Sep 27

Paul Newman Dead at 83

It hardly seems possible or plausible that the handsome man for all seasons is dead. Paul Newman died yesterday in Westport, Connecticut. Diagnosed with cancer a little over a year ago, Newman’s neighbor and business associate, A.E. Hotchner reported to the Associated Press that Paul
 Newman succumbed to the disease yesterday in Newman’s home. Paul Newman is known for a plethora of movie roles, enjoying racing, entrepreneurship, and charitable giving. From the 1960′s to the 1990′s Paul Newman’s blue eyes have seared the screen and the hearts of women. He received nine nominations for Academy Awards and won one for “The Color of Money.” He also received two honorary awards, one in 1985 for dedication to his craft and another in 1993 for humanitarian efforts. Paul Newman’s product line “Newman’s Own” includes salad dressing, organic foods, wine, sauces, and lemonade. Profits have been donated to charity, including children with chronic life-threatening disease and those with drug related illnesses. Born January 26, 1925, Paul Newman passed Friday, September 26, 2008, at the age of 83. Paul Newman was the younger of Arthur and Teresa Fetsko Newman’s two sons. Paul graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1943, where he built upon his experience, begun at Cleveland’s Children’s Play House, performing in high school performances. From there he attended the Ohio University as he waited admittance to the Navy. Following World War II Paul Newman dabbled in sports and Yale Drama School, but was swept away by Broadway and from there to Hollywood. Though he has passed from earth he will remain with us forever through films in which he has acted and directed. His generous spirit, earthy good looks, and eyes as clear blue as crystal pools will remain with us forever.Sources:Harris, Kathryn and Dan Hart, “Star of ‘The Color of Money,’ ‘Hud,’ Dead at 83.

Sep 27

Paul Newman: An Everyday Legend

Some wealthy celebrities are praised when they give a way a few bicycles to kids, or hand out Thanksgiving turkeys. But Paul Newman, who died Friday, raised more than $220 million from his food company, Newman’s
Paul Newman: An Everyday Legend Own, and gave every dime of profit to charity. The color of money really didn’t make any difference to him.A sum of $250 million amounts to nearly $3 million for each of the 83 years that he walked the earth (and raced cars as well).Was any actor ever “less Hollywood” in how he presented himself? Paul Newman didn’t even hang out in Tinsel Town, at least not very often. He died at his longtime home in small town Westport, Connecticut.With any celebrities and entertainers, it is amazing how full of themselves that they can become. In fact, Paul Newman was viewed as being different – really really different – simply because he seemed normal. This is a great compliment to Paul Newman and to his spouse of 50 years, Joanne Woodward. But on the other hand, it offers sort of a sad commentary on the overall state of American celebrity life.Paul Newman had a fantastic, if sly, sense of humor. He was born to a Jewish mother and Catholic father, and while he practiced Christian Science, he still would describe himself as Jewish because “it’s more of a challenge. And of course, when he founded Newman’s Own with writer A.E. Hotchner in 1982, he famously described it as “Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good. Among other awards, Newman co-sponsors the PEN/Newman’s Own First Amendment Award.”Well, it’s far from shameless to create a “Hole in the Wall” camp experience each year for children with life-threatening illnesses, or to contribute $10 million to Kenyon College, or to give $250,000 to Kosovo refugees.Some of the major macho actors in Hollywood, such as Ronald Reagan and John Wayne, never served in military combat, but Paul Newman did his duty in the Pacific theater during World War II, in the U.S. Navy.No doubt there will be much Paul Newman nostalgia during the days ahead. All is deserved. Paul Newman, in the end, was simply a good man.SOURCEShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newmanwww.newmansown.com

