1st\NW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
Monday, October 13, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Jeanine Pirro is Becoming a TV Judge
4th\SW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
Posted by Malone\The Activity Pit
A former district attorney is parlaying her experience as a legal commentator on television into becoming a judge on a TV show.
The CW network announced Monday that Jeanine Pirro will be the presiding jurist on "Judge Jeanine Pirro," weekday afternoons beginning Sept. 22.
Pirro has "a powerful and dynamic television presence with a distinctive point of view, and depth of professional and life experience," said Hilary Estey McLoughlin, president of Telepictures Productions, which is making the show.
Pirro, 56, was once a rising star in New York's Republican Party. She was a popular Westchester County judge, a big winner in three consecutive runs for district attorney and once was chosen for People magazine's "most beautiful" issue.
Analysts said she would have been a natural for higher office, except that her wealthy husband, Albert Pirro, seemed to have a knack for holding her back with his own problems, including a paternity suit and a federal tax-fraud conviction. (Last November, the Pirros announced they were separating.)
In 2005 Pirro decided to challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton and run for the U.S. Senate. But her campaign opened disastrously when a page of her announcement was misplaced and she was speechless for 32 seconds. Pirro eventually switched to the race for state attorney general, but was easily defeated by Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
Posted by Malone\The Activity PitA former district attorney is parlaying her experience as a legal commentator on television into becoming a judge on a TV show.
The CW network announced Monday that Jeanine Pirro will be the presiding jurist on "Judge Jeanine Pirro," weekday afternoons beginning Sept. 22.
Pirro has "a powerful and dynamic television presence with a distinctive point of view, and depth of professional and life experience," said Hilary Estey McLoughlin, president of Telepictures Productions, which is making the show.
Pirro, 56, was once a rising star in New York's Republican Party. She was a popular Westchester County judge, a big winner in three consecutive runs for district attorney and once was chosen for People magazine's "most beautiful" issue.
Analysts said she would have been a natural for higher office, except that her wealthy husband, Albert Pirro, seemed to have a knack for holding her back with his own problems, including a paternity suit and a federal tax-fraud conviction. (Last November, the Pirros announced they were separating.)
In 2005 Pirro decided to challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton and run for the U.S. Senate. But her campaign opened disastrously when a page of her announcement was misplaced and she was speechless for 32 seconds. Pirro eventually switched to the race for state attorney general, but was easily defeated by Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
PETA Asks Ben & Jerry's to Use Breast Milk
4th\SW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
By WPTZ
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk, according to a statement recently released by a PETA spokeswoman.
"PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.
PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.
"We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," said a spokesperson for Ben and Jerry's.
PETA to Ben & Jerry's: "Use Human Breast Milk in Ice Cream"
By WPTZ
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk, according to a statement recently released by a PETA spokeswoman.
"PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.
PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.
"We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," said a spokesperson for Ben and Jerry's.
PETA to Ben & Jerry's: "Use Human Breast Milk in Ice Cream"
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Jesse Ventura to Host a Conspiracy Theory TV Show
3rd\SE Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
By NEAL JUSTIN\Star Tribune
The former governor [Jesse Venture] will host a new program for TruTV (formerly Court TV) in which he'll travel the country, exploring modern-day conspiracies and getting input from believers and skeptics.
"I've been a mayor; I've been a governor. Now I get to be a detective and seek the truth," he said in a news release.
Filming starts in October and is being produced by A. Smith & Co., which is also responsible for "Hell's Kitchen" and "Trading Spaces." A premiere date has not been announced.
Ventura is also reportedly in talks to do a syndicated "Judge Judy"-type program.
By NEAL JUSTIN\Star TribuneThe former governor [Jesse Venture] will host a new program for TruTV (formerly Court TV) in which he'll travel the country, exploring modern-day conspiracies and getting input from believers and skeptics.
