Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: Hello, I find you perfectly toxic (SF Gate)
You spend some time with a person. You go out for a drink, you go to a ballgame, you get matching tattoos, you buy a timeshare in Vegas, you suck at the same giant blue margarita from the same giant pink straw, you howl at the moon and dance 'til dawn and have three unruly kids and regret only one of them.
Froma Harrop: This Is What Happens When a City Goes Bankrupt (Creators Syndicate)
CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. - The stock market plunged over 500 points last Thursday, but no one seemed very perturbed about it in this tiny factory town. Three days before, Central Falls had filed for a Chapter 9 bankruptcy. These working-class folk see bottoms fall out on a regular basis.
Paul Krugman's Blog; Dismal Thoughts (New York Times)
I'm still trying to make sense of this global intellectual failure. But the results are not in question: we are making a total mess of a solvable problem, with consequences that will haunt us for decades to come.
Robert Reich: Slouching Toward a Double-Dip, for No Good Reason
The American economy is on the verge of another recession, with all the human costs that implies. We don't have to be. That is the tragedy of our time.
Annie Lowrey: S&P Is Right. It's Congress' Fault (Slate)
The politics of sovereign-debt ratings downgrades.
Andrew Tobias: PLEDGE NOT TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO TAKE PLEDGES
"I'm with Elliott. Pledges take away the flexibility that our representatives have to compromise and, if necessary, select the lesser of two evils. A special interest group (Norquist's among them) who gets an elected official to sign a pledge is essentially getting a guarantee that that official will vote the way they would like. That sounds a lot like buying votes to me. The only pledge I'd want my elected representatives to sign would be that they'd NOT sign any pledges, otherwise they could simply be replaced by if/then statements." - Bill Merkel
Jim Hightower: Obama says he'll really fight for the people ... next time
In his big battle over the debt ceiling, Barack Obama waved his white hankie of surrender, allowing the loopiest of the tea party extremists in the Republican House to slash some $1 trillion from national programs that ordinary Americans count on. Obama's bad deal also puts Social Security and Medicare at risk, while promising to make our depressed economy (and even the deficit) worse. And he cravenly conceded…
Dr. Luisa Dillner's health dilemmas: should I take antioxidant supplements? (Guardian)
Oxidation in our bodies is a normal process but produces molecules that can damage our cells. What's the best way to minimise the damage?
Oz Garcia: Being Thin Isn't the Same as Being Healthy (Huffington Post)
… we have a responsibility to take care of our own bodies to stay healthy for ourselves and for our loved ones. Simply eating well and exercising at least three times a week will keep your body running optimally -- trust me.
Stevie Nicks Talks Brittana, Gay Fans and "In Your Dreams" (AfterElton)
I really like Lady Gaga because I think that she is a girl with a plan. And I've seen her. I've watched her put her plan together and really just work that plan.
Kathleen Hanna Looks Back on Le Tigre, Praises Lady Gaga's Gay Pride, Dismisses 'Boring' Odd Future (Spinner)
Q: How did the documentary come about?
A: We were about to go on tour in 2004 and I was thinking how there was no good documentation of the projects I've done, and about how weird we all were in the '90s, like "Don't photograph me!" We were so freaked about being sucked up by the mainstream that we didn't even document ourselves.
Kathleen Hanna says we've come a long way (AfterEllen)
The Le Tigre frontwoman has seen much change since she started making music, and she's been a part of it all.
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."
wrote:
is taking some time off to re-set his sleepy-time clock.
3 4 5 6 7 8 CaterpillarsGulf Fritillary Butterfly
Here are today's pictures:
Caterpillar #1 - pupated (7/24/11) (not looking so good)
Caterpillar #2 - pupated (7/26/11) hatched 08/10/11
Caterpillar #2 - pupated (7/26/11) hatched 08/10/11
Caterpillar #2 - pupated (7/26/11) hatched 08/10/11
Caterpillar #2 - pupated (7/26/11) hatched 08/10/11
Caterpillar #3 - pupated (8/01/11)
Caterpillar #4 has disappeared. Don't know if it's pupating somewhere or if a wasp got it.
Caterpillar #5 died while pupating (08/07/11)
Caterpillar #6 - pupating 08/10/11
Caterpillar #7
Caterpillar #8
Caterpillar #9 - the newest addition
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Archive
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
More 'June Gloom' in August.
