Big Dog Watch Continues
Bill Clinton In Calgary
Former American president Bill Clinton brought his anti-terrorism rallying cry to
Calgary Thursday - noting that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have strengthened the
relationship between Canada and the United States.
"Today our friendship is focused on common efforts toward terror," the former U.S.
president told a sold-out charity benefit in his first speech in Canada since the
attacks that killed thousands and set the world on edge.
"We used to worry about difficulties in wheat polices . . . or exactly the nature of
your forestry industry," Clinton said, his voice somber.
"People would actually get red in the face over that."
More than 1,300 of Calgary's business leaders and social glitterati paid $400 to dine
on Alberta prime rib and carmelized vegetables and listen to the former American president.
Another 130 people paid $1,000 to attend a private reception with Clinton at an upscale
French restaurant along the Bow River.
Earlier, Premier Ralph Klein said Albertans feel a close bond with the United States,
expressing condolences that "your nation's tragedy is our nation's tragedy."
"We thank the U.S. once again, many times again, for leading the international effort to protect
peace and freedom," said Klein.
Clinton said it's important to focus on the long-term potential in that effort.
"First, we've got to win the fight we're in," he said.
"Then, we've got to build a world where we have more potential partners and fewer potential
terrorists. This is not a battle of arms, it is a battle of mind and heart."
Event organizers were covering Clinton's speaking fee, which has been estimated at $100,000,
but would not confirm the amount.
Proceeds from the gala dinner are going to the Canadian Paraplegic Association and AIDS Calgary.
Bill Clinton In Calgary
Another First Person Account
Chelsea Clinton
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, who was within blocks of the World Trade Center when it collapsed, has written an account of that day for Talk magazine.
"Before Sept. 11 I wouldn't have believed I had many innocences left," she says at the beginning of the four-page story in the magazine's December issue. "I had seen people who had lost everything and everyone they loved to war, famine, and natural disasters."
Clinton was at the lower Manhattan apartment of friend Nicole Davison, who had left for work, when a hijacked airliner hit the first tower. Clinton turned on the television and watched as the second plane hit.
"I tried to call my mother, but ... the line went dead," Clinton wrote. She went outside to find a telephone and ended up walking toward the towers.
"I remember very little about how I got so far downtown," she wrote. "I do remember standing in line at a phone somewhere and hearing a deafening rumble."
The noise was the collapse of the second tower, 12 blocks away. Clinton later found Davison and another friend and the three spent the day working their way uptown.
When Clinton finally got through to her mother in Washington, she burst into tears of relief. She later spoke with her father, who was in Australia. She saw both later in the week.
Afterward, "I finally felt secure again in my own skin," wrote Clinton, who is now studying in Oxford, England.
Chelsea Writes
In The Chaos Household
Last Night's TV
Started out with 'Friends', on NBC, then went to 'The Tick' on
faux. 'The Tick' was amusing, but, Koresh, how can one be expected to watch that network
with its LOUD promos?
'Will & Grace' was back to snuff, and 'Just Shoot Me' at least had an
'eye-brow-raising' moment - LOL.
Watched 'Prime Time Thursday' on ABC, but, was disappointed with their overly-
hyped 'police helicopter of 9/11 video'. There is a lot more yet to be 'sold to the highest
bidder', damn them.
Leno initiated his 'Dancin' bin Laden's' - remember the 'Dancin' Ito's'? Just change the
costumes.....
Letterman is on a kick to get on 'Oprah', and Bill Maher had Michael Moore, Ted
Danson, Jeff Bridges, and some blonde girl whose first name is 'Monica', and has a
Ph.d. in who-knows-what. Poor thing actually believes the bilge she's spewing, and in way over her head.
Tonight, pretty much everything is fresh, except -- '24' on Faux is regurgitating this
past week's episode (9 et/8 ct).
CBS has dropped the Friday rerun of 'King Of Queens' for an outtakes show, followed by
'Ellen', 'That's Life', and '48 Hours'.
NBC has 'Providence', 'The Jane Pauley Show', and 'Law & Order: Special
Victims Unit'.
ABC has the new Barbara Walters show, 'American 24/7', 'Thieves', and
'Once & Again'
If you get AMC, tonight's oddity is 'Hercules In New York', from 1970. Unless the
credits have been edited, it stars 'Arnold Strong', a young, and nearly non-understandable actor who later became
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Uncut & Uncensored
'Saving Private Ryan'
ABC's broadcast television premiere of ``Saving Private Ryan'' on Sunday will include
an uncut, uncensored version of the film's horrific opening D-Day scene.
