Recommended Reading
from Bruce
MICHELLE ZILIO: Robocall scandal allegations unprecedented, says former elections boss (Montreal Gazette)
Canada's former chief electoral officer says recent allegations of systematic voter-suppression phone calls are unprecedented in the country's electoral history.
Tom Danehy has Santorum on the brain (Tucson Weekly)
Anyway, Santorum arrived in Phoenix on the same day that the loons in the state House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow the teaching of the Bible in public schools. What in the hell is wrong with people? If you aren't getting enough religion in church, either you suck, or your religion sucks.
Paul Krugman: Looking Back in Shrillness (New York Times)
So now we see a primary struggle in which the choice is between a series of not-Romneys whose political and policy views are stark raving mad, on one side, and the not-not-Romney who is, maybe, just pretending to share those views. How did that happen?
Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habit (Slate)
… most of the successful dieters also envisioned a specific reward for sticking with their diet-a bikini they wanted to wear or the sense of pride they felt when they stepped on the scale each day. They focused on that craving when temptations arose, cultivated it into a mild obsession. And, researchers found, it crowded out temptations.
JOANN LOVIGLIO: Berenstain Bears Co-creator Jan Berenstain Dies (Huffington Post)
Jan Berenstain, who with her husband, Stan, wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books that have charmed preschoolers and their parents for 50 years, has died. She was 88.
Katie Roiphe: The New O-Bitch-uaries (Slate)
Can we wait a few hours before attacking the dead?
Alan Sculley: War and peace (Colorado Springs Independent)
Ani DiFranco lets go of her inner conflicts.
William B. Davis: The X-Files' Cigarette Smoking Man, Champion Water Skier (geekosystem.com)
Walter B. Davis portrayed the Cigarette Smoking Man on the hit sci-fi conspiracy series The X-Files. However, Davis is far more than just an actor: He's a skeptic, a director, an author, and champion water skier.
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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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Bosko Suggests
Without Railroads
Have a great day,
Bosko.
Thanks, Bosko!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestion
Snow Art
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and a bit warmer.
Amnesty International Benefit
Secret Policeman's Ball
British stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard and actor Liam Neeson have joined the final lineup for Sunday's one-night benefit show, the Secret Policeman's Ball, to be staged for the first time in New York at Radio City Music Hall.
Also joining the usually British-based music and comedy festival is actor Tim Roth and British comedians Matt Berry and Jimmy Carr. Among American comedians are "Saturday Night Live" cast member Bobby Moynihan, Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah ,as well as "Entourage" actor Rex Lee.
The concert, which will benefit Amnesty International on the 50th anniversary of the human rights group, will feature previously announced big names and acts including Coldplay, Jon Stewart, Russell Brand, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert and Mumford & Sons among a total of 36 entertainers.
The concert's head writer David Javerbaum, the former head writer and executive producer for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," called the final line-up "a pretty unbelievable collection of comedic and musical talent."
The show, last held at Royal Albert Hall in 2008, aims to celebrate free speech and raise awareness for Amnesty International. It will feature sketches, music and other acts.
Secret Policeman's Ball
Oxford University Gets $41 Million
Led Zeppelin
With a little help from Led Zeppelin, the widow of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun has donated more than 26 million pounds ($41 million) to Oxford University to fund humanities scholarships for graduate students.
On Wednesday the university announced the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Program, which will initially fund 15 annual international scholarships for the study of subjects including literature, history, music, art history, Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies and archaeology.
The university said the donation is one of the biggest in its 900-year history.
The son of a Turkish diplomat, Ahmet Ertegun helped shape the careers of musicians including Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and the rock band Led Zeppelin, which he signed to Atlantic in the 1960s after hearing a demo.
The Oxford program grew from Led Zeppelin's 2007 reunion concert, which raised money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. It pays for scholarships in Britain, the United States and Turkey.
Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones said he was "very proud" that the concert had led to the new program.
Led Zeppelin
Sued Over Urination Photo
Google Views
A Frenchman took Google to court Thursday over a photo published online by its Street View application showing him urinating in his front yard which he believes has made him the laughing stock of his village in rural northwest France.
The man, who is aged around 50 and lives in a village of some 3,000 people in the Maine-et-Loire region, is demanding the removal of the photo, in which locals have recognized him despite his face being blurred out.
"Everyone has the right to a degree of secrecy," his lawyer, Jean-Noel Bouillard, told Reuters. "In this particular case, it's more amusing than serious. But if he'd been caught kissing a woman other than his wife, he would have had the same issue."
