Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Connie Schultz: Once Again, It's About Choice (Creators Syndicate)
Sixty-year-old Sandy grew up in poverty. When she started talking about her childhood in Cleveland, her voice shifted into present tense. "I'm the third of four girls, and we're all wearing donated clothes," she said over coffee last week. "We never know where the clothes are coming from. By the time they get to me, they're in rags.
Bill Press: It's All Over: Obama Born in USA! (Tribune Media Services)
Which of the following statements is true? (1) There is no such thing as global warming. (2) September 11 was an inside job, engineered by George Bush and Dick Cheney. (3) American astronauts never landed on the moon. (4) You can balance the budget by spending cuts alone, with no new revenues. (5) The earth is 5,000 years old. (6) Contraception causes abortion. (7) Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
Paul Krugman: Springtime for Bankers (New York Times)
Last year the G.O.P. pulled off two spectacular examples of bait-and-switch campaigning. Medicare, where the same people who screamed about death panels are now trying to dismantle the whole program, was the most obvious. But the same thing ?happened with regard to financial reform.
Matt Miller: The next bank crisis is coming (The Washington Post)
Since taxpayers will pay billions and lose millions of jobs if the capital at our megabanks ends up woefully inadequate again, it's time to define bank capital as the ultimate "consumer" issue and get Elizabeth Warren on the case. Mark my words. If some creative senator summons her to testify, and Warren simply utters the number "20 percent" in the same breath as the phrase "bank capital," this debate would change overnight.
Robert Reich: The Republican Plan with Lipstick
According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the McCaskill/Corker plan would require $800 billion of cuts in 2022 alone. That's the equivalent of eliminating Medicare entirely, or the entire Department of Defense. Obviously the Defense Department wouldn't disappear, so what would go? Giant cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, education, and much of everything else Americans depend on.
Robert Reich: The Oil Company Gusher
Exxon-Mobil's first quarter earnings of $10.7 billion are up 69 percent from last year. That's the most profit the company has earned since the third quarter of 2008 - perhaps not coincidentally, around the time when gas prices last reached the lofty $4 a gallon.
Scott Burns: Should We Eat Dessert First? (assetbuilder.com)
"I'll take my Social Security benefits ASAP, thank you very much." That's the thumbnail summary of what many readers had to say about my recent column on the economics of deferring Social Security benefits.
Steve Lopez: Let's find a way to save our teachers (Los Angeles Times)
James Yi is the kind of teacher we all say we want. But with only five years' experience, he and others like him are on the line for layoff because California's lawmakers can't manage to pass a budget.
Cindy Ellen Hill: In an Adjunct Funk - on the Inside Looking Out (irascibleprofessor.com)
I teach between three and five undergraduate courses per semester, two semesters per year, and sometimes a summer or intersession-term course as well. For tenured faculty, this would be full-time employment. Three hours of class time per week, plus six or more hours of prep time, at four courses would be 36 hours or more plus office hours, time for attending departmental meetings or other campus functions. But at $3,000 -- or less -- per course, that full-time course load equates to $24,000 a year, received as contract pay with zero benefits whatsoever.
George Skelton: A taxes-schools disconnect (Los Angeles Times)
This is the illogical world we live in: Parents say their children's schools are underfunded and worry about program cuts. But they don't want to pay higher taxes to avoid deeper cutting.
Hector Tobar: "Rebels with a cause: education" (Los Angeles Times)
Students at Cal State Fullerton are so concerned about budget cuts that they not only wrote a 'Declaration to Defend Public Education' but got the campus president to sign it.
Clarence Page: Beautiful day couldn't distract Daley from the issues
My favorite Daley moment came on a beautiful summer day during the 1996 Democratic National Convention.
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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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Recommendation
USA! USA! Is the Wrong Response
USA! USA! Is the Wrong Response
MAM
Thanks, Marianne!
BadtotheboneBob
Arab News
Bin Laden's luck finally runs out
By AZHAR MASOOD | ARAB NEWS
Published: May 2, 2011 06:15 Updated: May 3, 2011 01:59
ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan: After a decade on the run, Osama Bin Laden was killed early Monday in a US raid on his hide-out near a military complex, 100 km from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. He was quickly buried at sea.
World leaders welcomed Bin Laden's death but the relief was tempered by fears of retaliation and warnings of the need for renewed vigilance against worldwide attacks on US interests...
Bin Laden's luck finally runs out - Arab News
The interesting read in this article are the comments from all over the world. Arabs, Non-Arab Muslims, Indians, Europeans, Canadians, Americans... Pro, Con, Congratulatory, Condemning... It is very enlightening... and something you won't see in any of the US media... I find it fascinating... I hope you do too...
BadtotheboneBob
Thanks, B2tbBob!
Reader Comment
Little Ricky Santorum
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and way too hot.
'Peace Concert' In Gaza
Daniel Barenboim
Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim will on Tuesday lead an orchestra of European musicians in a peace concert in Gaza, in the first-ever performance there by such a prestigious international ensemble.
