Joe Pater-NO

Joe Paterno may have been deified in life and more so in death, but that does not excuse what he failed to do.

We cannot be resolute enough in this statement: Joe Paterno was only a football coach and he was an pedophiles enabler.

Through his direct inaction, and that of Penn State as well, children were anally raped repeatedly and god only knows what else FOR OVER TEN YEARS.

To elevate this guy as a god and a hero is beyond comprehension.

Sure, Joe was a good guy. But all that ended 10 years ago when he turned his back on responsibility and sided with a child molester.

It is BECAUSE Joe was "a good guy" that this is especially reprehensible. Child rapists are sick in the head, to put it simply, and that is the excuse given for their crimes. Enablers face a different problem. They are the good guys that for some reason - denial, greed, stupidity, whathaveyou - do nothing. And through that nothingness basically condone or let happen the continued molestation of innocent kids.

Also, what made Paterno so great in others eyes?

We've heard he donated to the school and especially to the library and scholarship programs. And? He was grossly overpaid and from students tuition's no less, so why shouldn't he give back? What is so fucking awesome about that? The alumni are hit every quarter with donation appeals and they give back a lot more collectively than Paterno. So what is the big deal about the library he built? It was the school's money anyway - THEY PAID HIM OUT OF STUDENT TUITION MONEY. This hero-worship is misguided.

They also said he "made men" and was a great influence. Gee! Really? Considering his position at the school, it seems the least he could do was be nice to people without telling every one to fuck off. He visited broken players in the hospital, too. WOW! Really? How special he was. For doing the bare minimum. He was their coach after all and part of a extensive Penn State PR program, do you really think he'd let players languish in hospitals without stopping in once a week? That was his JOB.

We just don't get it.

We're thankfully not alone although we're the minority.

Here's what a Pedophile Survivors Group has to say:

"The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Monday that ignoring what it called Paterno's "egregious wrongdoing" is insensitive to victims of molestation.

"And publicly honoring Paterno sends precisely the wrong message to others who have or may hide child sex crimes -- if you achieve enough professionally, we'll overlook your role in enabling, ignoring or concealing heinous crimes against kids," the group said."

Amen, brothers.

And in Joe Pa's own words: “I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was,” he said. “So I backed away. I never heard of, of, rape and a man."

Yeah, he didn't mention the victims much. He was too worried about the school.

And this brings up another point.

Joe Paterno was in charge of college-aged football players. Yes, college-aged but still STUDENTS. Did he have training in anti-bullying control? Did he have training in dealing with abuse victims? Did he even understand school protocol detailing such things?

These are the issues Penn State has to deal with immediately. Call or write Penn State and demand that the teachers, coaches and staff there have this kind of training and understand school protocol.

Happy Birthday to Edgar Allen Poe

Oh, how we adore the works of Edgar Allen Poe! We are celebrating his 203nd birthday today.

Poe is famous for his mastery of the macabre and the mysterious. If you've ever read his books, you'll never forget the beating heart of guilt in the "Tell-Tale Heart." Or, the horrified remorse of the mutilation of "The Black Cat."

In his time, he was a famous literary critic and also published cryptograms in newspapers, a tradition now in most daily newspapers. This hobby influenced his story "The Gold Bug."

His stories and works speak for themselves and they are timeless, classic pieces. Poe lived and died almost twenty years before the Civil War. He was a HUGE early influence on literature and many future writers to come.

It is a fact that Edgar Poe created the modern detective story. Arthur Conan Doyle, mastermind of the Sherlock Holmes stories, credited Poe for wholly re-inventing the genre.

Poe pioneered science fiction and the short story format with Jules Verne and H.G.Wells counting themselves admirers and fans of Poe's work each praising Poe as ahead of his time.

Poe also was the first person in America to write for a living full time. He was successful, famous and popular in life.

He is buried in Baltimore where every January 19th, the Poe Toaster leaves cognac and roses at his grave. This mysterious man has created a legend of itself for his annual midnight homage of Poe. Alas, it is Nevermore! Sadly the tradition seems to be at an end. The Toaster was a no-show in 2010, 2011 and last night he also failed to show.

Well, maybe tonight we'll pick up 3 roses and a bottle of cognac and toast Poe ourselves. Let's start a new trend. The "At Home Poe Toast."

"O Death, thy comest when I had thee least in mind." -
The Masque of the Red Death

He died, under still unexplained circumstances, on October 7th 1849. All medical records and documents, including Poe's death certificate, have been lost.

