My landlord pulled a fast one. I live on a 20 acre property and he posted an eviction notice somewhere I don't normally go so I had no opportunity to reply in a timely manner. It's turned into a notice to vacate from the county sheriff, which means unless a miracle happens, we've got to be out of here in four days, by Tuesday, May 22, which is why putting out an issue on Monday isn't a priority. Not quite like being surrounded by fire but close. Same actions. Piling all the important stuff outside.
You think YOU'RE bored with my personal problems? Believe me, it was never my intention to broadcast my flagrant inability to get my shit together. You'd think by now someone would be paying me for something. It's not your fault there's nowhere for me to turn but my computer.
Panic mode rapidly approaching. Me, two sons, a Siamese cat, a desert tortoise, and a python named Monty, flowing with the tide, looking for somewhere to go, ready to relocate anywhere, separately or in a set, just putting out the word. An island in Bahrain would be nice. Anybody got a barn?
MD
"Wouldn't this be a great world if insecurity and desperation made us more attractive? If 'needy' were a turn-on?"
- Albert Brooks as Aaron Altman in Broadcast News -
US Senator Robert Byrd: We Must End This Catastrophic, Unspeakable and Ongoing Calamity We Call Iraq (commondreams.org)
We need to conclude this terrible mistake we have made in Iraq. Anti-Americanism is more robust now than in any period in our history because of Iraq. The international community is skeptical of U.S. intentions because of Iraq. Our Constitution has been trampled because of Iraq. Thousands of U.S. troops and Iraqi citizens have lost their lives because of Iraq. Thousands more are maimed physically or mentally because of Iraq. Billions of U.S. dollars have been wasted because of Iraq. President Bush has lost all credibility because of Iraq. Terrorism is on the rise worldwide because of Iraq. May God grant this Congress the courage to come together and answer the cries of a majority of the people who sent us here. Find a way to end this catastrophe, this unspeakable, ongoing calamity called Iraq.
PAUL KRUGMAN: Don't Blame Bush (The New York Times)
I've been looking at the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and I've come to a disturbing conclusion: maybe we've all been too hard on President Bush. No, I haven't lost my mind. Mr. Bush has degraded our government and undermined the rule of law; he has led us into strategic disaster and moral squalor.
Book Excerpt: "The Assault on Reason" By Al Gore (time.com)
Not long before our nation launched the invasion of Iraq, our longest-serving Senator, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, stood on the Senate floor and said: "This chamber is, for the most part, silent-ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing. We stand passively mute in the United States Senate." Why was the Senate silent?
Garrison Keillor: America Revels In Spring, Awaits A Worthy Leader
and
Garrison Keillor: America Revels In Spring, Awaits A Worthy Leader
Gorgeous green spring came suddenly to Minnesota this year after weeks of tedious budding and blooming, a great burgeoning of foliage, and Bleak Street became the Via Paradiso, and we pale stoics took out pen and paper and wrote, "O love love love you are the best who ever was" or words to that effect, and we sat outdoors in the evening and thought of various reforms we mean to institute. More joyfulness, kindness to strangers, a general quickening of spirit, etc.
Jim Hightower: POOPING IN LUXURY (jimhightower.com)
I know some of you snooty people look down on us Texans - thinking we're just rubes and riff-raff with no class. But let me just point this out to you: Austin is to be the first city in the nation to have a high-rise luxury condo building featuring a 10th floor dog park with - get this - a scented, self-cleaning doggie toilet!
Antonino D'Ambrosio: Lewis Black Interview (progressive.org)
"Every day these guys do something more outrageous. I just start yelling about this stuff, and there is my act," says the comedian. ... now I have people that help me manage my money and recently my accountant said, "You need to do this to pay less in taxes." My response was that I have been waiting my whole life to pay taxes. This is how it's supposed to work. This is how we are able to fund the things that make this country work-like roads and schools.
ELLA TAYLOR: Shrek the Flatulent (laweekly.com)
Coming out of Shrek the Third, I asked the two smart preteen girls I had in tow what they had liked about the picture. Projectile vomiting and multiple farts, they said promptly: Best Shrek ever. Ordinarily I'm not big on poop and flatulence, but in this instance I sympathized - there's not much else to get excited about in this gaseous, overstuffed, prime case of sequel fatigue.
