'TBH Politoons'
Thanks, again, Tim!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Weather is grand.
Jo, the (remaining) lizard molted today. He was dancing around his cage enjoying his new skin tonight.
Have had a bit of a hitch thrown - the Alaskan grandmother has decided that she can't make it down here from Sacramento (as planned), so bright & early Thursday morning, we're packing up the car & driving up to Sac so the kid can be inspected before she flies north.
While there won't be a separate Friday e-page, Friday's TV listings are included below.
We expect to be back by mid-day Friday, so things should be back to what passes for normal around here with a fresh page Saturday.
Tonight, Thursday, CBS opens the night with a FRESH 'The Amazing Race 4', followed by a RERUN 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Dave are Brittany Murphy, motocross star Carey Hart, and Dashboard Confessional.
Scheduled on a FRESH Craiggers is TBA.
NBC starts the evening with a RERUN 'Friends', followed by a RERUN 'Scrubs', then a RERUN 'Will & Grace', followed by another
RERUN 'Scrubs', then a RERUN 'ER'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jay are Megan Mullally and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Scheduled on a FRESH Conan are LL Cool J, Peter Gallagher, and Greg Behrendt.
Scheduled on a FRESH Carson Daly are Alyson Hannigan, Greg Giraldo, Ben Harper, and Jack Johnson.
ABC begins the night with a RERUN 'ABC's 50th Anniversary Blooper Celebration - part 1', followed by a RERUN
'Extreme Makeover', then 'Primetime Thursday'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jimmy Kimmel are Adam Rodriguez and Rob Zombie, with this week's guest co-host Macy Gray.
The WB offers the movie 'House On Haunted Hill'.
Faux has a RERUN 'Beverly Hills, 90210: 10-Year Class Reunion', followed by a FRESH 'The O.C.'.
UPN fills the night with 'WWE Smackdown!'.
A&E has 'Biography' (Carolyn Jones - the original Morticia Addams), followed by 'Columbo: Agenda For Murder'.
AMC offers the movie 'Five Card Stud', followed by the movie 'The Searchers', and then the movie 'The Comancheros'.
BBC -
[7pm] 'Ground Force' - Lancaster;
[7:30pm] 'Changing Rooms' - West Drayton;
[8pm] 'House Invaders' - Marston;
[8:30pm] 'House Invaders' - Oxford;
[9pm] 'Faking It' - Alex the Animal;
[10pm] 'Faking It' - Cellist Turns DJ;
[11pm] 'So Graham Norton' - Dirk Benedict;
[11:30pm] 'So Graham Norton' - Katie Holmes;
[12am] 'Faking It' - Alex the Animal;
[1am] 'Faking It' - Cellist Turns DJ;
[2am] 'House Invaders' - Marston;
[2:30am] 'House Invaders' - Oxford;
[3am] 'So Graham Norton' - Dirk Benedict; and
[3:30am] 'So Graham Norton' - Katie Holmes. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has 'The Presidents Movies' (part 1), 'The Presidents Movies' (part 2), 'The Presidents Movies' (part 3), then 'Queer Eye'.
Scheduled on a FRESH Jon Stewart is Tracey Ullman.
History has 'Modern Marvels', 'Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History', then more 'Modern Marvels'.
SciFi fills 4-hours with the movie 'House Of Frankenstein 1997'.
TCM pays a 24-hour tribute to James Cagney.
[6am] 'The St. Louis Kid' (1934);
[7:30am] 'Taxi!' (1932);
[9am] 'Footlight Parade' (1933);
[11am] 'Picture Snatcher' (1933);
[12:30pm] 'G-Men' (1935);
[2pm] 'The Fighting 69th' (1940);
[3:30pm] 'Here Comes the Navy' (1934);
[5pm] 'Shake Hands With the Devil' (1959);
[7pm] 'James Cagney: Top of the World' (1992);
[8pm] 'White Heat' (1949);
[10pm] 'The Public Enemy' (1931);
[11:30pm] 'Each Dawn I Die' (1939);
[1:15am] 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (1942); and
[3:30am] 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1935). (ALL TIMES EDT)
John Oates, left, and Daryl Hall, of the rock and soul duo Hall and Oates, show off their smudged hands after being inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003. The pair left their handprints and signatures in cement at the walk which honors artists who have made a significant contribution to the evolution of rock 'n roll.
