Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Tom Danehy: Read Tom's blog about his 'Halo: Reach' experience (tucsonweekly.com)
While "blogger" is a mild pejorative in the grand pecking order of insults, it is not nearly as demeaning as "tweeter," which is defined as mini-blogger who can't spell, has no life and yet wants others to know stuff about him/herself. Even "tweeter" isn't the absolute worst; that would be "reader of other people's tweets." Seriously, can you imagine wasting even one second of your life reading what some self-absorbed phlegmwad types into his phone using "words" like "u" and "r?"
Jim Hightower: PROTECTING AMERICA BY PULPING BOOKS
To pulp a book is not merely to remove it from sale, but literally to destroy it, reducing the paper itself - and all of your words and thoughts - to a goopy chemical mash. I've had one of my books threatened with pulping even before it went on sale, so I can empathize with Anthony Shaffer, who has just had the first printing of his book gooped by a gang [of] goofy censors in the Pentagon.
Scott Burns: Why I Left My Big Bank (assetbuilder.com)
There are three ways to vote in this country. You can vote in an election. You can vote with your feet. And you can vote with your money. If one way doesn't work, you can try another. This is good to know and remember.
Paul Krugman: Economics Is not a Morality Play (nytimes.com)
Brad DeLong catches someone wondering if I am actually advocating war as a solution to our problems. Against stupidity, the gods themselves …
Chuck Marr: Enough Is Enough on Tax Cuts for Wealthy (offthechartsblog.org)
This great income shift means the average middle-income American family had about $9,000 less after-tax income in 2007, and an average household in the top 1 percent had $741,000 more, than they would have had if the 1979 income distribution had remained.
Ray Fisman: How Much Do You Think He Makes? (slate.com)
Does knowing your colleagues' salaries make you happy or disgruntled?
Susan Estrich: What About Meg? (creators.com)
This is supposed to be the year of the (Republican) woman. It is most certainly the year of millionaire business execs no one ever heard of a month or two ago giving Democratic fixtures (e.g., Russ Feingold in Wisconsin and Andrew Cuomo in New York) a run for their money. It is the year of newcomers and fresh faces, without regard to such pesky matters as qualifications (e.g., Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine O'Donnell in Delaware).
Connie Schultz: LeBron Who? (creators.com)
As a resident of Northeast Ohio, I'm like everyone else around here; my reason for living did not evaporate July 8, 2010 - no matter what the national media say. That was the day LeBron James, a young man of great talent and pitiful manners, waited for the sun to set on Lake Erie before he told an ESPN infotainment show that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.
Banned Books
Take a quiz and receive a recommendation about which one to read first.
LINDSAY JOHNS: In praise of dead white men (prospectmagazine.co.uk)
Efforts to make education more "relevant" to black people can be both patronising and harmful. The western literary canon should be taught to everyone.
Jim Emerson: "Bye, Sally: Sally Menke, 1953 - 2010"
Sally Menke, editor of all Quentin Tarantino's features, from "Reservoir Dogs" to "Inglourious Basterds," was found dead in Bronson Canyon at 4 o'clock this morning, where she had gone hiking with her Labrador retriever in yesterday's record-setting 113-degree heat.
'I was lucky I was crap at school' (guardian.co.uk)
Ross Noble talks to Euan Ferguson about motorbikes, Australian manners and his fearless approach to stand-up.
The Weekly Poll
Current Question
The 'Send in the Clowns... Don't bother, they're here' Edition...
The House's No. 2 Democratic leader said today that comedian Stephen Colbert's testimony last week on immigration was "inappropriate" and "an embarrassment." Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California invited Colbert to appear before the House Judiciary Committee. But other Democrats weren't happy about her decision... House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland told "Faux News Sunday" he thought the episode was more of an embarrassment to Colbert than to the House. But, he added, "I think it was inappropriate" that he testified...
House leader: Colbert was an 'embarrassment' - Politics - msnbc.com
Do you agree with Majority Leader Hoyer's assessment of Colbert's appearance?
1.) Yes... He made a mockery of the legislative process. What was Rep. Lofgren thinking?
2.) No... Congress, themselves, make a mockery of the legislative process, dagnabbit!
3.) More! More! Bring on Jon Stewart!
Send your response to
took the day off.
wrote:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
BadtotheboneBob
Detroit Lives
The Motor City has been declared dead more times than Rasputin. But over the last few years, while The News Media (and Dutch tourists) were hemming and hawing over a few neglected streets that had started to look more like meadows, a bunch of creative badasses were quietly buying abandoned 9-story buildings, filling them with everyone they knew, and making Detroit actually pretty fucking incredible. Our old buddy Johnny Knoxville paid a visit to the D to explore for himself.
