Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Ted Rall: PUBLISHERS, HEAL THYSELVES
I'm on the road. On May 3rd I gave a talk at Wright State University. I showed my political cartoons, excerpts from graphic novels past and future, and something new I've been working on the last couple of years: two-minute-long animations for the Web.
Mark Morford: The end of the wicked old Mormons (sfgate.com)
This is the good news: many of the world's most powerful, hurtful, wretched old men will soon be dead.
BOB BAUM: Phoenix 'Los Suns' Playoff Jerseys To Protest Arizona Immigration Law (huffingtonpost.com)
The Phoenix Suns will wear "Los Suns" on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals ..., owner Robert Sarver said, "to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation."
Garrison Keillor: Hullabaloo in Times Square
I often walk through Times Square where the Incompetent Bomber parked his 1993 Nissan Pathfinder last Saturday with the alarm clocks wired to the M88 firecrackers in the canister between the five-gallon gasoline containers and the three propane tanks, the bags of nonexplosive fertilizer, and so I take a personal interest in the case.
Dr. Mark H. Shapiro: The "If Only" Theory of School Reform (irascibleprofessor.com)
The Irascible Professor just finished reading Diane Ravitch's new book 'The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education' on his Kindle (as you can see the IP really isn't that far behind the times).
Froma Harrop: Latino Giant to Change U.S. Politics (creators.com)
It was over frozen lattes three blocks from the Alamo that Lydia Camarillo and I discussed the wave of Latino voters expected to change politics in Texas - and America. Camarillo is vice president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, a group that signs up new Hispanic voters and spurs them to the polls.
Andrew Tobias: Paper Profits: Row With The Flow (andrewtobias.com)
I'm no engineer and have no idea how many wells there are in the Gulf of Mexico . . . but how could we not have had a giant dome standing by, just a day or two distant from any well in the Gulf, aboard a ship jointly paid for by all the drillers - and maybe all the insurance companies insuring those drillers - waiting for the day we all hoped would never come?
Christopher Wheeldon: the golden boy grows up (guardian.co.uk)
He was set to be the new Diaghilev. Then Christopher Wheeldon walked out on his own dance troupe. He talks to Judith Mackrell about cash, critics - and life after burnout.
A quick curtain call. Then bed: Child actors in adult theatre (guardian.co.uk)
How does it feel to act in a play you're too young to see? And how do you fit in your homework? Maddy Costa talks to child actors about late nights, tough auditions - and swearing on stage.
Will Harris: A Chat with DeAnn Heline, Co-creator of "The Middle" (bullz-eye.com)
We all have kids, and it's nice, because there are very few shows anymore for the whole family. Kids watch the Disney Channel, adults watch their own showswe're very proud of the fact that you can watch 'The Middle' as a family.
Jonah Weiner: Bleeps Be Upon Him (slate.com)
The genius of South Park's censored "Mohammed" episodes.
Joe Flint: Is 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane taunting the FCC? (latimes.com)
Has "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane been boning up on the Federal Communications Commission's indecency rules?
Glenn Whipp: "The Actors: Cameron Diaz raises her spy game" (latimes.com)
She stars with Tom Cruise in 'Knight and Day.'
AARON BARNHART: Katrina documentary is no laughing matter for Harry Shearer (MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS)
The Big Easy is on a roll. The Saints won the Super Bowl. Crowds packed the French Quarter during a local music festival last month. In every neighborhood devastated by the 2005 Katrina disaster, signs of recovery are popping up like spring blossoms.
The Weekly Poll
New Question(s)
The 'Double-Trouble' Edition...
This past week has brought two significant issues to our (ahem) attention that begs to be commented upon. (I'm pretty sure you all have opinions on these matters, haha...)
The 'What does that even mean?' Question...
In the aftermath of the enactment of Arizona's 'Papers, please' law, various and sundry administration officials, politicians and activists have said that this event only proves the need for immediate "Comprehensive Immigration Reform". However, specific details were lacking and
Mr. Obama has shied away from the issue by saying congress has no appetite for that political 'hot potato' with the fall mid-term elections looming. So, here's your opportunity to give them your input (or a piece of yer mind, if that works). I trust (cough) Rahm reads Bartcop E*...