The network said it would air strict viewer advisories before the movie, which is
scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. The brutal opening scene depicts soldiers being attacked
as they land on the beach at Normandy.
``We realize we are asking our audience, especially parents, to make a viewing decision
that requires a great deal of thought and debate,'' said Stu Bloomberg, ABC entertainment co-chairman.
``With this film, (director Steven) Spielberg was committed to showing the true horrors
of war alongside its moments of victory and heroism,'' he said. ``With this telecast, we
are committed to that same goal.''
Tom Hanks stars in the movie about a rescue mission to retrieve the sole survivor among
four brothers fighting in World War II.
Saving Private Ryan In The Family Hour
Giving Miss Cleo A Run For Her Money?
Bill Maher
Bill Maher said he expects that his late-night talk show won't be around much longer.
The opinionated host of ABC's "Politically Incorrect" said his criticism of the U.S.
military after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has hurt his relationship with the network.
"Could we keep working together? Yeah, but there'd still be that tension and that conflict,"
Maher told Talk magazine for its December/January issue.
"They're not going to change and I'm not going to change. ... After this whole thing I'm
not expecting to be here after my contract runs out in 2002 - if we make it that long."
On his Sept. 17 show, Maher said: "We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles
from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building - say
what you want about that, it's not cowardly."
Maher's words prompted Sears and FedEx to pull their ads from the show and several local
affiliates dropped "Politically Incorrect" from their schedules. White House press secretary
Ari Fleischer said the remarks should remind Americans to watch what they say.
The 45-year-old host later apologized "to anyone who took it wrong," and said his comments
were aimed at political leaders.
Bill Maher Predicts...
In Today's Mail
Re: Clooney Vs. O'Reilly
From PuppetPOTUS
I would like those in Hollywood to know that they are being set-up by Murdoch's FOX Network over
the Clooney/O'Reilly Feud -- they've got this guy who sits on the board of Murdoch's conservative
news empire, and who also happens to be an airline exec, calling them "gutless cowards," for
purportedly not flying according to him. Of course the whore press, doesn't identify this guy as
such, so to the average reader, he's an airline honcho calling them on their lack of commercial
air travel. As if the politicians and corporate execs are flying commercial either. I personally
think he was ordered to slam celebs as revenge against Clooney, a big "Hollywood Star," himself.
(READ, what I FOUND ABOUT THIS GUY!)
Okay, there's something brewing here, more Wingnut Corporate Conservative (Rupert Murdoch, I'm
lookin' at you-- you old wingnut geezer)machinations to take down Hollywood li-bruhls, and tamp
down their perceived influence, over the dumb unwashed American masses, by labeling them "patehtic
cowards," perhaps?
CAREER of ROD EDDINGTON:
Joined Swire group, holding company for Cathay Pacific, in 1978. Worked his way through
Cathay being based in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, eventually becoming managing
director in 1992. Left Swire in January 1997 to become executive chairman of Ansett, the
*Australian airline owned by Rupert Murdoch,* based in Melbourne. Departed in April 2000
after Murdoch sold 50% of Ansett's shares. Joined British Airways as chief executive in
April, soon after the dismissal of Bob Ayling. *REMAINS ON THE BOARD OF NEWS CORPORATION.*
Bwahaha!! CAUGHT RED-HANDED YOU SCUMBAG!!! I BET O'REILLY'S IN ON THIS ONE TOO.
Read on, to see what this Airline Exec aka Shill for Rupert Murdoch's FOX NEWS which just coincidentally received a lot of bad newsplay when O'Reilley got into a heated public debate with "Hollywood Star," GEORGE CLOONEY!! Coinky-dinky? I DON"T THINK SO!
Wednesday November 7 11:56 PM ET
Airlines Exec: Hollywood Stars Are 'Gutless Cowards'
LONDON (Reuters) - The chief executive of British Airways has branded Hollywood's film
celebrities ``gutless cowards'' for being scared to fly since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
``They want everyone to see their movies and think how big and brave they are. But at
the first sign of trouble they cower under their beds like gutless cowards. It's pathetic,''
BA chief executive Rod Eddington was quoted as saying in the Mirror.
Eddington praised New Yorkers, who he said had started flying again, but attacked U.S.
celebrities, saying they had ''retired to their mansions'' when they should be acting
as role models encouraging the public to take to the skies again.
Eddington made the outspoken comments as the world's fastest passenger jet, the supersonic
Concorde, returned to service on Wednesday.
