'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Reader Review
'Black Sash'
Marty,
You're always soliciting reviews so here is one.
'Black Sash'
This is what you get when you have a bunch of studio execs sitting around
saying 'Dawson's Creek' has had a great run but it's ending now so we need
something to replace it." And another one says, "Yeah but with more babes.
More babes!" And another one says "put some Kung Fu in it. You can't go
wrong with the teen market with Kung Fu, they eat that stuff up. Home
boy!"
That pretty much sums it up. 'Black Sash' has a pretty good ensemble cast
working hard to make one cliche after another watchable. Fortunately for
the production, someone had the sense to audition for talent in addition to
just looking pretty, and that's the only thing that saves this from being a
complete disaster. What sinks them is the lack of creative writing. There
is no glibness and the only humor (slight as it is) comes from the standard
Old Chinese Kung Fu Master-Guy (Mako) damn near from straight stock footage
from any one of a number of previous productions. There is no supporting
character the caliber of a Pacey Witter or Xander Harris or Lex Luthor.
The pandering is off-putting, though, which trys way too hard to please.
You get an oppressive music-track over the dialog and action that tries way
hard to be hip, and every show is sure to include a number of screen shots
lingering on the tightly-clad behinds of the girls in the cast. I have no
real problem with that, unless it is the ONLY thing worth tuning in to see,
and you get the "money shot" feeling about it.
Another annoying thing. This is supposed to be set in San Francisco, yet
nearly every outdoor location is filled with landmarks (bridges etc) that
obviously aren't within 500 miles of San Francsico. My guess is Portland or
maybe Washington.
I think that if they get better writing into the script there is a chance
of salvaging this show. Otherwise, it looks like a one-season thing.
Alan
Great job, Alan!
My guess is it's filmed (or taped) in Canada - probably Vancouver.
from Alvin
'IRAQ IS MINE'
MIDI
IRAQ IS MINE
{Sung to 'The Girl is Mine' by M. Jackson & P. McCartney}
{As Sung By Bush & Blair}
{Dubya Bush}:
Every night I dream of you in my sleep
So I made a threat from the start
I'm so proud I was the Chosen One
Who removed Saddam and sons
Iraq is mine
The doggone oil is mine
Iraq is mine
Because the doggone Saddam is gone
{Tony Blair}:
I don't understand the way you think
Saying Iraq's oil is yours not mine
Sending war notes in your silly dreams
Really's just a waste of time
Iraq is mine
The doggone oil is mine
Don't waste my time
Now that I'm a war criminal
I've thought that we were a pair
{Followed you anywhere}
Blair and Bush, Bush and Blair
{Dubya Bush}:
{The wealth we won't share}
{Tony Blair}:
Iraq is free at last
Black gold to ensnare
{Dubya Bush}:
But we both cannot have her
So it's my way or 'no way!'
But one day you'll be rewarded
You'll work for Carlyle under my father
{Tony Blair}:
You build my hopes just to let me down
'Cause I really feel it's ours
{Dubya Bush}:
You know I will never share the loot
So you better shut your mouth
Iraq is mine
The doggone oil is mine
Don't waste your time
Because the doggone oil is mine!
Alvin (-.-)
Thanks, Alvin!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hot & sunny. The weather is changing, so I'm now downwind of the refineries, and it doesn't smell very good right now.
We've been having a heat wave & poor Marian is visiting in Philly, which as I recall, always has better food than weather.
Going on a 4th grade field trip in the morning. Woo hoo.
Tonight, Thursday, CBS is supposed to open with a FRESH 'Survivor: The Amazon', followed by a FRESH
'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation', then a FRESH 'Without A Trace'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Dave are Marg Helgenberger, turkey calling champions, aand the Flaming Lips.
Scheduled on a FRESH Craiggers are Chris Webber, Amanda Bynes, and Liam Lynch.
NBC is supposed to start with a RERUN 'Friends', followed by a FRESH 'Scrubs', then a
RERUN 'Will & Grace', followed by a FRESH 'Good Morning, Miami', then a RERUN 'ER'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jay are Regis Philbin and Theory of Dead Man.
