Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mark Morford: How to Get Lucky (SF Gate)
To be lucky, in short, is to be open, adaptive, flexible, receptive to the new, relaxed and awake, so you can see the opportunities when they arrive and then act on them without hesitation, doubt or fear, which is pretty much the exact opposite of the operational mode of all those unhappy, anxious humans we all know and love and never, ever vote for.
Andrew Tobias: Three Minutes With Elizabeth Warren
It is a bit nuts out there, and gerrymandering (and fundamentalist religion) have made it nutser. At least we have a Pope who seems positively Christ-like in his agenda. And a whole lot of electeds who - while less liberal than some would like - are mostly focused on moving the country forward. They are called . . . wait for it . . . Democrats.
Joan Walsh: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg is right: She shouldn't resign!" (Salon)
The liberal justice says she's not going anywhere because she's good at her job and Democrats will win in 2016.
Elizabeth Warren slams House GOP's "anarchy gang" (Salon)
In a speech given on Thursday from the Senate floor, Elizabeth Warren laid into what she called the House's "anarchy gang" and defended a vision of government as what "we as Americans have chosen to do together."
This is Obamacare - Edmond, OK (OKCFOX)
This woman could die unless she gets Obamacare.
KATIE MCDONOUGH: "Pat Robertson to elderly woman: Your husband is sick because you aren't giving enough money to your church" (Salon)
The woman, who is "retired and living on a small pension and Social Security income" and "barely [has] any money," asked Robertson if maybe, after a lifetime of tithing, she could prioritize her husband's healthcare over her financial service to the church. Robertson's response? Of course she can't stop tithing. In fact, her husband is sick because she isn't tithing enough.
Hadley Freeman: Why do we expect so much from Bridget Jones? (Guardian)
Helen Fielding's heroine is back in Mad About the Boy - but remember, she's still just a fictional character.
Christine Gross-Loh: Why are Hundreds of Harvard Students Studying Ancient Chinese Philosophy? (Atlantic)
The professor who teaches Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory claims, "This course will change your life."
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog
David Bruce's Lulu Storefront
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
(Go A's - one more game) responded:
took the day off.
took the day off.
said:
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Cold (for these parts) and rainy.
Hall of Fame Nominees
Songwriters
Madonna, John Mellencamp and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are among the nominees for the 2014 Songwriters Hall of Fame.
They are joined by a number of top acts, including Ray Davies, Sade, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry.
Also nominated are Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson, Vince Gill, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Donovan, Cat Stevens and Harry Wayne Casey.
Nonperforming songwriter nominees include "Midnight Train to Georgia" writer Jim Weatherly, Motown songwriter William "Mickey" Stevenson and country music songwriters Bobby Braddock and Bill Anderson.
Mark James, the writer behind "Always on My Mind" - covered by Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson - is also nominated alongside Don Robertson, Graham Gouldman and Tony Macaulay. Writing duos Hugo & Luigi, Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, and Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham will also compete.
Songwriters
CBS Makes Monday Moves
'We Are Men'
CBS is making big changes to its Monday night lineup after a disappointing start in the new fall television season.
Gone after just two episodes is the new situation comedy "We Are Men," which was airing in the 8:30 p.m. time slot. "We Are Men," which followed four men struggling to make connections with women, averaged just 6 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Also, the raunchy sitcom "2 Broke Girls" is being demoted from 9 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. So far this season, "2 Broke Girls" has averaged about 8 million viewers, which is off 17% compared with a year ago.
CBS will replace "2 Broke Girls" at 9 p.m. with reruns of its Thursday smash "The Big Bang Theory" for the next few weeks. Then in November, the network will bring "Mike & Molly" off the bench to take custody of that crucial time period.
'We Are Men'
2nd Wedding Anniversary
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney celebrated his second wedding anniversary with his wife and a few hundred high school students on Wednesday.
The 71-year-old performed at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, which was opened by Tony Bennett.
