'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Alex's Entertainment Report
Re: Iraqi Treasures
The Bush administration and the military have made it sound as though the extensive looting of three major Iraqi cultural institutions in Baghdad this past weekend was not foreseeable. At a Centcom briefing April 15, U.S. Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said, "I don't think anyone anticipated that the riches of Iraq would be looted by the people of Iraq." But in fact the administration had reason to suspect that this looting would happen. During uprisings within Iraq after the first Gulf War, nine of 13 regional museums, in Dohuk and elsewhere, were systematically looted. Many of these artifacts appeared on the international black market...
Why didn't we protect the National Museum and Library in Baghdad? - By Meghan O'Rourke
Alex
Thanks, Alex!
BTW, did anyone else hear Pigboy go on about how Iraq had no 'real' history? That man's a fucking genius! < /sarcasm>
Reader Link
from Tim H
What the hell is a peep, anyway?
This page attempts to find out by
dissolving them in chemical solvents.
Reader Reivew
'Holes'
The book "Holes" by Louis Sachar is a better kept
secret amongst the bookish members of the 8 to 12 year
old set than Harry Potter ever was. I was cajoled by
two of those ruffians from the middle school library
to take them to the opening show on the first day of
release of the Disney film version.
"But we have to get there early, it'll be really
crowded."
And you know what? They were right. Even here in
Puritanville SC, a place where books would be banned
if they could find enough local politicians capable of
identifying such things, there was huge line an hour
before show time. I was pleasantly surprised by the
final product and would give it 13 out of 17 on my
trade marked Faun Otter's kid movie insomnia scale.
(FOKMIS) If you're curious, that means it kept me
awake better than Spiderman but not quite on the edge
of my seat like Lord of the Rings (part 1).
For bemused adults, a quick synopsis and a list of
accolades for the book can be found at:
The acting is excellent with a cast that raised an
Otterian eyebrow; Sigourney Weaver, Henry Winkler, Jon
Voight, Patricia Arquette and, for fans of the TV
Batman, Eartha Kitt plus a load of talented kids who
will by pure chance include at least one angst ridden
suicide, a conviction for petty crime, a stay in a
medical facility for drug abuse and a half way decent
career as an actor. I won't bet the farm on which
character receives each fifteen minutes of Warholic
recognition.
Nothing in the movie as far as special effects make it
essential to see on a big screen. Don't let the sound
track of Nickelodeon type sugar coating put you off,
the surreal nature of the book shines through even
Disney's efforts to sanitize it of anti-Republican
under tones, summed up so well by the prison warden
(Weaver) as a car arrives with an attorney, "The last
thing we need is an investigation."
If you have kids on the edge of reading bigger books,
take them to see this - it could give them the
confidence to try a 'real' book. If your kids have
read Holes, they won't complain that the film is
nothing like the book. My experts inform me that only
minor details were misplaced. Trivia buffs - watch for
the first flashback to old Texas. The man who is asked
to removed his hat is the author, Louis Sachar.
So now you know what to look for in Holes.
Faun Otter
Thanks, Faun! You nailed this one good!
Reader Link
Re: Michael Moore & CNN
Here's a link where you can listen to & compare different versions of the audio & video of Michael Moore at the Oscars -
Reader Commentary & Review
'24'
Who's Running This Damn Network, Anyway?
Way back in October when the second season of 24 hit the Tuesday night
lineup, I was fairly skeptical. From the beginning, the plot seemed to
revolve around Arab terra-ists racing to detonate a nuclear device in LA.
What more could the Bush administration ask for from its pet network,
purveyors of 'fair and balanced' news from the likes of Bill O'Reilly and
those robots on Fox and Friends? Sure the writers threw in a bone or two
for the commie liberals - a crazy white girl was involved in the plot and
her Arab boyfriend was innocent, the head of the NSA was involved in
covering up the plot. But the aim of the plot still seemed pretty
Fox-approved. Recordings were discovered linking three Arab nations to the
bomb and now the president, David Palmer (best remembered as Pedro Cerrano
in the baseball film "Major League"), must attack those countries.
But wait...Isn't Fox Entertainment the network of the Simpsons? Didn't
Homer once threaten to punch the president in his "stupid monkey face"?
Doesn't Fox Entertainment offend "family values" on a weekly basis with it's
lineup of ridiculous reality shows? Could the writers be independent of
influence from Karl Rove?
