Dec 19, 2013

George Strombo--What a Loss for CNN

from The Province

George Stroumboulopoulos has soft spot for B.C.

BY DAN FUMANO, THE PROVINCE DECEMBER 18, 2013

CBC personality George Stroumboulopoulos got his start in B.C. Jason Payne/ PNG

Photograph by: Jason Payne , PROVINCE

Though he definitely identifies with his Ontario roots, George Stroumboulopoulos says it’s important to him to get out west a few times every year.

“It’s funny, because I’m a Toronto boy in all the senses of the word. But Vancouver, and the Pacific Northwest, there’s been a vibe here that I’ve really identified with,” he said. “I like the way people connect to each other here. It’s just more chill. It’s definitely more laid back.”

Stroumboulopoulos was in town this month to help out with CBC’s annual Open House and Food Bank Day, where he was frequently stopped in his tracks by admiring fans who waned to say ‘hello’ to George. He invariably stopped, engaged them, asked them their names.

He’s had a soft spot for B.C., he said, going back to his early days in broadcasting.

Fresh out of school in Toronto, Strombo moved west to take his first radio job at a rock station in Kelowna, 104.7 FM The Lizard, where he hosted a metal show called High Voltage.

Stroumboulopoulos expressed his admiration for Vancouver’s restaurants (especially veggie spots like The Naam and The Foundation), local music (especially punk bands like DOA and SNFU), and B.C.’s public broadcaster, the Knowledge Network).

The 41-year-old broadcaster also made a recent trip to B.C. to work on an upcoming project with another famous local, Michael Bublé.

The Burnaby-bred crooner has appeared several times on Stroumboulopoulos’ show over the years, and the two have hit it off, Stroumboulopoulos said. They’ve watched and talked hockey together — Strombo’s a massive Habs fan, while Bublé's a lifelong Canucks backer.

During the 2010 Olympics, Stroumboulopoulos said Bublé even let him crash at his place while he was in Vancouver.

“I had no real plans on coming here, then I bumped into him and he was like, ‘Go stay at my place,’ ” he said. “(Bublé) just left the keys at the front, and . . . let me crash.”

dfumano@theprovince.com

twitter.com/fumano

Ann Coulter, Jesus Christ, and Santa Claus

If Ann Coulter can’t be trusted (see Never Trust Ann Coulter – at ANY Age), why do so many conservatives trust her? Sometimes she gets things right and stands her ground for truth. (Complications arise, however, when she as equally fervently expresses falsehood.)

Entering into an already ongoing racial debate sparked by Fox News commentators and Coulter’s own tweets, Piers Morgan recently posed a series of questions to Coulter regarding the race of both Jesus and Santa.

Regarding the Savior, Coulter was accurate: “As for Jesus, Jesus is a real person. He was a Jew. I mean, if you want to tell me Jews aren't white, OK. But he's Jewish. So, whatever that is.” Repeatedly pressed by a contentious Piers who could not accept that reality, Coulter amplified her remarks: “Well, he's not black, he's Middle Eastern. Maybe he's sort of beige, Piers.” For the record, Jesus was biblically and historically Jewish and, thus, light-complexioned.

Coulter’s views on Santa are a bit more problematic. “But I met the real Santa Clause and he is white.” Santa Claus is a fictional character inspired by an historical figure, a 4^th-century Greek Christian bishop. Our contemporary picture of Santa Claus derives from an 1881 illustration which was created in a dominant white milieu.

Of course Santa Claus in America was white – in 1881. But Santa is a fictional figure and his race has no bearing on who he is and what he does. Santa transcends race. (Just as Jesus does.) Every individual and culture can envision Santa as they choose. Christmas is celebrated worldwide by a variety of different customs, in diverse cultures, with different representations of Santa.

Coulter, Piers, and others who emphasize the race of Jesus Christ and Santa Claus are entirely missing the point because they are focusing on something relatively inconsequential – race. They miss the point of Christmas – the universal love of God and Jesus Christ’s birth as Savior of the world.

