Reader Review
Parodies
By Dave Romm
I might as well complete the trifecta. Covers are songs done more-or-less unchanged except for the musical style and arrangement. Parodies are songs where the musical style and arrangement are the same, but have new lyrics. Filk is a subset of parody, and I've already talked about The Electric Amish, but here are some more..
Weird Al Yankovic. Almost enough said, but there might be a few stragglers who missed him and spent all their time listening to Rush (Limbaugh or the corporate rock group). So briefly: Weird Al is a brilliant musician, parodiest and video producer. He's almost a brilliant filmmaker, but his only film, UHF is merely great. Frankly, that's also my favorite of his albums, containing Money For Nothing/Beverly HIllbillies (yes, another tv theme song), Spam (a better song than REM's Stand) and the hysterical, manic and yet poignant ballad The Biggest Ball of Twine In Minnesota. (Because of the song, I went and visited the Twine Ball. To my knowledge, all the places in the song are real.)While his polkas and parodies are easily accessible and fun for all (including those being parodied, whom he's careful to get permission from), his original songs are also great. Spatula City, Dare To Be Stupid, Albuquerque (okay, so I'm twisted)... Loads of fun and highly recommended, even in concert.
Allan Sherman was underappreciated and The Best of Allan Sherman does him justice. It contains his hits Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah! (that all camp goers in the 60s gleefully sang at the drop of a canoe paddle) and Sarah Jackman (a strange phone conversation) as well as timeless classics like One Hippopotomi ("did it ever occur to you that the plural of half is whole?"), Pop Hates the Beatles and Hail to Thee, Fat Person.
Stan Freeberg is only peripherally a parodist, but deserves a mention in several categories, so this is one. His parody of Banana Boat (Day-O), Heartbreak Hotel, Rock Island Line still hold up from the 50s and the exactness in the parody of the tv show Dragnet in St. George and the Dragonet transcends the show. And there's more!
For those of us who like our politics and song parodies mixed, there is nothing better than Capitol Steps. It's kind of hard to describe what they do, so go to the web site and listen to some of the cuts. While the parodies are on target and well sung, some of their best political commentary is the spoken Lirty Dies, entire Scicious Vandals done in spoonerisms. They gleefully skewer any politician. Eclectic Warning: Some of their references are too obscure for Dennis Miller, especially in the older songs, if you don't follow politics like an insider.
Jordin Kare is a filk singer, and proud of it, but his CD is called Parody Violation and has the neat concept of him singing the original song (often a filk) in the first half of the CD, and in the second singing the parody. If you like the country song Heart of the Appaloosa but were also into computers in the 80s you'll appreciate Heart of the Apple Lisa. Dawson's Christian becomes Dawson's Concom. Caretaker, about a tree, is morphed to Cashtaker, about government funding.
Dave Romm is a conceptual artist with a radio show and a web site and a very weird CD collection. He reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E here.
Thanks, Dave!
Reader Suggestion
More Liberal Radio
'' Liberal Radio -- What a Concept
You remember the king of LA talk radio, the very liberal Michael Jackson (no, not THAT Michael Jackson), who ruled the morning airwaves for
many, many years at KABC, until Disney bought the station and "non-renewed" his lefty butt outta there.
He is back, polished and erudite as ever, on KLAC 570 in LA, from 9 AM to Noon, M - F, and is available through streaming at
KLAC-AM.
Just this morning, Jackson was discussing the concept of corporate ownership pushing the right-wing agenda on talk-show hosts. He took issue
with a caller who suggested that these corporate biggies "micro-manage" the on-air talent, but he made this point: in a conversation with the
head mouse himself, Michael Eisner, Jackson was asked, "Michael, why arent you with us?" And, of course, soon after he wasn't. ''
~~ Larry W.
Thanks, Lar-
This Michael Jackson has been a wonderful asset to the radio community for years. As dumbfounded as I was when the MouseHouse 'non-renewed'
him, it sounded like the Disney I knew.
Not that long ago, this Michael Jackson was considered 'middle of the road'. Seriously.