The man thought he was hidden from view by his closed gate as he relieved himself in November 2010. But Google's lens caught him from above his gate as it passed by. Bouillard did not explain why the man chose to urinate outside.
Google Views
Vatican Archive Treasures Exhibited
"Lux in Arcana"
Vatican archives documenting centuries of European history including Galileo Galilei's trial documents and Martin Luther's excommunication went on public display for the first time Wednesday.
The exhibit also includes a request to annul Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and the 'Dictatus Papae' of Pope Gregory VII, an 11th-century script asserting the spiritual and terrestrial powers of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The exhibit entitled "Lux in Arcana" in Rome's Capitoline Museums will run until September 9 and organisers said it was a unique chance to see a priceless collection of documents from the Vatican's closely-guarded vaults.
"It will be the first and possibly the only time in history that they leave the confines of the Vatican City walls," organisers said in a statement.
The exhibition marks the 400th anniversary of the creation of the Vatican Secret Archives -- a term used to mean personal archives -- by Pope Paul V.
"Lux in Arcana"
Leveson Inquiry Preparing To Call
Rupert
The judicial inquiry into alleged media abuses is preparing to summon newspaper owners, including Rupert Murdoch, to give public testimony in late April or early May, according to sources close to the inquiry.
One of the sources said that some of the proprietors to be called to testify have been notified of the intentions of the judge leading the inquiry, but did not know if Murdoch had yet been notified.
After he winds up the current phase of his inquiry, which has been looking at dealings between British media and police, Leveson indicated that the next phase of his inquiry will examine relations between the media and politicians.
On Thursday, detectives investigating claims journalists bribed public officials for information arrested a 10th member of staff from Murdoch's The Sun newspaper, Britain's biggest-selling daily.
Rupert
Court Lifts 'The Weight'
Levon Helm
A Manhattan court says Levon Helm long ago signed away rights that let an advertising agency use the song "The Weight" in a cell phone commercial.
The Band's former drummer and singer sued ad agency BBDO Worldwide Inc. in 2004. An appeals court ruled against him Thursday.
Helm sued after the 1968 classic cropped up in an ad for what was then Cingular Wireless. He said he didn't OK that use.
But the appeals court says the recording contract surrounding the song gave a record label permission to license it to the agency.
Levon Helm
Panties In A Twist
James O'Keefe
Conservative videographer James O'Keefe has filed a lawsuit against Al Gore's Current TV and anchors Keith Olbermann and David Shuster, alleging they libeled him.
During the Feb. 24 edition of Olbermann's show "Countdown," Shuster called O'Keefe a "convicted felon," something that is not true. Shuster also said that there was a "rape allegation facing" O'Keefe, something that also isn't true. That claim, according to O'Keefe's lawsuit, was related to allegations political activist Nadia Naffe made against him last year. The transcript of Naffe's court deposition attached to O'Keefe's lawsuit, however, proves he was never alleged to have raped her. It also shows that a judge dismissed Naffe's allegations that O'Keefe harassed her.
Olbermann also falsely referred to O'Keefe as a "convicted felon" in his Dec. 22, 2011 broadcast. He said O'Keefe was on "federal parole after he was charged with felony for attempting to maliciously interfere with Senator [Mary] Landrieu's office telephone system in New Orleans."
O'Keefe was never charged with or convicted of a felony in connection with that apparent sting video attempt in Landrieu's office.
James O'Keefe
Hires Ex-FTC Google Expert As Lobbyist
Microsoft
Microsoft Corp hired as one of its lobbyists a former Federal Trade Commission lawyer who had access to "thousands" of confidential Google Inc documents, according to a source close to the situation.
The software maker took on Randall Long, who led the FTC's investigation into Google's acquisition of AdMob, to be a lobbyist in its Washington office, according to both Google and Microsoft.
The hiring, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is the latest salvo in Microsoft's ongoing battle with Google for dominance of the high-tech world.
During his work on Google mergers, Long, who was a deputy assistant director of an FTC section that assessed mergers for antitrust violations, read thousands of confidential documents ranging from sales figures and emails to internal strategy memos, the source said.
The problem for Long will be to ensure that he never discusses confidential Google data as part of his new job, which could be difficult because he has seen so much, said a Washington antitrust attorney who asked not to be named because he practices before the FTC.
Microsoft
Another Class Act Conservative
Racist Judge
A senior US judge has apologized after sending an email containing a racist joke about President Barack Obama that equated African Americans with dogs, a newspaper reported.