It's starting to seem like that's the case. In the last few episodes, Jack
Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), discovered that the recordings proving that 3
unnamed Arab countries were involved in the bombing were fabricated and
there is increasing pressure on President Palmer to attack the Arabs from
the vice-president, the joint chiefs and various other members of the
administration. The B-2's are in the air and Jack Bauer is racing against
time to stop the war and the president is waiting for him. In the last
episode the VP was setting into motion Section 4 of Amendment 25 of the
Constitution which transmits power to the VP if enough cabinet members of
members of congress decide the president is unable to discharge the powers
and duties of his office.
We've discovered that a special forces commander has the source recordings
that proves the 3 countries were not involved in the attack and that he is
being chased by shadowy Americans intent on stopping him from divulging what
he knows. He's told Jack that the people behind it are people in the
government and other positions of power who desire war to enrich themselves.
Jeez! How far-fetched is that? People in the government want to start a
war based on false pretenses in order to enrich themselves and their
friends? Heresy!!
The direction the plot is taking made me curious. What are the people who
post on the 24 message boards saying? When I visited on Wednesday I came
upon exactly what I was expecting, a thread titled "Please leave out the
leftist politics!", and the text of the post said this,
"I must say that I am somewhat disappointed with what I have seen on 24
lately. When the season began I was enjoying the cloke (sic) and dagger and the
race against time to stop the nuclear bomb from going off. Then the bomb
goes off. Hello! I thought the whole point was to prevent that! Then when it
does go off, we find out that our own people where behind it! Americans
plotting against Americans? What would have been wrong with just keeping it
as the terrorists as the bad guys? Why not make it Say-ed Ali working for a
foriegn (sic) government and have them be the bad guys? I am disgusted and
disappointed to have so much leftist hollywood politicly (sic) correct bs injected
into a show that I once enjoyed. Why did they inject big oil companies being
evil into the show? I don't watch tv to have someone's world view shoved
down my throat. Can we please leave out the politics and get back to
entertainment? After all, isn't that what 24 is supposed to be? I was just
wondering, is anyone as disgusted by the political correctness of 24 as me?"
Funny how they call it politically correct.
The replies were a pleasant surprise. The first one made "Pretender to the
Throne" references, and then one boiled it down to reality -
"There are corporations that profit from war.
There are corporations that sell secrets to foreign countries for profit.
There are individuals that probably have a lot of money and love power.
There are corporations that have news organizations that push their own
agenda.
These people are dangerous. They operate in the United States and other
Western countries.
They can get away with murder.
Nothing leftist or politically correct about that. "
The thread mostly degenerated into name-calling, but more than a few bright
people made Haliburton references, Perle/Wolfowitz references and even gave
links to PNAC documents.
It was the first time a political discussion had really popped up on the 24
message board and I was happy to see it. The writers of 24 are obviously
flying by the seat of their pants, going week by week, as current events
dictate.
The good guys were in trouble at the end of Tuesday's episode, although
there was some good to come out of the episode - Stupid Kim was completely
absent.
Kiefer was dead...American black helicopter types had tortured him to death.
I told my wife that Jack had the special Ninja training that allowed him to
fake death and that seemed plausible to her. Lynn (who you might recall as
Ensign Rho from ST:TNG, was locked in a closet by the president's chief of
staff, apparently a willing participant in the coup), and Yusuf, the heroic
Arab intelligence agent, was being kicked to crap by a bunch of freepers.
There are only five episodes left and I'm very interested to see where the
writers go with it. A Salon article from a month or so ago basically stated
that they write from week to week .
An aside: Why is it when TV producers want to please the female audience's
libido, they have to show the male lead getting tortured? In the last
episode, Kiefer was hanging naked from the ceiling while some Patrick
Bateman type kept sticking scalpels into his midsection. Yeah, Kiefer's hot
and all, but isn't there a better way to show it? It brought back memories
of Jean-Luc Picard also hanging naked in front of a Cardassian torturer in
the "There are Four Lights!" episode of ST:TNG (the one where you get to see
Patrick Stewart's ass). Props to Fox for pushing the envelope, though.
This is the third or fourth graphic torture scene this season.
Steve
Thanks, Steve - great job!
Althought this time of year, I'd expect that the final 5 episodes are 'already in the can'.
OTOH, I'd prefer Kiefer upside-down & naked, than Kimberly be so stupid. ; )
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Overcast morning, sunny afternoon.
Did the shopping for the Easter dinner. For some reason, most of the grocery stores were offering pre-glazed, pre-spiral-cut hams. Yuck.
The kid looks forward to a fresh fruit salad, so while there's melon in the fridge, it's the smell of a fresh pineapple on the kitchen table that is overwhelming at the moment.
