'Best of TBH Politoons'
M Is FOR MASHUP - May 16th 2007
Reprocessing In Norge
By DJ Useo
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Sanford Pinsker: Do I Feel a Wind Blowing or is it Just the Draft? (irascibleprofessor.com)
As we enter the fifth year of the war in Iraq, our military forces are being stretched to the breaking point. Many worry that extending current tours of duty will jeopardize morale and decrease combat effectiveness; still others wonder if it is time to give serious consideration to the prospect of reinstating a military draft.
PAUL KRUGMAN: Divided Over Trade (The New York Times)
Nothing divides Democrats like international trade policy. That became clear last week, when the announcement of a deal on trade between Democratic leaders and the Bush administration caused many party activists to accuse the leadership of selling out.
Bob Herbert: The Millions Left Out (The New York Times)
The United States may be the richest country in the world, but there are many millions - tens of millions - who are not sharing in that prosperity.
Michael Miner: Don't Blame the Fluff (chicagoreader.com)
Are Americans "distracted" from the news or do they just not want to hear it? Also: the passing of a pioneering gay publisher and editor.
Peter Wood: Exporting Idiocracy (amconmag.com)
Sending American-style education to China could stunt the dragon's rise.
Inigo Thomas: President Gore (lrb.co.uk)
Italy gives Gore Vidal a good vantage point on the U.S. "After all, I don't write about anything other than the fact of being American. I have no other subject"...
Fiona Morgan: Crisis for Honeybees -- and Our Food (indyweek.com)
Q & A with David Tarpy, entomology professor.
STEVEN MIKULAN: Paul Thomas: The auteur of sex (laweekly.com)
Depending on your view of pornography, director Paul Thomas is either the Ernst Lubitsch or the Mack Sennett of hardcore. With nearly 300 titles under his belt, he is Silicone Valley's premier porn director, an auteur who works out of Vivid Entertainment's Studio City headquarters.
Lina Lecaro: LA People: Perez Hilton (laweekly.com)
Perez is one of the most polarizing media figures since Howard Stern -- he even calls himself the "queen of all media."
Laura S. Washington: Curiosity and a Cat Named Studs (In These Times)
An interview with author Studs Terkel as he reaches his 95th birthday and gives a sneak preview of his memoir, Touch and Go.
Charles McGrath: Philip K. Dick: A pulp sci-fi writer finally wins respect (iht.com)
All his life the science fiction writer Philip K. Dick yearned for what he called the mainstream. He wanted to be a serious literary writer, not a sci-fi hack whose audience consisted, he once said, of "trolls and wackos." But Dick, who popped as many as 1,000 amphetamine pills a week, was also more than a little paranoid. In the early '70s, when he had finally achieved some standing among academic critics and literary theorists - most notably the Polish writer Stanislaw Lem - he narced on them all, writing a letter to the F.B.I. in which he claimed they were K.G.B. agents trying to take over American science fiction.
Cole Smithey: A Very Long Engagement: The Cannes Film Festival Turns 60 (Maui Time Weekly)
Round-the-clock screenings, celebrity interviews, crowded press conferences, elite parties, luxurious lunches, word-of-mouth buzz and chance encounters with icons of cinema fly by in a dizzying blur.
Portrait of the artist: Natasha Bedingfield, singer (guardian.co.uk)
'Yes, I've suffered for my art - I always wear high heels on stage'.
David Bruce: Wise Up: Problem-Solving (athensnews.com)
At one time, songs were expected to be short and radio DJs would not play long songs. The Righteous Brothers' great song "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" was 3 minutes and 45 seconds long, but Phil Spector insisted that the label on the single inaccurately say that the single was 3 minutes and 5 seconds long because he was afraid that DJs would not play the single if they knew how long it actually was.
Cory!! Strode
Top Selling Trade Paperbacks
1 300 HC $30.00 DAR 8,726
Remember that movie 300 from a couple of months ago? Comics fans sure did and snapped up the hardcover making an 8 year old book the number one graphic novel in March. If you saw the movie, you know what to expect, but if you didn't hear anything about it, this is a retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans held off the entire Persian army long enough for word to be sent back to the Greek armies of the time to prepare for the invasion. This is a bit more historically accurate than the movie, but the main reason to buy it is for Miller's amazing visuals, which were faithfully recreated in the movie. One of Miller's best works, and an amazingly drawn comic. Highly recommended.
