If the Astros knew then what they know now, they might have made different decisions. They might have taken a deep breath and blown up the roster three years ago when it became clear (a) their farm system was a mess and (b) Drayton McLane wasn't going to spring for the $200-million payroll it would take to keep the big league team competitive.

By then, it might have been too late because the Astros were already boxed in by no-trade clauses and emotions. For one thing, McLane had this dream of Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt playing their entire careers with the Astros and going into the Hall of Fame as Astros.

McLane also wanted the Astros to be competitive every single season. He believed in adding pieces instead of subtracting them because he never wanted to stand before the microphones and cameras and say, ''We're rebuilding.''

If you're irritated by this attitude, think how you would have felt if he'd announced he was stripping the club down and starting over. You would have accused him of not wanting to win and other high crimes.

So Drayton did what you wanted him to do. He kept spending, kept pushing forward, kept hoping for a magic formula.

Miguel Tejada. Pudge Rodriguez. Mike Hampton. Russ Ortiz. The Astros ran old guy after old guy through their clubhouse.

For years, fans accused McLane of not spending enough money to keep the Astros competitive. Isn't it ironic that spending too much money may finally be the thing that brings the franchise to its knees?

OK, that's not exactly true. Some of the problems with the minor league system was McLane squeezing the dollars, but by far the larger issues were scouts making poor decisions.

If Drayton had less money to spend, he surely would have made better decisions if you define better as tougher. The Twins, Rays and Rockies focus their resources on the farm system because they understand they can't afford to play the free-agent game.

If Drayton had less money, he might not have given so many no-trade clauses, might not have hung onto his guys so long, might have been more cold-blooded.

If he had the revenues of the Yankees, he could have spent his way through the player development crisis. If he'd had the revenues of the Marlins, he wouldn't have spent all that money in the first place.

Instead, the Astros were caught in the middle. Some of you have written to complain that the Astros aren't a mid-market franchise because Houston is the fourth-largest city in America.

Wrong. Houston is a mid-market franchise because the Astros are 12th in terms of revenues. Those revenues have more than doubled during McLane's time as owner, and the payroll has risen accordingly.

It's easy to look back now and see the Astros should have started over, but there's plenty of pain associated with that kind of approach.

Check out the Rockies. They might be baseball's model franchise these days. But they made mistakes, too.

They tried to win through free agency, and then one day, they took a deep breath and did the right thing. GM Dan O'Dowd sat down with ownership and came up with a plan to rebuild from the ground up.

And O'Down was given the time to do it. Not money, but time. Lots of owners will invest money. Fewer will invest time. The Rockies toughed it out through six straight losing seasons, and as attendance declined and columnists demanded changes, they stayed the course.

Now they've got a very good major league team and an amazingly deep farm system. They're positioned to win big now and in the future.

Drayton just didn't want to put a bad baseball team on the field, so his general managers patched here and patched there. It's also impossible to know when is the right time to pull the trigger on a full-blown reconstruction.

Almost all the teams that have done it in recent years have been had their hands forced by economics. Owners and general managers convince themselves that fixing a leak here and a leak there will work. They can see another 2005 run to the playoffs, and they keep working toward that.

Then one day, they look up and the current roster doesn't resemble the 2005 roster in any way.

That's what happened to the 1988 Orioles. Jim Palmer got old. Ken Singleton got old. Al Bumbry got old.

Yet owner Edward Bennett Williams, who was dying of cancer, was so desperate for another championship that he began bringing in old guys. One Fred Lynn won't hurt, will it?

How about a Don Aase? And Alan Wiggins.

Instead of making it better, it just got worse. And just like with the Astros, the Orioles had allowed their farm system to go south.

Ed Wade appears to have stopped the bleeding by convincing McLane that the Astros would never be very good on a consistent basis without a productive farm system, and now help finally seems to be around the corner.

The Astros may be bad this year, and they could even be bad next season. But if the Astros made good decisions in the 2008-2009 drafts, things will get better.

The problem is that by opening day 2012, Oswalt, Berkman and Lee may all be gone, and it's impossible to know if the void they leave can be filled by these young players.

What should happen now? That's easy. Stay the course. Oswalt is the lone guy on the roster who might bring a couple of major league-ready players, but those kinds of trades usually don't happen at this time of the year.

For now, keep running those five starters out there and see if things improve. If Wandy is terrible, if Carlos Lee is not productive, if this club really is as bad as it appears, it'll be a long, fascinating summer. I guess you were already starting to know that.

BABY GOES PRO TO PLAY INTEGRAL ROLE IN FIRST LADY’S “LET’S MOVE” INITIATIVE TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY AT

ANNUAL WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL ON APRIL 5, 2010

GREENSBORO, NC – As part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s ongoing “Let’s Move” initiative to fight childhood obesity, tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez and Valerie Stern, through their new company Baby Goes Pro, have been invited to help coordinate and present the “Explore the Moves Sports and Obstacle Course”, an interactive sports exhibit at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 5, 2010. 

This year’s theme at the White House Easter Egg Roll is “Ready, Set, Go!” promoting health and wellness.  The White House will open its South Lawn to 36,000 lucky children aged 12 years and younger and their families. The event will feature live music, cooking stations, storytelling, the “Explore the Moves Sports and Obstacle Course” and, of course, Easter egg rolling, all to encourage children to lead healthy and active lives.

Baby Goes Pro, (www.babygoespro.com) is a first-of-its-kind DVD series that introduces children ages four and under to five non-contact sports -- baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis. The DVD features “Emkei (MK) the Monkey” an endearing animated character who acts as coach and inspires children to lead active lifestyles, build courage and begin a lifelong love of sports. The five sports will be offered at the event with obstacle course activities between each station. Here’s a brief description of the events and the celebrity guests invited by Baby Goes Pro to coach the children.

                                                                                                                                                      Tennis - Baby Goes Pro and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) with the help of tennis legend Billie Jean King, Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez will present Quickstart Tennis. The exciting new play format for learning tennis, introduces kids to the game by utilizing specialized equipment, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring, all tailored to age and size. 

Golf - Baby Goes Pro and the Ladies Pro Golf Association (LPGA) will join together to teach basic skills of the game at an interactive golf exhibit featuring two modular putting green donated by Tour Links.  Current and former LPGA stars Jane Geddes, Anna Rawson and Kris Tschetter will teach children the basic fundamentals of putting.

Baseball/Softball – Olympic softball champion Michele Smith along with former Baltimore Orioles slugger Al Bumbry will teach youngsters how to catch and throw.

Basketball – Washington Wizards point guard Earl Boykins and former NBA player Delaney Rudd and his staff of coaches will teach youngsters the fundamentals of basketball.

Soccer – Olympic champion Abby Wambach along with NFL placekicker Martin Gramatica, will show kids basic soccer foot skills including passing and kicking.

Obstacle Course – Designed by North Carolina’s P.E. Teacher of the Year, Coach Mc Henry, the obstacle course features a climbing wall, a teepee tunnel, a stand up Emkei for target hitting, hula hoops, aerobic steps and other fun and interactive activities.

“Physical activity is a prime component of the First Lady’s campaign to combat childhood obesity,” said Fernandez.  “The mission of Baby Goes Pro is to motivate kids to get active at a very young age.  Our objective is directly in line with that of the First Lady’s – to “inspire a generation to move” and ultimately lead healthy and long lives.  It is one of my greatest honors to participate in this annual holiday event and spread this very important message.”

