Archive for the ‘Media’ Category

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Random notes, special legal edition: March 19, 2010.

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Thomas Hagan has been paroled.

“Who?” Mr. Hagan, aka Talmadge X. Hayer, was the only man to confess to the killing of Malcolm X.

Two other men, Muhammad Abdul Aziz (then known as Norman 3X Butler) and Kahlil Islam (then Thomas 15X Johnson), were also charged with the murder. They maintained their innocence. Mr. Hagan did not, testifying at his trial in 1966 that he was responsible for the murder and that his co-defendants were innocent.

All three men were sentenced to 20 years to life.

I’m kind of boggled by the detail that Mr. Hagan has been on work release for 20 years.

In other news, a Federal court has ruled that the estate of Anna Nicole Smith is not entitled to any of the estate of her late husband, J. Howard Marshall II. I’m not clear if the Smith estate has any options at this point; since this appears to have been a panel of the 9th Circuit, can the estate appeal to the full 9th Circuit?

In other other news, accused child killer Casey Anthony has been declared indigent and will get public funds to pay for a defense lawyer.

In other other other news, accused child killer Casey Anthony got $200,000 from ABC News for old photos and home movies. (By way of Jimbo.) $200,000? Seriously, ABC?

Edited to add: Two more stories that came up over dinner tonight.

Lady Gaga’s ex-boyfriend/ex-producer is suing her for $30 million.

Texas A&M student was allegedly driving while texting. Texas A&M student allegedly crossed the center line and hit another car head-on, killing that car’s driver. Texas A&M student ordered to pay $22 million.

Not that I’m in favor of texting while driving, and not that I’m opposed to punishment, but when does punishment cross the line into excess? And, as Lawrence points out, if you’ve got a $22 million judgment against you, Costa Rica or Nicaragua are very nice this time of year.

Posted in Clippings, Law, Media, Music | Comments Closed

Hookers and blow watch.

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

I blogged earlier this week about the latest developments in the SF Weekly/SF Bay Guardian newspaper war.

Eli Sanders in The Stranger has a good overview of the story for people who haven’t been following it from the start.

Lacey has noted that Brugmann, for all his independent talk, once had among the investors in his paper Donald Werby, a billionaire real-estate mogul who bankrolled the Church of Satan (“No, really,” Lacey wrote) and was indicted for paying off underage prostitutes with cocaine before dying in 2002. (“I missed the Bay Guardian’s coverage of their investor’s indictment on child prostitution charges,” Lacey added.)

(Hattip: Jimbo.)

Posted in Clippings, Media | 2 Comments »

Random notes: February 17, 2010.

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Since I have been critical of the NYT in the past, it seems only fair to note when they’ve done something right (in my humble opinion):

The Times has no intention of changing its approach: report results as soon as it can, as prominently as they deserve. “Our job is to report the news,” said Tom Jolly, the sports editor. He said NBC “has made a business decision to show the highlights on a taped basis. We’re not beholden to presenting the news the way NBC does.”

I think the question of “Do the results of sporting events count as ‘news’?” is perhaps worth discussing in more detail, but I still praise the NYT for taking this stand.

Obit watch: Jim Bibby, former pitcher for various teams including the Texas Rangers in those great early days. Bibby actually pitched the first no-hitter in Rangers history; he’s also one of the many memorable characters in Seasons in Hell. (What can I say? I love that book.)

Adult content after the jump…

(more…)

Posted in Clippings, Media, Obits | Comments Closed

Random notes: February 15, 2010.

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Longer NYT obit for Dick Francis, as promised.

Also among the dead: Doug Fieger, lead singer for The Knack and co-author of “My Sharona“.

By way of Lawrence, we note this LAT article about a new collection of work by St. Clair McKelway, longtime New Yorker writer.

For 37 years, McKelway was one of the New Yorker’s most prolific and inventive nonfiction writers. In his time, he was regarded as a master of the long-form profile, a superior chronicler of rapscallions and low-rent hustlers. Indeed, when he was on his game, McKelway might have been the best nonfiction writer the magazine had — this at a time when Liebling, Mitchell and E.J. Kahn Jr. were also producing signature work.

