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October 7, 2002 · 11:30 PM PDT · link

SORRY, I'VE BEEN AWAY for a few days, having a wonderful time in the bee-yootiful city of Victoria, British Columbia.  Only problem: The modem line at the hotel didn't work, so I couldn't update this site or tend to e-mail.  I'll be doing both in the next day or so.

October 4, 2002 · 2:00 AM PDT · link

BILL CLINTON gave a speech the other day at the Labor Party's annual conference in Great Britain and was quite the sensation.  After reading the text online (which you can do by clicking here), I was curious to hear how he delivered the first part.  So I logged over to the C-SPAN site, found an online video feed...and got hooked.  Never mind the politics, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't.  Never mind the self-serving stuff that every politician does.  The man is such a good speaker that I wound up watching the whole thing...admittedly, while doing other things on the computer.  It's a little under an hour and if you want to view at least the beginning, click here (RealPlayer required) — and do so soon because C-SPAN doesn't keep this stuff online forever.

October 3, 2002 · 9:00 PM PDT · link

THERE'S CURRENTLY a proposal before the Writers Guild to change the way the screenplay credit on a movie is determined.  It's a debate of epic proportions so naturally, we have to weigh in on it.  Our views, for what little they may be worth, are posted in an essay over in the section we call NOTES from me.

October 3, 2002 · 1:00 PM PDT · link

HEY, WANT TO SEE some rarely-seen cartoons from World War II?  My pal Buzz Dixon calls my attention to this website that affords you this rare opportunity.  If you only have time to check out one of them, watch Der Fuehrer's Face, which is a very funny, seldom-seen masterwork of Nazi-hating, courtesy of Mr. Disney.  Donald makes a good Kraut and he's almost as funny as Hitler.

MY E-MAILBOX contains a number of messages from folks explaining why they think it would have been less (small "d") democratic for Torricelli to resign his office, thereby allowing the election to be postponed.  Okay, yes, I agree.  I don't like that concept much, either.  But right now, no one anywhere has a dram of respect for the guy.  Had he done what I suggested, might you not think that maybe, for once in his life, he had put his own benefit in second-position for a moment?  I'm just wondering what part of his non-existent dignity he thought he was protecting by not taking one for his party.

WE RECOMMEND regular visits to Spinsanity, a common-sense website that points out errors and distortions by public figures and the press.  Some observers seem to feel the site has a liberal slant but even if that's so, they're willing to sometimes point out when liberals misbehave.  I don't see many (any?) conservative sites that will ever fault a conservative for anything besides not being conservative enough.  The current Spinsanity piece on Al Gore strikes me as even-handed, and the kind of thing I wish more pundits would do.

I JUST RECEIVED the following Spam-style message from the Playboy Magazine people...

Women notice everything about a potential partner. That's why the smallest detail can mean the difference between taking her home and sleeping alone!  At the Playboy Store, we specialize in the little things that can help you land the woman of your dreams! Click on the link below to see the sexy accessory you can get for free!

The "sexy accessory you can get for free" turns out to be a keychain with a tiny reproduction of an old Playboy cover.  This apparently is one of the "smallest details" that will cause a woman who otherwise had no intention of going home with you to drag you into bed and rip the Jockey shorts from your torso with her teeth.  You can also achieve the same effect with the Playboy Metal Flask, the Playboy Metal Belt Buckle, and the Playboy Money Clip.  The Playboy Money Clip probably works best when it has several hundred-dollar bills in it.

These are the kind of products where, if you think they'll solve your problem, that's your problem.

October 3, 2002 · 1:30 AM PDT · link

OF ALL THE INDICATORS that the "Bush Economy" is heading down the commode, this is the most serious: Producers have just announced a film remake of The Six Million Dollar Man, only now it's going to be The Six Billion Dollar Man.  Alan Greenspan has a lot to answer for.

A RECURRING COMPLAINT in my political commentaries here is that our "leaders" (note the quotes) are way too willing to place politics over principles, forgiving behavior they would condemn as illegal and immoral in the opposition party.  A good example is the recent bait-and-switch, bringing in Frank Lautenberg to run as the Democratic nominee in New Jersey.  The Democrats defending it today remind me of the Republicans who argued that Bush won Florida fair-and-square.  I not only don't believe the tactics were Kosher, I don't believe (in either case), the folks who have so argued really, deep down, believe it.

Oddly, if I understand the law correctly, there was a way to get Robert Torricelli off the ballot that would have been completely, by-the-book legal and more injurious to the Republicans.  That would have been if Torricelli had resigned, thereby allowing the Democratic governor of New Jersey to cancel the election for that slot and appoint an interim senator.  Unfortunately, Torricelli refused to resign, reportedly saying that was just too much of a humiliation.

