'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Robert L. Borosage: Why Conservatives Can't Govern (tompaine.com)
Donald Rumsfeld has been axed. Tom DeLay cut and ran. "Scooter" Libby stands convicted. Michael "you're doing a heck of a job" Brown was tossed. Newt Gingrich disgraced himself. And now the clueless Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, is surely the next to go.
Jane Smiley: Conservatives Cost a Lot of Money (huffingtonpost.com)
The real attention-getter about conservatives is that they are so damned expensive. What costs more--finding Bin Laden with a few specialty forces and some back-channel bribes and contacts, or a war in Iraq? What costs more--having sensible regulations for consumer product safety or having no regulations--which leads to injuries, illnesses, deaths, medical bills, lawsuits, bankruptcies, loss of productivity, and years of inconsistencies in the marketplace that hamper product design?
Annalee Newitz: Exploiting the Code (alternet.org)
Though finding vulnerabilities in software is usually beneficial for security, a recently released exploit sends privacy down the drain.
Alan Mammoser: The New Rules of Food (Conscious Choice; Posted on alternet.org)
Basic knowledge of where food comes from and how it is produced is lost on many Americans today. How differently would we eat if we got to know our food better?
Don't be so boring (guardian.co.uk)
Theatre is irrelevant to most of the population; audiences have been drifting away for decades. What is to be done? Playwright Anthony Neilson has a suggestion ...
THOMAS CUSHMAN: Hemlock Available in the Faculty Lounge
They made hemlock available in the faculty lounge for Prof. Socrates - when his students' teaching evaluations were handed in...
WILLIAM GRIMES: You've Read the Novels (Now Read the Footnotes)
... as I read "The Annotated Pride and Prejudice," published this month. David M. Shapard, the editor, does not merely sprinkle a few footnotes here and there. Each and every page of Jane Austen's text has a facing page of explanatory notes, more than 2,300 of them all told.
ADAM KIRSCH: Criticism From A Winner (nysun.com)
In one of his essays, Robert Lowell speaks of the 1930s, the heyday of the New Critics, as a time "when criticism looked like winning." When you read Clive James, it still does.
Robert Fulford: Out from the shadow of Crumb (canada.com)
Cartoonist's wife has her own stories to sketch
YouTubes Suggestion
'Please Impeach Me'
Thanks for posting "Please Impeach Me" (YouTube)
I can't find it on your site, but someone told me it's there.
Have you heard the other new one (audio only) Rush Limbaugh "Pokin' The Bear"?
Jim
Blue Canyon
Thanks, Jim!
It was on yesterday's page,
under ' Selected Readings ~ from that Mad Cat, JD'
He called it "HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT "SHOCK AND AWE!".
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Bit of rain last night, mostly sunny day.
Gets Hollywood Star
Vanessa Williams
Many predicted Vanessa Williams would fade into obscurity when she gave up her Miss America crown because of a scandal over nude photographs, but her star shone brightly Monday.
Williams received the 2,331st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fellow cast members from the TV show "Ugly Betty," in which she plays a villainous magazine editor, showed up to cheer for her at the ceremony in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
"We were so happy to get Vanessa," said Salma Hayek, the show's executive producer. "She is brilliant because she is so nasty on the show, but in reality she is the sweetest person."
Others who attended the ceremony included producer Peter Gruber, "Betty" co-star Rebecca Romijn and Williams' brother, Chris, a cast member on the new Fox series "The Wedding Bells."
Vanessa Williams
'Mystery Creator'
Philip de Vellis
The mystery creator of the Orwellian YouTube ad against Hillary Rodham Clinton is a Democratic operative who worked for a digital consulting firm with ties to rival Sen. Barack Obama.
Philip de Vellis, a strategist with Blue State Digital, acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press that he was the creator of the video, which portrayed Clinton as a Big Brother figure and urged support for Obama's presidential campaign.
De Vellis said he resigned from the firm on Wednesday after he learned that he was about to be unmasked by the HuffingtonPost.com., a liberal news and opinion Internet site.
Blue State designed Obama's Web site and one of the firm's founding members, Joe Rospars, took a leave from the company to work as Obama's director of new media.
Philip de Vellis
Releasing Catalog Online
Elton John
Elton John says he will make his back catalog of more than 30 albums available for digital download later this month.
The tracks, more than 400 in all, will be available through Apple Inc.'s iTunes service from March 26 through April 30, and then will be made available on other download services.
The move coincides with John's 60th birthday Sunday and the release of a new compilation album, "Rocket Man," on March 29.
Elton John
Signed To Starbucks Label
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney was introduced Wednesday as the first artist signed to Starbucks Corp.'s new record label. The former Beatle made an appearance via a video feed from London at the company's annual meeting.
The world's largest specialty coffee retailer announced earlier this month that it was partnering with Concord Music Group to launch the Los Angeles-based Hear Music label.
