I just read the review of Poseidon by Megan Thaler. Truly a hoot. But what I'm wondering is: Why would someone so obviously brilliant go to see a movie like that anyway? Does she have a thing for boats? (I see she loved Titanic.) Did she lose a bet? Was she forced? Handsomely paid by you people? Is she going to be a regular? I sure hope so.
- John
Thanks, John!
I also hope to read more of Megan's work.
As to those rumors of being handsomely paid - I wish.
Joe Bob Briggs: Week in Review (.joebobbriggs.com)
Chinese President Hu Jintao was upset when a Falun Gong protester disrupted his carefully staged Washington press conference with President Bush, and even more upset when a Bush aide referred incorrectly to China by the name used for Taiwan--but he got a much warmer reception in Saudia Arabia, where he stopped off on his way home in an effort to lock up some more oil contracts. China has been going around the planet making business deals with everyone the U.S. pisses off--Venezuela, Dubai, Myanmar, Ethiopia--in a business campaign that Bush regards as underhanded and amoral, but which China regards as . . . winning.
Margaret Cho: Swan Lake (margaretcho.com)
Anyway, this production features a gorgeous twist on the original, in that all the swans are male, which is a shocking revelation, especially if you are a fan of Swan Lake. Yes, it's Dick Lake, and how it shines with the full moon above it.
Courtney E. Martin: Pop Singer Makes Slaving for Beauty Look Ugly (womensenews.org)
Pop singer Pink's "Stupid Girls" hit song and MTV video expresses outrage at young women's self sacrifice to beauty and fashion. ... She leans over the sink in the bathroom of a hot nightclub, sticks a toothbrush down her throat and vomits while screaming, "I want to be skinny!"
ROGER EBERT: Over the Hedge (3 stars)
"Over the Hedge" is one of the few comic strips in which you will find debates about the Theory of Relativity, population control and global warming. None of those issues are much discussed in the new animated feature inspired by the strip, but there is a great deal about suburban sprawl, junk food and the popularity of the SUV ("How many people does it hold?" "Usually one.")
The Seven Factors of Wealth
In their 1996 book The Millionaire Next Door, authors Thomas Stanley and William Danko compile twenty years of research and interviews with "truly" wealthy families of America. Their findings dispel the common perceptions most of us have when we consider how fortunes are amassed in this country.
Purple Gene's review of the premier of the CMT original series "Unsung Stories - 'Jake's Goin' All the Way'":
Jeffrey Steele is the Cole Porter of Country Music !!!!! He not only writes songs that are Standards….."My Town"….."When the Lights go Down"…."The Cowboy in Me"…"Unbelievable"…"These Days"……Not only did he write the number one song in Country Music right now…."What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts…..but he, along with Keith Anderson, wrote a song that inspired a whole town and started a new series on Country Music Television.
"Unsung Stories" is a new and unique television experience….imagine….. a songwriter hears about a real life story…gets inspired to write a song about it….then goes and plays the song for the people involved…and it's all on film…..
Just another Friday night in McDermott, Ohio….another High school football game with one team going for the state championship…playing the Northwest High School team…but we have a story inside the story…It's Jake…who is a mentally retarded kid with dreams of putting on the uniform and the spikes and playing football…..Well number 45 did just that and for four years he practiced with the Monarchs but never got to go in….then the coaches got an idea….let's give Jake a shot….so at the end of the Waverly Northwest game, with Waverly leading 42 zip…coach Curry and Dewitt put Jake in for a final play….and guess what Jake goes all the way…and scores……Jeffrey Steele and Keith Anderson read about this event and they just have to write a song…
"Jake's Goin' All the Way" tells the story of Number 45 and that magic night in McDermott, Ohio where one kid, with his dedication and determination, inspired a whole town to believe that anyone can achieve success, with a little help from their friends…and the picture of Jake crossing that finish line was really amazing…
Well Jeff and Keith came back to McDermott, Ohio and sang their song for Jake and the whole damn town…parents , kids and coaches…."Jake spent the last 4 years on the sidelines….tonight Jake's goin' all the way…he's gonna win the game" Ya man!
I got a chance to do a little songwriting with Jeffrey Steele last year at Durango…I told him about an old loner who lives way up in the mountains that only went out to get supplies a couple times a year…I found his shopping list on the dirt road it said "Whiskey, Cigarettes, Bullets and Beer"…well he grabbed hold of that idea and an hour later we had a hit song….but it all starts with a real life story…and this guy is the real thing….