What would you like (or not like) CIR to include and when (or) should it be done?
The 'Drill, Baby... Spill!' Question...
Not a month has passed after President Obama proposed increased off-shore oil drilling operations when karma bit him in the ass with the BP platform disaster. (Hello? 911? Gaia calling!)
Should Mr. Obama rescind or modify (how?) his decision?
Send your response to
wrote:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and summery.
NJ Festival
WAMFEST
Robert Pinsky and Bruce Springsteen apparently have more in common than just a way with words - they can trace the beginnings of their glory days all the way back to the same hospital at the New Jersey shore.
The former U.S. poet laureate and the unofficial poet laureate of rock 'n' roll appeared on stage Thursday at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where they discussed their work, influences and careers and joked about the fact both were born at Monmouth Memorial Hospital, albeit nine years apart (Pinsky is older).
The occasion was the university's WAMFEST Words and Music Festival, an event sponsored by its creative writing department. Recording artist John Wesley Harding, nee Wesley Stace, an artist in residence at the school, moderated the two-hour performance and discussion in front of a packed auditorium of 400 students, faculty and whoever else could wangle a way in the door.
WAMFEST
United Nations World Food Program Ambassador
Christina Aguilera
Grammy-award winning singer Christina Aguilera was named an ambassador against hunger on Friday by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), and said that having a child of her own had pushed her into action.
"A child dies every 6 seconds of hunger, which is a huge statistic for me," Aguilera told Oprah Winfrey, announcing her appointment on Winfrey's popular TV talk show.
Last year, she traveled to Guatemala to see WFP's programs for maternal and child health programs, and in January she took part in the "Hope for Haiti" celebrity telethon that raised more than $60 million for earthquake disaster relief.
Aguilera described her work with WFP as a life-changing experience and said she plans to go to Haiti soon: "I want to check on the situation there and help to deliver food. I want to visit orphanages and schools there and try to do my part in helping."
Christina Aguilera
Trailer With A Message
'Machete'
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is no fan of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, and he cut a special trailer of his new action film to make the point.
Fox won't release "Machete" until September, but Rodriguez posted a trailer online Wednesday introduced by star Danny Trejo, who says the clip has "a special Cinco de Mayo message to Arizona."
The two-minute trailer touches on themes of illegal immigration and shows Trejo being tricked by a shady senator, then seeking revenge on the lawmaker. The clip shows Trejo wielding knives and costars Robert DeNiro, Cheech Marin and Lindsay Lohan brandishing high-powered weapons.
'Machete'
Donating Proceeds
CMA Music Fest
The Country Music Association is planning to donate half of its net proceeds from the CMA Music Festival to flood relief.
The money will go to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The other half of the proceeds is annually donated to Metro Nashville Public Schools for music education. CMA Vice President of Corporate Communications Wendy Pearl says CMA donated over $1 million to the Keep the Music Playing program last year.
The CMA Music Fest takes place June 10-13 in Nashville.
CMA Music Fest
Joins Amazon Protest
Daryl Hannah
Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah joined indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon here Friday in a protest against Occidental Petroleum at the US oil giant's annual meeting.
Hannah, best known for her roles in 1980s hits "Splash" and "Wall Street," accompanied leaders of the Achuar community who have accused Occidental of leaving a toxic legacy during three decades of operation in northeast Peru.
Activists have accused Occidental of dumping nine billion barrels of toxic effluent into rivers and waterways used by the Achuar people for drinking, bathing and food production.
Hannah said the plight of the Achuar people was especially relevant in light of the oil slick crisis threatening the Gulf of Mexico.
Daryl Hannah
Online Green Auction Raises $1 Million
"A Bid to Save the Earth"
Australian actor Hugh Jackman has been bested by a Manhattan window dresser -- at least in an online green auction which raised about $1 million for the environment.
Jackman, Christina Aguilera, John McEnroe, David Duchovny and Candice Bergen were among celebrities who donated experiences such as on-set visits, lunches or VIP concert tickets, but the stars were all eclipsed by Barneys New York creative director Simon Doonan, creator of the retail store's legendary holiday season windows.
