No Caption Necessary*
Season Opener To Be Delayed
Still Another 'West Wing' Update
Late Friday, NBC announced that Aaron Sorkin, the creator of the high-rated,
Emmy-winning White House drama, has hammered out a script for an episode
"dealing with some of the questions and issues currently facing the world in
the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on the United States."
The episode, titled "Isaac and Ishmael," will preempt the season premiere and
will be broadcast on October 3.
"Aaron is a brilliant writer who has something he wants to say. We have great
faith in his abilities to interpret last week's events in a manner that will
make this an important hour of television," said Jeff Zucker, president of NBC
Entertainment.
NBC wouldn't give up any details on the top-secret plot.
The network would only say that Sorkin wrote the script in a span of a few days
and delivered it on Thursday. Production has begun and will be fast-tracked in
time to meet the October 3 air date--a virtually unheard of turnaround time for
a TV drama. (Most hourlong shows are shot months ahead of broadcast.)
Last season's cliffhanger--with Bartlet on the verge of announcing whether he
will or will not seek a second term--won't be resolved until October 10 because
of the new episode.
To keep viewers from being confused about the break in continuity, "Isaac and
Ishmael" will begin with cast members giving a "special introduction" explaining
that the show is a stand-alone episode, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The new season of The West Wing was supposed to begin next in its regular
Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT slot, but Sorkin asked NBC to postpone the season
premiere in the wake of the tragedies. A rerun of the "In Excelsis Deo" episode
will be broadcast next week.
The West Wing
Telethon Tally
Nearly 60 million people in the United States watched Hollywood's finest pay
tribute to real-life heroes during an unprecedented benefit for victims of the
terrorist attacks.
The telethon was shown Friday night on more than 30 networks, including the six
biggest broadcasters - ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN and the WB. It was seen in an
estimated 210 countries.
The 59.3 million people who watched on a Friday - normally one of the
least-watched nights of the week - compares to the 80 million or so who watched
the Super Bowl or news coverage the night of the attacks on Sept. 11, Nielsen
Media Research said Saturday.
Organizers said Saturday they won't know until at least Monday how much money
was raised to help the World Trade Center and Pentagon attack victims. The
telethon logged 300,000 calls in the first 15 minutes of the live telecast. It
was seen on tape on the West Coast.
From Tom Hanks to Julia Roberts, actors made understated appeals for donations,
telling stories of innocent people killed and heroic acts. They alternated short
speeches with singers such as Willie Nelson and Wyclef Jean, who performed on
sets decorated with hundreds of burning candles.
Neil Young performed the late John Lennon's hit, ``Imagine.'' Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers played their defiant ``I Won't Back Down.'' Jean, dressed in stars
and stripes, sang Bob Marley's ``Redemption Song.''
Actor Will Smith appeared with the boxer he's portraying in an upcoming movie,
Muhammad Ali, to remind viewers not to target all Muslims in the wake of the
Sept. 11 attacks.
``I wouldn't be here representing Islam if it were terrorist,'' Ali said. ``I
think all people should know the truth, come to recognize the truth. Islam is
peace.''
Telethon Tally
Reader Response
Telethon
Nancy Maynard
I thought the most interesting part about the telethon was Neil Young singing
"Imagine" written by John Lennon. When he sang the part about wishing there
"was no religion too" he looked around with darting eyes. It takes a lot of
courage, of course, to sing that song in the midst of our national lovefest for
the Higher Power.
I do think Neil should loose the hat though, he looks too Texan, besides we all
know he has grey hair under there - hey he was a legend making albums with
Buffalo Springfield when I was in grade school, and I have a few grey hairs now
too.
I'm glad he sang a song by John Lennon, a guy who surely would have been there
if he hadn't himself been a victim of religious terrorism twenty years ago.
~~ Nancy
More Reader Response
Telethon
Deidre Robinson
My initial response was exactly the same as yours, especially:
"Who did the sets? It looked like a cross between Cher's house at
Halloween and prayer hour at Loretta Young's.
"I realize it was put together in a hurry, but, did it have to have
the production values of a high school broadcasting class?"
But after sleeping on it, it occurs to me: the average viewer is
almost immune to production values anyway, i.e., they expect them to
be high, they don't think about them generally... I'm not saying the
producers intended it to be less than perfect, but the differences
between the tribute and slickness we're accustomed to was in itself
striking and significant, for me. I think of the Native American (and
some other cultures'?) concept of the flaw mandated in any work of art
as a concession and honoring of our imperfect natures. I think of
cinema verite' (except, again, I don't give the producers the credit
of these intentions).
