Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: Thank God global warming is a hoax (sfgate.com)
I mean, right? You know? Because gosh Jesus in angry apocalyptic heaven, wouldn't it be just terrible if it were all true?
Froma Harrop: The Real JetBlue Heroes (creators.com)
The JetBlue flight attendant who theatrically quit his job by cursing out a "rude" passenger and exiting via an emergency slide has become a working-class hero to many. But Steven Slater's story didn't hold up for long. It now appears that the gash allegedly caused by someone slamming an overhead bin into his head was there before the flight. Slater was acting like a jerk long before takeoff, according to recent reports.
Jim Hightower: RIGGING THE RULES AGAINST UNIONS (jimhightower.com)
There's one direct, grassroots way that workaday folks can create more fairness in our country's plutocratic, corporate-controlled economy: unite in unions. Indeed, some 60 million workers say they'd join a union today if they could.
Why I took an A-level at 37 (guardian.co.uk)
Viv Groskop had always regretted not taking English Literature at A-level. But it was more a need to know whether standards had slipped that sent her back to the exam hall.
Interview by Patrick Kingsley: What's all the fuss about Dollywood? (guardian.co.uk)
Three teenagers flew there on their own. What's the appeal to young people, exactly?
Daniel Gross: Trade Is the New Plastics ( slate.com)
Young Americans need to learn to sell and buy overseas.
Ray Bradbury hates big government (latimes.com)
"Our country is in need of a revolution."
"The Book of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks" by Bethany Keeley: A review by Megan Zabel
You've seen them on billboards, church marquees, and bathroom stalls: a pair of renegade quotation marks that ultimately results in an unfortunate, unintentional innuendo. You might think that a book comprised solely of photos of publicly displayed punctuation gaffes, accompanied by witty commentary, might get old after awhile. Well, you would be wrong.?
Charlie Brooker: Forget those creative writing workshops. If you want to write, get threatened (guardian.co.uk)
One of the side-effects of having your work appear in a public forum such as this is that people often email me asking for advice on how to break into writing, presumably figuring that if a drooling gum-brain like me can scrape a living witlessly pawing at a keyboard, there's hope for anyone.
Alok Jha: "Peter Miller: Ants can help us manage complexity" (guardian.co.uk)
The author of 'Smart Swarm' believes studying social creatures can give us a better understanding of our own complex systems.
Keith Thursby: Abbey Lincoln dies at 80; jazz singer, actress, civil rights advocate (Los Angeles Times)
Abbey Lincoln, an acclaimed jazz singer, songwriter and actress who evolved from a supper-club singer into a strong voice for civil rights, has died. She was 80.
Interview by Laura Barnett: "Portrait of the artist: Alice Coote, mezzo-soprano" (guardian.co.uk)
'What have I sacrificed? Golly, pretty much everything - time with my parents, a home life, my own personal happiness.'
The Weekly Poll
EMMY CONTEST
The First Ever BadtotheboneBob's Emmy Contest!™
Well then, Poll-fans, here are the 21 categories and nominations. I would suggest a cut and paste action and then adding yer predictions... Best of luck be upon ya!