Photo by Emma Deacon
The Information One-Stop
Moose & Squirrel
$60 Million in Ticket Sales
Dixie Chicks
As they head into the final North American dates of their Top of the World tour, the Dixie Chicks are closing in on $60 million in gross revenues, likely enough to make them the top country touring act of the year.
"The bottom line is, for all the so-called controversy ... the Dixie Chicks' fans remained totally loyal throughout the tour," manager Simon Renshaw told Billboard.
Renshaw said that after 56 shows, the Chicks have been averaging 15,878 in paid attendance, with an average gross of $980,337; this compares to an average of 12,687 and $524,211 for their first headlining tour in 2000.
Dixie Chicks
Granada To Remember
Joe Strummer
The southern Spanish city of Granada is to remember Joe Strummer, the late lead singer and guitarist of the British rock band The Clash, in an August 20 concert, media reports said.
Among those set to attend is former Clash guitarist Mick Jones, who will join several Spanish musicians on stage.
One Spanish group invited is 091, a band Strummer took under his wing on several visits to the city.
Strummer's relationship with Granada came out of his interest in the works of poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, killed by nationalist soldiers in 1936 in the early days of the Spanish Civil War.
The Franco government banned his works and some were publicly burned in Granada, the city of Lorca's birth.
Strummer paid Lorca tribute in Spanish Bombs, a track on London Calling, lamenting that by the time the civil war had ended "Federico Lorca is dead and gone."
Joe Strummer
To Visit Jim Morrison's Grave
2 Doors Survivors
Jim Morrison will have some familiar visitors on what would have been his 60th birthday. On December 8, fellow Doors Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger will visit Morrison's gravesite in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, according to the L.A. Times.
The following night (December 9), the Doors will play Paris for the first time ever, only it'll be as the Doors Of The 21st Century, the current band which features Ian Astbury on vocals. The show will feature a complete performance of the 1971 album L.A. Woman, something else the band never did while Morrison was alive.
Manzarek told the paper, "The Doors never played Paris, even with Jim. This is the first official French gig. We'll go see Jim on [December] 8, have a little happy birthday for him, and then [December] 9 is L.A. Woman in Paris." He added, "We'll be doing L.A. Woman from top to bottom in honor of Jim's 60th birthday. We never got to play it live. We recorded it, then Jim went to Paris and never came back. But now we get to do the tour that never happened."
Doors drummer John Densmore, who's filed suit against his former bandmates over the use of the "Doors" name, said he's opposed to the plan. "I feel kind of like the French felt toward us when we bombed Iraq about the pseudo-Doors playing Paris and traipsing around Jim's grave for publicity," he told the paper.
2 Doors Survivors
Actress Sharon Stone warms up before throwing out the first pitch before the Cincinnati Reds-Los Angeles Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003.
Photo by Chris Pizzello
NBC Schedules Full Hour
'Queer Eye'
Nothing succeeds like success: NBC's peacock is turning pink for a night of prime-time TV later this month.
The TV network said on Wednesday it would show a full hour of the breakout hit "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" on Aug. 14, instead of a pared-down, 30-minute episode as originally planned.
The show will air in the 10 p.m. slot usually occupied by the medical drama "ER," after back-to-back episodes of the gay-themed comedy "Will & Grace."
The show has broken ratings records for Bravo and generated heavy pop-culture buzz. NBC has already picked the show up once, airing a half-hour version of a full hour-long episode last month.
'Queer Eye'
'The Producers' Encore?
Lane & Broderick
Actors Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are in talks to rejoin the Broadway production of "The Producers" for an encore run starting in January, the show's spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Discussions are taking place between the producers and Nathan and Matthew about the possibility of returning to the show," said show spokesman John Barlow. "When they come back and for how long is still to be determined."
Lane and Broderick played the roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom on Broadway for a one-year run that saw "The Producers" become the hottest ticket in town with weekly gross sales exceeding $1 million. The show has been playing to an average of about 85 percent of capacity since, according to Barlow.
Tickets for "The Producers" are put on sale in three-month blocks and the next batch is slated to go on sale within the next few weeks, Barlow said.
Lane & Broderick
L.A. New Year's Show
Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones helped make Michael Jackson a "Thriller." The city's hoping he can do the same for its New Year's Eve celebration.
The legendary producer, who has boosted the careers of dozens of musicians, will help organize the first-ever "Legends of Los Angeles Pop" concert, to be held downtown with the new Disney Concert Hall as a backdrop.
