Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Michael Kinsley: Politicians Lie, Numbers Don't (slate.com)
AND THE NUMBERS SHOW THAT DEMOCRATS ARE BETTER FOR THE ECONOMY THAN REPUBLICANS.
Jonathan Alter: A Reality Check On 'Change' (newsweek.com)
Being labeled a 'maverick' sounds good to the public, but it makes it hard to forge bipartisan deals.
Aaron Barnhart: Leno takes aim at Palin campaign (McClatchy Newspapers)
"Did you all see Sarah Palin's interview with Charlie Gibson? In fact, John McCain was watching it at home and at one point he turned to his wife and said, "She looks really familiar."
David Foster Wallace: Commencement Address at Kenyon College (May 21, 2005)
Here is just one example of the total wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of: everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe; the realest, most vivid and important person in existence. We rarely think about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness because it's so socially repulsive. But it's pretty much the same for all of us. It is our default setting, hard-wired into our boards at birth.
"Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace: A Review by David L. Ulin (powells.com)
I didn't know David Foster Wallace all that well. We met a couple of times, and once, I interviewed him onstage at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. I asked him on a few occasions if he'd review for the paper, but he said he'd had a bad experience and had sworn off reviewing for good. We shared a literary agent.
Boris Kachka: The End (nymag.com)
The book business as we know it will not be living happily ever after. With sales stagnating, CEO heads rolling, big-name authors playing musical chairs, and Amazon looming as the new boogeyman, publishing might have to look for its future outside the corporate world.
Ian Welsh: Standing With the Good Samaritan Against So Many "Christians" (huffingtonpost.com)
Whenever I read these words I think that Jesus is a man I could love and respect. And whenever I read these words I am saddened by how few of his followers today are worthy of the word "Christian."
Donald Liebenson: Police Add Uncertainty to the Mix (huffingtonpost.com)
At parent orientation for incoming high school freshman, the principal encouraged us to get involved with our kids, to ask questions. So I sat my son down and, bracing myself, asked about the mixtape.
ANNIE HOLUB: Kiss and Tell (popmatters.com)
In the 13 years since Jill Sobule's "I Kissed a Girl", homosexuality has shed some of its taboo -- but Katy Perry's song is, at best, a reminder that there's still a long way to go.
STUART HENDERSON: "The Energy Moving Through the Air: An Interview with Calexico's Joey Burns" (popmatters.com)
In a business that is dominated by both the hyper-commodification of artistry and the lazy emphasis on marketing and artifice rather than imagination and creativity, Calexico's "just play" approach is like the whisper of another era.
Ellen Gray: No passion for pie: Kristin Chenoweth can do without the dessert that's a theme on 'Daisies' (Philadelphia Daily News)
Kristin Chenoweth is not "a pie person."
Will Harris: A Chat with Cybill Shepherd, Co-star of "Cybill" (bullz-eye.com)
People started paying too much attention (to 'Cybill') and trying to get us to be nice and ladylike all the time and leave the gross jokes to Drew Carey. They didn't like that we were pushing the envelope like that.
The Weekly Poll
'Informed Voter' Edition...
On August 25th The Democratic National Convention released the official platform.
Click here: 2008 Democratic Party Platform - (WARNING: pdf format)
This week's poll is...
What changes, if any, would you make to this platform?
A.) None. It is fine as it is...
B.) I would include __________...
C.) I would not have included __________...
D.) I would alter this particular position __________...
Remember Pollfans, an informed voter, is a happy voter!
BadtotheBoneBob
Send your response to BadtotheBoneBob ( BCEpoll 'at' aol.com )
Photo from Marsha
Mystery Bug
Marty:
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Feels like fall.
Grants For Farmers Hurt By Hurricanes
Farm Aid
Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson says the organization will give $30,000 to groups that help family farmers in areas of Texas and Louisiana hit hardest by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.
Nelson, a native Texan, announced the grants Thursday. They include $7,500 each to the Lutheran Social Services of the South, the Southern Mutual Help Association, the Louisiana Interchurch Conference and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.
