Would anyone care if 'Mad Men's' Don died?

TV

Drusilla Moorhouse TODAY contributor

10 hours ago

AMC

Falling man from opening of AMC's "Mad Men."

We have a perfect ending for "Mad Men's" season finale: Don Draper jumping out the window.

Obviously there's no chance of that happening. He's the star of the show, and besides, two season-ending suicides in a row (RIP, Lane Pryce) would be awfully repetitive. (Like juggling two juice accounts. RIP, Ocean Spray.)

But nothing is more redundant than Don Draper himself. Other than his brief interlude as a faithful newlywed, you just can't teach this dog new tricks.

Even a year ago, the thought of losing Don would have been inconceivable -- even though the businessman's freefall in the opening title sequence seems to imply that is his ultimate fate. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a metaphor, we get it. But the wretched ad exec has become so dull, predictable and dislikable that we really wouldn't miss him if he took a shortcut down to Madison Ave.

Everyone with sense agrees that Jon Hamm is a nearly perfect human creature, but we'd much rather see him in another role -- like his hilarious bubble boy Drew on "30 Rock." And you know what? "Mad Men's" ensemble cast would be just fine without him -- especially Roger Sterling and Sally Draper, who could easily front their own spin-off series.

Here are all the reasons we're over Don Draper:

Serial cheating: He's not unique among his colleagues at Sterling Cooper & Partners, but at least infidelity isn't a full-time hobby for Roger, Pete, Ted (maybe) and the gang. And yes, we know it's a manifestation of Dick Whitman's childhood in a whorehouse, but the backstory doesn't make his adultery any less boring.

Alcoholism: Another snoozer story line. But would Don be more interesting if he were sober? Doubtful. Another Roger acid trip, on the other hand ...

The sads: He wept on Peggy's shoulder and curled up in a fetal position on his disgusted daughter's bed, but we have lost all sympathy for depressed Don. In fact, our reaction is the same as his: Wah, wah, wah.

Tyranny: Don really is a monster, as Peggy called him after he humiliated her and Ted in the season's penultimate episode. He's spiteful, insensitive and downright cruel. So is Pete Campbell -- but at least we love to hate the snarky stair-tumbler. Don we just hate.

Impostor: Once upon a time, Don's identify theft was a thrilling narrative. Now nearly everyone knows the truth, and no one seems to care. Sterling Cooper's creative director works about five minutes a day, is trashed or asleep the rest of the time, insults his clients and colleagues and betrays his family. So why haven't they publicly outed him? Not that we'd really care. Bob Benson's fraud is so much more fascinating now.

Grim Reaper: Don isn't directly to blame for all the show's deaths, but they sure do seem to follow him like Pig Pen's cloud of dirt. And speculation is rampant that Megan might be the next to go, thanks to a number of clues connecting her to Charles Manson victim Sharon Tate. (Megan's obsession with "Rosemary's Baby" -- directed by Tate's husband, Roman Polanski -- only added fuel to the fire.) Her murder would paradoxically breathe new life into "Mad Men" -- but not if it means we'll be subjected to a final season devoted to her widow's grief.

Are you ready for Don to take a flying leap (literally or figuratively)? What do you hope to see in the season finale? Click on "Talk about it" below and share your thoughts!

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/if-don-draper-died-mad-men-finale-would-anyone-care-6C10382406

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Sharapova sends verbal shot Serena Williams' way

LONDON (AP) ? Maria Sharapova took quite a shot at Serena Williams ? and it was nowhere near a tennis court.

At her pre-Wimbledon news conference Saturday, Sharapova was asked about a recent Rolling Stone article where the author surmised that critical comments directed at an unnamed player by Williams were referring to Sharapova.

"At the end of the day, we have a tremendous amount of respect for what we do on the court. I just think she should be talking about her accomplishments, her achievements, rather than everything else that's just getting attention and controversy," Sharapova said.

"If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids," Sharapova continued. "Talk about other things, but not draw attention to other things. She has so much in her life, many positives, and I think that's what it should be about."

