Editor position available at the Los Angeles Free Press
Nothing is always the safest thing to say, so people who say things are
inherently brave, especially writers, who do nothing but say things, often
stupidly, and quite often in the wrong order. That's where editors come in. The
first sentence in this paragraph needs an editor and, unfortunately, it's
me.
The Los Angeles Free Press needs an editor too because, unfortunately, it's
no longer me. The publisher, Steven M. Finger,
has declared that "news has lost its relevence [sic]," and has decided to
take the paper into a whole new direction, seeking that elusive "people going to
an online newspaper who aren't interested in reading any news" audience.
He refused to publish an
obit of Harvey Pekar, whose death was ignored by the mainstream media. I
thought the obit would be depressing on its own, so A) I used all his
YouTube appearances on David Letterman and B) I found
a
piece on an upcoming college cartoonist who, if she wises up by reading
every single Harvey Pekar comic book, just might have the talent to fill his
smelly shoes. She's probably never heard of Harvey Pekar, and would only find
out who he was by seeing the article next to hers. Finger published
the piece about the college artist without the Pekar tribute,
mysterious on a blog where, unlike print, it doesn't cost a thing to throw in
something extra like a YouTube video. These weren't monetary decisions, they
were editorial.
Why wouldn't he publish a Tuli
Kupferberg memorial by Paul Krassner? "Tuli's dead?" Finger said. "So
what? Find a piece of what was, and where it was meant to go - and he'll be the
heartbeat of it. He, and 50 others (including Pekar). And use it as
an illustration of what has been lost, and what is to be found - or to be made."
Okee doke. Should be a snap. I'll get right on it. Same old Los
Angeles Free Press, counterculture icon of the 60s, only no more obits of
60s counterculture icons BY 60s counterculture icons. Paul
knew Tuli, and Tuli was actually covered in the original Los Angeles
Free Press, so this refusal to print Krassner's piece on Kupferberg didn't make
a shred of sense, especially since Tuli's death had been ignored by the
mainstream media too, and that people seeking information about Tuli Kupferberg
would almost certainly look towards the Los Angeles Free Press. I was told no
more counterculture, only "culture and society." Films aren't culture? Health
care isn't society?
I don't understand the assignment. I was chosen by Art Kunkin, the
founder/publisher/editor of the original Free Press, to continue in the
tradition so this is just upsetting to see the paper veer off into
insanity. The pay being nine weeks in arrears ($1,370), I decided
aggravation was a poor substitute for a paycheck and stopped
posting.
And that's where it stands. I think I deserve to get paid for what I've
already done and so does my landlord. In the meantime, you're welcome to fill in
for me, as long as you don't mind working for the worst publisher on earth.
Here's
the last issue of the Daily Freep. Here's the latest issue of the Los
Angeles Free Press. In the grand tradition of wikileaks,
here are our embarrassing private
communications.
MD
PS. My 16-year-old son is under house arrest till his trial in a month
(long story). His anklet uses a phone. Because Steven hasn't paid me, I can't
pay the cable or the phone bill, and my son will go back to jail next week,
courtesy of the Los Angeles Free Press.
Susan Estrich: Birth Days, Death (creators.com)
My friend Kath would have turned 60 this week. I only know that because when she was in the hospital last spring, they kept asking for her date of birth before administering medicine, and the answer was 8-12-50. The 8-12 I knew. But to see her, she didn't even look 50, much less 59.
Scott Burns: "Social Security Funding: Yes, It's Complicated" (assetbuilder.com)
Q. Some time ago you wrote a column about possible proposals for Social Security 'modernization.' Why is it that nobody, but nobody, talks about raising the earnings cap on the employment tax? Why not raise the cap from $106,800 to at least $300,000? It seems that the middle class is asked to carry the largest part of the burden to support the program.
Jim Hightower: SHUT UP AND EAT YOUR SUGAR!
Okay, children, homework time. Let's see if we can handle this little lesson in logic: One, America has a rather huge child obesity problem; two, major food corporations constantly pitch ads to children for such stuff as sugar-saturated breakfast cereals and fat-laden "Happy Meals." So, how does fact #2 relate to fact #1? Yes, number two is a cause of number one! It's really not that hard to grasp, is it?
