• African-American artist Palmer Hayden painted a work that illustrates how important the creation of art is to some people. The Janitor Who Paints (created about 1937) shows a janitor in his apartment — a super’s apartment that is part of his pay as a janitor — working on a canvas while his wife and child pose for him. In the background is a clock displaying the time of 4:07 — showing that as soon as the artist’s day job was done, he rushed to his apartment and started painting. (Early in his career, Mr. Hayden made money to support his painting by cleaning other people’s homes.)
• Dale Messick was actually Dalia Messick, but she took a more masculine name to avoid having her work rejected by male editors and publishers simply because she was a woman. She created the comic strip Brenda Starr, and she kept on producing the strip even after she became pregnant, although she says that her workday became “throw up, draw Brenda, throw up, draw Brenda.” She liked doing the comic strip and even named her daughter “Starr” and dyed her own hair red like that of her comic strip heroine.
• MAD writer Dick DeBartolo and MAD artist Don Martin used to collaborate, but Mr. DeBartolo quickly noticed that when taking notes, Mr. Martin would sometimes change what he said. For example, when Mr. DeBartolo would write a musical satire, he would say something like, “In the opening panel, we see 50 girls in a line kicking …,” but Mr. Martin would write, “Four girls in a line kicking.” Mr. DeBartolo asked, “Why not 50?” Mr. Martin replied, “Because I have to draw them!”
• During the Depression, Zero Mostel was employed as part of the Art Project, one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s programs to keep the people of the United States working. Mr. Mostel even taught for a while, although he was certainly an unconventional teacher (as are many art teachers). Once he grew hot during a class, so he went swimming in a nearby pool. When an administrator came by and asked Mr. Mostel what he was doing, he replied, “I’m studying water colors.”
• Charles M. Schulz, creator of the comic strip Peanuts, was a very careful worker. For the first four years he drew his comic strip, he never had a spelling error for his editor, Amy Lago, to find and correct. When he finally turned in a strip with a spelling error — he wrote “extention” instead of “extension” — Ms. Lago was so surprised that she checked a dictionary to make sure that “extention” was not an acceptable alternative spelling of “extension.”
• Like many illustrators of children’s books, Pat Cummings frequently gives presentations in schools about her career. After one presentation, she received a letter from a girl who wrote that she had wanted to be an illustrator, but since Ms. Cummings had revealed how much work it was, she now wanted to be a lawyer.
• Pablo Picasso lived until the age of 91, and he created works of art until the end of his life, leaving behind a prodigious amount of art. He created more than 15,000 paintings, as well as creating ceramics, drawings, prints, and sculptures. From the time he was eight years old, he averaged one work of art per day!
This collection of novellas by 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio contains tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death. Considered a masterpiece of Italian prose, what is the title of this book?
The Decameron or Decamerone, subtitled Prince Galehaut (Old Italian: Prencipe Galeotto) and sometimes nicknamed l'Umana commedia ("the Human comedy"), is a collection of novellas by the 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375). The book is structured as a frame story containing 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city. Boccaccio probably conceived of The Decameron after the epidemic of 1348, and completed it by 1353. The various tales of love in The Decameron range from the erotic to the tragic. Tales of wit, practical jokes, and life lessons contribute to the mosaic. In addition to its literary value and widespread influence (for example on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales), it provides a document of life at the time. Written in the vernacular of the Florentine language, it is considered a masterpiece of classical early Italian prose.
Source
Barbara, of Peppy Tech fame wrote:
The answer is "The Decameron."
Jacqueline said:
The Decameron.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, answered:
The Decameron.
Deborah, the Master Gardener replied:
The mighty Wiki tells me Giovanni Bocaccio wrote “The Decameron,” which I’ve never read. I doubt my Italian will ever be comprehensive enough to read that.
