Recommended Reading
from Bruce
NICOLE WEISENSEE EGAN: University of Alabama Swimmer John Servati Died a Hero in Tornado, Friends Say (People)
University of Alabama swimmer John Servati was killed by a tornado Monday night - but not before saving the life of his girlfriend, friends say. "John Servati died a hero," fellow swimmer Anna Rae Gwarjanski Tweeted Tuesday. "Held up a concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him." Officials would only say Servati, 21, of Tupelo, Miss., died after a retaining wall collapsed in his home in Tuscaloosa.
Tom Danehy: Tom's taking the week off, so that racist rancher from Nevada is filling in (Tucson Weekly)
That Tom Danehy fella who usually writes this column is off coaching some kids at a track meet. That's just one of the things that's wrong with this country. I understand that at those track meet things, not only do they allow the races to mix, but boys and girls also compete right next to each other, causing hormones to rage and ... excuse me, I need a glass of water.
J.F. Sargent: 4 Movies That Got the Source Material's Point Exactly Wrong (Cracked)
The best part of adapting a pre-existing story into a movie is that you've already got a whole bunch of fans who are pretty much guaranteed to buy tickets (yay!). The worst part is that you have to stick to the ideas that already existed in the original story (boo!).
Daisy Ridley: everything we know about the Star Wars Episode 7 actor (Guardian)
We don't even know her exact age - and her agent has gone very quiet. So what exactly do we know about her?
Peter Bradshaw: "Bob Hoskins: forget Mona Lisa, Felicia's Journey was his masterpiece" (Guardian)
Bob Hoskins' appeal lay in a chirpiness forever on the edge of explosion. Yet his most powerful hour came playing a man with genuinely unsettling intent beneath that cuddly exterior.
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"In Russia, motorcyclists, like car drivers, have to drive with cameras. This rider had a helmet-mounted camera turned on when he saw an old man trying to cross a very busy street. He stopped and shielded the pedestrian from traffic with his bike. How kind of him!" - Neatorama
Natalie Neal: "Petite Meller's 'Backpack' Marlin Remix" (Vimeo)
French songstress Petite Meller's "Backpack" gets remixed by Marlin, where dance beats and airy vocals are set to a kaleidoscopic landscape to match.? First-time music video director Natalie Neal captures Petite Meller's fantasy world - filled with bubble baths, jeweled tiaras, cigarettes and tea.
Jordan Sowunmi: MISS CLEO ON HER ALLEGEDLY FAKE PATOIS AND GETTING RIPPED OFF BY THE PSYCHIC FRIENDS NETWORK (Vice)
If you looked at or were ever near a television in the late 90s or early 2000s, you'll remember the buoyant and boisterous television psychic Miss Cleo.
Mallory Ortberg: Flaws Only a Protagonist Could Have (The Toast)
She wasn't perfect. She had two different colored eyes, which is definitely a flaw and not a magnetic, compelling, unusual form of beauty.
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wrote:
, took the day off.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
David
Thanks, Dave!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
from Marc Perkel
BartCop
Hello Bartcop fans,
As you all know the untimely passing of Terry was unexpected, even by
him. We all knew he had cancer but we all thought he had some years
left. So some of us who have worked closely with him over the years are
scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. My job, among other
things, is to establish communications with the Bartcop community and
provide email lists and groups for those who might put something
together. Those who want to play an active roll in something coming from
this, or if you are one of Bart's pillars, should send an email to
active@bartcop.com.
So - to let you know what's going on, the guestbook on bartcop.com is
still open for those who want to write something in memory of Bart.
I did an interview on Netroots Radio about Bart's passing
( www.stitcher.com/s?eid=32893545 )
The most active open discussion is on Bart's Facebook page.
( www.facebook.com/bartcop )
You can listen to Bart's theme song here
or here.
( www.bartcop.com/blizing-saddles.mp3 )
( youtu.be/MySGAaB0A9k )
We have opened up the radio show archives which are now free. Listen to
all you want.
( bartcop.com/members )
Bart's final wish was to pay off the house mortgage for Mrs. Bart who is
overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support she has received.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can click on this the yellow donate
button on bartcop.com
But - I need you all to help keep this going. This note
isn't going to directly reach all of Bart's fans. So if you can repost
it on blogs and discussion boards so people can sign up then when we
figure out what's next we can let more people know. This list is just
over 600 but like to get it up to at least 10,000 pretty quick. So
here's the signup link for this email list.
( mailman.bartcop.com/listinfo/bartnews )
Marc Perkel
Thanks, Marc!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hot.
'Are you kidding me?'
Janice Hahn
Harbor Area Rep. Janice Hahn (D-Stones) stormed out of Thursday's National Day of Prayer gathering on Capitol Hill, saying she was outraged by what she later characterized as a "hateful political rant" by one of the speakers.