It’s not about race, it’s about God’s gift to mankind.

by Daniel Borchers

here is a link to Dan's website www.CoulterWatch.com:

http://www.coulterwatch.com/

Merry Christmas from Chloetoo

Merry Christmas from chloetoo

More News About Lucy and Lucie from the Lowell Sun

Daily Dish: 12/19/2013

The Lowell Sun

UPDATED: 12/19/2013 06:28:51 AM EST

Lucie Arnaz recalls Christmas with Lucy, Desi

Lucille Ball's classic antics are colorized in an "I Love Lucy" holiday special airing on CBS. But daughter Lucie Arnaz's vivid family Christmas memories don't require any embellishment to shine.

Arnaz says her parents, Ball and Desi Arnaz, made the most of the holiday at their Beverly Hills home in the 1950s. Arnaz and her brother, Desi Arnaz Jr., reveled in it.

Her Cuban-born dad added a memorable touch one particular Christmas Eve. Young Lucie awoke to the sound of clattering on the roof, followed by a man in a red suit bringing gifts into her room.

As Arnaz recalls: "He bent over and kissed me and said" -- here she adapts a Cuban accent -- "'Merry Christmas!' I thought, 'Santa sounds just like daddy."'

She fondly recalls watching her parents on the set of "I Love Lucy," and hopes the "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" (8 p.m. Friday, CBS) will introduce the sitcom to a new generation of viewers.

The hour-long program includes colorized versions of a Christmas special and one in which Lucy memorably stomps grapes for wine in Italy. A newly released DVD includes those and a third episode, "Lucy Goes to Scotland."

Tyler Perry says Fincher is 'amazing' director

Tyler Perry writes, directs, stars in and produces his own movies and TV shows, so he doesn't have much time for outside projects. One he's glad he made work is a role in director David Fincher's upcoming film, "Gone Girl."

Based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn, "Gone Girl" is the story of a man who comes under suspicion in the disappearance of his wife. The movie, scheduled for release next October, stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

"Gone Girl" is "the most educational, awe-inspiring thing that I've ever done," Perry said in a recent interview.

"Sitting in his presence, in his genius, the man is a genius," he said of Fincher. "It really makes me go, 'Whoa, let me just stop and take this in,' so it's been wonderful."

And, as one filmmaker to another, he's humbled by working with the Oscar-nominated director.

"I'm a storyteller. That man is a di-re-ctor. He is amazing. And to watch him work and to watch how he paints his pictures, the tableaus, everything is really just beyond anything I could ever imagine."

Lane, Dennehy find new home for 'Iceman Cometh'

Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy will star in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" in Brooklyn in 2015.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music said Tuesday the pair of stars, who had been in an acclaimed Goodman Theatre version of the play in 2012 in Chicago, will present the five-hour work for a six-week run in the BAM Harvey Theater from Feb. 5 through March 15.

The director is Robert Falls, artistic director of the Goodman, and the show is produced by BAM and Scott Rudin. Lane was last on Broadway in "The Nance" and Dennehy was in "Desire Under the Elms."

news from Lucie Arnaz

from www.luciearnaz.com

Dear Friends!

Welcome! So happy you found me here where you can find ALL things LUCIE........with an IE!

I just began booking my LATIN ROOTS big band show appearing close to my new home on February 11, 2014 at the beautiful McCallum Theatre in Palm Springs, CA.. Check my calendar page here for details and for other dates (Laguna, Arizona, etc.) And I hope to bring that big show into Las Vegas soon, too.

It's a story I've been longing to tell, the genesis of my love affair with music and a tribute to the man who introduced it to me.

Here's a taste:

For concert booking please contact Wayne J. Gmitter via email: wayne@thinkiconic.com or phone: (917) 209-1148

Meantime, from my merchandise dept. let me tell you, if you haven’t already, checked out my LATIN ROOTS CD, please do. I am so darn proud of this one, and I think there will be many songs you will want to listen to again and again.

Also, I am proud to announce all six seasons of HERE’S LUCY (the series I co-starred in with my mother, Lucille Ball, and my brother, Desi Arnaz, Jr.), are now available on DVD courtesy of MPI. The wrap around commentaries on these are priceless.

