Recommended Reading
from Bruce
No catcalls or sleazy comments… just a man who stopped to ask for directions: Watch what happens when a New Zealand model walks through busy city streets in a remake of New York harassment film (Daily Mail)
In a stark contrast, the model [in Auckland, New Zealand] is mostly ignored by passers-by during her five-hour experiment.
Scott Burns: Still Retiring Too Early, Revisited (AssetBuilder)
Has work really become that miserable and unpleasant for so many people? The question came to mind as I read reader responses to a recent column. In it, I asked if we were still quitting at the wrong time-too early. I argued that our increasing longevity suggested we should work longer. Readers disagreed. In fact, they pushed back hard.
Henry Rollins: Cracked Actor (LA Weekly)
Welcome to the world of low-budget film. Whatever it takes to get it done - that's what you do. I used to get mad at this kind of thing, but at this point, I understand. There will be no extra pay, just more work. On a small budget production, there is not a great deal of insulation between you and the production itself. Their challenges become yours.
KIRA COPLIN: Age-subtracting men are multiplying, and it doesn't add up (LA Times)
One of the first men I'd connected with was a talent agent in his late 30s, or so I thought. After exchanging a few messages, he wrote, "Listen, I just want you to know that I'm really 44. I hope that's OK." At least he was upfront about it, and even though we never ended up connecting offline, I figured it was just a fluke.
Susan King: Martin Short writes a book about keeping a smile through hard times (LA Times)
Crying isn't the first reaction you would expect to have after reading Martin Short's autobiography, "I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend." But the Emmy- ("SCTV") and Tony Award-winning ("Little Me") Short, who created such comic characters as the man-child Ed Grimley and the obnoxious talk show host Jiminy Glick, wears his heart on his sleeve when he talks about …
Susan King: Shirley MacLaine still setting her own terms (LA Times)
Shirley MacLaine became such great friends with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin on the set of the 1958 melodrama "Some Came Running" that they made her a mascot of the Rat Pack.
Chris Barton: Herbie Hancock's memoir recalls a creative life and all that jazz (LA Times)
Herbie Hancock has had the kind of career that's unlikely to ever be duplicated. Appearing on landmark recordings with Miles Davis as well as his own band in the 1960s, Hancock memorably scaled to even greater fame while fusing jazz and funk with the Headhunters in the '70s and becoming the first crossover hip-hop artist in the early '80s with the Grammy-winning "Rockit."
Couch Gag from "Simpsorama" | THE SIMPSONS | ANIMATION on FOX (YouTube)
Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Couch gag.
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David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
wrote:
took the day off.
is back to semi-retired.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Spud Goodman « My POV
Dr. Keith Ablow : Two Legged Jackass
You just know when someone keeps raising the volume of their non-stop white noise to garner attention something icky is going to be communicated. The challenge regarding one Dr. Keith Ablow is sifting through the piles of refuse he has dumped on the general public via the Fox News & Fox Business channels along with numerous national publications to determine what is arguably the ickiest. My position is if I were to attempt to adequately shine a light on all the absurdly illogical musings put forth by this physician of psychiatry it would take many, many man hours of which I am not inclined to commit to at this point in time. I will though give a basic overview of just how unbalanced this graduate of Johns Hopkins Medical School is and present a case that just maybe; might support his candidacy for extensive electro shock therapy administered by medical professionals not yet experiencing the degree of psychosis Dr. Ablow is now suffering from.
Let's begin at the beginning. Dr. Keith Ablow was born 11-23-61. From available public records his was an uneventful birth and then it began. A mind developed over the years that would yes, allow him to graduate magna cum laude from Brown University, a medical degree from one of the top programs in this country and later a residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center. Pretty much the perfect launch of a career that could have contributed mightily to the overall good of humanity. I put my thumb on his entry into the media, specifically his many articles in respected publications such as Newsweek, The Washington Post and USA Today and later an initial appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show when I believe his condition began to rapidly metastasize. If not Oprah then for sure his appearance on Good Morning America and The Today Show sealed the deal. It appears at this time his transaction with Satan was allowed to proceed and it gave him a portal to disseminate what was then and even more so now completely disgusting commentary on a garden variety of topics. Most of which were outside the bounds of psychiatry. Yet he was allowed to continue to pontificate because he could I guess. Not one individual stepped up and suggested he might want to first fact check himself before opening his mouth but no one dared or maybe cared enough to do so.