2 NARUTO VOL 13 TP $7.95 VIZ 6,287
This is another collection of the Japanese comics based on the Japanese animation series currently being run on Cartoon Network. For fans of the TV show only.
3 EX MACHINA VOL 5 SMOKE SMOKE TP (MR) $12.99 DC 6,118
Ex Machina is one of the better series on the market currently, and tells the story of a minor super-hero who becomes the mayor of New York. Unlike a normal super-hero comic, the super-heroics are kept in the background as the series deals with civil rights, gay marriage, controversial art and other Hot Button issues a major city mayor would have to deal with. This well written book features a fascinating lead character who tries to do the right thing, but has to deal with the consequences of his actions more often than not. Highly recommended.
4 SPIDER-MAN BIRTH OF VENOM TP $29.99 MAR 5,256
Venom is one the more popular Marvel characters who I have NEVER warmed up to. Featured prominently in the current Spider-Man movie, this trade paperback gives the character's origin and early stories and shows just how haphazard the early stories of the character were. If you liked the Spider-Man movie, there are much better trades than this to pick up.
5 NEW AVENGERS VOL 4 COLLECTIVE TP $14.99 MAR 5,079
The New Avengers has been a reworking of the idea of the super-hero team, and works best in trade paperback form. This story follows up on a loose end from the big "House of M" crossover from 2 years ago, and while you don't need to have read it, the story certainly works better if you have. The characters and dialogue are interesting, and it is one of the better written super-hero series on the market. However, for casual readers, there's a LOT of stuff where you need to know back story that just isn't included in this volume. Mildly recommended for casual readers but highly recommended for long-term fans.
6 STAR WARS BOBA FETT VOL 1 MAN WITH A MISSION TP $12.95 DAR 4,854
Boba Fett is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars movies, even though he only has a couple of lines of dialogue. This trade reprints four of the One Shot stories created when the Star Wars comics were a lot more popular. They read like above average fan-fiction and do very little to bring something new to the admittedly bare bones character. If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll want this, but for most readers it's just another tie-in story.
7 DEATH NOTE VOL 10 TP $7.99 VIZ 4,677
Another Japanese comic I don't read. Even with my new job, I don't have the money to buy everything. Sorry.
8 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 7 GOD WAR TP $16.99 MAR 4,532
Coming off of Mark Millar's final story on the series, anything would be a disappointment, but this is more than just a letdown. New writer Mike Carey puts together a story that is confusing, introduces a foursome of new villains who have no motivation other than being a new antagonist for the Fantastic Four. A major disappointment after the incredibly good Volume 6.
9 FAFHRD & GRAY MOUSER TP $19.95 DAR 4,250
This one really surprises me. Reprinting a mini-series from the early 90's that didn't sell well, featuring two fantasy novel characters who have been out of print for the last 10 - 15 years and are now having their novels reprinted by a VERY small publisher. Now, don't get me wrong, this is a great trade with beautiful art by Hellboy creator and main artist Mike Mignola, and a faithful script by Howard Chaykin, and I am VERY happy to have it in a nice book for my bookshelf, but I'm surprised it had sales this good. If you like fantasy at all, this is a must-read book. Highly recommended.
10 WARCRAFT VOL 3 GN (Of 3) $9.99 TKP 4,121
The last of three trade paperbacks reprinting Japanese comics based on the computer game. Not based on "World of Warcraft" but the strategy game that I've never played. My 18 year old son grew up on the game and still thinks of it as his favorite computer game of all time. I asked him what he thought of it and he said, "meh, I can take it or leave it."
Cory!! Strode has been reviewing comics longer than the world wide web has been around, and also writes essays, commentary, jokes for comedians and a news parody called the Weekly News Update that has just celebrated it's tenth anniversary. You can see all of it at
www.solitairerose.com.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
May gray til noon, and a sunny, cool afternoon.
Concert To Raise Money
King Memorial
Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons and Tommy Hilfiger are among those spearheading a concert to raise money to build a memorial to The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall.
The Dream Concert will be held Sept. 18 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the memorial fund announced Tuesday. Performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The memorial is slated for a space on the Tidal Basin between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. It will include a sculpture of King and 14 quotations from the slain civil rights leader. The memorial is scheduled to be completed in 2008.
Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will serve as artistic directors for the fundraising concert. Also lending support as members of the event's host committee are Muhammad Ali, Angela Bassett, Jamie Foxx, Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Jordan, among others.
