Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Susan Estrich: Stunt Season (creators.com)
Trying to make news over the holiday weekend and trying to avoid the attention being paid to the latest gaffe from Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele (who is "the gift that keeps on giving," according to former Democratic National Committee Chair and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell), Republican leaders put out the story that the president needs to take a trip to the border to see just how dangerous it is.
Tom Danehy: You cannot call these public officials 'do-nothing politicians' (well, except for one of them) (tucsonweekly.com)
Politicians catch hell from all quarters these days, and most of it is deserved. They're generally a pathetic bunch, partisan and petty, and do little for their constituents-and even less for the good of the country as a whole. But there are a few people in office who are breaking away from their humdrum existence of...
Ted Rall: SO MUCH STUPIDITY
NEW YORK--As I pack for my return trip to Afghanistan next month, many people are asking me: Why are we losing? What should we do there?
JEFF SOMMER: A Market Forecast That Says 'Take Cover' (nytimes.com)
WITH the stock market lurching again, plenty of investors are nervous, and some are downright bearish. Then there's Robert Prechter, the market forecaster and social theorist, who is in another league entirely.
TARA SIEGEL BERNARD: Collect Now, or Later? Timing Your Social Security Benefits (nytimes.com)
Collecting Social Security as soon as you are eligible is a tempting proposition - but experts [mostly] agree you should try to resist if you can.
Catherine O'Flynn: brutal truths (guardian.co.uk)
Her debut novel about a missing child won the Costa. Now Catherine O'Flynn has turned her eye on Birmingham's 'thuggish' architecture, writes Susanna Rustin.
Marion Maneker: How WordPress changed the way we publish (thebigmoney.com)
Blogs, of course, are the first refuge for professional writers fleeing the withering establishment media, and for hordes of would-be scribes finding their own voice. For these multitudes, WordPress.com has become the 21st-century equivalent of Gutenberg's printing press.
Will Harris: A Chat with Peter Murphy, frontman for Bauhaus (bullz-eye.com)
As the frontman for Bauhaus, Peter Murphy became - not entirely by choice - one of the defining figures of music's so-called "Gothic rock" movement.
Call that a change of direction? (guardian.co.uk)
Tom Jones has horrified his label by releasing an album of spiritual songs. That's nothing compared to pop's greatest u-turns, writes Tim Jonze.
Roger Ebert: Review of "THE LAST AIRBENDER" (PG; One-Half Star)
"The Last Airbender" is an agonizing experience in every category I can think of and others still waiting to be invented. The laws of chance suggest that something should have gone right. Not here. It puts a nail in the coffin of low-rent 3D, but it will need a lot more coffins than that.
Roger Ebert: Review of "A SMALL ACT" (UNRATED; 3 1/2 stars)
The heartwarming documentary "A Small Act" centers on the life story of Chris Mburu, who as a small boy living in a mud house in a Kenyan village had his primary and secondary education paid for by a Swedish woman. This cost her $15 a month. They had never met. He went on to the University of Nairobi, graduated from Harvard Law School, and is today a United Nations Human Rights Commissioner.
Slideshow of the Universe
Social Securty Retirement Estimator
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain
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The Weekly Poll
Summer Sabbatical
Poll returns 13 July!
BadToTheBoneBob
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From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestions
Michelle in AZ
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Mostly overcast, but nice.
Here's a complete list of Emmys 2010 - Nominations
Named UN Biodiversity Ambassador
Ed Norton
American actor Edward Norton, who has starred in films including "The Incredible Hulk," "Fight Club," and "Kingdom of Heaven," has a new role -- United Nations goodwill ambassador for biodiversity.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made the announcement, noting that Norton and his family had long been involved in issues related to sustainable development and conservation.
Norton said he hoped he can use his celebrity to boost awareness of the UN's ideals and activities in environmental conservation.
Norton has been active in environmental causes, including running the New York marathon to raise funds for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, and has been part of the Crowdrise social network for charitable causes.
Ed Norton
Changes Rules To Allow Gay `Today' Wedding
NBC
After a meeting with gay and lesbian activists on Thursday, NBC's "Today" show said it is changing the rules for its annual wedding contest to allow same-sex couples to apply for a ceremony conducted on morning TV.
NBC extended the deadline for applications until Monday. Already thousands of couples have expressed interest in the on-air wedding, which the top-rated morning show has sponsored for a decade, a spokeswoman said.
"We're thrilled that `Today' show's `Modern Wedding Contest' now recognizes what most fair-minded Americans have already concluded - a wedding celebrates love and commitment, whether the spouses are straight or gay," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Viewers plan every aspect of the wedding, from the cake to the clothing styles of attendants. NBC picks four couples from thousands of applicants, and viewers vote on which of those couples will participate.
Same-sex couples have been excluded because New York state law does not allow them to get wedding licenses. But NBC said GLAAD pointed out that a same-sex couple would be able to get a license from another state and still have their ceremony in New York.
