Recommended Reading
from Bruce
?Dog Puppeteer (YouTube)
If you didn't see the strings, you'd just think this was a skinny dog. This talented puppeteer was spotted on the streets of Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Opposite Posters
These wonderful "opposites" posters are by design students at the School of Visual Art in New York City. The posters were an assignment for a special class that was taught by Sagi Haviv, Ivan Chermayeff, and Tom Geismar, the partners of the famed Chermayeff & Geismar branding and graphic design firm (the firm is responsible for the logos of PBS, NBC, National Geographic, and many others).
Froma Harrop: Keystone XL Pipeline Not Worth The Risks (Creators Syndicate)
The proposed Keystone XL would carry the same especially corrosive oil over shallow aquifers under sandy soil. And how much confidence can one place in the small agency that's supposed to regulate it?
Jim Hightower: Playing politics with humanitarian aid
The GOP's House majority leader [Eric Cantor] has long been a whiney ideological brat who stamps his tiny feet in peevish anger whenever he can't get his way on legislation. This time he was sabotaging federal aid for thousands of Americans devastated by natural disasters.
Mark Shields: "Do Not Leave This Prophet Without Honor" (Creators Syndicate)
Robert D. Novak, a great and controversial political reporter, judged Eugene McCarthy's nomination of Adlai Stevenson at the 1960 Democratic convention in Los Angeles to be "the greatest national convention speech I ever heard."
Kitty Flynn: Five questions for Leo Landry (Horn Book)
Years ago, I took a stand-up comedy class to get over my anxiety about public speaking. The final class was a five-minute live performance at a local comedy club! My bit was about the things you find yourself saying or overhearing as an adult working in a children's bookstore (such as how many times you might say the word bunny in a day or, in one case, being told by a mother, "it's only little girl pee!"). I got through the five minutes, but I'm not sure I could do it again.
"Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend" By SUSAN ORLEAN: Reviewed by Melissa H. Pierson
"He believed the dog was immortal," Susan Orlean writes at the beginning of 'Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend.' Although the pronoun refers to Lee Duncan, the American soldier who found the German shepherd puppy on a battlefield in France in 1918, the author spends the rest of the book building a case for what became her own powerful belief that the iconic cinema canine, "idea and ideal," will never die.
William Shatner: 20 Questions (PopMatters)
4. Star Trek or Star Wars??
DUH!!!! Star Wars, of course.
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 Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Comment
Re: Hank Williams Jr
Subject: Hank Williams Jr. and politically incorrect speech
Marty;
Bart occasionally posts a favorite, "in-you-face" picture of a
two-headed attack dog "Cujo"-ing away while proclaiming his
dissatisfaction about how Obama could possibly ever think that he can
"just-get-along" with a rabid Repug who only wants to eat his lunch.
So, HWJr basically says the same thing ... that President Obama trying
to reason with Boehner at a golf game would be like Hitler trying to
find common cause with "Jewish" PM Netanyahu while clubbing a few at
the course. Would it be any different if he related Netanyahu trying
to be bipartisan with Hitler? Was it the order of the names that so
screwed things up?
Ultimately, it's hyperbole. Expressing a common insight using extreme
examples. HWJr did not specifically proclaim that Obama was Hitler
and/or that Boehner was his preferred version of Zionland's currently
leading war-crook And while he did admit that he viewed Obama et-al
as "the enemy," I didn't hear him being particularly friendly about
Boehner either.
Anyway aside from the political incorrectness of it all, HWJr. was
just talkin' "Redneck, and what he described was indeed accurate (in
any event, Netanyahu is being at least as genocidal in his conduct
against the non-Jews of Palestine as had been Hitler against the Jews
of Europe/ So Netanyahu has a lot more in common with Hitler than
does Obama).
What I really think is happening here is that FOX's propaganda
division is just trying to incite its tea-bagger base by obtusely
being "politically-correct." Also, FOX apparently wants to protect
Obama's right to perform like a weak-weenie "leader." Can't have them
Democrats thinking that they need to either grow a spine, find a pair,
or you know, otherwise fulfill their oaths to obey the Constitution.
In WDC, it's all just Capitalist Political Party theater.
DanD
Thanks, Dan!
