WA2K Radio is now on the air

Good morning, Mr. Turtle. Interesting song, M.D.

I guess that could be considered an epicurean melody, listeners.



Send Dave Matthews Band

We were above
You were standing underneath us
We were not yet lovers
Dragons were smoked
Bumblebees were stinging us
I was soon to be crazy

Eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow we die
Eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow we die
'Cause we're Tripping Billies

We're wearing nothing
Nothing but our shadows
Shadows falling down on the beach sand
Remembering once,
Out on the beaches we wore
Pineapple grass bracelets

So why would you care
To get out of this place
You and me and all our friends
Such a happy human race

'Cause we're Tripping Billies

We are all sitting
Legs crossed round a fire
My yellow flame she dances
Tequila drinking, oh, our
Minds will wander
To wondrous places

So why would you care
To get out of this place
You and me and all our friends
Such a happy human race

Eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow we die
Eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow we die

Check 'em out, Boyd, yeah!

Eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow we die
Eat, drink, and be merry
For tomorrow we die

What in the world is "tripping billies"?

dated, yet still timely carpe diem lyrics by Prince:

Don't worry, I won't hurt U
I only want U 2 have some fun

I was dreamin' when I wrote this
Forgive me if it goes astray
But when I woke up this mornin'
Coulda sworn it was judgment day
The sky was all purple,
There were people runnin' everywhere
Tryin' 2 run from the destruction,
U know I didn't even care

'Cuz they say two thousand zero zero party over,
Oops out of time
So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999

I was dreamin' when I wrote this
So sue me if I go 2 fast
But life is just a party, and parties weren't meant 2 last
War is all around us, my mind says prepare 2 fight
So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen 2 my body tonight

Yeah, they say two thousand zero zero party over,
Oops out of time
So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999
Yeah

Lemme tell ya somethin'
If U didn't come 2 party,
Don't bother knockin' on my door
I got a lion in my pocket,
And baby he's ready 2 roar
Yeah, everybody's got a bomb,
We could all die any day
But before I'll let that happen,
I'll dance my life away

Oh, they say two thousand zero zero party over,
Oops out of time
We're runnin' outta time (Tonight I'm gonna)
So tonight we gonna (party like it's 1999)
We gonna, oww

Say it 1 more time
Two thousand zero zero party over oops,
Out of time
No, no (Tonight I'm gonna)
So tonight we gonna (party like it's 1999)
We gonna, oww

Alright, it's 1999
You say it, 1999
1999
1999 don't stop, don't stop, say it 1 more time
Two thousand zero zero party over,
Oops out of time
Yeah, yeah (Tonight I'm gonna)
So tonight we gonna (party like it's 1999)
We gonna, oww

Yeah, 1999 (1999)
Don'tcha wanna go (1999)
Don'tcha wanna go (1999)
We could all die any day (1999)
I don't wanna die,
I'd rather dance my life away (1999)
Listen 2 what I'm tryin' 2 say
Everybody, everybody say party
C'mon now, U say party
That's right, everybody say (Party)
Can't run from the revelation, no (Party)
Sing it 4 your nation y'all (Party)
Tell me what you're singin', baby say (Party)
Telephone's a-ringin', mama (Party)
C'mon, c'mon, U say (Party)
Everybody, [two times] (Party)
Work it down 2 the ground, say (Party)
(Party)
Come on, take my body, baby (Party)
That's right, c'mon, sing the song (Party)
(Party)
That's right (Party)
Got a lion in my pocket mama, say (Party)
Oh, and he's ready 2 roar (Party)

Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb?
Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb?

Wow! Mr. Turtle. Ground zero. Scarey, no? Guess Prince would party during a cat 5 hurricane as well.

Artist: Something Corporate Lyrics
Song: Hurricane Lyrics

Shake down you make me break
For goodness sake
I think I'm on the edge
Of something new with you
Shout out don't drown the sound
I'll drown you out
You'll never screan so loud
As I want to scream with you

Standing there with your smile blinding
Your eyes from seeing
My face as I'm dying
To figure out a girl
But she drifts so far away
I'm on her coast
So maybe I should stay
And map around your world

[Chorus]
So Don't Say
"These currents are still killing me"
And you can't explain
But the wind went and pulled me
Into the hurricane

Stand up don't make a sound
Your ears might bleed
There are sweet flourescent enemies
That live inside me
The world moves faster than I knew
Not fast enough to not creep up on you
And the space we put between
So pull me under your weather patterns
Your cold fronts and the rain don't matter
Becuase a sun burn's what I needed

[Chorus]

You don't do it on purpose
But you make me shake
Now I count the hours 'til you wake
With your babies breath
Breathe symphonies
Come on sweet catastrophe

Well, maybe this time I can follow through
I can feel complete
Stop paying dues
Stop the rain from falling
Keep my ocean calm
This time I know nothings wrong

[Chorus x2]

Good day WA2K.

I can't believe Maureen O'Hara will be 86 today and that Robert DeNiro will be 63. Where did that time go?

Well, there's our Raggedy, listeners. Great shots, PA. I cannot believe it either. Maureen? WOW!

Hey. DeNiro looks great at any age, gal.

I am sure our hawkman will be along presently. (we hope)So I will reserve my comments until then.

Mae West
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Born: August 17, 1893
Brooklyn, New York, New York, United States of America
Died: November 22, 1980
Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Mae West (August 17, 1893 - November 22, 1980) was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol.