Drama
Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC
Dexter • Showtime
The Good Wife • CBS
Lost • ABC
Mad Men • AMC
True Blood • HBO
Lead Actor, Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad • AMC
Michael C. Hall, Dexter • Showtime
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights • NBC
Hugh Laurie, House • FOX
Matthew Fox, Lost • ABC
Jon Hamm, Mad Men • AMC
Lead Actress, Drama
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer • TNT
Glenn Close, Damages • FX Networks
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights • NBC
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife • CBS
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • NBC
January Jones, Mad Men • AMC
Supporting Actor, Drama
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad • AMC
Martin Short, Damages • FX Networks
Terry O'Quinn, Lost • ABC
Michael Emerson, Lost • ABC
John Slattery, Mad Men • AMC
Andre Braugher, Men Of A Certain Age • TNT
Supporting Actress, Drama
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice • USA
Rose Byrne, Damages • FX Networks
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife • CBS
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife • CBS
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men • AMC
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men • AMC
Comedy
Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Glee • FOX
Modern Family • ABC
Nurse Jackie • Showtime
The Office • NBC
30 Rock • NBC
Lead Actor, Comedy
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory • CBS
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Matthew Morrison, Glee • FOX
Tony Shalhoub, Monk • USA
Steve Carell, The Office • NBC
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock • NBC
Lead Actress, Comedy
Lea Michele, Glee • FOX
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine • CBS
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie • Showtime
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation • NBC
Tina Fey, 30 Rock • NBC
Toni Collette, United States Of Tara • Showtime
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Chris Colfer, Glee • FOX
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother • CBS
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family • ABC
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family • ABC
Ty Burrell, Modern Family • ABC
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men • CBS
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee • FOX
Julie Bowen, Modern Family • ABC
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family • ABC
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live • NBC
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock • NBC
Holland Taylor, Two And A Half Men • CBS
Miniseries or Movie
Miniseries
The Pacific • HBO
Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS
Made-for-TV Movie
Endgame (Masterpiece) • PBS
Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime
Moonshot • HISTORY
The Special Relationship • HBO
Temple Grandin • HBO
You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Jeff Bridges, A Dog Year • HBO
Ian McKellen, The Prisoner • AMC
Michael Sheen, The Special Relationship • HBO
Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship • HBO
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Maggie Smith, Capturing Mary • HBO
Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keeffe • Lifetime
Dame Judi Dench, Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS
Hope Davis, The Special Relationship • HBO
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin • HBO
Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Michael Gambon, Emma (Masterpiece) • PBS
Patrick Stewart, Hamlet (Great Performances) • PBS
Jonathan Pryce, Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) • PBS
David Strathairn, Temple Grandin • HBO
John Goodman, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Kathy Bates, Alice • Syfy
Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin • HBO
Catherine O'Hara, Temple Grandin • HBO
Brenda Vaccaro, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Susan Sarandon, You Don't Know Jack • HBO
Reality and Variety, Music or Comedy
Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow • PBS
Dirty Jobs • Discovery Channel
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution • ABC
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List • Bravo
MythBusters • Discovery Channel
Undercover Boss • CBS
Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race • CBS
American Idol • FOX
Dancing With The Stars • ABC
Project Runway • Lifetime
Top Chef • Bravo
Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race • CBS
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol • FOX
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars • ABC
Heidi Klum, Project Runway • Lifetime
Jeff Probst, Survivor • CBS
Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Colbert Report • Comedy Central
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central
Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO
Saturday Night Live • NBC
The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien • NBC
Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Bill Maher "...But I'm Not Wrong" • HBO
Hope For Haiti Now • Tenth Planet Productions and MTV
The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS
Robin Williams: Weapons Of Self Destruction • HBO
The 25th Anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert • HBO
Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me • HBO
Total correct predictions takes The Prize. Again, that would be a $50 VISA gift card mailed directly to you from 'yours truly'.
"My Grampa is The Best!"
The 21 nominations/categories will run daily until August 28th.
Response cut-off time is 3pm EDT, Saturday, August 28th, and will be posted for all to see August 29th (Emmy Day).
The winner will be the one with the most correct predictions and will be announced Tuesday August 31st.
Oh, and please make it easy on me and don't wait until, like, the last minute and flood me with your predictions, eh? Good luck be on ya, Poll-fans!
Send your predictions to:
BadToTheBoneBob
Here's a complete list of all Emmy Nominations - 2010.
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestion
Hayward vs. Brown
When it comes to PR, you can see a man's true colors in how they handle a national or international crisis. We saw a true hero, for example, in Rudolph Giuliani. But as of recent, we've witnessed some of the worst language gaffes in history with Tony Hayward and Michael Brown.
House Logic has pulled together some of their best quotes, addressing inconvenience to adversity, and pitted them up against each other to see who is the true king of PR buffoonery.
Here's a link to the story
Links from RJ
Two-Fer
Hi
Two possible links.... thanks for looking and hope you enjoy them!
Reader Suggestion
Metaphor Nations
Hi Marty
I'm putting together a (quasi-) political cartoon called Metaphor Nations. I attahced a couple of my favorites. Just trying to get the word out. You can see all my strips at
www.metaphornations.com.
Would love to get a mention if you see fit.
Reader Comment
Re: Ray Bradbury
I have been reading some of the stories in the BartCop E! section today, and I notice that Ray Bradbury has commented on so much technology.
If my memory serves me right, Ray authored the novel, "Farenheit 451", about the futuristic society where books are banned. I just hope that Ray hasn't turned into a seer on the subject, as I still enjoy reading books, magazine and newspapers, as well as the net.
