'Best of TBH Politoons'
Freshly Updated!
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
MARK CRISPIN MILLER: How To Pre-empt a "November Surprise" (baltimorechronicle.com)
JULY 17, 2006--If the GOP should lose the House and/or the Senate on Election Day, they will pick out a handful of the "closest" races--as many as they need to hang on to majority control--and start to scream like hell about ELECTION FRAUD.
Anwaar Hussain: American Gods (baltimorechronicle.com)
... American forces invaded Iraq to look for WMDs and, finding none, should have packed their bags and been long gone, and that instead the U.S. engineers are busy constructing 14 permanent bases and long-term encampments for the thousands of American troops expected to serve in Iraq for decades to come and that the world's most humongous US embassy is currently under construction in Baghdad and that these installations would be key outposts ...
Frances Hailman: Commentary: Affordable Housing And the Redistribution Of Wealth in America (berkeleydailyplanet.com)
The redistribution of wealth upward is proceeding apace in the Bush/neo-con America. What has been a lower class, is rapidly transforming into an under class, while the middle class is becoming the lower class.
Froma Harrop: 'A deadly obsession with virginity' (The Providence Journal; Posted on smirkingchimp.com)
It is true, as social conservatives say, that sexually active people risk contracting various diseases, some fatal. And that abstaining from sex offers the best protection against sexually transmitted ailments. And that high-school kids, especially, would be a lot better off if they put off having sex until later. No argument here. Abstinence does play an important role in health education.
Andrew Tobias: Excerpts from Paul Krugman (andrewtobias.com)
Here's what happened in 2004 [the latest year for which data is available]. The U.S. economy grew 4.2 percent, a very good number. Yet last August the Census Bureau reported that real median family income -- the purchasing power of the typical family -- actually fell. Meanwhile, poverty increased, as did the number of Americans without health insurance. So where did the growth go?
PAUL KRUGMAN: March of Folly (The New York Times)
Since those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it -- and since the cast of characters making pronouncements on the crisis in the Middle East is very much the same as it was three or four years ago -- it seems like a good idea to travel down memory lane. Here's what they said and when they said it ...
Susan Parker: Column: Lame, Crippled, Insensitive And Politically Incorrect (berkeleydailyplanet.com)
I was criticized by letter writers in the last three issues of the Daily Planet for stating that my husband Ralph is confined to a wheelchair.
Wealth and experience (guardian.co.uk)
Bill Gates is the world's richest man, pledged to tackle poverty and disease in the planet's poorest continent. But what happens when the awkward billionaire faces the sick and poor of the townships - and the brighter warmth of Bill Clinton's mission? Sarah Boseley reports
I want a life (guardian.co.uk)
My parents pressurised me. My partner dumped me. Now I wish to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. Is it too late?
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hotter & more humid.
Highlight of the afternoon was giving the kitten a flea bath. Yee haw.
5 years! (Where are the presents?)
No new flags.
Charity-Auction Date Raises $30,000
Jessica Biel
A date with Esquire's "The Sexiest Woman Alive" and "7th Heaven" star Jessica Biel raised $30,000 to help a teenager who lost her leg in a prom night limousine accident.
Denver media reported the winning bid Tuesday came from a man identified only as John. In all the event dubbed "Mollypalooza" raised $38,000 help Molly Bloom's family with medical expenses, organizers told the television stations and the Rocky Mountain News.
Bloom, who lost a leg and part of her pelvis in the May 13 accident, was run over and dragged about 38 feet by a Hummer stretch limousine.
Jessica Biel
This Weekend In Sandy Eggo
Comic-Con
Comic-Con, the nation's largest celebration of comic books and pop culture, has descended on the San Diego Convention center. It's when superheroes walk the streets, artists and animators are treated like A-listers and fantasy reigns.
"It's fondly referred to as nerd prom," says Blair Butler, a comic-book expert who hosts a show on cable's G4 network. More than 100,000 are expected to attend the four-day event that began Thursday.
Toy companies (including Mattel and Hasbro), game makers (Nintendo and PlayStation) and comic-industry giants (such as Marvel and DC) come to share their newest creations and beloved collectibles with legions of loyal fans. Workshops throughout the event teach everything from animation to writing.
Filmmakers are here as well. Sony, Warner Bros., New Line and Universal are just a few of the Hollywood studios bringing top talent to the comic Mecca, where they can speak directly to the most dedicated moviegoers.
Comic-Con
Cancer Fundraiser Attacked In CO
Jane Tomlinson
Charity fundraiser Jane Tomlinson, who has terminal cancer, has been attacked by a trucker during her 4,200 mile Ride Across America.
The mother-of-three from Rothwell, near Leeds, was attacked as she rode through Lewis in Colorado with her two co-riders during a gruelling 84-mile stage, her husband Mike said.