King Memorial
Tops Maxim `Hot 100' List
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan rules. According to Maxim magazine, at least this month, she's the hottest woman in the world.
Jessica Alba had to settle with the No. 2 on the list, which is in the magazine hitting stands Saturday. She's followed, in order, by Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Biel, Ali Larter, Eva Mendes, Rihanna, Eva Longoria, Fergie, Sienna Miller, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce Knowles and Katherine Heigl.
Celebrity sisters Ashlee and Jessica Simpson are on the list at No. 16 and No. 41, respectively. Ashley Olsen, half of the mogul acting twins, placed 37th, while sister Mary-Kate didn't make the cut.
Lindsay Lohan
XM Suspends For 30 Days
Opie & Anthony
XM Satellite Radio suspended shock jocks Opie and Anthony for 30 days Tuesday, one week after they aired crude sex comments about Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth II and one day after they made light of the incident in their broadcast.
"Comments made by Opie and Anthony on yesterday's broadcast put into question whether they appreciate the seriousness of the matter," Washington-based XM said in a statement. "The management of XM Radio decided to suspend Opie and Anthony to make clear that our on-air talent must take seriously the responsibility that creative freedom requires of them."
Opie and Anthony, who last week apologized for the sex comments, struck a more defensive tone on Monday's broadcast. They lamented the state of radio and what they perceived as excessive reactions to comments made by themselves and other radio disc jockeys.
A spokesman for XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. declined to say whether Opie and Anthony would be paid during their suspension, calling it a contractual matter.
Opie & Anthony
Promises Striptease
Sophia Loren
A striptease by 72-year-old actress Sophia Loren could be one of the more outrageous ways that Napoli fans will celebrate if the team are promoted to the Italian top flight this season.
Loren, a movie sex siren from the 1950s and 1960s, is a big fan of the Naples club who have fallen on hard times since winning their first Italian championship 20 years ago.
"I hope that Napoli win these last few games. You watch if we go up I will do a striptease," she told Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview on Tuesday. "The fans have a total passion, the city deserves promotion."
Sophia Loren
Statue Vandalized
Little Mermaid
Copenhagen's famed Little Mermaid statue was covered with paint by vandals, the second time it has been defaced since March.
Tourists flocked to the landmark Tuesday to take snapshots of the bronze statue, whose face, left arm and lap had been doused with red paint.
A wooden picture frame sat next to the statue, with the word "AV" - Danish for "ouch" - written in green.
Little Mermaid
Bud Busted In Florida
David Faustino
David Faustino, the actor who played Bud Bundy on the TV series "Married with Children," was arrested on marijuana and disorderly intoxication charges.
Police allegedly spotted Faustino, 33, and his wife Andrea, 31, at an intersection late Friday night. Faustino reportedly tried to climb out the car window, then opened the door.
The actor then allegedly tried to walk away when police confronted the couple. The officer smelled alcohol on Faustino's breath and found a plastic bag with a gram of marijuana in his pocket, police said.
David Faustino
Pleads Guilty
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone pleaded guilty Tuesday to two charges of importing banned substances into Australia, saying he takes the muscle-building drugs for a medical condition and didn't know he was breaking the law.
"I made a terrible mistake, not because I was attempting to deceive anyone, but I was simply ignorant to your official rules," the 60-year-old actor said in a letter to Sydney Local Court.
"Years ago I was diagnosed with a condition and my doctors prescribed human growth hormone and testosterone for its treatment. Under medical supervision I have continued to use both medications," he said.
Sylvester Stallone
Resignation Letter Remains Hidden
Rumsfeld
The Bush administration is keeping a tight hold on Donald Rumsfeld's resignation letter nearly five months after the former defense secretary and Iraq war manager stepped down.
The Pentagon says it does not have a copy, and the White House office likely to hold the letter is not subject to the law that allows the public to seek release of government documents, the Freedom of Information Act or FOIA .
Pentagon spokesmen refused to release the letter in November 2006, when Rumsfeld resigned after Republicans' stinging election defeat. They told reporters to file FOIA requests for the letter.
Rumsfeld
Freedom On The March
No Photos
Police fired warning shots in the air at the scene of a double bombing Tuesday, enforcing an order banning news photographers and TV camera operators from filming the aftermath of deadly bombings.
The Iraqi government said it decided last weekend to keep photographers and camera crews away from blast sites to prevent them from damaging forensic evidence. Media groups feared the order was aimed at preventing scenes of horrific carnage from being broadcast around the world.
