Free Republic

John Mellencamp describes his 21st album as "a small record," something he did more as a labor of love than as what he calls "chest-thumping arena-rock." But "Trouble No More," released Tuesday, is one of the strongest efforts in the career of rock fans' favorite Hoosier--a soulful collection of blues and folk standards that attempt to make sense of turbulent times, from his reworking of the anti-war anthem "To Washington," to his reading of "The End of the World," popularized by Skeeter Davis, which takes on new meaning 40 years after it first hit the pop charts ("Why does the...

To the Editor: Spectator, now for the second time in less than a year, has succeeded to quote me in a remarkably decontextualized and inflammatory manner. In Margaret Hunt Gram's report on the faculty teach-in against the war in Iraq (March 27, 2003), I am quoted as wishing for a million Mogadishus but with no indication whatsoever of the perspective that framed that remark. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that your Staff Editorial in the same issue, denouncing the teach-in for "dogmatism," situates me in particular as the premier example of an academic "launching tirades against anything and everything American."...

Hey, all! Just caught the beginning of Sean Hannity's Show - here's a Freeper alert. Yesterday, he had Sheila Jackson Lee (D-MARS) on, and someone called later in the show, telling Sean about the Mars Flag debacle. You know, when Ms. Lee asked in 1997 if the Mars Rover could take a picture of the flag planted by the Apollo Astronauts. He hadn't heard about that, so I gathered up some sources,and sent them to Sweet Baby James, his producer. It's gonna be on sometime today - he sounds like he's grinning about this one... :-)

He's one of Hollywood's hottest actors and, with Natural Born Killers among his starring roles, is no stranger to controversy. But now Woody Harrelson has taken another brave step - he's passionately defended George Michael over his anti-Bush and Blair single Shoot The Dog. The 41-year-old star - currently appearing in On An Average Day opposite Kyle MacLachlan at the Comedy Theatre in London - has hit out at the backlash against the song's lyrics which criticise George Bush, Tony Blair and the war on terror since September 11. At his play's after-show party on Wednesday night, Woody told Jessica:...