Sunday, December 6, 2009

“Obamas host Kennedy Center kudos - Variety” plus 4 more

“Obamas host Kennedy Center kudos - Variety” plus 4 more

Obamas host Kennedy Center kudos - Variety

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 07:47 PM PST

Unprecedented demand for tickets to gala events

The nation's capital rolled out the red carpet Sunday for five titans of the performing arts at the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors.

Writer-producer Mel Brooks, jazz legend Dave Brubeck, opera singer Grace Bumbry, thesp Robert De Niro and rock singer-composer Bruce Springsteen were toasted in a variety of venues as the latest recipients of the coveted achievement award.

A weekend of festivities was capped by a gala variety show at the center attended by President and first lady Michelle Obama, along with seemingly every other political and showbiz luminary. Produced as usual by George Stevens Jr. and his son Michael, the show will air on CBS Dec. 29.

"This year's group of honorees attests to the amazing vitality of American culture," said an obviously pleased Stevens. Indeed, this year's stellar quintet of honorees, combined with the excitement of a new U.S. president joining the celebration, prompted an unprecedented demand for tickets to the KenCen gala as well as invitations to the previous evening's dinner at the U.S. State Dept., hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

The stature of this year's honorees is perhaps best demonstrated by its performing musicians. Bumbry, the daughter of a railroad company freight handler, achieved international acclaim for her distinctive sound that included a full transition from mezzo to soprano roles. Rocker Springsteen continues to pack arenas with his high-energy performances, legendary band and endless collection of tuneful melodies that attract fans of all ages. And Brubeck, whose versatile quartet introduced jazz to a worldwide audience and defined a generation of music lovers, still performs at age 89, his birthday on Sunday.

The KenCen program featured a brief film about each honoree's life and career, introductory remarks by a high-profile chum and a closely guarded segment of entertainment. The Brooks tribute, co-produced by Susan Stroman, was introduced by close pal Carl Reiner and featured song-and-dance numbers from Brooks-scripted films and Broadway shows.

The salute's all-star lineup included Martin Short crooning the theme song from "Blazing Saddles" atop a pretend stallion and Matthew Morrison singing "Springtime for Hitler" from "The Producers." Other participants included Matthew Broderick, Frank Langella, Richard Kind, Jane Krakowski and Gary Beach.

The tribute to De Niro, hosted by actress Meryl Streep, included participation from 2007 honoree Martin Scorsese along with Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton, Ben Stiller and Sharon Stone. Bumbry's salute, introduced by 1994 honoree Aretha Franklin, featured a performance by soprano Angela Ghergiou.

Brubeck, introduced by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, was feted by an all-star group that included Bill Charlap (piano), Christian McBride (bass), Jon Faddis (trumpet), Bill Stewart (drums) and Maguel Zenon (alto). Springsteen's tribute, performed by comedian Jon Stewart, included perfs from John Mellencamp and the Rob Mathis Band.

The awards session that followed the State Dept. dinner was introduced by Clinton.Carol Burnett, a 2003 honoree, emceed the after-dinner program. Along with the ribbon presentations, the intimate affair featured humorous toasts of each recipient by the likes of former president Bill Clinton (Brubeck), playwright Terrence McNally (Bumbry), screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (De Niro), director Susan Stroman (Brooks) and Itzhak Perlman (Springsteen).

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Binghamton University killing: Al-Zahrani asked about a transfer 30 ... - Ithaca Journal

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:08 PM PST

(2 of 3)

Al-Zahrani never got that message.

Less than 30 minutes after Price's ride down the elevator with Al-Zahrani -- and barely 10 minutes after Haver's email reply -- professor Antoun was fatally stabbed.

His office was in a building less than 100 feet away.

Searching for money

Those who knew his situation said Al-Zahrani needed money.

He had complained about his finances to the two post-graduate students he shared a Binghamton apartment with since the day he moved in three weeks earlier.

To continue his thesis, Al-Zahrani wanted to study Middle Eastern culture outside of Binghamton, but he had not been able to secure funding, according to director of anthropology graduate studies Andrew Merriweather.

Antoun, a 77-year-old professor emeritus, was connected to Al-Zahrani as a member of the three-person panel that would ultimately evaluate Al-Zahrani's dissertation.

As a professor emeritus, Antoun continued to conduct research and held an office on campus. He did not teach many classes, nor could he be the chair of Al-Zahrani's dissertation committee, because of his emeritus status.

