Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Susan Estrich: The Kindness of a Stranger (creators.com)
I was power walking up Broadway in New York City last Tuesday, when something went terribly wrong. The world started spinning. I literally couldn't see straight.
Tom Danehy: Remembering Valerie McGregor, a young champion gone far too soon (tucsonweekly.com)
We're coming up on four years now since Valerie McGregor died, and the memories are as painful as ever.
Connie Schultz: We All Need a Friend Like Julia Sugarbaker (creators.com)
Last week's passing of actor Dixie Carter has reminded me just how much most of us could use a friend like Julia Sugarbaker.
Andrew Tobias: Not All Eggrolls are Chinese (andrewtobias.com)
"The White House egg roll" was just something I knew they did every year that sounded only marginally interesting - if you were five. I mean, really? Who cares? And then yesterday, I got this eggwitness account - complete with photos! - and found myself, by the end, grinning from ear to ear.
James Robinson: "Stevie Spring: 'Learn as you go along and don't bet the farm on anything'" (guardian.co.uk)
Future's chief executive Stevie Spring on the challenges facing the publisher in the digital era. By
The return of radical bookshops (guardian.co.uk)
In a sorely troubled time for booksellers, these hubs of campaigning passion are proving surprisingly resilient. Natalie Hanman finds out why.
Christine Kenneally: The Mystery of the Messy Notebooks (slate.com)
Why Agatha Christie's method was utterly deranged.
Interview by Laura Barnett: "Portrait of the artist: Rufus Wainwright, musician" (guardian.co.uk)
'What have I sacrificed? Rufus the hausfrau. After years of hotels, I'm horribly inept at cleaning up after myself.'
Steve Appleford: The xx band brings its brooding, dreamy sounds stateside (latimes.com)
"It was writing with no intention that a lot of people would hear it, and it was writing in a very therapeutic way," said Croft, 20, who writes the band's lyrics with Sim. "I was getting things out of me. A lot of it was written between the ages of 15 and 19. There were a lot of feelings going on there."
David Perlmutt: For decades, Si Kahn gave voice to the voiceless (McClatchy Newspapers)
He's been called "Democracy's troubadour," this folk-singing, rabble-rousing son of a rabbi who for decades has told the story of America's millworkers, coal miners and immigrants in original songs, books and musicals.
Ryan McGinley: nude in New York (guardian.co.uk)
From street to open road, his portraits of youthful optimism have made Ryan McGinley a star. Edward Helmore meets him.
Rene Rodriguez: 'Kick-Ass' subverts the comic-book superhero genre with humor and gore (McClatchy Newspapers)
The controversy around "Kick-Ass" began with the film's R-rated trailer, which hit the Internet in December and showed a masked little girl shooting grown men in the face and using a certain four-letter word most adults rarely utter.
David Bruce: How Do I Write a Resume, List of References, and Cover Letter? (lulu.com)
Free download. This short pdf document describes how to write a good resume, list of references, and cover letter, aka job-application letter.
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The 'Enemy of the State' Edition...
"The Obama administration has taken the extraordinary step of authorizing the targeted killing of an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks on the United States to directly participating in them... officials say Mr. Awlaki is an operative of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the affiliate of the terror network in Yemen and Saudi Arabia...
It is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for an American to be approved for targeted killing, officials said..."
Confirmed: Obama authorizes assassination of U.S. citizen - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com
Do you approve or disapprove of such an action?
A.) Approve
B.) Disapprove
C.) This is nothing new, it's been going on for years...
Send your response to
wrote:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Mostly sunny and seasonal.
Democratic Fundraiser
Gloria Estefan
US President Barack Obama held a fundraiser Thursday at the home of famed Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan as his Democratic Party girds for a major mid-term battle ahead of November elections.
Obama arrived shortly after 5:00 pm (2100 GMT) for the function which, at 30,400 dollars per head, was expected to raise some two million dollars, according to the Democratic National Committee.
But the star singer and her husband Emilio Estefan, who declare themselves politically independent, were already drawing criticism from some leaders in Florida's huge Cuban-American community, many of whom are Republican-leaning, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Gloria Estefan, who sings in both English and Spanish and has sold more than 90 million albums worldwide, is a cultural icon in the Cuban-American community.
Gloria Estefan
HBO Renews "Real Time"
Bill Maher
HBO is doubling down on Bill Maher, giving his talk show a super-sized renewal.
The pay-cable network is picking up "Real Time With Bill Maher" for a ninth season as part of a two-year deal with the host. As part of the agreement, "Real Time" will air 35 episodes beginning in January. Excluding some holiday weeks, that will keep "Real Time" on the air through November.
