Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Tom Danehy: Welcome to Tom's Super Summer Solstice Sports Special! (tucsonweekly.com)
We are about to enter that Sports Dead Zone between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the college football season (unless, of course, you're a fan of the WNBA, in which case, over the next two months, you'll be one of the 17 happiest people in America).
Ted Rall: ETHNIC CLEANSING IN KYRGYZSTAN
Believe it or not, I don't scour the headlines looking for tragedies and atrocities to blame on the United States.
But that's how it often works out.
Connie Schultz: "Pastor: Lightning Bolt That Hit Giant Jesus Was No 'Act of God" (creators.com)
About 11:15 Monday night, a 65-foot Jesus was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in southern Ohio. See why I always am bragging about the Buckeye State? Never a dull moment around here. No human was injured or killed. Thank God.
"Morning Haiku" by Sonia Sanchez: A review by Abby Travis
Sonia Sanchez's latest book resonates as boldly as a jazz ensemble; clear and poignant, it is intransigent in her subject matter. Her impassioned reflections come in the loose form of the American haiku, in groups of two to twenty-one haiku at a time.
Sam Leith: EM Forster's work tailed off once he finally had sex. Better that than a life of despair (guardian.co.uk)
The idea that miserablists make good artists is poisonous creed. If you think art is more important than having a happy life, you need your head read.
"Seeing the Light: Religious Colleges in Twenty-First-Century America" by Samuel Schuman: A review by Aaron Mesh
Tell people that you graduated from a Christian college, and you can expect a common series of reactions.
Martin Carthy and Tom Robinson's notes on a revolution (guardian.co.uk)
They've written songs that inspired momentous political change - and suffered the consequences. On the eve of a Meltdown gig, Martin Carthy and Tom Robinson talk pop, punk and burnout with Dorian Lynskey.
Glenn Gamboa: Patty Griffin goes to church with gospel album (Newsday)
Patty Griffin never wanted to do a gospel album. After all, the singer-songwriter is as known for the gritty reality and the personal details sheŠ
David Medsker: A Chat with Alan Wilder, Keyboardist for Recoil and Depeche Mode (bullz-eye.com)
'Walking in My Shoes' was the first, and possibly only, time the band has ever jammed together. And the idea was met with derision. 'What? What are you talking about? Play together?' Alien concept to Depeche Mode.
Mark Rylance: the great chameleon (guardian.co.uk)
His explosive turn in Jerusalem won every award going. Now Mark Rylance is playing a 17th-century fool. He tells Mark Lawson about the highs and lows of a life in theatre.
David Martindale: Betty White hot all over these days, not just in 'Cleveland' (McClatchy Newspapers)
It's an old show business cliche. But Betty White doesn't mind citing it because, as she is quick to point out, "I'm an old broad."
Will Harris: A Chat with Jean Smart, Co-star of "Youth in Revolt" and "24' (bullz-eye.com)
Apparently, and I have always meant to ask him about this, but Michael Cera wanted me for the part (in 'Youth in Revolt'). I always meant to ask him what he saw me in that made him think of me, but I was very flattered and delighted.
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The 'Gettin' Yer Buzz On' Edition...
America's Prohibition laws were meant to cut crime and boost morality - they failed on both fronts. So how can the 'War on Drugs' ever succeed?
How Can America's 'War on Drugs' Succeed When Prohibition Laws Failed? | CommonDreams.org
What is your position on 'illegal' drugs?
1.) Legalize them all
2.) Legalize only ______
3.) Keep the status quo. They're bad, bad, bad...
Send your response to
Source
Coasters, mainly beer coasters.
wrote:
replied:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and warm.
Jo, the lucky (but visually impaired) lizard molted.
2011 Honorees
Hollywood Walk O' Fame
Oprah Winfrey, Penelope Cruz, will.i.am and The Muppets are among the latest celebrities to be immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The 2011 honorees were announced Thursday by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Thirty new stars will be unveiled in pink-and-black terrazzo, with recipients from movies and TV including Gwyneth Paltrow, Donald Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, Danny DeVito and Tina Fey.
Honorees in the recording category include Melissa Etheridge, Los Tigres Del Norte and Rascal Flatts.
Hollywood Walk O' Fame
Free Online In Japan
'The Cove'
The Japanese distributor of "The Cove" said Thursday it will show the Oscar-winning documentary about the slaughter of dolphins free online to up to 2,000 people after some cinemas cancelled screenings.
Unplugged Inc. this month scrapped screenings that had been due to start June 26 at a Tokyo theatre after right-wing protesters -- known for their ear-splitting street demonstrations using megaphones -- targeted the cinema.
The distributor later confirmed that two more theatres, one in Tokyo and the other in Osaka, had also cancelled screenings, meaning that no theatre in the capital will now show the film about Japan's annual dolphin hunts.
The film will be distributed through Nico Nico Douga, a Japanese online video portal site, which will admit the first 2,000 applicants and require them to register with usernames and passwords.