McCartney said, "Happy anniversary, Baby," to Nancy Shevell before going into his latest song, called "New." He said the song was inspired by his wife as the students turned to her and gushed.
The crowd, which included some adults, was feverish as McCartney performed a 13-song set from his Beatles, Wings and solo catalogue, including "Hey Jude," ''Eight Days a Week" and "Jet."
Bennett, who attended the event, launched the school in Queens in 2001. McCartney talked about funding and updating the Liverpool school he and George Harrison attended.
Paul McCartney
Plans Run For Mayor Of London
Eddie Izzard
Whether running for political office, running marathons or running his mouth, Eddie Izzard rarely slows down.
At the moment, the British comic is ensconced in a bona fide world tour that will wind through Canada from Nov. 10 in Halifax to its Dec. 3 conclusion in Vancouver, he has a recurring role in the NBC horror series "Hannibal" and for whatever reason has piled his plate with various other goals notable for their sheer audacity, including his aspiration to become completely fluent in German and to run 27 (yes, 27) marathons in South Africa next year. (He completed 43 marathons in 51 days back in 2009, so it's not at all far-fetched).
Oh, and Izzard also wants to run for mayor of London in 2020, an ambition the sharp-tongued, sharp-dressed funnyman treats with clear-eyed gravity.
Though he declines to go into too much detail on policy this far out, he describes himself as a centrist who would seek compromise to carry his ideas through. (In a not-entirely-scientific poll in Time Out London earlier this year, 88 per cent of over 2,000 respondents pledged that they would vote for Izzard).
He has his heroes. Former "Saturday Night Live" writer Al Franken, he points out, was an edge-trotting comedian who successfully transitioned into politics, and Izzard says he's discussed his ambition with the Minnesota junior senator.
Eddie Izzard
No New Beer From Craft Brewers
Shutdown
The federal government shutdown could leave America's craft brewers with a serious hangover.
Stores will still offer plenty of suds. But the shutdown has closed an obscure agency that quietly approves new breweries, recipes and labels, which could create huge delays throughout the rapidly growing craft industry, whose customers expect a constant supply of inventive and seasonal beers.
Mike Brenner is trying to open a craft brewery in Milwaukee by December. His application to include a tasting room is now on hold, as are his plans to file paperwork for four labels over the next few weeks. He expects to lose about $8,000 for every month his opening is delayed.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, is a little-known arm of the Treasury Department. The agency will continue to process taxes from existing permit holders, but applications for anything new are in limbo.
Shutdown
Closes Vancouver Location
Pixar
Computer animation giant Pixar has shut down its Canadian operation in Vancouver, leaving about 100 employees out of work.
A statement from Pixar publicist Chris Wiggum says the company decided to focus its efforts and resources under one roof at the company's Emeryville, Calif., location.
The Vancouver studio opened in 2010, creating short films such as "Air Mater," "Small Fry" and "Partysaurus Rex."
The animation firm was bought by The Walt Disney Company in 2006 for $7.4 billion.
Pixar
Year To Watch
2047
Starting in about a decade, Kingston, Jamaica, will probably be off-the-charts hot - permanently. Other places will soon follow. Singapore in 2028. Mexico City in 2031. Cairo in 2036. Phoenix and Honolulu in 2043.
And eventually the whole world in 2047.
A new study on global warming pinpoints the probable dates for when cities and ecosystems around the world will regularly experience hotter environments the likes of which they have never seen before.
For example, the world as a whole had its hottest year on record in 2005. The new study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, says that by the year 2047, every year that follows will probably be hotter than that record-setting scorcher.
Eventually, the coldest year in a particular city or region will be hotter than the hottest year in its past.
2047
Living Man Still Legally Dead
Donald Eugene Miller Jr.
Life can be tough, especially when a judge says you're dead in the eyes of the law.