Williams has been linked to coach Patrick Mouratoglou, but neither has confirmed their relationship extends beyond the court. When Mouratoglou was asked about the topic at the French Open this month, he smiled and replied: "Sorry. I don't understand the question."

According to the Rolling Stone story, posted online Tuesday, Williams spoke about what the reporter described as "a top-five player who is now in love."

Williams is quoted as saying: "She begins every interview with 'I'm so happy. I'm so lucky' ? it's so boring. She's still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it."

That is followed by these words in parentheses from the author of the piece, Stephen Rodrick: "An educated guess is she's talking about Sharapova, who is now dating Grigor Dimitrov, one of Serena's rumored exes."

Sharapova beat Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final. But Williams has won their past 13 matches in a row, including in the French Open final two weeks ago.

At Wimbledon, where play begins Monday, Williams is the defending champion and seeded No. 1. Sharapova is seeded No. 3. They only could face each other in the final.

Williams is scheduled to hold a pre-tournament news conference at Wimbledon on Sunday.

The Rolling Stone article, which was about 4,000 words, drew widespread attention mostly for a one-paragraph reference to the Steubenville rape case. Williams is quoted as saying the teenage victim "shouldn't have put herself in that position."

Two players from the Steubenville, Ohio, high school football team were convicted in March of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl; one of the boys was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the girl naked. The case gained widespread attention in part because of the callousness with which other students used social media to gossip about it.

A day after the story was posted, Williams issued a statement in which she said she was "reaching out to the girl's family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written."

Williams' statement continued: "What was written ? what I supposedly said ? is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame."

Said Sharapova on Saturday: "I was definitely sad to hear what she had to say about the whole case."

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sharapova-sends-verbal-shot-serena-williams-way-170739505.html

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How Grad School Officials Evaluate International Applicants

International students often wonder what those who evaluate their graduate school applications are thinking as they read a candidate's file. Having been a director of admissions and an associate dean for enrollment management, my 28 years of experience in higher education included evaluating and making final decisions on tens of thousands of applications.

I also attended many conferences with other admissions and enrollment professionals. During these events, we had opportunities to discuss our approaches to evaluating applications, including those submitted by international students.

The following are some of the major things admissions officials keep in mind when evaluating and making final decisions about international applicants.

[Understand common concerns of international grad school applicants.]

1. The institution's enrollment goals: These are primarily set by the senior administration, and less often by the faculty. It is rare that the admissions director has input in the setting of these goals, yet she or he is responsible for reaching them.

Many factors are considered in the determination of enrollment goals: the number of men, number of women, number of U.S. minority students, number of international students, average GPAs, averages for standardized tests and more. While enrollment goals may not always seem understandable from an outside observer's point of view, there are usually sound reasons for each of them.

There will almost always be an international student enrollment target number provided to the director. Sometimes this number will be flexible; most of the time it is set in stone.

[Learn what international grad applicants should consider.]

For several years the enrollment goal for incoming international students at one of the institutions I served was 20 percent, and the overall incoming class size goal was 450. That means I was responsible for the enrollment of 90 international students at the start of the academic year.

If that final number was less than 80 - or greater than 100 - administrators were not happy. Over a 10-year period, while the enrollment goals stayed the same, international applications rose from 300 per year to more than 1,000 per year.

Obviously the selection process became more challenging each year. What I often communicated to international applicants was that the enrollment goal was not mine to set; rather, it was mine to achieve.

2. A positive impression of international applicants: My impression of international applicants was and is that they are extremely motivated, committed, hardworking and flexible.

I find international students consider studying abroad to be a real privilege and they are committed to making the most of that opportunity. In many cases, it is assumed that international students complete applications, and that they are able to follow directions well - which is extremely important.

In the mind of admissions officials, someone who cannot follow directions as an applicant will be less likely to follow directions as a student.

3. A belief that international students work hard to adjust: There is also a general impression that international students will make every effort to become part of the educational environment they join. The perception is that international students take great pains to fit in, make friends and become part of the institutional family.

[Explore ways international students can budget for grad school.]

4. Confirmation of good English skills: One of the largest concerns for most admissions directors is the ability of international applicants to communicate in English. Obviously, this is critical to the success of the student, and of the faculty as well.

