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The legend of Abe Vigoda

January 27, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

As per the NYT obit, Abe Vigoda, the sad-faced actor who emerged from a workmanlike stage career to find belated fame in the 1970s as the earnest mobster Tessio in “The Godfather” and the dyspeptic Detective Phil Fish on the hit sitcom “Barney Miller,” died on Tuesday morning (January 26) in Woodland Park, N.J. He was 94, having outlived by about 34 years an erroneous report of his death that made him a cult figure.

Although I knew his role in the “The Godfather,” I grew up watching “Barney Miller” and the curmudgeonly character simply referred to as “Fish”

fish

In 1982, People magazine erroneously reported that Vigoda had died. To show that he was very much alive, he posed for a photo showing him sitting up in a coffin and holding a copy of the issue.

The announcement of his demise became a running joke throughout the entertainment industry as talk show hosts would regularly book him as “proof of life” and inspire the website www.isabevigodadead.com.

Although I had no idea who ran the site, I knew he/she would never confirm false info. From time-to-time, I would check on Abe and was always relieved to see “NO” as the answer.

The last time I checked was on Sunday, January 24th via Twitter:

Just checking. https://t.co/dGWBCHZte9

— Terry Moseley (@NewsMaven) January 24, 2016

I was in a meeting when my phone started to ping and buzz as my colleagues and friends told me that Abe had died.

Quickly, I checked the www.isabevigodadead.com and for the first and final time, it read “YES”

Abe Vigoda, February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Abe Vigoda, Barney Miller, Fish, Sal Tessio, The Godfather

All eyes on Iowa

January 25, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

The much ballyhooed Storm Jonas has come and gone, leaving the Northeast Corridor in an epic snowdrift. While most of the region continues to dig out, the best clean-up is a viral video of a T Rex shoveling the sidewalk – as dinosaurs are known to do.

Snapshot for January 25, 2016

Cairo is quiet on the fifth anniversary of the uprising in Tahrir Square resulting in the unseating of Hosni Mubarak after three decades in power.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that Zika, a mosquito-borne virus linked to birth defects, will probably spread to all North and South American countries except Canada and Chile. Pregnant women have already been advised to avoid the Olympics in Brazil.

Former Governor of Texas Rick Perry just endorsed U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.

The Sundance Film Festival continues through January 31st but festival-goers can no longer take helicopter flights from one screening to another after local enforcement deemed the makeshift heliports unsafe resulting all flights being grounded.

Last week, scientific reports of a possible new planet in the solar system, this week, rapper B.o.B. is adamant that the Earth is flat. Currently in a Twitter war with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson so that’s gonna end well.

Look ahead:

January 28th: Republican debate in Des Moines, Iowa, sponsored by Fox News. Sidenote: Megyn Kelly returns as a moderator although Trump is hinting that he may skip the debate if she’s not fair.

February 1st: Iowa caucuses kick off. Why is this such a big deal, you ask? Since 1972, it’s been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States. It’s also an early indicator as to who might win the nomination for the respective party’s national convention.

February 6th: Republican debate in Manchester, New Hampshire and hosted by ABC News/IJReview

February 7th: Super Bowl 50: Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California – the first Super Bowl held in the SF Bay Area since 1985. Will be interesting to see who runs ads during the game.

February 9th: New Hampshire primary. Expect all remaining candidates, staffers, and news organizations to be wearing even more layers of clothing as they spend quality time in New England.

What’s the difference between a caucus and a primary, you ask?

According to Factcheck.Org, in presidential campaigns, a caucus is a system of local gatherings where voters decide which candidate to support and select delegates for nominating conventions. A primary is a statewide voting process in which voter cast secret ballots for their preferred candidates.

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: B.o.B., Blizzard, Egypt, Election 2016, Iowa, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Rick Perry, Sundance, Uber, Zika

When pop culture and blizzards collide

January 21, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

via GIPHY

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Godzilla, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Storm Jonas

Life above and beneath us

January 20, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

Scientists are constantly exploring the universe for the big and small discoveries and two recent findings captured my attention: one is 3x larger than Earth while the other is 15 inches (40 centimeters) in length.

Let’s begin with outer space. In an article written by Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown and posted in Astronomical Journal, the Caltech scientists found compelling evidence of a ninth planet (we can discuss Pluto later). Rather than me trying to explain time and space – never a good thing – take a look at the stellar animation that the New York Times put together:

National Geographic goes on to explain that if Planet Nine is confirmed, it’s so distant and dim that it’s not a surprise that it hadn’t been detected. Best quote: “This thing will be faint. Like, crazy faint,” says Greg Laughlin, UC-Santa Cruz who calculated that Pluto could be as much as 10,000 times brighter than the new planet.

From the celestial heavens to earthly creatures, the species known as Lumbricus terrestris a/k/a the common earthworm is anything but on the Isle of Rum just off the shores of Scotland.

The Glasgow Naturalist posted the findings after scientists from the University of Central Lancashire discovered very large worm burrows on the remote island and wondered which animal was responsible as the hole was too large for the typical and lowly earthworm. Thanks to optimum conditions including fertile soil and no natural predators, the earthworms are not only getting larger but living longer. While typical worms have a two year life span, the super-sized version can live up to a decade.

Best quote is via The Telegraph and their interview with earthworm expert, Dr. Kevin Butt. “If they (worms) feel footsteps, they will just go down deeper into the earth. They’re not going to jump out and grab people.”

Good to know.

