'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Running Out of Planet to Exploit (nytimes.com)
Will limited supplies of natural resources pose an obstacle to future world economic growth?
My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote) ...by Michael Moore (michaelmoore.com)
Friends, I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Talks Politics (curvemag.com)
For a dose of political commentary, straight women have Tucker Carlson, conservatives have that blonde half wit, gay men have Anderson Cooper, and we gals have Rachel Maddow.
Nat Hentoff: Our Very Own Axis of Evil in Guantánamo (villagevoice.com)
... German intelligence reported to their superiors that "USA considers Murat Kurnaz's innocence to be proven. He is to be released in approximately six to eight weeks." That was in 2002. Kurnaz wasn't let go for another three and a half years. Aren't you proud to be an American?
Jim Hightower: AUTHORIZING TORTURE (jimhightower.com)
In 81 pages of chilling legalese, the BushCheney regime reveals just how morally corrupt it is. The pages, recently released under a freedom-of-information action, embody the administration's tortured legal reasoning for authorizing the torture of prisoners of war.
Jacob Sullum: Fighting the Advil menace, one strip search at a time (reason.com)
There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who think it's perfectly reasonable to strip-search a 13-year-old girl suspected of bringing ibuprofen to school, and the kind who think those people should be kept as far away from children as possible. The first group includes officials at Safford Middle School in Safford, Arizona, who in 2003 forced eighth-grader Savana Redding to prove she was not concealing Advil in her crotch or cleavage.
Beth Quinn: Rebate won't cure pauper-time blues (recordonline.com)
As the great economist Yogi Berra once said, a nickel ain't worth a dime anymore. And that's too bad because at least a dime can be used as a screwdriver if one isn't available when a screw needs tending.
I've been...
Paul Krugman's Blog: Initial Kindling reactions (nytimes.com)
So, I've got my Kindle! I quickly used it to download Alan Furst's The Foreign Correspondent, which I unaccountably missed when it came out.* I'm only a little way in, but first reactions: The download thing is great.
Interview by Chris Wiegand: Stewart Lee talks about comedy as a career, growing into his stage character and why the Travelodge just isn't home (arts.guardian.co.uk)
I work in comedy, so my experiences are about being a comedian. It's 20 years since I did a decent day's work, so I can't really talk about the office.
An audience with Ricky Gervais (arts.guardian.co.uk)
The poster boy for British TV (and creator of "The Office") talks to Euan Ferguson.
Cye Johan: Not Quite Mature (advocate.com)
Tom Bradley's Lemur may not score points with LGBT activists, but it's entertaining nonetheless.
Snicks: "'South Park': A Milestone in Gay Visibility"
This foul-mouthed, crudely drawn series should be revered.
Ronald Bailey: Flunk This Movie! (reason.com)
Ben Stein's new anti-science movie Expelled is all worldview and no evidence.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and cool.
Celebrity Auction
RFK Memorial
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial is giving people the chance to act in a Johnny Depp movie, trade volleys with Andre Agassi or pose with the next president of the United States.
The human rights organization is offering the experiences as part of its annual online auction, which ends on May 7. The organization is named for the former U.S. senator and attorney general who was assassinated in 1968.
Other items up for bid include a tour of the "Desperate Housewives" set and a trip to the inauguration in Washington, including a picture with the president.
RFK Memorial
Alien Life
Stephen Hawking
Famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has been thinking a lot about the cosmic question, "Are we alone?" The answer is probably not, he says.
If there is life elsewhere in the universe, Hawking asks why haven't we stumbled onto some alien broadcasts in space, maybe something like "alien quiz shows?"
Hawking's comments were part of a lecture at George Washington University on Monday in honor of NASA's 50th anniversary. He theorized that there are possible answers to whether there is extraterrestrial life.
Hawking compared people who don't want to spend money on human space exploration to those who opposed the journey of Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Stephen Hawking
Monday Night's Raw Pandering
WWE
Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain will appear on World Wrestling Entertainment's live "Monday Night Raw" (8-11 p.m. EST on cable's USA network) but instead of smacking each other down, they separately will deliver some wrestling-themed stumping in taped messages before Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary.
"Tonight, in honor of the WWE, you can call me Hillrod," Clinton says in her message. "This election is starting to feel a lot like `King of the Ring.' The only difference? The last man standing may just be a woman."
"To the special interests who've been setting the agenda in Washington for too long and to all the forces of division and distraction that has stopped us from making progress, for the American people, I've got one question: Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" Obama says before flashing a smile.
"Looks like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want to celebrate their differences in the ring," McCain says. "Well, that's fine with me, but let me tell you: If you want to be the man, you have to beat the man. Come November, it'll be game over. And whatcha gonna do when John McCain and all his McCainiacs run wild on you?"
WWE
Australian Musicians
GetUp
A new pop song released Monday samples parts of a historic speech by Australia's prime minister and aims to promote reconciliation with the country's indigenous population.
The remix of the 1990s song "From Little Things Big Things Grow" borrows lines from Kevin Rudd's February apology to the country's "stolen generations" for 20th-century policies, under which some 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken from their families in a bid to make them grow up like white Australians.
The song was released in digital-only format and is the brainchild of community advocacy organization GetUp.
The updated version also uses parts of former Prime Minister Paul Keating's 1992 speech about reconciliation between the nation and its indigenous population. The speech was voted by Australians last year as one of history's top three most powerful speeches.
GetUp
Feeling Impact Of Ailing Economy
Arts Institutions
When the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles was seeking to finance the purchase of art works, it did what cultural institutions often do to raise money: It issued bonds.
