- Is there anyone who doesn’t want out at Seattle Grace? Exits are coming fast and furious at Grey's Anatomy, which is ironic because you would think that actors would be knocking down the door to get onto one of TV’s most popular shows, not leaving skid marks as they speed off of it. T.R. Knight has become the latest dreamy medical professional to exit stage right on Grey’s, asking to be released from his contract, a request that both ABC and producer Shonda Rhimes seem inclined to grant. Because the details are still being hashed out and this is a recent development, there is no concrete word on when Knight would make his final appearance, but at this point he is still working on the show and hasn’t pulled the plug quite yet. And while his departure at this point is surprising if only because there seems to be a mass exodus from the show, it’s not like Knight’s unhappiness at Grey's is anything new. He was clearly peeved that it took Rhimes so long to publicly condemn fellow cast member Isaiah Washington's use of the F-word in an incident that led Knight to publicly reveal that he is homosexual. Still, that incident is well in the past and Knight is said to be wanting out more because he is looking to move on to a new challenge. His desire to leave could also stem from the fact that his character has been largely minimalized and marginalized of late, with his only role being to worry over Izzie's mental state. Now as someone who has never watched the show regularly (although I did once give it a try to see what I was missing - not much), I have no idea if Knight is/was McDreamy, McSteamy or any one of those other cutesy-nicknamed doctors, but what I do know is that it’s never a good sign when so many actors are itching to leave what is such a popular show. Makes me think that something needs to change in the climate there or that whole show is going to implode on itself sooner rather than later….
- Do we need to start installing primate detectors at airport security stations? Yes, passengers are wanded, ordered to remove their shoes, watches and empty their pockets, turn on their computers and cameras and a bunch of other ridiculous other things, but after a Washington woman hid a sedated monkey under her blouse on a flight from Thailand to smuggle said monkey into the United States, maybe it’s time for a security overhaul. Gypsy Lawson (yes, her name is Gypsy, that should have been a tip-off that she was up to something fishy) has been convicted of violating wildlife laws for smuggling the monkey into the United States, along with her mother, Fran Ogren. Mother and daughter were convicted of smuggling and conspiracy to smuggle the monkey in violation of the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws after Lawson hid the young rhesus macaque monkey under a baggy blouse on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand, to Los Angeles International Airport. She explained the conspicuous bump in her midsection by claiming that she was pregnant, a claim no one bothered to question. She was arrested because you need a permit to possess rhesus monkeys and other exotic species of animals, with those permits typically granted for research, enhancement and conservation purposes. In other words, Lawson didn’t fulfill any of those criteria and so she became a monkey smuggler. Additionally, she violated customs rules which state that
transporting such species into the United States requires a customs declaration, which Lawson obviously didn’t make. Thankfully, this particular monkey didn’t carry any viruses or parasites that rhesus monkeys are known to be carriers for, as it tested negative for all of the typical viruses. So far, neither Lawson no Ogren has said exactly why they went to such lengths to smuggle a monkey into the country, but the belief is that it was simply to have the creature as a pet. But instead, they have been found out and their prized monkey has been placed with a rescue center for abandoned primates. Proving the case against these two idiots shouldn’t be tough, what with authorities finding journals and handwritten notes describing their attempts to find a monkey small enough to smuggle back to the United States. On top of that, the recovered journal also detailed the duo's "acquisition of a small monkey and their experimenting with different medicines to sedate the monkey for their journey home.” A third member of this spectacular criminal team, James Edward Pratt, has already pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of possession and transportation of prohibited wildlife. As for Lawson and Ogren, their smuggling charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of court supervision after release, while the conspiracy charges they face carry a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Something tells me that this isn’t what they had in mind when they flew from Spokane, Washington, to Bangkok on November 4-5, 2007, stopping in Seattle, Washington, and Inchon, South Korea along the way and then returned on a direct flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles, California, on November 28, 2007. Guess this is a lesson for us all: when smuggling exotic animals into the United States, first check to make sure that you are not a moron and second, make sure that your partner in crime is not a moron either…..
- Farmers are one segment of society that you can usually count on to help those in need. As they generally come from fairly humble means and have some of the toughest, most physical and draining jobs around, farmers tend to have an attitude of helping and caring about those in similar situations. So it’s no surprise that local farmers in Kansas City, Mo. are pitching in to help feed needy families in their area this holiday season by donating a ginormous pile of potatoes to help feed hungry people. Nearly 42,000 pounds of potatoes were delivered to the Salvation Army Distribution Center this week courtesy of the Hahn Potato Company and other local farmers. The Salvation Army (possibly the militant wing thereof, for you Austin Powers fans) will place the potatoes into boxes as part of the Army's Christmas Food Basket project, which feeds needy Kansas City families during the holiday season. How far does a 42,000-pound pile of potatoes go in feeding families? Well, the donation from will be used to fill more than 4,500 baskets and there will actually be plenty of leftovers as well. In fact, there will be so many extra taters that remainder will be used to feed the needy throughout the rest of the year. There are always plenty of stories of people reaching out to help those who are struggling during the holidays, but it never hurts to shine a light on some of those, especially those who will make possible the making of so many helping of one of my all-time favorite foods, mashed taters…….