The McCartney announcement is another big step for Seattle-based Starbucks' attempts to spin part of its consumer appeal into the entertainment business. The coffeehouse chain already has produced and sold some albums, markets books, and helped develop a feature-length movie.
Paul McCartney
Back Home
Regis Philbin
Kelly Ripa says Regis Philbin, her co-host on "Live With Regis and Kelly," is back home after having heart bypass surgery last week.
Ripa revealed on Wednesday's show that Philbin, 75, had been released from the hospital two days ago. "We were sworn to secrecy, I don't know why," she said.
Ripa, 36, said Philbin might call the daytime talk show Friday to give an update on his recovery.
Regis Philbin
ABC Renewals
14 Series
Getting a jump in planning for next season, ABC announced on Wednesday that it had ordered new episodes for 14 programs that will return in the fall. They include three series that debuted this season: the surprise hit "Ugly Betty," the drama "Brothers & Sisters" and Anne Heche's Alaskan sojourn "Men in Trees."
Most of the other returnees are no surprises. "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Boston Legal" will all be back.
ABC is also committed to several of its successful reality shows, including "The Bachelor," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Dancing With the Stars," "America's Funniest Home Videos," "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap."
None of the network's comedies, including long-running series like "According to Jim" or " George Lopez," received an early commitment for next fall. The broadcast networks all announce their fall schedule to advertisers in May.
14 Series
Republican Justice Honored
Chapmans
Hawaii lawmakers honored TV bounty hunter Duane (Dog) Chapman and his wife, Beth, for getting crooks off the street.
The state House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution honouring the couple for their work at capturing criminals.
Duane Chapman is the star of the Hawaii-based A&E reality series "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which follows his exploits in apprehending people who have avoided arrest.
"Duane (Dog) Chapman is part preacher, part father figure to many fugitives he captures and then prays with," said Representative Gene Ward, a Republican who presented the resolution honouring the Chapmans. "They continue to spread justice and aloha around the world."
Chapmans
Wins Australian Court Case
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Legendary opera diva Dame Kiri Te Kanawa won a lawsuit Wednesday after she pulled out of concerts with an Australian rocker in case his fans hurled their knickers onto the stage.
The star had been sued for up to two million dollars (1.6 million US) for cancelling a tour with John Farnham after seeing a DVD of him holding up underwear that had been tossed at him by adoring revellers.
But New South Wales Supreme Court Judge Patricia Bergin ruled against the promoter, Leading Edge Events, finding it had failed to establish its claims against Dame Kiri, the Australian Associated Press reported.
The 62-year-old New Zealand-born singer told the court she decided not to appear with Farnham in concerts in Sydney and Melbourne after seeing footage of his 2003 farewell tour that had left her shocked and embarrassed.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Leaves Rehab
Britney Spears
After nearly a month of seclusion in a luxurious rehabilitation center, Britney Spears has moved on.
The pop star checked out of Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility "after successfully completing their program," Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, said in a statement released by Jive Records late Tuesday.
Spears hasn't disclosed why she sought treatment at Promises, which offers detox, counseling and 12-step programs. A 30-day stay at the Mediterranean-style villa tucked in the Santa Monica Mountains costs $48,000.
Britney Spears
Stooges 'Secret Show'
Iggy Pop
A frustrated Iggy Pop barked at camera operators and grew tired of answering questions from fans during a "secret show" with his reunited punk band the Stooges in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The nine-song set was taped at a soundstage on the 20th Century Fox lot for Internet broadcast next month on Yahoo! Music. About 300 fans gained access through the band's Web site or through a local radio station.
The show included two breaks where Pop and brothers Ron and Scott Asheton took chairs at the front of the stage to respond to inquiries from the older-skewing hipster audience.
During question time, Pop was asked about his slim physique. He credited tai chi exercises, "but I'm not spiritual about it." He cryptically added: "I had a benefactor, and when I hit about 45, he just went, 'You're either gonna be like the potato, or the dude."
Iggy Pop
Stolen Woodcut Found
Edvard Munch
A valuable woodcut by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, which was stolen from an estate in southern Sweden last year, has been returned to its owners.
The woodcut, titled "Towards the Forest," was made by Munch in 1897 and is estimated to be worth four million kronor (430,150 euros, 576,300 dollars) a Swedish daily said Wednesday.
The paper reported that a ransom appeared to have been paid for the work by the Norwegian master, and that it had been returned to the sons of the owner, who died soon after it was stolen last May.
Edvard Munch
Military Reports Up 24 Percent
Sexual Assault
Reports of sexual assaults involving members of the US military increased by 24 percent in 2006 over the previous year, the Pentagon reported Wednesday.
In an annual report to Congress, the Pentagon said the increase may have been due to a change in the military's policy, allowing victims to report alleged assaults confidentially.
