The 'Official' Site of Groundhog Day - www.groundhog.org/
Quick links & info in the Punxy area - www.punxsutawneyphil.com/
'The Official Groundhog Brew' (And Then Some)
Straub Brewery
''Tours of Straub Brewery are free of charge and open to the public ages 12 and older. Tours are conducted as requested
Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and noon. To ensure seeing the brewery in operation, please call in advance.
For your safety, no open-toed footwear is permitted on tours.''
And don't forget the 'Eternal Tap'
The 'Eternal Tap' is open to the public ages 21 and older Monday through Friday during the main office hours (9 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m.) and until 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Enjoy a glass of Straub Beer with our compliments!
(Warning - They may ask you to wash your glass when you're done.)
Ground Hog Beer
Straub Brewery, St. Marys, PA
They use no preservatives, no sugar, no salt.
What can I say....'Punxsutawney' was a spelling word in the 2nd grade.
Reader Suggestion
'The Filthy Critic'
Re: Movie Reviews
I just ran across this guy at The Filthy Critic. A bit profane, let
us say, but hilarious and insightful.
Check it out.
~~ Bart
Thanks, Bart. I really liked what I read at The Filthy Critic.
And I love his rating system!
Reader Comment
Good Question
Perhaps one of your dedicated readers can explain the fact that whenever
I see Mariah Carey or see her name or meet someone who might mention her
name, I am overwhelmed with nausea, and my brain keeps repeating "Skank,
Skank, Skank" Super Skank of Skankiness!
~~ pauline
As the Latinists would phrase it, 'Amen'.
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Caught more of 'Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials' than I intended. Rather like that Coke/'Mean' Joe Green
commercial. Guess part of it was growing up in Steeler territory, and the rest was being in awe of anyone downing
a bottle of Coke in one huge swallow that wasn't followed by a belch straight from Newton's Law.
Bill Moyers kicked a bit of ass on PBS. : )
Saw a bit of the 'Barbara Walters Show', and wondered if John Stoessel is married with kids. After we had
the kid, I realized that there are basically 2 kinds of people. Those with opinions, and those with kids.
Watching 'Dave' for his 20th Anniversary. I can remember being pissed at his debut, way back when.
It's a long story, but I rather like Tom Snyder (www.colortini.com), and
was sorry to see him displaced by Dave. Time marches on, and Dave did fine. (To say the least.)
Besides, I'd have stayed up regardless if I'd known that Walter Cronkite was going to do the 'Top Ten'!
Tonight, Saturday, CBS is all fresh with 'Touched By An Angle', 'That's Life',
and 'The District'.
NBC has a half-hour episode of 'Weakest Link', followed by a movie, 'The General's Daughter'. SNL
is fresh, with Britney Spears as both host & 'talent'.
ABC has the movie 'From Russia With Love' in a 3 hour-block. 'From Russia With Love' has a TRT (True
Run Time) of 118 minutes. That's 2 minutes less than 2 hours. Do the math. The cool part, though, is
that instead of inserts from Jim Belushi, this week it's inserts from the cast of 'Alias'.
The WB has 'Rodgers & Hammerstein's ''Cinderell''' (the one with Whitney Houston not Lesley Anne Warren).
Faux has a fresh 'Cops', followed by a rerun, then a fresh 'America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back' on
security for the Super Bowl.
UPN has the Eddie Murphy movie 'Coming To America'.
If you live in the LA/Orange County area, at 8 pm, KOCE, PBS for Orange County is airing an old 'Ed Sullivan Show', --
it's one with the Beatles.
TCM has 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and 'Back To The Future'.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Big Dog Watch
Bill Clinton
Former President Bill Clinton speaks at the Infant Welfare Society Friday, Feb. 1, 2002 in Chicago. Clinton was on a campaign stop in support of U.S. Clongressional candidate Rahm Emanuel. The Society provides health care services to women and children on Chicago's north side.
Photo by Ted S. Warren
Jeez, he was in LA Thursday night!
Freshly Updated!
Watergate v$ Enron!