With all the radio buy-outs, it's getting harder to keep up with ownership & format changes. KLAC was the 'country' station in
the LA market for a couple of decades. Regardless, quite glad to see this Michael Jackson is working. : )
Reader Suggestion
News Link
Subject: You may have gotten this already...
I just wanted to make sure you saw this item. Bush actually "waved" at
Stevie Wonder in an attempt to get his attention.
~~ Mad Dog
Thanks, Mad Dog. Already had the link, but, in an instance like this, please, feel free to send a link, just so
no stone goes unturned.
Scroll down, have the whole sordid tale....
Thanks. : )
From 'TBH Politoons'
Great Site!
Thanks, again, Tim!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Was out enjoying the science fair scene at the local grade school. There are a lot of smart, cool kids out there.
So, I was looking at the local tv guide tonight (the big one that comes in the Sunday paper), and while it lists the local
cable outlet schedule (but we're on Dish satellite system) - I realized that if one has cable in Long Beach, CA,
one must pay extra for FNC! Sheee-ittt. Insert Ted Cassidy (the original 'Lurch') moaning &
shaking head here.
Where is the outcry for the Who selling out the 'Tommy Overture' to the new drug, Clarinex (and is it only
applicable for single reed allergies, as opposed to double reeds)?
Tonight, Thursday, it's an all fresh night on CBS with 'Survivor: Marquesas', 'CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation', and 'The Agency'.
It's also an all fresh night on NBC with 'Friends', 'Leap Of Faith', 'Will & Grace' (part 2 of 2),
'Just Shoot Me' and 'ER'.
ABC starts the night with a rerun of 'Whose Line', and then goes fresh for the rest of the night with
'Whose Line', 'Regis', and 'PrimeTime Thursday'.
The WB has 2 reruns of 'Charmed'.
Faux is all reruns with 2 episodes of 'Family Guy', then 'King Of The Hill', and 'Futurama'.
UPN has 'WWF Smackdown'.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Insert Your Own Comment Here
Stevie Wonder
Here's a vignette we're dying to see on the ABC broadcast of Sunday's Ford's Theatre Presidential Gala: When Stevie Wonder sat down
at the keyboard center stage, President Bush in the front row got very excited. He smiled and started waving at Wonder, who understandably
did not respond. After a moment Bush realized his mistake and slowly dropped the errant hand back to his lap. "I know I shouldn't have," a
witness (said) yesterday, "but I started laughing."
Stevie Wonder & A Big Wave
Compassionate Conservative Family Values In Action
The Serial Philanderer
A judge overseeing Rudolph Giuliani's divorce case ruled Wednesday that the ex-mayor's two children can't stay at his Manhattan residence
while his girlfriend is visiting.
Justice Judith Gische said the children have already met Giuliani's girlfriend, Judith Nathan, several times.
But in an eight-page ruling Wednesday, the judge said 16-year-old Andrew and 12-year-old Caroline weren't "psychologically ready" to stay
overnight when Nathan was also staying over.
"They can hardly be said to have a comfortable, familiar relationship with her," Gische wrote. "The children need to establish a new
routine of time spent with their father without worrying about competing for his attention."
The judge gave each child a separate midweek dinner date with Giuliani, so each can have time alone with him. School vacations and
holidays will be shared evenly between Giuliani and Hanover.
A permanent custody and visitation schedule will be set later.
Compassionate Conservative Family Values In Action
One-Way Ticket To Palookaville?
Tonya & Paula
Figure skater Tonya Harding, right, poses with Paula Jones, left, after the weigh-in for their fight on "Celebrity Boxing," Wednesday, March
6, 2002, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The television special, which pits celebrities against each other in the ring, will air March
13 on Fox.
Photo by Rene Macura
Minimum $31.5 Million/Year...
David Letterman
CBS, in a tug-of-war with ABC for the services of David Letterman, has offered the "Late Show" host an annual salary of $31.5 million plus
performance bonuses, a network source told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
ABC has offered Letterman $31 million a year and his own studio in the network's Times Square complex in New York in a bid to get him to leave
CBS, according to Entertainment Weekly magazine.
