'Best of TBH Politoons'
Baron Dave Romm
Heartland Perverts
By Baron Dave Romm
The Right Wing Rules of Engagement
Watching the downfall of Sen. Larry Craig gives me no pleasure, but it restores my faith in a higher power. Karma at work! Sen. Craig voted for the impeachment of Bill Clinton and ran on "family values". He did not vote on his conscience and he did not stand on legal grounds. He was and is a scumbag who preys on gullible conservatives for political power. Like so many of his sleazy comrades, he has been caught with his pants down.
Okay... it gives me a little pleasure... Just like the Gingrich, Livingston, Vitter, Foley etc etc etc, some of the most disgusting human beings are finally being shown for what they are in such a way that even Fox "News" watchers have to admit they were wrong.
What has been fun, really, is watching the smirking, self-righteous, conservative news media trip over themselves trying to escape this uniquely Republican set of scandals. During the Abramoff scandal, the cry was, "this is as bad for Democrats as it is for Republicans." They were wrong. The Abramoff scandal has resulted in the convictions of many Republican lawmakers and their top aides with several more under indictment. The Democrats... not so much.
The Mark Foley scandal is being blamed for the Republicans losing the 2006 election so decisively. No mention of Iraq, Katrina or shredding the Constitution or torture or lying or incompetence: They whine about one Republican sleazeball sending Instant Messages and the coverup by the Republican leadership. Wow, do you have to be stupid to buy that. To be a Republican these days is to believe lies and not believe the truth. It's a matter of right wing political correctness.
The shame of being a conservative has never been greater. And we're seeing more and more bald-face liars go unquestioned on the conservative news media. Here is something to watch for.
Whenever a Republican or conservative is criticized, the right-winger will refuse to talk about the actual crime, but use one of several ploys to avoid responsibility:
1) Change the subject, preferably to Clinton
2) Dismiss the crime since "Everybody Does It"
3) Insult the speaker or blame the messenger
and, throughout it all, lie lie lie and defend the lie with more lies.
I've seen #1 & #2 at work in a particularly pernicious way in this scandal. Craig criticized Clinton and voted for his impeachment. And he turned out to be a scumbag. Indeed, as we are finding out, most of the right-winger Republicans who voted for Clinton's impeachment turn out to be sexual perverts, scumbags and/or hopelessly corrupt. Nine-Commandment Christians at best.
Further, comparing Craig to Clinton isn't fooling anyone. It's a sleazy example of #2. By saying Clinton did things "too", the conservative media elite is tacitly admitting that Craig is a sleazebag by the standards they apply to Democrats and avoid applying to Republicans. Without saying anything about anyone else, we should ignore the comparison and get to the story. "Ah, so you admit Craig is sleaze."
#3 is often just mudslinging at the person who is completely accurate in their reporting. They blame the messenger to avoid talking about Republican sleaze.
As Glenn Greenwald reported (Premium membership required) on August 28, 2007CE, the conservative mainstream media went out of its way to ignore the story for nearly a year:
The reaction to the Larry Craig story provides one of the most vivid illustrations yet of how the right-wing movement works. Last October, just weeks before the midterm election, gay activist Mike Rogers reported that the married, GOP "family values" Senator repeatedly had sex with anonymous men in public bathrooms. His report was based on "extensive research," including interviews with several men whom Craig solicited for bathroom sex.
As Rogers argued at the time, the story was relevant -- just as the Vitter prostitute story was -- in light of Craig's frequent political exploitation of issues of sexual morality and his opposition to virtually every gay rights bill. Rogers' story, as a factual matter, seemed relatively credible, both because of his history of accurate outings and because there is no discernible reason why, if he were intent on fabricating, he would single out someone as obscure as Larry Craig, who was not even up for re-election.
Nonetheless, it is hard to overstate the intense fury that this pre-election report triggered from the Right -- not at Senator Craig for engaging in this behavior, but at Rogers for reporting it. A virtually unanimous chorus on the Right furiously insisted that nothing could be more irrelevant than whether the married family values Senator had sex with men in bathrooms (acts that are simultaneously criminal and adulterous). The same political movement that impeached Bill Clinton and which has made a living exploiting issues of private morality for political gain insisted that Rogers had reached a new and despicable low in politics even by reporting this.
To sum up: A gay activist broke the story, but the right wing media reported the exact opposite. They refused to investigate the truth, and printed the lies. Blame the messenger. Conservatives just don't live in the real world.