BartCop Astrology
Warner Brother$ Threw The Mo$t Money For TV Right$
``Lord of the Ring$'' Trilogy
Although the parties were still discussing the fine print on Thursday, WB has agreed to pay New Line Cinema at least $75
million for ``Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' and its two forthcoming sequels in a 10-year shared window
with Turner Broadcasting's TBS and TNT.
The total license fee for all three could end up at $160 million or more, depending on the box-office performance of the
sequels; ``Fellowship of the Ring'' has already grossed $258 million domestically since its December release, and it's
still tracking.
The ``Rings'' transaction is a family affair because the WB, New Line and Turner are all divisions of AOL Time Warner. But
the deal is by far the biggest movie buy ever engineered by the WB. Insiders say the WB is so juiced by the pickup of
the ``Rings'' trilogy that it's planning to go after more theatrical movies in their first network window.
One unusual wrinkle in the deal for the ``Rings'' trilogy is that Turner Broadcasting controls the network window, so it
will decide how TBS, TNT and the WB schedule each of the three.
Before ``Fellowship'' winds up on to TNT and the WB, it will play exclusively on the Starz pay TV network for 18 months.
That window begins about a year after the movie's theater debut.
``Lord of the Ring$'' Trilogy
Fun Link
History of Political Advertising
The 30 Second Candidate
32nd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum
Bono & Tutu
Bono (L), lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, shakes hands with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond M. Tutu of South Africa,
at a session of the 32nd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, January 31, 2002.
The session was called 'For Hope.'
Photo by Andy Mettler
Liberal Radio !
Erin Hart
Liberal radio - what a concept!
Join Erin this Saturday and Sunday to talk about the latest developments.
Erin Hart at regulation time (9 pm to 1 am [pst] Sat & Sun ) on www.710kiro.com or www.kiro710.com (It's
a browser thing).
And there's a chatroom, too!
For more details, visit Erin's homepage, http://www.erinistas.com/, or to join her mailing list, drop a
note to erinistas@aol.com
Ending Their Association
CNN - Al-Jazeera
CNN ended its affiliate relationship with Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera Thursday after learning that
the network apparently lied about the existence of an on-camera interview with Osama bin Laden.
Al-Jazeera has repeatedly denied that it was in possession of a videotaped interview with the accused terrorist.
But in the last few days, through outside sources, CNN obtained a copy of the interview, which was conducted on Oct. 20.
CNN aired the video Thursday night amid protests by Al-Jazeera, which threatened to pursue legal options against
CNN for airing the videotape.
CNN didn't share the video with other news networks. ``We cannot give away any material that belongs to another network,''
said a spokeswoman.
CNN - Al-Jazeera
Couldn't that last statement be re-phrased ''The thieves refused to share their spoils''?
Useful Link
Bushnews.com
www.bushnews.com/ashcroftnude.htm
Fun Link
Classic TV Commercials
Classic TV Commercials
Charged With 4 Felonies
Winona Ryder
Actress Winona Ryder, arrested just before Christmas for allegedly shoplifting at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills,
was charged Friday with felony counts of theft, burglary, vandalism and possession of a controlled substance.
Ryder, 30, was arrested Dec. 12 for allegedly stealing merchandise worth $4,760 and possessing painkillers without a prescription.
Prosecutors identified the controlled substance Friday as Oxycodone, a morphine derivative. Ryder's attorney, Mark
Geragos, contended after the arrest that the actress was merely carrying items between store departments, not trying
to steal them. He said she had receipts for other items she bought in the store, and a valid prescription for the painkillers.
"I believe that this is overcharged for the conduct they alleged. I don't know why the necessity was felt to make
this a media circus," Geragos said Friday. He said he hoped the case could be resolved without a trial.
"I'm hopeful that once I'm able to lay out all of the evidence reasonable minds will prevail and realize that this is
not a felony case."
Winona Ryder
Wonder why the (republican) DA in LA keeps going after (single) women? He cost Paula Poundstone her family, a lot of
money, a big chunk of time, and maybe her career. And how many charges stuck? Were some for 'sound bite' value?
