Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: All the Dead People Say Yes (SF Gate)
Somewhere along a forgotten branch of your family tree, there she is. Somewhere deep in your lineage, there's at least one, maybe two, maybe even quite a few more whom you know nothing about -- relatives who, when they were alive, never made a sound or ruffled any feathers, hidden like thwarted relics, long deceased but right now whispering at the top of their ghostly lungs straight into your most lucid, semi-hallucinogenic dreams: "Get the hell on with it, already."
Froma Harrop: The 'Geezers' are Right This Time (Creators Syndicate)
Alan Simpson let loose at a group of Californians who charged in a brochure that he and Erskine Bowles were "using the deficit to gut our Social Security." The former Republican senator from Wyoming sent the California Association of Retired Americans a characteristically colorful response, which I quote: "What a wretched group of seniors you must be to use the faces of the very people (the young) that we are trying to save, while the 'greedy geezers' like you use them as a tool and a front for your nefarious bunch of crap."
Frank Eltman: "Richard Leakey: Evolution debate will soon be history"
Discoveries will accelerate to the point that 'even the skeptics can accept it.'
My Muse and Me (Guardian)
How does an artist pick a muse? And what's it like to be one? Laura Barnett finds out from a choreographer, a novelist, a painter - and the people who inspire them.
Michael Dirda: "Blue-collar intellectual in 'Eric Hoffer: The Longshoreman Philosopher'" (Washington Post)
Being a trade editor, Anderson realized that "Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements" wasn't likely to jump onto any bestseller lists. So she suggested a new, punchier title, which was accepted by its author, the virtually unknown Eric Hoffer. Since then "The True Believer" has become a modern classic, a work periodically rediscovered to this day, most recently in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Kenneth Turan: Jean Renoir's 1937 classic is glorious anti-war 'Illusion' (Los Angeles Times)
Jean Renoir's 1937 "Grand Illusion," one of the most admired - and one of the most feared - films ever made, returns to theatrical screens in a fine digital restoration taken from the original camera negative just in time to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
Roger Ebert: Review of "Henning Mankell's Wallander" (3 ½ stars)
Here is one of the year's best and most provocative thrillers and maybe it says something that it's a 91-minute installment of a Swedish TV series. Why see it at the movies? Because it's so very well-done and looks better on the big screen.
David Bruce: "Wise Up! Education" (Athens News)
When she was very young, children's book illustrator Denise Fleming used to decorate her school papers with drawings in an attempt to get better grades. Actually, her third-grade teacher was so impressed by Denise's drawings that she suggested that Denise take art classes. Denise did take art lessons at the Toledo Museum of Art, and she and her classmates spent lots of time looking at the art in the museum. She was especially impressed by Monet's water lilies and by a landscape by Vincent van Gogh and by Picasso's "Woman with Crow." She adds, "And then there was this anatomically correct baby Jesus that we all found incredible, especially me because I had no brothers."
David Bruce: "The Kindest People: Heroes and Good Samaritans (Volume 5)" (Smashwords)
Free download.
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
Sunny and cooler than seasonal.
Rupert's Right-Wing Propaganda Squad
'Fox and Friends'
"Fox & Friends" aired a nearly-four-minute video about President Barack Obama on Wednesday, drawing the ire of critics who say it looked, felt and sounded like a political attack ad.
"We decided to take a look back at the president's first term to see if it lived up to hope and change," co-host Gretchen Carlson said while introducing the video.
The video, produced by Fox News associate producer Chris White, attacks Obama's record on job creation and the unemployment rate--and includes a dramatic, "Star Wars"-esque soundtrack. It aired twice on Wednesday's show.
"The package that aired on 'Fox & Friends' was created by an associate producer and was not authorized at the senior executive level of the network," Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming at Fox News, said in a statement to Yahoo News. "This has been addressed with the show's producers."
The video "resembled propaganda films from 1930?s Europe," Baltimore Sun television critic David Zurawik wrote after the segment first aired. "And the remarkable thing was the the witless crew on the couch that serves as hosts for this show had the audacity to present it as journalism and congratulate the producer who put it together."
'Fox and Friends'
Honorary Degrees
American Film Institute
Legendary comedian Mel Brooks and iconic filmmaker David Lynch will receive honorary degrees from the American Film Institute, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Brooks and Lynch will receive doctorates of fine arts degrees for "contribution of distinction to the art of the moving image" during the AFI Conservatory commencement at Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on June 13.
Previous recipients of the AFI Honorary Degree include Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Clint Eastwood, Roger Ebert, James Earl Jones, Nora Ephron, Jeffrey "Sparky" Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Helen Mirren, Haskell Wexler and John Williams.
American Film Institute
Skids To 20-Year Ratings Low
CNN
CNN hit a 20-year primetime ratings low in May, an expected dive for the cable news network after it posted its worst week in two decades earlier in the month.
The network brought in reinforcements this week, announcing Wednesday morning that ABC News' John Brennan would join its early morning show "Early Start." On Tuesday, it announced that celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain would leave the Travel Channel to join CNN's lineup with a new cooking and travel show in early 2013.
