Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: Santorum, the bishops, and you (SF Gate)
Wait, can this be right? (Bangs iPhone on table). Is this thing broken? (Smacks iCal app with back of hand). Is there something wrong with the calendar (flicks tiny dial on wristwatch). Are you sure it's really 2012 and not, say, 1950? Or 1850? Or the Middle Ages?
Stephen Mulvey: Townsend Griffiss, forgotten hero of World War II (BBC News)
It's 70 years this week since the first US air force officer was killed in Europe, following America's entry into World War II. By heading the list of 30,000 USAAF men to lose their lives in the European theatre, Lt Col Townsend Griffiss became a footnote in the history of the war. But who was he and how did he die?
"The heroes of India's quest to wipe out polio" (Agence France-Presse)
Later this month, India will be removed from a dwindling list of countries where polio is considered endemic, a huge achievement made possible by people like Madara, a 76-year-old street hawker.
Ann Brower, "Bus survivor praises her heroic rescuers" (Stuff New Zealand)
If I'm honest, this is not a good time to ask me how I feel about the earthquake. For most Cantabrians, the new normal involved traffic, portaloos, sweeping up broken glass, shovelling silt, and fighting with EQC. My new normal involved surgeries, strict bed rest, then a wheelchair, then crutches, then limping, and so on. And pain so indescribable that I couldn't even tell the docs where it hurt. I would have given anything to use a portaloo.
Calli Arcale: 11 Actors Who Have Played The Doctor (Mental Floss)
The Fourth Doctor is particularly famous for his ridiculously long scarf, which resulted from a miscommunication between costume designer James Acheson and the knitter hired to produce it; Acheson never specified a length, and bought far too much yarn, so the knitter just kept going until it was all used up.
Bye Bye Jar Jar (YouTube)
The death of Jar Jar Binks. Star Wars Parody.
Max von Sydow: god of gravitas (Guardian)
Max von Sydow has been making movies since 1949, with everyone from Ingmar Bergman to Woody Allen. Now, at 82, he could be about to win his first Oscar, writes Hadley Freeman.
Brown M&Ms (Van Halen on Vimeo)
"The 80s band Van Halen famously (or infamously) had a rider in its contract which required promoters to provide the band a large number of M&Ms in the dressing room. But brown M&Ms were forbidden. If the band found a single brown M&M, the promoter forfeited his earnings. Why? David Lee Roth explains in this video."-Neatorama
David Bruce has 42 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $42 you can buy 10,500 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," "Maximum Cool," and "Resist Psychic Death."
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Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Some rain, some sun, and cold (for these parts).
500th Episode
"The Simpsons"
Wikileaks comes to Springfield as controversial figure Julian Assange joins the cast of "The Simpsons" for their milestone 500th episode on Sunday, which will see America's famous animated family being banished from their hometown.
Wikileaks founder Assange, who is currently under house arrest Britain and fighting extradition to Sweden for questioning over alleged sex crimes, recorded his cameo on "The Simpsons" over the phone from a secret location after the casting director tracked him down and asked him to guest star.
"Obviously he's a controversial figure and that was discussed before we agreed to let him do it. But it's a funny cameo and it makes no judgments about the larger case about him," Al Jean, executive producer of "The Simpsons", told reporters in a conference call.
In the trailers for the upcoming milestone episode, Springfield's Mayor Quimby is seen announcing the results of a vote to get rid of "Springfield's un-ending nightmare, The Simpsons," as the family get kicked out of town.
Producers have not revealed other details or how Assange is worked into the plot.
"The Simpsons"
National Constitution Center Exhibit
Bruce Springsteen
It's like the promised land for Bruce Springsteen fans at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The Boss' guitars, handwritten lyrics, personal scrapbooks and 1960 Corvette are among 150 items in the exhibit "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen."
It opens Friday and runs through Sept. 3. The Philadelphia showing is the only scheduled stop.
The show was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland since April 2009 but the National Constitution Center exhibit has new items and a deeper historical focus.
Bruce Springsteen
Niagara Falls Tightrope Walk Is A Go
Nik Wallenda
Daredevil Nik Wallenda is set to walk a 1,800 foot tightrope across Niagara Falls this summer, a feat the seventh-generation member of the famed Flying Wallendas said has been his childhood dream.
"I feel like I'm on top of the world," Wallenda said Wednesday after the Niagara Parks Commission, which months ago refused even to consider the idea, voted unanimously to allow the walk between the United States and Canada.
Approval from the Canadian panel was Wallenda's largest remaining obstacle after he convinced the New York Legislature to pass a bill allowing the walk last year.
Wallenda plans to run a custom-made 2-inch wire 60 to 70 feet above the 160-foot gorge, which will dip down in the middle, meaning he'll walk downhill during the first half of the 30- to 40-minute walk and uphill until the end.
