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HavenWorks -  TV Tube A-Z Accounting Art / Museums Books+ BusinessNews Censorship Comics / Links ComputerNews Consumer Dictionaries Directories Education Energy Entertainment Environment FIND Free-Speech Genealogy  Government.gov Guides Health Medical History Humor I.P. Intellectual Property Intelligence Labor Language Law / Legal >Law Enforcement Library Links Linux Maps Media Military Music & MP3s NET / WEB NEWS-STAND NoteWorthy Nuclear Opinion Parents People Politics Privacy Radio/ Online Reference Science & Tech Search/Engines >SpecialEngines Seniors Space Sports Terrorism Travel TV /Channels U.S. Vocabulary Weather Webcasting Women World Top	Entertainment News: 20090211 Financial - Crisis - Politics - Sports - Entertainment - Marketing - Trip - History - Consumers - Government - Lawmakers - Obama -Nevada - New York "Unapologetic CEOs: What Did the Banks Do With Your Cash? Bank CEOs [Chief Executive Officer], With $125 Billion in Taxpayer Money in Hand, Testify and Defend Before Congress." ... "The heads of eight major banks that received $125 billion in taxpayer bailout funds were largely unapologetic for their role in helping to create the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression as they testified before Congress this morning." ... "The CEOs said they are trying to lend out more money and pledged to return to profit, be more transparent and repay taxpayers as soon as possible." ... "But for the most part, the CEOs in their prepared testimony shrugged off recent criticism about the high level of pay within their firms, the use of luxury jets and posh trips to Las Vegas or Monte Carlo [Monaco]." ... "Bank of America took heat recently for sponsoring a five-day carnival-like affair outside the Super Bowl. The event -- known as the "NFL experience" -- included 850,000 square feet of sports games and interactive entertainment attractions for football fans and was blanketed in Bank of America logos and marketing calls to sign up for football-themed banking products." ... "The eight financial firms received a combined total of $125 billion since October through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, commonly referred to as TARP." ... "Lawmakers have expressed outrage that the funds are not fulfilling their purpose of increasing the flow of credit to consumers. They point to a report released last month by the New York state comptroller that said Wall Street firms had handed out $18 billion in bonuses last year." ... "That news led [Democratic] President Obama to impose new restrictions on executive compensation for banks that receive money through the TARP in the future." ... "In the face of pressure from Washington, Citigroup recently scrapped plans to purchase a $50 million luxury jet." (1, 2, 3, 4) -By Matthew Jaffe and Scott Mayerowitz -ABCNEWS.com 20090128 Sweden - Military - Switzerland - Politics - US - Media - Entertainment -  "Alba schools Fox’s O’Reilly in WW II history." ... "Jessica Alba is setting the record straight: Sweden was neutral during World War II." ... "Alba and Fox TV show host Bill O’Reilly traded punches last week after the presidential inauguration. After Alba told a Fox reporter that O’Reilly was “kind of an a-hole;” he retaliated by calling her a “pinhead” for telling a reporter to “be Sweden about it,” assuming she meant Switzerland." ... "“I want to clear some things up that have been bothering me lately,” Alba blogged on MySpace Celebrity. “Last week, Mr. Bill O'Reilly and some really classy sites (i.e.TMZ) insinuated I was dumb by claiming Sweden was a neutral country. I appreciate the fact that he is a news anchor and that gossip sites are inundated with intelligent reporting, but seriously people... it's so sad to me that you think the only neutral country during WWII was Switzerland.”" ... "Although Switzerland is more frequently cited as an example of neutrality, Sweden did indeed follow a policy of neutrality during World War II. History point to Alba." -By Courtney Hazlett -MSNBC 20081124 China - Media - Politics - Entertainment - Music - Free Speech - Law - US "China state media blast new Guns N' Roses album." ... "A newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party is blasting the latest Guns N' Roses album as an attack on the Chinese nation." ... "Delayed since recording began in 1994, "Chinese Democracy" hit stores in the U.S. on Sunday, although it is unlikely to be sold legally in China, where censors maintain tight control over films, music and publications." ... "In an article Monday headlined "American band releases album venomously attacking China," the Global Times said unidentified Chinese Internet users had described the album as part of a plot by some in the West to "grasp and control the world using democracy as a pawn."" ... "The album "turns its spear point on China," the article said." -By Christopher Bodeen -AP via -Yahoo 20080924 John McCain -  - Politics - Money - 2008 Election "EXCLUSIVE: John McCain Uses Idol Makeup Artist!" ... "The 72-year-old [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain] was recently made TV-ready by makeup artist Tifanie White who's worked on So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol." ... "McCain paid the 2002 beauty-school grad $5,583.43 for her services, according to the Federal Election Commission." -UsMagazine.com 20080909 Sarah Palin - Money - Politics - Travel - Food - Family - Sports - Entertainment - Alaska - New York - 2008 Election "Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home: Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business." ... "The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife." ... "Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post." ... "The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show." ... "She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem." ... "Palin charged the state a per diem for working on Nov. 22, 2007 -- Thanksgiving Day. The reason given, according to the expense report, was the Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA college basketball tournament held in Anchorage." ... "In separate filings, the state was billed about $25,000 for Palin's daughters' expenses and $19,000 for her husband's." ... "One event was in New York City in October 2007, when Bristol accompanied the governor to Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference, toured the New York Stock Exchange and met local officials and business executives. The state paid for three nights in a $707-a-day hotel room." ... "The family also charged for flights around the state, including trips to Alaska events such as the start of the Iditarod dog-sled race and the Iron Dog snowmobile race, a contest that Todd Palin won." (1, 2, 3) -By James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick with contribution by Alice Crites -WashingtonPost 20080730 Pete Sessions - Texas - Nevada - Political - Entertainment "'07 party hosted by Rep. Pete Sessions at Las Vegas adult club draws criticism." ... "A political party hosted by [Texas Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Sessions at a Las Vegas [Nevada] adult club has jaws dropping." ... "The event, in March 2007 at a club called Forty Deuce, raised money for the Dallas [Texas] Republican's political action committee, People for Enterprise Trade and Economic Growth." ... "Aides to Mr. Sessions, a self-described conservative, and others said the act was a mild burlesque show, but some conservative activists were aghast that the event was held at an adult club." ... ""What's the difference?" asked Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum. "I