Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: Nine amazing truths you already suspected (SF Gate)
A fresh batch of white-hot obviousness to soothe the savage satirist in you. Starting with… The NRA is the new Christian right.
DASHIELL BENNETT AND PHILIP BUMP: Nancy Grace and Ashleigh Banfield Hold Split-Screen Interview in Same Parking Lot
In a bizarre television and spatial anomaly on CNN this morning, the blanket coverage of two true-crime stories led two news anchors to conduct an odd "satellite" interview from the very same parking lot, background traffic and all.
Clay Nikiforuk: I Was Detained and Interrogated at the Border for Carrying Condoms (Huffington Post)
What do you do when you're detained by powerful officials, everything you say is presumed deceptive, arbitrary "evidence" is held against you, and you're treated like a moral deviant? And what if its 2013, you're a woman, and the "evidence" is that you possess condoms?
CHARLES RAMSEY RESCUES THREE WOMEN, GIVES GREATEST INTERVIEW IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION (Guyism)
Charles Ramsey, remember that name. He'll be an internet legend within twenty-four hours. Ramsey rescued three women in Cleveland today who had been missing for more than a decade. The story itself is incredible but Ramsey's account of the ordeal is simply spectacular. It's perhaps the greatest interview since Antoine Dodson.
Interview by Laura Barnett: Gavin Turk, visual artist - portrait of the artist (Guardian)
'What have I sacrificed? A white Transit van. I had it crushed into a cube and turned into art.'
Charlie Jane Anders: Which classic science fiction or fantasy author is due for a comeback? (io9)
Science fiction and fantasy readers are constantly questing for new realms and new ideas - but sometimes, some of our greatest authors and creators get left by the wayside as a result. Which classic author (living or dead) do you think deserves a new appreciation?
Mark Coker: New Smashwords Survey Helps Authors Sell More eBooks (Smashwords)
… books priced between $1.00 and $1.99 significantly underperform books priced at $2.99 and $3.99. $1.99 appears to be a black hole.
Katie Roiphe: Is the Bohemian Dead? (Slate)
In her new memoir, Country Girl, Edna O'Brien recalls when writers were drunk, brawling, and fabulous.
Aldous Huxley: The Mike Wallace Interview (Transcript)
WALLACE: This is Aldous Huxley, a man haunted by a vision of hell on earth. A searing social critic, Mr. Huxley 27 years ago, wrote Brave New World, a novel that predicted that some day the entire world would live under a frightful dictatorship. Today Mr. Huxley says that his fictional world of horror is probably just around the corner for all of us. We'll find out why, in a moment.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Bosko Suggests
Side Streets
Have a great weekend!
Bosko.
Thanks, Bosko!
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took the day off.
answered:
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
Windows
Thanks, David!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
If They Melded
Conan
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny day, followed by an unexpected rainy night, complete with thunder & lightning. Not seasonal at all.
Most Trusted U.S. Politician
Jimmy Carter
Americans really, really trust Hollywood. They are, however, far more skeptical of Washington, D.C.
A new survey on the most trusted people in America finds actors taking the top three spots: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and Denzel Washington. The first politician to appear on the list is former President Jimmy Carter, who comes in at number 24.
Carter, 88, often referred to as the most successful ex-president in American history, has earned bipartisan praise since leaving office for his work on behalf of various humanitarian causes.
The surveyed asked 1,000 participants who they trusted the most and was conducted by The Wagner Group for Readers Digest.
President Obama made the list as well but came in at number 65.
Jimmy Carter
TV Objects Donated
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is adding relics from soap operas and game shows to its national entertainment collection to tell the story of daytime television.
On Thursday, actress Susan Lucci from TV's "All My Children" and Alex Trebek from "Jeopardy!" visited the National Museum of American History to donate objects from their shows. They were joined by the creators of "Barney" to show the range of daytime TV programs.
The new artifacts range from show scripts and props to original artwork. Lucci donated the pink gown and shoes she wore for a national magazine cover when she won an Emmy in 1999.
The museum is launching a three-year initiative to collect more objects to tell the story of daytime television. It is partnering with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Smithsonian Institution
Hosting 67th Tony Awards
Neil Patrick Harris
Actor Neil Patrick Harris will return to host the 67th Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 9th in what will be his fourth stint on the show that honors the best of Broadway, organizers said on Thursday.
The Emmy Award winner and star of the TV comedy "How I Met Your Mother," who won plaudits for hosting the Tony Awards last year, said he was very excited to be back.
"It'll be more impressive than ever - if my math is correct, it will be 267 times bigger than last year," Harris said in a statement.
The actor is a three-time Emmy Award winner for his guest roles on "Glee" and as host of the 2009 and 2011 Tony Awards.
Neil Patrick Harris
Heading Venice Film Festival Jury
Bernardo Bertolucci
The Venice Film Festival has announced that Oscar-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci will chair the jury for the 70th Venice Film Festival.
Bertolucci, 73, headed the jury previously in 1983, when the Golden Lion went to Jean-Luc Godard's "First Name: Carmen," and he has premiered numerous films at the festival, starting with "The Grim Reaper" in 1962 and more recently "The Dreamers," in 2003.
