Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Obamacare Is the Right's Worst Nightmare (New York Times)
Conservatives are right to be hysterical about this: it's an attack on everything they believe - and it's going to make Americans' lives better. What could be worse?
Lee Camp: The Zimmerman Trial Goes Much Deeper Than The Media Will Tell You (YouTube)
The George Zimmerman trial was about a lot more than Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin.
Froma Harrop: Curse of the Full-Time Job (Creators Syndicate)
Free time is the great hunger for so many productive Americans, often trumping money. Studies show a huge desire for more self- and family-time, especially among parents. But Americans remain stuck in work schedules drawn up early last century. That doesn't make sense today, so why do we continue punching the old time clocks?
Hanna Rosin: "Quiet, Beyoncé! We Need a New Girl Anthem" (Slate)
Over the years I have been invited to speak at my share of events on the womeny topics of the day, and often those events begin with the panelists gamely walking out onto the stage to take their seats. Accompanying that feminist march is often music, and nine times out of 10 that music is …
Pauli Poisuo: 5 Horrifying Secrets Supermarkets Don't Want You to Know (Cracked)
#5. There Is Poop on the Shopping Carts.
Cracked Staff and Karl Smallwood: 6 Subtle Ways You're Getting Screwed at the Grocery Store (Cracked)
#6: Bottom Dimples (And Other Sneaky Packaging Tricks)
ESTHER INGLIS-ARKELL: How chicken feed led to the discovery of vitamins (io9)
Ever wonder why old-timey health treatments involved eating incredibly weird foods? It's because few people knew exactly what parts of food were nutritious. Until one cook inadvertently cured her chickens of a disease, and started a chain of research that lead to the discovery of vitamins.
DJI Phantom Video Contest - Niagara Falls (YouTube)
Flying over Niagra Falls in a Quad-Copter.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Bit too toasty.
Complete List Of Emmy Nominations - 2013
To Be Named Icon Of Music
Johnny Rotten
Johnny Rotten may not like it but he is starting to become Johnny Icon.
The 57-year-old former frontman of the anarchic 1970s punk band the Sex Pistols is to receive an award for his contribution to music from the music rights organisation BMI, although he angrily rejected previous honours.
Singer-songwriter John Lydon, who went by the name Johnny Rotten as he belted out songs like "Pretty Vacant" and "Anarchy in the UK", will be presented with BMI's Icon Award at a gala in London on October 15.
Lydon, with his trademark orange hair, and the Pistols are credited with launching punk rock in Britain and inspiring scores of other musicians with their expletive-ridden, anti-establishment rage.
Lydon was not immediately available to comment on the award but news of the honour was posted on his website and tweeted by his current band, Public Image Ltd, suggesting he had accepted.
Johnny Rotten
"Pink Mass"
Westboro
A group of satanists say they've given the controversial Westboro Baptist Church a taste of its own medicine, performing a same-sex ritual at the grave of the mother of the church's founder.
Members of the Satanist Temple performed on Sunday what its spokesman describes as a "pink mass" an admittedly made-up ritual, celebrating gay love, at the grave in Meridian, Miss.
Spokesman Lucien Greaves doffed a headdress made of horns as two male couples, and a female couple recited scripture, lit candles and made out over the grave.
Members then posthumously declared Catherine Johnston, the mother of Westboro's founder Fred Phelps, a lesbian.
The ritual was designed to get a rise of the WBC, the satanists said, an organization that's earned a national reputation for getting a rise out of others.
Westboro
Snitch Revealed
JK Rowling
A real-life mystery over who blew the cover on JK Rowling writing a detective novel under a pseudonym was uncovered on Thursday when the culprit was revealed to be - her law firm, which apologized unreservedly for the leak.
Rowling, whose Harry Potter series made her Britain's best-selling author, posed as a retired military policeman called Robert Galbraith to write "The Cuckoo's Calling" that was released in April to strong reviews but minimal sales.
But the real identity of Galbraith was revealed at the weekend after the Sunday Times newspaper received a set of anonymous tweets alleging Rowling was the author and its staff turned detective to match up the use of language and realize that the same literary agent was involved.
Caught fair and square, Rowling admitted she was Galbraith, sending sales of the detective novel soaring, but one question remained - who sent those tweets in the first place?
JK Rowling
Legacy Debated
Bruce Lee
Late kung fu superstar Bruce Lee may be an international icon, but he is still not the complete local hero in Hong Kong.
Fans are marking his death 40 years ago this weekend with art gallery shows, exhibitions and even street graffiti but some people are urging Hong Kong's government to do more to honor the former British colony's biggest star.
Lawmakers and scholars have joined calls from fans, fearing the government is wary of fully embracing Lee's legacy. His enduring spirit of youthful rebellion and a willingness to fight big oppressors may have spooked city leaders prone to second-guessing their political masters in Beijing.
