Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: A Cross of Rubber (New York Times)
The Fed and the European Central Bank are under a lot of pressure from bankers to do the wrong thing and raise interest rates.
Samuel Black: Who's Going To Live Forever? (Slate)
Everyone remembers Leonardo da Vinci, but is "immortal glory" still possible?
Irene Lacher: "The Sunday Conversation: Peggy Orenstein" (Los Angeles Times)
The author of 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' tells parents to fear the Disney princess.
Susan Estrich: Freshman Stress (Creators Syndicate)
Every year, UCLA's Higher Education Research Center does a national study of college freshmen, some 200,000 in all. This year, the big news is emotional health - or lack thereof. Nearly half of the students surveyed - and more than half of the young women - ranked their emotional health as "below average," the highest numbers since the survey began 25 years ago.
Bill Press: Obama Challenges America to Win the Future (Tribune Media Services)
On January 25, President Obama came, he spoke, and he conquered. We've seen lots of State of the Union addresses, but never one quite like this. It wasn't a laundry list of legislative proposals, or a wish list of presidential promises. And it didn't turn into a high-school pep rally between Republicans and Democrats. Instead, this speech was what a State of the Union address should be: a sober, serious, visionary look at where we stand today and where we need to go, together, to make America even greater.
Terry Savage, "Survival And Recovery: A Personal Financial Strategy Guide To 2011 (Creators Syndicate)
The economy is coming back for 2011 - and so should you. Come back to believing in the future again. Come back to planning and investing for the future. Come back to strategizing for your education, and your career, and your retirement.
Dr. David Lipschitz: Walking At A Good Clip Proves To Be Healthful (Creators Syndicate)
...everyone must make a commitment to exercise, walking in particular. There is evidence that walking at as brisk a pace as possible for an average of 30 minutes a day promotes health, reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and definitely improves gait speed. Just as important is daily stretching, activities that promote better balance, and exercising with weights to improve muscle mass and strength.
Chuck Norris: The Top 10 Ways Jack Lalanne Inspired Me (Creators Syndicate)
Jack inspired young and old. He showed that you're never too young to start and never too old to keep striving.
"The Coen brothers: the cartographers of cinema" (Guardian)
From Texas to New York to Minnesota, and now, with 'True Grit,' to the old west - the Coens' career has been spent mapping the history and geography of America. Tom Shone tries to pinpoint the brothers.
Gustavo Turner: "David Lynch, (Non-) Musician: The L.A. Weekly Interview"
Here's David Lynch's recipe for success, taken from his inspiring little manual 'Catching the Big Fish': "Try to get a job that gives you some time; get your sleep and a little bit of food; and work as much as you can. There's so much enjoyment in doing what you love."
Jim Fusilli: Rock Legend's Joy Remains the Same (Wall Street Journal)
Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant talks about his new Band of Joy...
Cloud Cult: 20 Questions (Popmatters.com)
Minneapolis's Cloud Cult have gained a loyal following over the years, becoming one of the pioneering "Green bands" of indie-rock, ignoring offers from major labels to instead record and release their albums through Earthology Records, a not-for-profit environmental label established by leader Craig Minowa.
Here's David Lynch's recipe for success, taken from his inspiring little manual 'Catching the Big Fish':
"Try to get a job that gives you some time; get your sleep and a little bit of food; and work as much as you can. There's so much enjoyment in doing what you love."
David Bruce has 40 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."
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Selected Readings
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In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Mostly sunny and on the cool side.
Group Protests Over Video
The Smithsonian
An art group is protesting outside the Smithsonian Institution over the removal of a gay artist's video that depicted ants crawling on a crucifix.
The scene in the video drew complaints from the Catholic League as well as incoming Republican leaders in Congress who said the Smithsonian was misusing its public funding, though its exhibits are privately funded.
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough said he decided to remove the video to head off controversy. Clough has said the exhibit is the first to explore gay themes in art history.
The video, "A Fire in My Belly," explored the subject of AIDS.
The Smithsonian
Orders Replacements
CBS
CBS has ordered two additional episodes of Monday sitcoms "Mike and Molly" and "Rules of Engagement" to help cope with scheduling issues arising from the absence of Charlie Sheen from the hit show "Two and a Half Men," according to sources.
These extra shows will fill in a schedule with sudden holes caused by the absence of Sheen, who reportedly is attempting a rehabilitation program at home with a trained expert in addiction. (Sheen's spokesman declined comment on the actor's health, citing federal privacy laws.)
TMZ has reported that Sheen, who was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital last Thursday complaining of abdominal pains, will be unable to work for three months. A CBS source says that the network has not been informed that Sheen will be out for the season, but his absence would leave CBS short of eight episodes of the planned 24-episode season (there has been no serious talk of shooting the series around his absence).
Warner Bros. Television, which makes "Men" and "Mike" (both from studio-based executive producer Chuck Lorre), would not comment on the additional episode order. TMZ claimed Warners and CBS played a role in selecting the addiction specialist treating Sheen, but Warners would not comment on what role it played (if any) in locating the expert. Neither CBS nor Sony Pictures Television, which makes "Rules," immediately responded to requests for comment.