Famous for her bawdy double entendres, West made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage in New York before moving to Hollywood to conquer and make her unforgettable place among the great performers of the motion picture industry.

One of the most controversial stars of her day, West encountered many obstacles, including early censorship, but her indomitable spirit, coupled with an indefatigable drive, made her persevere.

When her movie career ended, she continued to perform on stage, in Las Vegas, in England, on radio and television, even recording a few Rock and Roll albums.

Even toward the end of her life, she was known for maintaining a surprisingly youthful appearance. She stated in her autobiography that she spent two hours every single day massaging cold cream into her breasts to keep them youthful. In her old age, she returned to the silver screen and starred in two final movies in the 1970s.

Biography

Early life

She was born Mary Jane West in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of John Patrick West (1865-1935) and Matilda "Tillie" Delker-Doelger (1870-1930). Her sister and brother were Mildred Katherine "Beverly" West (1898-1982) and John Edwin West (1900-1964).

Her father was a prizefighter known as "Battlin' Jack West" who later worked as a policeman. He was later a detective who ran his own agency. Her mother was a former corset and fashion model.

The family was Protestant, despite the Jewish heritage of West's mother,[1] who was a Bavarian German immigrant, her Catholic paternal grandmother, who was Irish, as well as other relations who were Catholic, including the woman who helped deliver West (and whose disapproval of her career she was made well aware).

Career

West began performing in vaudeville at the age of five. By the time she was 12, she was peforming under the name "The Baby Vamp." Though she had not yet grown into her generous curves, the slinky, dark-haired Mae was already raising eyebrows with a lascivious "shimmy" dance. She was encouraged as a performer by her mother, who, according to West, always thought whatever her beloved daughter said or did was fantastic.

Her famous walk was said to have originated in her early years as a stage actress. West had special eight-inch platforms attached to her shoes to increase her height and enhance her stage presence.

Eventually, she began writing her own risqué plays using the pen name "Jane Mast." Her first starring role on Broadway was in a play she titled Sex, which was written, produced and directed by West. Though critics hated the show, ticket sales were good. The notorious production did not go over well with city officials, however. The theatre was raided and West was arrested along with everyone else in the cast.

She was prosecuted on morals charges and, on April 19, 1927, was sentenced to 10 days in jail for public obscenity. While incarcerated on Welfare Island, she was allowed to wear her silk panties instead of the scratchy prison issue and the warden reportedly took her to dinner every night. She served eight days, with two days off for good behavior.

Her next play, The Drag, was about homosexuality and alluded to the work of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs. It was a box-office success, but audiences had to go to New Jersey to see it because it was banned from Broadway. West regarded talking about sex as a basic human rights issue, and was also an early advocate of gay rights.

She continued to write plays, including The Wicked Age, Pleasure Man and The Constant Sinner. Her productions were plagued by controversy and other problems, however. If they did not get shut down for indecency, they closed because of slow ticket sales.

For her next adventure into theatre she had a Broadway hit, Diamond Lil (1928), about a racy, easygoing lady of the 1890s. The show struck box-office gold and heralded the brazen, wisecracking blonde to new heights of fame. It enjoyed an enduring popularity and West would successfully revive it many times throughout the course of her career. Mae West was an actress ahead of her time.

Motion pictures

Mae West's signatureIn 1932, West was offered a motion picture contract by Paramount. She signed and went to Hollywood to appear in Night After Night starring George Raft. Upon her arrival, she moved into an apartment in the Ravenswood at 570 North Rossmore Avenue, not far from the studio on Melrose. She maintained a residence at the Ravenswood, her preferred abode, for the rest of her life, although she also owned a beach house and a ranch in the Valley.

At first, she did not like her small role in Night After Night, but was appeased when she was allowed to rewrite her lines. In West's first scene, a hat check girl exclaimed, "Goodness, what lovely diamonds." West became an instant sensation when she replied, "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie."

She brought Diamond Lil, now Lady Lou, to the screen in She Done Him Wrong (1933), personally selecting Cary Grant for the male lead, a role that made him a star. The movie was a huge success and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Her next release was I'm No Angel, which paired her with Grant again. It was another huge success and, along with She Done Him Wrong, saved Paramount from bankruptcy.

On July 1, 1934, the censorship of the Production Code began to be seriously and meticulously enforced and her scripts began to be heavily edited. Her answer was to increase the number of double entendres in her films.

West's next movie was Belle Of The Nineties (1934). It was originally titled It Ain't No Sin, but the title was changed due to the censor's objection. Other tentative working titles included That St. Louis Woman, Belle of St. Louis and Belle of New Orleans. The same could be said for her following vehicle, Goin' To Town (1935), which was originally titled How Am I Doin'? West starred in three other movies for Paramount before their association came to an end.

Two years later, she starred opposite W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee (1940) at Universal. West and Fields, who were both accustomed to working with supporting players and not as co-stars, did not get along and she would not tolerate his drinking. My Little Chickadee was a big box-office success and outgrossed all other W.C. Fields movies. Universal was delighted with its success and offered West two more movies to star with Fields, but she would not hear of it. She told them that once was enough starring with Mr. Fields.

Radio

On December 12, 1937, West appeared in two separate sketches on ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's radio show that shocked both the listening audience and NBC executives. She appeared as herself, flirting very heavily with Charlie McCarthy, Bergen's dummy, utilizing her usual brand of sexy wit and risqué sexual references.

