Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Obama Sex Doll Sold in Guangzhou, China
Americans may already not like anymore with Barack Obama. However, President Barack Obama was still the object of affection for the Chinese people. The proof, they personify him as a sex doll.
Mark Morford: The great Barack Obama conundrum (SF Gate)
How to champion a guy who has been such a general liberal letdown, even though, when all is said and done, he's been mostly completely remarkable?
Jim Hightower: TWO UNREASONABLE WOMEN
As George Bernard Shaw noted a century ago, "All change comes from the power of unreasonable people." I think Shaw would agree to one small addendum to his sage observation, which is that such people are considered unreasonable only by the entrenched powers that always oppose change.
Froma Harrop: God Versus Man on the Beach (Creators Syndicate)
The Florida sun flashes off the row of oiled bodies, their owners largely unmindful of the politics being played on this strip of sand. The ocean waves are eating the beach. Residents of the luxury condo towers behind us fear losing the currently ideal sand-surf balance. They pressed Palm Beach County to stop the erosion by building a 1.2-mile series of breakwaters parallel to the shore. The county commissioners have just said "no."
Stanley Fish: Talking to No Purpose (New York Times)
What exactly is the use of such talk? It's not communication or the imparting of information or even a command, although it often takes the grammatical form of a command. It's more visceral than anything else; it satisfies an almost bodily need to say something, not in order to alter the world, but in order to effect, through words, a release from inner pressure. It's like a valve letting off steam.
Robert Reich: Why We Must Raise Taxes on the Rich
It's tax time. It's also a time when right-wing Republicans are setting the agenda for massive spending cuts that will hurt most Americans.
Laura Saunders: A Tax Man Takes Account Of His Life (Wall Street Journal)
CPA Lives Better, Works Less Thanks to Art of Deduction.
David Bornstein: Hard Times for Recess (New York Times)
... in response to the No Child Left Behind act, nearly half of all school districts in the country have shifted large chunks of time to math and reading instruction in order to improve student test scores. What's been cut? Art, music, social studies and recess. The last has been particularly hard hit. On average, American kids get only 26 minutes of recess per day, including lunchtime - and low income kids get less than that.
Jonah Lerhrer: Measurements That Mislead (Wall Street Journal)
From the SAT to the NFL, the problem with short-term tests.
Jonathan Jones: Fulham's awful Michael Jackson statue is very Al Fayed (Guardian)
The new statue of Michael Jackson outside Fulham FC's ground fits right in with the Mohamed Al Fayed's taste for all things golden and glitzy.
Barry Koltnow: "Catherine Deneuve at 67: Still beautiful, still French" (The Orange County Register)
At 67, Catherine Deneuve is still beautiful. She is still elegant. And she is still ... French.
Steve Knopper: Q&A with Nikolai Fraiture, bassist for The Strokes (Newsday)
After temporarily saving rock 'n' roll with their terrific debut, 2001's "Is This It," The Strokes collapsed in a haze of hype, expectations and internal conflict. The band meandered through two spotty follow-up albums, drifted into separate solo projects, then reunited in 2009, recording new songs during numerous sessions at several studios.
David Bruce has 41 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $41 you can buy 10,250 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
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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
Overcast morning, fairly sunny afternoon.
Drop 31 Categories
Grammys
Men and women will compete head-to-head, some of the more exotic awards like best Native American album and best spoken-word children's record have been eliminated, and the number of categories has been reduced by more than 30 in the biggest overhaul in the 53-year history of the Grammys.
While no musical genres will be excluded from Grammy contention, the changes will make the awards a lot more competitive.
While the Academy has adjusted its rules and adapted to industry changes over the years, these changes follow its first major examination of the awards structure, a process that took more than a year.
The biggest change will come in the number of categories, cut from 109 to 78. Awards will no longer be given in such categories as rap performance by a duo or group; some of the instrumental categories in pop, rock and country; traditional gospel; children's spoken-word album; Zydeco or Cajun music album; and best classical crossover album.
Grammys
Rupert Drops Glen
Beck
Fox News Channel on Wednesday said it was dropping Glenn Beck's afternoon talk show, which has sunk in the ratings and suffered financially due to an advertiser boycott.
Fox News and Beck's company, Mercury Radio Arts, said they will work together to create other projects for Fox television and digital.
More than 400 Fox advertisers told the company they did not want their commercials on Beck's show.
