Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: Jesus Loves Your Downward Dog (SF Gate)
… yoga is a religion, but it is no religion at all. Yoga is a divine reconnection and means to expand the soul via all sorts of powerful tools, techniques, icons, sutras, tantras, musings, offerings, chantings, stretchings, sweatings, classic moral precepts and healthy lifestyle adjustments, but without organized religion's nasty knife drawer of shame and guilt, sin and fear, numbed-out heaven and childish threats of eternal, all-consuming hell.
Ted Rall: Who Will Inherit the NSA? (Common Dreams)
Several months ago employees of Verizon, the company that enjoys a monopoly on local telephone service where I live, confirmed that my telephone has been tapped by the government. (Note to government: No, I won't reveal their names. No, not even if you throw me in jail. Unlike The New York Times, I protect my sources. Let's just say they're people in a position to know and leave it at that.)
Tom Danehy: Is it possible Tom Horne is the worst politician in a state full of terrible ones? (Tucson Weekly)
Let's face it: For a significant segment of the male population, Tom Horne is The Man. He is the ultimate role model for all those people out there who want more than they deserve, who want to lie because it's easier, and who want to cheat because they can.
Suzanne Moore: I'm proof that anyone can sit an exam stoned and pass by spewing out facts (Guardian)
Michael Gove's fundamentalist meddling is about conforming to a dimly imagined past, when analytical thinking was surplus to requirements.
Charlie Jane Anders: Are these really the most essential epic fantasy books ever written? (io9)
Five different people have taken a stab at creating lists of the top 50 most essential epic fantasy novels of all time. And their different lists reveal that... nobody's quite sure how to define "epic fantasy." And there's been a noticeable shift in the parameters of the genre lately.
Lucy Mangan: "The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy" (Guardian)
There are deeper attractions, of course, that my five-year-old friend will only come to appreciate later. In the patient loyalty of Maud, we can all see our ideal best friend. Mildred's combination of incompetence, resilience and unapologetic eccentricity resonates and inspires. But the fizzing energy and invention of the book and its charm as we settled down to read the first chapter together held us both, ancient reader and new, spellbound once more.
Andrew Tobias: Summer Recipes
How to Cook like a Guy: 1. Quick Corn and 2. Instant Baklava.
Scott Burns: Can Couch Potato Investors Make Substitutions? (AssetBuilder)
The object of Couch Potato investing has always been to find the easiest way for anyone- absolutely anyone- to create a low-cost, tax-efficient and diversified portfolio "in his or her spare time, at home!"
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
answered:
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Bosko Suggests
Earth Scars
Have a great week!
Bosko.
Thanks, Bosko!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Marine layer hung around until mid-afternoon.
Stereotyped, But Not as Women
Female Politicians
Sarah Palin and Hillary Rodham Clinton are not similar people. The people they appeal to, the way they dress, what they believe about politics and policy, could not be further away from one another. But they do have something in common: They're successful female politicians. (Yes, we can debate over how we define the term "successful" here. But at the very least, both were voted by a state's electorate to a prominent role-governor for Palin, senator for Clinton.)
But it's not so easy to conjure up an image of a female politician. While male leaders are easily labeled "ambitious," or "competitive," female leaders evade a consistent stereotype. Clinton and Palin might be an extreme illustration of this idea, but recent research suggests it's true of female politicians at large.
"Voters seem to be ambivalent towards female politicians and to have ill-defined ideas about what it means to be a female politician," write political scientists Monica C. Schneider and Angela L. Bos, in the latest issue of the Journal Political Psychology. "Despite gains in the percentage of politicians who are female, there may still not be enough women in office for voters to form a consensus of stereotypical qualities."
The data suggests our stereotypes of female politicians are based on what they lack in comparison to women as a whole, not what they have in addition. "The stereotypes are extremely nebulous and lack clarity," the authors conclude.
Female Politicians
In Jeopardy After Court Ruling
Unpaid Internships
Unpaid internships have long been a path of opportunity for students and recent grads looking to get a foot in the door in the entertainment, publishing and other prominent industries, even if it takes a generous subsidy from Mom and Dad.
But those days of working for free could be numbered after a federal judge in New York ruled this week that Fox Searchlight Pictures violated minimum wage and overtime laws by not paying interns who worked on production of the 2010 movie "Black Swan."
The decision by U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III may lead some companies to rethink whether it's worth the legal risk to hire interns to work without pay. For many young people struggling to find jobs in a tough economy, unpaid internships have become a rite of passage essential for padding resumes and gaining practical experience.
There are up to 1 million unpaid internships offered in the United States every year, said Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank. He said the number of internships has grown as the economy tumbled and he blamed them for exploiting young workers and driving down wages.