don't think that it's representative of the constituents of the district. I'm in shock."" ... "[Pete Session chief-of-staff Guy] Mr. Harrison said Mr. Sessions has held the Vegas event for four years." -By Gromer Jeffers Jr. -DallasNews.com 20080729 Pete Sessions - Nevada - Texas - Politics - Sports - Entertainment "GOP Rep. Sessions' Defends His Burlesque Fundraiser." ... "We had never heard of a member of Congress holding a fundraiser at a Las Vegas [Nevada] burlesque nightclub... until now." ... "And the culprit is card-carrying conservative [Texas Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex. [Republican-Texas]). The same Pete Sessions who scolded Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake for forcing "their liberal values upon the rest of the country" after their infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime striptease." ... "But that was then." ... "Now we learn that Sessions held a racey (for Washington) fundraiser for his leadership political action committee last year at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce nightclub in Sin City [Las Vegas]." ... "Sessions' PAC, called People of Enterprise, Trade and Economic Growth, paid $5,378 to rent out the entire Forty Deuce club last year, according to federal election records." -By Mary Ann Akers -WashingtonPost 20080722 Listen - Pete Sessions - Texas - Political - Lawmaker - Entertainment "PACs put the fun in fundraising: Think all political contributions go toward campaigns? Maybe if those campaigns include golf trips and nights at the burlesque house. In the last installment of his PAC Men series, Steve Henn reports." ... "Monica Notzen is a Republican consultant who plans parties like this for lawmakers." ... "Basically, her job consists of calling lobbyists and other insiders and inviting them to parties. But to come, she tells them they have to contribute to a politician's leadership political action committee, or PAC, first." ... "[Texas Republican] Congressman Pete Sessions, a Republican from Texas, is one of Monica Notzen's clients and he doesn't see anything wrong with this picture." "Pete Sessions: I don't think that lobbyists in and of themselves are deceptive or deceitful people. I don't have any problem with people going and doing things whether it's at a pool or horse racing. What bothers me is if you say one thing and do something else." "In the past three years, unions and corporate executives contributed more than $77 million to these leadership PACs according to Federal Election Commission reports. Lobbyists kicked in millions more." ... "Working together, Notzen and Pete Sessions run one of the more successful PACs on Capitol Hill and last spring, Notzen's company planned an event for Pete Session's PAC in Vegas {Las Vegas, Nevada]: a fundraiser at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce." "Sessions: That's right, we do a Las Vegas fundraiser every year and not only raise money, but see Las Vegas. It's a beautiful town." "Henn: Forty Deuce is a strip club." "Sessions: You know, I've never seen that. It is what I would call a burlesque show where there's a woman who comes out and has a dress on... Uh, she never get's naked. There's no nudity, there's no nudity in there." "This is how the club's owner, Ivan Kane, describes his brand of burlesque." "Ivan Kane: The key component would be to have girls who were dancers taking their clothes off, not just girls taking their clothes off." "Sessions spent more than $5,000 at Kane's club that night in March, according to federal disclosures. Those reports show Sessions spent another $2,100 on his hotel." ... "Officially, Pete Sessions' leadership PAC picked up the tab, but just days before the party at Forty Deuce, casino interests donated $5,000 to his PAC. Payday lenders threw in another $2,500." -By Steve Henn -Marketplace via -PublicRadio.org 20080601 Politics-Networking - Entertainment - "Every Thursday Night, Liberal Politics and Pints." ... "Mr. [Justin] Krebs was one of the founders of the progressive social networking group called Drinking Liberally that has been meeting at Rudy’s [New York City, New York's Bar and Grill] every Thursday night for the past five years." ... "“We knew our friends wanted to talk about politics and the state of the country, but it felt like that was a taboo thing to do in a social setting,” Mr. Krebs said. “We wanted to create an environment where people would be told that politics is not off the table — that in fact, it’s what we’re here for,” said Mr. Krebs, a founder of The Tank, a nonprofit space for performance and public-affairs events in Midtown [New York City]." ... "In the beginning, Mr. Krebs and his partner in starting the club, Matthew O’Neill, 30, would show up on Thursday, with just the two of them sharing a pitcher of beer. Since then, online social networking has helped the group grow into a national organization with 250 chapters across the country, at least one in each state. " -By J. Courtney Sullivan -NYTimes DrinkingLiberally.org / STATE/City Locations:AK - AL - AR - AZ - CA - CO - CT - DE - FL - GA - HI - IA - ID - IL - IN - KS - KY - LA - MA - MD - ME - MI - MN - MO - MS - MT - NC - ND - NE- NH - NJ - NM - NV - NY - OH - OK - OR - PA - RI - SC- SD - TN - TX - UT - VA - VT - WA - WI - WV - WY, also:DC, Australia: Melbourne - Canada: Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia - Japan: Osaka - New Zealand: Wellington 20080519 Entertainment - Political - Humor - Corporate - Government - Military - Halliburton - Blackwater - Foreign - Law - Noteworthy - Women - Journalists - Writers - US - Iraq - "John Cusack: Outsourced Warfare Represents a "Radical, Dangerous, Disgusting Ideology": An interview with Cusack about his latest film, War Inc., which takes the outsourcing of military operations to the absurd." ... "Joshua Holland: Tell me a little bit about your new project." ... "John Cusack: Well, we thought of it as an incendiary political cartoon that would hopefully put America's current imperial adventures in Iraq into a kind of a larger context. And maybe put a different lens on what privatization means; what this plan has been and what it's been like when people try to privatize the very core things it means to be a state. And what it means to spread an ideology like that across the globe." ... "There are 180,000 contractors in Iraq and about 160,000 troops, right? And if one just takes that trend to its logical conclusion, well that's where "War, Inc." is set. It takes place at a time in the near future when warfare us an entirely corporate affair." ... "Holland: As a political nerd, it struck me as a highly referential film. I felt like your character, to some extent, was loosely patterned maybe on John Perkins, who wrote Confessions of an Economic Hit Man." ... "Cusack: You know, that book came out when we were already making the film, I believe. And I know we were writing it when Naomi Klein's groundbreaking piece called "Baghdad Year Zero" came out in Harper's. She's a journalist I've always greatly admired and respected. And then as we were making the movie, she was writing the Shock Doctrine. I remember being aware of it while we were writing it. And I remember talking about it. But you know, this character was also based on [former U.S. Envoy to Iraq] Paul Bremer flying in while Baghdad [Iraq's capital] was still burning and literally ruling by Fiat. Sitting down in Saddam's old palace and banging out 50 or 60 new laws that would allow 100 percent foreign ownership of previously state-owned industry by these outside corporations. And he was running around in those Brooks Brothers suits and the military boots when he did it." ... "Holland: I thought that I saw a lot of Naomi Klein in Marisa Tomei's character." ... "Cusack: Yeah, I think it wasn't Naomi straight up, but I think it was Katrina Vanden Huevel. It was Lara Logan and it was Naomi. It was, you know, any of the great journalists out there who are women ... Christiane Amanpour." ... "Holland: Now, the film presents kind of a dystopian vision of where we're at or where we're heading -- tell me a little bit more about this central theme, this idea of outsourcing warfare to this kind of Halliburton-like mega corporation." ... "Cusack: Well, it was an ideological viral disaster -- that's what this war was. It wasn't Paul Bremer, although a lot of people would like to paint him as the fall guy. It's the entire system of thinking that is insane. The Shock doctrine does a great job chronicling what's essentially been a 35-year campaign to destroy the New Deal and privatize everything, and the use of disasters and wars to justify "shock therapy" -- to pass legislation that would never get passed in any country that wasn't reeling from trying to bury their dead or stop from being tortured or killed or trying to get water or food." ... "So I think it's really about the entire system and that entire ideology. There seems to be these companies that helped create a new market by creating a war, and then they bar the competitors from entering into the clean up. In the meantime, they've privatized the entire country, which is basically strip mining it. Basically, it's a land-grab. So not only are we looking at a murder scene, but it's the scene of an armed robbery." ... "And that's the version of democracy ... the version of a free market that we're not only supposed to worship, but into which we're also supposed to keep feeding bodies. We have to kill to feed this kind of twisted version of their free market. And [American political leaders] seem entirely unconcerned that Halliburton and Bechtel -- and Parsons and KPMG and Blackwater and the rest -- are kind of madly gorging off of this protectionist racket." ... "If you really think about outsourcing all the essential things it means to be a state, like armies, disaster relief, interrogation, border patrol -- all of these functions -- then I don't really know what's left in terms of the sovereignty of a country. I don't really know what's left." ... "So it's not even about free markets. I mean, if these [corporations] want to just go invade a country and take it over, and take their chances on the open market, that's one thing. But to use the U.S. military and our Treasury Department as their ATM to do it -- that's ... that's cause for revolt." (1, 2, 3, 4) -By Joshua Holland -AlterNet.org WATCH Movie Trailer: "WAR, INC." 20080514 Oregon - 2008 Election - Music - Entertainers - "Steve Novick: The One-Handed Progressive Candidate Pearl Jam, R.E.M. & Death Cab Want You to Know About." ... "[2008 Election Oregon Democratic Senatorial Candidate] Steve Novick is a 4'9" populist with no time for Big Money, a hook for a hand, and a beer named for his hook hand. And in this charming campaign ad [WATCH], he happily opens a brew for a pal…using his hook! Oh wait, did we mention that half of all of indie rock is backing the man’s Senate run?" ... "Novick is a Democrat running for Senate from Oregon. His supporters include R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard, Krist Novoselic, Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, Corin Tucker, the Decemberists‘ Colin Meloy, and Rufus Wainwright." ... "If Novick wins the primary, Pearl Jam will play four east coast shows and donate the proceeds to Steve’s campaign." -MTV.com  20080416 Barack Obama - Music - Entertainer - Politics - Military - Economic - Racial - Justice - Environment - Illinois - 2008 Election - "Dear Friends and Fans [Bruce Springsteen endorses Barack Obama for President]:" ... "LIke most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest." ... "He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."" ... "At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams From My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment." ... "After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans." ... "Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President." -By Bruce Springsteen  20080213 Entertainment - Writers - Television - Internet - Business - Advertising - "Hollywood writers strike ends." ... "Hollywood's costly 100-day walkout came to a widely welcomed end Tuesday after members of the Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to go back to work." ... "On Feb. [February] 25, writers are expected to ratify a new three-year contract that ensures them a stake in the revenue generated when their movies, television shows and other creative works are distributed on the Internet." ... "The walkout, which began Nov. [November] 5, proved to be far more economically damaging than the studios had expected, shutting down more than 60 TV shows, hampering ratings and depriving the networks of tens of millions in advertising dollars." ... "Labor experts said the crippling effect of the strike helped writers achieve gains they might not have otherwise attained." ... "The new contract gives them residual payments for shows streamed over the Internet and secures the union's jurisdiction for programming created for the Web." ... "Writers were unsuccessful, however, in their efforts to shorten the 17-to-24-day window that studios have to stream their shows for promotional purposes without paying residuals. Many writers complained that most viewers watched repeats online within days after a program was initially broadcast." -By Claudia Eller and Richard Verrier -LAtimes  China - Sudan - Sports - Politics - US - Entertainer - Human - Human Rights - Oil - Military - "China loses Spielberg over Darfur." ... "Scott Jagow: Steven Spielberg will have nothing to do with the Summer Olympics in Beijing [China]. Yesterday, Spielberg withdrew as an artistic advisor for the opening and closing ceremonies. The director says he can't be associated with China's policies toward an African nation in conflict." ... "Bill Marcus: China's a big oil customer of Sudan. China also supplies Sudan with weapons. That's why Spielberg says he quit. He said China should do more to help end the human suffering in Sudan's Darfur region." ... "Human rights activists say Spielberg's move sets a moral standard." -By Scott Jagow and Bill Marcus -Marketplace via -PublicRadio.org 20080123 John Edwards - Entertainment - TV - Politics - 2008 Election - North Carolina - "John Edwards, Funny Guy." ... "Former Senator [of North Carolina and 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards did not receive an endorsement from David Letterman on CBS’s “The Late Show” Tuesday night, but he did receive eight valuable minutes to woo voters." ... "Mr. Edwards’ jokes earned several rounds of applause from an approving audience." ... "Mr. Letterman, who had a long feud and subsequent truce with Ms. [Oprah] Winfrey, extolled the talk show’s virtues, saying: “She’s admired and she’s beloved and she’s a role model for men and women all over the world now.” With the timing of a stand-up comedian, Mr. Edwards interrupted: “You think you’re not?”" ... "The line gave Mr. Letterman an uproarious laugh and a nod of approval. “Oh my God,” the host said, “he’s a funny guy, isn’t he?”" -By Brian Stelter -NYTimes  Watch: John Edwards on the Dave Letterman Show via YouTube. Stephen Colbert - Hillary Clinton - Barack Obama - Civil Rights - History - Humor -  - Writers - Union - Entertainment - Song - Religion - Medical - University - South Carolina - Business - 2008 Election - Politics - "Colbert's