Here's to Keith and Jeffrey and Jake…..and inspiring lives put to music!!!
Purple Gene gives "Unsung Stories: Jakes Goin' all the Way" 10 totally teary eyes out of 10 for being so goddam real in a world of Paris Hiltons, George Bushes and Jessica Simpsons….let's hear it for the little guy with big dreams !!!!
CBS starts the night with '60 Minutes' (a tribute to Mike Wallace), followed by the SEASON FINALE'Cold Case', then a RERUN'CSI: The 2nd One', followed a RERUN'CSI: The 3rd One'.
NBC opens the night with a 2-hour 'Dateline', followed by part 1 (of 2) of a FRESH made-for-fearmongering-TV-movie '10.5: Apocalypse'.
ABC begins the night with the 2-hour SEASON FINALE'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', followed by the 2-hour SEASON FINALE'Desperate Housewives'.
The WB offers a RERUN'Reba', followed by another RERUN'Reba', then the SERIES FINALE'Charmed', followed by a RERUN'Charmed'.
Faux has a RERUN'Simpsons', followed by another RERUN'Simpsons', then the SEASON FINALE'Simpsons', followed by the 90-minute SEASON FINALE'Family Guy'.
UPN has an old 'Alias', followed by an old 'Fear Factor'.
A&E has 'Sell This House!', another 'Sell This House!', 'Flip This House', 'The BTK Killer Speaks', and 'Intervention'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Princess Bride', followed by the movie 'History Of The World - Part 1', then the movie 'History Of The World - Part 1', again.
BBC -
[2pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 1;
[2:40pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 2;
[3:20pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 3;
[4pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 4;
[4:40pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 5;
[5:20pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 6;
[6pm] 'Bargain Hunt' - Shepton Mallet 12;
[6:30pm] 'Bargain Hunt' - Carmarthen 28;
[7pm] 'Cash in the Attic' - Episode 3;
[8pm] 'Cash in the Attic' - Episode 3;
[9pm] 'Cash in the Attic';
[10pm] 'Footballers Wives' - Episode 7;
[11pm] 'Cash in the Attic' - Episode 2;
[12am] 'Cash in the Attic';
[1am] 'Footballers Wives' - Episode 7;
[2am] 'Cash in the Attic' - Episode 3;
[3am] 'The Robinsons' - Episode 4;
[3:40am] 'The Robinsons' - Episode 5;
[4:20am] 'The Robinsons' - Episode 6;
[5am] 'Peep Show' - Episode 5;
[5:30am] 'Peep Show' - Episode 6;
[6am] 'BBC World News'. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', another 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', followed by a FRESH'Inside The Actors Studio' (Don Cheadle), and still another 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent'.
Comedy Central has the movie 'Billy Madison', followed by the movie 'Joe Dirt', then 'George Lopez: Why You Crying?'.
History has 'Behind The Da Vinci Code', 'Beyond The Da Vinci Code', and 'Da Vinci & The Code He Lived By'.
IFC -
[6AM] Blind Swordsman #3: Zatoichi Enters Again;
[7:30AM] The Widow of St. Pierre;
[9:20AM] Akira Kurosawa: The Last Emperor;
[10:15AM] Sweet And Lowdown;
[12PM] Afraid of the Dark;
[1:35PM] The Proposition;
[3:30PM] The Widow of St. Pierre;
[5:20PM] IFC Short Film Showcase: May;
[6:20PM] Sweet And Lowdown;
[8PM] Elizabeth;
[10:15PM] The Opposite of Sex;
[12AM] The Business of Strangers;
[1:30AM] Elizabeth;
[3:35AM] The Opposite of Sex;
[5:30AM] At The IFC Center #13. (ALL TIMES EDT)
SciFi has the movie 'Dragonfly', followed by the movie 'Vanilla Sky'.