On October 3rd, Poe was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance." He was wearing clothes that were not his own and called out the name "Reynolds." It is a fallacy that he died of alcoholism. No one knows what killed him. In fact, he was travelling by train from Virginia to New York City when he was found in Baltimore. The unkempt appearance and shabby clothes he was found in were "completely out of character" for the well-groomed man.

It's a shame really, that we will never know what befell this great author, who died at aged 40, and had so much more to give. It's a tragedy that for a hundred years his memory has been soiled by the label of drunkard. And it's amazing that he was probably poisoned and robbed and that the perpetrator got away with it. Who the hell was Reynolds?

His poem "The Raven" is a hauntingly beautiful example of one of his most famous works. The poem we love the most is "The Bells." A perfect example of how his work was not all macabre, doom and gloomy.

"Hear the mellow wedding bells, Golden bells!
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!
Through the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight!
From the molten-golden notes,
And an in tune, What a liquid ditty floats
To the turtle-dove that listens,
while she gloats On the moon!
Oh, from out the sounding cells,
What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!
How it swells! How it dwells On the Future!
How it tells Of the rapture that impels
To the swinging and the ringing
Of the bells, bells, bells,
Of the bells, bells, bells,bells,
Bells, bells, bells-
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!"

His poem Annabel Lee it has a haunting, soft macabre quality:

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

For fun road trips:

Visit the Edgar Allen Poe National Historical Site in Philadelphia. Or...

The Edgar Allen Poe memorial in Baltimore. Or....

The Edgar Allen Poe NY Cottage.

Read more of his work:
Poe Stories

Read about his life:
Wiki Article

So Many Birthdays!

Betty White is all the talk today for her 90th birthday, so is Muhammad Ali for turning 70 and Jim Carrey is celebrating 50. However, most of our b'day accolades are for Big Ben Franklin, our most beloved Founding Father.

Ben Franklin was just plain awesome. So what if he had multiple wives and syphilis?

Here are some of the reasons why Ben was so freaking awesome:

List from Ben1776.com

Clerk
Postmaster
Alderman
Governor
Ambassador
SCIENCE - Noted 18th Century Scientist - Rediscovered Electricty
INVENTOR - Stove, lightning rod, bifocals, snorkles and too many others to list
MEDICINE - Founded 1st U.S. Hospital
BANKING - Well known for maxims on thrift
AGRICULTURE - Introduced several crops to U.S.
PRINTING - Noted Colonial printer - "Patron Saint of Printing"
ELECTRICAL - Experiments and theories
INSURANCE - Started 1st insurance company
HEATING - Franklin stove
COOLING - Had three methods of cooling
EDUCATOR - Involved in founding two colleges
OPTOMETRIC - Bifocal glasses
POSTAL - First postmaster
LIBRARIES - Started 1st circulating library
JOURNALISM - Wrote for several early newspapers
PUBLIC SAFETY - Started 1st police department
PUBLIC SAFETY II - Started 1st fire department
RELIGION - Introduced idea of prayer in Congress
MUSIC - Invented musical instrument - glass armonica
GOVERNMENT - Held numerous positions:
MILITARY - Colonel in Militia
MASONIC - Grand Master of Pennsylvania
DIPLOMAT - Ambassador to England Minister to France
COMMUNITY SERVICE - Street lighting, paving and cleaning
UNIONS - Started Leather Apron Club
BUSINESSMAN - Owned and operated several businesses
PHILOSOPHER - Started American Philosophical Society
ABOLITIONIST - Started Society to Abolish Slavery
SALESMAN - Expert at marketing and sales
MERCHANT - Operated store as part of printshop
HUMORIST - Considered America's 1st writer of humor
TRAVELER - Traveled extensively throughout U.S.
FORECASTER - Published Poor Richards "Almanack"
FUND RAISER - Originated matching contributions idea
SAILING - Designed "sea anchors"
CARTOONIST - Drew 1st cartoon in an American newspaper
LINGUIST - Studied several languages and designed a phonetic alphabet
CARTOGRAPHER - Mapped the Gulf Stream and Routes for the post office
PHILANTHROPIST - Organized fund raising and contributed to many worthwhile causes
MENTOR - Acted as a counselor and guide to many of his contemporaries

He started the first police dept., the first fire dept., the first hospital, the first insurance company, the first library that gave out books! He invented street lighting and was the first ecologist of the modern era - by inventing the Franklin stove that conserved wood!