Evangelical Christian radio host Jame$ Dob$on (R-Camel/Eye of a Needle) delivered strong words to President Barack Obama, who was not in attendance, over his administration's position on abortion, calling Obama the "abortion president."
"When the ranting and rambling started about Planned Parenthood, I was like, 'Are you kidding me?' " Hahn said in a telephone interview with the Los Angeles News Group later in the day. "So I stood up and shouted, 'This is completely inappropriate for the National Day of Prayer' and stormed out."
Hahn, who had come to hear keynote speaker Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, said Dobson's comments "did harm" to the bipartisan spirit in which the event, in its 63rd year, is held.
"I'm co-chair of the weekly congressional prayer breakfast," said the San Pedro Democrat, who is a Christian and also co-chairs the National Prayer Breakfast. "Every week I've tried so hard to put my politics aside and come together with people with whom I don't agree. ... We pray for each other and we pray for the country. It's one thing we do to find some common ground."
Janice Hahn
Foundation to Protect Wildlife
New Mexico
The Navajo Nation and a group founded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and actor Robert Redford said Thursday they have agreed on a plan to manage thousands of wild horses on the reservation and keep the animals from being sent to slaughter houses.
The memorandum of agreement calls for adoptions, triages, veterinarian services, sanctuaries and funding to feed the animals. Richardson said it will result in a long-term, humane solution to an overpopulation of horses on the vast, remote reservation that has few financial resources.
Navajo President Ben Shelly went against public support for a return to domestic horse slaughter and ended wild horse roundups on the reservation after meeting with Richardson last October. He said Thursday that horses are sacred to the Navajo people and must be managed responsibly.
Under the agreement with the Foundation to Protect New Mexico Wildlife, the Navajo Nation no longer will make public statements in support of horse slaughter. The tribe said it will stop sending horses to slaughter facilities or selling them to people who do after sufficient money is obtained for a humane horse management program. The agreement does not list a dollar amount or a timeframe, but Richardson said "we look forward to getting right to work."
New Mexico
Twain-Inspired Jumping-Frog Contest
California
California lawmakers set aside the business of running the most populous U.S. state on Wednesday to gather on the state capitol lawn to see who could coax a frog to hop the farthest in a contest inspired by Mark Twain's gold-rush tale, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."
It was a warm, sunny day, so the amphibious athletes were kept in wet burlap bags in the shade for their own good until the contest got under way.
First up was Republican state Senator Tom Berryhill, also the master of ceremonies, whose district includes Calaveras County, where the Twain story was set and where the county fair for years has included a frog jump of its own.
The senator got down on his knees and placed the frog on a starting cushion and encouraged it to hop. The successful strategy involved creating a very loud thump by bringing his hands down on either side of the contestant.
Piloting the winner was Southern California Democratic Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown, who named her jumper Larry B 2.0, after her chief of staff, Larry Broussard.
California
No Plans To Retire Soon
Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor has a new book out, a collection spanning his decades as storyteller, novelist and radio show host. This summer he celebrates the 40th anniversary of "A Prairie Home Companion." But the curmudgeonly creator of Lake Wobegon, the quirky Minnesota town where - well, you know the rest - insists he didn't want to mark either milestone.
"I'm not done, so why would you put out a 'Keillor Reader' if Keillor is not done writing?" he asked during an interview in his book-lined office.
"The Keillor Reader" includes monologues from "A Prairie Home Companion" as well as excerpts from his novels, newspaper columns and previously unpublished essays. Both the book and the show's planned Fourth of July weekend anniversary celebration were done, Keillor says, against his better judgment.
Keillor, who turns 72 in August, hinted a few years ago that he planned to retire in 2013, and the show had its first guest host in 2011. But while he says the show "could definitely go on" without him, Keillor already has planned the next season and has started talks about the season after that.
Garrison Keillor
Oil Spill On Alaska's North Slope
BP
Work crews for BP Plc were clearing contaminated snow on Thursday on Alaska's North Slope after a Prudhoe Bay well line ruptured, spraying a 34-acre area with crude oil and natural gas.
Just how much liquid escaped from the line remains under investigation by BP and Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation.
It remains unclear whether the leak, detected earlier this week, is connected to a decline in North Slope oil production. BP did not return emails seeking comment.
Since the spill occurred, daily North Slope production has dropped about 10,000 barrels per day, from 533,000 to 521,000, according to state tracking data. As of Saturday, however, two days before an inspector discovered the problem, production was at 551,000, according to Alaska's Department of Revenue.
BP
Seeks More Secret Court Opinions
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Obama administration has failed to turn over documents under public-records requests detailing still-secret court orders about the scope and legality of National Security Agency surveillance, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group, said the Justice Department failed under its legally prescribed deadline to hand over documents in four requests since last year under the Freedom of Information Act. The requests sought, among other documents, secret opinions from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court exploring whether the NSA violated the law in collecting Americans' Internet communications.
A Justice Department spokesman said Thursday that the agency was "committed to a transparent and open government, and makes every attempt to comply with Freedom of Information requests in a timely and efficient manner while ensuring that classified or sensitive information is not improperly released."
