Washington State will begin taxing candy and gum in June. However, not everything you consider a candy is on the taxable list.  The Department of Revenue states “Any product that lists flour as an ingredient on the nutritional facts label is not taxable as candy.” Yes, we’re now living in a state where Twix and Nestle Crunch bars are not considered a candy by the government. Not only that, but regular Milky Way bars are not taxable (wheat flour) and Milky Way Midnights are. The spreadsheet is nicely thorough enough to include separate lists for Asian and Mexican candies.

For a young trumpet player, meeting idol Wynton Marsalis was a dream come true, but having him give you his address and take you under his wing was not even in the realm of imagination. Marsalis did exactly that when Joey Pero and his father came backstage several years ago. The dad’s sincerity and sacrifice in helping his son’s musical ambitions reminded Marsalis of what his own mother had done for her children. Pero soon became like a part of the family, hanging out at Marsalis’ apartment along with the neighbors and other friends who drop in for a chat, to watch a game, or, yes, even to play music. Pero is now a Julliard graduate and has released his own album.

Lena Horne passed away Sunday at the age of 92. The N.Y. Times obituary notes “Ms. Horne might have become a major movie star, but she was born 50 years too early, and languished at MGM in the 1940s because of the color of her skin.”

“My identity is very clear to me now. I am a black woman. I’m free. I no longer have to be a ‘credit.’ I don’t have to be a symbol to anybody; I don’t have to be a first to anybody. I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become. I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.” -Lena at 80

We’ve reach an era where the strength of a friendship is measured by how often you exchange text messages. Witness this article on the coaches of the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings who are battling it out in the Western Conference playoffs.  They are good friends who text each other regularly. But right now they are not speaking or texting.  However, their “wives still talk to each other and text.”  I’m guessing they haven’t unfriended each other in Facebook though.

Paramount opened Iron Man 2 this past weekend in most other countries (but not the U.S.)  to get ahead of the World Cup and take advantage of May Day weekend.  Here in the new world we’re barely used to the idea of buying scarves to root for soccer (sorry: football!) teams, especially since the MLS season runs through the warmer months.  Most people on the street won’t know the World Cup host country (South Africa).  More significantly, most won’t know about the Haymarket riots and the labor union’s origins of May Day as a holiday.  But we won’t have to wait for Memorial Day weekend to see Tony Stark, we’re only a week behind everyone else.