Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Grace Dent: The gig economy has made 'Karens' of us all - angry and needing the manager. Now (The Guardian)
The 'I want to speak to the manager' meme points to the essential brokenness of modern life: the corporate greed that fostered an I-Want-It-Now culture.
Anime Classic Neon Genesis Evangelion Is Finally on Netflix. So Why Are Some Fans Upset? ( Slate)
If you have a pulse and a Netflix login, you've probably at least heard of Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Japanese anime that the streaming service recently licensed for American audiences. Evangelion debuted in Japan in 1995 and has since earned a reputation as a controversial, psychologically complex, difficult piece of art. The franchise is also an anime classic - equivalent in acclaim, auteurship, and cultural footprint to America's Twin Peaks or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Killian Fox: "David Lynch: 'It's important to go out and feel the so-called reality'" (The Guardian)
The cult director of Blue Velvet is soon to bring his creative vision to Manchester international festival. But how does he get his ideas?
Dream McClinton: "Defacement: the tragic story of Basquiat's most personal painting" (The Guardian)
The death of artist Michael Stewart, allegedly the result of police brutality, inspired Basquiat to create one of his most impactful works.
Lane Brown: The Accidental Beatle (Slate)
In Yesterday, an unknown singer gets launched into fame thanks to a Lennon-McCartney windfall. Fifty-five years ago, that really happened to Peter Asher.
Susie Cagle: Heatwave cooks mussels in their shells on California shore (The Guardian)
Temperatures lead to what appears to be largest local die-off in 15 years, raising fears for broader ecosystem.
Eric Betts: The Netherlands Can't Keep Winning Like This, Can It? (Slate)
The problem with being reliant on set pieces for all your scoring--as England's men's team found out at last year's World Cup--is that you'll eventually run into a team that's just as proficient at them and your entire offense goes kaput. When that happens--and for the Netherlands, the semifinals is a decent bet--it's going to need its front line to turn its disparate talents into a cohesive whole.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
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Shepard Fairey
from Bruce
Anecdotes
• A young actor grew tired of having just one line to speak in Shakespeare's Macbeth - he played the messenger who tells Macbeth, "My Lord, the queen is dead," then walks offstage. Therefore, he asked his boss, Sir Donald Wolfit, for a bigger part. However, Sir Donald declined to give him a better part, so the actor decided to get revenge. At the next performance of Macbeth, he walked on stage and said, "My Lord, the queen is much better and is even now at dinner."
• After the Civil War, Southerners had major problems dealing with carpetbaggers - Northerners who went South to take advantage of the recently defeated Southerners. One carpetbagger in South Carolina made himself so unpopular that he was kidnapped, put in a box with the lid tightly nailed down, then put on a train. On the box was a label identifying the box's contents as "Livestock" and the box's travel destination as "Anywhere in the Damn North."
• Paul Beard used to lead the orchestra for Sir Thomas Beecham. Later, he led a different orchestra - the BBC Symphony Orchestra - upon which he stamped his personality and at which Sir Thomas was asked to be a guest conductor. At the end of a rehearsal, Sir Thomas stood in front of the orchestra, stroked his goatee, and said, "May I suggest to you, gentlemen, that when we reassemble, you pay a little more attention to this beard?"
• During a rehearsal for H.M.S. Pinafore, Sir William Schwenck Gilbert told heavily built Rutland Barrington to sit on a skylight "pensively." Unfortunately, Mr. Barrington was too heavy for the skylight and it broke. "For goodness' sake, Barrington," Sir William complained. "I said 'pensively,' not 'expensively.'"
• G.K. Chesterton once gave a speech on "The New Enslavement of Women." In it, he made the thesis that women had gone to the enslavement of work after leaving the freedom of home. In his speech, he said, "Twenty million young women rose to their feet with the cry, 'WE WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO!' And immediately proceeded to become stenographers!"
