I reluctantly left the beautiful sun-shiny outdoors today to go the opera. The Austin Lyric Opera is performing the American premiere of "Waiting for the Barbarians" by Philip Glass this weekend and next. Wow! Every federal official should be required to attend this particular production--it should be held over or performed in D. C. until they have all seen it. Though the book was written in the 80's, it's a scathing indictment of the Iraq war, Guantanamo, etc., etc., without naming any specific event.
Waiting for the Barbarians Editorial Review - by Michael Lowin
A Phillip Glass opera based on the book by Nobel Prize-winning South African author J.M. Coetzee. This work focuses on the dichotomy between rape and pillage mentalities displayed by so-called civilized society's encroachment on perceived barbarisms, and the honest humanity of one's compassion towards another. A harrowing introspective on the prices paid for personal belief.
Even if opera is nothing you care for, this one should not be missed. (Glass does a lot of movie scores, and it shows.)
Beth
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. - Les Brown
Creators put politics into video games (Associated Press)
Ian Bogost takes some of the fun out of video games - and replaces it with opinion. The Georgia Institute of Technology professor creates games - or "playable editorial cartoons," as he calls them - that are packed with political messages.
Shauna Swartz: Interview With The L Word's Janina Gavankar
AE: So, tell me a little bit about another gig of yours, playing Ms. Dewey.
JG: Ms. Dewey is an interactive online search engine, and it uses wide search technology. She's a sort of know-it-all librarian who'd like to think she's smarter than everyone. And you can go to the site and type in something you're searching for, and she has something to say about everything. It was a lot of fun to do, and it was entirely different than Papi.
CBS begins the night on the East Coast with a FRESH'NCIS', followed by Chimpy's FRESH speechifying, then a RERUN'The Unit'.
The left coast has Chimpy at 6pm, so their night begins with the FRESH'NCIS', followed by the RERUN'The Unit', then some local crap.
Scheduled on a FRESHDave are Ricky Gervais, Forest Whitaker, and the Shins.
On a RERUNCraig (from 1/15/07) are Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr., Kelly Hu, Gary Owen.
NBC starts the night on the East Coast with 'Dateline', followed by Chimpy's FRESH speechifying, then another 'Dateline'.
The left coast has Chimpy at 6pm, so their night starts with 'Dateline', followed by another 'Dateline', then some local crap.
Scheduled on a FRESHLeno are Jon Cryer and Switchfoot.
On a RERUNConan (from 6/29/06) are Orlando Bloom, Campbell Brown, and Cheap Trick.
On a RERUNCarson Daly (from 11/29/06) are Frank Caliendo, and James Blunt.
ABC opens the night on the East Coast with a RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', followed by Chimpy's FRESH speechifying, then fills with local crap.
The left coast has Chimpy at 6pm, so their night opens with the RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', followed by 2-hours of local crap.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Pat O'Brien, Dominic Purcell, and Sunshine Anderson.
The CW offers a FRESH'Gilmore Girls', followed by a FRESH'Veronica Mars'.
Faux has a FRESH'American Idol', and pads the left coast with an old 'Malcolm', and an old 'Simpsons'.
MY has a FRESH'Wicked Wicked Games', followed by a FRESH'Watch Over Me'.
A&E has 'CSI: The 2nd One', another 'CSI: The 2nd One', 'Dog The Bounty Hunter', another 'Dog The Bounty Hunter', and 'Dog: The Family Speaks'.
AMC offers the movie 'Jeremiah Johnson', followed by the movie 'Dances With Wolves'.
BBC -
[1:00 PM] As Time Goes By - Episode 7;
[1:40 PM] Are You Being Served? - Ep. 3: Do You Take This Man;
[2:20 PM] Keeping Up Appearances - Episode 7;
[3:00 PM] The Benny Hill Show - Episode 30;
[4:00 PM] The Saint - Ep. 11 The Better Mousetrap;
[5:00 PM] The Avengers - Ep. 22 Fog;
[6:00 PM] BBC World News - BBC World News;
[6:30 PM] Cash in the Attic - Episode 6;
[7:00 PM] Cash in the Attic - Ep 11 Vandervell;
[8:00 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 17;
[8:30 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 8;
[9:00 PM] The Avengers - Ep. 11 Epic;
[10:00 PM] Doctor Who - Ep 8 Father's Day;
[11:00 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 5;
[11:30 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 4;
[12:00 AM] The Benny Hill Show - Episode 27;
[1:00 AM] Doctor Who - Ep 8 Father's Day;
[2:00 AM] The Avengers - Ep. 11 Epic;
[3:00 AM] Touching Evil - Episode 1;
[5:00 AM] The Prisoner - Ep. 1 Arrival;
[6:00 AM] BBC World News - BBC World News. (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has the movie 'The Princess Bride', 'Real Housewives', and another 'Real Housewives'.
Comedy Central has 'Scrubs', another 'Scrubs', last night's 'Jon Stewart', last night's 'Colbert Report', 'Chappelle's Show', 'South Park', and 'John Pinette: I'm Starving'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is Terry McAuliffe.