In Family News:

My son, Joe Luckinbill, is still promoting his newest CD (artwork above, left), "Lugenbühl" and I think it is even better than the first. Some excellent writing and production on these new songs. I hope you will check it out. And his music has also been used in films and television now,too. Most exciting, Joe relocated and started his own recording studio in Los Angeles canvassing other new talent to produce. Check him out at joeluckinbill.com, on Facebook and on MySpace. You go, Joe!!!

My son, Simon Luckinbill, continues to make some amazingly beautiful and thought provoking art. To view / purchase his work go toSyArtGallery and visit him on Facebook.

My multi talented daughter, Katharine Luckinbill, enjoys her busy life in the advertising world and also continues to post an online advice column on KATE-BOOK.com that is not only entertaining, but full of some solid tips on so many topics about which I had no clue she was so savvy. She is a heck of a good writer that girl.

And, my üüüüber talented partner in crime and passion (and the father of all these brilliant babes), Laurence Luckinbill, has a fantastic website now complete with hours of performance videos (welcome to the 21st Century, Lar!!) created by our multi-talented writer-designer son, Benjamin Luckinbill.

While we're at it, you might as well enjoy some of the first Luckinbill brother, Nick's, music tracks. We are pretty proud of Nick. He just had one of his tracks featured in a commercial on the Olympics!

What a fabulous bunch of talented artists are these children we made. Better than that, they are ALL great people trying to do something to enrich the happiness quotient on the planet.

Hope you enjoy perusing the site and, as always, if you have any suggestions, please pass them along to the webangels atbenluckinbill.com!

Safe and Happy Holidays Everyone!

Besos,

Dec 18, 2013

Why is Ann Coulter so Dangerous?

Conservatives recognize the universal truth of the axiom, “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Our Founding Fathers understood this and devised the form of government we inherited from them with that in mind. Limited government, enumerated powers, competing factions – all designed to prevent one individual or group from seizing too much power. That system has endured for centuries, but has become corrupted by various power grabs and the expansion of power concentrated in the hands of a few people in Washington, D.C.

Power corrupts. Ann Coulter is particularly prone to its effects. She pursues power with passion (see several chapters in Vanity: Ann Coulter’s Quest for Glory), just as she seeks control over every aspect of her life, of her relationships, and of the world around her – including national politics. Moreover, her arrogance – her sense of superiority and belief that she knows better than anyone else (see Never Trust Ann Coulter – at ANY Age) – compels her to misuse her power and exert control over other people, irrespective of their wishes or needs.

That combination – corrupt power, compulsive control, and unbridled arrogance – makes Ann Coulter a very dangerous person.

by Daniel Borchers

here is a link to Dan's website CoulterWatch

http://www.coulterwatch.com/

Dec 17, 2013

Words of Wisdom on our Justice System from Rev Al Sharpton/Huff Post

Rev. Al Sharpton

President, National Action Network

GET UPDATES FROM REV. AL SHARPTON

608

'Affluenza' and the Miscarriage of Justice

Posted: 12/16/2013 4:44 pm

Affluenza Defense, Ethan Couch Sentenced, Ethan Couch Car Crash, Judge Jean Boyd,Affluenza, Drinking And Driving, Justice System, Politics News

484

140

GET POLITICS NEWSLETTERS:

The justice system. We often like to think that in a great democracy like ours, we are all equal under the law no matter what our personal or financial background. The reality is, that while we may have a right to an attorney and a day in court, our judicial system is far from perfect. Too often, those with money and power can avert harsh sentences, while the poor find themselves receiving maximum time and penalties. This aspect of economic inequality -- one where a 16-year-old teenager can drive drunk, kill four people and receive no jail time because he allegedly suffered from 'affluenza' -- is one of our greatest remaining challenges. Financial disparity within our judicial system isn't a notion of the past; it is ever present today. And perhaps nothing serves as more of a stirring reminder of this grave injustice than the very case of this teen, Ethan Couch, who has forever shattered the lives of many and received nothing but a virtual slap on the wrist.

