Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Amazon's Monopsony Is Not O.K. (NY Times)
It comes down to this: Amazon has too much power, and it is abusing it.
Paul Krugman: This Age of Derp (NY Times)
I gather that some readers were puzzled by my use of the term "derp" with regard to peddlers of inflation paranoia, even though I've used it quite a lot. So maybe it's time to revisit the concept; among other things, once you understand the problem of derpitude, you understand why I write the way I do (and why the Asnesses of this world whine so much.)
Robert Evans, Anonymous: "6 Realities of Cooking Illegal Drugs (Not Seen on TV)" (Cracked)
Some drugs grow right out of the ground, because Mother Nature is one of those "cool moms" who would rather have you do it in a safe environment.
Henry Rollins: Musical Elitism Is For Lightweights (LA Weekly)
A few days ago, I spent an afternoon with Lemmy. For the few who might not know that name, Lemmy is the bass player, vocalist and founding member of a band called Motörhead. The man has waged war on people's hearing for decades.
Tell me about the makeover, mummy! Honey Monster drops the sugar (Guardian)
You can still start the day with Sugar Puffs for breakfast - but now they're called Honey Monster Puffs. Wonder why?
Sam Wolfson: "The non-disclosure agreement: arch enemy of the arts critic" (Guardian)
Whether it's reviewing a film or an album, or spending time with a star, journalists are being asked to sign NDAs with increasingly hefty fines attached.
Nick Romeo: Why Aristotle Deserves A Posthumous Nobel (Daily Beast)
The Greek philosopher did ethics and tragedy, sure-but he also invented science as we know it.
The Ohio State Marching Band Oct. 18 halftime show: Classic Rock (YouTube)
"When Ohio State played Rutgers on Saturday, TBDBITL marched and gave us a tribute to classic rock. The complicated formations include a pinball machine (during "Pinball Wizard," of course) and a musician smashing a guitar onstage. Honestly, we really don't post the Ohio State Marching Band's halftime show every week, just when it's awesome." - Neatorama
Finnish Cough Drop Ad (YouTube)
Cures Heavy Metal throat.
If you don't revise properly...You Shall Not Pass! (YouTube)
Sir Ian McKellen came to visit Chew Valley School on 17th October 2014. He had this important message for the students gathered outside the library to catch a glimpse of the actor and Stonewall champion.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Team Coco
CONAN
What's worse than letting a potential Ebola patient fly commercial? Having them stop by a chili cookout at the Iowa state fair.
(Available Select Nations Only.)
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
from Marc Perkel
BartCop
Hello Bartcop fans,
As you all know the untimely passing of Terry was unexpected, even by
him. We all knew he had cancer but we all thought he had some years
left. So some of us who have worked closely with him over the years are
scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. My job, among other
things, is to establish communications with the Bartcop community and
provide email lists and groups for those who might put something
together. Those who want to play an active roll in something coming from
this, or if you are one of Bart's pillars, should send an email to
active@bartcop.com.
Bart's final wish was to pay off the house mortgage for Mrs. Bart who is
overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support she has received.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can click on this the yellow donate
button on bartcop.com
But - I need you all to help keep this going. This note
isn't going to directly reach all of Bart's fans. So if you can repost
it on blogs and discussion boards so people can sign up then when we
figure out what's next we can let more people know. This list is just
over 600 but like to get it up to at least 10,000 pretty quick. So
here's the signup link for this email list.
( mailman.bartcop.com/listinfo/bartnews )
Marc Perkel
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and cooler.
Mark Twain Prize
Leno
The joke was on Jay Leno as comedians saluted the former "Tonight Show" host Sunday when he received the nation's top humor prize.
Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld and Wanda Sykes celebrated Leno's famous work ethic and poked fun as he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Garth Brooks, Kevin Eubanks and Chelsea Handler also paid tribute.
The show will be broadcast nationally Nov. 23 on PBS.
The award honors people who have had an impact on American society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, the writer, satirist and social commentator better known as Mark Twain. Past honorees include Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, Will Ferrell and Bill Cosby.
Leno
UN Rights Experts Decry Water Shut-Offs
Detroit
UN rights experts on Monday condemned authorities in Detroit for disconnecting water supplies to thousands of residents, saying the policy was hitting the city's poorest and most vulnerable.
In a statement issued after a three-day mission to Detroit, UN Special Rapporteurs Catarina de Albuquerque and Leilani Farha said the severance of water supplies to 27,000 homes over unpaid bills violated human rights.
"It is contrary to human rights to disconnect water from people who simply do not have the means to pay their bills," de Albuquerque said.
De Albuquerque said African American residents of Detroit were often "forced to make impossible choices -- to pay the water bill or to pay their rent."
