Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Timothy Noah: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (slate.com)
How do you shut off an electronic bill?
Sue Halpern: Making It (nybooks.com)
Warren Buffett's apparent disregard for the money he so excessively accumulates-an Omaha address, a five-bedroom house where he's lived for fifty-two years, an annual $100,000 salary, and a phone he answers himself-reinforces his credibility: he's not greedy, he's just good at what he does. But if Malcolm Gladwell is right, his success has little to do with genius.
Helaine Olen: The End Of Personal Finance (thebigmoney.com)
Decades of advice turn out to be so much garbage.
Mark Morford: Are you NSFW? (sfgate.com)
Dirty thoughts? Skimpy underwear? Soft moaning? You are so busted.
Jason Overdorf: Meet India's first porn star (globalpost.com)
A racy cartoon attracts millions and, of course, controversy in conservative circles.
A most radical writer (guardian.co.uk)
Kate Mosse pays tribute to Marilyn French, writer of the life-changing feminist novel 'The Women's Room.'
"The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women" by Jessica Valenti: A review by Laura M. Carpenter
For decades, right-wing tanks and conservative Christian organizations have promoted what Jessica Valenti calls the "purity myth": the belief that virginity separates moral/good women from their immoral/bad sisters. In its blatant attempt to re-establish traditional gender roles, the purity movement backs restrictions on birth control and abortion and vilifies rape victims who are insufficiently chaste.
"Chagall: A Biography" by Jackie Wullschlager: A review by Richard Dorment
The painter known to the world as Marc Chagall was born Movsha (Moses) Shagal on July 7, 1887, into a poor family living on the fringes of the Russian Empire. When he died ninety-eight years later, he was the last surviving member of the School of Paris and a multimillionaire with a flat on the Quai d'Anjou in Paris and a villa in the South of France.
Angelique Chrisafis: Art historians claim Van Gogh's ear 'cut off by Gauguin' (guardian.co.uk)
Vincent van Gogh's fame may owe as much to a legendary act of self-harm, as it does to his self-portraits. But, 119 years after his death, the tortured post-Impressionist's bloody ear is at the centre of a new controversy, after two historians suggested that the painter did not hack off his own lobe but was attacked by his friend, the French artist Paul Gauguin.
DON WALLER: Mr. Excitement (metrotimes.com)
Meet Detroiter Bobby Murray, a guitar hero you've never heard of
Clash of the composers (guardian.co.uk)
Why is Mendelssohn regarded as sentimental and second-rank? Because his reputation was wrecked by Wagner, who had his own ambitions for German culture, writes Tom Service.
Rick Bentley: As Captain Kirk in the new 'Star Trek' film, actor has a big uniform to fill (McClatchy Newspapers)
Chris Pine's life will never be the same. He's been a working actor for the past half decade, with credits that range from a guest appearance on "ER" to a starring role in the movie "Bottle Shock." Doesn't matter. Everything the 28-year-old actor has done to this point is a distant second place to his current role in "Star Trek." The blue-eyed Pine has slipped into the "Star Trek" captain's chair to take on the role of the swaggering woman-crazy, ripped-shirt-wearing James T. Kirk.
The Weekly Poll
The 'Take Me out to the Ball Game' Edition
"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Ernie Harwell, radio and TV voice of the Detroit Tigers for 42 years and Baseball Hall of Fame member, would intone those words at the start of the first Spring Training game broadcast every year... Ah! Baseball's back! Batter Up!
Are you a baseball fan and, if so, who's yer team? (anecdotes welcome)
Send your response to
replied:
Alan J A-6 | L-6
Charlie A-5 | L-6
DC Madman A-1 | L-1
Gary G A-0 | L-1
Jim from CA A-0 | L-0
Joe S A-6 | L-6
Sally A-6 | L-6
MAM A-6 | L-6
Maria in Chicago A-3 | L-3
Marian the Teacher A-6 | L-6
Sandra in Maine A-0 | L-0
Tom B A-0 | L-0
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and even warmer.
Politics? No Thanks
Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen, who starred as President Josiah Bartlet in acclaimed American drama The West Wing, told Oxford University students he did not have the "aptitude" for such a career.
Speaking at the Oxford Union, Sheen said: "Would I run for public office? A delegation of Democrats from Ohio asked me if I wanted to run for a Senate seat in 2004, and I said it was a tempting offer, but no."
To laughter from the audience, he added: "We already had an old actor in national politics, and it didn't work out so well. He shall remain nameless."
Sheen, who starred in Apocalypse Now, also explained that constant meetings would bore him. "I'm not qualified for it, and I don't have the character for it," said Sheen. "I couldn't bear sitting in meetings all day. I don't have any aptitude for it."
Martin Sheen
'M*A*S*H' Star Comes Out
David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers, the actor who is best known for playing Major Charles Winchester on TV's "M*A*S*H," has come out.