Had no idea the local crime rate was currently so moribund that shoplifting is that big of deal (LA has the distinction of
being the bank robbery capital of the United States). Yeah, Winona sure is lucky she wasn't caught jay-walking, too!
BC Entertainment Favorite Link
The Honorary Mayor Of Hollywood
Johnny Grant
Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood poses with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which was unveiled
during ceremonies on Hollywood Boulevard, February 1, 2002. Grant was honored for his efforts to revitalize Hollywood
area of Los Angeles. Shown with Grant are actresses (L-R) Janet Leigh, Dania McKellar from "The Wonder Years" Rhonda
Fleming, Jan Rooney and Connie Stevens. The event was held on the 115th birthday of the city of Hollywood.
Photo by Fred Prouser
'Goldmember' To Be Retitled
Austin Powers
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) on Thursday denied an appeal by mini movie studio New Line Cinema
that would have allowed it to retain the title ``Austin Powers in Goldmember'' for the newest version of the spy movies
that spoof the James Bond series of films.
In a statement, New Line, which is a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc, said it was disappointed with the decision but would
abide by the MPAA's ruling.
``Goldmember'' is a thinly veiled reference to the 1964 Bond flick ``Goldfinger,'' and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., the movie
studio that owns film rights to Bond along with partner Danjaq LLC, had objected to the title, claiming it infringed on their copyright.
The decision forced New Line to withdraw some 11,000 movie promotional trailers in theaters and pull down posters advertising
the film that is set to be released on July 26.
The controversy is not the first raised by Austin Powers, who is portrayed by comedian Mike Myers in the movies. MGM had
also objected to the title of 1999's, ``The Spy Who Shagged Me,'' another obvious play on the 1977 Bond picture, ``The Spy
Who Loved Me.'' That dispute was settled when New Line Cinema agreed to include trailer play for MGM movies ahead
of ``Spy Who Shagged Me.''
'Goldmember' To Be Retitled
Updated (Nearly) Daily!
BartCop TV!
Turning It Up A Notch
Kirk Kerkorian
In a surprise twist to a bizarre case unveiling the lives of the super-rich, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian has denied
he is the father of a 3-year-old girl whose mother is demanding a record $320,000 a month in child support.
The 84-year-old MGM mogul told Los Angeles Superior Court in papers filed Thursday that DNA tests taken in November
2000 had scientifically excluded him as the father of the girl, named Kira. In addition, the girl's mother, former
tennis pro Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, 36, had been informed of the test results months ago, court papers said.
Kerkorian, however, said he had grown attached to the child, and intended to continue to provide for her but asked
the court to limit that amount to the $50,000 a month he currently pays.
Lisa Kerkorian, who was married to Kerkorian for just one month, filed an unprecedented $320,000 claim for child support
in January, detailing expenses for the girl, including $102,000 a month for food, $144,000 a month for travel and $436
a month for the care of her pet bunny.
Both sides acknowledge that Kerkorian continued to pay his wife's expenses for months after the divorce.
Kerkorian owns 81 percent of MGM studios He is the the majority shareholder of the MGM casino and is also a major shareholder
in DaimlerChrysler Forbes magazine estimates his worth at more than $6.4 billion.
Kirk Kerkorian
To Make British Theater Debut
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow plans to make her British theater debut in the spring with her ``Shakespeare in Love'' director John Madden in charge.
Paltrow is due to open at London's Donmar Warehouse theater in the same part that won Mary-Louise Parker a Tony Award for best
actress in ``Proof'' in June.
David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, still running on Broadway in New York, will cast Paltrow as Catherine, a talented young
woman who has inherited her father's mathematical genius - and may also have inherited his mental instability.
The joint presence of Paltrow and Madden might seem a dry run for an eventual film of the play, but Madden - who began directing
in the theater in London and New York before shifting to film - said such thinking is premature.
Gwyneth Paltrow
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
Booted, Not Knee-Capped
Tonya Harding
Former figure-skating champ Tonya Harding has moved out of her riverfront home following an eviction ruling last week
from a Clark County judge.
