Remember

It's strange how "scandal" gets defined these days in Washington. At the moment, everyone is screaming about the "scandal" of the Internal Revenue Service scrutinizing conservative nonprofits before granting them tax-exempt status. Here are the genuine scandals in this affair: Political organizations are being allowed to masquerade as charities to avoid taxes and keep their donors secret, and the IRS has allowed them to do this for years. The bottom line first: The IRS hasn't done nearly enough over the years to rein in the subversion of the tax law by political groups claiming a tax exemption that is not legally permitted for campaign activity.

We haven't seen the last of David Beckham. Oh, sure, we may not see him on a soccer field now that he's announced he will retire after Paris Saint-Germain's final game on May 26. But we will see him in many other places - billboards, magazines, TV - for years to come. There are still Beckham-backed shoes, cologne, cell phones and watches to sell. And sports drinks, vitamins, books and clothing lines. There may even be a sewing machine in the works. "Mend it Like Beckham" anyone? "Commercially, David Beckham is the most successful footballer ever produced in England," says David Haigh, chief executive of Brand Finance, a global consultancy firm.

Often considered the most popular entertainer of the 20th century--his extravagant performances set still-unchallenged attendance records--Liberace (dubbed "Mr. Showman" in tribute to his flashy theatricality) sued a London columnist in 1956 for implying he was gay. He won.

Dear Liz: A few years ago I finished paying off my debt and now am in the very low-risk credit category. I have savings equal to about three months' worth of bills and am working to get that to six months' worth. I'm wondering, though, about an emergency that may require me to pay in cash (such as a major power outage that disables debit or credit card systems, or the more likely event that I forget the ATM or credit card at home). How much cash should a person have on hand? Is there a magic number?

Most of us are curious about our family lineage. For Vanessa Williams, who recently took part in the show "Who Do You Think You Are" and explored her family's history, the task was both surprising and informative. Here, she talks about what she learned and how she plans to use that information. How did you become interested in finding out about your lineage? I've always been interested, but I was introduced to Ancestry.com [one of the websites that help people research their family backgrounds]

Auto leasing deals abound these days, with offers that often seem too good to be true. How about a well-equipped Honda Accord for $250 a month with no down payment or any other drive-off fees? Or better yet, $199 a month for a Chevrolet Malibu? So, what's the catch? There isn't any if you know what you're getting into. There are always details. You need top-tier credit to qualify. You pay a penalty if you turn that Honda in with more than 36,000 miles. And the payment is not $250 a month because of that little matter of tax. It is more like $275, depending on where you live.

When Susan had breast cancer, we heard a lot of lame remarks, but our favorite came from one of Susan's colleagues. She wanted, she needed, to visit Susan after the surgery, but Susan didn't feel like having visitors, and she said so. Her colleague's response? "This isn't just about you. " "It's not?" Susan wondered. "My breast cancer is not about me? It's about you?" The same theme came up again when our friend Katie had a brain aneurysm. She was in intensive care for a long time and finally got out and into a step-down unit.

Whether perusing the beauty and personal care products at Target or Whole Foods or shopping online at Sephora, consumers are increasingly encountering the phrase "paraben-free. " What exactly does paraben-free mean, and why might it matter? We take a closer look — including sussing out pretty makeup products that are paraben-free. What are parabens? Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products such as soap, moisturizers, shaving cream and underarm deodorant, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

I can remember when candy bars were 5 cents. Now they're 35 cents. I remember when men asked for your phone number and then called you. Now they just collect numbers. I remember when you could reach inside someone's car and turn off their lights so the battery wouldn't die. Now the doors are locked and the alarms are set. I remember when only old folds said, "I remember when." I'm 37. CAROL CHERMAN Los Angeles

'Remember Me' MPAA rating: PG-13 for violence, sexual content, language and smoking Running time: 1 hour, 53 minutes Playing: In general release

Re "Somber memorial," photo, April 24 The commemoration of the Armenian genocide was given a brief and inadequate nod in The Times. This was the first genocide of the 20th century. There are more than 100,000 Armenians in Southern California. An interview with any number of them would have provided heart-rending true stories passed down by relatives who endured the horror. Did you mention that 1.5 million Armenians were murdered by the Turks? No, your last sentence in the photo caption was a stinging reminder that "the Turkish government disputes that a genocide occurred.

