'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Weekly Review
HARPER'S WEEKLY REVIEW
July 8, 2003
Resident George W. Bush dismissed growing complaints that
he exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq in the buildup to
the invasion and invited Iraqis who remain loyal to Saddam
Hussein to attack American troops: "There are some who feel
like that if they attack us, that we may decide to leave
prematurely," he said. "My answer is: bring them on. We've
got the force necessary to deal with the security
situation."
Resistance to the occupation continued to
escalate; in one incident, a man walked up to an American
soldier who was waiting in line to buy a drink at Baghdad
University, said "Hello, mister," and shot him dead. A
nearby crowd was heard shouting "Allahu Akbar."
Rumors were
circulating among Iraqis that power shortages were the
result of American retribution for guerrilla attacks, and a
resistance group called the Muslim Fighters of the
Victorious Sect warned that it will execute Iraqis who
collaborate with the Americans.
The commander of the American forces in Iraq
acknowledged that the war was not over. Poland's foreign
minister admitted that his country sent troops to Iraq
because it wanted to obtain direct access to Iraqi oil
supplies.
Hans Blix retired, and Resident Bush was said to
be thinking about bringing peace to the people of Liberia.
Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy created an uproar when
he said that a German member of the European Parliament (who
challenged Berlusconi's use of a new immunity law to avoid
corruption charges) would make a good Nazi
concentration-camp commander. Berlusconi later refused to
apologize to Germany but said that he was sorry that his
ironic little joke had been misunderstood.
Continued at www.harpers.org/weekly-review
--Roger D. Hodge
Reader Comment
Re: Candidates
Why I'm voting for Kucinich over Dean
Kucinich vs Dean
sarah
Thanks, Sarah! Quite a useful chart. While I'm still undecided, have firm opinions on who should NOT be the candidate.
Reader Comment & Suggeston
RE: Another Animation
Hi Marty
So far I have sent you links only to humorous animations. Some of them
have
been political satire but all have been funny. Tonight I am sending you a
link to a Blumrich animation that is in no way funny. Tears rolled down my
face as I watched it. Even more than ever I felt deeply ashamed of the
UK's
Prime Minister for being Bush's puppet. What could be more embarrassing
when Bush is Rove's puppet and Rove is the puppet of the secret elite?
That makes Blair a puppet of a puppet of a puppet and that this pupppet
of a puppet of a puppet arsehole is in control of my country.
www.bushflash.com/liberation.html
Have a box of tissues handy when you watch it. And a lot of alchol to try
to wipe out the shame. Why is it that I have an urge to scrub myself with
a wire brush and use bleach in order to cleanse myself of the taint...
I can only say that I consider Bush to be the worst fucking disaster to hit
this planet since that meterorite in the Cretacious wiped out 70% of life
on earth.
Sorry for the use of expletives as intensifiers, but there are
circumstances where nothing else will do. Bush is a fucking evil
bastard. Bush is a piece of fucking shit. Rove is behind Dubya
because behind every bush there is a cunt.
Sigh. The alcohol that is erasing some of my pain at watching that
animation is also erasing some of my inhibitions. I expect I may have
to apologize to you tomorrow because of my intemperate language. So be
it. Bush is a fucking disaster. It's possible to express the same
sentiment without expletives but it is not possible to convey the same
degree of emotion. I hope you will understand even if you feel it
necessary to bowdlerize my message when you post a link to this very
important animation.
Brian dF
Thanks, Brian! (I only cut out the offensive words) ; )
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Arfing A! Our old pal 'June Gloom' took a curtain call & the sun didn't show up til near mid-afternoon.
Pictures are heavy on animals today - humans just weren't entertaining.
Had a can of Pepsi spring a leak in a cupboard today. What a mess.
Tonight, Wednesday, CBS begins the evening with '60 Minutes II', followed by a FRESH 'Big Brother 4', then the
Series Premiere 'Cupid'.
On a RERUN Dave are Renee Zellweger and Jack Johnson.
On a RERUN Craiggers are Guy Pearce, Lisa Rinna, and the Eels.
NBC opens the night with a FRESH 'Fame', followed by a RERUN 'Law & Order', then another
RERUN 'Law & Order'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jay are Will Smith, Brian Williams, and the Wallflowers.
