Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Henry Rollins: Fuck Suicide (LA Weekly)
Days after Robin Williams died, I kept seeing his face on the Internet. His death seemed to have a momentum of its own. It went from a sad death of a famous person to "a nation mourns" pitch, which I didn't quite understand. Sites such as Huffington Post swim in their own brand of hyperbole. They call it news and culture, but often, it's just content.
Hand swallowing cars and traffic (YouTube)
He must be bored to death to do such a thing.
Gladstone: 5 Acts of Baffling Selfishness We Just Sort of Accept (Cracked)
I know there are bad people in the world. I know people do bad things. I'm not talking about murder or rape. I mean, I don't get those things either, but I just assume they're the kinds of things criminals do. But there are also everyday acts of awfulness perpetrated by people who do not consider themselves criminals. These people must not think they're doing anything wrong, because they act like they're entitled to do these things.
Amanda Mannen, A. Smithee: 6 Realities of the Secret World of Paid TV Audience Members (Cracked)
Much to the consternation of the world's laugh track aficionados (hi, you two!), most game shows, talk shows, and sitcoms are still filmed in front of a live studio audience. But hasn't it always seemed a little odd that there are apparently tons of tourists for whom there is nothing better to do in Manhattan than sit in on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Sure, people like Jon Stewart can pull in a crowd, but who the hell are all these people laughing at Jay Leno's terrible jokes?
Scott Burns: The Five Secrets To 'Happy Money' (AssetBuilder)
My visits to Starbucks are a special treat. My Starbucks card, which I keep loaded with at least $20 at all times, makes them even more special. I can enjoy the added pleasure of going for my treat and not having to use actual money. I like to think that something nice is waiting for me anytime I'm in the neighborhood. I like it even more when I can bring my son Ollie and treat him to the Grande coffee of his choice.
Ariel Bogle: Who Owns Your iTunes Library After Death? (Slate)
If you've read your Kindle or iTunes EULA, you'd know just how little control over your e-books or music you have. Every time you hit "buy" at the Kindle store, you are not purchasing an e-book; you are licensing it for your personal use only.
Robert Sorokanich: Another Great Way to Prove Moon Hoax Conspiracy Theorists Wrong (io9)
Humans have landed on the moon six times, but conspiracy theorists still insist the actual number is zero. They cite bad science, misunderstandings of physics, and outright lies to try to convince you that American astronauts never set foot on our moon. Here's one more way to prove those wackos wrong.
Annalee Newitz: What Is the Best Justification for a Plot Twist That You've Ever Seen? (io9)
There's nothing better than a well-executed plot twist, especially when you're able to look back at the story and realize that you'd been given hints all along. What science fiction or fantasy story does this the best? (Warning: We're going to have to talk spoilers.)
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David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
wrote:
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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.
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
Sunny and seasonal.
Why On A Monday
Emmys
For the first time in 38 years, the Emmys will occur on Monday night.
The last time the ceremony was held on Monday was during the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards in May 1976.
Typically, the event is held on a Sunday evening in late August or September, but we'll be watching the 66th annual awards ceremony on a different night for a few reasons.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is because of NBC's deal to air Sunday Night Football, a big rating's winner for the network. When asked about the shift to Monday, Deadline reports NBC attributed the move to avoid any conflict with the NFL preseason.
Emmys
Wraps Up Cross-Country Journey In Victoria
HitchBOT
HitchBOT left Halifax in late July, thumbing rides across more than 6,000 kilometres until it arrived in Victoria earlier this week. GPS technology tracked its progress on the robot's website and Twitter account, which built up roughly 35,000 followers.
HitchBOT, which is about the size and weight of a small child and has a face displayed on a digital screen, is loaded with speech recognition software. That allowed it to tell people where it wanted to go, while also asking and responding to simple questions.
HitchBOT's creators say it received at least 18 different rides as complete strangers took on the responsibility of transporting the robot closer to its destination.
The robot's many adventures included watching a First Nations powwow, crashing a wedding, having high tea in Victoria, and posing for countless photos at gas stations, in cafes and along highways across the country.
When the robot arrived in Victoria, its mechanical arm was broken and there was a crack on the plastic cake holder that formed its head, but it was otherwise in good shape.
HitchBOT
Plant Tours
Sriracha
A Southern California hot sauce plant that came under fire for its spicy odors is throwing open its doors to the public, offering a whiff of excitement and perhaps a breath of fresh air in its relations with its neighbors.
As many as 3,000 people are expected to visit the factory that makes Sriracha hot sauce over the weekend in this eastern Los Angeles suburb. The factory is holding its first open houses to kick off the chili harvest season.
During a 20-minute walk through the 650,000-square-foot facility, visitors can watch chili grinding; sample Sriracha-flavored ice cream, popcorn and chocolate caramels; visit the new gift shop; and take photos with a cardboard cutout of David Tran, CEO of plant owner Huy Fong Foods.