Bourdain's addition represents another move out of CNN's hard news comfort zone as it tries to draw an audience from competitors MSNBC and top-rated Fox News. The network has also upped its celebrity coverage on the ratings-challenged primetime show "Piers Morgan Tonight."
CNN
Female Opinion Writers Fare Better Online
The OpEd Project
When it comes to opinion writing, it is still a man's world, but things are improving slightly for female reporters and writers, a new study by The OpEd Project found this week.
In particular, female opinion writers are much better represented online than they are in legacy publications, with females responsible for 33 percent of the opinion pieces in digital publications surveyed by the report's authors as opposed to 20 percent of those in several major newspapers.
Giving hope for the future, college publications boasted the best numbers, with women responsible for 38 percent of opinion pieces.
To come up with its numbers, the OpEd Project evaluated over 7,000 articles in 10 media outlets over a 12-week period from September 15, 2011 to December 7, 2011. Among the publications it chose to examine were online titles like Salon and The Huffington Post; traditional outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal; and college papers at Ivy League schools like Yale and Harvard.
The OpEd Project
Campaign Misspells "America"
Willard
Republican Mitt Romney says he is running for president in search of a better America, but this week, Romney's campaign could have used a better speller.
The campaign released an iPhone app late Tuesday that features slogans supporting his campaign against Democratic President Barack Obama ahead of elections on November 6.
"We're With Mitt," read one. "American Greatness," declared another.
"A Better Amercia," proclaimed a third, a misspelling that almost instantly became the subject of jokes on social media.
Willard
UK Top Court Backs Extradition
Julian Assange
Britain's Supreme Court has endorsed the extradition of WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange to Sweden, an important turning point in the Internet activist's controversial career.
Assange, 40, has spent the better part of two years fighting attempts to send him to the Scandinavian nation, where he is accused of sex crimes. The U.K. end of that struggle appeared to come to a messy conclusion Wednesday, with the nation's highest court ruling five to two that the warrant seeking his arrest was properly issued - and Assange's lawyer arguing that the case should be reopened.
Supreme Court President Nicholas Phillips, speaking for the majority, acknowledged that Assange's case "has not been simple to resolve," but that the court had concluded that "the request for Mr. Assange's extradition has been lawfully made and his appeal against extradition is accordingly dismissed."
Assange won't be extradited immediately no matter what happens. His lawyer, Dinah Rose, stood up after the verdict to say that the decision was based on evidence that was not argued during the appeal and requested time to study the verdict further with an eye toward trying to reopen the case.
Phillips said he would give Rose two weeks to make her move.
Julian Assange
Judge Orders Tapes Turned Over
Manson Family
Taped conversations between Manson Family killer Charles "Tex" Watson and a Texas lawyer in 1969 must be given to Los Angeles police investigating the cult's possible involvement in unsolved murders, a judge ruled on Tuesday.
Detectives are anxious to review some eight hours of discussions between lawyer Bill Boyd, now dead, and Watson recorded after the Charles Manson devotee's arrest for the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders, Los Angeles Police Commander Andrew Smith said.
But the release of the tapes was placed on hold for two weeks following an 11th-hour challenge by Watson's current attorney.
"We really don't know what's going to be on these tapes but we're always hopeful to get new evidence and be able to solve any of the unsolved crimes we have from that long ago era here in Los Angeles," Smith said.
Manson Family
Film Site
LA Coliseum
As stadiums went quiet around the country the weekend after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there was plenty of action on the field at historic Memorial Coliseum and little of it had to do with football.
On Sept. 16, 2001, 40 minutes of group sex for a hardcore porn movie was filmed during a four-hour shoot under the lights at the Coliseum, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The University of Southern California Trojans wouldn't have been on the field anyway that Sunday at the Coliseum, which is run by the city, county and state. But still no officials contacted by the Times knew who gave permission for the shoot.
The Coliseum seats, tunnel and entry can be seen in the movie, although the stadium is not identified by name in the 90-minute film.
"I was just in awe that we were at the Coliseum," said one of the film's stars, known as Mr. Marcus. "I've made movies for about 20 years, and I've done a lot of things, but that one really stands out. ... I mean, who gets to have sex on the Coliseum floor?"
LA Coliseum
Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford hit Twitter on Wednesday to apologize to Martin Short for asking the actor about what makes his marriage work so well, not realizing the "Madagascar 3" star's wife passed away in 2010.
"He and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?" Kathie asked.
"36 years," Martin said.
"But you're still in love?" Kathie continued.
"Madly in love," he replied, quietly.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Dismissed From "Private Practice"
Tim Daly
"Private Practice" star Tim Daly will not be returning to the ABC medical drama for its upcoming sixth season, tweeting that series creator Shonda Rhimes informed his agent he was finished.
"Wonderful fans of PPP. Shonda informed my agent today that Pete won't be returning for season 6. It was a great 5 yrs. R.I.P. Pete Wilder," Daly tweeted late Tuesday.
The status of Daly's "Private Practice" character, Dr. Pete Wilder, was left up in the air at the end of season five. Wilder had been jailed after helping to end the life of a patient dependent on machines to survive. He was released on bail in the season finale.
