'Best of TBH Politoons'
PURPLE GENE'S
PORTA-POTTY POETRY
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Read Al Gore's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Last September 21, as the Northern Hemisphere tilted away from the sun, scientists reported with unprecedented distress that the North Polar ice cap is "falling off a cliff." One study estimated that it could be completely gone during summer in less than 22 years. Another new study, to be presented by U.S. Navy researchers later this week, warns it could happen in as little as 7 years.
Rick Fowler: Let's Get Back to Education in Education (irascibleprofessor.com)
Education gurus have advocated and public schools have incorporated many new trends aimed at increasing the rankings of U. S. students in many standardized tests given in countries around the world. ... However, many if not most of these "cutting edge" programs and quick fixes for educators and education too often end up on the cutting room floor. These "recipes for success" have cost public schools literally millions of dollars since my first day as an English teacher almost 30 years ago.
Jim Hightower: SWEATSHOP CRUCIFIXES
Just in time for Christmas comes something that Christians worldwide will consider to be an abomination: crucifixes and other religious articles made in deplorable sweatshops in China. They are being sold not only in America's Christian stores - but even in churches.
TED RALL COLUMN: FUTURE IMPERFECT, PART III
In his book "The Vanishing Newspaper" Philip Meyer predicts that 2043 will mark the death of printed newspapers in the United States, "as the last exhausted reader tosses aside the last crumpled edition." Not a chance.
Brian Ross, Maddy Sauer and Justin Rood: Gang Rape Cover-Up by US, Halliburton/KBR
A Houston, Texas woman says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident.
Jessica Cassyle Carr: Plastic People (Weekly Alibi)
How we became a nation of debtors, and how we can find our way out.
The Unaffordable Nation by Jeffrey Jones (popmatters.com)
Prada or Peanut Butter: The Sandwich Generation's Decision in the Land of Silk or Honey.
L.B. Jeffries: "Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull" (popmatters.com)
Twelve-year-old girls are champs at this stuff. I know because the GameFAQ I used was written by one.
Roger Ebert: Answer Man
Have you seen the Scorsese short film paying homage to Hitchcock? Talk about thrilling! Do you think Marty captures the essence of old Hitch? It's at: www.scorsesefilmfreixenet.com/video_eng.htm.
Roger Ebert: "'Juno's' Reitman on Ellen Page: 'She's the real thing. Fearless'"
When he was Juno's age, Jason Reitman remembers, "I was a loser. I was a movie geek, shy, I'd get dropped off at the movies, and go from theater to theater, all day. And I would actually buy tickets to every movie, not just one. Too shy to sneak in."
Reader Suggestion
Holiday Fun
Holiday Fun: "It's a Blunderful Life" staring George W. Bush
Jim Ward, voice impersonator extraordinaire on the Stephanie Miller Radio
show, wrote a skit using that scene to show us what life would have been
like if George W. Bush had never been born. The hugely popular skit is
titled "It's a Blunderful Life"
Hubert's Poetry Corner
DEADEYE DICK$TER CHRISTMAS
Secret location, secret elation?
All these people were convicted and/or under investigation regarding the Iran-Contra scandals, but Ollie North's conviction had been overturned on a technicality. (His technicality: That he had admitted to being a traitor in hearings broadcast on national tv, and so his testimony fell under the grant of Congressional immunity.) The other four were part of the set that GWH Bush pardoned on the sly on Christmas Eve, 1992.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Mostly sunny, but unseasonably cold.
Gets Exemption From Striking Writers
SAG Awards
The Screen Actors Guild's annual awards show will go ahead with sparkling one-liners from a Hollywood writer, after the union received a waiver from the striking Writers Guild of America on Tuesday.
SAG will be able to hire a WGA writer for its 14th annual SAG Awards at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on January 27. The ceremony will be simulcast on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. EST/PST. Nominations will be announced December 20.
Officials from other bashes -- including the Golden Globes and Academy Awards -- are scrambling to obtain similar waivers from the WGA, which has been on strike since November 5. But Writers Guild executives were ducking the question of whether such waivers might be forthcoming.
SAG Awards
Crowned Word Of The Year
"w00t"
"w00t," an expression of joy coined by online gamers, was crowned word of the year on Tuesday by the publisher of a leading U.S. dictionary.
Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. said "w00t" -- typically spelled with two zeros -- reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and cell phone text-messaging.
Runner-up was "facebook" as a new verb meaning to add someone to a list of friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social networking site.
"w00t"
Lock Of Hair Sells For $48,000
John Lennon
Imagine that. A lock of John Lennon's hair sold for $48,000 Wednesday in an auction of Beatles' memorabilia collected by the band's hairdresser.
The hair - inside an autographed copy of Lennon's book "A Spaniard in the Works" - sold to an unnamed telephone bidder.
Gorringes auction house had estimated the hair would sell for $4,000 to $6,000.
Other items sold at the auction in Worthing included signed photographs of the band dedicated to Glasow, including one that George Harrison signed "George "Dandruff" Harrison." It sold for $13,000.