- Ernesto “Che” Guevara has long been a heroic figure for revolutionaries worldwide, a symbol of the resistance of the underdog against The Man. And while Guevara was a violent, flawed man in his own right, that hasn’t diminished his rise as a cult figure for many. Now, he has been immortalized in a lengthy biopic that profiles the Argentinean revolutionary and his part in the Cuban revolution. "Che" the movie was screened Saturday in the Yara movie theater in central Havana as part of the 30th International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema. The film stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role, for which he won a best actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Del Toro admitted that portraying a legendary, controversial figure like Guevara did make him a little nervous. “This is Cuban history, so there's an audience in there that probably, that could be the biggest critics and the most knowledgeable critics of the historical accuracy of the film," Del Toro said. However, his anxiety appears to have been unnecessary, as the film was greeted with an enthusiastically positive reaction from its initial audiences in Cuba. Even
Granma, the official mouthpiece of the country’s Communist government, gave Del Toro a great review. "Del Toro personifies Che in a spectacular manner, not only his physical appearance but also his masterly interpretation," the state newspaper said. The film itself is divided into two parts: "El argentino," which portrays Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution, and "Guerrilla," which shows his life in Africa and Bolivia, where he was killed in 1967. Del Toro reunited with director Steven Soderbergh, bringing a duo together that also made the 2000 film "Traffic" extremely successful. The one main down side of the film is that it is actually longer than the biggest waste of time in cinematic history, Titanic, coming in at 4 hours and 17 minutes. Adding to the movie’s intrigue, at least in Cuba where Guevara’s story is so well-known, is the debate over some details of the story. As with any tale adapted to the big screen from reality, some artistic license is going to be taken, but judging from the reaction in Cuba, Soderbergh and Co. seem to have gotten it right for the most part. Thus far, “Che” has played at six film festivals worldwide, with its limited opening in the United States on December 12 and . widespread U.S. distribution beginning January 24. It will definitely be interesting to see if American movie audiences have the attention span and social consciousness to go see what looks to be a great movie even though it’s not a glitzy, fictional action flick, a CGI-dominated family film or a sappy chick flick about four middle-aged, sex-crazed women in Manhattan. I’m guessing that the reaction is a lot less enthusiastic than it should be, mostly because I have no faith in you when it comes to your taste in movies, America…..
- Economic woes are hitting everyone hard right now, and even professional football leagues in these here United States aren’t immune. As the National Football League lays off 150 employees, even worse news is coming down for the Arena Football League, which has actually made substantial growth in terms of mainstream recognition and following the past few years. The AFL is prepared to cancel what would have been its 23rd season in 2009, with league officials expected to make the announcement before the end of the week. The AFL players' union has signed off on the decision, with one source saying it’s “pretty much a done deal to suspend the 2009 season and work toward a single entity-league.” This isn’t a permanent measure and the AFL isn’t dead and buried, but rather it is being billed as a temporary move as the league looks to restructure and get itself on more secure financial footing. No long-term plan is in place for the AFL, but the delaying of the 2009 season has been something you could see coming for some time now. Just this week, the league delayed the release of the 2009 schedule for the third time, along with postponing its dispersal draft and the start of free agency. The league released a statement today attempting to dispel rumors of its demise, reading in part: "Despite rumors and reports to the contrary, all AFL teams are continuing to work towards ArenaBowl XXIII. As it has previously stated, the AFL continues to work on long-term structural improvement options. Some of the options may impact the 2009 season. There is currently no timetable for an announcement of any kind. We remain grateful to our fans for their enthusiasm and patience." Clearly, even with high-profile owners like former NFL stars John Elway, Bernie Kosar and Ron Jaworski and ‘80s hair metal icon John Bon Jovi hasn’t generated enough interest to make the AFL financially viable, not in the current failing ecomomy. Having ESPN as a minority owner and official TV network also hasn’t helped the AFL enough to save the 2009 season. One more negative sign for the AFL is the fact that the league’s New Orleans franchise folded recently despite being near the top of the league in attendance the past two seasons. On top of all that, the league is without a leader as no replacement has been named for longtime commissioner David Baker, who resigned in July two days before the ArenaBowl championship game. Ironically, the arenafootball2 league, the official development league of the AFL, will continue operations as usual in 2009 despite the AFL’s struggles. Because arenafootball2 is an independent entity, it can keep going on its own, even if the players it is supposed to develop don’t have anywhere to go should they excel. Man, you know times are tough in the U.S. when even professional football leagues are failing…..
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