Nik Wallenda
Louis C.K. Inspires
Jim Gaffigan
Comedian Jim Gaffigan is taking a page from the book of his comedy cohort Louis C.K.: Gaffigan will distribute his upcoming stand-up special, "Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe," for $5-per-download on his website.
Gaffigan announced the plans via Twitter and his WhoSay page, where he also said he would donate $1 of each download to The Bob Woodruff Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping injured war veterans and their families.
Writing that he was inspired by "the brilliant Louis C.K.," Gaffigan said, "I am confident that the low price of my new comedy special and the fact that 20 percent of each $5 download will be donated to this very noble cause will prevent people from stealing it. Maybe I'm being naïve, but I trust you guys. Besides who would want the karma of stealing money from wounded veterans? Come on you guys. How dare you even think about it?"
In just the first weeks after it was released, Louis C.K. earned more than $1 million last year by self-distributing his comedy special "Live From the Beacon Theater." He donated $280,000 of his profits to various charities, and distributed another $250,000 to his staff as bonuses.
Jim Gaffigan
Ex-"Survivor" Producer To Stand Trial
Bruce Beresford-Redman
Bruce Beresford-Redman, the former producer of "Survivor" accused of killing his wife during a family vacation in Cancun, Mexico, will stand trial in that country, Los Angeles station KNBC TV reports.
On Wednesday a judge in Cancun announced that Beresford-Redman, who was extradited to Mexico from Los Angeles last week after more than a year in U.S. custody, will face trial for aggravated homicide, and ordered the former reality TV producer to remain in custody.
A trial date has not yet been set.
Beresford-Redman is accused of killing his wife, 41-year-old restaurant owner Monica Burgos, while the couple vacationed with their two children at a Cancun resort in April 2010. Burgos' body was found in a sewer pipe near the resort; prosecutors said that she appeared to be strangled. Hotel staff reported that the couple had a heated argument during their stay.
Bruce Beresford-Redman
Can Remove Name From Oscars Theater
Kodak
Eastman Kodak Co can abandon a sponsorship deal for the Hollywood theater that hosts the Academy Awards, a U.S. judge ruled, while declining to decide whether the bankrupt company's name should be taken down before the February 26 Oscars ceremony.
Kodak has the right under bankruptcy law to reject the remainder of its 20-year naming rights commitment for the Kodak Theater, Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper said on Wednesday. Kodak signed the $74 million deal in 2000.
The once-dominant photography company filed for bankruptcy last month in hopes of restructuring pension obligations and selling its intellectual property.
The company sought to have its name removed from the 3,400-seat theater immediately, but the building's owner, CIM Group, objected. CIM said it would be unfair for Kodak to remove its sign before the Oscars, an enormous marketing opportunity in which Kodak would continue to get brand recognition even if its name were no longer etched onto the building.
Kodak
Anti-Piracy Treaty Faces Further Setbacks In Europe
ACTA
The highly controversial Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA) has hit another wall. On Tuesday, both the Dutch and Bulgarian governments refused to ratify the international anti-piracy treaty, at least for the moment. This follows decisions by Germany and Poland, which have also delayed their decision to ratify ACTA until a later date.
While Bulgaria has already signed ACTA, Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov announced that the country's government will not take any further steps to ratify the treaty until there is clear consensus among European Union countries. So far, 22 of the 27 EU states have signed ACTA, along with the US, Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Morocco, and Singapore, all of which signed the treaty last October. Germany, the Netherlands, Estonia, Cyprus, and Slovakia have not yet signed the agreement.
Traikov added that the copyright industry "hasn't adapted to the digital age," which makes him skeptical that intellectual property should be regulated "through sanctions rather than market means."
ACTA's continued delay in the EU follows mass protests against the treaty in cities across Europe. Tens of thousands of anti-ACTA protesters reportedly took to the streets this past weekend, 4,000 of which demonstrated in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia.
Sponsored by the US and Japan, ACTA seeks to set international standards for intellectual property law, which include civil and criminal penalties for copyright infringement. If enacted, ACTA would also establish a new independent government body to oversee the enforcement of copyright law.
ACTA
Singer Endorses Santorum
Megadeth
In an interview with Music Radar Tuesday, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine dished on his support for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum:
"Earlier in the election, I was completely oblivious as to who Rick Santorum was, but when the dude went home to be with his daughter when she was sick, that was very commendable. Also, just watching how he hasn't gotten into doing these horrible, horrible attack ads like Mitt Romney's done against Newt Gingrich, and then the volume at which Newt has gone back at Romney… You know, I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I'm hoping that if it does come down to it, we'll see a Republican in the White House ... and that it's Rick Santorum."
For Mustaine, who hopes "whatever is in the White House next year is a Republican," candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul just don't cut it.
