"Boston Legal" Actor Justin Mentell Dies In Car Accident
"Boston Legal" actor Justin Mentell has died from a one-car accident in the Wisconsin around 3 a.m. on Monday. He was driving alone without a seatbelt on when he struck two trees and was thrown from his ride.
The accident report obtained by eonline.com states that Mentell was driving a gray 2005 Jeep when he struck two large trees. The airbag was deployed but as he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, he was ejected from the vehicle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident was reported around 8:30 a.m. when a passerby spotted the crash. His funeral is expected to take place in his native Texas.
Mentell was best known for playing the young attorney Garrett Wells on "Boston Legal."
Co-Star William Shatner wrote his sympathies on Twitter, "I'm deeply saddened to hear about Justin Mentell. There's no telling how far up the ladder he may have climbed. My sympathies to his family."
Today, we remember the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper. This day is commonly known as "The Day the Music Died." It is the inspiration for the song "American Pie." This is the 50th anniversary of this event.
In 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper made what ended up being their last public appearances at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. They died in a plane crash the next day.
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll. Although his success lasted only a year and a half before his death in an airplane crash, Holly is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll." His works and innovations inspired and influenced both his contemporaries and later musicians, notably The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, and Bob Dylan, and exerted a profound influence on popular music.
Holly was in the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Holly #13 among "The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time".
Buddy Holly released only three albums in his lifetime. Nonetheless, he recorded so prolifically that Coral Records was able to release brand-new albums and singles for 10 years after his death, although the technical quality was very mixed, some being studio quality and others home recordings. Holly's simple demonstration recordings were overdubbed by studio musicians to bring them up to then-commercial standards.
The best of these overdubbed records is often considered to be the first posthumous single, the 1959 coupling of "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", produced by Jack Hansen, with added backing vocals by the Ray Charles Singers in simulation of an authentic Crickets record. "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" was actually supposed to be the "A" side of the 45, with the backup group effectively echoing Buddy's call-and-response vocal. The Hansen session, in which Holly's last six original compositions were overdubbed, was issued on the 1960 Coral LP TheBuddy Holly Story, Vol. 2. But the best "posthumous" records were the studio recordings, which included "Wishing" and "Reminiscing".
Buddy Holly continued to be promoted and sold as an "active" artist, and his records had a loyal following, especially in Europe. The demand for unissued Holly material was so great that Norman Petty resorted to overdubbing whatever he could find: alternate takes of studio recordings, originally rejected masters, "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and the other five 1959 tracks (adding new surf-guitar arrangements), and even Holly's amateur demos from 1954 (where the low-fidelity vocals are often muffled behind the new orchestrations).
The last newBuddy Holly album was Giant (featuring the single "Love Is Strange"), issued in 1969. Between the 1959–60 Jack Hansen overdubs, the 1960s Norman Petty overdubs, various alternate takes, and Holly's undubbed originals, collectors can often choose from multiple versions of the same song.
Today, we remember the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper. This day is commonly known as "The Day the Music Died." It is the inspiration for the song "American Pie." This is the 50th anniversary of this event.
In 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper made what ended up being their last public appearances at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. They died in a plane crash the next day.
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll. Although his success lasted only a year and a half before his death in an airplane crash, Holly is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll." His works and innovations inspired and influenced both his contemporaries and later musicians, notably The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, and Bob Dylan, and exerted a profound influence on popular music.
Holly was in the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Holly #13 among "The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time".
Buddy Holly released only three albums in his lifetime. Nonetheless, he recorded so prolifically that Coral Records was able to release brand-new albums and singles for 10 years after his death, although the technical quality was very mixed, some being studio quality and others home recordings. Holly's simple demonstration recordings were overdubbed by studio musicians to bring them up to then-commercial standards.
The best of these overdubbed records is often considered to be the first posthumous single, the 1959 coupling of "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", produced by Jack Hansen, with added backing vocals by the Ray Charles Singers in simulation of an authentic Crickets record. "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" was actually supposed to be the "A" side of the 45, with the backup group effectively echoing Buddy's call-and-response vocal. The Hansen session, in which Holly's last six original compositions were overdubbed, was issued on the 1960 Coral LP TheBuddy Holly Story, Vol. 2. But the best "posthumous" records were the studio recordings, which included "Wishing" and "Reminiscing".
Buddy Holly continued to be promoted and sold as an "active" artist, and his records had a loyal following, especially in Europe. The demand for unissued Holly material was so great that Norman Petty resorted to overdubbing whatever he could find: alternate takes of studio recordings, originally rejected masters, "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and the other five 1959 tracks (adding new surf-guitar arrangements), and even Holly's amateur demos from 1954 (where the low-fidelity vocals are often muffled behind the new orchestrations).
The last newBuddy Holly album was Giant (featuring the single "Love Is Strange"), issued in 1969. Between the 1959–60 Jack Hansen overdubs, the 1960s Norman Petty overdubs, various alternate takes, and Holly's undubbed originals, collectors can often choose from multiple versions of the same song.
