'Best of TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Baron Dave Romm
More Quick Thoughts
By Baron Dave Romm
Marscon countdown: two weeks
With Marscon just a few weeks away, I've been too busy to listen to and review music. I'll have a lot more after the convention. In the meantime, a few events are worth commenting on. Here are a few random thoughts.
Bush's approval ratings are lower than his father's were at this time in his presidency, and Poppy Bush got the lowest percentage of votes any sitting president ever got for reelection. 1992 was a three-man race and 2004 won't be, but the reality is clear: Bush Lite's is in deep trouble with his core constituents. There's already talk of an October Surprise, since the voting public is notoriously fickle with an extremely short memory. The supposition (by Democrats) is that they'll 'find' Osama bin Laden, and Bush's wartime president banner will outshine his miserable failure, cowardly liar tag. Possibly, but I don't think so. For one thing, the capture of Saddam Hussein gave him a bump but ultimately cost him. The violence in Iraq (and US troop casualties) went UP, and not many people were fooled by the chest pounding. I predict a different surprise: the death of Ronald Reagan. Reagan was a lousy president who surrounded himself with sleazy opportunists, but looked good on camera. For whatever reason, people (or at least a large swath of Republicans) worship him, and his death will generate reflection and a whole bunch of "win one more for the Gipper" things. (Rove and co. set this up by slinging mud after Paul Wellstone died. They can lie and say that the Democrats did it first, and that lie will utterly convince the dittoheads. As usual.)
One of the things that Republicans have been very good at and the Democrats have been very bad at is branding their party. Conservatives sling mud at Liberals and Democrats, where Liberals have specific complaints about individuals. A Republican's sphincter tightens up at the mere thought of voting for a Democrat, where a Democrat will at least think about voting for a Republican. Bush may fail, but the larger problem is control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Defeating Bush is only part of the good fight. I hope Nader isn't stupid enough to run again, and I hope Dean, Sharpton & co. have the sense to rally behind their party as well as their candidate and campaign for Representatives and Senators.
The internet is coming into its own as a political tool just at the point where spam is getting so bad that the net's usefulness is declining. Coincidence? I wonder if the people who looked at Howard Dean's use of the web as a grass-roots organizing tool decided it was time to flood the net with junk.
Four years after liberals and moderates knew about George W.'s going AWOL from his National Guard duties, the conservative news media is waking up to the story. I think Kerry is handling it right: It's not really an issue for him, it's a character issue that the rest of us should keep in the headlines. The documents released unquestionably prove he wasn't there: He was grounded because he didn't show up. Hate radio is tripping over itself lying about what the records show, and a lot of people who served are taking a second look at a guy they admired. Once again, Bush's utter lack of integrity is coming into focus. He has pay stubs but not the service record: He got paid for work he didn't do, and this time the money came from taxpayers. Bush is loosing the support of the military and veterans. I can believe Bush is that stupid, I can't believe Karl Rove will let it get much further. We need to write letters to newspapers, bring it on... er, bring it up in conversation with dittoheads, and so on. They will, of course, repeat the lies. You should get morally indignant and demand to know why they hate the men and women who served in the armed forces.
Previous to 9/11, the three most homophobic countries in the world were: Fidel Castro's Cuba, Afghanistan under the Taliban and Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Less than three years after Osama bin Laden declared war the US and Saudi Arabia because we didn't follow his brand of religious extremism, the three most anti-gay countries in the world are: Fidel Castro's Cuba, Saudi Arabia and the US under George W. Bush. Somewhere, Osama is smiling.
Speaking of Osama bin Laden, and the press waking up at last, isn't it about time to mention that George W's first business partner was Osama's brother, and that on 9/11 Poppy Bush was meeting with another bin Laden brother? You won't find this mentioned on Fox News, though they'll show fake photos of Bush opponents.
Nehemiah Scudder... excuse me, George W. Bush... is shielded from reality by some very evil people. He's a lying coward, but occasionally I feel a pang of sympathy for such a pathetic creature. I half expect him to blurt out "Gollum, gollum!" during his few public appearances.