American-born but raised in Hong Kong, Lee died of brain swelling aged just 32 at the height of his fame. His most popular film, the worldwide blockbuster Enter the Dragon, was released just six days after his death in 1973.
Bruce Lee
Used 'Wrong' Words
Rupert
Rupert Murdoch (R-Evil Incarnate) has expressed regret for questioning the competence of police carrying out an investigation into wrongdoing at his U.K. newspapers, but says the probe has gone on too long.
In a secretly taped recording that emerged earlier this month, the media baron called wrongdoing by his British newspapers "next to nothing," boasted that his lawyers were refusing to actively cooperate with investigators, and spoke dismissively about accusations of bribery leveled against his newspaper empire.
He also described police as "totally incompetent" in the recording, obtained by the ExaroNews journalism website and broadcast on Channel 4 News.
The recording - allegedly made secretly when Murdoch addressed staffers from The Sun newspaper back in March - made waves in Britain because it appeared to be at odds with Murdoch's vigorous public condemnations of illegal behavior at his newspaper titles.
Rupert
Suspended Sentence
Scott Thorson
An ex-lover of Liberace who was the subject of a recent HBO film on the pianist's life was sentenced to probation on identify theft charges after lawyers argued over whether it was proper for him to receive drug testing at a Nevada brothel.
Washoe District Judge Patrick Flanagan sentenced Scott Thorson Wednesday to eight to 20 years for burglary and ID theft, but suspended the prison sentence. The judge also rejected prosecutors' request Thorson be ordered to inpatient drug treatment and instead sent him to the county's outpatient drug court program.
Thorson, author of the book "Behind the Candelabra" used as the basis for the HBO film, was arrested in February and pleaded guilty May 8 to unlawful possession and use of a credit card stolen from a man at a motel next door to a Reno strip club.
But since then, his lawyer David Houston said, Thorson has completed a drug treatment while in jail. And after he was bailed out by Bunny Ranch brothel owner Dennis Hof, voluntarily submitted to routine drug testing at the brothel east of Carson City to help show his commitment to becoming substance free, Houston said.
Hof said he agreed to pay $15,000 bail to free Thorson from Washoe County jail May 31 after two employees told him about the HBO drama detailing Thornson's relationship with the flamboyant Vegas performer.
Hof, whose brothel was featured in the HBO series "Cathouse," said he moved Thorson into his guest house behind the brothel so Thorson can get treatment for colon cancer and drug problems.
Scott Thorson
Russian Opposition Leader Railroaded
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny, the most charismatic and creative of Russian opposition leaders who challenged the Kremlin with exposures of high-level corruption and biting satire, was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday in a verdict that fueled street protests near Red Square and drew condemnation from the West.
In a bizarre development a few hours after Navalny, a Moscow mayoral candidate, was led from the court in handcuffs and bused to a jail, prosecutors asked that he be kept free pending appeal.
The move came as several thousand opposition supporters gathered just outside the Kremlin to protest his conviction for embezzlement and his sentence. The sudden motion could reflect both an attempt to soothe public anger and an effort to lend legitimacy to September's mayoral race, which a Kremlin-backed incumbent is expected to win.
Navalny, a popular blogger and corruption-fighting lawyer, rose to a rock star status among the opposition during a series of massive protests in Moscow against President Vladimir Putin's re-election to a third presidential term in March 2012.
Sentencing Navalny is the latest move in a multi-pronged crackdown on dissent that followed Putin's inauguration, including arrests of opposition activists and repressive legislation that sharply hiked fines for participants in unsanctioned protests and imposed tough new restrictions on non-government organizations.
Alexei Navalny
Nutritional Experiments
Canada
Recently published historical research says hungry aboriginal children and adults were once used as unwitting subjects in nutritional experiments by Canadian government bureaucrats.
"This was the hardest thing I've ever written," said Ian Mosby, who has revealed new details about one of the least-known but perhaps most disturbing aspects of government policy toward aboriginals immediately after the Second World War.
Mosby - whose work at the University of Guelph focuses on the history of food in Canada - was researching the development of health policy when he ran across something strange.
"I started to find vague references to studies conducted on 'Indians' that piqued my interest and seemed potentially problematic, to say the least," he said. "I went on a search to find out what was going on."
Government documents eventually revealed a long-standing, government-run experiment that came to span the entire country and involved at least 1,300 aboriginals, most of them children.
Canada
Top 20
Concert Tours
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.09.
2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,368,757; $85.90.
3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,982,495; $74.46.
4. (5) Fleetwood Mac; $1,366,747; $108.63.
5. (New) Dave Matthews Band; $1,241,722; $54.62.
6. (New) Justin Bieber; $1,178,902; $81.00.
7. (6) New Kids On The Block; $838,685; $66.04.
8. (8) Tim McGraw; $575,811; $36.47.
9. (9) Brad Paisley; $566,551; $36.20.
10. (7) Jason Aldean; $550,891; $47.37.
11. (10) Carrie Underwood; $510,462; $62.81.