A number of British personalities, including pop star Sting and broadcaster David Frost,
were among those on the first British Airways Concorde flight to New York since an Air
France Concorde crashed shortly after takeoff from Paris last year.
Demand for air travel worldwide has plummeted since hijacked airliners crashed into New
York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington on Sept. 11, plunging the airline
industry into crisis.
Airlines have announced massive job cuts and BA, which earns most of its profits from
transatlantic travel, announced on Tuesday that it was losing two million pounds a day.
AND
Celebrities are getting a round of black eyes on both sides of the pond after the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. First, Fox News talk show host Bill O'Reilly accuses
them of milking the tragedy by getting free publicity with benefit shows, but not
caring about how the charity windfall is distributed. Then, on Nov.7, British Airways
Chief ExecutiveRob Eddington was quoted in England's Mirror as saying that actors are
"gutless cowards" for being too scared to fly after Sept. 11. ''They want everyone to
see their movies and think how big and brave they are. But at the first sign of trouble,
they cower under their beds like gutless cowards. It's pathetic.'' BA has been forced to
announce big layoffs after the attacks because of the slowdown in air travel. The firm
has said it's losing almost $3 million a day.
'Both Sides Of The Pond'
New! Updated!
(6 Nov, 2001)
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, has provided another eye-opening set of charts!
A brief excerpt: " "The influence of the opposition across the 3rd/9th axis may indicate
we have more to fear from domestic terrorism than a foreign entity. Sagittarius on the cusp
of the foreign 9th house, with ruler Jupiter in Cancer, the sign most closely associated with
home and country, in the home 4th, shows the source of anthrax and other bio-chemical threats
are more likely from within our own borders; by a home grown group of domestic terrorists. The
recent wave of breast beating, chest thumping, and flag waving can be attributed to the most
excessive planet (Jupiter) transiting the most exorbitantly patriotic and jingoistic sign (Cancer).
Jupiter also has jurisdiction over religion, so the source of these dreadful bio-terrorist attacks
could very well be a group with a strongly opinionated religious axe to grind. "
Very interesting reading!
Special, Lucky Or Gulfstream Priviledges?
NBC Sports & F-16's
Two F-16 fighter jets escorted a private plane carrying NBC Sports' Olympic leadership when
it lost radio contact with air traffic controllers after taking off at Salt
Lake International Airport.
NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol, NBC Sports president Ken Schanzer, NBC Olympics
co-chairman Dennis Swanson, and announcers Jim McKay, Hannah Storm and Dan Hicks
were heading to the East Coast on the Gulfstream jet Wednesday after a four-day
Winter Olympics production seminar in Salt Lake City.
The jet lost radio contact after takeoff and was circling the Great Salt Lake when
it was met by the F-16s. The fighter jets guided the Gulfstream to Ogden airport.
``We take those things seriously in this community,'' Salt Lake Organizing Committee
president Mitt Romney said Thursday. ``I'm delighted we have Hill Air Force Base so
close and if an aircraft is doing something unexpected, they are able to scramble
and respond on an urgent basis.''
FAA air traffic manager Tom Brown said the jet ``was not forced down. The F-16s asked if
they could provide any assistance because the private jet had some radio difficulty.''
``The aircraft had problems receiving transmissions even before taxiing,'' Brown said. ``The
jet left anyway.''
The radio was repaired after about a two-hour wait, and the NBC group arrived in New York
shortly after 12 a.m. Thursday.
Susan St. James' Husband Survives
A Final Tribute To Baseball
'Baseball Bra'
Triumph International campaign girl Anri Takao displays a "baseball bra" made of genuine
cowskin at their Tokyo headquarters as part of its 2002 Spring/Summer collection November
7, 2001. The baseball bra was created celebrating Japanese baseball players playing in the
United States, offering cheer and excitement amid gloomy news of attacks in the U.S. and
the anthrax scare.
Photo by Toshiyuki Aizawa
The Baseball Bra - 'Offering Cheer And Excitement'
It's Your Universe
The Leonid Meteor Shower
The Leonid meteor shower will flicker and flash above North America late on Saturday,
Nov. 17 through early Nov. 18. All you need to see it are your eyes, a dark location,
and a little weather luck. This and a few other simple tips will assure a good view of
the event, which experts say should be spectacular this year.
