And we’re back. Please note: this podcast, if you haven’t figured it out, is profane and not safe for consumption by children or animals. Or sentient creatures of any sort.

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Your Weekend Justice #65: Margaret Thatcher vs. Piranhas (in 3-D!)

Reuters – A 19th century Russian comedy satirizing the nobility and featuring a forest that will all too symbolically be cut down. No, it’s not “The Cherry Orchard” but “The Forest,” by Alexander Ostrovsky.

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Dianne Wiest lost in "Forest" revival
(Reuters)

Robert Downey Jr.’s self-assured portrayal of an all-too-human superhero carries the Marvel Comics franchise through a successful sequel. And there’s more good news: Instead of being plagued by a muddled mix of supervillains, Iron Man 2 introduces an intriguing array of bad guys who serve as perfect foils to the main man with the cool toys

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Review: Fun ‘Iron Man 2′ Pits Witty Hero Against Juicy Villains

Reuters – Impressionist and modern art attracted strong prices for a second consecutive day on Wednesday as global bidding helped drive Sotheby’s spring sale to over $195 million.

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Sotheby’s marks a solid night at Impressionist sale
(Reuters)

Our second assignment for April was photographer’s choice. This assignment gave everyone a chance to dig into their archives from the last year and enter their personal favorites into the assignments regardless of subject.

Excerpt from: 
Winner and Finalists of Assignment #66 – Photog’s Choice

The superpowered do-gooder Iron Man got Wired editors thinking about other potential heroes, like the Superpoke, who defriends baddies, and the Zen Torpedo, who’s all about C-R-M: Clobbering Ruthless Miscreants.

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Geek Justice League: Caped Crusader Billionaires We’d Like to See

The legendary composer and lyricist — who collaborated on tunes like “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “I Say a Little Prayer” and “What’s New Pussycat?” — discuss their 50-year relationship and some favorite tunes from the Broadway revival of their musical, Promises, Promises.

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Music And Lyrics: Burt Bacharach And Hal David

Back in 2007, before Goldman Sachs had become a 24/7 whipping boy, my colleague, Doris Burke, and I wrote an article showing how Goldman had peddled a particularly wretched issue of mortgage-backed securities to its customers, and had also bet against the kind of mortgages that made up the securities.

Originally posted here:
Where’s the outrage over Goldman Sachs’s other mortgage foray?

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s case against Goldman Sachs hinges on whether the Wall Street titan should have told its customers more about the derivatives it was selling them. But The New York Times ‘ Gretchen Morgenson wonders whether the rating agencies and those who bought the derivatives should have done more homework

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Full Disclosure And The Goldman Sachs Investigation

AFP – With a big digital camera slung around his neck, Leslie Tay could easily have been mistaken for a professional photographer as he took shots of sizzling grilled pork chops on a table.

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Amateur bloggers spice up Singapore’s food scene
(AFP)

We have more selections from music minister Rob Levy here: kicking off with Needcoffee favorite, Mike Patton . A commenter on the Youtube video you’re about to see asks if there’s anything the man can’t do

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Music Monday: Mike Patton, Ultravox and The Fall

AP – The calamitous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico isn’t just a mess for the people who live or work on the coast. If you drink coffee, eat shrimp, like bananas or plan to buy a new set of tires, you could end up paying more because of the disaster

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Attention shoppers: Gulf spill could affect you
(AP)

AP – A federal law may limit how much BP has to pay for damages such as lost wages and economic suffering in the Gulf Coast oil spill, despite President Barack Obama’s assurances that taxpayers will not be on the hook.

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Federal law may limit BP liability in oil spill
(AP)

Reuters – Citing the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens several U.S. states, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Monday that he no longer will support a plan to expand drilling off California’s coast.

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California governor no longer backs offshore oil plan
(Reuters)

AP – United and Continental Airlines are counting on more business travelers — not higher fares for vacationers — to make their $3 billion merger pay.

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United-Continental looking to business travelers
(AP)

Reuters – New York City’s income tax revenue rose slightly in April, a financial source said on Monday, an indication hiring could be gaining as the city fights a string of multibillion dollar budget deficits over several years.

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Rise in NYC income tax revs shows brighter economy
(Reuters)

AP – Investors sent stocks soaring Monday after getting a boost of confidence from the latest economic reports and Warren Buffett’s defense of Goldman Sachs.

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Stronger economic reports pull stocks higher
(AP)

Since Conan O’Brien left The Tonight Show in February, he’s been contractually banned from television. That ended this weekend with an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes. As NPR entertainment blogger Linda Holmes explains, O’Brien is sticking to a strategy that’s working.

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Conan O’Brien’s TV Ban Ends On ’60 Minutes’

AP – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to pay $27.6 million to settle allegations that it improperly handled and dumped hazardous waste at stores across California in a case that led to changes in the retailer’s practices nationwide, prosecutors said Monday

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Wal-Mart to pay $27.6M in California dumping case
(AP)

AP – Goldman Sachs has disclosed information about a half-dozen lawsuits filed against it by shareholders accusing the big Wall Street firm and top executives of misconduct and abuse in the wake of civil fraud charges brought by the government over mortgage securities deals.

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Goldman discloses shareholder suits
(AP)

Playbill – Michael Urie, Judith Ivey, The Glass Menagerie and director David Cromer are among winners of the 25th Lucille Lortel Awards, celebrating excellence in the 2009-10 Off-Broadway season. The awards were handed out May 2 in a New York City ceremony hosted by Bebe Neuwirth and Bryan Batt.

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‘Orphans’ Home Cycle, The Scottsboro Boys’ Are 2010 Lortel Award Winners
(Playbill)

Playbill – Bailiwick Chicago is taking a cue from TV’s “Project Runway,” the fashion-design competition program, to create four “looks” for a new production of the Elton John-Tim Rice musical, Aida.

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Make It Work: Chicago ‘Aida’ Producers Create Design Competition
(Playbill)

Playbill – La Jolla Playhouse will produce the new James Lapine-William Finn musical Little Miss Sunshine in the 2010-11 subscription season, artistic director Christopher Ashley announced.

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Finn & Lapine’s ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ Musical Will Premiere in California in 2011
(Playbill)