As for Dion, yeah: her style nauseates me but Koresh whudda voice...
Her citizenship bothered me too at first, until I looked at it as an
offering from our closest neighbors, kinda like the British playing
our national anthem instead of the changing of the guard last week.
~~ Deidre Robinson
Thanks for your input. I'm happy the telethon went off without any major hitches,
but, I still think it was sloppily produced.
I don't believe that well-produced means it's slicker than snot---just that it's
fluid. Guess it's a matter of viscosity, and that 'eye of the beholder'-thing.
I hope it raises more money than the cheney's and the entire bush-clan got in
their collective tax "rebate" checks.
Since the telethon, I've spoken with my dad, and the in-laws....they felt totally
left out of the whole telethon. The only performer any of them recognized was
Willie Nelson, and a few of the celebrity phone-wranglers.
I loved the movie 'The Last Waltz', about 'The Band's' last concert tour. I had been
present at a few of the concerts on the tour. The first couple of times I saw the
movie, I missed a lot because I couldn't put names to faces.
I'm a great fan of scorecards.
About Celine--yes, she has a wonderful voice, but she also has a nasty habit of
making snarky remarks about the United States & its citizens in her
French-Canadian concerts.
But, like I said, I'm a little picky (I'm a virgo...LOL).
Film News
Lord Of The Rings Trailer
New Line Cinema will unveil a brand-new sneak-peek for its much-anticipated
Fellowship of the Ring during the season premiere of Angel on the WB.
The new trailer, the third preview of Fellowship to be released, is bypassing
theaters and will play just one time during Angel's 9-10 p.m. slot.
The first installment in the series, Fellowship follows unlikely hero Frodo
Baggins and his rag-tag band of pals as they seek to destroy the titular ring.
While the trailer will only air on the WB once, it's expected that New Line will
eventually show it in theaters. Directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah
Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen, Fellowship
is due to be released on December 19.
Meanwhile, Angel is getting a bit cinematic as it enters its third season. The
WB has decided to broadcast the supernatural drama in letterbox format.
Monday's show will also kick off the network's new season of programming, which
was delayed by two weeks after last week's devastating terrorist attacks. The
rest of the WB's fall premieres will launch October 5.
LOTR Trailer
House Of Blues
Cutting Back
Concert promotion firm House of Blues will reduce its online production and
distribution efforts, eliminate plans for a record label and lay off 39 people
in a move to trim overhead as it faces a tough economic environment.
HOB's facilities for recording live concerts digitally for Webcasts and other
distribution outlets will be ``significantly downsized,'' and the company will
turn its attention mainly to its core business of producing live concerts in
clubs, sheds and arenas nationwide.
``Although we remain convinced that digital content capture and distribution, as
well as content ownership through our own branded label, remain large
opportunities for us, it's clear that today's capital markets won't support
investment in these areas,'' said president and chief executive officer Greg
Trojan.
HOB also plans to ease up on its expansion plans for its network of venues,
seeking local-level debt financing and joint ventures to pay for venue projects
rather than trying to finance major acquisitions via the already straining
capital markets.
Industry sources suggested that the moves could make HOB itself a more
attractive target for acquisition -- the company has been seen as a possible
suitor for Clear Channel in the past. But Trojan maintained that the
restructuring ``is not designed to get the stuff to a specific number'' and that
it puts the company ``in a strong position to grow organically.''
House Of Blues
BartCop TV Is Here!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot', keeps updating!
There is more to check on nearly a daily basis!
The Vidiot.
Read all the latest.
Celebrity Donation
Julia Roberts Gives $2 Million
Julia Roberts has donated $2 million to aid victims of last week's terrorist
attacks, her publicist announced.
Roberts, who lives in New York, donated $1 million to the American Red Cross
Disaster Relief Fund and $1 million to the September 11 Fund.
``Like all Americans, Julia was profoundly affected by this horrific tragedy,''
her spokeswoman said Friday. ``She sends her deepest sympathies and prayers to
everyone who has suffered such an unspeakable loss.''
Julia Roberts
Benefit Concert In NYC
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney will stage a benefit concert in New York next month to aid the
city's firefighters.
The time and place haven't yet been determined, McCartney's New York-based
publicist said Friday.
A statement quoted the former Beatle as saying he was in New York when
terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.
``I've been here in New York ever since and, in a way, I was pleased to be here
to witness all the heroism,'' he said.
McCartney said he's postponing a concert in Russia. ``What I am going to do is
to do a concert here in New York within the next month to benefit all the
firemen. I also have a connection there, because my father was a fireman in
Liverpool during World War II.''