Sep 27

Remembering Paul Newman

Paul Newman has reportedly died at age eighty-three from cancer. The man has been an American icon for decades as a man’s man. The hard-edge loner type. The guy you don’t cross. Or leave alone with your daughter. But then again, I can’t say much about the actor. I have seen but a few
 films this man was in, and they are his most recent flicks. Regardless, they were descent films all and the man can definitely act.I suppose the first movie I’ve seen the guy in was The Hudsucker Proxy. This is a witty movie that takes place in pre-Second world war America. Paul Newman plays a manipulative business tycoon who is constantly looking for ways to increase his health. After the owner of his company Husker commits suicide, Paul Newman’s character convinces the board of directors to appoint a moron as CEO so that the stock will drop to near pennies. Once this happens, they can buy hundreds of stocks and watch their checking accounts grow fat when the company recovers. The only problem is, the idiot employee they elect as their new CEO turns out to be a simplistic visionary that not only keeps the company afloat but brings the company to new financial heights by distributing his crazy new invention, the holla hoop. This is definitely a hilarious flick that gives homage to the tongue-tying, fast pace witt of the good ol’ days.Nobody’s Fool is next on the list. Paul Newman plays a somewhat bitter old man nearing retirement age. Though his character may seem a bit bitter, he is also adored by the townspeople as that old dog character who’s never going to change and always be stubborn. Then his even more bitter son who has grown up quite some time again moves back into town with his own little son. Suddenly Newman’s character is realizing just how screwed up he left his son to the world and how he may have isolated the individual from any form of social development. But he may have a small chance at relearning just a tad bit of parenting through his son’s son. This is a flick filled with dry humor and the performance is down-to-earth.

Sep 27

World News Light Issue 3: Financial Bailout, Sarah Palin, Chocolate

This Issue: $700 Billion Financial Bailout, Palin, Hot Wind, the Queen, ChocolateWorld News Light is real world news, spun into a light, fluffy pastry with only half the calories of regular news.U.S. News LightWashington D.C. The Financial BailoutTalks surrounding the proposed $700 Billion Bailout flailed, then resumed, then flailed, then resumed, then flailed. Financial bailout dithering seemed to go on forever, said journalists waiting to create award-winning pieces out of the whole mess. Many tired of waiting and went back to poking fun at the presidential candidates and Sarah Palin.”Washington politicians should just fight it out, like they do in British Parliament,” said one exhausted freelance journalist. More U.S. Politics In an interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin defended her earlier comments that Alaska’s proximity to Russia enhances her credentials. Direct quote from that video:Palin: “Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of.” Indirect quote: “If blah blah Putin blah blah invades our airspace, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It is just right over the border.” U.K.Even the Queen feels the affects of the poor global economy. Hello! magazine reports rising fuel, food, and repair costs have made running Buckingham Palace extra costly. Palace officials will ask the British government for extra money.Always willing to lend a hand, World News Light reporter offers to visit the palace, if it will help. Special Science Extra*From a NASA Press Release-Sept 23, 2008, “ULYSSES REVEALS GLOBAL SOLAR WIND PLASMA OUTPUT AT 50-YEAR LOW”Data gathered from the Ulysses spacecraft reveals tremendous drop in solar wind plasma. “With the solar wind at an all-time low, there is an excellent chance the heliosphere will diminish in size and strength. If that occurs, more galactic cosmic rays will make it into the inner part of our solar system,” said Scientist Ed Smith.Americans remain unfazed by the news: “Our politicians will emit quite enough hot wind to counter these effects–at least until the election is over.” Health light

Sep 27

Paul Newman: Dead at 83 of Cancer

A Look at Paul Newman’s Life, Other Celebrity Cancer Deaths, and Celebrity Deaths of 2008Paul Newman died Friday, September 26, at his home in Westport, Connecticut, at the age of 83 of cancer. It was just last month that it was announced Paul Newman had cancer and wished to spend his last days at his home surrounded by his family, which includes wife Joanne Woodward, five daughters and two
 grandchildren.Paul Newman’s first movie was “The Silver Chalice” in 1954, but his first hit as an actor came in 1956 when he starred as boxer Rocky Graziano in “Somebody Up There Likes Me”. Newman went on to star in more than twenty movies, including “Cool Hand Luke” in 1967, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in 1969, and “Mr. And Mrs. Bridge” in 1990, in which he co-starred with his wife, Joanne Woodward.Newman’s last screen appearance was in the 2002 film “Road to Perdition” opposite Tom Hanks.Newman announced his retirement from acting in 2007, citing memory problems and a loss of confidence. He was quoted as saying, “You can’t be as old as I am without waking up with a surprised look on your face every morning: ‘Holy Christ, whaddya know – I’m still around!’ It’s absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.”Other Celebrity Cancer DeathsCancer doesn’t discriminate, and other celebrities have succumbed to cancer. John Wayne, who reigned the silver screen from 1940s – 1970s, died in 1979 from stomach cancer. Comedian Nipsy Russell died in 2005 from stomach cancer also.Dana Reeves, wife of Christopher Reeves, and Peter Jennings, ABC Anchorman, both died in 2005 from lung cancer. Gilligan’s Island’s Bob Denver succumbed to throat cancer that same year.Canadian jazz and blue-rock guitarist Jeff Healey died March 2, 2008, at age 41 after a life-long battle with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eyes. He was best known for his hit “Angel Eyes”.Most recently, Richard Wright, founding member of the band Pink Floyd, died September 15, 2008, after battling cancer.Celebrity Deaths in 2008

