'Best of TBH Politoons'
Reader Music Review
'Bleed Like Me'
This review, and other fine content can be found at http://www.republicansareidiots.com/
(C) 2005 Geffen Records
11 tracks, one music video (PC or Mac required)
Parental Advisory for "explicit content"
RAI's "parental advisory" reality check: OK for age 13 and up. Nothing in there you wouldn't be surpised to find on a 70's Rolling Stones LP.
Billboard Top 100 debut position: 4
Representative MSM review comment: "Garbage is back and better than ever." - LA Times
RAI quality rating: 4.5 stars out of five
I have to concur with the LA Times. Bleed Like Me rocks. In fact, it's about the best new release I've heard from anyone since Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA. Considering that Born In The USA had seven top ten singles (out of 12 tracks), that's saying a lot. Maybe I'm exaggerating, maybe not. Get the CD and judge for yourself. It's most assuredly worth $10.99 (plus shipping) at Amazon.
Bleed Like Me is an interesting and eclectic melange of various styles. The overly effervescent poppy sound of beautifulgarbage is all but gone, replaced with a darkness familiar to fans of Pink Floyd or the Rolling Stones. It all works; there isn't a track on this CD that could be called filler.
The highlights: I see four tracks that would have easily gotten top ten status in the pre-ClearChannel era. It's a crying shame what ClearChannel has done to rock radio and rock in general.
Bad Boyfriend sounds a lot like early 1980's Pretenders, and easily rocks as much as Precious or Message Of Love. You'll find yourself playing that one over and over.
Why Do You Love Me is more poppy than most of the rest of the album, something you could play with your girlfriend in the room without having her thinking you have a thing for Shirley. Almost. That's what's on the video included with the CD.
The title track Bleed Like Me reminds me of a lot of stuff, from Pink Floyd's later stuff to late Beatles. It's all about having just escaped from a really bad relationship. You should see my scars...
Take NoFX doing something like on The War On Errorism and put Shirley in front, and you have Sex Is Not The Enemy. From start to finish, this sounds like a big fat "fuck you" to self-appointed arbiters of morality like Bill Frist or Rick Santorum. Does your local McRadio station take requests? Call them up and tell them you want to hear track 7 from the new Garbage.
This is Garbage at full maturity, like fine wine. It compares favorably with the greatest LP's of the classic rock era, yet it's hip enough for my teenage son and his friends to ask whether I've ripped it yet. My first reaction was to dub this one "Version 2.1," because taken as a whole, it sounds most like Version 2.0, only lots better. You just gotta go get this one.
~ way2muchsense
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Stewart Brand: Environmental Heresies (Technology Review)
Over the next ten years, I predict, the mainstream of the environmental movement will reverse its opinion and activism in four major areas: population growth, urbanization, genetically engineered organisms, and nuclear power.
Knute Berger: Onward, Secular Soldiers! (Seattle Weekly)
America's Christian religious mania is a call to arms for right, left, and center.
Molly Ivins: Christian Right Goes Nuclear (AlterNet)
It's a joke that the right wing claims it is against "judicial activists." What they want are judicial activists who agree with them.
Arshad Mohammed : World Terror Attacks Tripled in 2004 by U.S. Count (Reuters)
The U.S. count of major world terrorist attacks more than tripled in 2004, a rise that may revive debate on whether the Bush administration is winning the war on terrorism, congressional aides said on Tuesday.
Graham Webster: Fake Letters-to-the-Editor (AlterNet)
After publishing hundreds of letters from a former Republican operative, California papers crackdown -- but can they stop them altogether?
Jessica Clark and Tracy Van Slyke: Making Connections (In These Times)
Why is the news so bad? What can progressives do to fix it?
Stephanie Piro: Cartoons
Six Chix: Cartoons
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Got nearly an inch of rain overnight.
Schlepping the kids home from school today, we were 3 cars back, waiting to make a left turn onto PCH. The driver at the head of the line, in a small, unremarkable copper colored Chevy sedan, couldn't seem to makeup his mind as to whether he's was going left or right or straight.
Nobody made it through the light. But, this is Long Beach & no one honked a horn.
The light cycles & we're 'green' again. Now the car at the head of the line scurries across the street and makes a sharp right turn onto the sidewalk and procedes up the sidewalk til he gets to the driveway of a grocery store.