The rare concert, which will take place at lunchtime at the Al-Mathaf Cultural House, was announced on Monday by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process (UNSCO).
It will be the first time that Barenboim, an outspoken proponent of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, has visited the coastal territory, a spokeswoman for the chamber orchestra told AFP.
"It is the first time," Judith Neuhoff confirmed, saying that the ensemble, which is made up of 25 musicians and known as the "Orchestra for Gaza," had been put together especially for the visit.
The musicians, who belong to five prestigious European orchestras, were expected to enter Gaza from Egypt on Tuesday, via the southern Rafah border crossing, a UNSCO spokesman said.
Daniel Barenboim
Free NYC Concert
Black Eyed Peas
Get ready to party with the Black Eyed Peas - for free.
The six-time Grammy-winning group will hold a free concert in New York City's Central Park on June 9.
The show - dubbed "Concert 4 NYC" - will benefit the Robin Hood Foundation, a charity targeting poverty in NYC.
Although the show is free, concertgoers must have tickets to enter. More than 50,000 tickets are available through an online giveaway. VIP tickets will also be sold online.
Black Eyed Peas
Memorabilia Exhibiiton To Tour U.S
Hard Rock
An over-stuffed garment rack in a warehouse on the outskirts of Orlando holds some of the world's most precious second-hand clothing.
The frothy white wedding dress worn by Madonna in her music video "Like a Virgin" hangs at one end, while crammed in the middle is Michael Jackson's red leather jacket from the music video "Beat It."
The clothes, along with Justin Bieber's skateboard and Ray Charles' Braille Playboy magazine, are among 40 pieces of rock memorabilia that will go on tour in the United States beginning on May 18 to celebrate the Hard Rock Cafe's 40th anniversary.
Ever since Eric Clapton donated a red Fender guitar in 1979 to the original Hard Rock Cafe in London, Hard Rock International, now a subsidiary of Seminole Gaming, has assembled what is billed as the world's largest collection of rock memorabilia, estimated to include at 73,000 pieces.
Hard Rock
Renewed Until 2015
`Judge Judy'
Television's "Judge Judy" is keeping her hand firmly on the gavel through 2015.
Judy Sheindlin signed a new multiyear deal to stay with the long-running syndicated program that last season ranked No. 1 in daytime, CBS Television Distribution said Monday.
A former judge in New York, the tart-tongued Sheindlin presides over small-claims cases on her program that's in its 15th season.
"Judge Judy" had been renewed until 2013 before the new agreement was reached. The deal comes as Oprah Winfrey prepares to wrap up her talk show after 25 years, leaving Sheindlin and other daytime stars to jockey for position. Winfrey's cable channel, OWN, launched in January.
`Judge Judy'
Academy To Honor
Sophia Loren
It's a rare moment when Sophia Loren doesn't stand out, but this is one of them.
The Italian actress is posing for photos on the stage at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she will be honored Wednesday for her half-dozen decades in cinema. She is head-to-toe in red, from the highlights in her hair to her boots to her Armani suit. She seems to melt into the red-curtain backdrop on the stage.
"I love red, because I think it is very nice," she explains. "It says, `Naples.' It's the vibrant life of Neapolitan people. It's the creative side of the Neapolitan people. It's life."
Loren's personal and professional lives began in Rome, though, where she was born in 1934. She got her start in movies as an extra in the 1951 MGM epic "Quo Vadis." Her breakthrough came in the Italian feature "The Gold of Naples" (1954). Hollywood eventually took notice, but she didn't truly triumph until returning to Italy and her "Naples" director Vittorio De Sica.
Sophia Loren
Not A Growth Industry
Free Press
Mexico can no longer be considered to have a free press because of the threats and violence associated with drug trafficking, but an eight-year decline in press freedom around the world appears to have begun leveling off in 2010, an independent advocacy group reported.
In its annual accounting of press freedoms, Freedom House said the Middle East and North Africa showed a dramatic deterioration in those freedoms in 2010. The assessment of 196 countries and territories will be released Monday.
Among the results: Egypt was downgraded to "not free," while Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia continued to rank among the worst countries in the world for media independence and press freedom. Only Saudi Arabia, among those five countries, was not swept early this year by uprisings and appeals for freedom.
Around the world, one in six people live in countries with a free press, Freedom House said, and those with access to a free and independent media declined to the lowest level in over a decade. Besides Egypt and Mexico, significant declines in press freedom occurred in Honduras, Hungary, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine.
The 10 worst-rated countries are Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Free Press
California Court Rejects Appeal
Phil Specter
A California appeals court rejected music producer Phil Spector's bid to overturn his murder conviction on Monday, saying it was permissible for prosecutors to call a parade of women who said Spector had threatened them with guns in the past.
A three-member panel of the state 2nd District Court of Appeal affirmed Spector's conviction in a strongly worded, 81-page decision rejecting a number of claims made by defense attorney Dennis Riordan.