Scheduled on a FRESH Conan are Adam Sandler and Sahara Hotnights.
Scheduled on a FRESH Carson Daly are Shannen Doherty, the Sklar Brothers, and Stellastarr.
ABC is supposed to offer a FRESH 'Whose Line', followed by a RERUN 'Whose Line', then the
Series Premiere of 'Extreme Makeover', followed by 'PrimeTime Thursday'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jimmy Kimmel are Eddie Griffin, Krista Allen, and this week's guest co-host David Alan Grier.
The WB begins with a RERUN 'Sabrina', followed by another RERUN 'Sabrina', then a RERUN
'Jamie Kennedy', followed by a FRESH 'On The Spot'.
Faux has a RERUN 'Married By America', then 'Pulse'.
UPN fills the evening with 'WWE Smackdown!' (Rowdy Roddy Piper pays a visit).
Scheduled on a FRESH Jon Stewart is Dennis Miller.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
A bra designed by actress Jennifer Aniston is shown at Sotheby's auction house in New York, April 8, 2003. Over 40 bras designed by celebrities will be auctioned off online to benefit breast cancer research at USC/Norris and UCLA Jonsson Cancer Centers in Los Angeles.
Photo by Jeff Christensen
Target Companies Moving Offshore
'The Bermuda Project'
American companies that move their headquarters offshore to avoid paying taxes will be the target of a new television advertisement that questions their patriotism during a time when U.S. soldiers are fighting in Iraq.
The ad contrasts images of soldiers at war with a fictional corporate executive. "In the sands of Iraq, our soldiers risk their lives for our country," says the voiceover. "At the same time, big corporations are abandoning our country and setting up phony tax shelters in the sands of Bermuda."
A group of taxpayer and citizen organizations calling themselves The Bermuda Project are running the advertisements to pressure Congress to pass legislation to stop companies from moving to offshore tax havens.
The ads will run later this week in this area and in the districts of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. The group wants Republican leaders to bring the legislation before the House for debate.
"The message is about shared sacrifice," said columnist and author Arianna Huffington, one of the founders of The Bermuda Project. "They're really cheating America, and they're cheating every American taxpayer who plays by the rules.
'The Bermuda Project'
To Receive Jerusalem Prize
Arthur Miller
Playwright Arthur Miller, known for his works examining the darker sides of American society, will receive the prestigious Jerusalem Prize this year, the city's mayor announced Wednesday.
The prize, awarded every two years, singles out literary achievements in the field of freedom of the individual in society, the prize committee said in a statement. Mayor Uri Lupolianski said Miller would receive the award during the biennial Jerusalem International Book Fair, June 23-27.
The chairman of the prize committee, Avishay Braverman, said Miller was selected for "his efforts on behalf of the common good, for standing alongside the small, gray individual and placing him in the center of society." The last recipient was Susan Sontag.
Miller, 87, is best known for his plays "All My Sons" in 1947 and "Death of a Salesman" in 1949. In 1953, his play, "The Crucible," was a thinly veiled critique of the anti-communist McCarthy era, and Miller himself was hauled before the House Un-American Activities Committee three years later.
Arthur Miller
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
Wooed With Roses
Madonna
Madonna doesn't even watch television. So how is it she's ending up on "Will and Grace"? Flowers. The show's producer, Tim Kaiser, tells TV Guide he sent fantastic arrangements of English roses to Madonna. He says he was told Madonna doesn't own a TV and had no idea what "Will and Grace" is, but she loves English roses. He also sent tapes of other guest stars.
Madonna didn't show any interest until after the release of her movie "Swept Away," which husband Guy Ritchie directed. Her manager says the guest spot isn't an attempt to show she really can act. Kaiser says Madonna agreed to the guest shot as long as she didn't have to play herself. She plays Karen's new roommate. Kaiser says Madonna had a few nerves but was a real professional. The episode airs April 24 on NBC. Madonna's new album, "American Life," will be released on April 22. The CD single of "American Life" is out today. It is already available as a paid download track on the Internet.
