Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Garrison Keillor: Mama drama on Mother's Day
I was going to visit my mother on Sunday and bring her a jonquil and a ballpoint pen for Mother's Day, but that's all off thanks to my brother, who is awaiting trial for mail fraud. His lawyers have asked me not to discuss his case, and so I won't, except to say that he's guilty and richly deserves what's coming to him, but, of course, you can't tell Mother that.
Roger Ebert: Go gentle into that good night
I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can't say it wasn't interesting. My lifetime's memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris.
James Scurlock: If You Knew Suze Like We Know Suze (thebigmoney.com)
You wouldn't listen to her advice.
Scott Burns: It's Time for Plan B (assetbuilder.com)
Call it the Automated Monkey Project. More than 30 years ago, a Richmond, Va.-based company, Media General, started an unusual project. Their Portfolios Without Management was intended as a performance-measuring tool for Wall Street.
Richard Roeper: Derby like any other, minus the celebrating (suntimes.com)
Every time I've ever been at an off-track betting facility for the Kentucky Derby, there's a great roar from the crowd when the race kicks off, much commentary during the two-minute run, cheering down the stretch -- and then some scattered whoops from those who bet on the winning horse.
Oline H. Cogdill: He's a Southern lawyer-turned-popular author, but John Hart is no Grisham (Sun Sentinel)
It's almost become a cliche that when lawyers morph into authors they turn to legal thrillers. It's that adage about writing what you know.
"Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life" by Gerald Martin: A review by Marcela Valdes
"Everyone has three lives," Gabriel Garcia Marquez once told Gerald Martin. "A public life, a private life and a secret life." With little help from the novelist himself, who merely "tolerated" him for years before embracing him as his "official" biographer in 2006, Martin has picked through this tangle of myths and deflections in his engrossing new biography, Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life, a feat that has taken 17 years of research and more than 300 interviews. The result is nothing short of a revelation.
Tanya Gold: To understand Amy Winehouse, perhaps we should consider Jean Rhys, author of Wide Sargasso Sea (guardian.co.uk)
Does Winehouse's success comfort her? I doubt it; I suspect it taunts her.
Hazy days are here again (guardian.co.uk)
He was famous, he nearly died, then he found religion. But now Yusuf Islam is resurrecting his Cat Stevens side. He tells Will Hodgkinson why.
Joe Satriani *IF I COULD FLY* & Coldplay *VIVA LA VIDA* Experimental Morph/Remix (youtube.com)
Includes Coldplay quotes about plagiarism.
Harlan Ellison: Pay the Writer (youtube.com)
The Weekly Poll
The 'Take Me out to the Ball Game' Edition
"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Ernie Harwell, radio and TV voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 years and Baseball Hall of Fame member, would intone those words at the start of the first Spring Training game broadcast every year... Ah! Baseball's back! Batter Up!
Are you a baseball fan and, if so, who's yer team? (anecdotes welcome)
Send your response to
Results Tuesday
replied:
Alan J A-7 | L-7
Charlie A-6 | L-7
DC Madman A-1 | L-1
Gary G A-0 | L-1
Jim from CA A-1 | L-1
Joe S A-7 | L-7
Sally A-7 | L-7
MAM A-7 | L-7
Maria in Chicago A-4 | L-4
Marian the Teacher A-7 | L-7
Sandra in Maine A-0 | L-0
Tom B A-0 | L-0
Contributor Comment
Re: GREAT TITS
Re: GREAT TITS AND OTHER ENDANGERED SPECIES!
Hi Marty...
Thanks to Mad Cat (and you) for the fascinating article about the effect of global warming on the main springtime food source of the great tits and other birds in Europe. I'm a bird feeder, myself, and take great delight in watching them at my feeders. No great tits here, but the tufted titmouse is a regular and very beautiful.
The PBS program 'Nature' has a current program that illustrates a similar problem with birds and a critical food source in North America caused by mankind.
Crash: A Tale of Two Species - Introduction - Horseshoe Crabs, Red Knot Shorebirds | Nature
I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in such matters.
Also, as an aside, I learned just how beneficial horseshoe crabs' blood (it's blue!) is to human medical research...
BadtotheboneBob
Thanks, BttbBob!
Bruce and that MadCat, JD, provide an amazing variety of recommended and suggested readings, covering a broad spectrum of topics - and on a daily basis!
'Bout time somebody noticed. ; )
OTOH, with your climate, I can appreciate why the tits are tufted.
Reader Contribution
Springtime
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and much warmer than seasonal.
Dolphins Rename
Landshark Stadium
The Miami Dolphins are renaming their home Landshark Stadium as part of a partnership with singer Jimmy Buffett.