Either raise would be a relative pittance. Letterman, who has been at CBS since 1993, reportedly earns $30 million a year.
ABC executives thought they would close the deal at a meeting with Letterman in late February, but he hesitated and decided to mull the offer
over during his vacation, according to the Entertainment Weekly story, which is to appear in next week's edition. He was scheduled to
return to CBS' "Late Show" next week.
ABC also offered to pick up the roughly $40 million annual production cost of Letterman's show if he jumps ship, according to Entertainment
Weekly, which cited unidentified sources at ABC and CBS.
The Letterman battle has put the fate of ABC's 22-year-old news show "Nightline" in doubt and drawn angry criticism from its host, Ted Koppel.
"Nightline" began as a regular show in 1980 as an outgrowth of ABC's Iranian hostage crisis news coverage. Although it still regularly
outdraws Letterman's "Late Show," ABC executives are concerned "Nightline" doesn't reach the young viewers favored by advertisers.
David Letterman
Cue 'William Tell Overture' Here
'The Lone Ranger'
Sony's Columbia Pictures has ponied up for the rights to "The Lone Ranger," inking a deal said to be potentially worth $1.5 million if the project is produced.
First broadcast Sept. 15, 1949 on ABC, "The Lone Ranger" was one of the most popular TV shows of the 1950s, before it ended Sept. 12, 1957. The WB
Network is currently developing a new take on the Ranger legend for fall 2002.
The 70-year-old tale (it had its start as a local radio show in 1933) will need some freshening, which Sony is ready to do. Studio executives
see the picture's remake in the vein of Sony's 1998 Zorro update, the Martin Campbell-helmed "The Mask of Zorro." One wag predicted a lithe,
buxom female might even play the part of Tonto. The budget is roughly $70 million, according to Columbia insiders.
The new picture will be produced by "Gladiator" producer Doug Wick and his wife Lucy Fisher via their Sony-based Red Wagon Prods. Sony's
deal was made with Gotham-based Classic Media, which controlled the rights.
'The Lone Ranger'
Thanks To Fud
Hear The 'Trifecta' Statement
(quoting)
'' And we've got a job to do at home, as well. You know, I was campaigning in Chicago and somebody asked me, is there ever any time where the budget might have to go into deficit? I said only if we were at war or had a national emergency or were in recession. (Laughter.) Little did I realize we'd get the trifecta. (Laughter.) But we're fine. ''
Scroll down 31 paragraphs to read it for yourself.
Hear The 'Trifecta' Quote Here.
Many Thanks, to Fud, a loyal bartcopper : )
Monday Night Get-Together
'Ambling Into History'
Top White House staffers have been grumbling for weeks about "Ambling Into History," Frank Bruni's unflattering look at George W. Bush.
But they're not angry enough to skip a good party. Counselor to the president Karen Hughes, Bush assistant Mary Matalin and GOP bigwig
Ed Gillespie were all kicking it with the Times scribe to celebrate his book's release Monday night at D.C.'s Army Navy Club. "They were
drinking and toasting the author even though they've been expressing their displeasure toward him all over town," says a witness.
'Ambling Into History'
Sony & Michael Jackson &
The Beatles Catalog
Sony Music moved swiftly Tuesday to stamp out a swirl of speculation that it was maneuvering to acquire the remaining half of ATV Music
Publishing -- which includes more than 250 songs from the Beatles' back-catalog -- from waning superstar Michael Jackson.
But the insider chatter over a possible deal nevertheless put a spotlight on the Gloved One's financial situation, which has reportedly
deteriorated steadily amid declining record sales, legal expenses and superstar-level living costs.
Indeed, sources close to the situation had said Sony, whose Epic division puts out Jackson's records, wasn't looking to buy the Beatles
songs so much as foreclose on them -- Jackson's share of the catalog is said to be pledged against loans to the singer of about $200 million.
The self-proclaimed King of Pop's expense sheets tell only half the story. During Jackson's heyday in the 1980s, when his LP "Thriller" shattered
all-time sales records worldwide, success hid a multitude of sins. But sales of his latest effort, "Invincible," which is said to have cost
$30 million to produce, have barely dented 2 million over the past six months.
