Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman's Column: Vouchercare Is Not Medicare (New York Times)
… Republicans are indeed seeking to dismantle Medicare as we know it, replacing it with a much worse program.
Connie Schultz: We Are What We Choose to See (Creators Syndicate)
Her blog - at http://JuliaInCleveland.tumblr.com - is titled "100 Days in Cleveland." It is a valentine to the object of her affection, which happens to be my city. Every day, she posts another drawing, along with a short narrative, of something she cherishes about the Cleveland area.
Learned helplessness (Economist)
BACK in the 1990s and early 2000s, American policymakers would castigate their Japanese counterparts for inertia in the face of unfolding economic tragedy. Why wouldn't they at least try some of the tools available to them, they would demand in frustration. In 1998, Ben Bernanke, then an academic, called it a case of "self-induced paralysis."
Paul Krugman's Blog: Fatal Fatalism (New York Times)
We should be using fiscal stimulus; we should be using unconventional monetary policy, including raising the inflation target; we should be pursuing aggressive measures to reduce mortgage debt. Not doing these things means accepting huge waste and hardship.
Paul Krugman's Blog: Medicare Sustainability (New York Times)
… anyone who tells you that Medicare as we know it - a single-payer system that covers everyone over a certain age - is unsustainable is ignoring the clear evidence that other countries somehow manage to make similar systems quite sustainable.
Jim Hightower: The Serious Side of Donnie Trump
… the one I'm going to miss most among the GOP presidential hopefuls is The Donald - a walking gas bag of vanity topped with a head of orange, feral hair. Donnie Trump announced that he would've been the Republican nominee and then would've defeated President Obama if he stayed in the race - but, alas, he said he wanted to spend more time with the one he loves: himself.
Scott Burns: Yes, Diversification Works
The idea of diversification has been under attack since the market collapse. It's not hard to see why. Whatever you owned in 2007, it went down in 2008 and early 2009. You couldn't escape the domestic crash by owning stocks in Europe or Asia. You couldn't escape by fleeing to obscure emerging markets. The paddy wagon came and it took all the girls.
Mark Bittman: Hooked on Meat (New York Times)
Once, we had to combine hunting skills and luck to eat meat, which could supply then-rare nutrients in large quantities. This progressed - or at least moved on - to a stage where a family could raise an annual pig and maybe keep a cow and some chickens. Quite suddenly (this development is no more than 50 years old, even in America), we can drive to our nearest burger shop and scarf down a patty - or two! - at will.
Matt Ridley: Houdini, Crop Circles and the Need to Believe (Wall Street Journal)
What happens when a hoaxer owns up and nobody believes him? Dan Gardner's new book "Future Babble" explains the many ways in which experts refuse to admit that they were wrong about something
David M. Kotz: Art and Money (Truthout)
In the US, artists and performers of all kinds have the possibility of "making it big" and gaining huge financial rewards.
Robert Lloyd: "Appreciation: James Arness, 1923-2011" (Los Angeles Times)
For 20 years, Arness played Marshal Matt Dillon in what, along with "Law & Order," is the longest-lived drama on American television.
Surprise: A Newly Exhilarating 'X-Men' (Wall Street Journal)
"X-Men: First Class" draws new energy from supersmart casting and a shrewd setting, says Joe Morgenstern.
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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From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
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Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Bit of rain, foloowed by a mostly sunny day.
Wrong Photo
Tina Fey
It's too late to have been an April Fool's joke. However it happened, whether it was unintentional or intentional.
On Sunday's "American's Election HQ" on the Fox News Channel, a teaser from Shannon Bream about an interview with former half-germ Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin that appeared on "Fox News Sunday" used an incorrect photo for Palin.
The photo was one of NBC's "30 Rock" star Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" appearances from 2008, which she impersonated Palin.
"Meanwhile it's all eyes on Sarah Palin," Bream said. "In an exclusive interview with Fox News, the former VP candidate said she's still 50/50 about a 2012 run and if she does, Howard Dean has a warning for Democrats. He says Palin could beat President Obama."
Tina Fey
New TV Awards Show
Critics Choice
"Modern Family" and "Mad Men" led the field of contenders on Monday for the inaugural Critics Choice Television Awards, an event that promises to be a more streamlined version of the Emmys.
The ceremony is a spinoff of the Critics Choice Movie Awards, which has developed an uncanny knack of foreshadowing Oscar winners.
The TV version features 15 categories, but none in the miniseries and TV movie categories that tend to dominate the Emmy Awards despite their limited mainstream appeal.
The organizers also did not share the Emmys' love for "Glee," handing just two nominations to the hit comedy musical. By contrast the show picked up 19 Emmy nominations last year, second only to the HBO miniseries "The Pacific."
The top contenders for the Critics Choice Television Awards were "Modern Family" with six nominations and "Mad Men" with five. The shows won the top Emmys last August, for best comedy and best drama, respectively.