Ah, well, just a little item to share with you.
Thanks for being there for me.
George M
Thanks, George!
Ray Bradbury is a very interesting character, to say the least!
Reader Suggestion
Simon the Cat
Here is a new Simon the Cat cartoon. Enjoy!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Hottest day of the summer (so far).
Likens Internet To A-Bomb
John Mellencamp
Rocker John Mellencamp said on Tuesday that the Internet was the most dangerous invention since the atomic bomb, although new technology could paradoxically delay the inevitable demise of rock 'n' roll.
But before then, "some smart people, the China-Russians or something" may have already conquered America by hacking into the power grid and financial system, he warned during a public seminar at the Grammy Museum.
Mellencamp, 58, has established a reputation during his career as a bit of a loose cannon disdainful of music industry niceties. He still lives in his home state of Indiana, saying he never fit in elsewhere.
His comments on the Internet coincided with the release -- in stores and at digital retailers -- of his new album, "No Better Than This." While he said the Internet was useful on a personal level for communication, he worried about its destructive potential.
John Mellencamp
PBS Sells Show
"Nightly Business Report"
A private company has acquired PBS evergreen "Nightly Business Report," the country's most-watched daily business news show.
The deal marks the first time that a major nightly news broadcast produced for PBS and owned by one of its affiliates has been acquired by a private entity.
A price tag wasn't disclosed for the purchase by NBR Worldwide, which plans to make an international push for the show and bring it to new social-media platforms.
Florida's WPBT, which has produced the show during its three-decade run, will continue as the presenting station. Anchored by Susie Gharib and Tom Hudson, "Nightly Business Report" is watched by an estimated 500,000 viewers every night. It will continue to be produced from Miami and New York.
The new owners will "maintain the values of 'Nightly Business Report' while bringing the broadcast to a variety of new platforms," said Mykalai Kontilai, chairman and CEO of NBR Worldwide.
"Nightly Business Report"
SAG Life Achievement Award
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine will be honored by the Screen Actors Guild next year for lifetime achievement.
SAG National President Ken Howard said in a statement Wednesday that Borgnine has boundless energy "which, at 93, is still a hallmark of his remarkably busy life and career."
He has appeared in more than 200 movies. He won a best-actor Oscar for his performance in the 1955 film "Marty."
He will receive the award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment at the 17th annual SAG Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2011.
Ernest Borgnine
Most Think Beethoven Is A Dog
US Students
Most young Americans entering university this year can't write in cursive, think email is too slow, that Beethoven's a dog and Michelangelo a computer virus, according to an annual list compiled by two academics at a US college.
To students who will get their bachelor's degrees in 2014, Czechoslovakia has never existed, Fergie is a pop singer, not a duchess; Clint Eastwood is a sensitive movie director, not Dirty Harry; and John McEnroe stars in TV ads, not on the tennis court, Beloit College's "Mindset" list says.
The Mindset list was first compiled in 1998, for the class of 2002, by Beloit humanities professor Tom McBride and former public affairs director Ron Nief.
It was intended as a reminder to faculty at the university that references quickly become dated, but quickly evolved to become a hugely popular annual list that gives a snapshot of how things have changed, and chronicles key cultural and political events that have shaped a generation.
US Students
Reunite For Comedy Miniseries
The Kids in the Hall
The last time The Kids in the Hall performed for the cameras was their 1996 feature, "Brain Candy."
Though the members have dispersed to pursue individual projects, they returned for more Kid stuff in the form of live comedy tours, most recently in 2008.
Now they're back on TV screens in "The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town," a four-hour miniseries on IFC. The first pair of half-hour episodes airs Friday (10 p.m. EDT).
All five "Kids" - Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson - star in this twisted murder mystery, tackling all the major roles (male and, in masterful drag, female, too). The tale, set in bucolic but bizarre Shuckton, Ontario, begins with the arrival of the Grim Reaper on a Greyhound bus, followed by a murder that leaves nearly everyone in the community a possible suspect.
The Kids in the Hall
Falls Off Stage Again
Steven Tyler
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler may be "American Idol"-bound, but he's taken another tumble on stage -- this time in Toronto.
Aerosmith was performing at Toronto's Air Canada Center on Tuesday when, according to media reports, guitarist Joe Perry backed into Tyler as they played "Love in an Elevator," which sent the frontman off the catwalk and into the crowd.