I'll take Kerry over Edwards any day. Either one of them over Bush, of course, but Kerry has far more experience and is much smarter than Edwards. Maybe Edwards as VP (though I'd rather have Clark). More talk is that Cheney will be dumped from the GOP ticket, possibly replaced by Rudy Guiliani. Hey, I like Guiliani, but he'd make a lousy VP. Rudy is one of those power-hungry martinets who does well when he's solely in charge and decisions, even bad decisions, have to be made quickly. When he was mayor of NYC a lot of what he did worked, though that's still being debated, but he was abrupt, egotistical and wholly without loyalty to the people he appointed. That's not a quality I want in a Senator or VP. He was great during 9/11. Let him rest on his laurels with his new wife and whatever medical ailments he's suffering at the moment.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia with a radio show, a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E , and you can hear the last two Shockwave broadcasts in Real Audio (scroll down to Shockwave). Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
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Thanks, Carbon!
Shameless Promo from Mad Dog
Squirrely Girl
Binky is a close personal friend that I have played percussion behind a few times a local coffee houses. We first met when we both worked at the educational entertainment company. She moved to MO a few years ago, and she has finally released a CD she has been working on for a long time now.
While living in Springfield, she has become known in the local school district as the "singing sub." She is a special individual who has seen her share ups and downs, So I am very proud to promote her disc as best I know how.
The disc represents a really nice blend of serious acoustic guitar based ballads, a tribute to her daughter, and some really wacky tunes that poke fun at the modern world. I especially enjoyed "Why Was I Made This Way," Live Your Dreams" and "The Outhouse," with a chorus that goes like this:
"Come on down to the outhouse, down by granpaw's still
Where me and the boys are smokin' and drinkin' that ole swill
But don't forget to bring you the things that you will need
Like your cell phone and your laptop and your big ole SUV"
The official SQUIRRELY GIRL web site.
If you buy her CD, tell her Mad Dog sent ya!
Thanks.
from Mark
Another Bumpersticker
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Beautiful sunny morning, cloudy afternoon, followed by rain.
Saw Ahnold on one of the Sunday morning talking head shows. Looks like he's had a fresh botoxing, but does he really think his dyed raygun-red hair is attractive? Or virile?
Tonight, Monday, CBS starts the night with a FRESH 'Yes, Dear', followed by a FRESH 'Still Standing', then a FRESH 'Raymond', followed
by a FRESH '2½ Men', then a FRESH 'CSI: Miami'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Dave is Norah Jones.
Scheduled on a FRESH Craiggers are Patrick Swayze, John C. McGinley, and Pat Monahan.
NBC opens the night with a FRESH 90-minute 'Fear Factor', followed by a FRESH 90-minute 'Average Joe: Hawaii'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jay are Owen Wilson and Simple Plan.
On a regular Monday-RERUN Conan are Billy Bob Thornton, Nick Lachey, and Rob Krueger.
Scheduled on a FRESH Carson Daly is TBA.
ABC begins the night with the movie 'The Fast & The Furious', followed by a FRESH 'Super Regis!'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jimmy Kimmel are David Spade and Eliza Dushku, with this week's guest co-host Anthony Anderson.
The WB offers a FRESH '7th Heaven', followed by a FRESH 'Everwood'.
Faux has a FRESH 'The Littlest Groom', followed by the Season Finale of 'Big, Fat, Obnoxious'.
UPN has a FRESH 'The Parkers', followed by a FRESH 'Eve', then a FRESH 'Girlfriends', followed by a
FRESH 'Half & Half'.
A&E has 'American Justice', 'Biography' (Alec Baldwin), 'The True Story Of Seabiscuit', a FRESH 'Airline', and another 'Airline'.
AMC offers the movie '9 To 5', followed by the movie 'Scent Of A Woman', 'Prime Shootout', then the movie 'Bugsy'.
BBC -
[6pm] 'BBC World News'
[6:30pm] 'Cash in the Attic' - Chamberlain
[7pm] 'House Invaders' - Droylsden
[7:30pm] 'Changing Rooms' - Changing Rooms at Christmas
[8pm] 'Red Cap' - Red Light
[9pm] 'Wire in the Blood' - Darkness of Light
[11pm] 'Red Cap' - Red Light
[12am] 'Wire in the Blood' - Darkness of Light
[2am] 'House Invaders' - Droylsden
[2:30am] 'Changing Rooms' - Changing Rooms at Christmas
[3am] 'Wire in the Blood' - Darkness of Light
[5am] 'Red Cap' - Red Light
[6am] 'BBC World News'. (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'West Wing', followed by the movie 'Fatal Attraction'.