Where was the local press?
Conservatives don't have the brass to admit their mistakes and outright lies. An interesting mea culpa was in the Reader Representative's column in the Mpls Star Tribune. You might think the local paper would catch when a senator is arrested, interrogated and later pleads guilty. The Strib missed every chance to break the story. Were they incompetent or politically motivated to look the other way? The verdict by the Reader Representative: Unlucky. How did reporters miss the Craig arrest? Minneapolis Star Tribune September 2, 2007:
The newspaper didn't know about or withhold the story. The reasons it didn't get the story sooner reveal a fault line in the checks system, made worse by bad luck and a distracting tragedy:
Fault line: Police reporters don't do daily checks at the airport -- usually considered a low-risk gap in the checks system. So the arrest went undetected in June. The newsroom needs to revisit whether some kind of daily check with airport police is needed at a time when airports are more often making news.
Stroke of bad luck No. 1: Even if a reporter had seen the arrest report, there was nothing at the top of it to make it stand out. "We probably wouldn't pause at a gross misdemeanor," said reporter Tom Ford. "If no one was hurt, the person has an unremarkable name and it's not part of some grand scheme, we wouldn't pick it up and read further." It was page three of the report before it listed Craig's occupation as "Senator -- Idaho." Except for ardent political reporters, the bland name Larry Craig was unlikely to trigger interest.
Stroke of bad luck No. 2: Craig did not appear in court on Aug. 8 for sentencing, but had filed a guilty plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was fined $575. (He said Saturday he will resign his Senate seat effective Sept. 30, but maintained he "did nothing wrong" at the airport and said he regrets his guilty plea.) Misdemeanor charges are not kept in a public area in Hennepin County, so reporters only see them if they ask about a specific case.
Distracting tragedy: Craig entered a guilty plea just after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse. Reporters were distracted and often displaced from their normal work. So were many city and county officials. Courthouse sources sometimes tip off reporters when there's a case worth checking more closely. That didn't happen.
To sum up: The local paper of record use Right Wing Rule of Engagement #2. Everybody gets arrested at the airport so reporters don't look very hard. For nearly two months. And Rule of Engagement #1. Change the subject as reporters were busy on another major story so the guilty plea entered in the public record in court went unnoticed (and untipped off by "courtroom sources").
Kind of makes you wonder what would have happened if Sen. Craig was driving over the I-35W bridge from the airport to the courthouse when it collapsed (not on the way, but not far; he could have been traveling on official business as co-head of Mitt Romney's Idaho campaign) or if Hillary Clinton were in town so they could blame her for something.
Bonus rhetoric: Reviewing Dan Kurtzman's How to Win a Fight with a Conservative, the DailyKos Diary Cheers and Jeers for August 16, 2007 lists some of the "Advanced Battle Tactics".
Heartland Perverts file: Summer 2007
Failing to resist the temptation to call this "Craig's List" I've been keeping of some stories that have made it to the blogosphere but rarely to the mainstream media.
Here is a short, probably very incompletely, list of of conservative Republicans who have been arrested/convicted on morals charges in recent months. This is a uniquely Republican sleaze, just like the Mark Foley page scandal and the Abramoff corruption scandal.
Senator David Vitter. Let's recap: When the GOP went after President Clinton, it turned out he was honest in his government dealings, and Whitewater, Travelgate, etc etc were show to be witchhunts and Clinton was completely exonerated. But wait! He had consensual sex with someone who talked to much and he stood firm on technical legal grounds. The witchhunt didn't catch a witch, but it shone the spotlight on someone stirring the pot. The Speaker of the House, in charge of investigating Clinton which led to the Senate trial, was Newt Gingrich. Before Clinton left office, Newt Gingrich resigned in disgrace. Karmic point to Clinton. Newt's replacement was Bob Livingston. The threat of being outed as a scumbag caused him to resign abruptly. (cheating on his wife was okay, but Larry Flynt having the goods caused panic; blame the messenger and change the subject). Before Clinton left office, Bob Livingston resigned in disgrace. Another Karmic point to Clinton.
