Froma Harrop: "2010: A Space Odyssey" Updated (creators.com)
The most wrong assumption in the sci-fi movie classic "2001: A Space Odyssey" was that technology would liberate humans from a life of hassle. Made 42 years ago, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece shows 21st century humankind going about its business in a leisurely fashion as machines do the bull work. A gentle Strauss waltz plays in the background.
Forget rain, mosquitoes and mice who get into the marshmallows. The fastest and most effective way to ruin this glorious season is to open up the packet marked "Summer Homework."
Ted Rall: PROTOFASCISM COMES TO AMERICA
Is the Tea Party racist? Democrats who play liberals on TV say it isn't. Vice President Joe Biden says the Tea Party "is not a racist organization" per se, but allows that "at least elements that were involved in some of the Tea Party folks expressed racist views."
Which Fonts Should You Use for Saving Ink (labnol.org)
Though we are headed towards an era of paperless offices where all the information would be in strict digital format, the pace is quite slow. That ink-sucking printer is still an indispensable part of your home office because you are frequently required to print invoices, emails, web pages and other documents on paper.
99 Great Ways to Save (aarp.org)
Millions are looking for ways to shave dollars and dimes from their daily expenses. Listed in categories like home and health, they add up to 99 tips.
"Ill Fares the Land" by Tony Judt: A review by Benjamin Moser
"For thirty years students have been complaining to me that 'it was easy for you': your generation had ideals and ideas, you believed in something, you were able to change things," Tony Judt writes .... It is not, Judt argues, that young people are unaware of their world's many terrifying problems. They are. It is that "our disability is discursive: we simply do not know how to talk about these things any more."
Roger Ebert: 3-star Review of "RAMONA AND BEEZUS" (G)
Kids who started reading anytime between the 1950s and today may know the books of Beverly Cleary, and at 94, she's still writing. Her books are set on Klickitat Street in Portland, Ore., a real street not far from her childhood home; she must have filed it away for future reference.
Mel Gibson has been called a religiously insane, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, racist by a great many people. His actions and words certainly point to that as being the case. However, he has made movies that have been very popular and, in some instances, awarded and/or critically acclaimed...
So...
What is your view of Gibson as an actor and are there any of his movies that you have enjoyed?
The earliest known candles originated in China around 200 BC, and were made from whale fat. Candles did not appear in Europe until sometime after 400 AD, due largely to the availability of olive oil for burning in lamps.
Source
Sally was first, and correct, with:
Historians believe the original candle may have been invented by primitive men who dipped dried branches in animal fat, thus producing a slow-burning and reliable source of light.
The earliest known candles, in form, originated in China around 200 BC, and were made from whale fat. Another source stated they were make from "Spermaceti" which apparently is a solid waxy substance taken from the head of the sperm whale. How gross!
Early Chinese and Japanese candles were molded in paper tubes. They were made out of a wax made from an insect known as a "Cocus" and were mixed with seeds.
In this, I believe I've covered all the bases necessary...
Early candle making
PS: I awoke this morning at 5:30 AM to find all of my windows steamed up (like the bathroom mirror after coming out of a hot shower). Went out to check on my garden and decided to take a walk around the block. All of the houses were the same, some only bedroom windows, but in most houses it was all of the windows. I finally figured it out, it was the AC on inside and the fierce warm humidity outside. I've never seen that before - but then, I'm not usually up that early either. Since moving back to Jersey, I've discovered that if you want to maintain a garden in the heat, you have to be up early here. We had a significant amount of rain last night, lots of weeding for me today. Groan...
Alan J answered:
Whale Fat
STEPHEN F said:
My guess would be they were made from some kind of fat or tallow.
Marian the Recently Retired Teacher responded:
whale fat
Vic the Newlywed wrote:
I would say some kinda fat...Eskimos and natives use Hooligan fish, they are called Candle Fish because when dried you can light the tail and use it as a stinky greasy candle...of sorts
Charlie replied:
Whale fat
MAM wrote:
Whale fat by the Chinese, during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
And, Joe S replied:
"Candle making was developed independently in many countries throughout history. The earliest known candles were made from whale fat by the Chinese, during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). In early China and Japan, tapers were made with wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in paper."
So I'm going with whale fat.
I'd just like to mention that I've become addicted to Desperate Housewives. I've been watching the reruns and Saturday and Sunday nights and catching up. What a hoot, I didn't know what I had been missing all these years.
Something amazing is happening near the quiet French town of Treigny in
the historic region of Burgundy. Something that has not been attempted
for hundreds of years is slowly appearing - a full scale medieval
chateau is being painstakingly built entirely by hand. This is a
thirteenth century chateau rising in the twenty first century.