Jim Hightower: BIG OIL'S GUSHER OF SUBSIDIES (jimhightower.com)
… BP, which rented the drilling rig from Transocean corporation, used a special tax break to write off 70 percent of the rent it paid. Seventy percent! This deduction added up to a savings of $225,000 a day for BP.
Patrick Goldstein: "Today's showbiz puzzler: Why are so many old folks still so cool?" (latimes.com)
Showbiz is supposed to be a young person's game, even though the shelf-life for every new Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga grows shorter and shorter every year. But if you look around, you start to notice that our favorite geezers aren't giving up center stage so easily. Jack Nicholson is 73 and still totally studly, judging from how many hipsters want to hang out with him courtside at Lakers games. And, of course, Betty White, who's 88, hosted "Saturday Night Live" a while back and got the show's best ratings of the year.
Who needs publishers? (guardian.co.uk)
Author Ray Connolly explains why he is 'doing a Dickens' - publishing his latest novel chapter by chapter, online.
"Farber on Film: The Complete Film Writings of Manny Farber" by Manny Farber: A review by J. Hoberman
More than a movie connoisseur than a film critic, Manny Faber was a master of attitude, the original tough-guy aesthete. Reviewing for a variety of venues (possibly the only critic in history whose byline graced both Artforum and Playboy knock off Cavalier), Farber -- who died two years ago at the age of ninety-one -- developed a distinctively percussive style, as dense and slangy as the dialogue in screwball comedy.
The First Ever BadtotheboneBob Emmy Contest!™ ~ Starting August 17th!
With a Prize! Hoo ha! That's right, Poll-fans! A Prize!...
The contest will be a Poll asking you to predict the winners of five major Emmy nominations in four categories: Drama - Comedy - Miniseries or Movie - Reality and Variety. Now, what's the Prize, you ask? Well, if'n ya must know beforehand it is a...
$50 Visa Gift Card!
Now, just how cool is that, eh?... Finer'n frog hair, I'm sayin'!
OK, now here's the deal... The nominations/categories will be posted August 17th and run daily until August 28th. Response cut-off time is 3pm EDT the 28th and will be posted for all to see August 29th (Emmy Day).
The winner will be the one with the most correct predictions and will be announced Tuesday, August 31st.
(Disclaimer: As in The First Ever Badtothebone Oscar Contest™, any ties will be resolved in a scientific manner involving my grand-daughter, Maddie Muffin, and no protests will be allowed as to NOT make her cry, OK? Results will be final and that's a fact!)... So, there it is!
Oh, and please make it easy on me and don't wait until, like, the last minute and flood me with your predictions, eh? Good luck be on ya, Poll-fans!
James Madison was one of two (George Washington was the other), American presidents to sign the Constitution.
Source
Jim from CA, retired to ID, was first, and correct, with:
2.... George Washington and James Madison.
Alan J responded:
Two, George Washington and James Madison
BadtotheboneBob replied:
The answer to the question as it is written, "How many US presidents signed the Constitution?" is: None... However, if one adds the word 'future' to it, then, the answer is two: George Washington and James Madison... Thought ya could trick me, eh? Hahaha... Not a chance!
Marian the newly retired teacher answered:
Washington and Madison were the only Presidents who signed the Constitution.
Sally said:
Only two presidents signed the constitution. George Washington and James Madison.
Georgie and Jim - the Constitutional John Hancock Boys...
PS: I am writing to you from my daughter's home - the land of the teensy tiny computer print. To counter this, they gave me a laptop - and I was able to enlarge the print. Sounds good, huh? Wrong! Don't misunderstand me here, I love it, but I have to use this built-in mouse pad place to get around the screen WITH MY BLOODY FINGER! Just realized that I am not good at this stuff... Oh well...
Charlie answered:
Only George Washington and James Madison. Since Madison was the principal author, he better have.
Ann & Tom wrote:
2 presidents signed the constitution; Washington and Madision
MAM took the day off.
And, Joe S answered:
Two, George Washington and James Madison. Contrary to popular belief Ronald Reagan did not sign the Constitution, and though he could recite it word-for-word, he didn't understand any of it. Sort of like his movie scripts.