• Paul Candler Porter was the youngest child of a strict preacher; he also had a strange sense of humor. One Sunday, his father stood in the pulpit and said, "Let us sing hymn number 135. Please stand on the last verse." When it was time to stand on the last verse, young Paul put his hymnbook - opened to hymn number 135 - down in the middle of the church aisle, then literally stood on the last verse.
• As a young man, comedian Bud Abbott was shanghaied and forced to work aboard a Norwegian ship. In addition to shoveling coal, he taught the English language to the Norwegian sailors. As revenge, he taught them that the proper way to say "Thank you" in English was to say "F- you."
• The possessions of painter Andrea di Cione , better known as Orcagna, were once legally seized to pay off his debts; however, Mr. di Cione got revenge. In a painting of Hell, he placed the faces and figures of the judge and notary of the court that took his possessions away from him.
• In the General Election of 1935, Lord John Gretton ran against a Mrs. G. Paling. Mrs. Paling once shouted, "John Gretton is a dirty dog!" One of Lord Gretton's followers shouted back, "That's as may be; but we all know what dirty dogs do to palings."
• At a testimonial dinner, the toastmaster called composer Richard Strauss "the Buddha of modern music." Mr. Strauss whispered to a friend, "If I am the Buddha of modern music, then our toastmaster is the Pest."
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Another Artist Fired
Michael de Adder
A publishing company in New Brunswick, Canada, has terminated its contract with cartoonist Michael de Adder after a drawing he did of President Donald Trump standing over the bodies of two drowned migrants went viral on social media.
The drawing, which was posted on de Adder's Twitter account on June 26, shows Trump standing beside a golf cart, golf club in hand, looking down at the bodies of a father and daughter who drowned in the Rio Grande while trying to cross from Mexico into Texas. Trump asks, "Do you mind if I play through?"
The illustration is based off the searing photo of Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, 25, and his 23-month-old daughter, Angie Valeria, lying face down in the muddy waters of the Rio Grande, which has sparked outrage and become a focal point of the debate over asylum-seekers.
De Adder announced his termination from the newspapers owned by Brunswick News Inc. on Twitter.
"The highs and lows of cartooning," he wrote. "Today I was just let go from all newspapers in New Brunswick."
Michael de Adder
Internet Fan Culture 'Toxic'
George R.R. Martin
"Game of Thrones" and "A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin says internet fan culture is "toxic."
In a wide-ranging, 90-minute interview on film critic Leonard Maltin's "Maltin on Movies" podcast, Martin discussed his nostalgia for the early days of fan culture, when he was publishing a fanzine on a typewriter. Both Maltin and Martin got their start in the world of fanzines, which they credit with helping them get in touch with other like-minded people in the pre-internet era.
"Going all the way back then to my beginnings, I was a comic book fan," Martin said on the podcast, which Maltin co-hosts with his daughter, Jessie. "That was the fandom I was involved in, writing superhero stories for little comic fanzines."
"Now you can Tweet and Facebook, but I don't know that's an improvement! The internet is toxic in a way that old fanzine culture and fandoms … in those days, was not," Martin said. "There were disagreements. There were feuds, but nothing like the madness that you see on the internet."
The comments come after the eighth and final season of "Game of Thrones" was lambasted by fans who thought the show's conclusion was a rushed and ineffective ending to Martin's decades-long story.
George R.R. Martin
Republicans Donating
Marianne Williamson
Author Marianne Williamson's quirky, love-conquers-all approach on the Democratic debate stage Thursday drew applause, ridicule and confusion.
On Friday, she was attracting donations. From Republicans.
GOP strategist Jeff Roe, who ran Texas Sen. Ted Cruz' 2016 presidential campaign, tweeted out to his 16,000 followers asking fellow Republicans "to donate $1 to keep this vibrant democrat on the debate stage. One debate performance is not enough."
At least several people appear to have taken up the challenge based on responses to Roe, accompanied by copies of receipts of their campaign donations.
Because qualifying for future debates requires a certain level of fundraising and support, Republicans say they want to keep her offbeat presence on stage.
