by_ojs_frie_6439.php http://www.236.com/blog/w/sybil_adelman_sage/a_new_killall_book_by_ojs_frie_6439.php How I Helped O.J. Get Away with Murder Mike Gilbert Nicole Simpson Nicole Simpson knife O.J. Simpson book O.J. Simpson Mike Gilbert OJ Simpson acquittal OJ Simpson blood love OJ Simpson book OJ Simpson knife OJ Simpson lost knife OJ Simpson manager OJ Simpson Mike Gilbert OJ Simpson murder Ronald Goldman Sun, 11 May 2008 12:37:10 +0000