Losing the Beatles catalog, while perhaps alleviating some short-term liquidity woes, would almost certainly hurt Jackson in the long run. Its sale
value is amorphous -- industryites have put it at anywhere from $400 million to more than $1 billion. But as a business, it's a gold mine of
Swiss-watch reliability. The publishing rights to the more famous Beatles tracks, classics like "Yesterday" and "Let It Be" -- fetch more than $250,000
per use. Even after paying a share to Paul McCartney and the John Lennon estate, that means millions in steady income per year.
The Beatles Catalog
ABC Finished 5th(!) On Monday
'The Chair'
ABC's new Monday lineup has stumbled out of the gate, sending the network to a fifth-place finish for the night.
The network's worst performer for the evening: "The Chair," which barely registered a pulse at 9 p.m. (with 4.87 million viewers). The
quizzer scored ABC's worst-ever in-season numbers (since the intro of People Meters) in total viewers and matched the network's lowest
in-season mark for adults 18-49 (2.1 rating, 5 share) with regularly scheduled programming.
Overall, CBS -- based on the strength of its comedies -- won Monday night in both viewers and adults 18-49; NBC was second, followed by Fox,
the WB, ABC and UPN. All four CBS comedies won their slots in viewers and demos, with "Yes, Dear" scoring its best-ever numbers for an
original episode at 8:30 p.m.
NBC had mixed news for the night: While "Third Watch" (4.8/11, 12.21 million) beat Fox's "Ally McBeal" (4.4/10, 9.1 million) for the first
time ever at 9 p.m.-- thanks to the lack of a "Boston Public" lead-in for "Ally"-- the shock reality series "Fear Factor" (4.7/12, 11.1 million)
earned its lowest Nielsen numbers yet since returning to Monday nights in January. "Fear" is still doing better than anything else NBC's
had in the slot this season.
'The Chair' And More
How Many Pegs & Strings?
Tennessee State Quarter
The new Tennessee state quarter that has been in circulation since the first week of January, 2002, is shown in this undated
artist's drawing. Tennessee is known for its musical heritage, but the images on the state quarter now being circulated have
hit a sour note. The guitar on the quarter has five strings, coming from six tuning pegs. And, the trumpet's mouthpiece on the
coin is on the wrong side, although there are a few left-handed trumpets made that way.
Stranger In A Strange Land?
Alec Baldwin
Actor Alec Baldwin was at the Florida Capitol on Wednesday, much to the surprise of Gov. Jeb Bush.
"He had promised he would leave the country if my brother got elected," Bush said during a stop in Orlando. "Well he's back, I
guess. We'll welcome him to Tallahassee."
But Baldwin disputed that he said he'd leave the country if George W. Bush were elected.
"I never made that statement, but you can tell Gov. Bush to rest assured that I'm not going to leave the country because we have
to get him out of office and we have to get his brother out of office in 2004. We're not resting until we get that done."
"Bush wasn't elected, he was selected - selected by five judges up in Washington who voted along party lines," Baldwin said.
Baldwin was in Tallahassee with People for the American Way to criticize Gov. Bush and Florida officials for not doing more to
reform Florida's election system.
Alec Baldwin
Think I Prefer The ''The Shining's'' Use Of The Phrase
''Heeeere's Johnny!''
"Heeeere's Johnny!"
Johnny Ashcroft?
Ed McMahon, entertainer, pitchman and longtime sidekick to Johnny Carson, uttered his most famous line again Wednesday to introduce the attorney general at
a news conference to announce $1.9 million in federal grants to expand neighborhood watch programs.
McMahon has agreed to star in television commercials promoting them, along with his 9-year-old granddaughter, Jiao-Jiao, adopted six months ago in China. She
appears in one of the commercials on a sidewalk accepting a pamphlet about neighborhood watch from McMahon.
"Normally, the attorney general, you know, gets a lot of trumpets and bugles" when he's introduced, McMahon told reporters. After McMahon's booming introduction,
a grinning Ashcroft took the stage, and McMahon told him: "All right, A.G.!"