Gilbert, Sara
Actress Sara Gilbert, who became a favorite with lesbian audiences for her portrayal of tomboy Darlene on the long-running television series Roseanne, came out publicly as a lesbian in 2004.
Now that Wolfowitz is out at the World Bank Gonzales is the perfect
replacement. Did I predict it first?
With that countdown at the top of your page I hope you aren't going to give
up after #1000
Pete
Thanks, Pete!
My money's on the Poodle taking Wolfie's place. Get him warmed up for his future at Carlyle.
I don't have any plans on giving up, but, eventually taking off some time seems likely.
Unless I get an unexpected present of a laptop, doubt there'll be any updating from PA.
But that's not til mid-July, and then for only a week.
Purple Gene's review of the documentary movie "Moog" (2004).
Directed by Hans Fjellestad:
It could have been called…………..
"Leon, Harry and Bob"
or
"20th Century Pre-digital Sound Benders"
or
"Moog"
Did you ever hear the sounds of space ships landing in myriads of 50's Sci-Fi movies? When you watched Hitchcock's "Spellbound", do you remember the sound that indicated that Ingrid Bergman was crazy ? Remember the Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations" riff ? Remember Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Lucky Man" ? Remember Axel's theme from "Beverly Hills Cops" ?
If so, then you've been exposed to Electronically Synthesized Music.
Back in the 20's, a Russian named Leon Theremin invented a hand operated, sound bending device called the "Theremin" that has been used over the years as an instrument to create eerie ethereal sounds in movies and music. Leon also invented the 1st covert listening device (Bug) and the 1st motion detector (before he was captured by the KGB in the 30's).
In the 30's, an inventor named Harry Partch (he was born in Oakland , California) while composing classical music, invented the "Monophone" which was basically an altered Viola. He was responsible for creating elaborate musical sounds before he went broke and became a hobo.
Enter Bob Moog…..the man who revolutionized the electronic music industry in the 60's with his first keyboard synthesizer and "Mini-Moog" system. I met Bob Moog in Oakland in 1967 at Jack's house (Jack had used Bob's technology and put it in a Guitar to show George Harrison)….he appeared to me to be just another wacked out, stoned, hippie musician.
Well Bob Moog went on to invent analog sound systems that literally dominated the music scene in the 70's and even into the 80's….when suddenly….everything became digitalized…..
As Hans Fjellestad illustrates in his rather dull and demonstrative documentary "Moog", Bob kept adapting filters, capacitors and patch cords to allow keyboard players to dominate live music after the guitar heavy 60's. The trouble for me is that I have always hated synthesized music and its rather derivative and narrow scope of sound. But Bob Moog was a mad scientist who really loved live music and as he says at the end of the 72 minute movie, "Musicians have now started to make sounds by themselves and i much prefer the idea of live music creating a family on stage for an audience". Trouble is, it's because of people like Bob that so many so-called musicians now sit behind their little computers and make and mix music that they only share with themselves!
Purple Gene gives "Moog" 5 screeching suspended augmented cacophonic high C notes out of 10 for being an interesting but not too inspiring Flick.
Sunny and cooler than seasonal. Not that I'm complaining.
Tonight, Sunday:
CBS starts the night with '60 Minutes', followed by the movie 'Million Dollar Baby'.
NBC opens the night with 'Dateline', followed by the movie 'National Treasure'.
ABC begins the night with the 2-hour SEASON FINALE'Extreme Makeover', followed by the SEASON FINALE'Desperate Housewives', then the SEASON FINALE'Brothers & Sisters'.
The CW offers a RERUN'7th Heaven' (SERIES FINALE), followed by a RERUN'Gilmore Girls' (SERIES FINALE), and a RERUN'America's Next Top Model'.
Faux has a FRESH hourlong 'King Of The Hill', followed by the hourlong SEASON FINALE'Simpsons', then a FRESH'Family Guy', followed by a FRESH'American Dad'.
MY has the movie 'Me, Myself & Irene', followed by the movie 'Ransom'.
