Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman's Blog: Liberty, Equality, Austerity (New York Times)
At this point the entire advanced world is doing exactly what basic macroeconomics says it shouldn't be doing: slashing spending in the face of high unemployment, slow growth, and a liquidity trap. It's a global 1937. And if the result is another recession, the witch-doctors will just demand more bleeding.
Paul Krugman's Blog: Identity Theft (New York Times)
Well, this is interesting. I hear that the not-so-good people at National Review are attacking me over something I said on my Google+ page. Except, I don't have a Google+ page. … Apparently some people can't find enough things to attack in what I actually say, so they're busy creating fake quotes. And I have enough on my plate without trying to chase all this stuff down.
Jason Linkins: Paul Krugman Impersonator Uses Google Plus To Make Stupid Arguments In Bad Faith (Huffington Post)
Let's take a look at what Krugman actually said about the economic impact of the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear reactor disaster in Japan. I must issue an apology in advance for the longish blockquotes -- the reason our Google+ Krugman-manque did not do the same is because doing so would decimate his argument that Krugman, the hard-hearted Keynesian, wishes to spur the economy through increased disaster:…
Andrew Tobias: "'The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime' No--Really"
When you have one Party whose candidates tend to believe in evolution and climate change . . . and another whose candidates hold prayer sessions to keep from taxing the rich to provide health insurance to the poor (because presumably that's what Jesus would have done), it's important which Party wins.
Jim Hightower: Perry's shameful insult to U.S. troops
Maybe you thought, after George W's presidency, that at least it can't get worse than that. Well, don't look now, but here comes worse! High-strutting out of Bush's Texas, shooting from the lip, smugger and stupider than you would think possible, Rick Perry, the slap-happy Texas governor, says he's ready to be president. This guy puts the dumb in dumfounding.
Susan Estrich: The Killing at the Corner (Creators Syndicate)
"What happened?" I said. "An incident," the traffic officer answered, and then refused to tell us what kind of incident. A biohazard vehicle at the corner grocery? Literally a dozen police cars? The TV trucks arrived the next morning.
Tom Danehy: Danehy reflects on local radio personalities-past and present (Tucson Weekly)
Be it known that for a short time-a brief, shining moment, as it were-I was on the hottest morning drive-time radio show in Tucson history. The star of the show was Mike Elliot and he had it all-a smooth, pimp-daddy FM radio voice, a face that wouldn't make his many fans wince if it were ever put on a poster (like those of most DJs), and he also had the '80s-est hair of all time. (I swear Adam Sandler used a picture of Mike as a reference while making 'The Wedding Singer.')
Meredith Blake: "Late Night: David Letterman revels in death threats" (LA Times)
Most performers thrive on adoration, but David Letterman always seems to be funnier when someone's hatin' on him. On Monday night, "The Late Show" host returned to the stage at Ed Sullivan Theater for the first time since an Internet jihadist threatened to cut out his tongue. Letterman seemed pretty unfazed by the "fat-wah" placed on his head. In fact, he seemed to delight in the whole ordeal.
Chuck Barney: 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Breaking Bad': When is it the right time to pull the plug? (Contra Costa Times)
This robust flurry of TV terminations has me pondering, once again, those deep, philosophical questions: When is the right time to pull the plug on a show? How does closure come? And why do we, as viewers, sometimes have such a hard time letting go?
RYAN BOUDINOT: "The Eyeball #41: Talking with Aimee Bender About 'The 400 Blows'" (The Rumpus)
Ryan: I was happy you picked 'The 400 Blows' because I'd only seen Truffaut's 'Jules et Jim' and 'Fahrenheit 451.' It's one of those movies I've always felt I should have seen by now, so thanks for motivating me to see it.
David Bruce has 42 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $42 you can buy 10,500 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," "Maximum Cool," and "Resist Psychic Death."
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Reader Suggestions
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and summery.