Spud Goodman « My POV
Wall Street Sleep Over
Everyone loves a sleepover right? No matter how old you are. Just something about waking up in a different place than you do most every morning. Maybe more fun if it's on one of those new Charlie's Angels futons but just about anywhere new still beats the same old mattress on the apartment floor. I know it's about to get kinda wet and cold for outdoor sleepovers so you gotta give some props to all the campers hanging out in front of that Wall Street place in NYC cuz they say they are in it for the long haul, like through the winter or until those slimy money grubbers cry uncle. Me? I'm thinking those hedge fund dudes can last a hell of a long time (many winters) before they even notice the people out front of their offices and when they do actually peek at them through the blinds there's no chance they will even have a clue why everyone is so pissed off. They'll probably just think it's because people are bored with no jobs to go to. I'm betting some of them are hoping maybe it's like one of those money seminars where a bunch of sheep/people have come to Wall Street to listen to a someone with bread tell the 97% of uswithout it how to get it. I should say almost get it cuz if they spilled all the beans then everyone would be rolling in dough and they would be screwed.
If you see these citizens on FOX NEWS then they might look a little goofy to you. Either naked with full body paint or in some early Halloween costume. It's really strange when you see a whole different sort of people without the filter, like your neighbor the retired teacher, your aunt who once voted for Bob Dole, an Iraq war vet and yeah ok maybe a couple college kids trying to get extra credit from their Econ professor hanging out there too. Besides a few wackos the real pictures kinda tell a different story so go to www.livestream.com/globalrevolution to see for yourself if you don't believe me. I know it's going to be way scarier to the bankers once they understand most of the campers are not just WTO party crasher wannabes.No, this time it's different. When they finally figure it out it will be sort of like when a really confusing movie or book suddenly makes sense. They will slap their heads and yell DUH, I should have seen that coming! And at that point they will be wetting their 5,000 dollar suit pants. I'm not saying their heads will roll like that lady who told everyone to just go eat another piece of cake but it sure feels like something is going to go down. It may take a bit of time but for sure it's coming.
This whole money scam pulled off by the con men on Wall Street in 2008 reminds me of a guy I knew in high school who got away with a deal like this. His name was Rick something, I forgot his last name. He was elected senior class treasurer cuz his mom was a bank teller and she taught him the ins and outs of how to keep track of money. At least that's what he told people before we voted. If I remember right he won by like 2 votes. Some people even thought he stole the election as his girlfriend was one of the vote counters. Anyway, he "won" and told everyone all year that we would have a butt load of money for our senior graduation party. I think he said he put the cash into CD's and we would have so much left over we could order like 400 pizza's just for the hell of it. Since I didn't know much about CD's or money really it sounded like he was really smart. I liked pizza a lot and thought I could take a couple dozen home with me to stick in the freezer. So the night of graduation comes and the place we were supposed to usefor our party tells the first people to get there (I was one of them just in case there was only 50 or 60 pizza's ordered and it was first come first serve) that another high school had reserved it for their party. I still remember how mad I was. Way more than those campers on Wall Street are right now. I mean you only graduate once right? Ok, if you goto voc school or community college you might get some small party at like an Applebee's or Red Lobster but not a major blowout with a rock group that had won a radio station's battle of the bands contest. Heard later that the supposed rock group that won that contest rigged that vote by having some friends hit the redial on their phones faster than the other bands so maybe we didn't miss that much. That was when I first started wondering if there were ever fair elections.
To make a long story short, the next day we caught up with Rick and even though he said he was really sorry (turns out he spent most of the money on an abortion for his girlfriend and the rest on albums) it didn't make any of us feel any better. We got fooled by a guy who seemed really smart with money. Looking back we should have known better, anyone who says (or advertises) they're like a total expert on something usually is full of crap. I think a couple of my friends did pound his face in later as their girlfriends had promised them something special (they got the idea from a Penthouse Forum) that night before it all went wrong. I myself never had a date that night but I did have hopes I might at least get a hug from this girl I liked who was a cheerleader before they kicked her off the squad for putting on a few pounds. We never did hook up and I still blame Rick to this day. Saw her at my last high school re union and damn was she fine. A flight attendant for Southwest I think. Anyway, I guess this is one more reason why I don't care for dickheads who play around with other people's money. Talk about a buzz kill.
You'd think there would be a bunch of Tea Party people joining in this thing but I haven't seen any "Obama's a Nazi" or "Liberal = Loser" signs being held up. You'd think maybe those "Don't Tread On Me" or "I Want My Country Back!" signs could be recycled but guess not. Looks like this fight is being waged by people who read books and watch more than one cable news channel. Who would have thought this many Americans would get off their couch (where I am right now) and suddenly become outdoor people who will soon be very cold? We are not talking about going to a 2 hour rally put on by a few people behind the curtain pulling the strings. No, this is the real deal without the fake tea bags. So stay tuned if you are into the old "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth storyline as this is just starting to get interesting. Later.