"He will be on basically a whole year, which has been my goal at HBO," said HBO Entertainment senior vp Nancy Geller, who has worked with Maher since his days hosting ABC's "Politically Incorrect."
The overall agreement includes a one-hour stand-up special Maher is working on, and the comedian is developing another project in the early stages.
Bill Maher
Game Designer Signs Deal With Science Channel
Will Wright
Video game designer Will Wright has signed a development deal with Science Channel to produce programing for the network.
Wright is co-founder of Maxis (now part of Electronic Arts) and designer of hit game series "The Sims." He is charged with creating series and specials for Science that explore topics including time travel, different worlds and the future. Each program will have online and interactive components and will attempt to reflect the sensibility of Wright's video game work.
"I want to take the way he engages an audience in gaming and bring that into a show," Science Channel GM Debbie Myers said.
The partnership reflects Myers' strategy to expand the network's programing from science-based content to shows that explore creativity. Science recently made headlines by partnering with Steven Spielberg for a documentary on rebuilding the World Trade Center site.
Will Wright
Radio Show Coming To TV
Steve Harvey
Comic Steve Harvey is bringing his morning radio show to television.
The simulcast will begin this fall on Centric, the spinoff network to BET that appeals to older viewers.
BET also said Wednesday that Academy Award winner Mo'Nique will return for a second season of late-night comedy. BET says it will also take on "The Game," a series that used to air on the CW network and in syndication, about women following a fictitious football team.
The network also plans to start a romantic comedy called "Let's Stay Together."
Steve Harvey
DreamWorks Converting To 3D
"Shrek"
As Dreamworks Animation prepares for the May 21 release of "Shrek Forever After," the studio is converting the first three movies in the hit franchise to the stereo format for a 3D Blu-ray Disc release.
"Our movies exist in digital files to begin with. To go back and rebuild to a quality 3D experience is not inexpensive, but we are about to achieve a pretty high quality result," company CEO Jeffrey "Sparky" Katzenberg said Wednesday at the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention
He expressed optimism about the rate of technical innovation in 3D filmmaking, spending some time discussing live-action conversion -- the subject of much scrutiny since the poorly received 3D conversion of "Clash of the Titans" opened in theaters and prompted industry concerns that bad 3D could threaten the format's rollout.
Pointing out that George Lucas is looking to convert "Star Wars" and James Cameron, "Titanic," he said, "They are not going to do anything to diminish the importance of those films." Katzenberg suggested that the process could cost $20 million per film and 18 months to accomplish.
"Shrek"
London Museum Showcases Gowns
Grace Kelly
Dresses that Grace Kelly wore in screen classics such as "High Society" and "Rear Window" are going on show at a London museum.
"Grace Kelly: Style Icon" at the Victoria and Albert Museum will display the glamorous wardrobe of the Oscar winning actress-turned-princess. Exhibits include the gown Kelly wore to accept her Oscar in 1955, as well as the outfit she wore to her first meeting with her husband Prince Rainier III of Monaco later that year.
The show will trace the evolution of her style as Princess Grace of Monaco, with haute couture gowns by her favorite couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Yves St Laurent.
Grace Kelly
Sets Records For Bravo
"Millionaire Matchmaker"
Bravo's "The Millionaire Matchmaker" ended its third season on a high note Tuesday.
The finale posted season highs among adults 18-49 and total viewers, helping Season 3 become the highest-rated in the history of the show. The episode averaged 841,000 adults 18-49 and 1.33 million total viewers, up 54% and 78%, respectively, over the second-season finale, which aired in May 2009.
Overall, the third season averaged 772,000 adults 18-49 and 1.12 million total viewers, a double-digit increase from Season 2. Bravo has already picked up the show for a fourth season.
"Millionaire Matchmaker"
Splitsville
Melissa Etheridge
Rocker Melissa Etheridge and her partner, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels Etheridge, have announced their separation.
In a statement Thursday, they asked for "consideration and respect for our family as we go through this difficult period."
The two held a commitment ceremony in Malibu, Calif., in 2003. Tammy Etheridge, 35, gave birth to twins - a son, Miller, and a daughter, Johnnie Rose - in 2006. The couple used an anonymous donor from a sperm bank.
The 48-year-old singer shares custody of daughter Bailey Jean and son Beckett with former partner Julie Cypher. Musician David Crosby was the sperm donor for the children, who were delivered by Cypher.
Melissa Etheridge
Splitsville
Mel "Sugar Tits" Gibson
Actor Mel Gibson and his Russian-born singer girlfriend were reported on Wednesday to have split up five months after the birth of their baby daughter.