The Leonid meteor shower is brought to us by comet Tempel-Tuttle, a ball of ice and
rock that orbits the Sun every 33 years, jettisoning tiny fragments of itself. Each
pass lays down a new trail of bits and pieces, or meteoroids, which burn from the
friction of the Earth's atmosphere as we cross the Tempel-Tuttle trails every November.
The resulting meteors are popularly called shooting stars.
Tempel-Tuttle's path is slightly different each orbit, and the individual debris streams
spread out and drift through space. So each year the number of shooting stars varies
depending on which trails Earth passes through. Forecasters say 2001 should provide
the most spectacular show since 1966.
Several peaks of activity are expected in various parts of the world.
For North American skywatchers, Earth will enter the heavier parts of the stream at about
11 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 17. Activity will peak around 5 a.m. Sunday morning, when as
many as 13 meteors per minute could be visible, likely for a stretch of time that lasts less
than 1 hour. The peak corresponds to 4 a.m. CST, 3 a.m. MST and 2 a.m. PST.
Because this peak occurs near dawn on the East Coast, West Coast watchers will have a
longer period following the peak to look for meteors, said Bill Cooke, a meteor forecaster
at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
The nights and early mornings surrounding the peak -- from Nov. 14-21 -- should also
offer up a handful of meteors and possibly some meteor outbursts as Earth potentially
passes through various old debris streams.
Residents around the Pacific Rim may see a more intense storm. The heaviest part of
the debris stream is expected to slam into the atmosphere over the western Pacific
Ocean. Top viewing in Australia, Japan, eastern China and the Philippines is expected
to occur between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m., local time, on Nov. 19. Rates during these peaks
could approach two shooting stars every second.
"The Leonids have a reoccurrence of heavy activity every thirty years or so," said Dreyfuss
Planetarium Astronomer Kevin Conod. Conditions are right, he said, for Earth to pass
through a dense stream this year.
Conod predicts the shower will flourish with 100 to 1,000 streaks and flashes from different
meteors throughout the night in North America. A similar display should occur in Central America.
But like most meteor showers, the Leonids are notoriously difficult to forecast.
To get the full effect, find a dark location outside that's clear of trees. Lunsford recommends
allowing a half-hour for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Gradually you'll be able to see
more and more stars as well as meteors.
"The more stars you can see before the shower," said Lunsford, "the better level of
activity you'll see as well."
Earth will encounter another dense ribbon of the debris next November. Europe and Africa are
the favored locations for another predicted storm. But a full Moon will dampen the 2002 show.
After that, scientists say it will likely be nearly a century before the Leonids storm again.
"It's now or never," said Robert Naeye, editor of Mercury, the magazine of the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific. "People should take advantage of this year's Leonid storm, because
astronomers don't think we'll see another storm like this one until the year 2099. We will
probably never see a better meteor shower in our lifetimes."
Leonid Meteor Storm - Hey, It's Free
100 Episodes Later
'Ally McBeal'
David E. Kelley, creator and producer of the comedy television series "Ally McBeal," celebrates
the shows' 100th episode by cutting a cake with star of the series, actress Calista Flockhart,
on the set at studios in Manhattan Beach, California November 8, 2001.
Cast members background. are: (L-R) Regina Hall, Julianne Nicholson, singer Vonda Shepard and
Jane Kraowski. The 100th episode of "Ally McBeal" will be telecast in the United States January 21, 2002.
Photo by Fred Prouser
Updated!
BartCop TV!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot' never seems to rest - and doesn't let little things like laundry or
housekeeping get in the way!
Damn near every show on TV must is listed - days & days worth of great reading.
For an amazing variety of information on an awesome array of tv programs check out
BC TV!
Baby News
Liz Hurley
British film actress and producer Liz Hurley is expecting a baby in April with her American
film producer boyfriend Stephen Bing, her spokeswoman said Thursday. The announcement came
after intense media speculation that the 36 year-old former face of Estee Lauder and star of
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Bedazzled was pregnant.
Liz Hurley Expecting
More Baby News
Christine Taylor & Ben Stiller
There's something about babies for Ben Stiller.
He and his actress-wife, Christine Taylor, are expecting their first child together, the actor's
rep confirmed Thursday.
The goofy thespian--perhaps best known for nearly neutering himself in 1997's comedy blockbuster
There's Something About Mary--reportedly called up his famous father, Jerry Stiller, and gave
him the good news.
"I got a call from Ben," Jerry Stiller, 74, says in the latest issue of People magazine. The
elder Stiller got the call while on the set of his CBS sitcom, The King of Queens. " 'Dad,
I've got to tell you something.' Ben is like a kid still, when he drops these little pieces
of information. He said, 'You're going to be a grandfather.' I said, 'I'm so glad, so happy
but I still have to learn my lines!' "
Despite the distraction, the elder Stiller and wife Anne Meara are said to be elated for their son.
