Susan Estrich: Women 25 percent behind, and falling
I used to wear a button that read, "69 cents," which was how much women earned for every dollar men did. The idea was that calling attention to the pay gap, along with education, hard work and politics, would close it. That was in 1980. For a while, it seemed to work: by the mid-1990s, women were earning roughly three quarters of what men were.
ANNE FLAHERTY: Dems likely to resurrect detainee issue (news.yahoo.com)
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats plan to use their newfound power to revisit one of the most contentious national security matters of 2006: Deciding what legal rights must be protected for detainees held in the war on terrorism.
Daniel Thomas Cook: Children of the Brand (inthesetimes.com)
As I sat in the café of a Borders bookstore in Chicago huddled over my laptop and struggling to write about children and commercialism, I was interrupted by an annoying clamor of loud talk, screams and laughter. I looked over and to my horror discovered it was a group of - kids! How dare children disrupt my ruminations on childhood!
David Shenk: How To Survive a Disaster (slate.com)
I never have been able to completely manage my fears, which is a drag. I get terrible stage fright, whether the audience is 500 people or 15. Walking down the street late at night, I have unconstitutionally profiled thousands of innocent people and imagined in rich detail the harm they might inflict on me. Intimates have always known me to be a tad panicky. When I was 17, I chaperoned two close friends one night as they first sampled psychedelic mushrooms. A few hours into the long evening, one of them, Adam, put both of his hands on my shoulders, looked me square in the eyes, and said, in the kindest possible way: "David-you should never do 'shrooms."
David Shenk: My Disaster Shopping List (slate.com)
Here's some of the emergency equipment I've gathered together, or plan to, or wish my wife would let me buy. This list is by no means complete or authoritative, but it's a good start for any aspiring survivor.
BC Centre for Disease Control: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan
Influenza pandemics represent global emergencies with catastrophic impact. During a pandemic, worldwide epidemics of influenza due to a new viral subtype occur simultaneously and with high death rates. Pandemics occur every ten to forty years. During the last century alone, three occurred. The worst was between 1918 and 1919 when over 20 million people died. When the next pandemic occurs - and it will - no time can be lost in responding. This means we must work together now to develop efficient and effective interventions. This planning guide is intended to help all of us anticipate, prepare and respond to the effects of the next pandemic.
Kara Baskin: Pneumonia vs. the Elderly (slate.com)
Singer James Brown died of congestive heart failure on Monday, a day after being admitted to a Georgia hospital with pneumonia. President Gerald Ford died the day after; he had battled pneumonia earlier this year, and his health then rapidly declined. What makes pneumonia so dangerous for old people?
Andrew Tobias: Daily Column (andrewtobias.com)
Larry Taylor: "Reminds me of a story that I heard Chet Atkins once tell. He had quietly slipped into a gathering of young pickers and just began jamming with them. After an hour or so that had little or no conversation, he thanked them for letting him barge in. As he walked away, one of the youngsters yelled out to him, 'You ain't no Chet Atkins, but you're pretty damn good.' Chet said that he just smiled and kept walking."
Scott Burns: '06 sloth especially satisfying (dallasnews.com)
Had I known that sloth and passivity paid so well, I would have pursued them more aggressively. That perverse thought came to mind as I assembled the numbers for this year's Mea Culpa Report. This is the column where I tell you what I've been doing with my own money, with particular attention to mistakes. It also lets you see if I eat my own cooking and, if so, whether I choke on it. My return for the year, as of Dec. 13, was 17.8 percent.
Thanks, Marianne!
AP picked this story up, but added nothing,
although they do cite the Bradford Era.
There must be more to it - a 23-year old unenforced bench warrant in a small town like Eldred on a DWI?
Between the blue laws, state stores, beer distributorships and small town nosiness, something just doesn't smell right.
Thanks, Lee!
While melted butter would stick to it better, and there'd be no need to floss afterward, don't think
it's gonna be high on my gotta-have list.
Purple Gene's review of Tony Hillerman's new mystery novel "Shape Shifter" (2006) (HarperCollins, 288 pages):
In his latest Novel, Tony Hillerman gets back to the kind of writing that won him the "Edgar Award" from the "Mystery Writers of America" over 30 years ago. From the very first installment of the life and times of Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, head policeman on the Navajo reservation in the American Southwest, "The Blessing Way" (1970), Hillerman created a unique blend of Native American lore, police detective work and Vietnam Veteran military influences. Along with his sidekick, Sergeant Jim Chee, Hillerman has given Leaphorn many lives and amazing problems to solve. In 1990, a movie was made called "The Dark Wind" (Hillerman's 5th novel), starring Fred Ward as Leaphorn and Lou Diamond Phillips as Chee!