Scheduled on a FRESH Conan are Carson Daly, Jennifer Coolidge, and Josh Kelley.
Scheduled on a FRESH Carson Daly are Sarah Wynter and Lifehouse.
ABC starts the evening with a RERUN 'My Wife & Kids', followed by a RERUN 'George Lopez', then a
FRESH 'Drew Carey', followed by another FRESH 'Drew Carey', then a FRESH 'The Dating Experiment'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jimmy Kimmel are ESPN's Stuart Scott, David Banner, and thesmokinggun.com founder William Bastone, with this week's guest co-host Zach Galifianakis.
The WB offers a FRESH 'Boarding House: North Beach', followed by a RERUN 'Jamie Kennedy', then another RERUN 'Jamie Kennedy'.
Faux has a RERUN 'That 70's Show', followed by a FRESH 'American Juniors', then a FRESH 'Parasite Hotel'.
UPN has a RERUN 'Enterprise', then a RERUN 'Twilight Zone'.
A&E has 'Biography' ('Happy Days'), 'American Justice', and another 'American Justice'.
AMC offers 'In Harm's Way' (1965);
'The Hunter' (1980); and
'Hell Is for Heroes' (1962). (ALL TIMES EDT)
BBC -
[7pm] 'Ground Force' - Warwick;
7:30pm] 'Changing Rooms' - Aberdeen;
[8pm] 'Homefront in the Garden' - Derby;
8:30pm] 'Homefront in the Garden' - Stoke Newington;
[9pm] 'Keeping Up Appearances' - Episode 5;
[9:40pm] 'Keeping Up Appearances' - Episode 6;
[10:20pm] 'Keeping Up Appearances' - Episode 7;
[11pm] 'So Graham Norton' - Chris Rock (from New York);
[11:30pm] 'So Graham Norton' - Dustin Hoffman;
[12am] 'Keeping Up Appearances' - Episode 5;
[12:40am] 'Keeping Up Appearances' - Episode 6;
[1:20am] 'Keeping Up Appearances' - Episode 7;
[2am] 'Homefront in the Garden' - Derby;
[2:30am] 'Homefront in the Garden' - Stoke Newington;
[3am] 'So Graham Norton' - Chris Rock (from New York); and
[3:30am] 'So Graham Norton' - Dustin Hoffman. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has the movie 'The Untouchables', followed by 'The 34th Annual Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards', then a repeat of 'The 34th Annual Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jon Stewart is Erica Jong.
History has a night of all 'Modern Marvels'.
SciFi has 'Tracker', the movie 'Interceptor Force', then the movie 'Dead Weekend'.
From dawn til dusk TCM celebrates an early Edward G. Robinson,
then 4 films with Tom Hanks, and finally, 1 from
Woody Allen.
[6:15am] 'The Widow From Chicago' (1930);
[7:30am] 'Smart Money' (1931) ;
[9am] 'Five Star Final' (1931);
[10:30am] 'The Hatchet Man' (1932);
[12pm] 'Two Seconds' (1932);
[1:30pm] 'Dark Hazard' (1934);
[3pm] 'The Man With Two Faces' (1934);
[4:30pm] 'Bullets Or Ballots' (1936);
[6pm] 'Galahad' (1937);
[8pm] 'Splash' (1984);
[10pm] 'A League of Their Own' (1992);
[12:15am] 'Philadelphia' (1993);
[2:30am] 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993);
[4:30am] 'Sleeper' (1973). (ALL TIMES EDT)
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
A Dogania subplana (also known as an Asian soft-shell turtle) is seen in China Town in New York on July 8, 2003. This turtle was bought at a fish market where it is illegal to sell for food. It was injured and appeared not to have been fed for over a month.
Photo by Chip East
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
'Why Can't I Touch It?'
Buzzcocks
The Buzzcocks were joined onstage Sunday night in Camden, N.J., by one-time bassist Steve Garvey and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder for a rendition of their early staple "Why Can't I Touch It?"
Now a Camden-area resident, Garvey told Billboard.com he hadn't played live with his old mates in three years, but that he couldn't resist the opportunity since the Buzzcocks were in the area opening for Pearl Jam.