Livingston's replacement in the Louisiana district was David Vitter, who went on to become Senator. Vitter condemned Bill Clinton, and Vitter's wife bitched at Hillary. As it turned out, while Clinton was in office, David Vitter used prostitutes in New Orleans Fox News, not wanting to be scooped again by Larry Flynt was late on the story. Spinning wildly (and ignoring the image of a senator in diapers) they manage to print this with clenched teeth July 11, 2007:
NEW ORLEANS 看'癩看 New allegations tie Sen. David Vitter to a high-priced brothel in his hometown, one day after he publicly apologized for his connection to an alleged prostitution ring in Washington, D.C.
On Monday, Vitter acknowledged being involved with the so-called D.C. Madam. A day later, new revelations linked him to a former madam in New Orleans and old allegations that he frequented a former prostitute resurfaced, further clouding his political future.
Another Karmic point for Bill, and Vitter's wife bitchy henfight nets a Karmic point for Hillary.
Others have speculated why Vitters is still in office and Craig was pushed out, but it's a truism: The shame of being a conservative has never been greater.
Other Heartland Perverts in the (local but not national) news
Former SD Legislator Arrested on Sex Charges. Keloland Television, Sioux Falls, SD, May 18, 2007:
A former South Dakota lawmaker is accused of molesting his own foster children and legislative pages.
Ted Klaudt, 49,看a Republican rancher from Walker, faces a long list of charges:看eight counts of rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of witness tampering, sexual contact with a person under 16, and stalking.
Court documents mention five possible victims. Three were foster children between the ages of 15 and 19 who lived with Klaudt's family.看One is a cousin of one of those girls,看and the fifth is a friend of Klaudt's daughter.
In the most disturbing accusation, the girls say Klaudt had them convinced they could earn up to $20,000 by donating their eggs to a fertility clinic. And even though he has no medical training, the girls say Klaudt did all the supposed "exams" and "procedures" himself.
Former State Representative Ted Klaudt is accused of manipulating, molesting, intimidating and threatening teenage girls who the state of South Dakota paid him to raise.
Ex-legislator in sex scandal. Charlotte (NC) Observer July 20, 2007:
KANNAPOLIS - Coy Privette, a retired Baptist pastor, conservative lawmaker and outspoken advocate for Christian groups, was charged Thursday with paying a 32-year-old Salisbury prostitute for sex acts.
The 74-year-old Cabarrus County commissioner was arrested at his home in Kannapolis early Thursday. He appeared before a Rowan County magistrate on six misdemeanor charges and was released on a promise to appear in court Aug. 22. He did not return e-mail messages or calls to his cell and home phones, and no one answered the door at his Kannapolis home.
Privette, a prominent Republican with a 30-year career, is one of the state's most vocal opponents of alcohol sales and legal gambling. He also serves on the State Baptist Convention of North Carolina and as president of the Christian Action League of North Carolina.
Queens Councilman Surrenders To Police. CBS TV, Aug 4, 2007. Interestingly, the conservative news media doesn't print the party affiliation of the councilman, but I looked it up and Dennis Gallagher is a Republican. Surprise! Anyway, back to the story:
(CBS) NEW YORK It has been a fall from grace for a New York City politician.
Queens Councilman Dennis Gallagher surrendered to authorities on rape charges on Friday.
It was a devastating image. Gallagher surrendered Friday morning at the 112th Precinct. He was led out in handcuffs on the way to his arraignment.
Appearing before a judge, he pleaded not guilty, and was arraigned on $200,000 bail, much of it put up by his brother.
Outside, he was greeted by a crush of media. He labored to make his way down Queens Boulevard, accompanied by his wife, who held his hand despite charges he raped a 52-year-old grandmother.
"I will be vindicated," Gallagher said.
Queens DA Richard Brown outlined the charges that could put the councilman away for 25 years.
"He is alleged to have forcibly raped and sexually abused, physically abused and assaulted her," Brown said.
Gallagher's accuser has told cops that she met the married councilman at a bar near his home. The two ended up in his council office in Middle Village. There, the two had sexual relations. The woman told police Gallagher raped her there, sparking a police raid of his office that led to Friday's indictment.
Murphy resigns political posts; cooperating with police in apparent criminal investigation News and Tribune (IN) August 7, 2007:
The chairman of the Clark County Republican Party '癩 who last month was elected president of the Young Republican National Federation '癩 has resigned both posts, apparently in the wake of a criminal investigation.
On Tuesday afternoon, Glenn Murphy Jr. e-mailed media outlets a letter announcing his resignation from both positions, citing an unexpected business opportunity that would prohibit him from holding a partisan political office.
