Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Greg Sargent: Voters want a check on this lawless, raging president. This new poll confirms it. (Washington Post)
Over the weekend, President Trump bashed his attorney general for refusing to place Republicans above the law. … In so doing, Trump inadvertently crystallized the argument for a Democratic-led House: He flatly and openly stated that the rule of law should not apply to Republican members of Congress, particularly his own supporters, because applying the law to them makes a Democratic takeover of the House (which means real accountability for Trump as well) more likely.
Paul Waldman: The GOP's contempt for democracy is on full display at Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing (Washington Post)
This is utter nonsense, just as it was when they played the same game for the confirmations of Neil M. Gorsuch, John G. Roberts Jr., Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Clarence Thomas, the conservatives with whom Kavanaugh will launch a radical revolution in American law, a revolution that will affect all our lives. Ironically, the only person in the GOP who's remotely honest about this fact is President Trump, who said forthrightly during the campaign that he'd appoint justices who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Jonathan Chait: Trump's War on Democracy Will Be Held in the Department of Justice (NY Mag)
Trump objects to the indictments of two House Republicans who have been caught in blatant illegality. Representative Chris Collins, the first House Republican to endorse him, was overheard boasting about making colleagues rich with his inside information. Representative Duncan Hunter not only systematically misappropriated public funds but was recorded in a series of damning emails. These are not marginal cases. Trump's entire rationale for opposing the prosecutions is that they hurt his party.
Jonathan Chait: "Report: Everybody in the White House Considers Trump an Idiot" (NY Mag)
Former National Economic Council director Gary Cohn seemed to believe that Trump actually lacks object permanence. To prevent the president from signing a letter canceling a free-trade agreement with South Korea, he stole the letter from Trump's desk. Trump "did not notice it was missing," the Post reports.
Kate Riga: Mueller Eases Up, Will Now Accept Trump's Written Answers On Russian Election Tampering (TPM)
The new offer comes as details from Bob Woodward's White House memoir, "Fear," ricochet around Washington, including one episode where Trump's former lawyer John Dowd reportedly told Mueller that Trump is too dumb to testify. "I'm not going to sit there and let him look like an idiot," Dowd says in the book. "And you publish that transcript, because everything leaks in Washington, and the guys overseas are going to say, 'I told you he was an idiot. I told you he was a goddamn dumbbell. What are we dealing with this idiot for?'"
Garrison Keillor: Old man alone on Labor Day weekend
It's a world of progress, and my only complaint is the proliferation of passwords and PIN numbers. I keep forgetting mine and have to click on "Forgot password?" and they give me a new one, A1O2q64bz, and I forget that. I feel like a blind man searching a dark room for a pair of black socks that aren't there. And then the phone rings and it's her. She's boarding a plane. The flight was delayed but it will leave shortly and in two hours she'll be home. I'm a happy man. I plan to live until 2034. Plenty of time to throw the crooks out and get a decent government in place. Meanwhile, I'll wash the dishes and make the bed and await the key in the door.
Jonathan Jones: "A naked triumph: why the male nude is - thankfully - back in the limelight" (The Guardian)
For decades, the male nude was sidelined by patriarchal possessors of the female form - from Picasso to Magritte. Now, the RA's spring exhibition will celebrate it once again.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
responded:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
ART Anecdotes
• Wilson Mizner once married a rich society lady; unfortunately, she was tight with her money, and Mr. Mizner was very loose with money-his own and other people's. Their house was filled with Old World art masterpieces, which Mr. Mizner longed to convert into cash, but they were officially the property of New York City-a gift to New York from Mrs. Mizner's former husband. Therefore, knowing that many New Yorkers like a bargain, and knowing that many New Yorkers think that anything "hot" is a bargain, Mr. Mizner hired some impoverished artists to make copies of the paintings, then he opened an art studio on Fifth Avenue, and spread the word that bargains in Old World masterpieces could be had at the art studio, provided that you didn't mind that the masterpieces were stolen property. Mr. Mizner never actually told anyone that the paintings were the genuine article-he merely hinted in his actions, such as furtively looking out the window at regular intervals, that they were genuine Old World masterpieces.
