BW Manilowe

Yes, Caroline Kennedy used to introduce--& I think close--the show. And no, she hasn't done it since she took the post of US Ambassador to Japan a couple of years ago. I would assume her diplomatic duties would now be more important than "representing the family name" at the KCH gala. Unless she's somehow replaced as US Ambassador to Japan before the end of this year, I wouldn't necessarily expect her to attend the gala this December either. President Obama--under whose Administration she was appointed to the post--will still be in office then (granted, he'll be in the last month or so of his term, but he doesn't turn the White House over to the next Administration until January 20, 2017), & she'll presumably still be US Ambassador to Japan at least through the end of his Administration, if not into the next if the incoming President has her/she decides to stay on (which could be possible even if the Republicans win, but I'm not positive; I assume there's a better chance of her remaining Ambassador, though, if the Democrats stay in power).

Did Tyler eliminate the woman whose pancake caught fire or the 1 who put all the crap, including the knife, in the middle of the floor? And what'd the guy who Anne cut do? It's hard to remember who's who the first week & I'm going by voices as it is; due to medical issues I can't physically sit up most of the time or without help now, & I also can't comfortably lie on the side of my body where I can see the TV. I just remember Tyler said his cut was between the lady who set the pancake on fire & the lady who could've hurt someone 'cause she put the knife & trash on the floor, & Anne didn't make any comments about her cut--what he did/cooked--that really helped me narrow down who he was (& his name didn't help since it was Ep 1).

She had also gotten engaged to her partner (Ernie Hudson), who'd seen her through her cancer treatment, so it unexpectedly also celebrated that. And the party actually started out as a way of everybody showing Van Buren what she meant to them, as well as being a sort of fundraiser, organized by Lupo, Bernard, or both of them, after they heard her talking about how she wasn't sure how she'd be able to pay off her extensive medical bills accumulated during her cancer treatment (though getting engaged helped because her new fiancé said he was willing to help her with them financially). It was also mentioned she got at least 1 check from some bigwigs connected to the cops to help with her medical expenses.

TheRabbi posted, about 4 or so posts upthread, it got a 0.9. Which is worse than last year, even with similar Sunday night competition.

Jimmy Kimmel is a/the guest star on this week's episode, per Entertainment Weekly. It airs tomorrow night at the new time of 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central. http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/04/grinder-jimmy-kimmel-rob-lowe

Happywatcher: The court didn't give Todd custody of Jade; not Sole/Primary Custody anyway. Giada & Todd were awarded Joint Custody of her. But... The court also awarded Todd monthly Child Support payments from Giada, in an amount I don't remember right now. The reason why was explained in the Small Talk thread here. The reasoning is believed to be because, while neither Todd nor Giada are hurting financially, Todd apparently makes less, individually, than Giada & paying him Child Support will apparently allow Jade to continue to live in the manner to which she's become accustomed (as they say), from living with both parents together/Giada separately, when she's living at Todd's.

From Olivia Newton-John's Social Media (Facebook & Twitter): A pic of Olivia with Giada *&* Jade, who apparently went to see Olivia's "Residency" concert, Summer Nights, at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, sometime this past week. https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1123346981011341 https://twitter.com/olivianj/status/683396516506152965

She was in the very popular (at the time) funk band Rufus from its inception in 1972 until its dissolution in 1983. They had hits such as Tell Me Something Good. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_(band) She has 10 Grammys & a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other awards. And she's also appeared in the movies & the Broadway stage (playing Miss Sofia in The Color Purple). She's also sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide. After Rufus broke up, she started a solo career. As a solo artist, she's had hits such as I'm Every Woman (the late Whitney Houston later "name checked" her, saying "Chaka Khan" over the music in her own hit "cover" version of the same song; I think Chaka also appears briefly in the video for Whitney's version of the song), Through the Fire, & Feels Like Heaven, a duet with former Chicago lead singer Peter Cetera. She also does a duet with Rod Stewart on You Send Me from Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook Volume IV, 1 of his Great American Songbook series CDs. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaka_Khan So, no, I wouldn't consider Chaka Khan a joke. At least speaking for myself.

