Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Tom Danehy: Obama has lost his chance to pass real, meaningful health-care reform (tucsonweekly.com)
When President Obama first took on health care, I actually sat down and wrote him a letter. As an American, I do stuff like that. I'm absolutely amazed that people looking like Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black didn't show up at my front door.
Ted Rall: THE CONTRARIAN MANIFESTO
He dressed like a conformist. But Dad was a contrarian. "If you don't know what to do," he said, "do the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing. On average, conventional wisdom is always wrong. Run away from the crowd--and you'll come out ahead in the long run."
Paul Krugman Trashes Fox News CEO Roger Ailes to His Face: 'Deliberate Misinformation' (alternet.org)
Krugman: "People did not know what was in the [health care] plan, and some of that was just poor reporting, some of it was deliberate misinformation."
Snake On A Train (Fort Worth Weekly)
Local fans of the late suspense writer Patricia Highsmith should probably forgive the fact that the author hated her native Fort Worth. The list of people and things she reviled was long and included Jews, African-Americans, Arabs, food of almost every kind (she much preferred a meal of gin and cigarettes), the American publishing industry, and finally the United States itself.
Patti Smith's New York stories (guardian.co.uk)
Punk poet Patti Smith first met Robert Mapplethorpe when she moved to New York in the late 60s, and the pair became inseparable. Now she has written a memoir of their time together, from hanging out with Ginsberg and Warhol to her rise as a hit singer and his career as a photographer. She talks to Gaby Wood, and we publish an extract from her book, 'Just Kids.'
"The Next Hundred Million Signed Edition" by Joel Kotkin: A review by Tom Vanderbilt
Joel Kotkin, along with his sometime nemesis Richard Florida, is perhaps the leading purveyor of a kind of psychoeconomic demography, a predictive chronicler armed with Census tract data, Pew surveys, and some old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting, all recounted in an urgent, assuaging, insider-y tone -- a kind of Kiplinger Report for the national soul.
Robert Sandall: Peter Gabriel is back in the habit (timesonline.co.uk)
Lately more a technology guru than a singer, he now has a new CD - 'Scratch My Back' is a covers album with a difference
Tim Cooper: How Rounder Records went from minor to major (timesonline.co.uk)
Started by three students with $125, the record label is still quirkily independent, despite being home to huge talent
Interview by Laura Barnett: "Portrait of the artist: Julia Jones, conductor" (guardian.co.uk)
'A concert master once told me: Don't think so much - just conduct. It's the best advice I've ever been given.'
Roger Ebert: Two war films, worlds apart: 'Avatar,' 'Hurt Locker' lead Oscar noms
The Perfect Storm of this year's Oscars nominations was upgraded to category 5 early Tuesday with the 9-9 tie between "The Hurt Locker" and "Avatar." One of the least costly nominees and the most expensive film of all time were directed by once-married Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron, and although they say they wish each other well, there's little doubt who Movie City has the crush on.
Kevin Maher: Anika Noni Rose, Disney's first black princess (timesonline.co.uk)
The 'Dreamgirls' and 'No1 Ladies' ... actress battled prejudice and ignorance to play the heroine of 'The Princess and the Frog.'
Alice Fisher: Interview with Nicholas Hoult (guardian.co.uk)
He went from pre-teen "shrimp" in 'About a Boy' to the sexy face of 'Skins.' Now, Nicholas Hoult is set to crack Hollywood. His only problem is working out how he feels about it all.
Seth Stevenson: Soft Sell (slate.com)
Why quiet, understated TV ads are so effective.
Liza Donnelly: Cartoon
Hubert's Poetry Corner
"Betrayal of Baron 52"
A Sad, Embarrassing Anniversary
The Weekly Poll
Current Question
The 'Glow in the Dark' Edition
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is endorsing nuclear energy like never before, trying to win over Republicans and moderate Democrats on climate and energy legislation. Obama singled out nuclear power in his State of the Union address, and his spending plan for the next budget year is expected to include billions of more dollars in federal guarantees for new nuclear reactors... Obama's new climate card: nuclear power - Climate Change- msnbc.com
Do you support the increased use of nuclear power in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
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From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestion
The Magic Flute
Very unusual rendition of the Overture to The Magic Flute!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
Willy Wonka-Style Surprise
Elton John
Sir Elton John will make one lucky US fan's dreams come true, thanks to a Willy Wonka-style event to raise money for his Aids charity.
With a twist reminiscent of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, special boxes of chocolate have been created, and inside one will be a "special ticket" to meet Elton and present him with a cheque for 200,000 dollars for the Elton John Aids Foundation later this year.
The music star's partner David Furnish and Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria launched the campaign at posh-choc maker Godiva's boutique in Los Angeles, in the run-up to St Valentine's Day.
"It's an opportunity to give something to someone you love and also give back to support the work we do with HIV and Aids," David explained.
Elton John
Criticizes Illegal Adoptions
Mia Farrow
UNICEF goodwill ambassador Mia Farrow has criticized as "deplorable" attempts to take children out of Haiti illegally after last month's devastating earthquake.
The U.S. actress says groups or individuals who want to help Haiti's children should rather support orphanages or their families inside the country.
Farrow, who herself has adopted 11 children, says offering parents a better life for their children elsewhere is "completely unacceptable and immoral."
Farrow was taking part by telephone Thursday in a news briefing for the U.N. children's fund's annual appeal.
Mia Farrow
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen wants his name off a lawsuit demanding licensing fees from a Manhattan bar where a band played his songs.
A statement on Springsteen's Web site Thursday said he didn't know about the lawsuit that was filed Wednesday in federal court and wouldn't have agreed to be a plaintiff if he had been asked.
It says Springsteen's representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name Thursday morning after learning about the lawsuit filed by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. ASCAP didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Thursday night.
The suit claims Connolly's Pub violated Springsteen's copyrights by letting an unidentified band perform two of his songs for profit.
Bruce Springsteen
Challenge Comcast-NBC Deal
House Democrats
House Democrats challenged executives from Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal on Thursday to show that the cable TV operator's plan to take control of the NBC media empire won't hurt consumers and rivals.
Members of a House subcommittee on communications and technology worried that the transaction could lead to a range of competitive harms. Those include higher cable TV rates, fewer video programming choices and possibly even an end to over-the-air broadcasts of NBC's flagship television network.
"The issue before us really boils down to the seven 'C's,'" said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a senior member of the subcommittee. "Will this combination of communications colossi curtail competition and cost consumers? That is the question that must be answered as this process moves forward."
Comcast, based in Philadelphia, is seeking government approval to acquire a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co. Approval is expected, but the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission are likely to attach conditions. Input from Congress could sway the outcome of those regulatory reviews.
House Democrats
HBO Renews
"Big Love"
HBO still has lots of love for the Mormon drama "Big Love."
Four episodes into the series' fourth season, the cable network has ordered a fifth.
"Love," which centers on Utah native Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) as he balances the needs of his three wives (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin) and their broods, drew 1.7 million viewers for its season premiere last month. That was up 49% from Season 3's opener.
Despite facing the NFC Championship and the Grammys the past two Sundays, the series is tracking 13% higher than last season.
"Big Love"
Libya Blocks
YouTube
Human Rights Watch accused Libya on Thursday of blocking access to YouTube and other independent or opposition websites, saying it signalled a return to the "dark days" of total media control in the north African country.
It said YouTube was no longer available after footage of family members of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and of demonstrations in the eastern city of Benghazi were posted on the online video site.
Since January 24 the government had also blocked access to opposition websites based abroad, a source of independent news in a country dominated by state media, Human Rights Watch said.
A group of Libyan bloggers, journalists and rights defenders have begun an online campaign on social networking site Facebook demanding the authorities restore access to the sites.
YouTube
'80s Hit Copies Kids' Song
Men at Work
Australian band Men at Work copied a well-known children's campfire song for the flute melody in its 1980s hit "Down Under" and owes the owner years of royalties, a court ruled Thursday.
"Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree" was written more than 70 years ago by Australian teacher Marion Sinclair for a Girl Guides competition, and the song has been a favorite around campfires from New Zealand to Canada.
The teacher died in 1988, and publishing company Larrikin Music owns the copyright to her song about the native Australian bird. Larrikin filed the copyright lawsuit last year.
Federal Court Justice Peter Jacobson ordered the parties back in court Feb. 25 to discuss the compensation Larrikin should receive from songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert and Men at Work's record companies Sony BMG Music Entertainment and EMI Songs Australia.
Men at Work
Hollywood Loses Landmark Copyright Case
Australia
Hollywood studios lost a landmark copyright court case against an Australia internet provider on Thursday, when a court ruled iiNet could not be held responsible for unauthorized downloads of movies using its service.
The suit against iiNet was filed by a group of the biggest Hollywood studios including Village Roadshow, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox and Disney.
The consortium had hoped to prove iiNet not only failed to take steps to stop illegal file-sharing by customers, but breached copyright itself by storing and transmitting the data through its system.
Australia's Federal Court in Sydney ruled it was impossible to hold iiNet responsible for users infringing copyright.
Australia
Cybill's Son In Court
Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim
Cybill Shepherd's son has appeared in court in Philadelphia on charges he stole money and other items from fellow airline passengers.
Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim is a University of Pennsylvania student from Sebastopol, Calif. Police say he stole cash, a camera and other items from carry-on luggage during a cross-country United Airlines flight last month.
A judge Thursday set an April 20 trial date on theft and related charges.
The 22-year-old Shepherd-Oppenheim is the son of the "Moonlighting" star and her ex-husband, chiropractor Bruce Oppenheim.
Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim
Abandoned Jet Rots At Airport
Wayne Newton
Officials say singer Wayne Newton owes a Detroit-area airport more than $60,000 after abandoning his plane more than three years ago and leaving it to gather mold.
Oakland County International Airport President Joe Borgesen says the plane once worth about $2 million was flown into the airport about 25 miles northwest of Detroit to have interior work done that took about a year to complete. He said Newton, who is known as "Mr. Las Vegas," initially paid storage fees but then stopped.
Borgesen estimates moving the non-working plane would cost about $30,000.
A woman who answered the phone at Erin Miel Inc., the entertainment company owned by Newton, told The Oakland Press on Wednesday she is aware the plane is at the airport but provided no further information.
Wayne Newton
Justice Dept Says Books Deal Troubled
Google
Changes that Google Inc and the Authors Guild made to an ambitious plan to create a massive online library were inadequate because they fail to address antitrust and copyright concerns, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.
Google's plan to put millions of books online has been praised for expanding access to books but has also been vociferously criticized on antitrust and copyright grounds.
The deal was amended last year after the Justice Department recommended that the original settlement be rejected but more changes were needed, a Justice Department official said on Thursday, on background.
In its court filing on Thursday, the Justice Department said the proposed settlement posed potential copyright and antitrust issues, and also used a class action mechanism to "implement forward-looking business arrangements" rather than simply resolving an existing dispute.
Google
In Memory
Frances Reid
Frances Reid, who played matriarch Alice Horton on "Days of Our Lives" for four decades, has died in Los Angeles. She was 95.
She was among the original cast of the daytime soap opera, which premiered in 1965. Reid starred opposite Macdonald Carey, who played her husband until his death in 1994.
Her final appearance as a regular was in 2007.
Reid made appearances on episodic TV and other soaps including "As the World Turns." In the 1950s, she performed on anthologies such as "Studio One" and "Philco Television Playhouse" during what is recalled as TV's Golden Age.
Reid received the Daytime Emmys' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
She was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1914.
Frances Reid
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