'Best of TBH Politoons'
But Untrue
Strangely Believable
George W. Bush is only 5' 4" tall. His public appearances are carefully stage-managed to make him appear taller than he really is.
~Jeff Crook
Jeff Crook is the Ceci Connolly of the Left. ~ J. Howard Tuft
Strangely Believable but Untrue is now available online at the Untrue Fact of the Day web calendar. Help spread disinformation and misunderstanding by sharing this with your friends and enemies.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Brian Crouch: Are We Sparta or Are We Athens? Choosing Between Teaching Thinking or Teaching Information in America's Schools (The Irascible Professor)
Imagine that you and your family have just walked through a time portal and that you have been mysteriously transported back to ancient Greece in the year 400 B. C. Suddenly, you are approached by the robed keeper of the portal who tells you that you will never be able to return to the 21st century. You are given a choice between living in the city-state of Sparta with its ordered, disciplined and powerful militaristic society or the democracy of Athens with its emphasis on a rich culture and the development of well rounded citizens. Both city-states were successful and powerful so how will you choose which is best for your family?
Amy Goodman: Iran: The Next Strategic Target (Democracy Now!, Alternet)
Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh burst open the secret neocon plans aimed at Iran. In an interview, Hersh explains how Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are trying to keeping America in the dark about their war games.
Katrina vanden Heuvel: Annals of Outrage (The Nation, Alternet)
The Bush administration's ten most outrageous scandals - an orgy of fraud, mismanagement and corruption.
Boxer, Rice Exchange Pointed Words (Los Angeles Times)
Following is a transcript of Sen. Barbara Boxer's remarks and Condoleezza Rice's response at Rice's confirmation hearing as provided by Federal News Service.
Emily Udell: Recapturing Kansas (In These Times)
How did conservatives win the heart of America? That is the question Tom Frank explores in his bestselling book What's the Matter with Kansas?, an incisive analysis of the Republican transformation of traditional economic populism into the Great Backlash. Frank's book, which has become a post-election touchstone for progressive pundits, looks beyond the red state/blue state paradigm to explain how the mirage of "moral values" issues ("God, guns and gays") has subverted public dialogue about economic issues and convinced working class Americans to vote against their economic self-interest.
Global poll slams Bush leadership (BBC)
More than half of people surveyed in a BBC World Service poll say the re-election of US President George W Bush has made the world more dangerous.
Cindy Adams: GUEST OF HONOR A NO-SHOW (New York Post)
MONDAY a funny thing happened on the way to the CORE dinner. Honoree Karl Rove didn't show. The Hilton ballroom was jammed. Maybe 1,500 black-tied people. Everyone but the guest of honor. A Congress of Racial Equality devotee, I attend its dinner every Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I was on the dais the night they honored Laura Bush, the night they honored Sen. Bill Frist, and the night they were to honor Karl Rove. Only he didn't show. Oddly, when Niger, the son of CORE's right wing conservative leader Roy Innis, called to say they had Karl Rove, I actually said: "Why? I know Bush is close to you but he doesn't need you anymore. I can't understand why Rove would come."
Spain's Catholic Church Backs Condoms (Yahoo News, AP)
"Condoms have a place in the global prevention of AIDS," Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, spokesman for the Spanish Bishops Conference, told reporters after a meeting Tuesday with Health Minister Elena Salgado to discuss ways of fighting the disease.
Patt Morrison: A Museum That Lies Far, Far Off the Path of Science (LA Times)
I wrapped up my little visit to the Museum of Creation and Earth History in Santee and walked into the gift shop in time to hear a customer assuring the clerk that the Smithsonian in Washington has actual pieces of Noah's ark but won't admit it and won't let anyone near them. Keep in mind I'd just seen "proof" that the Earth is no older than about 10,000 years, that man and dinosaurs coexisted before a flood that not only created the Grand Canyon but put the final score at humans (Noah and kin) 1, dinosaurs 0. After all that, the bit about the Smithsonian nearly sent me into a faint. I needed someone to deliver a couple of "quick, snap out of it, girl" taps with a copy of Scientific American.
