'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
International Theatrical Dissent
Actors Plan Protest
From Tally Briggs
From the Brooklyn Academy of Music to a coffeehouse in northern New Mexico to the National Theatre of Iceland, actors are planning a day of international theater protest against a possible war with Iraq.
On Monday, participants in all 50 states and on six continents will read "Lysistrata," Aristophanes' bawdy comedy of ancient Greece in which women withhold sex until men agree to outlaw war.
At last count, 919 readings were set in 56 countries, and the number was climbing, according to Kathryn Blume and Sharron Bower, two New York actresses who started the Lysistrata Project.
The project began with Blume, who had been working on a modern adaptation of "Lysistrata" as a screenplay. She had heard about a group called Theaters Against War that was urging theater companies to put an anti-war statement
in their programs or make a curtain speech against war. Blume thought she would do a reading of "Lysistrata" as her contribution.
That same day in early January, Bower called suggesting they work together on something. "It was a magic moment in the history of politics and theater," Blume said. "It turned into something very large very fast."
By the next night, the women had readings planned in two other cities, and the Lysistrata Project was born.
"We put up a Web site, e-mailed everyone we knew and they e-mailed everyone they knew," Blume said. "Soon we were getting e-mails from all over the country and all over the world."
The Brooklyn Academy of Music's reading at its Harvey Theatre will feature Mercedes Ruehl in the title role with a supporting cast that includes F. Murray Abraham, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Bill Irwin and Kathleen Chalfant.
In Los Angeles, a reading at the Los Angeles Filmmaker Cooperative's Powerhouse Culture Space will be equally starry: Julie Christie, Alfre Woodard, Christine Lahti and Eric Stoltz, among others.
Most venues are not charging admission, asking instead for a small donation.
Blume and Bower say they have spent a couple of thousand dollars on the project, financing it through "a lot of faith and credit cards."
Actors Plan Protest
Lysistrata Project
Poets Against The War
At Pecos Design they have links to the different casts around the world - some pretty HUGE people participating!!! Even in LONDON!
And, 3/03/03 will be a day of theatrical dissent commencing with hundreds of members of the British theatre community meeting in PARLIAMENT SQUARE at 11am to form a massed Greek Chorus of Disapproval.
The chorus will read a passage from Lysistrata directed at the Houses of Parliament. Artists supporting this event and performing at Parliament Square include Caryl Churchill, Kika Markham, Maggie Steed,
Alan Rickman, David Hare, Janie Dee, Ian Rickson, Aisha Kossoko, Lindsay Duncan, Adrian Mitchell, Tony Harrison, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Vanessa Redgrave, Andy De La Tour and the cast of the Donmar Warehouse's
production of "Accidental Death of An Anarchist". The day will culminate at 7.30pm in a rehearsed reading and world premiere of Tony Harrison's adaptation of Lysistrata "The Common Chorus - Part I" by the
core company at The Pleasance Theatre
~~ Tally
Wow! Thanks, Tally!
Tribute Cartoons
Mister Rogers
I ran across a collection of tributes to Fred Rogers from cartoonists across the country, thought you might like them. They are very touching...a couple brought me to tears (I'm a wuss)!
DUCT TAPE YOUR HOUSE
by Alvin
MIDILink
DUCT TAPE YOUR HOUSE
{Sung to 'Unchain My Heart' by Joe Cocker}
{intro}
Duct tape your house
Tom Ridge told us so
Duct tape your house
Oh, what a way to go
When there's a problem, baby - don't despair
'Cause there is nothing duct tape can't repair
Duct tape your house from terrorist attacks!
Duct tape your house
Tom Ridge told us so
Duct tape your house
Oh, what a way to go
You can use duct tape when your pants get torn
You can wrap your boots when they get worn
Duct tape your house from chemical weapons!
Tape your coat so you can stay warm
So always have a roll on hand
The uses for it never ends!
Duct tape your house
Tom Ridge told us so
Duct tape your house
Oh, what a way to go
When there's a problem, baby - don't despair
'Cause there is nothing duct tape can't repair
Duct tape your house from terrorist attacks!
{break}
Tape your coat so you can stay warm
So always have a roll on hand
The uses for it never ends!
Duct tape your house
Tom Ridge told us so
Duct tape your house
Oh, what a way to go
When there's a problem, baby - don't despair
'Cause there is nothing duct tape can't repair
Duct tape your house from terrorist attacks!...
~~ alvindover (-.-)
Thanks, Alvin!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Clear, cool, breezy, and mostly sunny day.