Coastal eddy has returned and the weather is grand.
Tonight, Sunday:
CBS starts the night with '60 Minutes', followed by a FRESHBig Brother', followed by a RERUN'Undercover Boss', then a RERUN'Cold Case'.
NBC opens the night with 'Dateline', followed by a RERUN'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', then a RERUN'America's Got Talent'.
ABC begins the night with a RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', then a RERUN'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', followed by a FRESH'Scoundrels', then a FRESH'The Gates'.
The CW fills the night with the movie 'Dark Blue'.
Faux has a FRESH'Sons Of Tucson', followed by a RERUN'American Dad', then a RERUN'Simpsons', followed by a RERUN'Cleveland Show', then a RERUN'Family Guy', and another RERUN'Family Guy'.
MY here has LIVE'MLB Baseball', with the Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim California Angels visit the Rangers, and may pad with an old 'House'.
A&E has 'Criminal Minds', another 'Criminal Minds', still another 'Criminal Minds', followed by a FRESH'The Glades'.
AMC offers the movie 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', followed by the movie 'Michael Clayton', then a FRESH'Mad Men'.
BBC -
[10:00 AM] The World Is Not Enough
[12:30 PM] GoldenEye
[3:00 PM] Tomorrow Never Dies
[5:30 PM] The World Is Not Enough
[8:00 PM] GoldenEye
[10:30 PM] Tomorrow Never Dies
[1:00 AM] The World Is Not Enough
[3:30 AM] Beatles Biggest Secrets
[5:00 AM] BBC World News
[6:00 AM] BBC World News (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'Real Housewives Of NJ', another 'Real Housewives Of NJ', 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', and another 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent'.
Comedy Central has the movie 'Without A Paddle', 'Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny', and 'Steve Byrne: The Byrne Identity'.
FX has the movie 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider', followed by the movie 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'.
History has 'Ice Road Truckers', another 'Ice Road Truckers', followed by a FRESH'Ice Road Truckers', then a FRESH'Top Shot'.
IFC -
[6:45 AM] Being Julia
[8:35 AM] Hope Springs
[10:15 AM] Can't Stop Breathing
[10:30 AM] Sleeper
[12:00 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[12:30 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[1:00 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[1:30 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[2:00 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[2:35 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[3:05 PM] Monty Python's Flying Circus
[3:35 PM] Hope Springs
[5:15 PM] Garden State
[7:00 PM] Made
[8:35 PM] Edmond
[10:00 PM] Freaks and Geeks
[10:45 PM] Food Party
[11:00 PM] The Whitest Kids U'Know
[11:30 PM] The Whitest Kids U'Know
[12:00 AM] Made
[1:35 AM] Edmond
[3:00 AM] Freaks and Geeks
[3:45 AM] Food Party
[4:00 AM] Garden State
[5:45 AM] Sleeper (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:30 AM] French Film
[8:05 AM] Endless Summer II
[10:00 AM] THE LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST - Lazy Daycare/Lazy Jewelers (Season 2, Episode 6)
[10:30 AM] Manufactured Landscapes
[12:00 PM] ICONOCLASTS - Madeleine Albright + Ashley Judd (Episode 6, Season 3)
[1:00 PM] MAN SHOPS GLOBE - Thailand (Episode 1, Season 2)
[1:30 PM] Man Shops Globe 202 - Scotland
[2:00 PM] Man Shops Globe 203 - Australia
[2:30 PM] Man Shops Globe 204 - Cyprus
[3:00 PM] French Film
[4:30 PM] Endless Summer II
[6:30 PM] Pal/secam
[6:45 PM] This is England
[8:30 PM] Wendy & Lucy
[10:00 PM] Marie Antoinette
[12:10 AM] Happy Endings
[2:30 AM] Wendy & Lucy
[3:55 AM] Marie Antoinette
[6:00 AM] This is England (ALL TIMES EST)
SyFy has the movie 'Saw III', followed by the movie 'The Seamstress'.
Actor Will Ferrell speaks during a news conference for his upcoming film "The Other Guys" at Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2010.
Photo by Mike Blake
Patients treated at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics will be able to use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it's legal, according to new federal guidelines.
The directive from the Veterans Affairs Department in the coming week is intended to clarify current policy that says veterans can be denied pain medication if they use illegal drugs. Veterans groups have complained for years that this could bar veterans from VA benefits if they were caught using medical marijuana.
The new guidance does not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, which is considered an illegal drug under federal law. But it will now make clear that in the 14 states where state and federal law are in conflict, VA clinics generally will allow the use of medical marijuana for veterans already taking it under other clinicians.
