'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Jim Hightower: BEWARE OF CORPORATE "HEROES" (jimhightower.com)
Oh, Angelo, what a hero you are. Yessiree, a real corporate hero. Angelo Mozilo is CEO of Countrywide Financial Corporation, which was America's largest huckster of subprime mortgages before that whole house of cards came tumbling down. Thousands of Countrywide's customers have lost their homes, thousands of its employees have lost their jobs, and Countrywide itself was on the brink of bankruptcy until it arranged a bailout merger with Bank of America.
Annalee Newitz: The Fragility of the Information Age
Our brave new infrastructure is failing around us even as we claim that it offers a shining path to the future.
'The plug wasn't in. It began to sink' (guardian.co.uk)
What's it like to photograph somebody famous? Or to be that famous person, posing for a photograph? Leo Benedictus picks three great portraits - and hears both sides of the story.
Connie Ogle: "Bich Minh Nguyen: Longing for Doritos and trying to fit in" (McClatchy Newspapers; Posted on popmatters.com)
Bich (pronounced Bit) Minh Nguyen doesn't remember fleeing Vietnam with her father, sister and grandmother during the fall of Saigon; she was only 8 months old. But her memories of growing up in frozen, foreign Grand Rapids, Mich., remain clear and powerful, centered on the delights to which her classmates seemed to have effortless access: Pringles, cherry-flavored Luden cough drops, Doritos, Little Caesar's pizza, Bubble Yum, Kit Kats, Sugar Babies.
Why I write (books.guardian.co.uk/)
Iain Banks, a man with not one but two careers as a bestselling author - of both regular and science fiction - explains that he took up writing because he seemed to be good at it, and because it seemed like an easy life.
Baby Dee: The torch-singing tree surgeon branches out (telegraph.co.uk)
Baby Dee's new album is an exquisite blend of Tom Waits and Judy Garland. She talks to Ben Thompson.
B.J. Hammerstein: Q&A with Grammy-nominated R&B artist Dwele (Detroit Free Press; Posted on popmatters.com)
R&B smooth operator Andwele (Dwele) Gardner has a lot to smile about as 2008 takes shape. His third full-length effort is being readied for a spring release from Koch Records. And the Detroiter, known for his mellow but streetwise blending of R&B and soul, is readying himself for a visit to L.A. for Sunday's Grammy Awards.
Steven Rea: 'Honeydripper' a blues project for John Sayles (The Philadelphia Inquirer; Posted on popmatters.com)
John Sayles' latest film, "Honeydripper" - his 16th, if you're keeping track - is set in 1950 Alabama, in a little town emblematic of the big changes happening all around. On an Army base, soldiers black and white train and bunk together, while downtown the signs of segregation are still literally everywhere, as in "Whites Only" and "Coloreds Only."
Colin Covert: Irish playwright makes film-directing debut with 'In Bruges' (Star Tribune; Posted on popmatters.com)
"I'd never let any of my plays be made into films, even though we've had offers," said Irish dramatist Martin McDonagh during a recent visit to the Guthrie Theater.
What Gregory and his girls did next (entertainment.timesonline.co.uk)
Gregory's Girl ... was a hit for its unknown actors. Who were they and where are they now?
Charles Nolan Fashion Show (charlesnolan.com)
Reader Suggestion
Monster Madhouse
Hi Marty..
My friends on Monster Madhouse are scheduled to appear on The Today Show this Friday Night!!! Yahooo!!!!...About the only thing good about the writers Strike is the fact that we independent public access types are about the only game in town.
Reader Comment
Re: Saint Jude
Hi Marty,
"Today I repositioned it's St. Jude medallion, and, so far, it's been behaving."
Good choice, "Patron Saint" of "hopeless cases." (Do you really think your computer is hopeless though?)
I thought you might like to know that there's a new saint in town - and he's nabbed the electronic business right out from under Jude (perhaps freeing him up for the more challenging cases).
Our new guy is: "Isidore of Seville!"
Reader Comment
The Wrong Saint
You said you've got a Saint Jude medal on your computer. He's the wrong saint! You need a Saint Isadore medal, he's the patron saint of computer users.