           

About Baby Goes Pro (www.babygoespro.com)

“Inspiring a generation to move” is the mission of Baby Goes Pro, a first-of-its-kind DVD series that introduces children to sports using an endearing animated character who “coaches” children on the building blocks of sports.  Baby Goes Pro was founded by two mothers, Hall of Fame tennis player Gigi Fernandez and Valerie Stern, a self-proclaimed “soccer mom,” whose mission it was to create a vehicle to introduce movement through sports, at time when a child’s brain development is at its peak. The fundamentals, from simple movements, to the rules, of five non-contact sports -- baseball, tennis, basketball, golf and soccer -- are outlined in a DVD series designed for young children. The first 25-minute DVD, created for children under age 4, is set to original music which appeals to even the youngest child.   It is available online at www.BabyGoesPro.com  for $14.95 (free shipping and handling) and Amazon.com. It will be available in July at a major National Retailer.  The company is committed to the fight against childhood obesity and inspiring a generation to move and as such is giving 10% of profits to charitable organizations that promote active lifestyles for youth.

The hottest ticket in town keeps getting hotter: J.K. Rowling and Justin Bieber will join the cast of Glee as guests of First Tweens Malia and Sasha Obama at the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll.

They will join other tween celebrities Dylan and Cole Sprouse (from Disney Channel's The Suite Life), the cast of Glee, Sara Bareilles, and more. This is an annual Easter event at the White House and this year features the First Lady's Let's Move campaign.

The entire list of stars is below.

Wow - such an amazing event! Are you one of the lucky 30,000 ticket holders?

"The White House is pleased to welcome the following performers and leaders in their field to participate in this year's Easter Egg Roll:
· Sara Bareilles, Justin Bieber, the cast of the television show Glee, Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, and Little Beat, The #1 Chinchilla and DJ Willy Wow! will perform on the Rock ‘n' Egg Roll Stage
· J.K. Rowling, Reese Witherspoon, Apolo Ohno, Mariska Hargitay, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Elmo and Maria of Sesame Street and Betty DeGeneres will read on the Storytime Stage
· Billy Jonas and Miss Amy will perform on the Ellipse
· Chef Art Smith, Chef José Andrés, Chef Cliff Wharton, Chef Nora Poullion, Chef Robert Wiedmaier, Chef Susan Limb, Chef Victor Albisu, and the White House Chefs will prepare healthy eating demonstrations in the Play with your Food station.
· Billie Jean King, Gigi Fernandez, Ilana Kloss, Delaney Rudd, Liezel Huber, Katrina Adams, Anna Rawson, Jane Geddes, Kris Tschetter, Martin Gramatica, Michele Smith, Al Bumbry and Earl Boykins will help organize games in the Sports Zones
· NFL players will lead children in healthy activities as a part of the NFL Play 60 Movement. Those participating include Washington Redskins players Kevin Barnes, Alvin Bowen, Derrick Dockery, Reed Doughty, Chris Horton, Marko Mitchell, Will Robinson, Casey Rabach, Justin Tryon, Edwin Williams, Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, H.B. (Horatio Benedict) Blades, Doug Dutch as well as, Baltimore Ravens players Matt Lawrence and Sam Koch
· The DC Youth Orchestra and the United States Marine Corps Band."

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To observe the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration, the Kennedy Center will present a new Peter Lieberson score for the National Symphony based on the late President's speeches; a program of First Lady Jackie's favorite ballets, danced by ABT; recreations of the legendary White House concerts by Casals and Bumbry; and a three-week festival of arts from India, scene of one of the Kennedys' most famous state visits....

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration, the Kennedy Center announced Tuesday that it will re-create two famous concerts from that White House era, those of Pablo Casals and Grace Bumbry.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration, the Kennedy Center announced Tuesday that it will re-create two famous concerts from that White House era, those of Pablo Casals and Grace Bumbry.

Carlo Maria Giulini conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, bass Raffaele Arié, and mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry in the first part of the “Dies Irae” from Verdi’s Requiem in 1964. I’ll go out on a limb and call this awesome. Giulini conducts the ‘Dies Irae’ from Verdi’s Requiem is a post from: The Arts Blog

Giulini conducts the ‘Dies Irae’ from Verdi’s Requiem is a post from: The Arts Blog

Bumbry, 72, was the first black opera singer to appear at Germany’s Wagner festival, Bayreuth, when she was 25. Many conservative opera-goers were outraged but by the end of the performance, the audience applauded for 30 minutes and there were 42 curtain calls. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8398675.stm Grace Bumbry is an American opera singer of great renown, considered [...]

January 20, 2010, F said,  For me, what happens is, I do not want to skip ahead and write any other scene, and prefer to write in order, like the whole book in one go. I have difficulty in 'feeling' for my characters. If there is a scene I look forward to, I wait until I come to it. And all those scenes are the ones I am actually proud of when I read back. The others, I can definitely see that they need fixing up. Is there any tip you can give us which can help us to stay 'in tune' with our characters and plot, and not get bored? I really like my plot, but lack the motivation to write some (most) of the times, since my characters feel just the little bit too flat, and too listless.

I’m picking up three separate questions: writing in order, flat characters, and being bored.

Starting backwards, sometimes I get bored too.  My story can make me so sleepy that I have to do something else to keep my head from falling into the keyboard.  When I’m more awake I go back to work, until I have to stop again.  For me, the early stages of a book are especially torpor-inducing.  Often my drowsiness has no bearing on the quality of what I’m writing.  A particular chapter may be terrific, despite the fact that it’s putting me out.  So don’t assume that what you’re writing when you’re bored is boring.

If I didn’t sleep well the night before, or if the blood has left my brain to help digest my lunch, I get bored.  But even when I didn’t sleep enough and it’s right after lunch, I’m almost never bored if I’m revising, which leads me to suspect that there’s a worry component to the boredom.  I’m a confident reviser but not a confident first-draft writer.  When it’s revision time the hardest work is over.  Before then, though, I can still louse everything up.  You may be most confident about the scenes that appeal to you, not so much about the others.  I don’t know any better answer for boredom than to cope as well as we can.  I write a few sentences, walk to my office window, write a few more sentences, pour myself a cup of tea, write a little more, hope that the boredom will pass, which it often does as I push on.

Occasionally, my boredom indicates a story problem.  I’ve lost my way, and my characters are just wandering around.  Or I’m pursuing an idea that I love and I’m pushing the story where it doesn’t want to go.  I may blunder on this way, bored, for weeks before I realized what’s going on.  Often then I have to find a better path for my story, which I usually locate through notes.

Boredom can be connected to writer’s block, so it may be helpful to go back to my post on the subject, called “Playing with Blocks” on October 28, 2009 or to look at the chapter in Writing Magic called "Stuck!"

It is not a crime to abandon a story that is boring you.  You can come back to it if and when you have a new idea.  Or you may be able to move the parts that interest you to a different story you’re working on.  Or you can use these parts as the basis of an entirely new tale.  The only writing crime is not writing.

Moving on to the writing-in-order question:  I write in order too, although I admire writers who can hop around and sew everything together later.  I discussed the question with a writer friend who does leap from scene to scene out of sequence, and she suggested you try her method and see what happens.  It is possible that writing the scenes you’re eager for may help you discover what you need to do to tie them together, and you may become more interested in the in-between scenes.