Sep 27

Paul Newman Dead at Age 83: A Sad Loss

Paul Newman Has Always Been One of My Favorite Actors, Especially After He Responded to a Charitable Donation RequestSad news today as CNN, Reuters and the BBC report that Paul Newman, the legendary Hollywood actor, has died at age 83. He died on Friday, September 26th 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He died at home.Paul Newman was always my favorite actor. This status was cemented forever when I was organizing a charity auction to benefit AIDS charities in Dallas, Texas and I wrote to Mr. Newman asking for an item donation to auction. Out of over 300
 celebrities, he and his wife, Joanne Woodward, were the first Hollywood actors to respond to my letter. They sent a beautiful pewter beer mug and autographed photographs and wished us good luck with our event. For the next three years, every time I asked them to donate for that year’s auction there seemed to be no hesitation as a donation arrived quickly in the mail.Paul Newman, over a career spanning more than 50 years, made almost 100 movies and appeared in numerous TV movies and shows. He was best known though for movie roles in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, “The Verdict” and “The Sting”. My favorite Paul Newman movie role though was “Sully” in the 1994 movie “Nobody’s Fool’. Newman played an aging loser who works in a construction company part-time and spends his time driving the owner of the company crazy by flirting with his wife and trying to ruin his business. He also has problems with his relationships with his son and grandson and, at one point, even gets jailed for hitting a policeman. But, in the end, his luck changes, he wins the lottery, mends his relationship with his son and Sully finally realizes he’s happy. This is one of Newman’s greatest roles and it earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.Not only was Paul Newman one of the world’s best actors though, he was also known as a race car driver and the owner of “Newman’s Own”, a company that sells spaghetti sauce, salad dressing and popcorn among other things. The great thing about “Newman’s Own” is that all their profits (around $175 million so far) have been donated to children’s charities.

Sep 27

Actor Paul Newman Dead at Age 83: A Biography of This Legendary Man

Actor Paul Newman died Friday (09/26/08) at age 83. He succumbed to cancer. Newman had been battling this disease for months. Below is a biography of this legendary man’s life. It shows that he definitely had a lot of heart and desire to live a full life. Early YearsBorn in a suburb of Cleveland (Shaker Heights, Ohio), Paul Newman was the product of two cultures. His mother Theresa was Slovak and a Catholic (later converted to Christian Science) while his father Arthur was Jewish. His parents gave him and his brother (Arthur) a comfortable living because they owned a sporting good store.At a young age, Paul Newman, showed an interest in theater. By age seven, he did his first play at school. He was a court jester in Robin Hood. However, it would not be apparent to the world that Newman was a star until he got into his late 20′s. By then, he’d graduated from Shaker Heights High School, fought in World War II and graduated from Kenyon College. It was at this point that he started to seriously pursue an acting career. Movie CareerIn preparation for a career in acting, Paul Newman studied acting at Yale University under Lee Strasberg. Then, he left New York and moved to Hollywood. His moved paid off. Newman immediately got roles in Broadway plays (Picnic, The Desperate Hours, Sweet Bird of Youth) and debuted in his first movie The Silver Chalice by 1954. This moment would mark the beginning of a lucrative film career. Below is a list a few memorable ones:Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)The Long Hot Summer (1958)The Young Philadelphians (1959)Exodus (1960)Paris Blues (1961)The Hustler (1961)Hud (1963)Harper (1966)Hombre (1967)Cool Hand Luke (1967)Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)The Towering Inferno (1974)After making several movies, Paul Newman returned to the theatre and began doing Pulitzer Prize-winning plays like The Shadow Box and The Glass Menagerie. He also acted in an HBO series Empire Falls. In March of 2007 at age 82, Paul Newman officially retired from acting because he could no longer keep up.Personal Life

