'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Dr. Mark H. Shapiro: Singapore Math and a Possible Truce in the "Math Wars" (irascibleprofessor.com)
Mathematics education in the United States has been in somewhat of a crisis for nearly two decades owing to ongoing battles between vocal factions that disagree about how math should be taught in elementary and secondary schools.
Anything for an unquiet life (guardian.co.uk)
Irene Khan has seen enough hate and cruelty for several lifetimes. The head of Amnesty International talks to Kira Cochrane.
Barbara Ehrenreich: The Fall of the American Consumer (Barbaraehrenreich.com)
We have been the world's designated shoppers, and, if we fall down on the job, we take the global economy with us.
Jim Hightower: BUSH FREES IRAQ TO EMBRACE IRAN (jimhightower.com)
... it is not George W getting the love treatment from the Iraqis. It is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. O, bitter fate! O, the bile and gall of political irony! The very man whom Bush considers the devil incarnate, the one he accuses of promoting terrorism in Iraq - that man is being lauded by Iraq's leaders, who were supposed to be grateful to Bush - not Iran.
Mark Morford: Damn, there goes my meth supply (sfgate.com)
Thank God for big local drug raids, because now you can't get coke or pot or Ecstasy anymore. Oh wait.
The walking wounded (guardian.co.uk)
Leading critics reveal the worst that insulted stars have thrown at them.
Laura Castellano: Venn and the Art of Internet Blogging (newcitychicago.com)
Jessica Hagy gets her work Indexed.
Georges Simenon, the existential hack (entertainment.timesonline.co.uk)
Paul Theroux on Maigret's creator, the Balzac of blighted lives, who was confident of winning the Nobel Prize.
Simon McCormack: William Rhoden's Call to Arms (alibi.com)
African-American sports stars may net fame and cash, but how much power do they hold?
Timothy Finn: "Little Steven makes the old brand-new on 'Underground Garage'" (McClatchy Newspapers; posted on popmatters.com)
About 20 minutes into the 304th episode of "Underground Garage," the radio show's host, Little Steven, gives his listeners a slice of history behind one of the songs he'd just played: ...
Steven Mikula: "Stanton Kaye: Father of Reinvention" (laweekly.com)
Could tracking technology save the Hollywood dreams of a former golden boy?
Ray Pride: Talking 'Married Life' with Ira Sachs and Chris Cooper (newcitychicago.com)
The four friends in Sachs' mix of drama, dark comedy and a couple of scenes of genial whimsy, are lucid about some things but reserved about others.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and warmer than seasonal.
Planted some tomatoes.
$500,000 For Darfur Relief
Not On Our Watch
A charitable group co-founded by Hollywood actors George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, has given $500,000 to the United Nations World Food Program to help stem hunger, an affiliated organization said on Thursday.
The World Food Program (WFP) uses helicopters to send support people and food to northern Sudan and, more specifically, into the Darfur region that has been seen a huge influx of refugees in recent years as war ravaged the area.
Friends of the World Food Program, which is a nonprofit group that helps build support for the UN group, said the Clooney-backed charitable group known as Not On Our Watch gave $1 million to the WFP in 2007.
Not On Our Watch also was co-founded by actor Don Cheadle and producer Jerry Weintraub. Many Hollywood stars and people around the world have become involved in humanitarian efforts to help the refugees in Darfur.
Not On Our Watch
Banned Episodes Airing In Canada
'The Boondocks'
Two episodes of 'The Boondocks,' the edgy, animated series, which is based on Aaron McGruder's explosive comic strip, are airing on Teletoon's adult-themed "Detour" programming block after being pulled from their originating U.S. broadcaster, the Cartoon Network. The episodes in question, "The Huey Freeman Hunger Strike" and "The Ruckus Reality Show," air this Sunday night and next Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.
The episodes in question, however, are not banned in America due to concerns over taboo language or sexual content. Rather, the Turner Cable-owned Cartoon Network yanked the two half-hours because they savage another cable network, BET.
BET's CEO, Debra Lee, is depicted in Sunday's episode as "Debra Lee-vil," a sinister Dr. Evil clone who kills underlings and rants about creating a network "that would accomplish what hundreds of years of slavery, Jim Crow and malt liquor couldn't - the destruction of black people."
BET entertainment president Reggie Hudlin - once a "Boondocks" executive producer - is depicted as Dr. Lee-vil's Harvard-educated lieutenant whose bright idea is to steal five-year-old reality show ideas from MTV and graft them onto the BET brand.