While writing up tonight's TV listings, mostly celebrating human's inhumanity to other humans, couldn't help but remember back when Saturday was the night of silly, but entertaining, fluff - like 'Love Boat', and 'Fantasy Island' - and even back further, when it was the night of 'Mary Tyler Moore', and 'The Bob Newhart Show' (which puts in mind of the game 'Hi Bob' - heh heh heh).
While watching 'Real Time With Bill Maher', was struck with how tiny Dennis Miller's hands are. 'Earthquake' did a stellar bit at the end of the show. And, as Bill wrapped it, 'There's a time for war, a time for peace, and a time for a tax cut for the rich'. Turn, turn, turn.
Tonight, Saturday, CBS is supposed to open the evening with a FRESH 'Touched By An Angle', followed by a
RERUN 'The District', then a RERUN 'The Agency'.
NBC is supposed to start the night with a RERUN 'Law & Order', followed by the Series Premiere (well, mini-series) of
'Hunter', and then a RERUN 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'.
'SNL' is a rerun.
ABC is supposed to offer another RERUN of the movie 'Birdcage' (which is based on the French movie 'La Cage aux Folles'), and while I adore Nathan Lane & Robin Williams, the original is fabulous, with dinnerware to die for!
The WB has the movie 'Young Guns'.
Faux has 2 episodes of 'Cops', followed by 'America's Most Wanted', as usual.
UPN here is pre-empted for baseball - the San Francisco Giants are still in town, visiting Rupert's Doggers.
Early in the evening, TCM offers 'Easter Parade', but later in the night, it's the out-of-season 'A Christmas Story' (OTOH, Jean Shepherd's tale of Ralphie & his Daisy B-B gun always makes me laugh. But, not as much as the one where his dad got the 'leg lamp' and his mom scored a coup of dish rags). But, I digress. ; )
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Legendary singer Etta James points to her star after an unveiling ceremony on the Walk of Fame Friday, April 18, 2003, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. James' 1960 treatment of the song 'At Last' has endured in popularity over the decades.
Photo by Nick Ut
'The Science Fiction Experience'
Paul Allen
Billionaire Paul Allen, one of the world's richest men, announced plans to remodel a wing of his rock 'n' roll shrine, the Experience Music Project, as the Science Fiction Experience.
The 13,900-square-foot museum is expected to cost nearly $20 million and is to open in summer 2004, Allen said Thursday during a news conference at the EMP — itself a futuristic, freeform metallic structure at the foot of the Space Needle at the Seattle Center.
Allen said he's a longtime science fiction buff, from the first sci-fi novel he read, Robert Heinlein's "Rocket Ship Galileo" to his favorite sci-fi movie, "Blade Runner." He owns thousands of science fiction books in his personal collection and has donated millions of dollars to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, which seeks to explore life beyond Earth.
Paul Allen
Experience Music Project Web site
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
Issues Rationalization, Not An Apology
Dale Petroskey
The US Baseball Hall of Fame president apologized after he was caught in a media firestorm for publicly snubbing stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon over their opposition to the war in Iraq.
Dale Petroskey issued a letter in which he admitted making a public relations blunder when he summarily cancelled a screening of the stars' baseball film "Bull Durham" at the prestigious Hall of Fame later this month.
"There was a chance of politics being injected into The Hall during these sensitive times, and I made a decision to not take that chance," he said in the letter posted on the Hall's website.
"But I inadvertently did exactly what I was trying to avoid. With the advantage of hindsight, it is clear I should have handled the matter differently," he said.
Petroskey however did not directly apologize to Hollywood pair Robbins and Sarandon, who reacted furiously to the Hall of Fame's very public slap in the face, delivered in a letter which was sent to the media.
Instead, he appeared to express regret that he had not contacted them directly to discuss the matter with them before making it public.
Dale Petroskey
Salvadorans look at a giant anti-war (flower petal) carpet mural that reads 'War Defeats Humanity' during the holy week celebrations in San Salvador, El Salvador on Friday, April 18, 2003.