Oscar nominations 2010: Jeff Bridges is best actor frontrunner
The 60-year-old is considered 1 of the best actors never to win an Academy Award. He was nominated for The Contender (2001), Starman (1985), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1975), and The Last Picture Show (1972), and his role as The Dude in The Big Lebowski has become a cult classic.
In Crazy Heart he plays Bad Blake, a washed-up, alcoholic country singer. He also sings, and doesn't do a bad job of it.
Bridges comes from Hollywood stock - he is son of the late Lloyd Bridges and brother of Beau, who appeared with him in The Fabulous Baker Boys.
Clooney fits effortlessly into the role of Ryan Bingham, a "corporate downsizer" whose job it is to fire people as smoothly and painlessly as possible.
An Oscars regular, Clooney was a best actor nominee in 2008 for Michael Clayton but lost out to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood.
The 48-year-old has one Academy Award to his name - best supporting actor for Syriana in 2006. It was one of three nominations that year - the others were best director and best original screenplay for Good Night and Good Luck.
This is Firth's first Oscar nomination and his performance as a gay English professor grieving for the death of his lover (Matthew Goode) is considered the best work of his career.
Although he has received good notices in the past for serious dramas, he remains best known for two things - playing a wet-shirted Mr Darcy in the TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and his comic, uptight Englishman act in everything from Bridget Jones's Diary to Mamma Mia!
The buzz around A Single Man began at the Venice Film Festival in September, when Firth, 49, won the best actor prize. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe.
When Nelson Mandela was asked 15 years ago who should play him in a film version of his life, his reply was instant: Morgan Freeman.
The star of The Shawshank Redemption and Driving Miss Daisy wanted to adapt Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, but the book was too big. Invictus, which focused on Mandela's role in South Africa's 1995 Rugby World Cup victory, was the perfect vehicle.
Freeman, 72, has three Oscar nominations and one win under his belt: best supporting acting for Million Dollar Baby in 2005.
Renner, 39, is a relative unknown.
Although he has worked in film and TV for over a decade, this is his breakthrough role.
In The Hurt Locker he plays Staff Sergeant William James, a bomb disposal expert in Iraq who is addicted to the risks of the job.
Renner fell into acting at college. He was studying computer science and criminology when he decided to try an acting class, and found he had a talent for it.
He has appeared in 28 Weeks Later and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, plus TV series SWAT and Angel. Forthcoming projects include Marvel blockbuster The Avengers and Ben Affleck's Boston crime drama The Town.
The handlers of Ohio's official groundhog, Buckeye Chuck, said the groundhog failed to see his shadow on the Tuesday morning.
According to legend, if a groundhog fails to see its shadow, spring will arrive early.
Chuck made his prediction amid overcast skies and spitting snow.
In western Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil emerged to see his shadow before chilly revelers in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks.
The Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club annually announces Phil's forecast at dawn on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
It's February 1st, and to those of us who are hard working (aka blogging, Facebooking, Nesting, gchatting during work hours) members of society, that means it's tax time! I don't know about you, but I look forward to my tax refund more than I do my birthday, which by the way, is March 23rd and right around the corner. I accept gifts all year long.
And if you're anything like me, you dream of all the ridiculous things you can buy with said tax refund. Unfortunately, because I am now an old, married, and responsible adult, our joint tax refund is going to pay off a credit card, and put a huge dent in the amount we owe for our brand spankin' new furniture. Depending on how much we get back (especially with all the deductions we should be able to file for regarding our home improvements), we may put some aside for a trip to Europe next year, but more than likely, it's going to pay off some bills.
Bascially, this post is about all the things I WANT to buy with our tax refund, whether it be a new overpriced hangbag, decor stuffs for our home, a new wardrobe that consists of clothes that actually fit my fatass, new tile for the kitchen, etc. I'm sure home decor will take up most of the list, since that's what I've been recently obsessed with. I should also mention that I have no idea how much money we're getting back, so this list is based on an unlimited amount. haha
So here it is, my unrealistic tax refund wish list:
1. the Samanta Entryway Bench from Pottery Barn. it would look perfect in our entry, especially since we already have some PB hooks to hang above it. I love the storage bins underneath. AND it comes with the option for a "sage" bench cushion. perfecto.
2. the Rectangle Cutout Bookcase from West Elm. I've been searching for the perfect bookcase to put in our entry way (we really have no other place for one), and I absolutely LOVE this one. the cutouts are interesting to the eye, and it has plenty of room to store my constantly growing book collection... and some fun decor pieces as well.
3. 'Off The Hinges' pleated hobo by Steve Madden. let me first tell you that I have never spent more than $50 on a bag. I've always purchased stylish, yet versatile (& cheap) bags. it seems as if the expense of my tastes grow with age. I love (no... I think 'adore' would be the more adequate wording here) this bag. it's not too big, not too small, not too plain, not too out there. alas, at $268.00, the price is TOO much, so it'll sit here on my wish list until someone purchases it for me. oh, and in case you're wondering, I would totally get the grey one.
