'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
Reader Opinion
Democrats, Republicans and Music
Have you ever noticed that when a Democrat is
President, great musicians play the White House,
particularly jazz musicians?
Jimmy Carter hosted a
jazz fest on the White House lawn that included Dexter
Gordon, Herbie Hancock, and avant-garde legend Cecil
Taylor. When Bill Clinton was President, he hosted
Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, the Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra, Elvin Jones, and many others.
However, when Republicans are President, elected or not, the
White House hosts the blandest, most commercial
country music. They could at least bring in Steve
Earle or Jerry Douglas, but nooooo. With Republicans,
it's shitkicker music only.
In all fairness, the
great Dizzy Gillespie played at the White House when
Teflon Ronnie was Prez. But did you know that Diz had
to eat not with the guests but in a basement room
where this musical and humanitarian giant was served
fried chicken and watermelon by the racist Reaganauts?
I swear it's true. (See "The Birth of Bebop", by
Scott DeVeaux).
Put simply, with a Democratic
President, we get great music. We get jazz, America's
national treasure. With Republicans, we get the worst
that country music has to offer.
Clinton increased
arts funding, which meant more grants for deserving
musicians. As for Smirking Chimp, forget it. He
probably never even heard of Charlie Parker. The
message: if you care about great music, vote Democrat.
-Marc M
You've got a great point. Thanks, Marc!
Fun Link
from Marianne M
Feed The Fish
Reader Assistance
Re: Who's The Gap Guy?
The cute, scruffy
almost-looks-like-Ethan-Hawke-on-a-good-day-but-it-isn't-him guy in the Gap
ads, shaking his cute, scruffy stuff is dancer/actor Will Kemp, according
to this link.
Will Kemp
~~ Catherine S
Thanks, Catherine! Bet there'll be some 'googling' today...LOL
From The Good Doctor
Slannder
Slannder: American Right Lies About Liberal Lies About the American Right
'Waking Up Is Hard To Do'
from Alvin
Quote:
'resident Bush says he needs a month off tounwind. Unwind? When the hell does this guy wind?'
'So he comes back at the endof the month, then in a few months lights the Christmas tree and that'sjust about it for this year for this president.' -- Dave
MIDILink
WAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
{Sung to 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do' by Neil Sedaka}
{As Sung By Sleepyhead to First Lady Laura 'Pickles' Bush}
{instrumental intro}
Don't wake me up 'til 9:00 o'clock
Or by 1:00 I have totake my nap
I will throw a tantrum, too
Waking up is hard to do
Remember when I cannot sleep
How I spent my time counting sheep
C'mon honey, let's not argue
Waking up is hard to do
They say that waking up is hard to do
Yes I know, 'causeI'm Duh-Buh-You
Don't be a drill sergeant, then
Instead of waking up
I wish that I were laying down again
I beg of you, don'tmake me rise
Let me lay here and close my eyes
C'mon honey, youknow it's true
Waking up is hard to do
They say that waking up is hard to do
Yes I know, 'cause I'm Duh-Buh-You
Don't be a drill sergeant, then
Instead of getting dressed
I wish that I could get some rest again
I beg of you, don't make me rise
Let me layhere and close my eyes
C'mon honey, you know it's true
Waking up is hard to do...
Lazy Duh-Buh-You {lazy Duh-Buh-You}
LazyDuh-Buh-You {lazy Duh-Buh-You}
Lazy Duh-Buh-You {lazy Duh-Buh-You}
Waking up is hard to do...
He's Still Mad As Hell!
Jeff Crook
Thoughts on the Portland protest, with pictures and
commentary.
Hey, if you can't laugh at
totalitarianism, what can you laugh at?
Jeff Crook
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Did the Farmer's Market/CostCo loop. Glad to see that the Farmer's Market is finally catching on. Grapes, corn, peaches, peppers & tomatoes are at their peak.
Went by the grade school with the kid to see which home-room he'd be in this year. Still need to get him a haircut & new shoes.
Weather is still cooler than usual, and I'm still not bitching about it!
The city tree-trimmers seem to have sheared most of the magnolias with the clip job in the last 2 days. I'd be unhappy, but, the next-door neighbor's night blooming jasmine is going full bore.
Tonight, Friday, CBS starts with the soon to be renamed '48 Hours', and follows with 2 reruns of 'specials - 'The Mary Tyler Moore Reunion' and 'The Honeymooners 50th Anniversary Celebration'.
