This Mike is Right On

Mike Luckovich with the Atlanta Journal Consitution won the Pulitzer Price last year for his editorial cartoons. And he has a new book out, "Four More Wars," which isn't exactly kind to certain people with the last name of Bush and Cheney.

If you are interested in seeing what won him this award, and what this church-going Catholic and family man has to say, you can click this link.

You can buy his book here.

What 4 in 10 Americans Think They Know

Do you think that Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader, was personally involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center?

The answer, according to a poll on page 48 of the Sept. 11, 2006, issue of Time magazine, is that 38 percent of people answer this question with a YES.

So, almost four in 10 Americans think this is true, even though Dick Cheney admitted on Meet the Press yesterday (as George Bush has acknowledged as well), that there was absolutely no connection.

This ignorance is a little scary, no?

Turn Down the Stereo-type

It turns out that Toby Keith and Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks don't cancel out each other's votes after all.

It's true: Toby Keith is a Democrat.

With the 9/11 five-year anniversary tomorrow, he just said so on TV.

What's the lesson to be learned here? Being hyper-patriotic (or just plain vanilla patriotic) doesn't mean you are automatically a Republican.

Most of us non-Republicans already knew this.

The same goes for drawing conclusions about people who are religious. Of all the people I know who were raised Catholic, the only pair in a relationship who consistently go to church together every weekend ... is a gay couple. And they're Democrats, too.

What about Keith's opinion on the War in Iraq? "We won't know for probably 20 or 30 years whether it was the right thing to do or not," Keith says.

This contains more truth than 99 percent of what the shouting heads on MSNBC say. So although I suspect George Bush will go down in history alongside James Buchanan and Warren Harding as one of the worst presidents ever, this is really something that can only be determined over the long term.

See the CBS Sunday Morning Profile of Toby Keith here.

Are you proud to be Merican?

TV and Movie Fun Facts

Here goes:

* Did you know that on NBC's The Office, the woman who plays "Carol the real estate lady" is Steve Carell's real-life wife?

* The season premiere of The Simpson's is Sunday night, and it's an episode featuring Springfield's mob boss Fat Tony (Joe Mantegna).

* When Bravo's Top Chef returns on Oct. 18, it'll have a new host. Cookbook author and actress Padma Kakshmi is joining the series for its second season.

* The person in the above photo at left is John Travolta playing Edna in Hairspray.
... I wonder if he's ever kissed a man dressed that way?

Join the Parade in Giving Thanks to Macy's

Macy's is doing some things right.

When the store bought out its largest competitor, St. Louis-based May Department Stores, in an attempt to become a national chain, the critics said it was a bad idea.

Now the chain is riding a wave of positive publicity, such as this article in the New York Times (which mentions St. Louis and quotes the Mayor) and this article in the local daily paper. It's also doing some smart marketing moves, including product placement for its women's line on Bravo's Project Runway.

From the Times article:

Terry J. Lundgren, the chief executive of Macy’s parent company, Federated Department Stores, flew to Los Angeles, where he agreed, at the mayor’s reuest, to build a Macy’s at a mall in North Hollywood. In Chicago, he promised to resume local manufacturing of the famed Frango mints at Marshall Field’s. In St. Louis, he vowed to keep the downtown Famous-Barr store open, despite years of poor sales.

“When you are a company of our size, trying to make the changes we are making, you need a close relationship with local officials,” Mr. Lundgren said in an office at Macy’s Herald Square store in Manhattan. “You have to get off on the right foot.”

The company could have very easily closed its store in downtown St. Louis; but it chose to keep it open, and to keep it stocked with better merchandise. This is great news for our city as the downtown area continues its rebirth.

Today during lunch, Macy's was sponsoring a block party with music and food to celebrate the opening of their stores in town. I stumbled upon it during lunch. Downtown seems so alive nowadays: I'm very jealous of my friend Miles O'Malley who just bought a loft downtown.

Side note: I don't know the name of the band that played the Macy's Block Party, but the lead singer had hair similar to a wig I've worn for 4 out of the last 7 Halloweens. Very cool.

