Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, almost 93, visited her husband’s resting place on this day, the tenth anniversary of his death. Mrs. Reagan leads the notable recent longevity of first ladies as now the oldest living, though with years yet to go to become the longest living. (Photo: AP)
88-year-old Ann B Davis has left us. “Alice” of course never will. (Click on photo for details. Courtesy: Biography.com)
“The Missile” bookends the 2014 Amgen Tour of California. (Photo: www.cbgphoto.com)
As usual, the word-wise Phil Liggett phrased it appropriately. For the Missile’s victories in the first and last stages of this year’s Amgen Tour of California, the past week has been nicely held together by “Cavendish bookends,” much to Peter Sagan’s disappointment no doubt after clearly gunning for two in a row to wrap up the event. In the end, with Sir Bradley Wiggins’ overall victory and Mark Cavendish’s comeback performance, it’s plain to see British legs rule California roads. I myself am thrilled to have been right there, live at the final finish line in Thousand Oaks, even as the peloton flew by faster than most our heads can turn!
Our vantage point du jour.
They’ll be coming, and quickly!
There’s an uncelebrating Peter post-finish.
All the winners are on the podium.
MacLaine with one of my all-time favorite men! (Click for more classic photos)
To the many famous figures now exactly twice my age, add one more. The venerable Shirley MacLaine turns 80 years old today, in good company of course, alongside such recently minted female octogenarians as Florence Henderson, Joan Collins, Joan Rivers and Dianne Feinstein. Here’s a well-deserved nod to yet another double, twice 40 that is, in this case one remarkably unmatched performer with 80 ways to prove it!
They’re back, kind of. I traveled to Las Vegas on the long-anticipated yet largely unplanned occasion of my 40th birthday, searching amidst the unruly masses for any remaining shreds of a bygone era. Clearly such appealing elements weren’t to be found in a typical tourist’s wardrobe, as sadly enough no one dresses anymore. In fact it’s perplexing and question-inducing when someone like yours truly actually does! But this is beside the point. (And not unique to Vegas, I know.)
“Back” to what I was saying: I found them. In case you’re looking for them too, they’re at Rio. Boldly, stylishly and in true rambunctious form, as sure as you’ll cash out too late, The Rat Pack Is Back! I imagined a Dean Martin Las Vegas dinner roast for my 40th, and thankfully I got as close as I could get. Suffice to say, this “classic” performance did not disappoint.
Friday, March 28, 2014
She joined a big list of celebrities in welcoming Jimmy Fallon to his new job. And with this quick cameo after so very many years, 80-year-old Joan Rivers has been publicly welcomed back to “The Tonight Show,” hereby un-banished!
Photo Courtesy: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Tonight Show
Here’s to the first 50 years of “Beatlemania”– on this the anniversary of the so-called British invasion, the band’s debut U.S. performance– February 9, 1964 on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Even long after the two surviving members are gone, The Beatles will no doubt live on strongly and timelessly!
American Taylor Phinney in the overall lead, flanked by not-your-usual podium girls. (Photo: AP)
As the XXII Olympic Winter Games get underway, while Jay Leno bids farewell (again) to “The Tonight Show”, a uniquely different event has been taking place this week that’s truly a first: The inaugural Tour of Dubai is underway for a whopping total of… well, four days. Sixteen professional cycling teams are braving the region’s flat, sandy terrain for a cumulative distance of 417 kilometers, not even 65 miles per day! Hmmm, I wonder is they’ll even break a sweat? Maybe best they don’t; the cycling season is young yet, after all. Next up after Saturday: The six-stage Tour of Qatar.
Meanwhile, back to Sochi and/or Jay’s next gig.