BOSTON - Lu Lingzi was 23 and relishing her first taste of life off campus. Yes, she often burned breakfast and set off the fire alarm. And she and her roommate, Jing Li, would bemoan that their studies left them no time to date. But the young Chinese women, both students at Boston University, would also sing out loud as they walked down Boston's busy streets. “I had no idea this friendship could only last one year,” Li said Monday night at a memorial for her friend. Lu was killed last week in the Boston Marathon bombings, where she'd gone to celebrate the completion of a project.

BOSTON -- After citywide demonstrations of resilience on Saturday, Boston will pause Sunday in prayer as it ends a week of shock, grief and anxiety that began Monday with the marathon bombings. “I don't know that we'll ever be quite the same,” Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said on CBS' “Face the Nation.” “People are moving out and moving back into their regular routines, but vigilance is still the order of the day and of course we're still trying to heal from a shocking tragedy less than a week away.” One of three victims at the marathon blast site, Krystle M. Campbell, will be buried Monday in nearby Medford.

Edouard Manet (1832-83) was arguably the first Modern artist. Partly that's because the 19th century painter's work was made in direct, conscious response to museum art - in those days a newfangled institution. Before, painters and sculptors made art in response to popes, kings and burghers as well as to paintings and sculptures other artists made for popes, kings and burghers. But the museum was something new. The museum codified art and its history. Manet painted in the self-conscious hope of gaining admission to the ranks.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Orlando Gonzalez said he remembers meeting the Boston Marathon bombing suspect in the white hat about four months ago.  "I think he came over here and bought glue," said Gonzalez, 38, who works at a City Paint store in Cambridge. He watched through a store window Friday as police blocked off nearby streets and SWAT teams wielding long guns patrolled the streets. He said he didn't remember the man that the FBI has identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, until he saw his photos at a televised FBI press conference and again from a reporter outside his store Friday morning.

"Oblivion" will make you remember, not forget. This Tom Cruise vehicle is a throwback to the days when on-screen science fiction was about speculative ideas rather than selling toys to tots - think of it as the most expensive episode of "The Twilight Zone" ever made. "Oblivion" is not perfect. Its dystopian story makes no apologies for its familiarity, echoing such films as "The Planet of the Apes," "The Matrix," "2001" and even "Wall-E. " And expecting the wheels not to eventually begin to fall off its pleasantly complicated, head-spinning plot (based on the director Joseph Kosinski's graphic novel)

There's only one thing that loves Robert Pattinson more than his legions of hysterical teenage fans and that's the camera. Which helps but doesn't quite save the earnest new romantic drama "Remember Me," whose filmmakers hang everything on those chiseled cheeks and moody eyes. Like Tyler, the angst-ridden 21-year-old NYU student he plays, scowling between class and the coffee shop where he pours all those conflicted feelings into a battered journal, the "Twilight" star is still very much a work in progress.

The 50th anniversary of t he Rolling Stones' birth in 1962 has had no shortage of commemorative activities: Last year the group was the subject of a retrospective film documentary, a triple CD survey of their recorded output and a handful of celebratory concerts in England and northeastern U.S. The celebration extends into 2013 with a slate of shows on the 50 and Counting tour due to get underway May 2 at Staples Center in Los Angeles -...

BOSTON - Martin Richard was a bright, sunny 8-year-old who loved to ride his bike and scored the winning goal for his soccer team in a championship game last year. Krystle Campbell, 29, was the vivacious assistant manager of a steakhouse who could instantly smooth over diners' complaints with her smile. They were cheering on the sidelines of the Boston Marathon on Monday when two bombs went off, firing a blizzard of nails, ball bearings and tiny daggers of shrapnel into the flesh of runners and spectators.