NBC
Sales Plunge
North American Concerts
Combined ticket sales for the biggest concert tours in North America during the first half of the year fell to their lowest point since 2005 as the weak economy and "piggish" ticket prices kept fans at home, a trade publication reported on Thursday.
The top 100 tours grossed $965.5 million during the first six months, a 17 percent slide from the year-ago period, and the lowest for the time frame since the $731 million haul in the first half of 2005, according to Pollstar magazine.
High-profile outings by the Eagles, the Jonas Brothers and the latest crop of American Idol finalists suffered poor sales. Christina Aguilera, Limp Bizkit and the Go-Gos' canceled their tours, and organizers of the all-female Lilith Fair organizers said last week that they had scrapped about a third of the shows.
But it noted that tours by Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and rock band Muse did well, as did singer/songwriter James Taylor's trek with Carole King.
North American Concerts
UK Treasure Hunter Finds
Roman Coins
A treasure hunter has found about 52,500 Roman coins, one of the largest such discoveries ever in Britain, officials said Thursday.
The hoard, which was valued at 3.3 million pounds ($5 million), includes hundreds of coins bearing the image of Marcus Aurelius Carausius, who seized power in Britain and northern France in the late third century and proclaimed himself emperor.
Dave Crisp, a treasure hunter using a metal detector, located the coins in April in a field in southwestern England, according to the Somerset County Council and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
The coins were buried in a large jar about a foot (30 centimeters) deep and weighed about 160 kilograms (350 pounds) in all.
52,000 Roman Coins
Unveils 4,300-Year-Old Tombs
Egypt
Egyptian archaeologists on Thursday unveiled a newly-unearthed double tomb with vivid wall paintings in the ancient necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, saying it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.
The tomb includes two false doors with colorful paintings depicting the two people buried there, a father and a son who served as heads of the royal scribes, said Abdel-Hakim Karar, a top archaeologist at Saqqara.
Humidity had destroyed the sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, while the tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity, he said.
Also insribed on the father's false door was the name of Pepi II, whose 90-year reign is believed to be the longest of the pharaohs. The inscription dates the double tomb to the 6th dynasty, which marked the beginning of the decline of the Old Kingdom, also known as the age of pyramids.
Egypt
Poster Mocks
Ashley Judd
Appalachian anger at Ashley Judd's outspoken criticism of mountaintop removal coal mining has led to a backlash using a topless photo of the actress.
A poster with a Marie Claire magazine portrait of Judd covering her breasts with her hands was on display Wednesday at a coal industry golf tournament in Prestonsburg, Ky.
Paul Hughes, assistant general manager at the golf course, says the poster reads: "Ashley Judd makes a living removing her top, why can't coal miners?"
Hughes and an event sponsor say they don't know who made the sign, first reported by WYMT-TV in Hazard.
Ashley Judd
Domestic Violence Inquiry
Mel "Sugar Tits" Gibson
Mel Gibson was named Thursday as a potential suspect in a domestic violence investigation involving his ex-girlfriend, Russian singer Oksana Grigorieva, earlier this year, sheriff's officials said.
The disclosure came after detectives interviewed Grigorieva about the alleged attack at an undisclosed location in Malibu.
Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Grigorieva was the only person interviewed so far in the case.
Gibson and Grigorieva have been involved in a nasty custody dispute over their infant daughter - the subject of a confidential court case.
Mel "Sugar Tits" Gibson
Attorney Resigns
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan will be going to jail without one of her biggest advocates - her attorney.
The actress' attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, resigned from the case shortly after releasing a statement Thursday calling a judge's 90-day jail sentence for Lohan "harsh and unfair."
A representative for the seasoned defense attorney, who fought to keep the "Mean Girls" star out of jail during a daylong hearing Tuesday, said her earlier remarks about Lohan's sentence remained valid.
The attorney, who was a member of O.J. Simpson's famed defense team, successfully kept Lohan out of trouble, even after her alcohol-education program reported problems with the star last year.
Lindsay Lohan
Curators Say Trial Is Political
"Forbidden Art"
Two prominent Moscow art curators facing the prospect of three years in prison for an exhibit that offended the Russian Orthodox Church said on Thursday their trial has been a political show.
The 2007 exhibit "Forbidden Art" set up by Yuri Samodurov and Andrei Yerofeyev featured paintings with images of Jesus Christ. In one, Christ appeared to his disciples as Mickey Mouse. In another one, of the crucifixion, Christ's head was replaced by the Order of Lenin medal, the highest Soviet award.
Samodurov told reporters Thursday the trial reflected the desire of the Russian Orthodox Church and the government to tighten control over society. He said the church was coercing people into orthodoxy. "Unfortunately it is supported by the government," he added.
Yerofeyev said the trial was political and "has nothing to do with democratic justice." He said that a driving force behind their trial was the religious ultra-nationalist movement Narodny Sobor, or the People's Assembly, led by Oleg Kassin.
