Most of the time I like time to slowly pass by, relaxing as much as possible and I'm excellent at putting things off until tomorrow. Procrastination is my middle name. I learned the concept of "manana" while I lived in old Mexico. Essentially it means there is nothing on the face of this earth that can't be put off tomorrow. It's a nice way to conduct your life.
There is one caveat, and that's education. It's very important to get as much education as possible. If your folks are at the poverty level, the kids have to get loans and grants which are crucial for advanced education. If your kids aren't college type, get a solid Vo-Tech degree. If you can get into a state college, that's cool. You MUST get outta high school. You won't make it with out skills equal to those of the youth of emerging nations.
This comes at a time when tuitions and fees are soaring. According to an article on MSN, private college costs have risen by over 1/3 in the last 10 years. Public college costs have risen more than 50%. States are slashing public subsidies to colleges, forcing them to raise tuitions and fees. The result is to price college out of the reach of more and more American families. That will make us a future pitifully skilled workforce.
The good union jobs in industry that paid wages, pensions and health care are all but gone. It translates into the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, but at the same time our leaders tell us that college is indispensable, fewer and fewer families can afford it.
Now that a public four year degree costs more than $50,000, middle income citizens must either inundate themselves with debt, or scale back their college aspirations. Our leaders should be calling out to the nation to a major effort to ensure that college education is affordable to all.
Well, they have been. Remember Hillary and her education efforts, and Babs Bush touting the same? The wealthy should pay higher taxes to ensure that the youth of all Americans can afford the education that they will need for high tech jobs, as well as being just literate. They can spread their multi-millions around a little. As to being just literate on a literature level, I wish there were more liberal arts majors in our three branches of government. Law is not that hard to interpret once you learn to speak into legalese. We need arts and science majors in our lawmaking process as well.
Instead, the Bush administration demanded cuts in student loans, and the right-wing that controls the Congress voted for the largest cut ever in history. Republican legislators have been on TV bullshitting to the public saying the cuts will provide "significant new benefits" to students, by lowering fees and simplifying the application process.
What they don't say is that parents and students, already struggling to make ends meet, will end up paying thousands more in the long run with higher interest rates.
Educating the next generation hopefully will be a REAL issue this next election. I mean, it's always mentioned, and championed by both parties, but nothing happens other than things get worse. Come back FDR, come back before Jesus. He seemed to do more for us than Jesus ever did.
zEN mAN (I gotta start shopping at Whole Foods again....this Burd brain guy fucks the working class then tries to feed them vegetables and all the while gives money to Bush and himself)
David Goodman: The Ohio Insurgency (motherjones.com)
From the beginning of his quixotic campaign in a special election for U.S. Congress this summer, Paul Hackett relished taking swings. His rhetoric was scorched-earth: "I don't like the sonofabitch that lives in the White House," he told USA Today, "but I'd put my life on the line for him." He declared in a debate that the biggest threat to America is "the man living in the White House," and he slammed President Bush and Vice President Cheney as "chicken hawks." He described Bush's infamous taunt to Iraqi resistance fighters-"Bring 'em on"-as "the most incredibly stupid comment I've ever heard a president of the United States make. He cheered on the enemy."
Silja J.A. Talvi: Cult of Character (inthesetimes.com)
How the 'secular' Character Training Institute is working to build evangelist Bill Gothard's vision of a First-Century Kingdom of God--one city, one state, one school board, one police force and one mind at a time.
Amanda Spake: No Better Health Bargain (usnews.com)
Of all the changes Americans can make to improve their health, exercise has been shown to provide the most benefits. Exercise not only preserves weight loss; it also enhances the efficiency of the heart, increases blood flow to the lungs and muscles, and keeps arteries supple and elastic. Exercise reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, while it improves blood sugar and blood flow to the brain, reducing the risk of dementia and stroke. Exercise also prevents some cancers.
Edward Jay Epstein: Hollywood's New Zombie: The last days of Blockbuster (slate.com)
As far the studios are concerned, other than collecting the money that Blockbuster owes them for past movies, the video chain has little relevance to their future. Viacom perspicuously divorced itself from Blockbuster by spinning it off to its shareholders, and, as one Viacom executive told me, "Blockbuster will certainly not survive and it will not be missed." It is another zombie in Hollywood.
The kid was home sick and driving the porcelain bus. Ack.
Added a new flag - Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)
Tonight, Thursday:
CBS opens the night with a RERUN'CSI: The 2nd One', followed by a RERUN'CSI: The Original One', then a RERUN'Without A Trace'.