Celebrity websites People.com and UsWeekly.com, among others, cited unnamed sources as saying the "Braveheart" actor, 54, and Oksana Grigorieva, 39, had gone their separate ways some weeks ago.
The Oscar-winning actor and director of blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" went public about his romance with Grigorieva shortly after filing for divorce in April 2009 from his wife of nearly 30 years, Robyn.
People.com said the pair "just drifted apart" and quoted an unnamed friend as saying the split was amicable and that they hoped to raise their baby, Lucia, together.
Mel "Sugar Tits" Gibson
Win Bid To Stall Dam
Amazon Defenders
Environmentalists aided by "Avatar" director James Cameron celebrated a big win Thursday after a judge suspended bidding on construction and operation of an Amazon dam that would be the planet's third-largest.
The ruling also resulted in the suspension of the hydroelectric project's environmental license. It was reminiscent of 1989, when rock star Sting protested the same dam alongside Indians in an event that helped persuade international lenders not to finance it at a time when Brazil was shuddering under a heavy foreign debt.
The administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is vowing to appeal, however. And Brazil, with government reserves of $240 billion, has such a booming economy that it no longer needs money from abroad to build the $11 billion Belo Monte dam.
Environmental groups and Amazon Indians "are incredibly energized by this decision and have renewed hope, although no one is naive," said Atossa Soltani, executive director of Amazon Watch. "Everyone recognizes that in Brazil a decision like this could be overturned quickly, and that we haven't won the battle yet."
Amazon Defenders
A 2nd Garbage Patch
Atlantic Ocean
Researchers are warning of a new blight on the ocean: a swirl of confetti-like plastic debris stretching over thousands of square miles (kilometers) in a remote expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.
The floating garbage - hard to spot from the surface and spun together by a vortex of currents - was documented by two groups of scientists who trawled the sea between scenic Bermuda and Portugal's mid-Atlantic Azores islands.
The studies describe a soup of micro-particles similar to the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a phenomenon discovered a decade ago between Hawaii and California that researchers say is likely to exist in other places around the globe.
Since there is no realistic way of cleaning the oceans, advocates say the key is to keep more plastic out by raising awareness and, wherever possible, challenging a throwaway culture that uses non-biodegradable materials for disposable products.
Atlantic Ocean
Sues Red Sox David Ortiz For Club Name
Jay-Z
Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and his business partner sued Boston Red Sox baseball player David Ortiz on Thursday for naming a Dominican Republic nightclub after their chain of 40/40 Club sports bar lounges.
Jay-Z and Juan Perez own 40/40 Clubs in New York City, Atlantic City and Las Vegas and have plans to open further venues in Tokyo and Macau.
They have accused Ortiz of trading on the fame, value and goodwill of their name through his club Forty/Forty and its website, www.fortyforty.net, which they say has caused their business "marketplace confusion and damage," the lawsuit said.
"David Ortiz is fully aware of plaintiff's Manhattan 40/40 Club, since he had been a patron there on several occasions long before he opened his infringing Forty/Forty Club," said the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court.
Jay-Z
Shifting Costs Ahead Of Law
Health Insurers
Some of the largest U.S. health insurers are changing their accounting practices to book administration costs as medical costs in an attempt to circumvent new industry reforms, according to a U.S. Senate panel's report released on Thursday.
Under the healthcare law passed in March, insurers must adjust their spending habits to meet new requirements. For example, large group plans must spend at least 85 cents of every premium dollar paid to them on actual medical care as opposed to administrative costs, while individual and small group plans must spend 80 cents.
Wall Street closely watches such spending levels, known as medical-loss ratios, or MLRs, as a sign of potential profits. Major health insurance stock indexes fell after the report.
For example, WellPoint Inc "has already 'reclassified' more than half a billion dollars of administrative expenses as medical expenses," it said.
Health Insurers
800,000 U.S. TV Households
'Cut The Cord'
Make no mistake: The big cable, satellite, and telco carriers are still sitting pretty with more than 100 million TV subscribers. Nevertheless, a new report claims that more and more viewers are "cutting the cord" in favor of watching their favorite shows via over-the-air antennas (remember those?), Netflix, or the Web.
TechCrunch has the scoop on a new report from the Toronto-based Convergence Consulting Group, and though the figures may not be a "serious threat" to the big cable and satellite carriers yet, the trend might eventually spell trouble for the like of Cablevision, Comcast, DirecTV, and Time Warner Cable.