Critics Choice
Rome Gay Pride Parade
Lady Gaga
The U.S. Ambassador to Italy says Lady Gaga has accepted an invitation to participate in a gay pride parade in Rome's Circus Maximus - the closing event of 2011 Euro Pride.
David Thorne said in a statement Monday he is "very proud to have an Italian-American artist of her stature" come to the Italian capital. He quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying "human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights."
The pop star was invited by Thorne and the local organizers of Euro Pride, which takes place each year in a different European city
Lady Gaga's new album "Born This Way" sold a million copies in its first week.
Lady Gaga
Out-Of-This-World Message
U2
Space shuttle Endeavour commander Mark Kelly delivered an out-of-this-world message to a U2 concert after Bono dedicated the song "Beautiful Day" to Kelly's wife, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Bono told the crowd at Seattle's Qwest Field on Saturday night, "Imagine a man looking down on us from 200 miles up. Looking down at our beautiful crowded planet. What would he say to us? What is on your mind Commander Kelly?"
Kelly then appeared on a video board from the International Space Station.
"Tell my wife I love her very much," he told the surprised crowd.
NASA says Kelly recorded the message during the recent 16-day mission to the space station. Endeavour returned to Earth on Wednesday.
U2
Finishes London Marathon
Eddie Kidd
Former daredevil motorcyclist Eddie Kidd, who was left severely disabled after an accident, on Monday completed the London marathon after two months on the road.
The British stunt rider walked a mile a day since the April 17 event and was greeted at the finish line near Buckingham Palace by former boxer Michael Watson, who himself completed the 2003 race after he was disabled in a 1991 bout.
Kidd, 51, was helped on his route by actor Ray Winstone, Madness singer Suggs and Welsh band The Stereophonics and has raised £75,000 ($122,000, 84,100 euros) for the charities Children with Leukaemia and the Eddie Kidd Foundation.
The biker's charity helps stunt performers and professional extreme sportsmen and women whom have suffered serious injuries.
Eddie Kidd
'Thriller' Jacket Up For Auction
Michael Jackson
The jacket Michael Jackson wore in his "Thriller" video is hitting the auction block.
Auction administrator Darren Julien says the red and black leather jacket is "the most recognized and significant piece of pop culture" to come up for sale, and he expects it to fetch at least $200,000 at the Music Icons auction on June 25 and 26 at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills.
Jackson autographed the jacket as a gift to his longtime costume designers, Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush. He wanted them to use the small calfskin jacket as a template for his future concert fashions. A portion of the proceeds from its sale will benefit the Shambala Preserve, where Jackson's two Bengal tigers, Thriller and Sabu, have been living since the pop star left his Neverland ranch in 2006.
Other Jackson items up for sale include the wig he wore when he announced his ill-fated "This Is It" concert series in London, a fedora and spangled glove he wore on stage, his shirt from the "Scream" video and the battered mailbox from the Carolwood Drive estate where Jackson died at age 50 in 2009.
Michael Jackson
Lloyds Looks To Void Policy
Michael Jackson
The insurer of Michael Jackson's canceled comeback concerts has asked a judge to nullify a policy intended to protect concert promoters if the singer wasn't able to complete the shows.
Lloyd's of London sued AEG Live and Jackson's company on Monday, claiming the concert promoter has failed to provide necessary medical information and details about the physician charged with the singer's death.
Lloyd's issued a non-appearance and concert cancellation policy in April 2009 - roughly two months before the pop superstar died. It was issued under an alias, "Mark Jones" and was supposed to cover up to $17.5 million in liability, according to the lawsuit.
The promoter should have informed Lloyd's what it knew about the singer's medical history, "including but not limited to, his apparent prescription drug use and/or drug addiction," the suit states.
The insurer states a medical exam of Jackson required by the policy was never conducted, and that they should not have to pay out for the canceled shows scheduled for London's O2 arena.
Michael Jackson
Settles Lawsuit Over 'Chronic' Sales
Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre won't be behind the microphone at a federal courthouse after all - the rapper settled a lawsuit over damages from unauthorized online sales of his album "The Chronic" a day before trial.
Attorneys for the rap superstar, whose real name is Andre Young, filed a notice of settlement in a Los Angeles federal court late Monday afternoon. He had been expected to testify during the weeklong trial, which would have decided whether Young was entitled to 100 percent of the profits from online sales of the rap album, which also helped launch the career of Snoop Dogg.
No details of the settlement, which is not yet finalized, were filed with the court.
There was no immediate comment from attorneys for either Young or WIDEawake Death Row.
Dr. Dre
Loses Tax Case Appeal
Wesley Snipes
Actor Wesley Snipes, serving a three-year prison sentence for failing to file income tax returns, suffered a legal setback on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case.
Snipes, 48, the star of the "Blade" action movies, was convicted in 2008 in a Florida court for willful failure to file federal tax returns from 1999 through 2001.
Snipes, who has served nearly one year of his three-year term, was accused of not filing personal income tax returns and not paying any taxes from 1999 through 2004 despite earning more than $37 million as an actor and producer.