Marianne Williamson
Missed Star Wars Celebration
Riz Ahmed
Riz Ahmed has revealed he missed April's Star Wars Celebration because Homeland Security didn't allow him to board his flight to Chicago.
The Emmy award winning star of The Night Of, who portrayed Rebel hero Bodhi Rook in Rogue One, opened up about the sudden cancellation of his appearance at the beloved convention at the CAA's Amplify leadership summit, which was held to discuss issues relating to diversity, multiculturalism and the treatment of minorities in various industries.
Ahmed revealed that he has "been consistently stopped, searched and interview[ed] at airports" over the last 15 years "because of his race."
"[Hassan Minhaj] can win a Peabody, I can win an Emmy, Ibtihaj Muhammad can go to the Olympics, but some of these obstacles are systemic and we can't really face them alone, we need your help," Ahmed passionately declared during his speech, which was attended by The Hollywood Reporter.
"I'm basically here to ask for your help, because it's really scary to be a Muslim right now, super scary. I've often wondered, is this going to be the year when they round us up, if this is going to be the year they put Trump's registry into action. If this is going to be the year they ship us all off."
Riz Ahmed
Is Not Like the Others
One of These People
An Instagram video from the French government, showing President Don-Old Trump's (R-Saggy) daughter Ivanka inserting herself into a conversation with world leaders at the G-20 summit, went viral Saturday night. Ivanka attended the G-20 along with her father and gave an address about women's economic empowerment.
The viral video begins with French president Emmanuel Macron making a comment about social justice. Then UK Prime Minister Theresa May joined in, saying that people pay more attention when you address the topic from an economic angle. "As soon as you talk about the economic aspect, though, a lot of people start listening who wouldn't otherwise listen," May said.
That was when Ivanka decided to seize the moment, jumping into the conversation with an off-topic remark about how the defense sector is dominated by men. "And it's the same for the defense side," Ivanka said, "in terms of the whole sort of business, it's been very male dominated."
As the first daughter spoke, IMF head Christine Lagarde could hardly disguise her disdain and made a range of irritated facial expressions.
Ivanka's involvement in the summit drew criticism from Democrats. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) shared the video and critiqued the presence of the president's daughter. It may be shocking to some, but being someone's daughter actually isn't a career qualification," she wrote in a tweet. "It hurts our diplomatic standing when the President phones it in & the world moves on. The US needs our President working the G20. Bringing a qualified diplomat couldn't hurt either."
One of These People
Navy SEAL Trial
"The Sewing Circle"
It was called the "The Sewing Circle," an unlikely name for a secret subsect of Navy SEALs. Its purpose was even more improbable: A chat forum to discuss alleged war crimes they said their chief, a decorated sniper and medic, committed on a recent tour of duty in Iraq.
The WhatsApp group would eventually lead to formal allegations that Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher fatally stabbed a wounded Islamic State captive in his care and shot civilians in Iraq in 2017.
A jury of mostly combat Marines will ultimately decide the fate of the 19-year-veteran and Bronze Star recipient charged with murder, attempted murder and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline for posing with the corpse for photographs.
No matter the outcome, the court-martial at Naval Base San Diego has provided a rare view into the insular Navy SEAL community and likely will have a long-term impact on one of the military's most secretive and revered forces. It has pitted veterans against each other both inside the courtroom and out in a fierce debate over brotherhood, morality and loyalty.
"SEALs, it seems to me, have been seeing themselves as God-like on the battlefield, and there is a real danger in taking that view of one's unit or one's self," said Gary Solis, a former military judge and Marine Corps prosecutor who teaches law at Georgetown. "I think this will alert the SEAL community that the rules apply to them."
"The Sewing Circle"
Sacred Tree Species Threatened
Hawaii
A deadly fungus threatens one of Hawaii's most beloved and important species, the 'ohi'a tree, and those believed responsible for introducing the threat to the tree in the first place are now being asked to help save it - tourists.
