Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Suzanne Moore: Harriet Harman is right about sexism in politics - let's start a feminist party (Guardian)
The fourth wave of feminism, from Caitlin Moran to Kimberlé Crenshaw, has energised young people, but now it needs to attack our political establishment.
C. Coville: 4 Reasons the Police Are Suddenly Terrifying (Cracked)
… as we've written about before, police departments all over America are going mad with power. SWAT teams are everywhere, doing stuff like storming art galleries for serving alcohol without the right permit and raiding Tibetan monks who overstayed their visas. In general, American cops are projecting less "friendly face of public order" and more "bad guys who just stumbled out of a young-adult dystopian movie."
Sara Ohlms, Ivan Farkas: "5 Tests Everyone Trusts (That Are Shockingly Inaccurate)" (Cracked)
Some data are widely accepted as infallible, to the point where questioning them may as well be screaming the "real truth" about 9/11 and the moon landing (both were faked by mole people, obviously). Delve a little deeper into the tests that provide this data, however, and you'll find that some of them are about as trustworthy as an Econoline with tinted windows.
Tom Danehy: A dead French math wiz, music festival toilets and the independent voter (Tucson Weekly)
Evariste Galois may have turned out to be the greatest mathematician of all time had he not died at the tender age of 20 after fighting a duel over a teenage girl who really didn't even like him all that much. Just another all-too-common intersection of genius and stupidity.
Laura Vanderkam: HOW TO GET MORE DONE BY HAVING LESS TO DO (LifeHacker)
You're looking at a new opportunity. Rank it on a scale of 1 to 10 on how amazing you think it is. Then try this little thought experiment: "If it's not a nine or 10, then it's a one," says McKeown. The goal is to take on tasks that are "a superb use of my time," he says, "and I don't mean that selfishly. I mean, is this the best way I can contribute to others, to society, is this my very highest point of contribution?"
Rob Whitworth: Barcelona GO! (Vimeo)
In few other cities is it possible to walk from spectacular location to spectacular location. I had a fantastic time adventuring around Barcelona's winding streets making this film.
Keith Skretch: Waves of Grain (Vimeo)
To create this strata-cut animation, I planed down a block of wood one layer at a time, photographing it at each pass. The painstaking process revealed a hidden life and motion in the seemingly static grain of the wood, even as the wood itself was reduced to a mound of sawdust.
20 Misconceptions About Sex (YouTube)
A weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, Dr. Aaron Carroll (?http://www.youtube.com/thehealthcaret...) debunks some common myths about sex.
Nightly News According to Kids (YouTube)
"Libby and Sarah have some very important news, especially for those of you in Canada, where it's winter and tornados and earthquakes are expected to erupt. Be sure to take your fridge!" - Neatorama
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wrote:
took the day off.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
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
Still hot. Still humid.
Nominations Announced
Primetime Emmy Awards
Emmy voters may need to steel themselves to sort through this year's top nominees: a macabre, medieval-style tale; a meth kingpin and his violent downfall; a bleak mystery about detectives tracking a ritual killer, and a heartbreaking saga of the AIDS epidemic's roots.
In this widely proclaimed golden age of television-plus, the brutal fantasy saga "Game of Thrones," based on the work of novelist George R.R. Martin, emerged Thursday as the leading nominee with 19 nods. Dramas "Breaking Bad" and "True Detective" and movie "The Normal Heart" are among the other front-runners.
That's just for starters. The self-evidently titled "American Horror Story: Coven," along with "Fargo," a riff on the black comedy film of the same name, are provocative miniseries hopefuls for the awards airing on NBC in August.
The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards will air Monday, Aug. 25, on NBC, with emcee Seth Meyers, the former "Saturday Night Live" player and new NBC late-night host. The ceremony, traditionally held on Sunday, was moved to avoid a conflict with NBC's "Sunday Night Football" and with MTV's Video Music Awards.
HBO received a leading 99 nominations, followed by CBS with 47; NBC, 46; FX Networks, 45; ABC, 37; PBS, 34; AMC, 26; Netflix, 31; Showtime, 24; Comedy Central, 21; Lifetime, 17, and Fox, 18.
Primetime Emmy Awards
Refute BBC Doc
Kinks
The Kinks are refuting a new BBC Radio 2 documentary that once again alleges the long-debunked myth that Jimmy Page played on their 1964 hit, "You Really Got Me."
"BBC tells lies about Dave Davies and the Kinks in their new documentary," Dave Davies wrote in an all-caps message on Facebook, urging fans to tweet the facts at the show's producer Kellie Redmond and host Danny Baker. "I, Dave Davies, invented the distorted guitar sound and played the solo on 'You Really Got Me' and Ray Davies played rhythm guitar. We never used ANY other guitarists on any Kinks hits."
