'Best of TBH Politoons'
Freshly Updated!
Dick Eats Bush
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
DAN KENNEDY: The Ninth Annual Muzzle Awards (thephoenix.com)
The NAACP and All Saints Episcopal Church, of Pasadena, California, two outspoken opponents of the Bush administration and its policies, have been subjected to audits by the Internal Revenue Service. In Pasadena, the audit came after the Reverend George Regas delivered a sermon titled "If Jesus Debated Senator Kerry and President Bush." According to reports, Degas said at one point, "Mr. President, your doctrine of pre-emptive war is a failed doctrine."
Mike Clary: Two S. Fla. families who lost sons in Iraq war now seek peace in different ways (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
As the nation today celebrates an independence won on the battlefield more than two centuries ago, few will be more conscious of the toll a war can exact than South Florida families who have suffered losses in Iraq.
Cindy Williams: America's Disastrous Budgets (AlterNet.org)
After Sept. 11, federal budgets for national security rose drastically -- so why aren't the ensuing funded programs making us any safer?
Jeff McDonald: Gore's 'Truth' is a new kind of 'action' movie (signonsandiego.com)
Political action, policy test their big-screen power.
An Inconvenient Truth: Certified Fresh (92% on the Tomato Meter; rottentomatoes.com)
Critics and reviews.
Cole Smithey: Linklater Pushes The Envelope (altweeklies.com)
Richard Linklater gives an audacious cinematic adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1977 novel about corporate/government surveillance of a public led by their noses with drug addictions similarly fueled and fed by the 'system.' ... Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is an undercover Los Angeles narcotics cop who wears a "scramble suit" that disguises his identity, even to his employers, behind an ever-shifting amalgam of physical appearances. Arctor himself has becomes addicted to a drug called "Substance D" and is so far removed from his personal sense of identity that he puts what little faith he has in the hope that the all-seeing scanner will view him clearly.
Ways of seeing (arts.guardian.co.uk)
Galileo's imprisonment by the Inquisition wasn't just a blow to science, says Jonathan Jones. It was the death of Italian art
George Howland Jr: The Revolution of Everyday Life (seattleweekly.com)
The Emma Goldman Finishing School is a Beacon Hill anarchist commune whose members are trying to live their revolution one day at a time.
'Sexual harassment is nothing new in Big Brother' (guardian.co.uk)
Two men have been evicted from Australia's Big Brother house after an alleged sex attack on a housemate. We may never know exactly what happened, writes Germaine Greer, but it's the programme makers, not the contestants, we should be angry with.
CAMILLE DODERO: The naked sorority (thephoenix.com)
What began mostly with cute, naked, tattooed girls posing alone in their bedrooms has invariably turned into something of an international subculture.
Purple Gene Reviews
'The Devil Wears Prada'
Purple Gene's review of the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006). [view trailer]
Directed by David Frankel….from the novel by Lauren Weisburger…Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna:
Answering Machine Contest
William Shatner
William Shatner is arguably one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood. His slightly off-tempo cadence has captivated a generation of Star Trek fans and taken home two Emmys, and now this famous voice is going to record one lucky fan's answering machine. The William Shatner DVD Club and StarTrek.com recently announced that they are holding a contest and that the winner will have the answering machine message of his choice personally recorded by William Shatner. The contest is free, and anyone can enter.
Whoever wins this contest is going to have an interesting time deciding what message they would like recorded on their machine. After all, even the simplest of messages would be noteworthy once it was "Shatner-ized" with a series of unusual pauses and emphases. Some fans might prefer a famous quote from Star Trek, personalized for their household or even a more recent quote from Boston Legal. Other fans might opt for a message identifying the speaker: "This is William Shatner, and you've reached the Burns residence." There are a lot of interesting choices, but the winner needs to be careful - pick something too interesting and the winner may suddenly need a new, unlisted number.
Entry to the contest is free and easy - just enter your e-mail address before the contest ends on July 31st. During the month of July, people who enter the contest and choose to join the William Shatner DVD Club will also get a free movie ticket as a bonus..
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Still hot, not quite so humid.
No new flags.
Resuming Tour
Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
After a bout with bronchitis, Tim McGraw was ready to take the stage Wednesday with wife Faith Hill as they prepared to resume their summer concert tour in the Big Easy and give all proceeds to Hurricane Katrina victims.
Both McGraw and Hill, who's from Star, Miss., have been vocal critics of the government's slow response to Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people along the Gulf Coast and flooded 80 percent of New Orleans. In interviews, Hill described the post-Katrina progress as "embarrassing" and "humiliating" to the country.
They said they wanted at least half the floor seats at Wednesday's show to go to first responders. Ticket prices were lowered to between $20 and $85. At an upcoming show in Atlanta, prices range from $47 to $87.
Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
News/Documentary Emmy Award
Nominees
Coverage of natural and manmade disasters dominated the nominees for the inaugural nontraditional News/Documentary Emmy Awards, which were announced Monday.
The nominations went to:
* "The Diary of Gideon in Pakistan," MTV News on Overdrive.
* "Hurricane Katrina Batters Gulf Coast," National Geographic/NationalGeographic.com on MSN.com.
* "Op-Ed Special Report: The Forgotten Genocide," NYTimes.com.
* "A Shifting Bolivia," NYTimes.com.
* "Child Porn: Interviews With Justin Berry," NYTimes.com.
* "Fueling Azerbaijan's Future," WashingtonPost.com.
* "Hurricane Katrina Coverage in New Orleans," WashingtonPost.com.
News/Documentary Emmy Award Nominees
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
2006 Invitees
Jake Gyllenhaal, Werner Herzog, Dolly Parton and Dakota Fanning were among those who received one of Hollywood's most exclusive invitations Wednesday.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences offered membership to 120 actors, directors, producers, animators, cinematographers, musicians, writers, editors and other industry professionals to fill vacancies in the organization created by retirement or death, academy President Sid Ganis said.
Among the 2006 invitees: eight Oscar winners and 39 nominees, including Rachel Weisz, Terrence Howard, Felicity Huffman, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, David Strathairn, "Crash" producer Cathy Shulman, "Crash" co-screenwriter Bobby Moresco and "Pride & Prejudice" composer Dario Marianelli.
2006 Invitees
No Pepper Plagiarism
Tom Petty
Tom Petty will not be suing the Red Hot Chili Peppers for plagiarism, according to an interview in Rolling Stone magazine.
Commentators had speculated that a legal battle was on the cards after the New York Post reported the similarities between the Chili's "Dani California" and Petty's 1993 track "Mary Jane's Last Dance."
Jared Morris, a producer and talk-show host at US radio station WGMD-FM, told the newspaper that the tracks were nearly identical. He explained: "It's not just the chord progressions are the same--the entire theme of the song is the same, and some of the lyrics are the same."
Speaking to the magazine, Petty said: "If someone took my song note-for-note and stole it maliciously, then maybe [I would sue them]. But I don't believe in lawsuits much. I think there are enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting over pop songs."
Tom Petty
New Sidekick Revealed
Doctor Who
Newcomer Freema Agyeman is taking over from Billie Piper as the Doctor's new sidekick, it has been announced.
The 27-year-old former Crossroads actress will play Martha Jones in the third series, starting next year.
Agyeman, who was born and grew up in London, was spotted after auditioning for the smaller role of alien expert Adeola.
Doctor Who
Google Video Pact
Sundance Channel
The Sundance Channel has pacted with Google Video to make a slate of its feature films and original series available to rent or own through the video download service.
The deal allows consumers to download their choice of 18 of the network's movie titles at $3.99 for a 24-hour rental or $9.99 to own. Three of the Sundance Channel's original series are available only for purchase starting at $1.99 an episode.
Sundance Channel titles available include the 2004 docu "The Staircase," 2005's original series "TransGeneration" and 2003's "Melvin Goes to Dinner." Other titles include "The Sleepy Time Gal," "Amy's O" and "The Slaughter Rule."
Sundance Channel
US Tour Set
Tom Waits
Singer/songwriter Tom Waits will hit the road in August for a rare string of live performances. The eight-date tour will take Waits to some cities he hasn't played in three decades.
"We need to go to Tennessee to pick up some fireworks, and someone owes me money in Kentucky," Waits said in a statement about his motivation for touring.
Waits played a handful of shows in 2004, but prior to that had not toured widely since 1999, in support of his album "Mule Variations."
For tour information - Tom Waits
Final Two End :Pay Rift
'The Sopranos'
After lengthy and acrimonious negotiations, Tony Sirico and Steven Van Zandt -- the last key actors without new deals -- reached an agreement with HBO on Friday to continue on the Emmy-winning series "The Sopranos."
Under the new pact, Sirico and Van Zandt will be paid about double their most recent per-episode fee of $85,000, sources said.
In a widely publicized salary dispute, Sirico and Van Zandt, who play Paulie Walnuts and Silvio Dante, respectively, for months refused to budge from their $200,000 per-episode asking price. That was more than any other cast member -- except for stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco -- had made on the show and miles from HBO's initial offer of a 10 percent raise.
'The Sopranos'
Former 'Survivor' Winner Arrested
Brian Heidik
A winner of the popular reality show "Survivor" was arrested Wednesday after allegedly shooting a puppy with an arrow.
Brian Heidik, 38, is charged with battery and cruelty to animals. After a pretrial hearing Wednesday morning in Douglas County Magistrate Court, he was released on bond.