Scheduled on a fresh Dave are Martin Short and Lewis Black.
On a rerun Craiggers, the scheduled guests are Vivica A. Fox, Neal McDonough, and Sheryl Underwood.
NBC opens with 'Dateline', then 2 reruns of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'.
On a rerun Jay, the scheduled guests are Vin Diesel, comic Pete Correale, and Tweet.
On a rerun Conan, the scheduled guests are Alan Cumming, Kelly Hu, and Belle & Sebastian.
ABC reruns yet another 'America's Funniest Home Videos', then a sexist 'special' - 'Looking Younger, Living Longer: What Every Woman Wants To Know', and wraps with '20/20'.
The WB starts with 2 reruns of 'Sabrina', then reruns of 'Reba' and 'Raising Dad'.
Faux has the movie 'The Glow'.
UPN has the movie 'The Wood'.
Check local PBS listing for 'NOW With Bill Moyers'.
Around dinner time (edt), AMC has Cabaret (1972). The first time I saw the movie was in
Heidelberg, and it was dubbed into German. It was also heavily butchered by the censors there, too. Damn thing ran under 50 minutes after they
cut out all references to nazis. Ach!
At 10pm (edt), they start a 3-day festival featuring 'rock movies' - and they open it with a fresh print of
The Last Waltz (1978).
It's followed by Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973), and then it's
Gimme Shelter (1970). (Scroll down for a story about the line up this weekend.)
Over on TCM, at around dinner time on the east coast, the classic
Double Indemnity (1944). Wonderful example of film noir.
A couple of hours later, they really kick it up a notch starting with
The Elephant Man (1980), followed by
Tod Browning's fabulous
Freaks (1932) (''Gooble, gobble, one of us''), then it's the seldom seen
Bedlam (1946).
Finally, it's time for the 'artsy-fartsy' movie of the week - what is considered to be the first film of the French New Wave,
Claude Chabrol's
Le Beau Serge (1959), in French, of course.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Bands on Film
AMC Rocks Out
It is accurate to say that David Bowie and the Rolling Stones are equally well-preserved. On film, that is.
The proof is in American Movie Classics' 10th annual film preservation festival, which includes restored versions of Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust and
the Spiders from Mars" and the Stones' "Gimme Shelter."
The theme for the anniversary celebration is "Rock 'n Roll in the Movies," with an emphasis on the 1970s, when Hollywood moviemakers and the rock
world were groovin' to the same beat or trying to.
The three-day festival, Friday to Sunday, includes "Ziggy Stardust," "Gimme Shelter" and the Bee Gees-flavored "Saturday Night Fever" among films in
which the art forms clicked. Then there are misses like "Godspell" and "Thank God It's Friday."
There are key films, including a restored "The Last Waltz," which chronicled the final concert of the Band in 1976. Martin Scorsese,
the film's original director, supervised the restoration; the Band's Robbie Robertson took charge of remixing and re-mastering the soundtrack.
AMC, which has drawn fire for introducing commercial breaks during movies, said it will present "Gimme Shelter," "The Last Waltz"
and "Ziggy Stardust" uninterrupted. Other films will include a break to promote preservation.
AMC Rocks Out
American Movie Classics
MTV Video Music Awards
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani of the group No Doubt gives a thumbs up after the band was awarded Best Pop Video of the Year for "Hey Baby" during the MTV Video Music Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002.
At rear is No Doubt's bass player, Tony Kanal.
Photo by Mark Lennihan
Web Site Defaced, Taken Offline
RIAA
After drawing the ire of the online file-swapping community and Internet users at large, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Web site was defaced and taken offline Wednesday.
The defacement, described as "the funniest hack ever" on a forum site, resembled the normal RIAA site but featured such links as "Piracy can be beneficial to the music industry" and "Where
can I find information on giant monkeys?"
While the RIAA would not acknowledge that its site had been hacked or defaced, the group, which has tried to prevent Napster-like online file sharing, admitted that
its site was offline.
While studies, including a recent Yankee Group report, have indicated that free online music trading will flourish until legitimate, licensed sites offer the content, ownership and
portability that consumers want, the RIAA continues to blame free online music trading for declining CD sales.
RIAA
Door Open to 'West Wing' Deal
Rob Lowe
It may not be as big a cliffhanger as the presidential vote in Florida, but the suspense is building over whether President Josiah Bartlett will have to hire a new speech writer.
