Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Be Ready to Vote (In Florida)
Florida's election laws have changed. Check your voter status! Are you registered to vote? Has your name or address changed? Contact your local Supervisor of Elections office today!
Marc Dion: Stealing Lingerie for Jesus (Creators Syndicate)
Like many people raised during the Depression, my parents would let the teenage me work at any job, among any kind of people, at any hour. So, when I was 14, I was washing dishes in a restaurant whose bar was less than savory. By the time I was in my mid-teen years, I was a janitor in a large hotel where, despite the lobby's clear glass and potted plant loveliness, the staff, minimum wagers all of us, included a number of people who couldn't read, hadn't finished high school, were unwise in their use of recreational substances and were on either probation or parole.
Samuel L. Jackson's Wake The Fuck Up Ad (YouTube)
Actor Samuel L. Jackson stars in a new web video that parodies his own audio recording of the mock children's book, "Go the F*** to Sleep."?This time, however, Jackson is reaching out to voters--not frustrated parents--urging Americans to "Wake the F*** Up" and vote for President Barack Obama. (Obviously, not work safe without headphones, but there's also a bleeped version.) In the nearly four-minute video told like a children's book, Jackson narrates a metrical tale of disenchanted Obama fans who have since dialed down their support.
Froma Harrop: Tedious Attacks on 'Mainstream Media' (Creators Syndicate)
Last week, the most-read items on the RealClearPolitics website were complaints about the "mainstream media." Basically, it was Mitt Romney supporters claiming that their man was behind in polls because the so-called mainstream media were biased against conservatives. On the left, meanwhile, the beefs tend to focus on "what the media aren't reporting" - most often plundering by big business. About 11 out of 10 times these commentators know "what the media aren't reporting" because they read about it ... where?
Connie Schultz: End the Boy Scout Bullying (Creators Syndicate)
Last week, Intel, the Boy Scouts' largest corporate donor - reportedly $700,000 in 2010 alone - announced that it will not contribute to the BSA as long as it continues to discriminate based on sexual orientation. In a statement released to ThinkProgress, Intel's chief diversity officer, Rosalind Hudnell, said: "Due to significant growth in the number of organizations funded, earlier this year we revisited our policies associated with the program, and applied new rigor that requires any organization to confirm that it adheres to Intel's anti-discrimination policy in order to receive funding." This week, the United Way of Greater Cleveland announced that it's pulling $100,000 in funding for the Scouts for the same reason.
Matt Miller: It's the filibuster, stupid (The Washington Post)
Here's my plea to Jim Lehrer: At the first presidential debate in Denver next Wednesday, ask the candidates if they are in favor of restoring majority rule in this country. In other words, ask them if they would urge the Senate to scrap the filibuster-and if not, how do they expect to get anything done?
David Lazarus: Do-not-call list is almost like a feel-free-to-call-any-time list (LA Times)
Complaints about so-called robocalls have soared in the last two years, and federal authorities are hot for new technology to block automated calls.
Roger Ebert: Tell me about acupuncture
I don't have any answers in this entry, which will calm those who think I never do. I have questions, and the answers will appear in the comments. I want you to share your experience with acupuncture.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce's Blog
David Bruce has 42 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $42 you can buy 10,500 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," "Maximum Cool," and "Resist Psychic Death."
"Doug's Most Shared Facebook Post" Today
wrote:
took the day off.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
BadtotheboneBob
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Pt. 2
The Lake as Sculptor...
'The Flower Vase'...
'Battleship Row'...
Note the tree on the bear-looking rock. Its roots extend across to where there's soil. Truly a natural curiosity... another view below from straight on...
The trees try very hard to exist on the rock...
Finally, what is billed as 'Indian Head Point'
This was once Ojibwe land. Spiritually, it still is...
Photos by BadtotheboneBob
Thanks, B2tbBob!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hot, with lots of ants.
Environmental Media Association Awards
'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax'
The feature film "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax," documentary "Chasing Ice" and HBO comedy "Veep" are among the winners of this year's Environmental Media Association Awards.
The organization presented its 22nd annual honours for programs that raise awareness about environmental issues Saturday at a private ceremony on a sound stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif.
Malin Akerman, who hosted the event, performed with her band and announced that she is expecting her first child with husband Roberto Zincone.
Other winners announced Saturday include the Disney Channel show "Handy Manny" and the National Geographic Channel's reality show, "Superfish: Bluefin Tuna." Jessica Alba and Ian Somerhalder were also recognized for their environmental contributions.
'Dr. Seuss' The Lorax'
Half Over
Oktoberfest
This year's Oktoberfest folk festival has already attracted an estimated 3.6 million visitors, the city of Munich said Sunday.
Officials are expecting a total of about 6 million visitors to celebrate the 16-day extravaganza, now half over, but the beer festival's start indicates the final number might well be higher.
The Oktoberfest is best known for its bands of oompah music playing in cavernous tents, local men wearing traditional Bavarian Lederhosen leather shorts and women in bright costumes.
This year's visitors have consumed 3.6 million two-pint (one-litre) mugs of beer so far. A mug, called "mass" in German, of the malty pale beer sells for up to €9.50 ($12.30).
Oktoberfest
Hans Christian Andersen Literature Prize
Isabel Allende
Chilean author Isabel Allende has won a Danish literature prize for her "magical and spellbinding storytelling."
The 500,000 kroner ($86,000) Hans Christian Andersen Literature Prize is given to a writer whose works compare with those of the legendary Andersen, who was born in 1805 and wrote about 160 fairytales and poems before his death in 1875.
More than 57 million copies of Allende's books, which incorporate elements of magic and fantasy, have been sold worldwide, most notably "The House of the Spirits," which catapulted her to fame when it was published in 1982.
Previous award recipients include Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and "Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling.
Isabel Allende
Wedding News
Hathaway - Shulman
Actress Anne Hathaway married fiancé Adam Shulman at a wedding on the scenic coast of Big Sur, California, celebrity media reports said on Sunday.
Hathaway, 29, known for roles in "The Devil Wears Prada," "The Princess Diaries" and "The Dark Knight Rises," married jewelry designer Shulman at a private estate on the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline south of San Francisco, according to reports in People and Us magazines which included pictures of Hathaway in a white gown with veil and train.
The couple became engaged last November and married on Saturday night before more than 100 invited guests, with Hathaway wearing a custom Valentino gown, People said. It was the first marriage for each.
Hathaway - Shulman
Russian Church Says To Repent
Pussy Riot
The Russian Orthodox Church on Sunday called for members of the Pussy Riot punk band to repent, on the eve of an appeal court hearing they hope will quash their two-year jail sentences for performing an anti-Kremlin song in Moscow's main cathedral.
The three women - who belted out a "punk prayer" criticizing President Vladimir Putin's close ties to the Russian Orthodox Church - were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" by a district court on August 17.
The tough jail sentences they received saw the West sharply criticize Putin and the Kremlin because of doubts over the independence of the judiciary, and global celebrities, including British musician Paul McCartney and U.S. pop singer Madonna, called for leniency for the women.
"The fact the church is calling for that is nothing but a public relations move to sustain their reputation in the eyes of the public, as the church says it is separate from the state."
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has called Putin's 12-year rule a "miracle of God" and backed his presidential election campaign earlier this year.
Pussy Riot
Makes Marcus Bachmann Cry
California
Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill banning a controversial therapy that aims to reverse homosexuality in minors, his office announced on Sunday, making California the first state to ban a practice many say is psychologically damaging.
The move marked a major victory for gay rights advocates who say so-called conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, has no medical basis because homosexuality is not a disorder.
Brown said in a short message on Twitter that he supported the bill because it "bans non-scientific 'therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide."
The measure prohibits children and teens under 18 from undergoing sexual orientation change efforts. It received support from the California Psychological Association and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, among others.
California
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is back in the news, this time in a hotel-room quarrel that began over a set of cell phone photos allegedly taken by a part time Congressional aide.
The aide, Christian LaBella (R-Ill), of Valley Village, Calif., was arrested early this morning at the W Hotel in New York City, after Lohan claimed he had assaulted her, but the misdemeanor charges against him were later dropped.
The 26-year-old actress told police she met LaBella, 25, at celeb hot spot 1 Oak and invited him, along with three of her friends, back to her room at the W Hotel in Union Square early Sunday morning.
