Recommended Reading
from Bruce
John Moe: Nice Girls (New York Times)
Here I was on the bus, moved almost to tears by the Nice Girls. I wanted to turn around and thank them, tell them how much hope they had given me, tell them how wonderful I thought they were.
ROGER EBERT'S JOURNAL: The One-Percenters
Day after day I read stories that make me angry. Wanton consumption is glorified. Corruption is rewarded. Ordinary people see their real income dropping, their houses sold out from under them, their pensions plundered, their unions legislated against, their health care still under attack. Yes, people in Wisconsin and Ohio have risen up to protest these realities, but why has there not been more outrage?
Robert Reich: Why the Right-Wing Bullies Will Hold The Nation Hostage Again and Again
[Obama] is losing the war of ideas because he won't tell the American public the truth: That we need more government spending now - not less - in order to get out of the gravitational pull of the Great Recession.
Paul Krugman: Obama is Missing (New York Times)
What have they done with President Obama? What happened to the inspirational figure his supporters thought they elected? Who is this bland, timid guy who doesn't seem to stand for anything in particular?
Paul Krugman's Blog: Celebrating Defeat (New York Times)
Ezra Klein gets this right, I think: it's one thing for Obama to decide that it was better to give in to Republican hostage-taking than draw a line in the sand; it's another for him to celebrate the result. Yet that's just what he did. More than that, he has now completely accepted the Republican frame that spending cuts right now are what America needs.
Paul Krugman's Blog: "Serious" (New York Times)
So, we have a plan [Ryan's] that proposes to cut spending to Calving Coolidge levels, without explaining how it will do that; that includes $2.9 trillion in tax cuts, but asserts that it will make that up by broadening the base - yet says literally nothing about what that means; and has as its centerpiece a Medicare plan that will collapse as soon as seniors start getting their grossly inadequate vouchers.
Paul Krugman's Blog: $3 Trillion Here, $3 Trillion There (New York Times)
Looking at this massive tax cut - NOT taken account of in the CBO estimates - might almost make you think that (a) the Ryan plan would actually increase the deficit and (b) the whole goal is not to reduce the deficit, but to transfer income upward. In fact, it so happens that the estimated cost of those tax cuts is almost exactly equal to the proposed cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and other programs helping lower-income Americans.
Scott Burns: "A Life-or-Death Decision: Your Home" (Assetbilder.com)
Most of the people in the room have gray or white hair. I count 24 when I arrive. At 70, it isn't often that I lower the average age when I enter a room. Here, I do. The women outnumber the men 2-to-1. This would have filled me with raw delight at a college mixer 50 years ago. Today it is a blunt reminder: Women live longer than men.
Roger Ebert: "Sidney Lumet: In memory"
Sidney Lumet was one of the finest craftsmen and warmest humanitarians among all film directors. He was not only a great artist but a much-loved man. When the news of his death at 86 arrived on Saturday, it came as a shock, because he had continued so long to be so productive.
Roger Ebert: Review of "Hanna" (PG-13)
"Hanna" is good, sound filmmaking. It depends on stylistic order and discipline, a clear story map and ingenious action sequences. It is not all banging and flashing. Saoirse Ronan takes on a difficult role and aces it with as much confidence as she did in "Atonement," in which she played a much different character. To see a movie like this is to gain a new understanding of the mindless confusion of something like "Battle: Los Angeles."
Paul Constant: review of "Hanna" (The Stranger)
Luckily, Ronan's performance is matched by vigorous and inventive direction. Nowhere on Joe Wright's directorial résumé-'The Soloist,' 'Atonement'-was there a clue that he could be this gifted at directing an action film.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Charity (Athens (OH) News)
Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885), who possessed millions of British pounds, was once asked how much he was worth. He replied that he was worth 40,000 pounds, for the true measure of a person's wealth is what he spends to help the less fortunate and 40,000 pounds is what he had given to charity in the past year.
David Bruce has 41 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $41 you can buy 10,250 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
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Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Humor Gazette
Godzilla Alert!
This just in!
Godzilla Fires Donald Trump
Bombastic birther torched by death ray
MY P.O.V.
by Spike Jensen"Pinhead or Patriot?"
