rusle: Juni 2009

i had no doubt. it would not have been 'svu' without them!

NEW YORK — Rest easy, fans of "Law & Order: SVU." Stars Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni have signed contracts for another season.

That was in some doubt, with fans of the show wondering whether the actors might be replaced after their two-year contracts expired. NBC renewed the drama, its most popular scripted series, without knowing for sure whether they would be back.

Pam Golum , a spokeswoman for producer Dick Wolf, says the two stars will be back at work next week, when the show begins filming its new season.

Christine Lahti will also be joining the show for the first four episodes of next season.

before 'mamma mia' meryl did sing a bit in 'death becomes her' and 'postcards from the edge'.

chita won her second tony award for 'kiss of the spider woman'.

one version from the tony awards and one from the kennedy center.

one of the best performances on broadway was ms. ruffelle in 'lez miserables'.
since i can't find a clip from the show this is the next beat thing though not as impressive or powerful.

'You've Got to Be Taught/Children Will Listen'

Two great songs put to good use.
Vocal by Mandy Patinkin.

at the 51st tony awards and bebe won beat actress in a musical:

someone got this in the theatre. i'd guess a rehearsal.

and what's better than a rousing end to a rousing show? bebe and karen ziemba doing the finale of 'chicago' at 'my favorite broadway: the leading ladies'. 'nowadays' and ' hot honey rag':

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and
it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey
that he entered it in the
race again,

and it won again.

The local paper read:

PASTOR'S
ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of
publicity that he ordered the pastor
not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day, the local paper headline
read:

BISHOP
SCRATCHES
PASTOR'S
ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he
ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a
nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted
the following headline the next day:

NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted.

He informed the nun that she would have to
get rid of the donkey, she sold it to a farmer for $10.
The next day the paper read:

NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he
ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and
lead it to the plains where it could run wild.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE...

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is . .. .
Being concerned about public opinion can bring
you much grief and misery . . Even shorten your life.

So be yourself and enjoy life.

Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and
You'll be a lot happier and live longer!

two concert versions of a favorite song:

Christine Ebersole's 2007 Tony win Best Musical Actress:

i love music. it is the first thing i truly remember. as a kid all i wanted was music...records. hey, remember when we called them that?
i have spent a lot of time on film here because i love film and movies....but music is in me. in my head, my heart and in my soul.

so starting here, starting now...josh's summer music fest .
prior to today was a preview.
i love a lot of music.
a lot of genres of music.
i shall share many...(if i like 'em) Ha!
be not too hard....

haha...speaking of which...the first is joan baez from a concert ...
this video has the audio only.
i absolutely love this song and it's message.
so again i need to ask you to 'be not too hard'.
dear friends...Miss Joan Baez..."BE NOT TOO HARD"

Back in April, there was a huge fuss over an internal report by the Department of Homeland Security warning that current conditions resemble those in the early 1990s — a time marked by an upsurge of right-wing extremism that culminated in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Conservatives were outraged. The chairman of the Republican National Committee denounced the report as an attempt to “segment out conservatives in this country who have a different philosophy or view from this administration” and label them as terrorists.

But with the murder of Dr. George Tiller by an anti-abortion fanatic, closely followed by a shooting by a white supremacist at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the analysis looks prescient.

There is, however, one important thing that the D.H.S. report didn’t say: Today, as in the early years of the Clinton administration but to an even greater extent, right-wing extremism is being systematically fed by the conservative media and political establishment.

Now, for the most part, the likes of Fox News and the R.N.C. haven’t directly incited violence, despite Bill O’Reilly’s declarations that “some” called Dr. Tiller “Tiller the Baby Killer,” that he had “blood on his hands,” and that he was a “guy operating a death mill.” But they have gone out of their way to provide a platform for conspiracy theories and apocalyptic rhetoric, just as they did the last time a Democrat held the White House.

And at this point, whatever dividing line there was between mainstream conservatism and the black-helicopter crowd seems to have been virtually erased.

Exhibit A for the mainstreaming of right-wing extremism is Fox News’s new star, Glenn Beck. Here we have a network where, like it or not, millions of Americans get their news — and it gives daily airtime to a commentator who, among other things, warned viewers that the Federal Emergency Management Agency might be building concentration camps as part of the Obama administration’s “totalitarian” agenda (although he eventually conceded that nothing of the kind was happening).

But let’s not neglect the print news media. In the Bush years, The Washington Times became an important media player because it was widely regarded as the Bush administration’s house organ. Earlier this week, the newspaper saw fit to run an opinion piece declaring that President Obama “not only identifies with Muslims, but actually may still be one himself,” and that in any case he has “aligned himself” with the radical Muslim Brotherhood.