Civil Rights MLK Day Writer's Strike-Busting Writerless Show — In Song." ... "[Stephen Colbert,] After paying his respects to Monday's debate and busting out a pretty darn good Tom Cruise imitation, Colbert made a segue which, in retrospect, was brilliant: Moving from [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary] Clinton and [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama's bickering over who loved Reagan more to the evidence provided by Tom Brokaw's book, Boom! Voices of the Sixties, which, in addition to quoting Hillary Clinton discussing how [former Republican President] Ronald Reagan finessed the balance of his role "beautifully" on page 404, contains an early segment devoted to the Reverend Andrew Young, the "last surviving member of Martin Luther King's inner circle at the Southern Christian Leadership Council," and lifelong, steadfast civil rights activist. Colbert got to that — eventually — after first introducing a documentary-style segment (in the style of Brokaw's "1968" documentary, complete with soundtrack) about the Charleston Hospital workers union strike of 1969, which was settled by the young, er, Young, who negotiated with a vice president of the associated Medical University of South Carolina — "the only administrator willing to meet with Young was the newly-appointed vice-president of the medical college, who had taken up the position just days before the strike was called." The two worked behind the scenes to finally end the strike — and on the hundredth day, they came to an agreement, awarding raises to the striking workers." ... "That administrator? James Colbert — Stephen's father." -By Rachel Sklar -HuffingtonPost.com Watch Colbert Report: "A-It's All About Stephen." "B-Interview - Ambassador Andrew Young." "C-Let My People Go." 20080122 Fred Thompson - South Carolina - Tennessee - Actor - 2008 Election - "Fred Thompson Bows Out Of '08 Presidential Race: Actor and former [Tennessee Republican] senator announces his withdrawal following third-place finish in South Carolina." ... "Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, who is perhaps best known for his work on "Law & Order," has pulled his name out of the proverbial hat, announcing Tuesday (January 22) through his Web site that he won't be seeking the Republican nomination for president." ... "The 65-year-old thespian was an early favorite for his party's nomination, but his campaign floundered from the outset, and Thompson never quite garnered the support he needed to carry on. He was one of the last candidates to enter the race, after months of speculation that he'd take a stab at the White House." -By Chris Harris -MTV.com  20080104 Entertainment - Television - Writers - Internet - "Actors refuse to cross Golden Globe picket line." ... "The Screen Actors Guild on Friday said nearly all its members will refuse to cross striking writers' picket lines at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards, throwing Hollywood's award season deeper into doubt." ... "The Writers Guild of America, which represents the writers, also has barred its members from writing for the Oscars, but SAG's Friday announcement pertained only to the Golden Globe Awards." ... "Some 10,500 WGA members went on strike against major U.S. film studios and television networks in early November over issues that included increased fees for their work when it appears on DVDs and on the Internet." ... "Talk show host David Letterman reached its own "interim agreement" with the WGA that allowed "The Late Show with David Letterman" to return to the air with WGA working writers because Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants, is an independent producer." (1, 2) -By Bob Tourtellotte -Reuters  20071126 Barack Obama - TV - Woman - Politics - 2008 Election - Illinois - "Oprah's star appeal boosts Obama campaign." ... "Oprah Winfrey, who has already used her celebrity power to raise millions for [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama, is stepping up her support for the Democratic presidential candidate by vowing to begin campaigning for her "favourite guy"." ... "Winfrey, ranked 21 in the Forbes list of the world's most powerful women, is scheduled to appear at campaign hustings for the Illinois senator in the first contests in the 2008 race for the White House." ... "Obama will hope that Winfrey's enormous popularity translates into actual votes. Her eponymous show, stressing spirituality and reinvention, has topped the daytime talk show ratings for 21 years, pulling in 48 million viewers a week in the US." -By Mark Tran -Guardian.co.uk  20070815 US - Iraq - Military - Religion - Terrorism - Computer - Entertainment - Games - "DOD Stops Plan to Send Christian Video Game to Troops in Iraq." ... "Plans by a Christian group to send an evangelical video game to U.S. troops in Iraq were abruptly halted yesterday by the Department of Defense after ABC News inquired about the program." ... "Operation Start Up (OSU) Tour, an evangelical entertainment troupe that actively proselytizes among soldiers, will not be sending the "apocryphal" video game in care packages as planned, according to the department." ... ""Left Behind: Eternal Forces" was inspired by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' best-selling book series about the battle of Armageddon, in which believers of Jesus Christ fight the Antichrist." ... "The game has inspired controversy among freedom of religion advocates since it was released last year." ... ""It's a horrible game," said the Rev. Timothy Simpson of the Christians Alliance for Progress. "You either kill or covert the other side. This is exactly what the Osama bin Ladens of the world have portrayed us."" -By Anna Schecter -ABCNEWS.com		Entertainment Websites: Amazon.bks MP3.lycos AintItCoolNews  MRQE TVGuide TVShows USschedules  AandE  Biography.com >TV>TVography People.com "Inventing Entertainment: the Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies." -LOC.gov AandE ABC /NEWS AMC BBC /News BBCAmerica BET Biography BloombergTV BravoTV CartoonNetwork CBS /NEWS Cinemax CMT CNBC CNN CNNfn ComedyCentral CourtTV CSPAN   ->1, 2, 3   ->Watch   ->schedule Discovery Disney DIY E! 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20070809
• Music - Entertainment - Webcast - Artists - Free Speech - Communications - Media - Net - Corporate - Politics - Seattle - Washington - Illinois - "Pearl Jam protests censoring of Lollapalooza webcast: AT&T says the deleting of Vedder's anti-Bush lyrics was a 'major, major mistake.'." ... "Pearl Jam is alarmed that an AT&T concert website pulled the plug on their stage politics, but an official with the communications giant today called the incident "a major, major mistake" that runs counter to the company's policy." ... "The Seattle [Washington] rock band closed the three-day Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago [Illinois] last weekend, with AT&T's Blue Room handling the live webcast. But when lead singer Eddie Vedder sprinkled one song with some disparaging lyrics about [Republican] President Bush, a content monitor chose to hit the equivalent of a mute button." ... "The band, on its official website, called that decision an example of Corporate America putting a chill on free speech." ... ""This, of course, troubles us as artists but also as citizens concerned with the issue of censorship and the increasingly consolidated control of the media," the band said in the statement. "AT&T's actions strike at the heart of the public's concerns over the power that corporations have when it comes to determining what the public sees and hears through communications media."" -By Geoff Boucher -LAtimes 