Even more outrageous was a sketch earlier in the show, written by Arch Oboler, that starred West and Don Ameche as Adam and Eve in the Garden Of Eden. The conversation between the two was considered so risqué, bordering on blasphemous, she was banned from being featured, or even mentioned, on the NBC network. She did not appear on radio for another 31 years.

Marriage and divorce

West was apparently married April 11, 1911, in Milwaukee, to Frank Wallace, a fellow vaudevillian who, in 1937, showed up in Hollywood with a marriage certificate seeking a share of "their" community property.

Although West denied ever marrying Wallace, and it was proven she never lived with him, she still found it necessary to obtain a legal divorce on July 21, 1942.

Middle years

West appeared in her last movie during the studio age with The Heat's On (1943) for Columbia. She remained active during the ensuing years, however. Among her stage performances was the title role in Catherine Was Great (1944) on Broadway, in which she spoofed the story of Catherine the Great of Russia, surrounding herself with an "imperial guard" of muscular young actors, all over 6 feet tall. The play was produced by Mike Todd and went on a long national tour in 1945.

She also starred in her own Las Vegas stage show surrounded by bodybuilders and singing to delighted crowds, which included a large number of gay men. Many celebrities attended West's show, including Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Louis Armstrong, Liberace, and Jayne Mansfield (who met, and later married, one of West's muscle men, Mickey Hargitay, getting him fired).

When Billy Wilder offered West the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, she refused and pronounced herself offended at being asked to play a "has-been," similar to the responses he received from Mary Pickford and Pola Negri, so ultimately the more amenable and realistic Gloria Swanson was cast in the role, which became immortal on celluloid.

In 1958, West appeared at the Academy Awards and performed the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Rock Hudson.

Her autobiography, titled Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It, was published by Prentice-Hall in 1959 and became an instant success.

Later career

West also made some rare appearances on television, including The Red Skelton Show in 1960. She did a comedy sketch with Skelton regarding her recently published autobiography and her appearance was a big success. Viewers were astounded by her youthful appearance and incredible energy. In 1964, she guest starred as herself on the popular sitcom Mister Ed. The ratings were way above the usual for the series and much interest was generated in West by this appearance.

In order to keep her appeal fresh with younger generations, she recorded two Rock and Roll albums, Way Out West and Wild Christmas in the late 1960s. The single "Treat Him Right," from Way Out West, was a big success for her and the album itself was a very good seller. She also recorded a number of parody songs, including "Santa, Come Up and See Me Sometime," in her successful album Wild Christmas.


With Tom Selleck in Myra BreckinridgeAfter an absence of 26 years from the silver screen, she appeared in the role as Leticia Van Allen in Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge (1970) with John Huston, Raquel Welch, Rex Reed, Farrah Fawcett, and Tom Selleck in a small part. The movie created a huge amount of interest in West.

Premiere audiences went wild over West's personal appearances and cheered her on. In New York, fans were held back by a large number of policemen, including those on horseback, who were there to maintain the crowd.

Her reappearance in Myra Breckinridge launched a mania that seemed to rival that of The Beatles and Elvis Presley, and reporters marveled at her incredible youthfulness and young-looking skin. Despite all this, the movie failed miserably at the box-office. It became a camp classic, however, due to its sex change theme.

West recorded another rock album in the 1970s on MGM Records titled Great Balls of Fire, which covered songs by Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, among others, and her autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It, was updated in a new version and republished.

In 1976, she appeared on the The Dick Cavett Show and gave an exclusive interview about her life and career, along with insights into her proclivity toward vulgar humor and her battle with censorship. This appearance caused renewed interest in West and led to another motion picture.

At age 85, she returned to the screen for a final time as Marlo Manners in Sextette (1978) with an all star cast, including a cameo by George Raft, which provided an odd symmetry to both their long careers.

Sextette was another box-office failure. It did not do well despite the fact that before its release large photographs of her reclining on a chaise longue went up on billboards all over Hollywood proclaiming, "Mae West Is Coming."

Although the movie was not received well by critics or the general public, After Dark magazine awarded West the "Star of the World" award for her performance in what became her final screen appearance. Sextette has become a cult classic and has done well on cable movie channels as well as VHS and DVD releases.

Final years

West continued to surround herself with virile muscle men for the rest of her life, employing companions, bodyguards and chauffeurs. She would occasionally make appearances at Hollywood parties and have luminaries and friends in to visit at her apartment in the Ravenswood. At one such party West astonished guests when she got up and performed a belly dance. They were amazed at her youthful appearance and incredible charisma. It became very fashionable to have West attend a party.

After making Sextette, West did some radio commercials for Poland Springs Drinking Water saying she had been drinking Poland Springs water for 20 years, "Ever since I was six!"

In the late summer of 1980, she suffered a stroke at her apartment and fell out of bed. She was rushed to the hospital. She rallied, but suffered another stroke in November. The prognosis was not good and she was sent home. She died at her apartment on North Rossmore Avenue in Hollywood at age 87.

Mae West is entombed with her family in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street in Hollywood.

Name applied

During WWII, Allied soldiers called their inflatable, vestlike life preserver jackets "Mae Wests" because of the resemblance to her curvaceous torso. West became one the first movie stars in history to have her name listed in Webster's Dictionary.

A "Mae West" is also a type of round parachute malfunction which contorts the shape of the canopy into the appearance of an extraordinarily large brassiere, presumably one suitable for a woman of Mae West's proportions. [2]

West is also referenced in the title song of Cole Porter's Broadway musical Anything Goes.