He whips around to his left then towards the back of the grocery store, when the car stops abruptly, and a cop jumps out.
2 squad cars showed up from either side of an alley that runs perpendicular to PCH in back of the store.
Cops with guns jump from the squad cars & now there's a helicopter making tight circles in the air overhead.
That's when I was able to make my left hand turn & get the fuck out of the area.
Been thinking about the backwoods tonight.
Spending 'Weekends' at Comedy Central
D.L. Hughley
Comedy Central is expanding its 11-11:30 p.m. talk show franchise to seven nights.
The cable network has picked up D.L. Hughley's half-hour talk show pilot, ordering 39 episodes of the project hosted by the actor-comedian and executive produced by late-night talk show veteran Robert Morton, who has worked with David Letterman since his NBC show.
Tentatively titled "Weekends at the D.L.," the talker will run at 11 p.m. Friday-Sunday for 13 weeks.
"Weekends at the D.L." is targeted to premiere in middle or late summer, possibly by the end of July. On Sunday, the show might be preceded by a block of repeats of Comedy Central's hit "Chappelle's Show," which returns with original episodes Tuesday nights next month.
D.L. Hughley
Baby News
Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond
This just in: "Saturday Night Live" comedian-writer Tina Fey is pregnant. The baby is due in September, People magazine reported Wednesday. It will be the first child for the Weekend Update co-anchor and her husband, "SNL" composer Jeff Richmond.
Fey will remain at the NBC show's fake news desk with co-anchor Amy Poehler through the end of the season. She has been head writer at the show for five years.
Fey, 34, and Richmond, 44, met before their "SNL" jobs and dated for seven years before tying the knot in a Greek Orthodox ceremony in 2001, the magazine said.
Tina Fey & Jeff Richmond
Aide Fired For Spiritual Flaws
Carlos Santana
A former employee of the New Santana Band has accused musician Carlos Santana and his wife of firing him for not being "closer to God," according to a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in California.
Bruce Kuhlman, 59, said Santana's wife, Deborah, went on a campaign to terminate him after her spiritual guru, "Dr. Dan," determined through "calibration" tests that Kuhlman was too old to become enlightened, the lawsuit, filed on April 13, said.
Kuhlman, who began working with Carlos Santana as a personal assistant in 1988, was running the band's licensing operation, River of Colors, when he was fired in 2004.
Kuhlman seeks more than $100,000 and punitive damages against the couple and their businesses, and his lawsuit asks a judge to stop them from using Dr. Dan's Neuro-Emotional Technique to "test" or "calibrate" employees.
Carlos Santana
Leaving CNN in June
Judy Woodruff
Judy Woodruff, the anchor of CNN's "Inside Politics," is leaving the network when her contract expires in June.
Woodruff, 58, said Thursday that she hoped to teach, write and work on long-form documentaries. She'll also be a consultant and occasional contributor to CNN.
CNN offered Woodruff a new contract, but she had decided to leave before those discussions began.
Judy Woodruff
Online Archive Offers a World of Folk Music
Alan Lomax
People who have seen the films "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Gangs of New York" or listened to Moby's best-selling album "Play" have heard music recorded by Alan Lomax. But they might not have any idea of who Lomax was or what he did.
Those who want to plunge feet first into master folklorist Lomax's work now have an excellent opportunity to do so: The Alan Lomax Archive has created a new online database, that affords a deep look at his pioneering field recording.
Lomax, who died in 2002 at age 87, began his work as a teenager, assisting his father, John A. Lomax, who perambulated the American South with a portable disc-cutter, recording music for the Library of Congress. The Lomaxes discovered bluesman Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter at Angola State Prison in Louisiana in 1933; the younger Lomax would later record Jelly Roll Morton and Muddy Waters.
Alan Lomax
KO Win in First Bout
Jack Osbourne
Jack Osbourne, the chubby, bespectacled son for former shock-rocker Ozzy Osbourne, underwent almost four weeks of training and colonic irrigations before entering the ring against a veteran Thai kickboxer.
Jack spent four days at the elite Fairtex Muaythai Fitness Camp near Bangkok, the Thai capital, before traveling to the popular tourist island of Pha-Ngan for "a complete physical detox, which was basically twice-daily massive colonic irrigations to kind of flush himself out of toxins," Stobart said.
