Mark Morford: Bored-ass Jesus will See You Now (SF Gate)
There is, as a gentle compatriot recently reminded me, a certain naïve sweetness, a sort of infantile charm, to Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently issuing an official document asking everyone in his giant, dusty hunk of Godlandia to please drop to your knees right now and pray for some good, old-fashioned rain.
Froma Harrop: When Trees are Gone with the Wind (Creators Syndicate)
Monster winds recently ravaged the South, leaving behind all varieties of loss - human and material. The photos often centered on the exposed, tangled root systems of giant trees to illustrate nature on the rampage.
Your 2010 Federal Taxpayer Receipt
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, American taxpayers would be able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent. Just enter a few pieces of information about your taxes, and the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, or health care.
Khan Academy: Get a Free Education
What started out as Sal making a few algebra videos for his cousins has grown to over 2,100 videos and 100 self-paced exercises [must register to access the exercises] and assessments covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history.
ARTHUR PHILLIPS: A Writer's Ghostly Inspirations (Wall Street Journal)
As a small boy on a family trip to Jamaica, I was taken to Goldeneye, the former home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming. The lush landscape of his Oracabessa estate impressed the grown-ups. But I was looking for secret weapons, or Barbara Bach, the actress whose recent appearance in the 007 film "The Spy Who Loved Me" had ignited in me a burning interest in becoming an international man of mystery.
David Bruce has 41 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $41 you can buy 10,250 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
zEN mAN (observing Barrack Obama releasing the long version of his birth certificate proving he is a US citizen...Donald Trump and Orly Taintz can eat shit....now the Donald wants to know how Obama got into Harvard....cuz he's black??? hahahaha)
She (Jane Wyman) filed for divorce in 1948; the divorce was finalized in 1949. Since Ronald Reagan is the only U.S. president to have been divorced, Wyman was the only ex-wife of an American President.
Source
Marian was first, and correct, with:
one, President Reagan was the only one.
Alan J said:
Only one, Reagan
Charlie wrote:
Reagan was the only one.
Don't know what happened yesterday, the message is in my sent folder.
mj responded:
Divorced execs
I believe Saint Ronnie was the only divorced President (he left Jane Wyman after he knocked up Nancy Davis). Gerald Ford was married to a divorcee, and Bob Dole would have been the second if he had won. And Newt's got two already (but he's still breathing so there's a chance for more.)
Jim from CA, retired to ID, replied:
The only divorced man to become president was Ronald Reagan
Leo answered:
One: Ronald Reagan divorced Jane Wyman before marrying Nancy Davis.
Sally said:
Only one president, Ronald Despot Reagan, has been divorced. He got a pass on them Republican Family Values I guess...
Here are the REAL Reagan's; Ronald, Jane (Wyman) Maureen and Michael. New wife, Nancy (AKA the bitch from Hell), hated the children from Ronald's first marriage, and kept him away from them until they were grown. Michael, who was adopted - for some strange reason - adores the dad's legacy, and is even nastier than was Nancy. He has a syndicated radio show touting "Conservative Family Values" even though he too has been divorced... Maureen, the biological daughter died several years ago... The
Reagan's are truly a despicable group of people save Ron Jr!
PS: We had a lovely day visiting the town of Princeton, NJ and the University. Beautiful weather, and only got lost on our way home for perhaps 40 miles out of our way...
In Colorado, one always has his/her bearings because you always know the mountains are to your west. Here in Jersey, there is no focus point unless you are near the Hudson River, and can see the NYC skyline... the take-away here is, don't ever ask me for directions if you are on a time schedule!
Adam responded:
I thought so: just one, Saint Ronny, patron saint of photo op brush clearing, endless deficits, unending war, and commiting treason without impunity for you or your associates.
Johni from Hawaii says
one, Ronald Reagan.
MAG ("I've always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library" Jorge Luis Borges) wrote:
Only one that I know of, Ronald Reagan. Hardly seems like a big deal now does it?
MAM wrote:
Just one: Ronald Reagan, divorced from Jane Wyman (1940-1948), then married to Nancy Davis (1952-2004).
Reagan and Wyman Reagan and Davis
BttbB replied:
One... St. Ronnie Raygun... Patron saint of the GOP (Ghastly Offal Poltroons)...