"If old hymns you like,

If bare limbs you like,

If Mae West you like

Or be undressed you like,

Why, nobody will oppose!"

Trivia

MAE-West was also the name of the Metropolitan Area Exchange West, one of the first Internet tier-one hubs to connect all the major TCP/IP networks that made up the Internet back in 1992. It is unknown whether the founders of MAE-West named this early Internet Exchange after the actress.
Mae West is one of the people to appear on the famous cover of the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. When permission to use her likeness was requested, she refused. "No, I won't be on it. What would I be doing in a lonely hearts club?" In response, the Beatles personally wrote a letter asking her to reconsider. She changed her mind.
Though spelled differently, the snack cake May West (by Vachon) is named for the famous actress. A May West snack cake has creme filling, surrounded by moist white cake, in a thin shell of dark chocolate.

Maureen O'Hara
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Born 17 August 1920
Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland (now Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland)

Maureen O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons) on August 17, 1920 is an Irish film actress.

Born to Charles FitzSimons (a Catholic) and Marguerita Lilburn (a Protestant) in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland not long before partition, the famously red-headed beauty is noted for playing fiercely passionate heroines with a highly sensible attitude. She often worked with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne.

She came from a theatrical family and began acting at the age of 14 with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin (Ireland's National Theatre). At the age of 17, after a brief marriage (which was later annulled) to the man who would become the father of British journalist Tina Brown, she was offered a screen test in London. Initially reluctant, she was persuaded to attend. Famed actor Charles Laughton attended the screen test. She performed poorly in the test and returned to Ireland. However, Charles Laughton believed she had "something." Laughton looked at the test again and, while he thought it was awful, he couldn't forget her eyes. He told his business partner he was signing her and sent him the test tape. When he saw the tape, the partner was furious as he believed it was a poor choice. However, he came around when he too found he couldn't forget her eyes. As a result she was offered an initial seven year contract. Her first major film was to be Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn.

In 1939, she and Laughton went to the U.S. to appear in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This film contains one of her most famous roles, playing Esmeralda alongside Laughton's Quasimodo.

O'Hara married Will Price in 1941. She had one daughter by him, and they divorced in 1953.

Her mother was a trained opera singer and she herself aspired to a singing career. She sang briefly in How Green Was My Valley and again in The Quiet Man. She starred on Broadway in the musical Christine and released two successful recordings, "Love Letter from Maureen O'Hara" and "Maureen O'Hara Sings her Favorite Irish Songs". During the 1960s she was a sought after guest on musical variety shows appearing with Perry Como, Andy Williams, Betty Grable and Ernie Ford. She is a fluent Irish speaker and used this in her films The Long Gray Line, The Quiet Man and most recently in Only the Lonely.

She is one of the most beloved of Hollywood's Golden Age icons, in the company of such screen luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Elizabeth Taylor. Many of her films are considered all-time classics and are traditionally shown on television during the holidays. Once named one of the world's most beautiful women, O'Hara's beautiful face and thick red hair blowing in the wind as she waves from a gate in the John Ford Academy Award winning film How Green Was My Valley will remain one of the most iconic images ever preserved on film.

Maureen married Charles Blair in 1968. Blair was a pioneer of transatlatic aviation, a former Brigadier General of the US Air Force and a former Chief Pilot at Pan Am. A few years after her marriage to Blair, O'Hara for the most part retired from acting. According to O'Hara, one day she was with Blair and John Wayne when she was asked if she didn't think it was time for her to stop working and stay at home. Instead of the getting into an argument that O'Hara thought Blair and Wayne were expecting, she agreed that it was time to stop working. Blair later died in 1978 when the engine of a Grumman Goose he was flying from St Croix to St Thomas exploded.

O'Hara remained retired from acting until 1991, when she starred in the movie Only the Lonely. In this role she played Rose Muldoon, the mother of Danny Muldoon, who was played by John Candy.

For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Maureen O'Hara has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7004 Hollywood Blvd. In 1993, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In March 1999 Maureen was selected to be the Grand Marshal of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade after previously being de-selected because she was a divorcée.

In 2004 Maureen O'Hara released her autobiography Tis Herself, published by Simon & Schuster. In the same year she was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish Film and Television Academy in her native Dublin, Ireland.

In 2006 Maureen O' Hara Blair attended the Grand Reopening and Expansion of the Flying Boats Museum in Foynes, Limerick, Ireland - as a patron of the Museum. A significant portion of the Museum is dedicated to her late Husband Charles Blair.

Glenn Corbett
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Glenn Corbett (born August 17, 1930 in El Monte, California; died January 16, 1993 in San Antonio, Texas) was an American actor born Glenn Rothenburg.

Early life

Glenn's mother left the family when he was 2 years old. John Rothenburg, an auto mechanic, sent his young son to live with his grandparents in Ojai, California. John later remarried, and Glenn returned to live with his father and stepmother until that marriage ended in divorce.

After his father's second divorce, Glenn went back to his grandparents' house in Ojai. In his early teens, Glenn was known around Ojai for a trigger temper, a love of fast cars, and a taste for beach parties.

Glenn joined the Seabees at age 17. While in the United States Navy, he met Judy Daniels. He followed Judy to Glendale Junior College (now Glendale Community College) and then to Occidental College. At about this time he donned a "posing strap" and appeared as a model in several "physique" magazines.