After Marty Ingels' performing career "fizzled" (or he actively stopped performing... whatever happened), he actually started working "behind the scenes" in entertainment as a talent agent. I'm not sure if that's in the linked obit or not. The most recent celebrity deaths, besides Wayne Rogers & Natalie Cole, were of Character actor Jason Wingreen, age 95, on Christmas Day. He played Harry the Bartender on All in the Family & Archie Bunker's Place. Also, though he was never credited, he was the voice of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back & in at least some of the Boba Fett merchandise. I think I originally posted that upthread; though he died on Christmas Day, I think they held off on announcing it until, like, Thursday or yesterday. It only became known earlier this week. And the most recent celebrity death was announced earlier today. Former Arkansas Governor & US Senator Dale Bumpers died at age 90. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dale-bumpers-ex-arkansas-governor-u-s-senator-dies-age-n489251

For those who see this in time, FX is airing all the eps from The Pilot through The Grinder Rests in Peace (which I think is the complete series, to date) from 7-11:30PM Eastern (6-10:30PM Central) TONIGHT, January 2, 2016. Check your local listings for the correct channel number for FX in your area, & the correct start time if you're west of Central Time.

Witney's married. http://www.people.com/article/witney-carson-dwts-wedding?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

Jason Wingreen, the character actor who (uncredited, according to this) provided the voice of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back & apparently in some of the merchandise, has died at age 95. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jason-wingreen-dead-all-family-851697?utm_source=twitter

Thursday, January 14, 2016 (2 weeks from yesterday), at 8:30AM Eastern/5:30AM Pacific & 13:30 UTC (that time was actually listed in the item I used to get the date on Google).

Adults are coloring in coloring books now as "stress relievers". It's a big thing at the moment. The online book & arts/crafts retailers, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Mary Maxim all carry a fairly big selection of books to choose from (Barnes & Noble also apparently has a big selection in their brick & mortar stores). These coloring books aren't like the ones many/most of us here had growing up where you'd color pics, with your Crayola 64 "Big Box", based on your favorite cartoon, TV show, or movie characters, or your favorite (& other) celebs. They're more "abstract", artistic designs, geometrics, mandalas, flowers, etc., at least usually. There are also some based around sights in famous cities, famous art works, animals, vehicles, & other things (but perhaps drawn in a more "abstract" way than just a regular depiction of them); these all can be colored by people of any age. And they also have books with pictures geared specifically to adults, which I saw on either Barnes & Noble or Amazon's sites. And the books now are usually colored in with colored pencils or markers, like the Paper Mate Flair kind. I used to travel a lot as a young elementary school-junior high aged kid (the early/mid-'70's), because of an opportunity I was given by a nationally-known children's health-related organization. I traveled with some of the forerunners of today's coloring books with artistic, abstract, geometric, mandala, etc., designs & a set of Paper Mate Flair markers to color them with, to alleviate whatever stress I could've been under from this at age 8 1/2, as well as to alleviate boredom in the hotels at night & in the airports during travel delays. They actually worked for that purpose back then, & are said to again these days. They'd also be good if you were stuck in bed due to a longterm illness, in my opinion. I like the word "stabby" too. I think the first place I heard it was from the Penelope Garcia character in Criminal Minds, in an ep aired way back in 2009. While I'm at it, another grammar peeve or 2: People who use "apart" when, based on their written comment, they CLEARLY should've used "a part", with a space between "a" & "part". And people who use "between" instead of "among" when referring to groups larger than 2 people (I know, everybody does it. But I also still remember, from elementary school English, that you're not supposed to do it. And it doesn't make it right.). Those are among the grammar peeves that make me "stabby".

It's not really surprising the songs are "Broadway-Style", considering their Composer is (1 of their composers is) Alan Menken. He's best known as a multiple Oscar-winning Composer of musical scores for a number of very famous Disney films--too many to list, but if you can name 1, he probably was involved with the music for it. But he's also written for Broadway shows such as Little Shop of Horrors & the stage version of Beauty and the Beast (for which he received 1 of his many Tony nominations) as well as the musical version of A Christmas Carol, among many others.

Character Actor Jason Wingreen, All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place Bartender & the Voice of Star Wars' Boba Fett, Died on Christmas Day, Age 95. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jason-wingreen-dead-all-family-851697?utm_source=twitter

While we're getting peevish about grammar (again), I'll bring up this 1 which I don't think I've brought up before--though others might have. It makes me crazy when people use "passed" where/when they should've used "past", & vice-versa.