The grandmother-from-AK's cruise docks in about 6 hours. She & her traveling companions allowed over 12 hours between their return & the flight out of LAX. Walls, windows & floors have been scrubbed, and carpets
cleaned, too. While I realize it's a case of 'enough' will never be enough, rather nice to have the place all spiffy.
Jo the (remaining) lizard had his terrarium cleaned from the floor up & the fish have fresh bowls, too. Let Shelaub-the-tarantula skate, though. Don't want to appear too neurotic.
Tonight, Sunday, as is tradition, CBS opens the night with '60 Minutes', then follows with a FRESH
'My Big Fat Greek Life', followed by a FRESH 'Becker', and then part 1 (of 2 - concludes Tuesday) of a FRESH
made-for-tv-movie 'Salem Witch Trials'.
NBC starts with 'Dateline', and then a FRESH 'American Dreams', followed by a FRESH 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', and then
a FRESH 'Boomtown'.
ABC offers a FRESH 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here', followed by a FRESH 'Alias', then a FRESH
'Dagnet'.
The WB has the weeky RERUN 'Gilmore Girls', followed by a RERUN 'Charmed'.
Faux opens with 'Futurama', followed by a FRESH 'King Of The Hill', then a FRESH 'Simpsons', followed by a
RERUN 'Simpsons', then 'Malcolm', and wraps the night with a RERUN 'That 70's Show'.
UPN has the weekly RERUN 'Enterprise', followed by 'Stargate SG-1'.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Nude women protesters spell out 'No war' on a football field in Sydney during an anti-war demonstration March 2, 2003. The women bared all to protest Australia's involvement in a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Won't Play Hall of Fame Ceremony
Clash
The surviving members of legendary punk group The Clash will not perform when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month, bass player Paul Simonon said Saturday.
Simonon scotched rumors that Bruce Springsteen — who sang the band's "London Calling" in tribute to Strummer at the Grammy Awards last week — would join the three surviving band members onstage
at the March 10 Hall of Fame ceremony in New York.
"We're not going to play or anything. We really haven't got anything planned," Simonon told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
He said that just before he died Strummer had mentioned the idea of performing at the ceremony, but that Simonon was opposed.
"I didn't have a chance to reply unfortunately, but I just wanted to let him know, `Are you aware that the tickets are $1,500?'" Simonon said.
"I think it's better for The Clash to play in front of their public, rather than a seated and booted audience."
Clash
Oil's the Story in Iraq
Michael Moore
Filmmaker Michael Moore says journalists are missing the real story on Iraq.
Journalists should look into a possible deal between the Bush administration and Russia to carve up Iraq's oil fields after ousting Saddam Hussein, he said.
"People in the media know this story but nobody will just say it or just do it," said Moore, who accepted the Freedom of Speech Award Thursday night at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
"Come on. What's wrong with our media? What are they afraid of?" he said. "Where is the Woodward and Bernstein for our time? Where are the young people?"
Michael Moore
Michael Moore Web site
U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
Scales The Rushmore Of Wrong-Headedness
Dennis Miller
By BARRY CRIMMINS
I have received several e-mails about Dennis Miller spewing hatred on The Tonight Show a few days ago. From what I'm told, he expressed great contempt for the French and total disdain for the well-being of
innocents in Iraq. I believe the letters because I have seen him express similar Jurassic views on other programs. We thought he had bottomed out when he became the sportscasting equivalent of William Shatner/lounge
singer, but it now appears he won't be happy until he gets a show on the Fox News Channel.
I used to write for Miller in 1992, when he had a syndicated talk show. During the program's one season, Miller went from endorsing Jerry Brown to becoming a big Ross Perot supporter. A political impulse-buyer, his
ideological cannon was never lashed very securely to the deck. Over the years, the cannon somehow became lodged on the starboard side of the vessel. Each time Miller receives a paycheck, he seems to take it to a bank
further to the right of the last one. And now, more than a decade since I wrote my last joke for the man, I can only watch in stupefaction as this once hip and inside comic completes his transformation into a lout whose
act sounds as if it were ghostwritten by George Jessel. Actually, that's not fair ... to George Jessel.
For the rest of a great read, BARRY CRIMMINS
With a sign that reads 'PEACE' on his body, a naked demonstrator protests a possible war in Iraq during demonstrations in which hundreds undressed in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, March 1, 2003.
Photo by Roberto Candia
Disses Rap Music
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley is no fan of rap music.
The 74-year-old bluesman says rap "is not a thing that's going to last as long as I have."
"First of all, you can't understand what it is and it has no meaning," Diddley told an audience Thursday at Dunnellon High School. Dunnellon is about 35 miles from Diddley's home in Archer, near Gainesville in north Florida.
