Anarcho-Nihilist Keyboard Commando Stretches Fingers, Types

You can bet your ever-widening asses that if the entire editorial staff here weren't wretched, aging & sedentary, w/ our own ever-widening ass, we'd be right there in Tehran, burning motorcycles at the very least. Or in front of the Federal Bldg. in Westwood waving flags or honking. Alas, not either. At least we weren't getting ice cream somewhere. Can you imagine?

Some can. In the imagination of Patterico, contrasting & comparing the triviality of a CBS News WH correspondent micro-blogging the President taking his daughters out for ice cream w/ Twits [sic] from the screen-name "Change for Iran" proves something. Nothing's proved to us beyond the triviality of whoever's running the WH beat at CBS News, & possibly the gullibility of Patterico.

If anyone actually gave a damn they could look, but it's no stretch of the imagination that Those Who Comment There will establish each & every point that Patterico has implied.

It should be obvious that any Real American President would release a WH photo of himself staring into space out an aircraft window, or using the "frowning" expression while pretending to listen to some hot bit of gossip from the vast human intelligence network our top-drawer (underwear, socks) National Intelligence/Security Complex has established in Iran under the last few prexies, rather than taking his children out for ice cream. "Presidentin's serious bidness." After all, there's so fucking much he could be doing to further the cliched "freedom blah democracy blah oil rights blah" blather of the right. Like, um, making things worse.

Doubtless the twittering will be seen as evidence that THE MEDIA is "in the tank for [idiotic, often bordering on racist, attempt at an insulting name for Obama]. On the somewhat more advanced level we're on, it just looks as if P. T. Barnum is doing 14,400 r. p. m. in his eternal resting place. How much lower will that lowest common denominator get?

Crap, we didn't want to ruin our evening by reading comments there, but it took a typing eternity to imagine/predict them, & was about as slimy an experience. Anything left in that bottle?

PETA's Flesh Of The Week

One of many reasons we take no filthy lucre from corporate interests (Also: We'd clear US$2.00/day were we lucky; why bother?) is that we might end up w/ something like Pamela Anderson shilling for PETA on the sidebar. Pervs & the like may have noticed the naked models in cages & other such campaigns PETA has mounted. We certainly have. Not because we were looking, but because that's the sort of story the ink-stained weasels of the press & the telebision news weenies think America wants to watch, & who are we to disagree?

The point being not just that PETA knows what sells, but that it's selling this, which we found while searching the 50 Most Emailed Yahoo!® News Photos, in a desperate attempt to find something to mock, or to stare at w/ even-slacker-than-usual jaw for a few moments.

This undated photo provided by PETA shows Lydia Guevara posing on the set of her PETA photo shoot. The granddaughter of Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara is the face of a new PETA campaign touting 'the vegetarian revolution.' PETA spokesman Michael McGraw says the campaign will debut in Argentina in October and will be seen internationally. It's PETA's first vegetarianism campaign in South America. (AP Photo/PETA)

Available at fine stores, & here.

20 June: Lizzie Borden Took An Axe, And Gave Her (Step) Mother Forty Whacks. When She Saw What She Had Done, She Gave Her Father Forty-One.

By The Associated Press Today is Saturday, June 20, the 171st day of 2009. There are 194 days left in the year. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On June 20, 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.On this date: In 1782, Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States.In 1791, King Louis XVI of France attempted to flee the country in the so-called Flight to Varennes, but was caught. In 1837, Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV. In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state. In 1898, the U.S. Navy seized Guam, the largest of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific, during the Spanish-American War. The people of Guam were granted U.S. citizenship in 1950. In 1943, race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in two days later to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths. In 1947, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, apparently at the order of mob associates. In 1963, the United States and Soviet Union signed an agreement to set up a "hot line" between the two superpowers. In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. (Ali's conviction was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court). Thirty years ago, in 1979, ABC News correspondent Bill Stewart was shot to death in Managua, Nicaragua, by a member of President Anastasio Somoza's national guard. Fifteen years ago, in 1994, O.J. Simpson pleaded "100 percent not guilty" to charges he killed his ex-wife and her friend. Ten years ago: As the last of 40,000 Yugoslav troops rolled out of Kosovo, NATO declared a formal end to its bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. Payne Stewart won his second U.S. Open title, by one stroke over Phil Mickelson. In 2001, Houston resident Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the family bathtub, then called police. (Yates was later convicted of murder, but had her conviction overturned; she was acquitted in a retrial.) Five years ago: The Arab satellite TV network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape from al-Qaida-linked militants showing a South Korean hostage begging for his life and pleading with his government to withdraw troops from Iraq. (The hostage, Kim Sun-il, was beheaded two days later.) Retief Goosen captured his second U.S. Open in four years at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.

In 2007, Sammy Sosa of the Texas Rangers became the fifth major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs.

One year ago: Lightning began sparking more than 2,000 fires across northern and central California, eventually burning over a million acres. Today's Birthdays: Actress Olympia Dukakis is 78. Actor Martin Landau is 78. Actor James Tolkan is 78. Actor Danny Aiello is 76. Blues musician Lazy Lester is 76. Actor John Mahoney is 69. Movie director Stephen Frears is 68. Singer-songwriter Brian Wilson is 67. Actor John McCook is 64. Singer Anne Murray is 64. TV personality Bob Vila is 63. Musician Andre Watts is 63. Actress Candy Clark is 62. Producer Tina Sinatra is 61. R&B Lionel Richie is 60. Actor John Goodman is 57. Rock musician Michael Anthony is 55. Pop musician John Taylor is 49. Rock musician Mark DeGliantoni is 47. Rock musician Murphy Karges (Sugar Ray) is 42. Actress Nicole Kidman is 42. Country/bluegrass singer-musician Dan Tyminski is 42. Movie director Robert Rodriguez is 41. Actor Peter Paige is 40. Today In Entertainment History -- One hundred years ago, in 1909, actor Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. In 1948, the TV variety show "Toast of the Town" premiered. It later changed its name to the "Ed Sullivan Show." Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First" routine was first seen in the film "Naughty 90's." In 1975, the movie "Jaws" was released. In 1977, Steve Winwood released his first solo album, called "Steve Winwood."