For the longer more comprehensive list go to: Ben's Wiki Page

Also born January 17th:

Actress Betty White is 90.
Actor James Earl Jones is 81.
Talk-show host Maury Povich is 73.
Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor is 64.
Actor-comedian Steve Harvey is 55.
Singer Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles is 53.
Actor Jim Carrey is 50.
Actor Naveen Andrews of Lost is 43.
Musician Kid Rock is 41.
Actress Zooey Deschanel is 32.

Wow. How much do we love James Earl Jones - Happy 81st James!

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rev. Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Today we honor, Martin Luther King, Jr. who was the voice of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950's and 1960's.

Had Dr. King not been assassinated by the United States Government he would've been 83 years old yesterday.

He was the youngest person to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 years after his 1964 death.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been established as a U.S. national holiday since 1986. He is the only United State Civilian of any color, race or creed to have his own Federal National Holiday.

"I Have a Dream Speech" (in entirety)

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

MLK Day.gov Official U.S. Site

Civil Rights Museum Official Site

MLK National Historic Site

The King Center

Happy Birthday, Zack de la Rocha!

One serious motherfucker

Happy Birthday to our favorite Revolutionary! Zack, front man genius of Rage Against the Machine, turns 42 today.

Rage's rage, channeled so eloquently by Zack, was a churning political force throughout the 1990's. When they disbanded in 2000 it left an unfillable void that no other band could ever live up to. Rage was the fucking best of all time.

They have subsequently reunited for brief concerts and briefer tours and it's apparent they still love to play live. However, no more studio albums are in the works as Zack said in 2008 "We’re going to keep playing shows – we have a couple of big ones happening in front of both conventions. As far as us recording music in the future, I don’t know where we all fit with that. We’ve all embraced each other’s projects and support them, and that’s great."

The best thing that happened recently was their song "Killing in the Name" reaching NUMBER ONE on the U.K. CHRISTMAS chart in 2009. The kids of England really got The Man on this one and it was incredibly fucking awesome.

Zack had this to say about it in an interview with BBC1: "We're very very ecstatic and excited about the song reaching the number one spot. We want to thank everyone that participated in this incredible, organic, grass-roots campaign. It says more about the spontaneous action taken by young people throughout the UK to topple this very sterile pop monopoly. When young people decide to take action they can make what's seemingly impossible, possible."

Rage influenced us in so many ways it's ridiculous. They fucking rock. Happy Birthday, Zack.

"You may kill the revolutionary but you can't kill the revolution" Fred Hampton

Here's some videos. Spool 'em and then TURN IT UP!

The greatest anthem ever: "Know Your Enemy"
LOOK AT ALL THOSE PEOPLE.
"Born with insight and a raised fist! A witness to the slit wrist as we move into '92, still in a room without a view...
The land of the free?
Whoever told you that is your enemy!"




Rage's #1 Christmas song, UK 2009 - "Killing in the Name"
Again, watch the crowd. They go fucking wild! RATM RULES!
(shout out to Tommy M playing half naked!)
"FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!"



"Bombtrack"
Again, the people! Rage plays around the world and gets 100,000 people AT A TIME! They are LOVED.
"Instead I warm my hands upon the flames of the flag
As I recall our downfall And the business that burned us all
See through the news and the views that twist reality"




"People of the Sun"
"Since 1516 minds attacked and overseen
Now crawl amidst the ruins of this empty dream"




Testify" - the video version
"The movie ran through me,The glamour subdue me
The tabloid untie me, I'm empty please fill me
Mister anchor assure me, that Baghdad is burning
Your voice it is so soothing, that cunning mantra of killing"




Zack's Wiki Article
RATM.com

Happy 65th to The Thin White Duke

David Bowie turns 65 today! He is beyond legendary and one of our favorite artists of ALL TIME.

No one is cooler than Bowie. NO ONE.

One of the best movie theme songs ever:



David's Wiki article

Our Open Letter to Serena Williams

ewwwww...fuck that!

From a recent article with Serena Williams,
"I just want to be able to do other things that I’m doing and expand on that. I think that helps keep my motivation up … I don’t love tennis today, but I’m here. I can’t live without it.

It’s not that I’ve fallen out of love with it. I’ve actually never liked sports and I never understood how I became an athlete,” Williams continued.

I don’t like working out, I don’t like anything physical. If it involves sitting down or shopping, I’m excellent at it."

An Open Letter to Miss Serena Williams,

We can't stand you. Retire already, you skanky, mean-spirited, cold-hearted, fugly bitch. How dare you make fun of the sport that earned you millions. You are ungrateful and a disgustingly self-centered, shallow and stupid human being.

You have your father to thank for making you the athlete that you hate being so much. How can you even wonder how that happened? You were there weren't you? You are so fucking dim-witted and thoughtless that it's ridiculous how fucking stupid you really are.

We are so not sorry about your ankle. In fact, we are elated we won't have to watch you at the Aussie Open. Have a fun trip home and stay there!

Love,
The Omni Report

News Article

Time's Person of the Year - The Protester

We couldn't agree more with Time's choice of Person of the Year 2011. For once they fucking nailed it.

Kurt Anderson, Time writer, had this to say:

“2011 was unlike any year since 1968 — but more consequential because more protesters have more skin in the game. Their protests weren’t part of a countercultural pageant, as in ’68, and rapidly morphed into full-fledged rebellions, bringing down regimes and immediately changing the course of history. It was, in other words, unlike anything in any of our lifetimes…”

Naomi Jaffe, Member of the 1960's Weather Underground said this about the year 1968:

"We felt that doing nothing in a period of repressive violence is itself a form of violence. That's really the part that I think is the hardest for people to understand. If you sit in your house, live your white life and go to your white job, and allow the country that you live in to murder people and to commit genocide, and you sit there and you don't do anything about it, that's violence."

Well, Naomi, it's over 30 years later and people, not just kids, ALL over the WORLD are lashing out at the status quo and rising up to take a stand for change.

This has been the most amazing year we could ever imagine. There were revolutions in almost every country in the world and here at home with the Occupy Movement.

So let's hear it for the year of the protester! From the guy who self-immolated in Tunisia to ignite the Arab Spring to the retired police officer arrested at Occupy Philadelphia - we salute you all.

Time.com News Article

HuffPost News Article

R.I.P. Harry Morgan

Our beloved Colonel Potter has finally crossed over at age 96 after a long and rewarding life.

Harry Morgan was a veteran character actor and will always be remembered for his role as Colonel Sherman Potter on the best TV show ever, MASH.

When asked if working with the cast of MASH had made him a better actor he replied: "I don't know about that, but it's made me a better human being."

Go and rent "Inherit the Wind", one of best movies ever and you'll catch Harry Morgan, who looked old even then, working with the industries best, Spencer Tracy, Fredric March and a young Dick York. You can't miss Harry, he's the Judge!

Of course, to some he'll be remembered from Dragnet or maybe one of the 700 movies or tv shows he was in.

He'll be missed (even though everyone thought he died 20 years ago)




News Article

Oscar Push for Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis is Caesar, the ape

Fox Studio head, Jim Rothman, has been praising Andy Serkis's work in Rise of the Apes and is pushing for a Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor!

"I think we may be at the place where we will see a first-ever in Hollywood this year, which is to see Andy Serkis get nominated for a best supporting actor for Planet of the Apes, even though his face never actually appears," he told The Hollywood Reporter..."But his performance appears, so we are going to push that hard."

Further discussing Serkis' work Rothman said: "The emotionality - what you see and what you feel - he did it. I saw him. I watched him. Then they digitally overlaid - you can think of it as a costume - the skin and the hair of an ape. But I tell you the thing that people felt – and a lot of people where moved when they saw the movie - is because of his performance."

Andy is one of the nicest guys in the biz. We were lucky enough to meet him and his Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the TOR.N "Two Towers, One Party" in Hollywood 2003. To say it was an amazing experience is a total understatement.

Never before has an acting award been given to an actor not seen in the movie. Although "Ceasar, the ape" is on film, it's not Andy per se.

Odds are it's not going to happen, but with all the CGI going on anymore, it just may be a possibility.

Hollywood Reporter News Article

GQ's Ace of the Year - Novak Djokovic

Novak is our favorite tennis player

Our boy Novak Djokovic (joke-o-vich) has really come into his own having had the best year of his life in 2011.

GQ has named Novak it's Ace of the Year long with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon as Showmen of the Year, and Gary Oldman as Icon of the Year.

