the Late, Great Steven Hill

I watched Running On Empty again not long ago. The restaurant scene towards the end with he & Christine Lahti is a masterclass. Nearly 10 minutes of close ups. wouldn't be allowed to be shot like that these days & they just deliver.
He's the true OG from Law & Order & one of the reasons I adore those first years so much.
Tons of other great films - Yentl, Hearburn, Garbo Talks, Brighton Beach Memoirs. every tv series made in the 60s.
I'm a huge fan. 94 is good years
Thank you, Steven Hill. We're a better place for talent like yours

EW article

& Variety obit

Album Cover Tags

I don't tag but I complied with a couple of these.

oh, I almost forgot I promised Anne.
There's this album cover thingy. I don't do tags for these, but if you've got an album cover you want to share, that's never a bad thing.
These are the instructions I was given:
"Rules are:
1. Post the cover of a great album.
2. No need to go into why it's a great album. Just accept it is.
3. Nominate 6 mates.
4. Tag the person who nominated you.
5. Keep it going.
Copy and paste changing the names:"
Like I said, I'll be skipping nominations & tags but there you go
Mine is Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak". mostly because then I can boss you to check out artist Jim Fitzpatrick who designed it.

2. Since it's #Hip day, I'll indulge Christopher Fink but not tagging other people. Join in if you want.
I'm picking another great Canadian band who I know are playing tonight with tons of love for the Hip. #LostTogether 

Bits & Bobs - iPod Shuffle Game

Just to make sure I got the full list in.

 - Whitehorse - "I'm On Fire"

 - Elliot BROOD - "Without Again"

 - Miles Davis - "Billy Boy"

 - The Pogues - "Streams of Whiskey"

 - Icona Pop (ft. Charlie XCX) - "I Love It"

 - Elton John - "Saturday Night's All Right"
       

No embarrassment here. That's a damn good hockey tune.

(also, since this isn't for my website using a non-official video. Quite a backup band there)

 - Mary Chapin Carpenter - "Wherever You Are"

Been a fan for a long time & my dad will totally (& rightfully) take credit for introducing me to her.
"Party Doll & Other Favorites" is a perfect set up for greatest hits. They included live versions, cuts from movie soundtracks & other unreleased material & a couple new tracks of which this is one.
From the opening intro by David Letterman, it's a great album.

Some of these there are full separate posts with stories. Feel free to check them out

Nadiya - #DID

Oh my US pals, if you're not watching Bake Off with this fantastic lady then you're missing out. It & she are about so much more. It's an amazing journey in self confidence. and she has, in many ways, changed minds about race & women. 
I hope this plays ok. It's from current episode of Desert Island Discs & I will gladly send you the download link if you want. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p044bg6c

Jon Polito

Go watch Homicide:Life On The Street from the beginning & see how effin' terrific he was. (warning. there's a spoiler in the obit but it doesn't matter. it's still a piece of greatness & his character resonated all 7 seasons)
Not ready to start saying goodbye to this cast yet, dammit. Not at all.
Once again, cancer can get fucked.

Washington Post obit


there's a handful of rare fabulous goodbyes to tv characters. H:LOTS's "Crosetti" is one of them. Andre Braugher in uniform is perfection.

Quotes:

"that silly man and his silly cookies"

"we go retail on our friends"

"just one life-affirming story after another"

Emmy snippets

 - I should warn you. I didn't see the Emmys last night so I'm catching up now.

 - Gilda. Jane. Larraine. Ann. Gail. Yvonne. Denny. Emily. Laurie. Christine. Robin. Mary. Julia. Pamela. Danitra. Joan. Nora. Jan. Victoria. Julia. Siobhan. Beth. Melanie. Ellen. Sarah. Laura. Janeane. Morwenna. Nancy. Cheri. Molly. Ana. Rachel. Tina. Maya. Amy. Kristen. Casey. Michaela. Abby. Jenny. Nasim. Vanessa. Cecily. Aidy. Sasheer. Nöel. Leslie. Melissa. Kate.
I'm thrilled at #KateMcKinnon's well deserved win at the #Emmys last night. It marks the 1st win by a female cast member since 1977.
That's a long 29 years. 
She earned it on her own merits but for sure stands on the shoulders of the amazing ladies who came before her & work with her now. They all, in some way, made the world a better funnier place. They are the history of women in comedy. All 50 of them.
#LadiesofSNL

- Charmian Carr news

 - Ben Mendelsohn win

 - Love that it's Sharon Horgan sitting behind Mark Burnett while he gets the scolding he deserves for Celebrity Apprentice. #crumpetmuncher

 - I'm not always a Kimmel fan (tho...he does frequent my favorite herb stand at the farmers market).
but "Transparent was born a drama but identifies it as a comedy" is a damn perfect joke.

 - I like this trend of one woman director winning up against 5 men. #aboutfuckintime

- Dear Emmy
Please stop shoehorning religion & politics into the "In Memoriam" section. It's tacky & disrespectful.

 - I hadn't realized D.V. DeVincentis was one of the folk behind the OJ series. he's one of Cusack's old pals that did Grosse Pointe Blank & High Fidelity with him. almost makes me want to watch it (almost).

- Sterling K. Brown showing you don't have to write it down to make it real. Honest, funny & from the heart. one of my faves. & bonus points for skipping out on the press to go & cheer for Courtney B. Vance's win.

also is anyone having more fun watching other people win than Pedro Pascal?

- I didn't go because I thought you turkeys were trying to trick me again" - Amy Poehler. the woman the Emmys crapped on 8 times for "Parks & Rec" (7 acting. 1 writing).

- The Dowager's retort 

 - GoT party


 - What a treat for my pal Croucher to celebrate his years with #DowntonAbbey. sorry he didn't get to see the view from the stage but I can't begrudge #GoTthe well deserved win. Glad he had fun with his crew. and honestly? should've made the best dressed list:

Spiffy Croucher


 - So apparently the #Emmys liked the idea of entertaining the audience during commercial breaks. This is fabulous.
Uptown Funk - Stranger Things

22 August #MusicMonday

 - "Brown Shoes" & "Beautiful Sea". live, Sundance FF - Ferdia Walsh Peelo & Mark McKenna

 - "Says You" - the Luyas

 - "Summer Lovin' (karaoke) Indiana SP

 - "Fade Out" - Tegan & Sara

 - "Hallways" - Islands

 - "E Ipo" - Prince Tui Teka

 - "Together" album trailer via Decca Classical - Alfie Boe & Michael Ball

 - "Running On Empty" live, R&R HoF. - Jackson Browne

 - "Hot Line" - The Sylvers



Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, live Shrewsbury Folk Festival. full set