A&E has 'The First 48', 'Dog The Bounty Hunter', another 'Dog The Bounty Hunter', 'Gene Simmons', another 'Gene Simmons', and still another 'Gene Simmons'.
AMC offers the movie 'Braveheart', followed by the movie 'Independence Day', then the movie 'Lake Placid'.
BBC -
[12:30 PM] The State Within - Episode 1;
[3:00 PM] The State Within - Episode 2;
[5:30 PM] The State Within - Episode 3;
[8:00 PM] GoldenEye;
[10:30 PM] GoldenEye;
[12:00 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep 6 Holland;
[1:00 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep 6 Holland;
[1:30 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep. 20 Hirst;
[2:00 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep 6 Holland;
[3:00 AM] Cracker: A New Terror - Cracker: A New Terror;
[5:00 AM] Murder in Suburbia - Episode 4;
[6:00 AM] BBC World News - BBC World News. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has all 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' all night.
Comedy Central has the movie 'Not Another Teen Movie', followed by the movie 'Office Space', then a FRESH'Mind Of Mencia', and 'Reno 911!'.
FX has the movie 'Taxi', followed by the movie 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story', then 'The Shield'.
History has 'Rogue Waves', 'Decoding The Past', another 'Decoding The Past', and 'Siberian Apocalypse'.
IFC -
[06:50 AM] The Englishman Who Went up a Hill But Came Down A Mountain;
[08:30 AM] A Slipping-Down Life;
[10:25 AM] I Am David;
[12:10 PM] The Englishman Who Went up a Hill But Came Down A Mountain;
[01:50 PM] IFC News Special;
[02:00 PM] A Slipping-Down Life;
[04:00 PM] I Am David;
[05:45 PM] The Englishman Who Went up a Hill But Came Down A Mountain;
[07:30 PM] Company Man;
[09:00 PM] Lost Highway;
[11:20 PM] Media Lab Results;
[11:30 PM] Blood Guts Bullets & Octane;
[01:00 AM] Street Mobster;
[02:30 AM] Lost Highway;
[04:50 AM] Blood Guts Bullets & Octane. (ALL TIMES EDT)
SciFi has the movie 'Mortuary', followed by the movie 'Misery'.
Sundance -
[04:00 AM] The Galindez File;
[06:00 AM] Keep Not Silent;
[07:00 AM] The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello;
[08:00 AM] The Other Side of the Street;
[09:00 AM] The Milagro Beanfield War;
[11:00 AM] Through My Thick Glasses;
[12:00 PM] Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid;
[01:00 PM] Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus;
[03:00 PM] Eat;
[03:00 PM] Our Daily Bread;
[05:00 PM] Eat;
[05:00 PM] Short Hymn, Silent War;
[06:00 PM] Dallas 362;
[08:00 PM] Episode 2: Vex Not His Ghost;
[09:00 PM] Episode 6: Dave Chappelle + Maya Angelou;
[10:00 PM] The Milagro Beanfield War;
[12:00 AM] Marebito;
[01:00 AM] Short Hymn, Silent War;
[02:00 AM] Episode 2: Vex Not His Ghost;
[03:00 AM] Episode 6: Dave Chappelle + Maya Angelou;
[03:00 AM] American Me. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio waves as he arrives for a gala screening for the film "The 11th Hour" at the 60th Cannes Film Festival May 19, 2007.
Photo by Jean-Paul Pelissier
Former President Carter says President Bush's administration is "the worst in history" in international relations, taking aim at the White House's policy of pre-emptive war and its Middle East diplomacy.
"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history," Carter told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a story that appeared in the newspaper's Saturday editions. "The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."
"We now have endorsed the concept of pre-emptive war where we go to war with another nation militarily, even though our own security is not directly threatened, if we want to change the regime there or if we fear that some time in the future our security might be endangered," he said. "But that's been a radical departure from all previous administration policies."
"The policy from the White House has been to allocate funds to religious institutions, even those that channel those funds exclusively to their own particular group of believers in a particular religion," Carter said. "As a traditional Baptist, I've always believed in separation of church and state and honored that premise when I was president, and so have all other presidents, I might say, except this one."