In 1980, "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" became Billy Joel's first number-one hit. In 1996, the first Furthur Festival kicked off in Atlanta. It was the first time the members of the Grateful Dead toured together since the death of singer Jerry Garcia. On a lighter note, on that same day, Paul Anka ended a Las Vegas concert early after he spit the crown of his tooth into the audience. He later sued his dentist for malpractice. In 1997, singer Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops died of liver cancer in Detroit. He was 59. Thought for Today: "Love your enemy — it'll drive him nuts." — Anonymous.

"Live-Blogging" The President's RTCA Speech

We'll admit he's the first Prexy since Kennedy who doesn't make us almost physically ill (or at least force us to change the channel w/o a moment's delay) w/ his (not that a dame would necessarily be any less irksome) voice, speaking style, accent, & so the fuck on. Which isn't saying much, considering the collection of crackers, pseudo-hicks, actual hicks, ignorant doofuses, Constitutional under-miners, paranoids, war criminals, would-have-been-impeached criminals, arms dealers, & the generally demented & delusional (Does the list of shame & ignominy ever stop?) etc., who've been entrusted w/ the leadership of This Great Nation of Ours™.

"Live blog" this, ninnies. President Obama cranked out a few jokes, not too badly, & sat back down.

Now "PC guy" & "Daily Show guy" John Hodgman is making nerd jokes.

P. S.: Just sank in that Mr. Obama is the first Chief Magistrate who is younger than the proprietor of this exercise in vanity. There's a fucking clue to the impending apocalypse &/or our rapidly approaching mortality.

Ozymandias*

From Turkey Neck Review, look upon his works, ye Mighty, & despair.214 pictures of the horror of "Whiteness"here. *"Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command ..."

19 June: Juneteenth!

By The Associated Press [W/ notes.] Today is Friday, June 19, the 170th day of 2009. There are 195 days left in the year. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On June 19, 1865, Union troops commanded by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over, and that all remaining slaves in Texas were free. On this date: In A.D. 325, the early Christian church opened the general council of Nicaea, which settled on rules for computing the date of Easter. In 1586, English colonists sailed from Roanoke Island, N.C., after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in America. In 1787, the U.S. Constitutional Convention voted to strike down the Articles of Confederation and form a new government. In 1846, two amateur baseball teams played under new rules at Hoboken, N.J., planting the first seeds of organized baseball. The New York Nine beat the Knickerbockers, 23-1. In 1856, the first Republican national convention ended in Philadelphia with the nomination of explorer John Charles Fremont of California for president. James Buchanan, a Federalist nominated by the Democrats, was elected. In 1862, slavery was outlawed in U.S. territories. [Take that, Guam! —Ed.] In 1867, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, installed as emperor of Mexico by French Emperor Napoleon III in 1864, was executed on the orders of Benito Juarez, the president of the Mexican Republic. Also, the first running of the Belmont Stakes took place at Jerome Park, N.Y. In 1903, Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig was born in New York City. In 1905, Pittsburgh showman Harry Davis opened the world's first nickelodeon, showing the silent Western film "The Great Train Robbery." The storefront theater boasted 96 seats and charged 5 cents and prompted the advent of movie houses across the United States. In 1910, Father's Day was celebrated for the first time, in Spokane, Wash. In 1917, during World War I, King George V ordered the British royal family to dispense with German titles and surnames [Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]; the family took the name "Windsor." [A pile of droppings by any other name ... — Ed.] In 1934, the Federal Communications Commission was created; it replaced the Federal Radio Commission. In 1938, four dozen people were killed when a railroad bridge in Montana collapsed, sending a train known as the "Olympian" hurtling into Custer Creek. In 1943, the Battle of the Philippine Sea began, as Japan tried unsuccessfully to prevent further Allied advancement in the South Pacific. In 1953, Julius Rosenberg, 35, and his wife, Ethel, 37, convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, N.Y.From the AP archive: The original report. In 1961, the Supreme Court struck down a provision in Maryland's constitution requiring state officeholders to profess a belief in God. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved by the Senate, 73-27, after surviving a lengthy filibuster. In 1977, Pope Paul VI proclaimed a 19th-century Philadelphia bishop, John Neumann, the first male U.S. saint. In 1986, University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, the first draft pick of the Boston Celtics, suffered a fatal cocaine-induced seizure. In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 1981 Louisiana law that required schools to teach the creationist theory of human origin espoused by fundamentalist Christians. Ten years ago: Author Stephen King was seriously injured when he was struck by a van driven by Bryan Smith on a two-lane highway in North Lovell, Maine. Britain's Prince Edward married commoner Sophie Rhys-Jones in Windsor, England. The Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in triple overtime by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in Game 6. Turin, Italy, was chosen as the site of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. In 2000, The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, barred officials from letting students lead stadium crowds in prayer before football games. Five years ago: The U.S. military stepped up its campaign against militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, launching an airstrike that pulverized a suspected hideout in Fallujah, Iraq. One year ago: President George W. Bush surveyed the aftermath of devastating floods during a quick tour of the Midwest, assuring residents and rescuers alike that he was listening to their concerns and understood their exhaustion. Democrat Barack Obama announced he would bypass public financing for the presidential election, even though Republican John McCain was accepting it. Today's Birthdays: Actress Gena Rowlands is 79. Singer Spanky McFarlane (Spanky and Our Gang) is 67. Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is 64. Actress Phylicia Rashad is 61. Rock singer Ann Wilson (Heart) is 59. Musician Larry Dunn is 56. Actress Kathleen Turner is 55. Country singer Doug Stone is 53. Singer Mark DeBarge is 50. Singer-dancer-"American Idol" judge Paula Abdul is 47. Actor Andy Lauer is 46. Rock singer-musician Brian Vander Ark (Verve Pipe) is 45. Rock musician Brian "Head" Welch is 39. Actress Robin Tunney is 37. Actress Poppy Montgomery is 34. This Date in Entertainment -- In 1952, the celebrity-panel game show "I've Got A Secret" made its debut on CBS-TV with Garry Moore as host. In 1960, Loretta Lynn's "Honky Tonk Girl" became her first record to make the "Billboard" country chart. In 1973, the stage production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" opened in London. Tim Curry later repeated his starring role in the 1975 movie version. In 1976, Wild Cherry released "Play That Funky Music." In 1978, the comic strip "Garfield" appeared for the first time. In 1980, Donna Summer became the first act to sign to Geffen Records, the new label started by David Geffen. Her first release for Geffen was "The Wanderer." In 1988, more than 3,000 East Germans gathered by the Berlin Wall to hear Michael Jackson, who was performing across the border in West Germany. In 1992, "Batman Returns" opened. It pulled in a record-breaking $16.8 million dollars its first day. In 1996, the Disney film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" made its premiere in New Orleans. In 1997, singer Bobby ("Jingle Bell Rock") Helms died at his home in Martinsville, Indiana. He was 61. Thought for Today: "Free thinkers are generally those who never think at all." — Laurence Sterne, English author (1713-1768).

