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From 'TBH Politoons'
Great Site!
Thanks, again, Tim!
Reader Contribution
from Alvin
Alvin D
Dick Cheney has been sued left {ACLU} and right {Judicial
Watch} for shady business deals.
MIDILink
CHENEY, THEY ALL WANT YOU
{Sung to 'Baby, I'm-a Want You' by Bread}
by alvin & bill
Cheney, they all want you
Cheney, they have sued you
No!... you can't continue stonewalling
They're out to get you
Cheney, don't be crazy
Come out of your hole - please tell us...
'Bout meetings held with Enron
Books at Haliburton
You are hiding all these secrets through executive power
Cheney, you're a-prayin'
That you won't someday be stayin' in a penitentiary
Soon they'll tear down your stone wall of secrecy
Lawsuit pressure piles because the public needs to see...
{break}
Cheney, you're a-prayin'
That you won't someday be stayin' in a penitentiary
Soon they'll tear down your stone wall of secrecy
Lawsuit pressure piles because the public needs to see...
Hypocrisy!...
Cheney, they all want you
Cheney, they have sued you
You've been crooks so long, you and Bush Baby....
Cheney, they all want you!
Cheney, they have sued you!...
~~ Alvin D
Thanks, again, Alvin
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Weather got a little hotter, but, jeez, it's summer!
Not a real good time to visit Las Vegas, but, the end of September is perfect! Anybody else going to BartFest? I'll be there, regardless!
It was spaghetti night - it's also tomato season, and the basil was so nice - couldn't resist.
1 Day....
Tonight, Thursday, CBS starts the night with a fresh 'Big Brother 3', then reruns of 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' and 'The Agency'.
Scheduled on a fresh Dave are Amy Sedaris, Chazz Palminteri, and Weezer.
Scheduled on a fresh Craiggers are Natasha Henstridge, Alex Meneses, and Ash.
NBC has reruns of 'Friends', 'Scrubs', 'Will & Grace', 'Just Shoot Me', and 'ER'.
Scheduled on a fresh Jay are Mike Myers, Chris Matthews, and Jewel (but, Chris 'Tweety' Matthews is in the hospital with malaria...).
Scheduled on a fresh Conan are Martin Lawrence and Los Lobos.
Scheduled on a fresh Carson Daly are David Arquette and Kylie Minogue.
Over at ABC, it's the movie 'Metro', and then 'PrimeTime Thursday'.
The WB starts with a rerun 'Reba', then 2 reruns of 'Jamie Kennedy Experiment', and then a rerun of 'Off Centre'.
Faux has a fresh 'Beyond Belief: Fact Or Fiction?' and then a fresh 'Pulse', which could also be creditably titled 'Beyond Belief: Fact Or Fiction?'.
UPN has 'WWE SmackDown!'.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
'The West Wing'
Rob Lowe
In the latest behind-the-scenes drama involving the NBC series "The West Wing," Rob Lowe is quitting his role as White House deputy communications director Sam Seaborn.
Barring some unforeseen twist, his character will be phased out in an episode to air next March, the result of an exit strategy that has already been agreed upon by both parties. The show has just wrapped its third season.
Sources on both sides paint the pending exit as amicable but clearly, money is at the heart of it. The prime reason, said sources, is that Lowe was stung by the unwillingness of the show's producers
to even discuss raising his per-show price of $75,000. This comes right after they tripled Martin Sheen's salary to $300,000 per episode and last season doubled the salaries of Allison Janney, Richard
Schiff, John Spencer and Bradley Whitford after a protracted salary stalemate that ended when the quartet committed to a seventh season, each getting $70,000 an episode.
That left Lowe the only cast member to not get his first season salary bumped up. Warner Bros. TV, the show's producer, feels the show has evolved into Sheen's show, surrounded by an ensemble on
equal footing. Sources on the show point out that all of the stars are Emmy-nominated this year except Lowe, who petitioned in the lead actor category, which is TV's toughest ticket.
They were unwilling to even open pay hike talks with Lowe's reps, Creative Artists Agency and veteran manager Bernie Brillstein. That left Lowe feeling hurt, after believing that his turn would
come. Lowe is expected to wing his way back to features or star in another series. If he does the latter, Lowe, who got one Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations during his "Wing" run,
will probably command a higher salary.
Rob Lowe
Big Dog Watch Continues
Bill Clinton In Little Rock
Former President Bill Clinton talks to reporters at the construction site of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park Wednesday, July 24, 2002, near downtown Little Rock, Ark. Clinton said the
library complex will be a landmark for Little Rock.
Photo by Danny Johnston
Cool Link
Earth As Art
Earth As Art
Realizes Hoop Dream
Chris Rock
Chris Rock filmed a scene for his upcoming movie, "Head of State," at halftime of the Utah Starzz-Washington Mystics game.
Rock plays an alderman who comes onto the floor at MCI Center and makes a free throw in front of the roaring crowd. His form wasn't too bad, but the 36-year-old
actor-comedian needed five takes to nail the shot Saturday.
The crowd loved it and Rock, played it up nicely, telling everyone, "Thanks for helping us make our movie."
Rock is directing the film, also starring Bernie Mac, which is expected to be released next year.
Chris Rock
Newest Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Mike Myers
Comedian Mike Myers, creator of the "Austin Powers" franchise, got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday for his goofy, groovy brand of humor.
Wearing a black suit and shirt, the Canadian-born actor displayed his trademark self-deprecating humor as he accepted the award in front of an adult gift shop.
"It's a long way from playing street hockey in Toronto to having a star in front of the International Love Boutique," Myers quipped.
Myers, 39, was accompanied by his wife, Robin Ruzan, his mother and two brothers. Celebrity guests included "Austin Powers" cast members Robert Wagner, who plays Number Two, Mindy
Sterling, the dominitrix wife of Dr. Evil, and Seth Green, Dr. Evil's son.
Myers was born in Toronto and began his acting career right after high school. He worked with the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto and Chicago. Myers became known to
television audiences when he debuted on "Saturday Night Live" in 1989.
Myers became teary-eyed while thanking his late father Eric Myers, an encyclopedia salesman who died in 1991 of Alzheimer's disease, his mother Alice Myers, and other family members.
"I am not an extrovert all the time," Myers said. "This is a surreal experience."
Mike Myers
Fun Link
A Discordian Coloring Book
A Discordian Coloring Book
Hosting Emmys
Conan O'Brien
The job of Emmy host is going to Conan O'Brien instead of NBC's top late-night star, Jay Leno.
"We think it's Conan's turn to be seen by the biggest audience that will ever" see him, NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker said of the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" host.
The show has been on a four-network rotation for several years and is often used by the networks to showcase their own talent.
In addition to O'Brien, "Today" hosts Katie Couric and Matt Lauer will anchor an hourlong pre-ceremony show for the Sept. 22 Emmy Awards, Zucker told the Television Critics Association.
Conan O'Brien
Will Roll Into 2007
'Jeopardy!' & 'Wheel'
Television syndication powerhouse King World will pocket another $100 million for a two-year renewal of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" on stations in the top three markets, as well as four other ABC-owned TV stations.
The dollar figure comes from station and TV consultant sources: King World confirmed the renewal for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons but declined to discuss its contracts. The deal covers WABC New York, KABC Los Angeles and WLS Chicago, as well
as WPVI Philadelphia, KGO San Francisco, WTVD Raleigh/Durham, N.C., and KFSN Fresno, Calif.
"Wheel" begins its 20th season in firstrun syndication this fall, and "Jeopardy!" its 19th. King World said "Wheel" has finished first among all syndicated five-a-weekers for 74 consecutive sweep periods. "Jeopardy!" has come in second
for 67 consecutive sweeps, the company said.
'Jeopardy!' & 'Wheel'
Interesting Link
Magonia
Magonia - Links we like
Pregnancy To Be Shown
Jane Kaczmarek
No more hiding behind giant frying pans, chairs and refrigerator doors.
Jane Kaczmarek's third real-life pregnancy will be written into her Emmy-nominated role as Lois on TV's "Malcolm in the Middle."
"I've been told they're going to work the pregnancy into the show," Kaczmarek told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week. "The plan is to do some episodes (with Lois) not pregnant, and then some pregnant."
The last time the 46-year-old Greendale native was pregnant, she spent a lot of time on the show hiding her expanding middle.
The actress and husband Bradley Whitford of "The West Wing," a Madison native, have a 4-year-old daughter, Frances, and a 2-year-old son, George. They married in 1992 after meeting in New York, years after both had left Wisconsin.
Last week, Kaczmarek received her third Emmy nomination for playing the harried mom on the Fox sitcom. Whitford was nominated this year for supporting actor in a drama for his portrayal as the president's
deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman, on NBC's "The West Wing."
Jane Kaczmarek
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Coming to Pittsburgh Area
Farm Aid
Singers Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp are bringing Farm Aid to the Pittsburgh area, continuing the event's 16-year history of raising money to benefit American farmers.
Farm Aid 2002 is scheduled for Sept. 21 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown with a lineup that also includes Dave Matthews, who last year was appointed to Farm Aid's board.
In all, the events have raised more than $24 million, with much of that going to organizations which support family farms.
Coming to Pittsburgh Area
Farm Aid
(Almost) Every Little Girl Knows This Word
Chincoteague
Firefighters, background, drive ponies across Assateague Channel during the 77th annual Pony Swim to the Island of Chincoteague, Va., Wednesday, July 24, 2002. About 150 wild
ponies hit the water at Assateague Island and swam across a channel in an annual tradition made famous by Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague." The firefighters,
also known as "Saltwater Cowboys," care for the animals all year long. Some of the ponies will be auctioned Thursday to raise money for the fire department.
Photo by Scott Neville
Cites Celeb Status in Lawsuit
Paula Zahn
Paula Zahn's lawyer is arguing that the CNN anchor shouldn't have to give a deposition in a lawsuit filed by her landscaper, partly because she's a celebrity.
Memrie Lewis is suing Zahn and her husband, Robert Cohen, for failing to pay in full for extensive landscaping at the couple's Greenwich home, according to documents filed in Stamford Superior Court.
Lewis said the couple has not paid about $108,000 for services rendered. She seeks about $200,000, including interest and compensation.
Nicole Anker, the lawyer representing the couple, filed a motion last week seeking a protective order, arguing that Zahn should not be deposed because she has "celebrity
status" and is unfamiliar with the landscape work, having delegated it to her husband, the Greenwich Time reported Wednesday.
Paula Zahn
Interesting Link
Surfing The Apocalypse
Surfing The Apocalypse
Costly Koi Accident
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury once expressed his passion for koi thus: "I've lived a full life and if I'm dead tomorrow I won't give a damn. I've finally found a niche I was looking for. To have my wonderful
Japanese garden with all this koi carp recently bought at such expense, I love it." The Queen star died in 1991, having found happiness with his fish. But this week it emerged that the vast majority
of Mercury's extraordinary collection of 89 koi, each more than two feet long and worth up to £10,000 each, have now died too, the hapless victims of a costly accident. Just five survived.
After Mercury's death, the koi - it's koi, rather than koi carp, since koi is the Japanese word for carp - remained at his former Kensington home, Garden Lodge, in a purpose-built pond which was
the centrepiece of the rock star's beloved Japanese garden. Mercury began with a collection of just 15 koi, but over the years he acquired more and more of the fish until his collection became
one of the most famous in the country. Mercury and his lover Jim Hutton exchanged koi for birthdays and Christmas, and these strange "living jewels", or "swimming flowers", as enthusiasts like to
describe them, became increasingly important in Mercury's life.
The house is now owned by Mercury's former girlfriend Mary Austin and her husband Nick Hulford, who are said to be devastated by the tragedy. Mary made a promise to Mercury that she would look
after the fish following his death and has cared for them for 10 years, latterly with the help of Hulford. "This is not about money," a friend said. "Freddie asked specifically for Mary to look
after the fish. She is very, very upset."
Mercury's koi were being kept in a temporary container while their pond, which had burst, was being rebuilt. Clifton Nurseries was carrying out some landscaping work around the pond. The fish
appear to have perished when the electricity that powered the temporary pond and everything else in the garden was turned off. Hulford and Austin would not comment, but Russell Conway, Mary
Austin's solicitor, last night confirmed that they had submitted a claim for damages against Clifton Nurseries. He said: "Mary Austin is extremely distressed by the death of 84 koi carp [which
were] temporarily in a storage tank pending transfer to a new pond. The death of the koi was caused by an employee of Clifton Nurseries turning off the electricity supply to the tank. Solicitors
acting for Mary Austin have contacted Clifton Nurseries with details of a claim for damages." Conway refused to give an exact figure for the claim, but said: "We are getting valuations on the koi.
The claim will be substantial." Mike Miller, managing director of Clifton Nurseries, based in Maida Vale, London, confirmed receipt of the letter but would give no further comment.
For a whole lot more, Freddie Mercury's Koi
Plans Hepatitis Treatment
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson, the small-town Canadian girl who became one of the world's most famous women, said on Tuesday night she would take time away from her career to
undergo a sometimes debilitating treatment for hepatitis C that could save her life.
Anderson, the former "Baywatch" star, said she plans to take injections of powerful antiviral drugs to treat her hepatitis C, a sometimes fatal liver disease she
blames on a tattoo needle shared with ex-husband Tommy Lee.
In April, Anderson, 35, made headlines when she announced that she and recording star Kid Rock, her boyfriend of a year, were engaged to be married.
But in the interview with King, she appeared to hedge: "I could say right now we're in the trenches. We're just working on things. ... We love each other very much
but it's a difficult life, a difficult life. And I want what's best for my kids. And he has a son."
Antiviral drugs -- such as interferon -- usually result in flu-like symptoms and can also cause hair loss, low blood count, moodiness and depression, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lee, former Motley Crue drummer, has denied Anderson's charge that he also suffers from hepatitis C or that the pair shared a tattoo needle.
Pamela Anderson
BartCop TV!
Set to Unveil 'Reality' TV Show
Minnelli & Gest
After weeks of speculation, singer Liza Minnelli and husband, producer David Gest, appear ready to officially enter the "reality" TV craze with a show called "Liza and David" set
to debut on cable TV's VH1 in late 2002.
The show is being called the first "weekly musical reality series" for VH1 and the network said in a statement it will hold a news conference on Thursday to announce full details.
Minnelli and her fourth husband Gest, 48, married in New York back in March with a star-studded guest list that included Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson, among some 200 celebrities.
The new burst of activity and her marriage to Gest are part of a remarkable turnaround in her fortunes from just two years ago when she struggled with weight
problems, viral encephalitis and an addiction to pain-killers.
Minnelli & Gest
Trail of 100 Giants
Giant Sequoia
A reporter walks around a two thousand year old Giant Sequoia inside the Trail of 100 Giants in the Giant Sequoia National Monument Wednesday, July 24, 2002. The national monument is
threatend by a fire that began Sunday and quickly blew out of control, reaching within two miles of the trail, a grove of towering trees that are among the largest and oldest on earth.
Photo by Kevork Djansezian
Nearly Doubled Since 1996
Cable TV Rates
Cable rates have soared almost 45 percent since 1996 when Congress approved a sweeping reform bill for the industry, more than double the rate of inflation over that period, a leading consumer group said on Wednesday.
Even though the satellite television industry has signed up more than 16 million subscribers, compared with the 69 million cable customers, cable subscription prices jumped 44.7 percent versus a 16.5 percent
rise in inflation, Consumer's Union said citing government statistics.
Lawmakers in recent months have complained about the rise in cable rates and asked their investigative arm, the General Accounting Office, to investigate but there has not yet been a big clamor
to slap the industry with new regulations.
Cable TV Rates
Fun Link
Dress the President!
Dress the President!
To Pay Past-Due Fees to L.A.
Adelphia
Bankrupt cable company Adelphia Communications Corp. plans to pay its past-due franchise fees to Los Angeles by the end of this month, its interim chief executive told city officials on Tuesday.
Adelphia's Erland Kailbourne was in Los Angeles on Tuesday to meet with the city's attorney and a committee of the City Council to discuss the health of the company, whose franchise agreements in the city expire on Aug. 2.
Adelphia is required to pay 5 percent of its local revenue to the city as a franchise fee every quarter; it missed its June 30 payment but has until July 30 to pay, a deadline the executive said the company would meet.
After the meeting, Kailbourne told Reuters the company expected to decide in the next 30 days whether or not it will add adult programming to its systems, a lucrative prospect the company in past shunned.
Under the Rigas family, the company carried no adult programming, though Kailbourne acknowledged that it would still be difficult to add networks such as the Playboy channels because of required
approvals from the bankruptcy court and other regulators.
Adelphia Communications Corp
Anyone else appreciating the irony of the oh-so-moral John Rigas & family not permitting 'adult programming' on 'their' cable systems, even going so far as to remove it from companies they bought-out, and losing their profit margin to prove their ethical superiority?
Film Props To Be Sold
Woody Allen
Filmmaker Woody Allen's lawsuit against his longtime producer Jean Doumanian has resulted in a tag sale of film props.
Dan Meader, owner of Elmwood Antiques in Haverhill, bought the contents of a warehouse in the New York City borough of Queens where Allen stored the props.
Half the money from Meader's purchase of the warehouse's contents goes to Allen, half to Doumanian. But Meader will keep the proceeds from his sale this week at an Amesbury
auction house, which ends Sunday.
Allen, 66, had accused Doumanian and her business partner of cheating him out of $12 million. A nine-day jury trial in New York City ended in a settlement last month. Terms
of the settlement were not released.
Woody Allen
Fun Link
Republican's 10 Commandments
REPUBLICAN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
Losses Mount After 'Windtalkers'
MGM
Losses doubled in the second quarter at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., following the disappointing box office performance of its lone major release, the World War II action film, "Windtalkers."
The film, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by John Woo, cost more than $100 million to make, but has only earned about $40 million at the box office since it opened in June.
The studio reported a net loss of $121.8 million in the quarter, or 48 cents per share, compared with a loss of $61.3 million, or 26 cents per share in the same period last year.
MGM
Not New Species
Giant Squid
A giant squid found washed up on an Australian beach was not a new species as first thought but a damaged specimen, a scientist said Tuesday.
The 550-pound creature was found dead Saturday on a beach in Hobart in Tasmania state. It had lost its two tentacles but would have been about 50 feet long.
Giant squid live on the edge of continental shelves, about 1,600 feet below the ocean's surface.
O'Shea said the squid found in Tasmania was a pregnant female that had washed up on the beach after mating. It had probably dropped its fertilized eggs in the water nearby.
Giant Squid
Entertaining Link
Skippy's List
The 213 Things Skippy is No Longer Allowed to Do in the US Army
Found in Scott's Antarctic Hut
Anthrax
Scientists found anthrax spores in the Antarctic hut used by British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust said on Wednesday.
Manchurian ponies and Himalayan mules, or their food, used in Scott's 1912 expedition to the frozen continent are thought to be the source of the spores.
The anthrax was found in the stables at the Cape Evans hut, some 25 km (16 miles) from New Zealand's Scott Base and the neighboring United States McMurdo Station.
McMurdo's population balloons to more than 1,000 during the summer months.
The hut has been put off limits to the few researchers working at the bases.
There is no indication Scott or any of his men, who lived in the hut in 1912, suffered from anthrax.
A New Zealand health ministry official said it was no surprise that spores could have survived in the frigid conditions.
"Spores can last for many years in the soil and don't pose a threat to humans unless they are inhaled in large quantities or come in contact with open wounds," the ministry's Douglas Lush said.
Anthrax
Died in Vat of Chocolate
Yoni Cordon
A candy factory worker died after being submerged in a 1,200-gallon vat of liquefied chocolate, police said.
Yoni Cordon, 19, of Philadelphia, was discovered in the vat by co-workers at the Kargher Corporation on Tuesday, authorities said.
Police said they believe Cordon had been working on a platform near the opening of the vat, which is used for mixing and melting chocolate.
Nobody saw Cordon fall and it was unknown how long he was submerged before he was found, Hatfield Township police detective Patrick M. Hanrahan said.
Hanrahan said foul play was not suspected and the death was being investigated as an accident.
Vat of Chocolate
While not trying to belittle a death, this story reminded me of a Smothers Brothers song - ''I Fell In A Vat of Chocolate''.
In looking for the lyrics, came across this -
'' How many people know that Pat Paulsen wrote the Smothers Brothers' song, ''I Fell In A Vat of Chocolate,'' or that he was friends with Tom Smothers since the Purple Onion nightclub spots in '59? ''
The Smothers Brothers Show
''I Fell In A Vat of Chocolate''
I fell in a vat of chocolate,
I fell in a vat of chocolate,
I fell in a vat of chocolate,
La dee doo, la dee doo dum day
What'd you do when you fell into the chocolate?
What'd you do when you fell into the chocolate?
What'd you do when you fell into the chocolate?
La dee doo, la dee doo dum day
I yelled 'fire' when I fell into the chocolate,
I yelled 'fire' when I fell into the chocolate,
I yelled 'fire' when I fell into the chocolate,
La dee doo, la dee doo dum day
Why'd you yell fire when you fell into the chocolate?
Why'd you yell fire when you fell into the chocolate?
Because no one would come if I yelled 'CHOCOLATE!!!'
La dee doo, la dee doo dum day....
thanks to a. stranger
At The 16th Stage
Tour de France
Rabobank team rider Michael Boogerd of the Netherlands is cheered by a cycling fan as he climbs to La Plagne on his way to win the 111.5-mile 16th stage of the Tour de France cycling race, from Les Deux Alpes to
La Plagne, July 24, 2002. U.S. Postal Service team rider Lance Armstrong retained the race leader's yellow jersey.
Photo by Stefano Rellandini
'The Osbournes'
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 3
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 2
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 1