Smoke has cleared some, enough for a short bike ride. Evacuation orders are lifted for unincorporated parts of the county, but not all. I have 3 friends who have lost everything; one even lost 6 horses. The devastation is unbelievable: it looks like a war zone in some places. We brought home the old dog from hospital yesterday, unpacked from our possible evacuation, and now see that thunderstorms will be blowing through tomorrow and Monday. Just when you think the worst is over…
Daniel in The City responded:
The Decameron
Joe ( -- Vote Blue, No Matter Who -- ) said:
It's the Decameron. I had no idea, I looked it up. Ya can't know everythin.
Cal in Vermont took the day off.
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BttbBob has returned to semi-retired status.
~~~~~
I found a tip for accessing articles behind paywalls or otherwise unshareable. While I have subscriptions to NY Times, Wapo, LA Times, Daily Beast, and frequently share with you and your readers, I realize many can't read beyond the headlines. However, if you have a Facebook account, you can search for say "CNN", you can find the articles in their entirety AND share. (It is impossible to share their content at all from their website). Most media outlets have a Facebook presence, so it's worth it to explore from that angle. Hope this is helpful!
Me Me Me Me Me! From Politico--LARA TRUMP on NBC’s “WEEKEND TODAY” this morning said that President DONALD TRUMP will be part of the GOP convention “every single night.” Of course,and also, how awful. Such a freaking, needy attention hog & narcissist!
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
The unexpected cat has peeked out a few times, and the kid has been able to pet her, but not for long.
Tonight, Sunday:
CBS starts the night, as usual, with '60 Minutes', followed by a FRESH'Big Brother', then a RERUN'NCIS: The Expendable One', followed by a RERUN"NCIS: The 3rd One'.
NBC fills the night with LIVE'NHL Stanley Cup Stuff', followed by a FRESH'Cannonball', then pads the left coast with local crap.
ABC begins the night with a RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', followed by the FRESH'The Ticket: The Interview - A Special Edition of 20/20', then a RERUN'Press Your Luck', followed by a RERUN'Match Game'.
The CW offers a FRESH'Fridge Wars', followed by a RERUN'Supernatural'.
Faux has a RERUN'Last Man Standing', followed by another (R) 'Last Man Standing', then a RERUN'The Simpsons', followed by a RERUN'Bless The Harts', then a RERUN'Bob's Burgers', followed by a RERUN'Family Guy'.
MY recycles an old 'How I Met Your Mother', followed by another old 'How I Met Your Mother', then an old 'Big Bang Theory', followed by another old 'Big Bang Theory', then still another old 'Big Bang Theory', followed by yet another old 'Big Bang Theory'.
AMC offers the movie 'Ghostbusters II', followed by the movie 'The Goonies', then a FRESH'NOS4A2'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] WEIRD WONDERS
[7:00AM] WEIRD WONDERS
[8:00AM] WEIRD WONDERS
[9:00AM] WEIRD WONDERS -
[10:00AM] TOP GEAR - SEASON 27 — EPISODE 3
[11:30AM] THE BANK JOB
[2:00PM] GANGSTER SQUAD
[4:30PM] ESCAPE PLAN
[7:00PM] WHITE HOUSE DOWN
[10:00PM] NOS4A2 - Bats
[11:04PM] WHITE HOUSE DOWN
[2:04AM] ESCAPE PLAN
[4:35AM] DOCTOR WHO - Resolution (ALL TIMES ET)
Bravo has 'Below Deck Mediterranean', 'Real Housewives Of Potomac', followed by a FRESH'Real Housewives Of Potomac', and another 'Real Housewives Of Potomac'.
FX has the movie 'Happy Death Day', followed by the movie 'Get Out', then the movie 'Get Out', again.
History has 'American Pickers', another 'American Pickers', followed by a FRESH'Apocalypse Earth'.
