Bruce Springsteen and The Sopranos are two of New Jersey’s finest,
so one would assume that their paths crossed quite often. But outside of Steven
Van Zandt playing Silvio Dante, only one Springsteen song ever played on the HBO
series, and the E Street Band wasn’t even involved. It happened in the season
one finale, “I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano,” and the song is the haunted “State
Trooper”" from Nebraska. Otherwise, there’s just as much as Springsteen
on The Sopranos as there is Britney Spears (“Oops!…I Did It Again” from
“Employee of the Month”).
The two will forever be synonymous with one another, though (not Bruce and
Britney), and last night at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, Springsteen played
the entirety of Born to Run, in honor of the late, great
Gandolfini. I can’t find a decent clip of the performance on YouTube, but I DID
come across a clip from Celebrity Deathmatch in which The Boss finds
THE BOSS. It ends as all fights should: with someone stuck on a
toilet.
Peanut oil tycoon Paula Deen was recently hit in the face with an accusations-of-racism ham,
which came lovingly battered in multiple allegations of workplace
discrimination by a former employee. Now, after the lawsuit was allowed
to marinate in its own juices for a year, the National Enquirer (via Buzzfeed)
has slowly turned up the heat by purporting to have obtained video of
Deen’s deposition, in which she admits that “Yes, of course” she’s used
“the N-word” that isn’t “No more butter, thanks,” and shares her recipe
for a wedding where black servants pretend to be slaves—a recipe that
can feed up to a family of six, depending on how many slaves you want to
add. But as this is a Paula Deen recipe, you know, go nuts.
“Well what I would really like is a bunch of little n***ers to wear
long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties. You know, in
the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around. Now, that would
be a true Southern wedding wouldn't it? But we can't do that because the
media would be on me about that,” the lawsuit quotes Deen as allegedly
saying, rightly predicting that the media might somehow put some of its
typical “spin” on this. However, according to Deen’s deposition, her
idea for topping her brother Bubba’s marriage with a heaping ladle of
old-fashioned country racism had a very logical explanation, seeing as
that whole Civil War era was just so darn aesthetically pleasing.
[Deen] explained she got the idea from a restaurant her husband and
her had dined at saying, “The whole entire waiter staff was middle-aged
black men, and they had on beautiful white jackets with a black bow
tie…. “I mean, it was really impressive. That restaurant represented a
certain era in America … after the Civil War, during the Civil War,
before the Civil War…It was not only black men, it was black women … I
would say they were slaves.”
But, wait.. not Paula Deen Y'all?! IT can't be true....
Paula Deen allegedly admitted in a recorded deposition to telling racially insensitive jokes and using the n-word. The National Enquirer obtained the May 17 deposition in which the 66-year-old celebrity chef made the alleged admissions. (The PDF of the depo can be seen here.)
Deen
was questioned in a $1.2 million lawsuit brought by Lisa Jackson, the
former manager of a Savannah, Georgia restaurant, Uncle Bubba's Seafood
and Oyster House, ran by Deen and her brother Earl “Bubba” Hiers.
Jackson alleges in the suit that Deen used the n-word at the restaurant and that Hiers harassed her both sexually and racially.
According to the Enquirer, in the deposition, Deen replied “Yes, of course,” when asked if she used the n-word.
Of course she did! But she has a very good reason..
Paula Deen has issued a response to yesterday’s reports that the
celebrity chef regularly used the N-word and had a penchant for racist
jokes.
Paula Deen Enterprises issued a statement to TMZ that
states, "During a deposition where she swore to tell the truth, Ms.
Deen recounted having used a racial epithet in the past, speaking
largely about a time in American history which was quite different than
today."
The statement to the gossip site continues, "[Paula] was born 60
years ago when America's South had schools that were segregated,
different bathrooms, different restaurants and Americans rode in
different parts of the bus. This is not today."
"To be clear Ms.
Deen does not find acceptable the use of this term under any
circumstance by anyone nor condone any form of racism or discrimination.
In a 46-second video posted on YouTube Friday afternoon, Paula Deen offered up an apology for using "inappropriate, hurtful language." This comes after she failed to show up for a scheduled interview on TODAY to discuss her admission that she's used racial slurs in the past.
“I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done, and I want to learn and grow from this,” Deen says in the highly edited video. “Inappropriate, hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners, I beg for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I’ve made.”