The name change from Dolphin Stadium is the fifth since the stadium opened in 1987. Buffett's Margaritaville enterprise includes Landshark Lager, brewed by Anheuser-Busch.
Buffett and new Dolphins owner Stephen Ross are friends. They plan to unveil a new logo for the stadium at a private event Friday, where Buffett will perform a song inspired by the Dolphins.
The stadium, which has lacked a corporate sponsor for several years, will be the site of the Super Bowl for the fifth time next February. It's the home for the Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes and Florida Marlins.
Landshark Stadium
Hollywood Walk O'Fame
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin revealed it was humbling to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The American actress - who has starred in movies such as Children Of A Lesser God and TV shows including The L Word - was joined by actors Henry Winkler and Jennifer Beals at the ceremony in front of the Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
"I really am humbled to be here today with all of you on this magnificent street of dreams, the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Marlee said through a sign-language interpreter.
The Oscar-winning actress, who took part in the sixth season of US TV show Dancing With The Stars, thanked Happy Days star Henry for discovering her as a child and letting her live with him and his family for two years while she was breaking into show business.
Marlee Matlin
Yesterday
Odd Day
Prepare to be awed by Odd Day.
For the mathematically challenged, Thursday's date, 5/7/09, is one of only six this century that will feature three consecutive odd numbers.
"The previous stretch of six dates like this started with 1/3/1905 - 13 months after the Wright Brothers' flight," said Ron Gordon, the Redwood City teacher who enthusiastically promotes these numerical holidays, like Square Root Day on 3/3/09.
Gordon is offering a prize of $579 to those who celebrate the date with the most zeal or who get the most people involved in an Odd Celebration.
Odd Day
Honorary Doctorate
Liam Neeson
Hollywood star Liam Neeson has been awarded an honorary degree from his former university at a ceremony in New York.
The Northern Ireland-born actor, who has appeared in blockbuster films including Schindler's List and Michael Collins, enrolled at Queen's University Belfast in 1971 as a physics and computer science student, before leaving to work at Guinness.
Vice-Chancellor of Queen's, Professor Peter Gregson, presented Neeson with a Doctorate of the University (DUniv) for his Outstanding Contribution and Service to the Arts at an event at the residence of Her Majesty's Consul-General.
Accepting his honorary degree, Dr Neeson joked that at last he would be able to tell his mother he had graduated from university.
Liam Neeson
New Series For Adult Swim
'Titan Maximum'
Adult Swim aims to clone the success of its highest-rated show, "Robot Chicken," with "Titan Maximum," a new comedy series from the creative team behind "Robot" that shares DNA with its predecessor: It too is a stop-motion animation series about robots.
"Titan," which will launch in September with an initial order of nine episodes, was created by "Robot" co-head writer/producer Tom Root and co-creator/executive producer Matthew Senreich.
"Robot" co-creator/executive producer Seth Green will voice the show's villain and executive produce with Root and Senreich.
"Titan" is set 100 years in the future, when Saturn's moon Titan is defended by an elite squadron of young, brash pilots whose spaceships combine to form the giant robot Titan Maximum. Because of budget cuts, the team has been disbanded but must hastily reassemble when a former team member turns rogue and tries to conquer the solar system.
'Titan Maximum'
Case Tossed
Roman Polanski
A Los Angeles judge has dismissed Roman Polanski's bid to throw out a 31-year-old sex case because the fugitive director failed to appear in court.
In a brief hearing Thursday, Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza said he was finalizing an earlier decision for the record.
Polanski's lawyer already has said he will seek review by an appeals court.
Polanski risked arrest if he returned to Los Angeles.
Roman Polanski
Charged Over Head-Butting
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland was charged with misdemeanor assault Thursday for allegedly head-butting a fashion designer at a Manhattan nightclub. The star of Fox television's "24" reported to a lower Manhattan police station in a Lincoln Town Car alongside his lawyers, but he did not speak to reporters.
Sutherland, 42, was interviewed by investigators, given a ticket, ordered to appear in court June 22 and released on his own recognizance. The minor charge is akin to a speeding ticket.
But the case could create another major legal hassle for Sutherland, who served 48 days in jail on a drunken-driving charge in California last year.
The designer, Jack McCollough of the high-end Proenza Schouler fashion house, claims Sutherland attacked him after an argument, leaving him with a cut on his face. The incident happened about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Kiefer Sutherland
Rupert Ups Numbers
"Wolverine"
An unfinished pirated version of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" that hit the Internet March 30, well before the film's No. 1 debut in theaters, has been downloaded some 4 million times, News Corp's. 20th Century Fox said Wednesday.
Whether such online attention hurt "Wolverine" at the box office is debatable, but Fox's assertion of 4 million is about four times greater than previous estimates.
