Bob Geiger, The Yellow Dog Blog (Posted on smirkingchimp.com)
And for Democrats, the song - and the lesson -- remain the same: Whether it is for the presidency, a senate race or a part-time job paying $4,800 per year to be the mayor of Irvington, the Republican apple seldom falls far from the tree. And, if push comes to shove, the GOP will always - always - reach for their trump card of tossing legitimate votes if it serves their agenda.
LIZ AUSTIN: Clinton to Dems: Don't Fear Tough Issues (Associated Press)
Democrats can't be afraid to talk about hot-button issues, including abortion, and should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives if they want to regain power in Washington, former President Bill Clinton said ...
Nat Hentoff: The Danger After Miers (villagevoice.com)
The new danger is that in the general applause over the return to Texas of the hapless Harriet Miers, the press and senators on both sides of the aisle will not be asking the next candidate sufficiently piercing questions on whether this, or any, president can cast aside the separation of powers in the name of a national security that changes the very nature of this nation.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Football
Charles W. Eliot of Harvard was on his way to attend the Yale-Harvard football game in the company of Edward Everett Hale, when an acquaintance asked where he was going. Dr. Eliot replied, "To yell with Hale."
The Libby indictment is focusing attention on the role of Vice-President Dick Cheney's office in concocting the rationale for the invasion of Iraq. So who is this Dick Cheney? And why is he known inside the Beltway as "the Uriah Heep of the Bush Administration"?
The Faithful Old Retainer (A Dick Cheney Poem)
Asked to shepherd the young master, Was a faithful old retainer, His role this - to shirk the limelight, While assisting a slow learner.
"See my boy through his first hard days," Those instructions he received. "You'll be rich rewarded later, When, in time, you've been relieved."
Who could guess this sly factotum, Backup guy and service render, Had his own worldview in waiting, Had his own full-blown agenda?
So instead of prudent counsel, He just tendered the extremes, And because young master bought them We're must suffer his fool schemes.
Purple Gene's review of the Actor, Writer and Director, Harold Ramis hosting the Zen Hospice fund raising dinner at the "Atrium" Restaurant in San Francisco on Sunday night 10/30/05:
Famous Ramis is at it again……talking to a crowd of well-heeled Buddhist sympathizers over chocolate vanilla tortes and cappuccinos…..about DYING !!!!!!
This is the second year in a row that Harold Ramis, ("Ghost Busters" (1984) - "Groundhog Day" (1993) - "Analyze This" (1999) ) has shown up at this dinner (1 of 25 dinners throughout the SF Bay Area with celebrity hosts, gourmet food and great conversation - Called "One Night - One Heart") to regale the "egalitarian" group of guests with the wit and wisdom of a Hollywood hero.
First the Menu:
Pinot Noir……..dry and delicious
Butter lettuce and baked crab cake salad
Seared Alaskan Halibut in wine with braised onions and asparagus
Chocolate vanilla Torte
Cappuccino
I got to sit down with Harold before he spoke and got a little trivia straight….
In the Sci-Fi flick cartoon "Heavy Metal" (1981) ..were you the Voice of "Zeke"? …"Yes"
Was that the Voice of Zal Yanovsky (of the "Lovin' Spoonful") as a "barbarian?..."Yes"
In the Jim Carrey movie "The Mask" (1994)…You were listed as "Miscellaneous Crew" and Thanked…what did you do? Clean the camera???? "No, I donated some writing help"!
How would you describe the… about to be released movie you directed "The Ice Harvest" (2005) starring Billy Bob Thornton????? "It is a dark, violent, existential film noir…..with comedy and full frontal nudity" Ha Ha Ha
What's this new project that you're doing with Owen Wilson? "It is tentatively called "The Year One: in the Beginning" (2006) and it is about the religious history of the world not through Judism, Christianity or Buddhism but Mesopotamianism"!!!!!!
Harold was introduced by the owner of the Atrium restaurant, his old friend and a Zen Buddhist, David Cohen. After talking about how his wife had prepared a fantastic dinner at their home for Harold the night before ….and invited famous and familiar friends to be there…..Harold never showed up!!!!! Ramis took the Microphone, and in the best standup comedy tradition, started talking about his early days in Chicago doing "Second City"! He did improvisational theater with the likes of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray……how they went on to become regulars on Saturday Night Live and how he started writing "Meatballs" (1979), "CaddyShack" (1980) and "Stripes" (1981) !
Then Harold spoke a bit about what many people call a very "Zen" movie "Groundhog Day" (1993) that he wrote, directed and acted in….."the story of a cynical weatherman who wakes up every day forced to re-live the worst day of his life…until he learns to become a better person" ……
Of course this was a night to thank all the volunteers who actually "practice" through Zen Hospice Project to spend time caring for terminally ill people….and to this end, with prayer beads on his wrist and a twinkle in his eye, Famous Ramis was the perfect Host to help us all appreciate both life and death!!! Thanks Harold !!!!