Yes, I will be purchasing this.

What are the costs of green energy?

A plan to boost Austin’s reliance on renewable energy would make it one of the nation’s greenest cities. That stature, however, comes at a cost: Bills would increase an estimated 20 percent over the next decade.

Edited to add: Today’s update from the Department of WTF: A French judge has issued an arrest warrant for Floyd Landis. Apparently, the judge wants to question him about an alleged computer hacking incident.

Today’s update from the Department of WTF, part 2: Dave Eggers can’t understand why Gourmet was shut down.

“It’s impossible” that Gourmet magazine wasn’t profitable, Eggers said, referring to the popular magazine Conde Nast shut down last year.  “It’s impossible that you have a million subscribers paying 50 bucks a year and it can’t work.”

$50 a year? No, Dave. $15 a year is more like it. I think I paid $12 for a year when I subscribed.

Nets watch: At the All-Star break, the Nets are 4-48, for an 0.077 percentage. For the 82 game season, that works out to a projected 6.314 wins.

Posted in Books, Clippings, Law, Loser, Media, Music, Obits | Comments Closed

The Live Music Capital of the World.

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Why, look! The NYT has swept in to take notice of the Cactus Cafe controversy!

Reference to “Live Music Capital”?

AUSTIN, Tex. — The closing of storied music sites, often accompanied by protest, fund-raising and other exercises in futility, has become a recurring spectacle in this growing city, where the official stationery carries the legend “Live Music Capital of the World.”

Check.

Reference to the Californication of Austin?

People tend to blame the latest influx of Californians, reliably traced to the latest technology boom associated with the University of Texas. The dropout who started Dell Computer in his dorm room did not personally tear down the Liberty Lunch club, but the general implication abides.

Check. (And the people who tore down Liberty Lunch were the Austin City Council.)

Reference to the Armadillo World Headquarters?

Any respectable accounting of lost and lamented music sites opens with the Armadillo World Headquarters, the onetime armory that hosted concerts by The Clash, Willie Nelson and the Vans — Halen and Morrison — in the 1970s. Since the Armadillo closed in 1980, the Austin metropolitan area has grown to a projected population this year of 1.7 million, from about 846,000, gaining plenty of new clubs while losing such beloved haunts as the Black Cat Lounge, the Electric Lounge, The Back Room, Steamboat and (temporarily) the Hole in the Wall.

Check. And bingo!

Posted in Clippings, Media, Music | Comments Closed

Word of the day: simony.

Monday, December 21st, 2009

No, simony isn’t what happens when you finish in third place on Jeopardy and your consolation prize is a year’s supply of Simoniz.

n.  The buying or selling of ecclesiastical pardons, offices, or emoluments.

I hadn’t heard of anyone being charged with simony since Martin Luther and the Reformation. At least, until yesterday:

Simony was a common transgression in the Middle Ages, when simonists were condemned to hell in Dante’s “Inferno.” The modern consequences aren’t quite so dire, but in the most serious cases they can include a priest’s suspension.

Suspension? I would have expected excommunication.

Posted in Clippings, Media | Comments Closed

Random notes: December 18th, 2009.

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Someone swiped the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign (which weighs 90 pounds and is 16 feet long) from in front of Auchwitz. This is the kind of work that doesn’t set you free; this gets you a short term in a pound you in the ass prison, and a long term in one of the lower circles of Dante’s Hell.

Three from the NYT:

  • Obit watch: C.D.B. Bryan, author of  Friendly Fire.

    He will be cremated in advance of a memorial service early next year, St. George Bryan added; until then, his remains are to be stored in martini shakers.

  • A touching and sad article about a retired policeman in Japan who spends his days trying to keep people from killing themselves.

    Mr. Shige and a group of volunteers he put together have saved 222 people so far, a tally that has made Mr. Shige a national figure in a country that often seems apathetic about its high rate of self-destruction. But he has also met with criticism from a conformist society that can look dimly on people who draw attention by engaging in activism, even of the most humanitarian kind.