Boogie Boo

If you are watching Big Brother 7, this is a must read.

Are there actually women out there who find this schmuck sexy?

If you want to read this phoney's Wikipedia entry, here it is. Here's hoping his fame clock is at 14:59:59, and with half a tick left.

Recommended Reading on the Web

John Adams (you know, the guy who used to be President) was fond of writing in the margins of his books. What did he say? A lot. You'll soon be able to see it online. LINK.

Disgraced reporter Judith Miller is back writing in one of the country's best newspapers. She has an opinion piece in today's Wall Street Journal on a case involving AIDS and Libya and five nurses and a doctor falsely accused of intentionally infecting people with HIV. LINK (Subscription only.)

The composer of the movie Titanic is writing the new jingle that will open up the CBS Evening News for Katie Couric. You can listen for yourself starting tonight. But will Cronkite's voice be in the intro? LINK.

Shoppers at Macy's won't be seeing double at some malls, because 85 malls in the United States will now have two, count 'em, two Macy's in the same mall. They are mulling different ideas: make one Macy's more upscale or turn it into a Bloomingdale's; operate both with the same goods; expand into furniture; or sell one of the stores. LINK.

So scientists say that dogs are actually capable of laughing. But do only cats get the joke? LINK

Loves me or loves me not? The science behind sexual cannibalism. (I'm no expert, but I'd hazzard a guess that the answer is definitely "Loves me not.") LINK

This Week's CBS Evening News

Tonight is Katie Couric's first night as anchor of the CBS Evening News. I predict that in her first week on the air, we are going to see ...

* A really fun in-studio cooking segment with Wolfgang Puck demonstrating how to cook healthy, great-tasting food that will give you great abs.

* Some dish with Steven Cojocaru on "what's hot and what's not" in the world of celebrity fashion.

* A spin around downtown Baghdad on the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.

Good Night, and Good News

Tomorrow, when she takes over anchoring the CBS Evening News, Katie Couric will be sitting in the same seat as some legends: Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather ... and Arnold Zenker.

We here at The Cup of Joe wish her the best of luck.

Cute Kitten of the Week

This morning, we here at The Cup of Joe are unveiling a new feature: "Cute Kitten of the Week." Look for it weekly and on major secular holidays.

We hope you find it as delicious as the Newman's Own Organic Turkey and Vegetable cat and kitten food that this little slice of heaven seems to be enjoying.

Remember: If you're not boning up the extra bucks to buy your pets organic food, then you don't really love them now, do you?

Stew on This

You may have watched William Shatner sing Rocket Man in this previous post.

... Here is another artist's take.

The Breakfast Nook is Sunny

Want to buy a house? The one at right is Herb Clutter's house. He and his wife and two kids were murdered inside in 1959. You might have read about it in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, or saw the story in last year's best picture nominee Capote.

It is being sold by private auction, and you can find it advertised on Ebay. They're having open houses on Sunday, Sept. 17, from 2 to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Here are some descriptions of the property by the selling agents:

* "The sunny breakfast nook with dining bench boasts the original fabric."

* "The utility room and basement provided ample space for the children to work on 4-H projects and school activities."

* "The savvy investor knows that this home made internationally famous by the tragic death of the Clutter family and the genious work of Truman Capote, in his book IN COLD BLOOD is an ideal investment."

Read more here. It's a press release announcing the sale. DATELINE: Holcomb, Kansas.

Who wants their eggs sunny side up?

What I'm Talking About, Willis, is Great TV

On Monday, 20 years after the show was canceled, NBC is airing a made-for-TV "movie event" called "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes."

NBC describes this special movie presentation this way: "When the show went off the air, the story was just beginning. This original movie event follows the lives of Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, and Dana Plato as their lives became the stuff of tabloid legend."

Coleman and Bridges worked closely with the producers and will be interviewed on-camera during the show.

This movie has the potential to be as touching as the very special episode when Kimberly had bulimia, or when Nancy Reagan guest starred to "just say no," or even the one where Arnold's friend Dudley falls victim to a child molestor played by Gordon Jump.

Best. Labor Day. Ever.