Fast forward to today if you will. Dr. Keith Ablow is currently disseminating crap pulled out of his ideologically biased anus at a faster clip than McDonald's orders during peak hours. Where do I commence? From his crusade in advising parents to prevent their children from glancing at the YV screen during episodes of Dancing With The Stars in which Chaz Bono participated in as it could very well prompt "gender dysphoria" to his pro Newt Gingrich pitch during the GOP primaries in 2012 when he opined the former Speaker of the House's 3 marriages made him more qualified to be President as 3 women publicly indicated their devotion to this great statesman thus providing a mandate of spousal endorsements that others running could not compete with. No mention of his effortless disposal of #1 & # 2 spouses and of course no advice to # 3 to stay on her toes. One of his greatest hits that I still enjoy immensely is his admonition to First Lady Michelle Obama to shed a few pounds and drop the "Let's Eat Healthy" pitch to the kids of America. This from a dude who is carrying a pot belly that could use many millions of crunches immediately. Comparing Michelle Obama's physique to his flabby self is such low hanging fruit I will pass on the opportunity to present the obvious. An additional recent nugget he tossed out for all to enjoy was his proclamation that our President was quite possibly allowing Ebola to spread in our country to allow us the opportunity to share in the burden of the world's suffering from this deadly disease.
I could actually take up more of your valuable time by digging deeper for the carcasses of many more tall tales tossed out by this fine human being. Ok, maybe one more for the road. His recent proclamation that the United States should now declare a jihad both in this country and around the world stating America by definition is exceptional and perfect/noble and whatever other nifty self-congratulatory compliments that would be applicable. His position that every other country on earth would benefit by adopting our constitution is not without merit but he implies we would be really, really strongly advising this not merely suggesting it as a possible new direction to ensure effective governing (like our current Congress displays year around). So what is the Doctors prescribed consequence for the non-believing populations? I guess we will just have to hazard a guess on that as he never did actually come out and state publicly the consequence for disregarding our directive, though one could assume the first step might be an order for our government to immediately submit a purchase order for a couple hundred thousand machetes.
History tells us there will continue to be many more Dr. Keith Ablow's headed our way over the next 100 years or so before earthlings are all microwaved via our fossil fuel death pact sealed years ago. His initial 15 minutes is no great story and I do feel a little guilty wasting the time of those who have read this particular column from start to finish. You will never get that time back and I am truly sorry about this. Let's hope he soon ends up in the same scrap heap of irrelevancy with others who preceded him, i.e. Dr. Laura, Don Imus, Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell, etc. We can only hope I guess. For the time being it is apparent that Fox News will continue to exploit his appeal to our nations wing nuts and or unstable individuals (of which may account for possibly 35% of our population). I am projecting that he has about 2 & ½ more disgusting diatribes he will be permitted to vomit up before Rupert Murdoch's sales team gets the Limbaugh treatment from sponsors after they are buried in emails and phone tree voice mails begging for his head. Money talks and eventually the free market will speak forcing him to involuntarily retreat from public view like a garter snake during a cookout in the back yard. If I was a betting man though I would also venture forth a guess that he most probably will have a second and third act on some other public stage as guys like this are tougher to get rid of permanently than the zombies on The Walking Dead. They just keep coming so ridding this county of Dr. Keith Ablow and his ilk will be difficult if not impossible as alas, there will always be an audience for what he and his peers brings to the table. At least until say maybe 2035 when 96% of the FOX NATION viewers will be worm food. Later.
Dr. Keith Ablow : Two Legged Jackass « My POV
Check out Spud's Podcast
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Thanks, Spud!
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
Still sunny and way too warm.
Oscars 2015
Governors Awards
Harry Belafonte gave one of the all-time great acceptance speeches at Saturday night's Governors Awards, citing Hollywood's often-shameful power to influence attitudes, and challenging the heavy-hitters in the room to instead create works that allow global audiences "to see the better side of who we are as a species."
The performer, receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, pulled no punches, and his words were all the more effective because of the soft, even tone in his voice and the cautious optimism that concluded his speech.
The occasion was the sixth annual Governors Awards, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland, an annual gathering that always mixes a celebration of Hollywood's past, some words of encouragement to the room's artists, and a heavy dose of awards-schmoozing.
The three recipients of Honorary Oscars - Maureen O'Hara, Hayao Miyazaki and Jean-Claude Carriere - all provided moments that were touching and charming. But, concluding the evening with a long and electric speech, Belafonte took things to a whole other level.
The first recipient of the evening was Maureen O'Hara, now 94, who came onstage in a wheelchair and charmed everyone by singing a few lines of "Danny Boy." She read her thanks and when her escort asked her to stand and take a bow, she said "Oh, no!" saying she intended to stay another 10 minutes onstage and tell her life story. She got partway through it, talking about growing up in the FitzSimons family in Ireland, but eventually her mike was removed and she exited the stage in a bittersweet moment.
