Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Turn It Off! (YouTube)
Cat expresses dislike.
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: The Marriage Proposal (YouTube)
See what happens when a young couple in love gets Cookie Masterson involved
Harold Meyerson: What happens if GOP's voter suppression works? (Washington Post)
By creating restrictions that disproportionately impact minorities, they're supposed to bolster Republican prospects. Ticking off Republican achievements in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives, their legislative leader, Mike Turzai, extolled in a talk last month that "voter ID .?.?. is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania."
Paul Krugman: Fire Fred DeMarco (New York Times)
I don't know what DeMarco's specific legal mandate is. But there is simply no way that it makes sense for an agency director to use his position to block implementation of the president's economic policy, not because it would hurt his agency's operations, but simply because he disagrees with that policy. This guy needs to go.
Mark Morford: Your terrifying lack of imagination (SF Gate)
… despite a seemingly relentless dumbing down at the hands of the media, the GOP and the Texas Board of Education, I think the human soul is hard wired for divine imagination. It's true.
Carole Cadwalladr: "Pussy Riot: will Vladimir Putin regret taking on Russia's cool women punks?" (Guardian)
The feminist collective hit the headlines when three members were arrested after an anti-Putin protest. Now they face up to seven years in jail, a prospect that has shocked and radicalised many Russians. On the eve of their trial, some of the women speak exclusively.
U.S. Still Religious, But Trust In Institutions Wanes (NPR)
Something is happening when it comes to religion in America. Though more Americans go to church or believe in God than their counterparts in virtually every other Western country, fewer Americans now trust religious institutions.
Multiple Smashwords Authors Hit New York Times Bestseller List (Smashwords)
We knew this day was coming. Self-published ebook authors are landing on the New York Times bestseller list in a big way. … Congrats to Colleen Hoover (Slammed at #8, Point of Retreat at #18), R.L. Mathewson (Playing for Keeps at #16), Lyla Sinclair (Training Tessa at #17) and Bella Andre (If You Were Mine at #22, Can't Help Falling in Love at #23, and I Only Have Eyes for You at #24).
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Lulu Storefront
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
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."
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Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Day 24
Gulf Fritillary
Came across some Gulf Fritillary larva
on the back fence, so it looks like we'll have a third year of raising butterflies. : )
Click on any picture for a larger version.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and a bit humid.
Intrepid Concert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert is hosting another music extravaganza, and this time, he's got missiles.
The comedian announced Tuesday on "The Colbert Report" that he will host a concert on Aug. 10 aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. Performing will be the Flaming Lips, Santigold, Grandmaster Flash, Grizzly Bear, and the band fun.
Colbert is calling the event "StePhest Colbchella '012: RocktAugustFest." The performances and Colbert's interviews with each act will be shown on "The Report" during the week of Aug. 13.
Colbert quipped in a statement: "Does Bonnaroo have cruise missiles? I think not."
Stephen Colbert
Broadway Will Dim Lights In Memory
Gore Vidal
Broadway theaters will dim their marquee lights on Friday night in memory of Gore Vidal and the cast of his play "The Best Man" will dedicate the next week of performances to the author and playwright.
The Broadway League said Wednesday the lights will be dimmed for one minute at exactly 8 p.m. EDT Friday. Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin called Vidal's work both "timely and timeless."
The second revival of his political play "The Best Man" opened in April with strong reviews and a stellar cast that included James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, John Larroquette, Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack, Michael McKean and Kerry Butler.
The show currently stars Cybill Shepherd, John Stamos, Kristin Davis, Mark Blum and Elizabeth Ashley, in addition to Larroquette and Jones.
Gore Vidal
Trumps 'Citizen Kane'
'Vertigo'
Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" took the top spot in the 10 greatest-movies-ever list compiled by Sight & Sound, ending the 50-year run for Welles' "Citizen Kane." The magazine, published by the British Film Institute, surveys international film critics every decade.
"Citizen Kane" slid to second, making way for Hitchcock's 1958 psychological drama starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. "Vertigo" edged "Citizen Kane" by 34 votes in the poll, which gathered lists from 846 critics, programmers, academics and distributors.
"Vertigo" has gradually inched up the poll in recent decades, asHitchcock's thriller has steadily grown in stature since its initial mixed reception.
Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Story" ranked third, followed by Jean Renoir's "The Rules of the Game"; F.W. Murnau's "Sunrise"; Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey"; and John Ford's "The Searchers." Carl Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" ranks ninth followed by Federico Fellini's "8 1/2."
