'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Reader Participation
David Brooks Insult Contest
David Brooks has given the 2004 pre-election name-calling season a rousing
start by implying that those who criticize the intellectuals behind the Boy
King are anti-Semites. My first thought was "Fuck you too, Mr. Brooks."
Then I resolved that as an avid Python fan I could surely come up with a
better insult. But just as surely there are others who would like to return
the favor to Mr. Brooks. Thus is born this contest.
I'll open the bidding with a paraphrase of an old e.e. cummings chestnut ...
Visit www.digitalmediatree.com/onelap/?25152 to submit an insult.
from Mark
Another Bumpersticker
Selected Saturday Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Another sunny day.
Chuck Lewis from 'Center for Public Inegrity' was on 'NOW With Bill Moyers', and he had a great line - called the current political climate 'The New Shamelessness'.
Speaking of 'The New Shamelessness', Ahnold has dreams of balancing the state budget by cutting cops, firefighters, health care, and welfare, while jacking up tuition at all state colleges & universities. Pete Wilson must be back in charge.
Tonight, Saturday, CBS has 'NFL Football', so the left coast will be treated to miscellaneous crap.
NBC has opted to RERUN recent crap - a RERUN 'Average Joe: Hawaii', followed by a RERUN 'Apprentice' (starts 1 minute before the top of the hour),
then a RERUN 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' (starts 1 minute before the top of the hour).
'SNL' is finally FRESH, with Jennifer Aniston hosting & music by the Black Eyed Peas.
ABC offers FRESH, but pre-taped 'Figure Skating'.
The WB has the movie 'The War'.
Faux has the traditional 'Cops', 'Cops', and 'American's Most Wanted'.
UPN has the movie 'A Prayer In The Dark'.
A&E has 'City Confidential', 'American Justice: Hate', 'Cold Case Files', and 'Michael Jackson Case'.
AMC offers the movie 'Goldfinger', followed by the movie 'Thunderball', then the movie 'Psycho III'.
BBC -
[6pm] 'Monarch of the Glen' - Episode 2;
[7pm] 'Faking It' - Ballet Dancer to Wrestler;
[8pm] 'Faking It' - Web Surfer to Wave Surfer;
[9pm] 'Ground Force America' - Washington D.C.;
[10pm] 'Dead Ringers' - Episode 1;
[10:30pm] 'Dead Ringers' - Episode 2;
[11pm] 'Faking It' - Web Surfer to Wave Surfer;
[12am] 'Ground Force America' - Washington D.C.;
[1am] 'Dead Ringers' - Episode 1;
[1:30am] 'Dead Ringers' - Episode 2;
[2am] 'Faking It' - Ballet Dancer to Wrestler;
[3am] 'Ground Force America' - Washington D.C.;
[4am] 'Dead Ringers' - Episode 1;
[4:30am] 'Dead Ringers' - Episode 2;
[5am] 'Faking It' - Web Surfer to Wave Surfer;
[6am] 'BBC World News'. (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'Queer Eye', then the movie 'Apocalypse Now'.
Comedy Central has 'Trigger Happy TV', another 'Trigger Happy TV', 'Reno 911', another 'Reno 911', 'Chappelle's Show', another
'Chappelle's Show', 'The Man Show', and another 'The Man Show'.
History has a FRESH 'Mediaeval Lives', followed by the FRESH 'Nazi Spies In America',
then 'Nazi America: A Secret History'.
MTV offers 9½ hours of 'The Osbournes'.
SciFi has the movie 'Shark Attack 3: Megalodon', followed by the movie 'Dark Waters', then the movie 'Crocodile 2: Death Roll'.
TCM:
[6am] 'The Dawn Patrol' (1938);
[8am] 'Cornered' (1945);
[10am] 'The Outriders' (1950);
[12pm] 'The Yearling' (1946);
[2:15pm] 'The Story Of Seabiscuit' (1949);
[4pm] 'Courage Of Lassie' (1946);
[6pm] 'Rio Grande' (1950);
[8pm] 'The Searchers' (1956);
[10:15pm] 'West Side Story' (1961);
[1am] 'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955);
[3am] 'Kings Go Forth' (1958);
[5am] 'Congo Maisie' (1940). (ALL TIMES EST)
Actor Robin Williams sports a helmet and goggles as he prepares to snowboard at a ski resort in Banff, Alberta, Friday, Jan. 9, 2004. Williams and other stars are in Banff as part of the Fairmont Banff Springs Sports Invitational benefiting the Waterkeepers Alliance.
Photo by Jeff McIntosh
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
Fifth Season
'The Sopranos'
Mobsters let out of the slammer after paying their debt to
society are the "taking-off point" for the fifth and penultimate season
of HBO's "The Sopranos," creator David Chase told eager critics at
Winter TV Press Tour 2004 Thursday.
