'Best of TBH Politoons'
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Still want to buy? (The Economist)
According to our latest house-price indicators, it is now much cheaper to rent than to buy a house in many countries
Welcome to a Special Edition of Talking Points Memo devoted to the Bankruptcy bill now pending before the United States Senate
Gay warriors (The Economist)
America should learn from its allies and let gays serve openly
Middle school students stand up for gay classmate (The Advocate)
Twelve Beatrice Middle School students in Beatrice, Neb., staged a brief walkout this week to protest what they called the unfair treatment of a gay student.
Carol Kuhre: We and our country should answer God's mandate on the environment (The Athens News)
There is a much larger mandate at stake here that we all answer to: God's mandate to protect creation.
David Bruce: Wise Up: Clothing (The Athens News)
Beatrice Lillie once wore a mink coat to a party. A maid offered to take her coat, but Ms. Lillie said, "Certainly not. Nobody's seen it yet."
Charles Nolan Fashion
(Click on the green dot.)
OK Tests
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Another overcast morning, sunny by early afternoon.
Tonight is Dan Rather's last newscast.
I can remember when (6 March 1981) CBS 'retired' a great newsman, Walter Cronkite, because he was 65. His replacement, Dan Rather, is now 74.
And that's the way it is.
Surfaces in Pre-Doors Short Film
Jim Morrison
A long-forgotten appearance by late Doors singer Jim Morrison in a Florida State University promotional film is back in circulation thanks to the Internet.
Shot long before he joined the seminal Los Angeles band, the minute-long film features Morrison playing a clean-cut prospective student denied enrollment at the school. Morrison attended FSU before enrolling in California's UCLA film school and meeting his future bandmates.
In the black-and-white 1964 FSU clip, Morrison is seen picking up a rejection letter from a mailbox and meeting with a school official who explains there's simply no room for more students.
The clip can be viewed at iFilm and Floridamemory.com.
Jim Morrison
Helps Launch Center for Refugees
Angelina Jolie
In a town filled with big names and egos jostling for the spotlight, Hollywood star Angelina Jolie drew crowds, turned heads and had cameras flashing.
The Oscar-winning actress came to the nation's capital Tuesday to promote a favorite cause: aiding refugees. She's given more than $3 million to the effort, including $500,000 to help bankroll an organization that will provide free legal aid to the thousands of children who arrive alone to the United States each year as refugees and immigrants.
In a speech at the National Press Club, she outlined plans for the Washington-based National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children, expected to open shop this spring. It will be jointly run by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Angelina Jolie
Autism Benefit
Comedians
Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and a host of other funny people yukked it up Monday at Comedy Love Call, an autism benefit at the Beacon Theater.
"I just wanted to see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog live," comedian Lewis Black told The Associated Press before the show. "To me, that's like going to heaven. On TV is one thing, but to see him uncensored going off on stuff is a blessing."
Robert Smigel's naughty puppet character from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" was certainly uncensored. From inside an on-stage puppet theater, the rubber dog razzed guests and simulated a sexual act with a "Sesame Street" puppet. Smigel, who son has autism, spearheaded the event.
The comedy was interspersed with musical bits. O'Brien, clad in a glittery jacket with hair pouffier than normal, was accompanied by his bandleader, Max Weinberg, for an over-the-top Elvis-like endeavor complete with bar graphs on the privatization of Social Security. Silly songstress Nellie McKay performed a duet with Triumph. Sandler closed the evening with three songs and multiple cheers, but Fountains of Wayne's rocking set motivated some of the crowd to plug up their ears.
For more, Comedians
BBC Probes Internet Leak
"Dr Who"
The BBC says it has launched an inquiry into how a new episode of cult TV sci-fi series "Doctor Who" has been leaked on the Internet.
The classic programme, which has been off air since 1989, makes a much-anticipated return to the small screen later this month with Christopher Eccleston starring as the time-travelling hero and former pop star Billie Piper as his sidekick.
However, the BBC -- which was due to trumpet the show's regeneration at a celebration launch on Tuesday -- said one of the 13 new 45-minute episodes had been posted on the Internet.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, the leaked clips show Piper's character working in a London department store when it comes under attack by evil aliens, the Autons.
Enter the Doctor, who routs the invaders despite their sneaky trick of taking the form of plastic household objects.
"Dr Who"
Mulling Changes in Lineup
Emmy Awards
The changes at this year's Academy Awards ceremony may be followed by a substantial revamping of the Emmy Awards.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is considering restoring an award for best new television program, a source close to the academy said Tuesday.
"All in the Family" and "Room 222" were among winners in the category, last included in the 1973 ceremony when journalist Alistair Cooke's "America" documentary series was honored.
