As I was preparing to clean the link list, I discovered that I have far too many for a single post. Here’s the first chunk, grouped together because they are all about specific people, or at least use specific people as their starting points.
- Ayn Rand. We all know Ayn Rand — patron saint of libertarians, former resident of Northridge. But can you imagine what it was like to have her as a relative. Here’s a story about Ayn Rand’s niece, and what happened she asked to borrow $25 from Ayn for a dress. She offers to do so, with some very strict repayment conditions and loads of guilt. An interesting read.
- Sarah Brightman. You probably remember Sarah — ex wife of Andrew Lloyd Weber, star of Phantom of the Opera. Guess what’s she’s doing in October? You probably didn’t guess: Going to the Space Station for 10 days. The internationally acclaimed singer and actress paid approximately $52 million for the round-trip ride aboard the Russian Soyuz capsule.The 54-year-old Brightman will be the first professional singer to ever visit the orbital outpost.
- Zoey Tur. Those who have lived in Los Angeles a long time probably remember the name Bob Tur. He was a TV news helocopter pilot who covered major stories. He was also transgender, and finally came to the realization a few years ago. He just got back from sex reassignment surgery in Thailand. This is his story, and it makes for a fascinating read. Stories like this really help those of us not dealing with this to understand those going through it better, and I think it might provide some encouragement to others. Well written piece.
- Gene Spafford. Those of us on the Internet a long time know Gene from all his work on Usenet; some of us know Gene better because we work with him in the security community. Gene recently had some interesting medical issues. I found this particularly interesting as it concerns issues for folks over 50 (and I turn 55, if you can believe it, next week). If you’ve ever wondered why your doctor asks you about issues with your vision closing down light a curtain, this explains it.
- Mrs. Wolowitz. Carol Ann Susi passed away recently. She played the voice of Mrs. Wolowitz on Big Bang Theory, and her death was — in many ways — the death of a stereotype. The Jewish Mother is essentially gone from our TV screens. I’m not talking about mothers who are Jewish (although there are fewer Jewish characters on TV; they are all doing podcasts). Rather, I’m talking about the stereotypical Jewish Mother — the meddling, screaming, overprotective, “eat eat eat” image that goes back to Molly Goldberg and continued through numerous sitcoms. What’s replaced her? According to the article, the Tiger Mom, and gives as an example the mom character in the new Fresh Off The Boat.
Later today… more links!
