Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Waldman: Democrats are angry, and tired of compromise (Washington Post)
If you don't realize how enraged the Democratic base is, you're missing what may be the most important force in American politics right now. And if they should take power in the 2020 elections, I'm pretty sure that when it comes time to start following through on these big ideas, President Warren or President Gillibrand or whoever it is will say, "This is my policy. I'm happy to tell Republicans why I think it's good for the country. If they want to join us, that's great. But I'm not going to change my proposal in order to satisfy them when I'm 99 percent sure they're going to vote against it in the end no matter what. And if they don't like it? Tough luck."
Greg Sargent: Angry about Trump's cruelty and megalomania toward Puerto Rico? You have recourse. (Washington Post)
Democrats themselves should be spending more time pledging serious oversight of the Trump's administration's governing failures, not just of media-friendly (but also important) things such as Trump's self-dealing and finances, and their potential overlap with the Russia investigation. This is now beginning to happen in a serious way.
Jordan Weissman: Jeff Bezos' $2 Billion Donation to Build Preschools and Fight Homelessness Is, Well, Morally Complicated (Slate)
But while [Bezos] is busy trying to use his fortune to help the poorest of the poor, his company has become an almost perfect diorama of American inequality-from his own outrageous wealth, to the highly paid executives and tech employees, to the underpaid warehouse workers who often need to use food stamps to get by. Especially since so much of his wealth is tied up in the stock value of his company, every dollar Bezos gives away is in part a reminder that many of his workers could use a raise.
David Smith: "Bob Woodward: 'Too many people are emotionally unhinged about Trump'" (The Guardian)
… in Fear, [Woodward] meticulously builds a case against Trump's fitness for office. He has no need to shout it from the rooftops because the facts are staring us in the face. His body of evidence, charting how decisions get made or don't in a jaw-droppingly dysfunctional White House, is a welcome antidote to the daily blizzard of online agitprop, rumours and conspiracy theories.
Lucy Mangan: In praise of Matilda, Roald Dahl's most inspiring heroine (Stylist)
Could you love anyone who did not love Matilda? The book and the eponymous heroine, a bookworm whose frustration and anger at her neglectful family and bullying headmistress manifest as telekinetic powers that eventually provide justice for all, are both among Roald Dahl's best.
Lucy Mangan: Killing Eve review - comedy, tragedy and thrills, this spy series has it all (The Guardian)
Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge shakes up the genre, in a show that wears its feminist credentials lightly
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Presenting
Michael Egan
replied:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Anecdotes
• In 1971, Twiggy went to Los Angeles to promote her first movie, The Boy Friend. While there, the publicity department asked if she wanted to meet any stars. As it happened, she did want to meet a particular star-she would love to meet Fred Astaire. Unfortunately, the publicity department pointed out that he was a very private man. Twiggy replied that she respected Mr. Astaire's privacy, then gave up hope of meeting him. The very next day, she received a phone call inviting her to have tea with him. Here's why: An MGM secretary who was a friend of Mr. Astaire's had overheard her conversation with the publicity department and had told Mr. Astaire about it.
• The great can be mistaken for the ordinary. Charles Hanson Towne, a poet and the editor of McClure's Magazine, had long wanted to meet an actress, Mrs. Minnie Fiske, who was famous in the early 20th century. One day, he had his chance. She was playing at a benefit, and as she stepped off the stage into the wings, he was waiting for her. Mr. Towne poured out his admiration for her, and when he had finished, Mrs. Fiske tapped him on the arm with her lorgnette and smiled at him, then said, "Thank you, Mr. Electrician," and left.
• John Garfield was born Jules Garfinkle but changed his name when he started in the movie business. He became a big star, and he enjoyed being recognized by his fans. In a restaurant, he noticed a woman staring at him. He enjoyed the attention-but he was surprised when she said, "I know you! You're Jules Garfinkle from P.S. 38." She had gone to school with him.
• Ballet stars are celebrities. Peter Martins of the New York City Ballet was constantly bothered by a woman who wrote him marriage proposals and sent him photographs of herself. After about two years, fortunately, she sent him a photograph of himself-torn up-then left him alone.
• Being a ballerina is thought to be a glamorous profession, but Alicia Markova writes that whenever she danced the role of Giselle and had to throw herself to the floor, very often she had spend time in between the acts scrubbing away grime from her arms and shoulders- even in the best opera houses-so that she could put on her makeup for the second act.
• Sir Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, disliked fans and sycophants. One man, who had just been introduced to him, said, "This is the proudest moment of my life, my lord." Sir Arthur replied, "Don't be a fool, sir."
• Suzanne Farrell was an important ballerina with the New York City Ballet for many years, but the thing that really impressed her young nephews and nieces was her guest appearances on Sesame Street.
• Samuel Johnson once found himself surrounded by a group of admiring women. After enduring their staring at him as if he were an animal in a zoo, he told them, "Ladies, I am tame. You may stroke me."