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has aggressively sought access to the secret court's records, and some recently disclosed documents were the result of those lawsuits. EFF's most recent FOIA requests, among those challenged Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, also sought opinions from the secret appeals court and, if any were to exist, at the Supreme Court.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Another Week In Jail
Chris Brown
A Los Angeles judge on Thursday said R&B singer Chris Brown will remain in jail for at least another week as the pop star deals with dual cases on both sides of the country.
Brown, who will now spend his 25th birthday on May 5 behind bars, has been held since March 14 after his dismissal from a rehabilitation center violated the terms of his court-ordered treatment related to his 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, the pop singer Rihanna.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Brandlin said Brown would remain incarcerated unless a resolution on the terms of his probation in the Rihanna case could be agreed to between the prosecutor and Brown's attorney by a scheduled hearing on May 9.
Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, said if he cannot resolve the case with prosecutor, Mary Murray, by next week, he will ask the court to release Brown on certain terms and conditions. Geragos' past requests to have Brown placed under house arrest instead of jail have so far been denied.
Chris Brown
Rewards Loyalty
CNN
CNN cut or reduced 50 positions across multiple divisions on Thursday, changing roles and reducing positions and salaries across the board, a CNN executive told TheWrap.
CNN President Jeff Zucker met with newsroom reporters on Thursday to tell them the bad news, an insider told TheWrap. The cuts mainly affect news producers and managers, some of whom will be invited to reapply for new or "updated" positions at lower salaries.
The insider said Zucker's plan is to reduce packaged news stories to three or four per day and described the reaction in the newsroom as "shell-shocked."
Producers were invited to reapply for jobs after their current employment ends on or by June 13. Many jobs will be posted today and in coming weeks.
CNN
Magma Rising
Mount St. Helens
Magma levels are slowly rebuilding inside Mount St. Helens, a volcano in Washington state that erupted in 1980 and killed 57 people, although there was no sign of an impending eruption, U.S. scientists said.
The roughly 8,300-foot volcano erupted in an explosion of hot ash and gas on May 18, 1980, spewing debris over some 230 square miles and causing more than a billion dollars in property damage. Entire forests were crushed and river systems altered in the blast, which began with a 5.2 magnitude earthquake.
"The magma reservoir beneath Mount St. Helens has been slowly re-pressurizing since 2008," the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement on Wednesday. "It is likely that re-pressurization is caused by (the) arrival of a small amount of additional magma 4 to 8 km (2.5 to 5 miles) beneath the surface."
The USGS said this is to be expected with an active volcano and does not indicate "the volcano is likely to erupt anytime soon."
Mount St. Helens
The Brocken Specter
'Walpurgisnacht'
Pity Saint Walpurga, the English nun from Devon. A night of 'devil worship' atop a German mountain is not how she would have wanted to be remembered.
When canonizing Walpurga on May 1, 870 for converting pagan Germans, Pope Adrian II hoped to Christianize a much-loved heathen spring festival. The plan failed, but Walpurga's name stuck.
Today 'Walpurgisnacht', or May Eve (the night of April 30-May 1), is an occasion for revelry and excess in much of northern Europe, but no more so than in Germany's Harz mountains, a remote region of dark pine forests, eerie rock formations and blustery peaks.
The Harz mountains were one of the last places in what later became Germany to convert to Christianity. Brocken Mountain, the highest peak which is shrouded in fog 300 days a year, provides a natural stage for the supernatural and fantasies about evil.
The fog creates an optical illusion of magnifying the observers' shadow - a phenomenon known as the Brocken specter.
'Walpurgisnacht'
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) Justin Timberlake; $1,991,941; $114.59.
2. (2) George Strait; $1,603,905; $91.45.
3. (3) Paul Simon / Sting; $1,467,002; $130.59.
4. (New) Elton John; $1,444,960; $112.87.
5. (4) Cher; $1,158,597; $92.61.
6. (5) Jason Aldean; $644,985; $50.81.
7. (6) Kings Of Leon; $548,823; $55.43.
8. (7) Imagine Dragons; $485,121; $38.41.
9. (8) Lady Antebellum; $425,850; $59.49.
10. (9) Demi Lovato; $408,186; $46.49.
11. (10) Jeff Dunham; $271,642; $44.53.
12. (11) Darius Rucker; $246,402; $43.07.
13. (12) Jim Gaffigan; $199,873; $47.58.
14. (13) The Moody Blues; $190,333; $78.53.
15. (14) The Band Perry; $173,470; $40.72.
16. (15) "Winter Jam" / Newsboys / Lecrae ; $159,592; $13.40.
17. (16) Justin Moore; $148,747; $33.26.
18. (18) Ron White; $130,778; $51.98.
19. (19) Pixies; $121,923; $50.24.
20. (20) Third Day / Skillet; $120,445; $25.51.
Concert Tours
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