Moving some awards to the creative arts Emmy ceremony to shorten the main show also has been raised as a possibility, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It would involve shifting the writing, directing and supporting actor and actress for movies and miniseries to the lower-profile ceremony that doesn't get a network airing.
Emmy Awards
Discusses Surviving Tsunami
Petra Nemcova
Petra Nemcova talks about her harrowing experience and the death of her boyfriend, Simon Atlee, in the pounding waters of the Asian tsunami, in an interview to air on ABC.
"There are lots of things which I would love to tell him, but in some way, I also feel that I lost the person closest to me," the 25-year-old supermodel tells Diane Sawyer on "Primetime Live," airing Wednesday (10 p.m. EST). "And I got a second chance to live. So in a way I feel that I live for both of us ... and I will do my best."
Nemcova says going back to modeling isn't in her thoughts: "In the moment, I live day by day."
Petra Nemcova
Walk of Fame Inductees
Canada
Singer Alanis Morissette, actor Kiefer Sutherland and crooner Paul Anka are among the homegrown celebrities who are to be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Other inductees include boxer George Chuvalo; concert promoter Michael Cohl; producer Pierre Cossette; dancer Rex Harrington; music producer Daniel Lanois and the late actor Fay Wray.
The 2005 inductees will unveil their stars at a public ceremony on June 5 in Toronto.
Canada
Sues Web Site Operators
Fred Durst
Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst is suing 10 Web site operators who the rocker claims profited from posting an explicit video stolen from his home computer showing him having sex with a former girlfriend.
The lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks more than $70 million in damages and any profits reaped by the Web site operators in recent weeks, when the 3-minute clip began appearing on the Internet.
Durst, who secured the copyrights to the video before filing the lawsuit, also claims the Web sites are guilty of violating U.S. copyright laws.
Fred Durst
Shadowing The Military
'Counter-Recruiters'
The Marines didn't have to recruit Greg McCullough. He signed a promise to enlist last year, while he was still in high school. But now McCullough has had second thoughts, and he's talking to a different kind of recruiter.
Jim Murphy is a "counter-recruiter," one of a small but growing number of opponents of the Iraq war who say they want to compete with military recruiters for the hearts and minds of young people.
"I don't tell kids not to join the military," says Murphy, 59, a member of Veterans for Peace. "I tell them: 'Have a plan for your future. Because if you don't, the military has a plan for you.' "
The armed services need many recruits each year - the Army and Army Reserve alone need more than 100,000 - and less than 10% come knocking on the door. The rest must be recruited.
Anti-war activists such as Murphy charge that to fill their quotas, some military recruiters make promises they can't guarantee, such as money for college or training in a particular specialty, and give misleading descriptions of military life.
'Counter-Recruiters'
House Sold at Auction
Frank Lloyd Wright
A Frank Lloyd Wright house that sat on the market for months was auctioned Tuesday for an undisclosed amount, a real estate company said.
The 1915 house had been on the market for several months and went unsold even as the asking price dropped from $2.5 million to $1.9 million. The owner then took the unusual step of putting the house on the auction block.
Frank Diliberto, senior vice president of Inland Real Estate Auction, would not say who bought the four-bedroom home other than to say that the family plans to live there.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Wisconsin Hunter Wants Open Season
Cats
Hunter Mark Smith welcomes wild birds on to his property, but if he sees a cat, he thinks the "invasive" animal should be considered fair game.
The 48-year-old firefighter from La Crosse has proposed that hunters in Wisconsin make free-roaming domestic cats an "unprotected species" that could be shot at will by anyone with a small-game license.
His proposal will be placed before hunters on April 11 at the Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring hearings in each of the state's 72 counties.
Smith's proposal has horrified cat lovers, but is seen by others as a way to stop cats from killing wild birds.
Cats
Prime-Time Nielsen
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Feb. 28 to March 6. Top 20 listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
1. (1) "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 26.9 million viewers.
2. (2) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 25.2 million viewers.
3. (X) "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Their Eyes Were Watching God," ABC, 24.6 million viewers.
4. (3) "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 24.3 million viewers.
5. (X) "American Idol" (Monday), Fox, 23.6 million viewers.
6. (5) "Survivor: Palau," CBS, 21.7 million viewers.
7. (14) "Lost," ABC, 18.9 million viewers.
8. (22) "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC, 17.9 million viewers.
9. (X) "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," NBC, 17.3 million viewers.
10. (46) "NYPD Blue," ABC, 16.1 million viewers.
11. (16) "Cold Case," CBS, 15.8 million viewers.