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20070707
• Global - Climate - Earth - Music - Politics - Australia - United States - Japan - China - South Africa - Brazil - Germany - "Live Earth Series Starts in Sydney." ... "The Live Earth global [music] concert series kicked off Saturday with an aboriginal group dancing and singing a traditional welcome at the first venue in Sydney [Australia]." ... "Tribal leaders with white-painted bodies and shaking eucalyptus fronds were the first of more than 150 performers at the eight concert, 24-hour series to raise awareness about climate change." ... "The performance was immediately followed by a video greeting from former [Democratic] Vice President Al Gore, whose campaign to force global warming onto the international political agenda inspired the event." ... "The biggest names will appear at Live Earth concerts in London [UK] and the United States, with more modest lineups of mostly local and regional acts in Australia, Japan, China, South Africa, Brazil and Germany." -AP via -Guardian.co.uk 

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• http://LiveEarth.org

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20070630
• People - Health - Drugs - Companies - Politics - Kansas - "'Sicko' a pain in the neck for health care industry: Uncomfortable attention on insurers, drug companies." ... "In "Sicko," his new film assailing the U.S. health care system, filmmaker Michael Moore doesn't try to be fair to health insurers and pharmaceutical companies." ... "That's because Moore -- the man behind anti-Bush "Fahrenheit 9/11" and pro-gun control "Bowling for Columbine" -- makes no pretense of balance. He has a point of view: Greedy pharmaceutical companies need to be much more tightly regulated. And health insurers? They shouldn't exist at all, replaced instead by government-subsidized health care." ... "Moore builds his case against managed care through a series of anecdotes: a woman whose health insurer denied treatment on the basis she was "too young" to have cervical cancer; another who was billed for an ambulance ride after a car accident because she failed to get the trip "pre-approved."" ... "Some cases are heart-wrenching, such as a Kansas City [Kansas] man who died from kidney cancer after his insurer deemed his treatment options "experimental."" -By Victoria Colliver -SFGate.com

