A little Friday night entertainment….
Seems perfect for the Friday after St Patrick’s Day- and an almost full moon…
Hell, any excuse to see Cheyenne Jackson- and Kate Baldwin- performing this one more time…
From the wonderful revival of “Finian’s Rainbow” we were lucky enough to see on Broadway a couple of years ago…
Filed under Broadway, Entertainment, Holidays, Music
Interesting article, but I don’t go along with the overall premise…
I think e-readers have the potential to equalize and expand the reading public…
I keep reading, at some point in the near future, Amazon may give away Kindles for free. Sounds crazy, but Kindle users read more books and it could drive the e-book market further along and make this a profitable move…
Plus, the younger generation seems much more likely to respond to technology than to “paper” books…
Being able to download a book from the airwaves only seems to increase availability. And Amazon has a lot of classics for free.
And I love my Kindle….
I’ve always been a big reader, but now I read even more…
TOKYO (Reuters) – The rapid rise of e-books could lead to a “reading divide” as those unable to afford the new technology are left behind, even as U.S. reading and writing skills decline still further.
At particular threat are African-American communities where many students are already falling behind their majority peers in terms of literacy, said award-winning writer Marita Golden — and this despite the growing ranks of noted African-American writers, such as Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.
“My biggest concern is that the technology will continue to widen the gap,” she told Reuters. “It won’t just be the digital divide but also a reading divide if reading becomes an activity that’s now dependent on technology.
“If reading becomes dependent on technology that must be purchased, then I think we may see the literacy divide persist and even widen.”
Years of discussion on the future of books amid the sweeping technological changes, along with a desire to make sure black writers were included in that discussion, prompted Golden to pull together her recent book, “The Word,” in which African-American writers talk about how reading shaped their lives for the better.
Edward P. Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel “The Known World,” said he felt that “reading and writing are the foundations for becoming a better person and having a better life.” Others said how reading about lives like their own helped validate their experiences and give them confidence.
In this sense technology, such as e-readers, can be both a blessing and a curse in terms of literacy, Golden said, with some readers who might have been intimidated by the number of pages in a traditional book eagerly reading on an e-reader.
In addition, with the U.S. African-American community owning more mobile phones and BlackBerries than the white community, potential exists to tap into a broad market, she added.
“But the problem is that you can either download games or download books, and we don’t know what people are going to download,” she said.
Despite undergoing some struggles with the idea of the new technology, Golden said that the need to emphasize the basics remains more important than ever.
via Technological changes may lead to “reading divide” | The Raw Story.
Filed under Books, Education, Entertainment
Damn…
I can’t tell you how much I want her to run for President and be the GOP nominee…
It would assure President Obama’s re-election and might let the Dems retake the House…
And it would destroy the Republican Party for the foreseeable future…
And be entertaining as hell…
But I knew her shelf life was limited. Even the rabid GOP Tea Partiers can only take so much of her….
But there is hope she will recover- or Michelle Bachmann will succeed her in the Crazy, Intellectually Challenged GOP Female Candidate Slot…
Sarah Palin’s ratings within the Republican Party are slumping, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a potentially troubling sign for the former Alaska governor as she weighs whether to enter the 2012 presidential race.
For the first time in Post-ABC News polling, fewer than six in 10 Republicans and GOP-leaning independents see Palin in a favorable light, down from a stratospheric 88 percent in the days after the 2008 Republican National Convention and 70 percent as recently as October.
In one sense, the poll still finds Palin near the top of a list of eight potential contenders for the GOP nomination. The former vice presidential candidate scores a 58 percent favorable rating, close to the 61 percent for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and 60 percent for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and better than the 55 percent that onetime House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) received.
But Palin’s unfavorable numbers are significantly higher than they are for any of these possible competitors. Fully 37 percent of all Republicans and GOP-leaning independents now hold a negative view of her, a new high.
via Post-ABC poll shows Sarah Palin losing more ground among Republicans – The Washington Post.
Filed under Elections, Entertainment, Politics
Posted without comment as this says it all….
Filed under Books, Entertainment
On the lighter side…
From one of my other interest-besides Politics- Movies!
Hmm…seems many could apply to Politics!
From the American Film Institute…
Here are the first 30 most famous movie quotes of all time…
You can click the link at the bottom to see them all….
