It's Just Another Day

For those of you who regularly read this but aren't from the local area back home, it should be noted that this blog, the Kentucky Democrat, made the local paper back home for what I call a public service announcement when a friend was reported missing.

Sleepover star safe
Scout Taylor-Compton was returned to her family Thursday -- and that leaves one local fan breathing easier.

When Taylor-Compton, 16, went missing from her home on Aug. 12, Louisville resident Daniel Solzman, 20, posted information about the actress on his blog to help find her. "I thought it was important," he said.

Solzman said his efforts prompted phone calls from Entertainment Tonight and the New York Daily News late this week.

Taylor-Compton had been hiding out at a friend's house, where she apparently went after a family argument, Reuters reports.

ET contacted me via MySpace to contact them via phone.

Mark Mulder was scratched from today's start so Jason Marquis started instead. He picked up his tenth win this season so you know what that means: all five starters have at least ten or more wins this season. Tony LaRussa is in third place of all-time after passing former Reds manager Sparky Anderson. LaRussa now has 2,196 wins. John McGraw has 2,763. Connie Mack leads all time with 3,731. With a few more years, LaRussa will get to at least 2nd place. I don't know about first place. St. Louis is guaranteed to win over half of their games and finish over .500 this season.

The Boston Red Sox will be home for another 12 games in their 14-game homestand, the longest of this season. Boston has won 14 games at Fenway in a row as of this morning.

Actresses-turned-singers make up for their feud. Yep, both Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson are no longer feuding after going backstage at a Coldplay concert.

But the pair agreed to put their differences aside after spending quality time together backstage at the "Clocks" hitmakers' gig in Irvine, California.

Lohan's spokesperson adds, "They never really had such issues - it's all fodder."

Took Chris long enough but he finally gets his star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"I think it's sweet that everyone still has a real nice place in their hearts for him, they still remember him," said actor-comedian David Spade, who appeared with Farley during his 1990-95 reign on the show.

"He goes down as one of the greats. And I still think about him every day," Spade said.

Fans, friends and family surrounded Farley's star, the walk's 2,289th, in front of the Improv Olympic West theater where the actor used to perform. Among other celebrities in attendance were SNL alums Chris Rock and Adam Sandler.

"I think every fat comedian owes him 80 bucks that's working today," Rock said.

Farley, whose physical comedy, wild antics and large appetite lent comparisons to another SNL alum, John Belushi, died on Dec. 18, 1997, from an accidental overdose of morphine and cocaine. He was 33.

Best known on SNL for his characterization of a slovenly motivational speaker named Matt Foley, Farley also drew laughs as an obsessed Chicago Bears football fan and a topless Chippendales dancer.

Chris is missed badly. David Spade just isn't the same unless he stars in a movie with the late comedian. Sorry, David, but that is the truth in my opinion. It's just like you can't have Hope without Crosby or Abbott without Costello.

Even though it's a long way away from making a formal announcement, that doesn't stop the Draft Warner campaign from grass roots campaigning. Myself, I believe Warner would make a fine VP for Sen. Evan Bayh.

Order! Order in the court, I said! Okay, some comic relief but that won't stop Dan Druen from being arraigned this Friday. He managed to postpone his arraignment hearing as a result of the Jobtrot scandal.

This is interesting. Who is Frances Fragos Townsend?

Just a little over two years ago, she had never met Bush and was viewed with suspicion by the inner circle of a tribalistic White House that does not easily accept outsiders. But the hard-charging Townsend has parlayed a succession of powerful patrons into one of the government's most important jobs. Along the way, in a city where partisan lines are rarely bridged, she has transformed herself from confidante of then-Attorney General Janet Reno to a confidante of George W. Bush.

Interesting company if you ask me.

The Daily Show's Bob Wiltfong suffers the ruthless interrogation. The page will probably be dead in the next month so here goes:

After 10 years (and a handful of Emmys), Bob Wiltfong gave up his career as a TV news reporter and anchor to take up comedy. These days, he's best known as a freelance correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," but he and comedic partner Matt Oberg are moving into the realm of comedic career counseling. The team brings their POW (Professional Opportunities Workshop) to Louisville this week as part of the Louisville Improvisors' celebration of comedy, Improvapalooza 5.

Let's talk about career development. What are your qualifications to advise people on professional development?
I think everyone who has worked in the business world knows that there's one way to success in business, and I've certainly followed that path. … I'm definitely a good suck-up. I'm very good at making people in power feel like they're smart, and that I am very lucky to be employed by them. I don't want to spoil the workshop, but that is definitely a take-away from the workshop. If you don't make your manager or boss feel like, "Hey, I'm the smartest guy in the room," then you're not doin' your job.

If somebody moved your cheese, what kind of cheese would it be?
I'm a big fan of blue cheese, so I'm gonna go with blue cheese, because it's smelly but it tastes good. I like that combination of things.

Are you a connoisseur? Any particular kind of blue cheese?
I like my blue cheese from Costco. I don't want to talk over your head, but Costco is a very good label of blue cheese.

A lot of idealistic baby boomers decided some years ago that the best way to change the system was to work from within. Do you think it's possible to get ahead in business while staying true to your ideals?
It depends on your definition of ideals. My ideal is to make my superiors look good so I get better jobs. That's what I'm about, and I think that's what a lot of business people are about if we're really being honest. And that's what we're about in the POW show -- being honest about the realities of the business world. My job is to get promoted and make a lot of money so I don't have to work very much. … So all this other stuff about, "Oh, am I being a good worker?" or "Am I treating people fairly?" No.

Is the Courier-Journal mentioned a lot today, or what? They preview this fall's movies in today's scene. How many will I see? Who knows? I have no car.

According to State Rep. Perry Clark, a Bush official will soon be in the Ville.

Many of us have family members and friends who are being affected by changes in the federal Medicare program. To help these individuals answer questions relating to their prescription drug coverage, please make them aware of a community forum being held at 1 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 at the Southeast Christian Church, 920 Blankenbaker Parkway, Louisville.

The event will feature Mike Leavitt, Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, as well as other public officials who will be on-hand to discuss community-based resources that can help educate and enroll seniors and disabled beneficiaries.

Have a good weekend, expect a later update tomorrow since I have to work.