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20070611
• Poverty - 2008 Election - Music - Entertainer - Food - Health - Education - Water - "ONE Vote to launch anti-poverty campaign." ... "The anti-poverty campaign of U2 [music entertainer] frontman Bono is promoting a $30 million effort to pressure [2008 election] Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to make the oft-forgotten issue a priority." ... "Dubbed ONE Vote '08, the bipartisan political push aims to get [Republican] President Bush's successor to commit to taking concrete steps in the first 100 days to combat hunger and disease while improving access to education and water across the globe." -AP via -USATODAY 

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• http://OneVote08.org
• http://www.One.org
• "ONE Vote '08"
• Search: <One Vote 08> in: <Google-[News]>

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20070411
• John Edwards - Free Speech - 2008 Election - Don Imus - Media - Entertainment - Business - Politics - Language - Women - University - Sports - "Edwards On Imus Spat: 'I Believe In Forgiveness: Presidential Candidate Stays Mum On Future Imus Appearances." ... "Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards' spoke exclusively to CBS 2 on Wednesday morning about the Don Imus and Rutgers University controversy, and though he feels Imus deserves a second chance, he wasn't so sure about his future on Imus' popular radio show." ... ""I believe in redemption, I believe in forgiveness," Edwards said of Imus, who was suspended earlier in the week after calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy headed hos."" ... "Unlike candidates Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, who say they will continue to appear on Imus' radio show, Edwards says he hasn't seen enough from the shock jock to make that decision just yet." ... ""What he said is wrong because it's wrong. It has to be condemned, we have to speak out when people use this kind of language," Edwards said. "This is a very serious matter, it should be taken very seriously."" -By Marcia Kramer -WCBStv.com 

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20070327
James Inhofe - Al Gore - Music - Entertainment - Global - Climate - Science - Politics - Environmental - Legislation -  - Earth_Day - History - US -Okla
• "Inhofe vows to put brakes on Gore’s ‘Live Earth’ concert at the Capitol." ... "Fresh from his face-to-face tussle with former [Democratic] Vice President Al Gore, [Oklahoma Republican Senator] Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla. [Republican-Oklahoma]) is vowing to stall Gore’s hotly anticipated Capitol concert to draw attention to global warming." ... "Inhofe’s belief that climate change is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people” is common knowledge in the capitol, and environmental groups cheered the new prospects for carbon-capping legislation when he ceded the Environment and Public Works Committee gavel this session. But Inhofe’s parliamentary powers can block indefinitely the resolution that would permit Gore to choose the capitol’s West Front for the [United States] U.S. leg of his seven-continent Live Earth concert tour — a collaboration between Gore and promoter Kevin Wall, who masterminded previous blockbuster charity concerts Live Aid and Live 8." ... "“There has never been a partisan political event at the Capitol, and this is a partisan political event,” Inhofe said yesterday." ... "Chad Griffin, an adviser to Live Earth, was taken aback by Inhofe’s objections to using the Capitol to promote environmental health. The West Front was used to inaugurate Earth Day in a 1990 event, for which Gore, a former senator, sponsored the authorizing resolution." ... "“This is a totally non-partisan event,” Griffin said[.]" -By Elana Schor -TheHill.com

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20061206
• Global - Climate - Ocean - Animal - Food - Environment - Science - People - Business - Politics - "Some happy that a family film flaunts dire facts." ... "Michael Hirshfield has long struggled to get across his earnest but wonky message: that global warming and overfishing are killing off the oceans' food supply." ... "Then, along came the animated movie "Happy Feet" and, voila, tens of millions of youngsters -- and their parents -- across the country are suddenly aware that man-made problems are threatening the penguins near the South Pole, and almost everything else in the South Seas." ... "The blockbuster film, the top box-office hit for the past three weekends, is about emperor penguins struggling to survive with a depleted food supply, and one tap-dancing penguin's epic search to learn what is causing the colony's fish to disappear." ... "A study published recently in the journal Science predicted that if overfishing of depleted seafood populations continued at current rates, the world would run out of commercial stocks by 2048." -By John Donnelly -Boston/Globe 

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20061103
• Gay - Military - Entertainment - Money - Law - "RNC Accepts Money From Army Porn Movie Distributor." ... "Despite running an attack ad accusing a Democratic senatorial candidate of accepting money from "porn movie producers," the Republican National Committee itself has accepted several donations over the past few years from the president of a large pornographic movie distribution company." ... "Marina Pacific Distributors calls itself "the leader in adult video distribution." Included in the movies for sale on their Web site are videos made by "Active Duty Productions." Active Duty, as their name suggests, has cast active duty soldiers in some of their films but not without serious consequences for the soldiers." ... "Three Fort Bragg soldiers were found guilty and sentenced to prison in separate courts-martial earlier this year for appearing in pornographic videos made by Active Duty." -By Maddy Sauer -ABCNEWS.com 

