#797; In which a Cat gets Out

#797; In which a Cat gets Out

Humpback Whale Seen Near Marina Today!

Humpback Whale Seen Near Marina Today!

From Axel (check out his awesome helicopter blog here!):

Just wanted to let you know I’ve seen a humpback whale breaching (jumping) three times just outside the Marina while walking the dog today. Turns out I’m not the best whale photographer, but hey.

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How To Win the Westminster Dog Show

How To Win the Westminster Dog Show

For his new book, Show Dog: The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred, Josh Dean spent more than a year following Jack, a champion Australian Shepherd. What follows is an excerpt from the book, adapted from a chapter on the world of show-dog backers. Also see our Magnum Photos gallery on dog shows.

Interview: Karl Pilkington

TV: Interview: Karl Pilkington

Thanks to the Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais has become a household name in the U.S., while those who follow his work in television have quickly become familiar with his writing partner, Stephen Merchant. In the UK, however, there's a perpetual third man whose name turns up alongside those of Gervais and Merchant with considerable regularity: Karl Pilkington. Pilkington began as the producer on the duo's radio show and quickly found himself on the air as a result of his unique—some would say idiotic—views and interpretations of the world around him. Since then, he has become ...

Map: The Young Ladies of America Can't ALL Be California Girls

Map: The Young Ladies of America Can't ALL Be California Girls

 

The Beach Boys will be reuniting onstage at the Grammy Awards this Sunday, which makes now as good a time as any to have a chuckle at this map of the United States that breaks down young ladies by description and region. [ more › ]

The Complicated History of Catholics, Protestants, and Contraceptives

The Complicated History of Catholics, Protestants, and Contraceptives

The GOP candidates are still deep in the ritual dance of podium-pounding and posturing to determine who among them will take on Obama. Yet an unexpected display of unity is upon us: The three most viable candidates have raised their voices in harmonious opposition to the federal law that will compel all private health insurance plans—including those administered by religious employers—to cover birth control, as well as the controversial emergency contraceptives. Mitt Romney accused the president of “using Obamacare to impose a secular vision on Americans who believe that they should not have their religious freedom taken away." Newt Gingrich decried the law on NBC’s Meet the Press, complaining that “every time you turn around, secular government is closing in on and shrinking the right of religious liberty in America.” Rick Santorum, a father of seven who has already declared that contraception is “not OK,” called the law an assault on freedom of conscience and free speech. Today the Catholic network EWTN sued the government over the mandate, and evangelical leaders have joined the chorus.

Chipotle Is Apple

Chipotle Is Apple

Hunting for business success stories in a recession is a difficult (and sometimes depressing) task. Most of the feel-good stories seem to come from the high-tech world and the burgeoning app economy. One important exception is Chipotle Mexican Grill, a company that shows there’s clearly room for growth and innovation in even the most basic sectors of the economy.

There's "absolutely" going to be another Wet Hot American Summer

Film: Newswire: There's "absolutely" going to be another Wet Hot American Summer

Amid all the excitement surrounding the very almost-reality of returns for Arrested Development and Party Down, you may have forgotten that you were also supposed to be getting your hopes up for a Wet Hot American Summer reunion. Fortunately, Michael Showalter stopped by Bravo’s Watch What Happens When You Combine Vanity With The Journalistic Equivalent Of A Slumber Party last night and did just that, affirming “yes, absolutely—100 percent” into Andy Cohen’s veneered Mouth of Truth. And since Showalter didn’t come away with a ravaged stump for a hand, we guess you should go ahead and ...

Bart, Homer, Conan and Michael Jackson: Behind the Scenes Stories From 500 Episodes of 'The Simpsons'

Bart, Homer, Conan and Michael Jackson: Behind the Scenes Stories From 500 Episodes of 'The Simpsons'

THR Staff
As TV’s most successful show hits a milestone, Matt Groening and co. open up in the newest issue of The Hollywood Reporter about mocking Murdoch's News Corp., collaborating with Liz Taylor, Lady Gaga and the King of Pop and O’Brien's awkward run-ins with Johnny Carson and Bob Hope.