Responding to the bolded. Mostly because I live in a nearby state to Illinois, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend 2 different tapings of her talk show (but with the same subject/guest), in 1987 & 1992--the 1st taping was at the WLS studios in Chicago, their local ABC affiliate & the "flagship" station of The Oprah Winfrey Show; the 2nd taping was at Harpo Studios, the TV/movie production facility Oprah later had built in Chicago. I'm happy to say that at the 1987 taping, Oprah really was genuine & nice to everyone in that audience who wanted to at least get a picture with her (I can't remember if she also signed autographs or not), & I'm pretty sure there were over 100 of us in that audience. We had to wait until after the show was finished taping, but when it was Oprah went out in the hall (or whatever) outside the studio, either sat or stood there, & at least said a few words to & took pics with anyone in the audience who wanted that kind of attention from her on their way out the door. She was also nice, funny, & personable with the audience at least before the taping began, when it was just her & the audience & the guest/subject for the show was still backstage (during the taping, when the guest was on the set, she was--rightfully--paying attention to them). When it was just her & us, I remember her talking--nicely, no "dirt"--about a (female) celebrity she'd recently taped a show with, & "bitching" about the shoes she was wearing being uncomfortable (as most/all women do when forced to wear "good"/dress shoes). Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything much about the 1992 taping, other than she still seemed to be personable & friendly with the audience before the taping started, & she was still focused on the guest when they were on the set. My friends & I couldn't hang around this time, for anything she may have done with the audience post-show, because we had to get from where Harpo Studios was, which was kind of downtown-ish as I remember, to a hotel by O'Hare Airport by a certain time after the taping for other stuff involving Oprah's guest that day (& in 1987). The "other" stuff was our original reason for being in Chicago that day (& weekend--Oprah's show was taped on a Friday afternoon); the Oprah show appearance was scheduled later & my friends & I were extremely lucky enough to get through on her audience seating line, get enough seats after the taping was announced, & be able to do that too.

SOURCE: http://cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/hawaii-five-0/releases/view?id=44181

If anyone's around tonight & interested, there's a 2-hour block of H50 on CBS tonight, from 9-11PM Eastern/8-10PM Central Time (the 2nd hour is pre-empting Blue Bloods tonight). At 9PM Eastern/8PM Central, CBS is showing Ep 520--ʻIke Hānau (Instinct). That's the ep where Grover is convinced, but cannot prove, that an old friend from Chicago killed his wife--by a fall off a cliff--during a vacation on Oʻahu. At 10PM Eastern/9PM Central, CBS is showing Ep 517--Kukaʻawale (Stakeout). That's the ep which DDK directed, where Steve & Danny work on their partnership relationship issues while on a stakeout where they also have to deal with nosy neighbors. The 10PM repeat leads nicely into the next new episode, Ep 611, Kuleana (One's Personal Sense of Responsibility), which airs next Friday, January 8th, & involves Steve & Danny continuing to work on their partnership relationship issues at a "Couples Counseling" retreat on Maui. Late tonight/Early Saturday morning, TNT also plans to air a 2-hour block of S5 episodes. They're airing Eps 503 & 502 (in that order, which is backwards, & apparently completely skipping Ep 501, about the killer drones running amok on Oʻahu). The eps will air from 3-5AM Eastern/2-4AM Central Time. At 3AM Eastern/2AM Central, TNT will air Ep 503--Kanalu Hope Loa (The Last Break). That's the ep about the 3 surfer girls who rob tourists, & end up murdering 1, because they'd rather spend all their time surfing instead of going to school, or engaging in legal & meaningful employment, to make something positive of themselves. At 4AM Eastern/3AM Central, TNT will air Ep 502--Ka Makuakāne (Family Man). That's the ep where the young daughter of a Navy SEAL currently deployed in Afghanistan is mistakenly kidnapped by a man seeking revenge on the makers of a defective child's car seat which contributed to his young daughter's death in a car accident.

Now, probably not unexpectedly, George Lucas is backpedaling on the "white slavers" comment. http://variety.com/2015/film/news/george-lucas-rolls-back-complaints-that-star-wars-successors-are-white-slavers-1201670406/

Ainsley was only a recurring character on TWW. When CSI: Miami came along, Emily Procter was offered a presumably better gig: the regular, weekly role of CSI Calleigh Duquesne, which she took (&, as much as I & others missed Ainsley, I don't think you can blame Emily since it was guaranteed weekly work as opposed to the periodic work she was getting on TWW).

George Lucas Says He Sold Star Wars to "White Slavers" http://variety.com/2015/film/news/star-wars-george-lucas-disney-white-slavers-1201669959/

No, it's *3* acting honors, as originally stated. Grammys are awarded for the best performances in vocal & instrumental music. I don't believe that involves acting (at least not as I, or most others, would define "acting").

Variety also reviews S2. Not sure it's overly spoilery; mentions of a couple things that happen this season, which may have already been discussed here; plus the S2 premiere ep title, which already has a thread posted here; plus the lyrics to what the writer claims is a song in that ep. It's a good review though. http://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/galavant-season-2-review-abc-musical-comedy-1201668360/