During the final song of Pearl Jam's set later in the evening, Buzzcocks guitarist Steve Diggle lent a hand on a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World," while Vedder roamed the front of the stage. The Buzzcocks final show supporting Pearl Jam will be Tuesday at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Buzzcocks
Returning For 3rd Season on MTV
`The Osbournes'
"The Osbournes" will return for 20 new episodes on MTV early next year, the network announced Tuesday. Filming at the family's Beverly Hills mansion will resume this fall.
Since the unscripted reality show began, viewers have seen matriarch Sharon Osbourne undergo cancer treatments and 17-year-old son Jack recently emerged from a stint in rehab.
Meanwhile, Aimee Osbourne has finally joined the entertainment fray.
The soft-spoken oldest daughter who declined to be part of her family's weekly show will make her television acting debut in the MTV movie "Wuthering Heights," which airs Sept. 4.
It's an adaptation of the classic novel by Emily Bronte about doomed and tragic love, but updated for the MTV audience with an emphasis on music. Osbourne studied acting in London.
`The Osbournes'
Woman With An Opinion
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie says there's nothing left of the intense love she once shared with ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton.
"We're not friends, no," Jolie told Barbara Walters in an hourlong interview airing on ABC's news magazine "20/20" Friday. "It's like we just changed, we became very different people, and I wouldn't know what to talk to him about."
"When you're friends, and when you love somebody you tend to be as outspoken as possible, to make them feel good. You tell the world that they're wonderful, and you love them, and how great they are."
She meant it at the time, Jolie said. "Now I just feel like I don't know him."
Angelina Jolie
Mimi, a four-month old domestic cat, stands on watermelons at his owner's fruit stand, in China's financial hub of Shanghai, July 6, 2003. Pet ownership, once banned and labelled as too bourgeois for the common man during the Cultural Revolution, is once again gaining popularity as the population becomes more affluent thanks to more than a decade of growth and liberalization.
Photo by Claro Cortes IV
Now A U.S. Citizen
Peter Jennings
After pondering the idea seriously for a decade -- and weathering a recent controversy in which his Canadian roots were an issue -- ABC News anchor Peter Jennings has become an American citizen.
The Toronto-born journalist, who was raised in Ottawa, says the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. and recent travels throughout the country have made him feel "much more connected to the Founding Fathers' dreams and ideas for the future."
Jennings, who turns 65 this month, has been working in the U.S. since 1964 and has been anchoring the ABC's nightly news since 1983.
Jennings will retain his Canadian citizenship.
The broadcaster's pledge of allegiance came during a regular citizenship ceremony at a government office in Lower Manhattan on May 30, but he initially kept it a secret.
Peter Jennings
Dylan's Muse?
Junichi Saga
A Japanese writer said Tuesday he was flattered to learn that passages from one of his books apparently found their way into Bob Dylan's lyrics.
In the song "Floater" from his 2001 album, "Love and Theft," Dylan croons: "My old man, he's like some feudal lord, got more lives than a cat." He also sings, "I'm not quite as cool or forgiving as I sound" and then, "Sometimes somebody wants you to give something up, And tears or not, it's too much to ask."
On page 6 of Junichi Saga's book "Confessions of a Yakuza," the protagonist recalls: "My old man would sit there like a feudal lord." Later, he says: "I'm not as cool or forgiving as I might have sounded." On page 182, he says: "Tears or not, though, that was too much to ask."
Saga, whose 1989 book "Confessions of a Yakuza" appeared in English in 1991, said he first heard about the similarities between his work and Dylan's about a month ago from a reporter from The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story Tuesday.
"My book hasn't even sold that well, and it's out of print in Japan," said Saga. He estimates the book, which was also translated into German, French and Portuguese, earned him about 1 million yen, or $8,475.
Saga said he harbors no ill feelings toward Dylan.
He has told his publisher, Tokyo-based Kodansha International, that while he would prefer to be credited as a source for Dylan's songs, he has "absolutely no plans to sue." There are no plans for a reprinted edition, either.
"Why would I sue? To take something that made people around the world happy and try to exploit it for money — that's poverty," Saga said.