Acting career

While at Occidental, Glenn was cast as one of the defense attorneys in the drama department's production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Judy mailed invitations the performance to 10 Hollywood agents. Two agents attended the performance, and one decided to sign Glenn as a client.

Glenn's last name was changed from Rothenburg to Corbett by Max Arno, who was Columbia Pictures' head of talent at that time.

Corbett is probably best known for his regular role as Lincoln Case on Route 66, but he is remembered by science fiction fans for his guest starring role in Star Trek episode "Metamorphosis (TOS episode)" as Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of warp drive.

Personal life

Glenn married Judy in 1957. They had two children: Jason, born in 1960, and Jocelyn, born in 1961.

Corbett died in San Antonio, Texas of lung cancer.

Robert De Niro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Date of birth: August 17, 1943
Birth location: New York City, New York

Robert De Niro Jr. (born August 17, 1943) is a two time Academy Award-winning American film actor, director, producer and founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.

He is regarded as one of the finest motion picture actors of his generation. Many regard him as the successor to Marlon Brando. He is particularly noted for his portrayal of mobsters in the gangster underworld, and conflicted, troubled characters, and for his enduring collaboration with director Martin Scorsese.

Early life

De Niro was born in New York City, the son of Robert De Niro, Sr., an abstract expressionist painter, sculptor and poet (De Niro's great-grandparents were Italian immigrants from the village of Ferrazzano, Molise, [1]), and Virginia Admiral, also a painter. They had met at the painting classes of Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts. His parents divorced when he was two years old.

De Niro first attended the Little Red School House and was then enrolled by his mother at the High School of Music and Art in New York. He dropped out at the age of 13 and joined a Little Italy street gang, where he earned the nickname Bobby Milk due to his white complexion. He then had a falling-out with his father, although they were eventually reconciled when, at 18, he flew to Paris to bring his father home when he had been suffering from depression. De Niro attended the Stella Adler Conservatory, as well as Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio (although De Niro conflicted with Strasberg's methods, and used his membership there mostly as a professional advantage). At the age of 16 he toured in Chekhov's The Bear.

Film career

At age 20, in 1963, came De Niro's first important collaboration with Brian De Palma, when he appeared in The Wedding Party; it was not released until 1969, however. He spent much of the 1960s working in theater workshops and off-Broadway productions. He was an extra in the French film Three Rooms in Manhattan (1965), and was reunited with De Palma in Greetings (1968) and Hi, Mom (1970). He gained popular attention with his role as a dying Major League baseball player in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973). The same year he began his fruitful collaboration with Scorsese when he played his memorable role as the smalltime Mafia hood "Johnny Boy" alongside Harvey Keitel's "Charlie" in Mean Streets. This led to a very successful relationship between the pair in films such as Taxi Driver (1976), New York, New York (1977), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991) and Casino (1995). In these films, De Niro has primarily played charming sociopaths. Taxi Driver is particularly important to De Niro's career; his iconic performance as Travis Bickle shot him to stardom and forever linked De Niro's name with Bickle's famous "you talkin' to me?" monologue, which De Niro himself improvised.


"You talkin' to me?" Taxi DriverIn 1976 De Niro appeared, along with Gerard Depardieu, in Bernardo Bertolucci's epic biographical exploration of life during WWII Novecento (1900 (film)1900), seen through the eyes of two Italian childhood friends at the opposite sides of society's hierarchy.

In 1978, De Niro played "Michael Vronsky" in the acclaimed Vietnam War film The Deer Hunter. Another notable role was in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America as the Jewish gangster "David 'Noodles' Aaronson" (1984). Fearing he had become typecast in such roles, from the mid-1980s, De Niro began expanding into occasional comedic roles, and has had much success there as well with such films as Brazil (1985), Midnight Run (1988), Wag the Dog (1997), Analyze This (1999), Analyze That (2002), Meet the Parents (2000) and Meet the Fockers (2004).


Thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) brandishing a Colt M733A assault rifle in Heat.He has won two Academy Awards: as Best Actor for his role in Raging Bull; and as Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather, Part II.

De Niro and Marlon Brando are the only actors who won Academy Awards for portraying the same character: Brando won for playing the elderly Don Vito Corleone (although he declined the award) in The Godfather while De Niro later won the award for playing the young Vito in The Godfather, Part II. Brando and De Niro did not work together on screen until The Score (2001). De Niro actually auditioned for the role of Sonny in the first Godfather but the role was given to James Caan. When The Godfather, Part II was in preproduction, director Francis Ford Coppola remembered De Niro's audition, and knew he was going to play young Vito Corleone. De Niro's performance in the film is one of only four performances to win an Academy Award for working in a foreign language, as he primarily spoke Italian, with very few phrases in English ("I didn't come here to fight with you" and "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse").

Praised for his commitment to roles (stemming from his background in Method acting), De Niro gained 60 pounds (27 kg) and learned how to box for his portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, ground his teeth for Cape Fear, lived in Sicily for The Godfather, Part II, and learned to play the saxophone for New York, New York.

De Niro is considered a skilled observer of physical tics and details, and an intense perfectionist. In 1995 De Niro starred in Michael Mann's Heat, in which fellow actor Al Pacino also starred. The duo drew much attention from fans as both actors have generally been compared throughout their careers. Though both Pacino and De Niro starred in The Godfather Part II, they shared no screen time. Both performances in Heat are considered highlights in their careers, especially in how the two interact in the scenes they share.