My Ronnie anecdote (Yes, I have one)... In the Fall of '81 I was a Coast Guard Seaman attending Boatswain's Mate School at the CG base Yorktown, VA. I volunteered for the small 'Honor Guard' the school had to get out of having to 'stand duty' on nights and weekends. This entailed marching about the base for an hour or so after class in formation and practicing all those fancy rifle twirls and maneuvers one sees on TV occasionally. While not as good as those units that do it full-time, we were pretty good and it was kinda fun. Anyway, the Bicentennial of the Battle of Yorktown Celebration came up and it was a very big deal. To get to the Base, one had to drive through the National Battlefield Park. Thousands of re-enactors came with tens of thousands of onlookers. It was a 3 day event. The British and French Navy sent warships to attend with a French Destroyer, The Comte De Grasse (named for the French Admiral that commanded the French naval forces that helped Washington defeat Cornwallis) moored at our base. Ronnie was to meet with the French President, Mitterand aboard said ship. Our 'Honor Guard' was to render 'Honors' to Ronnie as he entered the base at the main gate. But, because this occurred merely 7 months after the Hinckley thing, The Secret Service were 'bat shit' crazy about security. The helo dropped off Ronnie outside the main gate and when the Limos entered, there were SS agents sitting on all the fenders openly brandishing their Uzi machine guns. Onto the CG Base! In addition, the SS wouldn't allow us to carry our ceremonial rifles. We stood there at 'Parade Rest' and came to 'Attention' as the entourage passed. Rifle-less. We were immensely offended and our officers spent no small amount of time trying to 'cool us down'... The upside to this whole tale is that we got immediate 'Liberty' with no additional duties as 'restitution'. We spent the next two days and nights drinking merrily with the French and British sailors in the pubs of Yorktown, everyone in uniform. We had a great time and we all got along famously. Ronnie departed without 'Honors' rendered, as I remember, and I didn't care. Too busy partying with the "Frogs' and 'Limeys'... We did get a nice 'Letter of Commendation' later from the Base Commander as a sop, though. Gee, thanks...
And, Joe S answered:
A Poem
-
by Joe S
Only one,
Ronnie Ray-gun
(Nothing to do with Ray-gun but I've come to the realization my cougars are in their 80s)
CBS opens the night with a FRESH'Big Bang Theory', followed by a FRESH'Rules Of Engagement', then a FRESH'CSI: The Original One', followed by a FRESH'The Mentalist'.
Scheduled on a FRESHDave are Dr. Phil McGraw, Chris Hemsworth, and a performance by the Broadway cast of "Catch Me If You Can".
Scheduled on a FRESHCraig are Tom Selleck and Odette Annable.
NBC begins the ight with a FRESH'Community', followed by a RERUN'The Office', then a FRESH52-minute'The Office', followed by a FRESH38-minute'Parks & Recreation', then a FRESH'30 Rock'.
Scheduled on a FRESHLeno are Chelsea Handler, Judd Apatow, and OK Go.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are Ice-T, Paula Patton, and Tim McGraw.
Scheduled on a FRESHCarson 'The Scab' Daly are Mark Burnett, Craig Wedren, and Screaming Females.
ABC starts the night with '20/20', followed by a FRESH'Grey's Anatomy', then a FRESH'Private Practice'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Sofia Vergara, Manny Pacquiao, and the Airborne Toxic Event.
The CW offers a FRESH'Vampire Diaries', followed by a FRESH'Nikita'.
Faux has a FRESH'American Idol', followed by a FRESH'Bones'.
MY has an old 'Without A Trace', followed by another old 'Without A Trace'.
A&E has 'The First 48', another 'The First 48', still another 'The First 48', 'Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force', and another 'Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force'.
AMC offers the movie 'Death Wish 3', followed by the movie 'Death Wish 4: The Crackdown'.
BBC -
[6:00 AM] BBC World News
[7:00 AM] BBC World News
[8:00 AM] Memories Of A Queen
[9:00 AM] Royally Mad - Episode 1
[10:00 AM] Royally Mad - Episode 2
[11:00 AM] Modern Monarchy: Dos & Don'ts
[11:30 AM] William & Kate: Modern Monarchy
[12:00 PM] William & Kate: A Fairytale Romance
[1:00 PM] Princess Diana: Her Life in Jewels
[2:00 PM] Diana's Dresses - Diana's Dresses
[3:00 PM] Royally Mad - Episode 1
[4:00 PM] Royally Mad - Episode 2
[5:00 PM] William & Kate: Modern Monarchy
[5:30 PM] William and Harry: The Brother Princes
[6:00 PM] Prince William & Prince Harry: Into the Future
[7:00 PM] Prince William's Africa
[8:00 PM] William & Kate: A Fairytale Romance
[9:30 PM] William and Harry: The Brother Princes
[10:00 PM] Prince William & Prince Harry: Into the Future
[11:00 PM] Royally Mad - Episode 1
[12:00 AM] Royally Mad - Episode 2
[1:00 AM] William & Kate: A Fairytale Romance
[2:00 AM] William & Kate: Modern Monarchy
[2:30 AM] William and Harry: The Brother Princes
[3:00 AM] The Royal Wedding (LIVE) - Episode 1 (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'Real Housewives Of NYC', another 'Real Housewives Of NYC', still another 'Real Housewives Of NYC', followed by a FRESH'Real Housewives Of NYC'.
Comedy Central has last night's 'Jon Stewart', last night's 'Colbert Report', 'Futurama', another 'Futurama', 'South Park', another 'South Park', still another 'South Park', and yet another 'South Park'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is William Cohan.
Scheduled on a FRESHColbert Report is Wade Graham.
FX has the movie 'Iron Man', '2½ Men', another '2½ Men', still another '2½ Men', yet another '2½ Men', 'Running Wilde', and another 'Running Wilde'.
History has 'Mounted In Alaska', another 'Mounted In Alaska', 'Swamp People', followed by a FRESH'Swamp People', then a FRESH'Mounted In Alaska', followed by another FRESH'Mounted In Alaska'.
IFC -
[6:00 AM] Breaker! Breaker!
[8:00 AM] Mad Dog Morgan
[10:15 AM] The Hearse
[12:30 PM] The Grid
[12:45 PM] Curse of the Golden Flower
[3:15 PM] Mad Dog Morgan
[5:30 PM] The Hearse
[7:45 PM] The Grid
[8:00 PM] The Making Of: Transformation
[8:05 PM] Slow Burn
[10:05 PM] The Usual Suspects
[12:20 AM] Vice Squad
[2:35 AM] Slow Burn
[4:35 AM] Onion News Network
[5:05 AM] The Whitest Kids U'Know
[5:25 AM] The Whitest Kids U'Know (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[7:00 AM] The Toe Tactic
[8:30 AM] ALL ON THE LINE - Dana-Maxx: It's Time to Grow Up (Episode 5, Season 1)
[9:30 AM] THE COMEBACK - Valerie Gets a Very Special Episode (Episode 7, Season 1)
[10:00 AM] THE COMEBACK - Valerie Relaxes in Palm Springs (Episode 8, Season 1)
[10:30 AM] Under The Bombs
[12:15 PM] Comrades in Dreams
[2:00 PM] The Story
[3:30 PM] Under The Bombs
[5:15 PM] The Toe Tactic
[6:40 PM] L'Auberge Espagnole
[8:45 PM] Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee
[10:00 PM] 24 Hour Party People
[12:00 AM] Bunny and the Bull
[1:45 AM] Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee
[3:00 AM] 24 Hour Party People
[5:00 AM] Bunny and the Bull (ALL TIMES EST)
TBS:
On a RERUNConan (from 3/10/11) are Seth Rogen, Brittany Snow, and Lykke Li.
On a RERUNLopez Tonight (from 2/16/11) are Liam Neeson, Eddie Griffin, and a performance by the Broadway cast of "Rock of Ages".
Actor Denis Leary and his wife Ann Lembeck attend the Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, in New York.
Photo by Peter Kramer
The Moscow film company behind some of the greatest classics of Soviet cinema on Wednesday said it had agreed to make dozens of its best-known movies freely available on YouTube.
The agreement between Mosfilm and YouTube means that an initial batch of 50 films that still have legendary status in Russia but are little known outside will for the first time find a wide foreign audience.
The unabridged films have been posted with subtitles and Mosfilm said it will add five more films every week, meaning that by the end of the year a library of 200 films will be available in high definition.
The movies posted so far include "Ivan Vasilevich Changes Occupation", a 1973 comedy where a Soviet engineer accidentally sends feared Tsar Ivan the Terrible to modern Moscow with his homemade time machine.
Also available is "White Sun of the Desert" (1969), the first of a genre of Soviet co-called Easterns set in Central Asia that is still traditionally watched by cosmonauts before every space launch.
In this April 12, 2011, photo, Emmylou Harris is shown in her home in Nashville, Tenn. Harris has a new album titled, 'Hard Bargain.'
Photo by /Mark Humphrey
Cirque du Soleil is going to make the Las Vegas Strip the permanent home of Michael Jackson attractions over the next two years.
Performance troupe president Daniel Lamarre on Wednesday announced plans that include an interactive memorabilia museum dedicated to the King of Pop, a Michael Jackson-themed lounge and a permanent show featuring dancers and his music at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
Lamarre described the plans while talking about a Sin City stop on a $57 million show due to kick off in October in Montreal and tour 30 other cities.
Excerpts from Jackson's music videos will be part of the 90-minute show, with no specific performer representing Jackson.
The longtime theater, film and television actress Helen Hayes is being honored on a new forever postage stamp, on sale nationwide for 44-cents and usable for first-class postage from now on.
The stamp was dedicated Monday.
Born in Washington, Hayes appeared in her first school production at age 5 and was starring on Broadway by age 20. She went on to become known as the First Lady of American Theater.
In her career she appeared in more than 100 productions, winning Tony Awards along the way. She collected an Oscar for best actress in "The Sin of Madelon Claudet" in 1932, the first stage actress to win an Academy Award, and won another for best supporting actress in the 1970 movie "Airport."
English comedian Eric Idle (L) and wife Tania Kosevich pose at the Royal Wedding themed champagne launch of BritWeek at the British Consul General'sofficial Residence in Los Angeles, April 26, 2011.
Photo by Danny Moloshok
Crime novelist Robert B. Parker is gone, but his most popular series will continue.
Parker's estate and publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons announced Wednesday that new "Spenser" and "Jesse Stone" novels will be written. Michael Brandman, a longtime friend of Parker's, will handle the "Jesse Stone" books. Ace Atkins will take on Spenser. Parker's widow, Joan Parker, says in a statement that she's "delighted" the author's characters will "live on."
Parker died last year at age 77. "Sixkill," a Spenser novel completed before his death, comes out next month.
A man tried to grab or hit Paris Hilton's boyfriend as the couple headed into a Los Angeles courthouse where the socialite was to testify against a man accused of an attempted break-in at her home.
The incident Wednesday outside the Superior Court building in Van Nuys was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer and reporters who were interviewing the couple.
The man appeared to get a hand on the neck of Hilton's boyfriend Cy Waits but was immediately seized by a bodyguard and taken away.
Police Officer Cleon Joseph says the man has been detained and an investigation is under way.
Katie Holmes has settled her lawsuit with the publishers of Star magazine over a cover story that insinuated she was a drug addict.
The magazine published an apology to the actress Tuesday on the cover and inside its May 9 issue, saying it "did not intend to suggest that Ms. Holmes was a drug addict or was undergoing treatment for drug addiction."
"In a recent issue of Star, we published headlines about Katie Holmes that could be read to suggest that she was addicted to drugs," the apology read. "Star apologizes to Ms. Holmes for any misperception and will be making a substantial donation to charity on Ms. Holmes' behalf for any harm that we may have caused."
Holmes' publicist, Ina Treciokas, said that American Media Inc. gave a sizable donation to Dizzy Feet Foundation, an organization that brings dance to underprivileged children.
Jerry Seinfeld and his wife Jessica Seinfeld attend the Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, in New York.
Photo by Peter Kramer
The producers of a new Broadway musical about the 1960s girl group The Shirelles have been hit with a lawsuit charging them of pilfering the names and likenesses of the original members.
Singer Dionne Warwick, who is also portrayed in the show "Baby It's You", joined the legal action which was filed in New York Supreme Court a day before Wednesday's opening night.
Three of the four women -- surviving member Beverly Lee, who owns the trademark to "The Shirelles" name and the estates of Doris Coley Jackson and Addie Harris McFadden -- filed their lawsuit on Tuesday.
"Baby It's You!" is the story of Florence Greenberg, a suburban housewife from New Jersey who discovered the all-girl group and created Scepter Records. It has been running in preview at New York's Broadhurst Theater for several weeks.
Actress Jacqueline Bissett arrives at the champagne launch of the fifth annual BritWeek in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Britweek honors the influences the British have had on Southern California.
Photo by Matt Sayles
Mariska Hargitay, who stars as detective Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," has sued to stop a talent agency from claiming a share of her earnings from the hit NBC television show.
According to a complaint filed Wednesday in a New York state court in Manhattan, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment LLC early this month filed an arbitration claim in California seeking commissions and other sums for Hargitay's work on SVU's 11th and 12th seasons.
Hargitay said she had been a client of a predecessor firm, William Morris Agency Inc. But she said an agreement under which that firm received 10 percent of her gross earnings ended in September 2004, and that she dropped the firm in May 2009.
The arbitration claim "therefore came as a surprise" given that Hargitay never had or agreed to a relationship with William Morris Endeavor, and has paid all commissions and other sums owed, the complaint said.
Actor Fred Willard arrives at the champagne launch of the fifth annual BritWeek in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Britweek honors the influences the British have had on Southern California.
Photo by Matt Sayles
The superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District says he wants to stop offering chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milk to students as part of an attempt to curb childhood obesity.
Superintendent John Deasy appeared with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver on Tuesday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and said he will recommend the ban to the board of education by July.
The nation's second-largest school district clashed with Oliver last fall when the British chef wanted to shoot his reality TV series "Food Revolution" at Los Angeles schools. The ABC program is focused on making kids' lunches healthier, but the district objected to having TV cameras in schools.
Deasy says he is concerned about serving flavored milk to students because of its additives.
Yeah, getting rid of chocolate milk will make it all better.
How about all those 'sandwiches' with the extra-cheap-dough-extended-non-nutritional spnngiform product, known institutionally as 'bread'?
It's used to encase pasteurized, processed cheese-food and nitrate-laced, snout-included baloney.
And, the cooked food is generally fried. All food is prepared off-site, then trucked to the schools.
What passes as fit-for-kids food in the LA/LB school system is an insult to every health class ever taught.
What I've seen at the kid's school wouldn't pass muster as hog slop.
But, sure, take away chocolate milk, the only palatable item on the menu most days. That'll teach 'em!
Thankfully nobody lost sight of what the story was really all about - little men with big egos getting their faces on TV.
~m
Fans may get a chill watching the CW's "Vampire Diaries," but star Nina Dobrev says the cast and crew were the ones spooked while filming at the Gaither Plantation in Covington, Ga.
Dobrev says several creepy, unexplained events took place during the 2010 shoot, including a piano seemingly playing on its own. "The ADs (assistant directors) started screaming, `Stop! Whoever that is stop the music. We're rolling. Cameras are on,'" Dobrev says. But the actress says when they walked in the room with the piano no one was there.
At another point, the lights began flickering while she was in the bathroom. At first she thought her co-stars were playing tricks on her but she says, again, no one was nearby and "the lights were just spontaneously coming on and off." Dobrev, who plays characters Elena and Katherine in the vampire drama filmed in the Atlanta area, says everyone had a collective "weird feeling" at the site even though "nobody could pinpoint" why.
She says previously she didn't believe in the supernatural, "but all of a sudden it was kind of happening and it was kind of weird."
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, left, hands a ceremonial check to Altoona Mayor William Schirf, after changing the town name of Altoona, Pa. to'POM Wonderful: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.', Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Spurlock donated $25,000 to the city to rename itself for 60 days so he could make a movie of the same name that lampoons the proliferation of advertising.
Photo by Keith Srakocic
In the world of Coca-Cola memorabilia, the Schmidt family's collection is like the Smithsonian.
The most treasured items are from the company's earliest days in the late 1800s, and some are so rare they don't even appear at the Coca-Cola Co. museum in Atlanta. And now, they're all for sale.
The family, one of the earliest bottlers of the soft drink, spent years scouring the country for pieces branded with the iconic Coca-Cola name. They opened up a museum to show off their prized collection, but they're ready to move on and have decided to auction 80,000 items piecemeal, beginning in mid-September.
The entire collection is valued in the millions and includes one-of-a-kind posters, rare serving trays, century-old lithograph calendars, unique bottles, colorful jewelry, lighted signs, vending machines and toys. There's even the side of a Kentucky barn that served as a giant Coke ad.
Alice Ward, the matriarch of a Massachusetts boxing clan who was portrayed in "The Fighter" in an Oscar-winning performance by Melissa Leo, has died. She was 79.
Family friend John Descoteaux says Ward died at a Boston hospital Wednesday, one day after she was taken off life support. She had gone into cardiac arrest in January and stopped breathing for more than 30 minutes.
In "The Fighter," Ward is portrayed as a bleach-blond, boozy, lovingly domineering mother to boxers Micky Ward and his half-brother, Dicky Eklund. Micky Ward rose from his blue-collar roots and overcame ugly squabbling with his relatives to earn a boxing title shot in 2000, when he was in his mid-30s.
Horses, approximately 350, run as they are gathered during Montana Horses' spring drive outside Three Forks, Montana, April 22, 2011. Picture takenApril 22, 2011.
Photo by Jim Urquhart
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 hypocrites?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
This is your place.
wrote:
answered:
