Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Solar Roadways: The Prototype (youtube.com)
Tom Danehy: "Hey, Democrats: It's possible to both support Obama and expect more from him" (tucsonweekly.com)
I believe that we're substantially better off than we would have been had John McCain been elected. A B-minus is better than a D. I hope my fellow Democrats will join me in realizing that it's OK to like the president and still demand more from him.
Susan Estrich: Coffee, Tea or Me (creators.com)
That's what the ads used to say, back in the day when air travel was considered glamorous, stewardesses were required to be young, slim and beautiful, and people actually "dressed" to take a plane. As for me, I thought it was glamorous just to go to the airport, much less get on a plane. These days, I prefer root canal. Seriously.
Eugene Robinson: Charlie Rangel is No Crook (Washington Post, 5 August 2010, p. A17)
Charlie Rangel is no crook. He's right to insist on the opportunity to clear his name, because the charges against him range from the technical all the way to the trivial.
Jim Hightower: UNITING TO FIGHT CITIZENS UNITED (jimhightower.com)
Take Citizens United, for example. It's a right-wing political outfit that hails itself as a righteous champion of free speech - as long as corporations are the ones speaking. It brought the lawsuit that the Supreme Court used in January to decree that tongueless, voiceless corporate entities have a First Amendment "right" to free speech - just like humans.
Brian Palmer: E Is for Fail (slate.com)
How come schools assign grades of A, B, C, D, and F-but not E??
Aditya Chakrabortty: In praise of losers (guardian.co.uk)
Sometimes life's losers are just victims of chance - so do they deserve a critical savaging?
"My Hollywood" by Mona Simpson: A review by Abby Frucht
Mona Simpson's fifth novel bears many a resemblance to its sprawling predecessors, among them her celebrated debut "Anywhere but Here" (1986), about a girl and her self-absorbed mother making an impetuous cross-country drive.?
Matt Mazur: Rebel 'With' a Cause: Catching Up with Margaret Cho (popmatters.com)
Margaret Cho is a rock star. No, literally. For years, her singular brand of performance activism has seared many worlds: stand up comedy, film, television, books, blogs, politics and she has now extended her reach into the realm of music.
Enda Walsh: 'I only operate properly in my imagination' (guardian.co.uk)
Enda Walsh thinks bits of Homer's 'Odyssey' are underwritten. So he's livened them up - with a little cookery. Charlotte Higgins meets the playwright.
Interview by Laura Barnett: "Portrait of the artist: Simon Callow, actor" (guardian.co.uk)
'The Fringe used to a be a curious mixture of high aspiration and alcoholism - it felt like a rugby club.'
Roger Ebert: Review of "Lost in Translation" (R; 2003; A Great Movie)
Bill Murray's acting in Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" is surely one of the most exquisitely controlled performances in recent movies. Without it, the film could be unwatchable. With it, I can't take my eyes away. Not for a second, not for a frame, does his focus relax, and yet it seems effortless. It's sometimes said of an actor that we can't see him acting. I can't even see him not acting. He seems to be existing, merely existing, in the situation created for him by Sofia Coppola.
The Weekly Poll
EMMY CONTEST
Alert! Alert! Alert!
Announcing the... (drum roll... cymbal crash...)
The First Ever BadtotheboneBob Emmy Contest!™ ~ Starting August 17th!
With a Prize! Hoo ha! That's right, Poll-fans! A Prize!...
The contest will be a Poll asking you to predict the winners of five major Emmy nominations in four categories: Drama - Comedy - Miniseries or Movie - Reality and Variety. Now, what's the Prize, you ask? Well, if'n ya must know beforehand it is a...
$50 Visa Gift Card! Now, just how cool is that, eh?... Finer'n frog hair, I'm sayin'!
OK, now here's the deal... The nominations/categories will be posted August 17th and run daily until August 28th. Response cut-off time is 3pm EDT the 28th and will be posted for all to see August 29th (Emmy Day).
The winner will be the one with the most correct predictions and will be announced Tuesday, August 31st.
(Disclaimer: As in The First Ever Badtothebone Oscar Contest™, any ties will be resolved in a scientific manner involving my grand-daughter, Maddie Muffin, and no protests will be allowed as to NOT make her cry, OK? Results will be final and that's a fact!)... So, there it is!
Oh, and please make it easy on me and don't wait until, like, the last minute and flood me with your predictions, eh? Good luck be on ya, Poll-fans!
BadToTheBoneBob
wrote:
answered:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Links from RJ
Two-Fer
Hi there
Some possible links for you - thanks for looking as ever!
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Another unseasonal marine layer burned off around noon.
Documentary Loses Rating Appeal
"Tillman"
A documentary about Pat Tillman, the football player killed by friendly fire while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, will be released on August 20 with an adult rating despite an appeal on Thursday by its backers.