That's exactly what happened to Ohio resident Donald Eugene Miller Jr. on Monday when a judge upheld a 1994 court ruling declaring the 61-year-old legally dead.
Miller said he is a recovering alcoholic and abandoned his rental home while in the throes of his addiction. He said he returned to the court as part of an effort to get his life back together.
His ex-wife, Robin Miller, asked for the initial death ruling so that Social Security death benefits could be paid to their two children.
Robin Miller says she opposed overturning the death ruling, because she would then have to pay back the federal government for the benefits she received and does not have the financial means to do so. Donald Eugene Miller reportedly owed her $26,000 in child support at the time of his "death."
Donald Eugene Miller Jr.
Found In Donation Box
Mastodon Tooth
A Michigan charity that collects donated clothing, shoes and other items for low-income residents got a really old cast-off in a donation box: A mastodon tooth.
The remains of the extinct relative of the elephant turned up during a July pickup in Grand Rapids, The Grand Rapids Press reported. The tooth pieces and tusk are estimated to be anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 years old. The Christian charity, called In The Image, turned the find over to the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which is adding them to its collection.
The tooth is broken into two parts and is covered in lacquer. A tusk, also covered in lacquer, is hollow at one end and also may be from a mastodon.
The animals roamed North America more than 10,000 years ago, and their remains turn up from time to time in Michigan - usually buried underground. The museum already has a number of mastodon bones and the new additions will be available for loan to educators for use as a learning tool in schools.
Mastodon Tooth
Weird Shift
Earth's Magnetic Field
Earth's magnetic field shields the planet from charged particles streaming from the sun, keeping it from becoming a barren, Mars-like rock. For more than 300 years, scientists have recorded a westward-drifting feature in the field that models have been unable to explain.
By relying on insights gleaned from previous work, as well as data collected over nearly four centuries, an international team of scientists has been able to provide a model that accounts for the western drift of the magnetic field on one side of the planet.
"People have tried various configurations regarding the state of the core-mantle alignment," lead author Julien Aubert, of the Université Paris Diderot in France, told SPACE.com in an email."The ingredients were here, but they were never put in the right configuration, in particular for reproducing the geomagnetic westward drift."
The magnetic field that encases the planet is caused by interactions deep inside Earth's core. The inner core is solid, while the outer core features flowing liquid iron, which generates currents that in turn lead to magnetic fields.
The field surrounding the Earth changes over time, with shifts occurring most prominently in low latitudes in the Western Hemisphere. The fast-moving magnetic patches that occur near the equator drift approximately 10 miles (20 kilometers) per year. These changes are driven by intense regions of activity in the core, the cause of which scientists have been at a loss to explain.
Earth's Magnetic Field
Jewelry Holds Evidence
King Tut
Tutankhamun is probably the most famous Egyptian pharaoh in history, but new research may add even more majesty to his story, revealing that a piece of his jewelry contains a gemstone that was created during a comet impact roughly 28 million years ago.
The lustrous yellow-green scarab gemstone at the centre of Tutankhamun's golden pectoral was carved for him from a stone dug up from the Silica Glass Field, in the Saharan Desert of Libya and Egypt. Up until now, the source of this 6,000 square km patch of silica glass deposits was unknown, but it was known that the glass was caused by a burst of intense heat. Although a meteorite impact can cause this to happen, no crater has ever been discovered in the area, so it was most likely due to something else.
A team of South African researchers believe they have the answer, though, after examining an unusual black pebble recovered from the region. This pebble, which they called 'Hypatia', was found to have microscopic diamonds embedded in it, and after a detailed chemical analysis of the rock, the researchers are convinced that what they have is the tiny remnant of a comet nucleus and the first direct evidence of a comet impact with the Earth.
King Tut
In Memory
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann, the erudite critic, author and editor who reviewed movies for The New Republic for more than 50 years, wrote his own plays and fiction, and helped discover the classic novels "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Moviegoer," died Wednesday. He was 97.