Who Wants to Go to School With Me?

It's that time of year again: I just got the Fall 2006 brochure for Community Education classes right here in town. Who wants to take a class with me?

Pencil Making, 7 to 9 p.m., Thursdays: "Make unique, one of a kind pencils to impress your friends and family. A fun activity for all ages." I bet I could make some really cool new friends in this class!

Rubber Stamping III. 6 weeks, 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays: "For students who have already taken our basic and intermediate rubber stamping class. Learn new cuts and folds to create unique cards." I'm hoping to quiz out of rubber stamping I and II.

Sit & Be Fit: 8 weeks, Wednesdays, 3 to 4 p.m.: "An easygoing workout using a chair (no floor exercise). Perform exercises to help maintain your health, independence and vitality while you regain or improve movement, strength, balance, flexibility and muscle tone." Next stop: Washboard abs!

Middle Eastern Belly Dancing, 8 weeks, Tuesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. I want to take this class so I can impress family and friends during wedding receptions.

Adult Dancing. Six weeks, Wednesdays, 7 to 8 p.m. "This no pressure dance class is designed for adults of all ages with or without dance experience. The emphasis will be on having fun while you learn a few new steps that would impress even Ginger, Justin or J Lo." This should be an excellent class for that large number of people who love Ginger Rogers as much as they do J Lo.

Home Composting Made Easy: Goodbye Waste ... Hello Black Gold. Thursdays, 6 to 6:50 p.m.: I hope this class is as good as my previous, 100-level class in this area: Home Composting Made Easy: Goodbye Waste ... Hello Texas Tea.

French Renaissance Rapier, Beginning. 8 weeks, Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m.: "Class will teach basics of Renaissance Rapier Swordsmanship, based on the use of the Single Rapier. Limited equipment available." I'm hoping Wally lets me borrow his equipment so I can do lots of homework.

Julie Chen is a Buffoon

"Watching you play, you know, you are a 47-year-old man, and a father of three, but sometimes you dress like a 10-year-old on Halloween night. What do you say to the people who think sometimes you are acting like a buffoon?"

-- A question "news woman" Julie Chen posed to "Chicken George" after he was evicted on Big Brother.

Honestly, I think it could be argued that when news women host "reality" TV shows, and take it so seriously, that they've been turned into a bit of a buffoon themselves.

Julie's tactless question has motivated my next post on the great buffoons in TV history.

Great Buffoons in TV History

... I can think of four really good ones, two of whom won supporting actor Emmys, and two who didn't.

The role of Colonel Klink on Hogan's Heroes won Werner Klemperer (a Jew who fled from the Nazi's as a child) two Emmy awards and five nominations for best supporting actor. And Don Knotts won five Emmys for playing Barny Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

But what about two great TV buffoons who were never or have never been recognized?

The late Larry Linville (who in "real life" cast members described as well-read and courteous) played Frank Burns on M*A*S*H for five seasons but never won an Emmy, and I don't think he was ever even nominated; Alan Alda, Loretta Switt, Harry Morgan and Gary Burghoff all won Emmys for M*A*S*H.

Rainn Wilson plays Dwight on The Office. His performance is a mix of scripted material and what I'm sure is some improv. It's Emmy-nomination worthy.

Dwight Schrute and Frank Burns are characters that will be remembered 25 years from now. Can the same can be said about some of the performances nominated in their place?

No doubt about it: These four buffoons glow.

Big Brother 7: Not Finger-Licking Good

Last night, on Big Brother 7, "Chicken George" was evicted from the house.

After being interviewed by "news woman" Julie Chen, and in perhaps the most contrived bit of product placement in the history of American television, George was greeted with a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken by someone dressed as Col. Sanders.

Exact quote from Julie Chen to George, just before the big reveal: "So we actually have a surprise. We actually have someone who wants to say hello to you ... and comes bearing gifts."

Uh, yeah, we actually have a problem: Col. Sanders has been dead since 1980.

I think George, who was joy-filled in greeting the paid impersonator, thought he was actually greeting the Colonel.

This is no way to do Chicken George right.