"I am [gay]," the 66-year-old actor said in an interview with the blog Gossip-Boy.com. "Very proud to be so."
David revealed that his recent successful career as a voice actor caused him to remain closeted for so many years.
"I enjoy working and even though many have this idealistic belief that the entertainment industry and studios like Walt Disney are gay friendly. For the most part they are, but that doesn't mean for them that business does not come first. It's a matter of economics," he said. "Most of my more notable work in the last two decades has been as a voice actor. Certainly, I've done television appearances, be they recurring or guest roles, and numerous motion picture and documentary stints, but a lot of my income has been derived from voicing Disney and family programming. What they might allow in a more known actor, they prefer not having to deal with in minor players."
David Ogden Stiers
Armenian Ambassador
Charles Aznavour
Armenia appointed French singer Charles Aznavour, the child of Armenian parents, as the former Soviet republic's ambassador to Switzerland, the office of the president said on Wednesday.
Aznavour, 84, was born in France and established an international singing career that still takes him around the globe.
A statement issued by the office of President Serzh Sarksyan said Aznavour was appointed ambassador to Switzerland and Armenia's permanent representative at the Geneva office of the United Nations and other international organizations.
Aznavour was granted Armenian citizenship in December 2008.
Charles Aznavour
Fawlty Towers Reunion
John Cleese
Monty Python legend John Cleese staged a rare public reunion with his former wife and cast members of classic sitcom "Fawlty Towers" on Wednesday -- and recalled how little money he made from it.
The 69-year-old, who co-wrote the comedy with Connie Booth when they were married in the 1970s, before making millions and moving to California, added that they would be mad to try to revive the show.
"We're too old and tired now," he said at the launch of a documentary about the series, which only ran for 12 episodes but made "Don't mention the war" a catchphrase among generations of fans.
Cleese, who started in Monty Python and went via "Fawlty Towers" to success on the big screen including "A Fish Called Wanda," recalled how, for the first series of "Fawlty Towers" he was paid only 6,000 pounds for 43 weeks' work.
John Cleese
`Nightly Business Report' Anchor Stepping Down
Paul Kangas
PBS business news anchor Paul Kangas is leaving the show that he has anchored for 30 years.
He'll step down at the end of the year as anchor of the "Nightly Business Report." He was the original anchor when the weeknight financial wrapup began airing as a local show in Miami in 1979. It now airs on 250 PBS stations across the country.
Kangas is 72 years old, but he's not retiring. He says he'll continue to give speeches and TV commentaries, and do consulting work.
Paul Kangas
Another On-Set Accident
Nicolas Cage
Nine people, including some crew members working on a Nicolas Cage film, are being treated for minor injuries at New York City hospitals after a sport utility vehicle hit a parked car near the movie set.
It's the second crash this week involving the film "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." The most recent happened about 3:28 a.m. Wednesday in Times Square.
The SUV's driver told reporters she tried to avoid hitting a taxi cab and instead struck a parked car. Both vehicles jumped the curb where some crew members were sitting under a marquee. It's unclear how many crew members were among the injured.
Nicolas Cage
Head-Butted Designer?
Kiefer Sutherland
New York City police were investigating Wednesday claims by a fashion designer who says actor Kiefer Sutherland head-butted him at a SoHo nightclub. Jack McCollough, of the Proenza Schouler fashion house, reported the incident happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday and says he was cut on his face.
McCollough claimed Sutherland, star of Fox television's "24," attacked him after an argument at the club, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
The official said detectives are planning to interview Sutherland, and possibly actress Brooke Shields, who may have witnessed the incident.
Sutherland was released from a Glendale, Calif., jail last year after serving 48 days on a drunken driving charge. He had pleaded no contest to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was sentenced to 30 days, as well as 18 days for violating probation in a 2004 drunken driving arrest.
Kiefer Sutherland
Another Day, Another Lawsuit
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's former publicist filed a $44 million lawsuit on Wednesday against the self-styled "King of Pop" for failing to pay her for her services.
Raymone Bain, who represented Jackson during his 2005 trial and acquittal on child sex abuse charges and later managed his business company, filed a breach of contract civil lawsuit against the singer in Washington, D.C.
She said in the lawsuit that she was hired as a spokeswoman in 2003 and that from 2006, she ran every aspect of Jackson's life including arranging housing, emergency refinancing, travel and security and scheduling meetings with record producers as the singer struggled to reestablish his music career.
Bain joins a long line of former advisers, accountants and friends who have sued Jackson in recent years over broken contracts and unpaid bills. Most of the lawsuits have been settled out of court.
Michael Jackson
No Buyer For Painting
Pablo Picasso
A Pablo Picasso painting of his young daughter and an Alberto Giacometti sculpture of a cat, each estimated to sell for $16 million to $24 million, failed to find buyers at auction Tuesday as the art world struggles with the global financial crisis.