Madonna
A bra covered in guitar picks designed by singer Sheryl Crow is shown at Sotheby's auction house in New York, April 8, 2003. Over 40 bras designed by celebrities will be auctioned off online to benefit the breast cancer research at USC/Norris and UCLA Jonsson Cancer Centers in Los Angeles.
Photo by Jeff Christensen
Hosting 'VH1 Divas' Concert
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah will reign as host of this year's "VH1 Divas" concert, which will feature performances from Mary J. Blige, Jewel and Chaka Khan.
The show is scheduled to air live at 9 p.m. EDT May 22 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Other scheduled musicians will be announced later.
While previous "Divas" shows have included duets, this year's will have even more of an emphasis on them. The concert series, now in its sixth year, raises money for VH1's Save the Music Foundation, which restores music programs in America's public schools.
Queen Latifah
Fears Backlash Against U.S.
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda told a Canadian audience that she fears the U.S. military campaign in Iraq will turn people all over the world against America.
"What it's going to mean for (America's) stability as a nation, for terrorism, for the economy — I can't imagine," Fonda said Tuesday. "I think the entire world is going to be united against us."
That frightens her, she said, but she isn't sure what Americans can do about it.
"I don't know if a country where the people are so ignorant of reality and of history, if you can call that a free world," she said.
Fonda made her comments in Vancouver as part of the Unique Lives and Experiences lecture series. She also discussed Canada, the war, her acting career, and her three marriages and divorces.
Jane Fonda
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Celebrates 70th Birthday
Willie Nelson
Country Singer Willie Nelson's 70th birthday isn't until the end of the month, but he'll be celebrating Wednesday night with a major bash.
Some of the biggest names in country and other musical genres are on the roster. The country performers include Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Ray Price, Jerry Lee Lewis and Shelby Lynne. Friends from other genres include Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones.
"Willie Nelson and Friends: Live and Kickin'" is being taped for a two-hour concert to air Memorial Day on USA Network.
Willie Nelson
A bra designed by actress Melanie Griffith is shown at Sotheby's auction house in New York, April 8, 2003. Over 40 bras designed by celebrities will be auctioned off online to benefit the breast cancer research at USC/Norris and UCLA Jonsson Cancer Centers in Los Angeles.
Photo by Jeff Christensen
Cuts Ties with Independent Promoters
Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications Inc. on Wednesday said it would cut ties with music promoters who are paid by record labels to trumpet songs to radio stations, saying the long-standing practice gives the appearance of "pay for play."
Clear Channel, the top U.S. radio station owner, has been a lightening rod for criticism of the industry that so-called independent promoters use payments to influence what songs are played on radio stations.
Under the practice, which has been scrutinized by lawmakers, independent promoters charge music companies to tout their records. They then pay radio companies for often-exclusive access to station programmers and early information about their playlists.
A number of lawmakers, including Senators John McCain, Orrin Hatch and Russ Feingold, questioned whether radio station contracts with independent promoters affect the amount of airplay given to particular songs.
Clear Channel
Stacked Sister-In-Law
Sumner Redstone
Sumner Redstone has a fascinating new sister-in-law. Last weekend, the Viacom chief married schoolteacher Paula Fortunato, the younger sister of Sondra Fortunato who is well-known to NFL fans. The top-heavy temptress gets standing ovations whenever she leaves her seat at Giants Stadium. She's won at least 40 beauty contests, including Miss Twin Peaks, Miss Knockout and Miss Body Beautiful. Since 9/11, she has been sporting a red, white and blue tiara and a sash identifying herself as Miss Liberty. Sondra will be honored by the National Football League Players Assn. tomorrow when she'll be introduced by Chris Berman of ESPN.
Sumner Redstone
Willis, Washington & Schwarzenegger Sue
Fry's Electronics
Arnold , Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington are suing Fry's Electronics for allegedly using their images in newspaper advertisements without permission.
Each actor seeks $10 million in damages. The lawsuit says the ads could diminish their "hard-earned and well-deserved reputations as major motion picture stars and risks the potential for overexposure."
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims the photos ran in the Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers.
Representatives of Fry's, which has its headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and stores in Texas, Arizona and Oregon, did not immediately return calls for comment.