Texas Judge Jean Boyd sentenced Couch to 10 years probation and rehab at a 'treatment facility' after he pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter by intoxication, and two counts of assault by intoxication causing serious bodily injury, according to reports. Prosecutors had asked for 20 years in prison. Couch and his friends reportedly stole alcohol from a Walmart store, then piled into his father's pickup truck; Couch struck and killed four pedestrians while traveling 70 mph in a 40 mph zone, according to news outlets. Not only were those four pedestrians killed, but two of his friends were seriously injured after they were reportedly thrown from the vehicle -- one who may be permanently paralyzed. Couch's attorneys argued that the teen suffered from 'affluenza', a condition where the rich apparently don't know how to be held accountable for their actions because they grow up in an environment of privilege. Shockingly, it appears the ridiculous theory worked. Instead of prison, Couch is heading to a $450,000/yr facility where he will have access to martial arts training, nature hikes, etc. Meanwhile, the families of the victims are left without a semblance of justice.

It's remarkable how this 16-year-old has been given a pass despite the fact that police claim his blood alcohol level at the time of the accident was three times the legal limit, and according to published reports, traces of Valium were in his system as well. And this isn't the first time Couch has had brushes with the law. According to a lawsuit filed against his family, Couch was previously arrested and charged with alcohol possession, and he wasonce found in a car with a passed out, naked 14-year-old girl. How could this pattern of behavior not be taken into account during sentencing? Do we really believe that a young teenager from an inner city or from a rural area who had a rough upbringing would receive time at a treatment facility if he/she killed four people after driving drunk? I don't think so, and neither do the majority of us.

For more years than I can remember, I have discussed the idea of inequality within our justice system. It begins with strategically profiling certain segments of the population, and it ends with a legal system that rewards the wealthy and their high-powered attorneys while viciously locking up the poor and powerless. The very judge in Couch's case, Jean Boyd, apparently had no problem sentencing a 14-year-old black teenager to up to 10 years in prison for punching a man who later died as a result of his injuries. According to published reports, Boyd sentenced this teen to 10 years, which will begin at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, but if he is deemed not to have made progress, he could be transferred to an adult prison before his 19th birthday. Where is this child's opportunity to go enjoy nature walks and a luxury rehab center? If we truly believe in equality and rule of law, then our judges, courts and the entire legal system must conduct themselves as such. Anything less is simply a miscarriage of justice.

President Obama recently addressed income inequality. He referred to it as the defining challenge of our time -- and rightfully so. But what people often forget is that income inequality impacts far more than how much a person makes. It determines what kind of neighborhood we live in, the quality of schools we attend, opportunities that are available and yes, how we are viewed under the eyes of the law. Neither I, nor any reasonable person, condone punching or killing anyone. But when a teenager can be sentenced to 10 years for such an act, and another given time at an extravagant facility for the death of four, we must pause and ask ourselves what message we are sending to young people (and adults for that matter) everywhere. Just as we must ask what message we are sending to the suffering family members of the victims.

Until money and wealth do not predetermine our treatment under the law, justice can never truly be blind.

Follow Rev. Al Sharpton on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheRevAl

from the Huffington Post

Geraldo Radio--Tuesdays with Ann Coulter

Geraldo has one of the best shows on radio today--he lets the guests say their opinions on both sides of the issue. We get to hear all of the info without anger--Geraldo even says his idea, perhaps in disagreement and no one goes away fuming.

The New Yorkers love him and call in as if they know him and they are talking to an old friend as evidenced by the New York granny yesterday, angry that Geraldo was feeling too sorry for President Obama.

It is a good show, particularly for conservative radio and it is also fun to hear Bernard Kerik, former Police Commissioner give his take on things. He says his friend will be on every Monday.

I am going to keep watching this show on my comp.

It is also nice to hear about New York as it is completely different from San Diego.

I like the show and I am a dem--it is informative without anger--even when the bombastic beauty Ann Coulter calls in on Tuesdays. Geraldo has the unusual gift of listening to Ann's outrageousness and then toning down her radical statements without being insulting.

In the current radio market the show is informative and entertaining. It is one of the few shows that is not completely one-sided and crazy and that is rare in radio today.

......................................................................................