Source
Kip
********
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley
Thanks, Kip!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Back to sunny and seasonal.
McCain Stops Using Songs
John Mellencamp
It may be "Our Country," but it's John Mellencamp's song. When the liberal rocker found out his songs were being played at events for Republican John McCain's presidential campaign, Mellencamp's publicist sent a letter that questioned the campaign's playlist.
"Are you sure you want to use his music to promote Senator McCain's efforts?" according to the letter sent to McCain's campaign on Monday. "Logic says that the facts might prove to be an embarrassment, were they to be circulated widely."
Publicist Bob Merlis said Mellencamp told him that the situation made him uncomfortable and he couldn't imagine McCain would want to be associated with him.
"You know, here's a guy running around saying, 'I'm a true conservative.'" Merlis told The Associated Press. "Well, if you're such a true conservative, why are you playing songs that have a very populist pro-labor message written by a guy who would find no argument if you characterized him as left of center?"
John Mellencamp
Visits Baghdad
Angelina Jolie
Note to world leaders: Next time you need instant access to foreign dignitaries and top military brass, forget the usual protocols. Just send in Angelina Jolie.
Hollywood's globe-trotting leading lady swooped into Baghdad on Thursday to highlight the plight of Iraqi refugees, gaining an audience with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the American Embassy said.
On her mission as a U.N. goodwill ambassador, Jolie also met with Iraqi migration officials to stress that there needs to be a coherent plan for the more than 2 million internally displaced Iraqis who are beginning to trickle back to their homes amid a recent lull in violence.
Jolie mingled with American troops during lunch at a dining facility in the heavily guarded Green Zone, which houses the embassy and Iraqi government offices. She grabbed a red plastic tray at the mess hall, collected her lunch and sat at a long banquet table to eat - her fork tines down, of course - as flashbulbs from soldiers' digital cameras lit up the wall behind her.
Angelina Jolie
Draws Celebs
UN Fundraiser
Madonna, Chris Rock and dozens of other celebrities raised $3.7 million Wednesday night at a star-studded benefit at the United Nations to help poor and sick children around the world.
The $2,500-a-plate dinner and live auction hosted by Rock was an unusual blend of charity and commercial promotion for the U.N. and made some of its officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, uneasy.
The red-carpet reception drew stars such as Drew Barrymore, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Amy Adams, Brooke Shields, Salma Hayek, Djimon Hounsou, Dita Von Teese and UNICEF Ambassadors Tea Leoni and Lucy Liu, followed by a cocktail party with the likes of Donald Trump and media mogul Barry Diller.
UN Fundraiser
Visa Denied
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse will not attend this year's Grammy Awards because her request for a visa was denied, but she will perform by satellite at Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles.
Winehouse and her acclaimed "Back to Black" album are nominated for Grammys in six categories. She will perform material from the album, an executive close to the Grammys told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Thursday.
The Outside Organization, which counts the troubled retro-soul sensation among its clients, said in an e-mail that Winehouse - who shot to fame with the autobiographical single "Rehab" - was disappointed that her request for a visa had been turned down by the U.S. Embassy.
The statement didn't say why her application was rejected. The U.S. Embassy in London and the State Department in Washington declined to comment late Thursday. Shane O'Neill, Winehouse's spokesman, said he had nothing to add.
Amy Winehouse
3-Year Vegas Deal
Cher
She has released 25 albums that have sold more than 100 million copies and has enjoyed a career that has included concerts, recordings, Broadway, TV, film acting and directing, and books. Now she's taking her show to Vegas.
Cher announced Thursday she'll be one of the headline acts at Caesars Palace.
The Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award winner said in a statement that she will begin a three-year, 200-show engagement May 6.
Cher will alternate performances at the 4,300-seat Colosseum with other headline acts Elton John and Bette Midler.
Cher
Rigged Bids?
John Dingell
A key House of Representatives lawmaker voiced concern on Thursday about the scant bidding for an important piece of the airwaves being auctioned by the U.S. government.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell said the Federal Communications Commission was "having real problems" finding a bidder to meet the minimum price for the "D" block of 700 megahertz wireless spectrum, which is to be shared with public safety agencies.