Annals Of Searching

"tiny tim miss vicki wedding effect on energy industry" Really.

We don't know which is odder, the search terms, or that our humble page is the fourth match. It was probably one of those deals where the window doesn't refresh itself, & a new phrase is typed in next to the previous one, but who the hell's looking into odd celebrity weddings, followed immediately by energy industry inquiries?

Wrong again. It came from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. (Honest.) tva.gov. The Tennessee Valley Authority. Part of the energy industry. We're completely confused now. What is the possible connection here? People stayed up late to watch the nuptials, & the tee vee sets & nite-lites caused a brown-out? Sounds like the "everyone flushes their toilet at half-time of the Super Bowl" legend.

18 June: "Two White Supremacists," Not To Be Confused W/ "Two White Supremacist Brothers;" David Bowie Gets An Owie

By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, June 18, the 169th day of 2009. There are 196 days left in the year. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On June 18, 1940, during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill urged his countrymen to conduct themselves in a manner that would prompt future generations to say, "This was their finest hour." Hear Churchill babble about "Christian Civilization". On this date: In 1778, American forces entered Philadelphia as the British withdrew during the Revolutionary War. In 1812, the United States declared war against Britain. In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte met his Waterloo as British and Prussian troops defeated the French in Belgium. [Is that really correct usage there? Napoleon meeting "his Waterloo?" — Ed.] In 1873, suffragist Susan B. Anthony was found guilty by a judge in Canandaigua, N.Y., of breaking the law by casting a vote in the 1872 presidential election. (The judge fined Anthony $100, but she never paid the penalty.) In 1908, William Howard Taft was nominated for president by the Republican national convention in Chicago. In 1928, aviatrix Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean as she completed a flight from Newfoundland to Wales in about 21 hours. In 1945, William Joyce, known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was charged in London with high treason for his English-language wartime broadcasts on German radio. (He was hanged the following January.) [Two words: Rush Limbaugh. — Ed.] In 1975, Saudi Arabian Prince Museid was publicly beheaded in Riyadh for the assassination of King Faisal. Thirty years ago, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid I. Brezhnev signed the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna. President Carter babbles. In 1983, astronaut Sally K. Ride became America's first woman in space as she and four colleagues blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger.Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, Alan Berg, a Denver radio talk show host, was shot to death outside his home. (Two white supremacists were later convicted of civil rights violations in the slaying.) In 1990, James Edward Pough, 42, whose car had been repossessed, killed eight people and wounded five more before committing suicide at a General Motors Acceptance Corp. loan office in Jacksonville, Fla. He was believed to have killed two others a day earlier. In 1996, Unabomber suspect Theodore Kaczynski was charged with two killings in California; he pleaded innocent. Charges from New Jersey would come later. Ten years ago: The House rejected gun control legislation, 280-147, with many Democrats rebelling against National Rifle Association-backed provisions in the bill. The Group of 7 nations opened a three-day summit in Cologne, Germany. Arsonists struck three synagogues in the Sacramento, Calif., area. (Two white supremacist brothers were later convicted of federal charges and received sentences of 21 to 30 years in prison.) Five years ago: An al-Qaida cell in Saudi Arabia beheaded American engineer Paul M. Johnson Jr., posting grisly photographs of his severed head; hours later, Saudi security forces tracked down and killed the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder. European Union leaders agreed on the first constitution for the bloc's 25 members. One year ago: With gasoline topping $4 a gallon, President George W. Bush urged Congress to lift its long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling, saying the United States needed to increase its energy production; Democrats quickly rejected the idea. French filmmaker Jean Delannoy died in Guainville, France, at age 100. Today's Birthdays: Actor Ian Carmichael is 89. Columnist Tom Wicker is 83. Rock singer-composer-musician Paul McCartney is 67. Movie critic Roger Ebert is 67. Actress Constance McCashin is 62. Actress Linda Thorson is 62. Actress Isabella Rossellini is 57. Actress Carol Kane is 57. Rock singer Alison Moyet is 48. Country singer-musician Tim Hunt is 42. Rock singer-musician Sice (The Boo Radleys) is 40. R&B singer Nathan Morris (Boyz II Men) is 38. Actress Mara Hobel is 38. Rapper Silkk the Shocker is 34. Actress Alana de la Garza is 33. Country singer Blake Shelton is 33. San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates is 29. Today In Entertainment History -- In 1959, actress Ethel Barrymore died in Los Angeles at age 79. In 1977, Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten was slashed on his face and hands by young people armed with knives. They apparently objected to the band's song "God Save The Queen." The next day, guitarist Paul Cook was beaten up. In 1980, "The Blues Brothers" movie opened. Music stars making cameo appearances included James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. In 1987, a woman sued Motley Crue for $5,000, claiming she lost part of her hearing because the concert was too loud. [What? — Ed.] Bruce Springsteen officially separated from his wife, model-actress Julianne Phillips. In 2004, David Bowie was hit in the eye with a lollipop thrown onto the stage while he was performing in Oslo, Norway. He was not seriously hurt. Thought for Today: "The basic discovery about any people is the discovery of the relationship between its men and women." — Pearl S. Buck, American author (1892-1973).