Junichi Saga
Apologizes for AIDS Remark
Michael 'Savage' Weiner
Michael Savage, the conservative talk show host fired by cable news channel MSNBC for wishing AIDS on a caller, on Tuesday apologized for his remarks.
"If my comments brought pain to anyone I certainly did not intend for this to happen and apologize for any such reaction," Savage said on his Web site.
"I especially appeal to my many listeners in the gay community to accept my apologies for any inadvertent insults which may have occurred," he said.
The show, which debuted in March, aired 15 times, averaging fewer than 350,000 viewers an episode. It aired on Saturday nights at 5 p.m. ET.
In his apology, Savage said that he thought that he was talking to "a crank caller from a competitive talk show" and that the call had been cut off by producers.
"Unfortunately, my personal comments to this crank caller were broadcast," he said.
"Let me repeat, this was an interchange between me personally and a mean-spirited, vicious setup caller which I thought was taking place off the air," Savage said. "It was not meant to reflect my views of the terrible tragedy and suffering associated with AIDS."
Michael 'Savage' Weiner
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
May Join Civil Disobedience Campaign
Bono
Irish rock star Bono threatened Tuesday to join a campaign of civil disobedience if rich countries don't do more to combat world poverty.
"The people I represent — the activists from my community — will take a very, very different tack in the next few years if these trends are to continue in Africa," the U2 frontman said at the Dublin launch of a U.N. report which warned that international programs to help poor nations out of poverty are failing in many countries.
"I am ready to march with my activist friends in campaigns of civil disobedience," he added. "We are about to get very noisy, we are about to bang a lot of dustbin lids. This issue is the defining issue of our time and some of us are ready to really work on it."
Bono
A very rare and endangered Heosemys depressa (also known as an Arakan forest turtle) is seen in New York on July 8, 2003. This is just one of the more than 1,000 turtles kept in a New York loft where they have been rescued, many from illegal importation to be used as food.
Photo by Chip East
Own A Piece Of 'The King'
Elvis' Tooth & Hair
It's a lucky day for anyone who's ever wanted to own a piece of Elvis Presley. A tooth from the mouth of The King himself is being auctioned on eBay.
The tooth was in the possession of Presley's former fiancee, Linda Thompson, until it went to the Elvis Presley Museum. The museum later sold the tooth.
The auction also includes a lock of Presley's hair that was saved from his haircut upon joining the military and a gold record for "Love Me Tender."
Elvis' Tooth & Hair
Cites Free Expression, Drops Suit
Spike Lee
Spike Lee no longer believes that Viacom deliberately intended to trade on his name by calling its own venture "Spike TV," according to a statement read in court Tuesday.
The statement was read jointly in Manhattan State Supreme Court by Lee's lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, and David Boies, lawyer for Viacom.
The lawyers officially announced Tuesday that the settlement of a dispute between Lee and the media giant will allow the TNN cable network's name to be changed immediately to "Spike TV."
Cochran and Boies alternated sentences as they read the joint statement to Justice Walter Tolub.
While the case was pending, Lee was in Los Angeles filming "Sucker-Free City" for Showtime, a cable network owned by Viacom.
Spike Lee
Scraps European Tour
Godsmack
Hard rock act Godsmack has canceled its summer European tour, which was set to begin July 13 in Manchester, England.
The group has also backed out its planned appearance on the European edition of Ozzfest, to be headlined by Ozzy Osbourne. It is not known who will replace Godsmack on the trek.
Godsmack will honor its commitment to play the Fuji Rock Festival on July 26 in Nigata, Japan. The three-day event will also feature Underworld, Bjork, Coldplay, Elvis Costello and Steve Winwood.
Godsmack
Shocking News!
Britney Spears
After years of saying she'd wait until she was married to lose her virginity, Britney Spears is acknowledging that she had sex with her ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake.
"I've only slept with one person my whole life," the pop star tells W magazine for its August issue.
"It was two years into my relationship with Justin, and I thought he was the one," she pauses, then adds, "But I was wrong! I didn't think he was gonna go on Barbara Walters and sell me out."
"The most painful thing I've ever experienced was that breakup," Spears says. "We were together so long and I had this vision. You think you're going to spend the rest of your life together. Where I come from, the woman is the homemaker, and that's how I was brought up — you cook for your kids. But now I realize I need my single time."