Publishes More Cables
WikiLeaks
The WikiLeaks organization said Thursday it was releasing tens of thousands of previously unpublished U.S. diplomatic cables, some of which are still classified.
"We will have released over 100,000 US embassy cables from around the world by the end of today," said a message on WikiLeaks' Twitter feed. The Twitter page is believed to be controlled by Julian Assange, WikiLeaks' controversial Australian-born founder and chief.
The cables which the website said it is dumping onto the public record appear to be from a cache of more than 250,000 State Department reports leaked to the group. WikiLeaks began releasing the cables in smaller batches late last year, but until now had made them public in piecemeal fashion.
By late afternoon Thursday, the WikiLeaks website said it had published 97,115 of the 251,287 cables it possesses. It did not specify its motives for releasing such a large amount of material at once.
WikiLeaks
Adopts Rescued Kitten
Whoopi Goldberg
A kitten tossed from a moving car on New York City's Verrazano Bridge now has a name - and a celebrity "mom."
Whoopi Goldberg has posted a video of Vinny on her Facebook page. It shows the adorable gray kitten grooming himself and batting a feather toy with his paw.
Vinny was rescued in July. An Animal Care & Control officer who happened to be driving on the bridge witnessed the kitten being thrown.
Goldberg notes on her page that she met Vinny on the ABC talk show "The View," where she's a co-host.
Whoopi Goldberg
Session With Nirvana
Jon Stewart
Comedy Central's Jon Stewart will host a Q&A session with the surviving members of rock band Nirvana to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its album "Nevermind."
Stewart will host the event on SiriusXM for two hours on Sept. 24. It will feature fans, Nirvana band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, and Butch Vig, the producer behind "Nevermind." Kurt Cobain, the band's lead singer, committed suicide in 1994.
"Nevermind" was the band's second album and has sold 10 million units in the United States. It features Nirvana's biggest hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
SiriusXM will also launch the all-Nirvana channel, Nevermind Radio, on Sept. 23 until Sept. 28.
Jon Stewart
Gets Fourth Season
"White Collar"
The police procedural "White Collar" has been locked in for a fourth season, with USA ordering 16 more episodes of the series, the network confirmed on Thursday.
The series, which stars Matt Bomer as con man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as special agent Peter Burke, has been a reliable performer for USA. The most recent episode, which aired earlier this month, grabbed 4.3 million total viewers - 1.9 million of them in the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic.
Production on the fourth season will begin next year; meanwhile, the final six episodes of season three will begin airing in January.
"White Collar"
Gunmen Attack Cartoonist
Ali Ferzat
Masked gunmen dragged Syria's best-known political cartoonist from his car before dawn Thursday, beat him severely and broke both his hands as a warning to stop drawing just days after he compared Syria's president to Moammar Gadhafi, a relative and activists said.
Hospitalized with serious injuries, 60-year-old Ali Ferzat has become the most famous victim of the repression of Syria's five-month uprising. The attack on him was a stark reminder that no Syrian is immune to the crackdown.
"This is just a warning," the gunmen told Ferzat, according to a relative who asked that her name not be used for fear of reprisals. "We will break your hands so that you'll stop drawing."
The men then singed the artist's beard, put a bag over his head and dumped him on the side of the road.
Ali Ferzat
To Fight U.S. Probe
Gibson Guitar
Gibson Guitar Corp's chief executive said on Thursday he would fight a federal investigation of the legendary guitar maker's wood imports after agents raided the company for the second time in two years.
Federal agents raided Gibson facilities in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday, seizing wood imported from India, and workers were sent home.
In an affidavit, authorities indicated they are weighing charges against the company or its executives for illegally importing wood under a U.S. law barring importation of endangered plants and woods. The company has sued to recover its property.
Chief Executive Officer Henry Juszkiewicz said the company, which began more than a century ago and makes some of the world's most prized guitars, has worked with environmental groups such as the Rainforest Alliance to ensure its wood imports are from sustainable sources.