Ashley Olsen poses as she arrives at the 2007/8 Chanel Cruise Show presented by Karl Lagerfeld, Friday, May 18, 2007, in Santa Monica, Calif.
Photo by Mark J. Terrill
Venezuela's Congress says it has approved financing for two films by actor Danny Glover, a close supporter of President Hugo Chavez.
The lawmaking body, which is closely allied with Chavez, said in a statement on its website Thursday that it approved $20 million US for two Glover productions.
They include "The General in His Labyrinth," which deals with the life of South American liberator Simon Bolivar. It is based on a novel by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez and will be directed by Venezuela-born director Alberto Arvelo.
The other is "Toussaint," which the statement said Glover plans to direct documenting the life of Haitian revolution leader Toussaint Louverture.
The three Mexican directors who shook up Hollywood last February with 16 Academy Award nominations have formed a moviemaking partnership with Universal Pictures worth a reported $100 million.
Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will produce five movies, some of them in Spanish, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
The trio, who individually directed "Pan's Labyrinth", "Babel" and "Children of Men," will call their production company Cha Cha Cha.
The offer from Simon & Schuster seems ideal - let us publish your book and it will never go out of print. Even if it sells just one copy a year, we'll keep it available, thanks to digital technology.
Simon & Schuster, Random House, Inc. and Penguin Group USA are among the publishers who say that they are letting fewer and fewer books go out of print because of print on demand, or POD, which emerged a decade ago.
Print on demand allows slow-selling titles to stay available by keeping them on a computer database and printing copies upon request, instead of keeping unsold texts stored in a warehouse, a system long regarded as costly and inefficient.
Contracts from the vast majority of publishers include boilerplate language requiring a minimum number of annual sales, often 150-250, for the book to be considered "in print," meaning rights belong to the publisher, not the author.
U.S. directors Joel (2nd L) and Ethan Coen (L), and cast members Kelly Macdonald (3rd L), Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin (back) leave the gala evening screening of the Coen's film "No Country for Old Men" at the 60th Cannes Film Festival May 19, 2007.
Photo by Yves Herman
One-hit wonder Tommy Tutone made the phone number 867-5309 famous in the band's 1982 hit single, which uses the digits over and over in its catchy refrain.
Now, a Rhode Island company and a national firm are battling over the right to use the number, which doesn't reach the "Jenny" that Tutone sings about, but could find callers a decent plumber.
Two years ago, Gem Plumbing & Heating of Lincoln, R.I., trademarked the phone number in the early 1980s hit, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gem acquired the number in Rhode Island when its original owner, Brown University, gave up 867-5309 after growing weary of the constant prank calls.
Gem's number works in the 401 area code in Rhode Island and the 617 area code in southern Massachusetts.
But Florida-based Clockwork Home Services, also a plumbing company, uses a toll-free version of 867-5309 in New England. They argue a company can only trademark a vanity number, like 1-800-FLOWERS.
Salome Lelouch (L), her father French director Claude Lelouch (R) and his wife Alessandra Martines arrive for a gala screening of U.S. directors Ethan and Joel Coen's film "No Country for Old Men" at the 60th Cannes Film Festival May 19, 2007.
Photo by Eric Gaillard
Rock legend Roger Daltrey blasted the forthcoming Live Earth event, saying exhausting the world's supply of oil would force more solutions to be found for climate change problems, in comments published Saturday.
The Who's singer questioned the value of the July 7 concerts and said a better idea would be to "burn all the oil" to force world leaders into action.
"The last thing the planet needs is a rock concert," Daltrey told The Sun newspaper.
In a thick forest of maple, willow and oak trees where 17th century European settlers fought hundreds of American Indians, algae-covered stones are arranged in mysterious piles.
Wilfred Greene, the 70-year-old chief of the Wampanoag Nation's Seaconke Indian tribe, says the stone mounds are part of a massive Indian burial ground, possibly one of the nation's largest, that went unnoticed until a few years ago.
But Narragansett Improvement Co. disagrees, and says it will press on with plans to build a 122-lot housing project over 200 acres (80-hectares) in the area near the Massachusetts border.
The firm has hired an archeologist who studied the stones and concluded they were likely left in piles by early European settlers who built a network of stone walls in the area, said company president John Everson.
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