CBS
Channel Island Named First 'Dark Sky' Community
Sark
The Channel Island of Sark has been designated the first dark sky community in the world in recognition of the lack of light pollution that allows clear views of the stars at night, officials said Monday.
The tiny island, located west of France's Cotentin Peninsula and about 80 miles (130 kilometres) off the south coast of England, hopes the designation from the US-based International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) will help boost tourism from star gazers.
The island, which is three miles long and 1.5 miles wide, has no cars and no public street lighting, but local residents and businesses have also made an effort to reduce the amount of light spilled upwards.
As a result, the Milky Way is clearly visible stretching from horizon to horizon and streaking meteors can be picked out among bright stars.
Sark
Postpones Concert In Miami
Juanes
Juanes is canceling his April 15 concert at the American Airlines Arena in Miami because it was to fall on the 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a source close to the singer told The Associated Press.
The source, who did not want to be identitified because of the sensitivity of the matter, told The Associated Press that when the Miami show was booked, the Colombian singer didn't realize it was the anniversary and that it was the only date available at the time.
"Cuban exiles are preassuring us and the sponsors not to do it. ... It's not a date to celebrate in Miami," said the source. "The pressure is big."
A new date will be announced in the next few days. Tickets for the concert were already on sale.
Juanes
$chwarzenegger To Honor
Jack LaLanne
Arnold $chwarzenegger (R-2 Passports) will honor the late fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne at a Los Angeles service.
$chwarzenegger (R-Steroids), TV fitness guru Richard Simmons and former "Hulk" TV star Lou Ferrigno will be among those taking part in a "Celebration of Life" for LaLanne on Tuesday at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills memorial park. $chwarzenegger spokesman Daniel Ketchell says the former California governor and bodybuilder will speak at the event.
LaLanne was 96 when he died Jan. 23 in Morro Bay.
LaLanne encouraged generations of TV viewers to exercise daily and promoted weight training for women at a time when that was considered revolutionary. He also founded a chain of fitness studios and touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables.
Jack LaLanne
Busted In Oneonta
Korey Rowe
A producer of a documentary alleging conspiracy theories behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has been arrested on drug charges in upstate New York.
Oneonta police tell the Daily Star of Oneonta that 27-year-old Korey Rowe and a 19-year-old Bronx man were arrested after selling packets of heroin to an undercover officer.
Rowe was arraigned Friday on a felony count of criminal sale of a controlled substance. Authorities say the Oneonta resident was released from Otsego County Jail after posting $10,000 cash bail.
An Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Rowe was a producer of "Loose Change," a 2006 film that challenged the official explanation of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Korey Rowe
Gov't Recommends Jail
Richard Hatch
Reality TV star Richard Hatch, who spent more than three years behind bars for tax evasion, should go to jail for violating the conditions of his supervised release, federal prosecutors recommended Monday.
Hatch was convicted in 2006 of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won on the debut season of "Survivor," the CBS reality TV show. He was released from prison in 2009 and began serving a three-year term of supervised release.
He was ordered to file amended tax returns for 2000 and 2001 as a condition of his release, which Hatch has failed to do. A judge this month found Hatch in violation of his supervised release but postponed a punishment until he could hear more arguments from both sides.
Hatch, who owes about $1.7 million in back taxes, has said he didn't refile his taxes because he has an appeal pending with the U.S. Tax Court. His lawyer also is scheduled to submit her sentencing recommendation sometime Monday, and U.S. District Judge William Smith has said he'll schedule a sentencing after he receives the arguments.
Richard Hatch
Mexico Details Case Against
Bruce Beresford-Redman
Mexican authorities are detailing their case against a former "Survivor" producer who is fighting extradition on a charge he killed his wife in Cancun last year.
The more than 400 pages released by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Monday include forensic reports and detailed witness statements in the case against Bruce Beresford-Redman.
Mexican authorities are seeking the extradition of the reality TV producer to stand trial on an aggravated homicide charge. He is suspected of killing his wife, Monica, while on vacation in April 2010.
The files also detail the tumultuous relationship between Beresford-Redman and his wife, including details of an extramarital affair.
Bruce Beresford-Redman
Quits Film
Halle Berry
Halle Berry has pulled out of a film job to prepare for a custody fight over her young daughter.
A spokeswoman for the Oscar-winning actress says Berry backed out of a role in "New Year's Eve" that was scheduled to shoot in New York this week "due to pending custody litigation involving her daughter."
Publicist Meredith O'Sullivan did not say where or when the custody case would be heard.
Berry and her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry, have a daughter, Nahla, who will turn 3 in March.
Halle Berry
Row Over Malibu
The Edge
U2 guitarist The Edge is locked in a dispute with California authorities over plans to build five new luxury homes near Malibu, with officials claiming they would harm the local environment.
The star -- real name David Evans -- wants to build the houses on a ridge in the hills overlooking Malibu up the Pacific coast from Los Angeles, and has set up a website boasting they are environmentally-friendly.