Richard Cebull, chief US district judge in the state of Montana, said he sent the email to a small group of friends because he is opposed to Obama. He acknowledged it was racist, but denied being racist himself.
Cebull, who was nominated by former president George W. Bush and has served as chief judge for the District of Montana since 2008, sent the message from his court email address on February 20, the Great Falls Tribune reported.
"It was not intended by me in any way to become public," Cebull said. "I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended."
"The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan," he added. "I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama."
Racist Judge
Lifetime "Reality" Series
Bristol Palin
Bristol Palin's home life in Alaska is the subject of a reality series starring the daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R-Who?).
Lifetime says it will air 10 episodes of "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" later this year. The series will explore the pressures of raising her toddler son, Tripp, as she maintains her close relationship with the larger Palin clan, the network said.
The former half-term first daughter of Alaska, Palin (R-Abstinence Only) became one of the nation's most prominent single mothers after the 2008 birth of Tripp. Last summer, a reality series built around her was announced by the Bio Channel, but never aired.
Bristol Palin
Historic Diamond For Sale
"Beau Sancy"
A diamond coveted by kings, queens and princes for centuries, used to reinforce alliances between nations and pawned to pay off royal debts goes on sale at Sotheby's in Geneva on May 15.
The auction house called the "Beau Sancy" "one of the most important historic diamonds ever to come to auction," reflecting its part in the fluctuating fortunes of Europe's royal families for more than 400 years.
The stone, a 35-carat modified "pear double rose cut" diamond belonging to Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia and head of the former ruling dynasty of the German empire, is expected to fetch $2-4 million.
The diamond originated from the mines in India near Golconda and was acquired by Nicolas de Harlay, Lord of Sancy, in Constantinople in the 1500s, explaining its name.
In 1604 it was bought for 75,000 livres by French king Henry IV as a gift for his wife, Marie de Medici.
"Beau Sancy"
In Memory
Edna Milton Chadwell
The last madam of the infamous Texas brothel that inspired the movie and Broadway show "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" has died in Phoenix. She was 84.
Edna Milton Chadwell's nephew, Robert Kleffman, said Wednesday his aunt, the last owner of the Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange, Texas, died Feb. 25. She had been in the hospital since a car accident in October.
Chadwell began working at the Chicken Ranch in 1952, Kleffman said. Within three years, she had become the manager. In 1962, she bought the establishment from Jessie Williams, commonly known as Miss Jessie, and ran it until it was shut down in 1973 after a TV story.
After the television report, Texas' governor ordered police to shut down the Chicken Ranch, and a short time later Chadwell moved to Arizona, where she got married and remained until she died.
Chadwell didn't often talk about her years at the brothel, Kleffman said, but sometimes would answer questions if prompted. She wasn't ashamed of the work she did there, he said, but also didn't want the notoriety that came with being the madam of a famous brothel.
"She was a hard-nosed lady. She was very straightforward, didn't put up with no monkey business, no nonsense," Kleffman said. "Hard-nosed. But with a spine of steel and a heart of gold."
Kleffman, whose mother was one of Chadwell's 10 siblings, said his aunt dreamed of ghost-writing a book about her years at the Chicken Ranch but was determined to do it only after everyone involved had already died. While Kleffman believes she did in the end outlive all the other women, she never did get to write the book - something she wanted to do partly to set the record straight on the movie and show that put her establishment on the map.
"The only thing in the movie that was correct was that there was a whorehouse," Kleffman said his aunt would often say. "She said the sheriff and the madam, they don't have nothing going on. It was just a business."
At the same time, while there were people from that era that would bring a smile to Chadwell's face - some of the other girls and associates - there were many she described as unsavory and was happy to forget, Kleffman said.
Chadwell is survived by two brothers and sisters and several nieces and nephews. At her request, there will be no service or funeral.
Edna Milton Chadwell
In Memory
Andrew Breitbart
Conservative media publisher and activist Andrew Breitbart, who was behind investigations that led to the resignations of former Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York and former U.S. Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod, has died in Los Angeles. He was 43.
Breitbart was walking near his house in the Brentwood neighborhood shortly after midnight Thursday when he collapsed, said his father-in-law, Orson Bean.
Breitbart seldom showed restraint in his vitriol to his critics and seemed to relish in the negative attention his antics earned him.
After Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts died in 2009, Breitbart tweeted "Rest in Chappaquiddick" and called him "a special pile of human excrement." When critics questioned his tone, he tweeted they "missed my best ones!"
Breitbart is survived by his wife, Susannah Bean Breitbart, and four children.
Andrew Breitbart
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