'Best of TBH Politoons'
Freshly Updated!
Dick Eats Bush
Reader Recommendation
'The Big County
I recomember mentioning a tad ago that one of my all time fave Westerns is "The Big Country". According to the sched for TCM, it'll be a Peck-fest on 8-4, w/ the above film on the docket.
In brief; real-life mirrored the lives of the principal actors; Peck and Heston as frontier lib vs. asshole prick. A perceptive view of the flick is fun in that light, as is the transparent political stances of the stars; completely relevant in the 'noo. (Hint: tolerance wins the day!)
Catch it if you can...
-yr-
michelle
Thanks, Michelle!
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Bob Somerby: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE PRETTY SHARP (AND OTHER LEADING MYTHS OF DEMOCRACY) (dailyhowler.com)
How clueless is the American public? Press and pols both hate to discuss it, but the public is deeply, defiantly clueless. For us, the 1993 Clinton budget plan was the issue that nailed this point (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 11/12/02). It was the biggest issue of the day-and from the time he took office right through that first summer, Clinton didn't clear his throat without first remembering to tell the people that his income tax increases would only affect the top two percent of earners. But when the plan finally passed in August, the public was almost totally clueless.
The white stuff (guardian.co.uk)
Male fertility is falling. The supply of sperm donors is drying up. In the nick of time, scientists have found that sperm can be grown from stem cells. But won't this make men redundant, asks William Leith.
Cordelia Fine: Willpower is best used with care (theaustralian.news.com.au)
A DECADE ago when I was an undergraduate psychologist, a departmental librarian called Anne was doing something any psychologist would say was impossible. Every year, with near-perfect accuracy, she would predict which third-year undergraduates would be awarded first-class degrees.
Fit in four minutes? (guardian.co.uk)
A revolutionary 'quickie' workout could be just what time-poor exercisers have been waiting for, says Peta Bee.
Kevin Sampson: Crapata Modernica and how to avoid it (guardian.co.uk)
When did modern life become so rubbish?
Knute Berger: Divorced From Reality (seattleweekly.com)
There are more children in need of parents than parents to go around. Thank goodness some gays and lesbians have come to the rescue by volunteering to be parents.
Carolyn Kay: Brief Biography (makethemaccountable.com)
Andrew Tobias (andrewtobias.com) says about Carolyn Kay: "She is ... one tough, committed MBA from the bayou, whose first presidential vote was for Barry Goldwater and whose life story is worth the two-minute read. She devotes much of her breast-cancer-surviving energy to fending off what she sees as encroaching fascism."
Reader Comment
Re: Bear Cam
Alaska Grizzly Bears, McNeil River Falls - Wildcam Grizzlies - National Geographic Magazine.
Did I get this website from you? I can't remember where I found it, so
in case it wasn't you, I thought you might enjoy it. Yes, it works
better with DSL, but there is still a way to see it using dial up. You
will need RealPlayer (free) to see it.
And if I DID get it from you, THANK YOU!!! It is so much fun to watch
the bears!!
Check out the blog as well. Seems I'm not the only one who can't stay
away from the site. :-)
ducks
Thanks, ducks!
On
Tuesday's page had a link to the same site, but with a different URL. Bear Cam.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Fabulously overcast, cool day.
No new flags.
Los Angeles Mural To Be Restored
David Alfaro Siqueiros
A 1930s mural by artist David Alfaro Siqueiros that was so controversial it was painted over after its completion will be restored with the help of at least $7.7 million from The Getty Foundation and the city.
Finished in 1932, the 80-foot-by-18-foot mural, "La America Tropical," was displayed on downtown's Olvera Street, the site where the city of Los Angeles was founded. It depicts an Indian being crucified on a double cross topped by an American eagle. A Mayan pyramid overrun by vegetation can be seen in the background.
The work, completed after Siqueiros' expulsion from Mexico for his political beliefs, was designed to portray the struggle against imperialism.
David Alfaro Siqueiros
Sheds Braids
Ludacris
Ludacris has lopped off the long braids that have been his trademark for nearly a decade - and not because of the heat.
The rapper, whose real name is Chris Bridges, says his new, short hairdo - a "shadow fade" - was a "spur of the moment kind of thing." He acknowledges that after years of wearing braids, cornrows or a giant 'fro, he'd simply run out of new styles.
But he says the new look is symbolic of a larger change.
Ludacris
Joins 'Potter' Cast
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter has signed on to play fanatically evil Lord Voldemort devotee Bellatrix Lestrange in the next " Harry Potter" film.
The Oscar nominee joins incoming composer Nicholas Hooper, who will create the score for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth film adaptation of author J.K. Rowling's epic series, according to a statement released Wednesday by Warner Bros.