However, the Clark County Sheriff'蘗s Department on Friday began investigating Murphy for alleged criminal deviate conduct '癩 potentially a class B felony '癩 after speaking with a 22-year-old man who claimed that on July 31, Murphy performed an unwanted sex act on him while the man slept in a relative'蘗s Jeffersonville home.
Bishop charged with attacking evangelist wife Atlanta Journal-Constitution August 22, 2007 updated Aug. 24:
Thomas Weeks, the 54-year-old bishop who shares an international ministry with estranged wife Juanita Bynum, was released on bond Friday after surrendering on charges that he assaulted his wife.
Weeks spent about six hours inside the Fulton County Jail before emerging at 1:40 p.m., holding a finger to his lips to signal that he had no comment. He climbed into the passenger seat of a silver, four-door Jaguar and rode away.
Weeks's books include "What's on Your Mind: The Level of Your Success Begins with Your Thinking" and "Even As Your Soul Prospers: Realize Your Purpose, Release Your Blessings." Then, there was this book, "Teach Me How to Love You: The Beginnings."
In a brief hearing at the jail, bond was set at $30,000 on a charge of aggravated assault and $10,000 on a charge of terroristic threats, and a magistrate ordered Weeks to have no contact with Bynum or her sister, Tina Culpepper. Weeks, dressed in a gray suit and bow tie, sat silently in the small jail courtroom, his cuffed hands in his lap.
His next hearing will be Sept. 7 in Fulton County Superior Court. Bynum, a fiery national evangelist whose sermons empower women to walk away from dead-end relationships, was allegedly struck by her husband Tuesday in a hotel parking lot after the pair had dinner together to discuss a reconciliation.
Other people are keeping lists, too. Perhaps finding out who's naughty and who's nice? Who's getting a coal in their stocking?
Refresh YourMemory: The Gop Has Always Been The Party Of Perverts. A very long list with no links.
Is Everybody Gay?. GOP's crowded closet, Joe Conason essay on notable Republican closeted gays. (Premium membership required).
Republicans sleazebags aren't just limited to sex perverts
Without delving too far into the stories, here are some notable moral absolutists when pointing fingers at others but who have relative morals about their own actions. Republicans are always soft on crime when it's theirs.
Robert Bork, long a whiner about trial lawyers and tort reform, sues Yale Club for an injury while mounting the dais July 2, 2007. Ah, it's only a problem when poor people sue rich people. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Judge pleads not guilty, says he will retire: "Suspended Superior Court Judge Michael T. Joyce pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges of mail fraud and money laundering, but abandoned his re-election campaign and said he plans to retire when his term expires in January." Aug. 20, 2007
Term Limits? Just look at the corrupt Ted Stevens. FBI Searches Sen. Ted Stevens' Home July 31, 2007; too big a scandal to cover here.
Where in the government is Dick Cheney? Democratic Underground Top 10 #1 on Dick Cheney claims Executive Privilege except when he isn't a member of the Executive Branch, and Haliburton lies.
The Traitor, Scooter Libby: GOP quotes about Clinton, then situational ethics, and moral relativism after Libby's conviction. A DailyKos collection of quotes July 3, 2007.
Homegrown terrorist: Christian Radicalism. Liberty Univ. student brings explosives to Falwell Funeral. "Mark Uhl, a student at Liberty University, was arrested today for possessing several homemade bombs which he told authorities he made to disrupt protesters at the funeral of Jerry Falwell." Guantanamo for him? Torture to save lives? Bets he'll be appointed head of FEMA before he gets tried under provisions of the Patriot Act? Liberty University is What's Really Scary (at least to me), a DailyKos Diary from Frederick Clarkson.
Trouble at the Border July 12, 2007: "Sometimes you start reading a run-of-the-mill newspaper story, and suddenly you begin to see how deep the paranoia is in the White House, and how things just keep getting weirder and weirder." Thanks to DailyKos Diary Bizarre Wingnut meltdown in WA leads to White House from LA Refugee for the heads up.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog, plays with 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. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
--////
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Scott Burns: Paychecks falling prey to inflation, health care (dallasnews.com)
On this glorious Labor Day weekend, I'd like to say a few words about the futility of work.
Web site makes it easy to calculate Social Security benefits (dallasnews.com)
The Social Security Web site, www.ssa.gov, has a good calculator that estimates your future benefit based on your earnings record and when you want to start receiving benefits. ... Given the importance of Social Security for all but the wealthiest people, I think one of the best "investments" you can make is to take the time to become familiar with this very useful and well-managed Web site.