Three in a row, is it? True enough, this marks the third consecutive year of Super Bowl commercials that’s leaving me, on the whole anyway, unimpressed. Not since 2011 have I been altogether razzle-dazzled by a steady stream of spirited spots. Oh sure, it’s great to see Arnold Schwarzenegger having fun in a long wig, as well as brief glimpses of Erik Estrada and Mary Lou Retton when the ’80s come calling, while Hyundai’s steadily improving body styling definitely deserves another check mark, somewhere. Still, I’m fairly certain I’ll remember little if any of this annual coveted-yet-costly ad time in a day or two. As such, my top three favorite 2014 Super Bowl Commercials are as follows, for my own reference as well as yours:
3) Audi A3: “Doberhuahua”
2) Jaguar F-Type Coupe: “It’s Good to Be Bad”
1) Chrysler 200: “America’s Import”– starring Bob Dylan!
Wouldn’t you know it– my three “winners” are all car-related, again! While there will be scads of recaps, analyses and opinions flowing hither and yon in the coming days, for the final score alone I’d think there’s much more to say about this year’s one-sided game itself. Then of course there’s Joe Namath’s absolutely fabulous fur coat to save the evening– now that’s impressive!
Joe Namath throws Super Bowl XLVIII’s coin toss in style! (Photo Courtesy: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
“At 92, she’s defying odds and even setting a couple records. She’s the oldest person to ever host SNL, she’s the oldest Emmy winner in history, and she’s even made it into the Guinness Book for the ‘Longest TV Career For A Female Entertainer.'” (HuffPost, 1/17/14)
Here’s to yet another remarkable birthday for one remarkable lady– and another to come next year no doubt. Happy 92nd, Betty White! You really are “the luckiest old broad on two feet.”
They rode their wave of last year’s big success to an encore performance at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards. With their well-scripted one-liners complementing their natural style, the Fey-Poehler duo delivers again!
“About how many kilometers did you ride last year?”, I asked him just after our photo was taken. His answer comes out to about three times my amount– that is, what equates to around 310 miles per week to my 110, roughly 1350 miles per month to my 475, and more than 16,000 miles for the year to my less than 6,000. Altogether, it looks like my own dust settles at about 35 percent of his answer to my question: “about 26 thousand kilometers.” Naturally he’s the pro and he’s getting paid; I’m not and I’m not, as reality likes to remind me. Still, it feels good to be more than a third of the way there!
A privilege and a pleasure it was to meet cycling great Peter Sagan at Cannondale’s 2014 team launch party on January 7 at the Canyon Club in Agoura, California. For as exhausted as he and his teammates surely must have been by the end of the evening, together they put on one excellent show for all of us. You won’t find them spinning through the streets of Thousand Oaks for long however, as races are fast underway. We’ll see Peter back here in no time of course, ready to defend his green jersey in the Tour of California come May. For now– one week in– let the cycling year begin, for the pros and all of us somewhere behind them!
Well into December, with the 25th fast upon us, it’s time once again for the annual playing of my very favorite Christmas song performance of all time. They sure don’t make them like this anymore!
Consider deadlock on civil rights in 1964, followed by no further U.S. involvement in Vietnam after 1965. Suppose the vice president had been forced from office well before the next election, triggering the selection of his replacement. And think about the first lady’s calculated next move after eight years in the White House.
Exactly fifty years since the assassination of President Kennedy, today marks not only a fitting remembrance of what was, but also a fascinating exploration of what might have been. Aiding in this rich intellectual journey, author Jeff Greenfield has done it again, presenting us with his newest and well-timed work of alternate history, “If Kennedy Lived.”
It all comes down to one meteorological circumstance which ultimately changes everything, from split-second reactions to long-term policy decisions and every ironic turn of fate along the way. All the while, readers are invited via Mr. Greenfield’s plausible scenarios to ponder one alternative evolution of 1960s history, including the momentum of the growing counterculture and the administration’s tactics to quell certain scandal. The ironies abound, including chuckle-inducing quotes from private citizen Richard Nixon and a young Al Gore, Jr., among numerous other key players who either emerge or disappear as alternate developments dictate.
Fifty years ago today the world changed in an instant. Imagine, at least for this quick yet captivating read, if that instant had produced a different result, well beyond the immediate events of November 22, 1963.