Britney Spears
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Cops Plea In LA Sex Photo Case
Jeffrey Jones
Veteran character actor Jeffrey Jones pleaded no contest on Tuesday to hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose for sexually explicit photos.
Jones, 56, who played a high school principal in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Jones' lawyer Leonard Levine said the allegations were "just a case about photographs."
"He's not accused of touching or having physical contact with any minors whatsoever. He didn't do anything of that nature.
Jeffrey Jones
A Platysernon megacephalon (also known as a Big-headed turtle) pictured in New York on July 8, 2003. This is just one of the more than 1,000 turtles kept in a New York loft where they have been rescued, many from illegal importation to be used as food.
Photo by Chip East
Straight Men Get Style Advice
'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'
Want help in transforming a schlub of a husband or boyfriend into one who's attractive and socially adept?
Get the right man for the job — the right GAY man. That's the premise of a Bravo series in which style-challenged straight men are overhauled by experts whose credentials include being gay.
"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," debuting 10 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 15, with two back-to-back hours.
Gays, at least the ones featured in the series, are leagues ahead in knowing how to achieve lifestyle perfection. The straight men are a group of sad sacks in need of rehab, Eliza Doolittles one and all.
A second gay-themed series arrives on Bravo on July 29. In "Boy Meets Boy," a gay leading man will choose from 15 potential mates — with the twist that some are actually heterosexual.
Bravo has run gay-themed programming in the past, including last summer's documentary series on same-sex weddings and, for several years, the "Out of the Closet" film festival.
For more, 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'
www.bravotv.com/
Talks Investment on FoxNews
Wayne Rogers
Wayne Rogers, best known for his role as Trapper John on "M*A*S*H" in the early 1970s, is back on television. But he has shed his acting gig and will instead discuss personal investment strategies on Fox News Channel, the cable network said.
Rogers, a successful entrepreneur and financier, will appear on three business-related programs: "Cashin' In," "Your World With Neil Cavuto" and "Bulls and Bears." Rogers is co-chairman and co-CEO of convenience store chain Swifty Serve and co-chairman of bridal retailer Kleinfeld.
Wayne Rogers
Resurrecting 'Casablanca Records'
Tommy Mottola
Tommy Mottola has landed at Universal Music Group, where he is set to launch a new label Tuesday by resurrecting
Casablanca Records, the disco powerhouse and one-time home of artists ranging from Kiss to Captain & Tennille.
Mottola, legendary for his ability to discover and nurture talent, plans to start fresh and is in the process of signing artists for the joint venture, which comes six months after he resigned under pressure as chairman and chief executive of Sony Music.
Casablanca Records will be based in New York and be part of Universal Motown Records Group, whose chairman and CEO, Mel Lewinter, said Mottola will be free to develop the label as he chooses.
The original Casablanca Records was a boutique label and has been out of commission for nearly 20 years.
Neil Bogart founded the
label in 1973, naming it as a tribute to the movie "Casablanca."
Tommy Mottola
Criticised For Lack Of Condom
Elephant Logo
Thai community groups want to use a logo featuring two elephants having sex for next year's World AIDS conference in Bangkok but the plan has been criticised by health authorities because the bull is not using a condom.
"The logo fails to convey any meaning," Dr Sombat Tanprasertsuk of the Thai government's disease control department was quoted as saying in the Nation newspaper on Tuesday.
"There is only one message which people will get: that community workers are obsessed with sex. And it doesn't show the male elephant wearing a condom.
Elephant Logo
Gerolsteiner team rider Rene Haselbacher of Austria rides to the finish line after he crashed in the finish of the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Charleville-Mezieres and Saint Dizier July 8, 2003. Alessandro Petacchi of Italy won the stage and Frenchman Jean-Patrick Nazon took over the race leader's yellow jersey.
Photo by Eric Gaillard
'Ark of Darkness'
"The Ark of Darkness", a Political/Science-Fiction work, in tidy, weekly installments (and updated every Friday).
The Ark Group bids a sad farewell to one of their number as they contend with Purgatory's lowest courtroom.
'The Osbournes'
Freshly Updated! 'The Osbournes' ~ Page 4
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 3
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 2
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 1