"Gee, it doesn't feel like 10:30 at night," Ashcroft said. The Hollywood moment was "the closest I'll probably ever get to a late-night television career," the
attorney general said.
The Justice Department said it hopes the advertising campaign will double within two years the number of communities operating neighborhood watches, to 15,000.
Ashcroft also wants the watch programs to root out terrorists.
''Heeeere's Johnny!''
See It For Yourself
Sing Along With John Ashcroft
Sing Along With John Ashcroft
To Perform At UrbanAID 2
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys is doing her part to help raise awareness about AIDS, joining the roster of acts for next month's UrbanAID 2 concert.
Proceeds from the show in New York will go to help raise awareness of AIDS issues.
The event will be hosted by comedian Jamie Foxx and will feature appearances by Jay-Z and P. Diddy. To prove that even people who don't use an
initial in their names are welcome at the event, it is being co-chaired by Def Jam founder Russell Simmons.
Keys, whose multimillion-selling debut album, "Songs in A Minor," earned her five Grammys last week, will also headline
this year's Essence Music Festival in the Louisiana Superdome.
Alicia Keys
Barred From Performing
Daniel Barenboim
The Israeli army barred pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim from performing in the West Bank Palestinian city of Ramallah Wednesday,
saying it could not guarantee his safety because he is Israeli.
Barenboim, an Argentine-born Israeli citizen, had announced his intention to hold Wednesday's performance in a effort to foster
dialogue over ways to end more than 17 months of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
"I was advised that the situation was not particularly good today. There have been funerals. But the event is not
canceled. It is postponed," Barenboim told Reuters by telephone.
Barenboim said he was determined to go another day.
"I think it is important for Israelis to know that there are not only Palestinian suicide bombers but also
intellectuals, people who like music, and also for Palestinians to know that there are Israelis like this," he said.
The Palestinian sponsors of Barenboim's visit said efforts would continue to organize another performance.
"For those of us who have the possibility of opening up dialogue, I think it's our duty," Barenboim said.
Daniel Barenboim
Trademark Infringement Suit Filed
Kryptonite Hair Gel
The Superman trademark will lose its power if hair-care company Wella Corp. keeps selling its glowing green styling gel under the
name Kryptonite, DC Comics alleged in a lawsuit on Wednesday.
Manhattan-based DC Comics, one of the best known publishers of comic magazines, alleged Wella's use of the fictitious radioactive rock
on its label is "usurping ... the commercial magnetism of Superman" and tarnishing the Kryptonite trademark.
The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks unspecified damages and a ruling stopping the Woodland Hills, California, company from
using the name of the pretend material on any of its hair-care products. The suit also names Wella Corp.'s parent, Wella AG, as a defendant.
DC Comics says Kryptonite, usually depicted as a glowing green substance, holds a particularly prominent place in the character's myth and is
immediately recognized by the public.
In addition to using the name and color of Kryptonite, Wella classifies the hair gel as "their hair gel product with the strongest hold," the suit alleged.
Kryptonite Hair Gel
Thrill Ride To Be Removed From 2 Parks
Cedar Point & Knotts
A thrill ride that collapsed at Cedar Point amusement park when it was closed in January will be removed permanently, park officials said Wednesday.
Cedar Point operators decided even though they don't know what caused one of the steel towers to fall, few people would be willing to get
on the ride, said Cedar Fair President Richard Kinzel.
A steel tower that supported the new slingshot ride called VertiGo broke off about 65 feet above ground, sending much of the 265-foot tower crashing down.
No one was hurt and there was minimal damage to the grounds near the ride. There were no unusually strong winds at the time, park officials said.
Cedar Fair, which operates Cedar Point along Lake Erie, also will remove the same ride at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif.
The ride straps up to six passengers into a triangular carriage and launches them nearly 300 feet into the air at speeds reaching 50 mph.
Thrill Ride To Be Removed From 2 Parks
Cedar Point
Special Guest - Greg Palast - 16 March
Erin Hart
Saturday, March 16th at 10pm PST, Greg Palast visits with 710 KIRO-Seattle talk show host Erin Hart,
and discusses his new book on globalization, ''The Best Democracy Money Can Buy''.
