The Brief, April 10: UFO Secrets, Tax Tips

Amidst heavy headlines of pirates and earthquakes and unemployment lines, it seems that we need an extra-gentle Brief today. Go ahead and get your dose of the world news that we need to have our eyes open to ... then cleanse the palette with some lighter fare. We've got UFOs and quirky tax-deductions, a video to make you smile and a tribute to the seminal role-play game king. Slip your way into the weekend with some Tonic relief.

China's making smarter cars worth drivers' while. Inside E.T.'s top-secret world. Did you deduct your cat food? Your football tix? Your shampoo? Maybe you shoulda. R.I.P. Mr. Dungeons and Dragons. We'll keep up our real-life playtime in your honor. Regular old residents take necessary road-building challenge into their own hands. And don't charge a penny for a job well done. Greenboat "land yacht" chases speed of light. Subliminal funk. Airports get sneaky in their quests to stay clean. PETA once again pushes the envelope, pushing for band revamping and on-tour advocacy. Yikes. Let's hope this ghost chilli chow-down doesn't burst mama into flames. To. Die. For. A monkey/puppy smooch at :50 that will tickle anyone with a heart.