'The Boondocks'
Serious Shortcomings
FCC
A congressional study released on Thursday found serious shortcomings in the way the U.S. Federal Communications Commission handles complaints from consumers.
A study by the Government Accountability Office concluded that about 83 percent of the complaint investigations conducted by the FCC between 2003 and 2006 were closed without any enforcement action taken by the agency, and that it was impossible to determine why because the FCC did not collect enough data to follow up.
"Without an effective FCC enforcement program, consumers are left out in the cold," Edward Markey, chairman of the House subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet, said after the report was issued.
According to the GAO, the FCC's enforcement bureau took enforcement action in 3,400 cases, or about 9 percent of the time. In another 32,200 cases, it said, the agency closed cases without taking action. In the remaining 3,200 cases, the GAO said, it was "not able to determine whether enforcement actions had been taken."
FCC
Obama Ad Contest
MoveOn
Senator Barack Obama's advertising team is getting some friendly competition from film pros with some Oscar clout like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
The liberal group MoveOn.org, reprising a 2004 ad contest against President Bush, has enlisted the actors to help select an ad supporting Obama's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
MoveOn plans to air the winning commercial on national television, but organizers hope the real benefit could come simply from media attention, Internet buzz and the star power behind it.
Also judging will be actor Steve Buscemi, film director Oliver Stone, singer songwriters Moby, Eddie Vedder and John Legend, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons.
MoveOn
Strikes Out
Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal better stick to his night job. The comedian, actor and Oscar presenter struck out in his new career as a baseball player Thursday - and promptly struck out as the New York Yankees' new leadoff man.
Wearing No. 60 a day before his 60th birthday, and cheered on by fellow funnyman Robin Williams, Crystal gave himself a chance in the first inning in his only at-bat.
Swinging late against Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm, Crystal bounced a chopper past first baseman Adam LaRoche that landed several feet foul. Crystal got ahead in the count 3-1, but then swung over a pair of 88 mph fastballs.
The crowd gave Crystal a standing ovation, and he raised his hand to salute the fans. Teammate-for-a-day Alex Rodriguez signaled Maholm, who tossed the ball toward the Yankees dugout for a souvenir.
Billy Crystal
'One Life to Live'
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is bringing some street cred to "One Life to Live."
The 36-year-old rapper will make an extended cameo on the ABC soap opera to perform two songs from his new album, "Ego Trippin'," at the Ultra Violet club in the town of Llanview, the network said Thursday.
"I've been a fan of `One Life to Live' since I was a baby," said Snoop, who's set to perform "Sensual Seduction" and "Life of Da Party."
"My momma always had it on the tube in tha crib growing up. The opportunity to change up the theme song and give it some of my flavor will make the show the Life of The Party."
Snoop Dogg
Alzheimer's Fight
Terry Pratchett
Best-selling British author Terry Pratchett, who is battling Alzheimer's disease, has donated half a million pounds towards research into the debilitating brain disease, he said Thursday.
Pratchett, 59, whose fantastic fiction Discworld books have sold 55 million copies worldwide, said insufficient funds and the perception that Alzheimer's was a "fairly quiet" disease compared to cancer were stalling efforts to discover more about it.
Funding for Alzheimer's research in Britain was only about three percent of the amount spent on fighting cancer, he told BBC radio.
"If like me you have a rare variant the national health service really isn't set up to deal with you."
But he said low funding for Alzheimer's care and research "was not the fault of politicians, it's how we see the diseases."
Terry Pratchett
Tax Dollars At Work
'Beyond Cruel'
In a stinging ruling, a Los Angeles federal judge said immigration officials' alleged decision to withhold a critical medical test and other treatment from a detainee who later died of cancer was "beyond cruel and unusual" punishment.
The decision from U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson allows the family of Francisco Castaneda to seek financial damages from the government.
Castaneda, who suffered from penile cancer, died Feb. 16. Before his release from custody last year, the government had refused for 11 months to authorize a biopsy for a growing lesion, even though voluminous government records showed that several doctors said the test was urgently needed, given Castaneda's condition and a family history of cancer, Pregerson said.
Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson said the decision was legally significant and factually compelling. "This was not a detainee with a hangnail," she said. "You should not have to have your penis fall off to get medical treatment from the government."
'Beyond Cruel'
Testifies In Wiretap Case
Garry Shandling
Comedian Garry Shandling offered a rare glimpse into the seamy side of Hollywood on Thursday as he testified in the wiretapping and bribery trial of the so-called private eye to the stars, Anthony Pellicano.