The judges also dismissed the contention that actress Lana Clarkson was despondent and might have killed herself with a gun at Spector's home. In making that ruling, the panel pointed to evidence from her mother that suggested Clarkson was hopeful about the future.
The panel also concluded the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting evidence to prove "Clarkson did not die by her own hand."
In addition, the judges found there was neither judicial nor prosecutorial misconduct at the trial, and that the testimony of five women who claimed Spector threatened them with guns was properly admitted, even though some of the incidents dated back 30 years.
Phil Specter
Trial Delayed Io September
Conrad Murray
The high-profile manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's personal doctor was delayed on Monday until September at the request of defense attorneys.
With just a week before the scheduled start of opening statements, the judge in the case agreed to give defense attorneys more time to seek and prepare expert medical witnesses.
Opening arguments in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray had been scheduled for May 9, and jury selection was already under way.
The physician's defense team had asked for just a two week delay. But Los Angeles Superior Court judge Michael Pastor opted for a longer postponement to ensure that all pending issues were resolved. He set the new trial date as September 8.
Conrad Murray
Arrested In Las Vegas
Flavor Flav
Police in Las Vegas say rapper and reality television star Flavor Flav was arrested on four outstanding misdemeanor warrants for driving offenses.
Las Vegas police Officer Marcus Martin said Monday the entertainer whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton was arrested Friday night after a traffic stop east of the Las Vegas Strip.
Martin says Drayton had two outstanding warrants for driving without a license, one for driving without insurance and one related to a parking citation.
Martin says Drayton is no longer in custody.
Flavor Flav
Lawyer Pleads Guilty
(The Other) Ken Starr
A former lawyer for a large U.S. law firm pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to launder almost $19 million for his onetime client Kenneth Starr, a money manager known for representing celebrities.
Jonathan Bristol, 55, who once practiced at Winston & Strawn LLP, admitted that he used attorney trust accounts to help Starr launder money that he had taken fraudulently from clients.
Bristol pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder money in a hearing before U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts in Manhattan federal court.
He faces a maximum of five years in prison, and also agreed to pay $18.9 million in restitution.
(The Other) Ken Starr
To Pay TiVo
EchoStar
Dish Network and EchoStar Corp will pay TiVo Inc $500 million to settle a patent infringement lawsuit involving TiVo's video recording technology, putting an end to a long and costly legal battle.
TiVo's shares rose 5 percent and Dish shares soared 15 percent on Monday after the announcement.
Dish and EchoStar, both controlled by Charlie Ergen, will make an initial payment of $300 million to TiVo, with the remaining $200 million to be paid in six equal annual installments between 2012 and 2017, the companies said in a statement.
TiVo will license its technology to Dish and EchoStar, while EchoStar would license to TiVo certain DVR-related patents.
EchoStar
Libel Lawsuit
Two brothers are suing the Fox television network for libel after the network allegedly linked them to a third brother, whom authorities have accused of working for al Qaeda.
Fox Rupert
By showing Walid and Mohamed El-Hanafi's images during a broadcast about their brother Wesam, Fox implied they were either funding their brother's alleged activities or were engaged in such activities themselves, the lawsuit said.
Wesam El-Hanafi was indicted in federal court on April 30, 2010, for allegedly providing material support to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, the lawsuit said. Among other allegations, Wesam El-Hanafi was accused of buying digital watches that could be used as explosive timers, it said.
Walid and Mohamed El-Hanafi were not charged with a crime.
In addition to the allegations against Fox, Walid and Mohamed El-Hanafi also accused Pay-O-Matic Check Cashing Corp and Western Union Co of providing Fox with copies of their driver's licenses, cashed checks and money wire receipts.
Fox Rupert
Malibu DUI
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield has been released from jail after being arrested by sheriff's deputies Sunday night on suspicion of drunken driving.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department says in a news release the rocker was stopped around 8 p.m. after a deputy spotted him speeding in his 1963 Corvette on Pacific Coast Highway.
The department states a test showed Springfield's blood-alcohol content was .10 percent, which is over the .08 limit in which a percent is presumed to be drunk.
The singer was released Monday around 2 a.m. and is due in a courtroom in Malibu for a first appearance on July 5.
Rick Springfield
Secret Ingredient
New York Cheese
A New York gallery on Sunday offered adventurous eaters the opportunity to sample cheese made from human breast milk, getting mixed reviews and some puzzled looks.
The Lady Cheese Shop is a temporary art installation by Miriam Simun, a graduate student at New York University who hopes to use the craft of cheese-making to raise questions about the ethics of modern biotechnologies.
Simun found three nursing women willing to have their milk turned into cheese. She screened the milk for diseases, pasteurized it and learned the basics of cheese-making.
Three varieties were available on Sunday -- West Side Funk, Midtown Smoke, described as "creamy and just pure heaven," and Wisconsin Chew, the taste of which apparently reflected the vegetable-filled diet of the woman who provided its milk.
New York Cheese
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