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Spectacle is a TV show you can find on cable or Netflix. It is an Elton John production featuring Elvis Costello as the interviewer. Elvis Costello introduced Smokey Robinson with a musical number. Then he said something that I thought was a great and succinct summation about meeting Smokey Robinson: "If Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Groucho Marx came out and sat down, I could not [be more pleased and impressed.]" If found it fascinating that Smokey showed up with a necklace and a Christian cross displayed prominently. I don't know anything about Smokey's faith or practice, but this little...

As the title says, Abbott & Costello explain -- finally -- the inner workings of "Obamanomics"

When Big Guy told the Press Corpse at his Pop Up Presser yesterday that he didn’t call Romney a felon he was technically correct: he didn’t call Romney a felon himself: somebody else did that for him. I guess what he actually said was that “nobody accused Romney of being a felon.” Meet Nobody: Nobody Cutter, deputy campaign manager, Team Obama, on ABC’s This Weekend. “Either Mitt Romney, through his own words and his own signature, was misrepresenting his position at Bain to the SEC, which is a felony,” or he was misrepresenting his position at Bain to the American...

The Olin Corp. announced Wednesday that it will suspend production of centerfire ammunition at its plant in East Alton and re-locate the manufacturing operation to Oxford, Miss. The move comes less than 24 hours after members of the union representing over Olin 800 workers rejected concessions that would have allowed them to keep their jobs. "Our focus always has been on ensuring that we continue producing high-quality products for our customers in an increasingly competitive market," president and CEO Joseph D. Rupp said in a prepared statement. "While I am disappointed that employees represented by the International Association of Machinists...

In a famous scene from the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night, a reporter asks Ringo Starr whether he's a Mod or a Rocker. Starr answers, "I'm a mocker." Apparently, so is Paul McCartney. To be fair, nobody ever called McCartney the Smart Beatle. (That was John Lennon.) But nobody ever called him the Stupid Beatle either (that was Ringo), not even when he behaved like one (filming Give My Regards to Broad Street, marrying Heather Mills). But when he took the occasion of accepting the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to insult George W. Bush—"After the last eight years,"...

'Humiliation and intimidation' of Palestinians behind decision to scrap Caesarea concerts, British singer says. British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello this week became the latest in a list of stars to cancel performances in Israel as a political protest. Costello, who was due to play two shows in Caesarea on June 30 and 31, posted a message on his website in which he announced that he would scrap the concerts in protest at what he termed the intimidation and humiliation of Palestinians by Israel.

CNN’s Carol Costello began a new series on political talk radio on Monday’s American Morning, suggesting it was unfairly dominated by conservatives, and brought on a liberal psychiatrist who theorized that Rush Limbaugh has an audience because he’s “operating like the bully, and if you’re on the playground...you want to be...under the bully’s wing and go along with him and get...some power by proxy.” The correspondent’s report, which aired just before the bottom of the 7 am Eastern hour, was the first installment in a “special series on talk radio,” according to anchor John Roberts. Costello zeroed in on the...

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, a popular American comedy duo during the 1940s and 50s, performed a number crowd pleasing skits. Even today, their "Who’s On First" skit is still well known. Another of their famous skits, "Union Loafers", would probably be considered 'politically incorrect' by today's far-left activists. Nonetheless, the humor of this comedic routine seems to be an appropriate reminder since looming on the horizon is the "card check" scheme to end private unionization ballots. In this one, Abbott gets a loafing job at a bakery and Costello can’t understand that he gets paid for it. Video: Union...

On Tuesday’s Newsroom program, CNN correspondent Carol Costello harkened back to the 1970 incident at Kent State University, where National Guardsmen shot rock-throwing protesters and bystanders, and made it a possible equivalent to the recent murder of Iranian student Neda. Costello pondered the effect of the Neda murder video on the Iranian protests, and flashed a famous photo from the 1970 shootings [audio clips from the report are available here]. Anchor Kyra Phillips introduced the overall theme of Costello’s report: “By now, you’ve probably heard about Neda, the young Iranian woman that was gunned down in Tehran. Well, in death,...

(I just got this in an e-mail.....humor for those of you who are baby-boomers, or older...) If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this: COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you? COSTELLO: Thanks. I 'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer. ABBOTT: Mac? COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou. ABBOTT: Your computer? COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one. ABBOTT: Mac? COSTELLO: I told you,...

TACOMA, Wash. — A Vancouver man was sentenced Friday to 13 months in prison for pretending to be mentally retarded in order to claim disability benefits. Pete J. Costello, 28, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to defraud the government and to Social Security fraud. He began receiving disability benefits when he was 8. He was ordered to repay the $59,226 he has received since turning 18. Costello, who cannot read or write, dictated a letter to his public defender that was submitted to the judge before sentencing and filed in court. "I know that it was wrong to 'act...