Pinhead Or Patriot? So after watching O'Reilly on Fox News every night for the last few months I just can't stop looking at everyone I see and make a decision whether they are or are not a total waste of human flesh. Sorta like an umpire and what makes me feel really creepy is I am starting to dig it. It was one thing when it was just my friends and family but lately it's been getting out of hand. Strangers I meet at Dunkin Donuts or at the bus stop after a couple seconds I just make the call on the spot, Pinhead or Patriot? It's kinda like one of those reflex deals when the doctor hits my knee with his little hammer to see if my legs are still alive. I sorta felt bad last week when I saw this guy in a wheelchair at the Post Office and had to go with Pinhead cuz he had some pro union sticker on the back of it. He's probably on some government program and that's how he got the damn chair. Hope he knows the days of half price chairs and other goodies are about over if we want to save this country.
I really have started to re think everything in a new way these days. Though I'm not really into religion much I always used to think Jesus was pretty cool. I mean he fed the poor, healed the sick and even walked on water at least once just like that mind freak guy Criss Angel. But what I didn't think about was how he made people weak by teaching them to depend on him rather than pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps (still don't really know what bootstraps are) and not bug others for free food. I mean if Tom Hanks could be a Pinhead for liking Obama or Newt Gingrich could be a Patriot by saying Obama is too foreign for real Americans then everything I used to think is wrong I guess. I've learned now that true freedom is being able to starve if I want to or have a job that pays me whatever the boss feels like without anyone else butting in. It's what those founding father dudes fought for.
I don't want to be the first person besides Judas to actually say Jesus was a Pinhead but when you think about it he was the first "Big Government" guy and look what's happened. I mean I'm not saying he was a socialist but what cable news channel do you think he would watch? Hint….. the place where all they talk about is how unfair America is to people who don't have stuff (starts with an M and ends with a C). The big bad 2% maybe do own most of this nation but so what? Somebody has to own it. Would it be better if it was spread out? I don't think so cuz it's hard for any country to work right without someone in charge and in the USA the leader is the one with the most cash. Case closed. And don't toss out that old "Money Changers" label for the Wall Street Dudes who run our banks. I am really tired of the bad rap they have gotten since everything blew up in 08 when all the loans they gave to poor people went belly up. You know they didn't want to hand out the dough but with that 98% screaming about owning a home 24/7 they caved. At least those making 40K or less will be renting now and that's a good thing with all the vacancies in apartment buildings these days.
Some people in churches have recently been asking WWJD if he lived in Wisconsin. You know the place where all the riots have been going down. I gotta believe the guys on Fox & Friends who all said Jesus would have been pissed having to give up dues out of his check each month no matter how liberal he was. Would he hang out with that Governor, I think his name is Scott Waker? Maybe not but after a couple years he'd probably be ok about losing those collective bargaining rights thingy's that everyone there freaked out about. I mean he would have more take home pay right? Come to think of it I don't think Jesus ever had health care or a pension and he seemed to do just fine. Until the end that is so I'm guessing he would have other stuff to worry about if he ever came back like they say and went to work as a school teacher or fireman in a state with a Republican governor. I mean after Pontius Pilate, Kasich - Daniels or Walker are pussy cats man. I'm no expert on the Bible but I do know that Jesus was no wuss and would do just fine whenever he does return.
I remember when I used to watch Fox News and laugh at the guys and blondes when they would say bad things about liberals. Like how the left hates America and don't believe we are a special country chosen by God to sort of run things around the world. Before I might have shrugged it off and said they were homers for a fascist owner from Australia who wanted to turn the 98% against each other while a couple corporations gobbled up everything for sale and even a couple things that weren't. I've heard he wasn't able to do this in his own country but the plan is working pretty damn well here so far. Anyway, I never had a day or time when I started to buy what these people have been saying. No, it was more like after watching 5 nights a week for a couple months it just sorta happened. Like a couple nights ago I got up and shook my fist at the TV when Hannity started to talk about illegal immigrants taking jobs from me and my friends cuz it felt really good. Or Beck laying out how paper money will soon be worthless and I better buy some freaking gold fast or I'd be selling oranges on a street corner. He cares enough to take the time to warn me and I wouldn't get this at any other cable channel. At Fox News I learn about how I'm so totally getting screwed over by the government and the people working for it. Now when I see cops, bus drivers and garbage guys I know what they are really up to, like stealing my money. I don't have a freaking pension like them and I head to the emergency room when I break something. I'm just sick of other people getting a free ride when I'm stuck with the shit end of life. That about says it. Maybe it all does come down to are you a pinhead or a patriot? It only takes a second or two to make the call cuz it's easy and it does feel really good putting a white or black hat on everyone. So the next time you hear some liberal say the Fox News crew is unfair and unbalanced tell them that true story about the German SS coming for the fast food workers and no one said a thing, then they came for the ski lift operators and no one said boo and then they came for someone like you and it was too late. There's a lesson there. At least I think so. Later.
