'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Weekly Review
HARPER'S WEEKLY REVIEW
April 15, 2003
Faced with the unlikelihood of finding any nuclear,
chemical, or biological weapons in Iraq, the Bush
Administration was beginning to suggest that Saddam Hussein
had moved all his weapons of mass destruction to Syria.
Asked whether Syria was "next," Donald Rumsfeld said: "It
depends on people's behavior. Certainly I have nothing to
announce."
Resident George W. Bush, asked whether Syria has
weapons of mass destruction, replied: "I think that we
believe there are chemical weapons in Syria, for example,
and we will -- each situation will require a different
response, and of course we're -- first things first. We're
here in Iraq now, and the second thing about Syria is that
we expect cooperation."
American military officers denied
that they had stage-managed the much broadcast destruction
of a statue of Saddam Hussein, surrounded by a small crowd
of cheering residents, and said that it was just a
coincidence that the very same American flag that flew over
the Pentagon on September 11 was on hand to be wrapped
around the statue's head.
The U.S. Central Command printed
up decks of playing cards depicting the names and images of
Saddam Hussein's inner circle to help American soldiers
recognize them; Saddam Hussein appears on the ace of spades.
President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair both went on
Iraqi television and told the Iraqi people, almost none of
whom had electricity, that "the nightmare that Saddam
Hussein has brought to your nation will soon be over."
An American tank fired into the Palestine Hotel, where
most foreign journalists in Baghdad have been staying, and
killed two Reuters cameramen.
American forces also attacked
the offices of Al Jazeera, the Arab television network,
killing one journalist, and the offices of Abu Dhabi TV. In
each case, U.S. officials claimed that they were responding
to enemy fire, and in each case the claims were disputed by
witnesses.
Baghdad and other cities in Iraq were in chaos; mobs were
looting businesses, government offices, and private homes.
"You cannot do everything simultaneously," said Donald
Rumsfeld. "It's untidy. And freedom's untidy. And free
people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes."
One notable crime was the looting of the National Museum of
Iraq, which held a massive collection of ancient artifacts
from more than 7,000 years of Mesopotamian civilization.
Occupying forces intervened briefly but then left; what was
not stolen was destroyed.
Eleven people, including seven women, were
killed in their sleep when an American warplane mistakenly
dropped a 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb on their home in
eastern Afghanistan.
Continued at www.harpers.org/weekly-review
-- Roger D. Hodge
Reader Review & Question
Are House Republicans Mainstream Klingons?
I finally got around to watching last week's (what would we do without
Tivo) Enterprise, where the noble-but-terminally-clueless Captain Archer is
put on trial by the Klingons. Most of the show was a bunch of rock-heads
in the gallery shouting the same syllable over and over. What actors will
do to get work is beyond me. Anyway, all they needed was the stimulus of an
accusation and off they went, more reliable than any warp drive they have
come up with yet.
The defense attorney's initial notion was to put up no defense whatsoever.
Just let the lies and shouting die down and make a political deal later.
When he is finally prodded into doing his job he actually makes a
reasonable defense. So da cute judgie with the claw glove and the
sparky-ball (apparently the only thing that can get Klingons to shut up --
is there some similar instrument that will work for Fox news?) is dutifully
impressed. It seems he does remember the law-of-Calis or whatever, and
actually agrees hears evidence (actually testimony, but whatever). Too bad
it doesn't matter -- the verdict was in before anything started.
Can anyone point out to me the difference between the Klingon court and the
Republican-controlled government and media we have? Can't see any
difference myself. In fact the fit is so perfect that I can't help
wondering if the Enterprise writers were doing it deliberately. Anybody
know them well enough to ask?
Alan
Thanks, Alan! Good point. I saw the episode, and, damn, Klingons are an incredibly annoying lott.
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Clear, cool, but sunny.
Talked to dear old Dad tonight. He said the first day of fishing season was 'too damn cold', so he stayed home, but will be out tomorrow. Wonder how many flies he tied this winter.
The kid has next week off for spring break. We're going to re-do and expand his 'terrarium o'death' - he has a pitcher plant & 2 cobra lilies to add to the mix. Found them, quite unexepectedly, on a trek to Home Depot. The clerk
started teasing him that they would 'bite' him. In his most patient voice, the kid then explained the mechanisms of the plants, their lighting, soil and dietary needs, as well as their preferred humidity, the plants they're related to, and threw in the Latin names for good measure.
