Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: Letter to a Whiny Young Democrat (sfgate.com)
Oh, now you've done it. See? You see what happens when you young liberal voters get so disgruntled and disillusioned that you drop all your party's newborn, hard-won ideas about Hope™ and Change™, without any patience, without really giving them sufficient time to mature, without understanding that hugely foreign, anti-American concept known as "the long view"?
Froma Harrop: From Geek to Geezer (creators.com)
It's a fair generality that the young are more technologically up-to-date than the old. There comes a time when one concludes that the wizards of invention have gone far enough. There's no point in cluttering one's mind with new gadgets and their instructions.
Curtis Sittenfeld: I Still Love Obama. Love. Love. Love.
Am I the last person in America who still adores President Obama?
Clarence Page: Why PC is such a pain, no offense (chicagotribune.com)
Political correctness may be the biggest stealth issue in this political season, partly because people are afraid to talk about it.
Jim Hightower: DEAD MINERS AND ETHICALLY-DEAD SENATORS
Some members of Congress complain that they have a really tough job. Also, they say their hard work is not appreciated by the public and that they're really not paid enough.
Richard Roeper: Moment of whim a fatal mistake for young teacher (suntimes.com)
In "The Watchmen" comic book series, there are two Silk Spectres, with mother handing down the role to daughter.
STEVE PYKE: Philosophers Through the Lens (nytimes.com)
A photographer recalls his decades-long mission documenting the philosophers of our time.
"Mary Shelley" by Miranda Seymour: A review by L. J. Davis
It is often and truly said that science fiction is an adolescent genre -- its main appeal is to kids, mostly male kids. Usually overlooked, however, is what this means. It is precisely because science fiction appeals to kids that it is the only form of literature with profound real-world consequences. As John Donne's hated Jesuits have been known to say, if you get them young, you have them forever.
BENJAMIN SCHWARZ: The American Critic (theatlantic.com)
H. L. Mencken trained American intellectuals in what to like-and how to rebel.
20 Questions: Tom Payne (popmatters.com)
What is it that fills our eyes with stars and makes us desire to lift one among us upon an altar - and then consider setting fire to the altar? Tom Payne ponders this proclivity in his new book, 'Fame.'
Dominic Umile: Ray Bradbury Wrote Me Back (popmatters.com)
On his personalized stationary (yellow cardstock with his address and a space-scape image in the margin), my mail from the author was handwritten, hopefully by him. It was a "thanks for the kind words," and an excited pronouncement: "Onward, to 2000!"
Jacob Weisberg: I Like Mike (slate.com)
Why Royko of Chicago was our greatest columnist.
Steve Lopez: The Writing Life: Mike Royko's softer side (latimes.com)
A book of love letters from the famed Chicago columnist to his future wife reveals a man obsessed.
David Bruce has 39 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $39 you can buy 9,750 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
Hubert's Poetry Corner
"The Cockroach Prince and Other Casual Memories"
The Weekly Poll
Current Question
The 'Conspiracy Theory... or Fact?' Edition...
"The Vietnam War was fought over a bet that Howard Hughes lost to Aristotle Onassis."
--Jerry Fletcher (Mel 'Sugar Tits' Gibson) - Conspiracy Theory
As you will see at the following website... Conspiracy Planet - The Alternative News & History Network
There's no end to the topics covered. Some are new, some not so much. Some are interesting. Some are outrageous. Some are frightening. Some are merely entertaining... but, make no mistake, each one is believed by someone, somewhere.
Do you have a favorite 'Conspiracy Theory' that you believe in, find hilarious or just would like to know more about?
Send your response to
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From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestions
Michelle in AZ
BadtotheboneBob
Persistence Pays
Persistence pays for unlikely pair
About 12 years ago on a snowy, windy Sunday, Earl Williams met Judy Burkhardt at the storefront at St. Ignatius Church on Connor near Detroit City Airport. Earl was just a kid then, maybe 6 years old, the youngest of Starlett Williams' three boys, and his mother, who cannot work because she is disabled, was seeking assistance... Burkhardt, a retired teacher, social activist and all-around humble servant to the needy, became a guardian angel to all three boys. But it was Earl, the soft-spoken little boy who grew to be a gentle giant at 6 foot 6, who carved a special niche in Burkhardt's heart...
Persistence pays for unlikely pair | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Please read this story. It choked me up. Say what you will about 'People of Faith' (and much of it is deserved), but there are some that truly live and work the faith they espouse and there's no denyin' it. If there is such a thing as a 'Saint', then this woman is one...
BadtotheboneBob
Thanks, B2tbBob!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hot. Just freakin' hot.
Ali G Town Mulls Name Change
Embarrassing Staines?
Staines wants the world to know it's no blot on the landscape.
Sandwiched between Heathrow Airport, a cluster of reservoirs and a bleak industrial park, some in this London commuter town feel Staines has received some bad press - and needs a change of name to change its fortunes.
Middle-class Staines might have wallowed in happy obscurity had it not been picked by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as the home of Ali G, his tracksuit-wearing wannabe gangsta who specialized in hip-hop-inflected malapropisms.