Wall Street Sleep Over « My POV
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Stormy, rainy day, followed by a clear, cold night.
Lost power a couple of times this afternoon and my computer is pitching a big old hissy tonight.
Actor's Return Fire
"Simpsons"
The "Simpsons" voice actors have commissioned a study estimating the show has made $1 billion in profits as ammunition in their negotiations with 20th Century Fox TV over its demand that they agree to have their salaries cut nearly in half. The study projected that the studio will eventually make about $2.8 billion from the show through 23 seasons.
The six actors have been asked to decide by noon Friday whether they will accept a demand from Fox that they cut their payment per episode from $440,000 to $250,000 per episode, according to people familiar with the talks. The actors offered last week to accept cuts to $300,000 per episode, in exchange for back-end payments they don't currently receive, but the studio rejected the offer.
The studio declined to comment Wednesday. Earlier this week, it issued a statement saying it "cannot produce future seasons under its current financial model," and that it hoped for "an agreement with the voice cast that allows 'The Simpsons' to go on entertaining audiences with original episodes for many years to come."
If no deal is reached, the current, twenty-third season will be the show's last. But both sides seem hopeful for a deal. People familiar with the talks characterized them as bloodless, so far.
The report commissioned by the actors estimated that the show has earned $3.95 billion in revenue in its first cycle -- including from network advertising, syndication payments, international, merchandising, and home video -- and has cost about $3.07 billion to produce.
"Simpsons"
Top Paid Woman Entertainer
Oprah
Watch out Oprah, there's a savvy pop star and an ambitious real housewife nipping at your financial heels.
Oprah Winfrey remained the entertainment world's top woman earner, but Lady Gaga and Bethenny Frankel, one of the original housewives in the "Real Housewives of New York," are moving quickly up the ranks of the rich, according to Forbes.com.
Winfrey held on to the top spot with $290 million in earnings from May 2010 to May 2011 and an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion.
But Winfrey's daytime talk show, which she wrapped up in May, was her chief money earner and her newly launched cable network, OWN, has drawn paltry ratings since its January launch.
Lady Gaga was a distant second with $90 million in gross earnings, followed by Frankel with $55 million. Frankel, who launched her own diet and lifestyle brand, sold her Skinnygirl Margarita cocktail mix for an estimated $100 million and has been expanding her brand, which will soon include food, supplements and a possible talk show.
Oprah
Visits Post-Gadhafi Libya
Sean Penn
Actor-activist Sean Penn says he admires Libyans for their courage in overthrowing Moammar Gadhafi.
Penn spoke during a visit to Tripoli on Wednesday.
He declined to comment on details about what he plans to do in the Libyan capital. But he told Associated Press Television News that he admires "the courage to say we want freedom. It's an extraordinary thing."
Standing outside a hotel, Penn also expressed confidence in Libya's efforts to make a transition to democracy.
Sean Penn
Donates $2.25 Million To Fordham
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington has donated $2.25 million to Fordham University, his alma mater.
The university said Monday that Washington has given $2 million to endow the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre, and another $250,000 to establish a scholarship for a minority undergraduate student studying theater at Fordham.
Phylicia Rashad, who played Clair Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," has joined the school's faculty as the first Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre.
Washington cited the late Bob Stone, who was a theater professor at Fordham, for inspiring him.
Denzel Washington
Maximizing Profits
Disney
Fresh off the successful re-release of "The Lion King" in 3-D, Disney says it will churn out four more classics in three dimensions starting with "Beauty and the Beast" in January.
"The Lion King" topped the domestic box office for two weekends last month after being re-mastered in 3-D. So far it has made $80 million in North America.
The Walt Disney Co., based in Burbank, Calif., hopes to repeat the formula with "Beauty and the Beast" in January, "Finding Nemo" in September next year, "Monsters Inc." in January 2013 and "The Little Mermaid" in September 2013.
The welcome reception for "The Lion King" in 3-D came as a pleasant surprise for a movie business that is down from last year as a weak economy is taking its toll on ticket sales.