Unpaid Internships
Tracking The Secret Life of Cats
GPS
If you're a cat owner, you know that your cat has a personality all his own. That's part of the charm of having a cat. Admit it: You've often wondered what your furry feline is up to all day when you're not at home.
A new BBC production is showing cat fans what goes on when humans are not around. The maker of "The Secret Life of the Cat" outfitted 50 cats with collars with high-sensitivity GPS devices and miniature "cat cams" to record their every move. Cameras captured events like 7-year-old Claude, sneaking out in the middle of the night to a neighbor's house where fellow cat Rosie lives. Claude makes his way into the house through the cat flap to steal food. He is literally a cat burglar. Claude's owner, Henrietta Mulnier, was completely unaware of his behavior. Mulnier said with a laugh, "I've always wondered why he never seemed to lose weight even when I put him on a diet."
Apparently, Claude's clandestine thievery is a relatively common practice among domesticated cats. Alan Wilson, a professor at the Royal Veterinary College, spoke of the reason for the week-long project. "We probably know less about domestic cats than we know about some of the bigger African cats, which seems amazing. It's always been very hard to measure-people try to track them with radio trackers in small numbers. But it's a difficult environment to work in, climbing, if you can imagine climbing into gardens trying to track your cat in the dark. It's really not easy."
Once the GPS data had been collected, Dr. John Bradshaw spoke of what he deduced from the study. "Cats are actually quite opportunistic animals. And they're looking for places that they might move if they needed to move. They're making almost their own choices about where to live. In fact, you could almost say, you know, that the owners think they own the cats, but in fact, it's the cats that own the owners."
GPS
Keeping 'Come As You Are' Welcome Sign
Aberdeen
After hearing from fans of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, the Washington state city of Aberdeen is keeping the words "Come as you are" on a welcome sign.
KBKW and KXRO report Mayor Bill Simpson announced at Wednesday night's City Council meeting that the sign will stay.
The mayor received more than 300 emails after reports that the reference to a Nirvana song would be dropped when the sign is replaced. "Come as you are" was added to the "Welcome to Aberdeen" sign in 2005 following the 10-year anniversary of Cobain's 1994 death in Seattle.
Cobain grew up in Aberdeen. While the city plans to replace the aging sign, there are no plans to change the message.
Aberdeen
Rejoining Fox
Mrs. Palin
Sarah Palin (R-Quitter) is rejoining Fox News Channel.
The network said Thursday that the former Republican vice-presidential candidate has signed on as a contributor to Fox and the Fox Business Network. Her first appearance is scheduled for Monday on the "Fox & Friends" morning show - on the same day CNN is premiering a morning show to great fanfare.
Fox and Palin parted ways in January after she had worked there for three years as a contributor. They had talked about renewing their contract, but it didn't happen. Money may have been a factor: Palin was signed for a reported $1 million a year when she originally joined Fox less than two years after being John McCain's running mate.
Mrs. Palin
American Flag Tablecloth
HGTV
The Home & Garden Television network has apologized for an online segment that suggested viewers use American flags as tablecloths for their Fourth of July celebrations.
In the segment, titled "Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas," the network suggested viewers "drape a large American flag over the table as a bright and festive table runner."
The segment recommended using a "nylon flag so spills can be easily wiped off and the flag can later be hung with pride on a flag pole."
Many viewers expressed outrage. "Using an American flag as a table cloth dishonors all Americans who love Old Glory-especially those who gave their lives defending it," one viewer wrote on HGTV's Facebook page before the segment was pulled.
HGTV
Copyright Suit Filed
'Happy Birthday to You'
A production company making a documentary about the song "Happy Birthday to You" is challenging the copyright to the famous jingle.
Good Morning To You Productions Corp., which is working on a film tentatively titled "Happy Birthday," argues in a lawsuit filed Thursday that the song should be "dedicated to public use and in the public domain." The company is seeking monetary damages and restitution of more than $5 million in licensing fees collected by Warner/Chappell Music Inc. from thousands of people and groups who've paid it licensing fees.
Warner/Chappell, based in Los Angeles, claims exclusive copyright to "Happy Birthday to You," which Guinness World Records has called the most famous song in the English language. The company, whose artists include Aretha Franklin, Barry Gibb, Rob Zombie, Madonna and Michael Jackson, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Good Morning To You Productions argues that evidence dating to 1893 helps show the song's copyright expired around 1921. It says four previous copyrights to the melody of the similar-sounding song "Good Morning to All," filed in 1893, 1896, 1899 and 1907, have expired or been forfeited.
The class action lawsuit says that Warner/Chappell claims the exclusive copyright to the song based on piano arrangements published in 1935 but that the copyright applies only to the piano arraignment and not to the melody or lyrics.