"Pinhead or Patriot?"
Thanks, Spike!
Reader Comment
Sanetorum, Once Again
Just to add to George M's 'rant' on Santorum, I came across this article tonight.
"Rick Santorum will not be deterred by a dog urinating on his khaki pants" - Yahoo! News
MAM
PS ~ Too bad Barbara didn't include him in her group of 'clowns'.
Thanks, Marianne!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and cooler than seasonal.
Beats Rolling Stones Record For Biggest-Grossing Tour
U2
Irish band U2's current 360 world tour is the most successful ever, beating the record set by The Rolling Stones four years ago, promoters Live Nation Entertainment said on Monday.
The Irish supergroup, who played Brazil at the weekend, will gross ticket sales of more than $700 million when their 360 tour finally wraps up in Canada in July, Live Nation said.
The U2 360 tour, staged in the round in a transportable stadium, will have been seen by more than 7 million people in 30 countries when it ends.
The Rolling Stones 2005-07 Bigger Bang Tour took $554 million in ticket sales, Live Nation said.
U2
UN Rights Expert Denied Visit
Bradley Manning
A U.N. torture investigator said Monday he is frustrated at being denied an unmonitored visit to a U.S. Army private suspected of giving classified material to WikiLeaks.
Juan Mendez said the U.S. government "has not been receptive to a confidential meeting" with Pfc. Bradley Manning. He said in a statement that a monitored conversation would be counter to the practice of his U.N. mandate.
Pentagon spokesman U.S. Marine Col. Dave Lapan said in a statement, however, that Mendez is free to meet with Manning with his consent but said an unmonitored visit can't be guaranteed.
Manning is being held in solitary confinement in Quantico, Virginia, for all but an hour every day. He is stripped naked each night and given a suicide-proof smock to wear to bed. Amnesty International says the treatment may violate Manning's human rights.
Bradley Manning
Political Run
Carl Lewis
Olympic track hero Carl Lewis announced Monday's he's limbering up for a new kind of race -- a state senator's seat in New Jersey.
Lewis, winner of nine Olympic gold medals, said he wanted to give back to his native southern New Jersey district by challenging for the local senate position as a Democrat.
"South Jersey is where I grew up and learned what matters -- that hard work, family values and commitment to others can make a difference," Lewis said in a statement.
The legendary athlete said he would aim to bring civility to the currently bitter Democratic-Republican divide.
Carl Lewis
Forms New 3D Venture For Broadcast
James Cameron
"Avatar" director James Cameron on Monday announced a new venture aimed at making 3D technology cheaper and more accessible to filmmakers and television networks.
Cameron, and fellow 3D pioneer Vince Pace, who together developed the Fusion 3D camera system used on the 2009 blockbuster movie, said they planned to develop a new generation of camera systems, services and creative tools.
The duo said they hoped to "accelerate worldwide growth of 3D across all entertainment platforms including features, episodic and live television, sports, advertising and consumer products."
The pair announced the formation of the Cameron-Pace Group (CPG) at a broadcasting conference in Las Vegas. The company will have its headquarters in Burbank, near Los Angeles.
James Cameron
Judge Blocks Deal On Protections
Wolves
A federal judge has blocked a proposal to lift the endangered species protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho that had been hammered out by U.S. wildlife officials and conservation groups.
The plan could have led to public hunting of some 1,300 wolves in the two states.
In the 24-page decision, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, Mont., cited the court's lack of authority to put part of an endangered species population under state management and expose that population to hunting, noting "Congress has clearly determined that animals on the ESA (Endangered Species Act) must be protected as such," and the court couldn't "exercise its discretion to allow what Congress forbids."
He also said he couldn't approve the settlement proposed in March because not all the parties involved in the case agreed with it. Part of the argument for the settlement was that it could end litigation, but Molloy noted that was unlikely given the opposition by some to the proposed settlement.