Sep 27

At the Age of 83, Great Actor Paul Newman Dies of Cancer

Paul Newman Passed Away in Westport, Connecticut After a Long Battle with CancerPaul Newman, one of the greatest actors of our time, has passed away at the age of 83. Newman had been fighting a continued battle with cancer, and had gone back to his home in Westport, Connecticut. This is where he was when he died on Friday, taking away one of Hollywood’s greats.Newman has been one of those iconic type actors, where he was always bigger than the films he was in, always bringing with him a certain charisma and charm that simply jumped off the screen. He became quite famous in the 1950′s, and then put out huge hits like The Hustler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting. Along the way he achieved a lot of box office success, and with that cam numerous nominations and successes for cinematic awards. At the end of his career he was moving behind the directors chair, but could also be heard as the voice of characters in such films as Pixar’s Cars, where he played the old Hudson Hornet.His career spanned many years, attaining him nominations for Oscars as best actor in Nobody’s Fool, The Color of Money, The Verdict, Absence of Malice, Cool Hand Look, Hud, The Hustler, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also took home a Best Supporting Actor Nomination for his role in the Tom Hanks vehicle Road to Perdition. He only one one award though, taking home the 1987 Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his part in The Color of Money. It didn’t tarnish his reputation as a leading man to only take home one Oscar though, as his body of work really stands up there with the best actors we have seen grace the screen.

Sep 27

Reports: Screen Icon Paul Newman Dies at 83

Paul Newman was celebrated as one of the greatest actors in the business for six decades. With endless iconic characters and charitable functions, Newman’s own legacy matched that of anyone in Hollywood. But for the last several months, Paul Newman was growing more and more ill, with
 people speculating that his end was coming soon. Today, it has become official, as reports have come out that Paul Newman is now dead at 83.A spokeswoman for Newman told the Associated Press that Newman had died of cancer on Friday. Earlier, Paul Newman’s legendary foundation, Newman’s Own, released a statement marking Newman’s death this morning. “Paul Newman’s craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all,” wrote Vice Chairman Robert Forrester. “We will miss our friend Paul Newman, but are lucky ourselves to have known such a remarkable person.”Newman began his legacy in the 1950′s, staring on Broadway and then getting noticed by Hollywood. Newman would make his mark in films like Somebody Up There Likes Me, The Long Hot Summer, and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. In 1958, Newman began his 50-year marriage to famed actress Joanne Woodward.The 1960′s were dominated by Newman and his famed rebel characters, like Fast Eddie in The Hustler, Hud in Hud, Luke in Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The latter was his first of two legendary films with fellow icon Robert Redford, as the two would reteam in 1973 for the Oscar winning The Sting.Newman would later make the likes of Slap Shot, Absence of Malice and The Verdict, though he continued to lose out in his many Oscar nominations. Newman finally won his Oscar in The Color of Money, the 1986 sequel to The Hustler.Newman became just as famous for his Newman’s Own Foundation and products, his Hole in the Wall camps, and his passion for racing as he did for his movies. By the 1990′s, Newman made less and less movies, with his most noteworthy films in the decade being The Hudsucker’s Proxy and Nobody’s Fool.

Sep 24

Interracial Dating and the Christian

Why It’s Okay to Go ThereEleven years ago this summer, I fell deeply in love with a bespectacled young lady I spent four hours getting to know on a Greyhound bus. It was a hot Tuesday afternoon–June 24, 1997 to be exact. The hot, 93-degree sun beamed down on me as I made my way to the Greyhound station in downtown Kalamazoo. I was tired, enfamished from all the packing I had done. School was out, and it was time to leave town to go home to
 Detroit to visit my folks. Amy–her name for the purpose of this discussion–was also getting ready to go on a long vacation back to her home in one of the New England states.She was quiet, soft-spoken, a woman of very few words. So I thought. As I was getting in line to buy my personal pizza, she was also in line to get something to eat before our trip. Further conversation revealed that she was going my way.She had a chip on her shoulder; she was clearly upset, and needed to let off a little steam about a few things that happened between her and the church I was currently attending.Anyway, during the course of this bus ride, I found out she was intelligent, had this very soothing, very beautiful voice. For four of the most blissful, beautiful hours, she really opened up to me, and at one point was in tears. By the end of that bus ride, one thing was clear: I was in love–I mean truly in love. Mind you I had happened to only see her around a few times before that. But there was one catch: Although we were both saved, born again Christians who clearly loved God–she happened to be white.Although things are changing, there happens to be a taboo in many Christian circles against interracial dating. Although pastors–both black and white–preach that anyone against it is racist and prejudice–when that person’s son or daughter comes home with someone from a different race to bring to the dinner table–the entire dynamic changes. It’s almost like acknowledging that the crime rate in our city has tripled, but when it comes to building new prisons and okaying a millage to do that–guess what: “Not in MY backyard!”

