Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Andrew Tobias: Lions, Tigers, and Bears
Former Congressman Allen West of "The Guardian Fund" is soliciting my support - $5 or more - to help impeach the President . . . so that he "may finally answer for the things he has done to destroy this country." I decided not to give because I actually like that the stock market has doubled on the President's watch, reaching all-time highs. To me, this suggests that capitalists think this country is not being destroyed but, rather, remains a good bet. (And that sooner or later, the Republicans will let us put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure.) And I like …
C. Coville: 4 Tiny Historical Changes That Made Modern Life Possible (Cracked)
#4. You Have a Higher IQ Because of Chemicals Added to Salt
Jon Henley: "How I became homeless: 'If you think it can't happen to you, think again'" (Guardian)
Steve Grant on how he went from being an art teacher to living on the street - and how Crisis is helping him rebuild his life.
Jon Henley: "The homelessness crisis in England: a perfect storm" (Guardian)
Last year, 112,070 people declared themselves homeless in England - a 26% increase in four years. At the same time, the number of people sleeping rough in London grew by 75% to a staggering 6,437. Why? A £7bn cut in housing benefit, welfare reforms and a huge lack of affordable housing.
Tom Danehy: Tom would feel better about the sanctuary issue if the people involved spoke English (Tucson Weekly)
A couple weeks ago, the Weekly ran a letter written by the son of the guy who was taking sanctuary in a southside church to avoid being deported. The letter detailed the crappy existence the family leads because they have to be careful not to get pinched by La Migra. They can't go to Disneyland; they can't even go someplace where the dad might have to converse in English.
Julia Lepelil: "Flowchart: Would You Survive In Game of Thrones?" (Dorkly Post)
Short answer: No.
Foster The People "Pseudologia Fantastica" (Vimeo)
Music video with excellent visuals.
David de los Santos Gil: Flowers opening timelapse (Vimeo)
Después de 9 meses y 50.000 fotografías (de las cuales solo han formado parte del vídeo final unas 5.000), mi primer timelapse de flores ha terminado de formarse. Tras un largo trabajo buscando flores que abriesen rápido, aquí esta la lista de flores que han formado parte del timelapse: Lillium, hibiscus, clavelinas, orquídeas, dientes de león, lirios, margaritas, alstroemerias, peonías y nigella de damasco.
Pharrell Williams-HAPPY NAFURAHI FROM GOMA DRCongo (Swahili Version) (YouTube)
"Pharrell Williams made his song 'Happy' freely available to use and encouraged people all over the world to make their own videos for the song. […] This one is a full cover version in Swahili, liberally sprinkled with French, from the city of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The performers, from KivuYouth Entertainment, are awesome. While you listen, keep in mind that 'Nafurahi' translates to 'Happy.'" - Neatorama
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wrote:
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Spud Goodman « My POV
"A Tough Year So Far"
I know the Fox Nation can smell blood in the water these days. I'm pretty sure they can even visualize a wounded Obama floating around in the open sea awaiting a great white to swoop in for a quick snack. As the elephant people have chanted "We Want A Do Over" from the day of 44's inauguration to this moment it was clear that there was something about this particular president that made a segment of this country feel very pissed off. A close peek into this intense reaction reveals a quite strong distaste and that might be an understatement. What is the word for the next level of complete revulsion on the human emotional scale? Whatever it is it's not a warm and fuzzy feeling for sure.