In De Niro's next project he will direct and co-star in The Good Shepherd (2006), also starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. The movie also marks the return of actor Joe Pesci, who has been offscreen for almost a decade, in a small role.

On June 7, 2006, it was announced that De Niro has donated his film archive, including scripts, costumes and props, to the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Personal life

De Niro has been married twice. He has a stepdaughter, Drina (after Drina river on the border between Republika Srpska And Serbia, described in Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić's book Bridge on the Drina), and a son, Raphael, from first wife Dianne Abbott; and two sons, Julian Henry and Aaron Kendrick, from a long-term live-in relationship with former model Toukie Smith. Smith and De Niro's boys, who are twins, were conceived by in vitro fertilization. Raphael, a former actor, now works in the New York real estate market.

Since 1989, De Niro has been investing in the TriBeCa neighborhood in lower Manhattan. His capital ventures have included co-founding TriBeCa Productions, a film studio, the hugely popular TriBeCa Film Festival, and the TriBeCa Grill, Nobu, and Layla, restaurants that usually need advance reservations.

In 2004 De Niro re-married his second wife, Grace Hightower, a former flight attendant, at their estate near Marbletown in upstate New York. De Niro's primary residences are on the east and west sides of Manhattan. Their son Elliot was born in 1998 and the couple filed for divorce shortly after his birth, although the action was never officially finalized.

De Niro, whose paternal great-grandparents emigrated from Italy (they were from Ferrazzano, in the region of Molise), was due to be bestowed with honorary Italian citizenship at the Venice Film Festival in September 2004. However, the Sons of Italy lodged a protest with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi claiming De Niro had damaged the image of Italians and Italian-Americans by constantly portraying them in criminal roles. Culture Minister Giuliano Urbani dismissed the objections and the ceremony was rescheduled to go forward in Rome in October. Controversy flared once again when De Niro failed to show for two media appearances in Italy that October. This fueled speculation that he had snubbed the country over the citizenship imbroglio. De Niro denied this; blaming the non-appearances on "serious communication problems" that weren't "handled properly" on his end and stating, "The last thing I would want to do is offend anyone. I love Italy." Urbani hopes to confer the honor soon, although no date has yet been fixed. Although De Niro is also part Jewish, Irish, German, Dutch and French-British, he has stated that he identifies "more with [his] Italian side than with [his] other parts."

De Niro is a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party, and vocally supported Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election (in Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11, we see a clip of De Niro standing next to Gore at a rally; Moore identifies him as "that Taxi Driver guy"), and John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. In 1998, he lobbied Congress against impeaching President Bill Clinton (he is a personal friend of the Clinton family), and in August 2004 announced he would not collect his honorary Italian citizenship in person so as to avoid discouraging Italians living in America from voting for Kerry, following much controversy over the earlier citizenship protest.

Trivia

De Niro co-owns the upscale San Francisco restaurant Rubicon with Francis Ford Coppola and Robin Williams.
De Niro's height is 175 cm (5 ft 9 in).
De Niro is very good friends with fellow actors and frequent co-stars, Joe Pesci and Frank Vincent.
De Niro was one of the last people to see former Saturday Night Live castmember John Belushi before his death.
According to current Saturday Night Live director, Beth McCarthy Miller, Robert DeNiro is considered the worst host she's worked with. Ironically, DeNiro hosted twice (season 28, with musical guest Norah Jones, and season 30, with musical guest Destiny's Child)
The English television show The Adam and Joe Show once included a song dedicated to De Niro called the "Robert De Niro Calypso". The lyrics of the song referenced many of his most well-known films, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Godfather Part II and Midnight Run. The song was written by Zac Sandler, and can be found on the Adam and Joe DVD and the lyrics were also printed in a book that tied in with the show.
Robert De Niro is only known as Robert to his fans. In DVD special features, his co-stars always refer to him as Bob.
De Niro speaks fluent Italian and French.
Was nicknamed Bobby Milk during childhood, due to his pallor.
His Italian paternal grandfather, whom he often visited in Syracuse, New York was a major influence on him in his youth.
De Niro has been secretive about his prostate cancer diagnosis (2003) and treatment, but many believe[citation needed] he underwent a prostatectomy.
Robert De Niro's parents are interred at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, and it is believed that De Niro will be interred with them upon his death.
He held the record for most weight gained for a movie (60 pounds) for Raging Bull (1980), until it was broken by Vincent D'Onofrio gaining 70 pounds for Full Metal Jacket (1987). That record was subsequently broken by Christian Bale who gained 100 pounds for Batman Begins (2005).
Among the roles that De Niro turned down are The Godfather, Dick Tracy, The Silence of the Lambs, The Usual Suspects, Misery, and Get Shorty.
De Niro was cast in the role of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when friend Martin Scorsee was attached to direct. A role he had expressed much excitement in playing, because when he finally gets grandkids he can tell them he was one-time a very magical chocolate maker. When Martin Scorsee left, De Niro was uncast as Willy Wonka due to Felicity Dahl's wishes.

Sean Penn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor.

Biography

Early life

Penn was born in Santa Monica, California, to the late Leo Penn (a film director who was blacklisted for refusing to testify during the McCarthy era) and Eileen Ryan, an actress. Leo Penn was the son of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Russia of apparent Spanish extraction, while Ryan (born Eileen Annucci) is a Roman Catholic of Italian and Irish descent. The Penn surname was originally Piñon, but it was changed when his grandfather immigrated to the United States. Penn has one living brother, musician Michael Penn. Another younger brother, actor Chris Penn, died on January 24, 2006.