CBC News said Tyler landed on his feet without injury, and was helped back on stage by fans and Perry.
The incident recalled a similar one last year when Tyler broke his shoulder after falling off the stage while singing the same song during a show in South Dakota. The band was forced to cancel the rest of its tour, and Tyler's band mates threatened to replace him with a new singer.
Steven Tyler
Apologizes For Gesture
BBC News
A cold front passed over the BBC News channel late Tuesday as the show's weatherman flipped the bird to his news anchor.
Simon McCoy, linking to the weather, perhaps with a hint of sarcasm, told viewers the weather was coming up, and would of course be "100% accurate and provide all the detail you could possible want."
At that stage, the cameras cut to Tomasz Schafernaker and his middle-finger salute as McCoy's female co-host gasped. But it didn't stop there as the fast-acting weatherman, realizing he was on screen, swiftly pretended to rub his face in much the same way a cheeky school kid might do when caught in the act.
The camera quickly cut back to a composed McCoy, who simply stated: "Every now and then there's always one mistake, that was it."
BBC News
Haiti Postpones Ruling On Candidacy
Wyclef Jean
Haiti's electoral commission said late Tuesday that it was postponing its ruling on who will be allowed to run for president in November elections, leaving hip hop artist Wyclef Jean's candidacy in limbo.
A statement from the commission, known as the CEP, said it would postpone the announcement until Friday.
The delay was the latest turn in the fledgling presidential race in this earthquake-torn country. Jean - one of dozens of candidates vying for the office - said he was in hiding Tuesday after receiving death threats.
The Haitian-born Jean said he did not know whether the commission would approve his candidacy, but there have been questions about whether he meets the residency requirements to run.
Wyclef Jean
Last Tweet
Dr. Frank Ryan
Police are investigating the accident that killed celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan, including whether texting or tweeting may have played a role.
"We haven't confirmed anything regarding the cause of the collision," California Highway Patrol officer Steve Reid said Wednesday, adding that detectives are "looking into several factors, including texting and Twittering that may have played a role in the accident."
Ryan's last post on Twitter was at 3:10 p.m. Monday. It included a photo of his dog looking out at the ocean with the caption, "Border collie jill surveying the view from atop the sand dune."
Ryan, 50, made headlines for performing multiple surgeries on reality TV star Heidi Montag late last year. His celebrity clientele also included musician Vince Neil, actor Lorenzo Lamas, reality stars Lisa Gastineau and Adrianne Curry and several models and beauty queens.
Dr. Frank Ryan
Salon Fraud
Chez Gabriela Studio
The owner of a Beverly Hills beauty salon was arrested on Wednesday on charges of stealing credit card information from Jennifer Aniston, Anne Hathaway and Liv Tyler and running up tens of thousands of fraudulent payments on their accounts.
According to court documents in the case, a witness claimed that Cher, Melanie Griffith and former "Felicity" television star Scott Speedman were also victims of the fraud.
The owner of Chez Gabriela Studio is accused of swindling $214,000 from Tyler alone in a five-month period last year, according to a court affidavit.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles said salon owner Maria Gabriella Perez, 51, is accused of making at least $280,000 of fraudulent charges in a one-year period.
Chez Gabriela Studio
Jackie O Sibling Pleads Guilty
James Auchincloss
James Auchincloss - who as a boy carried the wedding train of his half-sister Jackie up the aisle as she married John F. Kennedy - was jailed Wednesday after admitting to possessing child pornography.
Auchincloss, 63, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of encouraging child sex abuse, the charge generally brought against people possessing child pornography, for having computer images of naked boys.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Mark Shiveley ordered Auchincloss to serve 30 days in jail on each count, to be served concurrently, as part of three years of supervised probation. Auchincloss also registered as a sex offender, and agreed to undergo treatment as such, with no unauthorized contact with minors.
He was indicted a year ago on 25 counts after his longtime personal assistant, Edward McManus, told investigators he had seen Auchincloss and co-defendant Dennis Vickoren viewing pictures of naked boys in sexual poses at Auchincloss' home in Ashland.
James Auchincloss
Catholic Battle
Gay Adoptions
A Catholic adoption service is facing closure after it lost a battle for the right to be able to discriminate against gay couples.