Governors Awards
Done Writing For Television
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin fans should savor the third and final season of "The Newsroom," which starts Sunday, as it may be his last television project.
"I know the whole 'Never say never' stuff," Sorkin told the Los Angeles Times in an article published Saturday. "But I'm pretty certain I'm about to write my last three episodes of television."
Sorkin made the declaration in May as he was writing the final season of the HBO drama, but hadn't changed his mind when the Times checked back in with him in late October.
"All these months later, I still don't see another series in my near future," Sorkin said. "But, again, you never know. Maybe I'll get another idea."
Aaron Sorkin
Retired Mennonite Pastor Loses Credentials
Chester Wenger
A retired Mennonite pastor from Pennsylvania who lost his credentials after officiating at his gay son's wedding says he hopes the church will someday be more accepting of gays and lesbians.
LNP reports that 96-year-old Chester Wenger of East Lampeter Township wrote in a Mennonite Church USA publication that he happily agreed to officiate at the June 21 wedding.
"I know persons will accuse me for my transgression, but my act of love was done on behalf of the church I love, and my conscience is clear," Wenger, former pastor at Blossom Hill Mennonite Church in Manheim Township, wrote in the online commentary.
L. Keith Weaver, moderator for the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, said Wenger's retired ministerial credential was terminated Sept. 10 based on church guidelines stating that "pastors holding credentials in a conference of Mennonite Church USA may not perform a same-sex covenant."
Wenger's son, Phil, said he would never have requested that his father officiate at the simple backyard wedding if he had foreseen the repercussions. He said his father is worried that Mennonite Church USA may splinter over acceptance of gay members and pastors.
Chester Wenger
Family Members File Documents
Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem's older children have asked a judge that the late DJ's remains be returned to the U.S., The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The bitter feud between Kasem's family and his widow Jean Kasem continues, with his kids from his first marriage having filed legal documents to force Casey's body to be brought back to the U.S. from Norway, where it has resided since August. Casey died on June 15 at the age of 82 after a battle with Parkinson's disease.
Jean had previously stated she intends to bury him in Norway because she is part Norweigan and wants to live there, but the kids allege that his body has been rotting away and has not even been embalmed.
According to TMZ, Casey's family believes Jean wants to prevent an autopsy by allowing the body to decompose, thereby avoiding possible charges of elder abuse.
Casey Kasem
Held Without Charges, Cleared For Release
Torture
A federal judge has turned down a request from a Guantanamo Bay hunger striker to alter the way he is force-fed, including the daily practice of inserting and removing his feeding tube.
U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler on Friday ruled against Syrian prisoner Abu Wa'el Dhiab, who's been held at Guantanamo without charge for 12 years and was cleared for release in 2009.
Last year, Dhiab joined a mass hunger strike to protest the conditions inside the prison and the delays in releasing many detainees who also have been cleared for release.
The judge described Dhiab as "sick, depressed and desperate," but said he did not overcome legal hurdles to change the way he is fed.
Kessler denied Dhiab's request to have the tube that runs through his nose and into his stomach left in place for at least three days. She also said his jailers may continue to use a certain chair to restrain him while he is being fed, even though he argued it significantly worsens his back pain. Kessler said prison officials had not demonstrated "deliberate indifference" in their treatment of Dhiab.
Torture
Arrested In Los Angeles
Andy Dick
Los Angeles police have arrested comedian Andy Dick on suspicion of grand theft.
The arrest of the former "NewsRadio" actor happened late Friday night in Hollywood.
The celebrity gossip website TMZ.com, which first reported the arrest, said Dick allegedly stole the necklace of a man he encountered on Hollywood Boulevard last week.
Police saw Dick riding his bike Friday night and made the arrest.
Andy Dick
Flies Under Ebola Radar
Dengue
One of the most familiar sounds in Malaysia's capital is the approaching drone of a fumigation fogger spewing thick white plumes of insecticide, part of so-far futile efforts to arrest a spiralling dengue fever outbreak.
Malaysia is among several countries across Asia and Latin America grappling with a mosquito-borne virus that is proving tough to eradicate as it infects millions.
While the Ebola threat has captured headlines, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that dengue -- while far less lethal -- has become one of the fastest-growing global health threats, contracted by 50-100 million people each year.
The disease is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and causes debilitating flu-like symptoms, headaches, rashes and severe muscle and joint pains that earned its original name "breakbone fever".
