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The Rachel Maddow Show: Christian Conservatism's Shadowy Secret Society | Video Cafe

2009-07-10T13:24:00.000-04:00

The Rachel Maddow Show: Christian Conservatism's Shadowy Secret Society | Video Cafe: "Sharlet: That's dead on the money. The family began, it's the oldest Christian conservative organization in Washington and it goes back seventy years. And the founder believed that god gave him a new revelation saying that Christianity had gotten it wrong for two thousand years and that what most people think of as Christianity, as being about, you know, helping the weak and the poor and the meek and the down and out, he believes god came to him one night in April in 1935 and said what Christianity should really be about is building more power for the already powerful. And that these powerful men who were chosen by god can then if they want to dispense blessings to the rest of us, through a kind of trickle-down fundamentalism."

THR to honor Stan Lee

2009-07-10T12:42:00.000-04:00

THR to honor Stan Lee: "'Spider-Man' and 'X-Men' creator Stan Lee is getting the superhero treatment, with The Hollywood Reporter honoring the legend with its Comic Book Icon Award.

The honor, which celebrates Lee's five-decade role in the emergence of comic books as the driving force behind studio blockbusters, will be given in conjunction with THR's Comic-Con special issue and cocktail reception on July 23 in San Diego.

'Stan Lee is the master of the genre and that genre has now become the mainstream,' THR editor Elizabeth Guider said. 'We're excited to honor that kind of creative influence.'

Famous for co-creating some of the most enduring comics heroes in history (Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, to name a few), Lee, 86, is still actively developing characters and story lines.

His latest project, a digital comic book titled 'Time Jumper' that he created for Disney, will be unveiled at Comic-Con."

New York Times Considers $5 Monthly Web-Access Fee - Bloomberg.com

2009-07-10T09:16:00.000-04:00

New York Times Considers $5 Monthly Web-Access Fee (Update2) - Bloomberg.com: "New York Times Co. said in a survey of print subscribers that it’s considering a $5 monthly fee for access to its namesake newspaper’s Web site.

Times Co. also asked whether subscribers would be willing to pay a discounted fee of $2.50 a month for access to the site, in the poll confirmed today by Catherine Mathis, a company spokeswoman. Nytimes.com, the most visited among newspapers’ sites, is currently free."

Bishop Sends Shockwave, Slaying the Sacred Cow of Individual Salvation [Includes an online comic] |

2009-07-10T07:18:00.000-04:00

Bishop Sends Shockwave, Slaying the Sacred Cow of Individual Salvation [Includes an online comic] |

While many expected LGBT issues to be at the forefront of controversy at the Episcopal Church's General Convention, presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori stunned some participants by taking aim at narrow notions of salvation.

Reclaiming Biblical Jerusalem

2009-07-09T07:27:00.000-04:00

Reclaiming Biblical Jerusalem: "The world of archeology is rocked by evidence of King David's palace unearthed in Jerusalem."

Zoom! Yum! New Internet 'Paper' to Cover Jetpacks, International Conflict, Food | The New York Observer

2009-07-08T09:24:00.000-04:00

Zoom! Yum! New Internet 'Paper' to Cover Jetpacks, International Conflict, Food | The New York Observer: "Just when you thought the Internet couldn’t get any louder! Tomorrow brings the launch of the Faster Times, “a new type of newspaper for a new type of world.”
Modeled on the Huffington Post, the Faster Times is a combination of original content and aggregated links divided into about 15 sections, including business, politics, arts, food, sports, design and travel. Its staff, led by Faster Times’ founding publisher and editor in chief Sam Apple, 33, will consist of several dozen editors and writers, including correspondents in 20 countries worldwide. At launch, the site will consist mainly of commentary, but somewhere down the line, Mr. Apple wants the Faster Times to offer original reporting, the way Talking Points Memo does."

Online radio stations strike big deal on royalties

2009-07-08T09:23:00.000-04:00

The Associated Press: Online radio stations strike big deal on royalties: "The future of Internet radio appears more secure after a handful of online stations reached an agreement Tuesday to head off a potentially crippling increase in copyright royalty rates.