With Ozzy and Sharon cheering him on, Jack knocked his opponent out eight seconds into the second round, said Philip Wong, Jack's trainer. Muaythai fights usually have five three-minute rounds.
Jack Osbourne
Lyricist Honored on Stamp
Yip Harburg
Yip Harburg wrote the lyrics for more than 600 songs for theater and film including work for such entertainers as Al Jolson, Groucho Marx, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Bert Lahr.
"Over the Rainbow," from the movie "The Wizard of Oz," is among his best known works. He also wrote "Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead," and "Lions and Tigers and Bears."
Other well-known works by Harburg include "It's Only a Paper Moon," "April in Paris," "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," "C'est la Vie," and "Hitchhikers (on that Highway Called Life)."
Harburg died in 1981 at age 82 after suffering a heart attack while driving to a story conference for a film.
Yip Harburg
Retaliates Over Jobs Biography
Apple
Apple Computer Inc. has retaliated against the publisher of an upcoming unauthorized biography about chief executive Steve Jobs by removing dozens of other technology books sold by the publisher from Apple stores around the world.
Apple removed the books last week from all 104 of its stores after failing in a monthlong attempt to persuade John Wiley & Sons not to release "iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business," which is to go on sale within the next six weeks, the publisher said.
The book-spurning is only the latest attempt by Apple executives to crack down on writers who publish or distribute unauthorized or secret information about the computer maker. It's a strategy that experts in brand management say is likely to backfire, only adding to the notoriety of Apple's critics and encouraging sales in countless other bookstores.
The book's author, Jeffrey Young, says Jobs has nothing to fear from "iCon." It's a chronicle of Jobs' rise as an innovator and entrepreneur and includes details about his personal life such as his divorce and fight with cancer, he said.
Apple
2nd Horse Killed During Filming
'My Friend Flicka'
Two days after a horse died during filming of a remake of the 1943 classic "My Friend Flicka," an animal-welfare group said it has learned another horse had died on the set two weeks earlier.
A quarter horse tripped during a rodeo scene and broke a back leg April 11 at the Blue Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, American Humane Association spokeswoman Sara Spaulding said Wednesday.
The horse was put down after a veterinarian on the set determined the injury was untreatable, she said.
On Monday, a rodeo horse died after it broke away from handlers and tripped on its rope at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center in the San Fernando Valley.
My Friend Flicka
'Extinct' Bird Rediscovered
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
The ivory-billed woodpecker, once prized for its plumage and sought by American Indians as magical, was thought to be extinct for years. Now it's been sighted again and conservationists are exulting.
The striking bird, last seen in 1944, has been rediscovered in the Big Woods area of Arkansas, scientists and conservationists reported Thursday.
The discovery of living examples of an animal believed to be extinct is rare, said Tess Present, director of science at the National Audubon Society. "Wow," she said. "This is tremendous."
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
Video clip of bird
Reaches Settlement With Marvel
Stan Lee
Cartoonist Stan Lee, who gifted Spider-Man with his powerful "spidey-sense," is feeling larger than life himself after reaching a settlement with Marvel Enterprises.
Lee had sued in November 2002 to share profits generated by the company's television and movie productions - particularly the box-office smash "Spider-Man," which earned more than $800 million worldwide, and its super successful sequel.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Stan Lee
Items to Be Auctioned
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando fans, it's time to make an offer that can't be refused. More than 250 items, including Brando's annotated script from 1972's "The Godfather" and a letter from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. urging his participation in a civil rights march, will be auctioned June 30. The items are being put up for bid by Brando's estate.
Another highlight is a letter from Mario Puzo, who shortly after publishing "The Godfather," wrote Brando: "I think you're the actor who can play the Godfather."
Also available will be Brando's Oscar nomination certificate for "On the Waterfront" and the black velvet tunic he wore in "Superman" in 1978.
Other items are more personal, including numerous musical instruments, boxing gloves and his foosball table.
Marlon Brando
Film & TV Composers Score
ASCAP Honors
The (Beverly) hills were alive with the sound of music as performing-rights group ASCAP held its annual film and television composers honors.
Honorees at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers event Wednesday night included John Debney, a veteran film composer who reached a new peak last spring with his work on Mel Gibson's blockbusting "The Passion of the Christ." He received ASCAP's Henry Mancini award for his work on "Passion" and more than 50 other features, including the current releases "Sin City" and "The Pacifier."