If you stick with your method and mine, you might try slowing down the scenes you want to just get through, which may help with deepening your characters too.  Suppose, for example, that your main character, Marka, is a runner.  The scene that interests you most is the big race at the end of a summer of preparation.  You have it all planned out:  the perfect running shoes that go missing, the substitute shoes, the best friend running on Marka’s right, her enemy on the left, the leg cramp.

Maybe a few scenes interest you along the way:  an argument with the enemy, shopping for running shoes with the best friend, a practice run when a new boy in school runs too.  And that’s it.  You hurry through the rest.

This may be the root of the flat-character problem.  You may not know your characters well enough because you haven’t thrown them into a variety of situations.  Look at the boring scenes.  Maybe you can bring conflict into them too.  Suppose you need a scene with the running team and the coach, but you’re not interested in it.  Try thinking about some of the peripheral characters:  Coach Bumbry, the slowest runner on the team, the girl who’s fast but her crazy form is incomprehensible.  How does she move with her knees almost hitting her chin?  What’s up with Coach Bumbry?  Suppose she seems to care about every character on the team except your Marka.  How does Marka deal with being ignored?

Take the slowest runner.  Why is she on the team?  How does she relate to Marka?  Does Marka help her, stay away from her as if slowness might be catching, spy on her?

The girl with the weird form.  What might Marka do with her?

You may want to expand your story.  Maybe there’s some home conflict.  Marka’s mom might be convinced that the time Marka spends running is the reason she’s flunking English.  Marka’s dad may be irritable because he’s quitting smoking.  Marka’s older brother may be applying for college and sucking up every scintilla of parental attention.  Whatever.  How does Marka react to all this?

If you throw Marka into lots of situations, if you complicate the boring scenes, you’ll know more about her when the climax arrives.  Her actions are likely to be more layered; her thoughts will be surprising.  And you may enjoy the writing more, too.

Prompt:  Add three new scenes to one of your old stories or to a story you’re working on now.  Put your main character into an. unfamiliar setting.  Have him spend time with a minor character.  Make someone he trusts surprise him in an unpleasant way.  See what he does.  If you need to adjust the rest of your story to accommodate the new scenes (if you’re happy with them), go for it.  Have fun, and save what you write!

In 1961, Grace Bumbry was the first black singer to perform at the German Bayreuth Festival. The 24-year-old received 42 curtain calls, 30 minutes of applause, and international recognition. Bumbry will talk about her opera career and life at An Evening With Grace Bumbry , followed by a Q&A and reception. The Boston University alumna will give a free vocal ...

The 32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors 2009 include Grace Bumbry, Mel Brooks, Robert De Niro, Dave Brubeck,and America's Boss.

Wow, what a show! Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Mel Brooks, Robert De Niro, and Bruce Springsteen were recipients of the Kennedy Center Honor for their contributions to American Culture. But what is really cool about having a President Obama, who gets mainstream American Culture, is that all of these great people and more have been honored while they're still alive.

Now, I'm referring to the Presidential Medal of Honor Award recipients in 2009 at the White House. It was awesome to see Stevie Wonder and Sidney Poitier honored in such a way, just as it was amazing to see Dave Brubeck get the stage he so rightfully deserves.

In an event hosted by Caroline Kennedy, Brubeck was celebrated by Herbie Hancock, who said Dave Brubeck was his musical inspiration. Robert De Niro was feted by 2007 Kennedy Center Award Winner Martin Scorsese. And Frank Langella and Martin Short sang to Mel Brooks, while tributes were given by Matthew Morrison, Harry Connick, Jr, Jack Black, Richard Kind, Jane Krakowski, Shuler Hensley, , and Matthew Broderick.

That's what you get when you have a President who know who Lady Gaga is.

Los Angeles, (GaeaTimes.com)- The Annual Kennedy Center Honors are held in order to recognize the achievements of personalities who have made a significant contribution to the American culture through the arts that they have pursued. This year, the Annual Kennedy Center Honors hosted their 32nd event. Like each year, this time too, five notable personalities ... Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Dave Bruback, Grace Bumbry, Mel Brooks, Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen In 2009 Kennedy Center Honors.

About Me cool awesome whatever bored sister collab hot sexy you wish awwjam guests adorian lamarr rachael allissa jeydon adigitalb davedays wow celebrity gossip popular lots of views hope ... Source : www.youtube.com About Me Google Trends : dave brubeck grace bumbry eddie vedder jennifer nettles kennedy center honors one big happy family …

Grace Bumbry, Kennedy Center Honors ceremony originally held on Sunday, December 6th, with Caroline Kennedy as host for the seventh consecutive year. This year’s honorees are Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro, and Bruce Springsteen. With President Obama and Vice President Biden in attendance and performances delivered by many artists including; Jack Black, [...]

Bruce Springsteen perceived a Kennedy Center Honor this weekend, along with actress Robert De Niro, stand up comic Mel Brooks, show star Grace Bumbry and jazz good Dave Brubeck. President Obama said, “I’m the president, but he’s The Boss.” … bruce springsteen kennedy honors respect core robert de niro mel brooks beauty bumbry dave brubeck ...

The 32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony (which actually took place in Washington, D.C. on December 6) aired tonight, December 29, on CBS. President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama were there along with Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This year’s honorees were Bruce Springstreen, Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry and [...]

WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 06: (AFP OUT) Recipients of the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert DeNiro, and Bruce Springsteen watch as U.S. President Barack Obama hosts the 2009 Kennedy Center Honorees at an East Room reception in the White House December 6, 2009 in Washington, DC. ——Martin H. Simon-Pool/Getty Images The [...]

On the heels of this week's broadcast of his Kennedy Center honors (along with Bruce Springsteen, Dave Brubeck, Mel Brooks, and Grace Bumbry), legendary actor...

Kennedy Center Honors 9/8c CBS The 32nd annual gala, hosted by Caroline Kennedy, salutes Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen.

... pounds (9 and 9:30 p.m. TLC). 100 Most Shocking Music Moments: The countdown continues, with host Chris Jericho (9 p.m. VH1). 20/20: The newsmagazine offers its take on the true story behind the hit movie "The Blind Side" (10 p.m. ABC). SPECIALS Rudolph's Shiny New Year : Red Skelton, Frank Gorshin and Morey Amsterdam provide voices for this story of how the red-nosed reindeer, with...

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Explore : Actors and Actresses, Entertainment, Mark Harmon, Mel Brooks

The 32 nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors 9 p.m., Channel 4 “I’m the president, but he’s The Boss.’’ That much-publicized quote by Barack Obama about Bruce Springsteen comes from this event, which was filmed earlier in the month. The honorees this year, along with Springsteen, include Robert De Niro, Grace Bumbry, Dave Brubeck, and Mel Brooks. Among the presenters: Jon ...

The 32 nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors 9 p.m., Channel 4 “I’m the president, but he’s The Boss.’’ That much-publicized quote by Barack Obama about Bruce Springsteen comes from this event, which was filmed earlier in the month. The honorees this year, along with Springsteen, include Robert De Niro, Grace Bumbry, Dave Brubeck, and Mel Brooks. Among the presenters: Jon ...

Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative, and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist.

Monday

Cirque du Soleil presents Kooza, which is a two-hour story about a guy who meets other guys and they do acrobatic things and some slapstick. If you like modern, arty sorts of clowns, then this is right up your alley. (CBC, 8 p.m.)

NBC really hopes people will watch Community, so they're rerunning four episodes back-to-back tonight. (They're actually doing this for all of their Thursday night shows, but why would we bother to mention the umpteenth Office mini-marathon?) Community is actually a really funny show, though, so support NBC's cynical ploy if you are so inclined. (8 p.m.)

