Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: "The devil in the pie chart" (SF Gate)
Fondly do I remember a professor of mine back at Berkeley, a warm-hearted philosophy nut who loved discussing our bizarre American conditioning of greed, the nature of money and mad desire for incessant growth. His favorite semi-rhetorical query: How much do you think you need, really, to live healthy, comfortable and happy? A million dollars? Ten? How much land, how many resources, how many cars and homes, how much stuff?
Tom Danehy: Tom has a fun quiz for all of the charter school defenders out there (Tucson Weekly)
In response to some feedback I've received, please allow me to make clear a few things. I DO NOT believe that all of Arizona's charter schools are staffed by right-wing lunatics. I DO believe that some charter schools provide a decent education for some students. Mostly, I DO NOT believe in the excuses given 20 years ago for the creation of charter schools or in the rationalizations made for the secretive expenditures of taxpayer money.
Andrew Tobias: "Cat People: Good News on Obamacare"
(Republican moderates have been primaried out of office and those that remain are afraid of being primaried, so Republicans eschew compromise. Democratic moderates have not been primaried by extremists, thus don't fear it, and, so - from the President on down - they do look for reasonable solutions.)
Rebecca Leber: Trick Websites Dupe Democrats Into Donating To Republicans (ThinkProgress)
The National Republican Congressional Committee has set up a number of websites that look like they could be a Democratic candidate's campaign page, unless you read the fine print. They may even violate a Federal Election Commission regulation, Campaign Legal Center expert Paul S. Ryan explained to ThinkProgress.
Taylor Berman: Fifth Former Marlboro Man Dies From Smoking-Caused Illness (Gawker)
Lawson died on January 10 at the age of 72. According to his wife, Susan, he suffered respiratory failure caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. He'd smoked since age 14.
Steve Benen: CBO delivers welcome news to Obamacare backers (Rachel Maddow Show)
Despite what Americans are being told, the CBO did not find that the health care reform law would cost the nation over 2 million jobs. What it actually said is that the law will empower more than 2 million Americans to leave the workforce if they want to, no longer feeling forced to stay at a job in order to have benefits for them and their family.
Emine Saner: How do you get a city to lose weight? (Guardian)
There is an obesity epidemic in England - and in some areas it is much worse than others. But why - and how do you get a community to lose weight? Oklahoma City reckons it has the answers.
Daniel O'Brien: The 3 Most Depressing Minor Characters in Famous Movies (Cracked)
… all of my empathy is reserved for the fictional characters on my television and movie screen. My heart breaks not just for the obvious candidates -- your Eponines, your Bambis, your Misters T, and so on -- but for every sad character, even and especially the minor ones that I feel like no one else is paying attention to.
Jack Monroe: how to save money on your food shopping (Guardian)
Find out which 'hero ingredients' can help you make the most of a tight budget and how to save on your grocery bill.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Rainy day. Yippee!
Members At Odds
Pussy Riot
Six members of Russian punk group Pussy Riot on Thursday accused their previously imprisoned bandmates of undermining the group's ideals by appearing at a charity concert introduced by Madonna.
A letter posted on the group's blog lashed out at Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina for taking part in the concert organised by Amnesty International in New York on Wednesday.
Madonna introduced the women, who were dressed in tunics with crucifixes emblazoned on the front. They delivered a furious and emotional rebuke of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, chanting "Russia will be free!" to an ecstatic crowd.
But the appearance was poorly received by others in the group, which has a fluctuating membership that has never been fully revealed.
Selling concert tickets "is highly contradictory to the principles of Pussy Riot," said the letter, which was signed with six nicknames. "We're a female separatist collective," it said. "We never accept money for our performances," and "we only stage illegal performances in unexpected public places."
Pussy Riot
NBC Pulls Show
Michael J. Fox
NBC said Thursday it's pulling Michael J. Fox's eponymous comeback sitcom from its Thursday primetime lineup, hoping it will do better in another time slot.