While searching for the perfect James Madison picture Snooki kept popping up. What's up with that?
PS There's joy in the household tonight. The grandkids are here! Beautiful children.
Bhutan is still something of a mystery to many - this landlocked
country is often overlooked by its larger and better known neighbors
India and Tibet. However, the country, with a tiny population of only
700 thousand people, has a rich history - and over forty Buddhist
monasteries. Here are some of them.
CBS starts the night with '60 Minutes', followed by a FRESH'Big Brother', then a RERUN'Undercover Boss', followed by a RERUN'CSI: The 2nd One'.
NBC opens the night with 'Dateline', followed by a RERUN'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', then another RERUN'Law & Order: Criminal Intent', and still another RERUN'Law & Order: Criminal Intent'.
ABC begins the night with a RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', followed by a RERUN'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', then a FRESH'Scoundrels', followed by a FRESH'The Gates'.
The CW fills the night with the movie 'Jeepers Creepers'.
Faux has a RERUN'American Dad', followed by a RERUN'Simpsons', then another RERUN'Simpsons', followed by a RERUN'Cleveland Show', then a RERUN'Family Guy', followed by another RERUN'Family Guy'.
MY recycles an old 'That 70s Show', followed by another old 'That 70s Show', then an old 'House', followed by another old 'House'.
A&E has 'Criminal Minds', another 'Criminal Minds', still another 'Criminal Minds', followed by a (F) 'The Glades'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Pledge', followed by a FRESH'Rubicon', then a FRESH'Mad Men'.
BBC -
[12:00 PM] Top Gear - Episode 2
[1:00 PM] Star Trek: The Next Generation - Ep 26 Redemption, Part 1
[2:00 PM] Star Trek: The Next Generation - Ep 1 Redemption, Part 2
[3:00 PM] Come Dine With Me - Ep 1 Bath
[4:00 PM] Come Dine With Me - Ep 2 Swindon
[5:00 PM] Come Dine With Me - Ep 3 Plymouth
[6:00 PM] A Hippo's Story
[6:30 PM] A Penguin's Story
[7:00 PM] Jungle: Canopy
[8:00 PM] A Fish Called Wanda
[10:00 PM] Baby Birthday Bashes
[11:00 PM] A Fish Called Wanda
[1:00 AM] Baby Birthday Bashes
[2:00 AM] A Fish Called Wanda
[4:00 AM] Baby Birthday Bashes
[5:00 AM] BBC World News
[6:00 AM] BBC World News (ALL TIMES EST)
Comedy Central has the movie 'Wedding Crashers', 'Tosh.0', another 'Tosh.0', still another 'Tosh.0', yet another Tosh.0', and the FRESH, but pre-taped and heavily edited 'The Comedy Central Roast Of David Hasselhoff'.
FX has the movie 'Ghost Rider', followed by the movie 'X2: X-Men United'.
History has 'Pawn Stars', another 'Pawn Stars', 'Ice Road Truckers', followed by a FRESH'Ice Road Truckers', then a FRESH'Top Shot'.
IFC -
[1:30AM] Indie Sex II: Teens
[2:45AM] Holy Smoke
[4:45AM] Fall Time
[6:15AM] IFC Short Film Showcase
[7:15AM] Second Best
[8:45AM] Lords of Dogtown
[10:35AM] Fall Time
[12:00PM] Arrested Development
[12:30PM] Arrested Development
[1:00PM] Arrested Development
[1:30PM] Arrested Development
[2:00PM] Arrested Development
[2:30PM] Arrested Development
[3:00PM] Radiohead: Meeting People Is Easy
[4:00PM] The Big Empty
[5:35PM] The Proposition
[7:35PM] Letters From Iwo Jima
[10:00PM] Freaks and Geeks
[10:45PM] Food Party
[11:00PM] The Whitest Kids U'Know
[11:30 PM The Whitest Kids U'Know (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:25 AM] It's a Free World
[8:05 AM] Curse Of The Golden Flower
[10:00 AM] Cities On Speed - Cairo: Garbage (Episode 1, Season 1)
[11:00 AM] Garbage Warrior
[12:30 PM] ICONOCLASTS - Tony Hawk + Jon Favreau (Episode 5, Season 4)
[1:30 PM] MAN SHOPS GLOBE - Mexico (Episode 7, Season 2)
[2:00 PM] It's a Free World
[3:45 PM] Curse Of The Golden Flower
[5:40 PM] The Grandmother
[6:15 PM] Nick Nolte: No Exit
[7:35 PM] Flame & Citron
[10:00 PM] One Last Thing
[11:45 PM] Public Sex
[1:35 AM] Flame & Citron
[4:00 AM] One Last Thing
[5:45 AM] Nick Nolte: No Exit (ALL TIMES EST)
SyFy has the movie 'King Arthur', followed by the movie 'Eragon'.
