I wonder if the people who voted for Bush's second term/ first election, if they really believed the religious part of his schlemiel/schlamozzle, or if they really thought he would be a better leader during wartime. Either way, they were dead wrong, but the reason I bring this up is because I had a debate with a good friend of mine who is now Republican all the way, and he is a Christian (five years ago he was a quart of vodka/day drunken pothead pain-killer addict, go figure).
Five years ago he was polar opposite, politically and religiously. Although we don't remain as close, physically in locale or on ideas, including art, music, books, etc., we have grown apart on several issues. Like, I'm still a quart a day/vodka pothead painkiller agnostic (that was for humor in case my girlfriend reads this), and he used to be an atheist. I have always been somewhat agnostic, and I could respect his atheism. He had in the past always respected my agnosticism. The problem now lies in the fact I respect his Christianity but he doesn't respect my agnosticism. Go figure.
He told me that he voted for Bush because he thought Bush was a good religious man who would do this country good. We had had late night reveries in the factual agreement that religion had nothing to do with politics, and would usually interfere with each other, i.e. communism outlawing Christianisty and The Anglican Church outlawing , well, anything that pissed off a king. But then he married a wealthy Republican, who I now see as his "Holy Ghost" type of experience.
My friend's turnabout resulted after four years of living in a Banana Republic and watching Bunnypants literally destroy a country, our country. He came from Communist Poland several years ago and married a wealthy woman here in the states who I'm sure helped him kick some of his bad thoughts of atheism mighty quickly, yet how does one kick atheism? I asked him if he had had a "Holy Ghost" experience or anything along those lines and he replied no, but he felt after the birth of his son he thought there must be a higher power. I think there's most likely a higher power by just getting away with some of the shit I pulled when I was younger, but it still doesn't prove a higher power. I think the "change" in my friend's past aesthetic and religious views were his wife's influence, whhich isn't necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, except when it comes to this formerly enlightened guy now espousing Bush as as a progressive.
To take this a step further, it seems to me that when people who get into high political positions start believing they were appointed by higher powers, usually subscribe to a religious "dogma du jour". Constantine went all out with his belief of Christ and it was best back then you'd better go along with his belief or big trouble was comin' 'round the corner. Cities were named after him in the name of his new found religiosity and atheists and pagans were best to duck and cover.
Hell, Bush and his cohorts aren't too far away from re-naming this country Bushtantinople. Every guy he's appointed or named in a top position is a Christian. Is there something wrong with that? Fuck yes there is something wrong with that. Christianity has turned into a religion that business fatcats can hide behind when they get caught doing their sins they preach about on Sundays, like when Jim Baker fucked that skank down in Alabama and went to jail for bilking his followers for millions, or Jimmy Swaggart crying all over his television cameras about his rendevous with an eighteen year old whore. They use it as a cover for hypocrisy.
Let's not forget when Charles Keating and the Keating Five (whom John McCain was one, how quickly we forget) who were responsible for the bilking of billions upon billions of dollars from savings and loans institutions, and George Herbert Bush (bush#1) made the taxpayers come to Keating's rescue so our economy wouldn't collapse, hell old Charles was a fire-and-brimstone sort of guy.
They hide in the Middle America belief of something as unlikely as a virgin birth, or a man raising up from the dead, through the twisted verbal account of an ex- whore. Is this reasonable, people? Has anything positive occurred unless it has been based upon reason? I'm not denying there are religious organizations that help the poor, or some people who have believed in religions like Mother Theresa and the Pope have done good in their lives, but for every Mother Theresa or Pope, there have been ten Hitlers in the name of religion.
Which is why it's so dangerous to pack courts full of one religion. How many Muslims has Bush appointed to a position? There are extremely intelligent Muslim men fully capable, well, of his position, for that matter. I would just hate tolerance or freedoms begin to disappear more than they have due to the most dumb-assed president this country has ever encountered. Remember, we have almost three more years of this guy. Better watch him closely as we have seen the damage he can do in five years.
Thanks, Gene!
I've never seen 'Rat Girl,' but I do remember Sondra Locke's 'Ratboy'.
Ratboy was played by 'S. L. Baird' - AKA Sharon Baird, who was also one of the original Mouseketeers. Back then she was always paired with Cubby.
Matthew Simmons: Saudi Oil and the World Economy (washingtonpost.com)
In his recently published book "Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy," author Matthew Simmons argues that Saudi Arabia will in coming decades be unable to maintain its current level of oil production, with large-economic repercussions.
Kir Slevin: The 'Big Lie' on Bush's Nightstand (AlterNet)
Thom Hartman, writing last year about the big lies that smeared Kerry's war record, probably had it the most right: "History tells us that, over the short term, the Big Lie usually works. Over the long term, though, the damage it does -- both to those who use it, and to the society on which it is inflicted -- is incalculable."
I am so outta here (catch.com)
"This is the future of the new Iraqi government - it will be in the hands of the clerics," said Dr. Raja Kuzai, a secular Shiite member of the Assembly. "I wanted Iraqi women to be free, to be able to talk freely and to able to move around. ... I am not going to stay here," said Dr. Kuzai, an obstetrician and women's leader who met President Bush in the White House in November 2003.
Roger Ebert: Red Eye (3 Stars)
Watching "Red Eye" function so smoothly, doing exactly what it was intended to do, I was reminded of Howard Hawks' definition of a good movie: "Three great scenes. No bad scenes." Craven scores two and one. Not bad.
Well…..we get some Human Be-Ins and some Free Love Sex Orgies (nipples covered up by Dick Clark's decency squad) and Hippie Pads and Psychedelic visuals (Filmed by László Kovács) and soundtrack music with "The Seeds" and "The Strawberry Alarm Clock" and "Stoney" (Nicholson) lip syncing and playing air guitar with his "Far Out" Band and all the while everyone is looking for Steve "the Seeker"…including a bunch of thugs……cut to "Stoney" and "Guru Dave" fighting over Jenny's now a "flower child's" Ass (no peace and love here) …."Stoney" has a little anger management problem and thinks Jenny is too "square" and splits! Jenny is really upset so "Guru Dave" gives her some S.T.P. to calm her down (he takes some himself, too) and now the movie becomes a chaotic chase scene where Steve "the Seeker" is running from the thugs and Jenny is trying to catch him and "Guru Dave is tailing Jenny. Steve "the Seeker" looks like a freaked out Jesus with stringy long hair, a scraggly beard and white robes….he barricades himself from the thugs in an abandoned house and sets it on fire….Jenny watches (blindly) while her brother "Burns Out"….
Next thing you know, Jenny is in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge and totally freaking out as the cars zoom by in both directions….just as she jumps in front of one, "Guru Dave" throws himself at her and saves her…..but he has taken his last "Trip".
On the side of the road Jenny falls into the arms of "Stoney" and they live "groovily" ever after!!!!!!!!
This flick is severely dated and incredibly distorted by the goody goody moralistic influence of Dick "the Dork" Clark who imprinted the plot with a candy ass theme…."Take acid….and DIE"! Apparently the local "Real" hippies protested and interfered with the production a lot….because it was such a fucking phony portrayal of what was going on at the time. I wonder what would have happened if Roger Corman had directed this movie without the meddling of Dick? The end of the flick has the Strawberry Alarm Clock playing "World's on Fire".
Purple Gene gives "Psych Out" 5 pharmaceutical tabs of Sandoz L.S.D. out of 10 for being half stoned with a great cast.
CBS opens the night with a FRESH'big Brother 6', followed by a RERUN'CSI: The Original One', then a RERUN'Without A Trace'.
On a RERUNDave (from 6/24/05) are Tim Robbins, dog agility challenge, and Nick Griffin.
Scheduled on a FRESHCraig are Carrie Fisher, Terry McDermott, and Our Lady Peace.
NBC begins the night with a RERUN'Joey', followed by a RERUN'Will & Grace', then a RERUN'Scrubs', followed by another RERUN'Scrubs', then a RERUN'ER' (starts 1 minute before the top of the hour).
On a RERUNLeno (from 7/15/05) are Matthew Perry, Nick Cannon, and Papa Roach.
On a RERUNConan (from 5/24/05) are Chris Rock, Evangeline Lilly, and Billy Idol.
On a RERUNCarson Daly are Famke Janssen and Sum 41.
ABC starts the night with the movie 'Evolution', followed by 'PrimeTime Live'.
On a RERUNJimmy Kimmel are Johnny Knoxville, Bill Engvall, and Roger Alan Wade.
The WB offers a RERUN'Smallville', followed by a RERUN'Everwood'.
Faux fills the night with the movie 'Sweet Home Alabama'.
UPN fills the night with 'WWE SmackDown!'.
A&E has 'American Justice', 'Cold Case Files', and 'The First 48'.
AMC offers the movie 'Octopussy', followed by the movie 'Never Say Never Again', then the movie 'Never Say Never Again'.
BBC -
[2pm] 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' - Episode 4;
[2:40 pm 'Worst Week of My Life' - Episode 4;
[3:20pm] 'Blackadder' - Beer;
[4pm] 'Little Britain' - Episode 2;
[4:40pm] 'Blackadder' - Plan A-Captain Cook;
[5:20pm] 'Blackadder' - Plan B-Corporal Punishment;
[6pm] 'BBC World News';
[6:30pm] 'Cash in the Attic '- Anthony;
[7pm] 'The Benny Hill Show' - Episode 54;
[8pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - The Buzz Aldrin Show;
[8:40pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - Live From the Grillomat;
[9:20pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - School Prizes;
[10:00pm] 'Teachers' - Episode 4;
[11pm] 'The Benny Hill Show' - Episode 54;
[12am] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - The Buzz Aldrin Show;
[12:40am] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus - Live From the Grillomat;
[1:20am] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - School Prizes;
[2am] 'Teachers' - Episode 4;
[3am] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - The Buzz Aldrin Show;
[3:40am] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - Live From the Grillomat;
[4:20am] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - School Prizes;
[5am] 'Teachers' - Episode 4;
[6am] 'BBC World News'. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has 'Being Bobby Brown', another 'Being Bobby Brown', followed by a FRESH'Celebrity Poker Showdown', then the SEASON FINALE'Being Bobby Brown', and another 'Being Bobby Brown'.
Comedy Central has 'Weekends At The D.L.', 'Comedy Central Presents', last night's 'Jon Stewart', another 'Comedy Central Presents' (Jimmy Dore), 'South Park', 'Chappelle's Show', and 'Reno 911!'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is Christopher Hitchens.
IFC -
[6AM] 'Critical Care' (1997);
[8AM] 'The Brother From Another Planet' (1984);
[10AM] 'Jump Tomorrow' (2001);
[11:45AM] Short: 'Lollipops' (2002);
[12PM] 'Spring Forward' (1999);
[2PM] 'The Brother From Another Planet' (1984);
[4PM] 'IFC August Short Film Showcase' (2005);
[5PM] 'The Last Days Of Chez Nous' (1993);
[6:45PM] 'Spring Forward' (1999);
[8:45PM] 'Salvador' (1986);
[11PM] 'Trainspotting' (1996);
[1AM] 'Critical Care' (1997);
[2:45AM] 'Greg the Bunny #7: "Bunnie Hall"' (2005);
[3AM] 'Trainspotting' (1996);
[4:45AM] 'At the IFC Center' (2005);
[5:15AM] 'Henry's Film Corner #109' (2005);
[5:45AM] 'Short: Lollipops' (2002). (ALL TIMES EDT)
SciFi has the movie 'The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas', followed by the movie 'Liar Liar'.
Sundance -
[7AM] 'The Al Franken Show': (08/24/05);
[8AM] 'The Andromeda Strain';
[10:15AM] 'My Terrorist';
[11:15AM] 'Dopamine';
[12:45PM] 'Um Filme Falado';
[2:30PM] 'The Andromeda Strain';
[5PM] 'The Last Kiss';
[7PM] 'Tully';
[9PM] 'Embedded/Live';
[10:45PM] 'Investigation of a Flame';
[11:30PM] 'The Al Franken Show': (08/25/05);
[12:30AM] 'The Serpent and the Rainbow';
[2:15AM] 'The Cathedral';
[2:30AM] 'The Al Franken Show': (08/25/05);
[3:30AM] 'The Serpent and the Rainbow';
[5:10AM] 'Gamblin';
[5:30AM] 'Um Filme Falado'. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Actress Carrie Fisher arrives for the Los Angeles Premiere of 'Undiscovered' Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
Photo by Danny Moloshok
Music greats Willie Nelson and BB King, as well as fans, relatives and friends of music legend Ray Charles gathered at a Los Angeles post office named in his honor.
US resident George W. Bush put his signature July 12 to legislation naming a Los Angeles post office after the "King of Soul," who died in June 2004 at the age of 73.
The post office is located near the Ray Charles Studios, which are to be converted into a museum in memory of the blind music legend.
A group of writers has sued the Fox television network and the producer of reality programs such as "Trading Spouses," claiming they violated labor laws by forcing the writers to submit fake time cards, skip meals and work in "sweatshop conditions."
The suit, made public on Wednesday, is part of a broader effort by the Writers Guild of America to organize writers in the booming field of reality TV and follows a similar action filed last month against four other networks and producers.
Spokesmen for Fox and the producer, Rocket Science Laboratories, declined to comment, citing company policy.
The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and claims Rocket Science, producer of seven series including "Joe Millionaire" and "Renovate My Family," forced the writers to work more than 40 hours a week and turn in fake time cards, then failed to pay overtime, thereby violating California labor laws.
Chinese Internet-born star Furong Jiejie aka Sister Furong dances on a roof in Beijing August 10, 2005. Furong, whose real name is Shi Hengxia, started the craze by posting pictures of herself on Internet bulletin boards of two top universities in Beijing. In late July, authorities told the country's top blog host to move Furong-related content to low-profile parts of the site.
Photo by Alfred Cheng Jin
Victoria Gotti denied Wednesday she lied about having breast cancer but acknowledged her diagnosis showed she had "precancerous cells."
"What I have is considered by most to be cancer. Noninvasive cancer," Gotti said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
The New York Post, which carried a front-page headline declaring "Gotti's sick cancer scam," reported Wednesday that Gotti never had breast cancer as she had told the rival Daily News.
October 13 is being declared Peel Day to celebrate the life and legacy of trail-blazing BBC disc jockey John Peel, who died suddenly last year at the age of 65, the public broadcaster announced.
"Peel Day is about celebrating John's legacy and his unrivalled passion for music," said Andy Parfitt, head of pop-oriented BBC Radio One, where Peel was the longest-serving presenter.
Peel, who died on October 25 last year whilst on holiday in Peru, discovered dozens of major and influentual rock, punk and new wave bands, and also championed world music.
Singer Justin Timberlake on Wednesday accepted an apology and damages from a tabloid newspaper that falsely accused him of cheating on girlfriend Cameron Diaz with a British model.
The American singer had filed a libel suit at London's High Court over a July 2004 claim in the News of the World that he had a fling with model Lucy Clarkson.
Benjamin Beabey, lawyer for the tabloid's publisher, News Group Newspapers Ltd., said Wednesday that The News of the World apologized "for the distress and embarrassment caused by this article. It entirely accepts that the allegations are without foundation."
Cheech Marin at the New York premiere of 'The Underclassman', a film in which Marin appears, Tuesday, August 23, 2005. Directed by Marcos Siega, the film is an action comedy about a rough-edged rookie Los Angeles cop.
Photo by Stuart Ramson
A Hollywood producer who was found dead in a car with his young daughter had apparently suffered a heart attack and fallen on top of the girl, suffocating her, according to a coroner's report.
The body of Terry Carr, 62, toppled onto his 9-year-old daughter as she slept in the cargo area of their SUV, leaving her unable to escape or breathe, according to Lake County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Russ Perdock. Carr and his daughter, Arieka, were found Aug. 1.
Carr weighed about 212 pounds and his daughter was about 53 pounds, Perdock said Tuesday.
The vehicle was found parked at a convenience store in Clearlake Oaks a day after Carr abandoned his wife at a grocery store in Ashland, Ore. Clearlake Oaks is about 280 miles south of Ashland.
Rod Stewart appeared in federal court Tuesday, saying he was there to "defend my honor" in a breach of contract lawsuit filed by a Las Vegas resort.
The Rio hotel-casino, which is owned by gambling giant Harrah's Entertainment, filed suit after the British rocker canceled a 2000 concert while recuperating from thyroid surgery.
The company is seeking the return of $2 million paid to Stewart for the show, plus interest and attorney's fees.
Shamsudin Yusafzai, 45, performs for a group of villagers in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. The mobile educative theater presents the play 'New Hope' created to strengthen elections awareness. Having traveled to 26 provinces in Afghanistan since the beginning of their campaign, they focus mostly on rural areas where people have little access to information about the parliamentary elections, scheduled September 18.
Photo by Tomas Munita
A 44-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder, accused of trying to kill his ailing 80-year-old mother by cutting off her oxygen supply.
Dale E. Curtis, 44, was arrested Sunday evening when his mother called officers to her home, police said.
Curtis is a member of the Republican Town Committee, the Arts Commission and an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.
After the mother tossed away a pizza that he bought for her, Curtis allegedly told his mother, "You gotta go, baby. You gotta go," the mother told officers.
Gov. Arnold "2-Passports" $chwarzenegger (R - Steroids) is benefiting from millions of dollars raised by a network of tax-exempt groups without revealing that the money comes from major corporations with business before his office.
The groups are run by $chwarzenegger's closest political allies, who also represent some of California's biggest intere$t groups. Unlike the governor's many campaign funds, the nonprofits are not required to disclose their contributors and can accept unlimited amounts.
One group controlled by a powerful corporate consultant pays the $6,000-a-month rent on a Sacramento hotel suite used by the governor, who is a multimillionaire. Others have funded media events and political rallies featuring $chwarzenegger and helped pay for his foreign travel. So far, five tax-exempt groups aiding $chwarzenegger have collected $3 million.
A man who identified himself as 'Mr. T.V.' delivers his version of the evening news on the boardwalk on Venice Beach, California July 21, 2005. 'Please laugh, this is my way out of here,' said the man as he solicited one dollar from those who watched his performance. The Venice boardwalk, with its carnival-like atmosphere, is one of Los Angeles' premier tourist attractions, attracting a quirky and diverse mix of street performers, celebrities and tourists. Founded 100 years ago by Abbot Kinney, the community is observing a summer-long celebration.
Photo by Robert Galbraith
Thousands of Swazi girls Tuesday celebrated the end of a ban on sexual activity that had been imposed as a way to combat AIDS in one of the countries hit hardest by the epidemic.
King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch, had reinstated the "umchwasho" chastity ritual for five years in 2001, banning sexual relations for girls younger than 18. But the move was ridiculed as old-fashioned and unfairly focused on girls - and the king himself was accused of ignoring it.
As part of the end of ban, the girls in private burned the tasseled scarves that symbolized their chastity. About 30,000 girls then later joined the king in a two-hour ceremony in Swaziland's national stadium.
Experts said the rite did little to slow AIDS in Swaziland, a country of about 1 million where 42.6 percent of pregnant women and up to 40 percent of adults are infected with the virus - the highest rate in the world.
It was love at first sight for Brunei's ruler Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah when he spotted the young Malaysian woman who has reportedly become his second wife, a newspaper report says.
The 58-year-old head of the oil-rich state married 26-year-old former Malaysian television journalist Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim in a private ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night, according to the New Straits Times.
In February 2003 the sultan abruptly divorced his second wife, former flight attendant Mariam Abdul Aziz, who is mother to two of his four sons and two of his six daughters, and ordered all her royal titles withdrawn.
Polygamy is legal in the Muslim nation and the sultan remains married to his first wife Anak Saleha, whom he wed in 1967.
Rankings for the top 15 programs on basic cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Aug. 15-21. Each ratings point represents 1,096,000 households. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses.
1. NASCAR Nextel Cup/Michigan (Sunday, 2:25 p.m.), TNT, 4.5, 4.89 million homes.
2. "Monk" (Friday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.7, 4.11 million homes.
3. NFL Pre-Season: Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh (Monday, 7:59 p.m.), ESPN, 3.6, 3.95 million homes.
4. "The Closer" (Monday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 3.3, 3.66 million homes.
5. Film: "The Proud Family Movie" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Disney Channel, 3.2, 3.55 million homes.
6. "WWE Raw Zone" (Monday, 10 p.m.), Spike, 3.1, 3.42 million homes.
7. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), Spike, 3.1, 3.38 million homes.
8. "Law & Order" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 2.8, 3.102 million homes.
9. "Fairly Odd Parents" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.8, 3.098 million homes.
10. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.8, 3.092 million homes.
11. "Real World XVI" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 2.8, 3.065 million homes.
12. Film: "The Proud Family Movie" (Friday, 9:45 p.m.), Disney Channel, 2.7, 2.93 million homes.
13. "My Super Sweet Sixteen" (Monday, 10:30 p.m.), MTV, 2.6, 2.90 million homes.
14. "Law & Order: SVU" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), USA, 2.6, 2.84 million homes.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.6, 2.81 million homes.
You have reached the Home page of BartCop Entertainment.
Make yourself home, take your shoes off...
Go ahead, scratch it if it itches.
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amused or entertained?
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How about a favorite TV show, movie, book, play, cartoon, or legal amusement?
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A box set the whole world should own?
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I wonder if the people who voted for Bush's second term/ first election, if they really believed the religious part of his schlemiel/schlamozzle, or if they really thought he would be a better leader during wartime. Either way, they were dead wrong, but the reason I bring this up is because I had a debate with a good friend of mine who is now Republican all the way, and he is a Christian (five years ago he was a quart of vodka/day drunken pothead pain-killer addict, go figure).