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20061007
• Rove - Abramoff - Ralston - Sports - Entertainment - Money - Government - Intelligence - Northern Mariana Islands - E-Mail - Safavian - "Rove Aide Linked To Abramoff Resigns: Scandal Claims Its First West Wing Job." ... "A top aide to White House strategist Karl Rove resigned yesterday after disclosures that she accepted gifts from and passed information to now-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, becoming the first official in the West Wing to lose a job in the influence-peddling scandal." ... "Susan B. Ralston submitted her resignation to avoid causing political damage to President Bush a month before the midterm elections, officials said. "She did not want to be a distraction to the White House at this important time," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino." ... "A congressional report showed last week that Ralston accepted sometimes-pricey tickets to nine sports and entertainment events from Abramoff while she provided him with inside White House information. The bipartisan report said there is no evidence that Rove knew of or approved of Ralston's actions, and sources said yesterday that the White House was surprised by the report's revelations." ... "The only other White House official caught up in the probe has been David H. Safavian, the procurement chief for the Office of Management and Budget, who was convicted in June of lying about his ties to Abramoff." ... "As a former Abramoff assistant, Ralston played intermediary between the lobbyist and Rove. The congressional report found 66 Abramoff contacts with the White House, more than half of them with Ralston. In addition, Abramoff's lobbying colleagues contacted Ralston 69 times." ... "On Oct. 21, 2001, Ralston e-mailed Abramoff that Rove had read an Abramoff memo about a political endorsement in the Mariana Islands governor's race, a little-noticed election but one important to Abramoff because he had lucrative clients there. Ralston reported to Abramoff that Rove had agreed, writing the next day: "You win :)."" (1, 2) -By Peter Baker and James V. Grimaldi -WashingtonPost 

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20060908
• TV - Media - Business - Terrorism - History - Politics - "ABC Gets More Pressure to Toss 9/11 Film." ... "ABC faced growing pressure Friday about its planned miniseries on the buildup to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Former Clinton administration officials, historians and a Democratic petition with nearly 200,000 signatures urged the network to scrap the five-hour drama." ... "The network said the movie, scheduled to air commercial-free on Sunday and Monday, is being edited to deal with concerns that it distorts history. ABC had no response to the calls to abandon it." ... "A group of historians, including Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Princeton University's Sean Wilentz, wrote to ABC parent Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger, urging him to scrap the series. They said that permitting inaccuracies to heighten drama is "disingenuous and dangerous."" ... ""A responsible broadcast network should have nothing to do with the falsification of history, except to expose it," they wrote." ... "Harvey Keitel, one of the actors in "The Path to 9/11," also said he had questions about whether some of the material was accurate." ... ""When I received the script, it said ABC history project," Keitel said in an interview with CNN Headline News' "Showbiz Tonight." "I took it to be exactly what they presented to me, history. And that the facts were correct. It turned out not all the facts were correct, and ABC set out trying to heal that problem. In some instances it was too late because we had begun."" ... "The controversy is reminiscent of the one that erupted over a 2003 CBS miniseries about President Ronald Reagan. In the face of political pressure over that film's accuracy, CBS canceled it, and it later aired on the Showtime cable network." -By David Bauder -AP 

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20060901
• Entertainment - Business - Technology - Consumer - Database - Parents & Children - "Disney's Finger Scan Upgrade Raises Privacy Concerns." ... "An upgrade on Disney's finger scanning technology implemented to prevent ticket fraud or resale is raising concerns from privacy advocates, according to Local 6 News." ... "For years, Walt Disney World has been reading the shape of visitors' fingers on its property. Now, the upgraded controversial finger scanning machines scan fingerprint information." ... ""Privacy advocates worry that Disney is getting too much of your personal information and their concern is where that information goes after it is scanned," Local 6 reporter Jessica D'Onofrio said." -Local6.com 

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20060804
• DCI - Marketing - Oil - Corporation - Politics - Global - Climate - Internet - Computer- Entertainment -  - Environment - Al Gore - "Al Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish: Republican PR [public relations] Firm Said to Be Behind 'Inconvenient Truth' Spoof." ... "A tiny little movie making fun of Al Gore, supposedly made by an amateur filmmaker, recently appeared on the popular Web site YouTube.com." ... "At first blush, the spoof seemed like a scrappy little homemade film poking fun at Gore and his anti-global warming crusade." ... "The film actually came from a slick Republican public relations firm called DCI, which just happens to have oil giant Exxon as a client." ... "Public relations firms have long used computer technology to create bogus grassroots campaigns, which are called "Astroturf."" ... "Now these firms are being hired to push illusions on the Internet to create the false impression of real people blogging, e-mailing and making films. " (1, 2) -By Jake Tapper and Max Culhane -ABCNEWS.com

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20060803
• DCI - Marketing - Psychology - Oil - Corporation - Politics - Opinion - Internet - Video - California - Entertainment - Media - Search Engine - Computer - Communications - EMail - Environmental - Science - Global - Climate - Al Gore - "Where did that video spoofing Gore's film come from?" ... "Everyone knows Al Gore stars in the global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." But who created "Al Gore's Penguin Army," a two-minute video now playing on YouTube.com?" ... "Like other videos on the popular YouTube site, it has a home-made, humorous quality. The video's maker is listed as "Toutsmith," a 29-year-old who identifies himself as being from Beverly Hills [California] in an Internet profile." ... "In an email exchange with The Wall Street Journal, Toutsmith didn't answer when asked who he was or why he made the video, which has just over 59,000 views on YouTube. However, computer routing information contained in an email sent from Toutsmith's Yahoo account indicate it didn't come from an amateur working out of his basement." ... "Instead, the email originated from a computer registered to DCI Group, a Washington, D.C., public relations and lobbying firm whose clients include oil company Exxon Mobil Corp [Corporation]." ... "The anti-Gore video represents a less well-known side of YouTube. As its popularity has exploded, the public video-sharing site has drawn marketers looking to build buzz for new music releases and summer blockbusters. Now, it's being tapped by political operatives, public relations experts and ad agencies to sway opinions." ... "DCI is no stranger to the debate over global warming. Partly through Tech Central Station, an opinion Web site it operates, DCI has sought to raise doubts about the science of global warming and about Mr. Gore's film, placing skeptical scientists on talk-radio shows and paying them to write editorials." ... "Internet videos could prove particularly potent, because they may influence watchers in ways they don't realize. Nancy Snow, a communications professor at California State University, Fullerton, viewed the penguin video and calls it a lesson in "Propaganda 101." It contains no factual information, but presents a highly negative image of the former vice president, she says. The purpose of such images is to harden the views of those who already view Mr. Gore negatively, Dr. Snow says." ... "Traffic to the penguin video, first posted on YouTube.com in May, got a boost from prominently placed sponsored links that appeared on the Google search engine when users typed in "Al Gore" or "Global Warming." The ads, which didn't indicate who had paid for them, were removed shortly after The Wall Street Journal contacted DCI Group on Tuesday." -By Antonio Regalado and Dionne Searcey with contributions by Jeffrey Ball -WSJ.com via -Post-Gazette.com