"They seem to be having real problems in terms of getting people who say they can meet the requirements with regard to police, fire and public safety while at the same time paying the proper price," Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said in an interview for the Reuters Regulation Summit.
Under rules set by the FCC, the winning bidder for the D block spectrum would have to meet a $1.3 billion minimum price, and then negotiate an agreement with police, firefighters and other public safety groups that would give them priority use during an emergency.
John Dingell
Banned For Life
Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid has been banned for life by Actors' Equity Assn., the labor union representing American stage actors, and fined more than $81,000 for his alleged actions during the Seattle production of the musical "Lone Star Love," which was scheduled to come to Broadway until producers canceled it.
The story of the stage union's ban and fine was first reported Wednesday in the New York Post, which based its article in part on documents it had obtained. All 26 members of the cast brought charges against Quaid, the Post stated, maintaining that he "physically and verbally abused his fellow performers and that his oddball behavior forced the show to close."
In the country musical based on Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor," Quaid played Falstaff, Shakespeare's famed lout of Bacchanalian appetites. In response to the charges, the actor said, "I am guilty of only one thing: giving a performance that elicited a response so deeply felt by the actors and producers with little experience of my creative process that they actually think I am Falstaff."
The matter was decided in Los Angeles by a five-member hearing committee, according to Equity spokeswoman Maria Somma, who would not comment on specifics of the case. "The actions of the hearing committee should remain confidential among all the participants," she said. "If an individual wishes to appeal, it will give the individual a fair environment" in which to do so.
Randy Quaid
Busted In Pahrump
Heidi Fleiss
Former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss was arrested and charged with possession of prescription drugs and driving under the influence on Thursday morning outside Las Vegas.
A statement issued by Nevada's Nye County Sheriff's office said deputies responded to a possible drunk driver a little after 9 a.m. Thursday morning in the town of Pahrump.
Deputies stopped Fleiss and found drugs but no prescription. A passenger, John Owen, also was arrested on charges of being under the influence of controlled substances and possession of marijuana.
Fleiss admitted carrying the pain killer Vicodin, but said she has a prescription, only it was not with her. Fleiss said she must appear in court and show the prescription.
Heidi Fleiss
FDA Fines Another $4.6 Million
Red Cross
The Food and Drug Administration has fined the Red Cross an additional $4.6 million for the distribution of "unsuitable blood products," bringing penalties against the organization to more than $19 million in recent years.
The FDA issued a letter Wednesday stating that it reviewed 113 recalls of blood products by the Red Cross from April 2003 to April 2006. The recalls involved the release of an estimated 4,094 unsuitable blood components.
The latest fine is being added to a tally of nearly $15 million in previous FDA penalties for violation of blood-safety laws, regulations and the terms of a 2003 consent decree.
That settlement resolved charges that the Red Cross had committed "persistent and serious violations" of federal blood safety rules dating back 17 years.
Red Cross
Faux Coming To Disney World
'American Idol'
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced plans Thursday to create a live performance attraction based on "American Idol" at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park - formerly called Disney-MGM Studios - in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Much like the hugely popular Fox singing competition, the as-yet-unnamed attraction - scheduled to open in late 2008 - will allow theme park guests to audition then perform before a live studio audience inside the Hollywood Studios' theater space formerly occupied by the "Doug Live!" and "Superstar Television" attractions.
Disney licensed the rights to create the attraction from "Idol" co-producers 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia, despite the fact "American Idol" airs on Fox and Disney owns broadcast competitor ABC.
'American Idol'
HBO Streams For Free
"In Treatment"
The doctor is in -- five nights a week. In an attempt to generate a following for its new show "In Treatment," HBO will stream the first 15 episodes (of 43) gratis.
The cable network has never before streamed that many episodes for free -- and has never before aired a prime-time drama five nights a week.
In the series, which debuted January 28, therapist Paul Weston (played by Gabriel Byrne) treats a different patient on each of four nights. On the fifth night his character is treated by his own psychotherapist (played by Dianne Wiest).
The full-streaming episodes are deployed on HBO.com and HBO On Demand. The network is also placing the content on its podcast channel, which can be downloaded on iTunes.