Paul McCartney
In The News
Bill Clinton Shopping In NYC
It's hard to imagine that former President Bill Clinton does his own shopping on
a regular basis. After eight years in office, he's a largely recognizable figure
and for anyone still in doubt, the four bulky men in suits surrounding him are a
dead giveaway. So everywhere Clinton and his Secret Service agents go, they are
immediately swarmed by the public, especially as a new inhabitant of America's
largest city. Makes it sort of hard to run into a store for "one quick thing."
But in the name of disaster relief, even presidential shopping is worth the
effort. And as a basketball fan, Clinton turned to the NBA Store in New York
City to help children of the employees of Windows on the World -- the restaurant
that used to occupy the 106th and 107th floors of the World Trade Center's North
Tower. While the entire nation has been affected by the terrorist attacks that
took place in New York and Washington on Sept. 11, Clinton prioritizes the
well-being of America's future, and that means the children.
"I think we need people to take care of people," Clinton said. "We've got a lot
of kids we're going to have to take care of. And it's not just going to be in
the short run. There's a lot of work to be done. And I think that the NBA has
got such a hold on the imagination of young people in the country and I would
like to see it focus mostly on the children."
By the time Clinton and his entourage arrived at the NBA Store mid-afternoon on
Friday, a large media crowd had gathered inside with a larger public one peering
in from outside the locked doors. It actually took the former President quite a
while to get from the unmarked black SUVs at the curb to the store's entrance as
he paused to shake hands and talk to almost every one of his followers.
He also confirmed the need for professional sports to continue as normally as
possible, even in a period of national sorrow and apprehension.
"This will be important," he said. "I remember in World War II, one of the
biggest things was that a lot of the players went off to war, but they kept
baseball going. And it helped America. It helped America stay in good humor and
stay in the right frame of mind. So yes, I think that's very important."
The tab came to $342 and Clinton pulled out his Visa card, remarking in jest
that he had just paid the bill so he didn't have to worry about the
embarrassment of his credit being rejected. Heading up the stairs, he admired
the sunglasses one last time before leaving for the next stop on his shopping
schedule, a men's clothing store on Fifth Avenue.
Shopping With Bill
New! Updated!
BartCop Astrology
Check it out at BC Astrology.
"Guitar Greats" has been set aside for now, and replaced with an astrological look at the
WTC Tragedy using various, relevant horoscopes, including charts for Manhattan and the US.
Very interesting reading!
Theater News
Archives Destroyed
They are not people, only pictures of people, and so may barely rate mention as
collateral damage in the wreckage that has claimed so many lives. But in an
office building crushed last week by the collapsing 7 World Trade Center lie
some 35,000 photographs capturing some great moments on the American stage.
The archive, inaccessible and probably ruined, was one of the largest
collections of photographs of Broadway, Off and Off Off Broadway and regional
theater. It was in the offices of Broadway Digital Entertainment, a company that
had been preserving videotapes of historic theatrical productions that appeared
on television, at 30 West Broadway, a block away from 7 World Trade Center,
which collapsed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Since its founding in 1997 Broadway Digital, which began as Broadway Theater
Archive, has painstakingly assembled and cleared the rights to digitize and
market for rebroadcast 320 television shows, including classics like a 1960
production of "The Iceman Cometh" with Jason Robards and Robert Redford. The
first group of broadcasts is scheduled to begin on Oct. 28 on Trio, a cable and
satellite channel for the arts. PBS is to present "Death of a Salesman," "A Moon
for the Misbegotten" and other classics starting in January. (For more
information: www.broadwayarchive.com)
Archives
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Don't worry about the HTML, just send text, or rich text, or a Word document, photos, video, whatever you have, and Michele will take care of the rest. Don't hesitate to write with any questions you may have and bring on the recipes!
To check out 'Train Station Chicken', and more (like 'Dump Cake' & Peach Cobbler),
In The Kitchen With BartCop
Film News
"Collateral Damage" Postponed
Arnold Schwarzenegger said there was no hesitation in postponing the release of
his movie ``Collateral Damage'' after last week's terrorist attacks.
In the film, which was scheduled to open Oct. 5, Schwarzenegger plays a Los
Angeles firefighter whose wife and son are killed in a terrorist attack. Now,
``Collateral Damage'' has been delayed indefinitely.
The 54-year-old actor said he doesn't expect Hollywood to stop making action
films, though.
``For the last, you know, 50 years, action movies have been in and if they are
well-made people will go in to see it,'' he said. ``I mean, I don't think
that - if there's any indication that this terrorist attack happened because of
some of the terrorist movies that were made, then that's one thing, but that's
definitely not the case.''