This year alone, Novak was a one man wrecking machine on court. He won 42 matches IN A ROW, won 10 titles and 3 Grand Slams. It was the Year of the Joker.

We've been cheering for Novak for years now so it's really awesome to see him rise to the top of the sport. He is the total package. Witty, clever and charming as a person and a phenom on the court. We never get sick of watching him.

GQ's article has this to say about the young talented Serbian:

“The most electrifying thing about watching Djokovic, the quality that pulls in a casual viewer, is that even while playing at the highest level ever attained in his sport, some piece of his mind seems still to be functioning on the normal human plane. He has not turned his back on lesser life-forms, in the manner of a Michael Jordan, and vanished into a rat tunnel of competitive rage. He places another shot improbably—yet certainly—inside the line. He turns away and pumps his fist, not in abandon but with a sort of narrow-eyed, thoughtful glee. It’s as if he’s as awed as we are by what he can get away with.”

We think the most electrifying thing about watching Novak play is just watching Novak play. What a piece of work is man*.

Novak or Nole as we call him, has just been cast in his first Hollywood action movie! Yes! Look for Nole in a cameo scene with Jason Statham in Expendables 2, currently filming in Bulgaria.

Read the article and watch the GQ VIDEO:
News Article

*"What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god!
Hamlet

What Really Happend to Natalie Wood - UPDATED

We originally posted this on 7/20/11 and in light of the breaking news today that the LA County Sheriff's Department is re-opening the case it's super relevant!

Actress Natalie Wood was born this day in 1938. She died November 29, 1981.

How beloved was Natalie Wood by her Hollywood peers? Well, her pall bearers were: Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck, David Niven, Fred Astaire and movie director Elia Kazan.

Her funeral was attended by over 1,000 people and included Elizabeth Taylor and Gene Kelly.

In life she starred in over 50 major motion pictures including some of the best and biggest of all time: Miracle on 34th Street, The Searchers, West Side Story, Splendor in the Grass, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Rebel Without a Cause and one of our all time personal favorites, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

She was nominated 3 times for an Academy Award and nominated multiple times for Golden Globes, winning twice.

Her death at age 43, remains an open mystery. Natalie was married a few times in her life and like Elizabeth Taylor two of those marriages were to the same man, Robert Wagner (Of recent Austin Powers movie fame.)

On the night in question, November 29, 1981, she was on her and Robert's yacht with fellow actor Christopher Walken and the boat Captain. She was found drowned the next morning, clad in a nightgown, jacket and socks. The official story is that she went outside late that night/early that morning to secure a dingy that kept banging against the boat, slipped, fell in the water and accidentally drowned.

Her sister, actress Lana, insists that Natalie would never go out at night like that and secure a boat. Besides, she had THREE other men on board that could have done that for her, including one (the Captain) that was on the payroll to specifically take care of that kind of thing.

The Captain insists to this day he saw and heard Natalie and Robert having a terrible fight on deck early that morning and that all of sudden Robert was alone saying, "she's gone." The implication here is that he threw her overboard or accidentally/inadvertently caused her to fall overboard.

The police ruled that because of the level of alcohol in her bloodstream (super high)and because they believed Wagner's story that is was an accident.

Christopher Walken has NEVER ONCE spoken publicly about that night. Wagner never said much either. His autobiography from a few years ago basically just says this:

According to Wagner, tensions came to the boil during a late dinner on the couple's yacht Splendor, which was moored off the island of Santa Catalina, near Los Angeles, after Walken suggested that Wood should star in more films instead of caring for two young children.

Wagner admits he lost his temper over the remark and smashed a wine bottle on the table, prompting Wood to go below to their cabin. He and Walken then went up on deck to cool down. At about midnight he returned to the cabin and discovered that his wife was missing. Then he realised that the yacht's dinghy had gone too. That's when he remarked to the Captain, "She's gone."

This implies that he thought maybe she had just taken the smaller boat to shore and left him. He was so drunk he might not have even known she was dead.

Her body was found by authorities later that day.

Her sister, Lana, as of March 2010, asked the LA police to re-open this "case" and reinvestigate. No word on that, but considering the LA police face thousands of homicides a year and this incident happened 30 years ago this November, we'd say it's over.

WRONG! Case re-opened 11/18/11

Sheriff's Office has "new information"

Lana's story is conveyed through this news article from a couple of years ago.

We'll never know what really happened that night unless Christoper Walken or Robert Wagner give some sort of tell all.