Harding, 31, lived in the home overlooking the Columbia River between Camas and Vancouver (Wash.) with her manager, Linda Lewis.
They had rented the three-bedroom, 1,300- square-foot ranch house since August 2000, according to court documents. They
owed $4,530 in unpaid rent.
The judge last week ordered Harding to pay the back rent and move out by Wednesday at midnight. The home was empty yesterday.
Seven years ago, Harding's skating career took a dive because of a knee-whacking attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan
before the 1994 U.S. National Championships and the Winter Olympics. Harding denied advanced knowledge of the attack on
Kerrigan, but admitted to helping cover it up. As a result, the U.S. Figure Skating Association banned Harding for life.
Tonya Harding
Busted
Brad Renfro
A Broward judge sent actor Brad Renfro to jail after he turned himself in for a probation violation.
The star of the 1994 film ``The Client'' appeared in court Thursday after he was charged with driving without a
license and public intoxication Jan. 14 near Knoxville, Tenn., his hometown.
Renfro, 19, is serving probation for trying to steal a yacht in August 2000.
Authorities said Renfro and a friend had tried to steal a 45-foot yacht from Holiday Harbor in Fort Lauderdale. As
they motored away, they forgot to untie all the docking lines, which snagged the $175,000 vessel, damaging its stern.
In 1998, the actor was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana, but avoided jail time with a plea deal.
Brad Renfro
A Very Special Bonus
From BartCop
Special Bonus From BartCop
Doing The Big Convention
Jay Leno
Turning up the laugh track, the National Assn. of Broadcasters (NAB) said Thursday it has signed Jay Leno to headline
a 90-minute comedy show during the trade group's annual April confab in Las Vegas.
Leno will perform for both broadcasters and TV news directors thanks to a new conference-sharing arrangement between NAB
and the Radio-Television News Directors Assn (RTNDA).
The partnership gives the NAB a new revenue stream, while the RTNDA gets to piggyback on the well-established NAB show.
Jay Leno
Settlement Reached
Disneyland
A settlement was reached Friday in the lawsuit over an accident at Disneyland that left a 4-year-old boy brain damaged.
The Walt Disney World Co. and the lawyer for the family of Brandon Zucker said in a joint statement that the settlement
would "ensure that Brandon Zucker will continue to receive the finest medical care for the rest of his life. This
has always been our primary mutual objective."
The settlement does not require Disney to assume blame for the accident.
The settlement was approved by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge Friday. A trial had been scheduled to begin Monday.
A spokesman for Disneyland would not comment further, citing a confidentiality agreement between the two sides.
Zucker, of Canyon Country, was 4-years-old in September 2000 when he became pinned under a car on Disneyland's Roger
Rabbit Car Toon Spin ride. He suffered a ruptured diaphragm, a collapsed left lung, a torn liver and spleen, and a
fractured pelvis in the accident. He was in a coma for several weeks.
He is in an Orange County facility for children, where he receives supervised medical care.
Settlement Reached
From BartCop & Scrodd
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
Comments
Daytime TV
Daytime TV does not an American make, at least according to President Bush.
``You know, I like to tell people that the enemy must have been watching too much daytime TV. They thought we were
soft. They thought we would weaken. They thought we were so materialistic that we'd be unable to put something greater
than ourselves as a priority. But my, oh, my, did they make a huge mistake,'' Bush told an Atlanta crowd on Thursday.
The prez, hitting the road to plug new volunteer-based programs, said the attacks of Sept. 11 put to rest the ``feel
good'' culture, and that Americans are now ``patient, determined, compassionate.'' In other words, not glued to the
tube all the day long.
In this debate, Hollywood is happy to agree with Bush -- daytime TV doesn't necessarily reflect the average American. Now
try telling that to the rest of the world.
Daytime TV
While Daytime TV may not necessarily reflect American life as it really is, it sure does know how to sell.
Insert Your Own Comment Here
Yves Saint Laurent
A model presents a white dress during French legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's farewell show Tuesday Jan.
22, 2002 at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris.
