'Best of TBH Politoons'
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Recommended Reading
from Bruce
BOB HERBERT: Where's the Beef? (The New York Times)
Enough already with the analyses ad nauseam of the strategies and tactics and philosophies that the Democratic Party should pursue to regain power in upcoming elections.
Oochy woochy coochy coo (economist.com)
Women can read men like books.
Richard Roeper: Boycotts lack wallop, but they sure feel good (suntimes.com)
Every once in a while I'll get an e-mail from someone telling me how much they loathe my column. They read it every day, and they hate it every day, and they'll continue to hate it until one of us dies.
Mark Morford: Christian Virgins Are Overrated (sfgate.com)
Think sex and drugs destroy America? Try naive chastity. Oh, and "Purity Balls"
Meg Cabot: Note to Self (megcabot.com)
Words it turns out that authors should probably not say while guest-speaking at a middle-school assembly: Horny, Boobs, Diarrhea. Words this author said yesterday while guest-speaking at a middle-school assembly:
Roger Ebert: Art School Confidential (3 stars)
I believe you can go to school to learn to be an accountant, a doctor, a physicist, an engineer, an astronaut. I am not sure you can learn to be an artist. Artists are born, not made, and the real reason to study the arts is to have fun, learn technical skills, network with other creative types, fall in love with people who are not boring, and do the work you probably would have done anyway. That said, I highly recommend college. I majored in English and journalism, and wanted to be a graduate student forever.
Larry David Reads Greg Palast (gregpalast.com)
from Jeff Crook
This is Jack
Another Rant - Mother's Day
Avery Ant
In the spirit of this Mother's Day
Won't you please just let me say -
Reader Comment
Re: Antfarm
Marty?
The ants seem determined to carry every grain of sand to the
top level, and bury the little city."
Quick! you must (grab some bbq fluid) make a "lake of fire," and throw
that thar ant project in it ... somebody snuck a economically infected,
"Sodom-n-Gommorah" edition into yur mailbox while yew weren't lookin"!
Elsewise, your entire neighborhood could descend into a sinkhole of
neo-con economic disaster should some of those nasty little creatures
ever escape!
Maybe you don't see the danger, but them little beasties have been
genetically altered by a group of economically bigotted, biology
scientists (who were all then assassinated by Dick Cheney in less than a
year after they done their dirty deed). It's part of their wee little
souls, they are mandated by their double helix to hopelessly bury ANY
civilization they find in debt. It's tha ant-farm from satan's a-hole!
No doubt, some evil little friend of yourn chile has substituted the
normal sand you think he got from that there construction site with that
from a box sold by that thar secret subsidiary of Haliburton called (full
name) Klulessly Diebold, debt-crisis granules, Ink.
Perhaps it's too late and you've done let some little critter escape ...
the price of gas up here in Pasadena is already suicidally insane!
Well'n, if'n an economic superquake washes all us in Los Angeles County
into a terminally polluted Santa Monica Bay, we know whose fault it
probably arn.
DanD
Hmmmm, Dan.
You do know that the movie
Them! (1954) (Warner Bros.' highest grossing film of 1954) had its 3rd act in the sewers of
LA?
Anyway, it's an antfarm without a queen. The poor little bastards are going have sexless lives, work themselves to death, then die out, leaving the white pseudo-sand stained a peculiar rust-color.
Sigh.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sun was late again, and I was grateful.
Gas is still $3.39/gal at the local Chevron station.
No new flags.
Shooter Cops Plea
Siegfried & Roy
Ex-NFL kicker Cole Ford pleaded guilty Thursday to opening fire on the Las Vegas home of illusionist duo Siegfried & Roy in 2004. The plea was part of deal aimed at keeping the former footballer from spending up to six years in prison.
Ford, hospitalized for mental illness after the shooting and currently in jail, agreed to cop to the incident to be eligible for a suspended sentence. Per the deal, he will likely continue his treatment at a mental health facility in lieu of prison.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a psychiatric examination conducted after Ford's arrest indicated he believed Siegfried and Roy would trigger an apocalypse.