Attorneys for Snipes said the case was improperly brought in Florida and should have been moved to New York, but the trial judge and a U.S. appeals court rejected those arguments.
Wesley Snipes
Laying Off Nearly 250 Studio Employees
Disney
Walt Disney Studios is set to cut between 200 and 250 positions next week, amounting to less than 5% of its 5,000-strong worldwide workforce.
The majority of the cuts will be in distribution, although marketing and production could be affected as well.
Declining revenue from the home entertainment division has been cited as one of the causes (consumers are shifting away from buying movies to renting), as well as piracy.
But organizational changes are also factors, such as combining domestic and international distribution divisions and the growing reliance of Disney on DreamWorks, Marvel and Pixar to fill the movie pipeline.
Disney
Promoter Gets 21 Months In Scam
Mariah Carey
A purported music entrepreneur who bilked a New Jersey investor out of $330,000 by claiming he was promoting a series of Mariah Carey concerts in Dubai has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
Antywan Ross also was sentenced Monday to pay more than $325,000 in restitution.
Ross, who now lives in Berkeley, Calif., headed RDA Group.
He claimed the Atlanta-based firm would use the money to promote the concerts. He told the investor that the money would be used for upfront expenses and that he'd be repaid with interest.
The shows never took place, the investor was never repaid and Ross admitted that he used most of the money for his own benefit.
Mariah Carey
Charge Dropped
Q'orianka Kilcher and her mother
Prosecutors have dismissed a charge against the actress who played Pocahontas in the film "The New World" and was arrested after chaining herself to the White House fence.
Q'orianka Kilcher and her mother, Saskia Kilcher, were arrested last June after the actress chained herself to the White House fence and her mother poured a black substance over her. The 21-year-old, whose father is a Peruvian Indian, was protesting the sale of land in Peru to oil companies. Peru's president, Alan Garcia, was meeting that day with President Barack Obama, and Saskia Kilcher said their goal was to disrupt his visit.
The actress was charged with disorderly conduct, and her mother was charged with defacing government property.
Prosecutors dropped the charges against both women Monday after they completed community service.
Q'orianka Kilcher and her mother
West Pointer Sues
Patti LaBelle
The U.S. Military Academy says a cadet who is suing R&B diva Patti LaBelle over a scrape at a Houston airport has left the academy at West Point.
A West Point spokeswoman says Richard King left the academy Monday. Lt. Col. Sherri Reed cited privacy laws that prevent her from saying if his exit was related to the lawsuit or the altercation.
The academy acknowledges it investigated the March 11 incident. King says he was in his hometown airport standing near LaBelle's luggage when three of her bodyguards attacked him. In court papers, he says LaBelle thought he was standing too close to her bags.
Video shows King on the phone and a shoving match ensuing, with three people pushing and punching King. His lawyer says he suffered a concussion.
Patti LaBelle
Disorderly Conduct
2,500 Pennies
A Utah man has been cited on a charge of disorderly conduct after paying for a disputed medical bill with 2,500 pennies.
The Deseret News of Salt Lake City reports Jason West went to Basin Clinic in Vernal on May 27 prepared to dispute an outstanding $25 bill.
Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell says that after asking staff members whether they accepted cash, West dumped 2,500 pennies on the counter and demanded that staff count them.
Campbell says the incident upset staff because pennies were strewn about the counter and floor, and West's action served "no legitimate purpose."
Police later issued the 38-year-old West a citation for disorderly conduct. That carries a fine of as much as $140. Or 14,000 pennies.
2,500 Pennies
Taking Oprah's Time Slot
Katie Couric
Katie Couric has worked morning TV, the evening news and will now enter the world of daytime talk in the post-Oprah Winfrey era.
ABC announced Monday a multiyear-deal with Couric to produce the talk show, set to bow in September 2012. She will work for ABC News in the interim.
Couric had talked with all the major players in the syndication market. But by the time she signed off last month after five years as the "CBS Evening News" anchor, ABC had outlasted the other suitors. ABC's bet was that with Winfrey ending a talk show that dominated the marketplace, viewers would seek something new. Couric was the biggest available name out there.
Former NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker, who ran the control room at NBC's "Today" show when Couric was a co-host there, will be executive producer of the new talk show. The show doesn't have a name yet, and will be based in New York.
Katie Couric
Scholar Sees Stalin
Smurfs
Just in time for Global Smurfs Day and a Smurfs movie in 3-D comes a little blue book from a French academic that has some fans of the sock-topped comic book characters seeing red.
Antoine Bueno, who lectures at the high-brow Paris Institute of Political Studies, thought he was just having fun when he penned his 177-page analysis of the politics of Smurfland that's just been published in France.
"Smurfs society," writes Bueno by way of hypothesis in his work of spoof scholarship, "is an archetype of a totalitarian utopia" bearing the hallmarks of Stalinism and Nazism.
It's an orderly, harmonious and male-dominated world in which Smurfs eat together, work together, apparently do not own their own homes, and never bicker over money because there is none.
Smurfs
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