The native 'ohi'a is sacred to Hawaiians as a cultural touchstone and ecological underpinning for the state's lush forests and abundant wildlife. The flowering evergreens that can tower to 85 feet comprise 80 percent of the state's canopy, covering 1 million acres, and its nectar sustains birds and insects found nowhere else on Earth.
Now, public agencies and private citizens are trying to avoid biological and economic catastrophe by proclaiming war against a deadly fungal disease coined "rapid 'ohi'a death," or ROD, that is swiftly destroying the trees. What's more, invasive species like the miconia tree, native to North and South America and called the "green cancer" of Hawaii's forests, are choking out the 'ohi'a.
More than 2 million 'ohi'a trees have been killed by ROD, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and about 135,000 acres show symptoms of the disease that was first identified on the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, in 2014. Two years later, the state imposed a quarantine to prevent ROD from spreading to other islands. It didn't work. The most aggressive form of the fungus was found on Kauai late last year.
The tree is also associated with Laka, the goddess of hula, its flower used in leis for the traditional Hawaiian dance. In 2016, for the first time in more than 50 years, many hula schools were forced to forgo their adornments because of diminishing ?ohi?a stock.
Hawaii
Does the Earth Appear to Go Through Phases?
On the Moon
If you lived on the moon, you'd have to give up lots of things you take for granted on Earth. The feeling of your feet planted firmly on the ground. Your ability to breathe outside without a helmet. And your night-sky view.
Humans have spent millennia staring up at the moon, watching it rise and set, charting its phases as it grows and shrinks each month. But from the viewpoint of the moon, how would the Earth look hanging in the sky?
Well, first, that depends on where you're standing.
The moon is tidally locked with Earth, meaning the moon's orbital period matches its rotational period. It takes about a month for both the moon to orbit Earth and for the moon to rotate on its axis. Effectively, this means that the same side of the moon always facing our planet. That's why when you peer through a telescope, the craters and other features on the surface of the moon are always in the same place.
If you were camped out on the far side of the moon, you'd never have a view of Earth. If you were based on the near side, you'd see Earth all the time. And Earth would indeed appear to go through phases over the course of about a month, directly opposite to the lunar phases people on Earth would be witnessing, said Phil Nicholson, professor and deputy director of the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science in Ithaca, New York.
On the Moon
Weekend Box Office
'Toy Story 4'
"Toy Story 4" hung onto the top spot in its second week in theaters and the horror sequel "Annabelle Comes Home" opened in line with expectations, but the Cinderella story of the weekend was actually the third place movie: "Yesterday."
The Danny Boyle-directed musical romantic comedy featuring the music of the Beatles debuted well over industry expectations, earning an estimated $17 million from North American theaters. In a summer where most films have debuted either under or at industry tracking, which are often lowball projections, and original comedies have struggled to find audiences, "Yesterday" proved to be the exception.
In second place was the third Annabelle film, "Annabelle Comes Home," which debuted on over 3,500 screens Wednesday. The Warner Bros. horror earned $20.4 million over the weekend and $31.2 million in its first five days.
"Aladdin" and "The Secret Life of Pets 2" rounded out the top five. "Avengers: Endgame" also made it back into the top 10 after Disney added over 1,000 screens this weekend. It added an estimated $5.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $841.3 million. Globally, it's now at $2.76 billion.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Toy Story 4," $57.9 million ($80.6 million international).
2. "Annabelle Comes Home," $20.4 million ($45 million international).
3. "Yesterday," $17 million ($7.7 million international).
4. "Aladdin," $9.3 million ($24.4 million international).
5. "The Secret Life of Pets 2," $7.1 million ($11.8 million international).
6. "Men In Black: International," $6.6 million ($11.5 million international).
7. "Avengers: Endgame," $5.5 million ($2.3 million international).
8. "Child's Play," $4.3 million ($1.4 million international).
9. "Rocketman," $3.9 million ($2.6 million international).
10. "John Wick: Chapter 3 -Parabellum," $3.2 million ($6.6 million international).
'Toy Story 4'
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
