'Best of TBH Politoons'
Reader Review
The Eagles Farewell Concert
I've been a big Eagles fan for as long as I can remember and Saturday night MrSano and I saw the Eagles from our kick ass seats in Sunny Sanomento, CA...
Holy shit! What an AMAZING concert! No studio voices, no SONY-type pimping, they're the real deal. It made me wish I had seen them live earlier. They played for over 3 hours--no opening act, no horseshit--you not only get Eagles' greatest, but you get to see/hear a few choice tunes from Henley/Frey/Walsh solo ventures (Boys of Summer, Life's Been Good To Me So Far, Sunset Grill, Boys of Summer, Dirty Laundry, You Belong To The City), plus some great ballads from Timothy B Schmidt on bass--whose mother happens to live here, which is why they popped in. Very nice tribute to his mother in the front row wearing a corsage. (Class all the way, Timothy. Kudos to you, buddy)
I am a hugeo Stones fan, a huego U2 fan, have seen both, but the clear and very concise Eagles 4 part harmony is even better in person than on any vinyl they put out. It was spendy for the tix, but more than worth it. I guess after all these years I didn't realize how truly personal the lyrics were for most of the writers/performers. It was pretty cool to listen to them talk about how they came up with various songs, most notable Frey's dedication of "Lyin' Eyes" to his first wife, to whom he referred as "Plaintiff."
Henley's Dirty Laundry was unbelievable...he dedicated it to Rupert Murdoch (R-Australian Fuckbudget Asshole)...Arco Arena went ape shit over that one! Sold out stadium and not a person sitting on their ass--well, except the guy who I think was H-ed out sitting behind me.... Encore selections were: Life in the Fast Lane, Hotel California and Desperado.
If any Bartcoppers out there want to see a true class act, fabulously talent-filled show, see The Eagles. The Eagles have mastered the art of musical storytelling like most will never even aspire to achieve. Some new songs there, but the oldies never get boring and their older voices are far more refined than 20 years ago. Classic Eagles--I'm still humming Hotel California.
Later, Marty!
Sano in Sunny Sanomento
Thanks, Sano!
Recommended Reading
The Enduring JFK Mystery
Forty-two years ago, on Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas, Texas. In Bethesda, Maryland, this past weekend, a group of distinguished journalists, historians, scientists and others gathered to discuss and debate the evidence of conspiracy in the JFK case.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Stephen Pizzo: Dems, It's Now or Never (News for Real. Posted on alternet.org)
Though it's tempting to sit and watch the presidency fall apart, now's the time to engage with Democrats to help win control of the House and Senate in 2006's mid-term elections.
Middle America asks: 'Did we give up our young so cheaply?' (observer.guardian.co.uk)
'His body came back in a casket, had to be closed, could not see him,' Paul says. Then he describes how Augie grew up in New Jersey and Ohio. 'He had two homes and the nature of his injuries are such that he will be buried in two places.' His voice cracks. 'And when Lima Company came home, we received a third part of him in an urn. We don't know where to put that yet.' ... The American public has been told that about 16,000 troops have been wounded in Iraq, but if the Pentagon counted everyone flown out for medical treatment - which is how the British Ministry of Defence calculates figures - then the number of American injured would double to more than 30,000.
Will Hermes: Apocalypse Then: Patti Smith revives Horses on stage and disc (villagevoice.com)
I read somewhere that you were equally inspired by John Coltrane and Johnny Carson.
Patti Smith: My two Johnnys [laughs]. Johnny Carson taught me how to spar, to not be daunted by hecklers. 'Cause I got heckled a lot in the early years-really a lot. From Coltrane I learned about a more spiritual kind of improvisation. Coltrane, like, talked to God, visited the universe, went really far out, but then came back. From him I learned you could cast a line very far out, but you still have to reel yourself back in.
Justin Berton: The Mystery of the Good Book (eastbayexpress.com)
The Da Vinci Code it's not, but a jumbled, ancient Hebrew text with countless interpretations is good enough for Paul Hamburg.
RICHARD ROEPER: Black fans of 'white' music find it's a lonely bridge (suntimes.com)
"A U2 concert is all about enjoying yourself and the music. Whether you are black, white, yellow or whatever all that matters is that you had a good time."
Robert Wilonsky: Jesus Saves (eastbayexpress.com)
Sarah Silverman speaks the unspeakable. And funny? Oh hell, yes.
Freshly Updated!
Dick Eats Bush
Another Essay - David Dvorkin
'I Can Hear You Now'
Marty,
This one is titled, "I Can Hear You Now! Confessions of a Former Semi-Deaf Guy"
About growing up semi-deaf, an the wonderfulness of hearing aids:
Hubert's Poetry Corner
AMERICA LOST?
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny & summer-like.