For the record I will stipulate things aren't going real well for the POTUS right now in places other than the USA. Here things are actually starting to finally get back to semi normal after the banksters raped us during the Bush gang's time in office. Actually the last year and a half of Clinton's second term was the appetizer for those Wall Street heathens but they really filled their gullets to the brim with everything on the table except the napkins during W.'s run without even a weak thank you. No, manners or proper eating habits are not their strength. One example of such is their tantrum displayed after getting a very wimpy slap on the wrist for blowing up this country economically and nearly the entire world. In short they acted like little bitches. My heart was and still is somewhat tempted to swipe a bit of the Fox Nation bile as Obama's refusal to give the go ahead for massive perp walks to jail for these sorta humans was a punk ass decision. If fairness was even a consideration then the Feds would have needed to evacuate Staten Island and place the hundreds, maybe thousands of guilty financial players there for eternity + one year. Alas, they lived for another day and are back working the fringes of acceptable human behavior as I type. By returning to the same wacked wheeling and dealing that almost made gruel an accepted happy hour snack for who knows how long they are running neck and neck with the Third Reich and Khmer Rouge for most not liked people in the last hundred years. And they could still care less by the way.
So now our Prez is really getting it from those neo something's about re-invading that sandy part of the world. I guess it is getting all violent and stuff there "again". Who would have made that call? The same old guys in that drum circle for war are pounding him on all the cable news channels except that commie MSNBC, because they still can't let go of that bridge deal in Jersey. Even old Ebenezer Cheney has come out of hibernation to pile on too in hopes of displacing maybe 4% of the blame for his mega cluster fuck that was by the way guaranteed from the second the Shock n Awe show opened way off Broadway back in March 2003. Obama is getting a bunch of crap about Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran too because for some reason they are not nice neighbors to each other in this grumpy area of the earth. Toss in that Ukraine place and well he does seem to be in deep doo doo. So what did he do to make all this stuff happen on his watch? As far as I can tell besides following a signed agreement by W. re pulling all of our troops out of Iraq he mostly screwed up by not saying scary things out loud to the rest of the world. I think the actual offense is thought to be sounding soft while serving as head of the free world. In his defense though Joe Biden could never have pulled off the role of a bad ass Wizard of Oz capable of bringing the world to the brink of the apocalypse. People actually kinda like the guy and that is game over right there.
How is this going to end? Well my guess is the day Barack Hussein Obama leaves office that sandy part of the world will still be on fire. Just don't see that storyline changing anytime soon. The Russian land grab also probably won't end well. Can't see Putin saying my bad and dropping his plans to repo former parts of his failed empire. I sure hope no one gets their hopes up about that situation. I am also fairly positive other parts of the world will boil over too as that seems to be the road mankind is traveling down for the foreseeable future. No Disney ending for us I guess. On the semi plus side, even after the bankster's having to say pretty please the Dow is closing in on 17,000 and that Nasdaq thingy is in nice territory also. It almost makes one kinda optimistic until you understand all those decent paying jobs that gave middle class citizens hope prior to the 2008 meltdown will never, ever return. Ok, except for those who work in the banking/tech industry. If you got decent grades in math n science attending college you are golden and have a decent shot of someday being a 1% er too! Alas, I have no clue what Pi means and I had to have my neighbor translate that Cosmos show so I could follow it thus my peak earning years will remain in the 12 buck an hour range. Oh well. I can't honestly place the blame on our current POTUS though it might feel better for a few minutes. Truth is I really don't have a ton of job skills.
After the upcoming mid-term elections I know things will get even crazier until 2016 so I am digging in and hoping for the best. As bad as the right wing hard cores want to rip out the heart of the current resident of the White House I am betting history will be much more fair, giving him maybe like 3 & ½ stars for his 8 years. We got some health care reform and now I can't lose coverage if I happen to catch some fancy disease. He sorta led the way to equal rights for gay people. Or…… at least he didn't beat up on them for a couple extra votes. I think he also is trying to do a little something about that climate change dealybob. Not bad after following a disaster worse than Gigli or Daddy Day Care. I mean Styx would seem like Rock n Roll Hall of Fame material after Daughtry opened up for them and any living being sworn in after W. should have gotten the same edge but again for some reason Obama just can't catch a break with some people. Why? Just can't put my finger on it. When I figure it out I will get back to you. Later
"A Tough Year So Far"
Listen/Watch/Share This Great Episode Now! - He's best known as the lead singer for the band DEVO, but he also creates some very famous soundtracks for Movies and TV like The LEGO Movie, Rushmore, The Rugrats, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Pee-wee Herman's Playhouse. Musician/Composer Mark Mothersbaugh He used to be on the Seattle SuperSonics; you've seen him on NBC's Parks and Recreation, and he's the founder of the Detlef Schrempf Foundation, Detlef Schrempf. Critically acclaimed English singer-songwriter & artist Robyn Hitchcock. Musical guest: Mark Pickerel. And don't forget to stick around for The Post Show Report with Ivy Quinn. It's TV on the Radio!