Directed by Hooper's longtime collaborator David Yates, the movie also includes newcomers Imelda Staunton as frumpy Dolores Umbridge and Evanna Lynch as Luna "Loony" Lovegood.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return as teen wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
Helena Bonham Carter
Sci Fi Gets Rights
'Star Trek: Enterprise'
Sci Fi Channel has acquired rerun rights to "Star Trek: Enterprise" along with several other series, made-for-TV movies and miniseries.
Its deal with CBS Paramount Domestic Television also includes a renewal of exclusive cable rights to the classic series "The Twilight Zone"; the TV show "Tales From the Darkside"; and such short-lived series as CBS' "Threshold," starring Carla Gugino, and "Wolf Lake," with Lou Diamond Phillips, as well as UPN's "Jake 2.0," starring Christopher Gorham, and "Haunted," featuring Matthew Fox. Other acquired titles include the series "Kindred, the Embraced," "Level 9," "Special Unit 2" and "All Souls."
Sci Fi said it's planning to premiere "Enterprise," a "Star Trek" prequel that stars Scott Bakula and ran from 2001-05 on UPN, in early fall. "Tales From the Darkside" will premiere later this year, and the other acquired series will debut sometime during the 2006-07 season.
'Star Trek: Enterprise'
Hospital News
Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond was hospitalized for a bad reaction to medication, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, denying reports that the singer had attempted suicide.
Osmond, who lives in Utah County about 30 miles from Salt Lake City, spent a couple of days at Timpanogos Regional Medical Center in Orem last week, spokeswoman Amy Hawkes said.
The National Enquirer reported in its Aug. 14 edition that Osmond's hospitalization was the result of a failed suicide attempt.
Marie Osmond
Hospital News
Doug Fieger
The Knack lead singer Doug Fieger, perhaps best known for the 1979 hit "My Sharona," underwent successful brain surgery Thursday, his doctor reported.
Fieger, 53, had two brain tumors removed during the operation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, publicist Guy McCain said. There were no details about the tumors.
Dr. John Yu said the surgery was successful and Fieger was expected to have a full recovery, McCain said in a statement.
Doug Fieger
Hospital News
Freddy Fender
Musician Freddy Fender has incurable cancer, discovered after tumors were found on his lungs, and his wife said they are "hoping for a miracle."
Fender underwent chemotherapy in late January but stopped because of its side effects. A scan later found nine more tumors.
Fender received a kidney from his daughter in 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004. He has had problems with diabetes and hepatitis C.
Freddy Fender
Outpatient Rehab?
Mel Gibson
A lot is riding on Mel Gibson's recovery from alcoholism: his health, his image, his reputation and his chance to repair relations with the Jewish community.
But unlike other celebrity alcoholics, Gibson is not checking into a treatment facility. Instead, his publicist says the actor is participating in an outpatient "program of recovery," declining to provide specifics.
Mel Gibson
mel gibson - Defamer
TMZ.com
CNN Hires Castro's Estranged Daughter
Alina Fernandez
With Cuban leader Fidel Castro ailing after 47 years in power, CNN said Thursday it had hired his estranged daughter, Alina Fernandez, as a network contributor.
Fernandez, who was 3 when Castro took power and had sporadic contact with him, left Cuba disguised as a Spanish tourist in 1993. She moved to Miami, where she is a radio host and the author of "Castro's Daughter: An Exile's Memoir of Cuba."
Fernandez will provide commentary and expertise about Cuba as the story about her father's health, and a potential succession of power, continues.
Alina Fernandez
Pigboy's Beard Moving On
Daryn Kagan
Daryn Kagan says she wants to find out if there's a business in good news. Kagan, a 12-year CNN veteran who anchors two hours of news coverage from Atlanta each weekday morning, is leaving Sept. 1 to set up a Web site devoted to telling inspirational stories.
"I think there is a void in the straight news business now, (which is) lacking a certain spirituality," Kagan told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I think most people live in a space where they are looking for meaning in life and good in the world and that is not necessarily reflected in straight news coverage right now."
She said she had no financial backer for her Web endeavor other than herself.
Daryn Kagan
Salaam Shalom - Free Music
Raffi
Canadian troubadour Raffi has released his song Salaam Shalom, Side by Side as a free download on his website.
In a Middle Eastern style, the song pairs the words salaam and shalom, which mean peace in Arabic and Hebrew.
"Since children bear the greatest burden of war, Salaam Shalom, Side by Side reminds us that peacemaking is a moral duty to our young," Raffi said in a release.