Comedy Central has the movie 'Best In Show', followed by 'South Park', then 'Straight Plan For The Gay Man'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jon Stewart is Tyra Banks.
History has 'Modern Marvels', 'Mail Call', another 'Mail Call', and 'Blind Man's Bluff'.
SciFi is all 'Stargate SG-1' all night.
TCM - Day 23 of '31 Days of Oscar™', where every movie is either an Oscar™ winner or nominee.
[6am] 'The Sin Of Madelon Claudet' (1931);
[7:30am] 'Come Back, Little Sheba' (1952);
[9:30am] 'The Good Earth' (1937);
[12pm] 'I Want To Live!' (1958);
[2pm] 'Suspicion' (1941);
[4pm] 'Butterfield 8' (1960);
[6pm] 'Gaslight' (1944);
[8pm] 'The Farmer's Daughter' (1947);
[10pm] 'Terms of Endearment' (1983);
[12:30am] 'Funny Girl' (1968);
[3:30am] 'Cabaret' (1972). (ALL TIMES EST)
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Actor Elijah Wood reigns as Bacchus XXXVI during the Krewe of Bacchus Parade in Uptown New Orleans February 22, 2004. Fat Tuesday is February 24.
Photo by David Rae Morris
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
Saturday Night
Writers Guild Award
"Lost in Translation" and "American Splendor" took top screenwriting honors Saturday from the Writers Guild of America.
Best adapted screenplay honors went to Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman for "American Splendor," which is based on the underground comic books that detail the life of Harvey Pekar and a novel Pekar wrote with his wife, Joyce Brabner.
TELEVISION:
Animation: "The Dad Who Knew Too Little" (episode of "The Simpsons"); written by Matt Selman; aired on Fox.
Original Long Form: "And Starring Pancho Villas As Himself"; Larry Gelbart; HBO.
Adapted Long Form: "Out of the Ashes"; Anne Meredith, based on the book "I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz" by Dr. Gisella Perl; Showtime.
Episodic Drama: "7:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M." ("24"); Evan Katz; Fox.
Episodic Comedy: "No Sex, Please, We're Skittish" ("Frasier"); Bob Daily; NBC.
Comedy/Variety-Music, Awards, Tributes-Specials: "The Kennedy Center Honors," George Stevens Jr., Sara Lukinson and David Leaf; CBS.
Comedy/Variety (including Talk) Series: "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!"; Penn Jillette, Teller, David Wechter, John McLaughlin; Showtime.
Daytime Serials: "All My Children"; Agnes Nixon, Megan McTavish, Gordon Rayfield, Anna Theresa Cascio, Frederick Johnson, Jeff Beldner, Janet Iacobuzio, Lisa Connor, Addie Walsh, Victor Miller, Mimi Leahey, Bettina F. Bradbury, John PiRoman, Karen Lewis, Amanda Robb, Rebecca Taylor, Christina Covino, David A. Levinson; ABC.
Children's Script: "The Maldonado Miracle"; Paul W. Cooper, based on the novel "The Maldonado Miracle" by Theodore Taylor; Showtime.
Documentary-Current Events: "Truth, War, and Consequences" ("Frontline"); Martin Smith; PBS.
Documentary Other Than Current Events: "The Murder of Emmett Till" ("The American Experience"); Marcia Smith; PBS.
News-Regularly Scheduled, Bulletin, or Breaking Report: "Showdown with Saddam" (CBS News"); John Craig Wilson; CBS.
News-Analysis, Feature, Commentary: "Wall Street" ("NOW with Bill Moyers"); Michael Winship & Bill Moyers; PBS.
RADIO:
Documentary: "Autism: Shades of Gray"; Julia Kathan; ABC News Radio.
News-Regularly Scheduled: "World News This Week"; Stuart H. Chamberlain Jr.; ABC News Radio.
News-Analysis, Feature, or Commentary: "Remembering Ed Bliss"; Mike Silverstein; ABC News Radio.
On-Air Promotion (Radio or Television): "Buffy/Enterprise"; Eric Jacobson; CBS/UPN.