Dr. Albert Pennybacker: Clergy and Laity Network Calls for Inaugural to be Scrapped
Interfaith vigils protesting the excessive expenses and the numerous celebrations of President George W. Bush's second inauguration are occurring on Inauguration Eve, January 19, in numerous communities across America. CLN urges your participation. This is a time of war, military deaths and grieving families as every pastor knows. Ravaged Pacific coast communities, overflowing rivers and growing poverty are present in our midst. Overseas millions suffer in homelessness in the wake of the unprecedented Southeast Asia disaster, and millions more grieve the loss of parents, children, loved ones and friends.
Jim Emerson: Stars, Globes & Griffin: The GGs still get no respect
The Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy goes to Kathy Griffin for her pre-show red carpet performance on E! Or, it should. Griffin, a self-described "D-List celebrity" ("I'd like to think I was hovering around the C for a while, but then once you do "The Celebrity Mole" you jump straight to D -- that's it, there's no coming back"), rose to the occasion by treating the Golden Globe procession of stars, and her own role in covering it, with all the respect and seriousness they deserve.
John Freeman: Abridged too far: Nick Hornby's mile-a-minute reading diary (Missoula News)
Even though I, as a critic, recommend books for a living by writing about them, my most rewarding experience of praising a novel was not in print but in person. I was sitting in the corner of a bar where I used to go and read at night because you could smoke there. A friend stopped by and asked what I was reading. I described the novel-Monica Ali's Brick Lane-and told her why it was keeping me up at night. She said, "Hey, that sounds good, I don't sleep anyway." A week later she came in and told me she had not only bought the book but read it and liked it a lot. She even approved of the ending everyone seems to have problems with. I gave her another recommendation. She bought that and read it too. Over the next six months, I think I cost her about $150, and each time she came in we talked about the book she had just read.
Funny Headline: Poll: Nation split on Bush as uniter or divider (CNN)
Social Security: There Is No Crisis
Get Active
The Poetry Corner
But Untrue
Strangely Believable
In a surprise move that has set Washington abuzz, George W. Bush swore himself into office today.
~Jeff Crook
Jeff Crook is the Ceci Connolly of the Left. ~ J. Howard Tuft
Strangely Believable but Untrue is now available online at the Untrue Fact of the Day web calendar. Help spread disinformation and misunderstanding by sharing this with your friends and enemies.
Reader Suggestion
'Television Tape'
Marty:
I came across an interesting Web site which you may wish to link to. It's a 10:21 KTTV-TV production, "Television Tape," produced in 1961 and hosted by the KTTV-TV sales manager and engineer. The production was designed to be shown to potential advertisers to get them to produce their commericals on tape, not film. You see studio and control room shots as well as a clip from "Divorce Court," which was produced at the station and syndicated. You can also see at least two tape splices in the days before Editec.
Strange, but in order to take the production around, they had to make a kinescope of it!
Go to http://televisiontape.tv/TVT_Main.html to view the streaming video.
The story about it is at: http://televisiontape.tv/Story.html
EJ2E
Thanks, Ed!
Adding a touch of irony, at the same time KTTV was pushing video tape (over film), Paul Winchell did a daily show, which KTTV taped.
" ... what Metromedia did to Paul Winchell (oh, and to Jerry Mahoney, too). That company owned KTTV, Channel 11. The ventriloquist taped his "Winchell-Mahoney Time" at KTTV's studio at Metromedia Square, at Sunset and Van Ness, in 1965. Under a contract, Winchell was to receive 50 percent of the proceeds from syndication. As it happened, however, at some point that was never determined, Metromedia erased all of the videotapes of Winchell's shows. "
This led to a law suit that was finally settled in the 1970s - for the details (and a lot more) - 'Day in Court'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
The sunny weather is still with us.
The kid may be experiencing allergies, but I have a good-old fashioned cold, heavy phlegm version. Ack.
Gay Conspiracy Theory?
Wingnuts
Christian Conservative groups have issued a gay alert warning over a children's video starring SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and a host of other cartoon favorites.