He was chosen for the panel, Merriweather said, because of his expertise in Middle Eastern culture.

Al-Zahrani had been at BU in his current studies for two or three years, Merriweather said. His project -- "Sacred Voice, Profane Sight: The Senses, Cosmology, and Epistemology in Early Arabic Culture" -- had been approved, but he was years away from his thesis defense, Merriweather said.

According to Merriweather, Al-Zahrani wanted to study in Detroit, which has a long-established and very large Islamic community.

"I think he just got to a point where he couldn't afford to do it on his own dime," Merriweather said.

Warning sign?

Three days prior to Antoun's death, one of Al-Zahrani's apartment-mates told Price, and later a university psychologist, that Al-Zahrani had threatened him and was acting irrationally.

Souleymane Sakho, who is enrolled in the PIC program that Price directs, met with Price on Tuesday and told him about a series of confrontations between him and Al-Zahrani.

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Amish Cook: Looking forward to snow - Traverse City Record-Eagle

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 07:18 PM PST

It is Monday morning and it is time to start another week.

Today also brings the last day of November. So far we have not received more snow than just some flurries.

Sons Benjamin, 10, and Joseph, 7, can't wait until we have that first big snow. Every morning they jump out of bed and look out the window to see if our first snow has arrived.

They keep talking about the fun they will have, like hitching our pony, Stormy, to the pony cart and tying the sled behind the cart.

The pony will pull them around the field through the snow. Last year that provided hours of fun for them.

Everything is always a little bit of a mess when they start pulling out those extra coats, snowpants, boots, gloves and so forth.

The boys are looking forward to the snow a lot more than I am.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving with some friends and family over. We set the table using my good china. The girls had fun setting the table and using all the best dishes I have stored away in my cupboard. It was fun for them to use the special dishes and not have to use our everyday dishes.

I prepared a 21-pound turkey stuffed with dressing for the Thanksgiving meal. With the food that family and friends brought in we had quite a big menu.

Along with turkey and dressing we had mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, potato salad, cheese, hot peppers, vegetables and dip, homemade bread, butter, rhubarb jam, pumpkin roll, sugar cookies, buttermilk and sugar cream pies and cherry cheesecake.

We had way too much food but leftovers made for easy meals the next day.

The afternoon was spent playing board games. And before everyone parted ways and headed for home, root beer floats were served. It was an enjoyable day. We do have so much to be thankful for. I hope all you readers had an enjoyable Thanksgiving, too.

My husband Joe has still been trying his luck for another deer. He has seen quite a few but they are keeping their distance from his tent. I think today is the last day of shotgun season but I am not sure because I don't get as excited about keeping track of the dates as he does.

With pumpkin still plentiful, I thought I'd share the recipe for my pumpkin roll with you.

Be sure to roll up the "short side." Fresh pumpkin or canned can be used.

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

1 t. lemon juice

2/3 c. pumpkin

3/4 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well. Then add the sugar, lemon juice and pumpkin and beat well. Then add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and beat well until smooth in consistency.

Pour pumpkin mixture into a wax paper-lined jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip over the pan onto a powdered sugar-covered dish towel. Be sure to roll the towel and cake together as if rolling up a jelly roll and place in the refrigerator for 45 to 60 minutes or until the towel doesn't feel warm any longer.

When cool, unroll and spread cooled pumpkin mixture with the following filling:

8 ozs. softened cream cheese -

2 c. powdered sugar

4 T. butter

1/2 t. vanilla

Beat ingredients until smooth and spread onto cooled cake roll. Reroll and refrigerate at least an hour. After chilled you can slice and serve.

Lovina Eicher is Old Order Amish. She hand-writes this column from her home in southern Michigan. Anyone with cultural or cooking questions can send them to: Lovina Eicher, The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, OH 45042. Read all of her columns online at www.record-eagle.com/amishcook.

Can't get enough of the Amish Cook?

There are numerous Amish Cook cookbooks now available at Amazon.com as well as at www.amishcookonline.com.

-"The Original Amish Cook Cookbook": First published in 1993 and written by Elizabeth Coblentz and Kevin Williams with recipes, stories and Amish artwork.

-"The Best of The Amish Cook, Vol. 1": A chronological collection of all Amish Cook columns and recipes from 1991-1996.

