Froma Harrop: Taxpayers and the Mortgage Meltdown (creators.com)
Line up the suckers. The mortgage meltdown has produced many victims. The most sympathetic are the low-income folk who are losing their homes to foreclosure. Some Democrats want to help many of these unfortunate souls by having government refinance their loans. Ohio has led several other states in starting such programs. It's a bighearted response but not a good idea. Saddling the public with troubled loans simply adds taxpayers to the sucker list - and bails out the lenders who should be left to fry.
Froma Harrop: The Chaos, Distress of Caring for the Old (creators.com)
An 88-year-old man with dementia is sent to the emergency room with vague symptoms. He's poorly cared for, not because the doctors and nurses are bad, but because he is a low priority. A frail grandmother suffers a heart attack at home, and
CONNIE TUTTLE: Tucson officials should look to New Haven, Conn., as an ID-card example (tucsonweekly.com)
Tucson could learn a few things from New Haven, Conn. That gritty New England city became the first in the nation last week to offer identification cards to its residents, including an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 illegal immigrants. Mayor John DeStefano hopes immigrants will get the city-issued ID cards to help "build a stronger community," a recent story from The Associated Press reports. Other cities would do well to follow suit.
Jim Hightower: CEOs FIGHT CORPORATE DEMOCRACY (jimhightower.com)
Time for another Gooberhead Award - presented periodically to those in the news who have their tongues running 100-miles an hour... but forgot to put their brains in gear. Today's Goober comes from that rich treasure trove of gooberness: congress.
Susanne Shaphren: LONG Distance Tutoring (irascibleprofessor.com)
The article promised eminently qualified teachers for a fraction of what major United States tutoring firms charged. No longer did a child have to go without the help needed to attain good grades and a promising future. Even parents on tight budgets could afford to pay a quarter to a half of the standard rate.
Sicko Health Care Card: Free Download
Download the PDF of the card below and follow these simple guidelines:
1 Carry the card in your wallet with your insurance card.
2 If denied treatment, show your SiCKO card to your doctor/insurer.
3 Ask your insurer if they'd like to be in Michael Moore's next movie, DVD, or appear on MichaelMoore.com.
4 Tell them that, if denied, you will seek coverage from your local media.
5 E-mail your story to michael@michaelmoore.com.
CBS begins the night with a RERUN'The Unit', followed by '48 Hours', then another '48 Hours'.
NBC starts the night with a RERUN'Singing Bee', followed by a RERUN'America's Got Talent', then a RERUN'Medium'.
Of course, 'SNL' is a RERUN, with Shia LaBeouf hosting, music by Avril Lavigne.
ABC opens the night with the movie 'Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen', followed by the SERIES PREMIERE'Masters Of Science Fiction'.
The CW offers 'American Idol Rewind', followed by another 'American Idol Rewind'.
Faux has the traditional 'Cops', 'Cops', and 'America's Most Wanted'.
MY has a RERUN'IFL Battleground'.
A&E has 'Sell This House!', another 'Sell This House!', 'Flip This House', another 'Flip This House', and 'American Justice: Murder'.
AMC offers the movie 'Broken Trail', followed by the movie 'Wyatt Earp'.
BBC -
[6:00 AM] BBC World News - BBC World News;
[6:30 AM] Cash in the Attic - Episode 10;
[7:30 AM] Bargain Hunt - Ep. 7 Wetherby 4;
[8:00 AM] Bargain Hunt - Ep. 8 Newark 7;
[8:30 AM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 1;
[9:00 AM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 2;
[9:30 AM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 3;
[10:00 AM] Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - Ep 3 Rococo;
[11:00 AM] Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - Ep 4 Morgan's;
[4:00 PM] Footballers Wive$ - Episode 7;
[5:00 PM] Footballers Wive$ - Episode 8;
[6:00 PM] The Graham Norton Show - Ep 14 Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Matt Lucas;
[7:00 PM] Doctor Who - Ep 9 The Empty Child;
[8:00 PM] Jekyll - Episode 1 & 2;
[10:00 PM] The Graham Norton Show - Ep 12 Joan Collins and Jason Donovan;
[11:00 PM] Jekyll - Episode 1 & 2;
[1:00 AM] The Graham Norton Show - Ep 12 Joan Collins and Jason Donovan;
[2:00 AM] Jekyll - Episode 1 & 2;
[4:00 AM] Bargain Hunt - Ep. 11 Detling 31;
[4:30 AM] Bargain Hunt - Ep. 12 Ardingly 26;
[5:00 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep. 9 Posner;
[5:30 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep. 10 Ollier;
[6:00 AM] BBC World News - BBC World News. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has the movie 'The Godfather', followed by the movie 'The Godfather, Part II'.