Purple Gene gives Harold Ramis 10 deep and deliberate "Gasshos" (bows) out of 10 for being such a suave, cynical and sexy beast!
CBS starts the night with a FRESH'Still Standing', followed by a FRESH'Yes, Dear', then a FRESH'Criminal Minds', followed by a FRESH'CSI: The 3rd One'.
On a RERUNDave (from 10/10/05) are Orlando Bloom and Alicia Keys.
Scheduled on a FRESHCraig are Anthony LaPaglia, Jeri Ryan, and Jim Sheridan.
NBC opens the night with a FRESH'E-Ring', followed by a FRESH'Apprentice: Martha', then a FRESH'Law & Order'.
Scheduled on a FRESHLeno are Dr. Phil McGraw, Dennis Rodman, and Dwight Yoakam.
Scheduled on a FRESHConan are Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Krasinski, and Neil Young.
Scheduled on a FRESHCarson Daly are Donnie Wahlberg, storm chaser Jeff Piotrowski, and David Gray.
ABC begins the night with a FRESH'George Lopez', followed by a FRESH'Freddie', then a RERUN'Lost', followed by a RERUN'Invasion'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Ozzy Osbourne, Josh Hutcherson, and Black Star.
The WB offers a FRESH'One Tree Hill', followed by a FRESH'Related'.
Faux has the hourlong SEASON PREMIERE'That 70s Show', followed by a FRESH'Trading Spaces: Meet Your New Mommy'.
UPN has a FRESH'America's Next Top Model', followed by a RERUN'Veronica Mars'.
A&E has 'American Justice', 'Dog The Bounty Hunter', another 'Dog The Bounty Hunter', 'Inked', another 'Inked', 'Criss Angel: Mind Freak', and another 'Criss Angel: Mind Freak'.
AMC offers the movie 'Clear And Present Danger', followed by the movie 'Insomnia', then the movie 'Black Rain'.
BBC -
[2pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - Mr. & Mrs. Brian Norris' Ford Popular;
[6pm] 'BBC World News';
[6:30pm] 'House Invaders' - Carlton;
[7pm] 'The Benny Hill Show' - Episode 48;
[8pm] 'Cash in the Attic' - Episode 8;
[9pm] 'Changing Rooms' - Episode 16;
[11pm] 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' - Mr. & Mrs. Brian Norris' Ford Popular;
[1am] 'Changing Rooms' - Episode 16;
[6am] 'BBC World News'. (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'West Wing', 'The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion', and 'Happy Days Reunion'.
Comedy Central has 'Beavis & Butthead', 'Comedy Central Presents', last night's 'Jon Stewart', last night's 'Colbert Report', 'Mind Of Mencia', 'South Park', another 'South Park', and 'Drawn Together'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is Mike Wallace.
Scheduled on a FRESHColbert Report is Bruce Feiler.
Scheduled on a FRESHAdam Carolla is Bam Margera.
History has 'Modern Marvels', 'Engineering Disasters', another 'Modern Marvels', and another 'Engineering Disasters'.
IFC -
[6AM] Naked In New York (1993);
[7:45AM] Short: Debutante (1998);
[8AM] The Journey (1997);
[9:45AM] The Red Violin (1998);
[12PM] IFC November Short Film Collection I (2005);
[2PM] IFC in Theaters(2005);
[2:15PM] At The IFC Center (2005);
[2:45PM] The Red Violin (1998);
[5PM] IFC November Short Film Showcase (2005);
[6PM] Hoop Dreams (1994);
[9PM] Albino Alligator (1996);
[10:45PM] IFC in Theaters(2005);
[11PM] Bully (2001);
[1AM] Albino Alligator (1996);
[2:45AM] IFC in Theaters(2005);
[3AM] Bully (2001);
[5AM] The Festival #4 (2005);
[5:30AM] The Festival #5 (2005). (ALL TIMES EST)
SciFi has the movie 'Supernova', followed by the movie 'Star Trek: First Contact'.