"I've been a mayor; I've been a governor. Now I get to be a detective and seek the truth," he said in a news release.
Filming starts in October and is being produced by A. Smith & Co., which is also responsible for "Hell's Kitchen" and "Trading Spaces." A premiere date has not been announced.
Ventura is also reportedly in talks to do a syndicated "Judge Judy"-type program.
"Skins" BBC America
3rd\SE Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
About The Show
They're just your average group of 17-year-olds from Bristol. The gang is led by Tony, the best-looking, most-popular kid in town. He's always up for a laugh but always at someone else's expense. And then there's his poor best mate, Sid, who is forever lusting after Tony's gorgeous girlfriend while Tony plays him like a fool. But Sid will get the girl of his dreams, eventually - just not the girl he thinks.
Tony's girlfriend Michelle - a.k.a. "Nips" (don't ask) - is drop-dead gorgeous with a quick wit that keeps everyone on their toes. Except Tony, that is - he runs rings around her. And she knows it.
Chris is the class clown; he'll do anything (or anyone) if it's good for a laugh. But nothing gets him going quite like his psychology teacher, Angie. And there's Jal, who is hands down the most talented classical clarinet player in the whole UK. No joke. She's bright as hell, and nothing gets past her. Especially the way Tony treats her best mate, Michelle.
Maxxie is magic on his feet and a whiz with his hands. He can have any boy he wants - and he wants them all. His partner-in-crime is Anwar, a "practicing" Muslim who doesn't let the teachings of the Koran get in the way of his less spiritually-inclined pursuits.
Everyone loves the ethereal Cassie, who is completely bonkers. But magic with it. She's a self-harming anorexic with zero self-esteem and a heart of gold. And we can't forget Tony's mysterious little sister, Effy, who keeps her mouth shut but gets up to more than you'd care to imagine. Together, these troublesome teens grab life by the balls and then give it a good twirl...
Skins was created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain. Skins airs Sundays at 10/9c.
-- Source: BBC America
TRAILER
About The Show
They're just your average group of 17-year-olds from Bristol. The gang is led by Tony, the best-looking, most-popular kid in town. He's always up for a laugh but always at someone else's expense. And then there's his poor best mate, Sid, who is forever lusting after Tony's gorgeous girlfriend while Tony plays him like a fool. But Sid will get the girl of his dreams, eventually - just not the girl he thinks.
Tony's girlfriend Michelle - a.k.a. "Nips" (don't ask) - is drop-dead gorgeous with a quick wit that keeps everyone on their toes. Except Tony, that is - he runs rings around her. And she knows it.
Chris is the class clown; he'll do anything (or anyone) if it's good for a laugh. But nothing gets him going quite like his psychology teacher, Angie. And there's Jal, who is hands down the most talented classical clarinet player in the whole UK. No joke. She's bright as hell, and nothing gets past her. Especially the way Tony treats her best mate, Michelle.
Maxxie is magic on his feet and a whiz with his hands. He can have any boy he wants - and he wants them all. His partner-in-crime is Anwar, a "practicing" Muslim who doesn't let the teachings of the Koran get in the way of his less spiritually-inclined pursuits.
Everyone loves the ethereal Cassie, who is completely bonkers. But magic with it. She's a self-harming anorexic with zero self-esteem and a heart of gold. And we can't forget Tony's mysterious little sister, Effy, who keeps her mouth shut but gets up to more than you'd care to imagine. Together, these troublesome teens grab life by the balls and then give it a good twirl...
Skins was created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain. Skins airs Sundays at 10/9c.
-- Source: BBC America
TRAILER
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
"Wendy and Lucy"
2nd\NE Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
By SCOTT FOUNDAS\Variety
"Old Joy" helmer Kelly Reichardt plays to her strengths in "Wendy and Lucy," a modest yet deeply felt road movie about an idealistic young drifter, her faithful canine and the wide-open spaces of the Pacific Northwest.