Writers Guild Award
Sunday Night
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Johnny Depp was a surprise lead actor winner Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," while Charlize Theron took the best-actress honor for the serial-killer drama "Monster."
The supporting acting awards went to Tim Robbins for the brooding drama "Mystic River" and Renee Zellweger for the Civil War saga "Cold Mountain."
The ensemble acting award, the guild's equivalent of a best-picture prize, went to "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the front-runner to win the top honor at next Sunday's Academy Awards.
Among the guild's TV awards, "Sex and the City" won for comedy-acting ensemble on the same night the series ended its six-year run. The cast won the same prize two years ago, while star Sarah Jessica Parker won the comedy-actress honor in 2001.
Other comedy TV honors went to Megan Mullally for "Will & Grace" and Tony Shalhoub for "Monk."
Kiefer Sutherland of "24" and Frances Conroy of "Six Feet Under" won for best dramatic actor and actress. "Six Feet Under" also was honored for best acting ensemble in a drama.
"Angels in America" earned Meryl Streep and Al Pacino the acting awards for a TV movie or miniseries.
The guild presented its lifetime achievement award to 91-year-old Karl Malden, an Academy Award winner as supporting actor for "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Actor Karl Malden, left, displays his Life Achievement Award with presenter Michael Douglas at the 10th annual Screen Actors Guild awards Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004 in Los Angeles.
Photo by Mark J. Terrill
Tours India for Film Role
Tina Turner
Producer Ismail Merchant says pop diva Tina Turner's two-week tour of India has prepared her for her role as a singing, dancing Indian goddess in a new Merchant-Ivory film.
"'The Goddess' will be funny, intelligent and a musical," Merchant said. "It's a film about Shakti. It says women are here to rule and men better accept it."
Merchant said the movie would also star Matthew Modine, who plays a jealous husband in Merchant-Ivory's recent comedy "Le Divorce," which has garnered good reviews.
Tina Turner
Wins Big at Olivier Awards
'Jerry Springer — The Opera'
"Jerry Springer — The Opera," an exuberant tribute to the American talk show, triumphed at the Laurence Olivier Awards Sunday, winning four awards including best new musical.
David Bedella, the show's smooth-talking Satan, was named best actor in a musical at the Oliviers, the British equivalent of Broadway's Tony awards.
Dame Judi Dench received a special award for her contributions to British theater. The award was presented by actor Kevin Spacey, who serenaded Dench onstage with Gershwin's "I've Got A Crush On You."
For the rest, 'Jerry Springer — The Opera'
Laurence Olivier Awards
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Named Britain's Ultimate Pop Star
Cliff Richard
Veteran singer Cliff Richard has beaten the Beatles and Elvis Presley to the title of Britain's Ultimate Pop Star as the biggest selling artist.
Channel 4's The Ultimate Pop Star, broadcast on Sunday, said Richard had sold more singles than any other artist in the last 50 years, ahead of the Beatles in second place and Presley in third.
Madonna was in fourth place as the only female to make the top ten. She was followed by Kylie Minogue at number 13 and The Spice Girls at 15.
Elton John was named in fifth place, ahead of Michael Jackson in sixth and Queen in seventh. Swedish group Abba were placed eighth and Paul McCartney made the top ten twice, as a solo artist in ninth position.
David Bowie closed out the top ten.
Cliff Richard
A puppet resembling Uncle Sam with his pants down is seen on a float made by the Sao Clemente samba school at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004.
Photo by Dolores Ochoa
A Little Film History
Jesus
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ" is only the latest in a very long line of celluloid portrayals of Jesus that have, in their turn, aroused controversy, delight, outrage and ridicule.
For more than a century, filmmakers have attempted to put their particular stamp on the life of Christ, from Cecil B. De Mille's 1927 silent epic "King of Kings" to Monty Python's 1979 satire "Life of Brian" and Martin Scorcese's sexually charged "The Last Temptation of Christ" in 1988.
Jeffrey Hunter, who starred in Nicholas Ray's 1961 remake of "King of Kings," looked so young that the film quickly became known in critics' circles as "I Was a Teenage Jesus."
Just like Gibson nearly 80 years later, De Mille had to confront the issue of Jewish culpability in Christ's death, and at a time when American society was openly anti-Semitic.