Somerville-based Farm Aid says more money will be distributed as the extent of the hurricane damage becomes clearer.
Farm Aid
Surviving Dead Fundraiser
Obama
Barack Obama has the Dead on his side again.
The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign has confirmed a long-rumored fundraising concert that will include four remaining members of the Grateful Dead at Penn State University's Bryce Jordan Center.
Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart played at a get-out-the-vote concert in February in California for the campaign.
A Pennsylvania spokeswoman for the campaign says the trio will be joined by a fourth surviving member, Bill Kreutzmann, at the Oct. 13 show in State College.
Obama
New Piece Of Music Found
Mozart
A French museum has found a previously unknown piece of music handwritten by Mozart, a researcher said Thursday. The 18th century melody sketch is missing the harmony and instrumentation but was described as important find.
Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, said there is no doubt that the single sheet was written by the composer.
"His handwriting is absolutely clearly identifiable," he added. "There's no doubt that this is an original piece handwritten by Mozart."
The work, described as the preliminary draft of a musical composition, was found by a library in Nantes in western France as staff were going through its archives. Leisinger says the library contacted his foundation for help authenticating the work.
Mozart
History Detectives
Federico Garcia Lorca
The family of Spanish civil war poet Federico Garcia Lorca said it would allow authorities to dig up a common grave in which he is believed to be buried with three other men executed by fascists in 1936, a newspaper reported Thursday.
Garcia Lorca's family had until now opposed the opening of the grave, which is also believed to contain the remains of two anarchist bullfighters and a school teacher who were shot dead by partisans of General Francisco Franco near Granada.
"We won't stop it," his niece and family spokeswoman, Laura Garcia Lorca, told El Pais. "Even if we don't want it to be done, we respect the wishes of the other parties involved."
Nieves Galindo, the grand-daughter of school teacher Diascoro Galindo, petitioned high-profile judge Baltasar Garzon on Friday to open the grave site in order to verify that her relative is indeed buried there.
Federico Garcia Lorca
Screenwriters Lauded
Humanitas Prize
It's tie for the "Lars and the Real Girl" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" screenwriters.
Both Nancy Oliver and Ronald Harwood took home $10,000 feature film awards at the annual Humanitas Prize. Screenwriters in 10 categories accepted $95,000 in prize money. Since 1974, the Humanitas Prize has awarded more than $2.8 million for film/TV writing.
The awards were announced Wednesday by Emmy-winning screenwriter-producer John Wells, the new Humanitas Prize president. Wells previously won a Humanitas Prize for his work on "The West Wing." His other TV credits include "ER," "Third Watch," and "China Beach." More than 80 screenwriters, directors and producers serve on the judging committee.
The 2008 Humanitas Prize winners - Humanitas Prize
Looking For Official Rock 'N' Roll Song
Oklahoma
Ten finalists have been named by Oklahoma's Official Rock Song Advisory Panel in a contest to elect the Official Rock 'N' Roll Song of Oklahoma. Among the contenders are bluesman J.J. Cale, new wavers the Call, surf heroes the Ventures, '50s rockabilly goddess Wanda Jackson, pop-rockers the All-American Rejects, and psychedelic eccentrics the Flaming Lips.
The Oklahoma History Center will celebrate the state's rock 'n' roll history with an exhibit entitled "Another Hot Oklahoma Night," slated to open May 2, 2009. Voting for the Official Oklahoma Rock Song will take place on www.oklahomarocksong.org through November 15, 2008.
"After Midnight" - J.J. Cale
"Heartbreak Hotel" - Mae Boren Axton
"Oklahoma" - The Call
"Never Been To Spain" - Hoyt Axton
"Move Along" - All-American Rejects
"Home Sweet Oklahoma" - Leon Russell
"Endless Oklahoma Sky" - John Moreland & The Black Gold Band
"Walk Don't Run" - The Ventures
"Do You Realize?" - The Flaming Lips
"Let's Have A Party" - Wanda Jackson
Oklahoma
Denies Drug Allegations
Ryan O'Neal
A day after Ryan O'Neal and his son were arrested on suspicion of drug possession, his lawyer denied any wrongdoing by the actor.