Photo by Luis Romero
A Real President, A Real Diplomat
Bill Clinton
While resident Bush doesn't have much use for Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, former President Bill Clinton plans to play golf with him in the Dominican Republic this week. Bush hasn't spoken to
the Canadian leader for two months, obviously annoyed that Chretien failed to join the coalition that liberated Iraq or to clamp down on Bush-bashing by members of Canada's ruling Liberal Party. On Sunday,
Bush canceled his May 5 state visit to Ottawa, though he's had time to visit Tony Blair twice, to take a four-day Easter vacation, and to invite Australian Prime Minister John Howard to visit his Texas ranch
May 2-3. But Clinton is ready to embrace Chretien. Clinton spokesman Jim Kennedy said the two have tentative plans to play golf. "If they do get together, President Clinton looks forward to thanking him for
sending troops to Afghanistan, where Canadian and American soldiers have fought so heroically to defeat al Qaeda."
Bill Clinton
Moved From ICU
Rodney Dangerfield
Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was moved from a hospital's intensive care unit to a private room Friday as part of his continued recovery from brain surgery last week.
His publicist, Kevin Sasaki, characterized the move as an indication that the 81-year-old star of "Easy Money" and "Back to School" was "out of the woods."
Dangerfield may be allowed to go home in the next few days if he continues to recover, Sasaki added.
The procedure was designed to improve his blood flow for an upcoming heart valve replacement, tentatively planned for late May.
Sasaki said well-wishers and fans can send Dangerfield greetings at his Web site,
www.rodney.com.
Rodney Dangerfield
Switching Jobs for One Day
Leno & Couric
Don't get confused if you hear this promotional spot on TV: "Coming up this morning, Jay Leno interviews U.S. officials on the reconstruction of Iraq, while later this evening, Katie Couric and Joan Rivers dish about Joan's latest plastic surgery."
NBC's "Today" show co-host Katie Couric and "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno will switch jobs for a day on May 12, marking the first time since 1992 that someone other than Leno has hosted the "Tonight Show" since he replaced Johnny Carson in 1992, a network spokeswoman said on Thursday.
The TV news magazine "Access Hollywood," quoting Leno, said the switch was Couric's idea.
Leno & Couric
Producers Hired by Disney
'Smallville'
The producers of the WB network's top-rated show "Smallville" have been hired by the Walt Disney Co. to work on projects for its Touchstone Television studio.
Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins, who run their own production company, struck a two-year deal with Disney and have an additional two-year option on their contract. Terms of the agreement weren't released Thursday.
Two of the pair's pilots are being considered by executives at ABC, which Disney owns. Those shows and two other pilots ordered by News Corp.-owned Fox Broadcasting and the WB are part of the pair's existing agreement, which expires next month, with Warner Bros.
The new deal will allow Tollin and Robbins to sell shows to other networks, although the focus will be on providing programs for ABC.
'Smallville'
Bridge To Be Named In Honor
James Taylor
A bridge over Morgan Creek — made famous in the song "Copperline" — will soon bear a plaque naming it for singer James Taylor.
The bridge, built in 1987 a mile from Taylor's boyhood home, will be named the "James Taylor Bridge" on April 26. Taylor, 55, will attend a public ceremony at the Dean Smith Center. Four days later, the Chapel Hill Museum will unveil a permanent exhibit on Taylor's life.
Morgan Creek, down a steep slope from the former 11-room Taylor home on Morgan Creek Road, inspired the hit song "Copperline," which Taylor wrote with Duke University professor and author Reynolds Price.
Though the state awarded Taylor its highest civilian award in 1998, this is the first time it has named a structure for him.
James Taylor
James Taylor Web site
Chapel Hill Museum Web site
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Work Hunting Nazis Is Done
Simon Wiesenthal
Famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal has decided to give up on his nearly 60-year career chasing the men responsible for the slaughter of European Jews during World War II.
In an interview with the Austrian magazine Format, the 95-year-old said: "My job is done. I found the mass murderers I was looking for. I survived all of them. Those whom I didn't look for are too old and sick today to be pursued legally."
In his most famous case, Wiesenthal provided detailed information for years to the Israeli secret service, Mossad, who then kidnapped Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1961 and brought him to trial in Israel, where he was executed.
Simon Wiesenthal
Ena Soldovini, 97, right, of San Francisco, sits on a motorized cable car with fellow 1906 earthquake survivors Herbert Hamol, 100, left, of Daly City, Calif., and Norma Norwood, 97, center, of San Francisco, following a luncheon for the quake survivors at John's Grill in San Francisco, Friday, April 18, 2003. Friday was the 97th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. A number of events marked the event including 5 survivors gathering at John's Grill for lunch.
Photo by Eric Risberg
Ad Is Sacrilegious
Veggie Jesus
Christian and Jewish clergy say a billboard that promotes vegetarianism by claiming "Jesus was the prince of peas" is historically inaccurate and sacrilegious.
