BRIT PACK & MANY OTHER ESSAYS

NEWSWEEK (2007) 2/12

DEVENY& KELLY (41-47)

The Rat pack was the group of males who sang together and acted like jerks in the 60's.They were lead by Frank Sinatara and many shows were in Las Vegas. This was followed by the Brat Pack of 80's teen stars who premiered in ST ELMO'S FIREE and THE BREAKFEAST CLUB, and FAST TIMES  AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. Think Ally Sheedy, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Ashton

Kutcher's wife. Now come the Brit pack. This is Britney Spears, Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan. They are the worst since Madonna's early days in 1984. They are bad for pre-teen girls and Newsweek writers provide the same bromides. However, pre-teen females want to dress like their girl friends and there really isn't much more to it than that. By high school, there are other problems and by college, they become worse. Blame  the media, but also blame the folks who pay them big money to do trash tv. This too shall pass. Is there any way that a female can get star rating without sex?

NEW REPUBLIC (2007) 2/5

PERL (21-27)

Art has hit bottom according to this art critic. From the abstract impressionism of the 50's, art has deconstructed into to postmodern crap. It is pop-slop, polychrome plastic with a little Bob Dylan thrown into it. For the most part, art had boundaries of some sort author Perl suggests this

"laissez faire aesthetics" won't last. Without structure or function, you have low culture. Andy Warhol knew what he was doing. He made money, by hyping pop culture. So, there will be a time when this crap will be called crap and the next new wave will have some direction. It will still be accessible and relevant, but it won't be without any substance. Then the tide should start to move again in an upward fashion. This will take awhile. Don't put too much money into it, because this era will be one thought of without boundaries. Anarchist art sounds great , but doesn't make good art.

THE WEEK (2007) 2/9

_________(20)

*For the first time, a lizard was conceived without a father. There is DNA tests to support it.

*The sponge that one uses to clean their sinks and table tops is filled with bacteria. Take a wet to moist sponge and put it in the micro-wave. WATCH EVERY SECOND SO IT DOES NOT BURST INTO FLAMES.Or get a new sponge.

*Come on, geothermal energy by 2050 according to the Energy Department can give us all the

energy that we need. Let's start drilling.

*Nobel winners live longer than the runner ups.

* Stimulating certain parts of the brain reduces withdrawal symptoms.

*Clean treated water is not necessarily clean. The water may carry with it little garbage from rusty pipes. They are old and there is about a million miles of rusty iron pipes.

LERNER (36) Every car is an underdog in junk car rallies. These are not stock cars piling into each other nor is it stock car racing. Rather it is junk cars that can have only minimal fixing racing each other. Mainly they are late 70's early 80's clunker that go around a small track for small prizes. These same cars would be paradise to someone in Cuba or the Third World.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT (2007)  2/12

LAVELLE & SCHULTE (30-36)

Is ethanol the answer? It will be a good back stop for farmers and drivers, but the real future is in other disposables like switch grass and manure. However, there is not a spot market for such material at the moment. Ethanol saves just a little money and provides another alternative. However, in the long run, other renewable's along with nuclear and perhaps geothermal will be the major sources. Coal is fine, but it needs an expensive heat reducer. When that technology gets here, we should be in better shape.

MANNIX (82)

* America is not ready for a flu pandemic.

*Polluted air may harm your heart.

*Slothfulness may cause impotence.

*There is still unequal treatment in the ER. African Americans, women, and Medicaid people get less of every medical help.

NEW REPUBLIC (2007)

GREEN (11)

Hillary is great for Web 1.0 and Web 2.O. She is always on and makes few if any mistakes. However, that makes bad tv, but good cable and great you tube. You can grab part of it and run with it. She is great on web video.

NATION (2007) 1/29

CHAUDHRY (39-41)

Newspapers now have the circulation that they did in 1950. All along the print media has been hurt by radio, tv, movies, and now the internet. Newspapers are now owned by chains and they are probably understaffed. To survive, they must find new ways to connect to the internet.

SCIALABBA (23-28)

For Democrats to win, they need ideas and promos that not only score intellectually but emotionally. Republicans do a better job on that.

NATION (2007) 2/12

MOSER 11-19

What the Democratic party needs to do in the South is campaign on economic

progressive issues so there is a clear distinction between Dems and Republicans and be moderate on Social Issues. Think Sen. Jim Webb.