Yesterday's Fifteen Most Interesting White People On The Island Of Manhattan, Or: "You Know What Schmuck Means In Jewish?"

From Wonkette, researched by commie atheist. A tip of the Bouffant chapeau. And a grim reminder: These people live among you.

NB: The two dudes "necking" behind the ranting witch at about 1:50.

Yay Us!!

As well as the excess of visits, we found our $$$ value as well. Hope the gov't. doesn't cut off our check 'cause we have too much money.

Estimated Worth: US$1956.40 Title: Just Another Blog (From L. A.)™ Daily Page-views: 227 Daily Ads Revenue: $2.68

Of course, our page-views have increased since they last trolled the webs for stats. We could be "worth" as much as US$2,000.00!

Jim Cornette Podcasts

Our first (obvious) thought was that the world of wrasslin' has been politicized. A bit more reflection & we realized that all of American life was wrassle-icized some time ago. This is just the first evidence we've seen of a wrasslin' figure (Cornette used to manage bad guys ["heels"] for the WWE when it was the WWF.) ready to use the act for political discourse. (NB: Jim's on the side of progress, or at least liberalism.)
June 1st, 2009: Cornette's Commentary with Jim Cornette

Note to wage-slaves, working stiffs & other such losers: NSFW. (He said "fuck." And "shit.") Lasts about (12:00). Get this guy on the radio!

These People Live Among You, Or "We Surround Them," Or Something

Some ridiculous portion of Americans polled state that they believe in "angels," so these reactions to an aerial phenomenon (which appears to be fully explained) aren't surprising, just frightening.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va., June 16 (UPI) -- A Virginia family believes the black ring they saw in the sky during a trip to an amusement park was a sign from God.

Officials at Kings Dominion, a theme park near Fredericksburg, say the ring Denna Smith and her family spotted Monday was smoke from the Volcano ride, WAVY-TV, Portsmouth, reported.

Smith told the television station the ring was perfectly round and so tight it was "like a cut in the middle of the sky," that it did not look like smoke. She said the family prayed together as soon as they got home.

Cameron Pack, a UFO investigator, said he does not accept the Kings Dominion version because a similar ring appeared in the sky at Fort Belvoir, Va., more than 50 years ago.

Smith said she is unsure what the sign means.

"I still believe it is still out there," she said. "We just don't know where it went."

We say that about virtually everything. And it's true.

17 June: Limey Court: Liberace Not Homosexual(!)

By The Associated Press Today is Wednesday, June 17, the 168th day of 2009. There are 197 days left in the year. From the AP, also. A/V. UPI Almanac.Today's Highlight in History: On June 17, 1775, the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston. The battle (which actually occurred on Breed's Hill) was a costly victory for the British, who suffered heavy losses while dislodging the rebels. On this date: In 1789, the Third Estate in France declared itself a national assembly and undertook to frame a constitution. ["Revolution has come!/(Off the pig!)/Time to pick up the gun!/(Off the pig!)" — Ed.] In 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere.In 1928, Amelia Earhart embarked on a trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland to Wales with pilots Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon, becoming the first woman to make the trip as a passenger. [Pointless aside: One of the helicopter traffic reporters for CBS2 here in Southern Hell bills herself as "Amelia Earhart." We hope she doesn't follow the example of Francis Gary Powers, who lived through his U-2 spy plane being shot down by the Commies in 1960, but died when his NBC4 (they called it KNBC-TV then) telecopter crashed in 1977. CBS2 has another pilot named "Larry Welk;" we've a sneaking suspicion he's Lawrence Welk's grandson. Perhaps Ms. Earhart is related to her namesake as well. Still. — Ed.] In 1940, France asked Germany for terms of surrender in World War II. In 1944, the republic of Iceland was established. In 1957, mob underboss Frank Scalice was shot to death at a produce market in the Bronx, N.Y. In 1961, Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris. In 1967, China announced it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. In 1971, the United States and Japan signed a treaty under which Okinawa would revert to Japanese control. [Any idea when? — Ed.] In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon's eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan announced the retirement of Chief Justice Warren Burger, who was succeeded by William Rehnquist. Fifteen years ago, in 1994, after leading police on a chase through Southern California, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman. Ten years ago: The Republican-controlled House narrowly voted to loosen restrictions on sales at gun shows, marking a victory for the National Rifle Association. Joseph Stanley Faulder, a former auto mechanic who'd killed a woman during a 1975 burglary, became the first Canadian to be executed in the United States in almost half a century as he was lethally injected in Huntsville, Texas. [Die, Canuck vermin, die!!! — Ed.] Five years ago: A bipartisan report found that officials, blindsided by terrorists and beset by poor communications, were so slow to react on Sept. 11, 2001, that the last of four hijacked planes had crashed by the time Vice President Dick Cheney ordered hostile aircraft shot down. President George W. Bush disputed the Sept. 11 commission's finding that Saddam Hussein had no strong ties to al-Qaida. A sport utility vehicle packed with artillery shells slammed into a crowd waiting to volunteer for the Iraqi military, killing 35 people. One year ago: Hundreds of same-sex couples got married across California on the first full day that gay marriage became legal by order of the state's highest court. (However, California voters later approved Proposition 8, which restricted nuptials to a union between a man and a woman.) A truck bombing in Baghdad killed 63 people. Four British soldiers were killed by an explosive in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The Boston Celtics won their 17th NBA title with a stunning 131-92 blowout over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6. [That was last year. Where those Celtics now, huh? — Ed.] Igor Larionov and Glenn Anderson were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame along with former linesman Ray Scapinello and junior hockey builder Ed Chynoweth. Today's Birthdays: Actor Peter Lupus is 77. Jerk, loser, moron, religious phony & asshole Newton Leroy Gingrich is 66. [It is our sincere hope that he doesn't make it to 67. Or even 66.5. — Ed.] Singer Barry Manilow is 63. Comedian Joe Piscopo is 58. Actor Mark Linn-Baker is 55. Musician Philip Chevron (The Pogues) is 52. Actor Jon Gries is 52. Movie producer-director-writer Bobby Farrelly is 51. Actor Thomas Haden Church is 48. Actor Greg Kinnear is 46. Actress Kami Cotler ("The Waltons") is 44. Olympic gold-medal speed skater Dan Jansen is 44. Actor Jason Patric is 43. R&B singer Kevin Thornton is 40. Actor-comedian Will Forte is 39. Latin pop singer Paulina Rubio is 38. Tennis player Venus Williams is 29. Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth is 28. Actor-rapper Herculeez (Herculeez and Big Tyme) is 26. Today In Entertainment History -- Fifty years ago, in 1959, a British court awarded American entertainer Liberace £8,000 (the equivalent of $22,400) [When a fookin' quid meant summat! — Ed.] in his libel suit against the Daily Mirror over an article that Liberace charged implied he was a homosexual. In 1965, The Kinks arrived in New York for their first American tour. In 1967, Moby Grape released five singles simultaneously in their debut with the CBS label. ["The Man can't bust our music." — Ed.] In 1968, the Ohio Express got their first gold single with "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy." ["I've got love in my tummy." A paean to swallowing? — Ed.] Forty years ago, in 1969, the raunchy musical review "Oh! Calcutta!" opened in New York. In 1978, Jefferson Starship failed to perform at a festival in Germany because singer Grace Slick was unable to go onstage. Angry fans started a riot and caused over a million dollars in damage. Twenty years ago, in 1989, Ringo Starr announced he would tour again for the first time in several years. His first All-Starr Band included Clarence Clemons, Joe Walsh, Billy Preston, and Nils Lofgren. In 2000, Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson married Kristin Willits in Lexington, Kentucky. In 2005, Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller died of throat cancer in Minneapolis. He was 41. In 2008, Actress-dancer Cyd Charisse died in Los Angeles at age 86. Thought for Today: "Journalism allows its readers to witness history; fiction gives its readers an opportunity to live it." — John Hersey, American author (born this date in 1914, died 1993).