"In Treatment"
Abrupt Season Finales
"Dirt" & "Riches"
There will be less "Dirt" and "Riches" on FX's schedule this year. In a sign of what's in store for TV series whose production was affected by the writers' strike, FX has opted not to produce more episodes for the two series' second seasons.
It is understood that FX's decision to cut back the episode order on "Dirt" and "The Riches" stems from economic reasons and does not affect the two series' chances for third-season renewal. The cable network already has launched a marketing campaign for the March 2 premiere of "Dirt," starring Courteney Cox. The launch date for "Riches," starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, will be announced next week.
"Dirt" and "The Riches" ceased production in December as they ran out of scripts after completing seven episodes.
"Dirt" & "Riches"
MyNetworkTV's First (Scab) Sitcom
Flavor Flav
MyNetworkTV is returning to the scripted arena with a new half-hour comedy series starring rap artist and reality-TV star Flavor Flav.
The network has ordered 13 episodes of "Under One Roof," a show that network president Greg Meidel describes as "a classic fish-out-of-water story."
Flav plays Calvester Hill, a former convict who moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother, Walter (Kelly Perine). Calvester turns the Hill family's life upside down, parading his old prison cronies through the house, teaching his nephew to be a gangsta rapper and butting heads with Walter's snooty wife.
"Roof" is directed by Brian Roberts and written by Danielle Quarles and Gelila Asres, non-Writers Guild of America writers. The show is in production in Toronto for a spring debut.
Flavor Flav
Paintings Stolen From Swiss Exhibition
Pablo Picasso
Two Pablo Picasso paintings worth millions of dollars were reported stolen from a Swiss exhibition of works by the Spanish painter, police said Thursday.
The paintings were stolen Wednesday evening after closing time at the Seedamm-Kulturzentrum in the small town of Pfaeffikon, near Zurich. Police have yet to catch the culprits, they said in a statement.
The two oil paintings, "Tete de cheval" ("Head of horse") of 1962 and Verre et pichet ("Glass and pitcher") of 1944, were on loan from the Sprengel Museum in Hannover, Germany, police said.
Pablo Picasso
Parthenogenic Lizards
Immaculate Komodos
Two Komodo dragons have hatched at the Sedgwick County Zoo, apparently without the fertilization of a male. The dragons, both males, are believed to be the first in North America known to have hatched by parthenogenesis, which occurs naturally in some species, including invertebrates and lower plants. It happens more rarely in some vertebrates.
Two other known cases in which Komodo dragons hatched by parthenogenesis were at the London and Chester zoos in England in 2006.
The zoo in Wichita is having DNA testing done to document the mother's and the babies' genetic structure because of the remote chance that a male's sperm was stored on the female's body.
Immaculate Komodos
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 3. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses.
1. "California Democratic Debate" (Thursday, 8 p.m.), CNN, 5.91 million homes, 8.32 million viewers.
2. "Anderson Cooper 360" (Thursday, 9:52 p.m.), CNN, 5.49 million homes, 7.7 million viewers.
3. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.9 million homes, 5.98 million viewers.
4. "Monk" (Friday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.88 million homes, 5.44 million viewers.
5. Movie: "The Incredibles" (Friday, 8:15 p.m.), Disney, 3.74 million homes, 5.72 million viewers.
6. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.55 million homes, 5.44 million viewers.
7. "State of the Union 2008" (Monday, 9 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 3.23 million homes, 4.48 million viewers.
8. "Law & Order" (Monday, 10 p.m.), TNT, 3.23 million homes, 4.02 million viewers.
9. "State of the Union Analysis" (Monday, 10:03 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 3.21 million homes, 4.44 million viewers.
10. "Anderson Cooper 360" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), CNN, 3.15 million homes, 4.16 million viewers.
11. "Law & Order" (Monday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 3.04 million homes, 3.91 million viewers.
12. "Pysch" (Friday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.01 million homes, 4.34 million viewers.
13. Movie: "The Incredibles" (Saturday, 12 p.m.), Disney, 2.95 million homes, 4.11 million viewers.
14. "California Republican Debate" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), CNN, 2.92 million homes, 4.01 million viewers.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.85 million homes, 3.86 million viewers.
Ratings
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