Last Show Tonight
George Lopez
Comedian George Lopez's late-night talk show has been canceled after only two seasons, cable channel TBS said on Wednesday.
The hour-long program, "Lopez Tonight" that first aired in 2009, will not be renewed for a third season, TBS said in a statement.
"TBS has reached the difficult decision not to order a third season of Lopez Tonight. Thursday will be the final episode of the show," a statement said.
Californian-born Lopez, 50, whose Mexican ethnicity has shaped his comedy routines that examine race relations, had sought to reach a diverse audience with the late-night show.
George Lopez
2011 Winners
Freedom Awards
Danny Glover and Cicely Tyson are among the winners of the 2011 Freedom Awards, sponsored by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
In honor of the museum's 20th anniversary, the awards were expanded this year and are being presented to civil rights pioneers in education, sports, humanitarianism, the arts, activism and legal justice.
Tyson was selected for her contributions to the arts, Glover for his contributions in the realm of activism.
There also are special awards for seven icons of the American civil rights movement: the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. C. T. Vivian, John Seigenthaler, Dolores Huerta, the Rev. James Lawson, the Rev. Samuel Kyles and the Rev. Ed King.
Freedom Awards
Named Poet Laureate
Philip Levine
Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Levine, known for his detailed and personal verse about the working class, has been appointed the country's new poet laureate.
The Library of Congress was to announce Wednesday that the 83-year-old Levine will succeed fellow Pulitzer winner W.S. Merwin this fall. The laureate, who receives $35,000 and is known officially as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, serves from October through May. Richard Wilbur, Joseph Brodsky and Robert Pinsky are among the previous appointees.
"I'm a fairly irreverent person and at first I thought, "This is not you. You're an old union man,'" Levine said during a recent telephone interview from his home in Fresno, Calif.
Levine has received virtually every literary honor, but he is the least rarefied of poets. A Detroit native who as a young man worked in automobile plants, he has for decades chronicled, celebrated and worried about blue collar life. Levine's awards include the Pulitzer in 1995 for "The Simple Truth" and the National Book Award in 1991 for "What Work Is."
Philip Levine
NYC Mayor
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin says he's thinking of running for mayor of New York, but not until he learns more about the job.
The "30 Rock" actor tells The New York Times he'll sit out the 2013 race but will consider running in a later election.
In a wide-ranging interview, the 53-year-old says he's talking with two universities about enrolling in a master's program in politics and government. He says he wants to better understand what the fiscal imperatives of the mayor's job are.
Baldwin says he plans to establish a permanent city residence before running. His legal residence is Amagansett, Long Island. He has owned a Manhattan apartment for two decades.
Alec Baldwin
Loses Record Number Of Subscribers
Pay TV
The weak economy is hitting Americans where they spend a lot of their free time: at the TV set.
They're canceling or forgoing cable and satellite TV subscriptions in record numbers, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of the companies' quarterly earnings reports.
The U.S. subscription-TV industry first showed a small net loss of subscribers a year ago. This year, that trickle has turned into a stream. The chief cause appears to be persistently high unemployment and a housing market that has many people living with their parents, reducing the need for a separate cable bill.
In a tally by the AP, eight of the nine largest subscription-TV providers in the U.S. lost 195,700 subscribers in the April-to-June quarter.
That's the first quarterly loss for the group, which serves about 70 percent of households. The loss amounts to 0.2 percent of their 83.2 million video subscribers.
Pay TV
Rips Newsweek's Cover
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart says the worst part about conservative complaints of media bias is when they contain "a kernel of truth" -- and that conservatives have a point about Newsweek's unflattering Michele Bachmann cover.
The cover describes her as "The Queen of Rage." Stewart called Newsweek out on Tuesday's "The Daily Show" for using cheap attempts to undercut the Minnesota representative and Republican presidential candidate.
"I get it, Newsweek," Stewart said. "You put in 'The Queen of Rage' juxtaposed with a picture of a lady that appears to be enchanted by simple math being done on a blackboard that's been hung too high. Or maybe it's a child thinking of cake!.
"But. Be honest Newsweek. You used that photo in a petty attempt to make Michele Bachmann look crazy. And that's what her words are for ... You want a photo that makes her seem a little off? Make it out of her words."
You can watch the clip here.