John Lennon
Buyers Snap Up Treasures
Maria Callas
Love letters, jewellery, dresses, photographs and other memorabilia that belonged to Maria Callas fetched 1.76 million euros ($2.5 million) at an auction on Wednesday 30 years after her death.
Bidding was hectic as admirers across the world tried to snap up treasures from the life of the Greek-American opera star whose voice enchanted millions, said Sotheby's auction house in Milan.
Many items sold for more than their pre-auction estimates, but 63 letters written to Meneghini, an Italian industrialist 28 years her senior who was also her manager, went for only 32,650 euros compared with their estimate of 50,000-70,000 euros.
Her metronome, with a price tag of 1,000-1,500, went for more than 17,000 euros.
Maria Callas
Baby News
Alba - Warren
Jessica Alba and her boyfriend, producer Cash Warren, are expecting a baby.
"I can confirm that Jessica and Cash are expecting a baby in late spring/early summer," Alba's publicist, Brad Cafarelli, said Wednesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
The couple met on the set of "The Fantastic Four." Alba co-starred in the 2005 film and Warren was a director's assistant, according to People magazine, which first reported Alba's pregnancy on its Web site.
Alba - Warren
Ailing Author
Terry Pratchett
Best-selling fantasy author Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's, he said in a message posted to his illustrator's Web site.
In a brief note to fans entitled "An Embuggerance," Pratchett, 59, said he was taking the news "fairly philosophically" and "possibly with a mild optimism."
"I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news," he wrote on the Web site of Paul Kidby, who has illustrated many of his books.
Terry Pratchett
`Sopranos' Creator In Fed Court
David Chase
A federal jury was told Wednesday that "Sopranos" creator David Chase got help in developing HBO's Emmy-winning mob drama and owes a former municipal judge for that assistance.
But a lawyer for Chase countered that when compensation was discussed, Robert Baer declined payment.
At issue is whether Baer performed services in 1995 during conversations with Chase and a three-day tour around northern New Jersey, and if so, what those services are worth.
In addition, when Chase's script was rejected by Fox Broadcasting, Chase didn't seek help from Baer, hos lawyer Peter L. Skolnik said. "That's when David decided he needed a true Mafia expert," he said. That expert, Dan Castleman, wasn't paid for his services during the writing of the pilot, Skolnik said.
David Chase
Fake Gauguin
'The Faun'
A half-man, half-goat ceramic figure supposedly sculpted by 19th century French artist Paul Gauguin has delighted aficionados visiting the Art Institute of Chicago for a decade, but now the museum says "The Faun" is a fake.
The museum said the sculpture is among scores of forgeries produced by the Greenhalgh family, which has been under investigation by authorities in Great Britain for nearly two years.
A British judge sentenced Shaun Greenhalgh, 47, to four years and eight months in prison last month. His mother, Olive, 83, received a suspended term of 12 months, and his father, George, 84, was to be sentenced later.
'The Faun'
Buys AdultFriendFinder
Penthouse
Adult entertainment company Penthouse Media Group Inc said on Wednesday it bought the owner of sex matchmaking site AdultFriendFinder.com for $500 million in cash and securities.
Penthouse bought Various Inc, which operates in total more than 25 online communities with a combined member base of some 260 million people. Its AdultFriendFinder site has more than 18 million members.
Penthouse
Charges Dropped
Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf no longer faces criminal charges for refusing to leave a downtown drugstore last month.
The 21-year-old "Transformers" star was in a Chicago courtroom for only minutes Wednesday before prosecutors said they had received a letter from Walgreen Co. and a security company saying they didn't want to continue the case.
LaBeouf, unshaven and wearing a black jacket, didn't speak but smiled at the news. He was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing after being arrested at about 2:30 a.m. Nov. 4.
Shia LaBeouf
Paparazzi Sues
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan is being sued for assault, battery and negligence by a photographer who claims the actor shoved him during a scuffle in a Malibu parking lot.
Robert Rosen said he was taking photos of Brosnan on Oct. 26 when "suddenly and without warning," the 54-year-old actor struck him in the chest, causing "severe physical and emotional pain and injuries, including bruised ribs."
The freelance photographer is suing for unspecified general and punitive damages, the cost of medical and psychological treatment, and lost earnings.
Pierce Brosnan
Charged With DUI
Scott Weiland
Rocker Scott Weiland was charged Wednesday with driving under the influence of drugs in a car crash last month, prosecutors said. The 40-year-old rocker was arrested Nov. 21 after crashing his car on a highway. He refused to take a blood or urine test as required by law, city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said.
The Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer, who had a DUI conviction in 2004, could face eight days to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor count, Mateljan said.
Weiland, who is free on $40,000 bail, was to be arraigned Thursday.
Scott Weiland
Gets Statue
Zorro
The masked man in black, El Zorro, a fictional defender of townspeople played on the silver screen by Antonio Banderas and Douglas Fairbanks, Wednesday was honored with a statue in his home town.
Barranca del Cobre is the dusty town in Sinaloa state where according to legend Don Diego de la Vega, a fictional nobleman who defended farmers and ranchers against evil governors and assorted wrongdoers, fought the good fight.