Tuesday

Rudolph's Shiny New Year is actually very appropriately paired with Rudolph The Red-Nosed Raindeer. Just as Christmas is a time to celebrate the better impulses in human life, New Year's Eve is a time to get shitfaced and forget about everything you did for a few hours. Which should include watching this special, because why would you want to remember anything about it? (ABC, 8 p.m.)

The 32nd Annual Kennedy Center honourees this year (being awarded for their contributions to American culture) are Mel Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Robert De Niro, Grace Bumbry, and Dave Brubeck. Basically this event is always the same: five little mini-tribute films, followed by a thankful speech. No performances or anything. You might want to tune in for Mel Brooks' speech; this might be his last opportunity to really cut loose and be inappropriate before he croaks, and we can't imagine Mel Brooks passing that up. But other than that you can probably miss this, unless you really, really need to feel validated about loving Meet the Fockers. (CBS, 9 p.m.)

Wednesday

Eastwick limps to an undignified end, cancelled and with one or two episodes in the bin that may never make it to your TV (unless you purchase the inevitable "Complete Series" box set that you know is coming). Ah, Eastwick. When exactly did we know you were doomed? Was it the presence of famed showkiller Lindsay Price? The dull progression of storylines? The announcement that Jerry O'Connell was going to join the show? The guest appearance by Rosanna Arquette? No, it was probably the Jerry O'Connell thing. (ABC, 10 p.m.)

Family Channel airs Camp Rock, because you needed a reason to keep on living. (7:30 p.m.)

Thursday

Air Farce New Year's Eve 2009? No! NO! NO! The Air Farce was supposed to be gone forever! That was the deal! Oh, man, Satan, I checked that contract like five times and there was no provision for this! I explicitly demanded that nothing like this ever happen! That's a VOID CONTRACT, Satan! (CBC, 8 p.m.)

Other New Year's television entertainments: ABC has what is theoretically Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve (But Really It's with Ryan Seacrest), with the Black Eyed Peas, starting at 10; NBC has Carson Daly's annual thing likewise starting at 10; and City's annual Nathan Philips Square New Year's likewise starts at 10, assuming you want a Cancon countdown in the privacy of your own home rather than going out. You sad shut-in, you.

Friday

Bowl games. See, back in the day, college football was kind of awesome because all the bowl games aired on New Year's Day so there were about fifty games airing on every channel, and it was pleasant chaos. However, the need for order and money now means that there are a mere three bowl games airing today, which makes me sad. The best one is probably twelfth-seeded LSU versus thirteenth-seeded Penn State in the Citrus Bowl... no, excuse me, the Capital One Bowl. Yes, the best Bowl game on New Year's Day no longer even has a top ten–seeded team. We have failed future generations. (ABC, 1 p.m.)

In a bout of cheekiness, Turner Classics airs 2010, the not-half-bad kind-of-a-sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Cute. (8 p.m.)

Space runs the entirety of Torchwood: Children of Earth in a single day, because they couldn't get Doctor Who for today and needed to give the diehards something. In fairness, Children of Earth is probably the best that Torchwood has ever been. But on the other hand, it's still Torchwood, a show that was created because somebody said, "Hey, what if we took the letters in "Doctor Who" and turned them around a bit?" (5 p.m. through till 11:15 p.m.)

The Weekend

Okay, most of the Doctor Who diehards probably torrented the first half of The End of Time, the two-part event that serves as the swan song for both David Tennant as the Doctor and showrunner Russell T. Davies, as well as introducing Matt Smith as the newest Doctor, and most of them will probably have already seen the second half in the same manner because it airs in England on Friday and Who fans are not known for their patience. But for those of you without access to the internet or who really, really want to watch it with commercials a day after the fact, Space has got you covered! (8 p.m. Saturday)

W gives you a double shot of Hugh Grant being British and charmingly rogueish and rogueishly charming with About A Boy followed by Love Actually. Forget all about that hooker in the car all over again! (7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Sunday)

It's that time again Gabbers, time to try and figure out who the lovely country legs belong to. This photo was taken December 6th at an event honoring some big names. President Obama was even there. Answer after the jump.... It's the always lovely Jennifer Nettles who performed December 6th in front of President Obama, the first lady, and Vice President Joe Biden at the 32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Honored at the event were Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen. You'll be able to catch Jennifer's performance as well as the rest of...

The Kennedy Center Honors gala is always a star-studded affair, and Sunday’s incarnation honoring Mel Brooks, jazz composer Dave Brubeck, opera singer Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro, and Bruce Springsteen at the Kennedy Center was no exception. 

In addition to the honorees, guests included the Obamas, who attended for the first time. Even in light of the party crasher scandal following the first state dinner, security procedures remained the same as previous years—still an important priority—according to Carolyn Peachey of Campbell Peachey & Associates, who produced the event with gala co-chair Buffy Cafritz. The red carpet in the Hall of States that lead toward the Grand Foyer ended in a row of metal detectors, with guests in evening gowns and tuxedos lining up to be scanned by security wands. Anyone entering through the Hall of States and the Hall of Nations had to show ushers their ticket in order to pass through the metal detector, and then again to Opera House ushers, before being escorted to their seats.

Actor Robert De Niro and rocker Bruce Springsteen were both lauded at the Kennedy Center Honors Sunday at a black-tie gala in Washington D.C. by the President and Michelle Obama and a host of Hollywood's biggest stars. Other honorees included jazz musician Dave Brubeck, comedian Mel Brooks and opera singer Grace Bumbry. Watch the first video from NBC, and the second, below, from AP... ...

La gala anual del Kennedy Center rindió homenaje este año al cantante Bruce Springsteen, al actor Robert de Niro, al productor y escritor Mel Brooks, a la cantante de ópera afroamericana Grace Bumbry y al pianista y compositor Dave Brubeck.

Thrill to double-barreled diva excitement as that most regal of Kennedy Center honorees Grace Bumbry converses with always awesome Anne Midgette! [Washington Post]

Honorees Bruce Springsteen, Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry and Robert De Niro weren't the only stars on last night's red carpet at the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors. Check out some of your favorite TVNewsers working it...

David Gregory meets the press on the red carpet.

The questions are turned on Katie Couric, arriving last night.

More photos, courtesy of friend of the blog Tommy McFly, after the jump...

continued...

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

President Obama has appointed Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, to the board of the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Boston Globe reports.

The Kennedy Center's board of trustees currently includes all of the living first ladies and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, among others.

The president and Michelle Obama held a reception on Sunday ahead of the 32nd Kennedy Center Honors, at which Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry received awards.

Vicki Kennedy has recently talked about her husband's death in August, revealing that the first printed copy of his memoir, "True Compass," arrived at their home the day he died, and that they had read every word of the book aloud to each other.

Mrs. Kennedy was a founding director of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and is a member of the advisory board of the Edward M. Kennedy Oral History Project at the University of Virginia. She currently leads a nonprofit group that seeks to protect children from the effects of gun violence.

 

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts acknowledged the accomplishments of Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen, and Mel Brooks on Sunday by presenting the entertainers with the esteemed Kennedy Center Honors.

In his address to the honorees, President Barack Obama admitted to stealing a line from wife Michelle, saying, “The arts are not somehow apart from our national life, the arts are at the heart of our national life.”