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
from Marc Perkel
BartCop
Hello Bartcop fans,
As you all know the untimely passing of Terry was unexpected, even by
him. We all knew he had cancer but we all thought he had some years
left. So some of us who have worked closely with him over the years are
scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. My job, among other
things, is to establish communications with the Bartcop community and
provide email lists and groups for those who might put something
together. Those who want to play an active roll in something coming from
this, or if you are one of Bart's pillars, should send an email to
active@bartcop.com.
The most active open discussion is on Bart's Facebook page.
( www.facebook.com/bartcop )
You can listen to Bart's theme song here
or here.
( www.bartcop.com/blizing-saddles.mp3 )
( youtu.be/MySGAaB0A9k )
We have opened up the radio show archives which are now free. Listen to
all you want.
( bartcop.com/members )
Bart's final wish was to pay off the house mortgage for Mrs. Bart who is
overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support she has received.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can click on this the yellow donate
button on bartcop.com
But - I need you all to help keep this going. This note
isn't going to directly reach all of Bart's fans. So if you can repost
it on blogs and discussion boards so people can sign up then when we
figure out what's next we can let more people know. This list is just
over 600 but like to get it up to at least 10,000 pretty quick. So
here's the signup link for this email list.
( mailman.bartcop.com/listinfo/bartnews )
Marc Perkel
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hot and humid, which displeases this alreay quirky computer.
Seth MacFarlane Pledges 'Reading Rainbow' Funds
LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton's "Reading Rainbow" fundraising effort is getting a boost from a generous pal, Seth MacFarlane.
MacFarlane has promised to match up to $1 million in pledges made on the Kickstarter website so that an online version of "Reading Rainbow" can be made available without charge to an expanded number of underfunded classrooms, Burton said in a statement Thursday.
MacFarlane's offer is in effect through 3 p.m. EDT on July 2, when the online fundraiser is to conclude.
Burton said he was left nearly speechless by the "extraordinary generosity" of his friend, the TV and movie writer-producer-actor whose credits include "Ted" and "Family Guy." MacFarlane's spokeswoman confirmed the offer.
More than $4 million had been pledged by 83,000-plus contributors as of Thursday afternoon.
LeVar Burton
Alamo Donation
Phil Collins
Remember the Alamo? Phil Collins sure does.
The British 1980s music icon was in San Antonio on Thursday, announcing the donation of his vast collection of artifacts related to the 1836 Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution.
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson says the 63-year-old Genesis singer-drummer wants to find a home for his collection into the future. It mostly has been kept in Collins' home in Switzerland.
Collins first became an Alamo aficionado watching a 1950s Disney miniseries on Davy Crockett as a lad in England.
Patterson says Collins has the world's largest private collection of Texas Revolution artifacts.
Phil Collins
271 Invited To Join
AMPAS
A total of 271 people working in the movie business have been asked to join its most exclusive club: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Lupita Nyong'o, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Statham and Michael Fassbender are among those invited to the actors branch, the academy announced Thursday. Music invitees include Pharrell Williams, Eddie Vedder and the Oscar-winning writers of "Let It Go," Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
The film academy extends invitations annually to new members. Candidates are suggested by existing members of each of the organization's 17 branches.
Those who join the academy become permanent members and cast ballots for the Academy Awards.
AMPAS
Tops List Of Most Binge-Watched Shows
"Breaking Bad"
If you've ever "binge-watched" a TV series -- as in sitting down and watching multiple episodes of a show at a time -- you're not alone. Far from it, in fact.