Was watching the KCAL/KCBS news at 4pm and Harold Greene (the 'anchor') was teasing a story about the latest (female) teacher/molester.
"Blah, blah, blah.....was in court today and she didn't get off easy."
Heh, I'll bet.
Added two new flags - Hungary & El Salvador.
'Quality & Honesty'
Faux News
Fox News is refusing to air an advertisement critical of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, citing its lawyers' contention that the spot is factually incorrect.
A spokesman for the groups sponsoring the ad said the network's decision reflects the political right's effort to shield resident Bush's choice for the high court.
The ad says that as an appellate court judge, Alito has "ruled to make it easier for corporations to discriminate ... even voted to approve strip search of a 10-year-old girl." Referring to a document Alito wrote in 1985 while seeking a job in the Reagan administration, it quotes him as saying that "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion."
"It's not about ideology, it's about quality and honesty," Irena Briganti, a Fox News spokeswoman, lied of the decision to reject the ad.
Faux News
Reaches Agreement With Hollywood
BitTorrent
In a deal aimed at reducing illegal Internet traffic in pirated films, Hollywood reached an agreement Tuesday with the creator of the popular file-sharing software BitTorrent.
The agreement requires 30-year-old software designer Bram Cohen to prevent his Web site, bittorrent.com, from locating pirated versions of popular movies, effectively frustrating people who search for illegal copies of films.
BitTorrent must remove Web links leading to illegal content owned by the seven studios that are members of the Motion Picture Association of America.
The agreement with Cohen would not prevent determined Internet users from finding movies or other materials using tools or Web sites other than Cohen's, but it removes one of the most convenient methods people have used.
BitTorrent
Explains 'X' Glitch
CNN
CNN apologized on Tuesday and offered a rare explanation from its control booth for a technical glitch many viewers failed to notice -- a large "X" the network flashed over Vice President 5-Deferment Dick 'Go Fuck Yourself' Cheney's face.
The wayward graphic, which CNN said lasted for about one-seventh of a second, appeared during the network's live coverage of Cheney's speech on Monday addressing critics of the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq.
Word of the snafu quickly surfaced on the Internet, including still photos of the image posted by online right-wing propagandist Matt 'Egg Boy' Drudge, along with a lie suggesting that some who saw the momentary "X" thought it might have been deliberate.
CNN
Cambodian Passport
Angelina Jolie
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has received a Cambodian passport after being made a citizen of the impoverished Southeast Asian country, an associate said Tuesday.
The Hollywood star can use it when she visits the native land of her adopted son, Maddox, said Stephan Bognar, executive director of the Maddox Jolie project in Cambodia.
The project, managed by San Francisco-based WildAid, promotes wildlife conservation and community development in a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla stronghold in northwestern Cambodia.
Angelina Jolie
Wedding News
Patrick - Hospenthal
Although Danica Patrick got plenty of publicity for her season in the IRL, she certainly doesn't want much for her wedding.
The 23-year-old driver, who finished fourth in the Indy 500, and physical therapist Paul Hospenthal, 40, were married Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Patrick - Hospenthal
French Diploma Exam Topic
Jimi Hendrix
When France's high school students sit next June for the exam that determines if they graduate, culture-and-arts majors will be quizzed on a song by 1960s drugs-and-love rock icon Jimi Hendrix, according to the education ministry.
"Acting funny but I don't know why, excuse me while I kiss the sky," Hendrix sang in his 1967 classic "Purple Haze", taken as a paean to mind-altering substances by the baby-boom generation now approaching retirement.
The song, in its original version and in a string adaptation performed by the Kronos Quartet, will figure in one of four sections of the "musical culture" exam, the ministry announced on its website.
Jimi Hendrix
Teaching English
Gary Glitter
British rocker Gary Glitter has denied child molestation allegations in Vietnam, telling police he was just teaching English to young girls, state media reported on Tuesday.
Glitter, who said he came to the southern resort town of Vung Tau looking for tourism investment opportunities, said he was helping girls with their English, the paper said.
Police detained Glitter at Ho Chi Minh City airport on Saturday as he tried to board a plane to the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Child rights activists hounded him out of Cambodia twice and had his name put on an entry blacklist, although Glitter filed lawsuits last year fighting the deportation orders.
Gary Glitter
Saddam Trial On The Web
Court TV
Court TV's online service will offer full coverage of Saddam Hussein's trial when it resumes, perhaps as early as next Monday.
Court TV Extra said Tuesday it would show the trial on a 20-minute delay. It is scheduled to air from roughly 4 to 9 a.m. EST, with on-demand highlight clips also available.
Court TV Extra is a subscription service costing $5.95 a month. New users can try it free for 30 days. It will probably be the only place to watch ongoing coverage of the trial; broadcast news networks were likely to show highlights.