See the rest at VBS.TV: Detroit Lives VBS Part 1 of 3 - Uneven Terrain | VBS.TV
Here's the Bad and the Ugly, but also the very Good... Please view...
Also, bookmark VBS.TV and return often for more scintillating stuff! You'll not be disappointed, I assure you...
BadtotheboneBob
Thanks, B2tbBob!
Link from RJ
Statue of Liberty
Hi there
I thought you might like this one! Thanks for taking a look!
Vic In AK
More Termination Dust
And lookie at what we got....MORE TERMINATION DUST!!!
OH and that guy that is stalking Sarah P. is just stealing my shtick!!!...wannabe!!!!
Lookit my comment below the story
Heck Yeah and nowhere's near as bat-s#it Crazy! Don't get me wrong, sometimes crazy=fun...but I can purdy much guaraaaanteee not in this case! I got asperiance with nut-jobbered babes...none of the Palins tho!...phew!!! LOL, my Mom used to even say that if my girlfriends/wives werent crazy when I found them they were by the time I was done...oops, kinda makes ME sound all stalkey now...I AINT!!! I already got a Luner-Tick Chick!!!
Read more
Victor aka Chester Woof
Thanks, Vic!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Too hot, too humid. Ack.
Rallies Satirical, Not Political
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart says he has quite a bit in common with conservative commentator Glenn Beck -- at least similar reasons for being in the op-eds business.
And the "Daily Show" host emphasized that his and Stephen Colbert's planned rallies in Washington D.C. next month are not a liberal reaction to Beck's recent "Restoring Honor" gathering.
Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" and Colbert's "March to Keep Fear Alive" are just another way to poke fun at the political process and news coverage of it, he said.
Discussing politicians' criticism of Colbert's recent congressional testimony in character and comments that he should be embarrassed, Stewart said Colbert could at least feel embarrassment because he, unlike many politicians, "still has integrity."
Jon Stewart
Signs Daytime Talk Show Deal
Anderson Cooper
CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper has signed a deal to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show in the fall of 2011, while keeping his job as host of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
Warner Bros. domestic television distribution and Telepictures Productions announced the deal Thursday, and said the daytime show would cover social issues, pop culture, and human interest stories.
Cooper, 43, will also conduct undercover investigations using hidden cameras, and hold town hall meetings on topics like race, infidelity and Internet predators, Warner Bros. and Telepictures said.
The untitled show will fill a gap in the daytime TV talk landscape left by Oprah Winfrey, who is ending "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in May 2011 after 25 years to launch her cable network OWN.
Anderson Cooper
Comic Strip Turns 60
Peanuts
Peanuts, the iconic comic strip that charmed hundreds of millions of people worldwide with the antics of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus, is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Saturday.
The original strip, drawn by Charles M. Schulz, first ran on October 2,1950 in seven newspapers and continued until February 13, 2000, the day after Schulz's death at the age of 77.
It has appeared in more than 2,000 newspapers in 72 countries and 21 languages and still continues in reruns.
Its lovable characters, Linus with his trademark security blanket, bossy Lucy at her lemonade stand, anxiety-prone Charlie Brown and Snoopy with his typewriter and fantasies of being the Red Baron, appealed to children and adults of all ages and appeared in books, plays, TV shows and in films.
Peanuts
Hosting Nobel Peace Concert
Denzel Washington
Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington will host this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, organizers said Thursday.
Artists including British pop band Florence and the Machine, U.S. pop singer Colbie Caillat, pianist Herbie Hancock and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello will also perform at the show on Dec. 11, a day after the award ceremony in Oslo.
The winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on Oct. 8. The award is always handed out Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.
Denzel Washington
Unanimous Senate
TV Commercials
Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it'll soon become law.
The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday to require television stations and cable companies to keep commercials at the same volume as the programs they interrupt.
The House has passed similar legislation. Before it can become law, minor differences between the two versions have to be worked out when Congress returns to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.
Ever since television caught on in the 1950s, the Federal Communication Commission has been getting complaints about blaring commercials. But the FCC concluded in 1984 there was no fair way to write regulations controlling the "apparent loudness" of commercials. So it hasn't been regulating them.