Scheduled on a FRESHColbert Report is Michael Steele.
FX has 'That 70s Show', another 'That 70s Show', followed by the movie 'The Stepford Wives', then a FRESH'Dirt'.
History has 'Plumbing: Arteries Of Civilization', 'Lost Worlds', 'Ancient Discoveries', and 'Man Moment Machine'.
IFC -
[06:55 AM] The Winter Guest;
[08:50 AM] Spellbound;
[10:30 AM] You See Me Laughin';
[11:55 AM] All The Little Animals;
[01:55 PM] The Winter Guest;
[03:50 PM] Spellbound;
[05:35 PM] You See Me Laughin';
[07:00 PM] All The Little Animals;
[09:00 PM] The Barbarian Invasions;
[10:45 PM] Ararat;
[12:45 AM] Invincible;
[03:00 AM] The Barbarian Invasions;
[04:45 AM] Hopeless Pictures #6;
[05:05 AM] Ararat. (ALL TIMES EST)
SciFi has 'Dead Like Me', another 'Dead Like Me', 'Eureka', and 'ECW'.
Sundance -
[07:00 AM] Festival Dailies 2007: (1/22/07);
[07:30 AM] The PSA Project;
[08:05 AM] Her Name is Cure;
[08:35 AM] Simple Men;
[10:30 AM] News for the Church;
[11:00 AM] Festival Dailies 2007: (1/22/07);
[11:30 AM] September 11;
[01:45 PM] El Cielito;
[03:30 PM] Festival Dailies 2007: (1/22/07);
[04:00 PM] Simple Men;
[05:45 PM] The Youth In Us;
[06:00 PM] One Punk Under God: Episode 6;
[06:30 PM] News for the Church;
[07:00 PM] 11:14;
[08:45 PM] The Act;
[09:00 PM] Festival Dailies 2007: (1/23/07);
[09:30 PM] Dear Wendy;
[11:15 PM] Bugcrush;
[12:00 AM] Festival Dailies 2007: (1/23/07);
[12:30 AM] Havoc;
[02:00 AM] Her Name is Cure;
[02:30 AM] City of Men - Season 3: Episode 1: Opening Night;
[03:00 AM] Tarnation;
[04:35 AM] September 11. (ALL TIMES EST)
In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, John O'Hurley dances with Eric Idle during a press conference to promote the opening of Monty Python's SPAMALOT at Wynn Las Vegas. Monday, Jan. 22, 2007.
Photo by Darrin Bush
A book by Pete Seeger about a young musician who loses his hearing and a wordless story about an underwater camera were among the winners of children's book prizes announced Monday by the American Library Association.
The John Newbery Medal for the year's "outstanding contribution" was awarded to Susan Patron's "The Higher Power of Lucky," the adventures of a 10-year-old girl and her search for a "Higher Power." Previous winners of the Newberys, started in 1922, include Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" and Louis Sachar's "Holes."
The Randolph Caldecott Medal for best picture book went to "Flotsam," a seaside story about photos taken by a vintage underwater camera, narrated exclusively through pictures by David Wiesner, now a three-time Caldecott winner.
Also Monday, Seeger and co-author Paul DuBois Jacobs received the Schneider Family Book Award for "books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences."
This photo supplied by the San Francisco Opera shows composer Philip Glass blowing out candles on his birthday cake as opera general director David Gockley, right, looks on Monday, Jan. 22, 2007 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Glass's actual birthday is Jan. 31, 2007. Dwayne Croft will sing Robert E. Lee and Andrew Shore will portray Ulysses S. Grant when the San Francisco Opera presents the world premiere of Glass' 'Appomattox' on Oct. 5, the company announced Monday, Jan 22, 2006.
Photo by Kristen Loken
Lawyers for the family of a woman who died after drinking nearly two gallons of water in an on-air radio contest are demanding that the Federal Communications Commission terminate the station's license.
A lawyer for the family of Jennifer Lea Strange said KDND showed "wanton disregard" for the safety of her and others who entered the Jan. 12 contest, which offered a Nintendo Wii gaming console to the participant who drank the most water without going to the bathroom.
"Despite having a distended abdomen and complaining of significant symptoms of a headache and lightheadedness, the radio station allowed her to leave the premises without any type of assistance or concern. Ms. Strange went home, slipped into a coma and died," attorney Roger Dreyer wrote in a letter Sunday to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin.
The image of the United States has deteriorated around the world in the past year because of issues such as Iraq and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, according to a poll by the BBC World Service released on Tuesday.
The proportion of people believing the United States has a mainly positive influence in world affairs dropped seven points from a year ago -- to 29 percent from 36, the results from 18 countries that were also polled the previous year showed.
Fifty-two percent thought U.S. influence was mainly negative, up from 47 percent a year ago, the poll found.
In all, 26,381 people were questioned in 25 countries. Almost three in four people disapproved of U.S. policy on Iraq, while two-thirds disapproved of U.S. handling of terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay camp in Cuba.