"I truly believe that America owes a lot to Roger Ailes and Fox News," Beck said in a statement. "I cannot repay Roger for the lessons I've learned and will continue to learn from him and I look forward to starting this new phase of our partnership."
Beck
Latest Additions
National Recording Registry
The 1908 tune, "Take Me Out to the Ball-game," that became the anthem for America's favorite pastime, will be preserved at the Library of Congress, along with 24 other recordings chosen for their cultural significance, the library announced Wednesday.
This year's selections for the National Recording Registry include Tammy Wynette's 1968 country song that divided American women with the message, "Stand By Your Man."
Other selections include the first recording of contemporary stand-up comedy. It was an unauthorized recording of comedian Mort Sahl in 1955. There are also notable performances by Al Green, Henry Mancini and Nat King Cole.
Number 19 on the list is "Trout Mask Replica," Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (1969)
National Recording Registry
New Banknotes
Sweden
Swedish icons such as Ingmar Bergman, actress Greta Garbo, author Astrid Lindgren and singer Birgit Nilsson will be featured on new Swedish banknotes, the central bank said Wednesday.
A total of six prominent Swedes were selected for a set of bills -- including a new 200-kronor denomination -- to come into circulation around 2014-2015.
The two other personalities chosen are former United Nations secretary general Dag Hammerskjoeld and author and poet Evert Taube.
The central bank said it chose "people who have made positive and important contributions to Sweden?s cultural heritage during the 20th century."
Sweden
"Grampires: When Sharon Bit Harry"
Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal's "When Harry Met Sally..." has finally gotten a sequel in a new Web video that mixes in a bit of "Twilight."
Crystal debuted his first video for the comedy website FunnyOrDie.com on Wednesday. In it, he and director Rob Reiner pitch a sequel to the 1989 film.
A studio executive, played by Adam Scott, requests one tweak to Crystal's plans: vampires. A trailer for the mock results follows, with Crystal falling for another woman, Sharon - played by Helen Mirren - in a retirement community.
Sharon, though, turns out to be a bloodsucking vampire. The film is dubbed "Grampires: When Sharon Bit Harry."
Billy Crystal
NH School Acquires Letters
Robert Frost
Writing from England as World War I got under way, Robert Frost was more worried about his personal finances than the threat of war.
"This row was exciting at first. But it has lost some of its interest for us," the poet wrote to his friend Ernest Silver in August 1914, just weeks after Great Britain declared war on Germany. "Not that I think the Germans will come. I bet one of my little amateur bets that other day that not one of them would set foot in England."
The letter is one of six recently donated to Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, where Frost taught for a year before moving to England in 1912. His reputation as a poet grew after the publication of his first book a year later, but Frost still worried about how he would provide for his family upon returning to the United States.
Frost, the celebrated New England poet known for such verse as "The Road Not Taken" and "The Gift Outright," met Silver at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, where Silver was the high school principal and Frost taught English. When Silver became the president of what was then known as Plymouth Normal School, he invited Frost to come teach education and psychology.
Robert Frost
Andy Serkis, 2nd Unit Director
"Hobbit"
Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, is taking on a new role in the "Hobbit" films.
In addition to reprising his role as the tragic creature, Serkis also has been hired by Jackson to serve as second unit director on the two films, which are now in production in New Zealand.
"I think I understand Peter's sensibility and we have a common history of understanding Middle Earth," Serkis told The Hollywood Reporter. "A lot of the crew from 'The Lord of the Rings' was returning to work on 'The Hobbit.' There is really a sense of Peter wanting people around him who totally understand the material and the work ethic."
Serkis has already done some directing, including performance capture on a couple video games including "Heavenly Sword." But, he said, "When Peter asked me. There was this email out of the blue. It was a fantastic surprise."
"Hobbit"
"Earned"
$262K $332KBristol Palin
A foundation aiming to prevent teen pregnancy says Bristol Palin (R-Opportunist) was well worth the $332,500 paid as an ambassador for the organization.
In her 2009 debut with The Candies Foundation, the unwed mother and daughter of former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Quitter) was paid $262,500 for 15 to 20 days of work, and another $70,000 for a less amount of work last year.
Neil Cole, founder of The Candie's Foundation, says the fact that Sarah Palin's 20-year-old daughter was a teen mother shows the problem is a national one, not one limited to inner cities or minorities.
Cole says Bristol Palin (R-Hypocrite) is no longer on the payroll.