Sundance -
[6AM] My Dad is 100 Years Old;
[6:30AM] La Pagaille;
[8:15AM] The Act;
[8:30AM] The Object Of Beauty;
[10:15AM] The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan;
[12PM] Bullets Over Broadway;
[1:40PM] The White Balloon;
[3PM] Kath & Kim: Party;
[3:30PM] Short Hymn, Silent War;
[4PM] Private;
[5:30PM] Tube Mice;
[5:45PM] La Pagaille;
[7:30PM] Slo-Mo;
[8PM] Slings and Arrows: Episode 2: Fallow Time;
[9PM] Monkey Dust: Episode 5;
[9:30PM] Kath & Kim: Party;
[10PM] The Object Of Beauty;
[11:45PM] Bobbycrush;
[12AM] Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance;
[2AM] Slings and Arrows: Episode 2: Fallow Time;
[3AM] Monkey Dust: Episode 5;
[3:30AM] Adultre, Mode D' Emploi;
[5:15AM] The White Balloon. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Singers Billy Joel (L), Sheryl Crow (2nd L), James Taylor (3rd L), Sting (2nd R) and comedian Will Ferrell (R) perform the finale of the Rainforest Foundation's benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York May 19, 2006.
Photo by Keith Bedford
Former President Bill Clinton said on Saturday global warming is a greater threat to the future than terrorism and that the United States and other countries must "get off our butts" and do something about it.
Clinton, speaking to the graduating class at University of Texas' Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, said the United States must pursue policies that make "more partners and fewer enemies" and use "institutionalized cooperation" before there is catastrophic damage from global warming.
"I am not one of those who is pessimistic about the future of the world, assuming we get off our butts and do something about climate change in a timely fashion."
Finland was the surprise winner of the 51st Eurovision song contest on Saturday with the monster-themed rock band Lordi beating 23 other competitors.
Lordi scored 292 points from telephone voters in 38 countries with its song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" in a performance in Greece that both shocked and amused viewers.
Finishing in second place was Russia with 248 points going to Dima Bilan's "Never let you go."
The Finnish band thanked viewers for voting for their song, which featured the lead singer hoisting a double-headed axe over his head in a performance inspired by 1970s rock band Kiss.
Former Vice President of the United States Al Gore, right, and American director Davis Guggenheim speak during a press conference for the film 'An Inconvenient Truth,' at the 59th International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on Saturday, May 20, 2006.
Photo by Laurent Emmanuel
It was a one-two encounter between Axl Rose and Tommy Hilfiger. The rocker and designer capped a Thursday evening out at a new club called The Plumm in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood with midnight fisticuffs.
The scuffle reportedly started after the Guns N' Roses front man moved the drink of Hilfiger's girlfriend, Dee Ocleppo.
According to the 44-year-old singer, Hilfiger, 55, smacked him in the arm and told him to put the drink back.
Weather experts have "hindcasted" the storm that sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior during the November 1975.
Hurricane-force gusts and waves coming from an unexpected angle likely contributed to the disaster immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot in the song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," researchers say.
The freighter, thought like the Titanic to be invincible, was heading south. Waves were traveling west-to-east, the new analysis shows. This could have created a hazardous rolling motion. The ship sank about 15 miles from Whitefish Bay.
"While high winds on Lake Superior are not rare, it is unusual for the waves to get that high on the lake," said Schwab. "It's unlikely that Captain Ernest McSorley, the skipper of the Edmund Fitzgerald, had ever seen anything like that in his career."
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, given the nickname "the hammer" during his political career, can add one more title to his resume: reluctant movie star. The Texas Republican was the focus of a new documentary that premiered Friday night in Houston examining the scandals that drove him from office.
The film, titled "The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress," features interviews with Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Texas, as well as liberal stalwarts such as Molly Ivins and Jim Hightower.
The first part of the 75-minute film details DeLay's efforts to win GOP seats in the Legislature in 2002 to push through a redistricting plan that helped Texas send more Republicans to Congress in 2004.
Singer k.d. lang, left, poses for photographs with her girlfriend Jamie Price at the opening-night gala of 'Robert Rauschenberg: Combines' at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Friday, May 19, 2006.
Photo by Ann Johansson
One of the founding members of the legendary Motown group the Supremes will undergo heart bypass surgery Monday after being hospitalized with chest pains this week, her publicist said.
Mary Wilson, 62, remained hospitalized Friday after being rushed to the hospital by a family member Tuesday, complaining of chest pains, according to her publicist, Jay Schwartz, in Los Angeles.
A dozen years after his death and more than three decades after he left the White House in disgrace, Richard Nixon is alive as never before in the grand opera world, which can't seem to get enough of the him.
"Nixon in China," the John Adams' opera first staged in 1987, is in the midst of a new wave of popularity and performances, the latest being a triumphal turn on the stage of the Chicago Opera Theater where it opened May 19.
The English National Opera will mount Nixon in June and July.
Vandals toppled a wooden statue of the King of Western Swing. Now he has to wear a sling.