"Everybody, from De Mille forward, has been made aware that they are going to have a Jewish issue here," said Steve Humphries-Brooks, a religious studies professor at Hamilton College who is writing a book titled "The Celluloid Saviour."
"Gibson has voiced some surprise that Jewish groups have gone after him, and that amazes me," Humphries-Brooks said. "I can't believe he hadn't thought about that, unless he's just oblivious to history -- especially film history."
After Ray's "King of Kings" remake, the next and last time Christ was given the epic treatment was in George Stevens' 1965 effort "The Greatest Story Ever Told."
The spiritual impact of the film was undermined by the distracting appearance of a dizzying array of star names in minor roles or cameos -- such as crooner Pat Boone, Telly Savalas, Sidney Poitier and, most famously, John Wayne as a centurion at the crucifixion.
Hollywood legend has it that after hearing Wayne say his one line in the movie -- "Truly this man was the son of God" -- Stevens suggested he try delivering it with "more awe."
Wayne dutifully did the take again, solemnly declaring: "Awwww, truly this man was the Son of God."
"All the films remain costume dramas in some way," said Humphries-Brooks. "They may not have the bad beards of De Mille's actors, but they adhere to the same underlying fake iconography."
For more, Jesus
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Desert Hot Springs, CA
Best Water
Tap water from Desert Hot Springs, Calif., was ruled the best in the world Saturday by judges who sipped samples from around the globe.
Five countries, 25 states and the District of Columbia were represented at the 14th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Taste. Ice Mist bottled water from Morarp, Sweden also took a top prize.
ounty, Romania, took first place for carbonated bottle water. Pure StoneClear Springs of Vanleer, Tenn., won for purified drinking water.
Best Water
British fundraiser Lloyd Scott watches the Disney animation 'Finding Nemo' on a screen submerged in a tank at the London Aquarium to raise money for the charity 'Children with Leukemia,' February 22, 2004. The screening, which was the UK's first underwater screening of a film on DVD, was attended by the man whose other exploits in an antique deep sea diving suit include a 14-day underwater trek along Loch Ness and completing the London Marathon in 2002.
Photo by David Bebber
Nwe Symbol Added
Morse Code
Morse code is entering the 21st century -- or at least the late 20th.
The 160-year-old communication system now has a new character to denote the "@" symbol used in e-mail addresses.
The new sign, which will be known as a "commat," consists of the signals for "A" (dot-dash) and "C" (dash-dot-dash-dot), with no space between them.
Morse Code
Translated To Ancient Greek
Harry Potter
Harry Potter becomes "Warrior Cup" and his enemy Voldemort "Scaly Death" in a translation of the schoolboy wizard's adventures into Ancient Greek due for publication this summer.
Retired classics teacher Andrew Wilson told Reuters he had to stretch his linguistic ingenuity to turn J.K. Rowling's magic boarding school fantasy into a language not used for 1,500 years.
Wilson, 64, was commissioned in January 2002 by publisher Bloomsbury to translate "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" into the Greek spoken in ancient Athens.
Wilson modelled his translations for modern words such as computer and motor car on the quaint style of 19th century Greek.
Harry Potter
* ADULT *
In Memory
Humphry Osmond
Humphry Osmond, a psychiatrist who coined the term "psychedelic" and used LSD to treat alcoholics, died Feb. 6 of cardiac arrhythmia, his daughter said. He was 86.
Osmond entered counterculture history by introducing psychedelic drugs to writer Aldous Huxley, who ascribed mystical significance to them in his 1954 book "The Doors of Perception," from which the rock group the Doors took its name.
But many considered Osmond most important for inspiring researchers to see drugs such as LSD and mescaline as potential treatments for psychological ailments.
Osmond introduced the term "psychedelic" at a meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences in 1957. He said the word, derived from Greek, meant "mind manifesting."
Osmond served as a surgeon-lieutenant in the Navy in World War II.
Humphry Osmond
A Japanese girl pats an Exotic shorthair cat clad in a cow outfit at a cat park in Tokyo, February 22, 2004. Bird flu has spread to a new species in Asia, scientists said last week, reporting that two house cats in Thailand died of the same strain that has killed 22 people across the continent.
Photo by Yuriko Nakao
'The Osbournes'
Freshly Updated! 'The Osbournes' ~ Page 5
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