'Happy Birthday to You'
Files For Divorce
Rupert
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng Murdoch, his wife since 1999, citing a breakdown in the relationship. The matter doesn't alter the succession plan for the media company, which the 82-year-old founder controls through a family trust.
The couple are parents to two daughters, Grace and Chloe, ages 11 and 9. The girls have no voting stake in the company, but they are beneficiaries of 8.7 million non-voting shares that are held in a trust. Wendi Deng Murdoch, 44, also has non-voting shares.
Murdoch controls nearly 40 percent of the voting shares of News Corp. through a separate family trust. He has four other children from two previous marriages, including three who have active roles within the company: James, Lachlan and Elisabeth.
Born in China, Wendi Deng Murdoch is a Yale graduate who went on to work as a junior executive at News Corp.'s subsidiary Star TV in Hong Kong. Deng was introduced to Murdoch at a Hong Kong cocktail party in 1997. She left Star TV before marrying the media mogul in June 1999 aboard Murdoch's private yacht, in New York.
Rupert
Passes Anti-Gay Law
Russia
Russia's lower house passed a law on Tuesday banning gay "propaganda", a measure that human rights groups say has already fuelled attacks on homosexuals as President Vladimir Putin pursues an increasingly conservative social agenda.
As parliament debated the bill, gay activists who had taken part in a "kissing protest" outside parliament to demonstrate against the law were harassed and pelted with eggs by anti-gay protesters, then about 20 of them were arrested.
The law bans the spreading of "propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations" to minors and sets heavy fines for violations. It passed with 436 votes in the 450-seat lower house, the Duma. One deputy abstained and no one voted against.
Critics say the bill - a nationwide version of laws already in place in several cities including Putin's hometown of St Petersburg - would in effect ban all gay rights rallies and could be used to prosecute anyone voicing support for homosexuals.
The Duma passed another law on Tuesday that made the insulting of religious feelings a crime punishable by up to three years in prison - a measure proposed after last year's Pussy Riot protest at a Moscow cathedral.
Russia
Rural US Loses
Census
Rural America is losing population for the first time ever, largely because of waning interest among baby boomers in moving to far-flung locations for retirement and recreation, according to new census estimates.
Long weighed down by dwindling populations in farming and coal communities and the movement of young people to cities, rural counties are being hit by sputtering growth in retirement and recreation areas, once residential hot spots for baby boomers.
The new estimates, as of July 2012, show that would-be retirees are opting to stay put in urban areas near jobs. Recent weakness in the economy means some boomers have less savings than a decade ago to buy a vacation home in the countryside, which often becomes a full-time residence after retirement. Cities are also boosting urban living, a potential draw for boomers who may prefer to age closer to accessible health care.
About 46.2 million people, or 15 percent of the U.S. population, reside in rural counties, which spread across 72 percent of the nation's land area. From 2011 to 2012, those non-metro areas lost more than 40,000 people, a 0.1 percent drop. The Census Bureau reported a minuscule 0.01 percent loss from 2010 to 2011, but that was not considered statistically significant and could be adjusted later.
Rural areas, which include manufacturing and farming as well as scenic retirement spots, have seen substantial movement of residents to urban areas before. But the changes are now coinciding with sharp declines in U.S. birth rates and an aging population, resulting in a first-ever annual loss.
Census
Top 20
Concert Tours
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
1. (New) The Rolling Stones; $8,288,770; $358.97.
2. (1) Taylor Swift; $1,784,275; $82.24.
3. (2) Kenny Chesney; $1,597,306; $76.73.
4. (3) Bon Jovi; $1,560,127; $99.88.
5. (4) Pink; $1,134,385; $77.10.
6. (5) Maroon 5; $914,596; $65.93.
7. (6) Jason Aldean; $754,571; $51.28.
8. (7) Alicia Keys; $601,182; $78.89.
9. (8) Muse; $579,441; $56.17.
10. (10) Carrie Underwood; $495,357; $61.71.
11. (9) Leonard Cohen; $484,137; $107.65.
12. (11) Mötley Crüe; $332,400; $78.37.
13. (14) Diana Krall; $176,250; $83.99.
14. (16) Chris Tomlin; $161,111; $27.89.
15. (17) "Winter Jam" / Tobymac; $158,567; $12.55.
16. (18) Shinedown / Three Days Grace; $155,808; $39.24.
17. (19) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; $136,669; $51.43.
18. (New) Celtic Woman; $133,839; $60.53.
19. (20) Bassnectar; $127,938; $34.62.
20. (22) Ron White; $113,534; $51.95.
Concert Tours
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