The concert will include a range of music, City Councilwoman Jan Perry said in announcing Jones' involvement Tuesday. The city hopes 30,000 people will attend.
Tickets will cost $15, and some of the proceeds will go to Jones' foundation, which supports children's health care programs.
Quincy Jones
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Fined for Leaving Accident
Jack Cafferty
CNN 'American Morning' anchor Jack Cafferty will pay a $250 fine and perform 70 hours of community service after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Cafferty had been charged with the traffic infraction, along with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, assault and harassment, after police said he knocked a man off a bike with his Cadillac on May 14.
A traffic officer and about five pedestrians ran after Cafferty's car to stop him after the accident, but Cafferty drove through at least two red lights and around other vehicles without stopping, according to a police complaint.
Cafferty was dragging the man's bike underneath his car, police said.
Cafferty later told police that he had seen a man on a bike who may have been a messenger weaving in and out of traffic as Cafferty drove south along Ninth Avenue around 10:25 a.m. When Cafferty looked in his mirror, he saw the man getting up off the ground but was unaware he had hit the bicyclist, the anchor told police.
Jack Cafferty
Harry, a Sumatran tiger roars at the camera as he inspects his new home at the soon to be opened Mareeba Wild Animal Park in Mareeba, Australia, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003. Harry is one of two Sumatran Tigers flown in from England and released into their new bush environment following a month long quarantine period. It is believed that there is only about 350 of the rare tigers left in the wild.
Photo by Brian Cassey
Baby News
Jennifer Connelly
It's a boy for Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly and her husband, Paul Bettany.
The baby was born Tuesday, said publicist Cari Ross. No other details were released Wednesday.
Connelly, 32, has a 5-year-old son, Kai, from a previous relationship.
Jennifer Connelly
Defends 'Waterworld'
Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner doesn't care that "Waterworld," his futuristic blockbuster from 1995, was a major flop with critics.
"They don't have that 'Waterworld' ride in Universal Studios because it's not popular," the actor-director tells Diane Sawyer in an interview on ABC's "Primetime Thursday," airing at 10 p.m. EDT. "It's a great movie, it really is."
"I know it made a lot of money," he adds.
Kevin Costner
Launches 'Elevator Music' Service
Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Wednesday launched a service that broadcasts music into stores and office buildings, hoping to elbow into the "elevator music" market dominated by Muzak LLC.
Sirius, second to XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. in that nascent market, said it would offer the service in conjunction with Applied Media Technologies Corp., a provider of alternative electronic marketing technologies.
Sirius' commercial-free service will allow businesses to broadcast 60 channels of music starting at about $25 a month, it said, saying it offered a low-cost alternative to Muzak and DMX Music Inc., Nos. 1 and 2 in the market, respectively.
Not-so-affectionately coined "canned" or "elevator" music, these broadcasts of songs typically serve as background filler. From car washes to restaurants, vendors hope the music keeps consumers happily spending as they eat and shop.
Sirius
Cancels Tour
Ray Charles
Music legend Ray Charles has canceled the remainder of his North American tour due to persistent hip soreness, marking the first tour he has missed in more than 50 straight years of live performances.
"It breaks my heart to withdraw from these shows," Charles said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "All my life, I've been touring and performing. It's what I do. But the doctors insist I stay put and mend for a while, so I'll heed their advice."
Charles, a pioneer of soul music whose biggest hits include "Georgia on My Mind" and "Hit the Road Jack," played his 10,000th concert on May 23 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Last year, he celebrated the 40th anniversary of his first hit on the country music charts, "I Can't Stop Loving You."
Ray Charles
Formerly 'The Vidiot'
Medical News
Roger Ebert
Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert will undergo radiation treatment for cancer next month.
The treatment will be for a cancerous tumor in Ebert's salivary gland, the Chicago Sun-Times reported in its Wednesday editions.
Ebert said treatment for the malignant tumor will begin later this month after he returns from a family trip to France.
Ebert said he's had a tumor in his salivary gland "in one form or another" for 16 years. He said the treatments will take 20 minutes a day, five days a week for eight weeks.
Roger Ebert
Actor, producer and director Rob Reiner throws out the first pitch prior to the Detroit Tigers game against the Oakland Athletics in Detroit, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003.
Photo by Paul Sancya
Seizes Scotland
Monet Mania
Show me the Monet -- the refurbished Royal Scottish Academy Wednesday came up with the perfect formula to put it firmly on the international museum map.