So, yes. PLEASE accept her apologies.. and don't forget to buy her butter.
Sweet citrus zest... Mmmm.. that's some tasty racism
Never one to shy away from the spotlight, John McAfee is back, and
this time he's actually doing something in service of the security
software company that made him his fortune. Well, sort of.
Posted on YouTube Tuesday, McAfee's uninstall tutorial
is chock-full of scantily dressed women, guns and drugs. He starts off
by reading a few email complaints from unhappy customers before
enlisting a bow-tie-wearing man to run through the steps while he
"demonstrates."
Lots of debate online about this season of Mad Men so far.. I for one think it's been great. Maybe not the best season ever, but it rarely dissapoints in my mind. Last season, happy go lucky go goofy Don was just too much to bear, so now that Dark Don is back and even Darker than before, people are complaining? Hells no! In fact, even in an article about how bad Mad Men has been this season (reviewer's words, not mine) the critic cant help but speak glowingly about certain parts of the year.
Do you remember the good old days, when
things were simpler? A dashing young senator had just taken the White
House, suits came in two colors, black and gray, men wore hats, and "mixology" meant combining ice with liquor, not centrifuges and liquid nitrogen. Yes, it was all so much easier back in the heady days of 2007-10, when Mad Men was in bloom, seizing the zeitgeist instead of trying our patience.
I can't be the only fan who finds himself nostalgic for the nostalgia of
those early seasons when everything old felt impossibly new.1
I think both those behind the camera and those in front of it must feel
it too. Why else would they have spent this jumbled, stumbling sixth
season circling back to previous plots and recycled behavior, picking
over the unsatisfying bones of the past like a flock of cirrhotic
vultures? Banished are the go-go changes of last year, when Don briefly
experimented with loving his wife more than his work. In their place are
all the old vices, still staining the scenery like decade-old cigarette
smoke: adultery and avarice, hubris and ego. Betty is thin and blonde
again, Peggy has been dragged, kissing and screaming, back into the office like Eurydice. And while the company's logo may be "funky"
and fresh, its contents are anything but: Don and Lane have been
scrubbed from the masthead as if they'd never existed. "Come with me,
we'll go back to Disneyland," a backward-looking Don said to Megan in "A
Tale of Two Cities," before what turned out to be his first ever lousy
trip to California. "From what I remember, something amazing happened
there." "Yeah," she replied with a smile. "I made the biggest mistake of
my life."
People wander through life just hoping to make any kind of connection. We're giving them the chance to Connect Four.
7. Signs, Signs, Everywhere the Signs
Just when you thought Sign Language as a medium had crescendoed during Hurricane Sandy...
This happened:
8. Jerry Goes Symphonic
Sadly, I will not be able to attend tomorrow's Jerry Tribute at Tanglewood tomorrow, as I am expecting an arrival of some kind at some point this weekend.. but at least I can live vicariously though youtube..
((Follow the link for audio and video clips... setlist below.. DARK STAR Opener?!?!? NooooOOOOOOO!!!)))
The first Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration featuring Warren Haynes took place last night at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. Haynes teamed up with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, bassist Lincoln Schleifer, drummer Jeff Sipe and vocalists Alecia Chakour and Jasmine Muhammad to deliver two sets filled with orchestral versions of Jerry Garcia's finest songs. The show featured songs from throughout the Grateful Dead's 30-year career reaching back to the '60s for "Dark Star" all the way up to "Days Between," which the Dead debuted towards the end of their run in 1993. Also included was a drum interlude which gave former ARU drummer Jeff Sipe a chance to shine and duet with the PSO's timpanist.
For the encore, Haynes dipped into his own repertoire for "Patchwork Quilt" - a song that he wrote as a tribute to Garcia whom he never had the opportunity to meet. Warren had previously performed "Patchwork Quilt" with many of the projects he's been involved with including Phil Lesh & Friends and The Dead.
Setlist:
Set One: Dark Star, Bird Song, Crazy Fingers, Scarlet Begonias, Shakedown Street, China Cat Sunflower, Morning Dew
Set Two: Mission In The Rain interlude > High Time, Uncle John's Band, West L.A. Fadeaway, Days Between, Drum Interlude, Terrapin Station > Slipknot! interlude > Terrapin Station
Encore: Patchwork Quilt, China Doll
Holy shit, have you seen this thing? It’s called the
c-string. You know, for people who think a thong isn’t uncomfortable
enough. I mean I didn’t know there was a need for a new kind of
underwear, but judging by the number of websites that are selling this, I
was dead wrong.