In this photo provided by Disney, 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart poses Aug. 14, 2010 at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. with 'StarWars'-inspired Disney characters Stormtrooper Donald Duck and Princess Leia Minnie Mouse. Stewart was in Orlando as a special host of 'Star Wars Celebration V,' the official Lucasfilm fan event held this week at the Orange County Convention Center.
Photo by Todd Anderson
Christina Aguilera is doing her part to help the arts.
The Grammy-winning singer is lending her voice to a fundraiser in support of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's latest project.
Aguilera will perform at the Sept. 25 grand opening celebration of the museum's Lynda and Stewart Resnick Pavilion, described by LACMA as "the largest purpose-built, naturally lit, open-plan museum space in the world."
The gala fundraiser is open to the public. Individual tickets are $5,000 to $10,000 and tables are available for $25,000 to $100,000.
In this photo provided by Disneyland, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka pose with Mickey Mouse at Paradise Pier, site of the hit nighttime spectacular,'World of Color,' in Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010.
Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer
WikiLeaks will publish its remaining 15,000 Afghan war documents within a month, despite warnings from the U.S. government, the organization's founder said Saturday.
The Pentagon has said that secret information will be even more damaging to security and risk more lives than WikiLeaks' initial release of some 76,000 war documents.
"This organization will not be threatened by the Pentagon or any other group," Julian Assange told reporters in Stockholm. "We proceed cautiously and safely with this material."
In an interview with The Associated Press, he said that if U.S. defense officials want to be seen as promoting democracy then they "must protect what the United States' founders considered to be their central value, which is freedom of the press."
If you're looking to buy the classic Pink Floyd albums "The Wall" or "Animals" as digital downloads, you're out of luck.
Those albums as well as other post-"Dark Side of the Moon" titles like "Wish You Were Here" and "The Final Cut" -- all originally released on Columbia Records but distributed by EMI since 2000 -- have been pulled from digital retailers like iTunes and Amazon's MP3 store because EMI's contract covering those albums expired June 30.
The albums are still available on CD because EMI has stock that it can sell off. But industry sources say that it likely won't be able to manufacture more physical copies of those albums until a new contract is signed. Pink Floyd's earlier albums -- from "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" through "Dark Side of the Moon" -- are still available on CD and as digital downloads on EMI.
"The Wall" remains one of Pink Floyd's best-selling albums. Since EMI took over distribution of the album in 2000, it has sold nearly 1.5 million units in the United States, of which 107,000 have been digital downloads, according to SoundScan. During the two months before the end of EMI's distribution deal on the later Floyd titles, sales of "The Wall" totaled 14,000 units, with weekly album sales ranging between 1,000 and 2000 units, according to SoundScan. Digital albums, which accounted for 41 percent of sales during those two months, averaged nearly 1,000 units per week.
Eric Anzalone, a member of 'The Village People' disco musical group, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles Friday, August 13, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Photo by Chris O'Meara
An aging Georgia railroad trestle known for gracing a 1980s R.E.M. album may be preserved as part of a trail network if voters approve a county sales tax plan.
Officials in Athens, Ga., where the band formed, say they won't decide if they can save the wooden trestle until voters in November decide on extending a 1-percent sales tax for capital projects.
The rail bridge over a creek was on the back cover of the early R.E.M. album "Murmur." It has come to be known as the Murmur Trestle.
Athens-Clarke County bought the trestle for $25,000 in 2001 after railroad company CSX Transportation tore down part of it, angering R.E.M. fans.
A group of prominent experts have demanded a full inquest into the death of government weapons inspector David Kelly.