Regardless of whether you're a Democrat or Republican, wouldn't you have at least a slightly higher opinion of Bob Torricelli if he had resigned?  Suppose he'd come out and said, "I feel so strongly about saving the Senate from G.O.P. control that I have to do whatever I can to make that happen.  Also, it will be completely legal this way and, since Republicans kept calling on me to resign, it should make them happy, too."  Whether you wanted him to help his party or not, I'll bet you'd have respected the man a wee bit more if he'd done that.

But he didn't because it would have been too "humiliating."  I guess I'll never understand politicians.

October 2, 2002 · 12:15 PM PDT · link

CONSIDER THIS a blanket recommendation of all the magazines put out by TwoMorrows Publishing (issuers of my own tome, advertised at the bottom of this page).  But I especially enjoy The Jack Kirby Collector, Comic Book Artist and Alter Ego...and I really enjoyed the latest Alter Ego.  One side has an in-depth look at the great artist Lou Fine.  The other has lotsa stuff by and about one of my favorite comic book writers (and a helluva nice guy), Arnold Drake.  Drake was the co-creator/writer of Deadman and The Doom Patrol, to name but a small chunk of his fine work.  He always struck me as one of those writers who had a lot more to offer comics than comics had to offer him.

POLITICAL STUFF: This column by David S. Broder is worth a look but if you don't have time to click that link, I'll summarize: Says he, George W. is determined to launch a war and topple Hussein, and the White House can't be bothered to give us a coherent, consistent explanation as to why this is necessary or justified.

And my pal Mike Peters has, as usual, a spot-on comment...

October 2, 2002 · 2:15 AM PDT · link

AS SOMEONE who has trouble even sounding like himself, I envy people who can sound like many people, let alone everybody.  The fellow above, Bob Anderson, can sound like just about every great male pop vocalist — Frank, Dino, Tony Bennett, et al...even seemingly-impossible imitations like Mel Tormé, Otis Redding and (one at a time) the Righteous Brothers.  He has also achieved the greatest feat an impressionist can achieve, which is to do an impression so well that other impressionists learn how to do the guy by watching you.  Any time you see anyone do Sammy Davis, Jr., they're probably imitating either Bob Anderson or someone who learned how to do Sammy after seeing Bob Anderson.

You can see Bob Anderson if you're in Vegas the next few months and you go to the lounge at the Stardust Hotel.  Admission is about a third the price of Danny Gans but the star is no less amazing.

WE PAID another visit last evening to the production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum which we discussed here.  And we had another wonderful time.  That's all I have to say about that.

OVER ON SALON, there's a fine article by Keith Olbermann, who is probably known to many of you as a sportscaster.  When he was on news-type cable (MSNBC, I think), he had what I thought was a very fair, informative interview show.  He's now writing fine commentaries like this one for Salon.  You need a subscription to read the thing so I'll summarize it for non-subscribers.  Basically, it says that the notorious scold Bill Bennett and a new organization he's heading up have been too eager to brand as unpatriotic, not only anyone who challenges the White House on its Iraq policies but even those who don't support them fervently enough.  Personally, I think this kind of tactic is going to backfire big time on the right-wingers who employ it.  Why, it may even get some Democrats mad enough to say something.

October 1, 2002 · 1:00 AM PDT · link

I STILL THINK The Larry Sanders Show is/was the best sitcom of the last decade or two.  Good writing.  Even better acting.  Celebrities willing to trash their own images.  How can you beat that?  This week, the episodes begin appearing on Bravo and also in some local markets via syndication.  I don't know about Bravo but I presume the local stations are running edited/alternate versions which are missing some of the stronger language.

I also assume the episodes aren't as good that way, but will check and report.  In the meantime, if you have a question you've always wanted to ask Larry Sanders about his life (or even about your life), you can do so online.  Just go to the Bravo website and Ask Larry.

September 30, 2002 · 1:30 PM PDT · link

IF YOU BELIEVE that all this talk of war with Iraq is, at least in part, to distract Americans from economic bad news...well, here is a summary of the economic bad news.  [Warning: Extremely annoying pop-up ads.]

AS A REMINDER: Your POVonline pal, m.e., will be appearing this coming weekend at the Victoria Comic, Movie & VideoFest 2002, being held in Victoria, British Columbia.  More info on the event can be obtained by clicking here.