Producer John Battsek and director Amir Bar Lev appeared before an appeals board in Los Angeles to try to get the rating for "The Tillman Story" downgraded to a PG-13, unsuccessfully arguing that it was an important film for young people.
It tells the story of how Tillman's family battled the Army and government to bring out the true story behind his death. In one scene, Tillman says "I'm Pat f---ing Tillman" as he is being fired on by fellow American soldiers.
The thumbs-down from the appeals board, which is composed of studio distribution and major exhibition executives, makes it unlikely that the picture will be made available to young people in schools and through libraries in years to come.
"Tillman"
Home Computers Aid In Discovery
Neutron Star
Ordinary computers like those folks use to send e-mail or surf the Internet are being credited with finding a previously unknown neutron star.
Home office computers in Ames, Iowa, and Mainz, Germany, were cited Thursday in the discovery of fast-rotating pulsar called PSR J2007+2722.
It was the first scientific discovery for the project, known as Einstein(at)Home, that uses spare computer power donated by 250,000 volunteers in 192 countries, according to Bruce Allen, director of effort.
"This is a thrilling moment for Einstein(at)Home and our volunteers. It proves that public participation can discover new things in our universe," said Allen, who is director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany and adjunct professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Neutron Star
'Cathy' Comic Strip Ending
Cathy Guisewite
Newspaper comic strip "Cathy," which told of the title character's struggles with body image and work/life balance, is retiring after 34 years.
The final strip will run October 3rd, the comic's syndicator said.
The strip's creator Cathy Guisewite said the decision stems from wanting to spend more time with her family including "an 18-year old daughter who needs a full-time mom to help her through her last year of high school" and "beloved parents I want to be able to visit more often."
"Cathy" first debuted in 1976 and slowly grew to appear in some 1,400 newspapers. Currently it's featured in about 700 papers.
Cathy Guisewite
Popping Up In Wittenberg
Martin Luther
About 800 colorful statuettes of 16th-century Protestant reformer Martin Luther are popping up in the eastern German town of Wittenberg, where Luther first railed against some practices of the Roman Catholic church almost 500 years ago.
The one-meter high plastic figurines in red, green, blue and black are the creation of the artist Ottmar Hoerl and are intended to replace a statue of Martin Luther on the town square while it is being renovated.
The art installation has stirred the ire of some Protestant theologians who say the statuettes, which can be seen on Hoerl's website, make a mockery of Luther's achievements.
Hoerl's art has caused controversy before. In 2009, he created 1,250 garden gnomes with their right arms outstretched in the Nazi salute.
Martin Luther
Austrian Media In Shock: He's German
Christoph Waltz
Horror of horrors: Austria's latest star, Oscar-winner and "Inglourious Basterd" Christoph Waltz, is not Austrian after all, local media reported Thursday.
Born in Vienna, where he also went to school and studied drama, Waltz nevertheless holds a German passport like his father, although his mother is Austrian, the newspaper reported.
A relative unknown outside Germany and Austria, Waltz became an international star almost overnight following his brilliant turn as Nazi officer Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," which earned him every major film award from the Screen Actors Guild award to the Golden Globe, and the Oscar.
Lauded at home, where he was even received in March by Chancellor Werner Faymann, Waltz never breathed a word about his actual nationality.
Christoph Waltz
It Rhymes With Hunt
That Schlessinger Woman
Talk radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger has issued an apology for saying the N-word several times in an on-air conversation with a caller that she said was "hypersensitive" to racism.
Schlessinger said on her website Wednesday that she was wrong in using the word for what she called an attempt to make a philosophical point.
"I articulated the N-word all the way out - more than one time," Schlessinger said in comments from the opening of her radio show that she posted on her site. "And that was wrong. I'll say it again - that was wrong."
Schlessinger also said that if the caller did not have a sense of humor about race, she shouldn't have entered into an interracial marriage.
That Schlessinger Woman
More here at Media Matters
Sentenced In Thai Bribery Case
Gerald & Patricia Green
A filmmaking couple was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison, followed by six months of home detention, for bribing Thai officials so they could run the Bangkok International Film Festival.
Gerald Green, 78, and his 55-year-old wife Patricia were also ordered to jointly pay $250,000 in restitution.
In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge George Wu said the couple's crimes were "serious, but not as serious" as similar cases. Because Gerald Green suffers from emphysema, the judge reasoned that a prolonged prison sentence probably would adversely affect him.
The couple was convicted of conspiracy and money laundering charges in September. A jury found the couple had paid a former Thai tourism official about $1.8 million to secure the Bangkok film festival and tourism-related deals between 2002 and 2007 that earned them more than $13 million in revenue.
Gerald & Patricia Green
Hair Suit
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton was sued Wednesday for allegedly wearing someone else's hair.
A company that manufactures hair extensions claimed the 29-year-old socialite breached her contract to wear and promote their product when she sported the fake locks of a competitor in 2008.