Sometimes international students view English requirements at various institutions as prohibitive or even punitive, but this could not be further from the truth: The requirements are actually meant to help guarantee their success.

Admissions, student affairs and academic personnel are extremely concerned about creating an environment in which their students will thrive. After all, satisfied alumni are what give an institution its greatest level of credibility.

The last thing anyone would want is for a student to come to the United States for graduate study and fail, especially if that can be prevented. Confirming English proficiency is critical to the success of an international student's application.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/grad-school-officials-evaluate-international-applicants-150004575.html

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Wing walker, pilot die in crash at Ohio air show

CINCINNATI (AP) ? The plane that crashed at an Ohio air show, killing the pilot and stunt walker, is registered to a veteran wing walker.

Federal records show that the Boeing Stearman biplane that crashed Saturday at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton was registered to Jane Wicker of Loudon, Va.

The Federal Aviation Administration says Wicker was also a contract employee who worked as an FAA budget analyst.

An FAA official says the kind of aircraft that crashed was heavily used for pilot training during World War II.

The plane turned upside-down as Wicker sat on top of the wing before it titled and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames.

The air show canceled the rest of Saturday's events after the crash but planned to resume Sunday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wing-walker-pilot-die-crash-ohio-air-show-191655523.html

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Wing walker, pilot die in crash at Ohio air show

CINCINNATI (AP) ? A plane carrying a wing walker crashed at an air show and exploded into flames Saturday, killing the pilot and stunt walker, authorities said.

The crash of the 450 HP Stearman happened at around 12:45 p.m. at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton in front of thousands of horrified spectators. No one else was hurt.

A video posted on WHIO-TV shows the plane turn upside-down as the performer sits on top of the wing. The plane then tilts and crashes to the ground, erupting into flames as spectators screamed.

Ian Hoyt, an aviation photographer and licensed pilot from Findlay, was at the show with his girlfriend. He told The Associated Press he was taking photos as the plane passed by and had just raised his camera to take another shot.

"Then I realized they were too low and too slow. And before I knew it, they hit the ground," he said.

He couldn't tell exactly what happened, but it appeared that the plane stalled and didn't have enough air speed, he said. He credited the pilot for steering clear of spectators and potentially saving lives.

"Had he drifted more, I don't know what would have happened," Hoyt said. He said he had been excited to see the show because he'd never seen the scheduled performer ? wing walker Jane Wicker ? in action.

On the video, the announcer narrates as the plane glides through the sky and rolls over while the stuntwoman perches on a wing.

"Now she's still on that far side. Keep an eye on Jane. Keep an eye on Charlie. Watch this! Jane Wicker, sitting on top of the world," the announcer said, right before the plane makes a quick turn and nosedive.

Federal records show that biplane was registered to Wicker, who lived in Loudon, Va. A man who answered the phone at a number listed for Wicker on her website said he had no comment and hung up.

One of the pilots listed on Wicker's website was named Charlie Schwenker. A post on Jane Wicker Airshows' Facebook page announced the deaths of Wicker and Schwenker and asked for prayers for their families.

A message left at a phone listing for Charles Schwenker in Oakton, Va., wasn't immediately returned.

Dayton International Airport spokeswoman Linda Hughes and Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Anne Ralston confirmed that a pilot and stunt walker had died but declined to give their names. The air show also declined to release their identities.

The show was canceled for the rest of the day, but organizers said events would resume Sunday and follow the previous schedule and normal operations. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash.

Another spectator, Shawn Warwick of New Knoxville, told the Dayton Daily News that he was watching the flight through binoculars.

"I noticed it was upside-down really close to the ground. She was sitting on the bottom of the plane," he said. "I saw it just go right into the ground and explode."

Than Tran, of Fairfield, said he could see a look of concern on the wing walker's face just before the plane went down.

"She looked very scared," he said. "Then the airplane crashed on the ground. After that, it was terrible, man ... very terrible."

Wicker's website says she responded to a classified ad from the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, Va., in 1990, for a wing-walking position, thinking it would be fun. She was a contract employee who worked as a Federal Aviation Administration budget analyst, the FAA said.