Bristol Palin
Gallery Director Guilty
Art Fraud
A former art gallery director was convicted Wednesday in an art fraud case that brought Robert De Niro to a witness stand to discuss a role he generally plays behind the scenes: artist's son.
Leigh Morse was found guilty of scheming to defraud four artists' estates by selling their works without telling them. But she was acquitted of a more serious grand larceny charge that specifically involved the estate of De Niro's artist father.
The charges against Morse stemmed from a more sweeping case against her former boss, now-imprisoned ex-gallery owner and admitted swindler Lawrence Salander. Morse's lawyer said she had nothing to do with Salander's $120 million scheme.
Morse, 55, could face up to four years in prison but won't necessarily get any time behind bars at her sentencing, set for June 3.
Morse "systematically looted the estates of her clients over a period of many years," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement.
Art Fraud
Kept Borrowed Gems?
Paris Hilton
A break-in at Paris Hilton's Los Angeles home has led to a New York lawsuit over $60,000 in borrowed gems. A jeweler's insurer says the celebrity socialite simply held onto them after police gave them back to her.
Insurer Allianz Global sued Hilton Wednesday. Her spokeswoman says Hilton's representatives haven't yet reviewed the suit and have no immediate response.
The Munich-based insurer says jeweler Damiani lent Hilton the gems in 2007. The lawsuit says the Damiani jewels were taken, along with about $2 million worth of other baubles, in the December 2008 burglary.
Police returned a Louis Vuitton bag full of jewelry to Hilton after making arrests in 2009. The suit says Hilton then ignored Allianz' requests to return the Damiani gems.
Paris Hilton
Settle "Scream 4" Lawsuit
Weinsteins
"Scream 4" will hit theaters on April 15 without the specter of a lawsuit hovering over the horror sequel.
Distributor the Weinstein Co. has paid to settle a $3 million lawsuit filed by producer Cathy Konrad, who claimed she was booted from the fourth installment on the franchise after it was developed behind her back.
Terms of the settlement, which was reached months ago but has gone unreported until now, have not been disclosed. However, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Konrad was getting a cash payment and a very small portion of any profits from the film.
Konrad sued Bob and Harvey Weinstein last May, claiming she was responsible for the development of the "Scream" franchise and was entitled to a first opportunity to produce any sequels on the same financial terms as 2000's "Scream 3," for which she received a guaranteed $550,000 plus $100,000 bonuses for domestic box office targets of $75 million, $100 million, $110 million and $125 million. (The film stalled at $89 million, the worst performer in the series.)
Weinsteins
"Today" Exit
Meredith Vieira
With media attention focused on turmoil at other network newscasts, NBC's top-rated morning show is quietly weighing its own shake-up as co-host Meredith Vieira considers a future without "Today."
Vieira, who seamlessly took the reins opposite Matt Lauer nearly five years ago, is said to be considering leaving the program when her reported $11 million annual contract expires in September. According to sources, Vieira, 57, has tired of the grueling lifestyle and would like to spend more time with her ill husband.
Although NBC News executives proved adept at the host transition when 15-year veteran Katie Couric stepped down in 2006, Vieira's departure would nonetheless create a void at the dominant morning franchise -- and an opportunity for rivals to pounce. In addition to being among the longest-running programs, Today has been the top-rated morning show for nearly 800 consecutive weeks (or more than 15 years).
That longevity, coupled with its airtime -- four hours Monday-Friday and three hours on the weekend -- has made the show a profit center for NBC News. "Today" generated $454 million in ad revenue last year for its weekday broadcasts alone, according to estimates provided by Kantar Media. (By comparison, ABC's "Good Morning America," a perennial No. 2, took in $314 million, and CBS' "Early Show," a distant third in the ratings, earned $178 million.)
Meredith Vieira
Bi-Coastal Effort
Notorious B.I.G.
FBI agents on both coasts participated in a nearly two-year investigation aimed at finding out who gunned down the Notorious B.I.G. and whether any Los Angeles police officers were involved, according to recently released records.
The inquiry ended in early 2005, after federal prosecutors concluded there wasn't enough evidence to pursue a case against any officers or another man implicated in the rapper's 1997 shooting death.
The decision was made after agents in Los Angeles, San Diego and New York tried to track down potential suspects and witnesses who might shed new light on the unsolved killing that came months after another rap superstar, Tupac Shakur, was shot dead in Las Vegas.