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Music: For Our Consideration: Chimes Of Freedom: The dos and don’ts of covering Bob Dylan

Music: For Our Consideration: Chimes Of Freedom: The dos and don’ts of covering Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is a thief. This is not an indictment. Read even a little about Dylan’s early years in the New York folk scene—or watch Martin Scorsese’s documentary No Direction Home—and you’ll find a good number of grumbling contemporaries with stories to tell about how the man formerly known as Robert Zimmerman stole from them. He swiped vintage record collections, and arrangements of old folk songs (which on the hootenanny circuit was tantamount to taking someone else’s act). Even his stage name was stolen, from Dylan Thomas. But that’s showbiz. Performers build on ...

The Best Novel About a “De-Gaying Camp” Ever Written

The Best Novel About a “De-Gaying Camp” Ever Writte

Is it egomaniacal to say that I not only loved The Miseducation of Cameron Post but that this debut novel, published this week, reminded me of my own first novel, Prep? Here’s why: Cameron is a smart, observant teenager who’s overmatched, as so many of us were, by high school; the novel is set in a distinct place, in this case Miles City, Mont., a town of sandstone and sagebrush and cowgirls who drive pick-ups; over almost 500 pages, author Emily Danforth takes her sweet time telling Cameron’s story; and did I mention that the main character eventually finds herself at boarding school in the form of a de-gaying boot camp?

Why Oscar Snubbed Pixar, 'Tintin,' 'Arthur Christmas' for Best Cartoon

Why Oscar Snubbed Pixar, 'Tintin,' 'Arthur Christmas' for Best Cartoon



Gregg Kilday
Surprise noms "Chico & Rita" and "A Cat in Paris" reveal a rift over technology as voters attempt to save hand-drawn animation.

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L.A. Puppy Wins MVP Award at Puppy Bowl VIII

L.A. Puppy Wins MVP Award at Puppy Bowl VIII

Who watched the Puppy Bowl VIII yesterday? Show of hands? We did, and we were turned to mush over the adorableness of L.A.'s very own player, a Chihuahua/Terrier named Fumble. Fumble played his little heart out, scored a couple of touchdowns and ultimately won MVP -- Most Valuable Puppy. [ more › ]

#795; In which a Cat is lost

#795; In which a Cat is lost

Unlock the Gaming Magic of the Konami Code

Unlock the Gaming Magic of the Konami Code

Kazuhisa Hashimoto?s simple but famous cheat code can help you win a videogame — and wreak havoc elsewhere.

Marvel Comics’ Troubling Origins Story

Marvel Comics’ Troubling Origins Story

Growing up in the 1970s and early ’80s, I obsessively read and collected Marvel comics. I knew each hero’s origin story, rogue’s gallery, and costume details. I took pride in my knowledge of minor superheroes like Stingray, Jack of Hearts, and the Paladin, characters who didn’t have their own comics but who bounced around in the pages of more established titles. If they ever got their own comic book, I’d be able to say I knew them when.

Cluck You

Cluck You

Madonna was upstaged at her own Super Bowl halftime show Sunday when guest performer M.I.A. extended her middle finger at the camera. When did we start calling this gesture “flipping the bird?”

10,000 Tweets Per Second

Super Bowl Breaks Entertainment, Sports Twitter Records

THR Staff
During the final minutes of the game, tweets were fired off at an average of 10,000 per second.

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Where Did That Sentence-Ending Preposition Rule Come From?

Feel free to end your sentences in prepositions... at.

Where
Did That Sentence-Ending Preposition Rule Come From?:

Listen to Lexicon Valley Episode No. 1: A Sin of Which None Is Guilty

10 things you want to know about 'Puppy Bowl VIII'

Puppy Bowl: Did you know...?

How many hours of footage are filmed? What's the Piggy Pep Squad? How many touchdowns are scored?