"The Michael J. Fox Show" stars the Canadian-born Fox, 52, as a reporter for NBC's local television station in New York who returns to work with Parkinson's disease -- which Fox has in real life.
But in ratings terms, it was the laggard in NBC's Thursday night comedy quartet, pulling 2.2 million viewers in the week of January 20-26 compared to 3.0 million for both "Community" and Amy Poehler's "Parks and Recreation."
In an email to AFP on Thursday, an NBC spokesman told AFP: "'The Michael J. Fox Show' is being pulled from the schedule, but we will try and find a place for it after April 3."
Michael J. Fox
USA's To End
'Psych'
USA will be bidding farewell to long-running dramedy "Psych," as the cabler has announced that the detective series' current season will be its last.
Final episode will air March 26 and will be followed by an hourlong aftershow featuring a Q&A with the cast and show creatives.
The network's longest-running original series, "Psych," created by Steve Franks, debuted on USA in July 2006. It ranked as one of cable's top five series on Wednesday nights last year among key demos including adults 18-49 and total viewers. USA bowed the eighth season of "Psych" on Jan. 8 this year.
'Psych'
Hospital News
Leonard Nimoy
Veteran actor Leonard Nimoy, best known as Spock in the 1960s television series "Star Trek" and a string of feature films that followed, said he was "doing OK" after being diagnosed with lung disease and urged fans on Thursday to quit smoking.
"Smokers, please understand. If you quit after you're diagnosed with lung damage it's too late. Grandpa says learn my lesson. Quit now," Nimoy tweeted to his 810,000 followers.
The 82-year-old actor added he was "doing OK. Just can't walk distances," and he signed off with "LLAP," an abbreviation of his character's trademark phrase, "live long and prosper."
Nimoy first revealed in a Twitter message posted last week that he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, a severe lung ailment that the U.S. surgeon general has concluded is linked to smoking.
Leonard Nimoy
Rupert News Contributor
James Carville
Fox News has signed Democratic strategist James Carville to be a contributor, the network announced Thursday. The network said that Carville will appear on "v arious programming offering political commentary on the news of the day."
"James' successful and storied career in politics over several decades is an enormous asset to Fox News," Bill Shine, Fox News' executive vice president of programming, said in a statement. " We are privileged to have him lend his breadth of experience, wit and dynamic perspective on the network."
Carville's contract at CNN was not renewed last year after a long stint with the network. Carville was a co-host of the first incarnation of " Crossfire," from 2002 until its cancellation in 2005.
Carville is perhaps best known for his role on the 1992 campaign of former President Bill Clinton. His work on the campaign led to a Campaign Manager of the Year award from the American Association of Political Consultants in 1993.
James Carville
Shocking - Not A Liberal
Leno
Here's something that might come as a surprise to some people - Jay Leno is no tool of the big, bad liberal media. At least, not according to a new study release by the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University.
The center conducted a study of the jokes told by Leno on his 20-plus year run on "The Tonight Show" - which comes to an end this week - and found that, when Leno joked about public affairs and public figures, he poked fun at Democrats more often than Republicans.
According to the study, which looked at more than 43,000 jokes about public affairs and public figures that Leno has told since taking the "Tonight Show" reins in 1992, Leno told 10,885 jokes about Democrats - 15 percent more than he told at the expense of Republicans.
Moreover, the study found that former president Bill Clinton was the biggest target of Leno's jokes, with 4,607 jabs tossed in his direction.
Somehow, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R-Quitter) was relatively unscathed by Leno's wit, absorbing a mere 300 jabs from the late-night host.
Leno
Can Japan's Beethoven Hear?
Ghost Composer
The ghostwriter for the musician lauded as Japan's Beethoven said Thursday he became fed up and ended their 18-year collaboration last year and he questioned if Mamoru Samuragochi really could hear.
Samuragochi, 50, had previously claimed to be the sole author of his classical works and sound tracks for video games, such as Biohazard, despite having lost his hearing by age 35. His story resonated in Japan, where perseverance is greatly admired. But he admitted Wednesday that he did not write the powerful "Hiroshima Symphony" and other works credited to him.