Fry's Electronics
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Cancels Austria Concert
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson has canceled plans to appear in Austria next weekend because of concerns about security, an organizer of the event said Wednesday.
The 44-year-old pop singer has been scheduled to give a concert and introduce a charity project for children on Sunday in the western Austrian ski resort of Ischgl.
Mark Petrisch, a spokesman for the event's organizer, said Jackson was canceling the show because of security risks related to world political events.
Michael Jackson
Shown here are three of the 49 celebrity designed bras that are being auctioned by Sothebys.com and Los Angeles-based Expedition Inspiration on Tuesday, April 8, 2003, in New York. The celebrity-designed bras are, Bette Midler's, top, Goldie Hawn's, center, and Sheryl Crow's. The celebrities designed the bras to raise money for breast cancer research. The online auction began on April 1 and will run through April 18.
Photo by Ed Bailey
Had A Special Hat
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson's appearance on Monday night's CMT country music video awards wasn't as controversial as she would have liked. According to a CMT insider, "Pamela wanted to wear a huge hat. Half of the hat would have been an American flag and the other half would have been the Confederate flag, but when CMT found out, they went nuts and negged the plan." CMT was worried the Confederate flag would "send the wrong message, and told Pamela, 'Do you know what that flag stands for?' " Though revered by some in the South, the "Stars and Bars" - widely perceived as a symbol of slavery and racism - no longer is raised on government buildings, and it has been removed from several state flags. A rep for Anderson didn't return calls.
Pamela Anderson
'Dreads' Turning 50
Tony Blair
He may be comfortable handling the Iraq crisis but when it comes to turning 50, British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he feels nothing but dread.
In an interview with Britain's Saga magazine -- a publication aimed at the more mature reader -- Blair said he was not looking forward to reaching his half-century on May 6.
"I must be honest with you. I've been dreading 50," Blair told the magazine's latest edition, out Wednesday.
Blair said he would not follow in the footsteps of Britain's wartime leader Winston Churchill by remaining in politics until he was 80, adding that one day he would like to study science and possibly learn Spanish.
"I think back to things I'd like to have done at school, science for instance, at which I was absolutely hopeless, and in which I've now become extremely interested," Blair told Saga.
Tony Blair
Declare War on English Terms
German Professors
A group of German university professors, angered by the U.S.-British war against Iraq, have launched a campaign to replace many popular English-language words used in Germany with French terms.
"We won't accept the United States as a role model as long as it is violating international law so this seemed to be an appropriate way to protest peacefully," Armin Burkhardt, a professor of German at Magdeburg University, told Reuters.
"We aren't trying to purify the language, we're trying send a political signal to show we're against this war which has no legal foundation," said Burkhardt, who is chairman of the group "Language in Politics" (www.sprache-in-der-politik.de).
Burkhardt rejected the notion the German professors have resorted to the same tactics as super-patriots in the United States who renamed "French Fries" as "Freedom Fries" to protest France's resistance to war in the U.N. Security Council.
He said there could also be no talk of a "language war" drawn up along the lines of patriotic Americans in World War One who rechristened "sauerkraut" as "liberty cabbage," "dachshund" as "liberty pups" and "hamburger" as "liberty steak."
"That's not our aim," Burkhardt said. "We are not trying to permanently ban English terms...We are urging French alternatives because of our solidarity with France."
German Professors
Shortage Cancels Annual Event
Muskrats
When Alicia Bjornson inherited the job of selling tickets to the Salem Rotary Club's annual fund-raising dinner, she figured putting food on the table would be a secondary challenge to finding enough people to shell out $20 apiece to eat it.
Bjornson clearly underestimated the local taste for muskrat, a delicacy that is part of a centuries-old tradition in lower South Jersey.
Unfortunately for the 250 people who bought tickets and 50 others who reserved takeout dinners, snow and ice around the Delaware River and Delaware Bay thwarted the efforts of trappers and resulted in a muskrat shortage that forced the club to cancel the dinner at the end of March.
The harsh winter was a setback for the South Jersey industry, already a casualty of shifting demand, pollution and disinterest from the younger generation. The number of full-time muskrat trappers in Salem County is "next to none," according to Beal, and most of the part-timers are at or near middle age.