Scheduled on a FRESHDave are Kiefer Sutherland, Andy Samberg, and Alicia Keys.
Scheduled on a FRESHCraig are Tom Selleck, Connie Britton, and Ian Edwards.
NBC begins the night with a LIVE'Will & Grace', followed by a FRESH'Four Kings', then a FRESH'My Name Is Earl', followed by a FRESH'The Office', then a FRESH'ER' (starts 1 minute before the top of the hour).
Scheduled on a FRESHLeno are Emma Thompson, Jeff Daniels, and Sugarland.
Scheduled on a FRESHConan are Terrence Howard, Emily Procter and bull rider J.W. Hart.
Scheduled on a FRESHCarson Daly are Rulon Gardner, Sean Paul, and North Mississippi Allstars.
ABC starts the night with a 90-minute FRESH'Dancing With The Stars', followed by the SERIES PREMIERE'Crumbs', then 'Primetime'.
On a RERUNJimmy Kimmel are Cheryl Hines, Master P, and David Banner.
The WB offers a FRESH'Smallville', followed by the SEASON PREMIERE'Beauty & The Geek'.
Faux has a FRESH'That 70s Show', followed by a RERUN'That 70s Show', then a FRESH'The O.C.'.
UPN has a RERUN'Everybody Hates Chris', followed by a RERUN'Love, Inc.', then a RERUN'Eve', followed by a RERUN'Cuts'.
A&E has 'Crystal Meth', 'The First 48', another 'The First 48', and 'Dallas SWAT'.
AMC offers the movie 'For Your Eyes Only', followed by the movie 'The Living Daylights', then the movie 'Licence To Kill'.
BBC -
[2pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - Mr. & Mrs. Brian Norris' Ford Popular;
[2:40pm] 'Goodness Gracious Me' - Episode 1;
[3:20pm] 'Goodness Gracious Me' - Episode 2;
[4pm] 'At Home with the Braithwaites' - Episode 5;
[5pm] 'Monarch of the Glen' - Episode 11;
[6pm] 'BBC World News';
[6:30pm] 'House Invaders' - Episode 17;
[7pm] 'The Benny Hill Show' - Episode 41;
[8pm] 'Cash in the Attic' - Episode 10;
[9pm] 'Touching Evil' - Episode 2;
[11pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - Mr. & Mrs. Brian Norris' Ford Popular;
[11:40pm] 'Coupling' - Her Best Friend's Bottom;
[12:20am] 'Coupling' - The Melty Man Cometh;
[1am] 'Touching Evil' - Episode 2;
[3am] 'The Saint' - Simon and Delilah;
[4am] 'The Saint' - Island of Chance;
[5am] 'The Saint' - The Gadget Lovers;
[6am] BBC World News'. (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'West Wing', 'Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular', and the movie 'The Outsiders'.
Comedy Central has 'Comedy Central Presents', 'Reno 911!', an old 'Jon Stewart', an old 'Colbert Report', 'Chappelle's Show', 'South Park', another 'Chappelle's Show', and 'Distraction'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is Edward Lazarus.
Scheduled on a FRESHColbert Report is Ken Miller.
History has 'Modern Marvels', 'Banned From The Bible', and a FRESH'Declassified'.
IFC -
[6AM] The Harmonists (1997);
[8AM] George Washington (200);
[9:30AM] Short: Gowanus, Brooklyn (2004);
[10AM] Joe The King (1999);
[12PM] Spring Forward (1999);
[2PM] Chop-Socky: Cinema Hong Kong (2004);
[3PM] IFC Short Film Collection I: January(2006);
[5PM] Joe The King (1999);
[7PM] Spring Forward (1999);
[9PM] Sweet and Lowdown (1999);
[10:45PM] IFC in Theaters (2005);
[11PM] Bound (1996);
[1AM] Better Than Chocolate (1999);
[3AM] Bound (1996);
[5AM] IFC Short Film Showcase: January (2006). (ALL TIMES EST)
SciFi has the movie 'Sabretooth', followed by the movie 'Caved In: Prehistoric Terror'.