Bertolucci's 1987 film "The Last Emperor" won nine Oscars. The festival says it was the first and only Italian film to win the Academy Award for best director.
The festival will be held Aug. 28-Sept. 7.
Bernardo Bertolucci
Concern About Trademark
Disney
When Lalo Alcaraz learned this week that Disney was seeking to trademark "Dia de los Muertos," the name of the traditional "Day of the Dead" celebrated by millions in Mexico and the U.S., the cartoonist had an idea.
The trademark was for an animated movie by Disney and Pixar Animation Studios Inc. that is inspired by the holiday.
The Los Angeles-based humorist created a movie poster that quickly went viral of a skeletal Godzilla-sized Mickey Mouse, with the words: "It's coming to trademark your cultura (culture)."
Anger and ridicule expressed on social media largely by Latinos began circulating. On Tuesday, Disney said it was no longer seeking a "Dia de los Muertos" trademark request because the film's name will change before its release.
Disney
Police Officer Jailed Over Leaks
Rupert
A former British police sergeant has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for trying to sell details about a celebrity couple's daughter and other confidential information to The Sun newspaper.
James Bowers was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office. Prosecutors said he passed information about three incidents - one involving the 2-year-old daughter of model Katie Price and singer Peter Andre - to the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid.
The inquiry is running alongside investigations into phone and computer hacking sparked by revelations that reporters at Murdoch's now-shuttered News of the World tabloid regularly intercepted voicemails.
About 20 people have been charged in the scandal, including journalists, police officers and former Murdoch executives.
Rupert
Too Many Kids
Zhang Yimou
Authorities are investigating whether one of China's top film directors fathered seven children in violation of the country's strict family planning laws, state media and a local official said Thursday.
Reports circulated online this week that Zhang Yimou, director of "The Flowers of War" starring Christian Bale and also known as the architect of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, has seven children from his two marriages and from relationships with two other women.
Zhang, 61, reportedly could face a fine of up to 160 million yuan ($26 million), said the People's Daily newspaper, the Communist Party mouthpiece. People caught breaking China's family planning policy must pay a "social compensation fee" based on their annual income.
Users of China's lively social media lined up to criticize Zhang and drew distinctions between how the elite and ordinary people are treated.
Zhang Yimou
Changes Worried Wife
Meggan Lambesis
The lead singer of the christian heavy metal band As I Lay Dying, who is suspected of plotting to kill his estranged wife, had become obsessed with bodybuilding, was distracted around his children, and was spending thousands of dollars on tattoos, his wife said in divorce papers.
Musician Tim Lambesis had changed during the past several months, falling asleep while caring for his three adopted children near a pool and spending endless hours at a gym, according to Meggan Lambesis, who questioned her husband's ability to parent in divorce documents filed last fall.
Police say Tim Lambesis tried to hire a hitman to kill Meggan Lambesis. But the would-be killer was actually an undercover detective taking part in a sting operation set up after law enforcement received a tip last week about the plot.
Tim Lambesis' comments about his Grammy-nominated band's latest album, "Awakened," indicate he may have been struggling. The singer, who has a degree in religious studies, is known for his growled vocals and philosophical lyrics, which he has said are written from his perspective as a Christian.
Meggan Lambesis
Opera Withdrawn
"Tannhaeuser"
A Nazi-themed staging of a Wagner opera in Germany that caused some members of the audience to become sick with its scenes of murder and a gas chamber has been withdrawn, the opera company said on its website.
After failing to get the director to agree to changes, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Duesseldorf said that the production of "Tannhaeuser" would be given for the rest of its run in a concert version only.
German director Burkhard C. Kosminski's interpretation of "Tannhaeuser" is set during the Holocaust and caused a scandal when it opened on Saturday, prompting some audience members to seek medical treatment, the opera house said in a posting this week on its website.
The opera house said while it had discussed the possibility of changing some scenes with Kosminski, he had refused to allow this for artistic reasons. Deutsche Oper am Rhein said it accepted his artistic freedom for legal reasons.
"Tannhaeuser"
Launches Pay Channels
YouTube
Roger Corman's campy B movies, children's shows like "Sesame Street" and "Inspector Gadget," and inspirational monologues by celebrities - these are among the offerings on 30 channels that will soon require a paid monthly subscription on YouTube.
Although the world's largest video site has rented and sold movies and TV shows from major studios since late 2008, most people watch videos on YouTube for free.
It's the first time YouTube is introducing all-you-can-watch channels that require a monthly fee. The least expensive of the channels at will cost 99 cents a month but the average price is around $2.99.
Corman, a producer and director whose influential cult classics like "Deathrace 2000" and "Piranha" earned him an honorary Oscar in 2009, said he's kept his 400-film library off of video streaming sites until now.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he said he turned down an offer from Hulu for about $5,000 to $6,000 per film several years ago, but sees promise in the YouTube offering. His channel, "Corman's Drive-in," will cost subscribers $3.99 per month for a rotating selection of 30 movies, refreshed with new interviews and clips from films that are in production. It is set to launch in June.