Tonight, Wednesday, CBS is supposed to offer a FRESH 'Star Search', followed by '60 Minutes II', then '48 Hours'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Dave are Michael Douglas and Todd Rundgren.
On a RERUN Craiggers are Arsenio Hall, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, and D4.
NBC is supposed to open the evening with 'Dateline', followed by a RERUN 'The West Wing', then a RERUN 'Law & Order'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jay are Edward Burns, a 101-year-old shot putter and Tori Amos.
On a RERUN Conan are Harry Connick, Jr., Amy Poehler, and David Cross.
On a RERUN Carson Daly (from 12/17/02), are Aidan Quinn and Sparta.
ABC is supposed to start the night with a RERUN 'My Wife & Kids', followed by a RERUN 'George Lopez', then 2 hours of 'The Bachelor'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jimmy Kimmel are SuperCross motorcycle champions Ricky Carmichael & James "Bubba" Stewart, Jillian Barberie, and the Transplants, with this week's guest co-host Deion Sanders.
The WB offers a FRESH Dawson's Creek', and a FRESH 'Angel'.
Faux has a FRESH 'That 70's Show', followed by a FRESH 'American Idol', then a FRESH 'Bernie Mac',
followed by a FRESH 'Wanda At Large'.
UPN has a FRESH 'Enterprise', followed by a FRESH 'Twilight Zone'.
Check local PBS listings for part 3 (of 4) of 'Avoiding Aramgeddon', narrated by Walter Cronkite.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Shown left to right, are Liz Smith, Beverly Sills, Carol Burnett and Barbara Walters, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts annual spring gala and fundraiser, which was also a tribute to Sills, the former Lincoln Center chairman. Smith, Burnett and Walters, billed as the Three Divas, co-hosted the event.
Photo by Stuart Ramson
Criticizes Bush Again
Michael Moore
Filmmaker Michael Moore, who slammed resident Bush and the U.S.-led war in Iraq during his Oscar acceptance speech, continued his criticism before a university crowd in Bush's home state.
The documentary maker said Monday night that the president's approval ratings are high because the American people rally around their leader after a tragedy, and Bush "is the one occupying the federal land at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."
But Moore said the United States is at war with Iraq because of the former Texas governor's need to keep the public's eye off his domestic failures as president.
"It's not about the weapons of mass destruction; it's about the weapons of mass distraction," he told 4,400 students and guests at the University of Texas.
Michael Moore
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
Dampening Network News Ratings
War Fatigue
After three weeks of televised Iraq war coverage that brought viewers closer than ever to live combat, American TV audiences are showing signs of battle fatigue.
Prime-time viewership of the three 24-hour cable news outlets -- Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC -- has declined about 20 percent between the first and third weeks of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, though their ratings remain far above pre-war levels, according to the Nielsen ratings agency.
Likewise, viewership for the flagship evening newscasts of the Big Three networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC -- dropped considerably between the first and third weeks of the war.
As the invasion unfolded with relatively few surprises, interest was bound to dwindle, said Robert Thompson, head of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television. "Three weeks into this war, we pretty much knew what the formula was going to be," he said.
The latest Nielsen figures suggest that hard-core news junkies are increasingly defecting from the Big Three and tuning in to round-the-clock coverage offered by Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.
A recent Los Angeles Times poll found that 70 percent of Americans were getting most of their war information from cable news channels.
War Fatigue
Hollywood's Citizen of the Century
Bob Hope
Legendary comedian and entertainer Bob Hope won the unique title of Hollywood's citizen of the century in a star-studded ceremony held to mark his upcoming 100th birthday.
The veteran star of US movies, television, stage and radio was not present at the ceremony on Hollywood's prestigious Walk of Fame, where a special plaque proclaiming his new status was unveiled next to one of his four stars.
His daughter Linda, who attended the ceremony along with stars including actor Kelsey Grammer and veteran comedienne Phyllis Diller, said her father's greatest contribution to the 20th century was laughter.
To mark Hope's first 100 years, the US NBC television network will air a two-hour special called "100 Years of Hope and Humor" on April 20, while Universal Studios on Tuesday released 12 of his classic films on DVD.