A survey conducted this spring by Tivo, released Wednesday, found that 91 percent of viewers have engaged in that exact practice (defined as watching three episodes of the same program in a row), and 40 percent said they'd binged on a show within the same week as the survey.
The most-binged show, according to the survey, was AMC's "Breaking Bad." Thirty-five percent of respondents said they'd consumed the series in large quantities. That was followed by "House of Cards" (29 percent), "Game of Thrones" (25 percent), "The Walking Dead" (24 percent) and "Downton Abbey" (23 percent).
Rounding out the top 10 were any version of "Star Trek" (20 percent), "Homeland" (19 percent), "Mad Men" (18 percent), "Doctor Who" (18 percent") and "NCIS" (14 percent).
"Breaking Bad"
Upfront Advertising Sales Tumble
Fox
Fox Broadcasting got roughed up during this year's upfront advertising sales period, which wrapped up this week.
The network, owned by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox media company, struggled to maintain its advertising base for the upcoming TV season.
During the industry's annual June sales auction, Fox accepted orders totaling roughly $1.6 billion for its prime-time commercial spots.
That represents a steep decline of nearly $200 million compared with Fox's 2013 upfront total. Last year, Fox's upfront ad sales approached $1.78 billion.
The annual auction is called the upfront because the networks take orders and negotiate pricing for their commercial time in advance or "upfront" of the new fall season.
Fox
Ends Verizon Contract
Germany
The German government is ending a contract with Verizon over fears the company could be letting U.S. intelligence agencies eavesdrop on sensitive communications, officials said Thursday.
The New York-based company has for years provided Internet services to a number of government departments, although not to German security agencies, said Interior Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate.
While Germany had been reconsidering those contracts for some time, they faced additional scrutiny after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent of electronic eavesdropping by the U.S. intelligence agency and Britain's GCHQ.
German authorities were particularly irked by reports that the NSA had targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel. Berlin has also proposed building more secure networks in Europe to avoid having to rely on American Internet companies that manage much of the electronic traffic circulating the globe.
Germany
Whaling Town Passes On Traditions
Japan
To mark the start of Japan's whaling season, workers in the coastal town of Minamiboso on Thursday carved up one of the animals as a crowd of grade school students and residents watched, with free samples of its fried meat handed out later.
The annual event took place in the district of Wada in the town some 100 km (62 miles) south of the capital, Tokyo, a week into Japan's first coastal whaling season since a global court halted the country's better known Antarctic whaling in March.
Though environmentalists condemn whaling, Japan maintains it is an important part of its food heritage. Wada is proud of its centuries-old traditions and takes pains to teach such local culture and history to its children.
Thirty-eight fifth year students from the town's primary school murmured and gasped as workers used ropes and a pulley to drag up a concrete ramp a nine-metre- (-yard-) long whale killed the previous night.
"They're so skilful," some students said. But others gasped, "Stop! It's so pitiable!"
Japan
California Wind Farm Gets Permit To Kill
Eagles
A California wind farm will become the first in the nation to avoid prosecution if eagles are injured or die when they run into the giant turning blades, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday.
The Shiloh IV Wind Project LLC, 60 miles east of San Francisco, will receive a special permit allowing up to five golden eagles to be accidentally killed over five years. Previously, such a violation could potentially draw criminal charges and discourage private investment in wind farms known for catching birds in their rotors.
The permit will require the facility to take steps to prevent eagle injuries and deaths from electrocution by retrofitting 133 power poles. The permits are not required of wind farms, and federal prosecutors have only once filed criminal charges against a wind farm, in Wyoming.
Agency Director Daniel Ashe said the permit encourages development of renewable energy while requiring the wind company to take steps to protect eagles from turbines and power lines. The move will help California reach its goal of producing one-third of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, he said.