Gibson Guitar
Neighbor Spat
Chris Brown
A judge wants to know whether Chris Brown is being a good neighbor.
Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg ordered prosecutors Thursday to get more details about neighborhood complaints about the R&B singer before his next Oct. 12 court hearing. Brown is on probation for a 2009 attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna.
The judge said she had received several calls from Brown's neighbors, but said she had not spoken directly to the people. She did not seem overly concerned about the complaints, but wanted more information about them and where Brown would complete his community service.
The singer had served 581 hours of community service in Virginia as of January, but needs to complete six months' worth of community labor to complete the terms of his probation. He recently moved to West Hollywood, California, and his attorney Mark Geragos said Brown may ask to complete his service in California.
Chris Brown
Tweets Down Talk Of Sex Tape
Rihanna
Rihanna may like to sing about sex and she may like to wear sexy costumes on stage, but the "S&M" singer says there is no videotape of her having sex with rapper J. Cole.
On Wednesday, the singer responded to media reports that adult magazine Hustler had such a tape by tweeting, "We don't believe U, U need more people...AND of course an actual sextape!."
Cole performed on Rihanna's Loud tour recently, and will release his debut album, "Cole World: The Sideline Story" in September.
Earlier, Hustler magazine told celebrity news website RadarOnline.com and others that it had a video of the singers but did not know what they would do with it.
Rihanna
Pleads No Contest
Jaime Pressly
Actress Jaime Pressly has been sentenced to three years of informal probation after pleading no contest to drunken driving.
Santa Monica Deputy City Attorney Melanie Skehar says Pressly's attorney entered the plea Thursday for the former star of "My Name is Earl."
Pressly was also ordered to attend a six-month alcohol education class. Skehar says the Department of Motor Vehicles is also requiring an ignition locking device be installed on her car.
Pressly was arrested Jan. 5 after police say she was stopped for a traffic violation and charged with driving while having a blood alcohol content of more than .20. The legal limit is .08.
Jaime Pressly
No Free Lawyer
Richard Hatch
A Rhode Island judge is refusing to grant free legal counsel to help the winner of the first season of the CBS reality show "Survivor" appeal a nine-month prison sentence.
Judge William Smith on Thursday rejected 50-year-old Richard Hatch's request for a court-appointed attorney to help him fight the sentence handed down in March for violating the terms of his supervised release by failing to settle his tax bill.
Hatch, of Newport, spent more than three years in prison for not paying taxes on his $1 million "Survivor" winnings. He was released in 2009 and ordered to refile his 2000 and 2001 taxes and pay what he owed. Smith ruled he never did and returned him to prison.
Hatch, who claims he is "destitute," is scheduled to be released in December.
Richard Hatch
Siempre La Abuela
Erik Estrada
Erik Estrada (R-Too Many Teeth) has no sympathy for George Lopez over the cancellation of his show.
"His show was supposed to be canceled after the first season, but Conan wanted to keep it on," Estrada told Latina in an interview about competing on the Univision dance show "Mira Quien Baila!"
He added: "There's a lot of things people don't know about this guy... For me to talk about this guy - I'm wasting my time. The law of God - the law of Karma, is on him right now. He is doomed."
Whoa. The two have feuded for years, Latina reports, with Lopez often taking shots at Estrada's career in his stand-up act and Estrada saying he once confronted Lopez at a church carnival. The former "CHiPs" star said Lopez was afraid to fight him.
Erik Estrada
Nazi Agent
Werner Plack
At the end of World War II, British spies were in pursuit of a charismatic, multilingual German agent who had befriended Hollywood celebrities and persuaded British and American detainees to broadcast propaganda for the Nazis.
Secret files from the MI5 spy agency declassified Friday reveal the colorful story of Werner Plack, a German agent who moved from the film sets and nightclubs of prewar Los Angeles to the hotels of wartime Berlin and occupied Paris.