What Fucking Ever

We've crossed the 100,000 suckers threshold (look on your right) & in just a few wks. over two yrs.

Credibility Gap

More tawdry Republican sex scandals, #three zillion & 54.

While the editorial staff here hasn't delved into every single bit of shit in the "Sen. John Ensign porks a campaign staffer" story, we'll note that his initials & his prey are precisely the same as John Edwards', & we will express the firm belief that Sen. Hey Staffer, Look At My Dick! probably wouldn't have said one word if the staffer weren't (allegedly) trying to extort some money from him in exchange for silence on his moral turpitude.

We'll also note that the good Senator (R-Gambling"Gaming" Interests) was on a very high horse when President Bill Clinton was being raked over the coals for his extra-marital adventures. Sen. Dick-Wagger called for Sen. Airport Men's Room (Republican Closet Case-Idaho) to resign after he was caught, but didn't think that Senator Likes to Shit In Adult Diapers While A Prostitute Watches (One Sick Republican Fuck-Louisiana) should have resigned. So he's doubly hypocritical.

Or triply: Senator Ensign has said (Per TP, as linked):

“Marriage is an extremely important institution in this country and protecting it is, in my mind, worth the extraordinary step of amending our constitution.”

Perhaps we need a Constitutional Amendment setting the death penalty for those who "violate the vows of their marriage," as Senator I Like Fucking My Friends' & Employees' Wives so cleverly put it.

Fuck you sideways, lying two-faced sack of shit Senator.

16 June: ODing Throughout History

By The Associated Press Tue Jun 16, 12:01 am ET AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today is Tuesday, June 16, the 167th day of 2009. There are 198 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On June 16, 1858, as he accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln said the slavery issue had to be resolved, declaring, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." On this date: In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle in Scotland. (She escaped almost a year later, but ended up imprisoned again.) In 1883, the New York Giants had the first Ladies' Day baseball game. In 1897, the government signed a treaty of annexation with Hawaii. In 1903, Ford Motor Co. was incorporated. In 1917, the first Congress of Soviets was convened in Russia. In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Vice President Charles Curtis were re-nominated at the Republican national convention in Chicago. In 1933, the National Industrial Recovery Act became law. (It was later struck down by the Supreme Court.) In 1955, Pope Pius XII excommunicated Argentine President Juan Peron, a ban that was lifted eight years later. In 1958, the Supreme Court, in Kent v. Dulles, ruled that artist Rockwell Kent could not be denied a passport because of his communist affiliations. In 1963, the world's first female space traveler, Valentina Tereshkova, was launched into orbit by the Soviet Union aboard Vostok Six. In 1976, riots broke out in the black South African township of Soweto. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos exchanged the instruments of ratification for the Panama Canal treaties. President Carter speaks. Ten years ago: Vice President Al Gore formally opened his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Kathleen Ann Soliah, a fugitive member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, was captured in St. Paul, Minn., where she had made a new life under the name Sara Jane Olson. Thabo Mbeki took the oath as president of South Africa, succeeding Nelson Mandela. Five years ago: Rebuffing Bush administration claims, the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks said no evidence existed that al-Qaida had strong ties to Saddam Hussein. One year ago: Former Vice President Al Gore announced his endorsement of Barack Obama. A California Supreme Court ruling that overturned the state's bans on same-sex marriage became final at 5:01 p.m. Pacific time. Tiger Woods, playing on an injured knee that later required season-ending surgery, won an epic U.S. Open after a 19-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate. Today's Birthdays: Actor Bill Cobbs is 74. Author Erich Segal is 72. Author Joyce Carol Oates is 71.Country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock is 70. Songwriter Lamont Dozier is 68. R&B singer Eddie Levert is 67. Actress Joan Van Ark is 66. Actor Geoff Pierson is 60. R&B singer James Smith (The Stylistics) is 59. Boxer Roberto Duran is 58. Pop singer Gino Vannelli is 57. Actress Laurie Metcalf is 54. Model-actress Jenny Shimizu is 42. Actor James Patrick Stuart is 41. Actor Clifton Collins Jr. is 39. Actor John Cho is 37. Actor Eddie Cibrian is 36. Actress China Shavers is 32. Actress Missy Peregrym is 27. Actress Olivia Hack is 26. Singer Diana DeGarmo ("American Idol") is 22. Today In Entertainment History -- In 1890, Stan Laurel of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Lancashire, England. Fifty years ago, in 1959, actor George Reeves, TV's "Superman," was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in the bedroom of his Beverly Hills, Calif., home; he was 45. In 1960, the movie "Psycho" opened in Hollywood.In 1965, the Herman's Hermits single "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" went gold. In 1967, the three-day Monterey International Pop Music Festival - which catapulted Jimi Hendrix, the Who and Janis Joplin to stardom - opened in northern California. More than two dozen acts, including Jefferson Airplane and Otis Redding, were on the bill. In 1970, sponsors for Woodstock announced they lost more than $1.2 million on the concert. In 1975, John Lennon sued the US government. He charged that officials tried to deny his immigration through selective prosecution. In 1978, the movie version of "Grease" opened in North American theaters. The movie starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. In 1980, Bob Nolan, who helped found the Sons of the Pioneers, died at the age of 72. In 1982, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott of The Pretenders died of a drug overdose. A day earlier, the band's bassist, Pete Farndon, had quit the band. Twenty years ago, in 1989, a women's fragrance called "Smoke" entered the perfume market. Its creator was Smokey Robinson. In 1992, rapper Sister Souljah called Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton a "draft-dodging," "pot-smoking" womanizer. He had criticized her for suggesting that blacks kill whites because there's too much black-on-black violence. She claimed she was misunderstood. Fifteen years ago, in 1994, Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff died of a heroin overdose. In 1995, Pearl Jam began a tour without using Ticketmaster. The band accused Ticketmaster of monopolizing the concert ticket industry and decided to use a mail-order ticket service instead. Thought for Today: "Not to know is bad. Not to want to know is worse. Not to hope is unthinkable. Not to care is unforgivable." — Nigerian saying.