• Marlon Brando once observed something strange about being a movie star: "Once you are a star actor, people start asking you questions about politics, astronomy, archaeology, and birth control."
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Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
"IT'S ONLY REAL IF I SAY SO."
THE RAPIST!
"TANGLED IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL."
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny & seasonal.
First No. 1 Album in Over 36 Years
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney achieves his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart in over 36 years, as his new studio effort, Egypt Station, bows atop the list.
The set, which was released on Sept. 7 via MPL/Capitol Records, launches with a larger-than-expected 153,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 13 according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 147,000 were in traditional album sales.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Sept. 22-dated chart, where Egypt Station debuts at No. 1, will be posted in full on Billboard's websites on Tuesday, Sept. 18.
Of Egypt Station's 153,000 units, the majority were powered by traditional album sales: 147,000 copies sold. The remainder was comprised of SEA units (5,000) and TEA units (1,000).
McCartney's Eighth No. 1 Album: Egypt Station gives McCartney his eight No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He last led the list for three consecutive weeks in 1982 with Tug of War (on the May 29 through June 12-dated charts). McCartney's tally of eight leaders includes his albums with Wings, some of which were credited to Paul McCartney & Wings (Red Rose Speedway; Band on the Run). Of course, McCartney is also a member of The Beatles, and they still own the record for the most No. 1s on the Billboard 200 with 19 chart-toppers. The Beatles last led the tally with the greatest hits collection 1, which spent eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in December 2000 through February 2001.
Paul McCartney
Human Rights Campaign
Anne Hathaway
On Saturday night at the 22nd annual Human Rights Campaign national dinner, 35-year-old actress Anne Hathaway was recognized for using her powerful voice to fight for LGBTQ equality.
"I really needed this," she said as she accepted the award in the nations capitol, which was presented by her Oceans 8 co-star Awkwafina, who called Hathaway "my friend and sister."
"I think I'm probably walking around like most people right now. I'm pretty shell shocked by what I see every day, what I hear everyday," said the star. "And I really don't like to admit this, but I get scared."
Speaking to the ladies, gentlemen and "gentlethem," the Oscar winner denounced white, straight and cisgender privilege.
"It is important to acknowledge with the exception of [not] being a cisgender male, everything about how I was born has put me at the current center of a damaging and widely accepted myth," she said.
Anne Hathaway
Hair-Shamed
Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph is one of the funniest women on the planet, and most of us figured that out when she debuted on Saturday Night Live in 2000 - her first of nearly seven years on the show. But while we may remember her hilarious impressions and original characters, she recently told The New York Times Magazine that her SNL memories include being made to feel bad about her hair.
Rudolph, who is the daughter of late, black vocalist Minnie Riperton and Jewish songwriter Richard Rudolph, says she arrived at SNL with what she calls "super, super, super-thick and super-curly" hair. "My hair was natural when I started Saturday Night Live, but it was so thick to get under the wigs," she recalls, noting that her time on the show was an overall positive experience. The New York Times Magazine reports that this prompted Rudolph to start spending several hours a week straightening her hair, including a professional blow-out session with the show's hair-department head, Jodi Mancuso, every Friday night.
The blow-dry station, it turns out, "was on the same hallway as a lot of the dudes' dressing rooms," she told writer Caity Weaver. "And every [expletive] Friday night, we'd hear some [expletive] white guy walking down the hall going, 'Is something burning in here? What's burning?'"
Her response? A frustrated, staccato "I'm. Get-ting. My. Hair. Done."
Heartbreakingly, it's the comedy talent that made her famous that she relied upon to deal with people who'd say insensitive things about her hair. "I know that part of owning being funny was an armor, and was, like, to literally not cry. It's a protection. Just be like: 'Oh, yeah! I'm the lady with the crazy hair,'" she said, because responding with humor was "so much better than the painful alternative. The alternative is I'm an ugly duckling. I'm just a weirdo."
Maya Rudolph
Far From Glamorous
William Shatner
The original "Star Trek" series is one of the most popular sci-fi series of all time. But for years, it was a flop that left William Shatner performing out of the back of his truck.
"Star Trek" broke countless boundaries, solidified science fiction in popular culture, and sparked a relationship with fans for 50 years and counting, and it remains one of the most beloved television shows in history. But it wasn't always this way.
On Sept. 5, Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk in the series, joined the podcast "The James Altucher Show" on stage here at the comedy club StandUp NY to discuss his new book, "Live Long And …: What I Learned Along the Way" (Thomas Dunne Books, 2018). Space.com attended the event, where Shatner also discussed the show's difficult early years. Indeed, "Star Trek" wasn't an instant success.
"We were being canceled every year … They were canceling, and they weren't canceling," Shatner recalled during the podcast. "The third year, we limped along Friday nights." And, after the third season, the show was canceled.