Under the previous policy, local VA clinics in some of the 14 states, such as Michigan, had opted to allow the use of medical marijuana because there no rule explicitly prohibiting them from doing so.
Irish singer Sinead O'Connor performs during the Blue Balls Festival at the Culture and Congress Center in Lucerne, Switzerland, Saturday July 24, 2010.
Photo by Sigi Tischler
The Norwegian author of "The Bookseller of Kabul" has been ordered to pay damages to the wife of the real-life bookseller on which it was based, the author's lawyer said Saturday.
The Oslo district court on Friday ordered journalist Aasne Seierstad to pay 125,000 kroner (15,600 euros, 20,200 dollars) to Suraia Rais for violation of privacy, her lawyer Cato Schioetz told AFP.
Norwegian publisher Cappelen Damm, which originally released the book in 2002, a year before it appeared in English and became an international bestseller, was also ordered to pay 125,000 kroner damages to Rais, he added.
Written in the style of a novel, "The Bookseller of Kabul" is an account of Seierstad's time living with the Rais family in Kabul shortly after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
The cast and crew of "The Lion King" is trying to save the life of one of its own.
Eleven-year-old actress Shannon Tavarez was forced to quit the Broadway show in April after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Her physician, Dr. Larry Wolfe, said Tavarez needs a bone marrow transplant, but has been unable to find the perfect match. A partial match has been found, but a better one is being sought.
More than 700 people showed up to a bone marrow donor registration on Friday at the Minskoff Theater, where the show is performed, and hundreds more signed up online. Members of the cast and crew helped the potential donors swab the inside of their cheeks to see if their tissue type matched Tavarez' or anyone else needing a transplant.
Katharina Harf, co-founder of the bone marrow registry DKMS, said it was particularly difficult to find a perfect match for Tavarez because her mother is African-American and her father is Hispanic. For bone marrow transplants, minorities and those of mixed ancestry have a more difficult time finding good matches. There aren't as many people from those groups signed up as potential donors.
Actor Klaus Maria Brandauer performs on stage as Oedipus during a dress rehearsal of Sophokles' drama "Oedipus auf Kolonos" in Salzburg July24, 2010. The play is directed by Peter Stein and will premiere on July 26 as part of the annual Salzburg Festival.
Photo by Herwig Prammer
A helicopter ferried Grammy-award winning singer Al Jarreau from a hospital in the Alps to one in the French port of Marseille after he suffered breathing problems in the mountains that forced him to cancel several concerts, hospital authorities said Saturday.
Jarreau was conscious, in stable condition and in the cardiology unit of La Timone hospital in Marseille, the Marseille Hospital Authority said. He was expected to remain there for about a week for tests.
Jarreau's website said the singer had asked to be taken to the hospital Friday after he had trouble adjusting to the Alpine mountain altitude. He had experienced breathing problems and was for a time in intensive care.
Jarreau, who started out in jazz before crossing over into pop and R&B, canceled two shows in Germany and another in Azerbaijan in addition to the one in France. It was not immediately clear when Jarreau would sing again.
Crowds of people streaming into a techno music festival surged through an already jammed entry tunnel on Saturday, setting off a panic that killed 18 people and injured 80 at an event meant to celebrate love and peace.
The circumstances of the stampede at the famed Love Parade festival in Duisburg in western Germany were still not clear even hours after the chaos, but it appeared that some or most of the 18 had been crushed to death.
Authorities also suggested that some of the people killed or injured might have attempted to flee the crowd by jumping over a barrier and falling several meters (yards). Witnesses described a desperate scene, as people piled up on each other or scrambled over others who had fallen in the crush.
Criticism quickly fell on city officials for allowing only one entrance to the grounds of a hugely popular event that drew hundreds of thousands of people to dance, watch floats and listen to DJs spin. German media said 1.4 million people attended but that figure could not be immediately confirmed.
John Hannah and Lucy Lawless arrive at the Comic-Con 'From Dusk Til Con' party sponsored by AMC Theatres in San Diego, Calif., Friday, July 23, 2010.
Photo by Casey Rodgers
A reality television starlet who pleaded no contest to felony burglary in connection with a break-in at actor Orlando Bloom's home was released from a Los Angeles County jail Friday after serving 30 days of a 180-day sentence.
Alexis Neiers, 19, was set free around 7:40 p.m. Friday from the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, sheriff's officials said.
Neiers was among six people accused of targeting the Hollywood Hills homes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Bloom and others and stealing millions in jewelry, clothing and other luxury goods.
Neiers, an aspiring model who has been the subject of the E! Entertainment Television reality show "Pretty Wild," was held in the same facility where Lohan is serving 90 days for a probation violation.