DUAL citizens who work to divide Australia rather than unite it should be stripped of their Australian citizenship, Treasurer Peter Costello said today. "If somebody is an Australian citizen and also, let's say, an Egyptian citizen and that person doesn't support what this country stands for... I think we'd be within our rights to say to that person, well, Australia's not for you," Mr Costello told Macquarie Radio.

ACTING Prime Minister Peter Costello has backed the development of a nuclear power industry in Australia whenever it became commercially viable. Mr Costello's comments follow Prime Minister John Howard signalling he wants a full-scale nuclear debate when he returns from an overseas trip later this week. "If it becomes commercial, we should have it. That is, there's no in-principle objection to nuclear energy," Mr Costello told Southern Cross Radio today. "Nuclear energy is an efficient form of energy. Provided you deal properly with the waste, then it's safe. "It has much less greenhouse emissions than coal. "There's no in-principle objection...

IT WAS an unexpected double act which again demonstrated the power of the written word. On Monday, the media reported comments by John Howard to journalist George Megalogenis, which are in Nick Cater's edited collection The Howard Factor (MUP, 2006). The Prime Minister expressed concern that for the first time in Australian history, there is a "fragment" among immigrants "which is utterly antagonistic to our kind of society". The comments were made on December 9, shortly before the social unrest which followed events in Cronulla. Howard referred to (unnamed) groups "raving on about jihad" and holding "extreme attitudes" to women....

...commentator Keith Windschuttle, writing in the Australian as Howard's published interview became headline-making news, noted: "...[T]he response to the Danish cartoons demonstrated that, even when Muslims go on violent rampages, burn down embassies and, in Britain, march with placards threatening death to their fellow citizens, many people regard this as somehow understandable, even acceptable, since we have no right to judge another religion and culture." He referred to Howard as a "cultural warrior" and pointed out that, in Europe, statements like the Australian leader's "have seen government ministers in several countries condemned by their colleagues," with the result that some...

ANYONE who believes Islamic sharia law can co-exist with Australian law should move to a country where they feel more comfortable, Treasurer Peter Costello said today. All Australian citizens must adhere to the framework in society which maintains tolerance and protects the rights and liberties of all, he said. It is a pre-condition for citizenship of Australia. Mr Costello was giving a speech on the meaning of Australian citizenship to the Sydney Institute. "There is one law we are all expected to abide by," Mr Costello said. "It is the law enacted by the Parliament under the Australian Constitution. "If...

Home Project Activities Writing & Interviews Press Coverage Links Contact Contribute For Immediate ReleaseSeptember 22, 2004 11 FORMER AND CURRENT US AND UK GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ISSUE LETTERSUPPORTING DANISH WHISTLEBLOWER FRANK GREVIL Frank Grevil’s press contact is: Tom Clark tclark@tiscali.dkhome (+45) 4444 1343work (+45) 4452 6447mobile (+45) 4095 0574 or (+45) 6062 1763 OPEN LETTER TO THE DANISH GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC: We, the undersigned citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom, have recently come to learn of the criminal proceedings against our Danish fellow truth-teller, Mr. Frank Grevil. As his case has been presented to us, Mr. Grevil...

Neely elected to Hockey's Hall of Fame By Associated Press Wednesday, June 8, 2005 - Updated: 04:33 PM EST TORONTO - Former Boston Bruins star Cam Neely, the late Valeri Kharmalov and Murray Costello were named to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Neely and Kharmalov, a former Russian superstar who died in 1981, will enter in the players category. Costello, former president of the Canadian Hockey Association, goes in as a builder. Among eligible candidates - three years beyond retirement - with solid reputations who weren't picked for induction were Glenn Anderson, Steve Larmer, Dino Cicarelli, Kevin Lowe...

Federal Treasurer Peter Costello, in Israel for a second day, says Australia is more aware than ever of the need for stability in the Middle East. He has told the Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce that the two countries share a common outlook in wanting to end the scourge of terrorism. Introduced by his Israeli host as the next prime minister of Australia, Mr Costello told business people that terror had been an academic issue for Australians until the Bali bombing nearly one year ago. He said September 11 and Bali demonstrated graphically that terrorism around the world could have an...

ABBOT: Ultimate Super Duper Computer Store. Can I help you? ABBOT: Mac? COSTELLO: No, the name is Bud. ABBOT: Your computer? COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one. ABBOT: Mac? COSTELLO: I told you, my name is Bud. ABBOT: What about Windows? COSTELLO: Why? Does it get stuffy? ABBOT: Do you want a computer with Windows? COSTELLO: I don't know. What do I see when I look out the windows? ABBOT: Wallpaper. COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software. ABBOT: Software that runs on Windows? COSTELLO: No, on the computer! I need...