Republican Sex Excuses (out.com)
I was sleepwalking
It was dark and I thought it was a drinking fountain
I'm helping undercover cops to catch them homosexuals by posing as one
It was the crystal
I thought he was a woman
I have a gay twin brother I am deeply ashamed of
I was practicing tap dancing
I like to impress cops with my senator's business card
RON RADOSH: Seeger Speaks - and Sings - Against Stalin (nysun.com)
Pete Seeger, America's best-known and most influential folksinger, wrote me a letter a few days ago. I did not expect to hear from him. Last June, I wrote in these pages about the new documentary on his life. The article ran under the headline "Time...
Because I'm worth it (entertainment.timesonline.co.uk)
Jack Vettriano has no truck with the artists who resent his success.
GREG HERNANDEZ: "Two of Arts: L.A.-based artist Gronk mentors young Latino artists in his new exhibit" (frontierspublishing.com)
A curious child growing up in East L.A., Gronk made a practice of going to the public library every day as part of his grand plan to read every book there from A to Z. One day, a librarian he remembers as "a big lesbian" confronted him. "She said, 'I know what you're doing, you are trying to read A to Z. But you need to start with the Greeks.' And she guided me, and all of a sudden my heroes became the writers, and I was reading everything I could get my hands on. It was worlds opening up for me."
Viv Groskop: "Juliette Binoche: Femme fatale" (telegraph.co.uk)
The luminous and fragrant Juliette Binoche is not above tooling up for an action movie - as long as it's shot in the French arthouse style and directed by her boyfriend.
Roger Ebert: So many films, so little time
I have before me a schedule of the 2007 Toronto Film Festival, which opens Thursday and runs 10 days. I have been looking at it for some time. I am paralyzed. There are so many films by important directors (not to mention important films by unknown directors), that it cannot be reduced to its highlights. The highlights alone, if run in alphabetical order, would take up all my space.
Hubert's Poetry Corner
Senator Larry Craig Lookin' for Love
Deep throat goat?
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hottest day so far.
Naughty Words Excised
Ken Burns
Ken Burns' documentary about World War II will come in two flavors, one with curse words and one without in the hopes that the PBS stations can avoid government fines for indecency.
There are four words in the 14-1/2-hour documentary that are causing the heartburn: two instances where the narrator says "f***ed" when explaining the military acronyms "FUBAR" and "SNAFU," as well as when a former GIs interviewed in the film cuss as they describe combat experiences, saying "holy s***" and referring to an enemy trying to kill them as an "a**hole."
A "clean" version of the film has those words silently wiped out on one feed, while another feed transmits a version that allows viewers to hear the words in the clear.
The filmmaker agreed with PBS' decision to distribute two versions of the film, given the "understandable anxiety" among stations over the indecency issue.
Ken Burns
Urges Olympics Boycott
Richard Gere
Actor Richard Gere chases a fugitive Bosnian war criminal in his latest movie role, but in real life the devout Buddhist is pursuing China on human rights abuses and says a boycott of the Beijing Olympics could help.
Gere, chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, told Reuters the 2008 Beijing Olympics were a good opportunity to encourage China to end human rights abuses in Tibet and allow the Himalayan region to decide its future.
"A general boycott to me certainly has value; it's probably impractical, but emotionally absolutely makes sense," Gere, 58, said. "Why should the world reward people who are obviously so bad to their own people, so bad to other people."
Richard Gere
Honoured By French Government
George Clooney
American actor George Clooney thanked France for its efforts in the Darfur crisis Sunday as he accepted a prestigious government award marking his achievements in cinema.
Clooney was presented with the "Chevalier des Arts et Lettres" medal by French Culture Minister Christine Albanel on the fringes of the American Film Festival in Deauville, France.
Albanel hailed Clooney as the "quintessence of an American actor," noting his "limitless talent" and "irresistible charm."
George Clooney
Chairing Online Film Festival
Spike Lee
Spike Lee said Saturday the Internet has provided so many opportunities for young filmmakers to showcase their work, there are no more excuses.
"I was from the prehistoric age. If you have a film and you're talented and someone is not seeing it, it's your fault," the director said at a news conference announcing the creation of a new online film festival.
Lee will head the jury of the film festival organized by Babelgum, an Internet company that streams videos online for free. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival.