4. the Tucker Buffet table, also from PB. I'm a little obsessed with PB, if you can't tell. I don't even have a new dining room table yet. we have one we inherited from a family friend years ago... it's out in the garage until I can find the time to sand, primer, and stain/paint it and reupholster the chairs with some sort of green fabric. but it doesn't matter. I NEED this buffet in my house. I don't even have nice china to store, but it doesn't matter. I NEED it.
5. while we're on the subject, I'll take the rest of my china too - Ballet Ribbon by Waterford. we registered for 12 place settings, and so far, we only have 1 out of the 12. we're not big on fancy pants items anyway, so it wasn't a big deal for us to register for it in the first place, but the pushy woman at BB&B told us we should. I fell in love with the Ballet Ribbon immediately - it's not ornate and tacky, and it's modern looking with a simple pattern. oooooh, ahhhh, so ribbon-y.
6. an office. we have two spare rooms upstairs, one of which will be used as a guest bedroom. the other room, however, has an awesome balcony with sliding glass doors, and I'd love to have a nice office up there, complete with funky decor. it gets great natural light, and would be the perfect space to read (and blog). this is the closest thing I could find that compares to what I see when I picture our future office in my head. it's from www.femtalks.com, and I found it through Google Image search. SCRATCH THAT. it's from Pottery Barn. I was just searching through their storage & organization photos and found the same picture. I love everything about it, from the white furniture, to the green walls (obvi), and down to the little clock sticking out of the wall. I'm not sure if S would agree to another green painted room, but I'm sure I could slip in a few green accents for a pop of color. ;)
7. Typewriter Keys from Pottery Barn... to display in above mentioned imaginary office.
8. A new wardrobe. I work in an extremely casual environment, therefore my daily attire consists of usually skinny jeans and a hoodie. shoes change depending on the weather, but it usually varies between a pair of flats, warm boots, or my trusty (and custom made!) Converse. if we're going out somewhere, I'll throw on a button up shirt or cute tank (in the summer) with some funky earrings and a pair of simple black heels/flats. I've been slowly trying to work in more fashionable pieces into my wardrobe, but it's a little tough to do when everything needs to be size LARGE and I don't feel comfortable in much else except hoodies and jeans. we'll talk about my recent weight gain and self esteem in another post. anywhoozits, I need more stylish items of clothing, and a tax refund would allow for that.
this is what I dress like on a daily basis (minus the fug glasses). I wanna classy it up a bit, damnit.
9. I know it's crazy, but I'm not entirely self absorbed, so I would also buy Mr. MandeeFoFandee some part he needs for the computer he's building. last fall/winter, he decided that instead of buying a new desktop, he'd just build his own. well, he ordered most of the parts he needed, and then something else attracted his attention... and therefore the computer building got put on the back burner... until we moved and he realized he had all this crap for a computer we're not even using. so now he's been rambling about how he needs this and that, and well, I'd let him get it if it means I don't have to hear about it anymore... and that he'd have his own computer and stop using my laptop for his damn Farmville. I'm such a nice wife.
10. A NEW DENTIST. motherfucker, I have had the worst toothache for months, and it's only gotten worse. I'm only typing all this cause it's all I can think about as I sit on my couch. I had a root canal a few years ago, which amounted to paying about $1200 out of pocket, because I didn't have dental insurance. well instead of getting the permanent filling and crown right away like a good patient, I waited because I wanted to have dental insurance first, and crowns are quite expensive. like an idiot, I let the temporary filling fall out, and never got it fixed. now, I'm kicking myself in the ass. I've tried to contact my dentist 3 times in the last month to see if I can schedule an appointment. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to have this sucker pulled at this point. those fuckers have failed to return my calls. GAH.
/rant.
I wish I could think of more useless crap to list here, but my tooth is killing me and therefore not allowing me to think clearly.
answer me this, readers... what do you plan on doing with YOUR tax refund? going to pay off debt? catch up on bills? buy something shiny?
“American Idiot” Musical Gets Previewed At Grammy’s
Green Day on Sunday night previewed their American Idiot Musical during the Grammy’s award show, with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong singing along with the cast of Broadway show.
Armstrong sung “21 Guns” off the “21st Century Breakdown” album which won the Best Rock Album Grammy that same night.
The American Idiot Musical is directed by Tony award winning director Michael Mayer, who won his Tony for “Spring Awakening.” The musical started it’s run at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in September 2009 and tells the story of “love, loss and war” according to MTV, while incorporating Green Days American Idiot and some of 21st Century Breakdown, plus a never before released track named “When It’s Time”.
The musical will begin a run at Manhattan’s St. James Theater March 24th, then officially open to Broadway visitors on April 20th 2010.