Bids for Doonan's behind-the-scenes preview of the often-edgy windows and studio tour, lunch and a $5,000 store gift card soared to $60,000, or many times the offering's stated value of $8,000 in the "A Bid to Save the Earth" auction, which ended on Thursday.
Proceeds totaling about $1 million were earmarked for environmental groups Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Central Park Conservancy and Conservation International.
"A Bid to Save the Earth"
Doesn't Trust Extradition Filing
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski's attorneys argue in new court filings that the Swiss government should not automatically assume an extradition request by Los Angeles prosecutors is accurate.
The statement is in response to a comment by a Swiss justice official, who told The Associated Press last month that officials there assume facts in an extradition request are correct.
Polanski's legal team is seeking the release of secret testimony by the former prosecutor handling Polanski's 33-year-old sex case. They contend the transcripts will show the extradition papers contain information prosecutors know is "false and materially incomplete."
Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons says the office won't comment, but will argue their position during a hearing Monday.
Roman Polanski
Linked To Spanish Probe
Sean Connery
Property once owned by Oscar-winning film star Sean Connery in the south of Spain is at the centre of a money-laundering investigation, a court spokeswoman said Friday.
Twenty-eight people are under judicial investigation in the case, the spokeswoman for the Superior Court of Justice of Andalucia told AFP. She did not say if the 79-year-old former James Bond star was among them.
The money-laundering and malfeasance case -- prompted by a complaint from a local resident -- relates to "land which once belonged to him and which was reclassified" under conditions deemed suspicious by investigators, she said.
Connery bought the seaside villa named "Malibu" just east of Marbella in the early 1970s and put it up for sale in 1998 for nine million dollars (seven million euros), the Madrid newspaper El Pais reported.
Sean Connery
Searching For National Bird
Canada
Canada is in search of a bird to name as a national symbol to rival the United States's bald eagle, the Bahama's flamingo, and New Zealand's kiwi, CBC said Friday.
The initiative was launched by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy, which specializes in birds of prey rehabilitation, captive breeding and research.
The organization launched an online petition to choose a bird for Canada, and is being supported by public broadcaster CBC, which encouraged viewers to participate in the selection.
The loon, which appears on Canada's dollar coin, and the Canada Goose are each believed by many to be Canada's national bird already -- wrongly it turns out -- and appear to be the frontrunners in the contest so far.
Canada
Isabella & Jacob Rule
Baby Names
Mom and Dad may be looking to popular vampire books and the first family for baby names: Cullen is on the rise for boys and Malia for girls. But Miley and Jonas are down, proving that acclaim can be fleeting.
Isabella is now the top baby name for girls, Jacob for boys, the Social Security Administration said Friday. Isabella's climb to the top in 2009 ends Emma's one-year reign. Jacob is on an 11-year run at the top.
A little more than 22,000 girls born in 2009 were named Isabella, followed by Emma, Olivia, Sophia and Ava. Nearly 21,000 boys were named Jacob, followed by Ethan, Michael, Alexander and William.
Mia was the only newcomer to the top 10 for girls, rising from 14th to 10th. Among the boys, Jayden moved up from 11th to 8th, and Noah moved up from 15th to 9th.
Baby Names
Space Rock Hunters Find Chunk
Wisconsin Meteor
The largest chunk yet of a meteor that exploded over Wisconsin last month has been found by intrepid space rock hunters. But the remnant, which broke into three pieces after hitting the ground, is still small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
Marvin Killgore, the curator of meteorites for the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, and his wife, Kitty, arrived in Mineral Point, Wisc., just days after the April 14 fireball sighting, and now have a 10.6-ounce (300-gram) chunk of space rock that may be the largest piece of the meteor found so far.
On April 14, people in southwestern Wisconsin and northern Iowa bore witness to a sonic boom and fireball that briefly lit up the late evening sky. The object, an ancient rock from space, entered the Earth's atmosphere as a ball of flames after a 4.5 billion year journey through the solar system.
The Killgores' space rock is a breccia - a conglomeration of rock fragments cemented together. It most likely originated in the asteroid belt that orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Wisconsin Meteor
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