With the 50th anniversary upon us, all sorts of questions remain. New and old, sensible and outlandish, each is propelled by a keen and unyielding fascination surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Now feeding our collective, unsatisfied appetite is a captivating series of National Geographic documentaries once again dissecting the already-dissected moments of November 22, 1963, including JFK: The Lost Bullet, The Lost JFK Tapes and JFK: The Final Hours. Each of these productions turns out at least a few morsels of related and not-so-related facts that we might not have heard before but still find interesting. (I for one never knew eight-year-old actor-to-be Bill Paxton saw and photographed the president in Fort Worth that morning.)
Then we have the newest and much-promoted dramatization of Jack & Jackie Kennedy’s presidential life and final moments together, in NGC’s film adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s novel Killing Kennedy. While the often-predictable Rob Lowe manages to pull off a decent portrayal of JFK, Ginnifer Goodwin’s re-creation of the first lady comes across– to me at least– as weak and unconvincing. (I’ve seen better “Jackies” over the years, thank you.) Altogether, the apparently common sentiment holds its ground, that this movie tells us nothing new, and definitely nothing outside the boundaries of the official yet increasingly disputed lone gunman theory.
Nevertheless, Killing Kennedy is worth watching for the sake of another welcome trip along that same old path of nostalgia that most Americans have traveled once, twice or 100 times over the past half century. The “newest” element to this so-called bland and unimaginative account comes in the powerful portrayal of Lee Harvey Oswald, played by the talented Will Rothhaar. In my initial opinion, he carries this film.
Watch and consider for yourself. Take in the sprinklings of history atop everything you no doubt already know. And watch the documentaries first, for this is where the real quenching of our fascination lies after all, even as all those questions– under whatever descriptor they fall– stack up faster than they might ever have answers.
Anyone like myself who grew up in Southern California during the 1970s and 80s– in earshot of a TV set that is– surely can hum the unmistakable jingle. As a child in Woodland Hills, I could not have told you how to get to Long Beach. However, having seen enough wacky car commercials with his dog Spot— again and again as intended– I knew that to “go see Cal” on Bellflower Boulevard meant a hot deal on a ’79 Cutlass Supreme.
Decades later I distinctly recall these iconic spots, unmatched in style, creativity and– to borrow the term– “exuberant cheesiness.” They came from a man whose personality flourished in the right time and place, defining a bygone era of advertising firsts. And now, after a long life memorably lived, he too has departed at age 92. With a few chuckles along memory lane, we bid farewell to the one-and-only Cal Worthington.
For better or not-so-better, any moment in political history occurs just once, without a retake, yielding an indelible result. Still, it’s often fascinating to consider alternate outcomes– both immediate and long-term– especially with the help of a deeply insightful book on the subject.
Suppose President-elect John F. Kennedy had been killed before his inauguration, as truly came close to happening one December morning. Say the gunman in the Ambassador Hotel on that June night had been tackled before hitting his target, allowing Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign to proceed. And even without an act of violence or death, consider how words alone could have gotten President Gerald Ford elected in his own right– and from there, who would have succeeded him.
Historians, academicians and philosophers often like to ponder the age-old question, “What if?” And for the rest of us who like to ask it as well, reporter/author Jeff Greenfield presents a captivating 400 pages to feed such an appetite, adding to numerous works of alternate history while showcasing an extensive and unique cast of characters. As fact launches into fiction, we the readers are invited to contemplate, through good and bad, how history might have been written. The entire “if, then” logic structure rings loudly, hypothetically enough. Let’s just say the film in my last post clearly would not have been made!
“Then Everything Changed” proves a fascinating and reflective read for anyone who appreciates how it really was, while craving a glimpse into how it could have occurred. “It” is far more than merely who holds office; the everyday media and social divergences are intertwined. I’m thrilled to have picked up this two-year-old book, in the end leaving me satisfied that some pieces of history happened as they did– while wishing others might have turned out differently. Ironically enough, some very memorable events that defined our reality still took place in Mr. Greenfield’s alternative scenario, just at different times among other players. Such compelling instances simply strike nerves with all the more impact on the reality vs. fantasy balance. And of course, in scenarios both real and imagined, Bugs Bunny always does beat Daffy Duck.