| # | FILM | YEAR | STUDIO |
| 1 | Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. | GONE WITH THE WIND | 1939 |
| 2 | I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. | THE GODFATHER | 1972 |
| 3 | You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. | ON THE WATERFRONT | 1954 |
| 4 | Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. | THE WIZARD OF OZ | 1939 |
| 5 | Here’s looking at you, kid. | CASABLANCA | 1942 |
| 6 | Go ahead, make my day. | SUDDEN IMPACT | 1983 |
| 7 | All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up. | SUNSET BLVD. | 1950 |
| 8 | May the Force be with you. | STAR WARS | 1977 |
| 9 | Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night. | ALL ABOUT EVE | 1950 |
| 10 | You talking to me? | TAXI DRIVER | 1976 |
| 11 | What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. | COOL HAND LUKE | 1967 |
| 12 | I love the smell of napalm in the morning. | APOCALYPSE NOW | 1979 |
| 13 | Love means never having to say you’re sorry. | LOVE STORY | 1970 |
| 14 | The stuff that dreams are made of. | THE MALTESE FALCON | 1941 |
| 15 | E.T. phone home. | E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL | 1982 |
| 16 | They call me Mister Tibbs! | IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT | 1967 |
| 17 | Rosebud. | CITIZEN KANE | 1941 |
| 18 | Made it, Ma! Top of the world! | WHITE HEAT | 1949 |
| 19 | I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! | NETWORK | 1976 |
| 20 | Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. | CASABLANCA | 1942 |
| 21 | A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. | THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS | 1991 |
| 22 | Bond. James Bond. | DR. NO | 1962 |
| 23 | There’s no place like home. | THE WIZARD OF OZ | 1939 |
| 24 | I am big! It’s the pictures that got small. | SUNSET BLVD. | 1950 |
| 25 | Show me the money! | JERRY MAGUIRE | 1996 |
| 26 | Why don’t you come up sometime and see me? | SHE DONE HIM WRONG | 1933 |
| 27 | I’m walking here! I’m walking here! | MIDNIGHT COWBOY | 1969 |
| 28 | Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’ | CASABLANCA | 1942 |
| 29 | You can’t handle the truth! | A FEW GOOD MEN | 1992 |
| 30 | I want to be alone. |
Filed under Entertainment, Movies, Politics, Television
I can’t believe she can get full Social Security today.
Liza’s 65!
Liza Now:
And some vintage Liza:
Filed under Broadway, Entertainment, Movies, Music, Television
A little Friday evening amusement from the BBC with Daniel Craig and Catherine Tate…
Filed under Entertainment, Movies, Television
This should be fun…
I just don’t know if someone as smart as Julianne Moore can play someone as dumb as Sarah Palin.
This will truly be a test of how great an actress she really is….
RNC DC Examiner reported earlier this week that HBO is planning a film on the 2008 John McCain-Sarah Palin presidential campaign:
But Palin will not be the beneficiary of any revenue nor is she certain to be enamored by the performance. The network has decided to adapt the 2008 campaign book “Game Change” into an original film.
Academy Award nominated Julianne Moore will play the role of Sarah Palin. The book by Time’s Mark Halperin and New York magazine’s John Heilemann does not feature a faltering image of Pain and, if anything, the then governor is reported to be entirely clueless about basic historical and geographical facts, and somewhat erratic.
The book, Game Change, describes the former Governor of Alaska as having wild mood swings caused by her sudden rise to fame and describes her at one point as being in a ‘catatonic stupor’. […] According to the book, it was then that Steve Schmidt, Republican campaign chief, turned to the experts he had recruited and said: ‘You guys have a lot of work to do. She doesn’t know anything.’ (Daily Mail.)
The author presciently added, If the film follows the lines of the book on which its based, Palin and her supporters may soon be feuding with HBO over what will be a critical presentation of the Republican.
In Palin’s first statement about the film it is clear that the former Alaska governor is wary about what portrait HBO may present. Jokingly Palin said, “Well, I am all about job creation, and I guess I could provide some of these gals who pretend like they’re me some job security.” But then added that she’ll watch the film with great reservations: “I’ll just grit my teeth and bear whatever comes what may with that movie.”
via Sarah Palin: “Grit My Teeth” Over HBO Film – Washington DC RNC | Examiner.com.
Filed under Entertainment, Media, Movies, Politics
This could be more fun than the cat fights between Alexis and Crystal on “Dynasty” in the 1980’s!
Except Crystal and Alexis were both much smarter and much better dressed…
From the National Journal…
It’s looking increasingly likely that tea party maven and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., will dive into the 2012 presidential waters.
Among the evidence is a packed schedule for this weekend, including two suspiciously stump-like stops in Florida on Friday and a Sunday appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, where she’ll be asked about how “the campaign against President Obama’s reelection should be framed,” according to network previews.
Most notable is Bachmann’s involvement in the conservative Club for Growth’s annual winter meeting on Friday, where her name shared a guest list with those of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former Govs. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts—all rumored White House contenders.
But if Bachmann—who started the House Tea Party Caucus—is considering a presidential bid, the elephant in the room is best illustrated by her appearance on Friday before the Palm Beach County chapter of the South Florida Tea Party. After all, in terms of national association, the tea party label is as good as sewn into Sarah Palin’s signature red jacket.
“I hear chatter” about Bachmann’s run, said Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer, “just the same as I do with [former Alaska] Governor Palin. They’re both rock stars in the movement; they’re both strong and willing to take on the establishment. That’s why their message resonates and why people are seriously looking at them as candidates.”
But would a dual-darling bid split the tea party vote?
Filed under Entertainment, Media, Politics, Tea Party, The Economy
Lost in the 21st Century 
The Following People Are Going to Hell | My Southern Gothic Life
New post is up on my other blog…
Click here for the List: The Following People Are Going to Hell | My Southern Gothic Life.
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Filed under Entertainment, Politics, Scott's Commentary, Social Commentary
Tagged as broadway, entertainment, movies, politics, Social Commentary, television