"The show begins with what we call the Mafia Class of 2004 hitting the
streets," Chase told critics via satellite from in front of the Arc de
Triomphe. He got the idea after reading an article in the Newark
Star-Ledger about the highly publicized RICO cases of the '80s, which
put away a lot of mobsters who've now served their time.
Steve Buscemi, who has directed episodes of the series, has joined the
cast as one such mobster, a cousin of Tony Soprano.
HBO plans to telecast the usual 13 episodes this season, debuting March
7. But the sixth season, which Chase insisted will be the last, will
have only 10 episodes. And the only reason fans are getting that sixth
season is that when Chase tried to think about the "final act of the
show," he realized that he wanted to cover too much to accomplish in a
fifth season.
For a lot more, 'The Sopranos'
Thanks, Jim K!
Dumped By Cincinnati Enquirer
'Boondocks'
To recap: in the fall, we asked you to tell us which comics you read and which you don't. We had a record-setting response of slightly more than 15,000 readers to our highly unscientific survey.
After pouring over all the results, here's what was decided:
• Out: Agnes, Cathy, James, Boondocks and Mary Worth.
Changing comics is never easy. After all, every comic has its constituency - even comics that might not fare well in surveys. Even comics that are tired and no longer drawn by their creators. Even comics that you might loathe.
And for those outraged that the low-rated Doonesbury survived while Boondocks didn't, we made the decision to drop Boondocks because we did not want to keep publishing a comic that we regularly needed to censor. During the past year, Boondocks was substituted a number of times because it was deemed inappropriate for a family newspaper. And not just this family newspaper. Editors across the country were making the same decisions.
Our policy is that we publish a comic strip or we don't. Once we start pulling specific strips, as well as entire weeks' worth, it is time to drop that strip. Although Boondocks has its fans, many of you were uncomfortable with it, and at times we were, too.
For the rest, 'Boondocks'
U.S. actor Danny Glover poses with Venezuelan children as he inaugurates a new Bolivarian school named in honor of Martin Luther King in Naiguata, 30 miles north away from Caracas, January 9, 2004. The school was opened by Glover who is visiting Venezuela as a member of an Afro-American organization named 'TransAfrica Forum' which fights against racism and for the rights of afro-descent people around the world.
Photo by Jorge Silva
To Write Joint Memoir
De Niro & Scorsese
"Goodfellas" cohorts Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese will share insights into their 30-year friendship and collaboration on eight major films in a joint memoir to be published next year, Harmony Books announced on Friday.
The director Scorsese, 61, and actor De Niro, 60, both grew up in New York and first joined forces for the 1973 film "Mean Streets," about young hoodlums making their way in New York's Little Italy.
That launched a friendship that has spanned 30 years and sparked a string of movies that includes "Taxi Driver" (1976), "Raging Bull" (1980), "Goodfellas" (1990) and "Cape Fear" (1991).
The untitled book is scheduled to be published in 2005, said Harmony Books publisher Shaye Areheart. The book has already been sold to publishers in England, the Netherlands, Israel and Germany.
De Niro & Scorsese
Harvard Visiting Fellow
Jesse Ventura
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, known as Jesse "The Body" during his pro wrestling career, will join Harvard's Institute of Politics as a visiting fellow for part of the spring semester, institute spokesman Andy Solomon said Thursday.
Solomon said Ventura would be considered the same as any other visiting fellow, his colorful history notwithstanding.
Solomon said specifics of Ventura's time at the institute, which is part of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, have not been completed. The institute invited him to Cambridge at the suggestion of students, Solomon said.
Jesse Ventura
Cancelled
'Wayne Brady'
"The Wayne Brady Show," which last year earned two Daytime Emmy Awards, has been canceled, its syndicator said Thursday.
The talk show had been ailing in the ratings stakes and there was a major question mark over its future for some months, particularly since its Disney-owned syndicator, Buena Vista Television, committed to a new daytime talker hosted by Tony Danza to debut in the fall.
"Wayne Brady" will remain in production through May and will continue to air for the balance of its second season. Despite winning Daytime Emmys for best talk show and talk show host, it has been averaging a lowly 1.0 rating this season.
This is the second low-rated syndicated show to be canceled this week. "Crossing Over with John Edward," now in its third season, was crossed out on Tuesday.
'Wayne Brady'
UPDATED FOR 2004!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Cancels His British Tour
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne said Friday he has canceled his upcoming 20-date tour of Britain to give him time to recover fully from his accident on a quad bike last month.
"I am deeply disappointed, but it's out of my control," the former Black Sabbath front man said in a written statement. "Right now I need to concentrate on my recovery and unfortunately this is something I cannot rush."
The tour had been due to kick off on Feb. 15 with a concert at London's Wembley Arena. Osbourne has already postponed a series of tour dates in European cities later this month.
Ozzy Osbourne
Liberty makeup : Jennifer Stewart, also known as 'Living Liberty,' touches up her make-up as she braves the cold in Times Square after taping an advertisement to promote tourism for the Statue of Liberty.