"The lyrics are very disgusting because you are a person, and a person deserves respect," he said. "I have daughters, my mother was a woman, and I don't like what I'm hearing."
Diddley traded jokes, gave advice, jammed and recruited some new fans from a teenage audience not familiar with him or his hits such as "Bo Diddley," "I'm a Man" and "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover."
He suggested students discover their talents and use them to earn a living and stressed the importance of hard work.
"You've got to hustle, man," he said. "There's a legal way to hustle."
Bo Diddley
Recalls Teacher's Compassion
Danny Glover
Actor Danny Glover has no trouble remembering when he was 7, humiliated in school for being a slow reader.
His savior was a teacher who emphasized his math skills and appointed him to pass out milk and graham crackers.
"I'm able to stand before you today because of the caring compassion of a teacher," Glover told about 375 educators at a convention Friday. He said he still struggles with dyslexia, a reading and language disorder.
Glover, 55, said his acting career started by accident. He took up acting after college to get rid of stress he was feeling from a community organizing job.
Glover also said he has taken dance classes to feel less awkward about his 6-foot-4 frame, as he used his personal history to address public funding for fine arts education.
"We're in trouble in terms of art in our schools," he said. "Music and art aren't just for those who are able to pay for it. Music and art are for all of us."
Danny Glover
To Aid Fire Victims
Fred Durst
Fred Durst can relate to concert tragedies.
The Limp Bizkit lead singer, whose band was at the center of a 2001 concert stampede that left one fan dead, is organizing a fundraiser to aid the victims of last week's devastating nightclub fire at a Great White show in Rhode Island.
"I am horrified at what happened to the innocent people who were burned to death at the Great White concert recently," Durst says in a message on limpbizkit.com. "I want to create some sort of benefit for the families of the ones
who were lost. I feel so much sadness because of it. How could such a thing happen? Especially when it could have been prevented?"
"It feels right to get involved because I am a musician, I love music, and I love going to concerts. That could have been any of us!" Durst says. "Fortunately it wasn't, and we can come together to help not only cause awareness to
prevent anything like this again, but to help the people who are sincerely hurting from their loss."
Durst, one of the few artists to make an anti-war statement at last weekend's Grammy Awards, is asking fans to call a telephone number (310-865-7671) to contribute ideas on how they can get involved and provide some comfort and
charitable relief to the victims and their families.
"It is so important to make any concert a safe place for fans to be...I believe that it is our resposibility to provide you with the safest most secure conditions when you come to our concerts and i pray that every club owner, tour
promoter, venue security, and band will learn from this horrible incident," adds Durst, who has stated he's still haunted by the Australian incident.
Fred Durst
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Gas Mask or Eyeglasses?
Reporters
Reporters slated for "embedded" war coverage in Iraq who wear eyeglasses (probably a fair number of the total) have to surmount one obstacle others don't have to deal with. The basic M40 General Purpose Mask designed to protect
them from chemical and gas attacks apparently fits so snugly they have to remove their glasses before they strap them on.
So how, then, can they see what's coming to get them, or an escape route? They must order prescription optical inserts to be mounted in the masks. But if you need glasses only for reading, forget it -- these inserts are for "distance" vision.
E&P has obtained a document issued to embedded reporters instructing them on how to order the inserts. Reporters are to send their prescriptions to the Naval Ophthalmic Support & Training Activity (NOSTRA), based at the Naval Weapons
Station in Yorktown, Va. "We're the LensCrafters of the armed forces," boasts NOSTRA public affairs officer Jim Kemp.
If necessary, according to the document sent to the embedded scribes, "orders will be delivered to destination via FedEx" (at the recipient's expense), so we now know that FedEx delivers to Kuwait. But this will happen only after the order
is "inspected to ensure it exceeds standards for quality. ... Included will be instructions for assembly."
Reporters
Rei Momo, or 'Fat King' Alex de Oliveira, right holds up the key to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil accompanied by the Queen of the 2003 Rio Carnival, Amanda Barbosa, during the official
opening of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival on Friday Feb. 28, 2003. Across this nation of 170 million, banks, stores and government offices will close for the nonstop celebrations that run until
noon on Ash Wednesday.
Photo by Dario Lopez-Mills
Speaks Via Satellite at DGAs
Roman Polanski
In a rare public appearance, fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski told a group of Hollywood directors via satellite Saturday that his Holocaust drama "The Pianist" was a way to show how the pursuit of art can overcome life's horrors.
"I wanted to show survival is ... (connected to) those positive forces that surround us," he said. "In this case, the music and art, which help someone go through difficult, sometimes the greatest, adversities."