Career

Penn launched his career with the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High in the role of Jeff Spicoli and has since starred in over 40 movies. He won an Oscar for Mystic River. Penn has also been nominated for three other Academy Awards in recognition of his roles in the films I Am Sam, Sweet and Lowdown and Dead Man Walking.

In 1991, Penn made his directorial debut with The Indian Runner, a film based on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman" from the Nebraska album. He has since directed two more films: The Crossing Guard in 1995 and The Pledge in 2001. Both of these films starred Jack Nicholson.

Personal life

Penn's personal life began to attract a lot of media attention when he married pop star Madonna in 1985. The relationship was marred by violent outbursts against the press intrusion into his life, including one incident for which he was arrested. Later in the marriage, Penn was charged with felony domestic assault. He later pleaded to a misdemeanor charge. After a divorce in 1989, Penn started a relationship with Robin Wright, with whom he had two children, son Hopper and daughter Dylan before they married in 1996. They live in Ross, California.

On April 10, 2003, Penn's 1987 Buick Grand National was stolen in Berkeley, California with two firearms in the trunk. Sean also has a 1968 Chevrolet El Camino.

Along with Johnny Depp and Mick Hucknall, Sean Penn is part-owner of the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.

His younger brother, Chris, who was famous for playing Nice Guy Eddie in Reservoir Dogs, was found dead in his Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.

Political/social causes

On October 18, 2002, Penn placed a $56,000 advertisement in the Washington Post asking President George W. Bush to end a cycle of violence. It was written as an open letter and referred to the planned attack on Iraq and the War on Terror. In the letter, Penn also criticized the Bush administration for its "deconstruction of civil liberties" and its "bitches." Penn visited Iraq briefly in December 2002

He was portrayed in the war satire Team America: World Police (2004), which prompted the actor to send a letter critical of its filmmakers: Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The letter ends with "**** you", which amused the filmmakers, who used the letter as a form of publicity to promote the movie.

On June 10, 2005, Penn made a visit to Iran. Acting as a journalist on an assignment for the San Francisco Chronicle, he attended a Friday prayer ceremony at Tehran University. [1]

In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was involved in several rescues, including 73-year-old John Brown, who had told his sister over the phone: "Guess who come and got me out of the house? Sean Penn, the actor. The boys were really nice." The actor then gave some rescuees an unspecified amount of money to tide them over, and then took those who were in need of medical attention to the hospital. Although Penn was praised for his rescue efforts, he was also criticized for bringing along a cameraman and Rolling Stone magazine reporter Matt Taibbi to document the event.

On January 7, 2006, Penn was a special guest at a forum hosted by the Progressive Democrats of America. He was joined by author and media critic Normon Solomon, Democratic congressional candidate Charles Brown, and activist Cindy Sheehan. The "Out of Iraq Forum" was attended by 200 individuals and took place in Sacramento, California. The program was moderated by Bill Dursten, President of the Sacramento Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. The forum was held at a SEIU union hall and was organized to promote the anti-war movement calling for an end to the War in Iraq. Progressive activists, Democratic Party leaders, and other individuals gathered to demonstrate their impatience and frustration with U.S. involvement in Iraq.

DEAD DUCK

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said,
"I'm so sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure"? "Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied. "How can you be so sure"? She protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room, and returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog and took it out, and returned a few moments later with a cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room. The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100 percent certifiably, a dead duck."

Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried. "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead"?

"The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the lab report and the cat scan, it's now $150.

lab report and cat scan? Love it, hawkman. What a wonderful way to end your celeb reviews.

Thanks, Boston. We are always delighted with your information as so many stars that we think we know, we don't.

Here's the song from Indian Runner:

Bruce Springsteen - Highway Patrolman Lyrics

My name is joe roberts I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of perrineville barracks number 8
I always done an honest job as honest as I could
I got a brother named frankie and frankie ain't no good

Now ever since we was young kids it's been the same come down
I get a call over the radio frankie's in trouble downtown
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way

Yeah me and frankie laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with maria as the band
Played "night of the johnstown flood"

I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good

Well frankie went in the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on droppin' till it was like we were gettin'
Robbed
Frankie came home in `68, and me, I took this job

Yeah we're laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with maria as the band
Played "night of the johnstown flood"

I catch him when he's strayin' teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family he ain't no friend of mine

Well the night was like any other, I got a call `bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cry'n' at a table and it was frank, they said

Well I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights
Well I musta done one hundred and ten through michigan county that night
It was out at the crossroads, down `round willow bank
Seen a buick with ohio plates. behind the wheel was frank

Well I chased him through them county roads
Till a sign said "canadian border five miles from here"
I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his tail-lights disappear

Me and frankie laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with maria as the band
Played "night of the johnstown flood"

Good afternoon, it's time to…

Listen To The Music
Doobie Brothers Lyrics

Don't you feel it growin' day by day
People gettin' ready for the news
Some are happy, some are sad
Oh we got to let the music play

What the people need is a way to make 'em smile
It ain't so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message, get it on through
Oh, now mama's goin' to after while.

Oh, oh listen to the music
Oh, oh listen to the music
Oh, oh listen to the music
All the time.

