The Funnies
By Pat Bagley
Posts
Today's news
--> Venezuela : Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is purchasing ''three or four times'' more weapons than he needs, a top U.S. intelligence chief said Wednesday , but there is no evidence so far he is providing arms to Colombian guerrillas. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said that the 100,000 AK-103s and AK-104 assault rifles purchased by Venezuela from Russia are going "into armories.'' Maples and National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell also told a Senate panel that the Cuban leadership shift from Fidel Castro to his brother Raúl could trigger tensions and even a migration crisis. --> U.S. : The economy skidded to a near halt in the final quarter of last year, held back by the double blows of a housing and credit slump that made people and businesses alike more cautious in their spending . The Commerce Department reported today that the gross domestic product increased at a scant 0.6 percent pace in the Oct...
Philharmonic Plays in North Korea
As the New York Philharmonic played the opening notes of “Arirang,” a beloved Korean folk song, a murmur rippled through the audience. Many of the staid spectators at this historic concert on Tuesday night perched forward in their seats. “This is difficult to describe,” said one journalist’s government-assigned minder, who was sitting in the audience. “My heart is booming. It’s too exciting.” The audience applauded for more than five minutes, and orchestra members, some of them crying, waved. It was the first time a major American cultural organization had appeared here, and the largest contingent of United States citizens since the Korean War. The trip has been suffused with political importance since North Korea’s invitation came to light last year. It was seen as an opening for warmer relations with the United States, which North Korea has long reviled. (Via NYT )
Weekend box office
Weekend Top Five #1 Vantage Point ($24M) #2 Jumper ($12.7M) #3 The Spiderwick Chronicles ($12.6M) #4 Step Up 2 the Streets ($9.79M) #5 Fool's Gold ($6.27M)
Academy Award Recap
No Country for Old Men , Joel and Ethan Coen’s chilling confrontation of a desperate man with a relentless killer, won the Academy Award for best picture last night. Daniel Day-Lewis won best actor for There Will Be Blood Marion Cotillard won best actress for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose Javier Bardem won the best supporting actor Oscar for No Country For Old Men Tilda Swinton took the best supporting actress Oscar for Michael Clayton Diablo Cody's Juno won best original screenplay Ratatouille , a rodent’s-eye view of the accessibility of art, won for best animated feature "Falling Slowly,” the ballad from Once about the music created in the space between two people, won best original song. It was written by the film’s stars, the Irish Glen Hansard and the Czech Marketa Irglova, who have since become a real-life couple.
Today's news
--> Cuba : Raúl Castro, who has labored in the shadow of his brother Fidel since the days of their revolution, became Cuba's new president on Sunday , ending his brother’s 49-year rule and washing away hopes on this Communist island that a younger generation might take power. In his first words as president, Mr. Castro made it clear that he would make no radical changes and promised to consult his brother on every important decision. He said that his brother was still alive and alert, and that the time had yet to come when the leaders of the revolution in the 1950s had to pass the baton to a new generation. “Fidel is Fidel, you know that well,” he said to the National Assembly shortly after it voted him president. “He is irreplaceable, and the people will continue his work even though he is not physically here.” --> Florida : Two separate groups of Cuban migrants arrived in South Florida just a day after change at the top in Cuba . The first group was located by U.S. Coast Gu...
South Beach Wine & Food Fest
Take your pick: live cooking demonstrations by Food Network stars like Rachael Ray, cocktail lessons by master mixologists or a chance to sample hundreds of wines and gourmet foods from top purveyors and chefs. There are more than 50 events to choose from during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival -- a four-day culinary celebration that continues through Sunday at venues in Miami Beach, Miami and Coral Gables. For more information and tickets, click here .
Today's news
--> BREAKING : Violence broke out today as tens of thousands of Serbs protested Kosovo independence and reportedly set fire to the facade of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade , according to news agencies. Riot police fired tear gas at Serb rioters as protesters wearing masks broke into the embassy, according to the Associated Press and Reuters. The embassy was reportedly closed and not staffed. Chanting 'Kosovo is Serbia," the crowds vowed to never accept the province's independence. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who earlier addressed the rally, said "Kosovo is Serbia's first name." He called the declaration of independence last Sunday illegal and has vowed to work to get it annulled. --> U.S. : Sen. John McCain today denied assertions published in The New York Times that he once had a close relationship with a female lobbyist whose clients had business before his Senate committee . "I'm disappointed in The New York Times piece. It'...
Quoteables
"Perhaps one has to be very old before one learns to be amused rather than shocked." - Robert Browning
Today's news
--> U.S. : Wisconsin and Hawaii handed Sen. Barack Obama his 9th and 10th consecutive wins Tuesday , CNN projects, while Sen. John McCain picked up two more states in his march to the Republican nomination. Obama has emerged as the Democratic front-runner over Sen. Hillary Clinton after a split-decision on Super Tuesday two weeks ago. --> U.S. : Inflation rose more than expected last month, the government reported on today , adding to worries about the economy and sending a reminder to central bankers that rising prices remain a threat. Meanwhile, the housing crisis continued to take a toll on residential home construction. Groundbreakings for homes rose slightly but remained near their lowest levels since the early 1990s, and permits for new home projects fell again. The inflation report raised concerns among some investors that the Federal Reserve will back away from cutting interest rates again at its next meeting, on March 18, and stocks declined at the opening bell. --> C...
Last Lunar Eclipse until 2010
The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs tonight, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon . Skywatchers viewing through a telescope will have the added treat of seeing Saturn's handsome rings. Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday. As the moonlight dims -- it won't go totally dark -- Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Tonight's event will be the last total lunar eclipse until December 20, 2010. Last year there were two.