"The drugs found were not his," attorney Mark Werksman told The Associated Press on Thursday. "He would never use them."
O'Neal was arrested along with his son, Redmond, after authorities searched their home early Wednesday. The search was part of a routine sweep by deputies checking on Redmond O'Neal, who remains on probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to a pair of drug possession felonies.
The pair were released after posting $10,000 bail. Los Angeles County prosecutors will evaluate whether to press charges against the men.
Ryan O'Neal
How He Did It
Palin's 'Hacker'
Word got out late yesterday that Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin's personal Yahoo mail account (gov.palin@yahoo.com) had been hacked , with some screenshots of messages and photos of her family posted on WikiLeaks.org and, later, gawker.com. Just whodunnit remains unclear, but details of just how the hack was executed have been emerging today -- and it was embarrassingly and eerily simple.
Palin's Yahoo account had been in the limelight this week after reports that she had used her personal email account to conduct official state government business.
Initially, the Anonymous group, best known for its online protests against the Church of Scientology, was pegged with the hack, but the group has since posted a message on its site denying its involvement. The latest word is that it may have been a one-man effort , according to a Wired.com post. The person claiming to have executed the hack said in a post (which has since been removed) on the 4chan bulletin board site that he used Wikipedia to get Palin's birthdate, her ZIP code, and then Googled for information for her security question -- where she met her husband -- in an effort to trick Yahoo into reassigning her password.
Palin's 'Hacker'
More Bad Judgment
Open Government?
The hacking of Sarah Palin's Yahoo email has raised serious questions about whether she was trying to hide official government business from the public. The prospect is especially worrying given the Bush Administration's use of Yahoo accounts at the RNC and the subsequent disappearance of those emails.
The Times reports that using webmail for official business was SOP in Alaska:
While Ms. Palin took office promising a more open government, her administration has battled to keep information secret. Her inner circle discussed the benefit of using private e-mail addresses. An assistant told her it appeared that such e-mail messages sent to a private address on a "personal device" like a BlackBerry "would be confidential and not subject to subpoena."
Rovian tactics aside, Wednesday's hacking episode proves that it's rather boneheaded to put state business on Yahoo. True, all e-mail addresses are vulnerable to hacking. But Yahoo is a big target-lots of people spend a lot of time trying to crack Yahoo accounts. Do a quick search for "hack yahoo," and you'll be presented with myriad methods of attack. Alaska's private e-mail system probably does not include a "Did you forget your password?" function. Yahoo, of course, does-and that function presents a key method of entry for hackers.
Open Government?
Indicted In Shooting
Billy Joe Shaver
A McLennan County grand jury has indicted country singer Billy Joe Shaver on felony charges for his alleged role in an April 2007 shooting at a Lorena bar.
Shaver, 69, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, and a charge of unlawful carrying of a handgun by a licensed holder on a licensed premises, a third-degree felony, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported in its online edition Wednesday.
One witness said Shaver followed the victim, Billy B. Coker, out of Papa Joe's Texas Saloon in Lorena on April 1, 2007, and asked, "Where do you want it?" before shooting him in the face, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed last year.
Another witness said that after hearing gunfire, she went outside and heard Shaver say to Coker, "Tell me you are sorry," and "Nobody tells me to shut up," according to the affidavit signed by then-acting Lorena Police Chief John Moran.
Billy Joe Shaver
Sued Again
Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman has been sued by a man who claims the actor punched him and ran into him with his truck in a Payson bowling alley parking lot, causing knee, back and neck injuries.
Colt Rushton, 24, of Spanish Fork, says he and Coleman got into an argument Sept. 6 after he began taking pictures of the "Diff'rent Strokes" actor with a cell phone.