(CNN) -- The surprise on 3-year-old Grayson Clamp's
face in the video is priceless. His mouth opens wide as he points to the
person in front of him speaking.
It was the first time Grayson had heard sound.
He was born without a cochlear nerve, which connects the brain stem to
audio waves in the outside world. His parents had him fitted for a
cochlear implant at a young age, but the device didn't help.
Last month, Grayson became the first child in the United States to receive an auditory brain stem implant.
15. Full Show Friday
He's short... he's old... he once was married to a Princess but let her slip, slide away... he's.. Paul. Simon.
For today’s Full Show Friday selection we set the Hidden Track Time Machine for July 1, 2011 as we feature Paul Simon’s
outstanding performance from the iTunes Festival in London. The famed
perfectionist had been on the road with his massive band for three
months leading into this show and delivered a spot-on performance at The
Roundhouse.
Sure seemed like Pop had the best of this chess match for most of the game.. and while I wouldn't say Spo got the final check mate on him, Pop sure did raise some eyebrows down the stretch...
Coach Spo sounded like he was
nervous. He knows if LeBron can't coach the Heat to a win that he will
be coaching 13 years old in the YMCA
6. What Is Lebron Without #Headband
By far the top storyline from the night, as game 6 will forever be know as the headband game. As it was all unfolding, the tweets were coming fast and furious...
Will LeBron James wear his signature headband to start Game 7? (USATSI)Miami Heat forward LeBron James
is known for many things and one of them is wearing his signature
headband. It's a signature look for him because so many people seem to
be obsessed with why he wears one. Is it superstition? Is it because his
hairline is receding from his forehead like a defender backpedaling
against him in transition? Does he just want to keep the sweat out of
his eyes?
Whatever the reason (it's totally the hairline thing),
it was noticable in the fourth quarter of the insanity that was Game 6
of the 2013 NBA Finals when James went on a huge, aggressive run against
the San Antonio Spurs
after his headband was knocked off. It's easy to get caught up in
hyperbole but he did seem like a completely different player than what
we had seen previously.
Because of that, there has been a question about whether or not James will don a headband in Game 7. Bovada has even made the subject a prop bet for Game 7.
Will LeBron James be wearing a headband at tip off of Game 7?
Yes -200 (1-2)
No +150 (3-2)
#Let'sGoHome. (Photo via bomani_jones on Instagram)
While arguments about which city's or team's fans often tend to be a dumb, parochial domain, and while it sometimes feels like Miami
catches a #BadSportsTown rap that's a bit overstated, I think we can
agree that leaving an NBA Finals game before its completion is kind of a
bad look. Let alone a game in which your hometown team would be
eliminated with a loss. Let alone a game in which your hometown
team fought back from seven points down at the start of the fourth
quarter, that was a one-possession affair from just inside the
eight-minute mark all the way into the final minute, and in which said
hometown team held a three-point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
And yet, a number of members of the AmericanAirlines Arena faithful on hand to cheer for the Miami Heat
in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs did
choose to exit with the game still in the balance in the final minute.
And based on the escalator shot above shared by ESPN's Bomani Jones late in the fourth quarter — and the commentary of several others on the scene — it was a fairly large number:
Just as I was overloading on eye candy... they cut to Pat Riley scowling in the stands.. #ThankYouHoopsGods
10. Nobody Fucks With The Jesus
Sadly.. despite what the "home town fans" thought.. that was not the clincher, and the game was not over. Why? Because the Spurs forgot that Ray Allen is one of the most clutch shooters in the history of the game. I hate to admit it, but even after I've been bad mouthing him all year, a part of me (a very small part of me) was happy to see him nail it. I mean, to borrow a phrase, that is what greatness is all about.
NBA Action.. It's Fannnnntastic! As much as I hope to see the Heat lose, have to say we are all winners here as there will be yet another game in this amazing NBA season.. and it will be a Game 7. Get your popcorn ready.
You're dressed to the nines. You're vying to become an icon of beauty
and poise. The cameras are rolling and millions of people are waiting
to hear your answer to this question about income inequality:
"A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American
families with children, women are the primary earners yet they continue
to earn less than men. What does this say about society?"