Sundance -
[6:20AM] A Foreign Affair;
[7:45AM] Little Black Boot;
[8:05AM] American Fame Part One: Drowning River Phoenix;
[8:30AM] The Mighty Celt;
[10AM] I Am Trying to Break Your Heart;
[11:35AM] The Secret Lives of Dentists;
[1:30PM] Where The Buffalo Roam;
[3:15PM] The Act;
[3:30PM] Havana;
[6PM] I Am NOT an ANIMAL: Planet of the Men & Women;
[6:30PM] Shooting the War;
[7:30PM] The Mighty Celt;
[9PM] A Foreign Affair;
[10:30PM] Little Black Boot;
[11PM] Iconoclasts: Grazer on Redstone;
[11:45PM] American Fame Part One: Drowning River Phoenix;
[12AM] Who Killed Bambi?;
[2:05AM] Hidden;
[3:45AM] Havana. (ALL TIMES EST)
Actors George Clooney (L) and Frank Langella arrive for the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures awards ceremony in New York January 10, 2006. Clooney's film 'Good Night, and Good Luck' was the best film winner.
Photo by Keith Bedford
Robert Altman, one of five directors who hold the record for most Academy Award nominations without winning, finally is getting an Oscar.
Altman, who had best-director nominations for "M-A-S-H," "Nashville," "The Player," "Short Cuts" and "Gosford Park," will receive an honorary Oscar at the March 5 awards.
Altman, 80, is tied with four other filmmakers for the record for Oscar futility, losing all five times they were nominated. The others: Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Clarence Brown and King Vidor.
Actress Q'Orianka Kilcher, left, talks with Gloria Steinem as she arrives at the 2005 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures awards ceremony in New York, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006. Kilcher won the Breakthrough Actress award.
Photo by Jeff Christensen
LSD is an unlikely subject for a 100th birthday party. Yet the Swiss chemist who discovered the mind-altering drug and was its first human guinea pig is celebrating his centenary Wednesday, in good health and with plans to attend an international seminar on the hallucinogenic.
"I had wonderful visions," Albert Hofmann said, recalling his first accidental consumption of the drug.
Hofmann, who also had bad experiences with the drug, continues to insist it should be legalized for medical treatment, particularly in psychiatric research. But LSD's reputation has been as turbulent as some acid trips.
The chemist, who still takes nearly daily walks in the picturesque village where he lives in the Jura mountains with his wife of 70 years, Anita, discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25 in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of a fungus found on wheat and other grains at the Sandoz pharmaceuticals firm, now part of Novartis.
Penelope Cruz was honored Wednesday by France's culture minister who called her a "great European actress" and proclaimed her a knight in the Order of Arts and Letters.
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres praised in particular her international movie career which includes roles in French, English, Italian and her native Spanish.
The minister cited "Bandidas" as an example of Cruz' ability to work with a diverse cast of international talent. The movie, a Western about two female outlaws set in 19th century Mexico, was written and produced by French filmmaker Luc Besson.
The film co-stars Salma Hayek, who was present at the ceremony and gave Cruz a congratulatory hug.
John Waters, host of Court TV's new show 'Til Death Do Us Part,' laughs during a panel discussion at the Television Critics Association news tour in Pasadena, California January 11, 2006. The show features Waters as 'The Groom Reaper,' guiding viewers through the true accounts of doomed marriages that ended in tragedy.
Photo by Chris Pizzello
Angelina Jolie is expecting a baby this summer with Brad Pitt, finally affirming the long-presumed relationship previously only glimpsed on African beaches and in paparazzi snapshots.
Pitt's publicist, Cindy Guagenti, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Jolie is pregnant and that Pitt is the father, confirming People magazine's earlier report.
Less than a year after buying a luxury home in San Diego, author Anne Rice is selling the dwelling and moving to the desert for a warmer climate and simpler life, her real estate agent said.
"She had been used to the heat of New Orleans for so many years, and she found La Jolla cold," said Connie Adams of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, referring to the San Diego neighborhood.
She bought a 3,000-square-foot home in downtown San Diego for $2.35 million, but quickly decided she needed more space and put it back on the market.
Last February, she bought the three-story, 10,089 square-foot La Jolla home for $8 million, said Adams, who represented her in the purchase.
Rice recently bought a $4.2 million home in Rancho Mirage, a desert community 85 miles northeast of San Diego.
Israel has suspended contact with evangelist Pat Robertson for suggesting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip.
The controversy has cast doubt on plans for a Christian tourism center that would showcase the growing flow of money and influence from U.S. church groups.
The decision, announced Wednesday by Israeli officials, does not affect other Christian groups that also consider it their spiritual duty to support Israel as fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Israeli leaders see the Christian allies as tireless lobbyists in Washington and elsewhere. The evangelicals also funnel millions of dollars each year to Jewish settlers in the West Bank and - before last year's pullout - the Gaza Strip.