  • Finally, on a much happier note, a review of “Chestnuts Roasting on the Flaming Idiots“. I saw one of their “last” shows at Zach Scott a few years back, and it wasn’t what I expected; I was totally blown away, not only because they’re talented performers, but their performance style is clearly influenced by people like Ricky Jay. I’m delighted to hear that they’re back; even better, they’re coming back to Austin.

Posted in Clippings, Geek, Loser, Media, Obits, Stupid, Theatre | Comments Closed

Random notes: December 16, 2009.

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Things have been kind of slow the past few days, but I did want to throw up a few notes:

Your NYT obit for Oral Roberts here. While looking that up, I discovered that the NYT has also just posted an obit for Milorad Pavic, of Dictionary of the Khazars fame.

Regret the Error has their year-end roundup of errors and corrections posted. I can’t argue with the correction of the year (which, surprisingly, is not the corrections to Alessandra Stanley’s Cronkite obit; that is, however, highlighted).

Edited to add: But wait, there’s more! The Onion A.V. Club list of the 19+ worst movies of 2009! I miss Ebert and Siskel’s  (and Ebert and Roper’s) yearly worst movies show; the A.V. Club list is the closest I’ve found to a substitute for that.

Posted in Clippings, Geek, Loser, Media, Movies, Obits | Comments Closed

Did you stand by me? No way.

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Capital Metro, embroiled in a contract and insurance dispute with rail contractor Veolia Transportation, on Wednesday cancelled its five-year contract with the company to operate freight and passenger rail.

CapMet awarded “emergency” contracts to two other contractors to run the system “over the next five-plus years”. But don’t worry, this won’t delay the startup of the rail system any longer; CapMet says we’re still on target for startup “sometime before March 31, about two years later than originally scheduled”.

Two interesting food-related articles in the NYT: one about the upcoming Tavern on the Green auction, which gives a good overview of the restaurant’s decline and fall. The other article is really more of a rewritten press release on Chex and their promotion of new recipes for Chex Party Mix. Even though it has that whole rewritten PR quality to it, I feel compelled to note the later article; Chex Party Mix is a traditional food of my people.

As a side note, sometime later this evening, I’m going to add a list of BugMeNot links for the NYT, LAT, Statesman, HouChron, and WP to the sidebar. I already have cookies on my machines for most of these, so I don’t think about logins (and all of these sites are somewhat flaky about requiring logins), but Lawrence mentioned this problem to me the other day. (I can’t do it now because, believe it or not, BugMeNot is blocked at the office.)

(Edited to add: Speaking of Lawrence, I haven’t been able to listen to Ms. Aguilera yet; blocked at work. But the Bob Dylan YouTube video isn’t. I’d heard Mr. Zimmerman’s Christmas album was pretty awful; but am I a bad, evil, taste-lacking person for kind of liking “Must Be Santa”?)

Five. Five million. Five million dollars.

Posted in Clippings, Firings, Food, Geek, Media | 2 Comments »

How can we dance when our Earth is turning?

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

We don’t have to worry about that now. CBS has cancelled “As the World Turns”.

(I like the song, but I’ve always thought that particular lyric was rather stupid. If the Earth wasn’t turning, dancing would be the least of our concerns.)

Posted in Clippings, Media, Music, TV | Comments Closed

Random notes: December 8, 2009.

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

I’m not a pro wrestling fan. I did see the FARK thread about Umaga’s death over the weekend, but didn’t really think it was blog-worthy (especially since it had already been on FARK). However, Ken Hoffman has a touching obit for the late Mr. Fatu in the HouChron.

“He speaks English!” the kids said. Even more surprising, he didn’t take their money for his autograph. “He said it was Christmas and told us to use the money for presents for our parents.”

On the obit front, the LAT has a story about the sectioning of Henry Molaison’s brain. This was also noted in the NYT last week, but for some reason I didn’t blog it. I’ll take this chance to link again to the obit the NYT published after Mr. Molaison’s passing last year. (I blogged this at the time, for values of “blogged” that include “noting it on the private mailing list I was using at the time”.) If you can read the last line of that obit without tears, you have no heart.

While we’re on the subject of the NYT, the government of India has released their report on the destruction of the Ayodhya mosque. The report came out last week; the mosque was destroyed by riots in 1992.