She told WDTN-TV in an interview this week that her signature move was hanging underneath the plane's wing by her feet and sitting on the bottom of the airplane while it's upside-down.

"I'm never nervous or scared because I know if I do everything as I usually do, everything's going to be just fine," she told the station.

Wicker wrote on her website that she had never had any close calls.

"What you see us do out there is after an enormous amount of practice and fine tuning, not to mention the airplane goes through microscopic care. It is a managed risk and that is what keeps us alive," she wrote.

In 2011, wing walker Todd Green fell 200 feet to his death at an air show in Michigan while performing a stunt in which he grabbed the skid of a helicopter.

In 2007, veteran stunt pilot Jim LeRoy was killed at the Dayton show when his biplane slammed into the runway while performing loop-to-loops and caught fire.

Organizers were presenting a trimmed-down show and expected smaller crowds at Dayton after the Air Force Thunderbirds and other military participants pulled out this year because of federal budget cuts.

The air show, one of the country's oldest, usually draws around 70,000 people and has a $3.2 million impact on the local economy. Without military aircraft and support, the show expected attendance to be off 30 percent or more.

___

Thomas reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Kerry Lester in Chicago and Randy Pennell in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Raw video of crash: http://bit.ly/11Vf7JA

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wing-walker-pilot-die-crash-ohio-air-show-191655523.html

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Daly: Making a star isn?t the goal on ?The Voice?

TV

Brittany Frederick TODAY contributor

20 hours ago

Trae Patton / NBC

Danielle Bradbery, seen here with "Voice" host Carson Daly, won the competition, but will she be a star?

?The Voice? host Carson Daly said he was ?feeling good? after the hit series crowned its fourth winner on Tuesday night.

?We got a young, great talent in Danielle Bradbery, who could really make a big change in music, and we're happy about it,? he told TODAY.com.

However, Daly said Bradbery's crowning is "bittersweet," since the 16-year-old is the show's first titleholder who wasn't a professional singer before the competition.

?Part of me says, ?Hey, it'd be nice if she had a little wear and tear on the tires? (because) I'm an old music guy,? Daly said. "But the other side is great potential. It's 2013. This is the new paradigm of the music business. Stars are launched from shows like this.?

The host and producer also addressed continuing criticism that ?The Voice? has yet to produce a winner ? or any artist ? who has gone on to make a major splash in the music industry, like ?American Idol? alums Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson have.

?It'd be naive to say we're not thinking about that,? Daly said. ?We'd like to have somebody that really pops in popular culture and makes it. (But) it's not the goal of the show. It doesn't drive the show. We're also on twice a year unlike other shows. We're putting on great television, great entertainment. That's half the battle.

?But the real question is, what do you think successful is?? he continued. ?Is someone successful when they sell a million records? Tell that to Norah Jones, who won a Grammy (but) who hasn't (sold that many records). There's different views of success. We think an artist can pop from ?The Voice? that's a great talent, that may not be commercially huge but is very successful.?

He?s says he's proud of the Emmy-nominated show he helped build just two years ago. ?Everybody's in it for the right reason. Nobody's just here to collect a paycheck. It's transparent, as a viewer when you watch the show," Daly said. "The minute we get a coach that's phoning it in, you'll know. What you see is what you get, and that's what America's loving. It'll be that way in season five, and we're looking forward to it.?

Daly will be guest-hosting TODAY all next week. ?The Voice? will begin its fifth season this fall.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/carson-daly-making-star-isnt-goal-voice-6C10378926

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Luxury Airline Print Ad Flies - Business Insider

Catalogs don't have a reputation for being too exciting.

But with an elite mailing list of businessmen, bankers, and heads of state, Embraer wanted to go all out promoting its luxury business jet, the Lineage 1000.

So how did the airline manufacturer stand out?

It created a catalog that can actually fly. Using strong magnets, the booklet rises a few inches and floats in the air. You can even turn the pages as it's airborne.

"It also reinforces our passion about flying," Embraer expounds in an explainer video.

Agencia Africa, Brazil created the incredibly cool promotion.

See how it's done below:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/luxury-airline-made-a-print-ad-that-actually-flies-2013-6

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