15 June: Magna Carta Signed; Otherwise, It's Just "The Tasteless Dough of Existence."

By The Associated Press Today is Monday, June 15, the 166th day of 2009. There are 199 days left in the year. [See what's going on there? — Ed.] See from the AP. A/V. The UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On June 15, 1215, England's King John put his seal to the Magna Carta ("the Great Charter") at Runnymede. ["Put his seal?" Illiterate? Sheesh. And, one for the Bigods, two of whom were signatories, & one of whom is an ancestor of the schmuck typing this. How the mighty have fallen. — Ed.] On this date: In 1752, Benjamin Franklin, in a dangerous experiment, demonstrated the relationship between lightning and electricity by flying a kite during a storm in Philadelphia. An iron key suspended from the string attracted a lightning bolt. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to appoint George Washington head of the Continental Army. In 1785, two Frenchmen attempting to cross the English Channel in a hot-air balloon were killed when their balloon caught fire and crashed. It was the first fatal aviation accident. In 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state. In 1844, Charles Goodyear received a patent for his process to vulcanize rubber. In 1846, the U.S.-Canadian border was established. [Blah blah, fences yada good neighbors etc., argle-bargle. — Ed.] In 1849, James Polk, the 11th president of the United States, died in Nashville, Tenn., aged 53. In 1864, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton signed an order establishing a military burial ground, which became Arlington National Cemetery. In 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper, born a slave in Thomasville, Ga., became the first African-American cadet to graduate from West Point. In 1904, more than 1,000 people died when fire erupted aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York's East River. In 1923, Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig made his major league debut with the New York Yankees.In 1944, American forces began their successful invasion of Saipan during World War II. B-29 Superfortresses made their first raids on Japan. In 1978, King Hussein of Jordan married 26-year-old American Lisa Halaby, who became Queen Noor. In 1992, Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously instructed a Trenton, N.J., elementary school student to spell potato as "potatoe" during a spelling bee. In 1994, Israel and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations. In 1995, during his murder trial, O.J. Simpson struggled to don a pair of gloves that prosecutors said were worn by the killer of Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Ten years ago: Thousands of ethnic Albanian refugees flooded back into Kosovo while thousands of Serbs fled. Vessels from North Korea and South Korea clashed on the Yellow Sea; about 30 North Korean sailors are believed to have died. A magnitude 7 earthquake in central Mexico killed at least 17 people. Five years ago: The Southern Baptist Convention quit a global federation of Baptist denominations as SBC leaders denounced the Baptist World Alliance and other groups for accepting liberal theology. Tim Berners-Lee received the $1.2 million Millennium Technology Prize in Helsinki for creating the World Wide Web. The Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-87 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals for their first championship in 14 years. One year ago: President George W. Bush went for a bike ride and attended church in Paris, then he and his wife, Laura, traveled to London for meetings with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as well as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah. The NBC News program "Meet the Press" paid tribute to its host, Tim Russert, who had unexpectedly died two days earlier. Now Dead People Born on This Date -- In 1330, Prince Edward of England, son of Edward III and known as the "Black Prince," Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg in 1843, orchestra leader David Rose in 1910, artist Saul Steinberg in 1914, pianist Erroll Garner in 1921, U.S. Rep. Morris Udall, D-Ariz., in 1922, country singer Waylon Jennings in 1937, singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson in 1941, and actor Jim "Earnest" Varney in 1949. Today's Birthdays: Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo is 77. Actor Aron Kincaid is 69. Rock musician Lee Dorman (Iron Butterfly) is 67. Rock singer-actor Johnny Hallyday is 66. [He's the "French Elvis," y'know. — Ed.] Singer Russell Hitchcock (Air Supply) is 60. Rock singer Steve Walsh (Kansas) is 58. Comedian-actor Jim Belushi is 55. Country singer Terri Gibbs is 55. Actress Julie Hagerty is 54. Rock musician Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) is 52. Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs is 51. Actress Eileen Davidson is 50. Bluegrass musician Terry Smith is 49. Actress Helen Hunt is 46.Rock musician Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche) is 46. Actress Courteney Cox is 45. Contemporary Christian musician Rob Mitchell is 43. Rock musician Jimmy McD is 41. Actor-rapper Ice Cube is 40. Actress Leah Remini is 39. Actor Jake Busey is 38. Bluegrass singer-musician Jamie Johnson is 37. Rock musician T-Bone Willy (Save Ferris) is 37. Actor Neil Patrick Harris is 36. Actor Greg Vaughan is 36. Actress Elizabeth Reaser is 34. Rock singer Dryden Mitchell (Alien Ant Farm) is 33. Rock musician Billy Martin (Good Charlotte) is 28. Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson is 26. San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is 25. Today In Entertainment History -- On June 15th, 1963, "Sukiyaki" became a hit on the American pop chart. It was the first Japanese song ever to go to number one in the US. [If only the Sadistic Mika Band had hit the big time too. Alas, "Sukiyaki" remains the only Japanese song to go to numero uno here in the U. S. of A. — Ed.] In 1964, Peter and Gordon arrived for their first US tour. In 1965, Bob Dylan recorded the song "Like A Rolling Stone" at Columbia Records' studios in New York. In 1966, The Beatles released "Yesterday and Today" with its controversial "butcher" sleeve: a photo of The Beatles surrounded by bloody baby doll parts. The cover was changed to a more conventional photo, and the butcher version became a collector's item. In 1967, guitarist Peter Green left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to form Fleetwood Mac. Green abruptly left the band in 1970. In 1969, the variety show "Hee Haw," a fast-paced mixture of country music and comedy skits, premiered on CBS-TV. In 1982, bassist Pete Farndon quit The Pretenders, one day before guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died. In 1989, actor Victor French died of lung cancer at a hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. His TV credits included "Little House On The Prairie" and "Highway To Heaven." [Michael Landon must have been contagious. — Ed.] In 1992, Bruce Springsteen kicked off a summer tour in Stockholm. It was his first tour without the E Street Band. In 1995, Jewish leaders demanded an apology from Michael Jackson over his song "They Don't Care About Us," which contained anti-semitic slang words. In 1996, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died at her home in Beverly Hills, California. She was 78. Last year, at the Tony Awards, "In the Heights" was named best musical, "August: Osage County," best play. Thought for Today: "Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence." — O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), American author (1862-1910).