Alas, when her big moment came during the 2013 Miss USA beauty pageant on Sunday night, Miss Utah USA Marissa Powell choked and gave a truly incoherent answer (see video above).
You can tell from Powell's face that she knew she blew it. But the
denizens of the Internet were not about to let such a fantastic flub
pass without comment.
Deadspin's Timothy Burke was particularly appalled by Powell's answer, and quoted the 1995 film "Billy Madison" to show his disdain:
"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic
things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent
response were you even close to anything that could be considered a
rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having
listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your
soul."
(I think the music really makes it that much better)
2. You May Remember Me...
Sometimes, a special supercut comes along... and that time is now:
Troy McClure is the most beloved peripheral character in the Simpsons
canon, and with good reason. The character was retired after Phil
Hartman’s tragic death in 1998, largely confining McClure’s appearances
to the “Golden Age” of the show. But the enduring hilarity of McClure’s
varied and lamentable filmography is a wonder to behold, especially when
strung together in a two-minute montage of 47 educational and
promotional film McClure mentions on the show. Watch the clip, and
imagine just how hilarious films like Man Vs. Nature: The Road To Victory, Alice Doesn’t Live Anymore, and The Greatest Story Ever Hula-ed would be.
3. Greed Is Good... Really Good
1st trailer is out for Wolf of Wall Street.. and where to begin? Obviously, when Scorcese and Dicaprio team up, you know good things are going to happen.. but this looks really good. Let's just say, I think FINALLY Matthew Mcconaughey has lived up to the rich promise he showed in Dazed & Confused. This immediatley vaulted onto my "must-see" list.
Footage of an incredibly inept cargo loader at China's Guangzhou Baiyun
International Airport haphazardly hurling boxes onto a conveyor belt
suddenly took off today, almost exactly a year after it was first
uploaded to YouTube.
5. Tell Us How You Really Feel
Good news, Community fans.. in case you havent' heard, Dan Harmon is coming back next season. Even better news, he finally watched this past season and is lettin it all hang out. I for one thought there were some good episodes. Some mediocre ones, but the show also hit that sweet spot where it could take a nosedive for retreading over the same ground too many times, or continue its upward climb. Sadly, most shows take the nosedive.. we'll see if he can revive it next year.
Shortly after his return to Community
was made officially official, Dan Harmon said that part of his prep for
returning to work would be to finally watch the fourth season—first
making the prospect sound like an exercise in morbid curiosity and/or self-torture, before more diplomatically promising not to “be a jerk about it”
to the writers he’d once worked so closely with. “The worst thing I can
do is fart in their direction at all,” Harmon said in his cautiously
optimistic youth of 10 days ago—a hopefulness that was slowly eroded, as
it was for so many, over the course of 13 episodes, judging by the
assessment he gave on this week’s Harmontown podcast:
“I watched season four. I guess I already knew this, but apparently,
I’m quite a genius … I think I feel pretty comfortable expressing any
kind of 'Eh, not my cup of tea' about it because — this has been
expressed a thousand times over — it's obviously not somebody doing what
they do and trying very hard to make people happy. It is very much like
an impression, and an unflattering one. It’s just 13 episodes of 'Oh,
I’m Dan Harmon! Derpy, derpy, durr! Die Hard! Durrrrr!' I feel
like I'm going back to work tomorrow morning, and I just feel like, 'Do I
talk like that?'…. Man, watching those characters without me there is
just not fuckin' cool, man. It's like flipping through Instagrams and
watching your girlfriend just blow a million [other guys]”
but wait, there's more!
Still being sarcastic, if engaging in a far less healthy exercise,
Harmon then added, “There's something awesome about having all of those
preconceived notions ripped away from you. It's exciting. There's
something exciting about being held down and watching your family get
raped on a beach. It's liberating. It makes you focus on what's
important.” Like rescuing your family, then getting their rapists to
hire you back, we guess? Probably best to not explore this whole “rape”
analogy too much. Suffice it to say, however, this isn't going on the
DVD.
Great news, comedy fans. Dave Chapelle has finally found his marbles (at least some of them) and is heading back out on the road! And he's bringing some friends with him!
RICHMOND,
Va. — In a packed theater here on Saturday, Dave Chappelle introduced a
comedy bit by explaining that there was a time when he didn’t want to
return to the public eye. “I didn’t want to do comedy,” he said,
explaining that he wasn’t sure he had something to say. That’s certainly
changed.