His ghost composer, Takashi Niigaki, said he provided music for Samuragochi for 18 years and questioned if he was hearing impaired.
Asked how the two worked together, Niigaki said he would compose pieces and sometimes play them for Samuragochi, who would then choose which he liked.
Ghost Composer
Recovered In Milwaukee
Stradivarius Violin
A rare Stradivarius violin worth millions of dollars that was stolen from a concert violinist in an armed robbery last week has been recovered from a Milwaukee residence, law enforcement officials said on Thursday.
Authorities discovered the prized string instrument inside a suitcase in the attic of a home on the city's south side late Wednesday night, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said during a news conference at police headquarters.
The recovery of the violin came after the arrest on Monday of three unidentified suspects, one of whom police said has a history of stealing art in Milwaukee.
The so-called Lipinski Stradivarius had been on loan indefinitely to Milwaukee area concert musician Frank Almond, officials said.
Stradivarius Violin
Scared Off Would-Be Burglar
Big Mouth Billy Bass
Big Mouth Billy Bass apparently got the best of a would-be burglar in Minnesota.
Authorities in Rochester say the motion-activated singing fish apparently scared off an intruder who tried to break into the Hooked on Fishing bait and tackle shop.
The novelty bass had been hung near the door and would start singing "Take Me to the River" whenever someone entered the shop.
Sgt. Tom Claymon tells the Star Tribune the would-be burglar left without stealing anything, including cash that had been left in "a very visible spot."
Big Mouth Billy Bass
First Coral Reef Found
Greenland
A cold-water coral that thrives in deep, dark water has been found growing off the shore of Greenland as a reef for the first time, scientists report.
A Canadian research ship sampling water near southwest Greenland's Cape Desolation discovered the Greenland coral reef in 2012, when its equipment came back to the surface with pieces of coral attached.
"At first, the researchers were swearing and cursing at the smashed equipment, and were just about to throw the pieces of coral back into the sea, when luckily, they realized what they were holding," Helle Jørgensbye, a doctoral student at the Technical University of Denmark who is studying the reef, said in a statement.
Cold-water corals have been found off of Greenland's west coast before, but never the stone coral Lophelia pertusa, and never as a reef, according to a report by the researchers published in the journal ICES Insight.
Lophelia pertusa reefs - colored ivory and pink - also flourish off the coast of Norway and Sweden, where they reach 65 feet (20 m) in height, though only the top 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) is alive. The coral lives in relatively warm water carried north by ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream, where temperatures are 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) or higher. The species can live without sunlight, unlike its warm-water cousins, many of which rely on sun-loving algae.
Greenland
Top 20
Concert Tours
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
1. (1) Beyonce; $1,798,401; $126.05.
2. (New) Justin Timberlake; $1,624,445; $114.53.
3. (3) Pink; $1,448,500; $87.17.
4. (5) Kanye West; $1,114,992; $87.90.
5. (4) Pearl Jam; $1,096,810; $67.77.
6. (6) Drake; $909,538; $78.52.
7. (7) Michael Buble; $869,010; $84.65.
8. (8) Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $715,752; $54.20.
9. (9) Dixie Chicks; $710,072; $75.63.
10. (10) Zac Brown Band; $583,794; $60.40.
11. (11) Nine Inch Nails; $544,023; $71.93.
12. (12) Alejandro Fernandez; $523,947; $90.52.
13. (13) Keith Urban; $482,181; $62.87.
14. (14) John Mayer; $454,733; $61.84.
15. (16) Sarah Brightman; $396,585; $71.23.
16. (15) Selena Gomez; $391,213; $48.29.
17. (17) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; $323,524; $40.10.
18. (19) John Legend; $224,172; $68.57.
19. (20) Jeff Dunham; $215,544; $49.20.
20. (21) Florida Georgia Line; $204,184; $31.80.
Concert Tours
In Memory
Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner was a smash as a slugger, launching so many home runs over the left-field wall at old Forbes Field that fans nicknamed it his corner.