The younger Stiller, who turns 36 on November 30, tied the knot with 30-year-old Taylor in
May of 2000 and have been inseparable ever since (Taylor, who first gained attention
playing Marcia in 1995's The Brady Bunch Movie, costarred in Zoolander, which Stiller
starred in, wrote and directed).
No word on a due date.
Stiller & Taylor Expecting
Bringin' Em Up Smart In 'Bama
'A Controversial Theory'
Alabama is maintaining its distinction as the only state where biology textbooks
include a sticker warning students that evolution is a "controversial theory" they should question.
The State Board of Education voted without dissent Thursday to place the disclaimer on the
front of 40,000 new biology textbooks to be used in the state's public schools.
The statement says in part that evolution is "a controversial theory. ... Instructional
material associated with controversy should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered."
The board included the same statement in course guidelines for science teachers.
The state first put stickers on biology textbooks in 1996, but those books are
being replaced with new editions next year. The new books will be used for the next six years.
The school board's vote came without any debate, far different from the initial
decision to use the stickers.
"Boy, that was a surprise," board vice chairman Ethel Hall said.
The decision was actively supported by the Christian Coalition and the Eagle Forum,
groups that seek more religious activity in public schools.
Joan Kendall, state education chairman for Eagle Forum, said the sticker is needed
because biology textbooks contain outdated and disputed information about evolution.
John Giles, state president of the Christian Coalition, said the board's new sticker is
not as strong as the old one, but he had been concerned the board was going to drop
the sticker entirely.
"The insert they approved does provoke the child to think through the process," he said.
At a 1995 board meeting to approve the original disclaimer, then-Gov. Fob James impersonated
an ape to poke fun at Charles Darwin, whose works are the basis of evolutionary theory.
That sticker contained questions students should ask about evolution, such as: "Why do
major groups of plants and animals have no transitional forms in the fossil record?"
Alabama's use of the sticker to discredit evolution causes scientists to question the
quality of its biology education, said Eric Meikle, outreach director of the National
Center of Science Education.
"It's definitely a negative in people's view of education in the state," he said.
The teaching of evolution, the theory that humans and other living beings evolved into their
present form over millions of years, has been an issue in several states. But no other state
has used a disclaimer sticker in textbooks statewide, Meikle said.
The Alabama school board has approved several biology textbooks from different publishers, and
local school boards select the books that are used in schools. The course is taught mostly in 10th grade.
'Bama Teaching Kids To Question
Snarky Gossip
Britney & Justin
Pop tart Britney Spears, her beau Justin Timberlake, and their posse demanded special treatment
at B Bar's weekly Tuesday night Beige party, and then left without paying their bill.
"The poor waiter had to run out and bang on the window of their car to get them to pay," our wide-eyes spy reports.
After taping the David Letterman show, belly-baring Spears, 19, began her evening at Centro-Fly
at the party for the release of her new album, "Britney," which is expected to displace Michael
Jackson's "Invincible" next week at No. 1.
Paying homage were Natalie Portman, Taye Diggs, Faith Evans, and members of the boy bands O-Town
and LFO. Britney and her group arrived at B Bar around 1:30 a.m. "It was Britney, Justin and a
posse of big hulking bodyguards and assistants," said the witness.
"They sat at a table and seconds later this wild, maniacal assistant came up to the bar and
yelled, 'If we don't get a waiter right now we are leaving . . . and he has to wait just on us - nobody else!' "
When the barman told the frazzled flunkie that B Bar "doesn't work that way," the assistant
got two hulking bodyguards over to "intimidate" the staff. "The bodyguards were very threatening
[physically]," our source said.
It wasn't the first time Spears or Timberlake have had issues with brutish security and rude
assistants. A year ago, after being snubbed by Timberlake, 15-year-old fan Daniele McGuire
yelled at the *NSYNC star: "J.C. Chavez [a bandmate] is cuter, anyway!" McGuire claims she
was whisked into an elevator by two bodyguards and taken to Timberlake, who backed the teen
into a wall and reprimanded her.
At the opening of Planet Hollywood in Times Square the same week, when Lance Bass and Timberlake
arrived, their guards allegedly manhandled a bunch of 10-to-12- year-olds who were waiting for autographs.