Actor Rob Lowe, who plays White House Deputy Communications director Sam Seaborn, said on Thursday he still planned to leave NBC's political drama "The West Wing" when his contract expires in March.
But in true political style, he left open the possibility of another term if a deal could be worked out to keep him on the show.
Lowe, 38, reportedly earns about $75,000 an episode playing Seaborn, and sources said he opted to leave the Emmy-winning show after producers refused to even discuss his bid for a raise.
Other leading members of the supporting cast, who started out earning much less than Lowe did, all negotiated hefty pay hikes last season, after the show became a major hit, and Lowe
felt left out, according to sources.
Lowe, the only major "West Wing" co-star passed up for an Emmy nomination this year, was the biggest name among the leading cast members, apart from Sheen, when the show, now entering
its fourth season, debuted.
Rob Lowe
'Profile of the Time'
Salvador Dali
A woman walks along a city street as Art Restorer Ziino Andrea (TOP) makes final adjustments to a sculpture by famous Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dali, titled 'Profile of the Time,' after it was
placed outside Sydney's Customs House August 29, 2002. An upcoming exhibition at the Customs House devoted to Dali will open next week, and will feature more than 350 sculptures, lithographs & etchings.
Photo by David Gray
Will Sing in Space
Lance Bass
'N Sync star Lance Bass promised Thursday to sing aboard the international space station when he visits this fall.
The 23-year-old member of the popular boy band told reporters the point of his space adventure is to inspire kids to become astronauts, scientists, or anything else no matter how
difficult or seemingly impossible.
As for his own efforts to learn rocketry, space station systems, Russian and NASA lingo, Bass said, "We have been training our butts off."
Bass' participation sets a couple of records: He will be the youngest space traveler ever and the first graduate of space camp which he attended in Florida 10 years ago ever to
make it to space. He'll be the world's third space tourist.
TV producers representing Bass have yet to reach a financial deal with to pay the Russians' $20 million price tag. Corporate sponsors are still being lined up for a seven-part TV
series that would begin in September and lead up to launch day.
Lance Bass
''Smiling Through the Apocalypse''
Hunter Thompson & Rolling Stone
Harris Meyer from the Business Review and I were sitting in the leafy part of Piccadilly Garden in the Design District the other night, swatting those big, floaty Miami mosquitos, sloshing ourselves
with Bass, and telling journalism war stories. I led with "How I Brought Hunter Thompson to Rolling Stone," a tale I've embellished so often (it's appeared in four books on the history of that fabled,
de-evolutionized journal) that it now overshadows any of my other exploits -- "The Time I Threatened the Editor of Penthouse's Life"; "The Time I Almost Got an Injunction Against GQ to Keep Copy Editors from Mangling my Story," etc.
Back in the '70s, Thompson, whom I'd known from the true underground press days -- the L.A. Free Press, the Berkeley Barb, the East Village Other -- not the deracinated "alternative" press of today (implying
only mild objection to the rotten status quo), had just written a magnificent obit called "The Ultimate Freelancer," about his loco predecessor Lionel Olay. But Hunter was looking for paydays, because his two bases,
the radical magazines Ramparts and Scanlan's, were rapidly going out of business. So he wanted to know if we could hustle sissy Jann Wenner, RS's founder, into forking over some dough.
To read the rest, JOHN LOMBARDI's ''Smiling Through the Apocalypse''.
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
'House of 1000 Corpses'
Rob Zombie
Undeterred by its gore factor, Lions Gate Films has picked up distribution rights to writer-director Rob Zombie's controversial horror picture "House of 1000 Corpses," and will release it in the first quarter of 2003.
The film was originally slated for release in summer 2001 via Universal, but studio executives were so horrified after viewing a rough cut that the rock star had to buy it back.
In "Corpses," two young couples are stranded when their car breaks down near a town full of bizarre characters, including a freak show family led by murderous matriarch Karen Black. William Haig,
Bill Moseley and Chris Hardwick co-star.
Zombie, who previously directed music videos for his songs and other heavy metal acts, wrote and directed the $7 million film and recorded music for the soundtrack.
Canadian-based Lions Gate purchased both the R and unrated versions. The domestic theatrical release will be rated R. The unrated version will go out for homevideo/DVD. Internationally,
both versions will be released theatrically.