Kauffmann died of pneumonia at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan, said Adam Plunkett, assistant literary editor at The New Republic.
Kauffmann started at The New Republic in 1958 and remained there - except for a brief interlude - for the rest of his life, becoming one of the oldest working critics in history. He wrote during a dynamic era that featured the rise of the French New Wave and the emergence of such American directors as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. He was among the last survivors of a generation of reviewers that included The New Yorker's Pauline Kael and the Village Voice's Andrew Sarris, idols of the "Film Generation," so-called by Kauffmann himself.
Never as famous as Kael or Sarris, Kauffmann still had a dedicated following, with admirers including Susan Sontag and Roger Ebert, who once called him "the most valuable film critic in America." He received an Emmy in 1964 for his commentary on WNET-TV and a Polk Award for film criticism in 1982. His theatre reviews brought him a George Jean Nathan Award in 1974.
The kind of critic who preferred the word "film" to "movies," Kauffmann was far more skeptical of popular culture than was Kael, with whom he (and so many other reviewers) occasionally feuded. He did not share her passion for "The Godfather" ("an aggrandized gangster film") or "Nashville" ("a superior book-club novel"). In recent years, he didn't bother with "Avatar" or other blockbusters, reasoning that they would manage fine without him. He did spread the word about such foreign-language releases as the Russian musical "Hipsters," a documentary about German painter Gerhard Richter and the Israeli family drama "Footnote."
Kauffmann's interests and influence were not limited to film. He worked in publishing in the 1940s and throughout the 1950s. He wrote several novels, among them "The Philanderer," released in Britain in 1953, soon banned and the subject of a landmark obscenity trial. Jurors acquitted publisher Fredric Warburg and the case helped change British laws on artistic expression.
As a publishing editor, Kauffmann twice helped make history. In 1953, at Ballantine Books, he took on a disturbing novel about a future society in which books are burned - Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451." A few years later, at Alfred A. Knopf, an agent sent him the manuscript for a novel by a young author named Walker Percy. Kauffmann would recall that the book was beautifully written but poorly structured and needed substantial revision. Acquired for $1,000, Percy's "The Moviegoer" was published in 1961, developed a word-of-mouth following among fellow writers and went on to win the National Book Award, beating "Catch-22" among others.
A dentist's son, Kauffmann was born in New York City in 1916. He witnessed film's early years firsthand, seeing new works by Charlie Chaplin and others during the silent age. He began going to the theatre in the 1920s and had memories of John Barrymore, the daring Shakespeare productions of Orson Welles and the raucous opening of Clifford Odets' pro-union "Waiting for Lefty," when audience members shouted along with the play's closing chant of "Strike!"
Theater was his first love. He graduated from New York University's College of Fine Arts in 1935 and was an actor and stage manager with the Washington Square Players. He wrote several plays and taught for years at the Yale School of Drama, his students including the future Broadway producer and chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Rocco Landesman. In 1966, he became the theatre critic for The New York Times but was regarded by Broadway producers as too negative and by Times executives as "too ponderous and professorial," according to Gay Talese's history of the newspaper, "The Kingdom and the Power." He was replaced within months and was back at The New Republic the following year.
Kauffmann did not plan to become a film critic. He was highly valued by paperback pioneers Ian and Betty Ballantine and helped them obtain rights to a book-length edition of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," a deal Kauffmann helped secure by visiting the playwright at his Brooklyn home. He had worked in book publishing for more than a decade when, in 1957, a friend offered him the chance to write about film for The Reporter, a biweekly magazine. He enjoyed it enough to send a review to The New Republic and soon was hired fulltime. Kauffmann would recall that as a young man, he was told that theatre was a vital force because it encompassed all art forms before it. Film, he later decided, was theatre's successor.
Kauffmann married Laura Cohen in 1943. They had no children.
Stanley Kauffmann
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