'Vertigo'
Hitchcock Ruined Career, Not Life
Tippi Hedren
Tippi Hedren says she survived working with Alfred Hitchcock, but her career was another matter.
Hedren's experience on the famed British film director's "The Birds" and "Marnie" is dramatized in the new HBO movie, "The Girl."
Hitchcock is portrayed as obsessed with Hedren and cruelly vindictive when the actress rejects his advances.
The 82-year-old Hedren told the Television Critics Association on Wednesday that Hitchcock ruined her career, but he didn't ruin her life. Hedren says she had to fight to get out of her contract with the director, and she lost roles because of it.
Tippi Hedren
Show Gets Name Change
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper's syndicated talk show is undergoing big changes for its upcoming second season.
Cooper's daytime gabfest, formerly known as "Anderson," has been rechristened "Anderson Live." The name change reflects a switch to a live format that will also incorporate revolving co-hosts.
And in case that isn't enough of a shakeup, the show will now tape at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, moving from its previous home of Jazz at Lincoln Center's The Allen Room, which is located in New York's Time Warner Center.
The new setting and live format will "enable Cooper to cover stories while they are breaking and update his viewers with the latest news, truly becoming water cooler TV in the daytime," according to a statement issued by the show Tuesday.
Anderson Cooper
Gets New Title For Season 2
"American Horror Story"
When FX's hit spooky drama "American Horror Story" returns to the air for its second season, it will have more than a few new faces. It will also have a new title.
"American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy revealed Tuesday that the second season of the series will be dubbed "American Horror Story: Asylum." The season will be set in 1964.
"We picked 'Asylum' because it not only describes the setting - an insane asylum run by Jessica Lange's character which was formerly a tuberculosis ward - but also signifies a place of haven for the unloved and the unwanted," Murphy said. "This year's theme is about sanity and tackling real life horrors."
Lange is returning, along with several other cast members from Season 1 of the series, although they will all play different characters than they did in the first go-round. A number of new cast members are coming aboard, including "The Voice" coach Adam Levine, James Cromwell, and Chloe Sevigny.
"American Horror Story"
CBS Pulls Show
"3"
CBS has pulled the reality dating show "3," which had the network's lowest rating ever for a new series debut, after two episodes.
The show debuted Thursday to a 0.8 rating/2 share in the key 18-49 demographic and 2.4 million total viewers. By Sunday, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler was already referring to it in the past tense at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.
Drama reruns will run in place of "3" on Sunday nights until "The Good Wife" returns in the fall.
The show, based on a similar reality series, followed three women who supported one another as they looked for love.
"3"
New Orleans Bar Dispute
Cuba Gooding Jr.
An arrest warrant issued for Cuba Gooding Jr. was lifted on Wednesday after the "Jerry Maguire" actor met with police in New Orleans regarding an incident in which he allegedly pushed a female bartender.
New Orleans police spokeswoman Remi Braden told Reuters that Gooding and his lawyer met with police on Wednesday and Gooding was summoned to appear in court at a later date.
"There is no warrant. Mr. Gooding, his representative and the New Orleans authorities met this morning and are moving swiftly to resolve this misunderstanding," Gooding's publicist Nancy Kane said in a statement.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Pepper-Spray Cop No Longer Employed
UC Davis
Lt. John Pike, the University of California Davis police officer who pepper-sprayed student protesters last November, is no longer employed by the university.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the circumstances of Lt. Pike's departure are not known. UC Davis spokesperson Barry Shiller said, "Consistent with privacy guidelines established in state law and university policy, I can confirm that John Pike's employment with the university ended on July 31, 2012. I'm unable to comment further."
Pike became infamous when he sprayed students who were participating in an Occupy event on the university campus. Videos and photos of the incident went viral and Pike was widely vilified for what many believed was an unnecessary attack. The hacker group Anonymous released Pike's personal information into the public domain.
Lt. Pike had been on leave from the university's police force since the November incident. He became the subject of an Internet meme, where he was digitally added to a Beyonce video , the U.S. Constitution, numerous paintings, soccer matches, and even...is that "Jaws"?
UC Davis
Missing Painting Turns Up
Roy Lichtenstein
A Roy Lichtenstein painting missing since 1970 has surfaced at a New York City warehouse, and a judge this week ordered that it stay put until rightful ownership can be determined, according to court documents.