The court decision came on the same day as Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson announced wolves in Montana and Idaho would be taken off the endangered list under the budget bill pending before Congress.
Wolves
Crist Lawsuit Settled
David Byrne
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has settled a lawsuit filed by Talking Heads singer David Byrne after Crist used one of the group's songs without permission in a campaign ad last year, both parties confirmed Monday.
Terms of the settlement were not released, but it included a recorded apology by Crist that was posted on YouTube Monday afternoon. Byrne had sued Crist for $1 million for using the song "Road to Nowhere" in a YouTube video attacking Marco Rubio, one of the governor's opponents in the U.S. Senate race.
Crist said Monday that he was pleased with the terms of the settlement and that Byrne "couldn't have been a better guy" when they met last week to mediate the case.
In a statement Monday, Byrne said he was shocked to discover that the unauthorized use of songs for political ads is "pretty rampant."
"It turns out I am one of the few artists who has the bucks and (guts) to challenge such usage. I'm feeling very manly after my trip to Tampa!" Byrne's statement said. "Other artists may actually have the anger but not want to take the time and risk the legal bills. I am lucky that I can do that. Anyway, my hope is that by standing up to this practice maybe it can be made to be a less common option, or better yet an option that is never taken in the future."
David Byrne
Stolen Comic Book Resurfaces
Nic Cage
Los Angeles police say a rare comic featuring the debut of Superman that re-surfaced last week is the same one stolen from Nicolas Cage more than a decade ago.
Detective Don Hrycyk (her-RIS-sik) says an investigation into how the comic was stolen and found is underway. It is unclear whether the copy of Action Comics No. 1 will be returned directly to the Oscar-winning actor.
Hrycyk says Cage accepted an insurance payout after its theft in 2000.
The Ventura County Star first reported the discovery and said that the comic was recently found in a storage locker in the San Fernando Valley, which is north of Los Angeles.
Nic Cage
A&E Loses $4 Million Appeal
"Flip This House"
The South Carolina real estate broker who starred in the first season of A&E's "Flip This House" has won another legal round against the network.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with Richard C. Davis, who originally sued for half the revenue from the hit reality show in 2006.
His suit for breach of contract and fraud claimed he had agreed orally with the network to share net revenue 50-50 in exchange for developing and appearing on the show. Davis, a real estate broker with a specialty in house-flipping, claimed he brought A&E the idea for the show, which became popular when it premiered in 2006 at the height of the real estate bubble.
In 2008, a federal jury in Charleston, S.C., found that Davis had created an oral contract with A&E executive Charles Nordlander, even though the terms were not formally memorialized in a written deal. It awarded Davis $4 million in damages for his share of revenue from the first of the series' four seasons. (Davis starred on the initial cycle but left amid the dispute over his compensation, eventually producing a similar show, "The Real Estate Pros," for A&E rival TLC.)
At the time of the jury decision, A&E said it intended to "follow the appropriate procedures to have the verdict reversed." But the Fourth Circuit on Monday upheld the jury verdict enforcing the oral agreement between Davis and A&E.
"Flip This House"
Authorities Halt Party
Anti-Royal Wedding
A republican group on Monday accused authorities of imposing a "politically motivated ban" on its anti-royal wedding street party.
Campaign group Republic said it was initially given permission to close off a street in London's historic Covent Garden to stage the "Not The Royal Wedding" party on April 29 as Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot.
But the local council has now decided against allowing the road closure, meaning the party will not be able to go ahead.
Republic's campaign manager Graham Smith blasted what he said was an attempt to ban a "peaceful, fun, family event" aimed at providing an alternative to the thousands of parties up and down the country that will celebrate the wedding.
"
Anti-Royal Wedding
Students Seek Springsteen
Rutgers
Some students at New Jersey's largest university believe Bruce Springsteen is their salvation.
They have started a Facebook campaign called "Let's Bring the Boss to Rutgers!" to counteract fallout from a recent appearance by Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.
The Rutgers University Programming Association paid the "Jersey Shore" reality TV star $32,000 to answer questions. That's $2,000 more than Rutgers will pay Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison to deliver the commencement address.
