Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Froma Harrop: Price-gouging in 'Free Market' Medicine (Creators Syndicate)
A Time magazine piece by Steven Brill is must-reading on this subject. … Brill writes of Sean Recchi, a 42-year-old Ohioan with lymphoma. Suffering chills, pains and sweats, he rushed off to the famed MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Anderson wouldn't accept the Recchis' bare-bones insurance plan and required $83,900 upfront for an examination and initial doses of chemotherapy. (His mother-in-law wrote the checks.)
Ken Stern: Why America's Charities Are So Uncharitable (Slate)
All you need is a stamp, $400, and to fill out some forms. A charitable purpose? Not really.
Marc Parry: The Shape of History (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Ian Morris, historian on a grand scale
William Turnbull: punk in the genes (Guardian)
William Turnbull was a giant of 20th-century sculpture. His son Alex, of the post-punk band 23 Skidoo, tells Stuart Jeffries what he learned when he set out to make a film about him.
Glenn MacDonald: Steven Wright on the Craft of Comedy (PopMatters)
"My thing is to get the joke across in as few words as possible." Standup comedy legend Steven Wright talks about his stage persona, Twitter, and the art of the joke.
Annalee Newitz: Scientists discover that eating Mediterranean food can prevent heart disease (io9)
Eating a Mediterranean diet that contains olive oil and nuts can leave you with a healthier heart.
Alex Santoso: "Three Exotic Necktie Knots to Try: The Eldredge Knot, The Trinity Knot, and The Cape Knot" (Neatorama)
Forget the Double Windsor! Stylish gentlemen who fancy the kind of necktie knots that turn heads prefer these three exotic knots: The Eldredge Knot, The Trinity Knot, and the Cape Knot. Alex Krasny of Agree or Die explains how you can impress the ladies with these extraordinary necktie knots:…
David Bruce: Wise Up! Practical Jokes (Athens News)
As you would expect, the staff of MAD magazine could be pretty wild and crazy. One of MAD publisher William M. Gaines's practical jokes was to fill the water cooler with white wine. In addition, before he took his staff on a trip to Africa, he gave everybody what he called malaria pills and ordered them to swallow them right away. Then he pretended to get a telephone call from a doctor who told him about a mix-up at the pharmacy: "DON'T TAKE THE PILLS! THEY'RE POISON!"
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Bojan Suggests
Frost Shadows
Thanks, Bojan!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and warmer.
Spreads To Twitter, Facebook
Visual-Effects Protest
Visual-effects workers have already taken to the streets outside the Oscars to protest the layoffs and bankruptcies roiling their industry. Now they're taking the message to Facebook and Twitter in a series of coordinated protests.
To show their solidarity, they are plastering their social media pages with blank green screens. It's a demonstration of what effects-heavy films would look like if there were no longer artists and designers to create elaborate digital worlds and jaw-dropping action sequences.
The color green is not an arbitrary choice. Films like "Life of Pi" and "Avatar" were largely shot against a green screen, with designers creating the backdrops in post-production.
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Rhythm & Hues Studios this month combined with DreamWorks Animation's decision to cut about 350 jobs or 15 percent of its staff have drawn together a diffuse group of artists and technicians. They believe that studios' thirst for lucrative tax subsidies from countries like Canada and the United Kingdom and the cheaper labor offered in Asia are pushing more and more jobs abroad.
Visual-Effects Protest
Statue Unveiled
Rosa Parks
American leaders unveiled a statue of Rosa Parks on Wednesday, briefly setting aside political differences to honor the civil rights heroine, who became the first black woman to have a monument inside the U.S. Capitol.
Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a segregated Alabama bus for a white passenger man in 1955 sparked a boycott that galvanized the movement for equal rights for blacks in Montgomery and nationwide.
Black men and women stayed off the buses, walking or arranging other rides to work for more than a year to fight for desegregation.
Unlike nearby statues of men standing, the one of Parks shows her seated - the position of quiet resistance that led to her arrest.
Rosa Parks
Fires Scott Weiland
Stone Temple Pilots
The Stone Temple Pilots have fired singer Scott Weiland.
In a one-sentence news release Wednesday, publicist Kymm Britton said: "Stone Temple Pilots have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland." No other information was provided.
The band's 1992 debut, "Core," has sold more than 8 million units in the United States. Their hits include "Vasoline," ''Interstate Love Song" and "Plush," which won a Grammy in 1993 for best hard rock performance with vocal.
Weiland was also in the supergroup Velvet Revolver with Slash and other musicians. The 45-year-old has dealt with drug addiction, run-ins with the law and two failed marriages. He released his memoir, "Not Dead & Not for Sale," in 2011.
Stone Temple Pilots
Scott Weiland Responds
Singer Scott Weiland said he learned that he'd been fired by the Stone Temple Pilots when the band released a one-sentence statement to the media Wednesday.