"Collateral Damage"
Gee, let's see--50 years ago the bad guys would have been nazi's....hmmmmm.
In The News
Meredith MacRae Dedication
A center assisting the developmentally disabled will be dedicated in memory of
actress Meredith MacRae, United Cerebral Palsy announced.
The MacRae-Edelman Center will provide computer training, independent living
support, job counseling and physical mobility training. It is to be dedicated
Oct. 5.
MacRae, who played comely country girl Billie Jo Bradley in the 1960s sitcom
``Petticoat Junction,'' worked for United Cerebral Palsy for 30 years, as host
of its telethon, serving as a fund-raiser and as a member of its board of
directors. She died last year of brain cancer.
Meredith MacRae
"Cut & Paste #1"
'Statements From Around The Web'
By Michael Dare
If you use Microsoft Word, quick, using all caps, type in NYC, then
change it to wingdings font.
Pretty weird, huh? You get a death
skull, a Star of David, and a thumbs up. For even more
Microsoft/terrorist fun, be sure to type in the flight letters of one
of the planes that hit the WTC, Q33NY.
You get an airplane,
two rectangles with lines that look like two office buildings, a
death skull, and a Star of David.
Flag war among cable networks
CNN got it's animated flag at the bottom of the screen before
everyone else Wednesday night. "I'm thrilled we were the first
network to put up the American flag," bragged some CNN corporate
idiot.
"How the hell would banning curbside check-in at airports have
prevented 9/11?"
- Anonymous -
Must reading: Blundering Into Afghanistan - The Great Game has
repeatedly foiled the great powers. by David Greenberg at
slate.msn.com/HistoryLesson/01-09-19/HistoryLesson.asp
EXCERPT: Situated between great nations and lucrative trade routes,
Afghanistan (which used to include some of present-day Pakistan) has
long suffered the depredations of conquest. Since the sixth century
B.C., when it was first recorded as part of the Persian Empire, it
has been overrun by conquerors ranging from Alexander the Great
(circa 330 B.C.) to Genghis Khan (circa 1220) to Tamerlane (late 14th
century). Indians from the south and Turkic peoples from the north,
Mongols from the east, and Arabs from the west—who in the 10th
century brought Islam to the region—all made the land their own. But
always temporarily.
Federal officials say they have not persuaded foreign banks to open
their books to investigators and that in this country, a law that
would have allowed the United States to penalize foreign banks that
did not cooperate was blocked last year by a single United States
senator, Phil Gramm, the Texas Republican who was then chairman of
the Senate Banking Committee.
Independent Media Center
www.indymedia.org:8081
Since 1968, there have been 500 hijackings around the world and more
than 4,000 recorded terrorist bombings. Although Americans abroad
were often the targets, virtually none of these attacks occurred
within the United States.
FedEx Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. have pulled their ads from
ABC's late-night show "Politically Incorrect" over host Bill Maher's
reference Monday to recent U.S. military actions in the Middle East
as "cowardly."
Matthew Parris, a former Conservative Party member of the British
Parliament, wrote in The Times of London, "The bigger they come, the
harder they fall." Disgusted by calls for quick revenge, Mr. Parris
wrote: "Do they think a terrorist is like a pin in a bowling alley:
one down, nine to go? Do they want to give Osama bin Laden his own
Bloody Sunday? Do they not know that when you kill one bin Laden you
sow 20 more? Playing the world's policeman is not the answer to that
catastrophe in New York. Playing the world's policeman is what led to
it."
"America needs to recognize that, all too often, it poses as a
champion of democracy while supporting regimes, such as that in Saudi
Arabia, which have no proper respect for democracy."
- The Observer -
"The underlying maxim is, `we will punish the crimes of our enemies
and reward the crimes of our friends.'"
Tariq Ali, a leftist British commentator
"And if terrorists blew up all the Hollywood studios, that would be a
bad thing, right?"
- anonymous -
From: DENNISC@iadb.org
Subject: Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth
In 1939 Lou Gehrig proclaimed himself "the luckiest man on the face
of the earth." But today that title passes to George W. Bush. In this
past week we have seen:
the largest single day loss of American lives since the Civil War
the largest point loss on the NY Stock Exchange in American history
hundreds of thousands of American workers laid off from their jobs
a decade of government surpluses instantly turned to deficits
And America turns to a man who has never worked an honest day in his
life.
A man who, at every turn in his life, has been handed a free pass to
money and privilege.
Without performing a single significant act in his lifetime [other
than to drive us near ruin in less than a year] he has become the
leader of the greatest nation the world has ever known.