Sep 20

World News Light Issue 2: Paris Hilton and Collider Doom

This Issue: Paris Hilton, Doom Delayed, London Fashion Week, Diet Don’ts and MoreWorld News Light is real world news, spun into a light, fluffy pastry with only half the calories of regular news.*Links to the original, calorie-laden news stories are provided at the end of this articleContinental EuropeInsight and/or Doom have been delayed indefinitely as the CERN collider malfunctions. World News Light sources reveal human error as the cause:
 ”Someone spilled a bottle of Beaujolais and an entire packet of jelly babies into the cataclysmic {sic} converter.” U.K. Officials insist a new time-devouring monster clock at Cambridge is not creepy, despite the fact that, according to the *London Times:”Each new hour is signalled by the rattle of a chain on an unseen coffin to remind passers-by of their mortality.”U.S.A normally placid red-tailed hawk attacked puppeteers in Atlanta. World News Light sources say they believe she (the hawk) thought the puppeteers were making fun of her.Stocks fell dramatically early this week, causing hard liquor sales to skyrocket.JapanA suspicious submarine periscope was spotted off the coast of Japan. The submarine did not identify itself and disappeared before anyone could do anything about it. Officials ignored rumors that the alleged submarine could have been the monster Mothra, in larval form, approaching the shore to fight Godzilla. Health ExtraFreelance writer announces that a weeklong diet of tortilla chips with cheddar quesa, cinnamon atomic fireball candy, and coca cola, causes headache, severe ennui.Entertainment Gossip Extra LightParis Hilton would like everyone to know she is not as dumb as she is portrayed and that she does a lot of work. Also, she would love to move to London. World News Light’s staff psychic reveals it is no surprise to her that Paris Hilton wants to move to London. “What she really wants to do is assist Madonna in overthrowing the queen.” Fashion Light”London Fashion Week was absolutely fabulous,” World News Light special sources reveal. They also noted, “Scary Goth makeup had a huge presence, just in time for Halloween…and the end of the world.”Music

Sep 13

World News Light: Issue 1

This Issue: French and Saunders Tour, Particle Collider, Sarah Palin and MooseWorld News Light is world news, spun into a light fluffy pastry with only half the calories of regular news.Serious NewsU.K.Britain’s lack of sunshine in 2008 said to be critical. Thousands of Britons flee on emergency holiday to sunnier places.U.S. Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, chooses Alaskan moose hunter as his running mate. Thousands of moose flee on emergency holiday.Europe in generalBeneath France and Switzerland, scientists have begun smashing tiny bits together in the hopes of finding the tiny bits responsible for life, and for the best wines, cheeses, and chocolates.North KoreaNorth Korean officials scoffed at reports that Kim Jong-Il is ill. Our maniacal dictator is just fine, they said. A little under the weather, perhaps, but he will be back to taunting the world with nuclear weapons in no time at all. Real FashionModels: Eyewitnesses report that a few runway models at this year’s New York Fashion Week had recently eaten. One witness reports: “We knew right away they had eaten something within the last three days–because some had strength enough to smile.” Designers: “Fall colors are in for this fall season.”Light EntertainmentBritish comedy duo French and Saunders are on their final live tour. The final show of The Still Alive tour 2008 is scheduled for November 8, in London. I caught up with a French and Saunders fan in the U.S.: “I won’t be able to make it to London this year. Money is too tight and I did not know about their tour in time. Britney bloody Spears and Paris buggery Hilton obscured what should have been top news in every paper’s entertainment section. I found out by pure accident when I went to the BBC website. It was only then I learned that two of the world’s best comedians ever are giving their final live tour. Horribly depressing news.”World News Light notes: Sources indicate Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are not quitting comedy–only the live sketch performances as French and Saunders. AwardsCarmichael’s Award for the News Headline That Made Me Spew My Morning Coffee: