On today’s list: Behind the Vatican’s blame-the-gays strategy, how much you owe for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the most corporate band and nine myths about socialism in the U.S.
On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.
The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.
The shock of the old: Welcome to the elderly age
USHI OKUSHIMA is the oldest resident of Ogimi, the most elderly community in Japan—the country where the average age is higher than anywhere else in the world.
Expensive iPad Stand:
How One Man Fooled the Modern Art Establishment
It’s extraordinary that John Myatt, an impoverished part-time art teacher and failed songwriter from Staffordshire, managed to get away with it for so long – producing more than 200 paintings over 10 years, which were sold around the world for a total of about £2m.
Mr. Slatkin learns a lesson about Internet blabbing
Marquee conductor Leonard Slatkin was driven from the pit of the Metropolitan Opera last week, pelted by brutal reviews of his baton work in the Verdi workhorse “La Traviata.”
The Most Corporate Band
In the music business these days, it’s not about selling the most CDs, it’s having the best sponsors. How the Black Eyed Peas became the face of Samsung, Apple, BlackBerry, Bacardi ...
Media Matters offers assistance with Rupert Murdoch’s investigation
Today, Media Matters for America’s Ari Rabin-Havt sent a letter to News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch noting Fox News’ role in regularly promoting the Tea Party movement. When Rabin-Havt asked Murdoch about that topic at the National Press Club on Tuesday night, Murdoch said he didn’t think Fox News “should be supporting the Tea Party” but would like to “investigate” “before condemning anyone.”
Tax Day and America’s Wars
If you’re an average American taxpayer, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have, since 2001, cost you personally $7,334, according to the “cost of war” counter created by the National Priorities Project (NPP).
Of War and Videos
It’s all the talk, the WikiLeaks video. And every web site with a comment section has a long list of opinions and verdicts. Righteously judged by all. Simple. But it’s not that simple. I know it. And you know it. We all know it and that should scare the hell out of us.
What you missed or still miss [depending on age]
New Vatican defense strategy: blame the gays
The Vatican’s second-highest authority says the sex scandals haunting the Roman Catholic Church are linked to homosexuality and not celibacy among priests.
Nine Myths About Socialism in the U.S.
Glenn Beck and other far right multi-millionaires are claiming that the US is hot on the path towards socialism. Part of their claim is that the US is much more generous and supportive of our working and poor people than other countries. People may wish it was so, but it is not.
We are launching a major overhaul of our comments section.
In addition to more robust spam filtering and moderation, new features include the ability to rate other comments, sort how they are displayed and respond directly via e-mail or in a thread.
Unfortunately, commenters will lose their existing Truthdig identities. It's a pain, we know, but on the plus side you will now be able to log in with a plethora of options, including Google, Twitter, Facebook and Disqus accounts.
Before launching this system we spent months in discussion with our top commenters. We listened to the feedback and we hope you like what we've come up with.
Please direct any problems or concerns to us via our contact page.
By vertica111ift, April 15, 2010 at 9:30 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
rfidler<<>> I will check my tax return. I do get a few hundred back due to miscalculation from the fed every year. I am in the upperlower class financial level. But if I recall correctly the feds take a significant percent out of me every 2 weeks—like 80 -90 dollars but like I said I will check this on my next pay stub and get back to you. O and persoanlly I wish no one were paying for war. And the multitude of contractors that hang like sucker fish onto the government/military.
Larry’s list includes an article about the cost to “us taxpayers” of the war in Iraq. Who is this “us” kemo sabe?
This year 47% of taxpayers will pay ZERO federal income tax. It is out of federal income tax that the war in Iraq is funded. Therefore 47% of taxpayers are doing nothing to fund the war.
I’m only guessing here, so don’t anyone accuse me of stating facts. I believe that 98% of truthdig readers are in that 47% of tax non-payers. So truthdiggers generally should not feel that they are contributing to the war effort against their wills.
My guess is based on the overwhelming majority of posters who complain that “the rich” aren’t paying enough taxes. If they were among “the rich”, i.e., the 53% who pay tax, they wouldn’t be complaining about paying too little tax (unless you’re Warren Buffet), but just the opposite.
Massive Wildfire Rages in New Mexico
Email
Print
Share
Digg
Facebook
TwitThis
StumbleUpon
Reddit
YahooBuzz
Email
BlinkList
del.icio.us
Fark
Furl
Google
LinkedIn
Mixx
MyShare
NewsVine
Propeller
SphereIt
Technorati
YahooMyWeb
Newsletter 
Become a Fan
Follow Us
Subscribe
By vertica111ift, April 15, 2010 at 9:30 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
rfidler<<>> I will check my tax return. I do get a few hundred back due to miscalculation from the fed every year. I am in the upperlower class financial level. But if I recall correctly the feds take a significant percent out of me every 2 weeks—like 80 -90 dollars but like I said I will check this on my next pay stub and get back to you. O and persoanlly I wish no one were paying for war. And the multitude of contractors that hang like sucker fish onto the government/military.
Report thisBy rico, suave, April 14, 2010 at 5:40 am Link to this comment
Larry’s list includes an article about the cost to “us taxpayers” of the war in Iraq. Who is this “us” kemo sabe?
This year 47% of taxpayers will pay ZERO federal income tax. It is out of federal income tax that the war in Iraq is funded. Therefore 47% of taxpayers are doing nothing to fund the war.
I’m only guessing here, so don’t anyone accuse me of stating facts. I believe that 98% of truthdig readers are in that 47% of tax non-payers. So truthdiggers generally should not feel that they are contributing to the war effort against their wills.
My guess is based on the overwhelming majority of posters who complain that “the rich” aren’t paying enough taxes. If they were among “the rich”, i.e., the 53% who pay tax, they wouldn’t be complaining about paying too little tax (unless you’re Warren Buffet), but just the opposite.
Report this