Living out of her car with barely two spare dimes to rub together, Indiana native Wendy (Williams) has ... set out for Alaska, where she hopes to find gainful employment in a Ketchikan fish cannery. Things go awry, however, when her wreck of a car breaks down in Oregon and Wendy takes an ill-conceived stab at shoplifting dog food for her lone traveling companion, Lucy, whom attentive viewers will recognize as the same tan-colored retriever that accompanied the two male leads of "Old Joy" on their trek into the woods.
Caught red-handed by an overly officious stock boy, Wendy is arrested and slapped with a stiff fine. By the time she returns to the supermarket parking lot where she left Lucy tied up, the dog has disappeared.
Remainder of "Wendy and Lucy" concerns Wendy's efforts to fix her car and find her lost pet, which Reichardt dramatizes in a series of two-handers between Wendy and the various strangers, some kinder than others, who cross her path.
By SCOTT FOUNDAS\Variety"Old Joy" helmer Kelly Reichardt plays to her strengths in "Wendy and Lucy," a modest yet deeply felt road movie about an idealistic young drifter, her faithful canine and the wide-open spaces of the Pacific Northwest.
Living out of her car with barely two spare dimes to rub together, Indiana native Wendy (Williams) has ... set out for Alaska, where she hopes to find gainful employment in a Ketchikan fish cannery. Things go awry, however, when her wreck of a car breaks down in Oregon and Wendy takes an ill-conceived stab at shoplifting dog food for her lone traveling companion, Lucy, whom attentive viewers will recognize as the same tan-colored retriever that accompanied the two male leads of "Old Joy" on their trek into the woods.
Caught red-handed by an overly officious stock boy, Wendy is arrested and slapped with a stiff fine. By the time she returns to the supermarket parking lot where she left Lucy tied up, the dog has disappeared.
Remainder of "Wendy and Lucy" concerns Wendy's efforts to fix her car and find her lost pet, which Reichardt dramatizes in a series of two-handers between Wendy and the various strangers, some kinder than others, who cross her path.
"The Alcoholic" by Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspie
2nd\NE Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
Product Description
Acclaimed novelist Jonathan Ames writes his first comics work with the original graphic novel THE ALCOHOLIC, illustrated by THE QUITTER artist Dean Haspiel.
This touching, compassionate, ultimately humorous story explores the heart of a failing writer who's coming off a doomed romance and searching for hope. Unfortunately, the first place his search takes him is the bottom of a bottle as he careens from one off-kilter encounter to another in search of himself.
-- Source: Amazon
How did the collaboration between Ames and Haspiel come about?
by Van Jensen\Publishers Weekly
The Alcoholic ended up as a graphic novel (published by Vertigo, which recently announced a plan to put more focus on original graphic novels) through Ames's friendship with artist Dean Haspiel, a fellow Brooklynite. "I was sitting in a cafe in Brooklyn,” Ames said, “and he came up and introduced himself to me, said he was a fan of my writing, and then we fell in love, and eventually adopted several children. We were kind of like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, except nobody knew it," Ames joked. More seriously, he added, "After meeting at the cafe, we became friends. One of those rare after-age-35 new friendships."
After they'd known each other a while, Haspiel convinced Ames to meet with Vertigo editor Jonathan Vankin, who had been looking to bring more literary talent to comics. Originally pitched as a six-issue series about a drunk, The Alcoholic mutated into a graphic novel, and Ames set about learning how to write in the medium. I had no fear that Ames wouldn’t conquer the difficult challenges the comics form presents, and when his first draft of The Alcoholic arrived, I was blown away."
Product Description
Acclaimed novelist Jonathan Ames writes his first comics work with the original graphic novel THE ALCOHOLIC, illustrated by THE QUITTER artist Dean Haspiel.
This touching, compassionate, ultimately humorous story explores the heart of a failing writer who's coming off a doomed romance and searching for hope. Unfortunately, the first place his search takes him is the bottom of a bottle as he careens from one off-kilter encounter to another in search of himself.