-"The Best of The Amish Cook, Vol. 2": Columns and recipes from 1996-2001.

-"The Amish Cook's Family Favorites & Facts": A 2003 publication by Lovina Eicher and Kevin Williams

-"The Amish Cook's Treasury": A book of recipes from Amish, Mennonite and German Baptist kitchens.

A new volume of "The Best of The Amish Cook" will be released soon and will feature columns and recipes from 2002-2007.

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Former U-M CB Hall has grabbed 4 INTs - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 07:54 PM PST

No one is as stingy as Cincy. The Bengals lead the NFL in scoring defense entering today's game against the Lions, allowing just 15.8 points per game, and Michigan's Leon Hall is a main reason.

Hall has helped change the culture of the Bengals' defense since he was drafted in the first round in 2007. He and Johnathan Joseph, a first-round pick in '06, have combined for nine interceptions this season.

"I think we have the best two-corner tandem in the NFL right now," wide receiver Chad Ochocino said. "I'm not playing. I'm not saying it just because they're on my team."

Ochocinco isn't the only one saying it, either. Green Bay is generally thought to have the best cornerback tandem with Charles Woodson, another ex-Wolverine, and Al Harris. But Harris is out for the season with a knee injury, and even if he weren't, there would be an argument.

"I think their whole defense is exceptional," Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "There isn't anything they're not doing well. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that their corners, a lot like Green Bay, are two guys that they feel good about."

The Bengals play more man coverage than most teams, even against top wide receivers. As Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said: "Their coaches believe in them and put them in positions where it's kind of one-on-one backyard football, and they do a pretty good job of it."

Who will cover Calvin Johnson today? Hall said it simply will depend on where Johnson lines up. Hall plays on the right, Joseph the left. They will stay on their sides, because the Bengals think each is up to the task.

"It kind of just shows the confidence they have in us," Hall said. "But that's really why they brought us here. We're both first-round guys, and we've just taken on that challenge."

When Hall and Joseph shut down the outside, it affects the whole defense.

"That's the hardest thing to play in the NFL, and we're one of the teams that plays man-to-man coverage," Ochocinco said. "When you're able to hold down your own on an island like that, it makes the defensive calls a lot easier for the defensive coordinator. It allows him to be more free with some of the things he wants to do."

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Broadcast film critics redo award show - Variety

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 08:01 PM PST

New venue, name for Critics' Choice Movie Awards

Fifteen years after its start, the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. is giving its big show a complete makeover.

Org, which is sending out ballots to its 240 members today, is doing everything from changing the name of its awards to adding eight categories (mostly tech) to get more in line with Oscar.

And that's not all. Org has decided to move its show across town as well. Kudocast has been held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for the past four years and will now take place at the Hollywood Palladium.

When the Critics' Choice Movie Awards -- formerly the Critics' Choice Awards -- air on Jan. 15, film professionals who work below the line will be given their due by critics. Although winners may not get a chance to go up on the podium for their moment of glory due to the telecast's two-hour window, categories such as art direction and cinematography were added to give the awards more of an Oscar-like feel.

Show is in the third and final year of its contract with cabler VH1. Both VH1 and sister net MTV will simulcast red carpet coverage before VH1 goes it alone for the kudocast at 6 p.m., live for the East Coast, delayed until 9 p.m. for the West Coast. Previously, the awards were broadcast on the WB for two years and E!.

BFCA president Joey Berlin said the name change was to make sure the public was aware that this was a night dedicated solely to film.

"It dawned on us that for a show that's broadcast on VH1 and called the Critics' Choice Awards, we had to let them know it was a movie awards show," he explained. "It was a slap-on-your-forehead moment."

VH1 president Tom Calderone said the cabler, which caters to an 18-49-year-old pop culture demo, originally got involved in the kudocast in 2008 to establish its place in the movie awards season and realized it was better to attach itself to a existing show rather than creating a new one.

"We felt it would've taken a longer time to get to that place (in starting up a new show), and we wanted to have the respectability in the Hollywood community now," Calderone said.

Ratings aren't huge -- 649,000 viewers tuned in last year -- but, according to the VH1 topper, the show has been a hit with advertisers.

Berlin, who also acts as the exec producer, said the kudocast is audience friendly as it is widely attended by high-profile nominees. Event is held just two days before the Golden Globes and actors are already in town.

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