For more details, visit Erin's fan page (courtesy of 14Dem), http://www.erinistas.com/, or to join her mailing list, drop a
note to erinistas@aol.com.
Or drop me a note at one of the addy's below....after all, I am Erin's 'LA Producer'.
M.A.C. AIDS Fund Campaign
Shirley Manson
The M.A.C. AIDS fund campaign, featuring Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson, Elton John, and Mary J. Blige, begins its latest stage with
the release this week of the Viva Glam IV lipstick at stores across the country. All proceeds from the Frosted Rose And Gold Shimmer lipstick--sticker
price $14--will benefit services for men, women, and children affected by AIDS/HIV.
Years after the deadly disease first made its mark, Manson says that the level of the epidemic remains "unbelievably alarming."
"In terms of numbers of people affected by it, I think (they) are really stunning, and I'm not so sure that everybody is really aware
that there is over 40 million people over the world affected by HIV or AIDS. I mean, it's a stunning amount of people. You know, you
mentioned September 11th, if we're measuring problems by numbers, the epidemic takes on mammoth proportions," she says.
Manson says that the cause also hits home, confiding that she had a scare of her own several years ago. "I was called upon by
a former lover who said I should really go and get checked out and it was absolutely terrifying," says the Edinburgh, Scotland artist.
She continues, "There's a lot of stigma attached to people who are suffering from the disease and I suppose in some weird way I sort of
relate to that whole underdog mentality. For a while, when I was growing up there was a lot of education going on about AIDS and HIV and
now it's unfashionable really. It's a cause that's been sort of swept under the carpet and forgotten about. I've had friends who've died
from AIDS, I've had friends who are currently suffering from HIV, and I live in a city where we had a huge AIDS problem, you know,
until very recently, the AIDS capital of Europe."
Created in 1994, the Viva Glam lipsticks have raised more than $23 million for the M.A.C. AIDS fund. Previous spokespeople include Lil' Kim, K.D. Lang, and Ru Paul.
M.A.C. AIDS Fund Campaign
Australian Censors
E.T. Re-Rated
Australian censors have amazed industry observers by slapping a parental guidance rating on the 20th-anniversary re-release of Steven
Spielberg's "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," a tougher classification than the general rating it got in 1982.
The Office of Film & Literature Classification (OFLC) blamed "language and adult themes" for the upgrade, a move described as "quite
baffling" by Mike Selwyn, head of the film's local distributor, UIP.
"Spielberg took care to re-examine the elements that could be considered strong by current standards, (and) he decided to remove the
guns carried by agents, replacing them with walkie-talkies," Selwyn said. "The OFLC has complained about some of the language in the
film, and yet all of the dialogue was contained in the original."
Australian Censors
On 'Clockstoppers' Sound Track
Uncle Kracker
Uncle Kracker will issue a previously unreleased version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" as part of the soundtrack to the
sci-fi/action-adventure film, Clockstoppers, due from Hollywood Records March 26. The song was a Billboard Number One hit for
Lauper, the colorful New Wave-era artist, in 1984.
Other tracks featured on Clockstoppers include a remix of Sugar Ray's cover of the Steve Miller song, "Abracadabra," originally
issued by the group as a bonus song on its 1999 album, 14:59. Previous hits by Blink 182 ("All The Small Things" and Third Eye
Blind ("Never Let You Go") also appear here, as does Nickelback's "Breathe," the first song from the Canadian band's Roadrunner
Records debut from 2000, The State.
The complete track listing is: "Holiday In My Head," Smash Mouth; "Abracadabra" (remix), Sugar Ray; "A Song For Everyone," Fenix TX;
"Time After Time," Uncle Kracker; "Never Let You Go," Third Eye Blind; "All The Small Things," Blink 182; "Breathe," Nickelback; "The
Minute I Met You," New Found Glory; "The Worst Day Ever," Simple Plan; "Bohemian Like You," Dandy Warhols; "Quicksand," Lit; "Space To
Space," Scapegoat Wax; "Know My Name," Kool Keith; "It's The Weekend," Lil J; and "Time Is Ticking Out," the Cranberries.