Photo by Tim Clary
'Monster' Film Reveals Dynamics
Metallica
The stories behind Metallica's internal fighting, therapy sessions and the tumultuous making of the band's "St. Anger" album are heading to the big screen in the documentary "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster."
The movie is an unflinching, warts-and-all look at the band. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky produced and directed the film, which is part of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and is targeted for release in theaters and on DVD this year if the film gets a distribution deal.
Lead singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich clash often in the film, with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett usually acting as peacemaker. The making of "St. Anger" was interrupted for several months when Hetfield went into rehab for alcoholism and other addictions.
The documentary reveals the band struggling over issues of artistic credibility, the Napster controversy and backlash from "selling out." In one scene, the band is pressured by management to record promotional announcements for a contest from a large, undisclosed radio conglomerate.
Metallica
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Celebrates 12 Years
Tim Russert
Tim Russert occasionally watched "Meet the Press" while growing up in Buffalo, but he never thought about himself on the screen. He wanted to be a baseball player.
This Sunday, however, marks 12 years and five weeks that he's been the political talk show's moderator, beating the NBC show's longevity record by one week.
Ned Brooks, who left in 1965, had the previous record.
Lawrence Spivak, creator of "Meet the Press," was with the show longer — 28 years — but was a panelist, not the moderator, during much of that time.
Tim Russert
Bill Trow of Wentworth Falls, N.S.W., Australia, is greeted by Disney character Mickey Mouse, as Trow became the 500 millionth guest to The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California on January 8, 2004. Trow is on vacation, visiting Disneyland for the third time with his wife, Ann-Marie, and their daughter, Aspen, age five.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buddhism & Scientology
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise, who stars in Edward Zwick's "The Last Samurai", praised eastern religion saying "Buddhism is the grandfather of scientology" and climbed up on a chair to show off his new-found strength and flexibility in the making of the film.
The 41-year-old star, sporting short hair and a grey suit, waxed lyrical on Buddhism during a Paris news conference at the Ritz hotel held to promote the release in France of the movie next week.
"I was struck by the code of Bushido (the way of the Samurai). It's powerful, it talks about compassion, helping others, responsibility, integrity ... timeless values, ways I identify with," said Cruise, who has practised scientology for 20 years.
"Buddhism is the grandfather of scientology," added the actor, flanked by Zwick and his Japanese partner Hiroyuki Sanada.
Tom Cruise
MTV Picks Up Second Season
'Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica'
They're not newlyweds anymore, but Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson are coming back for a second season of "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica" on MTV.
New episodes of the reality series are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. EST Jan. 21.
Right afterward, at 10:30 p.m. EST, MTV will air the debut of "`Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave," about the months leading up to the wedding of Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro.
'Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica'
Reunited in Zoo
Odd Couple
Muschi, a small cat that formed an unlikely friendship with a half-ton bear called "mouse" in Berlin Zoo, has been reunited with her companion after pining outside the bear's cage for months, the zoo said Friday.
Muschi, which means "pussy," has been popular with zoo visitors ever since she appeared in the bear's enclosure three years ago. But the pair were split up last October when the bear was locked in a cage while her living space was enlarged.
Zoo keepers took pity on the distraught cat that had taken to roaming around the zoo and sitting outside the cage, and this week allowed her in the cage with the shaggy female Asiatic black bear called "Maeuschen," which means little mouse.
"They greeted each other and had a cuddle and now they're happy," said Heiner Kloes, a member of the zoo's management board. "The cat has a real fan club, mostly among our older, regular visitors."
Odd Couple
Noah's Flood?
Grand Canyon
Noah and his ark have entered the choppy waters of a debate about the age and geological history of the Grand Canyon, one of the world's greatest tourist attractions.
Geologists estimate that the 217-mile-long canyon in Arizona was fashioned by the Colorado river between 5m and 6m years ago and contains some of the oldest exposed rocks on Earth.
But now a book sold in the Grand Canyon park official bookshop suggests that it was created by the flood reported in Genesis.
Grand Canyon: A Different View, by a local trail guide, Tom Vail, claims that years of erosion had nothing to do with the canyon's creation.
Rather, its shape should be attributed to the Old Testament flood - meaning that it is only a few thousand years old. The book's presence in the bookshop has created a rumpus between creationists and evolutionists.
Mr Vail writes: "For years, as a Colorado river guide, I told people how the Grand Canyon was formed over the evolutionary timescale of millions of years. Then I met the Lord. Now I have a different view of the canyon, which according to a biblical timescale can't possibly be more than a few thousand years old."
Grand Canyon
The Oregon Zoo's Siberian tiger is seen sitting in the snow as zoo staff work to prepare the facility for a Saturday reopening, Friday, Jan. 9, 2004, in Portland, Ore. Saturday is to be the first time in six days the zoo will be open, after being closed due to a severe winter storm.
Photo by Rick Bowmer
'The Osbournes'
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