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20060611
• Somalia - Religion - Military - Law - Entertainment - Sports - TV - "Somali anger over World Cup ban." ... "People in Mogadishu say an Islamist militia which has taken control of most of the city is preventing them from watching the football World Cup on TV." ... "Residents are angry at apparent moves by the militiamen now patrolling the streets to close down cinemas whose proprietors had arranged to show satellite television pictures of World Cup matches taking place in Germany." ... "It is not clear whether the new Islamist rulers in the city have a problem with people watching football." ... "Their spokesman, Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar, indicated to the BBC it was the cinemas that were being targeted because they also showed Western and Indian films that the Islamists say are corrupting to the young." ... "But all this comes just a few days after the head of the Islamic courts militia, Sharif Shaikh Ahmed, said the Islamists had no plans to impose Islamic law in Mogadishu, and wanted the Somali people to decide their own future." -By David Bamford -BBC /News 

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20060608
• Global - Industry - Climate - Disaster - Politics - Earth - Environment - Entertainment - UN - Seattle - Washington - "Does Gore overheat global warming?" ... "Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," continues to trigger heated discussions about global warming, as well as Mr. Gore's political ambitions, real or imagined." ... "But how close to the mark is his representation of the science tying humanity's industrial activity to changing climate aka anthropogenic global warming?" ... "In short, say several climate researchers, he basically gets it right, although one can question some aspects of the presentation." ... ""I worry that the movie is a little heavy on disaster scenarios," says David Battisti, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington in Seattle and director of the university's Earth Initiative. Over the course of the coming century, he says, average conditions are likely to change in ways that should prompt action now; it doesn't require extreme examples to make the point." ... "After viewing the film, he says, his impression is that nothing in it "misstated the science in a qualitative way."" ... "Indeed, his colleague Eric Stieg, also with the University of Washington, has noted that the film includes research that is only a few months old and clearly relevant to the discussion - research that won't appear in the next UN summary of climate science, slated for release early next year. The newest studies were too late to be included in the next UN summary, which is published about every six years and widely cited in public debates." -By Peter N. Spotts -CSMonitor

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20060428
• US Immigration - Legislation - Economic-Music - Entertainment - "Bush Says Anthem Should Be Sung in English." ... "President Bush said today that the national anthem should be sung in English -- not Spanish -- and that he opposes an economic boycott planned Monday by immigrant groups supporting legislation to legalize millions of people living in the United States illegally." ... "Bush favors legislation that would tighten the nation's borders but give illegal immigrants in the United States a chance to gain citizenship if they met certain conditions, such as learning the English language." ... "A Spanish language version of the U.S national anthem, sung by Latin pop stars and dubbed "Nuestro Himno" ("Our Anthem"), hit the airwaves today." -By Bill Brubaker -WashingtonPost 

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Entertainment Weblog: Entertainment Blog:	- TOP
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 STAR WARS ASCIIMATION

 ASCII-art and Javascript ASCII-animation by llizard aka ejm

 Allen Mullen's Home Page

•  NetLingo Dictionary of Internet Words: A Glossary of Online Jargon with Definitions of Terminology & Acronyms - http://www.netlingo.com/
•  http://www.netlingo.com/smiley.cfm - "Smileys and Emoticons"
•  http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=assicons
• (_E=mc2_)        a smart ass
•  http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=straight-on+smileys
• } | {                a butterfly
•  =^. .^=          a cat
•  <><               a fish
•  @(*0*)@      a koala
•  @>--;----      a rose
•  http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=ASCII%20art

•  Google Search: Telepopmusik "Genetic World" Breathe
• !-> artist: Telepopmusik - album: Genetic World - track: Breathe
•  BigBaer.com / telepopmusik_genetic_world.htm
•  VirtueTV.com
• Breathe [real video - lo] -  http://www.virtuetv.com/clients/emi/telepopmusik/breathe8573_r_34.ram
• Breathe [real video - hi] -  http://www.virtuetv.com/clients/emi/telepopmusik/breathe8573_r_250.ram
•  HollywoodAndVine.com / telepopmusik
• Genetic World [six song stream] -  http://www.HollywoodAndVine.com/telepopmusikplayer

 Xaio Xaio

•  BBC - Comedy - Red Dwarf

• MRQE - "Movie Review Query Engine." - MRQE.com
• EW.com - Entertainment Weekly

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• ViewAskew, director Kevin Smith's production company website, Smith's the creator of the movies "Clerks", "Dogma", and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back".

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