12. (55) "House," Fox, 15.6 million viewers.
13. (15) "Medium," NBC, 15.3 million viewers.
14. (9) "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS, 15 million viewers.
15. (16) "The Apprentice 3," NBC, 14.8 million viewers.
16. (22) "Law & Order," NBC, 14.7 million viewers.
17. (38) "24," Fox, 14.5 million viewers.
18. (18) "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," NBC, 14.5 million viewers.
19. (12) "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 14.5 million viewers.
20. (7) "Without a Trace," CBS, 14.4 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Teresa Wright
Teresa Wright, the willowy actress who starred opposite Gary Cooper and Marlon Brando and won a supporting Academy Award in 1942 for "Mrs. Miniver," has died. She was 86.
Wright's career skyrocketed after her first film, "The Little Foxes," which brought her an Oscar nomination as best supporting actress of 1941. The following year she was honored with two nominations: lead actress as the wife of Lou Gehrig in "The Pride of the Yankees" and supporting actress as Greer Garson's daughter in the wartime saga "Mrs. Miniver."
She also starred in three other classics: Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" in 1943; Brando's first film, "The Men," in 1950; and the multiple Oscar winner "The Best Years of Our Lives" in 1946.
Later generations saw her in an occasional character role, including the eccentric, warmhearted Miss Birdie in the 1997 film version of John Grisham's "The Rainmaker," starring Matt Damon, and in 1988's "The Good Mother," with Diane Keaton and Liam Neeson.
Wright's lovely face, quiet manner and dramatic skill made her a popular leading actress in the 1940s and early '50s. She appeared opposite Cooper in "The Pride of the Yankees" and "Casanova Brown," Robert Mitchum in "Pursued," David Niven in "Enchantment," Lew Ayres in "The Capture" and Cornel Wilde in "California Conquest."
Wright was born in New York City on Oct. 27, 1918, and grew up in Maplewood, N.J., where she showed promise in theatricals at Columbia High School. Her instructor persuaded Teresa's father to allow her to study for the summer at the famed Wharf theater in Provincetown, Mass.
Wright began her career in summer theater, then got a job as understudy to Dorothy McGuire, who had taken over the lead role in the hit play "Our Town." After touring in "Our Town," Wright won a role in another stage hit, "Life with Father." Goldwyn saw the play and brought her to Hollywood to play the role of Alexandra Giddens in "The Little Foxes."
While under contract to Goldwyn, she met the producer's story editor Niven Busch, who wrote "Duel in the Sun" and other novels. They were married in 1942 and had two children, Niven Terence and Mary Kelly. Two of Busch's sons by a previous marriage lived with them on a 300-acre ranch in Hollister.
In 1952, she ended her marriage to Busch, accusing him of making her feel useless "by refusing to allow me the right to have anything to say in the care and raising of my children and the running of our house."
In 1959, Wright married Robert Anderson, author of "Tea and Sympathy" and other plays. She stopped acting for several years, but returned to the New York theater for "Mary, Mary" in 1962.
She drew glowing reviews in the Broadway revival of "Death of a Salesman" in 1975, and was warmly received in occasional screen appearances later in life. Besides "The Good Mother" and "The Rainmaker," Wright had character roles in "Hail, Hero!" "The Happy Ending," "Roseland" and "Somewhere in Time."
She and Anderson divorced and later remarried.
Teresa Wright
In Memory
Martin Denny
Martin Denny, the pianist-bandleader whose tropical brand of instrumental exotica met with great popularity in the late 1950s, died March 2 in Hawai'i Kai, Hawaii. He was 94.
The classically trained musician formed a band in Waikiki that blended natural sounds, jazz rhythms and exotic percussion. In 1959, Denny's "Quiet Village" (which featured future Baja Marimba band leader Julius Wechter on vibraphone) became a top 5 pop hit, propelling the album "Exotica" to No. 1 on Billboard's album chart for five weeks.
Two other top 5 albums followed, but Denny's sound went into eclipse in the early 1960s. He found a new audience during the early 1990s, when the resurgence of "lounge music" rekindled interest in his music.
Martin Denny
In Memory
George "Wild Child" Butler
George "Wild Child" Butler, a blues harmonica player, died March 1 in Windsor, Ontario. He was 68.
Born in Autaugaville, Ala., Butler got his start playing in regional juke joints. He made his name in Chicago clubs but also played regularly in New Orleans and Houston before settling in Canada.
He recorded extensively for Mercury, TK, Rooster Blues, M.C., Bullseye Blues and APO. Besides his work as a headliner, he was a sideman for Jimmy Rogers, Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon and John Lee Hooker, among others.
George "Wild Child" Butler