The statement said price hikes in water services to cover the costs of leakages from crumbling infrastructure had exacerbated the problem.
Detroit
The "Martin Sheen"
Sea Shepherd
Conservation group Sea Shepherd launch a new ship named after award-winning actor Martin Sheen as its exiled founder said he hopes to return to the US next year.
Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson said via Skype that he hoped to return from France, where he said the government was being supportive despite two countries including Japan seeking his arrest.
Meanwhile the captain of the new boat, the "Martin Sheen", cracked a bottle over the side of the research vessel, which will focus on battling maritime litter like plastics in the world's oceans.
"Plastic has become the deadliest predator of the sea," the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning "Apocalypse Now" and "West Wing" actor told a crowd at the boat-christening ceremony in Marina Del Rey, just outside Los Angeles.
Sheen, 74, said more than a million birds are believed to die each year from plastic pollution.
Sea Shepherd
Sets New Spending Benchmarks
"The Hobbit"
The movie trilogy "The Hobbit" has so far cost nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars to make as the epic continues to set new benchmarks for studio spending.
Financial documents filed this month in New Zealand, where the films are being made, show production costs through March had reached 934 million New Zealand dollars ($745 million)
That eclipses previous records for film productions. On a per-film basis, however, the movies are not the most expensive ever. At least not yet.
Box Office Mojo and Guinness World Records estimate that record goes to "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" which cost $300 million.
"The Hobbit"
What Climate Change
September
Last month was the hottest September for globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces since record-keeping began in 1880, the US government said on Monday.
Not only did the month continue an ongoing trend of warming that has concerned scientists and environmentalists, it also marked the 38th consecutive September with a global temperature above the 20th century average, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
September's record high was computed by combining average temperature over land and ocean surfaces, which came to 60.3 Fahrenheit (15.72 Celsius), or 1.3 F (0.72 C) above the 20th century average.
Most of the land on Earth was warmer than normal last month, except for central Russia, some areas in eastern and northern Canada, and a small region in Namibia.
Last month in Australia was 3.65 F (2.03 C) higher than the 1961-1990 average, the fifth highest for the month since national records began in 1910.
September
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
Nicholas Brendon
An actor best known for his role in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is apologizing for actions that led to his arrest in a hotel lobby in southwest Idaho.
Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander Harris on the hit show that ran from 1997 to 2003, said Monday on Facebook that he erred by mixing prescribed pain medication and alcohol.
He said the physical pain came from a cyst behind his kneecap, but he didn't elaborate on the cause of the emotional demons.
Brendon was participating in the Tree City Comic Con at a Boise expo centre where fans could have a photo taken with him for $40 and get his autograph for $30.
This was the first year for the Tree City Comic Con that besides Brendon drew an array writers, illustrators and other actors, including John Rhys-Davies who was Gimli in "Lord of the Rings," Nichelle Nichols who played Lt. Uhura in "Star Trek: The Original Series," and Verne Troyer, who played Mini Me in "Austin Powers."
Nicholas Brendon
Uppity Woman
Nancy Snyderman
The quarantine against possible Ebola exposure ends this week for Dr. Nancy Snyderman, but the troubles clearly aren't over for NBC News' chief medical editor.
An admitted lapse in the quarantine, combined with a curiously imprecise explanation, unleashed a furious response. NBC must now decide whether Snyderman's credibility is too damaged for her to continue reporting on Ebola or other medical issues and, if so, for how long. The network would not comment.
Snyderman, a surgeon who spent 17 years as a medical correspondent for ABC News and has been at NBC since 2006, covered the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and worked briefly with Ashoka Mukpo, the cameraman who caught the virus and is now being treated in Nebraska. Upon returning to the United States, Snyderman and her crew voluntarily agreed to quarantine themselves for 21 days, the generally accepted incubation period for the disease. They have shown no symptoms.
Snyderman's "arrogance and dismissiveness" create a huge PR and credibility problem for NBC, said Kelly McBride, an expert on ethics for the journalism think tank the Poynter Institute.
Before Snyderman's trip for takeout, ABC News' medical expert arguably had bigger problems. ABC health editor Dr. Richard Besser was in Liberia at the same time as Snyderman and did not quarantine himself upon his return. That led ABC News President James Goldston to send his staff a memo explaining that the network was following medical advice.
Nancy Snyderman
Stiviano Lawsuit Dismissed
Shelly Sterling
A judge reversed course Monday and dismissed a defamation lawsuit by Donald Sterling's mistress against the estranged wife of the former Los Angeles Clippers owner.
Judge Richard Fruin issued a tentative ruling last week saying he planned to allow the suit, but he reconsidered after arguments from Shelly Sterling's lawyer. It is unusual for a judge to reverse a tentative ruling.