U.S. actress Jodie Foster opens a barrel of Japanese sake (rice wine) during a news conference in Tokyo January 11, 2006. Foster is in Japan to promote her new film 'Flightplan' which will open in Japan on January 28.
Photo by Toru Hanai
Walt Disney Co. paid its outgoing chief executive, Michael Eisner, $10.1 million in total salary and bonus in fiscal 2005, according a securities filing on Wednesday.
Eisner retired on October 1 after serving 21 years as CEO. His successor, Robert Iger, who formerly served as the company's president and chief operating officer, earned $9.7 million in total salary and bonus in fiscal 2005, the filing said.
Just three days after starting his new job at Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., shock jock Howard Stern is now able to sell the roughly $200 million in Sirius stock that he received as part of his five-year deal with the company.
Sirius' contract with Stern runs through 2010, but the company disclosed last week that it was giving Stern and his agent 34.4 million shares of stock right away because it had already reached certain undisclosed targets for subscriber growth under the deal it signed with Stern in late 2004.
Sirius originally said its deal with the shock jock was worth about $100 million per year in cash and stock over the five years of the contract, or $500 million, including costs for producing and marketing the show
But thanks to the nearly doubling of Sirius' shares since then, the value of the stock portion of the contract went from about $110 million to more than $200 million, making the total deal now worth more than $600 million at current stock prices.
Actor Adam Sandler, left, congratulates actor Kevin James on his drive on the second tee at Waialae Country Club during the Sony Open pro-am in Honolulu, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006.
Photo by Jeff Chiu
A Mozart manuscript that was torn in half by his widow will be reconstituted this year as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth, the British Library said Wednesday.
Mozart's widow, Constanze, tore the work in two in 1835 to boost its value, giving or selling the upper portion to a court musician, Julius Leidke. She sent the lower portion to a local government official in Bavaria.
The British Library obtained the lower portion in 1953, but the upper half remained in the hands of a private collector until recently.
A model shows a design of Victor Dzenk's collection during the Fashion Rio Fall Winter 2006 at the Modern Art Museum, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2006.
Photo by Silvia Izquierdo
Move over Barbie, veiled is beautiful. The physical ideal of Muslim girls increasingly includes the hijab, as evidenced by toy shops' best-selling doll "Fulla" and the string of showbiz stars opting to cover up.
The dark-eyed and olive-skinned Fulla has replaced her American rival's skimpy skirts with more modest "outdoor fashion" and Barbie's luxuriant blonde mane with an Islamic veil.
"Fulla sells better because it is closer to our Arab values: she never reveals a leg or an arm," says Tarek Mohammed, chief salesman at a Toys'R'Us branch in Mohandessin, one of Cairo's more upmarket neighbourhoods.
Fulla is not the first Islamic doll but none of her predecessors have taken the regional market by storm like she has, selling some two million since its creation two years ago by the Emirates-based NewBoy Design Studio.
George Walsh, a longtime newsman and announcer for the "Gunsmoke" radio and television programs, died Dec. 5 of congestive heart failure. He was 88.
He became the "Gunsmoke" announcer in 1952, introducing the live, weekly radio series with the following words: "Around Dodge City and in the territory out West, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. marshal and the smell of 'Gunsmoke.'" He remained the announcer when the show moved to television in 1955.
In the Los Angeles area, Walsh was a longtime fixture at KNX-AM radio, serving as an interviewer, sports reporter, newscaster and announcer from 1952 to 1986. His voice also was used in the Smokey Bear forest fire prevention campaign and on the now-closed Disneyland rides Flight to the Moon and Mission to Mars.
In June 1947, he scored what appeared to be a huge scoop while working at a radio station in Roswell, N.M., breaking a story about a UFO landing based on an Air Force press officer's claim that a flying saucer had been captured near the city. The military eventually determined that the UFO was in fact a radar target, but the story by then had spread worldwide.
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey rides his border collie dog during a break in the Denver Nuggets Phoenix Suns game in Denver January 10, 2006. Whiplash was in town for the 100th National Western Stock Show going on across town.
Photo by Rick Wilking
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 musicians?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
This is your place.
(In other words, submissions are welcome.)
Send mail to Marty
( SuprmChaos at yahoo dot com )
Most of the time I like time to slowly pass by, relaxing as much as possible and I'm excellent at putting things off until tomorrow. Procrastination is my middle name. I learned the concept of "manana" while I lived in old Mexico. Essentially it means there is nothing on the face of this earth that can't be put off tomorrow. It's a nice way to conduct your life.