After years of dropping by clubs for surprise sets and
occasionally playing theaters, Mr. Chappelle is returning to the
spotlight in the Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival, a tour produced by FunnyorDie.com
that will feature Mr. Chappelle, Flight of the Conchords, Hannibal
Buress, Demetri Martin and Kristen Schaal, among others. The monthlong
tour, which includes a second stage hosted by the comic Brody Stevens,
begins in Austin, Tex., on Aug. 23 and will make stops in New Jersey at
the Susquehanna Bank Center on Sept. 6 and the PNC Bank Arts Center on
Sept. 7.
Almost since he left his Comedy Central hit “Chappelle’s
Show” in 2005, his return has been rumored, heating up in the past year
since he appeared with Chris Rock at the Comedy Cellar in New York. Mr.
Chappelle is now touring the South playing to sold-out audiences. At a show in March,
his performance was freewheeling with extended exchanges with the
crowd. This past weekend his two sets still had that same spontaneity,
but the jokes had tightened, and the transitions were quicker. Wearing a
tank top and roaming around the stage in a quickening pace, he had the
look of a man getting ready.
As part of their bachelorette bash, brides-to-be Amy Blair (center) and Jennie Richards (far right) pose provocatively with their sisters Shelly Blair (from left), Jillian Richards and friend Tara Jefferson.
Laughing hysterically, the five bachelorettes strip down to
their panties, get up close and personal and pose confidently together
for the camera.
“OK, so nice big smiles everyone,” shouts
bride-to-be Jennie Richards, 32, jokingly adding: “Remember, girls,
don’t show too much flesh!”
The risque picture is not a
spur-of-the-moment snap taken during some sorority sisters’ high jinks,
but the highlight of a so-called “boudoir photography party,” a growing
social trend in the US, with some photographers reporting a 50 percent
increase in business over the past five years.
Funny, the lead of that article describes pretty much every dream I had in junior high school (did I distance it far enough, Lauren? Let's hope so.. chk chk)
8. FT
(Follow Tuesday)
For those that are interested in such things.. the Whitey Bulger Trial is going on right now, and due to stupid laws (damn you, Obama!) there are no cameras allowed in federal court . (Of course, the govt can snoop wherever they see fit). But anyway, if you are interested in getting some great PBP (and who isnt).. follow our boy, Jim Armstrong on Twitter.. @JimArmstrongWBZ
No, this is not a shameless plug in an effort to validate the time I am spending on this... this is a legitimate heads up. Jim is just nailin' it during this trial and great to watch these updates come down, as some fascinating testimony is going on...
A North Texas lawmaker is in favor of a ban on abortions
after 20 weeks gestation because he said he's seen male fetuses at that
stage pleasure themselves.
U.S. Congressman Michael Burgess, a
Republican representing Denton County and parts of Dallas and Tarrant
counties, is a former OB/GYN. He supports a proposed GOP bill called the
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
During a recent House
Rules Committee hearing he has gone as far as saying the bill should ban
abortions 15 weeks after conception.
"There is no question in my
mind that a baby at 20 weeks after conception can feel pain. The fact of
the matter is I argue with the chairman because I thought the date was
far too late. We should be setting this at 15 weeks, 16 weeks," he said.
AP/Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas.
"Watch a sonogram of a 15-week baby, and they have movements that are
purposeful," Burgess said. "They stroke their face. If they're a male
baby, they may have their hand between their legs. If they feel
pleasure, why is it so hard to think that they could feel pain?"
I call dibz on the "RIGHT TO SPANK"* and "PRO-WANK"* bumper sticker industry!
*(Trademarked 6/18/2013, WDZ Industries)
(Dont ask how I ended up on a site, called BroBible.. it's a long story)
13. Partial Show Tuesday
Because I was there, and I never knew this video existed.... mind. blown. Enjoy!
Phil Lesh Quintet Red Rocks Amphitheater Morrison, CO 8/31/2002
Set 1: Jam-- Help On The Way-- Slipknot!-- Lovelight Til The Morning Comes-- Jam-- Lay Of The Sunflower Mason's Children
In the interest of full disclosure.. set II is up as well.. just wanted to coin the new segment, and not infringe on the power of Full Show Friday... enjoy!
Peter Kramer/ABC
According to the Enquirer, in the deposition, Deen replied “Yes, of course,” when asked if she used the n-word.