During the bond hearing, Heidik told a judge he thought the dog was a coyote that has been harassing his pets, WSB-TV reported on its Web site.
Brian Heidik
Death Confounds Wikipedia
Ken Lay
The death of former Enron Corp. chief Ken Lay on Wednesday underscored the challenges facing online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which as the news was breaking offered a variety of causes for his death.
At 10:06 a.m., Wikipedia's entry for Lay said he died "of an apparent suicide."
At 10:08, it said he died at his Aspen, Colorado home "of an apparent [[heart attack] or suicide.]."
Within the same minute, it said the cause of death was "yet to be determined."
By early Wednesday afternoon, the entry said Lay was pronounced dead at Aspen Valley Hospital, citing the Pitkin, Colorado sheriff's department. It said he apparently died of a massive heart attack, citing KHOU-TV in Houston.
Ken Lay
UK Venue Cancels
Buju Banton
A concert by Jamaican reggae artist Buju Banton has been canceled following protests by the local gay community, the British venue said.
Banton, whose lyrics have been described as homophobic, was due to play later on Wednesday at the Concorde 2 venue in the southern English seaside resort of Brighton, considered to be Britain's "gay capital."
A July 29 concert by another controversial Jamaican reggae act, Beenie Man, has been canceled at the Bournemouth International Center after police raised concerns over the "violent and homophobic nature of song lyrics."
Buju Banton
Wyeth Art Donated
'Groundhog Day'
Andrew Wyeth and his wife, Betsy, have donated nine studies of his 1959 painting, "Groundhog Day," to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the museum announced Wednesday.
The couple said they were donating the pencil sketches and watercolor studies to thank the museum for the retrospective exhibition "Andrew Wyeth: Memory & Magic," on display through July 16.
'Groundhog Day'
"Connery's Scotland"
Sean Connery
Sean Connery, who has said he would not live in his Scotland again until it became independent, is writing a book about his native country mixed with autobiographical anecdotes, his publishers said.
Canongate Books of Edinburgh said it had acquired world English-language rights to the film star's memoirs, "Connery's Scotland," in conjunction with Polygon.
Best known for his screen portrayal of fictional British spy James Bond, Connery will work in collaboration with writer and film-maker Murray Grigor.
Sean Connery
Found Near Fairbanks
Beluga Whale
A young beluga whale whose carcass was found in a river nearly 1,000 miles from its natural ocean habitat probably died last fall and remained in the frozen river all winter, according to scientists.
Canoeists found the whale June 9 on the Tanana River in central Alaska, about 40 miles southwest of Fairbanks. The discovery mystified scientists.
The whale carcass appeared to be in advanced stages of decomposition, but when scientists cut into it, they found the internal organs generally well preserved, according to Tom Seaton, a state biologist. The discovery indicated the 8-foot-long whale had frozen.
Beluga Whale
'The Simpsons' Season Opener
Metallica
Metallica will appear in The Simpsons later this year, the band has. confirmed.
On September 10, the heavy rock legends will become the latest in an illustrious roll call of pop culture stars to appear in the animated series.
The band confirmed the news in a posting on their official website, with their episode, which was recorded in September 2005, set to open the 18th season of The Simpsons.
Metallica
Suit du Jour
Michael Jackson
Jurors in a civil lawsuit against Michael Jackson on Wednesday heard increasingly frantic phone messages that the singer left for a business associate, demanding action on projects including a collaboration with actor Marlon Brando and the release of a charity recording.
Tapes of the messages left on F. Marc Schaffel's answering machine were played to show his close relationship with Jackson and that he was entrusted with handling millions of dollars for the singer.
Schaffel testified that he had been working on a number of projects for Jackson and had even arranged a $10 million line of credit for him from a financial institution. Schaffel said Jackson had many demands, including searching out a home in Beverly Hills that could be a hideaway from his Neverland ranch.
Schaffel, who acknowledged that his background is in distributing adult videos, said he withdrew $300,000 from his own accounts and was never fully repaid.
Michael Jackson
In Memory
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, whose repertoire ranged from Baroque to the contemporary, has died.
She died Monday morning at her Santa Fe home with her husband, composer Peter Lieberson, at her side, said Richard Gaddes, general director of the Santa Fe Opera. She was 52.
The singer had battled breast cancer in recent years and canceled performances in 2005 and 2006 because of back problems. Her death shocked the music world because she often kept details about her health private, Gaddes said.
A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Hunt Lieberson began her musical career as a violist and later became a recitalist, concert singer and operatic performer, according to her biography on the IMG Artists Web site.
She met her husband at the Santa Fe Opera during the 1997 production of Peter Lieberson's "Ashoka's Dream," in which she played Triraksha.
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
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