Dengue
Shameful Behavior
FEMA
The residents of Belle Harbor Manor spent four miserable months in emergency shelters after Superstorm Sandy's floodwaters surged through their assisted-living center on New York City's Rockaway peninsula.
Now, the home's disabled, elderly and mostly poor residents have a new headache: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked at least a dozen of them to pay back thousands of dollars in disaster aid.
Robert Rosenberg, 61, was among the Belle Harbor Manor residents who recently got notices from FEMA informing them that they had retroactively been declared ineligible for aid checks they received two years ago in the storm's immediate aftermath. The problem, the letters said, was that the money was supposed to have been spent on temporary housing, but that never happened because the residents were moved from one state-funded shelter to another.
FEMA gave Rosenberg until Nov. 15 to send a refund check for $2,486 or file an appeal.
The demand letters are part of a broader FEMA effort to recover millions of dollars in aid payments that went to ineligible households, either because of errors, a misunderstanding of the rules or outright fraud.
FEMA
Challenge To Law Enforcement
'Dark Web'
No sooner had authorities announced the shuttering of an alleged illegal online drug bazaar than another popped up claiming to take its place.
Welcome to the "dark Web," an increasingly popular corner of the Internet where thousands of computer users from around the globe interact anonymously - and, in many cases, illegally.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice charged a 26-year-old San Francisco man with operating Silk Road 2.0, an anonymous website that authorities say rang up $8 million in monthly drug sales.
On Friday, an underground website calling itself Silk Road 3.0 Reloaded claimed to be open for business on the TOR network, which is linked globally through special browsers that encrypt Internet traffic. Several other websites on the TOR network also claimed to be open for drug transactions.
The dark Web poses new and formidable challenges for law enforcement agencies around the world that have been dealing for decades with more conventional international drug trafficking. The reach and anonymity of these 21st century Internet operations is difficult to penetrate. Silk Road and copycats on the TOR network are not readily visible through popular Internet search sites. The buyers and sellers don't exchange cash, dealing instead in often untraceable digital currencies, usually Bitcoin. So there are no banking records for investigators to subpoena.
'Dark Web'
Cannabis Oil
E-cigarettes
As more states approve the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, an Oklahoma-based electronic cigarette retailer is looking to build a national franchise.
Marijuana is illegal under federal drug laws. But voters in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., approved ballot measures Tuesday to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, joining Washington state and Colorado. And in more than a dozen other states, medical marijuana is available.
The growing availability of legal pot opens the door for Tulsa-based Palm Beach Vapors to market a method for producing a cannabis oil product that can be inhaled through a common e-cigarette, according to CEO and co-founder Chip Paul.
"This is a wave that's kind of sweeping the nation," said Paul, whose company is looking to patent the method and has already signed licensing deals in California and Colorado for what it calls the M-System. He said he intends to set up franchise locations in other states.
The use of marijuana is currently illegal in Oklahoma, but the market for cannabis products is projected to grow as more states move to legalize it. Advocates plan a big push for legalization initiatives on 2016 ballots in California, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada, according to Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.
E-cigarettes
Weekend Box Office
'Big Hero 6'
Disney's animated adventure "Big Hero 6," featuring the inflatable robot Baymax and his prodigy pal Hiro from the Marvel comic book, debuted in first place with $56.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's space saga "Interstellar," starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway as astronauts, took off in second place with $50 million, estimates said.
Before launching in more than 3,500 theaters this weekend, writer-director Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" played Wednesday and Thursday in about 250 theaters equipped to project the movie on film - "The Dark Knight" filmmaker's preferred method of showcasing his creations.
If the estimates hold up, this weekend will mark the fourth time in box office history that a pair of films both opened with $50 million or above. The previous matchups were "Monsters University" vs. "World War Z" in 2013, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" vs. "Prometheus" in 2012, and "WALL-E" vs. "Wanted" in 2008. In each instance, the animated option came out on top.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Big Hero 6," $56.2 million ($7.6 million international).
3. "Interstellar," $50 million ($80 million international).
3. "Gone Girl," $6.1 million ($8.5 million international).
4. "Ouija," $6 million ($3.2 million international).
5. "St. Vincent," $5.7 million.
6. "Nightcrawler," $5.5 million ($1 million international).
7. "Fury," $5.5 million ($7 million international).
8. "John Wick," $4 million. ($1.8 million international).
9. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," $3.5 million ($1.7 million international).
10. "The Book of Life," $2.8 million ($3.5 million international).
'Big Hero 6'
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