Well, I know you know better, everything I say
Meet me in the country for a day
We'll be happy, and we'll dance
Oh, we're gonna dance our blues away

And if I'm feelin' good for you
And you're feelin' good to me
There ain't nothin' we can't do or say
Feelin' good, feeling fine
Oh, baby, let the music play.

Oh, oh listen to the music
Oh, oh listen to the music
Oh, oh listen to the music
All the time.

X 4

Aha! Our Try is back once again to the Doobies. Love that one, buddy.

Inspired by another forum, this song is by Iron Maiden, listeners.


Stranger in a Strange Land Lyrics
Artist: Iron Maiden
Album: Ed Hunter


(Smith)

Was many years ago that I left home and came this way,
I was a young man full of hopes and dreams,
But now it seems to me that all is lost and nothing gained,
Sometimes things ain't what they seem,
No brave new world, no brave new world,
No brave new world, no brave new world.

Night and day I scan horizon, sea and sky,
My spirit wanders endlessly,
Until the day will dawn and friends from home discover why,
Hear me calling, rescue me,
Set me free, set me free,
Lost in this place and leave no trace.


Chorus:
Stranger in a strange land,
Land of ice and snow,
Trapped here in this prison, yeah!
Lost and far from home.

One hundred years have gone and men again they came that way,
To find the answer to the mystery,
They found his body lying where it fell on that day,
Preserved in time for all to see,
No brave new world, no brave new world,
Lost in this place, and leave no trace.

Chorus:
Stranger in a strange land,
Land of ice and snow,
Trapped here in this prison, yeah!
Lost and far from home.

Union Sundown
by Bob Dylan
Well, my shoes, they come from Singapore,
My flashlight's from Taiwan,
My tablecloth's from Malaysia,
My belt buckle's from the Amazon.
You know, this shirt I wear comes from the Philippines
And the car I drive is a Chevrolet,
It was put together down in Argentina
By a guy makin' thirty cents a day.

Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.

Well, this silk dress is from Hong Kong
And the pearls are from Japan.
Well, the dog collar's from India
And the flower pot's from Pakistan.
All the furniture, it says "Made in Brazil"
Where a woman, she slaved for sure
Bringin' home thirty cents a day to a family of twelve,
You know, that's a lot of money to her.

Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.

Well, you know, lots of people complainin' that there is no work.
I say, "Why you say that for
When nothin' you got is U.S.-made?"
They don't make nothin' here no more,
You know, capitalism is above the law.
It say, "It don't count 'less it sells."
When it costs too much to build it at home
You just build it cheaper someplace else.

Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.

Well, the job that you used to have,
They gave it to somebody down in El Salvador.
The unions are big business, friend,
And they're goin' out like a dinosaur.
They used to grow food in Kansas
Now they want to grow it on the moon and eat it raw.
I can see the day coming when even your home garden
Is gonna be against the law.

Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.

Democracy don't rule the world,
You'd better get that in your head.
This world is ruled by violence
But I guess that's better left unsaid.
From Broadway to the Milky Way,
That's a lot of territory indeed
And a man's gonna do what he has to do
When he's got a hungry mouth to feed.

Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.

Well, edgar, Dylan saw through the system. Thanks, Texas. I do believe that edgar likes Bob Dylan, folks. <smile>

I count this as a bit of good news:


Full Coverage: Espionage & Intelligence Enlarge Photo ReutersJudge nixes warrantless surveillance
AP - 33 minutes ago
DETROIT - A federal judge ruled Thursday that the government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it. U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit became the first judge to strike down the National Security Agency's program, which she says violates the rights to free speech and privacy as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.

My goodnight song:

James Taylor:

There ain't no melody
And I can't find a harmony
If there were a way to say it
You know I would have played it

Well, I'm a man of few words
Trying to find a rhyme
And finally it occurred to me
That I'm wasting my time
There ain't no rhyme or reason
Ain't no time or season
Ain't no way around it
I know I would have found it

There ain't no song in the whole wide world
Could hardly sing without you
There ain't no song in the whole wide world
To tell you the way that I feel

Painters use their eyes
To show us what they see
But when that canvas dries
We all see it differently

There ain't black or white
There ain't no day or night
There ain't no way around it
You know I would have found it

CHORUS

No, No, No, I might as well pack it on up
Not even this song's gonna tell you the way that I feel

From Letty with love

I will not post lyrics of a song now, but I found a couple of video-clips from modern folk songs I posted before, in the case some of you are interested to watch them. The sound quality is not the best, but you can hear them.

O aetos (The eagle) posted here
The video-clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--4EbQ_f1QE

Kainouria agape (New love) posted here
Clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBQB7S4RwFI

Well, there's our Ellinas with an offering of modern Grecian folk songs. I do hope our listeners can watch and hear, dear. <smile> It takes me a while, however, because in my little studio, I have outdated equipment.

Here is a poem for you, our Grecian friend:

Agape as it's referred to here means "to nurture each other"...



Observing a pair of downy woodpeckers at my feeders
I've discovered they often feed each other
Sometimes going a distance to place a morsel in the other's beak
I've read this is fairly common behavior in the bird kingdom
And wonder if there's a lesson here for us humans
That rather than all the fuss and bother in relationship
Trying to have our space, get our own needs met, and the like
Often perhaps acting rather selfishly in the process
That we simply focus on whatever nourishes the other
And might thereby serve the both of us

Copyright 2006 Gordon Rosenberg

Thanks for the poem, it is very nice. I am saving this too.

I use a dial-up connection too this season, so I know exactly what do you mean about the outdated equipment .