The FBI released Wallace's file on March 27 on its website, The Vault, which contains the bureau's most requested case documents that can be released. The FBI on Friday publicized that it had added more than 25 new files that it had never released electronically and by Wednesday, fans and journalists were poring over the Wallace file.
Notorious B.I.G.
New Fresh Water Could Shift Gulf Stream
Arctic Ocean
Scientists are monitoring a massive pool of fresh water in the Arctic Ocean that could spill into the Atlantic and potentially alter the key ocean currents that give Western Europe its moderate climate.
The oceanographers said Tuesday the unusual accumulation has been caused by Siberian and Canadian rivers dumping more water into the Arctic and from melting sea ice. Both are consequences of global warming.
If it flushes into the Atlantic, the infusion of fresh water could, in the worst case, change the ocean current that brings warmth from the tropics to European shores, said Laura De Steur of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research.
German researcher Benjamin Rabe, of the Alfred Wegener Institute, said the Arctic's fresh water content had increased 20 percent since the 1990s - about 8,400 cubic kilometers. That is the equivalent of all the water in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron together or double the volume of water in Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake.
Arctic Ocean
Trailer Pulled
"Hangover Part II"
A trailer for "The Hangover Part II," which features a monkey performing a simulated sex act, has been pulled from theaters.
The ad was not properly vetted by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, which makes sure movie advertising isn't out of sync with the ratings system, and the group has asked distributor Warner Bros. to rectify the situation.
"In our haste to meet the placement schedule for this trailer, we failed to properly vet the final version with the MPAA. We acted immediately to correct the mistake and removed the trailer from screens," Warner Bros. said in a statement.
The studio would not discuss what was being tweaked, but insiders said a scene featuring a monkey sucking on a bottle placed under an old man's sarong was a likely target.
"Hangover Part II"
16th Century Folio Sets Auction Record
Islamic Art
A 16th century illustrated portfolio from the "Shahnameh" ("Book of Kings") of Shah Tahmasp of Persia, fetched 7.4 million pounds ($12 million) on Wednesday, a new auction record for an Islamic work of art.
The leaf from the Persian national epic depicts Faridun in the guise of a dragon testing his sons, and comes from the collection of Stuart Cary Welch, the renowned U.S. scholar, curator and collector of Islamic and Indian art.
It was sold in London at Sotheby's in the first sale of a two-part auction of Welch's collection. The second part will take place in London in May.
The auctioneer said the Shahnameh was "universally acknowledged as one of the supreme illustrated manuscripts of any period or culture and among the greatest works of art in the world." It had been expected to fetch 2-3 million pounds.
Islamic Art
Richest Fictional Character
Scrooge McDuck
A miserly duck, a vampire and pair of precocious kids are among the richest fictional characters, according to a ranking by Forbes.
Scrooge McDuck, the "penny-pinching poultry" with a fortune in gold coins whose estimated worth is $44.1 billion, headed the list of Forbes' "Fictional 15" wealthiest imaginary characters.
But despite his riches, McDuck still trails Microsoft founder Bill Gates' $53 billion.
Vampire-themed franchises have become big business, so it's no surprise that Carlisle Cullen, the 370-year-old vampire from the "Twilight" books and films who has been accruing interest on a small savings account since 1670, came in second with $36.2 billion.
Scrooge McDuck
Forgot Warnings From Ancestors
Tsunami-Hit Towns
Modern sea walls failed to protect coastal towns from Japan's destructive tsunami last month. But in the hamlet of Aneyoshi, a single centuries-old tablet saved the day.
"High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants," the stone slab reads. "Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point."
It was advice the dozen or so households of Aneyoshi heeded, and their homes emerged unscathed from a disaster that flattened low-lying communities elsewhere and killed thousands along Japan's northeastern shore.
Hundreds of such markers dot the coastline, some more than 600 years old. Collectively they form a crude warning system for Japan, whose long coasts along major fault lines have made it a repeated target of earthquakes and tsunamis over the centuries.
Earlier generations also left warnings in place names, calling one town "Octopus Grounds" for the sea life washed up by tsunamis and naming temples after the powerful waves, said Fumihiko Imamura, a professor in disaster planning at Tohoku University in Sendai, a tsunami-hit city.
"It takes about three generations for people to forget. Those that experience the disaster themselves pass it to their children and their grandchildren, but then the memory fades," he said.
Tsunami-Hit Towns
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