The presidential conventions will be all over the news for the next two weeks, and just in time to help sort them out is Mike's Election Guide 2008, in bookstores Tuesday. Mike is filmmaker and progressive gadfly Michael Moore, who brings his usual mix of outrageous humor, passionate partisanship and common sense to such matters as his 10 suggested presidential decrees, which range from the frivolous (free HBO for everybody) to the surprising (bring back the military draft).
Stories in the wake of the storm
The event wasn't political, but its repercussions certainly were: Friday marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastating landfall in Louisiana. In a display of astounding bad taste, the spoof Disaster Movie will open that day. A classier artistic debut Friday is the publication of City of Refuge, a thoughtful novel about the effects on two families of the storm and its aftermath by New Orleans writer Tom Piazza.
A piece of cake for campaigners
Celebrating birthdays this week are a former vice presidential candidate, a current presidential candidate and an actor who played a president on TV. On Tuesday, former member of Congress Geraldine Ferraro turns 73. On Friday, Sen. John McCain will be 72. And on Saturday, Timothy Bottoms (star of the 2001 Comedy Central series That's My Bush!) will be 57.
Colette Bancroft, Times staff writer, cbancroft@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8435.
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