Issue #2.03
The New L.A. Free Press
By Michael Dare
'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
David Giffey: Fight Back Against Giving Kids' Names to Military (The Capital Times of Wisconsin; Posted on commondreams.org)
The No Child Left Behind Act is up for reauthorization this month. There has been much necessary criticism and commentary about its unfunded mandates, forced standardized testing, and takeover threats to struggling public school systems. But another critical piece of the law is often overlooked. Section 9528, in about 200 words, requires public high schools to give student information to military recruiters upon request unless the families or students opt out.
Bob Cesca: America Used To Be Really Goddamn Awesome (Huffington Post: Posted on commondreams.org)
People from every corner of the nation selflessly pooled their resources for the great cause of World War II, and I'm not sure about this one, but I don't think President Roosevelt ever once asked the country to sacrifice by going to the mall. And I'm pretty sure he didn't outsource the construction of tanks, Flying Fortresses, Hellcats and Thunderbolts to Mexico and China. That's a hell of a thing by today's standards, isn't it?
Harold Meyerson: The Rise of the Have-Nots (The American Prospect; Posted on commondreams.org)
The American middle class has toppled into a world of temporary employment, jobs without benefits, and retirement without security.
Barbara Ehrenreich: The Clinton Campaign: Running on Ambien (Barbaraehrenreich.com; Posted on AlterNet.org)
The black and female candidates for president, especially the latter, are suffering from severe lack-of-personality disorders.
Mark Morford: Is it OK to love Whole Foods? (sfgate.com)
The overpriced ultra-yuppie grocery wonderland gets so much right, you want to hate it.
Annalee Newitz: Modern Bionic Woman, Retrograde Feminism
Jaime Sommers, heroine of the 1970s show Bionic Woman is back, but in a gender role that seems older than the original.
Leonard Gill: The Big Read Programs Wants You to Read One Book (memphisflyer.com)
According to a report entitled Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, issued by the National Endowment for the Arts, reading in America -- literary reading, in the form of novels, short stories, poetry, and plays -- is declining dramatically.
Connie TUTTLE: Don't expect to find civility at the mall these days (tucsonweekly.com)
Civility is going the way of circle pins and knickers. A civil exchange in public is so uncommon these days that when one occurs, it becomes an event worthy of dinner conversation. It's not clear when civilized behavior began its sad stumble into extinction, but anyone who ventures into a store risks becoming the target for some clerk's personal angst.
RICHARD ROEPER: 'Baby Daddy' phrase just makes me cry (suntimes.com)
Is it just me, or does this cliche get on your nerves, too?
Justin Roberts: Fans of 'Buffy' Keep the Fire Going (sdcitybeat.com)
Between the continuation of series creator Joss Whedon's approved story lines, the explosion of Buffy-related "fan fiction" and the advent of "Buffyology" -- a newly recognized and legitimate field of study within the academic community -- the legacy of Buffy appears poised for longevity.
Children's Health: Overturn the Veto (democrats.org)
If we can get 2/3 of Congress to stand up to President Bush, we can overturn his veto on the State Children's Health Insurance Program-a program that provides health insurance for millions of kids.
Reader Comment
"Snood" and Burns
Hi Marty,
Thanks for the link - I don't know how I missed it...
Can you believe that I actually remember the term, "Snood?" I THINK it came from WWII, worn by the women working in the factories (to keep their hair out of the machines).
Speaking on WWII, I wonder if you have had a chance to watch the new Ken Burns film series about WWII? I tell you, Marty, I have been sitting, glued in front of my TV, watching it. I suspect that it is a series that will have to be viewed several times to catch all of it.
While I was born just before the war started, and don't actually remember it - WWII was all people talked about in my childhood. After viewing this series, I am experiencing vague memories of those times and years though.
I sure hope that all of the proponents of war are watching this series. Much of the, "actual" footage has come from the release of information after the, "Freedom of Information Act" was enacted. I especially like the way that Burns runs the, "Newsreels" that people saw in the theaters during the war, and then shows the realities of that war.
Now please don't get me wrong, this is neither a "pro" nor "con" version of war, it just brings war - specifically hand-to-hand combat and many, many of the battles - to the screen, and leaves the viewer to make up his/her own mind.
Burns swings us from the Atlantic, to W Africa, to Russia - over to the islands in the Pacific - into the Philippines and the POW camps - to four hometowns in the States, and tells about the impact the duel war had on those towns. (By the end of WWII we had lost a staggering 400K in the military alone.)
I think it also shows how America's had a "romantic and macho" view of the war (and the soldiers fighting it) because the government ordered that only positive news be released in the early years of those wars. I might interject here that the veteran's were encouraged NOT to talk about their war experiences (save the glory stories) which did not help our remembrance if it. "Real" men just bit the bullet and went on with their lives.