• Lord Mihara once ordered an artist to create a painting for him. The artist painted a single wild goose, but this did not please the Lord Mihara, who felt that since geese fly side by side, a single wild goose was a sign of rebellion. The frightened attendants of Lord Mihara sought help from Zen master Motsugai, who came to the lord's palace, glanced at the painting, then wrote at its top: "The first wild goose! / Another and another and another / In endless succession." This drove all fear of rebellion out of Lord Mihara's mind, and he handsomely rewarded both the painter and the Zen master.
• Some people don't like their caricatures. Mr. Nicola Ross-Lemeni, a bass-baritone, is one of them. While making his debut as Mephistopheles in Faust, Mr. Ross-Lemeni discovered that a caricature of him by Sam Norkin was going to appear on the cover of The Saturday Review. He saw the caricature, disliked it, and threatened to sue if the caricature was published. Fortunately, the threat of a lawsuit was dropped after Mr. Ross-Lemeni showed the caricature to his wife, who said, "Why, Nicky, you are never looking so handsome in your whole life!"
• To become an artist requires a great amount of effort over a great period of time. While on the witness stand during an action he had instituted against the critic John Ruskin, James Abbott McNeill Whistler was asked how long it had taken him to produce a certain painting. When the lawyer for the defense heard that Mr. Whistler had produced the painting in two days, he asked him, "The labor of two days, then, is that for which you ask two hundred guineas?" Mr. Whistler replied, "No, I ask it for the knowledge of a lifetime."
• A rich man asked English painter Joseph William Turner how much one of his paintings cost. When he heard the price, he said that it was an outrageous price for a piece of canvas with some paint on it. "If all you want is a piece of canvas with some paint on it," Mr. Turner said, "here is some canvas and here is some paint. Put some paint on the canvas, then take it home."
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Bets On Millennials
Nike
Nike's new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick -- the American football player turned activist against police violence -- takes a strong stance on a divisive issue which could score points with millennials but risks alienating conservative customers.
The ads prompted immediate calls for Nike boycotts over Kaepernick, who has been castigated by President Donald Trump and other conservatives over his kneeling protests.
The sporting goods giant is using the former NFL quarterback as the face of its new "Just Do It" campaign, launched to mark the 30th anniversary of the iconic slogan.
The former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick has been effectively blacklisted by the NFL after kneeling during the US national anthem in 2016 in solidarity with the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
While Kaepernick is not an active player for the league, he has nearly two million Twitter followers and his jersey was still the 39th best-seller in last year's season.
Nike
New Artwork
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey clearly isn't staying on the sidelines when it comes to the debate over Nike's support of Colin Kaepernick.
On Wednesday, as the subject of Colin Kaepernick's status as the new face of Nike's "Just Do It" ad remained a hot one, actor-artist Carrey unveiled his latest artwork, thanking Nike with the the hashtag "#CapitalismWithAConscious."
The artwork featured former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick in his now-famous kneeling position, as well as apparent nods to U.S. Olympic athletes raising their black-gloved fists at the 1968 games in Mexico City, as well as Jesse Owens' triumphant performance at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi-era Berlin, Germany.
Carrey's latest artwork came on the same day that Nike released its first "Just Do It" clip featuring Kaepermick, who gained notoriety in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games as a means of raising awareness and protesting racial inequality in America. The former QB has become persona non-grata among some fans, as well as the Trump administration, for his kneeling during the national anthem, which sparked a wave of player protests.
The clip, titled "Dream Crazy," showcases an inspirational montage of athletes overcoming adversity to chase their dreams, with a voiceover by Kaepernick. He is also seen staring at an image of the American flag in the ad. "Don't ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they're crazy enough," Kaepernick says at the end.
Jim Carrey
Visits Howard Stern
Paul McCartney
While it was far from raunchy, Paul McCartney's interview on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show Wednesday morning did find the former Beatle in a revealing mood.
Over the course of the 90-minute chat, the two talked quite a bit about McCartney's days with the Beatles. Early on, Stern, who seemed a bit starstruck, discussed the long-running debates about who wrote which Lennon-McCartney song.