"There were all these kids jammed up against each other, so the unfortunate ones up front
couldn't help getting shoved into the guards, and this seemed to aggravate them," one
witness told PAGE SIX at the time.
"Eventually, they were actually grabbing kids by the arms and swinging them away from [Bass and
Timberlake]. These were very small children and very big guards."
Today's Snarky Gossip - Britney & Justin
Missing BBC Programming Recovered
'Classics' Found
A nationwide appeal has turned up more than 100 missing British Broadcasting Corp. programs
dating to the 1930s, the company said Thursday.
The BBC announced six months ago that it was searching for copies of classic radio and TV
programs to fill gaps in its archives. The missing shows had either not been recorded by
the BBC or had been wiped.
Collectors, former producers, overseas broadcasters and members of the public came up with
more than 100 radio programs and about a dozen TV shows.
Among the most exciting finds were two missing episodes of ``Dad's Army,'' the military TV comedy,
and an audio tape of the Beatles appearing on the TV music show, ``Jukebox Jury.''
Other unearthed classics include an episode of a ``Portrait of a Bridegroom,'' a classic TV series by
comedian Benny Hill; a 1931 radio adaptation of Charles Dickens' ``A Christmas Carol'' and the first
edition of the long running radio panel game, ``I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue,'' from 1972.
Missing BBC Programs
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
To check out 'Train Station Chicken', and more (like 'Cranberry Autumn Tea'),
In The Kitchen With BartCop
TV Makes 4 X's More Than Print
Playboy
Could the Playboy bunny be hopping again in 2002?
Industry watchers think the company may be in the midst of a turnaround, but it's new technology, not Hugh Hefner's 48-year-old magazine, that is leading the way.
The magazine is still among the industry's circulation leaders -- hovering at just over three million. But it's the promise of improved results in its online media and digital television that are paving the comeback.
The signs of a change in fortune were on display last week when the company posted a third-quarter operating profit of $2.2 million versus a $2 million operating loss last year, based on reduced Web losses and rising television revenues.
``Candidly, we make four times the money in TV than we do in publishing,'' said Chief Executive Christie Hefner, Hef's daughter, said in an interview following the earnings report.
In July, Playboy agreed to pay $70 million over 10 years to buy The Hot Network, The Hot Zone and Vivid TV movie channels -- all three feature hard-core pornography, compared to the less sexually explicit content and original programs on Playboy TV.
There's a bit more to this story, so for the rest, Playboy And Profits
A long time ago, I worked at the 'TOC' (Tape Origination Center) of the Playboy Channel.
Definitely not a job they tell you about on 'Career Day'. Compared to my Disney days, it was a
different world in more ways than one...LOL.
In my experience, and in my opinion, Playboy is the better employer, on a whole lot of levels.
Another Interview, From TV Guide
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson loves watching ``Sesame Street,'' plans to make a movie with close friend Liza Minnelli, and says he will build a computer school on the grounds of his Neverland estate so his own kids won't have to go ``into society.''
In a rare interview published in TV Guide magazine to promote ``Invincible'' -- his first album of original music in six years -- Jackson also said he always felt awkward off stage and that some of his closest friends were celebrities who had also started out as child stars.
``People who grew up as child stars have the same thing in common. You're cute, they love you; you go through the awkward stage, they don't accept you any more. Very few make the transition to adult star,'' Jackson, 43, said, talking of his friendships with Elizabeth Taylor and Liza Minnelli.
The interview was part of a public relations blitz -- including an unprecedented in-store appearance in New York, a television special and a visit to open trading at the Nasdaq stock market -- to promote the return of the reclusive ``King of Pop'' to a crowded pop music market.
Jackson's son Prince, 4, and daughter Paris, 3, played at his feet during the interview, and he said they traveled everywhere with him. He said Prince liked to tease, and he described Paris as ``the tough one.''
Asked what he would do when they reached school age, he replied; ``I'm going to build a computer school on the grounds (of Neverland)... How can they go into society? He's Prince Michael Jackson. She's Paris Katherine Michael Jackson. It would be too difficult.''
Jackson said his early start in showbusiness meant that he had never had a childhood. His taste in TV programs currently includes the animated dysfunctional family comedy ``The Simpsons '' and preschool show ``Sesame Street''.
``I love 'Sesame Street'. I could watch it for hours. But my favorite show is 'Malcolm in the Middle'...mainly because he (Malcolm) tries to fit into society, and he doesn't -- like E.T. or Bambi, he can't adjust to other people's concepts.