"I learned of my supposed 'termination' from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press," he wrote in a statement. "Not sure how I can be 'terminated' from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that's something for the lawyers to figure out."
Renewed For 5th Season
"Archer"
FX's animated spy series "Archer" has been given the go-ahead for a fifth season, the network said Wednesday.
The fifth season of the series, which is currently running its fourth season, will consist of 13 episodes.
The fourth season will air a two-part finale on April 4 and April 11.
"Archer," which will enter the category of Outstanding Comedy Series for the Emmys this year, has grown impressively in the ratings with its current run. The fourth season is currently averaging a 36 percent boost in the key 18-49 demographic over last season's average, with first-run episodes averaging 2.4 million total viewers, 2 million of them in the demo.
"Archer"
Court Nixes Estate Settlement
James Brown
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned a settlement divvying up the multimillion-dollar estate of James Brown, saying a former attorney general didn't follow the late soul singer's wishes in putting together the deal.
Attorney General Henry McMaster brokered a settlement in 2009 that split Brown's estate, giving nearly half to a charitable trust, a quarter to his widow, Tomi Rae Hynie, and leaving the rest to be split among his adult children.
But the justices ruled that the deal ignored Brown's wishes for most of his money to go to charity. The court also ruled the Godfather of Soul was of sound mind when he made his will before dying of heart failure on Christmas Day 2006 at age 73.
The justices did agree with the lower court's decision to remove Brown's original trustees. Members of Brown's family said they wanted them gone because the trustees mismanaged the estate until it was almost broke.
The court said it had no idea what the estate was worth, giving an estimate of $5 million to more than $100 million.
James Brown
Another Upset Mom
"Zero Dark Thirty"
A Connecticut woman whose son died in the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center says she's upset the Oscar-winning movie "Zero Dark Thirty" used a recording of his last words without her permission.
Mary Fetchet of New Canaan told CBS News and the Daily News this week that she was shocked the filmmakers didn't ask if they could use the voicemail her son, Bradley Fetchet, left on her phone while he was on the 89th floor of the World Trade Center's south tower.
The movie about the manhunt for Osama bin Laden begins with the voices of 9/11 victims making their last phone calls.
Sony Pictures Entertainment said in a statement that the filmmakers contacted several relatives of 9/11 victims about using the voice recordings.
"Zero Dark Thirty"
14 Years For Shaking Down The Faithful
Michael Winans Jr.
A judge sentenced a member of gospel music's Winans family to nearly 14 years in prison Wednesday for an $8 million financial scam that was promoted in church pulpits.
Two of Michael Winans Jr.'s victims spoke in federal court, telling a judge that the scheme to sell Saudi Arabian oil bonds robbed some people of their life savings, caused divorces and fractured many families.
Winans attracted more than 1,000 investors in 2007 and 2008, although he didn't know them all because many were recruited by others through word of mouth. He promised 100 percent returns in two months, then used the money for personal expenses or to pay off earlier investors. About 600 people are still owed $4.7 million.
Winans, 30, is a third-generation member of one of gospel music's first families. He's the grandson of Delores "Mom" Winans and David "Pop" Winans Sr., and the son of Michael Winans Sr., a member of The Winans, a quartet of brothers. His uncle, Marvin Winans, gave the eulogy at Whitney Houston's funeral.
Michael Winans Jr.
Aims To Drive Voter Turnout
American Renewal Project
A group of top evangelical leaders is launching a new voter initiative in hopes of increasing turnout among Christian voters in next year's midterm elections.
The American Renewal Project, an arm of the conservative American Family Association, is launching "Pastors and Pews," which will offer policy briefings to church leaders and their congregations in hopes of encouraging Christians to become more politically active amid years of declining turnout among voters of faith.
The group tells the Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody that they will hold its first event in May in Des Moines, Iowa-a key presidential primary state. And in a sign they're not messing around, they've invited three Republicans rumored to be considering White House bids in 2016: Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
David Lane, an influential conservative operative who's steering the group, tells Brody that it's a way to unite pastors over crucial issues facing the church and society.
"If the key to maintaining sustainable freedom is righteousness-the same virtue that produced freedom-what is the greatest threat to freedom? Unrighteousness," Lane tells CBN. "America has left God."
American Renewal Project
Cast As Green Goblin
Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper has been cast as Norman Osborn - the Green Goblin's corporate alter ego - in Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," a spokesman for Sony told TheWrap.
The character is one of Peter Parker's most infamous villains, and was portrayed by Willem Dafoe in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy. "Chronicle" star Dane DeHaan has already been cast as Harry Osborn, who is Norman's son and Parker's best friend.
Spider-Man, played by Andrew Garfield, will have his hands full in his next big-screen adventure, as it's been previously announced that he'll be facing off against Jamie Foxx ("Django Unchained") as Electro and Paul Giamatti ("Sideways") as the Rhino.