A leader with a 91% approval rating and an opposition that refuses to
utter a peep of dissent.
No offense to Mr. Gehrig but I think we can retire that "luckiest
man" award.
Dennis Courtney
"I used to see the World Trade Centers from my apartment window but
now they're gone. Now, when I look out my window, now I see the
Statue of Liberty, and there's nothing better than that."
- Jon Stewart -
Figuring presumably that New Yorkers have endured enough disaster of
the real sort and ought now to be spared fictional tragedy,
DreamWorks said Monday that it is re-editing scenes in it upcoming
The Time Machine in which moon rocks rain down on Manhattan. Today's
(Tuesday) New York Daily News quoted studio spokesperson Terry Press
as saying, "There was no destruction of landmark buildings or
anything like that, but it's easy to take out." The movie, which had
been scheduled for release on Christmas Day, has been rescheduled to
open in February.
President Jiang Zemin of China telephoned Prime Minister Tony Blair
of Britain and President Jacques Chirac of France as each prepared
for meetings with President Bush. He admonished his Western
counterparts to tell Mr. Bush that "any military action against
terrorism" should be based on "irrefutable evidence and should aim at
clear targets so as to avoid casualties to innocent people,"
according to official news reports from China.
A number of Russian generals have questioned whether Russia could
join an American-led antiterror campaign whose operational objectives
remain unclear. One high- ranking military officer told a newspaper,
Vremya Novestei, that "fighting terrorists is like trying to rid
oneself of roaches in a block of flats. You do it in one flat," the
officer said, "and they go to another."
Mr. Mubarak, like Mr. Jiang, urged that "hard evidence" be the basis
for any military action and that "countries not be punished" for the
actions of "individuals." He called on the United Nations to organize
an international convention against terrorism that would develop a
common program of action for all countries.
Germany has repeatedly called for a multilateral approach to the
problem and warned against America's going it alone.
Go to www.harryshearer.com and listen to his
live show from Melbourne, Australia.
At usinfo.state.gov, you will
find the Executive Summary of U.S. Commission on National Security
Report, including a proposal for a new, cabinet-level National
Homeland Security Agency that would combine the Federal Emergency
Management Agency with several other agencies, and a prescription for
recasting a "crippled" State Department and the Department of
Defense. This is precisely the plan Bush ignored nine months ago but
implemented in his recent speech to the world, seemingly taking
credit for the idea himself.
"A disciple should avoid taking anything from anywhere knowing it (to
belong to another). He should not steal nor incite another to steal.
He should completely avoid theft."
- Buddha -
Why Isn't There a Radio free Afghanistan?
Today's Headlines
Mr. Shaheen, the deputy ambassador, took up the demand for the United
States to prove its case against Mr. bin Laden, a theme that has been
widely echoed across the Muslim world. "In America, if I think you
are a terrorist, is it properly justified that you should be punished
without evidence?" he asked. "This is an international principle. If
you use the principle, why do you not apply it to Afghanistan?"
WAL-MART SAYS NO TO AMERICAN FLAG STICKERS
Full story Excerpt:
While Wal-Mart boasted record sales of American flags from its
stores, workers at Sam's Club 6382 (a Division of Wal-Mart Stores,
Inc.) in Las Vegas, Nevada were forced by managers to remove American
flag stickers from their name badges because the stickers were given
to them by a Union.
"I can't believe Wal-Mart would be so insensitive and unpatriotic
during this crisis" said Linda Gruen, Wal-Mart employee, "it made me
sick to my stomach when they told us to take their flags off." The
managers not only made the employees deeply upset but also angered
customers who were shocked and appalled to see employees being forced
to peel off American flags.
Michael Dare
First Person Diary
Ray Berry
Ray has temporarily (I hope), suspended 'Bush-Toons'. In its place, he has put
his daily diary of life in Manhattan since Tuesday.
Ray has great observational abilities, a way with words, and has still been able
to keep his sense of humor.
To visit & read, www.bush-toons.com
Radio News
Liberal Talk Radio
The military might of the United States is on the move--what kind of new
challenges will be faced in the new war on terrorism?
Do you feel safe at home? And what civil liberties are you willing to sacrifice
in the legal combat against the terrorists?
Please join Erin Hart on www.710kiro.com and
710-KIRO in Seattle this weekend, Saturday & Sunday (September 22nd and 23rd) from
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.(pdt).
*
Former President Clinton has his hand to his face as he leaves the family center
set up on the West Side of New York, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001. The center
registers the names of the missing and collects DNA samples to help in
identifying recovered bodies.
Photo by Stephan Savoia (AP)
Bill
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