IFC -
[7:45A] Coneheads
[9:45A] Semi-Pro
[11:45A] Grandma's Boy
[1:45P] The Wolf of Wall Street
[5:45P] Get Hard
[8:00P] I Am Legend
[10:15P] John Wick
[12:30A] I Am Legend
[2:45A] John Wick
[5:00A] The Three Stooges - Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise
[5:30A] The Three Stooges - Boobs in Arms (ALL TIMES ET)
Sundance -
[6:00am] columbo - Mind Over Mayhem
[7:45am] columbo - By Dawn's Early Light
[10:00am] close up with the hollywood reporter - Drama Actresses
[11:00am] fatal attraction
[1:30pm] gangster squad
[4:00pm] a bronx tale
[6:30pm] carlito's way
[9:30pm] scarface
[1:30am] gangster squad
[4:00am] close up with the hollywood reporter - Drama Actresses
[5:00am] hogan's heroes
[5:30am] hogan's heroes (ALL TIMES ET)
SyFy has the movie 'Twister', followed by the movie 'San Andreas', then a FRESH'Wynonna Earp'.
Cher will headline an LGBTQ+ fundraiser for Joe Biden on August 31, and they will be joined by former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
The tickets for the event start at $1,000 per person, and rise to $100,000, either for donating or raising that amount. Donors of $50,000 and above will get to participate in a “virtual clutch.”
The Biden campaign has lined up other entertainment figures for events over the next several weeks. On Wednesday, Will & Grace‘s Debra Messing and Eric McCormack will moderate a conversation on “the value of women voters and leaders,” with Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA) and Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL). Tickets start at $100 per person.
Jennifer Garner will participate in a virtual fundraiser on Sept. 8 with Jill Biden, with tickets starting at $250 per person.
Cyndi Lauper is on the bill for an LGBTQ+ event on Sept. 14, with Buttigieg, Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Tickets start at $100 per person.
A California court ordered President Donald Trump (R-Cheater) this week to pay $44,100 in attorney fees to porn actress Stormy Daniels to pay for her legal battle over her effort to cancel a hush money deal brokered to keep her quiet about their sexual relationship a decade ago.
The order in Superior Court in Los Angeles determined Daniels won her lawsuit against Trump over the agreement that was signed 11 days before the 2016 presidential election. As a part of that deal, the losing party would pay the lawyers fees.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the decision.
The president's personal lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to Daniels, who filed the suit under her legal name Stephanie Clifford. After Trump's election, Daniels sued to void the agreement.
Trump and his supporters denied the president knew about the payment for several years before Trump acknowledged it on Twitter in May 2018 and said he reimbursed Cohen for the money paid to Daniels.
A news anchor has been from his Cleveland radio station for referring the Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris as “colored.”
WTAM brass sent Kyle Cornell packing Thursday after a social media backlash over his remarks that aired in a news teaser during Wednesday night’s Cleveland Indians game. He called her America’s “first colored vice presidential candidate.”
Outraged reaction was swift to hit social media, and the station wasted little time in parting ways with Cornell.
“We are aware of the reference made on WTAM by Kyle Cornell,” WTAM program director said in a statement Thursday. “We take this matter very seriously and addressed it immediately. The term used is extremely offensive and does not align with our station’s core values and commitment to the communities we serve. He is no longer with WTAM.”
Cornell apologized (sic) in an interview with WKYC-TV Cleveland on Thursday. “I wasn’t trying to be malicious or in any way decimate the character or anything like that,” the 26-year-old said. “That was never the goal. And for that, I am truly sorry.”
The famous “floating gardens” of Xochimilco reopened to visitors Friday after a five-month lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic.
The canals that run through man-made islands created by the Aztecs on what is now the south side of Mexico City provide a popular day trip for tourists, with flat-bottom boats plying the water and mariachis playing music.
Seeking to reassure people, the borough government cleaned and disinfected the flower-decked boats and docks, and enforced special hygiene rules, but there were few tourists or revelers for the reopening. That contrasts with the crowds in a good year, like 2015, when about 2 million people visited the floating gardens.
The tourism industry in Mexico accounts for 8.7% of the country's gross domestic product, and has been left gasping by the pandemic as both domestic and foreign tourists stay home. Mexico City, which has nearly 90,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and about 10,000 deaths, is still on the second-highest form of alert.
Boat personnel are required to wear face masks and face shields, and to limit crowd size there is a ban on the traditional practice of tying up two boats so passengers can party in larger groups. The boats can usually hold about 20 passengers in a pinch, but are now limited to 12 passengers. The tradition is to order food from vendors in passing boats, eat, drink and listen to mariachi music.
Voters in North Carolina are receiving absentee ballot request forms that feature President Trump (R-Liar)'s face on them even though the president has continuously criticized mail-in voting in the run-up to the November election.
The mailer, which was sent by the North Carolina Republican Party, requests "immediate action" to "ensure your right to securely vote Absentee."
It features a picture of a smiling Trump, with the words: "ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE DEMOCRATS SILENCE YOU?", followed by "ACT NOW TO STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP."
Voter Chandler Carranza of Gaston County, who received the mailer earlier this week, told CNN that his wife asked him: "Is this a joke?" when she opened the brochure revealing Trump's face.
"The irony is very thick and definitely not lost on me," Carranza said, according to CNN.
The federal Bureau of Land Management has approved construction of three new corrals to hold more than 8,000 wild horses captured on federal rangeland to accelerate horse roundups slowed by a lack of space in existing holding pens.
The bureau issued final decisions on environmental assessments of the plans this week for the pens in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.
The pens are the next step in plans announced last year by the administration of President Donald Trump (R-Sadist) to speed up the capture of 130,000 wild horses over 10 years at an estimated cost of $1 billion.
Backers include the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and American Farm Bureau Federation, which have pushed for the slaughter of excess horses that compete for forage with livestock grazing on U.S. lands.
Objecting to the corrals are wild horse advocates who insist the mustangs should remain in the wild and that the money would be better spent on horse fertility controls, like darting mares on the range with contraceptive drugs.
The Turkish government formally converted a former Byzantine church into a mosque Friday, a move that came a month after it drew praise from the faithful and international opposition for similarly turning Istanbul’s landmark Hagia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer.
A decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published in the country’s Official Gazette, said Istanbul’s Church of St. Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, was handed to Turkey's religious authority, which would open up the structure for Muslim prayers.
Like the Hagia Sophia, which was a church for centuries and then a mosque for centuries more, had operated as a museum for decades before Erdogan ordered it restored as a mosque. It was not immediately known when the first prayers would be held there.
The church, situated near the ancient city walls, is famed for its elaborate mosaics and frescoes. It dates to the 4th century, although the edifice took on its current form in the 11th-12th centuries.
The structure served as a mosque during the Ottoman rule before being transformed into a museum in 1945. A court decision last year canceled the building’s status as a museum, paving the way for Friday’s decision.
The remains of four mummified humans dressed in bright colors and buried in formal graves have been uncovered during work to expand the Quebrada Blanca copper mine in the north of Chile, the mine's operators said on Friday.
The remains were found last year during excavations for a new port and could date back to Mesoamerica's Early Formative Period that ran between around 1,100 and 400 BC, Canada's Teck said.
The company said the mummies, wearing sophisticated turbans and sandals, had been perfectly preserved in the arid climate. Tests are now being run on them to determine their precise age.
"As a result of the saline conditions of the soil, the lack of rainfall and relatively low humidity, the remains are mummified in complete outfits and with a number of implements that indicate their way of life," it said in a statement.
Ancient kitchen areas and living rooms, as well as items including ornaments, baskets, mats and hunting items were also identified, Teck said.
If you've ever been woken up before sunrise by the trilling and chirping of birds outside your window, you may have wondered: why do birds sing so loud, so early in the morning?
Researchers at Duke University say there may be a good reason why birds are most vocal at first light. By singing early and often, a new study suggests, birds perform better during the day.
The morning cacophony is mostly males, whose songs are meant to impress potential mates and rivals.
"It's like they're warming up backstage, before the sun comes up and the curtain rises," said co-author Stephen Nowicki, a biology professor at Duke.
Scientists have proposed various hypotheses for why birds do their most vigorous singing in the early morning hours. One idea is that it's the best time to broadcast, since there's little wind to distort their sound. Others have suggested that the dim light makes it difficult to do much else, like hunt for insects.
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has returned to semi-retired status.
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