The deal is the product of two years of negotiations between webcasters and copyright holders. In March 2007, a ruling by the federal Copyright Royalty Board dramatically raised the rates that Internet radio stations must pay artists and recording labels — leading many online radio stations to warn that the new rates would put them out of business by eating up as much as 70 percent of revenue.

At least one popular online radio service — Pandora Media of Oakland, Calif., which derives much of its revenue from advertising — said the new agreement will help ensure its survival."

Maureen Dowd - Sarah’s Secret Diary - NYTimes.com

2009-07-08T09:05:00.000-04:00

Op-Ed Columnist - Sarah’s Secret Diary - NYTimes.com: "I am one to believe I can use an all-of-the-above approach, too. I can abandon Alaska and ambition myself for the presidency. I can get bored with my job and fight apathy. I can take the easy path out to work hard on a path for fruitfulness. I can move on selfishly and call it altruistically. I don’t need a title now when I can shake up the good ol’ boys and get a better title in the end.

You didn’t really think I was going anywhere, did you? I’m one of Google’s hot trends. We’re doing a fund-raising push this week on SarahPAC to destroy Obama’s attempt to destroy capitalism. And forget about Obama’s youth revolution. I posed for a cheesecake shot in Runner’s World with short-shorts and a crumpled American flag that’s destined to be on the bedroom wall of every conservative 12-year-old boy. It’s the metaphor, stupid! Heck yeah, I’m running! As I learned when I was a beauty contestant — flags and gams show you it’s about country."

Google Plans a PC Operating System - NYTimes.com

2009-07-08T09:02:00.000-04:00

Google Plans a PC Operating System - NYTimes.com: "In a direct challenge to Microsoft, Google announced late Tuesday that it is developing an operating system for PCs that is tied to its Chrome Web browser."

The Man Behind Wednesday Comics - 7/6/2009 2:29:00 PM - Publishers Weekly

2009-07-07T15:17:00.000-04:00

The Man Behind Wednesday Comics - 7/6/2009 2:29:00 PM - Publishers Weekly: "Mark Chiarello, the DC Comics editor behind the art series Solo, is launching one of the most ambitious and unconventional forays into superhero comics with Wednesday Comics, which debuts this week. The 12-issue weekly series features one-page stories by some of the top creators in comics on 20-by-14-inch newsprint pages. Here Chiarello explains how the project came about and how such a massive undertaking 'almost killed me.'"

Saturday Evening Post Undergoing A Redesign

2009-07-06T09:50:00.000-04:00

Saturday Evening Post Undergoing A Redesign: "The Saturday Evening Post, a centuries-old publication that helped make illustrator Norman Rockwell a household name and showcased some of America's greatest writers, is returning to its roots to show readers the value of a quiet read in an increasingly frenetic digital age.

A redesign launching with its July/August issue combines the Post's hallmarks _ art and fiction _ with folksy commentary and health articles. The revamped Post promises a more relaxing option for people who are used to doing much of their reading online, or are simply tired of special-interest magazines crammed into tight niches."

“God Needs You To Get Out of the Bubble”: Riverside Controversy Exposes Theological, Racial Fault Lines of the Christian Progressive Movement | Religion & Theology | ReligionDispatches

2009-07-06T08:41:00.000-04:00

“God Needs You To Get Out of the Bubble”: Riverside Controversy Exposes Theological, Racial Fault Lines of the Christian Progressive Movement | Religion & Theology | ReligionDispatches: "What does it mean that Rhodes Scholar and Progressive Evangelical Brad Braxton resigned as senior pastor of the influential Riverside Church? In this discussion over the implications, a reverend and a scholar ask whether multi-racial churches require making white people comfortable, why God needs liberal protestants to get out of the bubble, and what the future holds for the mainline church as a whole."