In 1998 the British-born Hope was awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his long service as an entertainer.
Bob Hope
Look - there's Dennis Miller. Think he'd have been mocking this ceremony a few years back?
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc
OutQ
Fledgling Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a nationwide radio channel aimed at gay audiences, seeking to add subscribers in a previously untapped market.
The all-talk channel dubbed OutQ features around-the-clock shows about news, entertainment and politics for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender listeners.
OutQ is the first radio channel formatted exclusively for gay audiences -- 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week across the United States. Sirius hopes it can boost subscribers by targeting a small, potentially lucrative market that has yet to be served in such an exclusive way.
Joining Sirius officials at the news conference was gay activist and entertainer Harvey Fierstein, who has long complained he had few outlets to tap for information about the gay community.
He said fixing that problem was important for people who live closeted lives and do not want to have gay magazines or newspapers delivered to their homes. With radio, they can listen in the privacy of their house or car, Fierstein said.
OutQ
50 Most Eligible Women in the World
Lauren Bush Is #1
Beauty can take you only so far - bulging bank accounts are what really make the "50 Most Eligible Women in the World," according to FHM magazine. While the T&A title has some curious rankings in its randy roundup - supermodel Gisele Bundchen, whose $300,000
day rate makes her the world's best-paid mannequin, clocks in at a lowly No. 50. J.Lo's TV reporter sister Lynda Lopez is No. 41, well-bred siblings Serena and Samantha Boardman tie for No. 37 and model-turned-painter
Anh Duong snares No. 35. Ralph Lauren's daughter Dylan, whose Dylan's Candy Bar has made her Manhattan's Willy Wonka, is No. 26. Charlotte Ronson, No. 23, got edged out by lovely luxury accessories heiress Elisabeth Kieselstein-Cord (22). Hotel hellions Paris
and Nicky Hilton claw their way to No. 19, Pia Getty strikes oil at No. 6 and publishing heiress Amanda Hearst claims the No. 3 spot. The No. 1 honor goes to presidential niece/Tommy Hilfiger model Lauren Bush, who lives in Texas but frequently visits Manhattan for gigs.
Lauren Bush Is #1
Marlene Dietrich's Daughter Donates Letters
Maria Riva
Marlene Dietrich's daughter was honored at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum for donating a collection of intimate letters written to her mother by novelist Ernest Hemingway.
The papers donated by Maria Riva include a Christmas card, 30 letters and telegrams that were written between 1949 and 1959, as well as early drafts of several Hemingway poems and stories.
Under the terms of Riva's gift, the correspondence can't be opened to the public until 2007.
The Kennedy Library is home to most of Hemingway's papers, including 95 percent of his manuscripts and correspondence. President Kennedy was an admirer of Hemingway, though the two never met, and Hemingway's wife, Mary, saw the Kennedy Library as a fitting place for the writer's papers.
Maria Riva
Cable TV's TNN Changes Name
Spike TV
Spike is no longer just the name of a famous film director or a volleyball move. Now it's the name of a cable network, too.
Struggling TNN — which just two years ago changed from The Nashville Network to The National Network - announced Tuesday that, effective June 16, it will call itself Spike TV and become the first network aimed specifically at men.
Its most popular programs, Monday's two WWE wrestling shows, are off 22 percent in viewership, with "Star Trek" down 32 percent, Nielsen Media Research said.
Spike TV
The first network aimed at men? Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha
Baby News
Angie Harmon
Angie Harmon's going from assistant district attorneying to diaper duty.
The former Law & Order legal dish is expecting her first child with football stud hubby Jason Sehorn, her publicist confirmed Tuesday.
Harmon is due in late October.
Harmon, 30, married Sehorn, a former all-pro defensive back who played the last several seasons for the New York Giants, in June 2001. The couple, introduced by Sehorn's mom following a game, got engaged on national television in March 2000 when Sehorn trotted on stage during a Harmon appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, pulled out a ring and popped the question.
Angie Harmon
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Hosting Villains Special
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's portrayed robots both killing and kindly, will host an upcoming TV special about the top 100 heroes and villains of the screen.
An American Film Institute poll asked voters to choose among 400 nominated characters from American film history and decide which should be considered wicked or virtuous.