Composer Mark Snow received The ASCAP Golden Note Award for his more than 20 years of work, primarily in television, on such series as "Hart to Hart," "Millennium" and "The X-Files." And the night also included a celebration of legendary composer Harold Arlen, who would have been 100 this year. The Arlen songbook includes such classics as "The Man That Got Away," "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Over the Rainbow."
ASCAP Honors
An Ugly Picture Emerges
Exec Perks
Executive perks have always occupied a special place in Corporate America -- largely hidden from view. Unlike information about salaries, bonuses, and stock options, which is readily available, details about executive perks have usually been skimpy at best and, for the most part, consigned to footnotes in the company proxy.
But thanks to reforms by the Securities & Exchange Commission, that's starting to change. Companies are being prodded to disclose more perks -- and in more detail -- than ever before. And the picture isn't pretty.
In mid-April, Viacom revealed that it was reimbursing two top executives, co-Presidents Leslie Moonves and Thomas Freston, for sleeping in their own homes while in New York and Los Angeles on business. Morgan Stanley has disclosed the payments that would be due to embattled CEO Philip Purcell if he were to leave the company because of a change in control -- an eye-popping $63 million. And security company Brinks now says its CEO, Michael Dan, gets a lot of things it never disclosed before, including use of the company plane, club dues, tax services, a security system for his home, and even a physical exam.
Leonard Schaeffer, the chairman of WellPoint, stepped down as CEO on Jan. 31 with a severance package estimated at $120 million -- but apparently that wasn't enough. The company also gave him a mind-boggling array of retirement benefits, including four years of medical benefits, three club memberships, and title to a car.
For more of the 'have-mores' - Exec Perks
Down Under, Where Else?
Vertical Cemetery
An Australian company has been given approval to begin work on a cemetery where bodies will be buried vertically to save space and minimize impact on the environment, a spokesman said Thursday.
Tony Dupleix, director of Palacom, the company given permission for the cemetery, said the plan would involve no-frills burials, using a body bag rather than a coffin. "When you die, you are returned to the Earth with a minimum of fuss and with no paraphernalia that would affect the environment," he said.
The cemetery, proposed for a field in Derrinallum, 180 kilometres west of Melbourne, would feature three-metre-deep holes, Dupleix said. It is reported to be the first cemetery in Australia offering the option of being buried standing up.
Vertical Cemetery
Basic Cable Networks
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on basic cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of April 18-24. Each ratings point represents 1,096,000 households. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses.
1. National Football League Draft (Saturday, 12 p.m.), ESPN, 3.5, 3.84 million homes.
2. "WWE Raw Zone" (Monday, 10 p.m.), Spike, 3.2, 3.55 million homes.
3. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), Spike, 3.0, 3.28 million homes.
4. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.0, 3.28 million homes.
5. "Fairly Odd Parents" (Sunday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.9, 3.14 million homes.
6. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.8, 3.1 million homes.
7. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.8, 3.02 million homes.
8. "Fairly Odd Parents" (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.7, 2.96 million homes.
9. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.6, 2.85 million homes.
10. "Fairly Odd Parents" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.5, 2.77 million homes.
11. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (Saturday, 11 p.m.), USA, 2.4, 2.63 million homes.
12. "Law & Order" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 2.4, 2.63 million homes.
13. "Law & Order" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 2.4, 2.62 million homes.
14. "Fairly Odd Parents" (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.3, 2.53 million homes.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 6 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.3, 2.53 million homes.
Ratings
In Memory
Mason Adams
Mason Adams, known for his Emmy-nominated role on the television series "Lou Grant" and as the voice behind the Smucker's jelly commercials, has died at his home in Manhattan. He was 86.
His distinctive, often fatherly voice was first heard in 1940s and 1950s radio serials, including "Batman" and "Pepper Young's Family." But he did not achieve fame until being cast as Charlie Hume in "Lou Grant," a spin-off of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" that ran from 1977 to 1982.
He had small roles in several films, including "F/X" (1986) and "Houseguest" (1995), and worked steadily on stage in his later years. His last theater role was in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "The Man Who Had All the Luck" in 2002.
He was also famous for his work in television commercials for J.M. Smucker Co., voicing the tag-line "With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good."
Adams was born in Brooklyn and received his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin.
Mason Adams