And then there’s Rush Limbaugh. His rants today aren’t very different from his rants in 1993. But he occupies a different position in the scheme of things. Remember, during the Bush years Mr. Limbaugh became very much a political insider. Indeed, according to a recent Gallup survey, 10 percent of Republicans now consider him the “main person who speaks for the Republican Party today,” putting him in a three-way tie with Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich. So when Mr. Limbaugh peddles conspiracy theories — suggesting, for example, that fears over swine flu were being hyped “to get people to respond to government orders” — that’s a case of the conservative media establishment joining hands with the lunatic fringe.

It’s not surprising, then, that politicians are doing the same thing. The R.N.C. says that “the Democratic Party is dedicated to restructuring American society along socialist ideals.” And when Jon Voight, the actor, told the audience at a Republican fund-raiser this week that the president is a “false prophet” and that “we and we alone are the right frame of mind to free this nation from this Obama oppression,” Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, thanked him, saying that he “really enjoyed” the remarks.

Credit where credit is due. Some figures in the conservative media have refused to go along with the big hate — people like Fox’s Shepard Smith and Catherine Herridge, who debunked the attacks on that Homeland Security report two months ago. But this doesn’t change the broad picture, which is that supposedly respectable news organizations and political figures are giving aid and comfort to dangerous extremism.

What will the consequences be? Nobody knows, of course, although the analysts at Homeland Security fretted that things may turn out even worse than in the 1990s — that thanks, in part, to the election of an African-American president, “the threat posed by lone wolves and small terrorist cells is more pronounced than in past years.”

And that’s a threat to take seriously. Yes, the worst terrorist attack in our history was perpetrated by a foreign conspiracy. But the second worst, the Oklahoma City bombing, was perpetrated by an all-American lunatic. Politicians and media organizations wind up such people at their, and our, peril.

Paul Krugman
The New York Times

Why? Because I like it!

thank you fox news. thanks to all your pig anchors...hannity, o'reilly, van sustren, shepard smith etc.

thanks for inciting the most malicious attacks on humanity with your hate speech and and venomous attacks on our president.
thanks for making hate a virtue the right can be proud of.

thanks for calling for the death to those you oppose.

thank you oxi man limbaugh for your lies and moving your radical right hateward.

oh yes and thank you sara lipstick for never calling a halt at your campaign rallies to those chanting kill Obama.

you are all equally guilty for the deaths of dr. tiller and for the shooting and death at the Holocaust museum.

oh but your are the real americans. in truth you are the real scum of the earth.

WASHINGTON — An 88-year-old white supremacist was charged with murder Thursday, a day after he left a signed anti-Semitic screed in his car outside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial and Museum, then gunned down a security guard who opened the door to let him in, officials said.

Guard Stephen T. Johns was shot to death Wednesday by Holocaust denier James von Brunn, who left his car outside an entrance to the museum and walked in holding a rifle at his side, District Police Chief Cathy Lanier said at a news conference.

Von Brunn started shooting immediately, exchanging fire with two other guards who shot and critically injured him, Lanier said.

In his car, officers found a notebook with a handwritten note that read, "You want my weapons _ this is how you'll get them. The Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews," according to a court affidavit.

Von Brunn's .22-caliber rifle held 10 more bullets and investigators found more in his car and at an apartment in Annapolis, Md., that he shared with son and his son's fiancee. Security guards fired at von Brunn at least eight times, hitting him in the face.

The museum remained closed Thursday and flags flew at half-staff in honor of Johns, 39, who had worked at the museum for six years. Bouquets of roses, lilies and other flowers were left outside the museum walls. The entrance where the shooting occurred was still cordoned off by police tape.

Von Brunn, who tried to kidnap members of the Federal Reserve decades ago, remained in critical condition Thursday at a Washington hospital. A self-described artist, advertising man and author, he wrote an anti-Semitic treatise, "Kill the Best Gentiles," decried "the browning of America" and claimed to expose a Jewish conspiracy "to destroy the White gene-pool." He also wrote of a lifetime of seething anger.

"It's better to be strong than right," he said in one of his dark online postings, "unless you like dying. Crowds hate good guys."

Just some funny moments from a funny series finally available on DVD.

Julia is feed up with jury duty:

Julia is pissed!:

The night the lights went out in Georgia:

Crazy people in the south:

Julia's Runway debut:

Suzanne drinks Charlene's expressed milk:

He hated jews, catholics and blacks.
he's a kkk member.

10 to 1 he's a reborn christian.
20 to 1 he's a registered republican.

prove me wrong!

First things first: Congratulations to Neil Patrick Harris for being a grand and grandly brilliant openly gay emcee!!!

A grand opening with the exception of the god awful 'Rock of Ages'.

A brilliant finale by the afore mentioned Neil Patrick Harris.

A finale that needed to be written and/or refined as the awards were announced. I can't believe the envelopes were opened prior to the announcements. Therefore the updates were remarkable!

But:

Is anyone in the world able to get Liza off a stage. Damn bring back the hook.