"Forbidden Art"
Judge Rules Against Michigan Couple
John Stamos
A judge says a Michigan couple accused of trying to extort money from actor John Stamos have offered no evidence that they ever possessed unflattering photos as part of a legitimate business deal.
Allison Coss and Scott Sippola claim the FBI lost or destroyed them during a search of his Upper Peninsula home in December.
Federal Judge R. Allan Edgar said Thursday that's an issue for the trial next week in Marquette and has refused to draft a jury instruction that could cast doubt on the government's case.
Coss and Sippola are accused of demanding $680,000 from Stamos or they would sell photos of him with cocaine and strippers. Coss and the actor met in Florida in 2004.
John Stamos
Sued By 'The Other' Ken Starr
Martin Scorsese
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese was sued on Thursday for $600,000 for bookkeeping costs and other services provided by jailed financial advisor Kenneth Starr.
Starr Investment Advisors managed Scorsese's money from 2006 to 2010, but "The Departed" director failed to pay the company's fee of five percent of earned income, according to a complaint filed by company receiver Aurora Cassirer in New York State Supreme court.
Starr, 66, is accused of stealing at least $59 million from celebrities, including Scorsese, actors Uma Thurman, Al Pacino and others. Starr has been charged with wire fraud, securities fraud and misappropriation of funds.
His company, which was put into receivership, managed more than $700 million for close to 200 wealthy individuals.
Martin Scorsese
Withdraws Divorce Filings
Larry King
Larry King's television reign may be ending, but his eighth marriage will go on.
Court records in Los Angeles showed King and his wife each filed Wednesday to end competing divorce petitions and that the cases have been dismissed.
The move comes nearly three months after the host of CNN's "Larry King Live" filed to end his nearly 13-year marriage to his seventh wife, Shawn.
In a statement released Thursday, King said, "A lot of new things are happening to us, and we are happy to be together as a family with our children."
Larry King
Auction Raises $32M
Princess Diana
Christie's auction house says a sale of art, antiques and assorted household items owned by the aristocratic family of the late Princess Diana has sold for 21.1 million pounds ($32 million.)
The three-day sale, which concluded in London on Thursday, featured hundreds of items, including paintings, furniture and even carriages from the Spencer family's country estate and historic London home.
The top item was a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, "Commander Being Armed for Battle," which sold for 9 million pounds ($14 million) at Christie's Old Masters sale on Tuesday. The Spencer family had owned it since 1802.
A horse carriage used at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 was sold for 133,250 pounds ($202,000).
Princess Diana
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by the Nielsen Co. for June 28-July 4. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. "America's Got Talent" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), NBC, 12.94 million.
2. "America's Got Talent" (Tuesday), NBC, 10.23 million.
3. "The Bachelorette," ABC, 9.77 million.
4. "NCIS," CBS, 9.75 million.
5. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 8.84 million.
6. "Wipeout" (Thursday), ABC, 8.74 million.
7. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 8.28 million.
8. "Wipeout" (Tuesday), ABC, 8.24 million.
9. "The Mentalist" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), CBS, 8.18 million.
10. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 8.07 million.
11. "America's Got Talent" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), NBC, 7.26 million.
12. "CSI: Miami," CBS, 7.02 million.
13. "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks," NBC, 6.92 million.
14. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 6.84 million.
15. "Rookie Blue," ABC, 6.78 million.
16. "Boston Pops Fireworks," CBS, 6.73 million.
17. "Hell's Kitchen" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), Fox, 6.39 million.
18. "The Mentalist" (Thursday, 8 p.m.), CBS, 6.35 million.
19. "Lie to Me," Fox, 6.2 million.
20. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 6.18 million.
Ratings
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by the Nielsen Co. for the week of June 28-July 4. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
1. Auto Racing: Sprint Cup/Daytona (Saturday, 9:08 p.m.), TNT, 4.15 million homes, 6.12 million viewers.
2. "Royal Pains" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.96 million homes, 5.32 million viewers.
3. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10:30 p.m.), History, 3.82 million homes, 5.43 million viewers.
4. "Burn Notice" (Thursday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.81 million homes, 5.21 million viewers.
5. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10 p.m.), History, 3.58 million homes, 5.09 million viewers.
6. "Deadliest Catch" (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), Discovery, 3.44 million homes, 5.24 million viewers.
7. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.26 million homes, 4.52 million viewers.
8. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.25 million homes, 4.55 million viewers.
9. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3.05 million homes, 4.05 million viewers.
10. "Memphis Beat" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.), 3.01 million homes, 3.99 million viewers.
11. "In Plain Sight" (Wednesday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3 million homes, 3.85 million viewers.
11. "NCIS" (Monday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3 million homes, 4.02 million viewers
13. "American Pickers" (Monday, 9 p.m.), History, 2.98 million homes, 4.08 million viewers.
14. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), USA, 2.85 million homes, 3.78 million viewers.
15. "NASCAR Post Race Show" (Saturday, 12:53 a.m.), 2.84 million homes, 4.06 million viewers.
Ratings
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