The December 6 event also acknowledged the distinguished careers of jazz great Dave Brubeck and opera star Grace Bumbry. The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast December 29 on CBS in a two-hour special.

Good morning, District. As the world turns its attention to Copenhagen for UN climate talks that seek to shape the global debate about planetary climate change, District residents have a few opportunities to affect change at a local level. For some in this media-rich town, that charge is read as a challenge to generate the most counter-intuitive angle possible on climate change. Our own disgraced climatologist George Will wins that game, with a lede to his column in yesterday's Washington Post that asserts that the one-time carbon cost associated with jet flights to Copenhagen outweighs the monumental and lasting change that delegates there could affect.

Giant Food Stores the D.C. Council seem to understand the environment a little better. The Washington Business Journal reports that Giant will distribute 250,000 free re-usable bags after January 1 -- the same date the city's brilliant 5-cent disposable bag fee comes into effect. That legislation is primarily geared toward preventing the pollution associated with plastic bags, in particular litter that finds its way to the Anacostia River. But the carbon footprint of producing and incinerating plastic bags -- which most Americans use each and every day -- is not negligible, and neither is the cost of coming up with new solutions to increasingly clogged landfills.

It will be difficult to keep global warming on the brain as local temperatures plunge this week. The Capital Weather Gang says the city can expect another outbreak of dread wintery mix on Tuesday night or early Wednesday -- so enjoy today's sunshine.

PG House Fire Injures Eight Firefighters: A fire that broke out in a two-story house in Prince George's County just after 11 p.m. last night could be seen well over a mile away. It might have been put down more quickly, according to ABC 7, but firefighters arrived on the scene to the dread low water pressure associated with failed hydrants in D.C. It's unclear yet whether hydrant failure is to blame in this situation; the cause of the fire itself appeared to be accidental. Emergency dispatchers said they received phone calls from all over the area reporting the fire, which took place in University Park. Five residents escaped to safety, while firefighters battled the blaze for over an hour, with eight sustaining minor injuries in the process.

Boss of All Bosses Honored at Kennedy Center: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama were among the officials on hand at the Kennedy Center Honors reception to celebrate the work of Robert De Niro, Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, and Bruce Springsteen. The Associated Press suggests that the Salahis didn't make it into this one, but you can check NBC Washington's slideshow to be sure.

Briefly Noted: New Georgetown dorm evacuated after smoke reported . . . Accidents clog I-295 . . . Pit bull attack leaves woman in critical condition . . . Police arrest suspect in cutting of pregnant woman.

On Saturday, President Obama awarded opera great Grace Bumbry, comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks, jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, Robert De Niro, and Bruce Springsteen with Kennedy Center Honors for their lifetime contribution to American culture. When introducing Brooks, a visibly star-struck Obama launched into a comedy routine, recalling how he broke the law to see Blazing Saddles.

5:28 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  On behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House.

LITTLE CHILD:  Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Laughter.)  

This a season of joy, tradition and celebration.

LITTLE CHILD:  Yea!

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes!  (Laughter.)  And today, it is our great joy to continue a White House holiday tradition —- a celebration of performers who have transformed the arts in America, our extraordinary Kennedy Center Honorees.  (Applause.)

We are joined by Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- (applause) -- members of Congress and members of the Kennedy family.  (Applause.)  I see sprinkled through the crowd some pretty fancy company, as well -- you've got the Queen of Soul.  (Applause.)  You've got Martin Scorsese -- he knows a little bit about film-making.  (Applause.)  And my spectacular First Lady is here, as well.  (Applause.)

I especially want to thank the man who created these Honors more than three decades ago and who has produced them ever since -- and whom I was proud to name as co-chair of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities -- George Stevens, Jr.  George.  (Applause.)

And I want to also thank Stephen Schwarzman and the Kennedy Center trustees.  (Applause.)  As well as president Michael Kaiser and all those who sustain President Kennedy's vision of a "great stage" celebrating "the best coming from this country and abroad."

These performers are indeed the best.  They are also living reminders of a simple truth -- and I'm going to steal a line from Michelle here -- the arts are not somehow apart from our national life, the arts are at the heart of our national life.  (Applause.)  

In times of war and sacrifice, the arts -- and these artists —- remind us to sing and to laugh and to live.  In times of plenty, they challenge our conscience and implore us to remember the least among us.  In moments of division or doubt, they compel us to see the common values that we share; the ideals to which we aspire, even if we sometimes fall short.  In days of hardship, they renew our hope that brighter days are still ahead.

So let's never forget that art strengthens America.  And that's why we're making sure that America strengthens its arts.  It's why we're reenergizing the National Endowment of the Arts.  That's why we're helping to sustain jobs in arts communities across the country.  It's why we're supporting arts education in our schools, and why Michelle and I have hosted students here at the White House to experience the best of American poetry and music.   

And it's why we're honored to celebrate these five remarkable performers, who for decades have helped to sustain and strengthen the American spirit.

You can't understand America without understanding jazz.  And you can't understand jazz, without understanding Dave Brubeck.  (Applause.)  His mother was a classical pianist with high hopes for her son.  And by the time he was four, he was playing himself.  But by the time he was a teenager, he was tearing up local honky-tonks.  Even his mother had to admit: "There is some hope for David after all."  (Laughter.) 

And perhaps it was World War II —- his service in Patton's Army -— that changed his sound, forcing him, as he said, to work the war out of his system by playing some "pretty vicious piano." Whatever it was, his sound —- the distinctive harmonies and improvisations of the Dave Brubeck Quartet —- would change jazz forever, prompting Time magazine to put him on the cover as the leader of a new jazz age.

Having brought jazz into the mainstream, he then transformed it, with innovative new rhythms on albums like Time Out -- the  first jazz album to ever sell more than a million copies and still one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.

Dave Brubeck has never stopped reaching new audiences:  Performing for Presidents from Johnson to Reagan; composing orchestral tributes to Martin Luther King and Pope John Paul II; and even in his 80s, dazzling jazz festivals across America.

And I know personally how powerful his performances can be. I mentioned this to Dave backstage.  In the few weeks that I spent with my father as a child -- he came to visit me for about a month when I was young -- one of the things he did was to take me to my first jazz concert, in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1971, and it was a Dave Brubeck concert.  (Laughter and applause.)  And I've been a jazz fan ever since.  The world that he opened up for a 10-year-old boy was spectacular. 

And, Dave, for the joy that you've given millions of jazz lovers like me, for your six decades of revolutionary rhythms, you are rightly honored -- especially today, on your 89th birthday.  (Applause.)

He was born Melvin Kaminsky --

MEL BROOKS:  He never understood 4/4 time -- (laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  He's still messing it up, Mel.  (Laughter.) Mel, I'm trying to say something nice about you, now.  (Laughter.)  Please don't upstage me.  (Laughter.)

As you can tell, he was born to entertain.  (Laughter.)  Or, as Mel Brooks explains it:  "Look at Jewish history -- unrelieved lamenting would be intolerable.  (Laughter.)  So every 10 Jews, God designed one to be crazy and amuse the others."  (Laughter and applause.)  According to Mel, "By the time I was five I knew I was that one."  (Laughter.)    

And by the time he was nine, this boy from Brooklyn had seen his first musical and dreamed of becoming "the King of Broadway." But World War II meant service in the Army -- or, as he put it, "the European Theater of Operations" with "lots of operations" and "very little theater."  (Laughter.)  Returning home, he found success cranking out quips for Sid Ceasar -- or as Mel described his reaction to success -- "panic, hysteria, insomnia…and years of psychoanalysis."  (Laughter.)  