Shandling, star of television's "The Larry Sanders Show," told a Los Angeles federal court jury that Pellicano was involved in a "spin campaign to assassinate my character" during a bitter lawsuit between Shandling and his former manager Brad Grey.
Grey, now CEO of Paramount Pictures, and Shandling are among witnesses, including movie executives and actors Sylvester Stallone, Chris Rock and Farrah Fawcett, who are expected to testify in a case that has kept Hollywood buzzing for more than five years.
Prosecutors say Grey's attorney hired Pellicano to investigate Shandling in 1999 after the comedian filed a $100 million lawsuit against Grey alleging his manager had cheated him out of earnings from "The Larry Sanders Show."
Prosecutors said Pellicano had a former police officer run background checks on Shandling, his personal assistant, his accountant and a friend. Grey made threatening phone calls and numerous inaccurate stories began appearing in the media, Shandling testified.
Garry Shandling
Tour Marley Museum
Chuck & Camilla
Prince Charles and wife Camilla joined a group of Rastafarian musicians Wednesday for a drum session outside the old home of reggae great Bob Marley.
On a Caribbean tour to promote environmental protection, the royal couple were led through the home - now a museum honoring the late singer - by Marley's widow, Rita, and sons Robert and Rohan.
Charles and Camilla viewed memorabilia such as tour photos and a Gibson guitar favored by the singer, who rose to international stardom before dying of cancer at 36.
The royals are nearing the close of a five-island tour aboard a 246-foot yacht that boasts a hot tub, gym and 24-member crew.
Chuck & Camilla
DNA Links To 6
Founding Mothers
Nearly all of today's Native Americans in North, Central and South America can trace part of their ancestry to six women whose descendants immigrated around 20,000 years ago, a DNA study suggests.
Those women left a particular DNA legacy that persists to today in about about 95 percent of Native Americans, researchers said.
The finding does not mean that only these six women gave rise to the migrants who crossed into North America from Asia in the initial populating of the continent, said study co-author Ugo Perego.
The women lived between 18,000 and 21,000 years ago, though not necessarily at exactly the same time, he said.
Founding Mothers
Some Come Pre-Installed
Viruses
From iPods to navigation systems, some of today's hottest gadgets are landing on store shelves with some unwanted extras from the factory - pre-installed viruses that steal passwords, open doors for hackers and make computers spew spam.
Computer users have been warned for years about virus threats from downloading Internet porn and opening suspicious e-mail attachments. Now they run the risk of picking up a digital infection just by plugging a new gizmo into their PCs.
Recent cases reviewed by The Associated Press include some of the most widely used tech devices: Apple iPods, digital picture frames sold by Target and Best Buy stores and TomTom navigation gear.
In most cases, Chinese factories - where many companies have turned to keep prices low - are the source.
Viruses
Get Elected - Get Rich
Congress
The personal wealth of members of the U.S. Congress has soared in recent years, leaving lawmakers on average far more well-to-do than most Americans as of 2006, said a study on Thursday.
The median net worth of senators was estimated at $1.7 million and House of Representatives members at $675,000, said the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington watchdog group that monitors the influence of money on government.
The report said, "Members of Congress, who are now paid about $169,000 annually, saw their net worths soar 84 percent from 2004 to 2006, on average."
Only about one percent of all U.S. adults had a net worth exceeding $1 million around the same time, the center said.
Congress
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of March 3-9. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses:
1. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.85 million homes, 5.27 million viewers.
2. College Basketball: North Carolina vs. Duke (Saturday, 8:57 p.m.), ESPN, 3.83 million homes, 5.61 million viewers.
3. "Project Runway" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.), Bravo, 3.82 million homes, 5.18 million viewers.
4. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.43 million homes, 4.58 million viewers.
5. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Monday, 5 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.36 million homes, 4.7 million viewers.
6. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.35 million homes, 5.06 million viewers.
7. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.33 million homes, 5.09 million viewers.
8. "CNN Election Center" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), CNN, 3.29 million homes, 4.42 million viewers.
9. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Friday, 5 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.29 million homes, 4.68 million viewers.
10. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.19 million homes, 4.29 million viewers.
11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.17 million homes, 4.27 million viewers.
12. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Friday, 5:30 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.15 million homes, 4.76 million homes.
13. "Back at the Barnyard" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.11 million homes, 4.12 million viewers.
14. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.09 million homes, 4.25 million viewers.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.09 million homes, 4.42 million homes.
Ratings
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