Muskrat hunting in South Jersey and across the United States dates back to early colonial times, and there is evidence that Native Americans hunted them in boats.
Henry David Thoreau wrote admiringly of the muskrat in one of his journals, and whiskered President Zachary Taylor was nicknamed "Muskrat Head," a moniker he despised. But the maligned mammal's 15 minutes under the modern spotlight came in the 1970s with the penning of the pop hit "Muskrat Love."
"It's good eating," said Dorothy Nestor, a patron at Muskrat Mall in Canton, a combination corner store and luncheonette. "I used to bring the kids to the dinners when they were little, bring the playpen and everything."
Some say that the best way to serve muskrat is to parboil the meat to remove some of the gamy taste, then saute or pan-fry it with onions or other vegetables. The taste is similar to pot roast, and savvy diners bring their own hot sauce.
Muskrats
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
Catholics Halt Confessions
Singapore
The Roman Catholic church has suspended confessions in Singapore due to the spread of the deadly SARS virus, and priests will instead forgive all churchgoers for their sins, the church said on Wednesday.
Singapore Archbishop Nicholas Chia said a general absolution, or forgiveness, without one-on-one confessions only can be given in times of "grave necessity," according to the Bible.
"This year in view of the SARS epidemic, I have obtained permission from Rome for our priests to grant a general absolution instead of individual confessions and absolution," Chia said in a letter to Singapore's 152,000 Catholics.
Catholics in multicultural Singapore are already banned from holding or shaking hands in church to prevent the spread of SARS, and holy communion wafers can only be issued on the palm of the hand. Usually, Catholics can choose to receive communion on the tongue.
Singapore
London's National Gallery
Titian
The National Gallery has for the first time in more than 350 years brought together a major collection of works by Venetian great Tiziano Vecellio, more simply known as Titian.
For the first time since 1598, four surviving paintings from the collection of the former Duke of Ferrare, Alfonso d'Este, are shown together in the exhibit opening Monday. The duke was a major patron of the arts in the 16th century and collected masterpieces by Titian (1490-1576) over a period of 10 years.
During his early years (1515 to 1530), Titian combined religious with social themes, as well as scenes from ancient mythology.
From 1530 on, Titian turned his skills to portraits immortalizing his new patrons -- popes and kings.
Titian has been likened to William Shakespeare for his insights into human fate and destiny. Such depth can be seen in his "Three Ages of Man", with innocence embodied by two sleeping children, carefree youth by two lovers, and the burden of death by an old man holding two skulls, looking at the earth he will be buried in.
Titian
Elephant Saves South African Antelopes
Nana
The matriarch of a herd of elephants in South Africa opened a gate with her trunk to free antelopes being held at a camp in the east of the country.
Lawrence Anthony told the SAPA news agency Tuesday that a private game capture company had rounded up the antelopes at their camp near Empangeni to relocate them for a breeding programme.
The team were settling in for the night when the herd of 11 elephants approached, he said.
"The herd circled the enclosure while the capture team watched warily, thinking the herd were after lucerne (alfalfa) being used to feed the antelope," he said.
The herd's matriarch, named Nana, approached the enclosure gates and began tampering with the metal latches holding the gates closed.
She carefully undid all the latches with her trunk, swung the gate open and stood back with her herd.
"At this stage the onlookers realised this was not a mission for free food, but actually a rescue," Anthony said.
Ecologist Brendon Whittington-Jones said: "Elephant are naturally inquisitive -- but this behaviour is certainly most unusual and cannot be explained in scientific terms".
Nana
(L to R) SeaWorld Orlando aquarists Melissa Ranly, Jen Albert, Lori Thomassen and Teryl Nolan return a 200-pound loggerhead turtle to his aquatic home in the waters off Cocoa Beach, Florida, April 9, 2003. SeaWorld rescued the endangered animal after it was found floundering in the surf, lethargic and suffering from internal blockage brought on by a red tide bloom. After four months, the 35-inch loggerhead gained 20 pounds and was successfully rehabilitated back to health.
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'The Osbournes'
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