The show is scheduled for June 3 on CBS and will feature interviews with actors including Kirk Douglas, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper and Christopher Reeve.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Volunteers pose naked for U.S. artist Spencer Tunick's installation during the opening of the new Saatchi Gallery in London, April 15, 2003. Millionaire Charles Saatchi's new BritArt gallery, which hopes to attract up to 750,000 visitors a year, is housed on the banks of the River Thames in the ornate and cavernous halls of County Hall, the seat of London's government from 1912 to 1987.
Photo by Peter Macdiarmid
Rare Recordings Discovered
TV, Radio History
Rare recordings of a radio broadcast on the Lindbergh trial and a landmark TV drama have been discovered, the Museum of Television & Radio said Tuesday.
The recording made about the 1935 trial of Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping and killing of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby son is the only known one in existence, the museum said.
The other discovery, the acclaimed 1954 jury room drama "Twelve Angry Men," has not been seen in its entirety since the initial broadcast and was among the museum's most sought-after programs.
The Lindbergh recordings features prominent New York defense attorney Samuel Leibowitz's daily accounts of the trial. His trial analysis was broadcast from the studio of New York radio station WHN and was recorded on metal disc.
The recording was in the possession of Leibowitz's children, who also had a 16mm film copy of a kinescope of "Twelve Angry Men."
For more, TV, Radio History
www.mtr.org/
Jewelry Stolen From Exhibition
Marilyn Monroe
Two pieces of jewelry that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe have been stolen from an exhibition, police said Tuesday.
A diamond-encrusted gold ring with an "M" motif and a gold bangle, together worth $64,000, were stolen from central London's County Hall Gallery, which is hosting the exhibition about the actress, "Marilyn Monroe: Life of a Legend."
Scotland Yard said the items were stolen Monday afternoon. One man was arrested in the thefts and was being held by police.
Marilyn Monroe
Settles Toxic Mold Lawsuit
Ed McMahon
Former "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon settled a lawsuit against the last of several defendants he sued for toxic mold that allegedly sickened him and his wife, killed his pet and made his Beverly Hills mansion unlivable.
McMahon, 80, agreed to accept $230,000 to resolve the dispute, court documents revealed Monday. He'd sued American Equity Insurance Co., two insurance adjusters and several cleanup contractors for $20 million last year, claiming his 8,000-square-foot mansion was ruined.
The case had been scheduled to go to trial this week.
Ed McMahon
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
A Whiff of Ancient Rome
Pompeii
Entombed in volcanic ash 2,000 years ago, Pompeii has long offered visitors a glimpse of ancient Roman life. Now they can also get a sniff.
Directors at the sprawling archaeological site inaugurated "The Perfumer's House" on Tuesday and took the stoppers off 15 different perfumes concocted after a decade of research.
Lily, rose, basil and fennel are just a few of the heady scents that once fired the imaginations of ancient Romans, said Anna Maria Ciarallo, Pompeii's head of biological research.
The perfumes, which often mixed spices imported from Egypt and India with native plants, will be on display at Pompeii until June 2 along with copies of the bronze, glass and alabaster vials found at the site.
Pompeii
Tibetan monks dressed as skeletons perform during a six-day program of Lama dances at the Khampaghar Monastery near Dharamsala, India, Monday April 14, 2003. Dharamsala is the headquarters of the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama's government-in-exile.
Photo by Angus McDonald
Smashed SUV Into House
Rodney King
Rodney King, the motorist whose videotaped beating led to four days of riots in 1992, was seriously injured after crashing his SUV into a house, a tree and a utility pole, police said on Tuesday.
King, 39, suffered a broken pelvis in the high-speed collision on Sunday in the suburban town of Rialto, east of Los Angeles, after losing control of his vehicle in the latest in a series of brushes with the law.
Rialto police said they were awaiting the results of blood tests for alcohol and other illegal substances before deciding whether to charge King. He was estimated to be driving at around 100 mph.
No-one else was injured in the collision, which left a small hole in the side of a house not far from King's own home. King's condition was listed as fair by the local hospital where he was treated.
