Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Nora Ephron, writer-filmmaker, dies at 71 (SF Gate)
Among the injustices about the death of Nora Ephron is that she isn't around to tell us about it. "She was so, so alive," says her friend Carrie Fisher. "It makes no sense to me that she isn't alive anymore."
Andrew Tobias: E-GREGIOUS II
At what point can today's Republican Party be branded as dishonest? As bullying? As rooting for - and even as orchestrating - the country's failure so they can regain power and further lower taxes on the wealthy? (Remember how they cheered when we didn't get the Olympics? Remember their manufactured debt-ceiling crisis? Remember their refusal to pass the American Jobs Act that would have taken more than 1 million Americans off unemployment?)
Decca Aitkenhead: "Dambisa Moyo: 'The world will be drawn into a war for resources'" (Guardian)
The controversial writer and economist on why she believes the economic rise of China, combined with the west's complacency, leaves us facing a future of terrifying global instability.
A.J. Jacobs: 5 Confusing Biblical Rules (and What They May Mean) (Neatorama)
EXPLANATION: Think of it like gun control-it's a mandatory waiting period. If you still want to marry a bald, short-nailed woman after a month of no sex, then maybe it truly is love.
Angelique Chrisafis: Why France is shunning the ebook (Guardian)
When it comes to reading books, the French are determinedly bucking the digital trend and sticking to paperbacks.
Charlie Brooker: Thank God for Clive James (Guardian)
Reports of the writer's failing health were greatly exaggerated. Tributes flowed nevertheless.
Ryan Gilbey: "Brave, the movie: has Pixar finally lost the plot?" (Guardian)
The new movie from the hitherto hugely successful studio has met with a lukewarm response. And some are pointing the finger of blame at Disney.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Children (Athens News)
A fun activity is to give famous sayings a twist. Begin the famous saying in the usual way, but then give it a different ending. Some elementary-school teachers even give very young students (who don't already know the famous sayings) the beginnings of famous sayings and have them complete the sayings. Some results: 1) The grass is always greener when you remember to water it. 2) If you can't stand the heat, go swimming. 3) It's always darkest before you open your eyes. 4) Better to light a candle than to light an explosive. 5) Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Cry, and someone yells, "Shut up!" 6) Early to bed and early to rise is first in the bathroom.
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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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and warmer.
Donates Carl Sagan Papers
Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane once included a gag on his animated TV comedy "Family Guy" about an "edited for rednecks" version of Carl Sagan's "Cosmos," featuring an animated Sagan dubbed over to say that the earth is "hundreds and hundreds" of years old.
The Library of Congress announced Wednesday that, thanks to MacFarlane's generosity, it has acquired the personal papers of the late scientist and astronomer, who spoke to mass audiences about the mysteries of the universe and the origins of life. While MacFarlane never owned Sagan's papers, he covered the undisclosed costs of donating them to the library.
"All I did was write a check, but it's something that was, to me, worth every penny," MacFarlane told The Associated Press by phone from Los Angeles. "He's a man whose life's work should be accessible to everybody."
MacFarlane - creator of Fox's "Family Guy," ''American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show" - met Sagan's widow and collaborator, Ann Druyan, at an event a few years ago that brought together Hollywood screenwriters and directors with scientists. They agreed to collaborate on a follow-up to "Cosmos," Sagan's acclaimed 1980 miniseries, with MacFarlane serving as producer. Astrophysicst Neil deGrasse Tyson will host the series, which is scheduled to begin production this fall.
Seth MacFarlane
Board Approves Split
Rupert
The board of New Corp has approved in principle the split of its publishing andentertainment businesses into two separate publicly traded companies, the Wall Street Journalreported on its website, citing an unnamed person familiar with the situation.
News Corp's board, overseen by Chairman Rupert Murdoch, met on Wednesday and an announcement was expected to be made on a decision to separate the $60 billion media conglomerate on Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corp.