At last year's average ticket price of $7.18, the piracy could conceivably -- though not likely -- have cost Fox $28.7 million.
"Wolverine"
Lawyer Wants LAPD Records
Chris Brown
Chris Brown's attorney is seeking police records to try to find out who leaked information about the alleged beating of Rihanna.
Attorney Mark Geragos filed a motion Wednesday in Los Angeles, seeking police personnel and investigative records.
Geragos wrote that he wants the documents to see if he can discredit or attack the credibility of police witnesses during a preliminary hearing in early June. Geragos wrote that if the files contain evidence of police misconduct, they may form a basis for the case against the R&B singer to be dismissed.
He also wants the files of a police investigation into the leaking of a photo of a bruised and battered Rihanna that was leaked to celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.
Chris Brown
Last Hideout Burns
Charles Manson
A California desert cabin that became cult leader Charles Manson's last hideout has been gutted by fire.
Death Valley National Park spokesman Terry Baldino said Thursday that the isolated cabin was discovered burned on Tuesday.
The cabin was last seen intact Friday and may have burned over the weekend.
Manson and his followers hid at the cabin after killing actress Sharon Tate and seven others in the summer of 1969. He was arrested there that fall and is serving a life sentence.
Charles Manson
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for April 27- May 3. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
1. (2) "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 23.26 million viewers.
2. (1) "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 22.37 million viewers.
3. (3) "Dancing With the Stars," ABC, 19.29 million viewers.
4. (7) "The Mentalist," CBS, 17.11 million viewers.
5. (5) "NCIS," CBS, 16.70 million viewers.
6. (4) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 15.54 million viewers.
7. (8) "Dancing With the Stars Results," ABC, 14.72 million viewers.
8. (11) "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 14.16 million viewers.
9. (15) "Grey's Anatomy" (Thursday, 9 p.m.), ABC, 14.12 million viewers.
10. (12) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 13.61 million viewers.
11. (9) "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 13.48 million viewers.
12. (15) "CSI: New York," CBS, 12.50 million viewers.
13. (20) "Cold Case," CBS, 12.46 million viewers.
14. (9) "60 Minutes," CBS, 12.31 million viewers.
15. (17) "Without a Trace," CBS, 12.21 million viewers.
16. (13) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 12.12 million viewers.
17. (17) "Survivor: Tocantins," CBS, 11.73 million viewers.
18. (19) "House," Fox, 11.69 million viewers.
19. (24) "Rules Of Engagement," CBS, 11.30 million viewers.
20. (27) "Amazing Race 14," CBS, 10.84 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Mickey Carroll
Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving Munchkins from the 1939 beloved film "The Wizard of Oz," died Thursday. He was 89.
"The Wizard of Oz" was Carroll's only movie. When it appeared on television in the 1960s, he found a new career at charitable events, retail events and Oz-related events.
Carroll was born Michael Finocchiaro on July 8, 1919, in St. Louis. The son of immigrants, he grew up in an Italian neighborhood on the city's north side with a twin sister and four older siblings. All preceded him in death.
Carroll danced at the Muny Theater in St. Louis when he was in grade school, he once said, and in the 1920s worked in Chicago clubs and on the Orpheum Theater vaudeville circuit.
His gift of gab and comedic timing helped his popularity. He warmed up crowds for President Franklin Roosevelt while campaigning in New York City and served as a crowd-getter in President Harry Truman's whistlestop campaign.
He did Phillip Morris live radio ads and appeared in shows with Mae West. He later did radio shows with George Burns, Gracie Allen, Jack Benny and Al Jolson.
Carroll played the part of the Munchkinland "Town Crier," marched as a "Munchkin Soldier" and was the candy-striped "Fiddler" who escorted the movie's wide-eyed orphan, Dorothy Gale, played by Judy Garland, down the yellow brick road toward Emerald City.
In the mid-1940s, Carroll returned to St. Louis to run the family business making cemetery monuments. After he sold it in 1996, he filled his time with charity work.
In November 2007, Carroll and six other surviving Munchkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Carroll was joined on that occasion by former Munchkin colleagues Ruth Duccini, Jerry Maren, Margaret Pellegrini,
Mickey Carroll
In Memory
Donald 'Ean' Evans
Bassist Donald "Ean" Evans of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died after a battle with cancer. He was 48.
In a statement posted on lynyrdskynyrd.com the band said, "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of longtime Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans. Ean put up a valiant battle with an aggressive form of cancer and he will be sorely missed by family, friends and fans."
Evans was born in Atlanta but moved to Columbus after marrying his wife, Eva. He joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2001 and had been touring regularly with the band until being diagnosed with cancer in 2008, when he cut back on performances with the band.
Survivors include his wife and two daughters.
Donald 'Ean' Evans
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