Whodathunkit

Graying Audience Returns to Movies
By BROOKS BARNES and MICHAEL CIEPLY
Published: February 25, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Hollywood and older Americans have never had much use for each other. The 50-plus crowd doesn’t go to opening weekends or buy popcorn; a youth-obsessed Hollywood has happily ignored them.

But in the last few months an older audience has made a startling reassertion of its multiplex power. “True Grit,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter,” “Black Swan” — all movies in contention for a clutch of Oscars on Sunday — have all been surprise hits at the box office...

Sticky floors and popcorn-strewn aisles have kept even more older people at home. That, and all those texting teenagers, “which is something that adult audiences really find irritating,” said Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the National Association of Theater Owners. More

Cast a cold eye/On life, on death./Horseman, pass by!

Ireland’s Ruling Party Headed for Crushing Defeat, Early Poll Shows
By SARAH LYALL
Published: February 26, 2011

DUBLIN — If there were people walking around during the national election on Friday who were passionate supporters of the ruling party, Fianna Fail, they were doing an excellent job of keeping it secret. More

Iceland-Ireland Again
Paul Krugman

Via the Irish Economy, I see that there have been two articles in the Irish Times comparing Iceland and Ireland, and concluding that Iceland did no better. The articles aren’t bad — but need to be read with caution. More

Snow? Wot's that?

Snow Falls on San Francisco After a 35-Year Wait
By JESSE McKINLEY
Published: February 26, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — As a Pacific storm coincided with a blast of cold Canadian air over their fair city, residents here saw snow late Friday, a long-absent visitor for a city accustomed to fog, sweater-weather and other nearly bone-chilling accoutrements. More

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