Bret Michaels ran into trouble with the law Wednesday night in DeKalb County, Ind., when police found marijuana and other drugs on the rocker's two tour buses.
According to the Fort-Wayne News-Sentinel, the Poison frontman and his crew were pulled over for a "lighting violation" by a DeKalb County Sheriff's deputy on Interstate 69. Police dogs searched the tour buses and turned up marijuana as well as an unidentified controlled substance. Citations were handed out before the buses were allowed to proceed to their destination.
Michaels' representative said in a statement to Billboard.com, "Officers on the scene claimed there were no trailer tag lights. No arrests were made. Mr. Michaels allowed an open search of the buses and everything was handled in a professional manner."
Adrianne Curry, right, and a guest arrive at the Comic-Con 'From Dusk Til Con' party sponsored by AMC Theatres in San Diego, Calif., Friday, July 23, 2010.
Photo by Casey Rodgers
Does that smart phone in your pocket contribute to rape and murder in the depths of Africa? Soon, you'll know: A new U.S. law requires companies to certify whether their products contain minerals from rebel-controlled mines in Congo and surrounding countries.
It's a move aimed at starving the rebels of funds and encouraging them to lay down their arms.
At issue are three industrial metals - tin, tantalum and tungsten - and gold. Tin is used in the solder that joins electronic components together. Tantalum's main use is in capacitors, a vital component in electronics. Tungsten has many uses, including light-bulb filaments and the heavy, compact mass that makes cell phones vibrate.
Exports of these metals from eastern Congo have been the subject of a campaign by nonprofit advocacy groups for a few years, one that's borne fruit with the addition of a "Conflict Minerals" provision to the financial-regulation legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law Wednesday.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin leaped on a Harley Davidson and roared into an international biker convention in southern Ukraine.
Around 5,000 bikers from Europe and beyond gathered in Sevastopol for the annual festival Saturday on Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.
Putin, in Ukraine for talks with the country's new Russia-friendly leadership, had his black shirt sleeves rolled up as he motored toward a stage along a dusty road on the three-wheeled bike.
In sunglasses, black jeans and black fingerless gloves, the Russian prime minister clearly reveled in the moment, smiling and waving to the enthusiastic crowd.
In this July 22, 2010 photo, Gustavus Adolphus professor Scott Bur works in his aluminized office in St. Peter, Minn. Students slipped into the chemistryprofessor's office while he was on vacation and as a prank, covered everything right down to pens and even his coffee pot cord with aluminum foil. "It's sort of become a tradition in my research group," said Bur, who'd only managed to unwrap his coffee pot and a few other essentials by Thursday morning. "When I go on vacation and come back, I always find something, " he told the Mankato Free Press
Photo by John Cross
An American Kennel Club-registered dog has been turned loose in the wild after the Frankfort Humane Society mistook her for a coyote. Copper is a female Sheba Inu.
Lori Goodlett told The State-Journal her pet of 11 years disappeared from her fenced back yard on July 3. It was after she put up posters that a police officer recognized Copper as the dog he had taken to the shelter. A shelter worker later called police and said it had to be picked up because coyotes weren't allowed there.
The department turned the animal loose behind a home improvement store after consulting with a wildlife expert who said coyotes were nuisance animals and should be returned to the wild or killed.
Humane Society board chairman John Forbes said he backs the shelter's decision.
Federal biologists are releasing thousands of endangered baby sea turtles into the western Gulf of Mexico, betting that by the time the silver dollar-sized swimmers make it to the oil-fouled waters of the eastern Gulf, BP will have cleaned up its goopy mess.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are proceeding with the annual release of Kemp's ridley turtle hatchlings off Padre Island National Seashore because Texas has not been significantly impacted by the oil spill. For years, scientists have incubated and hatched the turtles to give the endangered creatures a boost.
The risks of holding turtles in captivity at a critical stage in their life cycles could be worse than the dangers of oil more than 400 miles away, the plan's supporters say.
Hundreds of days-old hatchlings have been freed on Texas beaches since the June 8 decision. Another large group is expected to be released early next week.
Two 8-week-old Sumatran tigers cubs hide under their mother, Jaya, during their public debut Friday, July 23, 2010 at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Thecubs, born on May 25, will be on exhibit intermittently with their mother Jaya startling Friday, July 23. The male and female cubs, weighed around 2 pounds at birth and have grown to more than 14 pounds and 13 pounds.
Photo by Lui Kit Wong
You have reached the Home page of BartCop Entertainment.
Make yourself home, take your shoes off...
Go ahead, scratch it if it itches.
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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 hypocrites?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
This is your place.
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