But the California Coastal Commission has filed a report recommending that the planning applications be rejected when they go before local lawmakers next week.
The body says the homes would violate state law by ruining a wild area and scarring hillsides visible from Pacific Coast Highway, the road that offers spectacular views all the way up to San Francisco.
The Edge
3 Charged In Impersonation Scam
Guggenheims
A woman pretending to be a countess and two con men sought to cheat investors by hyping fictional deals - involving diamonds, crude oil and vodka - they claimed were backed by the Guggenheim family, prosecutors said Monday.
Federal agents arrested the men charged in the failed scheme in New York early Monday but were still searching for Catarina Pietra Toumei, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
As part of her pitch, authorities say, Toumei, falsely told one potential investor that she was married to actor John Ratzenberger (R-Mr. Tea-Bagger), who played know-it-all postman Cliff Clavin in the classic sitcom "Cheers" and has a role in "Toy Story 3."
Ratzenberger indeed had "a short-lived relationship with Ms. Toumei," his publicist said in a statement, but he was "unaware of this alleged criminal activity and is saddened that her life has taken this turn."
David Birnbaum and Vladimir Zuravel, accused of trying to pass themselves off as Guggenheim descendants, were released on bond following a brief appearance Monday in federal court in Manhattan.
Guggenheims
Magnet For Under-Age Sex Trade
Superbowl
Pimps will traffic thousands of under-age prostitutes to Texas for Sunday's Super Bowl, hoping to do business with men arriving for the big game with money to burn, child rights advocates said.
As the country's largest sporting event, the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will make the Dallas-Fort Worth area a magnet for business of all kinds.
That includes the multimillion dollar, under-age sex industry, said activists and law enforcement officials working to combat what they say is an annual spike in trafficking of under-age girls ahead of the Super Bowl.
"The Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events in the United States," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told a trafficking prevention meeting in January.
Superbowl
In Memory
Tony Geiss
Tony Geiss, a writer and lyricist who helped give life to the animated characters on "Sesame Street," died January 21 in Valhalla, N.Y., aged 86.
Geiss spent over three decades working as a staff writer and a composer for "Sesame Street," the award-winning kids show that features Jim Henson's Muppet characters in short skits and animated sequences. Geiss invented several Muppets of his own, including the Honkers and Abby Cadabby, and helped come up with the concept and theme song for "Elmo's World," a segment featuring the furry red monster.
His contributions to the TV show earned him 22 Daytime Emmys screenwriting and songwriting.
Geiss also wrote for a number of popular films geared toward young audiences, including "The Land Before Time," an animated 1988 film about orphaned dinosaurs, several of its direct-to-video sequels, and Steven Spielberg's 1986 children's movie "An American Tail."
Geiss' wife of 60 years, Phyllis Eisen, died December 2009. There are no immediate survivors.
Tony Geiss
In Memory
John Barry
Five-time Oscar-winning composer John Barry, who wrote music for a dozen James Bond films, including "You Only Live Twice" and "Goldfinger" and developed the twanging guitar riff in the suave spy's theme music, has died. He was 77.
Barry died in New York, where he had lived for some time, on Sunday, his family said. The family did not release the cause of death.
Though his work on the Bond films is among his most famous, the English-born composer wrote a long list of scores, including for "Midnight Cowboy," "Dances with Wolves" and "Body Heat." He was proud of writing both for big action blockbusters and smaller films.
He won two Oscars for "Born Free" in 1966, for best score and best song. He also earned statuettes for the scores to "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Out of Africa" (1985) and "Dances with Wolves" (1990).
His association with Agent 007 began with "Dr. No" in 1962, although his contribution to that film was not credited and is in dispute.
He subsequently wrote music for "Goldfinger," "From Russia with Love," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," "Diamonds are Forever," "The Man with the Golden Gun," "Moonraker," "Octopussy," "A View to a Kill" and "The Living Daylights."
Other films included "Robin and Marian," "Somewhere in Time," "The Cotton Club," "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Howard the Duck." He was also nominated for Oscars for his scores of "Mary, Queen of Scots" in 1971 and "Chaplin" in 1992.
Born John Barry Prendergast, he recalled growing up "exposed to the fantasy life of Hollywood" at the eight theaters his father owned in Northern England.
Barry trained as a pianist, studied counterpoint with York cathedral organist Francis Jackson, and later took up the trumpet. He founded a jazz group, the John Barry Seven, in 1957.
The group teamed with singer Adam Faith, scoring hits with "What Do You Want?" and "Poor Me," and Barry moved into film work when Faith was tapped to star in "Beat Girl" (titled "Living for Kicks" in the United States).
"The James Bond movies came because we were successful in the pop music world, with a couple of big instrumental hits. They thought I knew how to write instrumental hit music," Barry said in an interview with The Associated Press in 1991.
Barry was divorced three times. He is survived by his wife Laurie, his four children and five grandchildren. A private funeral was planned, the family said.
John Barry
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