That's right, we're reading back all your golden moments here, Mel.  (Laughter.) 

Unfortunately, many of the punch lines that have defined Mel Brooks' success cannot be repeated here.  (Laughter.)  I was telling him that I went to see Blazing Saddles -- (laughter) -- when I was 10.  And he pointed out that I think, according to the ratings, I should not have been allowed in the theater.  (Laughter.)  That's true.  I think I had a fake ID.  (Laughter and applause.)  But the statute of limitations has passed.  (Laughter.)

Suffice it to say, in his satires and parodies, no cow is sacred, no genre is safe.  He mocked the musical -- and Hitler --in The Producers, the western in Blazing Saddles, and the horror film in Young Frankenstein.
 
But behind all the insanity and absurdity, there's been a method to Mel's madness.  He's described his work as "unearthing the truth that is all around us."  And by illuminating uncomfortable truths -- about racism and sexism and anti-Semitism -- he's been called "our jester, asking us to see ourselves as we really are, determined that we laugh ourselves sane."

For this, he is one of the few people ever to receive an Emmy and a Grammy and an Oscar and a Tony.  Writer, director, actor, producer, composer…for his success -- and for his psychoanalysis -- we honor Mel Brooks.  (Applause.)

Reflecting on the challenge of finding one's voice, Grace Bumbry once said:  "God has already planted that in your throat. It's your job to free it up, to allow that beautiful thing to shine through." 

True to her name, Grace allowed her voice to shine through and touch all those within its range.  Around her family's piano in St. Louis; on the talent show where, as a teenager, she moved the host to tears; and then, after being turned away from one music school because of the color of her skin -- her triumphant international debut at the Paris Opera, when she was just 23 years old. 

With a pitch and presence like no other, she became a global sensation, moving audiences at the great opera houses of the world.  And performing here at the White House, it was said that she moved Jacqueline Kennedy to lean over and gently sing along the words to the President.

Defying every expectation, Grace Bumbry then made the transition from mezzo to soprano.  And over the decades that followed, she displayed a range like few others -- sometimes the middle ranges as a mezzo; sometimes the highs of a soprano; sometimes both in the same performance.  Grace not only triumphed in different techniques, she transformed them.

And though she gave her final operatic performance in 1997, she appears in recitals to this day.  After nearly 50 years, she remains the definition of a diva in the classical sense:  a divine voice worthy of the heavens.  And tonight -- 32 years after she performed at the first Kennedy Center Honors for her mentor Marian Anderson -- we honor Grace Bumbry.  (Applause.)

Growing up in New York City's Little Italy, Bobby De Niro always knew what he wanted to be.  Coming home from the movies, he'd act out the parts.  At age 10, in his school play, he made a rather unlikely debut in The Wizard of Oz as the Cowardly Lion.  (Laughter.)

He has said:  "my joy as an actor is to live different lives."  And in more than 60 films spanning more than 40 years, Robert De Niro has lived some of the most iconic and intense characters ever portrayed on film.  A dying baseball player in Bang The Drum Slowly.  A young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II.  A deranged Taxi Driver.  A troubled veteran in The Deer Hunter.  A brutal boxer in Raging Bull.  A vengeful ex-con in Cape Fear.  Let's hope that Martin Scorsese was kidding when he said that Robert is "full of something that he wanted to express."  (Laughter.)  Don't worry, we did a vet on him before he came in tonight.  (Laughter.)

But alongside his Oscar-winning emotional audacity there's his versatility, from a coma patient in Awakenings, to an ever-possessive father in Meet The Parents.  There's his legendary method -- not simply portraying characters, but becoming them, emotionally and physically.  And there is his love for his city  -- whether it's directing films like A Bronx Tale, or founding the film center and festival that has energized the arts in New York City.

It is perhaps the great irony of his life -- one of America's greatest cinematic actors is a man, famously, of few words off the screen -- and I can attest to this.  (Laughter.)   So I'll simply say, thank you, Robert De Niro.  (Applause.)

Finally, we honor the quiet kid from Jersey -- (laughter) -- who grew up to become the rock 'n' roll laureate of a generation. For in the life of our country only a handful of people have tapped the full power of music to tell the real American story -- with honesty; from the heart; and one of those people is Bruce Springsteen. 

He has said:  "I've always believed that people listen to your music not to find out about you, but to find out about themselves."  And for more than three decades, in his songs -- of dreams and despair, of struggle and hope -- hardworking folks have seen themselves. 

They've seen their great state of New Jersey.  And they've seen their America -- in songs that become anthems.  Restless kids who were "Born to Run."  The struggles of workers in "My Hometown."  The sacrifices of vets who were "Born in the U.S.A." Love and loss in "Streets of Philadelphia."  A resilient nation in "The Rising."  And, this year, a country "Working on a Dream."

It's no wonder that his tours are not so much concerts, but communions.  There's a place for everybody -— the sense that no matter who you are or what you do, everyone deserves their shot at the American Dream; everybody deserves a little bit of dignity; everybody deserves to be heard. 

I've seen it myself.  Bruce was a great fan -- a great friend over the last year, and when I watched him on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when he rocked the National Mall before my inauguration, I thought it captured as well as anything the spirit of what America should be about.  On a day like that, and today, I remember:  I'm the President, but he's The Boss.  (Applause.)

And Bruce continues to inspire, along with his "house-rocking, earth-shaking" E Street Band.  At 60 years old, he's still filling stadiums, still whipping fans into a frenzy, still surfing the crowd, still jumping off pianos, and still reaching new fans, and still being nominated for Grammys.  It's been a long road from that stage at Stone Pony in Asbury Park to this stage today, but this much we know -- after more than 30 years and 120 million albums sold, Bruce Springsteen is still one "cool rockin' Daddy."  (Laughter and applause.)       

Dave Brubeck.  Mel Brooks.  Grace Bumbry.  Robert De Niro.  Bruce Springsteen.  Their stories are their own.  But the part that they play in the larger American story -- that's what we honor here tonight.  What they say is that with respect for the past, we can keep strong the traditions and values that enrich us all; that with confidence in the present, and in ourselves, we can overcome whatever comes our way; and that with faith in the future, America's greatest "Glory Days" are still to come.

So thank you to all of our honorees.  Thank you all very much for the joy and the beauty that you've contributed to our lives.  We are very grateful.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
5:59 P.M. EDT

