Economists and politicians point to a wide variety of developments for causing the current recession, but science fiction writer Ray Bradbury has a reason that you`ll never hear on CNN: television. Our economic troubles began when someone on a national telecast said: ”A recession is coming,” Bradbury told a conference in Phoenix on Sunday. ”We kept on with this, and we did it to ourselves,” the writer said. ”It`s completely psychological.” Bradbury doesn`t advocate throwing all TV sets into the trash, noting that some national newscasts-in small doses-are OK. But ”do not ever again look at local television news,” he said. ”If you do, you`ll think the end of the world is really coming.”
ONE TERM ENOUGH? Supporters of legislation putting term limits on elected officials may not have to worry about Massachusetts Gov. William Weld. The first-term Republican told the Boston Herald he is not switched on by the bright lights of high office and he might call it quits in 1994 after just one term. ”A lot will depend on whether I accomplish the things I want to,” Weld said. ”I want there to be a conservative fiscal approach and I want a lightening up of the atmosphere on the social issues. I want to see a more tolerant attitude in society.” Weld said if he thought the Bay State was moving in these directions ”and not likely to be reversed,” than he may indeed return to the private sector.
MARITAL NEWS I This decision could affect life as we know it on this planet, but it seems Ivana Trump wants a bit more time before marrying Italian industrialist Riccardo Mazzucchelli. ”Yes, I am going to propose,” the New York Daily News quoted Mazzucchelli as saying. ”Give it a little time.” Of her ex, Ivana said: ”With Donald I used to mix business with private life. It wasn`t healthy.”
MARITAL NEWS II Talking about earthshaking stories, actress Julia Roberts told Entertainment Weekly the real reason behind her breakup with actor Kiefer Sutherland: Neither one wanted to marry the other. Roberts said Sutherland was the first to call off the wedding, but she had the same sentiments.
SCORSESE`S TERMINATOR Martin Scorsese, director of ”Cape Fear,” says he`s not really cut out to direct a film like ”Terminator 2.” ”My `Terminator` would be very upset, very neurotic,” he said. ”He probably wouldn`t know what to do and he`d be depressed. So there goes all the action.”
SMART STATES According to the Census Bureau, these states have the highest rate of college graduates: Massachusetts (28.1 percent), Connecticut (27.5), Maryland (27.4), Virginia (27.3), and Colorado (27).