Rupert
Intellectuals Urge Release
Pussy Riot
Dozens of Russian intellectuals have signed an open letter calling on the Kremlin to release feminist punk rockers who face up to seven years in jail for staging a prank prayer againstPresident Vladimir Putin.
Three members of the Pussy Riot band were arrested after their February prank prayer at Moscow'sChrist the Savior cathedral, in which they asked Mother Mary to deliver Russia from Putin's return tothe Kremlin for a third term.
The letter released Wednesday and signed by at least 112 writers, film stars and rock musicians says that the upcoming trial would divide Russian society.
Three of the band members are charged with "hooliganism," while Kremlin-controlled media lambast them for "blasphemy" and disrespect to the Russian Orthodox Church, the country's largest.
Pussy Riot
Bypassing Ticketing Services
Louis C.K.
Louis C.K.'s gambit to sell tickets to his comedy shows himself is paying off.
The comedian said Wednesday that after just 45 hours, his tour has sold 100,000 tickets and taken in $4.5 million in sales. He's bypassing ticketing services like Ticketmaster to sell tickets only on his website.
On Monday, he began selling tickets for $45 without fees. His 39-city stand-up tour kicks off in October.
Louis C.K. previously sold downloads to his special "Live at the Beacon" for $5, a move that was widely hailed and has since been imitated by other comics. It made more than $1 million in 12 days.
Louis C.K.
Escapes Early Morning Fire
Rihanna
London Fire Brigade says Rihanna was among 300 people evacuated from a hotel after an early-morning fire in an elevator shaft.
The 24-year-old Barbadian singer tweeted news of the fire early Wednesday to her 21 million Twitter followers, posting a picture of a fire engine and the words: "Roamin da streets since 6am! Fyah in da telly."
The fire brigade said the alarm was raised at 6:22 a.m. (0522 GMT) and 10 firefighters dealt with the blaze on the 7th floor of the luxury Corinthia Hotel. There were no reports of injuries.
Rihanna performed Sunday at the outdoor Hackney Weekend concert in London.
Rihanna
Arrested Mel "Sugar Tits" Gibson
James Mee
The deputy who accused the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department of retaliating against him after he arrested Mel Gibson in 2006 on a drunk-driving charge is being fired, an official said.
After arresting Gibson, Deputy James Mee sued the department, alleging his supervisors targeted him because he resisted requests to remove the actor's anti-Semitic slurs from an initial arrest report.
Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore would not comment on the details of the firing, but he denied it was retaliation for Mee's lawsuit.
Richard A. Shinee, Mee's attorney, said the department has been after Mee since the Gibson incident.
James Mee
'Threat' Tweet Case
Paul Chambers
Comedian Stephen Fry is among those supporting a British man appealing his conviction for tweeting that he would blow up an airport if his flight was canceled.
Paul Chambers became an Internet free-speech cause celebre when he was fined in 2010 for using Twitter to make his comment about Robin Hood Airport in northern England.
Chambers insists he was joking, but a court convicted him of sending menacing or offensive messages.
His lawyer argued that by that measure, William Shakespeare could have been convicted for quipping, "Let's kill all the lawyers."
One judge responded Wednesday: "That was a good joke in 1600 and it is still a good joke now."
Paul Chambers
Veto Stands
New Hampshire
New Hampshire lawmakers have failed to get enough votes to override the governor's veto of a bill sought by J.D. Salinger's family to prevent inappropriate commercial exploitation beyond a person's death.
The bill would have extended the state's "common law right to control the commercial use of one's identity" for 70 years beyond someone's death. It was sponsored at the request of Salinger's heirs, who said they were offended by the use of "The Catcher in the Rye" author's image and name on items such as coffee mugs.
Salinger, who died in 2010, spent much of his life in rural Cornish.
Gov. John Lynch said the bill would potentially have a "chilling effect" on legitimate journalistic and expressive works protected by the state and federal constitutions.