Jon Stewart
Cancels Australia Visit
Robert Crumb
American graphic artist Robert Crumb, famous for his subversive comic drawings, has pulled out of a visit to Australia because of fears for his safety, reports said Wednesday.
Crumb, known for his "Fritz the Cat" comics, cancelled his appearances at the Graphic 2011 festival in Sydney for "personal reasons", organisers said.
Gary Groth, a long-time friend of the artist, told the Sydney Morning Herald that Crumb had been wary of facing a hostile public over his controversial images.
"He doesn't want to cross a picket line. It only takes one person to punch him out and ruin his Australian trip. I'm sure he's thinking it's just a gigantic hassle," Groth told the paper.
Crumb, who was depicted in the 2003 film "American Splendor", had been considered a coup for the festival at the Sydney Opera House.
Robert Crumb
TV's Highest-Paid Actor
Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher (R - Pussy Whipped) has replaced Charlie Sheen (D - Pussy Hound) as the highest-paid actor on television, bringing in $700,000 per episode of "Two and a Half Men," reports TV Guide Magazine.
I
n its annual "Who Earns What" issue, the magazine says that Kutcher's salary -- which equates to $16.8 million for a standard 24-episode order -- is actually $500,000 less per episode than what Sheen made last season, before departing in ignominy earlier this year. (Sheen has said his full payment per episode was closer to $2 million, presumably including syndication royalties and other payouts.)
Ted Danson will receive $225,000 for each episode of "CSI," which is $125,000 less than what Laurence Fishburne made. But it's on par with other established stars, as both Kiefer Sutherland and Tim Allen will make $225,000 for their respective shows, "Touch" and "Last Man Standing."
Both Scott Pelley and Piers Morgan receive less than a third of what their respective predecessors Katie Couric and Larry King made, and Regis Philbin left "Live! With Regis and Kelly" rather than accept a cut from his $15 million annual salary.
Anderson Cooper will make around $11 million this year combined with his CNN salary and his syndication haul.
Ashton Kutcher
Magic Fades
Disney
Shares of Walt Disney Co were hammered on Wednesday as Wall Street worried how the company's steady-growth media and resort businesses would fare if consumers get pinched in a weak economy.
Disney shares closed 9.1 percent lower at $31.54 after falling nearly 15 percent earlier in the session, one day after quarterly results failed to inspire investors already nervous about theme park revenue and the sustainability of an advertising rebound.
Several brokerages lowered expectations after the results, which followed a rare earnings miss in the previous quarter. Barclays Capital, Wunderlich Securities, RBC and Evercore Partners all cut their price targets and lowered forecasts for those core divisions.
The company's shares fell much more than those of rivals like Time Warner Inc, which dropped 4.6 percent. Disney lost some $6 billion in market value even after the shares recouped some of their losses in afternoon trading. They still finished with a considerably sharper drop than the 4.4 percent fall in the broader S&P 500.
Disney
Closing U.S. Prison Inmate Accounts
Facebook
Facebook has begun closing the accounts of California prison inmates after a convicted child molester viewed the pages of his victim from behind bars, authorities and the social networking site said.
Facebook has shut down the accounts of at least two prisoners and officials are working on identifying other accounts that had been accessed from behind bars, said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Though most prisoners in California do not have access to the Internet, they often log onto the Internet with contraband cell phones, despite an effort to crack down on the devices, corrections officials said.
California corrections officials, who formally announced the partnership with Facebook Monday, said they have received hundreds of complaints from victims who were contacted by prison inmates behind bars.
Facebook
Bid To Protect Red Soles Denied
Louboutin
A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied a request by French footwear designer Christian Louboutin to stop Yves Saint Laurent from producing high-heeled shoes with red soles.
Paris-based Louboutin, whose pumps have graced many fabulous and famous feet, sued fashion rival Yves Saint Laurent in April in Manhattan federal court over what he claims is his signature use of lacquered red on shoe soles.
U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero quoted lyrics by singer and actress Jennifer Lopez and poet Walt Whitman.
He warned in an occasionally humorous opinion that granting Louboutin's trademark claim could lead to "fashion wars."
"If Louboutin owns Chinese Red for the outsole of high fashion women's shoes, another designer can just as well stake out a claim for exclusive use of another shade of red, or indeed even Louboutin's color, for the insole, while yet another could, like the world colonizers of eras past dividing conquered territories and markets, plant its flag on the entire heel for its Chinese Red," Marrero said.
Louboutin
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