Until then, it's still up in the air...Lover's squabble that led to accidental death, drunken accident or deliberate murder...?

CNN News Article - 11/17/11

People's Sexiest Man - Alex O'Loughlin?

People's Sexiest Man Alive is Bradley Cooper

No, it's not THE OBVIOUS CHOICE - ALEX O'LOUGHLIN. It's Bradley Cooper.

We love Bradley. He's a local guy (Philly) and he's nice and we love the Hangover movies. BUT...he's no Alex O'Loughlin.

Alex is easily the hottest thing from Down Under ever. And the ladies know that the guys from Australia are the sexiest in the world.

Picture of Alex O'Loughlin from Fitness Magazine's top 25 fittest bods

Seriously. Alex IS the Sexiest.Man.Alive.

Alex has a HUGE fanbase. We caught on to his vampire series Moonlight about 2 years after it was cancelled by CBS. Damn! Thank God for Netflix!

He was then cast in the even shorter lived Three Rivers, again a CBS show.

And now he can be seen every Monday night at 10 on the new (and AWESOME) re-boot of Hawaii 5-0. Again a CBS show. So, this calls for a shout out to Les Moonves, head honcho at CBS WHO OBVIOUSLY KNOWS A GOOD THING WHEN HE SEES IT. Thanks, Les for keeping Alex on TV!

Once again, if you're not sure if Alex is sexy or not:

from his GQ Australia shoot
convinced, now?

Does this do it?
Because he had us at hello

Oh, and People has about 125 guys on the list so Alex might be there after all but he's not even top ten, so FAIL. And to boot, they put Ryan Gosling at #10. Really, People? So not cool.


UPDATE: Alex DID MAKE THE LIST! They even used the picture from above. WTG, People. At least you remembered him. Next year Number One!

People.com's top ten men slideshow

And the Peacemaker of the Year Award Goes to...Vladimir Putin!

AWWW...who's a good boy and wants a peace prize?

China has given their equivalent of a Nobel Peace Prize, the Confucius Peace Prize, to be exact, to Vladimir Putin. They obviously love him.

Who doesn't? (well, except for all those people he tortured and killed. Perfect candidate for peacemaker...no?)

"A panel of 16 academics chose Putin ahead of other candidates, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Yuan Longping, a Chinese agricultural scientist.

The tipping point appeared to be Putin’s role in Libya, where he opposed NATO’s involvement in trying to topple the Gaddafi regime. Critics say Putin’s stand had no bearing on the outcome of the north African conflict.

‘This April or May, Putin was against NATO’s idea to bomb Libya and he appeared to the world in a peaceful manner,’ said Qiao Damo, one of the organisers."

Daily Mail News Article

Nittany Liars

Who? What? Where? Joe's suddenly clueless

The news coming out of Penn State gets more and more hideous every second. And it's got beloved coach Joe Paterno facing a firing squad. His job is literally on the line.

As is should be. Joe's gotta go. He's claiming he didn't know the details of what exactly happened. Not good enough.

Rush Limbaugh is arguing today that the press cannot wait to vilify 'ole Joe Pa fast enough. "Joe Paterno, up until now, has had something that very few people in this country die with -- and that's an impeccable reputation.

But that's gone now, and the media is going to see to it, and this is all part of a nation in decline."

Oh really, Rush? We thought the Decline of Western Civilization had something to do with YOU in all honesty. But it's really just the media, huh?

The bottom line is that Joe Paterno didn't go all red in the face calling this pedophile out and because of that it's implied that he was somehow complicit or has little moral standing on the issue.

We think the real problem is that all Joe can think of is football. The entire time the informant was blowing the whistle on this pedophile, Joe was just probably zoned out thinking of what players he was going to use in the next game. And that is what's irreversibly ruined his reputation, Rush. Not the media.

But the fact that Joe's old and he should have retired years ago anyway, doesn't change anything.

The bottom line is that there are men out there now dealing with what that pedophile did to them as kids. How about the poor 10 year old who had his rape WITNESSED and REPORTED and nothing was done? How did that kid feel?

We bet it's worse than Joe feels now.

We have no sympathy for Penn State, Joe Paterno or any of the adults who failed to report these crimes to the cops. In fact, we'd like to punch each one of them in the face for letting little defenseless boys get raped on campus or anywhere. Period.