TV Commercials
Still Daddy's Girl
Britney Spears
Pop star Britney Spears' personal and business affairs will remain under the control of her father and an attorney who have been her conservators since early 2008 when her life was spinning out of control, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Reva Goetz met with Spears in court chambers and soon after made the ruling that left Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet in charge of the "Circus" singer's affairs.
The pair took control of the 28-year-old singer's legal and other issues following several events in 2007 that indicated her life was spiraling downward. She spent some time in drug and alcohol rehab and early in 2008 was hospitalized for psychiatric observation.
But the singer who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide made a comeback with her 2008 album "Circus" which was followed by a successful tour. This week she was the subject of an episode of hit TV musical "Glee," but Spears has adopted a low profile in public.
Britney Spears
Fans Angered By 3D Release Plans
"Star Wars"
Like a lightsaber to the midsection, reactions to news that George Lucas is planning to rerelease 3D versions of the "Star Wars" sextet have been swift and, more often than not, deadly.
But when the Force actually is with them, will fans be able to stay away?
For every "I'll be first in line," there are another 20-30 Web comments along the lines of "SW is just a machine now," "I'll stay away in droves," "Lucas is beating a dead horse" or "Never have I seen something so amazing be systematically destroyed."
Lucas and Fox plan to rerelease the "Star Wars" franchise in state-of-the-art 3D conversions beginning in 2012 with one film annually led by the much-mocked prequels. That means the original "Star Wars" and its two sequels won't start rolling out until 2015.
"Star Wars"
Faulty Phone Number
Chad Ochocinco
Charity-minded callers are getting intercepted by a phone-sex line because of a typo on Chad Ochocinco's Cereal boxes. The phone number is supposed to connect callers to Feed the Children, which benefits from sales of the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver's cereal.
But the box has the wrong toll-free prefix, meaning callers get a seductive-sounding woman who makes risque suggestions and then asks for a credit card number.
Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. said Thursday it was pulling all Ochocinco cereal boxes from its grocery shelves because of the error. Some local stores had them on special display after the launch about a month ago.
Pittsburgh-based PLB Sports Inc., which specializes in limited-edition products featuring star athletes and their favorite charities, apologized for the error in a statement Thursday. The statement said the boxes will be re-issued with the correct toll-free number.
Chad Ochocinco
Hangs Up Victoria's Secret Wings
Heidi Klum
Supermodel Heidi Klum is hanging up her wings and quitting her role as an "angel" for "Victoria's Secret", the U.S. lingerie company confirmed on Thursday.
Klum, 37, who has four children and is married to British singer Seal, told the New York Post that she would not be taking part in the annual November fashion show by the upmarket lingerie chain, for whom she's modeled for 13 years.
The German beauty dazzled audiences last year when she strode the Victoria's Secret runway in underwear just five weeks after giving birth.
No reason was given for the break, but Klum is expected to turn her attention to other projects including her role as host of TV reality fashion design show "Project Runway".
Heidi Klum
Suburban Movie Studio Relocating
Detroit
A movie studio plans to relocate its operations from the suburb of Allen Park to Detroit.
Unity Studios announced the decision on Thursday, saying its initial plans to build sound stages and production offices will move forward in Detroit.
The studio's offices will be located at Wayne State University's TechTown business incubator until a permanent site is found.
Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka says in a statement to the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News that the studio "has not developed into the project its owners represented."
Detroit
Cable Nielens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by the Nielsen Co. for the week of Sept. 20-26. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
1. NFL Football: New Orleans vs. San Francisco (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 10.9 million homes, 15.12 million viewers.
2. "Jersey Shore 2" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 4.33 million homes, 5.95 million viewers.
3. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10:30 p.m.), History, 3.41 million homes, 4.67 million viewers.
4. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.29 million homes, 4.73 million viewers.
5. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.28 million homes, 4.5 million viewers.
6. "ICarly," (Saturday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.24 million homes, 5.2 million viewers.
7. "Sportscenter" (Monday, 11:58 p.m.), ESPN, 3.227 million homes, 3.93 million viewers.
8. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.221 million homes, 4.59 million viewers.
9. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10 p.m.), History, 3.19 million homes, 4.28 million viewers.
10. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.13 million homes, 4.16 million viewers.
11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.117 million homes, 4.49 million viewers.
12. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.112 million homes, 4.34 million viewers.
13. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 2.81 million homes, 3.94 million viewers.
14. Auto Racing: NASCAR Sprint Cup, Dover (Sunday, 1 p.m.), ESPN, 2.8 million homes, 3.96 million viewers.
15. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 2.76 million homes, 3.9 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Joe Mantell
Oscar-nominated actor Joe Mantell, who co-starred in "Marty" and delivered one of movies' most famous lines in "Chinatown," has died, his family said. He was 94.
