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Tuesday, May 14, 2002

bonjour tristesse

"In the late 1960s, Jean Seberg took more roles in Hollywood, most notably opposite Warren Beatty in "Lillith". She also became increasing active in left wing political groups. Her support for the anti-racist movement the Black Panthers, along with that of Jane Fonda, was well known. But such was Seberg's influence, esspecially in Europe, that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover considered her a genuine liability, and, in 1970 when she was seven months preganant, issued instructions that Seberg be "neutralised". Thus it was that a fake letter was "leaked" to the Hollywood gossip columns, suggesting that the father of the child was not Gary, but a member of the Black Panthers. The reaction so traumatised Seberg that she gave birth prematurely, and the child was stillborn. The next day Seberg called a press conference, where she presented shocked journalists with the body of her dead white child. The measure, though extreme, put an end to the rumours, but the FBI continued to hound Seberg until she eventually moved back to Paris."

refusenik

lauryn hills new album came out today. apparently its not commercial enough for corporate america which means it may only sell two or three million copies versus her last monster effort. what was she thinking? next youre going to tell me that mtv wont play her videos because she doesnt show enough skin. what kind of values is she trying to impart? is she some sort of pro-palestinian maoist rebel?

general occlusion

first of five part article on tom delay.

formula one

"The research reveals that while the built-up areas of the settlements constitute only 1.7% of the land in the West Bank, the municipal boundaries are over three times as large: 6.8%. Regional councils constitute an additional 35.1%. Thus, a total of 41.9% of the area in the West Bank is controlled by the settlements."

spare squares

"Splitting up the screen has slipped into movies and TV shows so deftly that almost no one has pointed out what a break it makes with the past. Except for a brief, astonishing moment in the late '60s, with movies like Richard Fleischer's "The Boston Strangler" and Norman Jewison's original version of "The Thomas Crown Affair" and, of course, "Woodstock," edited by the brilliant Thelma Schoonmaker (among others, including a then-unknown Martin Scorsese), the history of film has been a history of the single screen: one image, one shared moment in time. An artist once insisted to me that you couldn't have it otherwise; the moment you break up that screen, you destroy the illusion that allows you to carry off your audience."

Monday, May 13, 2002

boy wonder

"This is a copy of a bizarre six-page manifesto, of sorts, written by Luke Helder and sent last week to a college newspaper in Wisconsin. In the rambling letter, Helder, who has been charged in connection with the recent mailbox bombings, writes, "I'm taking very drastic measures in attempt to provide this information to you...I will die/change in the end for this, but that's ok, hahaha paradise awaits! I'm dismissing a few individuals from reality, to change all of you for the better, surely you can understand my logic." The letter, the first page of which is imprinted with the initials LH, was signed "Lucas Helder" and postmarked May 3 in Omaha, Nebraska."

oil slicks

"The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, had advance warning of last month's coup attempt against him from the secretary general of Opec, Ali Rodriguez, allowing him to prepare an extraordinary plan which saved both his government and his life, an investigation has revealed."

stack snacks

blackmask online -- online book listings

taking your hacks

"Major League Baseball (MLB) has begun offering Condensed Baseball, which reduces the length of a given game to about 20 minutes. How, you may ask? By eliminating every pitch that doesn't result in a play. In other words, you'll see pitches that result in a hit, run, or out, along with wild pitches, pick-offs, passed balls, stolen bases, and the like. Basically it's baseball for those suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder."

bite me

older posts...