"I know exactly what you mean, and it does get to be a total piss-off sometimes," McCartney said. "But then, they're still talking about me."
He also said that director Franco Zeffirelli had wanted McCartney to play Romeo in his film "Romeo and Juliet." He called the offer "flattering," but turned it down.
McCartney, who found himself on opposite sides from John Lennon and Yoko Ono after the breakup of the Beatles, said it was Lennon who broke up the group. "There was a meeting where John came in and said, 'I'm leaving the group.' And looking back on it, he'd reached that stage in his life. We all had." But he also acknowledged that Ono was a good choice for Lennon. "Even though we thought she was intrusive because she used to sit in on the recording sessions and we'd never had anything like that. But looking back on it, you think, 'The guy was totally in love with her. And you've just got to respect that.' So we did. And I do.'"
Paul McCartney
Season 27
Dancing with the Stars
Nancy McKeon has been paired with dance pro Val Chmerkovskiy for season 27 of Dancing with the Stars.
The reveal was announced on Good Morning America Wednesday after Chmerkovskiy, 32, teased the news on Instagram the night before.
Best known for her role as Jo Polniaczek on the 1980 NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, McKeon, 52, also acted in the TV series Sonny with a Chance, Without a Trace, Touched by an Angel, and the TV movie Wild Hearts.
For season 27, Cheryl Burke, Sharna Burgess, Emma Slater, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson, Sasha Farber, Gleb Savchenko, Artem Chigvintsev, Keo Motsepe, Alan Bersten and Brandon Armstrong will also be joining Chmerkovskiy and Johnson as pros.
Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars premieres Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Dancing with the Stars
Moore Files Lawsuit
Sacha Baron Cohen
Roy Moore has never been afraid to file a lawsuit against someone who publicly said something unflattering about him, so it's not terribly surprising that he's now suing Sacha Baron Cohen for $95 million (!!) over his Showtime series, Who is America?.
During the third episode of the series, the former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice/Senatorial candidate sat down with Cohen as his Israeli anti-terrorist expert character Erran Morad. After a brief interview about Alabama's heritage of equality (uh…), Cohen/Morad demonstrated a pedophile-detecting wand. In a clear jab at the numerous sexual assault allegations levied against Moore, the wand "went off" as it passed over his body.
"I've been married for 33 [years]," Moore said. "I never had an accusation of such things." (Again, uh…)
Moore had threatened to sue Showtime, CBS, and Cohen before the episode even aired. He promised to defend himself against what he labeled a "defamatory attack on my character," and he's now followed through. The suit seeks damages for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraud. "Defendant Cohen's character falsely and fraudulently introduced a false and fraudulent 'device' supposedly invented by the Israeli Army to detect pedophiles," reads the complaint (via The Hollywood Reporter). "During the segment, Defendant Cohen's 'device' - as part of the false and fraudulent routine - purports to detect Judge Moore as a sex offender, thus defaming him."
There are a number of things likely limiting the success of the suit. It's more than likely Moore was made to sign a release freeing any of the networks or Cohen from fault. Furthermore, the interview in question doesn't actuallysay Moore is a sex offender; in fact, it ends Cohen's character telling Moore, "I'm not saying that you're a sex offender at all." The actor/comedian has faced numerous similar legal situations over the years, and almost all have been tossed.
Sacha Baron Cohen
Security Trays
Airports
Next time you go through airport security, you may want to wash your hands afterwards. A new study finds airport security bins are a hotbed for germs that can cause illnesses in humans, such as the flu and the common cold.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham in England and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare collected samples from frequently touched surfaces three different times at Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland during peak flu season in 2015 and 2016.
Half of the trays at security check points tested positive for germs that can make humans ill, including influenza A and rhinovirus, the predominant cause of the common cold.
None of these germs were found on the surfaces of toilets at the airport, the report found.
The results were published last week in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.
Airports
Egg Issues
Goop
The Goop business model is one that thrives on wellness buzzwords like "rose quartz," and "crystal-infused"-words that recently landed the Gwyneth Paltrow-owned wellness brand in hot water.