To wit: Nearly 800,000 households in the U.S. have "cut the cord," dumping their cable, satellite, or telco TV providers (such as AT&T U-verse or Verizon FiOS) and turning instead to Web-based videos (like Hulu), downloadable shows (iTunes), by-mail subscription services (Netflix), or even good ol' over-the-air antennas for their favorite shows, according to the report.
Now, as TechCrunch points out, the estimated 800,000 cord cutters represent less than 1 percent of the 100 million U.S. households (give or take) currently subscribing to a cable/satellite/telco TV carrier, so it's not like we're talking a mass exodus here. But by the end of 2011, the report guesstimates, the number of cord-cutting households in the U.S. will double to about 1.6 million, and if the trend continues, well...
'Cut The Cord'
Statue Provokes Chaos
Empire State Building
Frantic 911 callers have been flooding New York police lines after seeing what appeared to be a person perched on an elevated ledge of the Empire State Building and preparing to jump.
But the nightmare scenario turned out to be false, with police realizing upon rushing to the scene that they were dealing with a lifeless cast-iron statue and not a suicide attempt, the New York Post reported Thursday.
The life-size sculpture is among 31 statues of realistic looking men by British artist Antony Gormley installed on dangerous roofs and ledges of the city's most famous buildings early last month. Four of them were placed street-side, including one on Fifth Avenue.
"It's a pain in the ass," one officer told the Post about the "Even Horizon" art installation. "It's a waste of manpower. We're short cops to begin with and we don't have enough cops to waste answering calls of statues committing suicide."
Empire State Building
Gardner Wins Fight With Landlord
Catharine Pierce
A Colorado woman who likes to garden wearing only a yellow thong and pink gloves has won her fight with her landlords, who wanted her to cover up. Boulder Housing Partners has decided not to outlaw tenants from going topless outside. That will allow 52-year-old Catharine Pierce to keep gardening the way she likes.
Betsey Martens with the city housing authority noted Wednesday that the Boulder City Council recently voted to continue to exempt female toplessness from a ban on public nudity. Martens said the council's action reflects the community's values.
The housing authority had threatened to evict Pierce and her husband, Robert, after getting complaints from neighbors and passers-by.
Robert Pierce said he's happy with the housing authority's decision.
Catharine Pierce
In Memory
Jack Herer
Writer and activist Jack Herer, whose 1985 book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" ignited the modern marijuana legalization movement, died Thursday from complications from a September heart attack that felled him moments after speaking at a Portland rally. He was 70.
Herer had been recuperating since March in Eugene. His wife, Jeannie, was at his side at the house the couple had rented when he died.
Fellow activists expressed sorrow at losing the man who racked up hundreds of thousands of miles crossing the country for nearly 40 years campaigning to restore the hemp plant to American agriculture.
The book says the government banned hemp in 1939 as part of a campaign to eliminate the scourge that went by the Mexican slang marijuana. But few people, Herer wrote, realized that marijuana was the dried flower of the female hemp plant, which humans had used as medicine for thousands of years.
The rest of the hemp plant, Herer argued, could do nothing less than save the world. For millennia, he said, people made fiber, clothing, rope, fuel, high-protein food from the fast-growing, easily cultivated plant, and they could again.
And Herer loudly proclaimed the right to get high, arguing that in fact, people ought to get high, morning, noon and night. He found medical research showing that marijuana can protect the body against cancer.
Born in New York City, Herer grew up in Buffalo, N.Y, the youngest of three children. He dropped out of high school and joined the Army, serving in Korea. After his hitch, he picked up work as a sign painter.
In the early 1960s, he moved his wife and family to Los Angeles. A short time later, he divorced but stayed close with his children. He married and divorced twice more before marrying Jeannie Hawkins in 2000.
Herer came to marijuana relatively late in life, smoking his first joint at 30. He chucked the sign business and opened a head shop on Venice Beach, then made a lifelong friend in "Capt." Ed Adair, another head shop owner and a longtime marijuana advocate in Los Angeles.
In 1973, the men pledged to campaign until marijuana was legal, everyone imprisoned for possession was freed or they turned 84. Adair died in 1991 and Herer fought on.
Herer was arrested in 1981 for trespassing on federal property while collecting signatures for a California ballot initiative. He served 14 days in prison and started writing, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes."
After his release, Herer moved to Portland to open a head shop called The Third Eye, now a fixture on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. He completed the book in Portland, got it printed on hemp paper and began his years-long travels across the country.
Herer is survived by his wife, six children, a brother and a sister. Funeral arrangements are not completed.
Jack Herer
(Thanks, MD)
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