When did Anne Hathaway become her own personal STD spreading herself around? Someone must find a cure to get rid of her once and for all. She's is the biggest reason to bring back the hook! Is there no award show that is free of this woman's presence? Damn but she's everywhere How does this horror knows when the camera is on her? Who the hell is she 'doing'?

Does Dolly Parton have to hog EVERYTHING? Could she not find it in her still amble bosom to let her cast do their own thing?

And yes the Shrek thing and James Gandolfini could be twins separated at birth.

And there were highlights in the awards ceremony:

1. The three 'Billy Elliot's' sharing the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical

2. The brilliant Alice Ripley for the Best Female Performance in a musical. FINALLY!!!

3. The ever wonderful Angela Lansbury winning her 5th Tony.

4. The gifted and always amazing Marcia Gay Harden winning Best Actress in a Drama.

5. Best Director Stephen Daltry who also directed Kate Winslet to her Oscar win this year. He certainly has had a very great year.

6. Kristen, Audra and Bebe just being there is always something to cheer about!!

7. Who is Aaron Tviet in 'Next to Normal' and when is he coming for a visit? I believe I am now officially dubbed a dirty old man.

8. Matt Cavenaugh in 'West Side Story' may finally be the Tony worth fighting a racial turf war over. When is he coming to visit. And when did he steal Mandy Patinkin's Jewish accent as well as mine? No problem as he is just bringing it closer to the original concept.

9. Does everyone who plays Anita (Karen Olivio) in 'West Side Story' have to win an award?

10. Haven't producers learned that unless 'America' is the selling point the best revival will not be be 'West Side Story'.

11. Has 'Hair' proven it is the most innovative musical of ALL time?

and lastly:

How much of Jane Fonda is still human and how much is bionic?

the opening:

the finale:

'next to normal'

'billy elliot' winners. do they 'get it" that they were given the award by the brilliantly divine audra mcdonald? one day maybe.

'hair'

(i beg you forgive the intrusion of the horrific hathaway)

(click speaker for music):

so all being said and done i bought the cast albums of 'next to normal' and the cast recording of the revival of 'west side story' today. Tony you have done your job well.

i can't believe i'm admitting this. or can i?
i've heard about this show a lot! it finally got to me. so i ordered 'gossip girls' season 1 from netflix. damn if it didn't get to me in the first 10 minutes. i wound up watching all of season 1 in a week. i am hooked and can't wait until season 2 is available in august.

upper east side new yorkers and their kids. rich and generally selfish teens but with the touch of vulnerability that keeps them from being totally despicable. class and position have more pitfalls than meets the eyes. the flash and cash may be their facade. true, some of these girls and guys are real bitches and jerks. some, most, of their parents are no better. maybe even worse. apples seldom fall far from the proverbial tree.

but there is a heartbeat within the seemingly emotionally rotten walking corpses.
the heartbeat is provided by the pairing of serena van der woodsen (blake lively) and dan humphrey (penn badgley). dan is not from the elite upper crust. he is from the wrong side of the tracks or in this case the wrong side of the williamsburg bridge that joins manhattan and brooklyn. they are romeo and juliet, maria and tony. i hope their fate is better. they are a charming, delightful and loving pair. good apples among rotting fruit. their character names alone set them miles apart. i'm totally rooting for them. as well as for a long career for the actors portraying them. in this they are casting perfection. it bodes well for their future.

there is also the wonderful kelly rutherford (melrose place) as serena's mom.

there is mathew steele(brothers and sisters) as dan's father.
there is a past shared between them. is there a future between them if serena doesn't stand in their way? serena is not selfish about this. she has a finely tuned point.

there is the ever wonderful margaret colin as eleanor waldorf mother of blair waldorf (leighton meester) the biggest bitch snob of all. or is she the most damaged child of the upper crust?

the rest of the cast, adults and teens alike, are cast well and give it all they've got. they've got a lot and deliver.
special credit is reserved for serena's brother eric portrayed by connor paolo. the kid's got the making of a star. hollywood please make him a star.
make blake and penn stars too. they have "it". they are both charming and delightful. both a welcome change from the usual teenagers tv generally offers.
keep giving kelley rutherford work. she's is one of television's marvelous delights.

smart crisp writing.
brilliant direction and editing.
great acting.
what else is there???
hell it's one of the best tv has to offer!!!

they sucked me in and i'm gladly going for the ride they offer. when the hell does season 3 start?

blake and penn on 'the view'

bloopers:

YES I AM OFFICIALLY OBSESSED WITH 'GOSSIP GIRLS' XOXO

and by the way: new york magazine obviously agrees with me!!!

One of TV's best returns tonight on TNT.

patti lupone best actress in a musical for 'gypsy'l.
laura benati and boyd gaines best suppoting wins in the same musical.
everything else about last year's tony awards are a blur and therefore negligible and unimportant!