Polanski, now 69, fled Los Angeles for Paris in 1978 to evade sentencing for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. Since then, the European filmmaker best known for the dramas "Chinatown"
and "Rosemary's Baby," has been unable to return to the United States.
Despite awards recognition for "The Pianist," including Oscar bids for best picture and director, Polanski has given few interviews and done little to promote the film to U.S. audiences.
Polanski said doing research for "The Pianist" in the preproduction phase was the most difficult part for him because he was confronted again with the kind of Nazi atrocities he witnessed as a boy.
The survivor of Polanski's decades-old sexual assault wrote an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times last week, apparently aimed at Oscar voters, saying his work should be judged on its merits.
"I don't really have any hard feelings toward him, or any sympathy, either," wrote Samantha Geimer. "But I believe that Mr. Polanski and his film should be honored according to the quality of the work. What
he does for a living and how good he is at it have nothing to do with me or what he did to me."
Roman Polanski
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Writer Was Inside Blake Investigation
Oh, That LAPD
The lead detective in the murder of actor Robert Blake's wife conceded under cross-examination on Friday that he took the unusual step of allowing a writer to participate in the investigation.
Los Angeles Police Det. Ron Ito acknowledged that the author was present at the crime scene and a search of Blake's home and even handled evidence, but insisted that his presence did not compromise the integrity of the case.
"These items that he was touching was nothing that you could analyze any further than what had been done," Ito said under questioning from defense attorney Thomas Mesereau during a preliminary hearing into murder charges against Blake.
Mesereau suggested through his questions to Ito that the veteran detective brought former Los Angeles Times reporter Miles Corwin into the investigation in hopes of seeing himself portrayed as a hero in the writer's book or a movie.
Ito testified that he had no desire to be part of a book or movie and was ordered by former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks to let Corwin tag along.
Prosecutors objected to the line of questioning but Superior Court Judge Lloyd Nash refused to stop Mesereau, saying that Corwin's presence had the potential to contaminate evidence and was "fraught" with other problems.
Oh, That LAPD
A woman dressed in a traditional carnival costume presents her mask at Saint Mark's square in Venice, March 1, 2003. Over this weekend more than 10,000 people will arrive in Venice to
take part in one of the best carnivals in Italy.
Photo by Tony Gentile
Only In New York
'Horns and Halos'
Cinema Village
22 E. 12th St.
NYC
Town Celebrates
Hershey
It has been 100 years since the first shovels of dirt were turned for a factory that created a community, where residents still are mindful of founder Milton S. Hershey, his generosity and his business acumen.
"It's nice to be in a town that stands for philanthropy, and it's not so bad being in a town that smells like chocolate," said Kathryn Taylor, 55.
This weekend, Taylor and her fellow Hershey residents begin celebrating the months-long centennial of that groundbreaking. A historical marker to be unveiled Sunday by the state
honors "Hershey - model industrial town and noted tourism destination."
Hershey had failed at candy ventures from New York City to New Orleans before succeeding with caramels, at a plant down the road in Lancaster. He soon sold that business and built the chocolate factory.
By the time the factory was finished in 1905, Hershey had whipped up a milk chocolate formula that is still being used today.
Hershey Chocolate Co. is now Hershey Foods Corp., which brings in more than $4 billion annually and employs more than 15,000 people in central Pennsylvania alone.
Just about everything in town sprang from Hershey's chocolate.
His profits built every amenity for his workers, and he assumed a role that some in town refer to as a "benevolent dictator." His companies sold home sites to employees
and underwrote mortgages for them. They even ran everything from a trolley system to a butcher shop.
At the height of the Depression, he built the Hershey Theater and Hotel Hershey, and a 7,000-seat ice hockey rink. In the 1960s, his foundation gave $50 million to help
found the Pennsylvania State University's only teaching hospital.
A $5 billion trust feeds, clothes, shelters and educates about 1,300 disadvantaged boys and girls at a school he established in 1909.
Hershey's money also funds cultural institutions, such as the theater and the botanic gardens, and more than $1 million a year goes to the town's public schools.
Today, the town of almost 13,000 has an amusement park, a state-of-the-art arena and a convention center.
Hershey, PA
Hershey Archives
Hershey Foods Corp
An Indian woman makes an offering to the Hindu god Lord Shiva at a temple on the occasion of 'Shivratri,' in the central Indian city of Bhopal, March 1, 2003. Shivratri is the better known
as the Lord's marriage anniversary and is celebrated by Indian women across the country by offering prayers so that their husbands are blessed with a long life.
PHoto by Raj Patidar
'The Osbournes'
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 4
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