Good old, John Wayne films kept the, "glory" images going, and most films of that era were shrouded in that glory AWA, "Mom, Apple Pie, and of course, the Flag..." And, more importantly, the film points out that, "why" we won this war, was because of America's ability to mass-produce the weapons of war and the battle ships, etc., faster than the enemy could.
After seeing this series, however, I have new respect for the Veteran's I see gathered at the, "American Legion Halls," etc. To be honest, I never really knew that which they had endured, and after seeing it for myself, I salute most of them. (Save a lot of the Military Leader's that is...)
This is a true labor of love on the part of Burns - true genius of the documentary.
Well, so much for the chitchat,
Love all you do - day after day,
Sally P
Thanks, Sally!
Way back when I was in high school, the resident 'hot chick' tried to start a local fashion craze with her grandmother's crocheted snoods.
As I recall, she was fairly successful.
Last Sunday, the local PBS station (KCET) ran the first 3 episodes of Ken Burns' doc, and I was able to watch it then.
Growing up in a small town where most everyone I knew's dad (and a couple of moms, too) served during WWII, I was struck by how many stories aren't being told.
Not that many openly spoke of their adventures, and when they did, a copious amount of alcohol was usually involved.
But one thing always struck me - those who saw the most combat were the least likely to think fighting solved anything.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and cooler.
Bad day for the "3 C's" - cats, car and computer.
One of the recently rescued kittens has been very sick, and things took a turn for the worse before the sun came up. The car crapped out
on the way to school this morning (turned out to be the alternator). Then there's the computer - seems it develops new a new quirk daily. Sigh.
Brushes Off 'Unpatriotic' Label
Bruce Springsteen
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen has brushed off critics who label him unpatriotic, countering that the United States has itself engaged in "anti-American" activity since resident George W. Bush took power.
"I think we've seen things happen over the past six years that I don't think anybody ever thought they'd ever see in the United States," Springsteen told CBS television in an interview due to be broadcast Sunday.
"When people think of the Unites States' identity, they don't think of torture. They don't think of illegal wiretapping... They don't think of no habeas corpus," he said, referring to suspects being held without charge.
"Those are things that are anti-American," he said. "There's been a whole series of things that... I never thought I'd ever see in America," he added.
Bruce Springsteen
Hip-Hop Stars Rally
Jena Six
When the latest call for a protest over Jena Six came, it wasn't led by Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, but rapper-actor Mos Def.
Mos Def sent out a viral video urging students to walk out of classrooms nationwide this week in protest of the prosecution of six black teens - initially charged with attempted murder - in the beating a white classmate in Jena, La.
And Mos Def is not the only member of the hip-hop community speaking out in this racially charged case. When Mos Def - known as a politically and socially conscious rapper - traveled to Jena for a march on the town last month, as he spoke to the media, legendary UGK rapper Bun B was at his side. Hip-hop soul singer Lyfe Jennings was also in attendance, and rappers like Ice Cube and T.I. have lent support, moral and financial, for the protests.
Jena Six
Hispanic Woman of the Year
America Ferrera
The accolades keep coming for America Ferrera. The Emmy-winning star of "Ugly Betty" is now the Hispanic Woman of the Year, the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard announced Thursday.
The publications will honor Ferrera and the 25 most powerful Hispanic women in film, television and music at their inaugural Hispanic Women in Entertainment breakfast at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Tuesday.
Ferrera has won Golden Globe, Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards for her portrayal of Betty Suarez on the ABC show.
America Ferrera
New Comedy Central Series
Lewis Black
Comedy Central has picked up a new pop-culture debate series starring Grammy-winning comedian Lewis Black.
The show, titled "The Root of All Evil," aims to put "pop culture on trial," the cable network said.
It features Black as moderator pitting two celebrities or pop culture topics -- such as Paris Hilton vs. Dick Cheney or YouTube vs. porn -- against each other in an open debate setting in which rotating comedians argue over which is more evil. Black will make the final decision.
"I am thrilled to become a part of popular culture by being the self-proclaimed decider of what is evil in our popular culture," Black said. "And by the end of the show's run, I will no doubt have to judge myself."
Lewis Black
Celebrates 80th Birthday
Günter Grass
The Baltic port city of Gdansk opened three days of celebrations Thursday to mark the 80th birthday of its famous son, German novelist Günter Grass.
"I'm very happy that I could come and meet with my friends on the eve of my birthday," Grass, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1999, was quoted as saying by the PAP news agency.
Grass was to meet with former Polish President Lech Walesa, also a Nobel laureate, for a discussion of German-Polish relations - a topic long important to Grass, author of "The Tin Drum," "Cat and Mouse," "Dog Years" and other works.
Grass was born in Gdansk in 1927 when it was called Danzig. The city, now in Poland, passed between German and Polish rule for centuries.
Günter Grass
NYC Columbus Day Parade
Lidia Bastianich
Lidia Bastianich is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, TV host and author. Now she can add another feather to her cap: grand marshal of New York City's Columbus Day Parade.
The parade, organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation, will be held Monday.