Eagles
At Center Of Aquarium Fish Battle
Hawaii
The waters off the Hawaii's largest island are home to a half-million brightly-colored tropical fish that are scooped up into nets each year and flown across the globe into aquariums from Berlin to Boston.
Scientists say the aquarium fishery off the Big Island is among the best managed in the world, but it has nevertheless become the focus of a fight over whether it's ever appropriate to remove fish from reefs for people to look at and enjoy.
Activists have launched a campaign to shut down the buying and selling of fish for aquariums, saying the practice from Hawaii to the Philippines is destroying coral reefs.
A coalition of fishermen, state regulators and even local environmentalists say the group should focus its attention elsewhere, noting comprehensive aquarium fishery regulations and scientific research that shows fish stocks there are rebounding.
Scientists estimate the aquarium trade removes about 30 million fish from reefs around the world. Hawaii accounts for less than 2 percent, while the vast majority comes from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Hawaii
Off Endangered List
Wood Stork
The wood stork, a large American wading bird, is no longer an endangered species after a successful three-decade conservation effort that has seen the population spread through the Southeast, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Thursday.
The federal agency said it had changed the status of the species to threatened. Wood storks, were deemed endangered in 1984, when the population was dropping by 5 percent a year.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the decision at a ceremony in Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge in south Georgia, where the state's largest wood stork rookery is located.
Since 2004, the number of nesting pairs has remained above the 6,000 average needed to remove the stork from endangered species status, the agency said.
Wood Stork
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. (1) George Strait; $3,413,816; $123.27.
2. (2) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band; $1,478,686; $97.32.
3. (3) Cher; $1,136,751; $90.18.
4. (4) Journey/Steve Miller Band; $803,514; $60.53.
5. (5) Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $701,493; $92.38.
6. (8) Backstreet Boys; $381,605; $60.20.
7. (9) Florida Georgia Line; $325,642; $41.36.
8. (10) Brantley Gilbert; $216,062; $31.25.
9. (11) Jim Gaffigan; $198,425; $46.32.
10. (12) The Moody Blues; $172,033; $72.75.
11. (13) Widespread Panic; $159,742; $40.84.
12. (14) Rob Thomas; $159,338; $67.43.
13. (15) "Winter Jam"/Newsboys/Lecrae; $150,657; $13.55.
14. (New) Lorde; $145,335; $41.73.
15. (17) "Experience Hendrix"; $140,705; $64.70.
16. (16) Bryan Adams; $140,518; $55.97.
17. (19) Third Day/Skillet; $132,697; $25.83.
18. (18) Raphael; $130,744; $42.08.
19. (21) John Legend; $127,879; $66.76.
20. (23) Casting Crowns; $126,641; $32.29.
Concert Tours
In Memory
Mary Rodgers
Mary Rodgers, the daughter of Broadway icon Richard Rodgers who found her own fame as composer of the 1959 musical "Once Upon a Mattress" and as the author of the body-shifting book "Freaky Friday," has died. She was 83.
Rodgers' hit "Once Upon a Mattress," a musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson fable "The Princess and the Pea," made a star of Carol Burnett. A Broadway revival in 1996 starred Sarah Jessica Parker. Her other shows include "From A to Z," a revue featuring her songs, and two other short-lived shows: "Hot Spot" and "The Madwoman of Central Park West," a one-person musical starring Phyllis Newman.
She was also a children's book author who scored big with "Freaky Friday," in which a mother and daughter trade bodies. The book was twice adapted into a Disney movie, most recently in 2003 starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. Her other books include "A Billion for Boris," ''Summer Switch" and "The Rotten Book."
The daughter of "South Pacific" and "Flower Drum Song" composer Richard Rodgers and Dorothy Rodgers, Mary Rodgers was also the mother of a musical theatre composer, Adam Guettel, a Tony Award winner for "The Light in the Piazza."
She had been married to Henry Guettel, former executive director of the Theatre Development Fund, who died last year. She is survived by her sister, Linda Rodgers Emory, and five children.
Mary Rodgers
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