Mr Tomlinson said his wife was feeling "emotional" at the end of a tough nine days which have seen her cycle through the Utah desert in a 120 F heatwave on her way from San Francisco to New York.
Mr Tomlinson said: "Driving through Lewis, the occupant of a pickup truck threw a full coke bottle at the cyclists, deliberately aiming it at them so as to try and injure them.
Since being diagnosed with advanced metastatic breast cancer, Mrs Tomlinson has become the only cancer patient to complete a full Ironman triathlon and the first person to run a marathon while on chemotherapy.
Jane Tomlinson
Early Winners
Emmy Awards
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Wednesday announced the winners in several categories of the 58th annual Emmy Awards that don't go through a nomination process and are decided by juries of members from the respective academy branches.
Grammer earned his first Emmy in the outstanding voice-over performance category for his recurring role as criminal mastermind Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons. His Emmy haul already includes four prizes for his work as Dr. Frasier Crane on Frasier.
The TV Academy also awarded Emmys to the costume designers on Fox's Mad TV, PBS' Benise: Nights of Fire! and ABC's Dancing With the Stars, as well as the animators of the Hippo Dance segment of HBO's Classical Baby 2, Nickelodeon's Escape From Cluster Prime, and Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.
Early Winners
4 Million Viewers
'Eureka'
Sci Fi Channel's new comedy drama "Eureka" grabbed more than 4 million viewers during its Tuesday premiere, topping some broadcast competition.
The hourlong show about a mysterious small town ranked as the highest-rated series telecast ever on Sci Fi, exceeding veterans "Battlestar Galactica" and "Stargate SG-1."
It bested the new ABC reality series "The One: Making of a Music Star" by 32%.
'Eureka'
Wields Baton Again
Seiji Ozawa
Japan's world renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa has returned to the podium for the first time since he was hospitalised in January for poor health -- with a symphony entitled "Resurrection."
The 70-year-old wielded the baton for Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in C minor at the Aichi Prefectural Art Theater in the central city of Nagoya.
"Resurrection" was performed by the Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-juku Orchestra, a selection of young musicians backed up by a chorus of auditioned singers.
It was Ozawa's first performance since he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at its regular concert last December.
Seiji Ozawa
Alternative Fuel
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is making another debut: this time as a spokeswoman for alternative fuel. Dallas-based Earth Biofuels announced that Roberts will become a spokeswoman for the company and chair its new advisory board.
Roberts joins fellow Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and country singer Willie Nelson in promoting the use of renewable fuels. Freeman and Nelson are on Earth Biofuels' board of directors.
Earth Biofuels produces biodiesel and is the exclusive distributor of Nelson's signature brand of biodiesel. The soy derivative is mostly sold in a blend called B20, which is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel.
Julia Roberts
HBO Wednesday
'The Aristocrats'
Maybe "The Aristocrats" could air on broadcast television if resident Bush were taking part. As you found out this week, the leader of the free world can say a bad word on the air without getting broadcast outlets in trouble with the FCC.
On the other hand, "The Aristocrats" contains lots and lots of bad words, not just a presidential expletive or two. Furthermore, the bad-words-brimming joke at the core of this film has traditionally been the province of career comedians, not the commander in chief.
For these and other reasons, "The Aristocrats" is better suited to premium cable (safely beyond the FCC's reach), sparing Bush. It will make its TV premiere on HBO, Wednesday at 11 p.m. EDT.
This flagrantly filthy and funny documentary, which mounted its original offensive last year in theaters, is the handiwork of magician/provocateur Penn Jillette and comedian/actor Paul Provenza.
'The Aristocrats'
Wants Ex-Wife Evicted
Jon Peters
It's been nearly 20 years since former Sony Pictures chief and "Superman Returns" producer Jon Peters split with ex-wife Christine Forsyth Peters. He now feels it's time for her to leave the Bel-Air mansion where he says she's been living rent-free since 1993.
The couple married in June 1987 and separated two months later, according to court papers. Peters filed for divorce in 1993, agreeing to pay her $4 million and let her stay-rent free in the Bel-Air mansion for two years.
But Peters allowed his ex to remain in the home for another 11 years, according to the court documents. He said there was no agreement to give her the home.
After the couple's separation, Forsyth Peters adopted two girls, Caleigh, now 17, and Skye, now 15, according to court papers.
Forsyth Peters' lawyers say Peters owes child support because he developed a close relationship with the girls and acted as if they were his biological children.
Jon Peters
Selling Corvette For Hurricane Aid
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey is selling a sports car on eBay to raise money for hurricane relief. The 36-year-old actor is donating all proceeds from the sale of his 1971 Corvette Stingray convertible to Oprah's Angel Network for Katrina and Rita recovery efforts, according to details on the Web site http://www.oprah.com
McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde and grew up in Longview, says he bought the Mediterranean blue sports car in the late 1990s at a California car show.