Disney
Dons Infamous Cat Suit Again
Sean Young
Sean Young is out to prove she's not crazy, so she recreated one of the things that made people think maybe she was.
The actress gained a reputation for being a little off when she famously donned a DIY Catwoman costume to convince Tim Burton to hire her for "Batman Returns." (It didn't work.)
Again looking for gigs, Young, who recently completed a stint on the cable series "Celebrity Rehab," decided the best approach would be to visit the "Late Show With David Letterman" -- and try on the catsuit again.
You can see the video here and judge for yourself how it went: http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/letterman-sean-young-dons-catwoman-suit-prove-shes-not-crazy-video-31563
Sean Young
15 Years
Roger Ailes
As the most powerful man in the universe, or one of them anyway, Roger Ailes (R-Propaganda Master) can look back on the first 15 years of his crowning achievement, Fox News Channel, with satisfaction. And he does.
It was way back in February 1996 that, at the behest of News Corp. chieftain Rupert Murdoch, Ailes began creating from scratch an all-news network to challenge the venerable CNN as well as upstart MSNBC, which was set to launch that July.
"It was a risky move," Ailes recalls, and not just for News Corp., whose $900 million or so would bankroll the venture. Fox News Channel was also risky for Ailes himself, who, then 55, was a communications guru of legendary savvy - a former Republican media strategist, TV producer and, until his abrupt resignation in January 1996, the head of CNBC and creator of another cable network, America's Talking, that was being sacrificed to free up room for MSNBC.
He made it work. Fifteen years ago this Friday - on Oct. 7, 1996 - Fox News Channel signed on, as scheduled.
Roger Ailes
World Nut
Herman Cain
For the past two years, Herman Cain has written a weekly column for WorldNetDaily, a website that is the online hub for people who believe that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
Not one of Cain's 113 columns broaches the topic of Obama's birth. He has used his WorldNetDaily column to build support for his presidential candidacy, outline his policy ideas on health care and economics and clarify his positions on the campaign trail.
Cain, a Georgia businessman who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, has catapulted in recent polls into the field's top tier, following his victory last month at the Florida straw poll. His decision to associate himself with the birther movement's flagship publication could hinder his attempt to shift from a tea party star into a leading Republican presidential candidate.
Since August 2009, WorldNetDaily has published an exclusive commentary from Cain every week. His most recent column was published on Sunday, Oct. 2.
Herman Cain
Debate On Role Of Interns
"Black Swan" Lawsuit
An unorthodox lawsuit filed by two unpaid interns on Fox Searchlight's indie hit, "Black Swan," shines a spotlight on a common, but little-discussed reality in Hollywood: the use of free labor on movie productions.
From directors to gaffers, many in the movie business see unpaid internships as a necessary step to gaining experience and contacts in a cliquish entertainment industry.
But the lawsuit has ignited a virulent debate about whether unpaid internships have been taken too far and instead constitute rank exploitation.
"Just because everybody is doing it doesn't mean that it's right and it's lawful," Elizabeth Wagoner, an attorney for the "Black Swan" interns, told TheWrap. "Our goal is to expose the practice of employers profiting from unpaid labor."
Fox Searchlight maintains that the interns worked for the production company that made the film before the studio acquired the project.
"Black Swan" Lawsuit
Facing French Charges For Hitler Rant
Lars von Trier
Danish film director Lars von Trier says he's facing charges of violating a French law against justification of war crimes over statements he made about Adolf Hitler and Jews during the film festival in Cannes.
Von Trier addressed the investigation in a brief statement Wednesday that he said would be his last, ever.
"Due to these serious accusations I have realized that I do not possess the skills to express myself unequivocally and I have therefore decided from this day forth to refrain from all public statements and interviews," von Trier said.
Von Trier was ejected from the Cannes Film Festival in May after expressing sympathy for Hitler at a news conference for his film "Melancholia."
In a rambling speech, the filmmaker spoke about his German heritage, saying his ancestry made him "sympathize with (Hitler) a little bit." He added that he supports Jews. The director said afterward he had been joking and later issued an apology.
Lars von Trier
Quitter Opts Out
Mrs. Palin
Sarah Palin (R-Quitter) said on Wednesday that she will not seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
The former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008 has been sending signals that she would not run and she confirmed it in a letter sent to supporters, saying "my family comes first."
"After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for president of the United States," she said.