Apocalyspe Watch

Springsteen, Phish jam together at Bonnaroo

When in 2012 is the calendar supposed to stop?

Alhough, if this is any indication, it will all end not w/ a bang but a loud snoring as the doomed go on the nod.

Who Else Sucked This Wknd.? And Did Anyone Not-Suck?

In case there was any question, Thomas L. Friedman's most recent NYT column was just as crummy as Maureen Dowd's. Rich's might have been OK.

We're too busy sending tweets to twits to read any more of that NYT stuff for pointy-heads. And too damn lazy to link anything. When will the telepathic devil-boxes be here? How much longer must we suffer the agony of repetitive clicking to make stupidity appear? It's so much easier to think it & be done. In defense of The NYT, we should mention the Barbara Ehrenreich series on poor people in these United Snakes, which started here.

Not just these United Snakes, but important parts thereof:

The question I put to this rainbow group was: “Has the recession made a significant difference in the low-income communities where you work, or are things pretty much the same?” My informants — from Koreatown, South Central, Maywood, Artesia and the area around Skid Row — took pains to explain that things were already bad before the recession, and in ways that are disconnected from the larger economy. One of them told me, for example, that the boom of the ’90s and early 2000s had been “basically devastating” for the urban poor. Rents skyrocketed; public housing disappeared to make way for gentrification.

Ho Hum: "Dog Bites Man"

Los Angeles Lakers Win N.B.A. Championship Kobe Bryant carried the Los Angeles Lakers to their 15th title with a 99-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5, finally shrugging off the shadow of Shaquille O'Neal, his former teammate. Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

Aitch Dee Tee Vee Eye On MoDo

Mme. Maureen Dowd's philosophy:

I prefer life and TV to be a little gauzy. I don’t want to see every blemish in a harsh light.

Except John Edwards' hair, of course. That should be dragged into the harsh light.

We've no idea what, if any, the point of the rest of her column is. (For us, at least, this is not an uncommon reaction to much of what passes for opinion typing these days, even/especially in mainstream media.) A vague attempt to confirm that people agree w/ her? Not really. (One anecdote. About, yes, female reaction to HDTV.)

Women are faking it in bedrooms all over America.

“When my husband says, ‘Can you believe how much better this is?’ I say, ‘Yes, honey, it’s amazing,’” one woman told me. “I really don’t see that much difference, but he’s so happy, I just pretend to.”

We already knew that women are manipulative, blah blah blah. (Not that we've ever lied or just clammed up about anything, of course. Not us.) And are incapable of anything resembling discernment. Or perception. An entire gender says, "Thank you, Maureen."

Maybe her outro explains it.

I didn’t get the high-def glasses. I don’t want more acuity. I’m keeping it fuzzy.

Justification of moral relativism? An indication that nothing she types should be taken seriously? Well, drrr.

Actual point to this column? Not much more than Ms. Dowd's, but we're only wasting people's time, & no one's reading us, either. (At least not on the basis of, "Look, it's in The NYT, you have to because everyone else is," anyway.) Whereas Dowd, it appears, is paid to perform her act. Truly there is no justice, & little righteousness.

T-Shirt Politics

Ernesto "Che" Guevara, born 14 June 1928, murdered 9 October 1967.

Eat Shit, Irving Berlin!

Please assure us we aren't the only people who reach for the remote & its mute button each time the now apparently obligatory rendition of "Gawd Bless America" is forced upon us during the formerly free-of-political crap seventh inning stretch during televised baseball. Jeeziz!! This revolting development alone is an indication that the terrorists have won; it's only a matter of time until American women are wearing red, white & blue burqas, under penalty of stoning.