Mantell was a character actor with more than 70 film and TV credits who received an Academy Award nomination in 1956 for his performance as Angie, the best friend of Ernest Borgnine in "Marty." His ofRRatinrrgsted line to his sad-sack friend - "Well, what do you feel like doin' tonight?" - was one of the beloved film's most memorable l.
He again became a part of movie lore in 1974's "Chinatown," in which he played the partner of Jack Nicholson's detective character, Jack Gittes. Mantell spoke the film's famous last line: "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
Mantell's other notable credits include "The Birds," "Onionhead" and several episodes of "The Twilight Zone."
Mantell, who had lived in Encino, Calif., since 1961, is survived by his wife Mary, daughters Jeannie and Cathy, son Robert, daughter-in-law Glei and two grandchildren. A private funeral service is planned for Sunday.
Joe Mantell
In Memory
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis shaped himself from a 1950s movie heartthrob into a respected actor, showing a determined streak that served him well in such films as "Sweet Smell of Success," "The Defiant Ones" and "Some Like It Hot."
The Oscar-nominated actor died Wednesday evening of cardiac arrest at home in the Las Vegas-area city of Henderson, Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said Thursday. He was 85.
Curtis began acting in frivolous movies that exploited his handsome physique and appealing personality then steadily moved to more substantial roles, starting in 1957 in the harrowing show business tale, "Sweet Smell of Success."
In 1958, "The Defiant Ones" brought him an Academy Award nomination as best actor for his portrayal of a white racist who escaped from prison handcuffed to a black man played by Sidney Poitier.
The following year, Curtis donned women's clothing and sparred with Marilyn Monroe in one of the most acclaimed film comedies ever, Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot."
Curtis' first wife was actress Janet Leigh of "Psycho" fame; actress Jamie Lee Curtis is their daughter.
Curtis perfected his craft in forgettable films such as "Francis," "I Was a Shoplifter," "No Room for the Groom" and "Son of Ali Baba."
He first attracted critical notice as Sidney Falco, a press agent seeking favor with a sadistic columnist, played by Burt Lancaster, in the 1957 classic "Sweet Smell of Success."
Other prestigious films followed: Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus," "The Vikings," "Kings Go Forth," "Operation Petticoat" and "Some Like It Hot." He also found time to do a voice acting gig as his prehistoric lookalike, Stony Curtis, in an episode of "The Flintstones."
"The Defiant Ones" remained his only Oscar-nominated role.
In 2000, an American Film Institute survey of the funniest films in history ranked "Some Like It Hot" at No. 1. Curtis - famously imitating Cary Grant's accent - and Jack Lemmon play jazz musicians who dress up as women to escape retribution after witnessing a gangland massacre.
Jill Curtis, his sixth wife, said Curtis had been hospitalized several times in recent weeks for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung problems she blamed on smoking 30 years ago. She said he recently returned home, where died in his sleep.
Curtis took a fatherly pride in daughter Jamie's success. They were estranged for a long period, then reconciled. "I understand him better now," she said, "perhaps not as a father but as a man."
He also had five other children. Daughters Kelly, also with Leigh, and Allegra, with second wife Christine Kaufmann, also became actresses. His other wives were Leslie Allen, Andrea Savio, Lisa Deutsch and Jill VandenBerg, whom he married in 1998.
Jill Curtis, 40, operates Shiloh Horse Rescue, a nonprofit refuge for abused and neglected horses. She said she planned to make arrangements for a public memorial.
Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz in the Bronx in 1925, the son of Hungarian Jews who had emigrated to the United States after World War I. His father, Manny Schwartz, had yearned to be an actor, but work was hard to find with his heavy accent. He settled for tailoring jobs, moving the family repeatedly as he sought work.
After serving in the Pacific during World War II and being wounded at Guam, he returned to New York and studied acting under the G.I. Bill. He appeared in summer stock theater and on the Borscht Circuit in the Catskills. Then an agent lined up an audition with a Universal-International talent scout. In 1948, at 23, he signed a seven-year contract with the studio, starting at $100 a week.
Bernie Schwartz sounded too Jewish for a movie actor, so the studio gave him a new name: Anthony Curtis, taken from his favorite novel, "Anthony Adverse," and the Anglicized name of a favorite uncle. After his eighth film, he became Tony Curtis.
Tony Curtis
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