Mrs. Palin
Sees Wars As Wastes
1 In 3 Vets
One in three U.S. veterans of the post-9/11 military believes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not worth fighting, and a majority think that after 10 years of combat America should be focusing less on foreign affairs and more on its own problems, according to an opinion survey released Wednesday.
The findings highlight a dilemma for the Obama administration and Congress as they struggle to shrink the government's huge budget deficits and reconsider defense priorities while trying to keep public support for remaining involved in Iraq and Afghanistan for the longer term.
Nearly 4,500 U.S. troops have died in Iraq and about 1,700 in Afghanistan. Combined war costs since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have topped $1 trillion.
The poll results presented by the Pew Research Center portray post-9/11 veterans as proud of their work, scarred by warfare and convinced that the American public has little understanding of the problems that wartime service has created for military members and their families.
The survey also showed that post-9/11 veterans are more likely than Americans as a whole to call themselves Republicans and to disapprove of President Barack Obama's performance as commander in chief. They also are more likely than earlier generations of veterans to have no religious affiliation.
1 In 3 Vets
Drop Out Of Jackson Tribute Concert
Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas will not take part in a Michael Jackson tribute concert being held in the Welsh city of Cardiff at the weekend, organizers said.
The band was one of the biggest draws in the lineup for the show on Saturday.
"Due to unavoidable circumstances, the Black Eyed Peas will be unable to perform at this Saturday's Michael Forever event," said Chris Hunt, head of Global Live Events which is staging the concert.
Black Eyed Peas
Third Time's The Charm
Duchess of Alba
One of Europe's wealthiest aristocrats, the 85-year-old Duchess of Alba, wedded a civil servant 24 years her junior in a Seville palace on Wednesday after overcoming opposition from her children and Spain's royal family.
Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, who has more titles than Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, wore a salmon-colored dress with a moss-green sash by Andalusian designers Victorio & Lucchino.
The twice-widowed duchess, known for her love of flamenco dancing and bull-fighting, ventured outside the palace to greet well-wishers after the ceremony. She threw her bouquet of flowers into the crowd and danced flamenco in front of a forest of TV cameras.
The duchess's six children had been openly opposed to the marriage with 61-year-old Alfonso Diez, with whom she started to step out in 2008, but have softened to the idea following the matriarch's move to divide her fortune between them in July.
Duchess of Alba
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen for the week of Sept. 26-Oct. 2. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
1. NFL Football: Washington at Dallas (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), ESPN, 12.17 million homes, 17.1 million viewers.
2. "Jersey Shore" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 5.16 million homes, 7.16 million viewers.
3. Major League Baseball Division Series: Detroit vs. N.Y. Yankees (Friday, 8:30 p.m.), TBS, 4.09 million homes, 5.46 million viewers.
4. "Sportscenter" (Monday, 11:46 p.m.), ESPN, 3.43 million homes, 4.48 million viewers.
5. "Jersey Shore After Hours" (Thursday, 11 p.m.), MTV, 3.23 million homes, 4.23 million viewers.
6. "Jessie" (Friday, 9 p.m.), Disney, 3.11 million homes, 4.63 million viewers.
7. Major League Baseball Division Series: St. Louis at Philadelphia (Saturday, 8:30 p.m.), TBS, 3.09 million homes, 4.2 million viewers.
8. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10:30 p.m.), History, 3.07 million homes, 4.22 million viewers.
9. Auto Racing: NASCAR Sprint Cup (Sunday, 2 p.m.), ESPN, 3 million homes, 4.09 million viewers.
10. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.96 million homes, 4.21 million viewers.
11. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), USA, 2.959 million homes, 3.96 million viewers.
12. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 2.957 million homes, 4.16 million viewers.
13. "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10 p.m.), History, 2.92 million homes, 4 million viewers.
14. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 2.86 million homes, 4.13 million viewers.
15. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), 2.82 million homes, 4.19 million viewers.
Ratings
In Memory
Fred Shuttlesworth
The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who was once described by Martin Luther King Jr. as "the most courageous civil rights fighter in the South," died in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday at age 89.
Shuttlesworth, who had been in declining health, passed away at the Princeton Baptist Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Dodd told Reuters.
A major leader in the civil rights movement, Shuttlesworth was beaten, bombed and injured by fire hoses for his public stances against segregation in Birmingham in the 1950s and 1960s.
Though he and King worked closely together and both helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Shuttlesworth often bristled against his more contemplative counterpart.
"He was sometimes slow in doing things. Too slow for me," Shuttlesworth said in an interview at age 85. "He'd meditate on things a lot and agonize over them. I think if things need doing, be about them."