The Sheep Look Up (More [And More Vicious Than Usual] Editorial Comment)

W/ the recent events in the Islamic Republic of Iran, we are now anxiously awaiting the awakening of humanoids world-wide, who, if they were human (& not the pathetic herd creatures they've allowed themselves to become) would rise & fill the streets w/ the blood, intestines & brain matter of their oppressors, starting w/ the chickenshit bullies who form police agencies world-wide, & continuing up the ladder of repression to the actual leaders of the horrible societies that have been formed all over our little planet to insure the continued dominance of the powerful over those who work for a living. As usual, we aren't holding our breath. We've no idea how you awful, stupid & ignorant people were convinced that the current way of things is good or even tolerable, but it's been said no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the AmeriKKKan people. This analysis can't be limited to Yankee pig-dogs or their levels of intelligence; it's a world-wide phenomenon/problem. Frankly, it makes you punk-ass chumps look like a big fucking pile of brain-dead losers. If you stupid shits acquiesce in your own oppression, the only rational view is that you don't deserve to be free, & should be squashed right along w/ those who are on your backs sucking your blood right now. It is the firm editorial position of this web log that the only crimes are stupidity & evilness, & the sentence for both should be death. Let's get to work!!

Yours in nihilism, we remain, yr. humble yet disobedient not-servant, etc.,

Malignant "Chas." Bouffant

P. S.: And the horse you rode in on!

14 June: California Über Alles, Burl Ives Centenary

Today is Sunday, June 14, the 165th day of 2009. There are 200 days left in the year. [How time flies. Only 200 days left. — Ed.] This is Flag Day. This is the AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag.On this date: In 1623, in the first breach of promise suit in the United States, the Rev. Greville Pooley sued Cicely Jordan in Charles City, Va., for jilting him for another man. In 1775, the Continental Army, forerunner of the U.S. Army, was created. In 1801, former American Revolutionary War general and notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold died in London. In 1841, the first Canadian parliament opened in Kingston. Today's Actual Highlight in History: In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.Ninety years ago, in 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown embarked on the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. (Flying a Vickers Vimy biplane bomber, they took off from St. Johns, Newfoundland, and arrived 16 1/2 hours later in Clifden, Ireland.) In 1922, Warren G. Harding became the first president heard on radio, as Baltimore station WEAR broadcast his speech dedicating the Francis Scott Key memorial at Fort McHenry. In 1928, the Republican National Convention nominated Herbert Hoover for president. In 1940, German troops entered Paris during World War II;the same day, the Nazis opened the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.In 1943, the Supreme Court, in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, ruled that children in public schools could not be forced to salute the U.S. flag.

In 1951, Univac I, the world's first commercial computer, designed for the U.S. Census Bureau, was unveiled. In 1954, the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance. In 1967, the space probe Mariner 5 was launched from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on a flight that took it past Venus. In 1982, Argentine forces surrendered to British troops on the disputed Falkland Islands. In 1985, the 17-day hijack ordeal of TWA Flight 847 began as a pair of Lebanese Shiite Muslim extremists seized the jetliner shortly after takeoff from Athens, Greece. Ten years ago: About 15,000 NATO peacekeepers spread out across Kosovo, including a convoy of about 1,200 U.S. Marines. The Supreme Court opened the door to full broadcast advertising of casino gambling, ruling a federal ban aimed at protecting compulsive gamblers violated free-speech rights. Five years ago: A car bomb exploded during rush hour on a busy street in Baghdad, killing 12 people — five of them foreigners working to rebuild Iraq's power plants. The Supreme Court allowed schoolchildren to keep affirming loyalty to one nation "under God," but dodged the underlying question of whether the Pledge of Allegiance was an unconstitutional blending of church and state. One year ago: Iran rejected a six-nation offer of incentives to stop enriching uranium, prompting President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to jointly warn Tehran anew during a news conference in Paris against proceeding toward a nuclear bomb. Today's Birthdays: Actor Gene Barry is 90. Actress Marla Gibbs is 78. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is 70. Writer Peter Mayle is 70. Actor Jack Bannon is 69. Country-rock musician Spooner Oldham (Drive-By Truckers) is 66. Rock singer Rod Argent (The Zombies; Argent) is 64. Short-fingered vulgarian & Comb-Over King Donald Trump is 63. Singer Janet Lennon (The Lennon Sisters) is 63. Rock musician Barry Melton is 62. [Even worse, he became a lawyer. Granted, a public defender. — Ed.] Rock musician Alan White (Yes) is 60. Actor Eddie Mekka is 57. Actor Will Patton is 55. Olympic gold-medal speed skater Eric Heiden is 51. Singer Boy George is 48. Rock musician Chris DeGarmo is 46. Actress Yasmine Bleeth is 41. Tennis player Steffi Graf is 40. Actress Traylor Howard is 38. Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody ("Juno") is 31. Today In Entertainment History -- One hundred years ago, in 1909, actor and folk singer Burl Ives was born in Hunt City, Ill. In 1953, Elvis Presley graduated from L.C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1961, country singer Patsy Cline suffered serious head and hip injuries in a car crash in Madison, Tennessee. A passenger in the other car was killed. In 1965, Paul McCartney recorded "Yesterday." In 1970, Derek and the Dominoes made their live debut in Britain. The Dreadful Grate released "Workingman's Dead." In 1971, the first Hard Rock Cafe opened in London. In 1972, up to 300 people tried to crash the gate at a Rolling Stones concert in Tucson, Arizona. Police were called in with tear gas to disperse the crowd. In 1976, The Beatles' "Rock `N' Roll Music" anthology went gold, six years after the band broke up. Thirty years ago, in 1979, Little Feat broke up. Two weeks later, founding member Lowell George died of a heart attack. In 1986, lyricist and composer Alan Jay Lerner died of lung cancer in New York. Among his music: "Brigadoon," "Camelot," "Gigi" and "My Fair Lady." Twenty years ago, in 1989, Zsa Zsa Gabor was arrested after allegedly slapping a Beverly Hills police officer who pulled her over for having expired license tags. In 1995, more than 20 people in Columbus, Ohio, called authorities to complain about a Ted Nugent concert that they said was too loud. The concert was within legal noise limits, and Nugent refused a request to turn down the volume anyway. [Sweaty Teddy turns it up to 11. (His IQ anyway, ha ha.) — Ed.] Thought for Today: "There is the National flag. He must be cold, indeed, who can look upon its folds rippling in the breeze without pride of country. If in a foreign land, the flag is companionship, and country itself, with all its endearments." — Charles Sumner, American author (1811-1874). [Not a well person there. — Ed.]