'The Cove'
Tribute Fetches $242,000 At Auction
Mark Twain
Mark Twain's never published "A Family Sketch" - a tribute to his daughter who died at 24 after contracting spinal meningitis - sold at auction Thursday for $242,500, far outpacing pre-sale estimates.
The document was a tribute to Olivia "Susy" Clemens, who inspired two of his stories.
The sale price surpassed the original estimate of $120,000 to $180,000. Sotheby's did not identify the buyer.
The 64-page, handwritten document was among a trove of 200 Twain letters, manuscripts and photographs.
Mark Twain
Supports Gay Marriage
Eminem
In an interview with the New York Times' Deborah Solomon, rapper Eminem says that despite past lyrics that made fun of gay people, he supports same-sex marriage.
"You've been accused of writing gay-bashing lyrics in the past. Would you like to see gay marriage approved in Michigan, where you live?
"I think if two people love each other, then what the hell? I think that everyone should have the chance to be equally miserable, if they want.
"My overall look on things is a lot more mature than it used to be," he said. Eminem's new album, "Recovery," comes out June 21.
Eminem
Cancels More Concerts
Seiji Ozawa
Acclaimed Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, who is suffering from cancer, has cancelled a six-month tour with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra that was due to open in December, an aide said Thursday.
The announcement came less than a month after he cancelled a tour of Europe for five concerts in December, but "he is recuperating steadily", an official at his Tokyo office said.
"The latest cancellation is not because his disease is worsening but because he is preparing for full recovery and needs to reduce his workload," she said.
He plans to return to the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan in September, and an appearance at New York's Carnegie Hall is set to go ahead as planned on December 14, she said.
Seiji Ozawa
Widow Settles
Sean Levert
The widow of R&B singer Sean Levert has won a $4 million settlement of a lawsuit over his 2008 death in an Ohio jail.
The agreement with Cuyahoga County and a jail medical services contractor was reached late Wednesday in Cleveland federal court. It includes no official admission of liability.
The 39-year-old Levert was jailed on March 24, 2008, after being sentenced for owing nearly $90,000 in child support. He died six days later and had been denied his prescribed anti-anxiety medication Xanax while he was held.
The coroner said Xanax withdrawal contributed to Levert's death.
Sean Levert
Not Welcome In Hague
Snoop Dogg
U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg, a frequent visitor to the Netherlands and aficionado of its readily available marijuana, will not be allowed to perform at a free concert in The Hague, authorities said on Thursday.
The mayor of the Dutch city, public prosecutors and the police have asked organizers of the Parkpop festival, billed as the largest in Europe, to find another act to replace Snoop Dogg "in order to be able to guarantee the open and friendly character and free admission of Parkpop" to be held June 27.
Notorious for his appreciation of marijuana and hash, which are sold openly in the Netherlands at stores called "coffee shops," Snoop Dogg is a frequent visitor and usually holds concerts in the European country at least once a year.
Snoop is also scheduled to perform at a sold-out conference at Amsterdam's "Melkweg." During a 2008 concert at the same venue he smoked several joints during a performance and at one point was joined by singer Willy Nelson, who is also co-chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Snoop Dogg
Artwork Swiped From Knicker Mogul
Banksy
Thieves have swiped valuable graffiti by renowned British artist Banksy from outside the Melbourne house of underwear mogul Mitch Dowd, Australian police said on Thursday.
The theft comes just weeks after Melbourne street cleaners unwittingly painted over one of Banksy's famed stencils, prompting an apology from local authorities.
The latest piece, of a rat carrying a suitcase, was painted on the door of Dowd's electricity meter box and disappeared in either late April or early May, when he was out of the country.
"The house faces right onto the pavement so everyone would walk by and see it all the time, and now all that's there is a black box," said Dowd, the designer behind the eponymous underwear brand.
Banksy
Vatican't Endorses
"The Blues Brothers"
When Jake and Elwood Blues, the protagonists in John Landis' cult classic "The Blues Brothers," claimed they were on a mission from God, the Catholic Church apparently took them at their word.
On the 30th anniversary of the film's release, "L'Osservatore Romano," the Vatican's official newspaper, called the film a "Catholic classic" and said it should be recommended viewing for Catholics everywhere.
Aside from a brief appearance from Kathleen Freeman as a wrist-slapping nun referred to as "The Penguin" and the brothers' periodic claim that they were on a mission from God, spirituality does not play a significant role in the film.
With the recommendation, "The Blues Brothers" joins the list of dozens of films recommended by Catholic authorities that includes Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments," "Jesus of Nazareth" from Franco Zeffirelli," Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ," Victor Flemming's "Joan of Arc," and "It's a Wonderful Life" from Frank Capra.
"The Blues Brothers"
Golf Channel
Pigboy
Newlywed Rush Limbaugh (R-Family Values) will be brushing up on his golf game.
The Golf Channel said Thursday the radio commentator will be the third celebrity featured in "The Haney Project." In the series, Tiger Woods' former coach Hank Haney gives celebrities tips on improving their golf game.