A Nazi interrogated by MI5 described Plack as a "freelance propaganda agent."
MI5 said it was eager to find him because he had "taken part in the recruitment of British renegades" who helped the Nazi war effort.
He was involved in persuading British comic writer P.G. Wodehouse to make radio broadcasts from Berlin for an American audience in 1941 - broadcasts that caused outrage in Britain.
Werner Plack
Sends Rare W.H. Message
Art
President Barack Obama has taken a decidedly low-key approach to racial issues since he became America's first black president two years ago. But in a hallway outside the Oval Office, he has placed a head-turning painting depicting one of the ugliest racial episodes in U.S. history.
Norman Rockwell's "The Problem We All Live With," installed in the White House last month, shows U.S. marshals escorting Ruby Bridges, a 6-year-old African-American girl, into a New Orleans elementary school in 1960 as court-ordered integration met with an angry and defiant response from the white community.
The thrust of the painting is not subtle. America's vilest racial epithet appears in letters several inches high at the top of the canvas. To the left side, the letters "KKK" are plainly visible. The crowds, mostly women who gathered daily to taunt Bridges as she went to a largely empty school, are not shown in the picture. But the racist graffiti and a splattered tomato convey the hostile atmosphere.
Despite the historic nature of his election, Obama has rarely dwelt on racial issues. His speech Sunday dedicating a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. near the National Mall will be an exception to the pattern, a rare public embrace of the civil rights movement.
His choice of the Rockwell painting was a more private statement. Obama has never mentioned it in a speech or public event. And while White House aides confirmed that Obama approved bringing it to the West Wing, they declined to discuss how the decision was made or why.
Art
In Memory
Esther Gordy Edwards
Esther Gordy Edwards, who helped build Motown Records alongside her brother Berry Gordy Jr. and led efforts to turn its original Detroit headquarters into a museum, has died. She was 91.
Edwards was a Motown executive for nearly three decades, holding numerous leadership positions within the music company whose artists included Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and The Four Tops. Motown Records, which Berry Gordy started with a family loan in 1959, churned out scores of global hits from the building it dubbed "Hitsville, U.S.A." in Detroit. The company moved to Los Angeles in 1972.
Edwards served as senior vice president, corporate secretary and director of Motown International Operations, where she was charged with exposing the famed "Motown sound" to international audiences.
Wonder has praised Edwards for being like a mother to him when he joined the label as a child. She is credited with helping Wonder enroll in the Michigan School for the Blind, as well as managing and guiding the careers of Robinson, Gaye, Diana Ross and others.
When Motown and most of her family moved to California, Edwards stayed behind. She amassed what would become Motown memorabilia and set to work on preserving the old headquarters, including the label's famed Studio A. The large stately former house on West Grand Boulevard opened as a museum in 1985.
According to an official biography released by the museum, Edwards was born in 1920 in Oconee, Ga., and moved to Detroit as a toddler. She was the eldest daughter in a family of eight children.
She first married Robert Bullock, with whom she had a son, Robert Berry Bullock. She later married state Rep. George Edwards and became a step-mother to his son, Harry.
One of her sisters, Anna Gordy Gaye, was Marvin Gaye's first wife.
Esther Gordy Edwards
In Memory
Michael Showers
"Treme" actor Michael Showers was found dead in the Mississippi River near New Orleans' French Quarter, the Times-Picayune reported. He was 45.
Showers, who had a small, recurring role as New Orleans police Capt. John Guidry, was spotted by a steamboat captain and pulled from the water Wednesday, the newspaper said. John Gagliano, chief investigator for the Orleans Parish coroner's office, said he appeared to have been in the water for two days.
Showers also appeared in the new film "Columbiana" and in the recent "Tree of Life." His seen-it-all face made him perfect for cop roles, which he played in films including "Soul Men," "The Pardon," and "The Collector."
He also appeared in "Traffic" and on "Breaking Bad."
Michael Showers
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