September 29, 2002 · 1:00 PM PDT · link

SPEAKING OF GREAT VOICE ACTORS, Daws Butler was just about the best ever.  Had he and June Foray been married, they could have been the Lunt and Fontanne of Voiceover.  I have a number of articles about him here but they don't begin to exhaust the topic of this wonderful man.  More can be found over at a website set up by my pal Joe Bevilacqua, a voice actor who studied with Daws and who has helped his widow, Myrtis, pore through the crates of old scripts and tapes that Daws had out in his studio-garage.  Many of these treasures are available for your listening pleasure over on Joe's site, which you can reach by clicking right here.  It's always nice to hear a little Daws...

I DON'T HAVE many strong opinions about Al Gore's recent speech other than that I think America needs to be reminded that Bush and Cheney are talking about doing something that the United States has never really done, which is to start a war.  Unless there is solid proof that Saddam Hussein was behind the 9/11 assaults — and clearly, there wouldn't be a debate in progress if the U.S. presently had such proof — what is proposed is that we initiate this round of hostilities and killing.  Does anyone think this won't bite us on the ass in the future?  It may be necessary but actions do have consequences.

As usual, Gore's speech is being reviewed as much for its style as content.  One level of criticism that I think is unfair is when people accuse him of playing politics and say, as if revealing an ulterior motive, "He's running for president."  Why it would be either a secret or a criticism of Al Gore that he wants to be president, I do not know.  It's like saying, "Hey, watch out for those Dodgers.  I'm beginning to suspect they want to win the World Series."  Yes, Gore wants to be president, the same way Bush wants to be re-elected, the way McCain wants to be president, the way darn near every elected official higher than County Tax Assessor wants to occupy the Oval Office.  Why is this even the slightest criticism?  Isn't it about time we stopped damning politicians for dabbling in politics?  Some do it with more grace than others but they all do it.  Let's find more meaningful things to condemn these people for.  It's not like there aren't plenty from which to pick.

September 28, 2002 · 12:30 AM PDT · link

EVERY FEW MONTHS, the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters group stages a luncheon to honor someone who has made a vital and lasting contribution to the art of broadcasting.  Yesterday afternoon, it was the long-overdue salute to the First Lady of Voice Work, June Foray.  The place was packed to hear a dais that included Hal Kanter, Arthur Hiller, Tom Hatten, Fay Kanin, Milt Larsen, Leonard Maltin, Charles Solomon, Roger Mayer, Gary Owens and Yours Truly.  Stan Freberg was to have been among the speakers but a touch of bronchitis forced him to stay home and fax in a letter which Gary read.  Even without Freberg, it was a great afternoon with a lot of love and respect for a lady who has done the best-possible work in her field for more than a half-century.  (For a piece about an earlier tribute to June I attended, click here.)

NOT ONLY THAT but last evening, my friend Carolyn and I took in the Reprise! production of Cole Porter's Anything Goes up at the Freud Playhouse at U.C.L.A.  It closes Sunday, which is a shame for those of you who won't get to see it.  Storywise, Anything Goes ain't much of a story...some trivia about a guy who stows away on an ocean liner to try and stop the woman he loves from marrying somebody else.  Since its original production in 1934, the book has been revised a few times and it's still silly.  Fortunately though, subsequent productions have also interpolated a few of Mr. Porter's best songs from other venues.  They join some terrific songs that were already in the show and...well, you have a score that can't be beat.  Get together a terrific cast and you have a helluvan evening.

The Reprise! folks got together a terrific cast, headlined by Brent Barrett, Anastasia Barzee, Larry Cedar, Jason Graae, Delee Lively, Sally Struthers, Fred Willard and Rachel York.  Boy, were they good — all of them, as were the other members of the troupe, directed by Glenn Casale.  Half the numbers had that little magical moment at the end where the audience bursts into applause a half-second faster than normal, courtesy clapping, and hits their hands together hard and fast to indicate how much they loved what just occurred.  At the end of "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," there was an explosion you may have heard in other time zones.

Everyone was good.  Rachel York sings like the proverbial dream.  Fred Willard, Jason Graae and Larry Cedar were all very, very funny.  So was Sally Struthers, who seems to be succeeding in her ongoing campaign to turn herself into Shelley Winters.

Not much point in me saying more since there are only a few more performances.  But I'm glad to be a subscriber to Reprise!  The batting average is high and every so often, they come up with one like this one that all by itself is worth the price of the whole season.  If you live in Southern California, check out the  Reprise website.  The remaining two shows for this season are On the Twentieth Century, which will star Kristen Chenoweth and Douglas Sills, and She Loves Me, in which Patrick Cassidy will play the role his father Jack played on Broadway.

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