Shuttlesworth, who served as pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church and several other churches in Birmingham, began hammering away at that city's hard shell of segregation in the early 1950s.
He formed the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights in May 1956 and urged its members to take a stand against segregated buses. He refused to relent even after his home was bombed on Christmas Day in 1956. He and his family escaped unharmed.
The minister later was beaten by a mob with baseball bats, chains and brass knuckles as he tried to enroll his children in an all-white school and hospitalized after being sprayed by fire hoses during a demonstration against segregation.
Shuttlesworth once told Reuters he had expected to die by age 40 for his civil rights efforts. He had vowed "to kill segregation or be killed by it."
For his own safety, he left Alabama in 1961 to lead a church in Cincinnati, Ohio. But he still marshaled forces for change in the South, including helping organize the historic march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
The march ended in a bloody police attack, sparking civil rights protests.
During a commemoration of "Bloody Sunday" in March 2007, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama pushed Shuttlesworth in his wheelchair across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where the attack occurred.
Fred Shuttlesworth
In Memory
Bert Jansch
He was quiet, modest, uncomfortable in the spotlight - not looking for No. 1 hits or commercial ditties.
But when Bert Jansch picked up an acoustic guitar, people listened, often spellbound by his subtle innovation and mastery.
Jansch, who died of lung cancer Wednesday at the age of 67, was a virtuoso, hailed by the likes of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Canadian rocker Neil Young and Johnny Marr of the Smiths as a force to be reckoned with, and learned from.
He was at the center of the British folk revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s at a time when British music - led by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who - dominated much of the pop world.
In an era of earsplitting supergroups like Cream, known for their volume and pounding drums, he was a founder of Pentangle, a nuanced, visionary mix of folk and jazz music that found a huge audience for its complex arrangements and stunning musicianship.
His solo career was bookended by the outstanding "Bert Jansch" album in 1965 - recorded on borrowed guitars - and the critically acclaimed "Black Swan" CD released in 2006.
Young, who earlier this year invited Jansch to open for him on an extended concert tour, said that Jansch created a new approach to the acoustic guitar much as Jimi Hendrix changed the sound of the electric guitar.
Jansch, who was born in Scotland, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music in 2007 by Edinburgh Napier University. Guitarist Haftor Medboe, a musician in residence at the university, said Jansch had a distinctive sound that was difficult to define.
Jansch was also a prolific songwriter. He has been recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.
Pentangle was hailed by critics and fans for providing modern renditions of classic folk songs, helping to keep traditional music alive and vibrant, and also for innovative, jazz-inflected new material.
Jansch is survived by his wife, Loren, and son, Adam.
Bert Jansch
In Memory
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, the transcendent Silicon Valley entrepreneur who reinvented the world's computing, music and mobile phone industries and changed the daily habits of millions around the globe, died on Wednesday at the age of 56.
His death after a years-long battle with pancreatic cancer sparked an immediate outpouring of tributes as world leaders, business rivals and fans alike lamented the tragedy of his premature passing and celebrated his monumental achievements.
Jobs was surrounded by his wife and immediate family when he died in Palo Alto, California, Apple said late on Wednesday. Other details were not immediately available.
Jobs stepped down as CEO in August and handed the reins to long-time operations chief Tim Cook. With a passion for minimalist design and a genius for marketing, Jobs laid the groundwork for the company to continue to flourish after his death, most analysts and investors say.
A college drop-out and the son of adoptive parents, Jobs changed the technology world in the late 1970s, when the Apple II became the first personal computer to gain a wide following. He did it again in 1984 with the Macintosh, which built on the breakthrough technologies developed at Xerox Parc and elsewhere to create the personal computing experience as we know it today.
The rebel streak that's central to his persona got him tossed out of the company in 1985, but he returned in 1997 and after a few years began the rollout of a troika of products -- the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad -- that again upended the established order in major industries.
A diagnosis of a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 initially cast only a mild shadow over Jobs and Apple, with the CEO asserting that the disease was treatable. But his health deteriorated rapidly over the past several years, and after two temporary leaves of absence he stepped down as chief executive and became Apple's chairman in August.
Jobs, in his trademark uniform of black mock-turtleneck and blue jeans, was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.
Forbes estimates Jobs' net worth at $7 billion. It was not immediately known how his estate would be handled.
Steve Jobs
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