YouTube
Adds Streams
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America is expanding its gold and platinum certification program to include song streams on the Internet.
The first round of 56 combined digital single awards counting both downloads and streams go to artists like Eminem, Adele, Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen.
The RIAA is the latest to recognize the popularity of streaming music over the Internet. Billboard also recently changed its chart system to include streams. The gold and platinum certifications will be based on data from on-demand streaming services like Spotify and Rhapsody and video streaming services like YouTube and Yahoo! Previously, only song sales had been recognized.
The RIAA says in a Thursday news release that 27 artists will receive multi-platinum certification, 18 platinum and 11 gold.
RIAA
Stupid And Proud Of It
Brooklyn
A resident in a Brooklyn apartment building got an unexpected, and unmerited, visit from the police after his superintendent called the cops to report an illegal pot growing operation on the building's roof.
There was just one small problem … the plant growing on the building's roof were actually tomatoes.
"I don't know much about plants. I'm not too good with that," building superintendent Christian Delarosa told the New York Daily News. "When I saw them, the first thing I thought was 'Oh, my God.' Right there I looked it up on my phone and they looked close to marijuana plants, but I thought I should call someone who knew about plants, so I called police."
After Delarosa put in the call, a lieutenant and two officers were sent to the scene to investigate the 15 Solo cups and the mysterious green seedlings contained within.
An unapologetic Delarosa, 34, says that while the plants turned out to be entirely legal, he wasn't the only one fooled.
"When the police officer came he couldn't tell right away, either," he said.
Brooklyn
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. (New) Taylor Swift; $1,853,930; $81.31.
2. (1) Bon Jovi; $1,741,784; $96.53.
3. (2) George Strait; $1,430,289; $83.53.
4. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,142,624; $78.39.
5. (4) Pink; $1,087,880; $76.84.
6. (5) Maroon 5; $906,465; $67.20.
7. (6) The Who; $846,331; $95.72.
8. (7) Ricardo Arjona; $750,878; $88.19.
9. (8) Muse; $523,604; $56.61.
10. (9) Carrie Underwood; $462,074; $58.40.
11. (10) Eric Church; $395,690; $49.26.
12. (11) Kid Rock; $371,575; $52.47.
13. (12) Jeff Dunham; $261,777; $43.88.
14. (13) matchbox twenty; $196,808; $64.24.
15. (14) Tiesto; $188,483; $41.72.
16. (15) Shinedown / Three Days Grace; $184,798; $38.93.
17. (16) Brantley Gilbert; $177,377; $29.32.
18. (17) Chris Tomlin; $169,808; $27.83.
19. (18) "Winter Jam" / Tobymac; $153,829; $12.35.
20. (19) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; $147,280; $51.73.
Concert Tours
In Memory
Taylor Mead
Long time arts icon Taylor Mead, a constant presence in Manhattan's lower East Side, died yesterday repoorts boweryboogie.com.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Mead's first known appearance was in Ron Rice's beat classic The Flower Thief (1960), in which he "traipses with an elfin glee through a lost San Francisco of smoke-stuffed North Beach cafes." Mead was referred to as the first underground film star.
His rubbery physique and his fey delivery made him a natural to play the straight men with a twist in Warhol's early films (Tarzan and Jane Regained...Sort Of, Couch, Taylor Mead's Ass, Imitation of Christ, Lonesome Cowboys, and the recently released San Diego Surf (1968) in which he played the closeted husband of Viva Superstar.
In the mid 1970s, Gary Weis made some short films of Mead talking to his cat in the kitchen of his Ludlow Street apartment on the Lower East Side called Taylor Mead's Cat. Mead was known to feed the stray cats in an East Village cemetery after bar-hopping.
Mead was a constant figure in the Bowery poetry world. His last book of poems (published by Bowery Poetry Books) is called A Simple Country Girl.
He was the subject of a documentary entitled Excavating Taylor Mead, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2005. The film features a cameo by Jim Jarmusch, in which Jarmusch explains that once, when Mead went to Europe, he enlisted Jarmusch's brother to feed the cemetery cats in Mead's absence.
His passing comes just a month after accepting a settlement with notorious landlord Ben Shaoul to vacate 163 Ludlow Street, the Lower East Side tenement building he called home for three decades.
Taylor Mead
In Memory
Dean Jeffries
A celebrated car customizer who painted James Dean's Porsche and made the "Monkeemobile" for "The Monkees" TV show has died. Dean Jeffries was 80.
His son, Kevin, tells the Los Angeles Times that Jeffries died in his sleep on Saturday at his Hollywood home.
In 1955, Jeffries custom painted Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder. Dean died in a wreck less than a month later.
Jeffries also painted many Indianapolis 500 cars.
For television, he created the "Black Beauty" for the 1960s show "The Green Hornet" and built the Monkeemobile in just 10 days. He also built movie vehicles, including a moon buggy for the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever."
Jeffries also was a stunt driver and stunt producer on films such as "The Blues Brothers" and "The Fugitive."
Dean Jeffries
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