"People will be fighting to get in," predicted Michael Clarke, co-curator of "Monet: The Seine and The Sea" which is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors over the next 12 weeks.
The exhibition took four years to organize with 77 paintings from 14 countries around the globe. "Berlin, Washington, Chicago, Paris -- all the major collections co-operated with us," Clarke said.
The National Galleries of Scotland have embarked on a 30-million-pound ($48.5-million) facelift and the Royal Scottish Academy, which suffered from damp, crumbling foundations and a leaking roof, has now been given a major facelift.
Monet Mania
Attack Chihuahua
NYC Hawks
Trained hawks employed to keep pigeons from making a mess on visitors in a midtown park have been grounded because one of the birds mistook a Chihuahua as its lunch.
An 18-inch hawk swooped down and gouged the diminutive pooch with one of its talons while the dog was nosing around in the bushes of Bryant Park, located behind the landmark New York Public Library.
The hawk was quickly separated from the pooch Tuesday afternoon. A park employee flagged down a cab so the dog's owner could take it to a veterinarian, said Richard Dillon, vice president of security for Bryant Park.
The program, which aims to scare pigeons out of the park, could be finished. A final decision is expected by the end of the week.
Daniel Biederman, executive director of the Bryant Park group, said the hawk program has been a success since it was started in April, with pigeon infestation down 50 percent and fewer complaints from visitors.
NYC Hawks
Bryant Park
Won't Seek Senate Seat
Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer, whose talk show brings foul-mouthed prostitutes, homewreckers and skinheads into living rooms every day, said Wednesday he will not run for the U.S. Senate next year.
"As long as I'm doing that show, my message, no matter how sincere and no matter how heartfelt, does not get through to the people I need to reach," he said at a news conference.
Springer, a Democrat who served as mayor of Cincinnati from 1978-81, had said he would quit his show should he run for the Senate seat held by Republican George Voinovich.
Springer, 59, said he spent about $1 million of his own money crisscrossing Ohio the last six months, speaking at Democratic dinners and gauging support for a Senate bid. He had said he would run if he could "break through the clutter of the show" and be a formidable candidate.
"That separation obviously hasn't taken place and would not take place in time for this election," he said, his voice occasionally breaking.
Jerry Springer
Hundreds Mourn Slain Actress
Marie Trintignant
Some of France's best-known film stars joined hundreds of mourners Wednesday in an emotional farewell to actress Marie Trintignant, whose brutal death stunned the country.
Many mourners — dressed in white, as requested by the family — cried as Trintignant was laid to rest on a scorching summer afternoon at the Pere Lachaise cemetery.
The 41-year-old actress died Friday in a Paris hospital, five days after being beaten into a coma, allegedly by her boyfriend, French rock icon Bertrand Cantat. An autopsy showed she died of violent blows to her face and head.
Trintignant, who hailed from one of France's most famous film families, was known for her beauty and for the challenging roles she played — usually women suffering from fragility, depression and other repercussions of difficult lives.
Director Claude Lelouch and actress Anouk Aimee were among the celebrities who gathered for a tribute earlier in the day at the Edouard VII theater, where they sang songs in Trintignant's memory.
Her father, film star Jean-Louis Trintignant, thanked the public for the hundreds of condolence letters received since his daughter's death. He read aloud a short poem:
"Do not cry, over that which you have lost. On the contrary, rejoice for having known it," he read, breaking down in tears.
Cantat, lead singer of France's top-selling rock band, Noir Desir, has been detained and confined to a prison hospital in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the alleged beating occurred.
Cantat had joined Trintignant in Vilnius, where she was on location finishing a television movie based on the life of famed French writer Colette. The movie was being directed by her mother, Nadine Trintignant.
Marie Trintignant
'Kita,' a Reticulated giraffe nuzzles her newborn Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003, at the Miami Metrozoo in Miami. The unnamed male, which weighs about 150 lbs. and stands about six-foot-tall, was born Saturday and was the 32nd giraffe born at Miami Metrozoo.
Photo by Ron Magill
'Ark of Darkness'
"The Ark of Darkness", a Political/Science-Fiction work, in tidy, weekly installments (and updated every Friday).
The Group finally comes face-to-face with Satan, himself.
'The Osbournes'
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 5
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 4
'The Osbournes' ~ Page 3
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'The Osbournes' ~ Page 1