19.00

Aquamarine Swarovski Crystal Cube Earrings

8mm cubes with sterling silver findings

purchase here with paypal or on my website www.chloetoo.com...the ronnie page

Dec 16, 2013

Is Bill O'Reilly Jealous of Al Sharpton or What

Man, it starting to seem that way.

It seems like Al Sharpton is genuinely happy. Al Sharpton is happy about President Obama--a lot of their hard work is starting to pay off.

Eric Holder is in place to consider new laws.

Nelson Mandela has received well deserved world praise.

It seems like the Reverend Al Sharpton possesses a true and genuine happiness that Bill knows he just cannot touch.

Al Sharpton has a certain sense of satisfaction, a certain sense of hard work well done.

His contentment is true and comes from within--it is not sanctioned by Mr O'Reilly.

The happiness is out of Bill's control--he can't get it and he can't touch it and he is angry.

Maybe Bill will achieve grace someday, perhaps that will be his Christmas gift to the media.

Here is the Daily Kos:

It is no secret that Bill O'Reilly is an ass of gigantic proportions. However, in a segment on last night's O'Reilly Factor, Bill manages to outdo his own gigantic assiness. In response to recent Republican efforts to dismantle SNAP and the Vatican's new-found concern for the poor, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) made a comment in a conversation with Al Sharpton that when Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, “he didn’t charge food stamps.”

This made Bill O' ooh so mad and he simply wasn't going to stand for it. Letting his hatred for all things perceived as "nanny state" fly, he graciously acknowledged that Jesus would be just fine with feeding the poors so long as it didn't inconvenience anyone with actual money.

In a conversation with Pentecostal Pastor Joshua Dubois, Bill tries to school the good pastor on all those alcoholics and drug addicts picking his pocket for free food. In actuality, it was Pastor Dubois who schooled O'Reilly. The video and juicier bits of the conversation transcribed below.

O'Reilly: The problem I have, as I stated is that you’re helping one group by hurting another group and a bigger group, and so I don’t know if Jesus is going to be down with that.
Dubois: Jesus would be down for the poor. He would want to make sure every single person in this country had enough food to eat. And the bottom line is if you add up every single private charitable dollar that feeds hungry people in this country, it’s only 10 percent of what we would need to make sure everyone has food in their stomachs. The rest comes from the federal government.

O'Reilly: You’re making a powerful argument, but there is one huge mistake in it. And that is that some of the people who don’t have enough to eat, it’s their fault they don’t have enough to eat. Particularly with their children.

If you’re an alcoholic or heroin addict or a drug addict and you can’t hold a job, alright, and you can’t support your children — and that’s a circumstance of millions and millions of people, not most, but a lot, a substantial minority — then it’s your fault, you’re bringing the havoc, that you’re asking people who may be struggling themselves to put food on the table to give their tax money to you. And then you’re not even going to buy food with it, you’re going to buy booze and drugs with it.

Dubois: With all due respect, there’s a lot of misconceptions in what you just said. The vast majority of that program goes to elderly people, people who are disabled, 46 percent are children and most people are working families.

O'Reilly: My parents didn’t make a lot of money and they were able to put food on the table. I give a lot of money — and you probably know this — to children’s charities, okay? Children who have derelict parents. And I say, it’s not the kids’ fault so I’m going to give the money to the kids. But I don’t give it to charities unless the charity hands it to the kids, gets it right to the kids. So, I’m circumventing the drugs and the alcohol and the other craziness, alright?

Dubois: I don’t live in a derelict country. There are some folks that have the problems that you described, but that is not the vast majority of food stamp recipients.

I have to applaud Pastor Dubois for standing up to O'Reilly so pointedly. O'Reilly only served to come off as the cruel, heartless Republican he is. In his mind and in the minds of so many Republicans, being poor is just exactly what you deserve for having the audacity to be poor. In order to expunge his putrid soul for these uncharitable thoughts, he must convince himself that these people are subhuman addicts not worthy of wiping his shoes on.

I am not a Christian and I do not pretend to speak for Jesus and how he would have felt about food stamps, but having read a great deal what he was purported to have stood for, I'm pretty sure that Bill O'Reilly has this exactly wrong.