The third edition of the series will be taped later this year. It will air next spring.
Charles Barkley and Ray Romano were the first two celebrities to get tips from Haney on the show.
Pigboy
Pleads Not Guilty
Brandon Adams
Brandon Adams, 26, of Palm Springs, remained jailed after being arraigned Tuesday on five charges that include kidnapping and theft, said Michael Jeandron, a district attorney's spokesman.
A statement from Palm Springs police said London, who appeared on TV's "7th Heaven" and "Party of Five," was kidnapped while changing a flat tire on June 10.
The 37-year-old actor told police that several men helped him and he offered them a ride home. Police said one man later pulled a gun, forced London to drive around, buy alcohol and take drugs.
London said he escaped but his car was stolen. Police later found it and on June 11 arrested Adams.
Brandon Adams
Artistic Director For 2012 Olympic Ceremony
Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of "Slumdog Millionaire," will oversee the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
Boyle was introduced Thursday as the artistic director of the ceremony to be held on July 27, 2012. The announcement was made in the shadow of the new 80,000-seat Olympic stadium in east London that will host both the opening and closing of the games.
Another Hollywood director, Stephen Daldry, will be one of the executive producers of the opening and closing ceremonies. Daldry directed "Billy Elliott," "The Reader" and "The Hours."
London will have a hard act in trying to top the extravagant opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which was designed by Chinese movie director Zhang Yimou and drew a worldwide television audience of 1 billion people.
Danny Boyle
Most Popular Jackson Song
'Say Say Say'
Michael Jackson had dozens of hits, but his most popular one wasn't a solo smash or a tune with his brothers. It was a song with another icon.
Billboard says "Say Say Say," his 1983 hit with Paul McCartney, is the most popular Jackson song. That was followed by "Billie Jean," the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," "Beat It" and "Rock with You."
"Billie Jean" was at No. 1 for seven weeks, while "Say Say Say" held the top spot for six weeks. But the McCartney-Jackson hit stayed in the top 10 longer.
Billboard is releasing Jackson statistics ahead of the anniversary of the King of Pop's death. He died June 25, 2009, at age 50.
'Say Say Say'
60 Pianos
NYC
Consider them keys to the city: Anyone who gets a sudden itch to tickle the ivories will be able to play free public pianos in 50 places throughout New York City, from the Coney Island boardwalk to the Metropolitan Museum.
An art installation touring the world is making its first U.S. stop beginning Monday. For two weeks, players can play tunes on pianos all over New York City, at famous landmarks like the Lincoln Center, the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island ferry terminal and Central Park's bandshell.
The concept, devised by British artist Luke Jerram, has put more than 130 pianos in parks, squares and bus stations since 2008 in cities including London, Sydney and Sao Paulo. And now it's New York City's turn to play, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday.
Each of the 60 pianos to be installed throughout New York has its own attendants responsible for its care. That involves unlocking the keyboard at 9 a.m. every day and deploying a heavy tarp over the instrument if it rains.
NYC
In Memory
Garry Shider
Garry Shider, the longtime musical director of Parliament-Funkadelic whose funky guitar work, songwriting skills and musical arrangements thrilled fans around the globe and earned him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 56.
Shider, who died Wednesday at his home in Upper Marlboro, Md., was known to millions of fans as "Starchild" or "Diaperman," the latter because of the loincloth he often wore onstage.
Shider's son, Garrett, said Thursday that his father had been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in late March. He then briefly went out on tour one last time but had to stop because of his failing health.
A New Jersey native, Shider started his musical career as a young boy, performing mostly gospel music in churches in a group that included his brother and was overseen by their father. The band also played backup for many prominent gospel artists when they performed concerts in the area, but Shider's musical taste soon grew more diverse.
The teenager first met P-Funk mastermind George Clinton in the late 1960s at a Plainfield barbershop Clinton owned, where future P-Funk members would sing doo-wop for customers and counsel local youths. Then, when he was around 16, Shider and a friend went to Canada, where they formed a funk/rock band called United Soul, or "U.S."
Clinton, who was living in Toronto at the time, heard about the band from people in the local music business, and took the band under his wing upon learning that Shider was a member. He helped produce some of their songs and eventually invited Shider to join P-Funk, a combination of two bands, Parliament and Funkadelic.
Shider soon became a mainstay of Clinton's wide-ranging musical family, eventually serving as its musical director and co-writing some of Parliament-Funkadelic's biggest hits.
Shider first appeared on Funkadelic's 1971 album "Maggot Brain" and Parliament's second album "Up for the Down Stroke," and joined P-Funk for good in 1972. He became one of Clinton's most trusted lieutenants, co-writing and providing vocals on some of the band's biggest hits - including "Atomic Dog," "Cosmic Slop," "Can You Get to That" and "One Nation Under the Groove."
He also toured with P-Funk for many years and was still considered an active member of the group.
Garry Shider
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