But rising interest rates brought on by turmoil in the financial markets boosted payments, and the organization got socked for an additional $650,000 in fees earlier this year for which it had not budgeted.
Like homeowners and stockholders, museums, concert halls, dance companies and other arts organizations are feeling the pinch from the faltering economy.
Museums and symphony halls that financed renovations with seemingly safe municipal bonds saw interest rates spike in recent weeks; other arts institutions are suffering from low returns on investments; and some arts executives are worried that recession fears could take a bite out of donations and ticket sales.
Arts Institutions
Court Throws Out Lawsuit
'Deal or No Deal'
Georgia's highest court on Monday threw out a lawsuit contending that NBC's "Deal or No Deal" violated state anti-gambling laws when it invited viewers to take part in a game via text message.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Michael and Michele Hardin, who wanted NBC to repay them and other state residents for the cost of sending 99-cent text messages in hopes of winning a prize on the hit show's "Lucky Case Game."
The couple's lawyer, Jerry Buchanan, called the game an illegal gambling operation and said state law allowed residents to retrieve money because "gambling contracts are void."
NBC attorneys, however, said the game was a promotional tool and not a lottery.
'Deal or No Deal'
Sues HBO
Hells Angels
The founder of the Hells Angels motorcycle club has sued HBO, claiming the pay cable network cut him out of an upcoming pilot he helped develop, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Sonny Barger filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles last week against HBO, production company White Mountain Co. and the project's writer/executive producer, Michael Tolkin.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series "1 percent" originally was set at an Arizona chapter of the fictional Death Rangers, one of the toughest motorcycle clubs in the country. The central character is a biker, Misfit, sent in from a Northern California chapter to bring it under control.
HBO is getting ready to start production on the show, which will feature Donal Logue as Misfit.
Hells Angels
South African Court Postpones School Trial
Oprah Winfrey
A court on Monday postponed the trial of a former dormitory matron accused of abusing pupils at a school set up by Oprah Winfrey for disadvantaged girls.
Magistrate Thelma Simpson agreed to a request made by Tiny Virginia Makopo's lawyer, who said he needed more time to consult with his client.
The judge said a new trial date, likely in July, would be set during a provisional hearing on Friday.
Makopo has pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault, assault and criminal injury. Police say the alleged abuse against six teenage students and a fellow dormitory matron took place over four months.
Oprah Winfrey
Launches New Nature Film Label
Disney
The Walt Disney Co. DIS.N on Monday said it is launching a new film label called Disneynature aimed at making wildlife and environmental movies for theaters starting with the 2009 release "Earth."
"Our goal at Disneynature is to bring big event films as only nature can tell," Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said in making the announcement at the Disney studio lot.
Disneynature will be run by filmmaker Jean-Francois Camilleri, who was one of the producers of the surprise hit documentary "The March of the Penguins," which won an Oscar in 2006.
Disney
Pentagon Propaganda Posers
Military Pundits
Many U.S. military analysts used as commentators on Iraq by television networks have been groomed by the Pentagon, leaving some feeling they were manipulated to report favorably on the Bush administration, The New York Times said in Sunday editions.
A Times report examining ties between the Bush administration and former senior officers who acted as paid TV analysts said they got private briefings, trips and access to classified intelligence meant to influence their comments.
"Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse -- an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks," the newspaper said.
Many of the commentators also have ties to military contractors who are vested in U.S. war efforts, but those business links are seldom disclosed to viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks on which they appear, the newspaper said.
Military Pundits
Ancient Urn Returns
Greece
A 2,400-year-old funerary urn has been returned to Greece and put on display, part of a campaign to reclaim illegally exported antiquities from museums and art dealers around the world.
The marble urn was displayed Monday at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
The marble urn, believed to have originated from near Athens, depicts two women in a banquet scene. The vessel was first located at an international arts fair in Maastrict, The Netherlands, last year, and traced to a Swiss dealer, the Greek Culture Ministry said.
Earlier this month, parliament approved a bill to toughen penalties against antiquity smugglers. The law grants prosecutors greater powers in seeking the extradition of smugglers, categorizes some smuggling activity as organized crime and provides for closer cooperation between police and the Culture Ministry.
Greece
The MauerGuide
Berlin Wall
Tourists in the German capital disappointed to find little of the Berlin Wall left will from next month be able to have it reappear before their eyes with a gadget unveiled Monday.
A handheld multimedia device, available for rental from May 1, will allow visitors walking through the city to see what the Cold War barrier looked like at the spot where they are standing.
The MauerGuide (Wall Guide) is part of plans by the Berlin government to preserve the history of the despised Wall erected in 1961 by the communist regime of East Germany to stop a mass exodus of its citizens.
Using GPS navigation technology, the device presents pictures, video footage and audio recordings on the history of the Berlin Wall at five prominent sites along its former route, manufacturer Antenna Audio said in a statement.
Berlin Wall
In Memory
Werner Groebli
Werner Groebli, a Swiss-born ice skating comedian popular for years in the United States, has died, his family announced Monday. He was 92.
Groebli died April 14 after a brief hospitalization, a week short of his 93rd birthday, according to the family announcement in Zurich newspapers. A spokeswoman for the residence he lived in said Groebli died in a hospital in Zollikerberg.
One half of the Frick and Frack duo, Groebli was credited with making 15,000 appearances with the U.S.-based Ice Follies from 1939 to 1981. He also appeared on U.S. television's variety Ed Sullivan Show.
Groebli, the Frick of the team, originated the "Cantilever spread-eagle skating movement" in which he skated with his toes pointing in opposite directions as he leaned backward a foot above the ice.
His Swiss partner as Mr. Frack, Hans Rudolf Mauch, died in 1979.
Werner Groebli
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