-- Source: Amazon
How did the collaboration between Ames and Haspiel come about?
by Van Jensen\Publishers Weekly
The Alcoholic ended up as a graphic novel (published by Vertigo, which recently announced a plan to put more focus on original graphic novels) through Ames's friendship with artist Dean Haspiel, a fellow Brooklynite. "I was sitting in a cafe in Brooklyn,” Ames said, “and he came up and introduced himself to me, said he was a fan of my writing, and then we fell in love, and eventually adopted several children. We were kind of like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, except nobody knew it," Ames joked. More seriously, he added, "After meeting at the cafe, we became friends. One of those rare after-age-35 new friendships."
After they'd known each other a while, Haspiel convinced Ames to meet with Vertigo editor Jonathan Vankin, who had been looking to bring more literary talent to comics. Originally pitched as a six-issue series about a drunk, The Alcoholic mutated into a graphic novel, and Ames set about learning how to write in the medium. I had no fear that Ames wouldn’t conquer the difficult challenges the comics form presents, and when his first draft of The Alcoholic arrived, I was blown away."
"Blindness" Rape Scene
1st\NW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
Plot Summary: A city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant "white blindness". Those first afflicted are quarantined by the authorities in an abandoned mental hospital where the newly created "society of the blind" quickly breaks down. Criminals and the physically powerful prey upon the weak, hording the meager food rations and committing horrific acts. There is however one eyewitness to the nightmare. A woman whose sight is unaffected by the plague follows her afflicted husband to quarantine. There, keeping her sight a secret, she guides seven strangers who have become, in essence, a family. She leads them out of quarantine and onto the ravaged streets of the city, which has seen all vestiges of civilization crumble. Their voyage is fraught with danger, yet their survival and ultimate redemption reflect the tenacity and depth of the human spirit.
-- Written by Festival de Cannes' Editor\via IMDB
Apparently, the rape scene was recut over six times due to viewers leaving the theater during test screenings.
The director, Fernando Meirelles, said in an exclusive interview with i09, "It was the sixth cut. And we had around 500 people in the theater, and I think 62 walked out. There were two rape scenes. In the first rape scene, there were four or five women who left, and in the second one a bunch of people just stood up and left the theater. I was shocked by that. I didn't know it was so strong. After that I went back and said, "I can't have people walk out." That, to me, was the turning point. And then I showed the film again at a second test screening in New York, and only a few women walked out in the rape scene."
"I thought the film was ready, and then the repsonse was so crazy, so many people leaving, I decided to recut. It was a problem of balance. Sometimes you have a film where more and more people leave the theater... but [in this case] it was only during the rape scene. [That means] I didn't prepare them to get to the scene, or the scene is really too much."
TRAILER
Plot Summary: A city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant "white blindness". Those first afflicted are quarantined by the authorities in an abandoned mental hospital where the newly created "society of the blind" quickly breaks down. Criminals and the physically powerful prey upon the weak, hording the meager food rations and committing horrific acts. There is however one eyewitness to the nightmare. A woman whose sight is unaffected by the plague follows her afflicted husband to quarantine. There, keeping her sight a secret, she guides seven strangers who have become, in essence, a family. She leads them out of quarantine and onto the ravaged streets of the city, which has seen all vestiges of civilization crumble. Their voyage is fraught with danger, yet their survival and ultimate redemption reflect the tenacity and depth of the human spirit.
-- Written by Festival de Cannes' Editor\via IMDB
Apparently, the rape scene was recut over six times due to viewers leaving the theater during test screenings.
The director, Fernando Meirelles, said in an exclusive interview with i09, "It was the sixth cut. And we had around 500 people in the theater, and I think 62 walked out. There were two rape scenes. In the first rape scene, there were four or five women who left, and in the second one a bunch of people just stood up and left the theater. I was shocked by that. I didn't know it was so strong. After that I went back and said, "I can't have people walk out." That, to me, was the turning point. And then I showed the film again at a second test screening in New York, and only a few women walked out in the rape scene."
