'Best of TBH Politoons'
Reader Suggestion
First Ladies
Marty
I am not sure if I have ever seen a YouTube on your site or not . . . but this is so good, I thought I would pass it along to you.
A rare clip from the Dana Carvey Show: Presidents' Wives as Dogs
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Another Economic Disconnect (The New York Times)
... next time someone tells you that any action that might reduce corporate profits a bit - like actually enforcing health and safety regulations or making it easier for workers to organize - will reduce business investment, bear in mind that today's record profits aren't being invested. Instead, they're being used to enrich executives and a few lucky stock owners.
Paul Krugman: Gilded Once More (The New York Times)
One of the distinctive features of the modern American right has been nostalgia for the late 19th century, with its minimal taxation, absence of regulation and reliance on faith-based charity rather than government social programs. Conservatives from Milton Friedman to Grover Norquist have portrayed the Gilded Age as a golden age, dismissing talk of the era's injustice and cruelty as a left-wing myth.
Jim Hightower: LIFE IN IRAQ (jimhightower.com)
According to the "Dick and George Show," broadcast daily from the White House, things are really looking up in Iraq. Hmmm. They might want to ask the Iraqi people about that.
Seized - for showing their hair (guardian.co.uk)
In the past few days hundreds of Iranian women have been bundled off the streets and arrested. Officially, they were breaking the 'correct' Islamic dress code. But, as Simon Tisdall reports, the real aim is to keep women second-class citizens.
Bill Gallagher: Bush's Lies Reaching Tipping Point (Niagara Falls Reporter; Posted on smirkingchimp.com)
The march of truth is trampling the lies of President George W. Bush and exposing his fanatical insistence that people continue to die for his deceptions and delusions. Former CIA director George Tenet, Jessica Lynch, Pat Tillman's family, a brave Army officer, journalists who see the facts flat-on, and members of Congress who refuse to forget lies are crushing Bush and his disciples in deceit.
Barbara Ehrenreich: The Higher Education Scam (huffingtonpost.com)
The pundits keep chanting that we need a more highly skilled workforce, by which they mean more college graduates, although the connection between college and skills is not always crystal clear.
Meaghan O'Neill and treehugger.com: Green Food (slate.com)
Eat your veggies instead of eating up energy.
Jim Hightower: DEMOCRACY V. ZIP CODE 10021 (jimhightower.com)
The most popular zip code in America for politicians is 10021. This is the Upper East Side of Manhattan, home to CEOs, stockbrokers, and wealthy investors. In last year's congressional elections, more campaign contributions flowed from this one posh neighborhood than from hundreds of other zip codes combined.
Jim Hightower: WANTED: WAR CZAR (jimhightower.com)
An unusual help-wanted ad has come out of Washington. It reads: WANTED: Full-time turnaround specialist to take charge of large empire-building enterprise. Duties include development of a plan, coordination of outsized egos, 24/7 damage control, and refurbishment of the institution's image. Requries experience at correcting past errors, multi-tasking ability, crisis-management skills, and a strong stomach. Send resumes to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Interview by Laura Barnett: Portrait of the artist: Hugh Dennis, comedian (guardian.co.uk)
What's the greatest threat to comedy today?
Contentment. Comedians can't afford to get too comfortable; we need something to rail against.
Dinner and the Movies: Kevin Smith (rottentomatoes.com)
A world-exclusive two-hour sit-down with Silent Bob himself. PART ONE OF FIVE.
Anthony Lane: Magnum Farce (newyorker.com)
"Hot Fuzz" and "The Valet."
Anthony Lane:"Spider-Man 3" and "The Treatment" (newyorker.com)
There is one great scene in "Spider-Man 3," and you can pretty much leave the theatre onc it's over, but for those three or four minutes you wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Review: Waitress
The packed Sundance press and industry screening of Waitress wasn't too surprising considering the amount of attention the film has gotten due to the tragic murder of writer-director-actress Adrienne Shelly last November and the quick pick-up by Fox Searchlight over the weekend.
Mike Miley: The Wonderful, Horrible State of Today's Cinema (huffingtonpost.com)
Even our Oscar-winners pale in comparison to winners of twenty years ago. Are we really going to be talking about The Departed in 20 years?
New Anti-Bush Ad: "You Can't Veto the Truth
Nunsensense Song and Dance
Reader Suggestion
Nother Funny Vidja
Hiya Marty!
After watching that video of Danny Devito on the U-Tubes I noticed
this one listed in the "related video" section.
I gotta believe that this is the way George W behaved when he was in college, and notice the part about monkeys liking leaders that get drunk (isn't the supposed "allure" of Bush to the average Joe , that "he's the kinda guy you would want to have a beer with"? )
Vic (not) in AK
Thanks, Vic!
Follow Up
zEN mAN wONdEREd
BART COP READERS......
FORGET GOOGLE AND WIKIPEDIA....ALL I HAVE TO DO IS ASK BARTCOP E READERS A QUESTION....AND THERE WILL BE AN ANSWER!
THANK YOU....OH THE WISDOM OF THE MASSES.
zEN mAN
THEY LIVE IN TENTS
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
'May Gray' til mid-afternoon, keeping it nice and cool.
Journalists Demand Probe
MacArthur Park
Police Chief William J. Bratton said Wednesday that some of the police tactics used to clear immigration protesters from a park were inappropriate, as news videos showed officers striking people with batons and firing rubber bullets into crowds that included children.
Images showed police hitting a television cameraman to the ground and shoving people who were walking away from officers at Tuesday's demonstration. Some injured people were seen in the videos, including a Hispanic man with a bleeding welt on his stomach and back.
Spanish-language TV station Telemundo said one of its reporters and three camera operators were injured and taken to the hospital by police. Fox 11 aired video of a station camerawoman apparently being struck by a baton-wielding police officer in riot gear.
KPCC radio reporter Patricia Nazario said she was hit in the back and ribs with a baton, then hit her head and twisted her ankle while falling from a blow.
"'Why did you hit me? I'm a reporter,'" Nazario recalled saying Wednesday during an interview on her station. "And he hit me again, harder that time, and I fell; and I fell on the dirt and my phone flew like about 12 feet in front of me."
MacArthur Park
The Radio and Television News Association Demand Probe
Aztlan Electronic News - L.A.P.D. Riots at May 1st Macarthur Park Protest
LiveLeak.com - Telemundo TV Crew Caught In MacArthur Park Clash
LiveLeak.com - LAPD officers moved in to disperse May Day crowds (long version)
I can't believe this story isn't the lede on every station in the city.
One of the reporters, Marc Coogan of KCBS/KCAL, has been on the air here for close to 40 years. He's old school, and always wears a suit. He was batoned and sent sprawling.
KABC's Sid Garcia was hit with a rubber bullet.
The Fox camerawoman ended up in the hospital.
Telemundo is NBC/Universal/GE.
Reporters from all 4 major networks were beaten, and yet their corporate masters remain painfully silent.
Banned At Walter Reed
Joan Baez
Folk singer and anti-war activist Joan Baez says she doesn't know why she was not allowed to perform for recovering soldiers recently at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as she planned.
In a letter to The Washington Post published Wednesday, she said rocker John Mellencamp had asked her to perform with him last Friday and that she accepted his invitation.
Baez's manager, Mark Spector, told the Post that Mellencamp's management invited Baez to perform in March and handled all the arrangements. The Post said Mellencamp's manager, Randy Hoffman, did not return calls requesting comment and that Mellencamp's publicist said the singer was ill Tuesday and unavailable.
But Mellencamp earlier told RollingStone.com: "They didn't give me a reason why she couldn't come. We asked why and they said, 'She can't fit here, period.' "
Joan Baez
Cardozo High School, Bayside, NY
George & Ron
TMZ has obtained high school yearbook photos of former CIA honcho George Tenet -- and his classmate, porn king Ron Jeremy!
In the early 70s, the two entered Cardozo High School in Bayside, NY. Tenet and Jeremy (who's real last name is Hyatt) played on the soccer team together. They were known for their balls after graduation as well, just in different ways.
Walk O'Fame Star
Jon Peters
As a child actor, Jon Peters rode a donkey in the 1956 film "The Ten Commandments." This week, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a donkey at his side.
As a Beverly Hills hairstylist with a celebrity clientele during the 1970s, Peters inspired the character portrayed by Warren Beatty in 1975's "Shampoo."
He became Barbra Streisand's hairdresser and went on to manage her early movie and music career. He produced her 1976 film, "A Star Is Born," and several of her albums.
He was involved in producing several acclaimed films in the 1980s, including "Flashdance," "The Color Purple," "The Witches of Eastwick," "Rain Man" and "Batman."
Jon Peters
Tech Trouble
'Handy Manny'
Children here got more than they bargained for when they tuned in to "Handy Manny" on the Disney Channel this week - hard-core pornography.
Cable giant Comcast is investigating how the porn was broadcast during the popular cartoon, which is about a bilingual handyman, Manny Garcia, and his talking tools.
Comcast spokesman Fred DeAndrea confirmed that the programming error occurred around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. He declined to provide the duration of the porn broadcast but described it as an "isolated issue in a local New Jersey facility."
A Disney Channel spokeswoman said the company has asked Comcast for assurances that appropriate measures were taken to prevent such situations in the future.
'Handy Manny'
Way back when I was at the Disney Channel, there was also a porn incident, when a pirate satellite outfit tried to take advantage of Disney's transponders after the mouse channel signed off for the night.
The porn people were trying to use the East Coast transponder, and by mistake, came up on the West Coast's transponder.
Disney Channel West Coast was still on-air (it was an episode of 'Zorro'), and the smut signal was a bit stronger than Disney's.
Officially, Disney claimed the incident lasted under a minute, but I'd bet it really lasted a lot longer.
Favors Hubbard Novel
Willard 'Mitt' Romney
When asked his favorite novel in an interview shown yesterday on the Fox News Channel, Willard 'Mitt' Romney pointed to "Battlefield Earth," a novel by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. That book was turned into a film by John Travolta, a Scientologist.
A spokesman said later it was one of Mr. Romney's favorite novels.
"I'm not in favor of his religion by any means," Mr. Romney, a Mormon, said. "But he wrote a book called 'Battlefield Earth' that was a very fun science-fiction book." Asked about his favorite book, Mr. Romney cited the Bible.
Willard 'Mitt' Romney
Dis-Invited From Graduation
Sen. Claire McCaskill
An invitation to Sen. Claire McCaskill to speak at her daughter's graduation from a Roman Catholic high school was withdrawn because of her positions on abortion and stem cell research.
Students at all-girls St. Joseph's Academy in the St. Louis suburb of Frontenac wanted to have McCaskill speak at their commencement this month, McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said Tuesday.
But the offer was rescinded last week. The president of St. Joseph's, Sister Michaela Zahner, said she reluctantly made the decision after receiving a call from the St. Louis Archdiocese.
The senator was told by the school that the decision came from Archbishop Raymond Burke, Marsh said.
Sen. Claire McCaskill
Sells 362 Radio Stations
Clear Channel
U.S. broadcaster Clear Channel Communications Inc. said on Wednesday it agreed to sell 362 radio stations for $820 million as it divests assets in accordance with its embattled $19.5 billion plan to go private.
In November, the company said it planned to sell its television group as well as 448 of its 1,150 radio stations when it agreed to a takeover offer of $36.70 a share from Thomas H. Lee and Bain Capital.
Clear Channel said on Wednesday it expects to receive $1.875 billion in proceeds from all divestitures announced to date, including the sale of other radio stations and its TV division.
Clear Channel said it would continue to pursue the divestiture of 86 radio stations in 16 markets.
Clear Channel
Historian Claims To ID
Jack the Ripper
An eminent South African historian believes he has stumbled on the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Charles van Onselen said at first he wasn't sure he wanted to publicize the conclusions he drew when he noticed parallels in the century-old, unsolved Ripper case and the background of Joseph Silver, who terrorized women as "King of the Pimps" in Johannesburg.
"I was left with a choice: I have got intelligent speculation, which I think is pretty long way down the track to proving that this guy was the Ripper. Do I include or exclude it?
The publicity around van Onselen's "The Fox and The Flies: The World of Joseph Silver, Racketeer and Psychopath", published in April, has made much of Silver being Jack the Ripper, the notorious Victorian serial killer who murdered at least five East London prostitutes in 1888.
Jack the Ripper
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