Years later, as one of baseball's most beloved broadcasters, he became a big hit in a new "Kiner's Korner."
Kiner, the Hall of Famer whose frequent malaprops endeared him to New York Mets listeners for more than a half-century, died Thursday. He was 91.
Kiner hit 369 home runs during a 10-year career cut short by back problems. He debuted with Pittsburgh in 1946 and won or tied for the National League lead in homers in each of his first seven seasons.
He was popular off the field, too. His Hollywood pals included Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, he squired Liz Taylor and Janet Leigh, and he played himself in the 1951 film "Angels in the Outfield."
Kiner became a Mets announcer in their expansion season of 1962, working 17 years as a trio with Bob Murphy and Lindsey Nelson. Kiner called their games for 52 years in all, including a handful of them last season.
Kiner was already a fixture on the Mets' airwaves when he was inducted into the Hall in 1975. He was elected with just one vote to spare in his 15th and final year on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot.
To generations of TV viewers and radio listeners, his postcareer acclaim was as great as the honours he earned on the field.
Kiner was known for tripping over his own words, and often laughed about his own comments.
"If Casey Stengel were alive today, he'd be spinning in his grave," he once commented after a misplay.
Kiner had a stroke about a decade ago that slowed his speech, but remained an occasional part of the Mets' announcing crew.
Fellow announcers such as Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling always brightened when Kiner was alongside them. Younger fans who were born long after Kiner retired also reveled in his folksy tales.
As a teen, hanging around the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League, Kiner shook hands with Babe Ruth and talked ball with Ty Cobb. In high school, he hit a home run off Satchel Paige during a barnstorming tour.
After serving as a Navy pilot in World War II, Kiner had a strong rookie year and won the NL homer title with 23, beating Johnny Mize by one. He really broke loose the next year, hitting 51 home runs with 127 RBIs while batting .313.
Stuck on poor teams, Kiner never made it to the post-season. He made his mark in All-Star games, homering in three straight.
Kiner connected in the 1950 showcase at Comiskey Park, but made more noise with another ball he hit in the game. He hit a long drive to the base of the scoreboard in left-centre field and Ted Williams broke his left elbow making the catch, causing him to miss two months.
The Mets named the home TV booth at Shea Stadium in his honour. The Pirates retired Kiner's No. 4.
Ralph McPherran Kiner was born on Oct. 27, 1922.
He was first married to tennis star Nancy Chaffee. Following their divorce he married Barbara George, and following another divorce he married DiAnn Shugart, who died in 2004.
Ralph Kiner
In Memory
Joe Finnigan
Joe Finnigan, a veteran Hollywood reporter who chronicled the comings and goings of stars such as John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and even Lassie during a decades-long career, has died at age 88, his family said Thursday.
Finnigan died of natural causes on Jan. 22 at a retirement home in the San Fernando Valley, his son David Finnigan told The Associated Press.
In the early days of his career, Joe Finnigan worked for United Press International in San Francisco, Phoenix and Seattle. He arrived at UPI's Los Angeles bureau in 1958 and became an entertainment reporter.
Among the stories he covered was the release of Frank Sinatra's son Frank Jr. by kidnappers in 1963.
He said he also witnessed a near fistfight between the volatile Frank Sinatra and Wayne when the two got into a dispute at a Hollywood party. It ended, Finnigan's son said his father told him, when Sinatra yelled, "'Are you getting this, Joe?'" after the much bigger Wayne grabbed him.
From 1965 to 1983, Finnigan wrote the "TV Teletype" column for TV Guide.
Finnigan, who retired in the late 1980s, occasionally appeared as an extra in television shows and films, usually playing a reporter.
He began his career as a copy boy for the San Francisco Examiner before moving to The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa and then UPI, where he covered the arrival of American prisoners of war from North Korea in the 1950s.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his wife, Shirley; daughters Anne and Mary; sons John, Mark and Matthew; brothers Tom and Raymond; and 11 grandchildren.
Joe Finnigan
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