Filmmakers who have had their work accepted at other film festivals from January 2007 through next February can begin making their submissions Sept. 15 by uploading their films onto Babelgum's Web site, organizers said. Winners will receive $20,000.
Spike Lee
Ready For Fifth
Jolie & Pitt
Brad Pitt and his partner Angelina Jolie are ready for another child, the actor said Sunday as he was promoting his new film.
Pitt and Jolie, with children in tow, were in Venice to talk about his film on Western outlaw Jesse James. The movie is competing for the top Golden Lion award at the city's film festival.
Asked by Italian state TV whether they were ready for a fifth, Pitt replied: "Yeah we're ready."
He did not indicate whether they planned another biological child or if they would adopt.
Jolie & Pitt
Married, Again
Foster - Raymond
Usher and Tameka Foster wed in a large, glitzy ceremony Saturday after exchanging vows a few weeks ago in a civil ceremony, a magazine reported.
About 200 people attended the dream wedding of the Grammy-winning R&B singer and his new wife, held at a 16th-century-style French chateau resort on 3,500 hilly acres outside Atlanta, People.com reported.
A private ceremony was held Aug. 3 in the office of Usher's lawyer. The 28-year-old singer and Foster, who is 37, had called off their July 28 wedding amid reports that Foster had checked into a hospital because of problems with her pregnancy.
The couple announced their engagement this year and later said Foster was expecting Usher's first child. She has three children from a previous marriage.
Foster - Raymond
Pollution Stunts
Beluga Whales
The beluga whales make a shrill sound as they stick their noses out of the water, watched by conservationist Michel Moisan. They are a rare sight this far south -- and the chemicals washing into their river are keeping them that way.
Most beluga are found in the Arctic, but a rare pocket survives -- just -- here where the river Saguenay river meets the Saint Lawrence some 500 kilometers (300 miles) east of Montreal. They are the only ones among the 13 whale species in the river to live here all year round.
"The beluga is currently accumulating the biggest load of persistent contaminants," chemicals that do not break down quickly, said Michel Lebeuf, a specialist from the Maurice-Lamontagne research institute.
His team analysed the carcasses of beluga over 15 years and estimates that the traces in the fat of the whale of chemicals banned in the 1980s have fallen little -- in fact, they remain "still very significant."
Beluga Whales
Record Revenue
Blockbuster Summer
Hollywood lived its own second-chance "Rocky" story this summer as a business that looked to be going down for the count two years ago rebounded with record revenue and an unparalleled string of blockbuster hits.
The movie industry had its first $4 billion summer and will finish with a haul of about $4.15 billion from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
That was up 8 percent from last summer and surpassed the previous high of $3.95 billion in summer 2004.
Hollywood did not set a movie attendance record, though. Factoring in annual rises in admission prices, about 606 million tickets were sold this summer, up 3 percent from 2006. But the season was only the sixth-best for modern Hollywood, whose biggest summer for attendance since the golden age of the 1930s, '40s and '50s came in 2002, when 653.4 million tickets were sold, according to Media By Numbers.
Blockbuster Summer
Numbers Fall
Hunters
Hunters remain a powerful force in American society, as evidenced by the presidential candidates who routinely pay them homage, but their ranks are shrinking dramatically and wildlife agencies worry increasingly about the loss of sorely needed license-fee revenue.
New figures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that the number of hunters 16 and older declined by 10 percent between 1996 and 2006 - from 14 million to about 12.5 million. The drop was most acute in New England, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific states, which lost 400,000 hunters in that span.
The primary reasons, experts say, are the loss of hunting land to urbanization plus a perception by many families that they can't afford the time or costs that hunting entails.
Hunters
Maine Builders Seek Record
Sand Castle
The creator of a sand castle built nearly 32 feet high to raise funds for terminally ill children and their families hopes the structure will be named the world's tallest.
Organizers said Saturday the elaborate sand castle measured a height of 31 feet, 7 inches. Plans called for verification paperwork to be sent to the Guinness Book of Records, which will determine whether the castle makes the record book.
Ed Jarrett, who created a 29 1/4-foot sand castle in Falmouth in 2003 that was declared the world's tallest, organized the "Castle to the Sun" event to raise funds for Camp Sunshine.
More than 1,000 people volunteered over the past two months to help build the castle, which used 40 dump truck loads of sand, organizers said.
Sand Castle
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