The factory offered tours Friday and intends to continue them every Saturday, except the Labor Day weekend, until the harvest season ends in November.
Sriracha
WeHo Nightclub Shooting
Marion 'Suge' Knight
Death Row Records founder and rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was injured in an early morning shooting Sunday in a packed nightclub but was expected to survive, a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant said.
Knight was one of three club patrons struck by gunfire around 1:30 a.m. at the 1OAK on West Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard, said Sgt. C. Tatar, watch commander at the Los Angeles County sheriff's West Hollywood station.
Two other victims, a man and a woman, were also being treated at local hospitals and were expected to survive.
Knight has been shot before. In 2005, he was struck in the leg during an MTV awards pre-party in Miami.
Marion 'Suge' Knight
Going in 'New Direction'
'Mythbusters'
Mythbusters fans were shocked by a huge twist at the end of Thursday night's season finale - that "Build Team" members Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara would no longer be part of the Discovery Channel show going forward.
"It's not only the end of this episode, it's not only the end of this season - it is also the end of an era," host Adam Savage announced.
Co-host Jamie Hyneman added, "This season we're going back to our origins with just Adam and me."
It's an abrupt change for fans, who've grown to love the Build Team over the past 10 years. And it's a gut-wrenching decision for the three cast members, who tweeted their reactions to the news.
'Mythbusters'
SeaWorld Sign Prank
Steve-O
Steve-O, one of the stars of the TV show "Jackass," could face criminal charges after he defaced a San Diego highway sign with a green banner that left it reading: "SeaWorld Sucks," officials said on Thursday.
In a video entitled "Breaking the Law" that was posted online Wednesday, Steve-O is seen making several attempts over two days to climb the sign with a rope. He finally uses a ladder and tapes the word 'Sucks' over the word 'Drive.'
The prank follows last year's release of the documentary movie "Blackfish," which makes a case against keeping orcas in captivity. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc has called the documentary "inaccurate and misleading."
The 40-year-old British-born actor, whose name is Stephen Glover, encouraged supporters to share the two-minute film on social media using the hashtag #SeaworldSucks.
SeaWorld spokesman David Koontz said the organization has no comment on the prank, which apparently took place in May.
Steve-O
Insurers Must Cover Basic Health Care Services
California
Health insurance companies in California may not refuse to cover the cost of abortions, state insurance officials have ruled in a reversal of policy stemming from the decision by two Catholic universities to drop elective abortions from their employee health plans.
Although the federal Affordable Care Act does not compel employers to provide workers with health insurance that includes abortion coverage, the director of California's Department of Managed Health Care said in a letter to seven insurance companies on Friday that the state Constitution and a 1975 state law prohibits them from selling group plans that exclude the procedure. The law in question requires such plans to encompass all "medically necessary" care.
"Abortion is a basic health care service," department director Michelle Rouillard wrote in the letter. "All health plans must treat maternity services and legal abortion neutrally."
Jesuit-run Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University notified employees last fall that they planned to stop paying for elective abortions, but said faculty and staff members could pay for supplemental coverage that would be provided through a third party. The two schools said their insurers, Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente, had cleared the move with the state.
California
Erupting Along East Coast
Methane Plumes
In an unexpected discovery, hundreds of gas plumes bubbling up from the seafloor were spotted during a sweeping survey of the U.S. Atlantic Coast.
Even though ocean explorers have yet to test the gas, the bubbles are almost certainly methane, researchers report today (Aug. 24) in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Between North Carolina's Cape Hatteras and Massachusetts' Georges Bank, 570 methane seeps cluster in about eight regions, according to sonar and video gathered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration ship Okeanos Explorer between 2011 and 2013. The vast majority of the seeps dot the continental slope break, where the seafloor topography swoops down toward the Atlantic Ocean basin.
Most of the methane seeps are in water less than 1,640 feet (500 meters) deep. Most of these shallow methane seeps seem to arise from microbes blurping out methane, the researchers said. The researchers did find some deeper methane vents, at which the ROV Jason glimpsed patches of methane hydrate. This is the icy mix of methane and water that appears when deep ocean pressures and cold temperatures force methane to solidify. Any type of methane gas can form hydrates.
While methane vents are common around the world, only three natural gas seeps - where methane escapes from seafloor sediments - had been found off the East Coast before 2012.
Methane Plumes
Weekend Box Office
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"Guardians of the Galaxy" became the summer's top-grossing movie at the North American box office with a $17.6 million weekend that narrowly bested the young adult melodrama "If I Stay," while the long-delayed "Sin City" sequel, "A Dame to Kill For," flopped.