"While watching Siegfried and Roy, he had a sudden realization that what was wrong with the world was linked to the illusionists' treatment, dominance and unhealthy intimacy he saw them having with their animals," psychiatrist Norton Roitman wrote in the report. "He saw their illusions as their power to distort and change reality. He felt they threatened [the] world, and he began trying to figure out how he could stop them."
Ford, armed with a shotgun, drove to the entertainers' home, screamed, "We need to get...Siegfried and Roy out of this country," and began unloading into the house, shattering several windows and leaving a large hole in one of the walls. No one was hurt in the incident.
Siegfried & Roy
Fear-Mongerer As Inspiration
Mel Gibson
Film star and director Mel Gibson has launched a scathing attack on US resident George W Bush, comparing his leadership to the barbaric rulers of the Mayan civilisation in his new film Apocalypto.
The epic, due for release later this year, captures the decline of the Maya kingdom and the slaughter of thousands of inhabitants as human sacrifices in a bid to save the nation from collapsing.
Gibson reveals he used present day American politics as an inspiration, claiming the government callously plays on the nation's insecurities to maintain power.
He tells British film magazine Hotdog, "The fear-mongering we depict in the film reminds me of President Bush and his guys".
Mel Gibson
Concert for Katrina Relief
McGraw-Hill
Mississippi native Faith Hill and husband Tim McGraw say they plan to donate proceeds from their summer concert to benefit Gulf Coast hurricane relief.
Hill and McGraw will perform July 5 at the New Orleans Arena as part of their "Soul2Soul II" tour. Hill is a native of Star, Miss.; McGraw grew up in Start, La.
Proceeds will go to their new Neighbor's Keeper Foundation and other organizations assisting individuals in Mississippi and Louisiana who are suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
McGraw-Hill
'Roads to You: Celebration of One World'
Global Musicians
Thirty young musicians from 18 countries including Iran, Mexico, Denmark and South Korea are fanning out across the United States this month to perform in the hope of teaching cross-cultural understanding.
"Roads to You: Celebration of One World," is the brainchild of Jordanian pianist Zade Dirani, 26, who has performed for Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and the Dalai Lama.
Backed by Jordan's Queen Noor, Boston's Berklee College of Music and Seeds of Peace, the project aims to "bring world cultures closer together," says Dirani, who recently won a coveted U.S. "green card," or permanent residency permit, based on his ability.
Global Musicians
Gets Hollywood Star
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra pulled on a pair of boots one more time Thursday for a strut on the Walk of Fame.
The 1960s pop icon was honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard four decades after the debut of her rebel hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" in 1966.
The daughter of Frank Sinatra was also known for her blonde bouffant, vampy style and string of chart-topping tunes, including "Sugar Town" and the James Bond title track "You Only Live Twice."
Nancy Sinatra
Future Questionable
'Deadwood'
It may be high noon for "Deadwood," HBO's gritty Western drama.
HBO has allowed options on the cast to lapse, freeing the actors of their obligations to the show. But a spokeswoman for the premium cable channel said Friday the door hasn't been shut on the possibility of another season.
The series, about life in the infamous 19th-century mining town, returns for its third season June 11. The ensemble cast includes Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, William Sanderson and Molly Parker.
'Deadwood'
Returning To Vegas Act
Jerry Lewis
Comedian Jerry Lewis is set to return this summer to the Orleans Hotel and Casino for his first live Las Vegas performance since his health took a turn for the worse six years ago, his publicist said on Friday.
Lewis, 80, is booked for a four-night comeback engagement from July 13 to 16 at the Orleans Showroom, where he was a regular fixture before various medical problems sidelined the veteran entertainer, spokeswoman Candi Cazau told Reuters.
He has not performed at the Orleans since 2000, Cazau said, adding that Lewis had shed all the excess weight he had gained from the steroid treatments.
Lewis also plans to bring his annual Labor Day telethon for muscular dystrophy back to Las Vegas, hosting this year's show September 3-4 at the South Coast Hotel and Casino, Cazau said.