They described the official cause of death, haemorrhage, as "extremely unlikely" in the light of evidence since made public.
The call came in a letter to The Times signed by eight senior figures, including a former coroner, Michael Powers, a former deputy coroner, Margaret Bloom, and Julian Bion, a professor of intensive care medicine.
The scientist was found dead in woods near his Oxfordshire home in 2003 after he was exposed as the source for a BBC story disclosing anger within the intelligence service over use of Iraq arms data.
Participants of the annual Street Parade in fancydress to celebrate and dance in the city center of Zurich, Switzerland, on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. Manythousands of revelers participate in the event.
Photo by Steffen Schmidt
"Jersey Shore's" Nicole Polizzi lost a legal hold on her famous "Snooki" nickname after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected her trademark application on grounds that a similar character already beat her to the punch, according to The Smoking Gun website.
Since 2004, the publishers of book featuring a cartoon cat by the name of "Snooky" have retained the rights to the name, which was trademarked for the kids' book "Adventures of Snooky."
Despite the spelling difference of the names, the government office refused the reality star's request to trademark her name for print media because of a "likelihood of confusion" with the animated feline."
"Jersey Shore's" self-described "guidette" has the option to appeal the U.S.P.T.O.'s decision.
An engineer works near the Atlantis Resources AK-1000 tidal energy turbine before it is shipped to the European Marine Energy Centre test site in the OrkneyIslands from the port at Invergordon, northern Scotland August 12, 2010. The device, which is thought to be the world's largest tidal energy turbine, is expected to provide enough energy for one thousand homes.
Photo by David Moir
The Egyptian capital's Museum of Islamic Art -- the world's largest -- was officially reopened by President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday after an eight-year restoration project.
However the public will still have to wait another two weeks until the start of September to be able to view its 25 galleries containing 2,500 artefacts of great artistic or historic value, chosen from some 100,000 items.
Among the treasures on show are a gold-inlaid key to the Kaaba, the massive building that houses the black stone in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, and the oldest Islamic dinar ever found, dating back to the year 697.
Rare manuscripts of the Koran can also be seen among exhibits as diverse as Persian carpets, Ottoman-era ceramics and ancient instruments used in the sciences of astronomy, chemistry and architecture.
This picturesque southern Colorado town known for decades as the sex-change capital of the world - thousands of gender-reassignment operations have been performed here - is becoming a beacon for victims of female genital mutilation.
Dr. Marci Bowers has performed about two dozen reconstructive surgeries on mostly African born women victimized as children by the culturally driven practice of female circumcision. Bowers is believed to be one of the few U.S. doctors performing the operation.
The World Health Organization estimates 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide have been circumcised.
Cultural, religious and social factors have helped keep the practice alive among those who believe it will reduce promiscuity and take away sexual pleasure or desire. The World Health Assembly passed a resolution in 2008 urging an end to the custom.
The face of Elaine Davidson, who, according to Guinness World Records is the 'Most Pierced Woman', performs on the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Monday Aug. 9, 2010.
Photo by David Cheskin
More than 10,000 people in northern China have set a world record for the longest chain of human dominoes.
Arranged in lines, they slowly collapsed backward onto each other in sequence from a sitting position like a line of toppling dominoes.
The 10,267 people who took part wore color-coordinated clothes that spelled out in English and Chinese the name of the city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia where the record attempt was made Thursday.
It beat the record set a decade ago in Singapore by more than 1,000 people.
Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln, whose career spanned six decades and included acting, composing and participation in the U.S. civil rights movement, died on Saturday at age 80, The New York Times reported.
Starting in the mid-1950s with "Abbey Lincoln's Affair...a Story of a Girl in Love," the Chicago-born Lincoln enjoyed a long and acclaimed singing career. She performed until shortly before her death.
During the 1960s, she was married to jazz musician Max Roach, and became a strong advocate in the civil rights campaigns of the era. They were divorced in 1970.
Rochale, a 41-year old Sumatran Orangutan holds her newborn baby at the Ramat Gan Safari park near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Aug. 9, 2010.
Photo by Ariel Schalit
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 hypocrites?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
This is your place.
took the day off.
answered:
