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Allen, Woody What are your favorite Woody Allen movies? My favorites are Manhattan, Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Play It Again Sam. Actually, I like all his movies, and I have seen them over and over and over, to the point where just about anything that happens in my life reminds me of something from one of the movies. In fact (and this is strictly between you and me), there have been a lot of times when people have thought I was spontaneously witty, when I was merely recycling lines from a Woody Allen film. Woody Allen (1935-), born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in Brooklyn, New York, is a lot more than a filmmaker. He is a superb actor, writer, playwright, musician (jazz clarinet) and stand-up comedian. It's hard to exaggerate the contribution that Allen has made to modern filmmaking: he is a cinematic genius of the first order, one whose films will be studied and enjoyed for years to come. A thousand years from now, Woody Allen will be one of the few people remembered from our time. Web:
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British Royal Family The British royal family has something to teach all of us. Follow their official and unofficial adventures and you will encounter intelligence, knowledge, industry, discretion and inspiration. You will also find foolishness, ignorance, sloth, indiscretion and just plain awful behavior. Here are some resources that help you keep abreast of anything royal worth knowing. First, you have two official Web sites: one for the entire royal family and one just for Charles (that is, Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, and Earl of Chester). I have also included a more informal site that is anything but official. Using these resources, you'll be able to find out just about anything you need to know about Liz, Phil, Chuck, Wills, Harry, Andy, Sarah, Eddie, Sophie, Annie (and maybe even Camilla). Web:
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Celebrity Addresses Would you like to write to your favorite celebrity? Here are some Web sites that contain lots and lots of celebrity addresses, for both regular mail and email. You can also find some good tips on getting autographs, as well as other interesting information. Hint: If you send email to a celebrity, do not expect anything but an automated reply. If you get a personal reply, consider yourself doubly blessed (once because you got the reply, and once because you are one of my readers). Web:
Celebrity Resources Take my word for it. The day will come when you will need to know Jane Fonda's birthday, where Harrison Ford went to high school, or the latest gossip about Michael Jackson. When that day arrives, you will be ready. Just cruise over to the Net where the celebrity info you need is ready and waiting. (By the way, Jane's birthday is the same as mine, December 21; Harrison Ford went to Maine Township High in suburban Des Plaines, Illinois; and Michael Jackson did something really weird, just the other day.) Web:
Celebrity Talk and General Discussion You've devoured every newspaper, magazine and tabloid in sight, and you still want more news and information about celebrities. Here are some sources that are available 24 hours a day, so you can always get a fix. Read stories, news and rumors of old and new famous people. Usenet:
Dead People Every now and then, you are bound to ask, "Whatever happened to so-and-so?" Is it possible that so-and-so is dead? Better check, just to be sure. It sounds a bit macabre, but these are actually good reference tools, and I find it interesting just to browse. The first thing I do is to check for my own name, just in case. (I never like to take anything for granted.) Web:
Famous People's Wills Are you surprised? Not me, I knew it had to be somewhere on the Net: the last wills and testaments of famous people. See what the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, John Lennon, Walt Disney, Babe Ruth and Benjamin Franklin left to posterity. (They also have Elvis's will. I checked, but unfortunately he didn't leave me anything.) Web:
Fuller, Buckminster What do you do in your spare time? Most people read, play sports or watch TV. Not many could say, "Well, I had a lot of time on my hands last weekend, so I invented the geodesic dome." Get to know Buckminster Fuller, his works and philosophy. Web:
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Gates, Bill Isn't it great that we all get to live on this Earth at the same time as Bill Gates? Why not send him a letter, right now, and tell him how much you appreciate his efforts to save mankind. (I'd suggest sending him email, but Windows might crash.) Web:
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Inventors Few people have the genius to extend current technology significantly. However, in every age, the advance of civilization has always been dependent upon new inventions. Much of what we take for granted was created, after a great deal of hard work, by people who are, all too often, forgotten. These resources will help you understand and appreciate the men and women to whom we all owe so much: the inventors. Web:
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Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers knew how to make people laugh better than any other comedy group in modern history. All of the Marx Brothers were born in New York. Three of them were comedians: Groucho [Julius] (1895-1977), Harpo [Arthur] (1893-1964) and Chico [Leonard] 1891-1961. Groucho, who had a fast and furious wit, was the undisputed standout. Chico spoke in an imitation Italian accent and played the piano. Harpo did not speak (although he could); he honked a horn, did slapstick and played the harp. Two other brothers joined the act at various times, but played straight roles: Zeppo [Herbert] (1901-1979) and Gummo [Milton] (1892-1977). The group got their start at an early age as a vaudeville singing group, managed by their stage mother Minnie (who herself was an experienced performer). The act evolved into a zany amalgam of puns and wisecracks, slapstick, sight gags, and a great deal of silliness. In 1924, the brothers had their first big-time hit with the Broadway play "I'll Say She Is". In 1929, they released "The Coconuts", the first of 12 classic movies. The Marx Brothers disbanded in 1941. However, Groucho went on to enjoy a successful solo career as a radio and TV performer (as host of the quiz show "You Bet Your Life"), and as a writer. Web:
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Nader, Ralph It is difficult to name anyone who, over the last half century, has made more important contributions to the United States legal, political and business systems than Ralph Nader. Indeed, many of the changes that Nader has effected have become so integrated into mainstream culture that his accomplishments are now taken for granted. For example, did you know that it is Ralph Nader who was responsible for the creation of OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and the Consumer Product Safety Administration? And did you know that Nader was instrumental in the adoption of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the Wholesome Meat Act, and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act? (Indeed, it was Ralph Nader who maneuvered the auto industry into making airbags available on American cars.) However, more than anything else, Nader is responsible for a wholesale shift in contemporary attitudes toward consumer rights, public safety, humane business practices, and open government. Ralph Nader (1934-) was born in Winsted, Connecticut, the son of Lebanese parents. As a young man, Nader excelled in school, graduating magna cum laude from Princeton University (1955) and with distinction from Harvard Law School (1958). In 1963, at the age of 29, Nader hitchhiked to Washington, DC, where he found a job working for the Assistant Secretary of Labor (Daniel Moynihan). Over the next few years, Nader spent time researching for Moynihan, writing for The Christian Science Monitor and The Nation, and advising a Senate subcommittee on automobile safety. In 1965, when he was 31 years old, Nader published a seminal book, "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile". The book was a report on the practices of the American auto industry, particularly General Motors. Nader showed that the auto industry consistently sacrificed safety for the sake of profits, even to the point of refusing to implement important features such as seat belts. GM retaliated by hiring private investigators to pry into Nader's life, even going so far as to try to trap him in a compromising position. To GM's surprise, Nader proved to be the most innocent, clean-living person in the entire District of Columbia. The detectives failed to dig up any dirt and when Nader found out about it, he successfully sued GM for invasion of privacy. On March 22, 1966, the President of GM (James Roche) was forced to appear before a Senate subcommittee and publicly apologize to Nader. Within a year, Nader's book had led to a series of new national automobile safety laws. At the same time, Nader was using his money from the GM settlement to fund even more investigations. In the summer of 1969, Nader hired a large number of young activists who came to D.C. to work on his new projects. Their work was prodigious and highly effective, and they soon came to be called "Nader's Raiders" (a name that was coined by Washington Post reporter William Greider). By 1972, Nader and his co-workers had published 17 books, documenting serious problems in many areas of government and business. There were a large number of investigations related to the public interest, resulting in significant improvements and changes. Why was Ralph Nader so effective? Aside from his obvious intelligence and persistence, Nader had a genius for organization. His method was to inspire people to take an interest in public affairs, help them set up viable organizations to work towards their goals, and then disengage and let the organizations develop on their own. Over the years, Nader has inspired the creation of dozens of organizations devoted to investigating many different areas of the law, government, the environment, and public affairs. Perhaps the most famous such organization is Public Citizen, founded by Nader in 1971 to serve as an umbrella organization for a miscellany of projects. (Nader resigned as director in 1980.) Another well-known group of organizations are the Nader-inspired Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), college organizations for idealistic students who want to work on projects in the public interest. (When I was an undergraduate at the University of Waterloo in Canada, back in the early 1970s, I went to see Nader talk. What I heard inspired me, and I went on to start the very first PIRG in Canada.) In recent years, Ralph Nader has enlarged his crusade into the mainstream political arena by running for President. In 1996 and 2000, he ran as a member of the Green Party, receiving (in 2000) almost 3 percent of the popular vote. In 2004, he ran again, this time as an independent candidate. As a presidential candidate, Nader's presents a platform of enlightened populism. His feeling that there is "too much power and wealth in too few hands" has led him to campaign for workers' rights, affordable housing, environmental justice, universal healthcare, campaign finance reform, free education through college, and more controls on corporate power. He is also in favor of shifting more of the tax burden onto corporations, relieving the strain on middle- and lower-class taxpayers. On a larger scale, Nader warns of the growing "imperialism" of huge, multinational corporations: an evolution that, he feels, has led to a grand convergence of corporate and government power. As such, Nader opposes what he calls "autocratic trade treaties", such as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). As you can see, there are two sides to Ralph Nader. There is the dedicated, consumer activist who has -- against all odds and in the face of continued opposition -- managed to inspire and galvanize a large number of people into taking practical, effective action. However, there is also Nader the extremist: an unbending, often intolerant fanatic. For example, Nader not only labors tirelessly for his causes, he demands that others do the same, particularly those who work for him (who are typically paid very little for their efforts). Over the years, Nader's antipathy towards big business and big government has also served to harden him, turning him into a cynic who refuses to compromise or even consider the arguments of those who disagree with him. Moreover, in the name of the public interest, he has aligned himself with the trial lawyer lobby, often working against legal reforms in a way that is questionable for one who describes his full-time job as "public citizen". Still, this is only to be expected. The appetite grows upon what it feeds and, for decades, Nader has been a professional iconoclast. As he puts it, "You've got to keep the pressure on, even if you lose. The essence of the citizen's movement is persistence." It is common for such men to become fossilized in their beliefs as they grow older. Nevertheless, Nader is a great man: a highly effective and passionate idealist who has spent a lifetime asking the question, "What can I do for my country?", rather than "What can my country do for me?" Web:
Nobel Prize Winners The Nobel prizes are named after Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), a Swedish inventor, who left the legacy establishing awards to be given for extraordinary achievement. Have you ever wondered if maybe you have won a Nobel Prize, but you never found out because your phone was off the hook? (Don't laugh, this actually happened to me twice.) Well, stop worrying. Here is information about all the Nobel prize winners. The categories are chemistry, economics, literature, peace, physics, and physiology/medicine. There is also a special list of all the women who have been awarded Nobel prizes. Web:
Pope John Paul II Need a fast dose of religious experience? Check out these Pope-related Web sites, one of which is the official Vatican site. Read some of his writings and find out where the Pope is traveling in case you want to call ahead and make arrangements to have dinner with him. If you do see the Pope, tell him I said hello. Web:
Randi, James James Randi (1928-) -- The Amazing Randi -- is a Canadian-born American magician and skeptic who debunks fraudulent paranormal events and claims. Randi offers a half million dollars to any person who can prove, under his scientific conditions, that he or she has psychic powers. This Web site explains about Randi and what he does, including the James Randi Educational Foundation. To me, Randi is truly one of the heroes of our time, debunking foolishness and superstition, and shedding light into the dark recesses of ignorance and dishonesty. Web: Real Names of Famous People Have you ever wondered why actress Lauren Bacall did not use her real name in show business? Perhaps because it's Betty Joan Perske, and tell the truth; would you write a letter to Abigail van Buren (Dear Abby) asking for advice if you knew her real name was Pauline Esther Friedman and her friends called her "Popo"? Find out the real names of your favorite celebrities and, who knows, the knowledge may one day save your life. By the way, did you know that Michael J. Fox's real name was Michael A. Fox? (He didn't want the headlines in fan magazines to read "Michael, A Fox".) Web:
Stewart, Martha In her time, Martha Stewart (1941-) was the epitome of the American Dream, an entrepreneur who turned a flair for gracious living and an insatiable appetite for perfection into a highly successful career as a lifestyle expert: teaching the arts of cooking, gardening, crafts and home decoration, to millions of American women. Stewart, however, was also the epitome of the American Dream gone bad, demonstrating the immense pride and separation from reality that inevitably comes before a long, hard fall. Martha Stewart, born Martha Kostyra, was the second of six children in a Polish-American family. She grew up in a working class neighborhood in the small town of Nutley, New Jersey. Her father was strict, demanding, temperamental, and disappointed with life; her mother (also named Martha) was a cold, unhappy, resentful housewife. This volatile combination of parental forces, along with the constant threat of poverty, imbued Stewart with a permanent yearning for power and comfort, desires that would manifest themselves as an endless devotion to perfection and a chronic, insatiable ambition for material success. In an attempt to fulfill these needs, Stewart consciously developed herself in three ways. First, she learned to how to achieve her goals with the single-mindedness of a charging rhinoceros. Second, she became enormously skillful in the domestic arts, developing powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men (and women). Finally, she turned herself into the public authority on Gracious Living, Along the way, Stewart reinvented her childhood for public consumption, fantasizing about the happy, loving family life she never had. In later years, Stewart would do the same thing with her adult life, portraying her husband, daughter Alexis, and herself as living an ever-so- happy and perfect domestic existence, an image that was far from the truth. In 1987, for example, her husband of 26 years, Andy Stewart, moved out to live with Martha's former assistant. (The actual divorce came three years later.) However, as much as her public image and private demons may have conflicted with reality, there is no gainsaying that Stewart was a highly innovative businesswoman, boldly going where no man (or woman) had gone before. In 1982, she burst into the American consciousness with her first book "Martha Stewart Entertaining" (which was published by her husband's company). In 1987, she signed a lucrative deal with the giant retailer Kmart to develop an exclusive line of low- cost, but tasteful, merchandise. In 1991, she published her first magazine, "Martha Stewart Living", and in 1993, debuted her first TV show, also called "Martha Stewart Living". In 1997, Stewart established her own company, Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Within a short time, she expanded her eponymous and seemingly ubiquitous business far beyond the traditional boundaries of domestic merchandising. The Martha Stewart brand name was attached, not only to books, magazines and TV shows, but to radio spots, a newspaper column, a large mail- order/Internet business, as well as the thriving Kmart product lines. In 1999, Stewart took her company public making her, on paper, a freshly minted, yet tasteful, billionaire, the reigning queen of domestic consumption. However, it was not to last. On June 4, 2003, Stewart and her stock broker, Peter Bacanovic, were indicted on federal securities charges. (The indictment stemmed from lies that Stewart had told during an investigation of insider trading.) On the same day, Stewart resigned as Chairman and CEO of Martha Stewart Omnimedia. On March 5, 2004, Stewart and Bacanovic were convicted of several charges: conspiracy, making false statements, and obstruction of justice. Stewart's personal empire began to crumble, forcing her to resign as an officer and board member of her own company. On July 16, 2004, Stewart was sentenced to 5 months in prison, followed by 5 months home arrest and 2 years probation (to be served concurrently). She was also fined $30,000. Bacanovic received the same sentence, but with a smaller fine. Barely four months later, on October 8, 2004, an unrepentant Stewart -- newly rechristened as U.S. federal prisoner #55170054 -- surrendered to officials at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia to begin serving her sentence. So what does the story of Martha Stewart have to teach us? With respect to homemaking, Stewart inspired millions of women to cultivate a desire for quality and to pay attention to details. In a real sense, the time-consuming, but satisfying, activities she offered her followers were a marvelous antidote to the plague of instant living that infects our modern culture. Stewart was, without a doubt, not only a domestic goddess, but a very smart, talented, and competent businesswoman. However, she was also a disorganized, short-tempered, pathologically demanding tyrant and, when the legal and business dust had settled, it was clear that Stewart was nothing less than a tragic victim of her own hubris, demonstrating fatal flaws that would make even Sophocles sit up and take notice. Web:
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Three Stooges One of the biggest differences between men and women is that women don't understand the Three Stooges (which, if you think about it, is probably a good thing). The Three Stooges were popular during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, when they created hundreds of short films that were shown in movie theaters and, later, on television. The Stooges got their start on the vaudeville stage, but their act is far more reminiscent of what used to be called burlesque, with its sight gags, pratfalls and general clowning around. Two of the Stooges, Moe Howard (1897-1975) and Larry Fine (1902-1975) were permanent members of the group. The third stooge was played by several different actors over the years: Curly Howard (1903-1952), Shemp Howard (1895-1955), Joe Besser (1907-1988) and Curly Joe DeRita (1909-1993). Web:
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