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Caltech, earthworms, Isle of Rum, Konstantin Batygin, Mike Brown, Planet Nine, University of Central Lancashire

The Bachelorette – political edition

January 20, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

Much like the tv reality show, a dramatic choice was to be made before a national audience as to who would be the chosen one. Donald J. Trump or Ted Cruz? In this instance, former governor of Alaska and 2008 VP nominee Sarah Palin selected Donald Trump to receive her enthusiastic support in his bid for the White House.

“Are you ready for a Commander-in-Chief… who will let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS’ ass?”

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s campaign downplayed Palin’s choice but Cruz took to Twitter to show no hard feelings.

I love @SarahPalinUSA Without her support, I wouldn’t be in the Senate. Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan.

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 19, 2016

With less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Palin gives Trump a critical boost with Tea Party supporters and evangelicals while she returns to the media spotlight following her departure from Fox News.

via GIPHY

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Donald J.Trump, GOP Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, White House

It’s…. interesting

January 18, 2016 by Terry Moseley 2 Comments

The Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina provided a few sparks but no surprises as the battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders intensifies just two weeks before the Iowa caucus.

Clinton embraced Obama’s domestic and foreign policies while Sanders defended his positions on health care, gun control, and campaign finance reform with a focus on Clinton’s close ties with Wall Street. Looking forlorn, Martin O’Malley kept asking for an additional 30 seconds to respond to a topic which NBC moderators, Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell, promptly denied.

A crowd favorite was Clinton’s cryptic answer about her interaction with Russian President Putin:

Clinton: My relationship with Putin is 'interesting' #DemDebate https://t.co/xf1VM3urm3

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 18, 2016

And because I’m appreciative of giving good side-eye, here’s a look at Sanders’ reaction to one of Hillary’s comments:

This isn’t over – not by a long shot.

The GOP candidates go head-to-head in Iowa on January 28th – just days before the caucus on February 1.

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: 2016 elections, Clinton, Democratic debate, O'Malley, Sanders, South Carolina

Here. There. Everywhere.

January 17, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

Because too much is never enough, News Maven is now on Facebook.

Yes, I know. Very exciting.

https://www.facebook.com/newsmaven1/

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Facebook, News Maven

And what a week it was…

January 16, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

Even I was in sensory overload with current events this week and that’s saying a lot.

Starting with the Golden Globe Awards, the death of David Bowie, the engagement of Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall, ten (10) U.S. sailors detained (and released) by the Iranian military, Obama’s final State of the Union address, the Academy Award nominations, the death of Alan Rickman, the first GOP presidential debate of 2016, Al Jazeera America pulls the plug on the network, three (3) people win the $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot, terror attacks in Jakarta and Burkina Faso, and global stock markets plunge into correctional territory re: volatility in China and emerging economies.

On an amusing note, the fashion-forward blue-and-grey striped paisley shirt worn by El Chapo during his interview with Sean Penn is selling out due to the high demand for kitsch and irony.

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Al Jazeera America, Alan Rickman, Burkina Faso, David Bowie, El Chapo, financial markets, Golden Globes, GOP debate, Iran, Jakarta, Jerry Hall, Oscar nominations, Powerball, Rupert Murdoch, State of the Union, terror attacks

GIF o’ the day in honor of the 2016 election cycle

January 14, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

via GIPHY

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Frank Underwood, White House

EOD: January 13, 2016

January 14, 2016 by Terry Moseley Leave a Comment

Coming up: January 14, 2016

Hollywood, California: Oscar noms
North Charleston, South Carolina: GOP debate
Geneva, Switzerland: The World Health Organization declares Liberia clear of Ebola

End of Day wrap:

Geopolitical news: Iran released ten (10) U.S. sailors aboard two U.S. Navy patrol boats after both sides acknowledged the Americans had strayed into territorial waters by mistake due to a broken navigational system. Oops.

Turkey arrests three (3) Russian nationals in connection to the Istanbul bombings that killed ten (10) tourists.

The Carillon cafe in Paris reopens for the first time since the terror attacks on November 13, 2015 that killed 130 people.

Media news: Al Jazeera America is done and dusted as of March 31, 2016. CNN reporting that approx. 700 staffers will lose their jobs. Lackluster viewership, plummeting oil prices, and internal strife are being blamed for the shuttering of the Qatar-backed network which began in 2013.

Election news: NYT discovers that GOP candidate Ted Cruz did not report a loan from Goldman Sachs for his first U.S. Senate campaign. Side note: Mrs. Cruz, an executive for Goldman Sachs, is currently on unpaid leave.

Fresh fodder for Thursday’s GOP debate – the first of 2016 – in North Charleston, South Carolina. Hosted by Fox Business News, there will be yet again, two rounds:

Undercard edition will include U.S. Senator Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. Paul is boycotting the forum as he wants to be part of the second debate featuring Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Dr. Ben Carson, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Entertainment news: still fresh from the Golden Globe Awards and the death of David Bowie, the Oscar nominations will be announced by John Krasinski and Guillermo del Toro on Thursday, January 14th. Aaaaaand, Bill Cosby won’t have to participate in a recorded deposition pertaining to a Massachusetts lawsuit as he’s facing criminal charges in Pennsylvania but his wife, Camille will face the cameras on February 22nd.

Side-eye news: two Waffle House employees in Forrest City, Arkansas were fired for washing their hair in a pot of hot water. No one would’ve believed it except the customer who complained about finding hair in his food documented the incident via cell phone.

Filed Under: January 2016 Tagged With: Al Jazeera America, Ebola, France, GOP debate, Iran, Oscar nominations, Turkey, Waffle House

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BIO

Journo. Mischief monger. Former @Reuters & Hill staffer. Known to photobomb the red carpet. | terry@newsmaven.com

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