"There were 2,947 total reports of alleged sexual assault cases involving members of the armed forces," the report said.
Criminal investigations were completed on 2,277 sexual assault reports and commanders took action in 780 cases. There were 292 court martials, most of them from cases reported in 2005.
Sexual Assault
Water Emergency
Marshall Islands
The government of the Marshall Islands dispatched a ship to supply drinking water to outlying islands Wednesday after declaring a state of emergency amid a prolonged drought.
Many islands in the western Pacific island nation of 60,000 people have had little rain since January and earlier this week the former US territory declared an emergency for six islands and appealed for international help.
Fresh water supplies have dwindled since January with the El Nino weather phenomenon causing an extended drought for a country that depends on rain for about 95 percent of its fresh water.
Marshall Islands
Master Of The Understatement
Judge Michael Lucci
A 20-year-old man received probation after he was convicted of having sexual contact with a dead deer. The sentence also requires Bryan James Hathaway to be evaluated as a sex offender and treated at the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth, Minn.
He was found guilty in April 2005 of felony mistreatment of an animal after he killed a horse with the intention of having sex with it. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and two years of extended supervision on that charge as well as six years of probation for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.
Hathaway pleaded no contest earlier this month to misdemeanor mistreatment of an animal for the incident involving the deer. He was sentenced Tuesday in Douglas County Circuit Court.
"The type of behavior is disturbing," Judge Michael Lucci said. "It's disturbing to the public. It's disturbing to the court."
Judge Michael Lucci
In Memory
Larry 'Bud' Melman
(Calvert DeForest)
The balding, bespectacled nebbish who gained cult status as the oddball Larry "Bud" Melman on David Letterman's late night television shows has died after a long illness. The Brooklyn-born Calvert DeForest, who was 85, died Monday at a hospital on Long Island, the Letterman show announced Wednesday. He made dozens of appearances on Letterman's shows from 1982 through 2002, handling a variety of twisted duties: dueting with Sonny Bono on "I Got You, Babe," doing a Mary Tyler Moore impression during a visit to Minneapolis, handing out hot towels to arrivals at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
"Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself - a genuine, modest and nice man," Letterman said in a statement. "To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."
The gnomish DeForest was working as a file clerk at a drug rehabilitation center when show producers, who had seen him in a New York University student's film, came calling. His was the first face to greet viewers when Letterman's NBC show debuted on Feb. 1, 1982, offering a parody of the prologue to the Boris Karloff film "Frankenstein."
DeForest, given the nom de tube of Melman, became a program regular. The collaboration continued when the talk show host launched "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS in 1994.
The Melman character opened Letterman's first CBS show, too - but used his real name because of a dispute with NBC over "intellectual property." DeForest, positioned inside the network's familiar eye logo, announced, "This is CBS!"
His last appearance on "Late Show" came in 2002, celebrating his 81st birthday.
As per his request, there will be no funeral service for DeForest, who left no survivors. Donations can be made in his name to the Actors' Fund of America.
Larry 'Bud' Melman
In Memory
Saul Swimmer
Saul Swimmer, who directed the documentary "The Concert for Bangladesh," immortalizing the 1971 show organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar to raise money for refugees, died March 3. He was 70.
He also was a co-producer on the 1970 Beatles movie "Let It Be."
Swimmer was born in Uniontown, Pa. He began directing movies in his 20s, earning some fame for the 30-minute film "The Boy Who Owned a Melephant."
Among his other projects were "Around the World of Mike Todd" (1968) with Elizabeth Taylor and Orson Welles; "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" (1968) featuring the 1960s pop group Herman's Hermits; and the rock documentary "Queen: We Will Rock You" (1982). His last project was "Bob Marley & Friends" (2005).
Saul Swimmer
In Memory
Luther Ingram
Luther Ingram, the R&B singer and songwriter best known for the hit "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)," died Monday. He was 69.
Ingram performed with Ike Turner at clubs in East St. Louis, roomed with Jimi Hendrix in New York and was the opening act for Isaac Hayes. He recorded through the 1980s and performed in concert until the mid-1990s, when his health began declining.
Ingram was born Nov. 30, 1937, in Jackson, Tenn. He started writing music and singing as a boy in a group with his siblings after his family moved to Alton, Ill., in 1947.
He had a five-year association with Memphis, Tenn.-based Stax Records during the height of its success. In 1971, Ingram and songwriter-performer Sir Mack Rice co-wrote "Respect Yourself" for the Staple Singers, which turned into Stax's biggest hit.
Ingram recorded "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)," in 1972 on Koko Records, which Stax distributed. The song was No. 1 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and was later a hit for Barbara Mandrell.
His other popular songs include "Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)," "I'll Be Your Shelter" and "You Never Miss Your Water."
Luther Ingram
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