News Article

R.I.P Smokin' Joe

Former Heavyweight Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Smokin' Joe Frazier passed away last night. He was a Philadelphia icon and he will be missed by all of Philadelphia and beyond.

Don King, the Thrilla in Manila promoter, put out a moving statement this morning:

"Frazier was "the embodiment of what a great heavyweight champion and person should be. Not only was he a great fighter but also a great man. He lived as he fought with courage and commitment at a time when African-Americans in all spheres of life were engaged in a struggle for emancipation and respect," King said of Frazier. "Smokin' Joe brought honor, dignity and pride for his people, the AMERICAN people, and brought the nation together as only sports can do.""

George Forman tweeted this: "Good night Joe Frazier. I love you dear friend."

Philadelphia's fictional boxer, Rocky Balboa, was totally based on Smokin' Joe, right down to the slaughterhouse slabs of meat that Rocky worked out on as Joe worked in such a shop back in the day.

Joe's Olympic Gold medal was chopped into 11 pieces by a jeweler so he could give a piece to each one of his children. All 11 of them.

Ali-Frazier-Forman formed a triumvirate of Boxing Glory that encompassed a Golden Age that America or the sport will likely never see again.

Philly Daily News Article

Marie Curie

Marie Sklodowska Curie, one of the greatest, most brilliant scientists of all time, was born this day, November 7th 1867, in Warsaw, Poland. She was the daughter of a mathematician who also taught her physics.

In 1891 Marie began studying at the prestigious Sorbonne in Paris, France in multiple disciplines: physics, chemistry and mathematics. She earned her physics degree in 1893 and her math degree in 1894.

That was the year she met Pierre Curie. Also a physicist, they shared a love of each other and science, marrying and working together for years until his untimely death in 1906.

They published a paper together in 1898 detailing the discovery of a new element, Polonium, that Marie named after her country of birth, Poland. That year they announced another discovery - the element radium.

Marie coined the term radioactivity at this time.

Pierre and Marie shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for their research into "the radiation phenomenon." Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

In 1911, The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Marie in recognition for the elements radium and polonium and her work in radioactivity.

She thus became the first woman to ever win 2 Nobel prizes and in two different disciplines!

Standards of the day paled ( as in non-existent) to modern protocol and Marie often carried around radioactive isotopes "in her pocket." Just like Homer Simpson. This directly contributed to her death in 1934.

Her lab and materials - even her kitchen cookbook! - are all super-contaminated to this day. Her lab notes, materials, everything is kept in lead lined containers and can only be opened under special circumstances with haz mat suits.

Marie Curie's contribution to modern science is incalculable. The barriers she faced as a woman and overcame are incredible. You can count on one hand all the women were earning masters degrees in physics in the 1800's.

She was the first female professor at the University of Paris. She is and will always be an icon to the scientific community and to women everywhere. She is the most famous and celebrated female scientist that ever lived.

In 2009, Marie Curie was voted as "The Most Inspirational Woman in Science."

Marie and Pierre are now interred at the Paris Pantheon, and of course, she is the first and only woman to be buried there.

The Curie (symbol Ci), a unit of radioactivity, is named in her and/or Pierre's honour.

Three radioactive minerals are named after the Curies.

Skłodowska-Curie's likeness appeared on the Polish late-1980s 20,000banknote.
Her likeness has also appeared on stamps and coins, and on the last French 500 franc note.

Marie Curie was voted the "Most inspirational woman in science" in a 2009 poll carried out by New Scientist magazine on behalf of the UNESCO 'For Women In Science' programme.

Polish institutions named after Maria Skłodowska–Curie include:
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, founded in 1944;
Maria Skłodowska–Curie Institute of Oncology, in Warsaw.

French institutions named after Maria Skłodowska–Curie include:
Pierre and Marie Curie University, the largest science, technology and medicine university in France.
The Curie Institute and Curie Museum, in Paris.

In 2007, the Pierre Curie Metro station was renamed the "Pierre et Marie Curie" station.

End Note:
Unbelievably, not only did Marie and Pierre win Nobel Prizes but their daughter Irene, and son-in-law Frédéric Joliot-Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935, for discovering artificial radioactivity.

We Miss The Pharaoh

Happier Times

"For me, archaeology is not a just a job. It combines everything that I could want - imagination, intellect, action, and adventure." Dr. Zahi Hawass

Alternative Title: An Open Love Letter to Our Former Pharaoh, the Good Dr. Hawass.