Hillerman is back with his 18th installment called "Shape Shifter"!
Recently retired Navajo Police Officer Lt. Joe Leaphorn receives a letter from another retired cop with a glossy photograph from a lifestyle magazine of a 150 year old one of a kind Navajo "Tale-Telling" rug….an extremely valuable weaving that Joe thought had burned up in a Trading Post fire years ago.
Leaphorn hops in his truck and drives down to Coconino County to talk to Melvin Bork, the man who sent the letter. But Joe gets a call from Bork's wife telling him that her husband had gone missing after he went to visit the man who supposedly now owns the ancient rug…Jason Delos….could he be a person from the past that was supposed to have died in that Trading Post fire? Could he be the most wanted man from way back with a new name? Could he be a "Shape Shifter"?
You will travel up and down dark and deserted desert highways and dirt roads throughout the Southwest to find out!!!
Purple Gene give "Shape Shifter" 9 cups of cold café coffee out of 10 for being spooky, compelling and a great read…you'll get hooked on Joe…… again.
P.S. Tony Hillerman Southwest diet!
TONY HILLERMAN IS HIS OWN "SHAPE SHIFTER" !
I believe Mr. Hillerman has undergone some kind of amazing physical transformation….be it by a Navajo Witch Doctor or "Stomach Staples"
CBS begins the night with a RERUN'CSI: The 3rd One', followed by a RERUN'Without A Trace', then '48 Hours'.
NBC starts the night with a RECYCLED'Top Chef', followed by 'Dateline', then a RERUN'Law & Order'.
'SNL' is a RERUN with Matthew Fox hosting, music by Tenacious D.
The late, late 'SNL' is from 8 December, 2001, with Hugh Jackman hosting, music by Mick Jagger.
ABC opens the night with a RERUN'Ugly Betty', followed by another RERUN'Ugly Betty', then still another RERUN'Ugly Betty'.
The CW offers 'American Idol Rewind', followed by 'The Shield'.
Faux has the traditional 'Cops', 'Cops', and 'America's Most Wanted'.
MY has a FRESH'Wicked Wicked Games', followed by a FRESH'Watch Over Me'.
A&E has 'Flip This House', another 'Flip This House', still another 'Flip This House', and 'American Justice'.
AMC offers the movie 'Deliverance', followed by the movie 'The Exorcist', then the movie 'The Exorcist II: The Heretic'.
BBC -
[2:00 pm] Changing Rooms - Cricket;
[2:30 pm] House Invaders - Episode 10;
[3:00 pm] Doctor Who - Ep 6 Dalek;
[4:00 pm] Cash in the Attic - Episode 3;
[5:00 pm] Cash in the Attic - Episode 4;
[6:00 pm] Cash in the Attic - Episode 5;
[7:00 pm] Cash in the Attic - Episode 6;
[8:00 pm] Cash in the Attic - Episode 7;
[9:00 pm] Doctor Who - Ep 5 World War Three;
[10:00 pm] Afterlife - Ep 4 Misdirection;
[11:00 pm] Hex - Episode 4;
[12:00 am] Doctor Who - Ep 5 World War Three;
[1:00 am] Afterlife - Ep 4 Misdirection;
[2:00 am] Hex - Episode 4;
[3:00 am] Jack Dee Live at the Apollo - Ep 1 Joan Rivers;
[4:00 am] Jack Dee Live at the Apollo - Ep 7 Lee Mack;
[5:00 am] Jack Dee Live at the Apollo - Ep 4 Jo Brand;
[6:00 am] BBC World News. (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has the movie 'Clueless', followed by the movie 'Back To The Future'.
Comedy Central has 'Scrubs', another 'Scrubs', followed by the movie 'Friday', then the movie 'Not Another Teen Movie'.
History has 'Blood Diamonds', 'Nostradamus: 500 Years Later', and 'Last Days On Earth'.