Uncle Kracker
Referendum Vote
Ireland
An abortion referendum poster is displayed close to a Sacred Heart statue in Dublin's O'Connell Street ahead of this week's March 6 referendum
on abortion in Ireland, March 3, 2002. The referendum will be overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Ireland's fifth abortion referendum in two decades.
The government proposal for what is now the only EU country where abortion is illegal, would confirm the general ban but allow abortion in medical
emergencies to protect the life of a pregnant woman.
Photo by Paul McErlane
Still Fighting Over Dave?
ABC & CBS
While ABC and CBS executives remained locked behind closed doors on Wednesday in the battle for the heart, mind and "Top-10 List" of
David Letterman, the two networks made public pitches over who could make the late-night TV host happier.
The posturing came amid signs that CBS, a unit of Viacom Inc. may have gained the initiative in its bid to keep the "Late Show with David
Letterman" from running away to the struggling network, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co.
A source close to negotiations between CBS and "Late Show" producers Worldwide Pants Inc. has said those talks had "warmed up" in recent
days and that Letterman's dialogue with ABC should not be taken as a sign he was dissatisfied at CBS.
In addition, sources have said Letterman is very sensitive about being perceived as responsible for bumping "Nightline" host Ted Koppel
off the air to make room for him.
Meanwhile, an ABC source confirmed that Disney President Robert Iger had flown to Washington on Tuesday to meet with Koppel, who was miffed at
the prospect of having his 22-year-old news program bumped by Letterman and angry at ABC executives who were quoted in the press as suggesting
that "Nightline" had lost its relevance.
Still Fighting Over Dave?
Next Album To Be 'Political'
Everclear
Reacting to the "times we're living in," Everclear's Art Alexakis is currently writing an album that explores the political climate
of the day. Alexakis says that "half of the songs are pretty much written"; among them "Black Jack," about the conservative vision
of Attorney General John Ashcroft, and "Volvo-Driving Soccer Mom," which suggests that when porn stars retire they move to
the suburbs and become Republicans.
"This record is definitely much more politically charged, but it's not preachy. I hate preachy rock bands who try to talk about things
they don't know about," he says. "This is just me as a guy talking about the things that piss me off, as just a normal day-to-day guy
who votes and who has kids and who pays taxes and does all those things. That's kinda where my perspective's coming from. It's pretty moderate,
it's pretty in the middle. I think most people are."
The album is expected later this year.
Everclear
Prairie Meteorite Search Project
Tom Wood
A retired Canadian farmer has accidentally discovered the second largest meteorite ever found in Canada, researchers said on Tuesday.
"I feel good that I found it," said Tom Wood, the Manitoba man who stumbled across what he first thought was just a big rock back in September
1997 while operating a road grader.
That 18-pound souvenir became a astronomical coup after Wood brought his booty into a rock identification clinic at a nearby rural store last summer.
Canadian researchers believe the meteorite, found about 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Manitoba's capital, Winnipeg, likely crashed to
earth about 10,000 years ago.
Researchers said the meteorite was well weathered, with most of its fusion crust worn off, revealing an interior that showed cracks from the
shattering of its parent asteroid.
The discovery was made as part of the Prairie Meteorite Search Project, a campaign that encourages western Canadian farmers to have suspect rocks identified.
There have been 61 meteorites discovered in Canada. This is the first found with a road grader.
Prairie Meteorite Search Project
Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character
WWJWear?
What would Jesus do if he were an elementary school kid and someone called him Little Bo Peep?
On Thursday, an 11-year-old boy dressed as Jesus for "Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character" day got into a fight after school,
a police report said.
The Crestridge Elementary School student had worn a tunic and was carrying a staff. A 12-year-old from a neighboring middle school
saw him and made fun of him, calling him "Little Bo Peep" and "Heidi."
The two then got into a fight. Jesus got a black eye.
The children each said the other struck first, the police report said.
Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BETTY BOWERS Cooks!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
BartCop TV!
From BartCop
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
Special Bonus From BartCop
