My voice held, so I guess things, well, went, um, well. My old elementary school principal--the one whom I had the pleasure of having him as a director while I was Maria in a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music"--was there (he's the N.D.P. candidate's campaign manager.) Of my performance he noted, "I see you haven't lost your voice." (Little did he know of my allergy scare! Here, though, I know he had meant that I still had singing ability.) Draw your own conclusions, I guess. : ) (In case you're interested, I sang Gershwin's "Someone to Watch over Me." My assigned selection; well-suited to my voice and range, I do think.)

So, yeah. A few things...

1.) Chris Martin, what the hell were you thinking?

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow's boyfriend, has been arrested in Australia following a fracas involving a photographer.

The singer was surfing in Byron Bay when he spotted an eager photojournalist snapping away from the beach. Apparently he rushed ashore to insist lensman John Lester remove the pictures from his digital camera, but became enraged when the journalist refused. According to local police, Chris smashed the windscreen of John's car and let the air out of his tyres [sic] in retaliation. Read more...



2.) Clueless George [title not of my devising] strikes again:

After taking control over one-third of the world's crude oil supplies and that too after a futile search for 'weapons of mass destruction', American President George Bush appears ready to take over the world's food market and that too by emotionally misleading the world in the name of removing hunger.

Accusing Europe of undercutting efforts to feed starving Africans by blocking the use of genetically modified crops which could 'dramatically' boost productivity, the American administration fired the first missile by formally announcing to launch a complaint with the WTO against the European Union for its five-year ban on approving new biotech crops. This has set the stage for an international showdown over an increasingly controversial issue.

"Our partners in Europe are impeding this effort. They have blocked all new biocrops because of unfounded, unscientific fears," Bush said. "This has caused many African nations to avoid investing in biotechnologies for fear that their products will be shut out of European markets. European governments should join -- not hinder -- the great cause of ending hunger in Africa."

The US Trade Representative Mr Robert Zoellick added that the European policy is illegal, harming the US economy, stunting the growth of the biotech industry and contributing to increased starvation in the developing world. PLEASE read more...!

And, while you're at it, get your hands on the May 2003 issue of Harper's. There's an excellent article on the morally suspect dealings of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trad Organization.



3.) This makes me so sick, I don't know what to say:

The USA's willingness to execute prisoners for crimes committed when they were children puts it in a world of its own, Amnesty International said today, as it published a new report on global adherence to the ban on the death penalty against child offenders - - those under 18 at the time of their crimes. [...]

The organization recorded 22,588 executions in 70 countries between 1994 and 2002. Nineteen of these executions were of child offenders, put to death in five countries. Twelve of these internationally illegal killings occurred in the USA. Read more...



4.) A movie I can't WAIT to see: Gothika, starring Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr., Penelope Cruz and Charles S. Dutton.



Today's This-or-That Tuesday questions haven't been posted yet, but when they are--if I find them worthy--I'll answer them here later. For the time being, I'm off to read and sleep.