New Hampshire
U.S. Returns Stolen Art
Italy
The United States on Wednesday returned stolen art works worth millions of dollars to Italy, including two 2,300-year-old ceramic vases, a Roman sculpture and a Renaissance painting.
The seven works, which Italian police said were illegally smuggled into the United States by organized crime groups specializing in stolen art, will now be returned to their owners and museums.
Italian police said the painted ceramics, looted from archeological digs in central and southern Italy, appeared on their radar when they were put up for auction by art house Christie's in New York.
The United States has repatriated more than 2,500 objects to more than 23 countries and individuals since 2007.
Italy
Wants Cultural Heroes Back
Afghanistan
Interred a quarter century ago in Pakistan, the remains of Afghan poet Ustad Khalilullah Khalili now lie in a forlorn corner of Kabul University, brought here to be reburied so that no one else can lay claim to the revered poet-philosopher.
He has no epitaph; only a few wilted bouquets lie at the grave of Afghanistan's most prominent 20th century poet. Three policemen guard the site.
But if President Hamid Karzai - who ordered the remains be disinterred from a grave in the Pakistani city of Peshawar last month - has his way, the reburial will become an assertion of Afghan culture over encroachment by Pakistan and Iran.
The assertion of cultural sovereignty is part of an effort to unite Afghanistan and prove it can stand on its own after most foreign troops leave at the end of 2014.
Poetry is big in Afghanistan, from the time of the kings of the 10th century to the present day, permeating every level of society from children in school to warlords and even the austere Taliban who study long works of classical Persian poetry as part of their education in religious schools.
Afghanistan
Financier Buys History
Emancipation Proclamation
A copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War fetched just over $2 million on Tuesday in an auction won by a billionaire financier.
The winning bid from David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, came just three minutes into bidding at the Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York, said Seth Kaller, an agent for the seller.
Rubenstein, who was not immediately available for comment, will pay $2,085,000 including auction house commissions.
In 2007, Rubenstein purchased the last copy of the Magna Carta in private hands. Signed by King John of England in 1215, the document was the first to force an English king to accede to the demands of his subjects.
Emancipation Proclamation
Returned To Sweden
Cornelius van Wytfliet Atlas
A 415-year-old atlas stolen from Sweden's Royal Library more than a decade ago was recovered in the United States and has been returned to the Scandinavian country, officials said Wednesday.
The Cornelius van Wytfliet atlas, which contains 19 rare maps, vanished alongside 55 other books, a theft later attributed to the former head of the library's manuscript department, Anders Burius, who committed suicide in 2004.
The work had belonged to the Royal Library for 300 years when it disappeared.
Library officials say the piece is the first printed atlas solely devoted to depicting maps of North and South America and includes the first printed map of California.
Cornelius van Wytfliet Atlas
36 Percent Say UFOs Exist
National Geographic Survey
Thirty-six percent of Americans -- about 80 million people if the survey applied to the whole country -- believe UFOs exist, and a tenth believe they have spotted one, a new National Geographic poll shows.
Seventeen percent said they did not believe in UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects, and nearly half of those surveyed said they were unsure. Perhaps reflective of today's political climate, there appears to be near-universal skepticism of government - nearly four-fifths of respondents said they believe the government has concealed information about UFOs from the public.
The study, commissioned in anticipation of National Geographic Channel's "Chasing UFOs" series premiering Friday night, was not all serious, said Brad Dancer, National Geographic's senior vice president for audience and business development. Respondents were asked whether President Barack Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney would handle an alien invasion better (Obama won 65 percent in that contest) and which superhero they would call in to fight off the attack (the Hulk beat out Batman and Spider-Man).
Hollywood, he added, may have contributed to the belief - held by 55 percent of Americans, according to the study - that Men in Black-style agents threaten people who report UFO sightings. As movies portraying aliens become increasingly convincing, they may subconsciously affect people's attitudes, he said.
National Geographic Survey
French, New Orleans Musicians Revive Colonial Language
Mobilian
With furrowed brows and fervent nods, the French and native American musicians were introducing a new form of jazz to New Orleans centered on a colonial trade language used by their ancestors.
