Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Google Goggles (youtube.com)
Google Goggles is a visual search app for Android phones. Instead of using words, take a picture of an object with your camera phone: we attempt to recognize the object, and return relevant search results. Goggles also provides information about businesses near you by displaying their names directly in the camera preview.
Tom Danehy: Tom talks about coaching/supervising the Green Fields track teams (tucsonweekly.com)
As though stigmatizing the girls' basketball program at Green Fields Country Day School weren't enough, I now also "coach" the track and field team at the northwest-side school as well.
Matt Ridley: "Humans: Why They Triumphed" (wsj.com)
How did one ape 45,000 years ago happen to turn into a planet dominator? The answer lies in an epochal collision of creativity.
Michael Newman: The Girl Who Deserves To Escape Her Author (slate.com)
How Stieg Larsson's heroine battles his plot and prose.
Barbara Ehrenreich: Why Forced Positive Thinking Is a Total Crock
Positive psychology -- forced optimism -- is actually quite Calvinist, putting happiness to work as a means to an end.
"A Great Unrecorded History: A New Life of E. M. Forster" by Wendy Moffat: A review by James Morris
The British writer E. M. Forster had sex for the first time when he was 37, in 1916, on a beach in Egypt, with a convalescent soldier, after decades of dithering and yearning. By that momentous day of "parting with Respectability" (his words), Forster had already published four novels ('Where Angels Fear to Tread,' 'The Longest Journey,' 'A Room With a View,' and 'Howards End'), all of which evaded his sexual inexperience.
Michael E. Ross: "Review of 'Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story' by George Lipsitz" (popmatters.com)
Not long after Pete Seeger galvanized American progressives with folk music, and years before Bob Dylan brought social issues to the forefront of rock music, Johnny Otis was a "drum major for justice."
George Varga: "Making Each Note Count: Joshua White" (creators.com)
Classically trained pianist Joshua White is such a quick study that, not long after he attended his third University of California, San Diego Jazz Camp in the summer of 2006, he started performing with some of his Jazz Camp instructors. Never mind that he had never seriously played jazz before and knew very little about the music he soon embraced as his own.
Mark Edwards: What's love got to do with it? (timesonline.co.uk)
The model Karen Elson's fine new album was produced by the White Stripes' Jack White - who just happens to be her husband.
Cornelia Parker: A history of violence (guardian.co.uk)
Cornelia Parker has blown up huts and opened fire on a dictionary. Now she has built a giant gun and squashed an entire brass band. What's with all the pulverising, asks Simon Hattenstone.
Hadley Freeman: The death of 'Sex and the City' (guardian.co.uk)
The 'Sex and the City' films have destroyed the legacy of a funny and fantastic TV show.
Jason Reitman: "I became a man making 'Up in the Air'" (guardian.co.uk)
The Oscar-nominated director of 'Thank You For Smoking,' 'Juno' and 'Up in the Air' talks to Leigh Singer about romance, redundancy, and his father, Ivan (Ghostbusters) Reitman.
David Bruce: "Composition Project: Writing a Resume, List of References, and Job-Application Letter" (Lulu.com)
Free download at http://stores.lulu.com/bruceb. This short pdf document describes a composition project that I have successfully used at Ohio University. Teachers are welcome to download this pdf document to see if they wish to use this assignment in their courses.
The Sounds - Like a Lady (youtube.com)
Hubert's Poetry Corner
"Leather, Chains and the Big Ohhh in the Big Apple"
SATC 2 Fans
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The 'Remake (Mistake?)' Edition
Is CBS seriously taking on a remake? Hawaii 5-0 Remake?
Apparently so. According to the Hollywood Reporter,
CBS has the rights to the original show which aired from 1968 to 1980, and CSI: NY writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will be taking a stab at developing the show and writing the pilot.
And so it goes...
Are there any TV series that you'd like to see resurrected with a 'Remake'?
Send your response to
Obama Speech
Re: Weekly Poll
Hey, Marty...
I was gratified to hear during President Obama's news conference
Thursday one of the ideas I put forth in my response to the "Drill, Baby Spill!" poll. I wrote, "...Declare a moratorium on new drilling until the oil companies create a substantial group insurance fund that would cover the expenses of any future spill clean-ups, stock pile necessary clean-up equipment in strategic locations with a ready force to use it on a moment's notice and place it under the supervision of the EPA/Coast Guard."
President Obama said... "...Now, one of the legitimate questions that I think needs to be asked is should the federal government have such capacity. (i.e. spill clean-up) And that's part of what the role of the commission is going to be, is to take a look and say, do we make sure that a consortium of oil companies pay for specifically technology to deal with this kind of incident when it happens. Should that response team that's effective be under the direct charge of the United States government or a private entity?"
Well, then! That's pretty darn close, I'm sayin'! I'm rather pleased with myself, if'n ya don't mind me sayin' so... Hmmmm... Advisor to the President... Yeah, that's me!
That's right! I'm Bad! I'm...
BadtotheboneBob (haha)
You sure called that one!
wrote:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Looky Here
Brad Pitt
Bulletin! Stop the presses! Yer hearing it here first!
BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Reports are rife that Brad Pitt is pondering a career in politics and to make a bid for the White House with Angelina Jolile (sic) by his side.
The Hollywood star will be turning his back to the dull acting and trying his hand at politics, but he will start with running for the Senate first, media reports said Thursday.
"There's not much left for him to do in Hollywood," a source close to Pitt says. "Brad will run for Senate and if all goes well will mount a bid to become President in 2016."
Brad Pitt eyes 2016 presidential bid?
WTF? Why is it that I have to go to a Chinese news service to get such a valuable piece of political information? Shame on our MSM...
BadtotheboneBob (Jeesh)
Thanks, B2tbBob!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Mostly sunny and cool.
Daytime Emmys Honoring
Dick Clark
The Daytime Emmy Awards will honor "American Bandstand" and host Dick Clark as part of its primetime telecast on CBS next month.
Cher, Barry Manilow, Garth Brooks, Marie Osmond, Ann-Margret, Frankie Avalon, the Spinners, Jay Leno and Simon Cowell will salute the 80-year-old television icon during the June 27 ceremony in Las Vegas.
Clark, often dubbed "America's oldest teenager," turned the Philadelphia-based dance show "American Bandstand" into one of the biggest shows in television history. He went on to build a vast media empire, but has kept a low profile since suffering a stroke in 2004.
Dick Clark
Morocco Gives A Rapturous Welcome
Elton John
Singer Elton John defied hostile Islamists to headline Morocco's biggest music festival on Wednesday night and received a rapturous welcome from a crowd of thousands.
Politicians from the opposition Islamist PJD party said the gay British star was not welcome in the conservative north African kingdom and that granting him such a profile would tarnish Morocco's image.
Organisers said the singer's private life was irrelevant and went ahead with the show, the highlight of the week-long Mawazine World Rhythms festival that has become the cultural showpiece of Morocco's secular-leaning monarchy.
The audience joined in with hits "I'm Still Standing" and "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" while a hushed reverence descended with the first bars of "Candle in the Wind."
Elton John
Re-Opens Fire-Damaged Backlot
Universal Studios
Universal Studios proudly unveiled a rebuilt New York street backlot Thursday, two years after a fire destroyed the facility, used in countless films and television programs.
Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg -- who helped design the new sets which consist of 13 city blocks -- was on hand as studio officials opened the backlot at a ceremony for VIPS.
Aside from the rebuilt New York street, new sets include a contemporary New York City block with modern glass and steel architecture as well as mocked up streets of Paris and London.
Meanwhile, a new King Kong, 360-3D attraction created by Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson will open this summer, replacing the old attraction that also burned in the fire.
Universal Studios
Hollywood Walk O' Fame
Ben Kingsley
British Oscar-winning actor Ben Kingsley got his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame Thursday, a milestone in his long acting career he said he never suspected of achieving.
The unveiling of the 2,410th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame came on the eve of the release of Kingsley's latest film, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," based on the video game of the same name. Kingsley plays the evil nobleman Nizam in the film.
The four-time Oscar nominee clinched Hollywood's top award in 1983 for his riveting, internationally acclaimed performance in "Gandhi." He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.
Born in Scarborough, Britain as Krishna Pandit Bhanji to a British mother and Indian-origin father, Kingsley made his stage debut in London in 1966 as the narrator of "A Smashing Day," which was produced by former Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
Ben Kingsley
Freed To Bob Barker-Funded Refuge
Bolivian Lions
Four lion cubs freed under Bolivia's circus-animal ban took off for California on Thursday, heading to a new life in a refuge built with the help of television personality Bob Barker.
The cubs were rescued under a Bolivian law set to take effect in July that prohibits circuses from having any animals - including pets - making it the world's most comprehensive ban.
A fifth lion, mother of three of the cubs, was also rescued after a lifetime of circus work. But she proved too elderly to make the trip and had to be euthanized, said Enrique Mendizabal, a volunteer with Animal Defenders International.
The group's president and a big-cat veterinarian accompanied the lions, which were housed in special cages for the 12-hour cargo flight to San Francisco.
Bolivian Lions
Tops Latin America Art Auction
Frida Kahlo
A Frida Kahlo portrait of a pre-Hispanic warrior was the top selling work in a sale of Latin American art, which also set five auction records, including one for Mexican artist Jose Clemente Orozco.
The evening auction at Christie's on Wednesday fetched $16.8 million, its strongest Latin American sale in two years.
The palm-sized "Survivor," which has a standing warrior figure at its center, is a rare Kahlo portrait of a pre-Hispanic idol. It shows an abandoned house on a ridge under a sky which churns with blacks, blues, grays and yellows.
Framed as a religious votive offering, "Survivor" symbolizes Kahlo's gratitude for surviving a suicide attempt, according to Christie's. Kahlo had separated from painter husband Diego Rivera after discovering his affair with her sister.
Frida Kahlo
Hospital News
Gary Coleman
Former child television star Gary Coleman is in critical condition near his Utah home, a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday.
Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said Coleman, 42, was admitted to the Provo facility on Wednesday but she couldn't release any other details.
Coleman lives in Santaquin, which is 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.
The actor is best known for his stint on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," which aired from 1978 to 1986.
Gary Coleman
Multiple Charges
NYC Financial Adviser
A financial adviser to celebrities including Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone was arrested Thursday on charges that he carried out a $30 million fraud on his clients, using some of their money to purchase a lavish Manhattan apartment.
Kenneth Starr, 65, of Manhattan was charged with wire fraud, investment adviser fraud and money laundering and was awaiting an initial court appearance in federal court in Manhattan.
Also arrested in the probe was former New York City Council President Andrew Stein, who was charged with making false statements in a filing with the Internal Revenue Service and making false statements to a federal officer.
A separate complaint filed in federal court by the Securities and Exchange Commission said Starr provides investment advisory services to more than 30 high net-worth clients. It said he provides services including accounting, tax preparation, business management, bill-paying and "concierge" services to a larger group of about 175 clients.
NYC Financial Adviser
No Charge Over Alleged Attack
Gene Simmons
Prosecutors say they will not charge KISS rocker Gene Simmons over an alleged attack on a couple at an upscale outdoor mall in Los Angeles.
The district attorney's office states in documents Wednesday there is not enough evidence the 60-year-old musician threatened Nathan Marlowe and Marlowe's wife Cynthia Manzo at The Grove mall last December.
Marlowe told police Simmons choked the couple and took their video camera after they started filming the star.
A civil lawsuit filed in December by Marlowe and Manzo against Simmons is still pending. The couple is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for claims of assault, battery and emotional distress, including damage to their sex life.
Gene Simmons
Secretary Charged With Insider Trading Plot
Disney
A Walt Disney Co employee and her boyfriend have been charged with a "brazen" insider trading scheme in which they said the media conglomerate was in advanced talks to sell its ABC TV network.
Disney quickly said that claim was false. But the incident, which came to light on Wednesday after a months-long FBI undercover sting operation, is an irritant for a company known for a carefully spun image.
Shares in Disney leapt as much as 4.7 percent before backtracking after the denial to end the day up 2.3 percent.
U.S. prosecutors accuse Bonnie Hoxie, an assistant to Disney's corporate communications chief, and Yonni Sebbag of trying to sell insider information to over 30 hedge funds.
Disney
Won't Face Hit-And-Run Charges
Heather Locklear
Prosecutors say Heather Locklear won't be charged for a hit-and-run crash in Southern California.
Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten says a 2005 BMW sedan registered to the actress and her ex-husband, Richard Sambora, knocked down a no-parking sign and drove off on April 17 in Thousand Oaks.
Locklear was later cited for misdemeanor hit-and-run.
In a statement Wednesday, Totten said there's not enough evidence to determine who was driving.
Heather Locklear
Agency Hired To Sell Rights
"Terminator"
California hedge fund Pacificor on Thursday said it retained the William Morris Endeavor agency to represent it in the sale of all rights to the "Terminator" franchise.
Included are rights to exploit the property for film, television, merchandise and online games.
In addition, William Morris Endeavor will help Pacificor to select and retain key talent for the next sequel.
A U.S. bankruptcy judge in February ruled that the movie franchise could be sold to Pacificor, ending months of speculation after its former owner Halcyon Holding collapsed into bankruptcy in August.
"Terminator"
BP's Other Oopsie
Alaska
The operator of the trans-Alaska pipeline system pushed back to Friday its goal for resuming the flow of oil through the 800-mile line shut down earlier in the week after a contained spill
Operator Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. had hoped to restart the line by Thursday night. But spokeswoman Michelle Egan said the process of coming back online has taken longer than expected and that it a restart, as early as "first thing" Friday morning, appears more likely.
The company has been working against a noon Friday target. Alyeska previously ordered production levels drastically cut to keep from filling storage facilities before the line could be brought back up safely. The restart process must be deliberate and highly coordinated to avoid new problems, Egan said, and the reductions - to 8 percent of normal output - bought the company until noon Friday to get back up.
The line has been shut down since Tuesday, when Alyeska said a power failure during a planned shutdown to test fire systems caused normally closed valves to open. That resulted in what the company said was up to several thousand barrels of oil
Alaska
Malaysia's 93-Year-Old "Lotus" Woman
Lim Guan Siew
Lim Guan Siew once had bound feet that were considered the height of feminine beauty in China, but the 93-year-old who now lives in Malaysia says it is a fate she wishes she had avoided.
Lim, whose family fled Fujian province in southern China in 1946 during the country's civil war and settled in Malaysia, was born in 1917 and first had her feet bound when she was seven years old.
Instead of the 3-inch (8 cm) "golden lotus" feet that many rich families aspired to when their daughters' feet were bound, Lim's now unbound feet have grown to 5 inches in length, but she still needs special shoes, manufactured locally to fit her.
Lim is one of a very few ethnic Chinese women who still have to live with their deformity. Many have passed away.
Lim Guan Siew
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