Court TV
Hot In Reruns
'Medium'
Lifetime Television has opened its checkbook to scoop up rerun rights to NBC's hit Patricia Arquette drama "Medium" for a more-than-medium-sized fee of about $1.3 million per episode, sources said.
The women's cable network confirmed that it has acquired the series -- in which Arquette plays a woman who uses her psychic powers to aid law enforcement officials -- beginning in 2009.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it's understood that Lifetime made a pre-emptive bid for "Medium." Lifetime also ponied up enough for the show to keep producer Paramount TV from selling the weekend rerun rights to broadcast stations, which has become commonplace for top network dramas.
'Medium'
Re-Writing History
Japan
Miyako Masuda is a 23-year veteran of public schools here. Like many Japanese history teachers of her generation, she dislikes new textbooks that frame Japan as the victim in World War II. It bothers her that books claiming America caused the war are now adopted by an entire city ward. In fact, Masuda disapproves of the whole nationalist direction of Tokyo public schools.
Yet until last year, Masuda, who calls herself "pretty ordinary," rarely went out of her way to disagree. Few teachers do.
But when a Tokyo city councilman in an official meeting said "Japan never invaded Korea," her history class sent an apology to Korean President Roh Moo-hyan - an action that sparked her removal from her classroom.
The war history dispute in Asia is now so front-and-center that it was cited by South Korea as a reason to avoid an upcoming December visit to Japan by Mr. Roh. Alongside the diplomatic row, the Masuda case shows how nationalist policies are creeping into the minutiae of daily life in Japan's capital city.
Japan
Closing In Smethport, PA
America's First Christmas Store
America's First Christmas Store in Smethport is beginning a huge, invitation-only sale on Black Friday - the biggest shopping day of the year - by starting a "going out of business" sale on their 70th year in business.
A fixture on U.S. Route 6 since 1935, the store is a "destination business" for the region, explained Smethport Borough Mayor-Elect Ross Porter.
"The Christmas Store has just been an icon for our area for over 70 years," said Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau. "We're very hopeful that someone will pick up the gauntlet where Dee Buchanan left off and possibly carry it forward."
The store's impending closure will have another detrimental impact on the area's travel industry, Devlin added, as the area has yet to recover from the 2003 tornado that destroyed more than half of the Kinzua Viaduct.
America's First Christmas Store
Prime-Time Nielsen
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Nov. 14-20. 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) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 29 million viewers.
2. (2) "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 25.9 million viewers.
3. (6) "Lost," ABC, 21.9 million viewers.
4. (3) "Without a Trace," CBS, 21.7 million viewers.
5. (4) "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 20.3 million viewers.
6. (5) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 19.4 million viewers.
7. (9) "Survivor: Guatemala," CBS, 18.8 million viewers.
8. (7) "Monday Night Football: Dallas at Philadelphia," ABC, 18.5 million viewers.
9. (15) "60 Minutes," CBS, 18.1 million viewers.
10. (X) "Country Music Association Awards," CBS, 17.7 million viewers.
11. (16) "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC, 17.3 million viewers.
12. (13) "Cold Case," CBS, 17.1 million viewers.
13. (11) "Law & Order: SVU," NBC, 15.7 million viewers.
14. (11) "CSI: N.Y.," CBS, 15.7 million viewers.
15. (17) "E.R.," NBC, 15.3 million viewers.
16. (14) "Two And a Half Men," CBS, 15.2 million viewers.
17. (19) "NFL Monday Showcase," ABC, 15.1 million viewers.
18. (19) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 14.4 million viewers.
19. (21) "House," Fox, 12.9 million viewers.
20. (10) "Commander in Chief," ABC, 12.6 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Chris Whitley
Singer-songwriter Chris Whitley, who emerged from obscurity in 1991 with his debut album "Living with the Law," has died of lung cancer, his label said on Tuesday. He was 45.
Whitley was diagnosed with the disease just five weeks ago and died on Sunday in Houston, said Brandon Kessler, owner of independent label Messenger Records.
With his high, lonesome voice and ghostly guitar, Whitley earned critical and commercial success for the blues-drenched album, "Living with the Law." The title track was a minor hit, and Tom Petty and Bob Dylan hired him to open their tours.
He got his big break from New Orleans-based producer Daniel Lanois, who spread the word about his talents, resulting in nine labels vying to sign him. Whitley chose Columbia, which released "Living with the Law," its 1995 follow-up, "Din of Ecstasy," and 1997's "Terra Incognita."
As his career progressed, Whitley ventured away from blues and toward more mainstream rock. Some music industry observers have credited him with pioneering the "alt-country" movement, in which roots-based music was infused with punk and rock stylings.
Whitley is survived by his 18-year-old daughter, Trixie, a brother, Dan, and his father, Jerry.
Chris Whitley
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