After a lawsuit brought on by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and nine other California prosecutors argued that Goop's Jade Egg, Rose Quartz Egg, and Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend made unscientific medical claims (namely in regards to sexual and gynecological health), the brand agreed Tuesday, September 4 to pay $145,000 in restitution. In addition, the brand will also refund any unsatisfied customers who purchased these items.
According to BuzzFeed News, the district's attorneys argued that "[The] wellness empire sold a series of women's health products whose advertised medical claims were not supported by competent and reliable science." The most egregious offenders seem to be Goop's jade and rose quartz (vaginal) eggs, which the site had been advertising with a product description that asserted, "This rose quartz egg, like an energy clearing magic crystal, is ideal for people who've seen results with the Jade Egg and want to take their practice a step further." The product description also included quotes from actress and holistic living advocate Shiva Rose, who insisted that "you can use rose quartz to bring in and heal wounds, in a gentler way."
The amended product description omits medical advice from anyone without an M.D., and plainly states that the egg is "Used by women to increase sexual energy-this yoni egg is made of nephrite jade stone, meant to promote health and pleasure."
Goop may have edited its product descriptions and agreed to foot the $145,000 settlement bill, but that doesn't mean the brand has admitted to giving women any misleading medical advice when it comes to its vaginal eggs.
Goop
Cheese
Ancient Farmers
About 7,200 years ago, farmers living near the Adriatic Sea packed clay pots full of soft cheese. And thousands of years later, archaeologists found traces of this fermented, cheesy goodness, preserved in chemical signatures left behind in the vessels.
This new evidence, found at two sites in what is now Croatia, dates to 5200 B.C. and pushes back cheese production in the Mediterranean by more than 2,000 years, scientists reported in a new study.
Cheese making was likely a game changer for early farmers; it may have helped lactose-intolerant adults ease into eating dairy, as fermentation reduces dairy's lactose content, the researchers wrote. And as a portable, preserved food, cheese would have been a dependable source of nutrition as farmers moved from the Mediterranean into Europe, an expansion that began around 7000 B.C. and lasted about 3,000 years, according to the study.
The Balkan Peninsula is considered to be the gateway for the spread of farming to northern Europe, lead study author Sarah McClure, an associate professor of anthropology with Pennsylvania State University's Department of Anthropology, told Live Science. Finding evidence that cheese production was taking hold alongside changes in farmers' settlement patterns, suggested a connection between cheese and human migration, McClure explained
Scientists found signs of cheese making - lipids that indicated fermented dairy - on clay vessels collected from two Neolithic villages on Croatia's Dalmatian coast: - Pokrovnik and Danilo Bitinj, the researchers reported.
Ancient Farmers
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Aug. 20-26. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. "America's Got Talent" (Tuesday), NBC, 10.78 million.
2. "America's Got Talent" (Wednesday), NBC, 9.9 million.
3. Notre Dame Football: Michigan at Notre Dame, NBC, 7.1 million.
4. "Sunday Night Kickoff," ABC, 6.55 million.
5. "American Ninja Warrior," NBC, 5.86 million.
6. "60 Minutes," CBS, 5.84 million.
7. "Big Brother" (Wednesday), CBS, 5.78 million.
8. "NCIS," CBS, 5.74 million.
9. "World of Dance," NBC, 5.06 million.
10. "Dateline Classic," NBC, 4.93 million.
11. "Big Brother" (Thursday), CBS, 4.67 million.
12. "Big Brother" (Sunday), CBS, 4.66 million
13. "Bull," CBS, 4.63 million.
14. "Bachelor in Paradise" (Monday), ABC, 4.62 million.
15. "NCIS: New Orleans," CBS, 4.55 million.
16. "Saturday Night Football: Louisville vs Alabama," ABC, 4.54 million.
17. "Bachelor in Paradise (Tuesday)," ABC, 4.16 million.
18. "Mom," CBS, 3.88 million.
19. "Saturday Night Football Pre-Game," ABC, 3.79 million
20. "Making It," NBC, 3.66 million.
Ratings
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