Baker's documentary on London's famed Denmark Street - known as the city's own Tin Pan Alley - simply states that Page, a session musician at the time, played on the track, though other iterations of the legend have credited him for the song's distinct guitar tone and solo.
The Kinks themselves, producer Shel Talmy and even Page have all denied the legend's validity over the years. And as recently as 2013, Talmy told The Guardian, "contrary to myth, Jimmy didn't play on 'You Really Got Me,'" though the producer maintained that Page played rhythm guitar on a few Kinks tracks so that Ray wouldn't have to play and sing at the same time.
Kinks
Spends Less Time Talking
Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon is not only the ratings king of late night talk, he's also the host who spends the least amount of time actually talking, according to a new study.
Since taking over The Tonight Show early this year, Fallon's show has engaged in "talk" only 37 percent of the time, down from the 51 percent of his predecessor, Jay Leno, and 51 percent for Leno's predecessor, Johnny Carson, according to Stephen Winzenburg, a communications professor at Grand View University and author of the book, TV's Greatest Talk Shows.
Winzenburg's definition of "talk" consists of the moments when the host engages in conversation with guests.
Fallon spends about 21 percent of his time on his monologue (not considered "talk"), just as Leno did, but Fallon spends 23 percent on comedy bits and 14 percent on music, both significantly higher than what Leno was doing as host of the show.
With 37 percent of his show dedicated to talk, Fallon is way below his peers. Craig Ferguson is next lowest at 43 percent; Jimmy Kimmel is at 48 percent; Seth Meyers and David Letterman are each at 51 percent and Conan O'Brien is at 53 percent.
Jimmy Fallon
Defends 'Legitimate Rape' Remarks
Ex-Rep. Akin
A former Missouri Republican congressman whose "legitimate rape" comments during the 2012 U.S. Senate campaign were roundly criticized now says he was wrong to apologize.
Todd Akin writes in a new political memoir that his remarks on whether abortion should be legal in cases of rape were taken out of context and led to his "political assassination" and betrayal by GOP allies. The 67-year-old Akin, who spent 12 years in Congress and another dozen as a state lawmaker, lost to Democrat Claire McCaskill.
"Firing Back: Taking on the Party Bosses and Media Elite to Protect Our Faith and Freedom" will be released next week, but The Associated Press obtained an advance copy Thursday from the publisher, WND Books, an arm of the conservative website WorldNetDaily.
The 209-page book includes a foreword by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who, like Akin, criticizes Republican leaders for abandoning the candidate soon after his remarks garnered national attention and almost immediately dominated the campaign. Some blamed Akin - who resisted calls to drop out of the race- for costing Republicans a chance to gain a majority in the Senate.
Ex-Rep. Akin
Pervy Police
Manassas, VA
Police in Virginia on Thursday backed off efforts to take sexually explicit photos of a 17-year-old to prove a sexting case against him.
Police and prosecutors faced a wave of criticism following news media reports that they had obtained a warrant to take photos of the teen's erect penis. Police wanted the pictures to compare against photos he is accused of sending to his 15-year-old girlfriend at the time.
On Thursday, Manassas Police Lt. Brian Larkin said the Police Department will not proceed with the plan to take the pictures and will let a search warrant authorizing the photos to expire.
The teen's aunt, who serves as his legal guardian, said she had not heard of the police department's reversal until contacted by an Associated Press reporter Thursday afternoon. She said she would be ecstatic if police follow through on their statement that they will no longer pursue the photos. But she said she won't be fully satisfied until the case against her nephew is dropped entirely.
The aunt had sent her nephew to West Virginia, where he grew up, for the past several weeks, fearful that police would show up to enforce the search warrant. The teen's defense lawyers said authorities had explained that they intended to take the teen to a hospital and chemically induce an erection to facilitate the photographs.
Manassas, VA
Pulls College Support After Koch Gift
AFSCME
A powerful government workers' union will end its support for the United Negro College Fund after the group accepted $25 million from the conservative powerhouse Koch brothers and the college fund's president appeared at a Koch event.
In a letter made public Thursday, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said it will no longer partner with or raise funds for the fund, known for its iconic motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
AFSCME President Lee Saunders said the actions of the college fund's president "are not only deeply hostile to the rights and dignity of public employees, but also a profound betrayal of the ideals of the civil rights movement."
The fund supports historically black colleges and universities and provides scholarships. It accepted a $25 million grant last month from Koch Industries Inc. and the Charles Koch Foundation.
AFSCME
Spy Row
Germany
Germany on Thursday expelled the US secret services station chief in Berlin in an escalating row over alleged American spying against its long-time European ally.