Comedy Central has 'Scrubs', another 'Scrubs', 'Axis Of Evil Comedy Tour', 'Mind Of Mencia', another 'Mind Of Mencia', and 'Gabriel Iglesias: Hot And Fluffy'.
FX has the movie 'I, Robot', followed by the movie 'Independence Day', and 'Nip/Tuck'.
History has 'Modern Marvels', 'Boneyard', another 'Boneyard', and still another 'Boneyard'.
IFC -
[06:15 AM] Beyond Rangoon;
[08:00 AM] Samurai 7 Episode #13: The Attack;
[08:30 AM] Blind Swordsman #5: Zatoichi On The Road;
[10:00 AM] I Am David;
[11:45 AM] Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle;
[02:00 PM] Samurai 7 Episode #13: The Attack;
[02:30 PM] Garden State;
[04:15 PM] I Am David;
[05:50 PM] Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle;
[08:00 PM] Monster;
[10:00 PM] Kinsey;
[12:00 AM] Indie Sex: Extremes;
[01:15 AM] This Film Is Not Yet Rated;
[03:00 AM] Indie Sex: Extremes;
[04:10 AM] Monster. (ALL TIMES EDT)
SciFi has the movie 'The Beast Of Bray Road', followed by the movie 'Bram Stoker's Way Of The Vampire'.
Sundance -
[04:00 AM] Pray;
[06:00 AM] New York Doll;
[07:00 AM] Seven Times Lucky;
[08:00 AM] The Keys to the House;
[10:00 AM] Let's Rock Again;
[12:00 PM] Photographing Fairies;
[02:00 PM] In Short: Subway;
[02:00 PM] Episode 3;
[03:00 PM] Godless in America;
[04:00 PM] Yanks;
[06:00 PM] Seven Times Lucky;
[08:00 PM] Clean;
[10:00 PM] Half Nelson;
[11:00 PM] Dog;
[12:00 AM] The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess;
[01:00 AM] Raving;
[02:00 AM] Episode 3: Fatal Attraction;
[02:00 AM] Who Killed Bambi?;
[04:00 AM] Photographing Fairies. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Grammy-winning pop star Stevie Wonder will launch his first U.S. tour in more than 20 years on August 23 in San Diego, the Motown icon said on Thursday.
He announced the details during a hastily convened news conference at a public park in the business district of Century City. To the delight of hundreds of office workers on their lunch break, he played several songs, including "Higher Ground" and "My Cherie Amour."
The "Wonder Summer's Night" tour of 13 cities will end in Boston on September 20, but Wonder said more dates may be added.
Wonder last toured in 1986, according to trade publication Pollstar, although he has performed plenty of one-off dates since then.
Some art experts in Australia are red-faced after a Vincent Van Gogh they said was worth $21 million was proven to be a fake.
Experts at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam found the work was painted during Van Gogh's lifetime, but said there were stylistic differences from the master's work.
The painting was purchased and brought to Australia by newspaper publisher Keith Murdoch in 1939.
Keith Murdoch is the father of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Television newscaster Mirthala Salinas, who was having an affair with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa when she broadcast news of his separation from his wife, received a two-month suspension from Telemundo network for violating the station's conflict-of-interest rules, the network said tonight.
Salinas, 35, whose romantic relationship with the mayor was disclosed by the Daily News on July 3, was among four NBC-Telemundo (Channel 52) employees disciplined after a three-week investigation by Telemundo executives with involvement of its parent company NBC Universal.
Salinas will be suspended without pay.
News director Al Corral also received a two-month suspension, while Channel 52 KVEA General Manager Manuel Abud was reassigned, and Ibra Morales, president of the Telemundo Television Stations Division, was reprimanded.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, right, speaks with U.S. actor Sean Penn, both seen through the window shield of a vehicle, as they ride together near La Grita, Venezuela, Friday, Aug 3, 2007.