"We came in (Wednesday) morning, and he was laying on his back with his arm broken off," said Clair Devers of the Lone Star Music store in Gruene, home of the 8-foot-tall carving of Bob Wills by local musician Doug Moreland.
The music store and a radio station offered a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest. The vandalism apparently happened early Wednesday and could not have been accomplished easily.
Airplane writers and directors, Jim Abrahams, left, and David Zucker attend a reunion and reception for the 25th anniversary screening of 'Airplane!,' hosted by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2006.
Photo by Branimir Kvartuc
Songwriters with valuable catalogs may want to delay any sale until next year. A new law is likely to go into effect January 1 that may substantially reduce songwriters' federal tax liability.
The Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act, expected to be signed by resident Bush any day, includes a section that redefines capital assets to include the sale or exchange of self-created musical compositions or copyrights in musical works. Currently profits made from the sale of a catalog by corporate publishers are taxed at a capital gains rate of 15%, but profits made for the same type of sale by songwriters are taxed at their personal income tax rate, typically much higher depending on their income that year. Under this new act, songwriters will have the same tax relief as corporate publishers.
Britain's Prince William (R) meets Dame Edna Everage backstage at the Prince's Trust 30th birthday concert at the Tower of London in London May 20, 2006.
Photo by Chris Radburn
China is planning to offer luxury trains to the roof of the world when it opens a long anticipated and highly controversial railway to Tibet in July, a state newspaper said Thursday.
The five-star trains, aimed mainly at foreigners, will have showers, on board folk dance shows and that staple of the Chinese holiday experience -- karaoke, the Beijing Times reported.
So luxurious will the train be that it is only going to carry around 100 passengers, as it sweeps through the snowy mountains of mainly Buddhist Tibet at such high elevations the carriages are going to be pressurized like aircraft, the newspaper said.
The trip from Beijing to Lhasa is expected to take at least 48 hours.
Michael Monkeymeat, 38, from New York City, shows his tattoos representing aspects of his life at the 9th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention, Friday May 19, 2006. Monkeymeat, who has been making international travel to tattoo his body since he was 13, had his right hand patterned in native American symbols and his left done Mexico, including a paw print made from the ashes of his dead dog. The convention runs through the weekend until Sunday at the Roseland Ballroom in Times Square.
Photo by Bebeto Matthews
The departure of Rolling Rock beer from the tiny Pennsylvania town it has come to symbolize has left the future of local brewery workers - and the town's identity - in question.
The owner of the Rolling Rock brand, a U.S. subsidiary of the Belgium-based brewing giant InBev SA, announced Friday that it had sold the brand to Anheuser-Busch Cos. for $82 million.
But the Latrobe Brewing Co., which has churned out the beer since 1939, is not part of the deal. It will be sold and Anheuser-Busch will begin making Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light elsewhere in August.
News that Rolling Rock will be leaving Latrobe, a town of about 9,000 people, spells trouble for the local economy and has upset residents who have seen generations of local people go to work at the brewery.
Biologists have moved some of the few remaining endangered Devils Hole pupfish from their secluded desert hot spring in an effort to help grow the species' population.
Two male adult pupfish were captured in their spring at Death Valley National Park along the Nevada-California border and moved Thursday to the Shark Reef aquarium and exhibit at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.
Five younger pupfish also were moved from Devils Hole to the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery in Arizona as part of a plan to establish Devils Hole pupfish in aquaria.
After the moves, an estimated 36 adult pupfish remain in the species' only known natural home, a water-filled subterranean cavern about 100 miles west of Las Vegas, Williams said.
Freddie Garrity, the lead singer of the 1960s pop band Freddie and the Dreamers, has died in hospital at the age of 69, his spokesman said on Saturday.
Garrity, originally from Manchester, northern England, died in hospital in north Wales on Friday with his wife by his side.
The band topped the U.S. charts with "I'm Telling You Now" in 1965 and had further success with "You Were Made For Me."
Garrity had been suffering from emphysema for several years. He was married three times and leaves four children.
This photo provided by the National Park Service shows humpback whales near Point Carolus at the mouth of Glacier Bay, Alaska Monday, May 15, 2006. Researchers with the National Park Service's humpback whale monitoring program which was put in place in 1985 in effort to help prevent sometimes fatal encounters between whales and boats, found the number of whales in Glacier Bay and nearby Icy Strait last summer reached record levels for the third straight year.
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