Gene Wilder

Jesus, 2016.

via ABC news, including the incredibly gracious family statement. I hope folk remember him as so much more than Willie Wonka.
Great actor, writer, Army veteran, Old Vic alumni, and tireless fundraising for cancer research and more.
I'll always remember him with a smile.
And I honestly hope there are genuine pearly gates so he can say 
"What knockers!" to St Peter.

ABC news article with family statement

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