Tourism chief Antonio Ibarra unveiled a statue in his honor, hoping it will lure tourists to learn about the legend and the town.
Zorro
Vetoes Kids Health Insurance
#43
Resident Bush vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have expanded government-provided health insurance for children, his second slap-down of a bipartisan effort in Congress to dramatically increase funding for the popular program.
It was Bush's seventh veto in seven years - all but one coming since Democrats took control of Congress in January. Wednesday was the deadline for Bush to act or let the bill become law. The president also vetoed an earlier, similar bill expanding the health insurance program.
Bush vetoed the bill in private.
#43
Icelandic Teenage Prankster
Vifill Atlason
A teenager says he convinced the White House he was Iceland's president and managed to schedule a call with George W. Bush but was found out before he got to talk to the U.S. resident.
"My call was transferred around a few times until I got hold of Bush's secretary and managed to book a call meeting with Bush the following Monday evening," Vifill Atlason, 16, told Reuters.
Icelandic police turned up at his door two days later -- the day of the planned call -- and took him in for questioning.
Vifill Atlason
Lawyer Of The Year
Alberto Gonzales
Negative news coverage may have cost former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales his job, but it won him a dubious honor Wednesday from a magazine published by the American Bar Association: Lawyer of the Year.
Additionally, the ABA Journal named Gonzales' successor, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, as its top lawyer for 2008 - mostly in anticipation of how often he'll be in the media spotlight for trying to repair the beleaguered Justice Department.
The monthly magazine gave the awards to lawyers who made the most news, said editor and publisher Edward A. Adams.
"Think about Time magazine's Person of the Year," Adams said in an interview. "In years past they've named people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin. So we're not suggesting by these awards that these are the best lawyers in any sense of the word. We are saying they are the most newsworthy - and perhaps also the best."
Alberto Gonzales
SKoreans Clone
Glowing Cats
South Korean scientists have cloned cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene, a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases, officials said Wednesday.
In a side-effect, the cloned cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet beams.
A team of scientists led by Kong Il-keun, a cloning expert at Gyeongsang National University, produced three cats possessing altered fluorescence protein (RFP) genes, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.
The cats were born in January and February. One was stillborn while two others grew to become adult Turkish Angoras, weighing 3.0 kilogrammes (6.6 pounds) and 3.5 kilogrammes.
Glowing Cats
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Dec. 3-9. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses.
1. NFL Football: Patriots vs. Ravens (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 12.53 million homes, 17.52 million viewers.
2. "The Closer" (Monday, 8 p.m.), TNT, 4.51 million homes, 6.05 million viewers.
3. Movie: "Holiday in Handcuffs" (Sunday, 8 p.m.), ABC Family, 4.26 million homes, 6.73 million viewers.
4. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (Original), (Thursday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.40 million homes, 4.58 million viewers.
5. "SportsCenter" (Monday, 11:49 p.m.), ESPN, 3.33 million homes, 4.26 million viewers.
6. Movie: "The Santa Clause 2" (Friday, 9 p.m.), Disney, 3.31 million homes, 5.11 million viewers.
7. "Monk" (Friday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.30 million homes, 4.55 million viewers.
8. Miniseries: "Tin Man" Part III (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), SciFi, 3.22 million homes, 5.06 million viewers.
9. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.17 million homes, 4.37 million viewers.
10. "Hannah Montana" (Friday, 8 p.m.), Disney, 3.15 million homes, 4.37 million viewers.
11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.14 million homes, 4.33 million viewers.
12. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.12 million homes, 4.84 million viewers.
13. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.10 million homes, 4.82 million viewers.
14. "The Hills" (Monday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 3.05 million homes, 4.03 million viewers.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 12 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.03 million homes, 4.23 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Freddie Fields
Hollywood talent agent, studio executive and producer Freddie Fields, whose film credits include "Glory," "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" and "American Gigolo," has died of lung cancer at age 84, friends said Wednesday.
Fields founded the talent agency Creative Management Associates, which merged with General Artists Corp. in the 1980s to become International Creative Management, one of Hollywood's most powerful agencies.
He also served for a time as head of production for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and its United Artists studio.
Freddie Fields
In Memory
Ike Turner
Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock's critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.
Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues album category for "Risin' With the Blues."
Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock 'n' roll record, "Rocket 88," in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.
But as would be the case for most of his career, Turner, a prolific session guitarist and piano player, was not the star on the record - it was recorded with Turner's band but credited to singer Jackie Brenston.
And it would be another singer - a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock - who would bring Turner his greatest fame, and infamy.
Turner met the 18-year-old Bullock, whom he would later marry, in 1959 and quickly made the husky-voiced woman the lead singer of his group, refashioning her into the sexy Tina Turner. Her stage persona was highlighted by short skirts and stiletto heels that made her legs her most visible asset. But despite the glamorous image, she still sang with the grit and fervor of a rock singer with a twist of soul.
The pair would have two sons. They also produced a string of hits. The first, "A Fool In Love," was a top R&B song in 1959, and others followed, including "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine."
Ike Turner
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