The wacky square yellow SpongeBob is one of the stars of a music video due to be sent to 61,000 U.S. schools in March. The makers -- the nonprofit We Are Family Foundation -- say the video is designed to encourage tolerance and diversity.
The video is a remake of the 1979 hit song "We Are Family" using the voices and images of SpongeBob, Barney, Winnie the Pooh, Bob the Builder, the Rugrats and 100 TV cartoon stars. It was made by a foundation set up by songwriter Nile Rodgers after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks to promote the nation's healing process.
Christian groups however have taken exception to the tolerance pledge on the foundation's Web site which asks people to respect the sexual identity of others along with their abilities, beliefs, culture and race.
Wingnuts
Tsunami Relief
'Clothes Off Our Back'
Teri Hatcher, Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron have taken it off, taken it all off, for a cause. These Hollywood celebrities, and dozens of others, have given the clothes off their backs to help provide relief to the countless victims following the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that rocked southern Asia.
And we're not talking about just any old clothes. These are originals by Donna Karan, Armani, Escada, Isaac Mizrahi and Dior - most of which made their debuts on the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards Sunday night.
The gowns made a second appearance Wednesday at The Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor building. The red-carpet event provided a preview for a charity auction in which the stars' fans and fashion collectors can bid on each article of clothing, with the bulk of proceeds to benefit the UNICEF Tsunami Relief Fund.
The event, which runs through Jan. 30, is the work of Jane Kaczmarek, best known for her role as the mother on the Fox sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle."
'Clothes Off Our Back'
www.clothesoffourback.org
Makes Cut at Directors Guild
'Fahrenheit 9/11'
Michael Moore's anti-Bush polemic "Fahrenheit 9/11" will compete for the Directors Guild of America's documentary filmmaker award, along with pictures that take viewers to Mongolia, Calcutta, North Carolina and the Middle East, the DGA said Wednesday.
The other nominees were Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni for "The Story of the Weeping Camel," about Mongolian herders; Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski for "Born Into Brothels," about youngsters on the mean streets of Calcutta; Ross McElwee for "Bright Leaves," about the impact of tobacco on North Carolina; and Jehane Noujaim for "Control Room," about broadcaster Al Jazeera's coverage of the current Iraq conflict.
The winner will be announced Jan. 29 during the 57th annual DGA Awards dinner at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
'Fahrenheit 9/11'
Stars Record Clapton Track for Tsunami Victims
More 'Tears in Heaven'
Rock stars are combining forces around the world to record Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" and raise money for the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster.
First up to record his part in London on Thursday night is Elton John followed on Friday by tenor Andrea Bocelli, organizers said.
Phil Collins is to record his contribution near his home in Switzerland while Rod Stewart and Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne will do their vocals in Los Angeles.
The recording was organized by Ozzy's wife Sharon Osbourne who said she felt personally affected by the tragedy because her family were due to visit Thailand three days after the tsunami struck.
More 'Tears in Heaven'
Stones & Marley Works Enter
Grammy Hall of Fame
The Rolling Stones' 1969 album "Let It Bleed" and Bob Marley's 1974 single "No Woman No Cry" are among the 20 recordings that have been added to the Grammy Hall of Fame, which honors works of "lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old."
Latter-day sides are in the minority this year, with "Let It Bleed," "No Woman No Cry" and Ray Charles' 1972 rendition of "America the Beautiful" being the sole representatives of modern rock and pop. (Charles is posthumously nominated for seven Grammy Awards this year.)
Other inductees include Frank Sinatra's "One for My Baby" (1958), Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" (1959) and Les Paul & Mary Ford's "Vaya Con Dios" (1953).
Grammy Hall of Fame
Co-Hosting 'The View'
Desperate Housewives
During the week of Feb. 7, the five stars of Desperate Housewives will co-host ABC's The View while the daytime talk show broadcasts from Los Angeles. Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Nicollette Sheridan, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross will each join the show for a day. The Wisteria Lane residents will be filling in for The View moderator Meredith Vieira, who will not be making the trip from New York due to family obligations.
Broadcasting live from the El Capitan Theatre, the week is a themed series called The View Celebrates Los Angeles.