``And I feel like that a lot of times. Once I'm offstage, I feel awkward, like this is not where I'm supposed to be,'' Jackson added.
Jackson's future plans include acting and directing in the movies, although to date his movie experience is restricted to a part in the 1978 musical ``The Wiz''.
``I want to do a film with Liza Minnelli. We are planning a movie together. It's about two struggling entertainers trying to make it; they get turned away everywhere they go. With some of the best dancing ever.
``I'm not joking because I see it, I feel it here,'' Jackson added, pointing to his heart.
Jackson's ``Invincible'' album received lukewarm reviews but climbed to the top of the music charts this week in the United States, Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and several other European countries.
Michael Jackson In 'TV Guide'
FYI - 'TV Guide' is part of the Rupert Murdoch Empire.
Faux Dumps Weekday Kids Programming
Buh-Bye Faux Kids
Fox is getting out of the weekday kids business and will hand the two-hour afternoon
block back to affiliates.
Fox Kids will still exist as a four-hour block on Saturdays. But affiliates will be
allowed to start programming the 2-4 p.m. time period themselves starting Dec. 31.
The network retains the right to take back and program the afternoon block as long as it
informs affiliates six months ahead of time. But network distribution president Robert
Quicksilver said Fox won't reclaim the two hours before next fall.
As the kids advertising marketplace continues to suffer, affiliates have been pressuring
Fox for some time to drop the money-losing afternoon kids' block. Quicksilver said the
decision was ``just a response to the difficult ad climate the stations are finding themselves in.''
And now that ABC has completed its acquisition of Fox Family, which programmed the Fox
Kids block, insiders said the timing made sense.
Quicksilver said the network would spend the next few months figuring out how to program
the weekday afternoon slot. Affiliates are only three years into a 10-year deal with Fox
that gives the network the right to program the 3-5 p.m. time period. As a sign of good
faith, the network agreed to push that slot back by an hour in January.
Quicksilver said the move came with no quid pro quo attached.
``We've obviously taken a hard look at the kids time period for many years,'' he said.
``Revenues have declined in those periods. We're doing this in the spirit of partnership
with our affiliates.''
Fox will continue to feed affiliates episodes of ``The Magic School Bus'' to meet the FCC's
three-hour educational programming rule; they may slot the show at their discretion.
Not Enough Money In Kid's TV For Faux
Audio Files From BC
Bonus Page Link
Here are some MP3 files from BC
'My VH1 Music Awards'
Not Wayne Brady
Comic performer Wayne Brady will not host VH1's ``My VH1 Music Awards'' on Dec. 2 after all.
Brady informed the music cable network Wednesday morning that he would not be able to host
the kudocast for personal reasons, VH1 said. He had been on board for the second annual event
as late as Tuesday night.
A new host has not yet been determined.
The show, which will air live on VH1 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, will feature
performances by Mick Jagger, Sting, Nelly Furtado, Lenny Kravitz and Destiny's Child, among
others. It allows viewers to suggest categories, pick finalists and vote for winners up to the last minute.
No Wayne Brady & 'My VH1 Music Awards'
'Everyone Has A New York Dream.'
Ads Or PSA's?
Henry Kissinger always wanted to hit a home run in Yankee Stadium, and Woody Allen secretly
dreams of gracefully twirling on ice skates at Rockefeller Center.
Or at least they good-naturedly pretend those are their dreams in an upcoming series of
public service advertisements designed to promote New York City tourism with the theme
''Everyone has a New York dream.''
In one of the catchiest ads, an ice skater leaps and spins and, as he approaches the camera,
turns out to be Woody Allen.
The ads were unveiled Thursday at a news conference with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Asked then
if he did the skating in the ad, Allen replied, ``Are you kidding?''
A second ad shows a man in a business suit batting an imaginary baseball and rounding
the bases at Yankee Stadium.
As the figure slides into home base, and his face comes into view, it's Henry Kissinger.
``Derek who?'' says the former secretary of state, referring to popular Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Another ad features legendary Yankee Yogi Berra, known for his humorous, if unintended,
sayings, conducting an orchestra.
Turning to the camera, he says, ``Who the heck is this guy Phil Harmonic?''
Six in all, the ads also feature television interviewer Barbara Walters auditioning for
a Broadway musical; actors Ben Stiller and Kevin Bacon in a spoof on the Stage Deli;
and comic actor Billy Crystal dressed as a turkey and Robert DeNiro as a Pilgrim for
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
``You want me to be the turkey?'' DeNiro asks Crystal with his trademark flinty squint.