There were no furs or beads on the table. Instead, the musicians were exchanging traditions to create a unique sound that hops from jazz standards to blues, to reggae to mellow, cymbal-heavy lounge music.
Holding it all together were the soulful chants of ancient folk tales and more modern stories told in Mobilian, a language once used by tribes across the Gulf of Mexico to communicate with each other and with the French traders.
The collaboration began a year ago after the Montpellier-based Mezcal Jazz Unit got a gig in the Big Easy.
Mobilian
In Memory
Don Grady
Don Grady, an original Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club who played son Robbie Douglas on the ABC and CBS sitcom My Three Sons, one of the longest-running family sitcoms in history, died Wednesday in Thousand Oaks, Calif., after a battle with cancer. He was 68.
In 1960, three years after he was hired as a Mouseketeer on ABC's Mickey Mouse Club at age 13, Grady began a 12-year run Robbie on the sitcom My Three Sons, with Fred MacMurray starring as the widower dad, William Frawley (and then William Demarest) as the family housekeeper and Grady, Tim Considine (Mike), Stanley Livingston (Chip) and Barry Livingston (Ernie) as the sons. (Mike was written out at the start of the fifth season and Ernie was adopted, keeping the number of sons at three.)
My Three Sons, which debuted on ABC, moved to CBS in 1965 and began broadcasting in color. With 380 episodes produced, the Saturday night staple is second only to The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as TV's longest-running (live-action) family sitcom.
For the 1968-69 season, Grady's character and his wife Katie (Tina Cole) have triplets. He departed the series at the end of the 11th season when Robbie, now a structural engineer, moved to Peru to work on a bridge construction.
A musical prodigy who had mastered several instruments (including the clarinet and accordion) by age 10, Grady appeared with his own band The Greefs on My Three Sons and wrote two songs for the show. After the series ended, he and songwriter Gary Zekley formed the band Yellow Balloon, named after Zekley's 1967 hit; played with a folk-rock band called The Palace Guard; and toured with a group known as The Windupwatch Band, which included Daryl Dragon (later the male half of Captain & Tennille).
In 1973, Don recorded an album of his own songs titled Homegrown for the Elektra label. It featured one track using the Army Reserve Band, of which he was then a member. In 2008, Grady released Boomer, a collection of songs written for and about the baby boomer generation.
Grady served as the composer for the 1991 Blake Edwards comedy Switch starring Ellen Barkin and Jimmy Smits, did the theme song for the syndicated Phil Donahue Show and was the force behind a Las Vegas multimedia stage show at the MGM Grand called EFX, which starred Michael Crawford, David Cassidy, Tommy Tune and Rick Springfield.
Grady also starred in a national tour in Pippin and had roles in the stage productions of Godspell and Damn Yankees.
A native of San Diego, Grady appeared in several TV Westerns before My Three Sons, including Wagon Train, The Rifleman, Have Gun - Will Travel, The Restless Gun and Zane Grey Theater.
Survivors include his wife Ginny, his children Joey and Tessa, his sister Marilou Reichel, her husband Meryl, their daughter Kelly and husband Mike Edwards and his mother Mary.
Don Grady
In Memory
Thriller
Thriller, a tiger that belonged to Michael Jackson when the entertainer lived at Neverland, has died of lung cancer at Tippi Hedren's wildlife preserve near Los Angeles.
Hedren says the 13-year-old, 375-pound tiger died June 11. An autopsy was performed and the tiger was cremated.
Hedren says Thriller and brother Sabu were born in 1998 and lived with Jackson until 2006 when Jackson left Neverland. Jackson's veterinarian asked Hedren to take the cats at her Shambala Preserve in Acton. She says a $79,000 compound was built on a lake and Thriller had a great life with Sabu.
Despite Jackson's love of animals, Hedren says he never called to check on the tigers and never sent any money to help pay for their care.
Thriller
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