IFC -
[06:35 AM] Blood Guts Bullets & Octane;
[08:05 AM] Samurai 7 Episode #25: The Last Battle;
[08:30 AM] Samurai 7 Episode #26: The Era's End;
[08:55 AM] The Children of Heaven;
[10:25 AM] Forbidden Games;
[11:55 AM] Caro Diario;
[01:40 PM] Samurai 7 Episode #25: The Last Battle;
[02:05 PM] Samurai 7 Episode #26: The Era's End;
[02:30 PM] The Children of Heaven;
[04:00 PM] Forbidden Games;
[05:30 PM] Caro Diario;
[07:15 PM] People I Know;
[09:00 PM] Magnolia;
[12:15 AM] Blue Car;
[01:45 AM] Side Streets;
[03:45 AM] Magnolia. (ALL TIMES EST)
SciFi has fills the night with the movie 'Waterworld'.
Sundance -
[07:15 AM] Drinking for England;
[08:05 AM] Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out;
[08:30 AM] What Rats Won't Do;
[10:00 AM] Dame La Mano;
[12:00 PM] The Match;
[01:45 PM] Brother;
[02:00 PM] Iconoclasts Season 2: Episode 4: Isabella Rossellini + Dean Kamen;
[02:45 PM] 2 + 2;
[03:00 PM] Office Tigers: (Episode 1);
[03:30 PM] Office Tigers: (Episode 2);
[04:00 PM] Office Tigers: (Episode 3);
[04:30 PM] Office Tigers: (Episode 4);
[05:00 PM] It's All About Love;
[07:00 PM] Blog Wars;
[08:30 PM] Da Kath & Kim Code;
[10:00 PM] Jude;
[12:05 AM] City of Men - Season 3: Episode 2: Didn't Mean To;
[01:00 AM] Guy;
[02:45 AM] When Night is Falling;
[04:20 AM] Oyster Farmer;
[05:50 AM] The Match. (ALL TIMES EST)
Members of the Star Wars Stormtroopers 501st Legion practice marching during a rehearsal for the 2007 Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, Dec 28, 2006.
Photo by Damian Dovarganes
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt surprised fans in Panama City on Friday, visiting a souvenir shop, a colonial neighborhood and the Panama Canal.
Besides touring the capital, where they shopped for souvenirs and walked around a colonial neighborhood, Pitt and Jolie on Thursday visited a former U.S. military base and the construction site of Panama's new Biodiversity Museum, designed by Frank Gehry, at the entrance of the canal in the Amador district.
The museum, which will trace Panama's natural history, will include a botanical garden.
This photo provided by Wham-O shows Frisbee inventor Walter F. Morrison holds a re-issue of the Pluto Platter Frisbee disc Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006, in Carpinteria, Calif. The original Pluto Platter Frisbee disc, designed by Morrison, made its debut in 1957. Wham-O is celebrating Frisbee's 50th anniversary by re-releasing this historic flying disc.
Photo by John Hayes
Dreams of getting author Ken Kesey's original psychedelic bus, Furthur, back on the road again have hit a pothole.
The Kesey family is looking for a new sponsor to finance restoration work and a TV documentary after breaking things off with Hollywood restaurant owner David Houston, who had hoped to raise US$100,000 to restore the bus made famous in Tom Wolfe's 1968 book, "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test."
Stephanie Kesey, who is married to the late author's son Zane, and overseeing the project, said the bus has been cleaned up a bit, and singer Willie Nelson has offered to put in a biodiesel engine, but they don't want to do any major work until they have a restoration expert and a documentary deal lined up.
Furthur became a symbol in the 1960s of a rolling LSD trip. Ken Kesey was famously quoted as saying, "You're either on the bus or you're off the bus," which became a way of saying someone was part of the psychedelic explorations of the time or not.
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 31, and NASCAR driver Burney Lamar, 26, have tied the knot, Taylor's spokeswoman confirmed Friday.
The couple were married Wednesday before 60 guests at the Grande Colonial Hotel in the La Jolla area of San Diego, publicist Lesley Burbridge-Bates told The Associated Press. The bride wore a Vera Wang Couture dress.
Taylor lives in Nashville, Tenn., where she owns a clothing boutique.
The wedding ceremony was officiated by Pastor Rob Taylor of Calvary Chapel Brentwood, where the couple attends church.
German illusionist Jan Rouven poses on a mining drill during his new show 'Sulapan, The Magic of the Elements' at Tropical Islands holiday resort near the eastern German village of Brand, 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Berlin, December 29, 2006. Based on the four elements earth, wind, fire and water, the show features illusions - leaping flames, jets of water and underwater escape acts.