Rob Zombie
Cambodia
Gold Buddhas
Cambodians look at some of the recently discovered solid-gold Buddha statuettes in the Wat Preah Pich pagoda in Kompong Thom province, 120 km (70 miles) north of Phnom Penh, August 29, 2002. Cambodian workmen
unearthed 27 solid gold statuettes and a further four made of silver and bronze, buried for hundreds of years beneath the foundations of part of the pagoda complex. The statuettes, about 10 cm (four inches) high
and each weighing about 0.5 kg (one lb), came to light at the weekend when builders started restoration work on the centuries-old pagoda.
Photo by Chor Sokunthea
'The Notorious C.H.O.'
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho's concert film "The Notorious C.H.O." will be released in more cities on Friday, but fans shouldn't expect to see her on the boob tube any time soon. Cho says that she hasn't seen much progress for Asians on television
shows since her sitcom "All-American Girl" was canceled in 1995.
"I don't really see a lot of Asian people on television. There's a couple of exceptions," Cho told AP Radio. Cho also complained that there is rarely any talk about race or the Asian-American experience. "It's really depressing."
To some degree Cho blames the Asian-American community for its own plight, saying they aren't doing the right things to get Asian characters on television.
"It's all very reactionary. It's about protesting things that happen," said Cho, recalling the outrage that followed a Jay Leno joke about Koreans eating dogs. "But it's all that and never about being proactive, in
terms of bringing shows to the network or bringing a kind of awareness that that needs to happen."
Margaret Cho
Director Resigns, Is Replaced
Voice of America
The director of the Voice of America, Robert Reilly, resigned on Thursday after less than a year in the job, the Broadcasting Board of Governors said.
VOA sources said the agency had been in turmoil under Reilly's leadership, particularly over plans to set up new language services targeted to Middle East audiences but without the "impartiality" provisions in the VOA charter.
The best known is Radio Sawa in the Middle East, which broadcasts Arabic and Western popular music interspersed with news bulletins promoting U.S. views.
Reilly, a former Reagan administration official, was appointed last October to lead the international broadcasting service in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.
A statement from the Board of Governors, which oversees VOA, quoted Reilly as saying he wanted to "seek opportunities in which I can more directly employ my talents in helping
support the president and this administration in the war against international terrorism."
The new director of VOA is David Jackson, who worked for Time magazine from 1978 until 2001, when he took a job running the Pentagon's Web site on the U.S. "war against terrorism."
Voice of America
Returning to 'ER'
Sally Field
Sally Field will return to "ER" this fall to reprise the guest role that earned her an Emmy Award.
The veteran actress will appear in a multiepisode arc on "ER" as Maggie Wyczenski, a character who appeared only during the 2000-01 TV season.
Maggie is the bipolar mom of Maura Tierney's character Abby Lockhart. She will reappear on the series in an episode scheduled to air on the network Nov. 21.
Sally Field
BartCop TV!
Networks Finally Crack Down
Paid Celebrity Drug Pitches
Why does actress Kathleen Turner discuss her arthritis on national television, or rock singer Ann Wilson go public with her fight against obesity, or skater Peggy Fleming complain about her cholesterol? In these cases, money may be making them talk.
Unbeknownst to viewers, a lot of stars are paid big bucks by big drug firms to talk about their medical problems -- even when they don't mention pharmaceutical products by name.
Much to the chagrin of the major television networks, their news shows have lately become a marketing platform of choice for the health care industry. And as the practice gets exposed, television executives are promising a crackdown on stealth endorsements
that are turning venerable news programs like NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" into drug company infomercials.
It's also lucrative for entertainers. Celebrities can make from tens of thousands of dollars to six figures a day for their role in industry-sponsored "public awareness campaigns," said one Hollywood agent whose company arranges such deals.
The networks say they were taken by surprise.
Drug companies and their marketing companies deny trying to conceal connections with the celebrities they pay for promotional work. And they scoff at network assertions that broadcasters were largely unaware of celebrity relationships to the medical
industry until The New York Times published an expose of the phenomenon earlier this month.
For some great examples, Paid Celebrity Drug Pitches
A Boy & His Croc
Wattana Thongjon & Kheng
Thai schoolboy Wattana Thongjon, 10, lays in his bed alongside his pet crocodile 'Kheng' at his home in Thailand's rural Phichit province August 28, 2002. Wattana's father Prayoon found the crocodile as a hatchling
in a local pond three years ago and it has grown to more than 88 pounds.