He dubbed it Mako, like the shark, according to his statement on the Web site, and has driven to Mexico and back in the vehicle and many times across Texas, with the top down.
Matthew McConaughey
Crashed Thunderbird
Daniel Baldwin
Actor Daniel Baldwin could face reckless driving charges after he drove a rented Ford Thunderbird at speeds of more than 80 mph through traffic and crashed into two parked cars, police said.
Shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday, police officers said they observed Baldwin's car traveling at more than 80 mph. The car weaved in and out of traffic and ran a red light before striking the two parked cars, including a Hummer that was pushed about 20 feet by the impact, authorities said.
Baldwin refused to cooperate with a police officer, who drew his gun to get the actor to comply, Officer Jason Lee said.
Baldwin, 45, was driving with a suspended license, said Lee, adding detectives planned to forward the case to the city attorney's office for misdemeanor charges.
Daniel Baldwin
British Edition Nat'l Enquirer Apologizes
Kate Hudson
Actress Kate Hudson has accepted libel damages from a supermarket tabloid that claimed she was dangerously thin, her lawyer said Thursday.
Lawyer Simon Smith said the British edition of the National Enquirer had agreed to pay undisclosed damages and print an apology for an October 2005 article that claimed Hudson was "way too thin" and looked "like skin and bones."
The magazine's U.S.-based publisher, American Media Inc., apologized for "the deep distress and acute embarrassment" caused by the allegations, which it acknowledged were false.
Kate Hudson
Crashed Saturn
Haley Joel Osment
Actor Haley Joel Osment was hospitalized early Thursday after he apparently lost control of his car while heading to his Los Angeles area home, authorities said.
Osment, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as a boy who could see dead people in "The Sixth Sense," was driving a 1995 Saturn about 1 a.m. when the car collided with a brick pillar and flipped, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Greg Sisneros.
The 18-year-old actor was awake and talking following the crash, Sisneros said. He had been alone in the car and was taken to Huntington Hospital in nearby Pasadena.
Haley Joel Osment
Ballpark Tour
Tom Hanks
Actor Tom Hanks, director Ron Howard and rightwing comedian Dennis Miller made Great American Ball Park their third stop on their hush-hush ballparks tour. A two-hour rain delay during the Reds-New York Mets game provided a chance to snap photos with fans and offer their opinions of the game.
The trio sat behind a table in an interview room behind the press box during the rain delay, cracking jokes and recounting their boyhood baseball memories for the media. They'd been to Baltimore - Hanks led the crowd in spelling O-R-I-O-L-E-S during the seventh-inning stretch - and to Pittsburgh before arriving in Cincinnati.
"I turned 50 10 days ago," Hanks said. "This is the dream you have all the way back."
The trio arrived without fanfare, and wouldn't say where they were going next. Hanks said they've shortened the trip to fewer than seven ballparks, but didn't provide more information.
Tom Hanks
Suri Siting
Leah Remini
We have a Suri Sighting. Although Suri Cruise has not been seen in public since her April 18 birth, publicity-challenged Leah Remini, a friend of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, and a fellow Scientologist, says she has seen the infant.
"She's a beaming baby. She looks like Tom and Katie, she's just beautiful," the 36-year-old actress, star of the CBS sitcom "The King of Queens," tells People magazine in its July 31 issue.
Remini says she held Suri during a recent visit to the couple's home in Los Angeles.
Leah Remini
It's Top Secret
Bush's Crap
Even Bush's crap is classified top secret. According to our Austrian sources, Austrian newspapers are currently abuzz with special security details of George W. Bush's recent trip to Vienna. Although the heavy-handed Gestapo-like security measures meted out to Viennese home owners, business proprietors, and pedestrians by US Secret Service agents and local police before and during Bush's visit received widespread Austrian media attention, it was White House "toilet security" ("TOILSEC"), which has Austrians talking the most.
The White House flew in a special portable toilet to Vienna for Bush's personal use during his visit. The Bush White House is so concerned about Bush's security, the veil of secrecy extends over the president's bodily excretions. The special port-a-john captured Bush's feces and urine and flew the waste material back to the United States in the event some enterprising foreign intelligence agency conducted a sewage pipe operation designed to trap and examine Bush's waste material. One can only wonder why the White House is taking such extraordinary security measures for the presidential poop.
In the past, similar operations were conducted against foreign leaders to determine their medical condition. However, these intelligence operations were directed against dictators in countries where even the medical conditions of the top political leaders were considered "state secrets."
Even Bush's toilet paper was flown in from the U.S. Air Base at Ramstein, Germany. In addition, Bush's food was flown in from the United States and tested with special chemicals before he ate it. Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who was shot by a firing squad in 1989, was the last major European leader to constantly use a food tester. The last frequent state visitor to Vienna, who always relied on a food tester, was Adolf Hitler.
Bush's Crap
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