The show was renewed for 13 episodes for next season. Daly's co-star, Kate Walsh, retweeted his tweet, adding, "I love u tim daly."
Tim Daly
Man With An Opinion
Dominic Monaghan
Lost's Dominic Monaghan says fans are wrong to confuse Matthew Fox with the squeaky-clean Dr. Jack Shepard.
In a Twitter chat with followers earlier this week to promote his new documentary, Wild Things, one user asked Monaghan, 35, if he could get his former costar to sign up for the social networking site. Monaghan's terse reply?
"He beats women. No thanks," the actor wrote. Referring to Fox's arrest in August 2011 for his drunken assault on a female bus driver, the fan tweeted, "I know it was wrong, but what?! What about all those good times you had together?!"
Monaghan didn't take kindly to the fan pursuing the matter. "How do you know we ever did [have good times]?" he wrote. "You don't know either of us. He beats women. Not isolated incidents. Often. Not interested."
Dominic Monaghan
Note Pulled From Auction
Michael Jackson
A note written by Michael Jackson in which he complains of being unable to sleep has been withdrawn from auction at the request of the late singer's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, the auction house said on Wednesday.
Jackson, who died in 2009 after asking his doctor to give him a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, wrote the note to Presley sometime between 1993-1996, when they were close friends. The two later became husband and wife.
"Lisa I truly need this rest I haven't slept litterally (sic) in 4 days now. I need to be away from phones and business people. I must take care of my health first Im'(sic) crazy for you," reads the handwritten note, scrawled on yellow paper.
Julien's Auctions, which had listed the letter in an upcoming celebrity memorabilia sale, said on Wednesday it pulled the note from its Music Icons auction on June 23rd and 24th at Presley's request.
"I'm assuming that it's because the note is of a personal nature, and we want to honor the request and continue our good relationship with Ms. Presley," chief executive Darren Julien said.
Michael Jackson
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for May 21-27. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 21.49 million.
2. "Dancing With the Stars Results," ABC, 17.75 million.
3. "Dancing With the Stars," ABC, 16.84 million.
4. "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 14.85 million.
5. "Modern Family," ABC, 10.07 million.
6. "America's Got Talent" (Monday), NBC, 9.66 million.
7. "America's Got Talent" (Tuesday), NBC, 9.44 million.
8. "NCIS" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.), CBS, 9.34 million.
9. "NCIS" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), CBS, 9.17 million.
10. "Dancing With the Stars" (Tuesday, 8 p.m.), ABC, 8.84 million.
11. "House," Fox, 8.72 million.
12. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 8.27 million.
13. "Person of Interest," CBS, 7.9 million.
14. "Revenge," ABC, 7.86 million.
15. "The Mentalist," CBS, 7.84 million.
16. "The Bachelorette," ABC, 7.53 million.
17. "NCIS: Los Angeles" (Tuesday, 8 p.m.), CBS, 7.51 million.
18. "Glee," Fox, 7.46 million.
19. Auto Racing: NASCAR Sprint Cup, Fox, 7.41 million.
20. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 7.23 million.
Ratings
In Memory
Ellen Levine
Ellen Levine, a prolific and highly regarded author and activist whose children's books told stories of slaves, immigrants and the fight for social justice, has died. She was 73.
Levine died May 26 in New York after being diagnosed with lung cancer 19 months earlier, according to Scholastic Inc. The publisher announced her death Wednesday and said that her longtime partner, Anne Koedt, whom she married last fall, was at her side.
Her books included "Henry's Freedom Box," which was a Caldecott Honor book, "Darkness Over Denmark" and "I Hate English," about a Chinese girl trying to learn a new language. She also worked on documentaries for CBS television. A native of New York, she was an undergraduate at Brandeis University and received a law degree from New York University.
Ellen Levine
In Memory
William Lee Miller
William Lee Miller, an author, ethicist and journalist, has died. He was 86.
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced Tuesday that Miller died in Manhattan on Saturday after a long illness.
Miller's final book, "Two Americans: Truman, Eisenhower and a Dangerous World," came out last month. His other books included "The First Liberty" and "Arguing About Slavery." He wrote for several newspapers and magazines, worked on speeches for Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson and ghost wrote a book for Sen. Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota.
A native of Bloomington, Ind., and a graduate of the Yale Divinity School, Miller taught at Yale, Smith and other colleges and served three terms as an alderman in New Haven, Conn. He is survived by his wife, Linda Moore Miller, four children and two stepchildren.
William Lee Miller
In Memory
Leo Dillon
Leo Dillon, the groundbreaking illustrator who became the first African-American to win the Caldecott Medal for children's books, has died in New York at 79.
Publisher Scholastic Inc. announced Wednesday that Dillon died May 26 at Long Island College Hospital from complications after lung surgery.
Dillon and his wife and fellow illustrator, Diane Dillon, collaborated on a wide range of children's projects that helped introduce kids of all races to stories of black people worldwide. They won the Caldecott for best illustration in 1976 for "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Folktale." They won a Caldecott the following year for "Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions."
The interracial couple worked on more than 40 books together. A new work, "If Kids Ran the World," is scheduled for 2014.
Leo Dillon
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