Freshman Daniel Oliveto and junior Paul Tranquilli are spearheading the effort. Oliveto tells the Asbury Park Press Polizzi's message to "study hard, but party harder," was offensive.
Rutgers
Russia Releases Secret Last Words
Yuri Gagarin
One of the last things Yuri Gagarin did before making his pioneering voyage into space 50 years ago was make sure he had enough sausage to last him on the trip back home to Moscow.
This tidbit was among more than 700 pages of once-secret material linked to the life and times of the world's first spaceman that were released by Russia ahead of the April 12 anniversary.
The historic space shot turned Gagarin into an instant celebrity whose boyish charms became a powerful propaganda weapon for the Soviet Union as it scrambled to win its ideological battle against the United States during the Cold War.
His boy-next-door grin and outsized helmet became a staple of Soviet stamps while his heroism turned into a subject of elementary school literature that became comparable to the teachings of Lenin.
But making the biggest news among Russians this weekend were files revealing the conversation Gagarin had while strapped into his capsule with chief rocket designer Sergei Korolyov -- a man who became a legend in his own right.
Yuri Gagarin
Upends Gaga & Bieber Videos
"Friday"
Teen YouTube sensation Rebecca Black sings gleefully about the weekend in her Web video hit "Friday," -- and now the 13 year-old has something even more exciting to crow about.
"Friday" has been viewed online more than Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and Justin Bieber's "Pray," Visible Measures, a company that tracks performance of Web videos said on Monday.
Black's low-budget video, which the California teen made with a boutique record label, has generated nearly 100 million views on YouTube since it was posted online on February 10.
By comparison, looking at the same measurement, Gaga's video for her single "Born This Way" has generated more than 180 million online views, Visible Measures said. Bieber's "Pray" has produced over 65 million views, the company said.
"Friday"
FBI's Vault
UFOs
The truth is out there. And by "truth," we mean a controversial (and official) 1950s FBI memo that alleges aliens did in fact land in New Mexico which has just been republished on the agency's website.
Not surprisingly, the news sparked a furious amount of activity on the web. Online lookups for "ufo fbi files" soared, as did related searches on "ufo pictures" and "ufo fbi coverup." But don't get too excited--this isn't the first time this controversial memo has circulated, and its claims are far from verified.
The memo was published on "The Vault," a newly launched FBI blog that showcases documents from the Bureau's past for history buffs to peruse. It was written by Guy Hottel, the special agent in charge of the Washington field office in 1950, and was addressed to the director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover. The letter's content is amazing, as is the rather casual tone in which it's delivered.
Michael Luckman, director of the New York Center for Extraterrestrial Research, calls these documents a step toward full disclosure. But the story isn't nearly as good upon closer examination. The memo is a Bureau account of an informant, whose name has been blacked out, telling the agency about a UFO sighting. And Guy Hottel--who penned the memo--was the head of the Washington, D.C., not the New Mexico, field office. Whether or not that informant was telling the truth is something we'll probably never know. According to the Bureau, the tip was never followed up on.
UFOs
In Memory
Gene Shefrin
Former Hollywood publicist Gene Shefrin, who represented Don Rickles, Guy Lombardo and Dick Clark during a career spanning 42 years, has died after a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 90.
Shefrin died in his sleep on April 6 in Encinitas, Calif., near San Diego, said his son Paul Shefrin, who followed in his father's footsteps.
Prior to his retirement in 1987, Gene Shefrin also worked for stars such as Monty Hall, Kate Smith, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Frankie Laine, Vic Damone, Perry Como and Sam Cooke.
He also handled the Beatles' first New York appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1964, and a civil rights fund-raiser by Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne, also at Carnegie Hall.
Shefrin, born to Russian immigrants in New York City in 1921, started out in public relations in 1945 after a stint during World War Two as ground support for U.S. bombers based in England.
In 1952, he hired a high school kid to come in for two hours a day after class and write pithy comments that would be sent to gossip columnists for attribution to Shefrin's clients. The youngster's name was Allen Koningsberg, better known these days as Woody Allen. The filmmaker returned the favor 40 years later by casting Shefrin as an extra in his movie "Bullets Over Broadway."
Shefrin moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s and started his own firm, now known as the Shefrin Company, which his son joined in 1976 and continues to run. In addition to his son, he is survived by his wife of 68 years, Sophie, and two grandchildren.
Gene Shefrin
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