Desperate Housewives
France's Global Music Trade Fair
U2
Irish rock legend U2 tops a star-studded bill here Saturday at the annual French pop awards which traditionally kick off the world's biggest and most influential music trade fair, MIDEM.
But the music world's white hot item this year will not be performing on stage at the glitzy NRJ Music Awards, France's equivalent of the Grammy's.
Nor are they a band.
Rather they are the youthful, fast-growing mobile and digital music businesses, which, along with the increasingly successful online music stores, are helping turn the tide for the world's beleaguered music industry.
Sales of paid-for downloaded tracks soared more than tenfold last year, according to the latest figures released Wednesday by the global recording industry body, the IFPI. Well over 200 million songs were bought online by fans in the United States and Europe, up from 20 million in 2003.
U2
British Libel Case Will Go Ahead
Ahnold
A British appeals judge ruled Thursday that a libel case being brought by a television host who says she was groped by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will go ahead.
Sean Walsh, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, had attempted to stop the case, claiming that allegations brought by Anna Richardson had no chance of succeeding if they reached court. Richardson claims the Terminator star fondled her breast during an interview in London in 2000 and that his staff subsequently damaged her reputation as a professional interviewer by alleging she encouraged the behaviour.
She alleges she was libelled by Schwarzenegger, Walsh and Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Sheryl Main in an October 2003 article in the Los Angeles Times that also appeared on the Internet.
Schwarzenegger has been accused by more than a dozen women of groping or sexually harassing them since the 1970s.
Ahnold
Occasion Marked Across The Nation
Protest
From a "jazz funeral for democracy" in New Orleans' French Quarter to a reading of the names of dead Americans and Iraqis in Kentucky, anti-Bush demonstrators staged scattered protests Thursday as the president was sworn in for a second term.
"We want to spend today reminding this country, this administration, that people are dying," said veteran Steve Morse, standing outside San Francisco City Hall by a poster that read, "To Party Big While Our Troops Die Is Obscene."
In Seattle, more than 1,000 people participated in walk-outs at the University of Washington and Seattle Central Community College, where students marched through buildings, pounding on doors and encouraging others to leave.
In Denver, several hundred demonstrators were joined at the state Capitol by a group of women wearing witches' hats who chanted "we've been under a spell" over and over. The crowd cheered when they added "But we are waking up."
At a mock inauguration in Baltimore, a woman wearing a Bush mask gave a pretend speech, stumbling over her words, and a guitarist played Bob Dylan's "Gates of Eden," which opens, "Of war and peace the truth just twists." Passing cars, buses and taxis honked horns in support, and a pedestrian raised a fist.
In Louisville, Ky., protesters solemnly read the names of dead Iraqis and Americans and staged a skit that spoofed Bush and his chief political adviser, Karl Rove.
For a lot more, Protest
Mock Coffins & Anti-War Chants
More Protest
Flag-draped coffins and anti-war chants competed with pomp and circumstance on Thursday at the inauguration of resident Bush along the snow-dusted, barricaded streets of central Washington.
As the president was sworn in for a second term amid the tightest security in inaugural history, protesters chanted "Hell no, we won't go! We won't go for Texaco" and other anti-war slogans. They carried hundreds of mock coffins along 16th Street, a downtown thoroughfare leading to the White House, to remind Americans of the mounting casualties in Iraq.
While some protesters played drums, others held signs such as "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam," "Down with King George," and "Your taxes at work killing." Other placards called for electoral reform, gay rights, abortion rights and the use of renewable energy.
For more, More Protest
Finally Reunited With Wife
Nijinsky
Twenty- six years after her death the body of the wife of legendary Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky was laid to rest beside her husband's in Paris's Montmartre cemetery, bringing an end to a long legal battle.
When she died in poverty in 1978, Romola Nikinskaya's desire to be buried next to Nijinsky was foiled because his grave-plot was owned by another star dancer -- Serge Lifar -- who refused to grant permission. Instead she was buried a few metres away.
Lifar's widow -- a Swedish countess living in Switzerland -- finally agreed a year ago for the plot to be shared with Romola, and she was reinterred in a private ceremony.
Nijinsky
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