The ban got its first test Tuesday, when a pair of bombs hidden in plastic bags exploded in two shops selling CDs and cigarettes in Tayaran Square in central Baghdad. Police said at least seven people were killed and 17 wounded.
News photographers and cameraman rushed to the scene only to be turned away by Iraqi police, who fired warning shots in the air to disperse the crowds.
No Photos
Sat On Review Boards
VA Bonus Winners
Nearly two dozen officials who received hefty performance bonuses last year at the Veterans Affairs Department also sat on the boards charged with recommending the payments.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press raise questions of conflicts of interest or appearances of conflicts in connection with the bonuses, some of which went to senior officials involved in crafting a budget that came up $1.3 billion short and jeopardized veterans' health care.
The documents show that 21 of 32 officials who were members of VA performance review boards received more than half a million dollars in payments themselves.
VA Bonus Winners
Warrant Suspended
Richard Gere
India's Supreme Court temporarily suspended Tuesday an arrest warrant for actor Richard Gere, who was wanted for allegedly breaking public obscenity laws by kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.
The court suspended all legal proceedings against the pair until it decides on the proper jurisdiction for the case.
The case has grabbed headlines, although the allegations have failed to stir any wider outrage among Indians, most of whom have responded with either mocking bemusement or utter indifference.
Richard Gere
Settles Lawsuits
Tom Sizemore
Actor Tom Sizemore has settled lawsuits brought against him by State Farm Insurance and his former girlfriend, one-time Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.
Papers filed in Superior Court on Friday said that resolutions were reached in both cases.
The terms were not disclosed.
Tom Sizemore
Verdict In Dispute
'Sahara'
A jury determined Tuesday that adventure author Clive Cussler breached his contract and ordered him to pay $5 million to the production company that turned his novel "Sahara" into a box-office flop.
The complex ruling left open the possibility that Cussler could end up pocketing more than he pays out. Jurors said Superior Court Judge John P. Shook should determine whether Crusader Entertainment, since renamed Bristol Bay Productions, must pay Cussler about $8 million for the screen rights to a second book.
An attorney for Crusader said his client shouldn't have to pay Cussler, in light of the verdict. "We clearly don't want the rights to the second film," Marvin Putnam said.
Jurors heard 14 weeks of testimony and deliberated for eight days in the multimillion-dollar dispute between Cussler and the company over the 2005 action-adventure film. They finally decided Cussler had breached an "implied covenant of good faith" and inflated book sales when dealing with Crusader.
'Sahara'
Yard Sale Find
Painting
A rare Canadian landscape painting has gone from a table at an Ontario yard sale to attracting the attention of art connoisseurs across the country - and will go a long way towards the future education of an unborn child.
A painting by British Columbia artist E.J. Hughes will come under the hammer next week at Heffel Fine Auction House, six years after it was first found at a rural Ontario yard sale by an enterprising art collector.
The painting, originally purchased for $200 cash, is expected to fetch more than $100,000 at auction.
Painting
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-Time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for May 7-13. 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) "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 28.2 million viewers.
2. (1) "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 25.47 million viewers.
3. (6) "House," Fox, 21.36 million viewers.
4. (6) "Grey's Anatomy" ABC, 19.58 million viewers.
5. (5) "Dancing With the Stars" (Monday), ABC, 19.44 million viewers.
6. (4) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 18.75 million viewers.
7. (10) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 17.18 million viewers.
8. (12) "Dancing With the Stars Results" (Tuesday), ABC, 16.86 million viewers.
9. (9) "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 16.13 million viewers.
10. (16) "Without a Trace," CBS, 14.31 million viewers.
11. (19) "NCIS," CBS, 13.88 million viewers.
12. (16) "Survivor: Fiji," CBS, 13.76 million viewers.
13. (X) "Survivor: Fiji Finale," CBS, 13.63 million viewers.
14. (38) "King of Queens," CBS, 13.42 million viewers.
15. (16) "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 13.27 million viewers.
16. (22) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 12.92 million viewers.
17. (23) "CSI: NY," CBS, 12.83 million viewers.
18. (15) "Lost," ABC, 12.11 million viewers.
19. (38) "Brothers and Sisters," ABC, 11.61 million viewers.
20. (X) "Survivor: Fiji Reunion," CBS, 11.43 million viewers.
Ratings
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