Photo by Jason Reed
It's Coming Back
'Star Search'
With Fox's "American Idol" surging to its first season finale next week, CBS is bringing back the classic syndicated variety/talent hunt series that started it all: "Star Search."
The network has ordered nine episodes of an updated take on the show, which is being targeted for a midseason 2003 bow.
Ed McMahon, who hosted the original "Star Search" throughout its 1983-1995 off-network run, will not be involved as host of the new series. The first series featured such future stars as
Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ray Romano, Rosie O'Donnell, Jenny Jones, Martin Lawrence, Dennis Miller and Usher.
Like the original, the new "Star" will feature wannabes competing in categories such as music, comedy, junior stars and possibly supermodel (a new name for the old spokesmodel competition). Categories could also change from season to season.
It's not clear yet whether viewers will have a chance to judge contestants, a la "Idol." Prize values are also still being worked out, but will likely be a combo of cash and a career premium such as a record deal or stand-up gig.
'Star Search'
New 37-Cent Stamp
Irving Berlin
The Postal Service is heading for Broadway to honor one of the nation's most prolific and beloved songwriters.
A new 37-cent stamp commemorating the work of Irving Berlin will be issued Sept. 15 at New York's annual Broadway on Broadway concert.
The free concert kicks off the annual theater season, long a forum for Berlin, who wrote 17 complete scores for Broadway shows including "The Coconuts," "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Call Me Madam." The stamp will go on sale across the country the following day.
Irving Berlin
Most CMA Nods Ever
Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson was nominated for a record 10 Country Music Association awards on Thursday, including best entertainer. Toby Keith followed with eight nominations.
Jackson won the best entertainer award in 1995. Other nominees for it on Thursday were Kenny Chesney, Keith, George Strait and the duo Brooks & Dunn.
Jackson also was nominated for best male vocalist, album ("Drive") and vocal event ("Designated Drinker," with Strait). He'll be competing against himself in three categories best single, song and music
video in which both "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" and "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" were nominated.
Keith's other nominations were for male vocalist, video ("I Wanna Talk About Me"), single and song ("Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)"), and album ("Pull My Chain"). In the album and single
categories, he was nominated as both producer and artist.
Jackson and Keith were joined in the male vocalist category by Chesney, Strait and Brad Paisley.
Best female vocalist nominees were Sara Evans, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood.
Willie Nelson got two nominations: "The Great Divide" is up for best album, and "Mendocino County Line" with Womack was nominated for best vocal event.
Young bluegrass-based trio Nickel Creek was nominated twice, for vocal group and for the Horizon Award for career potential.
Alan Jackson
Bruce & Rudy & Michael & Marshall & Axl
MTV Video Music Awards
Eminem walked off with four MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday, including one for Video of the Year, in a show bookended by rousing performances by Bruce Springsteen
and a rare appearance by heavy metal rockers Guns N' Roses.
The mood at the annual awards show at New York City's Radio City Music Hall alternated between irreverent and somber. The program opened on a solemn note, with
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band playing "The Rising," the title track to his new hit album inspired by the Sept. 11 tragedy and its aftermath.
In a lighter moment, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani quipped from the stage, "Last year at this time, it's very possible I'd be ticketing your double-parked cars out there."
To kick off the night's festivities, Michael Jackson, one of the best-selling pop stars of all time, was named the "Artist Of The Millennium.
Jackson was not exempt from the not-too-subtle wit of host and "Saturday Night Live" star Jimmy Fallon, who cracked, "Michael Jackson looks great
for 44. Between you and me, I think he's had some work done," Fallon joked about Jackson's ever-evolving appearance.
As singer Pink took the stage to accept the Best Female Video award for "Get The Party Started," the dance-pop starlet said, "I'm too drunk to do this."
Punk-ska band No Doubt took home two awards for Best Pop Video and Best Group Video for "Hey Baby," featuring reggae act Bounty Killer.
Punk rock band the Vines gave one of the evening's more memorable performances, smashing their instruments at the end of their performance, while NSync's Justin
Timberlake made his debut as a solo artist.
Guns N' Roses closed out the show with a medley that included their hits "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Paradise City." The band, whose only original member is
lead singer Axl Rose, has spent several years out of the public eye working on a new album.
For a lot more details, MTV Video Music Awards
Guerrero
Mexico
Marijuana burns after being seized by Mexican army troops in the mountains surrounding Chilpancingo, the capital of the Mexican state of Guerrero Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2002.
Photo by John Moore
'The Osbournes'
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