Diary by John Lanchester, John detects the seeds of disaster in London’s new, eight-digit phone numbers. [Slate]

The new Impressionists: “John Kennedy, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, is busy showing

that paying close attention to the blind may tell us a whole lot about art, after all.

Over three decades of experiments, the Irish-born scientist has shown that the blind can

make and understand pictures in ways that no one had imagined. And that fact forces us

to rethink many of our preconceptions about representational art in general.”

Official selections for the Cannes Film Festival [Variety]

Chilling effect of Kimberly Glasco’s reinstatement – CBC Infoculture: a prima ballerina is ordered back to work at the National Ballet of Canada by a judge pending the outcome of her wrongful dismissal suit. Extremely uncomfortable for all concerned.

Martyrs, demons, or splendid anti-role models? David Edelstein reflects on the cultural significance of the Three Stooges, dares to admit he finds them hilarious, and even lets his toddler watch them on TV. She promptly smacks him upside the head. [Slate]

An Inquiry Out of Control: “No one investigates the investigators. So they sometimes

run wild.” New York Times, tell us something we don’t know…

David Irving Unrepentant After Libel Suit Dismissed: “The worst was the way

he kept repeating in an insinuating manner that if he

were Jewish, he would be asking himself exactly what

his people had been doing for thousands of years to

make everyone hate them so much.

He was clearly trying to imply that the Jewish people

deserved what happened to them during the Holocaust,

and they should be looking to correct their errant

behavior and perhaps redeem themselves.” [Jerusalem Post]

Genteel Auction Houses Turn to Hearse-Chasing: “Every weekday a list of rich New Yorkers who have died

recently is faxed to desks at the city’s dominant auction

houses, Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Compiled by an outside

service, it contains names of the deceased, the value of

their estates and names and addresses of relatives and

executors.” [New York Times]

Tom Lehrer spotting! [SF Weekly]