Jerry Lewis
Gets Jail Time
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation after opting out of a drug treatment program.
The 44-year-old former teen idol was given credit Thursday for the jail time he had already served since being taken into custody March 30 after a Superior Court commissioner determined he failed several drug tests while staying in a live-in drug diversion program.
Garrett's attorney, Andrew Flier, said his client decided to leave the program, which required frequent tests and daily counseling, because it was too strict.
Leif Garrett
Only Rich People Merit Privacy
SEC's "Katie Couric" Clause
Hollywood doesn't blink at paying top dollar for the right actor in a movie deal, but a federal proposal for media companies to reveal their stars' salaries has studios crying "cut!"
CBS Corp., Walt Disney Co. and Viacom Inc. are among the media companies asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to drop a proposal that would require them to tell the world how much they pay their top-earning non-executives such as actors and TV news anchors.
The entertainment industry is abuzz over the so-called "Katie Couric" clause in a broad SEC plan for publicly traded companies to give shareholders more information about multimillion-dollar salaries. The designation comes from "Today" show co-host Couric, who is leaving NBC at the end of May to join CBS as anchor and managing editor of "The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" for a reported salary of $15 million over five years.
Companies protesting the SEC plan, which also include DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., and News Corp., insist that the salary structure for high-paid talent is too complex and irrelevant to shareholders. The new rule also might scare away high-profile individuals who prefer to keep their financial terms private, the companies say.
SEC's "Katie Couric" Clause
Causes Stir at Video Game Expo
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton unveiled her new video game on Thursday, but inexplicably called it by the wrong name as she greeted throngs of fans and photographers.
Wearing a green minidress and red platform pumps, Hilton made a brief appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo to promote "Paris Hilton's Jewel Jam."
"Sorry I'm late," the heiress said. "I'm really excited to have my new video game, 'Diamondquest.' Thank you all for coming, and you can download the game," she said.
Paris Hilton
Memorabilia Collector Sues
Beach Boys
A rock memorabilia collector has sued the Beach Boys for preventing him from selling sheet music he says he bought two decades ago but that the rock musicians claim he stole from them.
Roy Sciacca of Florida claims in the lawsuit he had bought several boxes of memorabilia from the Beach Boys at auctions held in California in the 1980s.
He claims the Beach Boys' manager had sold the items, but the band claims he had stolen the sheet music, which includes handwritten musical scores to classics such as "California Girls" and "I get around."
Brother Records, which owns the rights to the Beach Boy's music, blocked a planned auction of the items last year and filed a lawsuit in California against Sciacca.
Beach Boys
A Face In The Roots
Asparagus Fern
Time Warner Buys Liberty Stake
Court TV
Media conglomerate Time Warner Inc. said on Friday it bought Liberty Media's 50 percent stake in their Court TV joint venture for $735 million, in a deal likely to spotlight additional cable asset sales.
Time Warner and Liberty, controlled by cable magnate John Malone, are also in talks over Liberty's 4 percent stake in Time Warner, possibly involving a swap for such assets as the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team.
With the acquisition, Court TV will operate as part of Turner Broadcasting, home to CNN, TBS and the Cartoon Network.
Court TV
Arrested After Radio Rants
DJ Star
A syndicated hip-hop disc jockey was arrested Friday on charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child amid an uproar over his on-air racial and sexual rants about a radio rival's wife and 4-year-old daughter.
Police officials had launched a hate crime investigation of DJ Star, whose real name is Troi Torain, on Thursday after reviewing a transcript of his recent remarks about DJ Envy and his family.
In the comments, made between May 3 and Monday, Torain - co-host of the "Star & Buc Wild Morning Show" - offered $500 to any listener who could provide information about the rival DJ's daughter's school and used racial slurs when talking about his rival's wife, Gia Casey, who is part Asian.
Torain also called the couple's child a "little half a lo mein eater" and said he wanted to "do an R. Kelly on your seed, on your little baby girl. I would like to tinkle on her," according to the excerpts.
DJ Star
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