Photo by Howard Yanes
Members of a 1980s funk and disco group hit a sour note in their attempt to break the world record for the largest kazoo ensemble, falling short of the some 2,600 impromptu musicians needed.
Organizers were hoping to sign up 3,000 impromptu players for the evening attempt in Harlem, which was led by the female vocalists of Skyy. Their 1980 song "Skyyzoo" featured the sound of kazoos being played for some gentle backup.
That backup still managed to get louder Thursday, with more than 2,000 amateur musicians turning out for the concert.
The current kazoo record was set this past New Year's Eve in Rochester, where 2,600 kazooers gathered to play shortly before midnight. Before that, The Quincy Park Band had held the record for gathering 1,791 players in Quincy, Ill., in 2004.
Two mastiffs at the home of Ving Rhames apparently mauled a 40-year-old man to death Friday, authorities said.
The victim, who hasn't been identified, had worked at the actor's home for about two years and was responsible for caring for the dogs, said Los Angeles Police officer Sandra Gonzalez.
Animal services seized four mastiffs, she said.
"Two of those dogs appeared to be responsible for the tragic death," Officer Jason Lee said. Several more dogs were left at the property.
Queen guitarist Brian May, left, hands in his completed doctral thesis on 'Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud' to Professor Paul Nandra, head of Astrophysics at Imperial College in central London Friday Aug. 3, 2007. Queen guitarist Brian May finally handed in his completed thesis Friday more than 30 years after he began writing the academic paper. In 1974, when Queen was in its infancy, May decided to abandon his studies for a doctorate to focus on the band. But last year, the rock star decided to fish out his unfinished work on interplanetary dust clouds. A statue of Queen Victoria is seen in the background.
Photo by Cathal McNaughton
O.J. Simpson dreamed up the idea for "If I Did It" and actively collaborated on the aborted book, including a hypothetical account of his ex-wife's murder, his ghost writer said in disputing Simpson on how the book was created.
Pablo Fenjves, whose role as ghost author has emerged since the book was pulled from publication last year, contradicted Simpson's characterization of himself this week as a reluctant, mostly passive participant in crafting a key chapter that pictures Simpson holding a bloody knife at the crime scene.
"O.J. read the book, his book, several times. I made every change he asked for, and he signed off on it," Fenjves, a Hollywood screenwriter told Reuters on Thursday.
"The whole book, the whole idea for a book, originated with O.J. Simpson and a couple of his handlers," he said.
Actor George Takei, one of the stars of the drama series "Heroes" poses at the Universal Media Studios Emmy party celebrating the studio's Emmy nominees in Malibu, California August 2, 2007.
Photo by Fred Prouser
Michelle Williams' father, a prominent stock market trader, lost a court appeal Friday against a second U.S. attempt to extradite him on tax evasion charges.
Three federal court judges dismissed the attempt by Larry Williams, 64, to stop the U.S. and New South Wales state courts from taking steps to extradite him.
Williams, a resident of the Virgin Islands, is wanted by the Internal Revenue Service on charges of willfully attempting to evade $1.5 million in taxes from 1990 to 2001.
Australian police, responding to a request from U.S. authorities, arrested Williams in May 2006 after he flew into Sydney to begin a monthlong speaking tour in Australia and New Zealand. He has been free in Sydney on $857,000 bail.
A group of fossilized swamp cypress trees or Taxodium trees which have been preserved in an open-cast lignite mine in the northeast of Hungary pictured here in this photo taken July 16, 2007. The trunks of the trees were preserved in a remarkable condition, standing at 4-6 metres tall and 1.5-3 metres in diameter just as they were in the late Miocene geological period 8 million years ago.
Photo by Otto Herman Museum
Eddie Murphy acknowledged he is the father of Melanie Brown's young daughter Friday, a day after the former Spice Girl took legal action to establish him as the child's parent.
Murphy, 46, "always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father," according to a statement released through his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
Brown, aka Scary Spice, filed a petition Thursday that seeks to legally establish Murphy as the father. She said she and Murphy dated for four months in 2006 before mutually deciding to have a child.
Two-day-old baby giraffe Inge nuzzles her mother Elli, in Tierpark Berlin zoo August 3, 2007. After two days Inge is already 1.90 meters high.
Photo by Hannibal Hanschke
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