"I thought the film was ready, and then the repsonse was so crazy, so many people leaving, I decided to recut. It was a problem of balance. Sometimes you have a film where more and more people leave the theater... but [in this case] it was only during the rape scene. [That means] I didn't prepare them to get to the scene, or the scene is really too much."
TRAILER
Monday, October 6, 2008
Karita Mattila in "Salome"
1st\NE Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
(Richard Termine for The New York Times)
Christian traditions depict her as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness, for instance depicting as erotic her dance mentioned in the New Testament (in some later transformations further iconised to the dance of the seven veils), or concentrate on her lighthearted and cold foolishness that, according to the gospels, led to John the Baptist's death.
A new ramification was added by Oscar Wilde, who in his play Salome let her devolve into a necrophiliac, killed the same day as the man whose death she had requested. This last interpretation, made even more memorable by Richard Strauss's opera based on Wilde, is not consistent with Josephus' account; according to the Romanized Jewish historian, she lived long enough to marry twice and raise several children. Few literary accounts elaborate the biographical data given by Josephus.
-- Source: Wikipedia
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI\New York Times
As before, her [Karita Mattila] portrayal culminates in a fleeting moment of real nudity, during her gender-bending performance of the 10-minute “Dance of the Seven Veils,” ... she vamped and shimmied along with two male dancers who twisted and lifted her. Toying with King Herod, her lecherous stepfather, she removed item after item of her costume until in a moment of delirious triumph she stood, arms aloft, completely naked.
Vocally Ms. Mattila is born to this daunting role, singing with an eerie combination of cool Nordic colorings and raw power. She can spin a Straussian melodic line with sumptuous lyricism. But when Salome erupts in a spasm of twisted desire or childish petulance, Ms. Mattila unleashes chilling, hard-edged top notes that slice through Strauss’s king-size orchestra.
(Richard Termine for The New York Times)Salome the Daughter of Herodias (c AD 14 - between 62 and 71), is known from the New Testament in connection with the death of John the Baptist.
Christian traditions depict her as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness, for instance depicting as erotic her dance mentioned in the New Testament (in some later transformations further iconised to the dance of the seven veils), or concentrate on her lighthearted and cold foolishness that, according to the gospels, led to John the Baptist's death.
A new ramification was added by Oscar Wilde, who in his play Salome let her devolve into a necrophiliac, killed the same day as the man whose death she had requested. This last interpretation, made even more memorable by Richard Strauss's opera based on Wilde, is not consistent with Josephus' account; according to the Romanized Jewish historian, she lived long enough to marry twice and raise several children. Few literary accounts elaborate the biographical data given by Josephus.
-- Source: Wikipedia
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI\New York Times
As before, her [Karita Mattila] portrayal culminates in a fleeting moment of real nudity, during her gender-bending performance of the 10-minute “Dance of the Seven Veils,” ... she vamped and shimmied along with two male dancers who twisted and lifted her. Toying with King Herod, her lecherous stepfather, she removed item after item of her costume until in a moment of delirious triumph she stood, arms aloft, completely naked.
Vocally Ms. Mattila is born to this daunting role, singing with an eerie combination of cool Nordic colorings and raw power. She can spin a Straussian melodic line with sumptuous lyricism. But when Salome erupts in a spasm of twisted desire or childish petulance, Ms. Mattila unleashes chilling, hard-edged top notes that slice through Strauss’s king-size orchestra.
Bloomberg is Running for Mayor Again
1st\NW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
BY ADAM LISBERG\DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
The city needs him for four more years, Mayor Bloomberg said Thursday [October 2, 2008] - and anyone who doesn't like it should vote for someone else.