In accepting the invitation, Bastianich - who owns four upscale restaurants including Felidia - said that as an Italian immigrant, she is deeply grateful for the opportunities she's received in her adopted country.
Lidia Bastianich
Win Music Sharing Trial
Record Companies
The recording industry won a key fight Thursday against illegal music downloading when a federal jury found a Minnesota woman shared copyrighted music online and levied $220,000 in damages against her.
The jury ordered Jammie Thomas, 30, to pay the six record companies that sued her $9,250 for each of 24 songs they focused on in the case. They had alleged she shared 1,702 songs in all.
In the first such lawsuit to go to trial, the record companies accused Thomas of downloading the songs without permission and offering them online through a Kazaa file-sharing account. Thomas denied wrongdoing and testified that she didn't have a Kazaa account.
The record companies involved in the lawsuit are Sony BMG, Arista Records LLC, Interscope Records, UMG Recordings Inc., Capitol Records Inc. and Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Record Companies
Studio Acts To Shield Child Stars
"Kite Runner"
The studio behind "The Kite Runner," a film about Afghanistan's turmoil, has arranged to get its three young stars out of their homeland before the movie debuts to protect them from a possible violent backlash.
The U.S. release of the film, based on the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, has been delayed by six weeks to December 14 to ensure the 12-year-old Afghan boys are out of harm's way by then, an executive for Paramount Vantage said on Thursday.
The extraordinary precautions follow months of shuttle diplomacy and other preparations by the film studio to address concerns about the film's depiction of one boy's rape and other scenes of conflict between rival Pashtun and Hazara tribes.
Worries about the well-being of the young actors have escalated as the level of security in Afghanistan has deteriorated in the months since the film was cast and shot, said Megan Colligan, a marketing chief for Paramount Vantage.
"Kite Runner"
Book Him A Room In Den Haag
Alberto Gonzales
The Justice Department under Alberto Gonzales's leadership issued a secret opinion in 2005 authorizing use of painful physical and psychological tactics against terror suspects, including simulated drownings and freezing temperatures, it was reported.
The secret opinion, which explicitly allowed using the painful methods in combination with each other, came a year after an opinion in which Justice publicly declared torture "abhorrent" and the Bush administration seemed to back away from claiming authority for such practices.
The opinion was followed later in 2005 with another opinion secretly declaring that none of the CIA's interrogation practices violated the standard in the new law, as Congress was moving to outlaw "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment of prisoners, The New York Times said in Thursday's editions, citing interviews with unnamed current and former officials.
The legal opinions, approved by Gonzales, remain in effect, despite efforts by Congress and the courts to limit interrogation practices used by the government in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Gonzales resigned last month under withering criticism from congressional Democrats.
NPR Fears To Air It
'Howl'
Fifty years ago today, a San Francisco Municipal Court judge ruled that Allen Ginsberg's Beat-era poem "Howl" was not obscene. Yet today, a New York public broadcasting station decided not to air the poem, fearing that the Federal Communications Commission will find it indecent and crush the network with crippling fines.
Free-speech advocates see tremendous irony in how Ginsberg's epic poem - which lambastes the consumerism and conformism of the 1950s and heralds a budding American counterculture - is, half a century later, chilled by a federal government crackdown on the broadcasting of provocative language.
In the new media landscape, the "Howl" controversy illustrates how indecency standards differ on the Internet and on the public airwaves. Instead of broadcasting the poem on the air today, New York listener-supported radio station WBAI will include a reading of the poem in a special online-only program called "Howl Against Censorship." It will be posted on pacifica.org, the Internet home of the Berkeley-based Pacifica Foundation, because online sites do not fall under the FCC's purview.
Another irony: WBAI, the Pacifica Foundation station in New York that plans to post "Howl" online, is the same station that took on the FCC more than 30 years ago over the right to air George Carlin's comedy routine featuring the "seven dirty words." The challenge led to a 1978 Supreme Court decision governing what naughty words can be broadcast and when.
'Howl'
In Memory
Gary Franklin
Gary Franklin, a Los Angeles entertainment reporter whose "Franklin Scale 1-to-10" of movie reviews made him a familiar name and even carried weight with Hollywood studios, has died. He was 79.
Franklin worked at several local television and radio stations, first as a reporter and then as a movie reviewer. In the 1980s he was entertainment critic at several local television stations.
Franklin was born in Leipzig, Germany, on Sept. 22, 1928. His Jewish family came to America in 1938 to escape the Nazis. Franklin earned a film degree from City College of New York. He was an Army cameraman in Korea and then began to produce television documentaries in New York and Canada before beginning a broadcast career in Virginia in 1954.
In 1991 Franklin left Los Angeles to work as a development executive at a commercial television network in Germany. He returned after only a couple of months and resumed reviewing on TV.
In addition to his daughter, Daryle Esswein, Franklin is survived by his wife, Sylvia; another daughter, Michelle Truesdell, and four grandchildren.
Gary Franklin
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