'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
BILL MOYERS: Message To West Point (tompaine.com)
. . . "the great divide that has opened in America between those who advocate war while avoiding it and those who have the courage to fight it without ever knowing what it's all about."
Jonathan Alter: Why did it take so long for media to use "civil war"? (msnbc.msn.com)
"The answer says a lot about the relationship between the press and the presidency in the early years of the 21st century," writes Jonathan Alter. "With the midterm election returns, we've forgotten how recently the White House held a hammer over the head of anyone who might dare dissent. Earlier this year, any major news organization deciding to call Iraq a civil war would have almost certainly been attacked as unpatriotic by the White House-RNC-Fox industrial complex."
Emine Saner: The ultimate act of self-sacrifice that no one noticed (guardian.co.uk)
52-year-old anti-war protester, Malachi Ritscher's death, four days before the American mid-term elections, wasn't the shocking, national news story he had hoped it would be when he doused himself in petrol and set himself alight, next to a video camera and a small sign reading, "Thou shalt not kill."
Ben Gose: Charity's Political Divide (philanthropy.com)
Republicans give a bigger share of their incomes to charity, says a prominent economist.
Jim Hightower: Blasting American Infrastructure Away (Hightower Lowdown. Posted on Alternet.org)
It's not the terrorists who are targeting and destroying the heart of America; it's Bush & Co.!
Mark Morford: Sex Will Make You Go Blind (sfgate.com)
Single? Under 30? You are in grave danger. Your government says so. Please, stop laughing
Sharon Jayson: Abstinence message goes beyond teens (usatoday.com)
The federal government's "no sex without marriage" message isn't just for kids anymore. Now the government is targeting unmarried adults up to age 29 as part of its abstinence-only programs, which include millions of dollars in federal money that will be available to the states under revised federal grant guidelines for 2007.
EMILY STEEL: When Marketers See Double (online.wsj.com)
As Digital Libraries Spread The Use of Stock Photography, Some Ad Images Are Recycled.
Guide to Anti-War Sites
Tip: If you Google "Weather" and your zip code, Google will give you a forecast.
Hubert's Poetry Corner
CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR WIFE
THE RECENTLY REDISCOVERED SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GREETING BY YOUNG LT. GEORGE W. BUSH TO AMERICAN ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Wind finally died down, but it's still on the brisk side.
Humans Must Colonize Other Planets
Stephen Hawking
Humans must colonize planets in other solar systems travelling there using "Star Trek"-style propulsion or face extinction, renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking said on Thursday.
Referring to complex theories and the speed of light, Hawking, the wheel-chair bound Cambridge University physicist, told BBC radio that theoretical advances could revolutionise the velocity of space travel and make such colonies possible.
"Sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision or a nuclear war could wipe us all out," said Professor Hawking, who was crippled by a muscle disease at the age of 21 and who speaks through a computerised voice synthesiser.
In order to survive, humanity would have to venture off to other hospitable planets orbiting another star, but conventional chemical fuel rockets that took man to the moon on the Apollo mission would take 50,000 years to travel there, he said.
Stephen Hawking
Blunt Message
Elton John
British pop superstar Elton John had a blunt message on Thursday for Australian Prime Minister John Howard over his conservative government's ban on gay marriages.
"Up yours!" the 59-year old told Australian television when asked what he would say to Howard about the ban.
Howard's government is strongly opposed to gay marriage and civil unions which would give gay couples the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples. Australian laws say a marriage can only be contracted between a man and a woman.
Elton John
Bleeped On 'The View'
Danny DeVito
Remarks made by actor Danny DeVito's about resident Bush were bleeped out during an appearance Wednesday morning on ABC's "The View."
DeVito was on the morning gabfest to chat about his current movie, "Deck the Halls," about a battle with another character played by Matthew Broderick to see how many lights and other holiday decorations could be put on their houses.
But it was his comments about the White House -- and its occupant -- that got him in trouble with ABC's Broadcast Standards & Practices. "View," which airs on a seven-second delay, bleeped him twice while he was talking about Bush.
Walters asked if him if it were true that he had been to the White House. DeVito said that he had been during the Clinton administration but not during Bush's term, causing ABC to bleep what DeVito had said before returning and then another bleep. DeVito continued his speech with various facial expressions.
Danny DeVito
Tweaks Three Nights
NBC
Three nights -- Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday -- will be getting a makeover on NBC this midseason.
The network's post-NFL Sunday lineup will feature previously announced "The Apprentice" at 9 p.m. joined by the new reality series "Grease: You're the One That I Want" at 8 p.m. and "Crossing Jordan" returning to its previous 10 p.m. Sunday slot.