Ultimately, from tragedy, loss and failure to peace, victory and opportunity, with all that might have happened and the rest that never did, “Then Everything Changed” concludes with a final paragraph demonstrating the mark of a thoughtful and well-balanced author. That is, I laughed out loud. I bet you will too!
“The Nixon presidency is endlessly fascinating, and his taped conversations, even now, are shocking, revealing and addictive.” (7/31/13)
Two out of three’s not bad, so I contemplated in reaction to these words in The New York Times.
The “new” audio-visual elements are indeed revealing, launching any interested viewer onto a potentially addictive historical journey. Shocking, no. Still, despite its expected and obvious editorial slant coupled with some peculiar musical selections, “Our Nixon” is well worth the watch.
Then, what Ben Stein has to say seems well worth the read. After all, there’s of course more than one viewpoint to consider along the journey, whatever descriptive terms one might employ.
It can’t be me– I wasn’t born after all. While I’ve always assumed the attractive, likable and allegedly self-absorbed Warren Beatty was the honoree, we’ve just been reminded once again that the mystery has never quite been solved. Nonetheless, one of my all-time favorite, now-classic songs is back in the news this week– Jeannie Moos-style to boot– prompting that same old question that Carly Simon has yet to answer after more than 40 years! You probably think this song is about… well, someone worth revealing, don’t you?
Generations change; British Royal moments not so much.
Surely this is the first of many comparisons to come. While I had been thinking of finding two such photos myself and placing them side by side, to little if any surprise it was already done for me. In any case, the inevitably to-be-watched life of George Alexander Louis has begun, just in time to trigger comparisons of his mother to the grandmother he’ll never know, along with all those would-haves. Once more, Diana lives in spirit.
He departed suddenly, perhaps in an instantaneous cut to black akin to the presumed demise of his famous character. The actor who delivered us television’s most likable mobster has been taken in a flash. Six years after the last of Tony Soprano, we now say goodbye to James Gandolfini, gone all too quickly.
The fashionably fabulous reigning queen of one-liners turns 80 years old today, propelled no doubt by the effective combination of her razor-sharp tongue and the proven talents of her cosmetic surgeon(s). The wonderfully one-and-only Joan Rivers hereby joins the octogenarian club, armed with her successfully manufactured appearance and a never-failing mouth that should carry her to at least 100. She sees this day in equally (if not more, dare I say) attractive company, as another famous and relatively flawless Joan marked the same milestone only 16 days ago! Apparently there’s plenty of 80-year-old glamour to go around, and naturally this Joan will have much to say about it for months to come! Next up: Senator Dianne Feinstein.
Actress Jean Stapleton reached her 90th birthday this past January, a fact of which I was aware well before her death last Friday. Check out this helpful source to see if any of your classic favorites are still with us!
A Recommended Read
Through his humble and straightforward narrative style, I can hear her breathy voice calling his name, be it in amusement, annoyance, or a unique combination of the two. The deeply personal recounting of so many private yet fascinating moments yields a refreshing portrait of a woman subjected to so many portraits– in this case one without drama, sensation or agenda. Clint Hill takes us, his readers, on a one-on-one historical journey that only he can tell. And though “that day” came more than a decade before my birth, his frank and detailed words drew me in close enough to feel as if I were right there alongside him on November 22, 1963.
For all that’s been written about First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy over the past half century, only the U.S. Secret Service Agent assigned to her detail holds the otherwise unrecorded memories to write as he does. And Mr. Hill writes well in “Mrs. Kennedy and Me,” despite a few cases of grammatical usage that his proofreader apparently missed. She returns to life throughout these pages as calculating yet reasonable, demanding yet understanding, mischievous yet respectful– and the descriptors can easily go on. As her voice speaks through the pages, above all else I imagine her picking up a copy from beyond, glancing at it with a stunned yet captivated expression, and in disbelief that yet another entire book has been written about her, immediately calling out, “Oh, Mr. Hill…”
“Just as the public tends to view presidents more kindly once they’ve left office, ex-presidents, too, tend to soften their judgments – or at least their public comments – with time.” (Huffington Post, 25 April 2013)
Softened or not, I always appreciate the rare occasion on which to view all living former U.S. presidents, among the current, in the same eyeshot. Today’s gathering reminds me of another classic below from 1994, except in the present case no death was involved. Naturally, some change with time more than others.