"Little Miss Sunshine" will vie with "The Night Listener," "Running With Scissors," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "V for Vendetta" for outstanding film in wide release honors at the 18th annual GLAAD Media Awards.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced its nominees Sunday in Park City, Utah, currently hosting the Sundance Film Festival.
For film in limited release, the nominees are "The History Boys," "Imagine Me & You," "Quinceanera," "Shortbus" and "Summer Storm."
On the TV side, the nominees for drama series are "Brothers & Sisters," "The L Word," "Hex," "The Sopranos" and "South of Nowhere." The comedy series nominated are "Desperate Housewives," "The Office," "So Notorious" and "Ugly Betty."
British actor Peter O'Toole, left, pose for photographers with his daughter Kate as they arrive for the United Kingdom's premiere of his latest film 'Venus' in a central London's cinema, Monday, Jan. 22, 2007.
Photo by Lefteris Pitarakis
A clothing company founded by Irish rocker and humanitarian Bono and his wife has partnered with college students in Ohio on a business project they expect to roll out to other campuses around the world.
Students at Miami University's Center for Social Entrepreneurship buy blank cotton T-shirts made in Africa and resell the shirts to other organizations. The students make some profit and provide a market to help build trade and employment in Africa.
Bono, the frontman for the U2 rock band, has gained international attention with his efforts to assist developing countries, especially in Africa. He and his wife, Ali Hewson, founded Edun Apparel Ltd. in 2005 to produce clothing in developing countries, providing increased trade and jobs to those areas. The company, based in Dublin, Ireland, stresses that its message is "trade, not aid."
Final details are being worked out for the expansion of Miami's business model to other campuses, said Christine Driscoll, business development manager for edun Live, the sub-brand that consists of the T-shirt line. The company hopes edun Live on Campus, the Miami University pilot, will expand to least 40 campuses by 2011.
Paris Hilton was placed on 36 months probation and ordered to pay fines after pleading no contest Monday to alcohol-related reckless driving, a reduction of an original charge of driving under the influence.
Hilton, 25, did not appear in court. The plea was entered by her attorneys Howard Weitzman and Shawn Chapman Holley, the city attorney's office said.
Judge Michael Sauer also ordered her to attend an alcohol education program and imposed other conditions.
He gave Hilton the option of reducing her probation to 24 months if she completed 40 hours of community service. No immediate decision was made on that option. The fines, plus penalty assessments, totaled about $1,500.
A gull flies behind Switzerland's Claude Nobs, founder and CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival, during a photo call at the 41st MIDEM which is the world's music market in Cannes, south eastern France, January 22, 2007. Nobs is MIDEM's personality of the year.
Photo by Eric Gaillard
Lawyers for Heather Mills McCartney said Monday that she has not agreed to a financial settlement in her pending divorce from Paul McCartney.
Mishcon de Reya Solicitors, which is representing Mills McCartney in the bitter split, denied a report in Sunday's News of the World that McCartney had offered a settlement worth $63 million.
"With regard to the article in yesterday's News of the World, we would like to state that there has been no offer made whatsoever at any time to our client and therefore no settlement has been agreed," the law firm said.
Drag queen comedian and correspondent for the blog Zannel Esther Goldberg interviews actor Dustin Diamond (L) on Main Street during the 2007 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah January 21, 2007. The festival, a U.S. event for movies made outside Hollywood, features 123 films over ten days ending January 28.
Photo by Ramin Rahimian
An airline passenger barred from a flight for wearing a T-shirt labeling resident Bush a terrorist has threatened legal action against Australia's flag carrier Qantas.
Allen Jasson, 55, an Australian IT expert who lives in Britain, was stopped from boarding a London-bound Qantas flight at Melbourne Airport last Friday for wearing what the airline said was an offensive T-shirt.
Airline staff said the T-shirt of Bush with the tagline "World's number 1 terrorist" could have upset other passengers and demanded it be changed for another.
But Jasson, who had earlier traveled on a Qantas domestic flight wearing the Bush T-shirt, said his right to freedom of speech had been infringed by Qantas.
A visitor looks at the skeleton of the Thames whale displayed in the Guardian's Newsroom exhibition space in London January 22, 2007. The exhibition, organised in conjunction with the Natural History Museum, tells the story of the journey and of the attempted rescue of a northern bottlenose whale that one year ago was found swimming in the river Thames.
Photo by Alessia Pierdomenico
His eyes gleaming with joy underneath a yellow mohawk and his tail with a little brush at the tip wagging playfully, Josh the Peruvian Hairless Dog heads out to greet tourists at Lima's Pucllana ruins.
About the size of an English pointer, Josh and his kin are not guard dogs, but, rather, are guarded behind the walls of this and other historic monuments on the Peruvian coast -- the hairless sight hound's habitat for more than 3,000 years.
They are part of the historic scenery here, but the canine breed almost became history several years back.
Native pre-Incan civilisations used the dogs for hunting and as pets for company. They are represented on the ceramic pottery of the Chimu, Moche and Chancay cultures found on the coast.
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 musicians?
Just plain vile, filthy rumors?
This is your place.