The billboard includes a picture of Jesus with an orange slice in place of a halo and was erected by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, to coincide with Passover and Easter.
PETA's Bruce Friedrich said the campaign is meant to provoke the thought that if people are eating meat, they are promoting cruelty to animals.
But Rabbi David Ostrich of Temple Beth-el, said historical evidence indicates that Jesus, like other Jews of the time, was a meat eater. He said a ritual part of the Passover meal was a lamb slaughtered in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Veggie Jesus
Thanks, Mr. 2E!
Not A Fan Of Michael Powell
Howard Stern
Howard Stern tore into the Federal Communications Commission yesterday and accused Infinity Broadcasting of "setting me up for the fall" if the FCC escalates its anti-indecency campaign against the radio giant that employs him.
"Let the FCC take me off the air, I don't care," Stern railed.
"Foul language is all around us; porno is rampant and, you know what? The country's running fine.
"Bleep the whole goddam show and get rid of me. My time has passed.
"I was part of, like, the disco-era past," he moaned. "Let's take me off the air for three years and see if America changes. Let's see if America gets cleaner."
"Bush put in some maniac on the FCC who's super-conservative and here we go all over again because Clinton's out of office and he didn't care about stuff like this - 'course not, he was busy getting oral.
Stern accused K-Rock manager Tom Chiusano and Infinity lawyers of trying to preempt another FCC attack.
"Tom goes: 'It wouldn't be a bad idea if you got on the air and said I talked to you about the concern of the FCC,' " Stern said, recounting a meeting he had with the station's manager.
"This way, [Stern's bosses can say] 'We got proof [that] we told him. We warned him, he didn't listen . . . We covered our ass,' " Stern said.
"I'll tell you what, Tom, here's a big relief to you and your lawyers: you warned me, OK? Good."
Howard Stern
Hospital News
Bobby Short
Bobby Short checked himself into a hospital and canceled a pair of concerts after a weak spell during a Beverly Hills shopping trip, his publicist said Friday.
The 78-year-old pianist was in fair condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, publicist Virginia Wicks said.
The singer-pianist has been performing at New York's chic Cafe Carlyle for over 35 years, specializing in the sophisticated songs of Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Noel Coward, Jimmy McHugh, Nacio Herb Brown and others.
Short was awake and alert at the hospital, but "very upset" he had to cancel the concerts, the first he's missed since he began his show business career at age 12, she said.
Bobby Short
Running Boston Marathon
Will Ferrell
It doesn't get more old-school than Boston, where the world's oldest marathon travels a short jog from the nation's oldest university, Harvard.
It's a natural draw for "Old School" star and "Saturday Night Live" veteran Will Ferrell, who has signed up for Monday's 26.2 mile run from Hopkinton to Boston.
The 35-year-old actor-comedian has lost 25 pounds since he began running seriously, and has trained with coach Gary Kobat, whose acting clients also include Jim Carrey and Calista Flockhart.
Will Ferrell
Boston Marathon Web site
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Retooled 'American Life' Video
Madonna
Madonna's "American Life" video has been reincarnated as a tamer, nonviolent version of its former self.
The performer scrapped the original version because she thought its violent, antiwar themes were inappropriate during the U.S.-led conflict in Iraq.
The new version, which premiered Wednesday night on the cable network VH1, still features Madonna dressed in a military uniform, but she's simply singing in front of a backdrop of ever-changing flags of different countries.
"You know, it's ironic we're fighting for democracy in Iraq because we ultimately aren't celebrating democracy here," Madonna said. "Because anybody who has anything to say against the war or against the president or whatever is punished, and that's not democracy — it's people being intolerant."
Madonna
A piece of golden excreta of Kyoto-based maker Ryukodo. More then two million of this real-gold enameled charm has been has been sold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Expensive Divorce
Michael Crichton
Best-selling novelist and "Jurassic Park" creator Michael Crichton has agreed to pay his fourth wife 31 million dollars as part of their divorce settlement, court documents showed.
The writer will retain the rights to his books and films, although he has agreed to split a raft of other possessions with Anne Marie, his wife of 13 years, according to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Anne-Marie will get the couple's 19-room home in New York state, which was on the market last year for 21.5 million dollars, as well as their fine art collection.
Crichton, a Harvard Medical School graduate, will keep a home in Hawaii and four cars, while the couple, who also each have homes in Los Angeles, will share custody of their 15-year-old daughter, Taylor.
Michael Crichton
Alma Mater To Remember
Fred Rogers
Fred Rogers' alma mater will hold a memorial service next month for the pioneering children's television show host, who died in February of stomach cancer.
