People

COSBY SAYS OSBOURNES ARE 'SAD'

In an interview scheduled to air this week, comedian Bill Cosby says that he is no fan of the so-called reality show featuring the family of Ozzie Osbourne. He notes that everyone on the show is sad. In the interview, pre-released through several New York media outlets, Cosby says it's a "sad family ... it is a sad case. The children are sad. The parents are sad." Cosby, now 64, had one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history in the '80s with a family that was on the other end of the emotional scale. A spokesman for the Osbournes accused Cosby of trying to cash in on the show's popularity by "jumping on the bandwagon" with his comments, just to put himself back in the spotlight. What a sad comment that is. In a short span of 20 years we've come from a time when a real comedian, Bill Cosby -- one of the country's most respected observers of the quirks of family life in this country and an icon in the television industry -- can be trashed by an upstart, dysfunctional, pap-ridden show that portrays depressing behavior as the norm. The question remains, whom would you rather have as your next-door neighbors ... the Huxtables or the Osbournes?

LINKLETTER WORRIED ABOUT OLDER DRIVERS

This time of year we hear a lot about the concern for seniors on the road. But the "seniors" most people are worried about are high school students out partying at the end of the school year or after the prom. Now Art Linkletter says there is another group of seniors who are at risk on the highway. Speaking in West Des Moines, Iowa, the veteran broadcaster -- probably one of the most adept ad-libbers and talk hosts in the history of broadcasting -- told a seminar that there are far too many older Americans on the roads who no longer have the skills to drive safely. According to the Des Moines Register, Linkletter, 89, talked openly about getting old, but noted that it's time that elderly people look around and have the guts to tell friends and loved ones that "it's time to hang up the keys." The issue of mobility among senior citizens is a hot topic of discussion. No one wants to lose his or her ability to go where they choose. According to Linkletter, however, there is a limit to one's ability and it's necessary that the extent of that limitation be understood ... even if someone else has to help in the process. By the way, Linkletter hosted his House Party broadcasts on CBS radio and TV for nearly 30 years. He's written 17 books and still makes 100 appearances a year. If you want some great fun you should see a video of the opening day at Disneyland on July 17, 1955. Linkletter proved his ability to ride herd on a free form broadcast when, with the help of Ronald Reagan and Robert Cummings, he hosted live TV coverage of opening day -- where nearly everything went wrong.

KINNEAR TAPPED TO STAR IN BIOPIC

Remember Stephen Glass? He was a rising young mid-20s reporter who suddenly starting getting offers from a ton of national magazines, eager to print his work. Then the bottom fell out of his journalistic credibility when it was discovered that he made up some of what he wrote and lied about his sources. Well, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Lions Gate Films is about to produce a film about the young writer, "Shattered Glass." (Great title, huh?) Glass was vilified in the press after the discoveries of his deeds came to light. Actor Greg Kinnear has been tapped to play one of the starring roles. Kinnear, who turned 39 this week, got quite a birthday present when he was told he will play the editor of The New Republic, one of the publications for which Glass wrote stories ... and from which he was unceremoniously fired. Hayden Christensen, as earlier announced, will head the cast in the title role. It's interesting that the biopic is being produced at a time when other journalists, including Woodward and Bernstein and Jack Anderson, are being honored as heroes for their reportage during the Watergate affair.

KITTY WELLS TO BE HONORED IN NASHVILLE

It was half a century ago next month that the first song to hit the charts for country's Kitty Wells began to make its mark nationally. That was 1952. Wells was 32 at the time. The single, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," had an official release date of July 19 that year. Over the years she's sung a ton of hits and has become one of Nashville's really nice people. Now, according to CMT, Wells will be honored by Music City at a special benefit concert at the venerable Ryman Auditorium next week. The event, on June 23, will feature a long list of mainstream country entertainers, as well as stars of bluegrass. Additionally, the Martin Guitar Company will unveil a special "Honky Tonk Angel" model. A member of the Tennessee legislature will read a resolution, honoring Wells. The charity event will benefit a local reading program and a Nashville-area Alzheimer's care agency.

CARPENTER TIES KNOT WITH CONTRACTOR

It's the kind of marriage that's fun to report. A "Carpenter" marrying a "contractor." In this case, the "Carpenter" is singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. The "contractor" is Timmy Smith. According to published reports, the two tied the knot in ceremonies in Batesville, Va., recently. Actress Sissy Spacek -- long a fan of country music since her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in "Coal Miner's Daughter" two decades ago -- was there. Robin Williams conducted the ceremony. Not the movie star. He's half of the duo of Robin and Linda Williams. Rock musician Dave Matthews also attended. Carpenter is a powerful singer, and, according to an admiring fan on one of her many Web sites, is "one hot guitar player." Carpenter, the daughter of a publisher, is now 44. She got her first experiences on stage at amateur nights while in college. Her first album was the result of her sending a tape, on speculation, to a music producer. And, by the way, she's won five Grammys along the way.

LARGER PASSENGERS FEELING THE PINCH

Have you ever been on an airliner and sat next to a large person whose excess weight literally spilled over into your seat? Well, for years many airlines have had a policy that required large people to pay for two seats when that happens. But, it was seldom enforced. Now Southwest Airlines has decided that enough is enough. Since it's not profitable to widen seats, or practical for that matter, it's begun to enforce its long-standing rule requiring extra-sized passengers to pay the freight and buy two tickets when they occupy part or all of two seats. The San Francisco Chronicle says that the airline claims it's simply responding to a growing number of complaints from passengers who feel they are being squeezed out by oversized cabin-mates. Airline employees have been told to stop using a posted height-to-weight ratio in making their decisions about charges. From now on they have been directed to use common sense. Seats on the company's 737s are 18-and-three-quarters inches wide. A lot of people are wider than that. Of course, there's always Midwest Express (hubbing out of Milwaukee). They only put two seats on each side, making the configuration in coach more like first class.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 359

Here's today's question: "If you worked for the airlines would you be timid about telling an obese person to buy a second seat or informing a person with less-than-good hygiene that they can't board a flight?" Put REQUEST in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 354 (HOBBY)

Last week we asked how you spend your spare time. From a very random sampling of the mailbag, here are some of your answers: CWS has been a ham radio operator for decades and says that a two-way is a prominent part of his kitchen. There's also one in his office. Over the years he says it's become a rewarding hobby and provided good friends and often a sense of fulfillment when he's able to help out in times of disaster. IrmaCo bakes cakes, just for fun. But she reports that she also sometimes overbakes and has to sell off the surplus. Peggy loves computer games and spends tons of time pushing the buttons. She also says that walking the family's 134-pound dog is either a hobby or a chore -- she hasn't figured that one out yet. Melba is a consummate classic car buff, taking her and her hubby's '56 Ford to car shows. She reports that they placed second in a field of more than 230 cars at a recent show in Texas. Congratulations! People who said that reading was their hobby were in surprisingly large numbers. I'm happy to see that some people still quilt. That's becoming a lost art. TOMORROW: Do you arrive late or early? GBA.