Carla Bruni, Homewrecker?

Carla Bruni’s famous backside, photographed by Helmut Newton, long before she became First Lady of France  Bob Colacello of Vanity Fair magazine interviewed Carla Bruni for this November 1992 article titled “La Dolce Carla”: It’s no wonder 24-year-old Carla Bruni has been linked, fairly or not, to several famous older men with names like Jagger, [...]

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How to be Jackie O

This is the week of what would have been Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ (1929-1994) eightieth birthday. Blogs, magazines, newspapers, and TV programs are celebrating her life and style – particulary her style. She was – and is – a fashion icon. Those of you in doubt of her lasting appeal need only to google the phrase, “the Jackie [...]

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Michael Jackson’s Death Room Described

From the Daily Mail online: “Michael Jackson regularly received the anesthetic propofol on a drip and relied on it like an alarm clock, investigators have revealed. A doctor would administer it when Jackson went to sleep, then stop the IV drip when the singer wanted to wake up, the unnamed official told the Associated Press. [...]

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Boogie Down, Baby! Remembering Soul Train Line Dances

Click to see:  Hiphop wedding dance jumps from youtube to The Today Show.   I watched that line dance and it took me way back –  to the 1970s –  to the TV dance show, “Soul Train,” hosted by Don Cornelius. I loved that show. Those kids could dance.  I watched “Soul Train” on Saturday mornings when [...]

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The Queen’s Swan Upper

“All swans – unmarked – in open water – belong to the [British] Crown, and have since the Twelfth Century,” says David Barber, Queen Elizabeth’s official swan marker for 16 years. Although, legally, the Queen retains ownership over all unmarked swans in the United Kingdom, the royal British monarch only exercises her rights over a [...]

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How Did Helen Keller Learn to Speak?

In this rare 1930 footage, teacher Annie Sullivan shows how she taught the deaf/blind Helen Keller to speak:

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Peter & Gordon: Gordon Dies at 64

Gordon Waller, half of the rock duo, Peter and Gordon, that was part of the British Invasion of the Sixties, died Friday, July 17, 2009, in Norwich, Connecticut. He was 64 and lived in Ledyard, Connecticut. His death was announced on the official Peter and Gordon website. Peter and Gordon were part of a wave [...]

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Carla Bruni Sings at Nelson Mandela Birthday Concert

From the BBC: Carla Bruni, the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has taken part in a New York concert to celebrate the 91st birthday of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, the event at Radio City Music Hall also featured performances by Aretha Franklin, Wyclef Jean, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys [...]

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Talk Like Shakespeare Today: A Plague on Both Your Houses

Yesterday, I cut my finger with a knife. My daughter asked me, “Is it bad, Mom?” I thought of the street fight scene from “Romeo and Juliet” when Mercutio gets wounded. Romeo says to Mercutio, “Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much.” Read today’s post to discover Mercutio’s famous response. “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, 1595 [...]

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Ratty & Mole: Messing About in Boats

The following is an excerpt from the opening scene in the children’s literary classic, The Wind in the Willows. The Rat and the Mole are standing on opposite riverbanks, shouting across the river to one another in greeting. Rat is standing outside his snug riverside dwelling that includes a pier.) “Hullo, Mole!” said the Water Rat. [...]

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Madame X-Rated

In the Metropolitan Museum of New York hangs a seven-foot tall portrait of a rather pale woman in a black velvet evening dress held up by sparkly straps. “Madame X” was painted by the American society painter John Singer Sargent.  The subject of the painting is Madame Virginie Gautreau, a professional beauty, who moved in [...]

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“Peace Love Michael” Shirts

Peace Love Michael For you Michael Jackson fans, check out the following websites for cool stuff -shirts, buttons, & more in Michael’s memory.  They are designed by a clever young lady in Austin, Texas. Check out her site at Epic Love on Cafe Press, here: www.cafepress.com/giftsofgrace/7120407 Other merchandise from this same artist can be found at: http://www.cafepress.com/epiclove/6792430

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Quincy Jones: Michael Jackson Didn’t Have Vitiligo

from the Sunday Mail online, July 5, 2009 Quincy Jones blasts Michael Jackson’s excuses for turning white by Lauren Crooks MICHAEL JACKSON’S mentor has blasted the star’s “bull****” excuses for turning himself white. Quincy Jones said he never believed Jacko’s claims he was suffering from rare skin condition vitiligo which caused bleaching to his skin. [...]

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Did Jackie Love Bobby Best?

From USA Today Online, July 6, 2009: Book: Jackie, RFK had four-year affair The New York Post, quoting a new book, reports that Jackie Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy had a four-year love affair that began shortly after President Kennedy was killed. Author C. David Heymann says Bobby was Jackie’s “true love” and that the affair [...]

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Michael Jackson Cartoon: Good and Bad, Black and White

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