Photo by Hannibal Hanschke
Julia Roberts is expecting her third child with her husband, cinematographer Danny Moder, her spokeswoman confirmed to People magazine Friday.
The baby is due this summer, Roberts' publicist, Marcy Engelman, said in a story posted on the magazine's Web site. News of the pregnancy first appeared in the New York Post's Page Six column.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth bestowed awards on Saturday on singer Rod Stewart, soccer star Steven Gerrard and her own granddaughter -- world equestrian champion Zara Phillips.
The queen also granted medals to filmmaker Peter Greenaway, actors Hugh Laurie and Penelope Keith and authors Alexander McCall Smith and Colin Thubron in her New Year's honors list.
Entrepreneur James Dyson, whose pioneering vacuum cleaner design was an international success, received a knighthood.
In the arts and media world, there were knighthoods for Michael Holroyd, biographer of writers George Bernard Shaw and Lytton Strachey; and for pioneering jazz pianist George Shearing, who has been blind since birth.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was arrested in Arizona on Friday and charged with driving under the influence of drugs and possession of cocaine, police said.
Tyson was arrested in Scottsdale, 10 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, after his black BMW nearly collided with a sheriff's vehicle, according to court documents.
Tyson appeared in court on Friday morning and was freed on supervised release, meaning he has to regularly report to officials for drug and alcohol monitoring, until he appears in court again on January 16, Superior Court of Arizona spokeswoman J.W. Brown said.
Recently discovered piano notes supposed to be an unknown composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of six to ten years are displayed to the public for the first time in Salzburg December 29, 2006.
Police were called to the country estate of former Beatle Paul McCartney after his estranged wife reported the theft of paintings - including a Picasso and a Renoir - from the lodge they once shared, police said Friday.
"We checked the premises, and spoke to Heather Mills (McCartney), and as a result it was found to be a civil matter between her and her husband," Sussex Police spokesman Paddy Rea said. "There's been no theft."
Mills called police Thursday night after discovering that paintings valued at an estimated $19.5 million had gone missing, The Sun newspaper reported Friday.
The Sun, quoting an unidentified friend of Mills McCartney, said that McCartney had taken the paintings and reprogrammed the estate's alarm codes, and informed her Thursday night by text message.
A devotee of Saint Benito reloads his weapon while celebrating Saint Benito's day in Mucuchies, Merida State, Venezuela, December 29, 2006.
Photo by Francesco Spotorno
Victoria Principal's 21-year marriage to her second husband is officially over. The "Dallas" star is single again after reaching a financial settlement with plastic surgeon Harry Glassman, according to court papers filed Wednesday in Superior Court.
Principal, 56, and Glassman were married in June 1985 and lived in Beverly Hills. She filed for divorce in May, citing irreconcilable differences.
A reveller dressed as a Viking holds an axe next to a burning longboat on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland to mark the start of four days of Hogmany (New Year) celebrations December 29, 2006. The burning of the longboat brings an end to the annual Torchlight Procession march which starts at Parliament Square and finishes at Calton Hill in Edinburgh.
Photo by David Moir
La Scala opera house has cancelled a production of Bernstein's "Candide" that includes a scene with actors dancing in underwear while wearing masks of world leaders including resident Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
La Scala said in a statement that the decision was made after artistic director Stephane Lissner watched a performance Tuesday at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, where the new production is being staged through the end of December.
In the production directed by Canadian Robert Carsen, actors wear masks of Blair, Bush, former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin as they dance in their underwear, wearing ties featuring their national flags.
Bernstein's "Candide" is a musical adaptation of Voltaire's satire against eternal optimism. The production directed by Carsen is a follow-up to the Broadway play 50 years ago that satirized McCarthyism.
Piglets named 'Hope-five-brothers' wear ribbons during a promotional drive to celebrate the upcoming year -- the Year of the Pig under the Chinese zodiac -- at the Everland theme park in Yongin, about 50 km (31 miles) south of Seoul, December 19, 2006.
Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon
You have reached the Home page of BartCop Entertainment.
Make yourself home, take your shoes off...
Go ahead, scratch it if it itches.
The idea is to have fun.
Do you have something to say?
Anything that increased your blood pressure, or, even better,
amused or entertained?
Do you have a great album no one's heard?
How about a favorite TV show, movie, book, play, cartoon, or legal amusement?
A popular artist that just plain pisses you off?
A box set the whole world should own?
Vile, filthy rumors about Republican musicians?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
This is your place.