Cinco estrellas de la música y el cine fueron homenajeados hoy por sus distinguidas carreras en el prestigioso Kennedy Center, en una gala a la que asistieron el presidente Barack Obama, líderes políticos y miembros de Hollywood. La 32 gala anual del Kennedy Center sirvió para rendir tributo al cantautor Bruce Springsteen, de 60 años; al actor Robert De Niro, de 66 años; el productor y escritor Mel Brooks, de 83; la cantante de opera afroamericana Grace Bumbry, de 72, yel pianista y compositor Dave Brubeck, que hoy mismo cumplió 89 años.   "Yo soy el presidente, pero él es El Jefe", bromeó Obama al referirse a Springsteen, durante una recepción privada el Salón Este de la Casa Blanca, un par de horas antes de la gala en el Kennedy Center. Estos artistas "son recordatorio viviente de una simple verdad -aquí voy a robar una frase de Michelle- las artes de alguna manera no están separadas de nuestra vida nacional, están en el corazón de nuestra vida nacional", argumentó el mandatario, quien destacó los logros de cada uno de los cinco homenajeados. Por ejemplo, dijo que las giras de Springsteen más que conciertos son "comuniones" en las que la gente puede sentir que cada uno tiene su lugar y que "sin importar lo que eres o hagas, todos merecen una oportunidad de lograr el Sueño Americano". Entre los 300 invitados, que también asistieron al acto en el Kennedy Center, figuraron miembros de la clase política en Washington asi como luminarias como Edward Norton, Jack Black, Matthew Broderick, Ben Stiller, Martin Scorsese, Sting, y Philip Seymour Hoffman. Sobre Brubeck, Obama recordó que su padre lo llevó a verlo actuar en Honolulu en 1971 y que, desde entonces, ha sido un fanático de la música jazz. Obama provocó fuertes risas y aplausos cuando, atribuyendo una frase al propio cómico Brooks, dijo que "por cada diez judíos, Dios hizo a uno de ellos loco para que entretuviera al resto". Según explicó el presidente del Kennedy Center, Stephen A. Schwarzman, los cinco homenajeados son "individuos extraordinarios" que han contribuido "significativamente a la vida cultural de nuestra nación y del mundo". Durante la gala, realizada bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad, la cantante Aretha Franklin rindió tributo a Bumbry, al señalar que ésta ha sido una verdadera "diva" a la vieja usanza, cuando una artista se ganaba ese apelativo con talento y dedicación. Mientras, la actriz Meryl Streep, encargada de presentar a De Niro, se deshizo en elogios a su obra y figura, al indicar que el actor sentó "el estándar de oro" en el cine y que ha servido de "inspiración" para muchos. Los homenajeados recibieron sus medallones, que colgaban de un listón tricolor, la noche del sábado en el Departamento de Estado, durante una cena ofrecida para 200 invitados por su titular, Hillary Clinton. "Hemos trabajado muy duro para que nuestra música sea parte de la vida nacional y la de nuestros fanáticos. Es un reconocimiento de que, de alguna manera, has logrado enhebrarte en la cultura", afirmó el sábado Springsteen, intérprete de populares temas como "Born in the USA". La ceremonia será retransmitida por la cadena televisiva CBS el 26 de diciembre.

The President and First Lady hosted the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors last night. The honorees were Mel Brooks, Robert DeNiro, Dave Brubeck, Bruce Springsteen and Grace Bumbry. The show will be broadcast on CBS December 29th at 9pm. For all you Glee fans, Matthew Morrison was one of the performers to honor Mel Brooks. [...]

Cinco estrellas de la música y el cine han sido homenajeados por sus distinguidas carreras en un evento al que han asistido el presidente Barack Obama, líderes políticos y miembros de Hollywood. La 32 gala anual del Kennedy Center ha servido para rendir tributo al cantautor Bruce Springsteen, de 60 años; al actor Robert De Niro, de 66 años; el productor y escritor Mel Brooks, de 83; la cantante de ópera Grace Bumbry, de 72, y el pianista y compositor Dave Brubeck, que hoy mismo ha cumplido 89 años."Yo soy el presidente, pero él es El Jefe", ha bromeado Obama al referirse a Springsteen, durante...

more images more images BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN was celebrated by U.S. President BARACK OBAMA, STING and JOHN MELLENCAMP as he was presented with Kennedy Center Honors at a star-studded ceremony on Sunday (06Dec09). Along with Robert De Niro, Mel Brooks, jazz great Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry, Springsteen received America’s highest accolade in recognition of his [..] Read the original article: here.

WASHINGTON - "I'm the president, but he's The Boss." With those words, President Barack Obama greeted Bruce Springsteen Sunday night at a White House reception before the iconic rocker was lauded with Kennedy Center Honors along with Robert De Niro, comic genius Mel Brooks, jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry A ...

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joins the five 2009 Kennedy Center Honorees opera singer Grace Bumbry , jazz pianist Dave Brubeck , actor Robert de Niro , rock star Bruce Springsteen and comedian, director, composer and producer Mel Brooks as they pose for a group photo at the conclusion of the gala dinner at the U.S. State Department in ...

The great thing about the Kennedy Center Honors show isn't the honorees themselves -- though they're pretty great, or they wouldn't be honorees in the first place -- but the kind of high-low cultural mash-ups that celebrate their life's work. The nearly three-hour performance is like the world's ...

Cinco estrellas de la música y el cine fueron homenajeados hoy por sus distinguidas carreras en el prestigioso Kennedy Center, en una gala a la que asistieron el presidente Barack Obama, líderes políticos y miembros de Hollywood. La 32 gala anual del Kennedy Center sirvió para rendir tributo al cantautor Bruce Springsteen, de 60 años; al actor Robert De Niro, de 66 años; el productor y escritor Mel Brooks, de 83; la cantante de opera afroamericana Grace Bumbry, de 72, yel pianista y compositor Dave Brubeck, que hoy mismo cumplió 89 años.   "Yo soy el presidente, pero él es El Jefe", bromeó Obama al referirse a Springsteen, durante una recepción privada el Salón Este de la Casa Blanca, un par de horas antes de la gala en el Kennedy Center. Estos artistas "son recordatorio viviente de una simple verdad -aquí voy a robar una frase de Michelle- las artes de alguna manera no están separadas de nuestra vida nacional, están en el corazón de nuestra vida nacional", argumentó el mandatario, quien destacó los logros de cada uno de los cinco homenajeados. Por ejemplo, dijo que las giras de Springsteen más que conciertos son "comuniones" en las que la gente puede sentir que cada uno tiene su lugar y que "sin importar lo que eres o hagas, todos merecen una oportunidad de lograr el Sueño Americano". Entre los 300 invitados, que también asistieron al acto en el Kennedy Center, figuraron miembros de la clase política en Washington asi como luminarias como Edward Norton, Jack Black, Matthew Broderick, Ben Stiller, Martin Scorsese, Sting, y Philip Seymour Hoffman. Sobre Brubeck, Obama recordó que su padre lo llevó a verlo actuar en Honolulu en 1971 y que, desde entonces, ha sido un fanático de la música jazz. Obama provocó fuertes risas y aplausos cuando, atribuyendo una frase al propio cómico Brooks, dijo que "por cada diez judíos, Dios hizo a uno de ellos loco para que entretuviera al resto". Según explicó el presidente del Kennedy Center, Stephen A. Schwarzman, los cinco homenajeados son "individuos extraordinarios" que han contribuido "significativamente a la vida cultural de nuestra nación y del mundo". Durante la gala, realizada bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad, la cantante Aretha Franklin rindió tributo a Bumbry, al señalar que ésta ha sido una verdadera "diva" a la vieja usanza, cuando una artista se ganaba ese apelativo con talento y dedicación. Mientras, la actriz Meryl Streep, encargada de presentar a De Niro, se deshizo en elogios a su obra y figura, al indicar que el actor sentó "el estándar de oro" en el cine y que ha servido de "inspiración" para muchos. Los homenajeados recibieron sus medallones, que colgaban de un listón tricolor, la noche del sábado en el Departamento de Estado, durante una cena ofrecida para 200 invitados por su titular, Hillary Clinton. "Hemos trabajado muy duro para que nuestra música sea parte de la vida nacional y la de nuestros fanáticos. Es un reconocimiento de que, de alguna manera, has logrado enhebrarte en la cultura", afirmó el sábado Springsteen, intérprete de populares temas como "Born in the USA". La ceremonia será retransmitida por la cadena televisiva CBS el 26 de diciembre.