The Sotheby's auction house said bids for the two artworks at its impressionist and modern art sale fell below their reserve prices.
Picasso's "The Daughter of the Artist at 2 1/2 with a Boat" was painted in 1938 and remained in his possession until his death. A private collector has owned it since the 1980s.
The uncertain economy has played a part in art auction houses' decision this spring to offer fewer lots, lower pre-sale estimates and works by well-known artists and private estates that haven't been seen at auction in decades. In the fall, Sotheby's and rival Christie's took beatings when many works didn't sell or sold below their estimates.
Pablo Picasso
Redecorating?
Torture Devices
For sale soon: a variety of torture devices from the 16th century, including shame masks to enforce silence, a 14-foot table-like rack to stretch the victim's body, and a tongue tearer to punish blasphemers and heretics. Even an executioner's sword.
New York's Guernsey's auction house plans to auction the privately owned collection, with proceeds to go to Amnesty International and other organizations committed to preventing torture in today's world, said Guernsey's president, Arlan Ettinger. "That is clearly the seller's intent," he said.
Ettinger described the items Wednesday as possibly the world's most extensive collection of historical torture devices - some 252 items - plus rare books, documents and other related artifacts.
Of German origin and acquired in the late 19th century by England's earl of Shrewsbury, the torture collection has been in private American hands since last publicly shown in 1893 in New York and at the Chicago World's Fair. Its owner for many years after that was Arne Coward, a Norwegian-born survivor of the Holocaust. His descendants are the present owners, Ettinger said.
Torture Devices
The Saudi Answer
Miss Beautiful Morals
Sukaina al-Zayer is an unlikely beauty queen hopeful. She covers her face and body in black robes and an Islamic veil, so no one can tell what she looks like. She also admits she's a little on the plump side.
But at Saudi Arabia's only beauty pageant, the judges don't care about a perfect figure or face. What they're looking for in the quest for "Miss Beautiful Morals" is the contestant who shows the most devotion and respect for her parents.
"The idea of the pageant is to measure the contestants' commitment to Islamic morals... It's an alternative to the calls for decadence in the other beauty contests that only take into account a woman's body and looks," said pageant founder Khadra al-Mubarak.
So after the pageant opens Saturday, the nearly 200 contestants will spend the next 10 weeks attending classes and being quizzed on themes including "Discovering your inner strength," "The making of leaders" and "Mom, paradise is at your feet" - a saying attributed to Islam's Prophet Muhammad to underline that respect for parents is among the faith's most important tenets.
Miss Beautiful Morals
Hidden Message Found
Auschwitz
A note hidden in a bottle by Auschwitz prisoners 65 years ago in a desperate attempt to preserve a small piece of themselves was added Wednesday to the archives of the Polish state-run museum dedicated to the memory of the former Nazi death camp's victims.
Museum Director Piotr Cywinski hailed the document - a list of the names of seven camp inmates that was discovered last month - as a rare discovery and a cause for celebration, given that at least three of the prisoners are still living today.
The note, written in pencil on a scrap from a cement bag, was discovered by a construction crew renovating a cellar that was used by Nazis during World War II as a bunker and place to store food. The building is now on the grounds of a vocational school in Oswiecim, a town the Nazis called Auschwitz, whose director handed the note over to Cywinski in a ceremony.
One of the survivors, Waclaw Sobczak, recalled that he and his fellow inmates never expected to survive the camp and wanted to leave behind a trace of their lives.
Auschwitz
In Memory
Sam Cohn
Sam Cohn, a powerful talent agent for some of Hollywood and Broadway's biggest stars as well as a pantheon of directors, writers and playwrights, has died. He was 79.
During his career, Cohn's clients at International Creative Management were a who's who of show business, most prominently in the 1970s and '80s. They included Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Woody Allen, Lily Tomlin, Kathleen Turner, Vanessa Redgrave, Arthur Miller, Mike Nichols, Nora Ephron, Robert Altman, Bob Fosse, Sigourney Weaver, E.L. Doctorow and Jackie Gleason.
The elusive Cohn, known for not returning phone calls, retired earlier this year from ICM, which he co-founded in the mid-1970s.
Cohn, known as a master dealmaker, acquired an almost mythical status, particularly after the publication of a New Yorker profile in 1982. The article, in listing his previous year's accomplishments, said, "10 feature films and nine Broadway or off-Broadway plays opened that were written, directed or produced by one of his clients or in which a Cohn client had a major acting role."
He also was an ardent New Yorker, rarely traveling to Los Angeles for work.
Born May 11, 1929, in Altoona, Pa., Cohn graduated from Princeton University and Yale Law School. He began his career in television, working for CBS in its business affairs department. After a stint with a law firm, he joined General Artists Corp., which merged with Creative Management Associates before helping to form ICM.
Cohn is survived by wife Jane Gelfman; daughter Marya, son Peter and four grandchildren.
Sam Cohn
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