Good Lord help us, for today we are really missing Dr. Hawass.

A never-ending font of craziness, passion and zeal, Zahi Hawass was unceremoniously booted out of office in August following the Egyptian revolt last summer, AND...WE WANT HIM BACK!

We've always admitted our love/hate "relationship" with the good Doctor.

He stands for everything we hate about Egyptology...it's stodgy, antiquarian, close-mindedness. Its absolute and total dismissal of any progressive thought. Its "by-the-book" or else attitude. Not to mention, his actual archeology skills! What a decent archaeologist would take a year to excavate, Dr. Hawass would man-handle in 20 fucking minutes. *sigh*

We don't care anymore.

His fanatical passion for EVERYTHING EGYPT was awesome in itself. He is a force of nature and a gift to us all. Was he up Mubarak's butt? Sure. But that was part and parcel of being in "the regime." How else was he to get anything done but to put Mubarak in his back pocket or vice versa?

Dr. Hawass's unyielding enthusiasm was captivating. His short lived show "Chasing Mummies" showcased many memorable moments and our hands down favorite was when he took the archaeologists up into The Great Pyramid to the very top of the so-called "Relieving Chambers". This bad-ass old man climbed all the way up and though it was stifling hot and he was exhausted, you could plainly see the love he has for the monument.

And it used to be his! LITERALLY. For years Zahi had the yea or nay power to keep people out of his pyramid (some of the hate part of the whole love/hate thing). Who needed the Sphinx? Hawass was the Supreme Guardian of the Giza Plateau and of the Great Pyramid. Hence, his unofficial title of Pharaoh. The Last Great Pharaoh of Egypt to be exact.

He isn't dead, so this isn't a eulogy. But in a way it is. A Eulogy for The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Since his firing, Dr. Hawass was re-hired, fired again and the position has since changed hands at least twice.

Mohamed Abdel Fattah was appointed in August: "I am fed up,” Abdel Fatah said angrily. “All these protests stand against proceeding with archaeological works properly," and then he abruptly and promptly resigned in September after about a month or so in office.

The "new guy" is Mustafa Amin, who has been busy working on the new museum at the Giza Plateau as well as dealing with security issues and everything else. We'll see how long he lasts.

Dr. Hawass was there from the late 60's and in charge from the late 70's until August 2011. At least when Zahi was there we knew who was in charge...and who to blame!

He served for years and deserved to be retired in full glory and regalia, parades. The whole nine yards. And what he got was bloody fucking awful. We wished he would go plenty of times, but in the end, he really did deserve more fanfare than the kick in the ass out the door he got.

We miss how absolutely fucking bat-shit crazy excitable he was. He wasn't just the Pharaoh, he was a real-life Egyptian Indiana Jones. There won't be another like him. Ever.

Where ever you are, Zahi, we wish you a successful life with contentment and peace and we thank you for all your years of service. In the end, all we have is Love.

DrHawass.com

Sam Jackson is the Highest Grossing Actor of All Time

Academy Award winning actor Samuel L. Jackson is THE MAN.
He is, of course, awesome in whatever he is in.

His movies have raked in over 7 BILLION dollars.

What movies has he been in, you ask?
Here are some little ones you may have heard of. There are dozens more and that's not even counting his Broadway and TV stuff.

Goodfellas
Patriot Games
True Romance
Jurassic Park
Pulp Fiction
The Long Kiss Goodnight - one of our FAVES
Jackie Brown
Star Wars 2 and 3
Kill Bill v2.
Iron Man
Inglourious Basterds
1408
Unthinkable - <- Best of his career!
Captain America
Thor
(Motherfucking) Snakes on a (motherfucking) Plane
and The Avengers (coming soon)

Here are a few greatest hits and they mostly all contain "Motherfucker"




And thanks to the Internet we now have the Pulp Fiction short version with ALL the motherfuckers!




EW.com article

The Art Gallery: Jack Vettriano

The Omni Art Gallery is back! It's been a while.

We've only recently become aware of the fabulous artist, Jack Vettriano. He's been called "The People's Painter" and is apparently one of Britain's most loved living artists.

His works are incredible. We love them. And most are VERY Adult. And those aren't shown here...

You can visit his gallery here at: JackVettriano.com

Here are a only a few faves..

Waltzers

Untitled

The Singing Butler

The Letter

Table for One

Elegy for a Dead Admiral

Dance Me to the End of Love