Lichtenstein in 1961 created "Electric Cord," which depicts a coiled cord in black and white on a 28 inch by 18 inch (71 cm by 46 cm) canvas. It was purchased for $750 in the 1960s by art collector Leo Castelli, but disappeared in 1970 after the Castelli gallery sent it out for cleaning.
In 2007, Barbara Castelli, who inherited the art gallery when her husband Leo died in 1999, listed "Electric Cord" with a registry of missing and stolen artwork.
Castelli learned last week that an art dealer named James Goodman had contacted the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation seeking assistance authenticating "Electric Cord," which was sitting at a storage facility on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
The painting had been shipped from a gallery in Bogota, Colombia, court records show.
Roy Lichtenstein
They Know No Shame
Tennessee
An argument over who is more opposed to the Islamic faith and the construction of a mosque near Nashville has become an unlikely issue in a nasty Tennessee Republican congressional primary to be decided on Thursday.
Freshman Republican Representative Diane Black is challenged by Lou Ann Zelenik, who lost to Black in a primary to represent the rural district two years ago by less than 300 votes.
The heart of the struggle is over the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, about 30 miles south of Nashville, which has been controversial since construction began two years ago.
Zelenik, who vigorously opposed the mosque and warned of potential terrorist connections, said Black was not forceful enough in her opposition.
Tennessee
Time Warner Vows Turnaround
CNN
Time Warner Inc is unsatisfied with CNN's low ratings and will seek to turn around thecable news network with programming that is more compelling and stays non-partisan, the media company's Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes said on Wednesday.
Bewkes' comments, made after Time Warner reported better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, come less than a week since the president of CNN Worldwide said he would step down. The CEO said CNN was the one exception to an otherwise strong cable-network unit, which increased quarterly revenues by 4 percent to $3.6 million.
CNN, founded in 1980 and owned by Time Warner since 1996, has tried to hold the middle ground in its political news coverage, a position that some blame for its slip in viewership to historic lows in recent years.
Ratings have risen for competitors Fox News and MSNBC, which blend news with opinion and political commentary. The opinion programs on No. 1 cable news network Fox News skew conservative, while commentaries on MSNBC lean liberal.
CNN
Cloud Atlas
Lana Wachowski
The upcoming genre-bending, time-twisting movie epic Cloud Atlas is unusual by Hollywood standards, and not because co-director Lana Wachowski achieved directorial superstardom with 1999'sThe Matrix while still named and gendered as Larry Wachowski.
Lana, 47, began the transition process 10 years ago after separating from then-wife Thea Bloom, but here's the actually weird thing about Cloud Atlas: It is one movie, and it has three directors.
The Wachowski siblings, Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski, the family team behind the Matrix movies, V for Vendetta and Speed Racer, have thrown their formidable talents and resources in with Tom Tykwere, German-born director of 1998's girl-on-a-treadmill cult sensation Run Lola Run, to create a movie that has stoked fan-boy expectations while eluding categorization.
Responding to uncertainties raised by Cloud Atlas's 5-minute-plus trailer, Lana, Andy and Tom have released a self-conducted panel discussion to pitch the project directly to you, the audience.
Maybe it's that the logistics of the film are fascinating, that the big ideas are hugely engrossing, or that the three directors are so enamored of one another and their work, but 20 seconds into the pitch, the fact that one of them has transitioned from a world-famous male movie director to a world-famous female movie director is the least extraordinary aspect of the discussion.
Lana Wachowski
Wilbur, Washington Wheat Field
Crop Circles
Mysterious crop circles have appeared in an eastern Washington wheat field - not far from the nation's largest hydropower producer - but area farmers preparing for the summer's harvest find the distraction more amusing than alarming.
"You can't do anything other than laugh about it," said Cindy Geib, who owns the field along with her husband, Greg. "You just kind of roll with the theory it's aliens and you're special because aliens chose your spot."
Friends called the Geibs on July 24 when the pattern of flattened wheat was spotted off Highway 174, about five miles north of the town of Wilbur. The field is about 10 miles south of the Grand Coulee dam, which the Bureau of Reclamation says is the largest hydropower producer in the United States.
The circles resemble a four-leaf clover and remind Cindy Geib of Mickey Mouse ears. The design knocked down about an acre of their wheat. Some of it could be salvaged by combines when the harvest starts in a week or two, she said, but some will be lost.
Crop Circles
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