``I don't think so.''
``We all know how hard New York was hit on Sept. 11,'' Giuliani said at the news conference.
``But New Yorkers have proudly displayed their indomitable spirit during this difficult time
by resuming their lives with a sense of purpose, confidence and determination.
``I urge everyone to come visit New York, pursue your dream and be part of the New York
miracle,'' he said.
'Everyone Has A New York Dream'
'Living The Writing Life'
Michael Dare
Michael Dare
It started out as one of those standard e-mails you get: Hi, I'm Mark Robert Waldman, I'm doing
a book called "The Spirit of Writing," I'd like to include something by you, we can't afford to
pay but we'll send you copies, blah blah blah, heard it all before. The book sounded cool though,
an anthology of "Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life." Us struggling
artists are supposed to hold out for the big bucks. We're supposed to say no to these sort of
things. I looked around at all the other offers I had to re-publish an obscure piece of mine
from a five-year-old WGA magazine. I said yes.
My two copies just arrived. Not obscure at all. A beautiful book published by Tarcher/Putnam on
the New Consciousness Reader label, edited by Mark Robert Waldman who did an amazing job.
From the back cover: "Renowned authors reflect on the joys and frustrations of the writing life.
A rare glimpse into the inner world of the writer. Here is a wealth of insight on matters both
practical and emotional. Mark Robert Waldman has gathered sixty essays that reveal the daily
struggles--and rewards-- that novelists, journalists, poets, and other writers face. These
elegant meditations offer comfort and inspiration for the countless people for whom writing is a way of life."
Open to the table of contents and you'll find "How to Write Like Tom Robbins" listed as story
number nine in a long list. It's an interesting list to see yourself on: Annie Dillard, Stephen
King, Henry Miller, Joseph Conrad, Sylvia Plath, Octavio Paz, Robert Pinsky, Erica Jong, Mark
Twain, O. Henry, Anais Nin, and Michael Dare.
There are raves from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal up at Amazon.
Order one at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1585421278/darenet-20
and I might actually get paid.
Thanks,
MD
Holy Canoli! Michael sure is hanging with the A-List writers!
Buy this book - KORESH! - just look at the names - lots of great reading, and you'll be able to say
'I remember when....', too.
Here's a link to Michael Dare's site - http://home.earthlink.net/~dare2b -
(Remember to keep your arms & legs inside while the ride is moving). : )
Sad News Coming
George Harrison
The last time George Harrison was the subject of swirling tabloid rumors about his struggle
with cancer, the Quiet Beatle replied--quite loudly--that reports of his demise were "untrue,
insensitive and uncalled for."
That was July. Now, nearly four months since that tabloid whirlwind, the media are once again
buzzing about a British tabloid report claiming Harrison is in a "very frail" state at a New
York hospital undergoing "last chance" treatment for cancer.
Not only is Harrison's camp remaining silent about the reports, but his publicist told E! Online
Wednesday that she is no longer representing him--and that there is no one available to answer
questions or clear up reports regarding Harrison's state of health.
London's Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday that the 58-year-old music legend is in Staten Island
University Hospital, receiving "revolutionary cancer surgery" from Dr. Gil Lederman, the director
of radiation oncology.
The hospital refused to comment on whether Harrison is a patient. But the paper quoted sources
describing Harrison as "frail and gaunt" and saying "the word around the hospital is that the
procedure he is having is the last chance of saving his life."
The paper also quoted Paul McCartney saying, "I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and he seemed
good. He's my brother, we speak a lot."
It was only in July that Harrison was dispelling initial rumors about a losing battle with cancer,
after London's Mail on Sunday published a supposedly exclusive interview with former Beatles producer
George Martin saying Harrison "knows he is going to die soon and he's accepting it perfectly happily."
Turned out, however, that the quote was fabricated. Harrison, who had been working on a new album,
released a statement insisting he was "active and feeling very well." Furthermore, the guitarist-songwriter
and his wife said they were "disappointed and disgusted" by the rumors.
While the veracity of these latest reports remains unknown, it's common knowledge that Harrison's health
has suffered in recent years. Earlier this year he was treated at a Swiss clinic, reportedly for a brain
tumor. Prior to that, he checked into the Mayo Clinic to have a cancerous lung operated on. And in 1998,
he underwent radiation therapy for throat cancer, which he attributed to years of smoking.
George Harrison Rumors
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Still Really Like This One....
"Boondocks" (9 Oct 01)
Gonna let it ride for awhile.
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