Hairtech International Inc. is seeking $35 million in damages - 10 times what she was apparently paid under the contract. The fraud and breach-of-contract suit cites the heiress' partying as contrary to Hairtech's marketing campaign.
The filing also claims Hilton missed a launch party for the hair extension line because she was serving a stint in jail in 2007. Hilton served 23 days in 2007 after she was caught driving twice on a suspended license while on probation for reckless driving.
Paris Hilton
Charged With Drug, Driving Offenses
George Michael
British police say singer George Michael has been charged with drugs and driving offenses after his car crashed into a building in an upscale residential area.
London's Metropolitan Police department said Michael, 47, was charged on Thursday with possession of cannabis and with driving while unfit through drink or drugs.
Michael was arrested last month after his car crashed into a building in the Hampstead district of north London.
Last year, Michael was questioned by police after his car hit a tractor-trailer, but was released. He was banned from driving for two years in 2007 after pleading guilty to driving while on drugs.
George Michael
Sues Christie's
NYC
The City of New York is suing Christie's auction house for the return of architectural drawings dating back to 1860, according to a lawsuit made public on Wednesday.
The historic drawings, done in watercolor, show designs for famous city landmarks such as Central Park, and were created by British architect Jacob Wrey Mold, who was employed by the city between 1860 and 1885.
The drawings were either lost or mistakenly thrown out and found by a man in a Manhattan dumpster sometime in the 1950s, according to the lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court last month.
The man then passed on the drawings to his son, who approached Christie's this year with the historic treasure.
NYC
Buyout Talks Heat Up
Elvis
CKx Inc., owner of the "American Idol" television program and 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises, is mulling at least two offers to buy the company. At the same time, thousands of Elvis fans have descended on Memphis for Elvis Week, the annual commemoration of the American music icon's life and death.
CKx owns rights to the name, image and likeness of Elvis Presley and the operations of Graceland, Presley's Memphis mansion. While the "American Idol" franchise is the company's main money maker, the Elvis brand is still an earner. Elvis, who died in 1977, generated more than $60 million last year in revenue from royalties, licensing and Graceland's operations.
Two faces familiar to CKx have offered to buy it: Robert Sillerman, the company's former CEO, and Simon Fuller, the British media mogul who created the "Idol" franchise before selling his company, 19 Entertainment, to CKx in 2005. Sillerman's offer, made public Wednesday, values the company at between $512 million and $535 million.
Elvis Presley Enterprises currently has 260 licensees, including SiriusXM, American Greetings and Mattel. Last year's revenue from licensing and royalties rose 34 percent compared with 2008.
Elvis
Republican Family Values
Kelsey Grammer
"Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer's new girlfriend Kayte Walsh, a British flight attendant, is pregnant, according to an interview with the woman's father published in The Daily Mail newspaper.
It is unclear how 55-year-old Grammer met the 29-year-old Virgin Atlantic employee. Grammer filed for a divorce from his third wife a few weeks ago.
Kelsey Grammer
Family Feud Over Ohio Eatery
Tony Packo's
A family feud is simmering over an Ohio restaurant whose hot dogs were made famous by the 1970s television series "M.A.S.H."
A co-owner of Tony Packo's says the company owes $2.7 million after defaulting on two loans.
The claims are being made in court as part of a lawsuit over financial records and spending. It's the second time in eight years feuding in the family-owned business has gone public.
Tony Packo's Inc. operates restaurants in the Toledo area and sells hot dogs and condiments nationwide. The hot dogs were mentioned on "M.A.S.H" by the Cpl. Max Klinger character, played by Toledo native Jamie Farr.
Tony Packo's
Pulls Emmy Promo
NBC
An Emmy promo spoofing AMC's acclaimed drama "Mad Men" has landed NBC in a tight spot.
The network aired the first of three "Mad Men"-style promos Wednesday night, featuring Emmys host Jimmy Fallon in the role of lead character Don Draper and Christina Hendricks playing her character Joan Harris.
But rivals with shows against "Mad Men" in the best drama series category weren't amused -- especially since NBC had no plans to spoof their shows too.
As one network with a hound in that particular race points out: The TV Academy voting window is still open.
NBC
Ancient Mariners Ate 'Em
Olives
A huge quantity of olive stones on an ancient shipwreck more than 2,000 years old has provided valuable insight into the diet of sailors in the ancient world, researchers in Cyprus said Thursday.
The shipwreck, dating from around 400 B.C. and laden mainly with wine amphorae from the Aegean island of Chios and other north Aegean islands, was discovered deep under the sea off Cyprus's southern coast.
Excavation on the site, which started in November 2007, has determined that the ship was a merchant vessel of the late classical period.
"An interesting piece of evidence that gives us information on the conditions under which the sailors of antiquity lived, are the large numbers of olive pips that were found during excavation, since these pips must have been part of the crew's food supply," Cyprus's antiquities department said in a news release Thursday.
Olives
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