The judge found V. Stiviano presented no evidence to support her claim that Shelly Sterling called her a thief and an embezzler in hundreds if not thousands of media reports. He said she did not present a single quotation to support her claim.
The judge also rejected Stiviano's claim that former Clippers President Andy Roeser also defamed her at the instruction of Shelly Sterling. He said there was no evidence of that.
Shelly Sterling
Nursing Schools Suspend Programs
Connecticut
At least two Connecticut university nursing programs have stopped sending student nurses to work in the emergency room of a New Haven hospital where a patient was admitted last week with Ebola-like symptoms but tested negative for the virus.
Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University said on Monday they were suspending their programs at Yale-New Haven Hospital, while Fairfield went a step further and stopped sending students to work clinical shifts at the medical center.
Mary Alice Donius, director of Sacred Heart's School of Nursing, said in an email on Monday the university would stop sending trainee nurses to the emergency room for now "to keep students and faculty safe until all information was known."
Sacred Heart had suspended clinical rotations as well but resumed them when the tests on the patient proved negative.
The school would make a decision on resuming the full program when "further information becomes available," she said.
Connecticut
Restitution Ordered In Theft
Dinosaur Footprint
A Utah man who pleaded guilty in the theft of a priceless fossilized dinosaur footprint that's never been recovered was sentenced Monday to a year of probation and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.
Jared Ehlers, 35, in February pried a piece of sandstone with an ancient three-toed dinosaur track from a trail for off-road vehicles near Moab in southeastern Utah, federal prosecutors say.
Authorities believe he got nervous after being questioned in the case and dumped the print - thought to be up to 190 million years old - into the Colorado River.
Ehlers will serve half his sentence under house arrest. He also will have a felony conviction on his record and be barred from possessing guns. That requirement is significant for Ehlers, who enjoys hunting with his two sons, his attorney Tara Isaacson said.
Dinosaur Footprint
5-Day Moratorium Ended
Porn Industry
A California-based trade group for the adult film industry has lifted a moratorium on production spurred by a feared HIV exposure on an out-of-state film set.
The Free Speech Coalition ended the five-day production hold Monday, saying in a statement that testing has been completed and "the performer pool has not been compromised."
The group first called for a three-day moratorium that was extended through the weekend. It said a performer might have been exposed to HIV last month during off-set sexual contact with another performer who wasn't observing the industry's protective protocols.
The group's head Diane Duke said she knows the lack of information provided in such cases is frustrating, but medical privacy is essential for performers.
Porn Industry
In Memory
Rene Burri
Rene Burri, a Swiss photographer best known for his iconic black and white portraits of Communist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and painter Pablo Picasso, has died. He was 81.
Magnum Photos, the agency of which he had been a long-time member, confirmed Burri died in Zurich Monday of cancer.
Born in Zurich in 1933, Burri was just a teenager when in 1946 he witnessed a visit to Switzerland by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Borrowing his father's camera he took a picture of Churchill standing in an open-top car, the roadside crowds a blur in contrast with the strong-jawed British leader.
After his studies, Burri embarked on a photo documentary of a school for deaf-mute children in Zurich. Titled 'Touch of Music for the Deaf' it was published in Life magazine, when Burri was 23.
Burri frequently photographed artists, including sculptor Alberto Giacometti and the architect Le Corbusier. An invitation to dine with Picasso in 1957 resulted in a series of intimate portraits of the painter.
He also travelled widely, including to the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, where during a visit to Cuba in 1963 Burri shot his famous picture of a cigar-chomping Che, seemingly pausing for thought during an interview.
Burri is survived by his second wife Clotilde Blanc, their son, and two children from an earlier marriage.
Rene Burri
In Memory
Oscar de la Renta
Iconic fashion designer Oscar de la Renta has died, a family member told ABC News. He was 82.
Born in the Dominican Republic in 1932, de la Renta left home at 18 to study painting in Madrid. It was there he developed a love of fashion design and began an apprenticeship with Cristóbal Balenciaga, who became his mentor, and then, landed a job with Lanvin in Paris. Soon after, he moved to New York City.
In 1965, the designer launched his own label, and soon caught the eye of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Other first ladies including Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton would follow suit, as well as a bevy of A-list stars, from Amy Adams to Sandra Bullock to Jessica Biel and countless others.
He also launched a successful bridal line, and most recently, designed Amal Clooney's wedding gown.
The fashion designer is survived by his wife, Annette, and a son, Moises, as well as stepchildren and step-grandchildren.
De la Renta, who won a bevy of fashion awards in his lifetime, including two Council of Fashion Designers Designer of the Year Awards, a CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award and two COTY Awards, always appreciated every moment of his high-profile life.
Oscar de la Renta
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