Week of November 15, 1990

The Iraqi government says it will begin releasing all American and other foreign

hostages on Christmas Day “if nothing happens to disturb the atmosphere of

peace.”

President Bush assures key lawmakers that war with Iraq is not imminent and

that he will give sanctions more time to compel Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait.

Sharing of power ends as the Kremlin gives Mikhail Gorbachov full central power.

It ends the system under which he shares executive authority with his

increasingly unpopular prime minister, Nikolai Ryzhkov, whose job will be

eliminated.

In Paris - President Bush, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachov and the

leaders of 20 other nations sign a historic agreement that will slash arsenals of

conventional weapons built-up through the Cold War.

Iraq orders 250,000 more troops to Kuwait and they’ll join the estimated 430,000

Iraqi troops already there.

gain the necessary votes for a first-ballot

victory and will face former Defense

Secretary Michael Heseltine in a runoff.

Case against Gen. Manuel A. Noreiga -

CNN hands a federal magistrate several jail-

house tape recordings of the former

Panamanian dictator talking with his

lawyers. In a statement - Noreiga said that

the U.S government has done as much as

can to make sure he doesn’t get a decent

trial.

As shocked tourists screamed for help, a

man committed suicide by immolating

himself on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. By

the time the police could put the flames out - he was dead.

Oil slips below $30-a-barrel.

Simon & Schuster says they will not publish a book by established author Bret

Ellis called “American Psycho.”

Week of November 15, 1990

After more than 6 ½ years of litigation, former San Diego Mayor Rodger

Hedgecock’s political corruption case ends. Hedgecock accepted his conviction

on a single felony count in return for no jail sentence and no retrial. He’s agreed

to pay a $5,000 fine (higher than the original) and accepted a one-day jail

sentence. His three-year probation ends soon.

A mass grave has been discovered near the site where tens of thousands of

Asian slave workers and Allied prisoners died building a railroad for the

Japanese during World War II. The remains of several hundred people, were

found near the “Bridge on River Kwai” in Thailand - about 70 miles west of

Bangkok. More than 300,000 prisoners and slave laborers worked on the 268-

mile rail line. An estimated 90,000 died from disease, malnutrition and ill

treatment.

Technology - Matsushita electric Industrial Co, the world’s largest consumer

electronics firm announces that it has won the race to market the world’s first

high-definition television. Marketed under the Panasonic name, the first one - a

36-nch HDTV would cost $34,900 and go on sale in Japan next month. Mostly a

public relations stunt - HDTV is expected to be the big thing later this decade

and into next. They expect to sell only 50 sets per month for now.

Sports -

Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates gets the National League’s most valuable

player. He became the first player to bat .300, hit 30 homers, drive in 100 runs

and steal 50 bases. His final numbers were .301, 33 homers, 114 RBIs and 53

stolen bases.

James Worthy of the Los

Angeles Lakers is arrested

on two counts of

solicitation of prostitution

and is in jail - just as his

team played the Houston

Rockets.

Music news -

“Girl You Know It’s True”

we were really lip

Rob Pilatus that neither he

or his partner Fabrice

Morvan were really lip-

Week of November 15, 1990

syncing their on the duo’s “Girl you know it’s True” album. But both say they

insisted they be allowed to sing on the new record. Producer Frank Farina, who

owns the name Milli Vanilli, resisted but released in Europe, early cuts from the

album with them singing. That album, “Keep on Running” is due out in January -

but it’s too little, too late.

At issue really - the pair did not sing on their 7 million-selling album “Girl You

Know It’s True” before they won the 1989 Grammy ward for best new artist of the

year. Their manager says the record company - Arista - knew it all along. Both

Pilatus and Morvan are wrongly listed on the album credits as its vocalists and

they could lose their Grammy award - a first. Pilatus’ admission came after the

pair was fired this week by frank Farian.

Radio stations stop playing Milli Vanilli and fans express outrage. Some stations

offered listeners exchanges for their Milli Vanilli CD’s or cassettes. So everyone

is asking - who sang on those recordings - they’re pretty good!

As soon as the Milli Vanilli scandal broke - Dave Letterman had his Top 10

list of new jobs for Milli Vanilli:

#7 Try to sell Ben and Jerry’s on idea for “Milli Vanilla.”

#3 Even Newer Kids on the Block.

#1 - Who Cares? Just as long as we don’t have to hear from them ever again.

Billy Joel is a year into a 15-month

“Storm Front” LP concert tour. It’s a

long one - but by design. Joel says

he’s in a financial hole and is now

just getting out.

Rap group Digital Underground

may be prosecuted by the San

Diego city attorney for allegedly

simulating sex acts with inflatable

dolls during a summer concert at

the city’s Sports Arena.

Television news -

Two new cable-TV court channels

will merge - “In Court” from

Cablevision Systems Corp. and

“The American Lawyer Media Channel” form Time Warner Inc and American

Lawyer Magazine. Both channels planned to telecast live courtroom dramas from

Week of November 15, 1990

the 44 states that permit TV coverage of trials. The problem - limited cable

channels.

On “Saturday Night Live” - Host Dennis Hopper with musical guest Paul Simon.

with NBC as an actor and producer,

moves to CBS, where - he is now

filming a pilot called “Us.”

Fred, the famous Cockatoo seen on

“Baretta” is stolen from his cage at

San Diego Wild Animal park. The

thief forced his way through three

locked gates to get to the bird. Fred,

who can talk, laugh and cough is

valued at $15,000.

Thursday night television -

CBS - Top Cops, The Flash, Doctor,

Doctor, Knots Landing, American

Tonight

NBC - Cosby Show, A Different World, Cheers, Grand, L.A. Law, Johnny Carson

ABC - Father Dowling Mysteries, Gabriel’s Fire, Primetime Live, Nightline, Into

the Night

Fox - The Simpsons, Parker Lewis, Beverly Hills 90210

PBS - Mystery!

HBO - Inside the NFL with Nick Buoniconti, Cris Collinsworth and Len Dawson

Into the Night w/Rick Dees - John Ritter.

Johnny Carson - Celine Dion.

Top TV -

Cheers - 23.0

60 Minutes - 22.2

Sunday NFL Football - 20.3

Movie-the Big One Part 2 - 19.5

A Different World - 18.8

Movie - “It” - 18,.5

Barbara Walters Special - 18.4

Empty Nest - 18.0

Roseanne - 18.0

Week of November

15,

1990

America’s Funniest People -

17.9

The Cosby Show - 17.7

Murder: She Wrote - 17.6

The Golden Girls - 17.3

Designing Women - 17.0

Murphy Brown - 16.9

America’s Funniest Home

Videos - 16.9

Unsolved Mysteries - 16.5

Matlock - 16.4

Full House - 16.4

The Wonder Years - 16.3

Doogie Howser, M.D. - 16.2

Growing Pains - 16.0

In The Heat of the Night - 15.9

Monday Night Football - 15.8

Grand - 15.5

L.A. Law - 15.5

Major Dad - 15.5

Family Matters - 15.3

Fresh Prince of Bel Air - 14.7

Carol & Company - 14.6

Knots Landing - 14.8

Coach - 14.6

Head of the Class - 14.6

Married People - 14.5

Week of November 15, 1990

O.J. Simpson Ad For Honeybaked Ham!