Rodney King
A White House Favorite
Jeff Grigg
One of resident Bush's favorite portraits of himself was done by a former gay porn star. According to Billy Masters, who runs filth2go.com, Jeff Grigg's painting, "The Eyes of a Nation," which
shows a heroic Bush after Sept. 11, hangs in the Oval Office. Griggs used to be a regular on "Days of Our Lives" until his past work in films like "Hole in One" and "Secret Boys Club" (under the
nom de plume Tony Sinatra) came to light. Since his acting career went bust, Griggs was born again as a painter and a Republican.
Jeff Grigg
Better Slots in Key Markets
'Maury'
Boasting buoyant ratings in its fifth season, the syndicated talk show "Maury" had reason for a double celebration Monday with time-period upgrades in 32 markets.
The Maury Povich talker has been playing particularly well in key demographic ratings season-to-season, said Steve Rosenberg, president of the show's producer, Universal Domestic Television.
It has posted a year-to-year increase of 10% across all key demos, with a 14% average audience increase in women 18-34, 10% in women 18-49 and 11% in women 25-54.
'Maury'
Spoofs Folk Music
'A Mighty Wind'
Just like his other movies, Christopher Guest's folk music spoof "A Mighty Wind" is improvised — which means Bob Balaban had no idea Michael Hitchcock would slap him in the face in one scene.
In the scene, Balaban was complaining about the stage set up for a Folksmen concert. Then Hitchcock smacked him one.
"When he hit him the crew exploded in laughter, including me, it was just so shocking," Guest told The Associated Press. "I mean there was just barely enough to edit where that's the cut and you go to the next scene.
"He said 'Ow!' or whatever he says, and he starts to laugh because it was so insane." Balaban was uncanny. He went on with the scene.
Guest said the Rolling Stones' song "Start Me Up" isn't the first non-folk song performed by the Folksmen. That Stones' classic off "Tattoo You" is on the soundtrack to "A Mighty Wind," but not in the movie. They performed the song while touring with Spinal Tap in 2001.
"When we first played, I think it started early in the 90s, we would sing the song from 'Flashdance ... What A Feeling' as if that was what the young people were singing. And then I just picked an incredibly inappropriate song to be done in that style."
'A Mighty Wind'
"A Mighty Wind"
Artworks Net 13.2 Million Euros
Andre Breton
The first batch of modern paintings belonging to Surrealist master Andre Breton to be sold at a controversial auction in Paris has netted 13.2 million euros (14.2 million dollars), with five record sales.
Monday night's sale was part of a marathon 10-day auction of paintings, photographs, books and other items from the apartment of the "pope of Surrealism", set to wrap up on Thursday.
The most awaited sale, that of Joan Miro's "The Trap" -- valued at three to five million euros -- only brought in 2.5 million euros, but buyers paid up to 30 times the estimated worth of other items in the vast collection.
Clovis Trouille's sexy portrait of a nun smoking a cigarette took in 240,000 euros -- three times its estimated value and a record sale for the artist's work.
Works by Jean Arp, Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, Charles Filiger and Maruja Mallo were also sold at record prices.
Breton's collection, originally valued at about 30 million euros (32.3 million dollars), includes paintings by Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Miro and Yves Tanguy, drawings by Breton, photographs, books signed by Sigmund Freud and the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, letters, primitive art, and an eclectic mix of household items, fossils and coins.
The French state bought 17 lots at Monday's sale, exercising its right of pre-emption to replace the highest bidder and obtain works of art deemed worthy of display in the country's national museums.
Andre Breton
A 10-month-old male snow leopard, who was brought to Argentina's Buenos Aires Zoo from Ontario, Canada, as part of an exchange progam, sits in its cage, April 15, 2003. There are some of 2,500 of these cats, who are endangered, living in mountainous regions between 6,000 and 20,000 feet in altitude, mainly in Southern Himalayas, Western Mongolia, Pakistan, Bhutan and Eastern Asia.
Photo by Enrique Marcarian
'Ark of Darkness'
"The Ark of Darkness", a Political/Science-Fiction work, tells the tale of a frightening journey into the last place anyone would want to be left behind, Hell.
Set in the present day, a biblical researcher and former astronaut discovers, via satellite imaging, an ancient shipwreck, not on Mount Ararat, the legendary location of Noah's Ark, but 1000 miles due east in the mountains of southern Russia.
The expedition quickly meets with disaster.
'The Osbournes'
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