"Given the events of recent weeks and given the enormous challenges we face, I don't want to walk away from a city I feel I can help lead through these tough times," Bloomberg said.
"I want to give the voters a chance to decide if they want me at the helm. If voters don't like what they've seen, they will vote for someone else."
Bloomberg will ask the City Council next week to extend the city's term limits law to three terms from two, and insiders expect it to be rapidly approved - despite misgivings from some members and outrage from politicians whose plans for next year are in limbo.
BY ADAM LISBERG\DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
The city needs him for four more years, Mayor Bloomberg said Thursday [October 2, 2008] - and anyone who doesn't like it should vote for someone else.
"Given the events of recent weeks and given the enormous challenges we face, I don't want to walk away from a city I feel I can help lead through these tough times," Bloomberg said.
"I want to give the voters a chance to decide if they want me at the helm. If voters don't like what they've seen, they will vote for someone else."
Bloomberg will ask the City Council next week to extend the city's term limits law to three terms from two, and insiders expect it to be rapidly approved - despite misgivings from some members and outrage from politicians whose plans for next year are in limbo.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Gerald Schoenfeld wins Inaugural Schoenfeld Award
1st\NW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
(Photo courtesy of Broadway World)
By BWW News Desk\via Broadway World
The Broadway League has announced its first two award recipients - including Gerald Schoenfeld (for whom the award is named) and New York City Department of Education chancellor, Joel Klein.
Both are being honored for their contributions to arts education. The award will be handed out on October 6 at a League gala for Blueprint for the Arts.
The October 6 gala will take place at the Waldorf Astoria and will feature performances by Betty Buckley, Carolee Carmello, Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy, Leslie Uggams, and students from New York City public schools.
The proceeds raised from this evening will jointly benefit implementation of the Blueprint for the Arts in the NYC public schools and The Broadway League's educational initiatives.
(Photo courtesy of Broadway World)By BWW News Desk\via Broadway World
The Broadway League has announced its first two award recipients - including Gerald Schoenfeld (for whom the award is named) and New York City Department of Education chancellor, Joel Klein.
Both are being honored for their contributions to arts education. The award will be handed out on October 6 at a League gala for Blueprint for the Arts.
The October 6 gala will take place at the Waldorf Astoria and will feature performances by Betty Buckley, Carolee Carmello, Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy, Leslie Uggams, and students from New York City public schools.
The proceeds raised from this evening will jointly benefit implementation of the Blueprint for the Arts in the NYC public schools and The Broadway League's educational initiatives.
The New York Sun Closes
1st\NW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix
By JAMES BARRON\NY Times
The New York Sun, the six-year-old newspaper with a conservative mind-set, announced on Monday that it would close after publishing Tuesday’s issue.
The Sun’s president and editor, Seth Lipsky, said a three-week search for new financial backers had failed. Mr. Lipsky announced on Sept. 4, in a front-page “Letter From the Editor,” that The Sun would shut down by the end of the month unless it raised new money.
But he [Seth Lipsky] assured his staff that The Sun was shutting down “in an orderly way,” not filing for bankruptcy protection. He said The Sun would pay employees through November. He said their health insurance would continue through Dec. 31. A spokesman for the newspaper said it had about 110 full-time employees.
By JAMES BARRON\NY Times
The New York Sun, the six-year-old newspaper with a conservative mind-set, announced on Monday that it would close after publishing Tuesday’s issue.
The Sun’s president and editor, Seth Lipsky, said a three-week search for new financial backers had failed. Mr. Lipsky announced on Sept. 4, in a front-page “Letter From the Editor,” that The Sun would shut down by the end of the month unless it raised new money.
But he [Seth Lipsky] assured his staff that The Sun was shutting down “in an orderly way,” not filing for bankruptcy protection. He said The Sun would pay employees through November. He said their health insurance would continue through Dec. 31. A spokesman for the newspaper said it had about 110 full-time employees.
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