Once in the room, Lohan told police she found pictures of herself on LaBella's phone and confronted him. The actress said LaBella allegedly threw her on a bed when she did not hand over his phone, leaving her with scratches, police said.
Lindsay Lohan
Arrest Voided
Christian LaBella
A 25-year-old man initially arrested Sunday on an assault charge after Lindsay Lohan claimed he grabbed her in a New York hotel room in an argument over cellphone images was freed hours later and his arrest voided when the charge could not be substantiated, law enforcement officials said.
Instead, Christian LaBella of Valley Village, Calif., and Lohan were filing harassment complaints with police against each other after they were interviewed by police about their run-in, law enforcement officials said.
Christian LaBella
Fan Bites
Danny Bonaduce
Former child TV star Danny Bonaducesays a crazed fan bit him during an event at a Washington state casino.
The former "Partridge Family" actor tells The News Tribune of Tacoma the woman asked him if she could kiss him and then sank her teeth into his cheek for about a minute until others pulled her off.
Bonaduce, who works these days as a radio DJ in Seattle, said the woman was taken into custody Friday, but he doesn't plan to press charges.
His face had a bright red mark a day later, when he said what he was thinking during the attack, "Bath salts," he said, referencing a designer drug linked to bizarre and violent behavior in users.
Danny Bonaduce
2 Swedish Concerts Cancelled
Art Garfunkel
Swedish concert organizers say Art Garfunkel failed to show up at two scheduled events and instead flew home to the United States.
Organizer Niels Estrup told the Sydsvenskan paper on Sunday that the iconic 1960s pop singer failed to appear at Night of the Proms, a fusion of classical and pop music, in Goteborg on Friday and Malmo on Saturday.
Organizers say they didn't find Garfunkel at the hotel but later learned he had left the country along with his staff.
It is unclear why 70-year-old Garfunkel skipped the concert, though organizer Julius Malmstrom told the Sydsvenskan that he had seen the singer in Goteborg on Thursday and said Garfunkel looked healthy but did not seem confident about his voice.
Art Garfunkel
Vermont Lawn Art
Willie Mays
Every September for the last few years, drivers along a stretch of road in northern Vermont are greeted with some unusual lawn art commemorating what many consider to be one of the greatest defensive plays in baseball history: Willie Mays' over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.
Large wooden cutouts featuring paintings of Mays' remarkable grab are displayed in sequence by Rich Tarrant Jr., CEO of MyWebGrocer.com and former Republican Senatorial candidate. (Tarrant lost to Bernie Sanders in 2006.)
Tarrant's friend, the artist Thom Ross, created the cutouts in 2004 for the 50th anniversary of "The Catch." Ross displayed them at the site of the old Polo Grounds in New York where Mays, the Giants' Hall of Fame centerfielder, made the Sept. 29. 1954 catch.
The San Francisco-born artist eventually gave them to Tarrant, who now displays them every fall along the South Burlington, Vt., road.
Willie Mays
Weekend Box Office
"Hotel Transylvania"
Adam Sandler's monster mash-up "Hotel Transylvania" has brought theweekend box office back to life after a late-summer slump.
The animated comedy from Sony Pictures debuted at No. 1 with $43 million, one of the strongest starts ever for a movie opening in September, according to studio estimates Sunday.
This weekend's box office was further strengthened by a solid No. 2 debut for another Sony release, Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's time-travel thriller "Looper," which took in $21.2 million.
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Open Road Films' police story "End of Watch," fell to No. 3 with $8 million, raising its domestic total to $26.2 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Hotel Transylvania," $43 million ($8.1 million international).
2. "Looper," $21.2 million ($8.5 million international).
3. "End of Watch," $8 million.
4. "Trouble with the Curve," $7.5 million.
5. "House at the End of the Street," $7.2 million ($1.5 million international).
6. "Pitch Perfect," $5.2 million.
7. "Finding Nemo," $4.1 million ($1.1 million international).
8. "Resident Evil: Retribution," $3 million ($20.7 million international).
9. "The Master," $2.75 million.
10. "Won't Back Down," $2.7 million.
"Hotel Transylvania"
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