“Really? So THAT’S how it happened?! What a letdown.” At least this was my first line of thought. Moments later my second mental train departed, leaving me reassuring myself: “Oh, ok. Maybe this really was the right way to do it after all. I suppose this season finale does make sense when you think about it.”
And now– dare I say– it makes even more sense to call it quits. While certainly the last person to want to say this, I must be realistic, as too should any true series follower. Larry Hagman is dead, and so now is J.R. Ewing. The villains have been rounded up if not eliminated. Points of peace have been reached, at least among the principal players. And speaking of Principal, Victoria will not be stopping by. J.R. executed his masterpiece while voluntarily extinguishing himself. Ultimately slipping past any killer’s hands, he dictated the manner of his death– and with justifiable reason. While a disappointment this long-in-coming revelation initially seemed, the most fitting sendoff it settled in to be.
After 35 years, it’s time now for “Dallas” to be done, for good. J.R. and all that comes with him have been laid to rest, so it seems. How could it– and why should it– go on? There’s only so much nostalgia to be milked, which could soon wear painfully thin. Unfortunate as it is to have to say, I believe we best lay all the Ewings to rest on this momentary high note.
“The death on Monday of an attractive, memorable woman with a beaming smile was particularly stirring and evocative, particularly for males of a certain age. She seemed to embody the era and excite our emotions. I am not referring to Margaret Thatcher, of course. I mean Annette Funicello, the most famous of Walt Disney’s original Mouseketeers of the “Mickey Mouse Club,” whose death in California at the age of 70 was announced a few hours after Thatcher’s.” (Burman, Toronto Star, 4/13/13)
Controversial in life yet honored in death, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher posthumously stirs varied memories while reigniting a healthy range of social debate. But then, is this not typically the case upon the passing of a popular yet polarizing political figure?
She was hated– detrimentally so it appears– yet in opposing circles she is mourned, difficult as this might seem to those who will do anything but. Again, typical is this not?
“In the days leading up to Thatcher’s funeral, there will be considerable contortions on the part of commentators to be reverent and polite when speaking of the dead,” Mr. Burman explains. Reverence and politeness notwithstanding, while popular among many as she will forever stand in history, others might rather think first of Annette. Once more, that T word pops up.
The much-anticipated cameos came, and respects were properly paid. The scheduled demise of the character appropriately trailed the unscheduled death of the actor. Now comes yet another new chapter of the saga, as the plot of present-day “Dallas” charges full speed ahead in his memory. J.R. Ewing may be as dead and gone as Larry Hagman in body, but even from beyond it appears he’s steering the course for his family. Thankfully his “work” is living on, at least through the remainder of season two! I for one am looking forward to the grand revelation of J.R.’s so-called “masterpiece,” pieces of which any “Dallas” nostalgist might be able to predict.
Who’d have thought two or three decades ago that we’d be watching a brand new episode in January 2013? Then, who’d have thought such an event would be happening after the death of the show’s iconic star and irreplaceable centerpiece?
Season two of “Dallas” is off and running. Of course Larry Hagman passed away last November, midway through production of this second round of new episodes. As such tonight’s premiere is bittersweet. We get to see a severely aging J.R. a few more final times, knowing there’s no negotiation on his departure.
As the latest storylines rapidly spin beyond the point of even remote belief, and as we dare not blink in keeping up with exactly who’s one-upping who among the entire corrupt lot, the biggest question will certainly keep all true “Dallas” fans tuned in over the course of the next few weeks: Just how exactly will J.R. exit?
Blink I did not, as in paying close attention to the series of quick frames during the closing credits, my eye caught precisely what was placed there to be found. Apparently we’ll be seeing some more “old” faces this season. J.R.’s swan song, which began tonight, looks like it will grow into a well-attended event. While I could have waited, now under the circumstsances I can’t wait.
His Latest Entrance Before His Final Exit
Ryan R. Sanderson 