Cooper, an Academy Award winner in 2002 for best supporting actor in "Adaptation," was seen in theaters as the maniacal oil executive Tex Richman in 2011's "The Muppets," and will next appear in "August: Osage County."
Chris Cooper
Syndication Deal With Sundance Channel
'Breaking Bad'
AMC's hit series recently inked a syndication deal with the cable channel. Two episodes of the drama will air every Monday night beginning March 4 at 11 pm EST.
According to The Huffington Post, the Breaking Bad syndication deal the Sundance Channel made with AMC only includes episodes up through the season four finale.
The Hollywood Reporter explains the cable channel will also debut a number of new programs around the same time that Breaking Bad makes its syndication debut.
Episodes of The Staircase: Last Chance will air on March 4 and 11, while Top of the Lake will run from March 18 to April 15. Breaking Bad producers Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein's new series Rectify will air April 22 to May 27.
New episodes of AMC's hit show will begin airing this summer. Unfortunately for fans of the series, they are quickly approaching the home stretch. Breaking Bad will end its very successful run this year.
'Breaking Bad'
Historic Radio Tower Demolished
KHJ
A historic radio tower was ripped to the ground with the help of a bulldozer Wednesday.
The massive tower came down in a matter of seconds, and with it, a chapter in L.A. history.
KHJ went on the air in the 20s and in the 60?s it was the top 40 AM station for all of Los Angeles.
The call letters KHJ stood for kindness, happiness and joy.
KHJ
In Memory
Dale Robertson
Dale Robertson, an Oklahoma native who became a star of television and movie Westerns during the genre's heyday, died Tuesday. He was 89.
Robertson's niece, Nancy Robertson, said her uncle died at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., following a brief illness.
Dale Robertson had bit parts in films including "The Boy with the Green Hair" and the Joan Crawford vehicle "Flamingo Road" before landing more high-profile roles such as Jesse James in "Fighting Man of the Plains."
In the 1950s, he moved into television, starring in series such as "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957-62), "Iron Horse" (1966) and "Death Valley Days" (1968-70).
Robertson continued to work in TV in the 1970s, and in the 1980s he landed roles in the popular night-time soap operas "Dallas" and "Dynasty."
In 1993, he took what would be his final role, as Zeke in the show "Harts of the West," before retiring from acting to spend more time at his ranch in Yukon, Okla., where he lived until moving to the San Diego area in recent months, Nancy Robertson said.
Born Dayle Lymoine Robertson to Melvin and Vervel Robertson in Harrah, on July 14, 1923, Robertson attended Oklahoma Military College at 17 and boxed in professional prize fights to earn money.
He joined the U.S. Army and fought in North Africa and Europe during World War II. Robertson was wounded twice and awarded the Bronze and Silver Stars and the Purple Heart.
While stationed at San Luis Obispo, Calif., he had a photograph taken for his mother. A copy of the photo displayed in the photo shop window attracted movie scouts, and the 6-foot-tall, 180-pound Robertson soon was on his way to Hollywood.
Will Rogers Jr., son of fellow Oklahoma-born actor and writer Will Rogers, once told Robertson to avoid formal training and keep his own persona.
Robertson received the Golden Boot Award in 1985, and was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers and the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
He was married several times, most recently in 1980 to Susan Robbins, who survives him along with two children.
Dale Robertson
In Memory
Van Cliburn
American pianist Van Cliburn, who awed Russian audiences with his exquisite Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff concertos and won fame and fortune back home, died on Wednesday at the age of 78.
Cliburn passed away at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after suffering from bone cancer, his publicist Mary Lou Falcone told Reuters.
The lanky, blue-eyed Texan, who began taking piano lessons at the age of 3 and later trained at New York's prestigious Juilliard School, burst onto the world stage at the height of the Cold War and was the surprise winner of the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958.
His performance at the finale led to an eight-minute standing ovation and was so unexpected that the Russian judges reportedly had to ask Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for permission to give the top prize to the 23-year-old American.
Cliburn's triumph helped spur a brief thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations and made him an overnight sensation in the United States, where his name was known even among those who did not follow classical music.
"It was he that was the symbol of peace for the Cold War," Falcone said. "He was embraced by both Eisenhower and Khrushchev in the 1950s and the only musician to have a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan."
Van Cliburn
In Memory
Richard Street
Former Motown vocalist Richard Street, a member of the Temptations for 25 years, has died. He was 70.
Street's wife, Cindy, says her husband died early Wednesday at a hospital in Las Vegas after a short illness.
Richard Street sang as a young man with Temptations members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, but didn't join the famed Motown group until the early 1970s. He later made the move from his native Detroit to Los Angeles with other Motown acts and stayed with the group until the mid-1990s.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but Cindy Street expects services to be held sometime next week in Cypress, Calif.
Richard Street
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