12. (11) Widespread Panic; $361,134; $46.06.
13. (12) Barry Manilow; $354,265; $57.72.
14. (13) Motley Crue; $329,571; $75.99.
15. (14) Styx / REO Speedwagon / Ted Nugent; $221,234; $38.78.
16. (15) Jeff Dunham; $212,378; $50.13.
17. (17) Chris Tomlin; $173,877; $28.67.
18. (16) Bassnectar; $171,548; $34.95.
19. (18) Willie Nelson; $165,520; $55.23.
20. (19) Il Divo; $152,184; $76.21.
Concert Tours
In Memory
Marc Simont
Illustrator Marc Simont, whose work adorned some of the most celebrated titles in children's literature, has died after a short illness, his family said Thursday.
Simont died Saturday at his home in Cornwall, his son, Marc "Doc" Simont, said. He was 97.
With a pared-down style that matched painterly use of color with loose lines, Simont illustrated close to a hundred books over his career. In 1957, he won the Caldecott Medal, one of the top honors in American children's literature, for his illustrations for "A Tree is Nice" by Janice May Udry.
His work also won Caldecott Honor awards in 1950 for Ruth Krauss's "The Happy Day" and in 2002 for "The Stray Dog," based on a story by Reiko Sassa.
Although most were for young people, he worked with authors ranging from Margaret Wise Brown to James Thurber. In 1972, he and author Marjorie Sharmat launched a 21-book series about a boy detective, "Nate the Great."
Simont received some of his earliest training from his father, Jose Simont, a magazine illustrator. He attended schools in Paris, his birthplace, and the National Academy of Design in New York. He settled in the United States permanently when he was 19.
Simont won the "James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism" Hunter College in 2007 for his political cartoons.
Marc Simont
In Memory
Alex Colville
Celebrated painter Alex Colville, whose meticulously crafted scenes of everyday life established him as one of Canada's most well-known modern artists, has died at the age of 92.
His son, Graham, said his father passed away Tuesday at his home in Wolfville, N.S., from a heart condition after years of coping with a variety of health issues.
A painter, engraver, sketch artist and muralist, Colville earned a reputation for crafting tranquil compositions that focused on routine moments of family life and featured landscapes, animals and the sea.
His work was accessible, memorable and reached millions of Canadians through a myriad of avenues including art galleries, magazines, book covers, postcards, posters, television, coins and even via the cover of a Bruce Cockburn record album.
But Colville said his father's artistry also extended beyond Canada's border, sometimes in unexpected ways.
''I must say, I (felt) slight surprise when I saw Stanley Kubrick's film 'The Shining' and I suddenly realized my father's paintings were in the background in numerous scenes. They were implanted in that film as almost subliminal messages.''
Colville also noted with pride that in 1962, the New York Times used his father's painting called "Elm Tree at Horton Landing," to illustrate a front page review of Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring."
Colville began his career as a military artist, becoming the most prominent painter to document Canada's involvement in the Second World War.
After the war, Colville forged a unique hyper-realist style that eschewed fashionable trends towards abstract and expressionist art.
Colville was born Aug. 24, 1920 in Toronto. He moved to Amherst, N.S. as a boy with his family and studied fine arts at Mount Allison University. He graduated in 1942 and married that same year in Wolfville, N.S.
His wife and muse, Rhoda Colville, died in December 2012 at the couple's home in Wolfville.
He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1967, and made Companion of the Order of Canada in 1982. He won a Governor General's Visual and Media Arts Award in 2003.
Colville was predeceased by his wife Rhoda and their middle son, John. In addition to Graham, Colville is survived by a second son, Charles, and a daughter, Ann.
Alex Colville
In Memory
Peter Appleyard
Jazz musician Peter Appleyard died Wednesday night at the age of 84.
Appleyard died of natural causes at home on a farm in Eden Mills, Ont., his friend and manager John Cripton of Great World Artists confirmed to the Canadian Press.
The vibraphonist, percussionist and composer came out of retirement in 2012 to release two new albums. The Lost 1974 Sessions, recorded in 1974 with jazz giants like Hank Jones and Slam Stewart. Sophisticated Ladies featured Canadian vocalists.
Born in 1928 in England, Appleyard emigrated in 1951 to Toronto, where he spent much of the rest of his life.
After diving into Toronto's jazz scene, Appleyard started his own band in 1956, which led to frequent TV and radio appearances by the budding musician.
Appleyard co-hosted a CBC Radio program Patti and Peter with singer Patti Lewish from 1961-62. Several years later, he co-hosted CBC TV's Mallets and Brass with Guido Basso.
In 1972, Appleyard joined Goodman's band for almost 10 years of touring around the world.
In 1992, Appleyard was made an officer in the Order of Canada.
His last performance was this past May, when he and a group of his decorated friends - including Basso on trumpet, Jane Bunnett on sax and Terry Clarke on drums - gathered for a night of jazz in Appleyard's barn.
Peter Appleyard
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