I probably should have blogged something about Pearl Harbor yesterday, perhaps the discovery of the Japanese mini-sub. But hey, I stink, and everyone else was doing it anyway. There’s also a good story in the Statesman about the new wing of the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. I’ve got some time off coming, and I haven’t been to the musuem in a few years…

Posted in Clippings, Media, Neuroscience, Obits | 1 Comment »

Random notes: December 4, 2009.

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Today’s memo from Captain Obvious: scalpers find it hard to sell tickets when the team is awful. And sympathy for the Nets.

Mangino out.

So your scam involves taking money for hot tubs from people on eBay, then not shipping the hot tubs? I can’t decide who is dumber; the scammer, for not thinking that he’d be caught, or the people who actually thought purchasing hot tubs off eBay was a good idea.

In other news, we’re all going to die (well, mostly you folks in Houston). Film at 11.

Edited to add: The Observer has a nifty interview with Maj Sjöwall. I’m kind of ashamed to admit, even though I’ve read some of the Martin Beck books, I had no idea Per Wahlöö was dead. (Hattip: Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.)

Posted in Books, Clippings, Firings, Hysteria, Loser, Media, Roads, Stupid | Comments Closed

Random notes: December 2nd, 2009.

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

(I had originally considered calling this post “Rum, S—-y, and the Lash” but I couldn’t find any good articles about whipping. Plus, I don’t want to get filtered.)

Did you know the NYT had a “Winter Drinks Issue” in the Dining section? Neither did I. Articles include one about the rise of rum, and an excellent article by Harold McGee about vacuum distillation.

By way of Jimbo, here’s a good article on Richard Loeb (of Leopold and Loeb fame) and the greatest lead never published.

Just in case you were wondering what Roseanne Barr is doing, you now have your answer.

Train in vain, part two.

Edited to add: I knew I forgot something. I won’t be watching this tonight. (I don’t, and won’t, have cable; I’ve asked someone if they’d be willing to record it for me.) That won’t stop me from linking to Alan Sepinwall’s review:

…with his new reality show “Steven Seagal: Lawman,” Seagal has cemented his position as an accidental comedy savant. It’s easily the funniest thing he’s done since the climactic speech from “On Deadly Ground” (his infamous directorial debut about evil oil companies polluting the Alaskan wilderness), and one of the more entertaining additions to the Has-Beens On Parade reality sub-genre.

Posted in Books, Clippings, Food, Law, Media, Mixology, Stupid, TV | Comments Closed

Random notes: November 25, 2009.

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Novice urban hunters are forming classes and clubs to learn skills that a few generations ago were often passed down from parent to child.

Shocked, shocked I am to learn that The Biggest Loser may indulge in questionable practices. I am equally shocked to learn that a charity collecting money for the homeless may be a scam.

I am delighted to find out that the CIA Family Advisory Board has published a second cookbook, More Spies, Black Ties, and Mango Pies. I own a copy of the original 1997 cookbook, so I’ll be looking for this one. (Oddly, Amazon doesn’t seem to have the sequel.)

I did not know Julie “Julie and Julia” Powell had a new book out. After reading Addie Broyles’ discussion of it in the Statesman, I wish I still didn’t know she had a new book out.

Edited to add: On the “Art, damn it, art!” front: “Train” in vain.

(Since I got the song stuck in your head, here’s a live Clash video. And here’s a live Annie Lennox version. And here’s a not bad Manic Street Preachers cover.)

Posted in Art, Books, Clippings, Food, Guns, Media, Music, TV | Comments Closed

News of the world.

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

The Texas Department of Public Safety encourages you to get drunk and drive like a complete maniac this holiday weekend, as they’ve pulled all the state troopers off the road and will not be enforcing traffic regulations.  You should plan on driving at at least 150% of the posted speed limit, unless it is wet and/or visibilty is obstructed; in that case, you should plan on driving at double the posted limit.

In other news: world ends. Women, minorites hardest hit. (Hattip.)

In other other news, our local outlet malls have announced that they expect to be completely deserted on Black Friday, and are frantically begging for customers to show up.

Posted in Clippings, Media | Comments Closed

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