Quotes & amp;amp; Notes

by Inlander Staff


Exporting Passion -- Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is a huge success in the Middle East, where it's been filling theaters since its premiere last week. In a region where anti-Israeli feelings are on a constant simmer, the news agency Reuters reports that it's perhaps the debate over the movie being anti-Semitic that has given otherwise conservative Arabic nations the courage to release the movie un-censored.


According to Reuters, only Kuwait and Bahrain have banned the movie. Even in Saudi Arabia -- where movie theaters are non-existent -- pirated copies of The Passion are selling like hotcakes in the street.





One Click at a Time -- The national group CleanTV America has launched a Web site targeting local TV stations in an effort to force broadcasters to clean up TV programming. By logging on to www.cleantv.net/spokane.htm, viewers can e-mail complaints to the local station's management by the click of a mouse.


CleanTV is targeting all 280 media markets across the U.S., including Spokane, in an effort to limit the amount of sexually explicit, profane and violent programming that's being aired.


On the site, viewers can read "raunch reports," which contain supposedly "accurate and factual descriptions of the content of the programs." This, conveniently, lets you complain about a program you haven't even seen. Hmm? That's kinda like burning the book before you read it.


We found it peculiar that shows like Friends and Conan O'Brien were written up, but there wasn't a word to be read about COPS or The Simpsons. Proceed with caution -- or at least watch the show before you complain.





Sit! -- Do you own a break-dancing iguana, a diving mule or a turtle that retrieves tennis balls? Your 15 minutes of fame may be right around the corner: Auditions for Animal Planet's show Pet Star are coming to Spokane on May 22 from 1-2:30 pm at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center.


Participants must preregister by calling 323-463-5040 or e-mail [email protected].





Groan About the Garage -- The city wants your input -- not as in to vote, mind you, but as in putting your two cents in on the River Park Square solution. The city has even set up an e-mail address and a voice mailbox specifically designed for comments on the plans for the city to sell new bonds to leverage some settlements.


That e-mail address is [email protected]; the phone number is 625-6719.





Publication date: 04/08/04