Meanwhile, struggling rookie football drama "Friday Night Lights" will move to 8 p.m. Wednesday from 8 p.m. Tuesday, followed by "Deal or No Deal."
Beginning December 26, a second edition of "Dateline NBC" will take over "Lights"' Tuesday slot, leading into "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
NBC
Honorary Degree
Alan Cumming
Hollywood star Alan Cumming has been hailed as a "true celebrity" while being honoured by a university for his film, theatre and TV work.
The Scots actor received a doctorate of arts from the University of Abertay in Dundee for his contribution to the entertainment industry.
The flamboyant 41-year-old, born in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, was also awarded the accolade in recognition of his campaigning for HIV/Aids awareness.
Alan Cumming
Part Owner Of Rainiers
Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey is the latest celebrity to stake ownership in a team in the Pacific Coast League. Lachey was introduced Wednesday as a part-owner of the Tacoma Rainiers. Now, he's part of the Schlegel Sports Group based out of Dallas, and a one-third owner of the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
League President Branch Rickey said Lachey is among notable owners, including Warren Buffet (Omaha), Nolan Ryan (Round Rock), and the Mandalay Entertainment Group (Las Vegas).
It's the second time Lachey has been involved with an ownership group. He was a small player in a group that attempted to buy his hometown Reds last year.
Nick Lachey
Indonesia Pulls Programs After Boy's Death
Smacked Down
An Indonesian TV station has pulled several popular U.S. wrestling shows off the air amid allegations that a nine-year-old boy may have died while children he was playing with were imitating the moves of their muscle-bound heroes.
A police investigation into the death of Reza Fadillah is under way. Officials have so far declined to comment on their findings.
The Stamford, Conn.-based World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. issued a statement saying it was confident its shows had nothing to do with the fatality.
By Wednesday, Lativi TV had pulled "SmackDown" and all other World Wrestling Entertainment programs off the air, following weeks of pressure from parents and educators who say the shows encouraged violent behaviour in children, station spokeswoman Linda Rifai said.
Smacked Down
Rehearsals May Be Webcast
'Saturday Night Live'
NBC is mulling broadcasting Friday night rehearsal sessions of "Saturday Night Live" on the Internet.
It's just one of the many scenarios the digital future could deliver, according to NBC Universal chief digital officer George Kliavkoff, who openly mused about the possibilities Wednesday at the Digital Entertainment Media & Marketing Excellence conference at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
"Sometimes it's a lot more interesting than the show," Kliavkoff joked, referring to the closed-circuit footage of "SNL's" Friday dry runs viewed at NBC headquarters. "It's something we watch on the cameras at 30 Rock."
'Saturday Night Live'
Portrait On Display
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert's portrait is now on display at a barbecue restaurant in the TV satirist's hometown. Chad Walldorf of Sticky Fingers restaurants paid $50,605 for the portrait, which "The Colbert Report" sold on eBay, with the money going to charity. The work hung above the fireplace on the set of the Comedy Central show.
The portrait was unveiled Thursday at the Sticky Fingers in the city's historic district before a small crowd, which was served sweet iced tea in wine glasses and small barbecue sandwiches.
Stephen Colbert
Told To Leave Bahamas Home
Anna Nicole Smith
A former boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith has obtained a court judgment ordering the reality TV star out of her oceanfront residence and he plans to seek her forcible eviction unless she leaves by Thursday, according to his lawyer.
Emerick Knowles, the attorney for South Carolina businessman G. Ben Thompson, said he entered the default judgment on Tuesday after Smith missed a deadline to respond to his suit declaring his client the rightful owner of the gated mansion known as "Horizons."
Howard K. Stern, an attorney who is Smith's companion, said that Knowles had "improperly obtained" the default judgment.
Anna Nicole Smith
Killer Whale Injures Trainer
Shamu
A killer whale injured a trainer when he grabbed the man and pinned him to the bottom of an exhibition tank during a show at San Diego's SeaWorld Adventure Park.
San Diego paramedics said they took the 33 year-old trainer to hospital with unspecified injuries after the Wednesday evening incident.
It was witnessed by about 200 spectators at the daily Shamu show which features captive whales performing acrobatic stunts with trainers riding on their noses and backs.
Shamu
Shutting Prostitution 'Windows'
Amsterdam
City officials say they will turn off the red lights and shutter a third of the prostitution "windows" in Amsterdam's famed Red Light District, where scantily-clad ladies of the night have beckoned customers for hundreds of years.
The move is part of a crackdown on crime in the area.
City spokesman Martien Maten said the city was now making use of a new law to revoke brothels' licenses when it suspects operators have used them for money laundering or other illegal financial activity.