Washington.- Cinco estrellas de la música y el cine fueron homenajeadas esta noche por sus distinguidas carreras en el prestigioso Kennedy Center, en una gala a la que asistieron el presidente Barack Obama, líderes políticos y miembros de Hollywood.

La 32 gala anual del Kennedy Center sirvió para rendir tributo al cantautor Bruce Springsteen, de 60 años; al actor Robert De Niro, de 66 años; el productor y escritor Mel Brooks, de 83; la cantante de opera afroamericana Grace Bumbry, de 72, yel pianista y compositor Dave Brubeck, que hoy mismo cumplió 89 años.

"Yo soy el presidente, pero él es El Jefe", bromeó Obama al referirse a Springsteen, durante una recepción privada el Salón Este de la Casa Blanca, un par de horas antes de la gala en el Kennedy Center.

Estos artistas "son recordatorio viviente de una simple verdad -aquí voy a robar una frase de Michelle- las artes de alguna manera no están separadas de nuestra vida nacional, están en el corazón de nuestra vida nacional", argumentó el mandatario, quien destacó los logros de cada uno de los cinco homenajeados.

Por ejemplo, dijo que las giras de Springsteen más que conciertos son "comuniones" en las que la gente puede sentir que cada uno tiene su lugar y que "sin importar lo que eres o hagas, todos merecen una oportunidad de lograr el Sueño Americano".

Entre los 300 invitados, que también asistieron al acto en el Kennedy Center, figuraron miembros de la clase política en Washington asi como luminarias como Edward Norton, Jack Black, Matthew Broderick, Ben Stiller, Martin Scorsese, Sting, y Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Sobre Brubeck, Obama recordó que su padre lo llevó a verlo actuar en Honolulu en 1971 y que, desde entonces, ha sido un fanático de la música jazz.

Obama provocó fuertes risas y aplausos cuando, atribuyendo una frase al propio cómico Brooks, dijo que "por cada diez judíos, Dios hizo a uno de ellos loco para que entretuviera al resto".

Según explicó el presidente del Kennedy Center, Stephen A. Schwarzman, los cinco homenajeados son "individuos extraordinarios" que han contribuido "significativamente a la vida cultural de nuestra nación y del mundo".

Durante la gala, realizada bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad, la cantante Aretha Franklin rindió tributo a Bumbry, al señalar que ésta ha sido una verdadera "diva" a la vieja usanza, cuando una artista se ganaba ese apelativo con talento y dedicación.

Mientras, la actriz Meryl Streep, encargada de presentar a De Niro, se deshizo en elogios a su obra y figura, al indicar que el actor sentó "el estándar de oro" en el cine y que ha servido de "inspiración" para muchos.

Los homenajeados recibieron sus medallones, que colgaban de un listón tricolor, la noche del sábado en el Departamento de Estado, durante una cena ofrecida para 200 invitados por su titular, Hillary Clinton.

"Hemos trabajado muy duro para que nuestra música sea parte de la vida nacional y la de nuestros fanáticos. Es un reconocimiento de que, de alguna manera, has logrado enhebrarte en la cultura", afirmó el sábado Springsteen, intérprete de populares temas como "Born in the USA".

La ceremonia será retransmitida por la cadena televisiva CBS el 26 de diciembre.

President Obama and a black-tie audience bestowed the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors tonight. Mel Brooks and Robert DeNiro joined Bruce Springsteen, jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and opera star Grace Bumbry as this year's honorees for lifetime achievement in the performing arts. Obama said the five were a living reminder that, "The arts are at the heart of our national life. These five remarkable performers have helped us sustain and strengthen our nation." The Kennedy Center Honors will air as a 2-hour prime-time special on CBS December 29th.

Cinco estrellas de la música y el cine fueron homenajeados hoy por sus distinguidas carreras en el prestigioso Kennedy Center, en una gala a la que asistieron el presidente Barack Obama, líderes políticos y miembros de Hollywood.      La 32 gala anual del Kennedy Center sirvió para rendir tributo al cantautor Bruce Springsteen, de 60 años; al actor Robert De Niro, de 66 años; el productor y escritor Mel Brooks, de 83; la cantante de opera afroamericana Grace Bumbry, de 72, yel pianista y compositor Dave Brubeck, que hoy mismo cumplió 89 años. "Yo soy el presidente, pero él es El Jefe", bromeó Obama al referirse a Springsteen, durante una recepción privada el Salón Este de la Casa Blanca, un par de horas antes de la gala en el Kennedy Center.      Estos artistas "son recordatorio viviente de una simple verdad -aquí voy a robar una frase de Michelle- las artes de alguna manera no están separadas de nuestra vida nacional, están en el corazón de nuestra vida nacional", argumentó el mandatario, quien destacó los logros de cada uno de los cinco homenajeados.      Por ejemplo, dijo que las giras de Springsteen más que conciertos son "comuniones" en las que la gente puede sentir que cada uno tiene su lugar y que "sin importar lo que eres o hagas, todos merecen una oportunidad de lograr el Sueño Americano".      Entre los 300 invitados, que también asistieron al acto en el Kennedy Center, figuraron miembros de la clase política en Washington asi como luminarias como Edward Norton, Jack Black, Matthew Broderick, Ben Stiller, Martin Scorsese, Sting, y Philip Seymour Hoffman. Sobre Brubeck, Obama recordó que su padre lo llevó a verlo actuar en Honolulu en 1971 y que, desde entonces, ha sido un fanático de la música jazz.      Obama provocó fuertes risas y aplausos cuando, atribuyendo una frase al propio cómico Brooks, dijo que "por cada diez judíos, Dios hizo a uno de ellos loco para que entretuviera al resto". Según explicó el presidente del Kennedy Center, Stephen A. Schwarzman, los cinco homenajeados son "individuos extraordinarios" que han contribuido "significativamente a la vida cultural de nuestra nación y del mundo".      Durante la gala, realizada bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad, la cantante Aretha Franklin rindió tributo a Bumbry, al señalar que ésta ha sido una verdadera "diva" a la vieja usanza, cuando una artista se ganaba ese apelativo con talento y dedicación. Mientras, la actriz Meryl Streep, encargada de presentar a De Niro, se deshizo en elogios a su obra y figura, al indicar que el actor sentó "el estándar de oro" en el cine y que ha servido de "inspiración" para muchos.      Los homenajeados recibieron sus medallones, que colgaban de un listón tricolor, la noche del sábado en el Departamento de Estado, durante una cena ofrecida para 200 invitados por su titular, Hillary Clinton. "Hemos trabajado muy duro para que nuestra música sea parte de la vida nacional y la de nuestros fanáticos. Es un reconocimiento de que, de alguna manera, has logrado enhebrarte en la cultura", afirmó el sábado Springsteen, intérprete de populares temas como "Born in the USA". La ceremonia será retransmitida por la cadena televisiva CBS el 26 de diciembre.

Kennedy Center Honors were also given to Dave Brubeck and Grace Bumbry. This is Obama's first big event since Micheale and Tareq Salahi – White House Party Crashers – got past White House security at a previous function.

"I'm the president, but he's The Boss." With those words, President Barack Obama greeted Bruce Springsteen on Sunday night at a White House reception before the iconic rocker was lauded with Kennedy Center Honors along with Robert De Niro, comic genius Mel Brooks, jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry A surprise list ...