In the civil lawsuit, filed Wednesday in 4th District Court, Rushton's account of the confrontation said Coleman's bodyguard, Paul Rohbock, told Rushton he would have to pay $20 per picture if he continued taking photos.
The lawsuit contends Rushton was attacked from behind by Rohbock or Coleman's wife, Shannon Price, and that his cell phone was taken away. The lawsuit also contends Coleman punched Rushton in the chest several times.
Gary Coleman
Trial Likely
Britney Spears
Britney Spears' trial for driving without a valid California license is all set for next month - and the attorney representing her in the criminal matter isn't happy about it.
J. Michael Flanagan, the pop singer's attorney, said the matter is going before a jury due to unfavorable "special treatment" by prosecutors and a judge. Because the violation is a misdemeanor, Spears is not required to attend the trial.
Flanagan has repeatedly argued that the singer is being treated more harshly than other people who have been caught driving without a valid California license. He said under normal circumstances, Spears should be allowed to pay a $10 fine and not face criminal prosecution.
Britney Spears
IOKIYAR - No Charges Expected
Mark Foley
Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley isn't expected to face charges after a lengthy investigation into his lurid messages to underage congressional pages, two federal law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Foley resigned in 2006 after being confronted with the e-mails and instant messages he sent to male pages. He has since been under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI.
Shortly after Foley's resignation, Roth announced Foley was gay and had been molested by a priest as a teenage altar boy. Foley also checked himself into an Arizona treatment facility for what his attorneys said was "alcoholism and other behavioral problems."
Florida authorities had said their investigation was hampered because neither Foley nor the House would let its investigators examine his congressional computers.
Mark Foley
Spinning Dancing Duo's Retirement
Seinfeld & Gates
TV viewers can return to their favorite programs without fear of seeing Bill Gates shaking his tushie now that Microsoft Corp. has retired a bizarre two-week-old ad campaign featuring the software giant's chairman with comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
Bloggers and online media have suggested that the Redmond, Wash.-based company yanked the Seinfeld ads after they were poorly received. The ads show Gates and Seinfeld trading banter at a mall shoe store and while living with a suburban family, trying to get in touch with regular people. Seinfeld asks Gates nonsensical questions about the future of computing, and Gates responds with "signs" that he's on the right track, including "adjusting his shorts," as Seinfeld called the awkward hip shake, and doing "the robot," a dance move.
However, a senior vice president in Microsoft's central marketing group, Mich Mathews, contended in an interview Thursday that it was always the plan to replace the Seinfeld-Gates ads with ones that focus on Windows.
Seinfeld & Gates
Another First For Bush
Household Wealth
U.S. household wealth has declined for a third straight quarter for the first time on record as home prices fell and the value of financial assets diminished, the Federal Reserve said on Thursday.
U.S. household net worth in the second quarter fell 0.8 percent to $55.993 trillion from an upwardly revised $56.431 trillion in the first quarter and $58.943 trillion in the final three months of 2007, the Fed said in its quarterly "flow of funds" report.
The U.S. central bank said it has never before recorded three straight quarters of declining household wealth since it began tracking quarterly changes in 1951. Net wealth fell for two consecutive quarters in the second and third quarters of 2002.
Household Wealth
Move Aside Cannes
Pyongyang Film Festival
Communist North Korea rolled out its version of the red carpet this week when the reclusive state opened its biannual international film festival, allowing its masses to watch forbidden foreign films.
Movies are near to the heart of leader Kim Jong-il, a fan of Daffy Duck, Steven Spielberg and Elizabeth Taylor, who is thought to have a library of about 20,000 films that includes all of the James Bond movies, intelligence sources have said.
In recent years, the North has screened about 70 films from about 30 countries at the festival, that include its own movies as well as films from Europe, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.
The event, once called "The Film Festival of Non-Aligned and other Developing Countries", used to show obscure films from far-flung corners of the world.
Pyongyang Film Festival
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