Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Comedian Tracy Morgan of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock fame has sold his autobiography to Spiegel & Grau, a young division of the Doubleday group at Random House that is about to launch its first full list ... According to the S&G book list, an inventory of all of the the house's acquisitions, Morgan's book will cover his entire life story, 'from the Coney Island projects where he grew up to his days on the streets of Brooklyn selling crack to the escape that stand-up comedy promised and his eventual discovery by Martin Lawrence and Lorne Michaels and the alcohol addiction that threatened his life and career.'" (Observer)

"In 2006, the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen became the first ship in history to sail through the Bellot Strait - roughly 350 n miles north of the Arctic Circle - during the month of October ... The disappearance of Arctic sea ice raises serious sovereignty and security issues for the five nations that claim parts of the Arctic Circle's outer ring - Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States - as well as for indigenous peoples in the region. Arctic nations are locked in a multitude of territorial disputes that were once considered academic, but are morphing into flashpoints that may spark armed conflict ... The countries are vying for access to new commercial shipping lanes and vast energy reserves no longer shrouded in ice." (Janes)

"Those of us who have always wondered why award shows have to be so infernally long got our answer on Sunday night at the Golden Globes: they don’t, but all meaning is derived in such matters from the script that goes with such ceremonies. The windy speeches, the tears of joy, the fashion miscues, all arrayed over remarkable superbeings in gossamer frocks are what people turn the television on for. Without pomp, there is no circumstance, at least in Hollywood." (NYTimes)

"Among a barrage of prominent statewide elected officials to back Obama publicly this month is Arizona governor Janet Napolitano, and U.S. Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Tim Johnson of South Dakota. What all three politicians have in common is that they are Democrats who have cracked the code in getting elected in states where Republicans historically have triumphed at the presidential level. George W. Bush won these states both times." (Politico)

"For six whole weeks, a local comedy group has sent me (and I presume other press people) a getting-to-know-you gift every single day in hopes of grubbing some media notice. I'm talking 30 freakin' gifts! That's more than Christina Crawford had to give to children less privileged than herself every Christmas!" (Musto)

"Two founders of the bipartisan Unity08 effort launched a new campaign to draft independent New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg into the presidential race Tuesday, saying he is the right candidate to overcome bitter partisanship and oncoming economic problems. Former Republican consultant Doug Bailey and Gerald Rafshoon, a former communications director to President Carter, argued that Bloomberg is the answer to a 'severe economic recession' that is threatening the country." (TheHill)

"Ronnie Wood's a Rolling Stone who did gather moss - Kate Moss - when he wept at his son Jamie's wedding. Supermodel Kate hugged Ronnie, 60, when it all got too much for him during Jamie's wedding to his long-term love Jodie. Our insider said: 'Ronnie wept as Jodie produced a framed photo of the grandparents and Ronnie's brothers who have died. It was all very emotional.'"(3AMGirls)

"Teams set up radio masts and tested communications at two separate locations in the city. The military was assessing whether Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air interceptor missiles could be deployed at such sites. Concern over North Korea has prompted Japan to up its missile defence." (BBC)

"Opening Friday is Woody Allen’s new film, Cassandra's Dream, a tense but strangely unsatisfying thriller about two English brothers forced to commit a heinous crime to pay off some debts. Ian (Ewan McGregor) dreams of opening some hotels in L.A. which will solidify his relationship with his beautiful but high maintenance actress girlfriend (Hayley Atwell), while his gambler brother Terry (Colin Farrell) owes a fortune to loan sharks. When they appeal to their rich Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) he agrees to help them if they commit a murder for him. Woody Allen once again delves into the slippery slope one can experience after 'crossing the line' -- you can call it another of his 'Amoral Tales.'" (Papermag)