Leeds-based Catholic Care applied to the Charity Commission on religious grounds to be allowed to offer its adoption-support services to heterosexual prospective parents only.
But the independent regulator for charities in England and Wales found against the service, following objections from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which said such discrimination breached the European Convention on Human Rights.
During its failed plea to the Charity Commission, Catholic Care said if it lost its case it would close its adoption service rather than risk losing its connection with the church.
Gay Adoptions
Pesky Citizenship Class
Disney
A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.
Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort's Grand Californian Hotel after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
She said when she wore the hijab to work Sunday, her supervisors told her to remove it, work where customers couldn't see her, or go home.
Boudlal, who is a native of Morocco, has worked at the Storyteller restaurant at the hotel for 2 1/2 years but only realized she could wear her hijab to work after studying for her U.S. citizenship exam in June, Ameena Qazi, an attorney from the Council on American-Islamic Relations said.
Disney
McDonald's Binge Sparks Gallic Outcry
Asterix
A new McDonald's ad featuring Gallic champion Asterix enjoying a burger and fries has sparked outrage among French comic purists who see it as an insult to their national heritage.
The billboard shows the fearless Gaul and friends celebrating their traditional banquet at the fast-food chain -- with Cacofonix the bard tied to a tree outside as usual.
"My childhood hero sacrificed like a wild boar! What next? Tintin eating at Subway?" said one horrified blogger called sirchmallow.
"How ironic, the indomitable Gauls making an advert for the invaders," was another outraged comment on Twitter.
Asterix
Liverpool To Demolish Birthplace
Ringo Starr
Liverpool is planning to bulldoze the house where the former Beatle's drummer Ringo Starr lived out the first three months of his life.
The city, which was the home of the famed band, said Wednesday that Starr only lived in the house for a short time and that it would cost 150,000 pounds ($233,000) to simply stop it from falling down.
The home where Starr lived for 20 years on Liverpool's Admiral Grove is still standing and being lived in.
Britain's National Trust has preserved the homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
Ringo Starr
A Bottling Tradition
Straub Brewery
For years, it was the way breweries did business: sell bottles, then take back the empties. It just made sense, especially to folks weaned in the lean days of the Great Depression and World War II, that bottles should be scrubbed and refilled, not thrown away.
These days, in a culture where nearly everything is disposable, recycling is a rite and energy costs are high, the decision of whether to toss tradition into the trash heap lies with one brewery about 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The 138-year-old, family-owned Straub Brewery is begging customers - mostly in Pennsylvania, but also some in Ohio, New York and Virginia - to return thousands of empty cases. If enough customers do, Straub will keep selling cases of 12- and 16-ounce returnable bottles past year's end.
"It's not that we're totally into 'green,' but we think it's the right thing to do," said Dan Straub, great-grandson of company founder Peter Straub and the brewery's semiretired vice president. "Our philosophy is, 'Why recycle when you can reuse?'"
Straub Brewery
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by the Nielsen Co. for the week of Aug. 9-15. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
1. "Rizzoli & Isles" (Monday, 10 p.m.), TNT, 5.46 million homes, 7.42 million viewers.
2. "The Closer" (Monday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 5.33 million homes, 7.21 million viewers.
3. "Burn Notice" (Thursday, 9 p.m.), USA, 4.08 million homes, 5.57 million viewers.
4. "Jersey Shore 2" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 3.97 million homes, 5.55 million viewers.
5. "Royal Pains" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.92 million homes, 5.38 million viewers.
6. "Covert Affairs" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.9 million homes, 5.32 million viewers.
7. Auto Racing: NASCAR Sprint Cup (Sunday, 1 p.m.), ESPN, 3.59 million homes, 4.91 million viewers.
8. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.43 million homes, 4.83 million viewers.
9. "True Blood" (Sunday, 9:02 p.m.), HBO, 3.384 million homes, 5.09 million viewers.
10. "NCIS" (Thursday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3.383 million homes, 4.29 million viewers.
11. "American Pickers" (Monday, 9 p.m.), History, 3.27 million homes, 4.69 million viewers.
12. "The Next Food Network Star" (Sunday, 9 p.m.), Food, 3.23 million homes, 4.58 million viewers.
13. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.14 million homes, 4.52 million viewers.
14. "NCIS" (Monday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3.11 million homes, 3.96 million viewers.
15. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3.02 million homes, 4.04 million viewers.
Ratings
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