Megadeth
Wins Hottest Pepper Title
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
There are super-hot chile varieties. And then there's the sweat-inducing, tear-generating, mouth-on-fire Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.
With a name like that, it's not surprising that months of research by the experts at New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute have identified the variety as the new hottest pepper on the planet.
The golf ball-sized pepper scored the highest among a handful of chile breeds reputed to be among the hottest in the world. Its mean heat topped more than 1.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale, while fruits from some individual plants reached 2 million heat units.
The team planted about 125 plants of each variety - the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, the Trinidad Scorpion, the 7-pot, the Chocolate 7-pot and the Bhut Jolokia, which was a previous record-holder identified by the institute and certified by Guinness World Records in 2007.
Randomly selected mature fruits from several plants within each variety were harvested, dried and ground to powder. The compounds that produce heat sensation - the capsaicinoids - were then extracted and examined.
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
In Memory
Charles Anthony
Charles Anthony, a character singer who set the record for most appearances at the Metropolitan Opera - 2,928 - during a career that spanned from 1954 to 2010, died Wednesday. He was 82.
Anthony, a tenor, died at his home in Tampa, Fla., from kidney failure following a long illness, Met spokesman Peter Clark said.
Beginning his career at the old Met on Broadway and moving uptown with the company to its new home at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1966, Anthony was a "comprimario," or supporting singer.
He shared the stage with the greatest classical artists of several eras, performing in the Met debuts of Marian Anderson, Birgit Nilsson, Jon Vickers, Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Jose Carreras.
Born Calogero Antonio Caruso in New Orleans in 1929, Anthony entered the Met's Auditions of the Air competition in 1952.
Met general manager Rudolf Bing feared that the public would think he was related to the great tenor Enrico Caruso and that the young singer would be burdened with expectations - so Bing persuaded him to change his name a half-hour before air time.
"I couldn't think of anything, so we just dropped Caruso, which made grandfather furious," Anthony told The New York Times in 1992.
Anthony made his Met debut as the Simpleton in Mussorsky's "Boris Godunov" on March 6, 1954, with George London in the title role.
His most frequent roles were the Innkeeper in Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" (159), Ruiz in Verdi's "Il Trovatore" (141), Gastone in Verdi's "La Traviata" (136) and Spoletta in "Tosca."
On Feb. 17, 1992, singing the role of Borsa the courtier in Verdi's "Rigoletto," Anthony made his 2,396th appearance, breaking the record baritone George Cehanovsky set from 1926-66. Conductor James Levine is now second at 2,442.
Survivors include his wife, Eleanor; son, Anthony Caruso; daughters Anna Beth Burgmeier and Barbara Liriano; seven grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. A private funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
Charles Anthony
In Memory
David Kelly
Irish character actor David Kelly, who played Grandpa Joe in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and motorcycled naked in "Waking Ned Devine," has died. He was 82.
Kelly was best known in Ireland for his 1980 depiction of doomed tenement dweller Rashers Tierney in the historical miniseries "Strumpet City" and for his large body of work as a Dublin stage actor in the 1950s and 1960s.
British and Irish TV viewers also could recognize his face and bony frame from short, usually comedic turns on myriad soaps and sitcoms, most memorably as a work-dodging Irish builder opposite John Cleese in a 1975 episode of "Fawlty Towers." He also played a dim-witted, one-armed dishwasher in the late 1970s British sitcom "Robin's Nest."
Whenever he was filming programs at Irish broadcasters RTE, Kelly was a common sight for Dubliner commuters on the bus traveling from his native district of Goatstown. Kelly was always at the back of the bus, appearing to be talking to himself, but actually memorizing his day's lines.
Irish comedian Niall Toibin, who worked alongside Kelly in the 1990s village comedy-drama series "Ballykissangel," said Kelly "would make you laugh all the time. Even when he was in the depths of a hangover, he would make you laugh."
Usually consigned to bit parts in film, Kelly's two most prominent roles came late in life.
In 1998's "Waking Ned Devine" he portrayed an Irish villager who must impersonate the late Devine to collect a huge lottery win - and finds himself hurtling down a muddy road, naked apart from his motorcycle helmet, socks and shoes, to keep the ruse intact.
Kelly often joked that his career took off in his 70s once casting agents finally knew about his sexy body.
In 2005 he played Charlie Bucket's grandfatherly escort in Tim Burton's adaptation of the fantasy world of Willy Wonka. That year he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Film & Television Academy.
His final role was in 2007's fantasy film "Stardust," in which he played the guard between the English village of Wall and the magical kingdom of Stormhold.
Kelly's Dublin funeral at the Catholic Church of the Miraculous Medal and cremation are scheduled for Thursday. He is survived by his wife, actress Laurie Morton, and their two children.
David Kelly
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