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will hold a service for Rogers on May 2, the day before a public memorial service at Heinz Hall in downtown Pittsburgh.
Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister and a member of the seminary's class of 1962.
The seminary's service at the Hicks Memorial Chapel is open to the public.
Fred Rogers
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Web site
Family Communications Web site
Files for Divorce
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis has filed for divorce from her husband of nearly four years, professional skateboarder Steve Berra.
"The divorce is mutual and amicable," said Nancy Iannios, a publicist for Lewis, said Thursday.
It was the 29-year-old actress' first marriage, Iannios said.
Juliette Lewis
Auction Exceeds Expectations
Andre Breton
The 10-day sale of the collected artworks and other belongings of the founder of Surrealism Andre Breton has proved a runaway financial success, netting 50 percent more than expected, the auctioneers CalmelsCohen said.
At the close late Thursday, the 4,100 lots sold at the hammer in the Hotel Drouot in central Paris had brought in 46.02 million euros (50.1 million dollars) compared to the predicted take of 30 million euros.
The largest sums were spent on two pieces of modern art -- "Woman" by Jean Arp and "The Trap" by Joan Miro -- both of which fetched 2.8 million euros. "The Lovers" of Francois Picabia went for 1.79 million euros.
Breton's collection of primitive art surprised experts with a total sale price of 5.01 million euros. A single piece, an effigy from the Pacific island of New Ireland, took 1.23 million euros.
A first edition of Breton's book "What is Surrealism?" with a drawing inside by Rene Magritte went for 276,000 euros, and his vast photographic collection -- including works by Man Ray and Manuel Alvarez Bravo -- altogether fetched 5.32 million euros.
Born in Normandy in 1896, Breton wrote poetry, served in World War I and studied psychoanalysis before writing the "Surrealist manifesto" in 1924. In it he set out his central theme of the preeminence of the irrational and the automatic over logic and reason.
Though he joined the Communist party and in 1938 collaborated with Trotsky for a tract on revolutionary art, he refused to toe any political line for long. Nonetheless he was a strict disciplinarian in his own movement, becoming known as the "Pope of Surrealism."
Andre Breton
Receives Donation
Art Institute of Chicago
When his art collection got too big for the walls of his downtown home, Dr. Martin L. Gecht decided the Art Institute of Chicago should have some of it.
That led to Friday's announcement that Gecht and his wife, Francey, were giving the museum 31 works on paper by such artists as Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Joan Miro and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
An exhibition, titled "Graphic Modernism," will run from Nov. 15 to Jan. 11. The donation would form the core of an upcoming show of more than 130 works from Gecht's collection.
Gecht, 82, has had successful and concurrent careers as a physician, bank director, hotel owner and real estate developer. He began collecting art almost by accident while on a trip to Japan in 1966.
For more, Art Institute of Chicago
Passing Through Arkansas
Giant Colon
A 40-foot-long replica of the human colon is winding its way through Little Rock to educate people on the dangers of colon cancer.
The "Colossal Colon" is designed for children and adults to crawl through, and allows visitors to see different stages of the disease, from polyps to full-blown cancer.
Part of the National Cancer Education Tour, the exhibit was created in honor of Amanda Sherwood Roberts, who died from the disease last year.
Organizers hope that the exhibit will get people thinking about a part of the body that is usually not discussed.
Giant Colon
Eleven Found in China's Wild
Pandas
Chinese scientists have found 11 wild giant pandas in northern China, showing the endangered but beloved species is still holding on despite threats to its habitat, state media and experts said on Friday.
Six pandas -- five adults and one cub -- were found in the Foping nature reserve in the northwestern province of Shaanxi last month, with the males fighting among themselves to mate with the female, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Five more pandas were found nearby the next day, it added.
The discovery was highly unusual since the panda is an elusive creature and scientists have often had to depend on paw tracks and excrement to tally the panda population.
Logging has been the biggest threat to the endangered black-and-white panda, destroying its natural habit of forests with undergrowth of bamboo, its staple food.
Pandas
With the temperature in the teens, a red-winged blackbird can see its breath as it sings in record-breaking cold weather, Friday, April 18, 2003, in Woolwich, Maine. Several towns in the state recorded temperatures in the single digits. In Washburn it was just 3 degrees.
Photo by Robert F. Bukaty
'Ark of Darkness'
Fresh, as of yesterday!
Chapter 1, part 2
'The Osbournes'
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 4
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 3
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 2
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 1