With an estimated $17.6 million in its fourth weekend of release, the Marvel space adventure passed "Transformers: Age of Extinction" to become the summer's biggest domestic hit with a cumulative total of $252 million. The film, released by Disney, was an unlikely August sensation (late summer is usually an afterthought in Hollywood's lucrative summer season) that helped the box office rebound somewhat after big-budget sequels like "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "How To Train Your Dragon 2" failed to ignite the multiplexes.
The Warner Bros. tearjerker "If I Stay" failed to top the box office with a weekend haul of $16.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. In the film, a co-production between MGM and New Line Cinema, Chloe Grace Moretz stars as a teen in a coma after a car accident. It came in third place behind Paramount's reptile reboot "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which made $16.8 million in its third weekend.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. "Guardians of the Galaxy," $17.6 million ($20.7 million international).
2. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," $16.8 million ($15.5 million international).
3. "If I Stay," $16.4 million.
4. "Let's Be Cops," $11 million ($1.3 million international).
5. "When the Game Stands Tall," $9.1 million.
6. "The Giver," $6.7 million ($1.4 million international).
7. "The Expendables 3," $6.6 million ($16.5 million international).
8. "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," $6.5 million ($4.9 million international).
9. "The Hundred-Foot Journey," $5.6 million.
10. "Into the Storm," $3.8 million ($8.8 million).
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
In Memory
Philippine de Rothschild
Philippine de Rothschild, an energetic and self-certain grande dame of Bordeaux wine who halted an acting career to run vineyards owned by the family dynasty, has died, her company said Sunday. She was 80.
She died Friday in a Paris "from the effects of a serious operation", winemaker Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA said in a statement, without specifying further.
De Rothschild, who cracked a male-dominated wine industry to become company chairwoman and was known by many as simply "The Baroness," understood the ups and downs of bearing one of Europe's best-known family names: As a girl in Nazi-occupied France, she used her mother's maiden name; as a professional actress, she took a stage name.
In a 1999 interview with French newspaper Liberation, she said: "When your name is Rothschild, everyone thinks you had an easy childhood."
Hers - during World War II - was not. Her father, a scion of the fabulously wealthy Jewish banking family, fled to England to join Gen. Charles de Gaulle's expatriate administration. She stayed behind with her mother Elisabeth, who believed that her Catholic religion would spare her deportation.
But in 1944, just two months before the Allies liberated Paris, the Nazis deported her mother to Ravensbrueck, Germany, where she died the next year. De Rothschild, in her comments to Liberation, recalled that she herself was spared deportation only because one German officer thought of his own daughter, who was about the same age, when he saw her. After the war, de Rothschild spent decades at the Comedie Francaise and elsewhere in the theatre circuit, using the stage name Philippine Pascal.
When her father, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, died in 1988, she took control at the family business, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, later renaming it after him.
In business, she used an actor's engaging demeanour. With a raspy voice, she was unafraid to speak her mind and was equally at ease in English and French. She had a penchant for thick earrings and heavy necklaces.
Twice married, she is survived by two sons, a daughter and grandchildren. A funeral is planned Sept. 1 in southwestern Pauillac, said company CEO Hugues Lechanoine.
Philippine de Rothschild
In Memory
Richard Attenborough
Acclaimed actor and Oscar-winning director Richard Attenborough, whose film career on both sides of the camera spanned 60 years, has died. He was 90.
The actor's son, Michael Attenborough told the BBC that his father died Sunday. He had been in poor health for some time.
Attenborough won an Academy Award for best director with "Gandhi" in 1982, only one of many highlights of a distinguished career as actor and director.
With his abundant snow-white hair and beard, Attenborough was one of the most familiar faces on the British arts scene - universally known as "Dickie."
He appeared in a many major Hollywood films, directed a series of movies and was known for his extensive work as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and other humanitarian causes.
As a director, Attenborough made several successful movies, from "Oh What a Lovely War" in 1969 to "Chaplin" and "Shadowlands" in the 1990s. But his greatest success was "Gandhi," a film that was 20 years in the planning and won eight Oscars, including best picture.
The generation that was introduced to Attenborough as an avuncular veteran actor in the 1990s - when he played the failed theme park developer in "Jurassic Park" and Kriss Kringle in a remake of "Miracle on 34th Street" - may not have appreciated his dramatic range.
A small, energetic man with a round face that remained boyish even in old age, he was perfectly cast at the start of his career as the young sailor or airman of British movies during and after World War II.
In his 1942 film debut as a terrified warship's crewman in "In Which We Serve," a 19-year-old Attenborough made a small part into one of the most memorable roles in the movie, which won the Best Picture Oscar.
In 1947, Attenborough gave one of the best performances of his career as the menacing teenage thug Pinkie in "Brighton Rock," the film version of Graham Greene's novel.
He is survived by his wife, Sheila Sim, their son and a daughter.
Richard Attenborough
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