Photo by Remy de la Mauviniere
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Spinning His Side
Stephen Ambrose
Embattled historian Stephen Ambrose admitted lifting several sentences in his best-selling books from other authors,
although he said his footnotes adequately attributed the passages.
At least six books by Ambrose have been questioned for including material that closely resembles passages by other authors.
Many of Ambrose's peers have said footnoting the passages is not enough.
Ambrose also has blamed errors on his quick pace; he has published an average of more than a book a year since the mid-1990s.
Those who attended Thursday's lecture seemed unconcerned about the plagiarism accusations. Some said Ambrose is a talented
writer who should not be discredited.
Stephen Ambrose
Law Suit Filed
Michael Jackson
Concert promoter Marcel Avram has sued Michael Jackson, claiming the pop star is looking for another promoter for an
as-yet-unannounced world tour despite a signed agreement with Avram. He is seeking in excess of $20 million in damages.
According to the complaint, filed last week in Superior Court in Santa Barbara County, Avram -- who handled Jackson's
1992-93 ``Dangerous'' and 1996-97 ``History'' tours -- was asked to pay a substantial amount of money Jackson owed to doctors in Germany.
Avram's attorney, Skip Miller, declined to say why Jackson owed money to German doctors and why he didn't pay it himself. He
did say, however, that the amount was several hundred thousand dollars.
In exchange for Avram's paying the doctors, Jackson agreed in writing that Avram would promote his next world tour. But,
the suit alleges, Jackson is believed to be negotiating with other unknown parties regarding the promotion of his upcoming
tour. Jackson has not responded to phone calls and letters from Avram, said Miller, who works at Christensen, Miller, Fink,
Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro.
Michael Jackson
The Barbeque Cat Story
Auf Deutsch
Großfeuer in Kambodscha nach missglücktem Katzen-Grill
Mehr als 400 Kambodschaner haben nach Polizeiangaben ihre Wohnung verloren, nachdem ein Grill Feuer gefangen und Holzhütten
in Brand gesetzt hatte. Die Polizei teilte am Donnerstag mit, ein junger Mann habe eine Katze getötet und sie grillen wollen.
Das Tier habe Feuer gefangen. Anschließend habe es eine Explosion gegeben und die Holzhütte sei in Brand gesetzt worden. Das
Feuer habe schnell um sich gegriffen. 62 Hütten seien zerstört worden. Tote oder Verletzte habe es bei dem Vorfall nicht gegeben.
In Memory
Hildegard Knef
Hildegard Knef, a smoky voiced actress and singer who starred in Germany's first post-World War II movie and scandalized
church officials with a 1951 nude scene, died Friday at a Berlin hospital. She was 76.
Knef, born in Ulm, studied at the Babelsberg Film Institute and acted on stage in war-shattered Berlin immediately
after the end of World War II.
She became a star for her role as a former concentration camp inmate returning home in Wolfgang Staudte's 1946
``Murderers Are Among Us.''
Knef, who sometimes went as Hildegrad Neff in the United States, appeared in more than 50 films, most of them made
in Europe. She reportedly turned down a Hollywood studio contract after being told she would have to change her
name and say she was Austrian, not German.
She scandalized Roman Catholic authorities with a brief nude scene in the 1951 German film ``The Story Of A Sinner.''
Among her other film credits was as Pirate Jenny in a 1962 version of ``The Threepenny Opera'' and as Catherine
the Great in ``Catherine of Russia.''
Her work in the United States included the role of Ninotchka in Cole Porter's Broadway musical ``Silk Stockings''
in the 1950s, and a supporting role in ``The Snows of Kilimanjaro,'' an adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway story
that starred Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner.
She launched a career as a singer in the 1960s and wrote a best-selling 1970 autobiography. She continued to act
and sing almost until the end of her life, appearing as herself in the 2000 documentary ``Marlene Dietrich: Her
Own Song'' and in the 1999 German comedy, ``An Almost Perfect Wedding.''
Marriages to American Kurt Hirsch and British actor David Cameron ended in divorce. She is survived by her husband,
Paul von Schell, and her daughter, Christina Antonia.
Hildegard Knef