Sundance -
[6:35AM] Brighton Beach Memoirs;
[8:30AM] Dummy;
[10:05AM] Oporto of My Childhood;
[11:15AM] Pi;
[12:45PM] The Heart of Me;
[2:30PM] Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story;
[3:30PM] Dummy;
[5:05PM] Brighton Beach Memoirs;
[7PM] Bandwagon;
[8:45PM] Dogsbody;
[9PM] What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?;
[10:45PM] Fait D'Hiver;
[11PM] I Am NOT an ANIMAL: A Star is Hatched;
[11:30PM] The Swell Life;
[12AM] Clara et Moi;
[1:30AM] The Tasty Bust Reunion;
[2:30AM] Liebestraum;
[4:15AM] What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?. (ALL TIMES EST)
Eartha Kitt arrives to the Hulaween gala in New York, Monday, Oct. 31, 2005. The event celebrated the tenth anniversary of Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project and Midler's 60th birthday. The NYRP reclaims, restores, and develops under-resourced open spaces in New York City's five boroughs.
Photo by Stuart Ramson
Oscars organisers will honour Academy Award-winning screen legend Olivia de Havilland at a special ceremony next year, they announced.
The 89-year-old actress -- who starred in such classic films as 1939's "Gone with the Wind," in which she played Melanie Hamilton -- will be the subject of a tribute to be held in Beverly Hills on June 15, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said.
De Havilland won her first Oscar for her portrayal of Jody Norris in "To Each His Own" (1946).
She won a further nomination for "The Snake Pit" (1948) and won her second Academy Award statuette for her role as Catherine Sloper in "The Heiress" one year later.
Sheryl Crow will perform at halftime of the Thanksgiving game between Denver and Dallas in support of The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Christmas campaign.
The Red Kettle campaign, started in San Francisco in 1891, has traditionally been The Salvation Army's most prominent fund-raiser. In 2004, the campaign raised over $100 million in communities nationwide, with the nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars all remaining in the towns where the money was deposited into the kettles.
Yoko Ono arrives at the Museum of Modern Art for a reception in honor of Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in New York, November 1, 2005. The royals are on the first day of an eight-day visit to the U.S.
Photo by Gary Hershorn
Dolly Parton and Elton John will sing "Turn the Lights Out When You Leave" at "The 39th Annual CMA Awards," which will air live on CBS from Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15.
"I've always admired Sir Elton's songwriting, musicianship and singing and I'm thrilled to be working with him," Parton said in a statement released Monday by the Country Music Association. "It should be a very passionate performance."
Has CNN come to the end of the road in its pairing of Aaron Brown and Anderson Cooper on a recently expanded "NewsNight?"
Speculation is rampant that CNN is weighing the possibility of keeping Cooper as anchor of the 10 p.m. EST edition of "NewsNight" while shifting Brown to anchor a new 7 p.m. edition of the show, which is now the home of "Anderson Cooper 360."
According to sources, CNN is weighing the possibility of splitting up the show and giving Cooper the high-profile 10 p.m. slot. A CNN rep said that no final decisions have been made on the future of "NewsNight." No matter what happens, neither Cooper nor Brown will be on the air for CNN this week. Both anchors are on vacation.
FX has opted not to renew veteran producer Steven Bochco's Iraq War drama series "Over There," citing lackluster ratings, the cable network said Tuesday.
Despite a strong debut that drew 4.1 million viewers, "Over There" tailed off through the rest of its 13-episode run, averaging just 2.1 million overall.
In a photo provided by Jaeger-LeCoultre, Emmanuel Coindre, a 32-year-old Frenchman, shows his calloused hands shortly after completing a 129-day rowboat voyage from Tokyo to Coos Bay, Ore., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005. Coindre achieved his goal of rowing across some of the stormiest waters in the Pacific, but unfavorable winds and rough water blew him about 400 miles north of his original destination, San Francisco.
Photo by George Nikitin
Ronald Isley, lead singer of the legendary R&B band the Isley Brothers, has been convicted of tax evasion and could face five to 26 years in prison.
Isley, 64, was found guilty late Monday on five counts of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return. No figure was put on the amount involved but prosecutors said Isley lived lavishly, buying a yacht, homes in California and Missouri and two Bentley cars while failing to pay more than $300,000 in taxes in 2002.
The main prosecution witness was Isley's former tour manager Ruby Martin who worked with the singer for eight years and who testified under immunity.
A young girl shows her hand decorated with henna in preparation to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the celebrations that marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday, Nov 1 2005. Most of the Arabian Gulf countries officially declared Thursday, Nov 3 as the Eid al- Fitr day.
Dennis Rodman has settled a speeding ticket that briefly led to a judge issuing an arrest warrant, an attorney and his agent said Monday.
Rodman, who faced a speeding and reckless driving charge, agreed to plead guilty to speeding, pay $516.50 in fines and make a $200 donation to the Summit County 4-H club, according to The Denver Post. Denver attorney Gary Pirosko and Rodman's agent Darren Prince confirmed the settlement.
Rodman was charged with speeding and reckless driving after he was stopped July 26 in a $250,000 Lamborghini on a highway near the mountain town of Frisco, about 70 miles west of Denver. Officers allegedly clocked him going 98 mph.