Ali G's adventures cast the town of 45,000 as an urban wasteland whose main attractions include a traffic circle and the local KFC. The town initially welcomed Baron Cohen's fame, but the negative connotations lingered even as the comedian moved on to other projects, including the movies "Borat" and "Bruno."
Embarrassing Staines?
Classical Music's Ambassador
Daniel Barenboim
Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, who signed a new recording deal with classical labels Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Classics this week, said he had found partners who shared his musical vision.
The Argentine-born musician, renowned for his work with the West-Eastern Divan youth orchestra which unites Arabs and Israelis, will make his first ever recordings of the Chopin and Liszt piano concertos under the agreement.
In signing the 10-year deal, he pledged to act as an ambassador for classical music.
The 67-year-old will also lead the Berlin Staatsoper, where he is music director, and Italy's La Scala, where he is guest conductor, in a new production of Wagner's Ring cycle.
Daniel Barenboim
TBS Brings In Letterman Vet
George Lopez
With all the attention concentrated on Conan O'Brien's debut next week, TBS has quietly brought on veteran late-night producer Robert Morton to take charge of George Lopez's talk show in preparation for his relaunch in the midnight hour.
Morton, who spent 14 years with David Letterman and won a Peabody Award for his work on the show, is the new executive producer of "Lopez Tonight." Since starting two months ago, he's considered the past several weeks a "preseason" period of experimentation to get ready for Nov. 8.
Lopez has spent a year in the 11 p.m. ET time slot that "Conan" will take over, reaching about a million viewers per night. Despite the show moving back an hour, TBS hopes Lopez can increase his audience by reaching O'Brien fans who may check out the show for the first time because it's paired in the late-night hour with their hero.
Morton has already helped the show gain its backstage footing and given Lopez more time to concentrate on the comedy, said Michael Wright, TBS' programming chief.
TBS wants O'Brien and Lopez to form a true late-night team, and Morton is a longtime close friend of Jeff Ross, O'Brien's executive producer.
George Lopez
Chilean Miner Accepts Invite To Graceland
Edison Pena
For rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena, New York comes first. Next are Graceland and Las Vegas.
Pena is set to arrive in New York on Thursday to attend Sunday's New York City Marathon after officials invited him. Word is the triathlete wants to run it.
The 34-year-old Pena's trip to New York also will include a scheduled appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Thursday evening.
On Wednesday, Elvis Presley Enterprises said Pena accepted an invitation to Graceland, set for Jan. 6 to Jan. 9, which coincides with the anniversary of Elvis's birthday on Jan. 8, 1935. Pena will get a private tour of the mansion and Elvis' grave, and will visit the exhibits across the street.
After that, he will be flown to Las Vegas to watch "Viva Elvis," the Cirque du Soleil show based on Elvis' music.
Edison Pena
Charged With Killing Actor
Watchman
Police filed homicide charges Wednesday against a Philippine village watchman who allegedly shot a masked actor he mistook for a real gunman during the filming of a movie.
Watchman Eddie Cuizon told investigators he was checking his neighborhood in central Cebu city for armed men when he tried to confront two masked men on a motorcycle and opened fire as they sped away - unaware that they were actors.
Police investigator Roger Nedamo said Cuizon was charged with homicide and violation of a gun ban in the death of actor Kirk Abella, 32.
The gun ban was in place because of a local election. Normally, watchmen are not allowed to carry firearms in Philippines, where many street killings, including those targeting political activists and journalists, are perpetrated by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
Watchman
Celebrities Boycott Diamonds
Botswana
A group of celebrities including "X-Files" star Gillian Anderson is boycotting diamonds from Botswana to protest the government's treatment of the Kalahari Bushmen, a rights group said Wednesday.
The group, Survival International, also staged a protest outside the De Beers diamond store in London, calling for the indigenous group to be given full rights to their ancestral lands.
It said other celebrities joining the boycott include actresses Joanna Lumley and Sophie Okonedo, actor Mark Rylance and British children's author Quentin Blake.
The Bushmen, southern Africa's first inhabitants, were resettled outside their traditional lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in 2002 after diamonds were discovered there.
Botswana
Dating At 9
Spain
A Romanian Gypsy woman whose 10-year-old daughter just gave birth in Spain says she's delighted to have a new granddaughter and doesn't understand why the birth has shocked anyone - let alone become an international sensation.
In comments published Wednesday, her mother told reporters that the baby's father is a 13-year-old boy who is still in Romania and is no longer going out with her daughter.
The 10-year-old girl and her baby daughter plan to stay in Spain because the young couple separated, said the girl's mother. She identified herself only as Olimpia and appeared to be in her 30s but did not give her age.
She also said she didn't understand the attention the case was generating because she and her daughter are Romanian Gypsies, or Roma, and their custom is to allow girls to marry young even though that's against the law in Romania.
Spain
Selling 2 ABC Stations
Disney
Walt Disney Co on Wednesday said it reached an agreement to sell two small owned and operated television stations back to their former owner, privately-held SJL Broadcasting Management.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Disney said the transaction involves a station in Flint, Michigan and one in Toledo, Ohio. Disney bought the stations from SJL in 1995.