In the months and years following the cancellation of "Star Trek," Shatner and the rest of the cast weren't given many offers, jobs or accolades. In fact, as Shatner explained during the taping, after the show was canceled, he toured around the East Coast in his truck, producing, directing and acting in his own performances, often with other known actors.
William Shatner
Commercial Whaling Bid Blocked
Japan
Japan's determined bid to return to commercial whale hunting was blocked by anti-whaling nations in a tense vote Friday at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Brazil.
Anti-whaling nations led by Australia, the European Union and the United States, defeated Japan's "Way Forward" proposal in a 41 to 27 vote.
Japan's vice-minister for fisheries Masaaki Taniai said he regretted the vote's outcome, and threatened to leave the 89-member organization if progress could not be made towards a return to commercial whaling.
"If scientific evidence and diversity is not respected, if commercial whaling is completely denied ... Japan will be pressed to undertake a fundamental reassessment of its position as a member of the IWC," he said.
Japan had sought consensus but had been forced to push the proposal to a vote "to demonstrate the resounding voices of support" for a return to sustainable whaling for profit.
Japan
Sold For $190M (In Cash)
Time Magazine
Meredith Corp. has sold Time Magazine to Salesforce.com chairman, co-CEO and founder Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne, for $190 million in cash.
The news comes 10 months after Meredith sealed a $2.8 billion deal to acquire Time Inc. with the backing of conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. The all-cash transaction closed in the first quarter of 2018 and gave Meredith other titles including People and Better Homes & Gardens.
The Benioffs not be involved in the day-to-day operations or journalistic decisions, which will continue to be led by Time's current executive leadership team. They also are making their purchase of Time magazine personally and keeping it separate from Salesforce, which is a cloud computing company based in San Francisco.
Meredith also is in the process of trying to sell Fortune, Money and Sports Illustrated as it aims to focus on brands serving its core female audience. The company said it expects to announce agreements for the those titles in the near future.
Time Magazine
Thinks ...
Michael Moore
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore said he believes President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Crooked) either wrote or directed one of his staffers to write the anonymous Op-Ed in The New York Times that described an alleged "resistance" effort within his administration.
"Trump or one of his minions wrote it," Moore told CNN in an interview published Sunday. "He's the master distractor. He's the king of the misdirect. If we have learned anything by now, it's that he does things to get people to turn away."
He continued: "Let me give you the line in there that is most identifiable that he wants the public to believe. It's the line that says, 'Don't worry, adults are in the room.' That's the idea, to get us to calm down and look away from what he's really doing."
In his interview with CNN, Moore called Trump an "evil genius" and said Americans should expect him to be a two-term president.
"Too many people in the summer of 2016 were so sure Hillary [Clinton] was going to win, saying no one is going to vote for this idiot," Moore said. "He could win again. I operate as if he is a two-term Trump. I have to. If you think any other way you are guaranteeing that whoever is going to run against him will lose."
Michael Moore
To Reopen
Sunspot Solar Observatory
An observatory in the mountains of southern New Mexico that had been closed since early September because of an undisclosed security concern is now scheduled to reopen on Monday.
Officials overseeing the Sunspot Solar Observatory say that there is no longer a security threat to staff. The facility closed on Sept. 6.
The officials with the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy and the National Science Foundation say Sunday they have hired a temporary security team to patrol the observatory when it reopens. Located atop Sacramento Peak, the observatory was established in 1947.
Officials said Sunspot's one-of-a-kind telescope produces some of the sharpest images of the sun available in the world. Data from observations done at Sunspot is sent to New Mexico State University servers and can be used by researchers around the world.
Sunspot Solar Observatory
Weekend Box Office
'The Predator'
"The Predator" is at the top of the food chain in its first weekend in theaters.
20th Century Fox said Sunday that the film earned an estimated $24 million from more than 4,000 North American theaters.
Second place went to the "Conjuring" spinoff "The Nun," which added $18.2 million in its second weekend. The horror pic has now grossed over $85 million.
Lionsgate's "A Simple Favor" opened close behind in third place with $16.1 million. The film from director Paul Feig stars Anna Kendrick as a mommy blogger investigating the disappearance of her friend played by Blake Lively. Feig has referred to it as a "friller," a fun thriller. Female moviegoers drove the solid opening, making up 67 percent of the audience.
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."The Predator," $24 million ($30.7 million international).
2."The Nun," $18.2 million ($33.1 million international).
3."A Simple Favor," $16.1 million ($3.5 million international).
4."White Boy Rick," $8.8 million.
5."Crazy Rich Asians," $8.7 million ($7.3 million international).
6."Peppermint," $6.1 million ($1.8 million international).
7."The Meg," $3.8 million ($6.1 million international).
8."Searching," $3.2 million ($6 million international).
9."Unbroken: Path to Redemption," $2.4 million.
10."Mission: Impossible - Fallout," $2.3 million ($15.9 million international).
'The Predator'
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