I give Anderson Cooper a ton of crap for being a high-profile closet case, but I'm actually an Anderson Cooper fan. That said, the first episode of his new daytime talk show Anderson was a bit of a disappointment.
The perky one-time Disney queen continues to get work despite a string of bombs. Also today: the possible return of Robert Zemeckis, the likely return of Carrie Bradshaw, and the disappearance of Andrew Garfield.
Wouldn't you be? Barack Obama is at the nadir of his political popularity and effectiveness. He has been maneuvered into an economic corner of 9%-plus unemployment by a relentlessly nihilistic Congress. His achievements—killing bin Laden, saving the auto industry at negligible cost—are written off as flukes. Plus all this 9/11 anniversary stuff! We hear the New York Times is looking into whether it's all starting to get to him—like, clinically.
The Republican candidates for president just debated five nights ago at the St. Ronald of Reagan gravesite in California. Couldn't they just leave us alone for a while, after that? No! We have to have a CNN/Tea Party Express debate in Florida tonight, to allow Wolf Blitzer and some right-wing grifters confuse the American public into the fetal position.
That wonderful scent of stale champagne and hairspray haze you smell is the waft aroma from the continued residence of New York Fashion Week at the tents in Lincoln Center. What did the models, designers, celebrities, and assorted mayhem makers get up to today. Let's look.
Malaysian officials confiscated Shirley, an orangutan at one of the state-run zoos, because apparently her cigarette smoking had gotten out of hand. The authorities removed her because they said smoking isn't natural for monkey-like creatures Did they at least give her some Nicorette or a patch or something?
Want to know what's wrong with kids these days? Good. I'll tell you. In my day, we had a concept known as "selling out." These days, there is new concept, called "selling out." Kids love it!
"Why does the Weather Bureau name killer, monster storms after people?" asks Mark Soifer, son of Irene, poobah of Ocean City, New Jersey. "My kind, loving and devoted mother (perhaps a bit bossy, but nice bossy) should not be associated in any way with a mindless mass of wind, rain, and destruction."
Watson, the super computer that went head-to-head with two Jeopardy champions, has been hired by an insurance company so that it can diagnose people's diseases. Is this the worst idea ever?
Those patriotic Internet-Americans who honor the anniversary of 9/11 by surfing political blogs all day for something to get offended about seized on a pointed blog post from New York Times columnist Paul Krugman yesterday, and show no sign of letting up. Paul Krugman is now the most worst person in the history of America, for pointing out that certain politicians made some bad decisions after 9/11.
In your mute Monday media column: the internet is for porn, Brian Williams gets a new prime time show, Dr. Phil's exclusive is completely ethical, dead body dog collar weatherman resigns, and The Hairpin hires.
One of the great mysteries of humankind—Why do my fingers get all wrinkly during baths?—has maybe-possibly been solved. Says science: "Much like the tread on a tire, [raisin fingers] improve traction." Sure, that sounds reasonable. Apparently the nervous system controls the wrinkle response, and it has nothing to do with bloating or water absorption. [Well, BrainBehavior&Evolution, Image via Afronova/Shutterstock]
This longest season of Franklin & Trash (Franklin Lakes, that is) continues to lurch along, with last night's installment showing us even more of the Joe/Teresa feud and lots of sad footage of everyone running. But from what??
By George W. Bush's own account, "the most nervous moment" of his presidency—indeed, of his entire life—was throwing the first pitch at the 2001 World Series.
Normal Bob Smith is the Margaret Mead of Union Square Park. He is an artist who lives in Bushwick and comes to the park everyday to document the vagrants, drifters, street preachers, and free-hug-givers who hang out there. In the process, he has put together an extraordinarily extensive guide to the Square's peeping toms, upon whom he meta-peeps while they are ogling innocent ladies' panties. Above, an old guy pretends to be a confused tourist preoccupied with his phone, while wandering the park with a video-enabled camera held at crotch level.
After a protracted back and forth over his fate, editor Mike Arrington is truly finished at TechCrunch, the influential website he started in 2005 and sold to AOL almost exactly one year ago. AOL says Arrington "decided to move on" to running his venture capital fund, relinquishing any role at TechCrunch or AOL.
Failed presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty took to Fox News' innumerate dementia variety hour, Fox & Friends, this morning, to make some hot news: He's endorsing Mitt Romney — for president, of all things! And Mittens, in return, is naming TPAW one of his national co-chairmen. What else? Will they spend long weekends in the Poconos together, too?