An acrobat of Kazakstan performs a hula hoop dance in the air at the ongoing 10th China Wuqiao International Acrobatics Festival held at Hebei Art Center in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei province, October 31, 2005. Wuqiao in Hebei province is a place that has a long history of circus and acrobatics. About 300 acrobats from 16 countries joined in the festival that runs from October 29 to November 6, sources said. Picture taken October 31, 2005.
The winners of an annual violin competition in Moscow have a new prize -- a chance to play for a year on a million-dollar violin once owned by famed 17th century virtuoso Nicolo Paganini.
The Moscow-based Violin Art Foundation bought the rare violin -- the first from Paganini's legendary collection to come up for auction -- for 568,000 pounds on Tuesday, auctioneers Sotheby's said.
Not only was it the first time one of Paganini's cherished instruments had come up for auction, it was one of only 50 surviving violins by master craftsman Carlo Bergonzi of Cremona. The price set a world auction record for a Bergonzi.
An ancient column is seen at an archaeological site in Megalopolis, about 190 kilometers (119 miles) southwest of Athens Monday, Oct. 31, 2005, as smoke pours out of one of Greece's largest power plants. Local residents said last week they planned to protest the power corporation's decision not to instal filters to limit the amount of pollution released into the air by the plant.
Photo by Thanassis Stavrakis
London's "young sluts" wreaked such havoc among U.S. troops during World War Two that the British government feared Anglo-American relations would suffer, files released Tuesday showed.
Thousands of prostitutes and "good-time girls" were drawn to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square in search of young American men in uniform.
The government was so concerned by the problem that it asked the Metropolitan Police to write a report on it in 1942.
The report described how prostitutes working in upmarket Mayfair tended to be French and caused few problems while those around Piccadilly Circus were "a lower type of prostitute, quite indiscriminate in their choice of client."
Gladys Tantaquidgeon, the Mohegan Indian Tribe's venerable medicine woman, died Tuesday. She was 106.
Born in 1899, she was one of seven children of John and Harriet Fielding Tantaquidgeon, both Mohegans. She was a 10th generation descendant of Uncas, the famed Mohegan chief.
Tantaquidgeon is given much credit for the Mohegans receiving federal recognition. For years, she collected a large number of documents, including tribal correspondence, birth, death and marriage records, many of which she stored under her bed. That information helped document the continuity of the tribe, which managed to survive even after its reservation was disbanded.
Skitch Henderson, the Grammy-winning conductor who lent his musical expertise to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby before founding the New York Pops and becoming the first "Tonight Show" bandleader, died Tuesday. He was 87.
Born in England, Lyle Russell Cedric Henderson moved to the United States in the 1930s, eking out a living as a pianist, playing vaudeville and movie music in Minnesota and Montana roadhouses.
He got his big break in 1937, when he filled in for a sick pianist touring with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. When the tour wrapped up in Chicago, he used the original pianist's ticket and went to Hollywood.
During World War II, Henderson flew for both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Corps. At his estate in New Milford, which he shared with his wife, Ruth, Henderson kept a collection of aviation memorabilia. Even at 87, he had said he hoped to fly the Atlantic once more.
After the war, Henderson toured as Sinatra's musical director and lived what he called a "gypsy lifestyle," touring the country with various bands. It was Sinatra's phone call that lured Henderson to New York.
In 1954, NBC pegged him as the bandleader for Steve Allen's "Tonight Show," which brought Henderson into the nation's living rooms every night. Even as the hosts changed from Allen to Jack Paar to Johnny Carson, Henderson was a constant.
Actor Lloyd Bochner, best known for his roles as Cecil Colby on TV's "Dynasty" and in the classic "To Serve Man" episode of "The Twilight Zone," died Saturday of cancer at home, his family said. He was 81.
He began his career on the radio in his native Ontario, Canada, when he was 11. He went on to perform on stage and screen, earning two Liberty Awards, Canada's top acting honor.
In 1963, Bochner starred as a government cryptographer in "The Twilight Zone" episode "To Serve Man," which TV Guide ranks No. 11 in its "100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time."
Grimes Poznikov, the street performer known as "The Automatic Human Jukebox" who became one of the city's most popular tourist attractions before he was sidelined by mental illness, died Thursday. He was 59.
He died from alcohol poisoning and was discovered dead Thursday on a sidewalk near a San Francisco freeway, according to his sister, Jenny Predpelski of Overland Park, Kan.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Poznikov sat in a painted refrigerator box and played songs for cash at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. Tourists could request songs that he'd perform on trumpet, kazoo or one of several other instruments he kept in the box.
But by the late 1980s, schizophrenia had made him so erratic he could no longer perform. He ended up on the streets.
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