Raffi
Stolen Religious Icon Found In St. Petersburg
The Hermitage
A religious icon that was stolen from Russia's famed State Hermitage Museum was found dumped in a trash bin in St. Petersburg, police officials said Thursday.
The find of the wooden icon, identified as the Assembly of All Saints, came just days after Hermitage officials announced the theft of more than 220 items valued at more than $5 million - an incident director Mikhail Piotrovsky blamed on museum workers.
Russian media said an anonymous caller alerted police that the icon had been left in a garbage container in a yard near the police office in charge of the Hermitage investigation.
The Hermitage
Spreading Democracy
Afghanistan
Afghanistan ordered hundreds of South Korean Christians to leave the country, accusing them Thursday of seeking to undermine its Islamic culture.
Interior Ministry spokesman Yousef Stanezai said the Koreans entered the country with tourist visas, but their activities showed they had a different agenda.
The accusations come amid increasing intolerance and violence against foreign troops in Afghanistan, a crackdown in the capital on drinking and prostitution linked to foreign influences, and the recent announcement of a plan to reinstate the Vice and Virtues Ministry, which enforced its harsh version of Islamic morality under the ousted Taliban government.
Afghanistan
School Fire Races Through Eskimo Village
Hooper Bay
A school in a remote Eskimo village caught fire Thursday and the blaze quickly grew out of control, engulfing several homes and buildings and forcing 250 people to flee.
No injuries were reported among the 1,100 residents of Hooper Bay.
"There are no roads or a formal fire department with big shiny red fire engines here," said Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Bill Tandeske. "The water supply is also a challenge. All the things we take for granted in urban areas are not there, which makes everything so much more difficult."
The school and nearby buildings burned to the ground, Tandeske said. At least 12 homes, a teacher housing complex and one of two village grocery stores also burned, sending up clouds of thick smoke.
Hooper Bay
Newark Bears Tribute To Britney Spears
Baby Safety Night
The Newark Bears, a minor league baseball team, are hosting a Britney Spears Baby Safety Night to spread the message about keeping babies safe in vehicles.
Fans attending Friday night's game will receive information on baby car seat safety and a chance to win a free car seat from the American Automobile Association.
Those who dress as a baby, bring a baby toy or bring their baby - a child under the age of 4 - get in free.
Baby Safety Night
Composes Theme For Couric News
James Horner
Oscar-winning "Titanic" composer James Horner has created a new theme for "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric," which will debut September 5.
The network declined to release a snippet of the music.
The existing theme has been in place since 1991. CBS News said there have been only four themes used in the history of the show, which started using music in 1962 when Walter Cronkite took the anchor chair.
James Horner
In Memory
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Famed soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, a 20th century legend who won global acclaim for her renditions of Mozart and Strauss, died Thursday at her home in western Austria, state television reported. She was 90.
Schwarzkopf was born Dec. 9, 1915, in Jarotschin in what was then eastern Germany, but which became the Polish town of Jarocin in the redrawing of national boundaries after World War I ended three years later.
Her family moved to Berlin, where she became a prize-winning student at the Berlin Hochschule fuer Musik, now part of the Berlin University of the Arts.
Her U.S. debut came in 1953, after her marriage to Walter Legge, an English recording company executive and founder of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Her farewell to the stage came in 1971 at the Brussels Opera in "Der Rosenkavalier." Her recitals continued to draw capacity audiences until her last appearance in Zurich, three days before her husband died in 1979.
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
In Memory
Floyd 'Mr. Magnificent' Dixon
Floyd Dixon, a master of West Coast rhythm-blues who toured with B.B. King and sometimes is credited with inspiring Ray Charles to adopt a grittier gospel sound, has died. He was 77.
Born in Marshall, Texas, the self-taught pianist was taken under the wing of blues great Charles Brown when his family moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s.
He had his first recording, Dallas Blues, in 1947. He went on to success with hits in a variety of styles, from "jump" blues to sophisticated jazz-influenced works to bawdy songs like Wine Wine Wine.
Calling himself Mr. Magnificent, Dixon reached the height of his success in the 1950s as part of the flourishing black music scene in Los Angeles. His best-known song was Hey Bartender, covered decades later by the Blues Brothers.
Although he dropped out of the music scene for a time, Dixon's career revived in the 1970s and 1980s with European tours. In 1984 he was commissioned to write Olympic Blues for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Dixon worked regularly until his death. An album he recorded with fellow pianists Pinetop Perkins and Henry Gray was scheduled to be released this fall.
In addition to his son, Christopher, of Los Angeles, Dixon is survived by his first cousins, Marie Banks of Los Angeles and Mary Dixon of Marshall, Texas.
Floyd 'Mr. Magnificent' Dixon
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