The worst diplomatic rift in years comes after two suspected US spy cases were uncovered in less than a week in Germany, where anger still simmers over the NSA surveillance scandal sparked by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
The White House refused to comment, but the US embassy in Berlin and the National Security Council both stressed that it is "essential" that cooperation continue on security matters as "it keeps Germans and Americans safe".
Merkel -- whose mobile phone was in the past targeted by the US National Security Agency (NSA) -- pointedly reminded the United States that security "depends on trust" between allies.
The case followed news last Friday that a 31-year-old German BND foreign intelligence service operative had been arrested, suspected of having sold over 200 documents to the CIA.
Germany
Gay Wedding Complaint Filed Vs. Pastors
Methodists
A complaint has been filed against 36 United Methodist ministers who blessed a same-sex wedding in defiance of church law.
The pastors blessed the Nov. 9 ceremony at Philadelphia's Arch Street United Methodist Church to show support for a colleague who faced church discipline for presiding over his gay son's wedding. The Rev. Frank Schaefer was defrocked following a church trial, but his ordination was reinstated by an appeals panel last month.
Bishop Peggy Johnson of the church's eastern Pennsylvania conference said in a statement that she is following the church's disciplinary process.
About 50 church members from the Philadelphia area, most of them clergy, were behind the complaint, said John Lomperis, director of the United Methodist Action Program at The Institute on Religion and Democracy, a conservative think tank. He said he had discussions with some of them as they planned it, but he was not directly involved.
The clergy taking part in last year's wedding at Arch Street jointly blessed the union of two men, intoning, "Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder."
Methodists
'Pastoral Guidance' For Catholic Medics
Philippines
The Catholic Church in the Philippines is encouraging members who are medical workers to refuse to implement a newly-approved birth control law, an official said Thursday.
It is the latest move by the powerful church hierarchy in the largely Catholic Philippines against a law that took effect this year, compelling the state for the first time to provide free condoms and contraceptive pills.
"Pastoral guidance" issued by bishops this week explains how government health workers can legally refuse to dish out contraceptives on ethical or religious grounds, Marvin Mejia, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told AFP.
The deeply controversial birth control law was finally approved by the Supreme Court in April, ending a 15-year campaign by the Church to stop state-sanctioned family planning coming into force. It also mandates that sex education be taught in schools.
Philippines
GOP Lawmakers Try To Ease Curbs On Sales
Ivory
Republicans in the House want to hold up new federal rules intended to crack down on ivory sales because it is becoming more difficult for owners of musical instruments, antiques and guns made with ivory to trade in such items.
A House Appropriations subcommittee acted Wednesday to block the rules as part of a measure funding the Fish and Wildlife Service. The legislation has a long way to go before it becomes law and the rules, announced in February, will stay in effect in the meantime.
The rules are aimed at combating elephant and rhinoceros poaching at a time when illegal trade in ivory is flourishing.
The legislative effort is in in response to complaints that the rules are making it impossible in many cases for owners of objects made of ivory legally imported before bans imposed in 1975 and 1990 to sell such items, thereby undermining their value.
Under the rules, interstate ivory sales are prohibited, except for "bona fide antiques" that are at least a century old. Sales of such ivory within a state are banned unless the seller can prove it was legally imported before the 1990 ban for African elephants or the 1975 ban on ivory from Asian elephants. In May, the government eased the rules somewhat for owners of musical instruments made with ivory.
Ivory
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. (2) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band; $1,478,686; $97.32.
2. (New) Bruno Mars; $1,184,010; $88.65.
3. (3) Cher; $1,130,377; $90.36.
4. (New) Dave Matthews Band; $1,081,476; $54.60.
5. (4) Journey/Steve Miller Band; $714,809; $55.56.
6. (New) James Taylor; $711,922; $72.60.
7. (5) Cirque du Soleil - "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $686,820; $87.03.
8. (New) Tim McGraw; $476,912; $36.13.
9. (6) Backstreet Boys; $410,876; $49.34.
10. (7) Florida Georgia Line; $375,544; $40.43.
11. (New) Lana Del Rey; $256,465; $46.91.
12. (New) Eddie Izzard; $254,088; $58.47.
13. (11) Widespread Panic; $240,388; $45.01.
14. (8) Brantley Gilbert; $216,077; $30.77.
15. (New) Willie Nelson/Alison Krauss + Union Station feat. Jerry Douglas; $203,029; $58.82.
16. (New) Foreigner/Styx; $196,648; $42.70.
17. (New) Il Divo; $194,376; $65.89.
18. (New) Heart; $193,835; $68.58.
19. (New) Darius Rucker; $188,141; $40.56.
20. (12) Rob Thomas; $157,353; $68.70.
Concert Tours
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