Disney said the deal is expected to be completed in early 2011.
Disney
Too Busy To Vote
Bristol Palin
Bristol Palin has been so busy practicing her moves for "Dancing With the Stars," she apparently forgot to send in her absentee ballot.
The 20-year-old daughter of former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Quitter), who campaigned for candidates across the nation in this election, told the syndicated TV show "Inside Edition" after Tuesday's night show, "I did not send in my absentee ballot in Alaska. I'm going to be in trouble. Sorry, Mom!"
Palin will be one of five people returning to dance Monday on "Dancing With the Stars."
Bristol Palin
Painting To Auction
Titian
A painting by Venetian master Titian, which had not been seen in public for more than 30 years, could sell for up to $20 million early next year, according to Sotheby's auction house.
"A Sacra Conversazione: The Madonna and Child with Saints Luke and Catherine of Alexandria" was on view in New York until Wednesday and will travel to Paris, Amsterdam and London before being auctioned on January 27 in Sotheby's Important Old Master Paintings sale in New York.
Demonstrating many of the hallmarks of Titian's later works, the painting is estimated to sell for $15 million to $20 million, Sotheby's said in a statement.
Titian completed the work around 1560 at the height of his fame when he was one of the most influential Renaissance painters. Its sale early next year coincides with a recovery in the art market despite the stagnant economic recovery.
Titian
Rare Picture Of "Lost" Palace
Henry VIII
A 16th century watercolor of King Henry VIII's "lost" palace, one of the earliest and most detailed depictions known to exist, is expected to fetch up to 1.2 million pounds ($1.9 million) at auction.
Nonsuch Palace, next to no traces of which survive, was commissioned by the Tudor king to outshine palaces built by his arch rival King Francois I of France and in celebration of the birth of his first legitimate son.
The royal palace, built as a hunting lodge, was named "Nonsuch" because no other palace could apparently match its splendor.
Archaeologists believe the ink, chalk and watercolor painting to be the only surviving impression of what it actually looked like.
Henry VIII
Stolen Painting Resurfaces
Edgar Degas
A painting by celebrated master Edgar Degas has been found at a New York auction nearly 40 years after being stolen from a French museum, France's culture ministry said Wednesday.
Sotheby's removed "Blanchisseuses souffrant des dents" ("Laundry Women with Toothache") from its impressionist art sale after France alerted the auction house that it belonged to the Louvre Museum in Paris, ministry officials told AFP, confirming information first reported in La Tribune de l'Art website.
Dating from around 1871-1873, the work was stored in 1960 at the Havre Museum in Normandy, from where it was stolen in 1973.
In its auction catalogue Sotheby's estimated its value at between 350,000 to 450,000 dollars (248,000 to 319,000 euros).
Edgar Degas
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by the Nielsen Co. for the week of Oct. 25-31. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
1. NFL Football: N.Y. Giants vs. Dallas (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 12.94 million homes, 17.95 million viewers.
2. NBA Basketball: Miami vs. Boston (Tuesday, 7:34 p.m.), TNT, 5.29 million homes, 7.34 million viewers.
3. Auto Racing: NASCAR Sprint Cup (Sunday, 1 p.m.), ESPN, 3.61 million homes, 5.17 million viewers.
4. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10:30 p.m.), History, 3.57 million homes, 4.87 million viewers.
5. "Sportscenter" (Monday, 12:11 a.m.), ESPN, 3.56 million homes, 4.46 million viewers.
6. "Walking Dead" (Sunday, 10 p.m.), AMC, 3.55 million homes, 5.34 million viewers.
7. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.37 million homes, 4.87 million viewers.
8. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10 p.m.), History, 3.31 million homes, 4.49 million viewers.
9. NBA Basketball: Houston vs. L.A. Lakers (Tuesday, 10:26 p.m.), TNT, 3.21 million homes, 4.27 million viewers.
10. "T.U.F.F. Puppy" (Sunday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.09 million homes, 4.64 million viewers.
11. "WWE Entertainment" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.08 million homes, 4.69 million viewers.
12. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.067 million homes, 3.81 million viewers.
12. "WWE Entertainment" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.067 million homes, 4.59 million viewers.
14. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3 million homes, 4.26 million viewers.
15. "Project Runway" (Thursday, 9 p.m.), Lifetime, 2.95 million homes, 3.74 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Jerry Bock
An attorney for Jerry Bock says the Tony Award-winning composer of such hit Broadway musicals as "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Fiorello!" has died.
Richard M. Ticktin said Bock died Wednesday morning at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y., of heart failure. He was 81.
Together with lyricist Sheldon Harnick, Bock wrote the powerful score to "Fiddler on the Roof," one of the most successful productions in the history of the American musical theater. It earned the two men Tonys in 1965.
Bock and Harnick also took home Tonys for the music and lyrics to "Fiorello!" in 1960. In addition, Bock was nominated for Tonys in 1967 for "The Apple Tree" and in 1971 for "The Rothschilds."
Bock's other works include "The Body Beautiful," "Mr. Wonderful" and "She Loves Me."
Jerry Bock
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