Amsterdam
Hidden Picture Sets Record
Norman Rockwell
One of Norman Rockwell's most famous paintings, discovered hidden behind a fake wall in its owner's Vermont home, has sold for $15.4 million.
"Breaking Home Ties," which "Henry" comic strip illustrator Donald Trachte Sr. purchased from Rockwell when the two were neighbors in Arlington, Vt., was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder, Sotheby's auction house said Thursday.
Trachte died last year at 89 and apparently never told anyone the secret about his prize painting, which had appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in 1954 and was voted the second-most popular cover in the magazine's history.
Norman Rockwell
Dozens Of Letters Sold
Dwight Eisenhower
A collection of 140 private letters written by President Eisenhower to his brother Edgar that covered such subjects as America's image abroad and the toll of the presidency has been sold.
The letters, written to Edgar N. Eisenhower from 1941 to 1967, reveal the 34th president's concerns about the arms race, America's poor image around the world, political patronage and eroding civil liberties. The sale price was confidential but was "consistent with" an earlier appraisal that placed its value at $270,000, according to the dealer, The Raab Collection.
In a letter from 1955, two years into his first term, the president tells his brother that the world views the United States as "bombastic, jingoistic and totally devoted to theories of force and power as the only worthwhile elements in the world."
Dwight Eisenhower
Alleged Thief Believed Dead
Edvard Munch
One of the three masked gunmen who snatched the Edvard Munch masterpieces "The Scream" and "Madonna" in a brazen August 2004 raid is believed to be a 27-year-old Norwegian who died this month, Oslo police announced Thursday.
In a news release, Oslo police said they learned "with a large degree of likelihood" of the 27-year-old's role in the theft when an undercover officer infiltrated his circles. The policeman secretly recorded him admitting that he had been one of the robbers, Norway's largest newspaper, Verdens Gang, reported.
The man, whose name was withheld, died of a suspected heroin overdose on Nov. 3, without knowing he was suspected in the theft or that he had leaked to a police agency, the statement said.
Edvard Munch
Government Rates For Terrorism
Travelers
For the past four years, without public notice, federal agents have assigned millions of Americans and other international travelers computer-generated scores assessing the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals.
The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments. And the government intends to keep them on file for 40 years.
The scores are assigned to people entering and leaving the United States after computers assess their travel records, including where they are from, how they paid for tickets, their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and what kind of meals they ordered.
Travelers
Await Restoration
Italian Movies
Italian director Sergio Leone's 1968 western classic "Once Upon a Time in the West," like so many films stashed away in storerooms for decades, has not aged well. The common signs: scratches, fading colours and a reddish hue.
But by next fall, the film starring Henry Fonda and Claudia Cardinale will be restored to its blazing glory, ready to be shown at the second Rome Film Festival.
It will be a fitting venue to unveil the rejuvenated movie, the first chosen for restoration under a three-year initiative started this year by the film festival and director Martin Scorsese, an ardent film conservationist, to preserve Italian films.
Organizers are still determining the project's scope and what films to restore, but festival executive Mario Sesti said the campaign was urgent. Said Sesti: "If Leonardo da Vinci had been a filmmaker, we probably wouldn't even know of his existence."
Italian Movies
Nielsen Basic Cable
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Nov. 20-26. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses.
1. NFL Football: N.Y. Giants vs. Jacksonville (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 8.23 million homes, 10.96 million viewers.
2. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.62 million homes, 5.13 million viewers.
3. "Hannah Montana" (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.), Disney, 3.33 million homes, 4.63 million viewers.
4. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.31 million homes, 4.57 million viewers.
5. Movie: "High School Musical" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Disney, 3.27 million homes, 4.71 million viewers.
6. Movie: "Disney's Holes" (Monday, 8 p.m.), Disney, 3.13 million homes, 4.18 million viewers.
7. Movie: "March of the Penguins" (Saturday, 9 p.m.), Hallmark, 3.05 million homes, 4.54 million viewers.
8. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Wednesday, 7 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.87 million homes, 3.99 million viewers.
9. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.86 million homes, 3.97 million viewers.
10. "Hannah Montana" (Sunday, 7 p.m.), Disney, 2.81 million homes, 3.74 million viewers.
11. "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" (Friday, 7:30 p.m.), Disney, 2.77 million homes, 3.84 million viewers.
12. "Hannah Montana" (Sunday, 6:30 p.m.), Disney, 2.75 million homes, 3.79 million viewers.
13. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.73 million homes, 3.71 million viewers.
14. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.69 million homes, 3.58 million viewers.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.64 million homes, 3.63 million viewers.
Ratings
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