Gail Collins - Sarah’s Straight Talk - NYTimes.com

2009-07-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

Op-Ed Columnist - Sarah’s Straight Talk - NYTimes.com: "Truly, Sarah Palin has come a long way. When she ran for vice president, she frequently became disjointed and garbled when she departed from her prepared remarks. Now the prepared remarks are incoherent, too."

Microsoft chucks vomit ad | Technically Incorrect - CNET News

2009-07-03T12:21:00.000-04:00

Microsoft chucks vomit ad | Technically Incorrect - CNET News: "Earlier this week, we were all rather intrigued by the appearance of a Microsoft ad, in which a wife borrows her husband's laptop and suffers a technicolor nightmare when she espies a site that he has been, um, enjoying.

By Wednesday night, however, Microsoft had second thoughts about the pulling power of puke."

AO Scott on Karl Malden - Not a Contender, but a Quiet Hero - NYTimes.com

2009-07-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

An Appraisal - Karl Malden - Not a Contender, but a Quiet Hero - NYTimes.com: "It’s a face that you can’t help noticing. Not handsome in the usual movie-star way, by any means, but — befitting a man who defined what it meant to be a character actor — full of character. The jutting chin and oft-broken nose curve toward each other as though affixed to a Punch-and-Judy puppet, but Karl Malden’s face was not made for comedy. Like his voice, pitched between a honk and a growl, it was an instrument full of gravity and dignity, capable of showing strong measures of menace, passion and hurt."

Weather Channel changing up 'On the 8s' tunes | ajc.com

2009-07-03T09:28:00.000-04:00

Weather Channel changing up 'On the 8s' tunes | ajc.com: "So now, instead of hearing Spyro Gyra in the background while the announcer is intoning the latest local weather update (“Sunny and 75”), listeners hear tracks from the Rolling Stones (“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”) and the Allman Brothers Band (“Blue Sky”).

Darby said the new sound can’t be “too dramatic” or thematically intrusive. So don’t expect the Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” with the next tornado alert."

Religion thriller: Michael Jackson & faith - Articles of Faith - Boston.com

2009-07-02T16:29:00.000-04:00

Religion thriller: Michael Jackson & faith - Articles of Faith - Boston.com: "In those days since the King of Pop died, I've now seen so many items about his faith that my head is starting to spin. He was a Jehovah's Witness. A Muslim. He accepted Jesus before he died. The Vatican loved him, but was that right? There's even a Jewish angle of sorts. Not to mention the unending discussion of what it means to call him an icon, or an idol. Some folks have suggested that his funeral will shed some light on his final faith practices, but I'm not holding out much hope for that."

Jim Salicrup on Michael Jackson and Stan Lee

2009-07-02T15:41:00.000-04:00

Jim Salicrup’s Addicted to Comics: R. I. P. Michael Jackson, King of Pop, and Comics Fan � PopCultureShock Community

Interesting story, and a video to boot.

Casey Kasem's final countdown | Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times

2009-07-02T13:15:00.000-04:00

Casey Kasem's final countdown | Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times: "It’s the final countdown—again—for Casey Kasem. The radio legend will wind up his “American Top 40” spin-off programs, “American Top 20” and “American Top 10,” on July 4— a date of significance: He created the franchise on July 4, 1970.

“Hosting various versions of my countdown program has kept me extremely busy, and I loved every minute of it,” Kasem, 77, said in a statement. “However, this decision will free up time I need to focus on myriad other projects.”

But that famous voice (he provided the vocals for Shaggy on the “Scooby Doo” cartoon series) will live on. His classic 1970s and 1980s “AT40” countdowns will continue to be distributed by syndicator Premiere Radio Networks."

BBC - Ant mega-colony takes over world

2009-07-02T12:17:00.000-04:00

BBC - Earth News - Ant mega-colony takes over world: "A single mega-colony of ants has colonised much of the world, scientists have discovered.

Argentine ants living in vast numbers across Europe, the US and Japan belong to the same inter-related colony, and will refuse to fight one another.

The colony may be the largest of its type ever known for any insect species, and could rival humans in the scale of its world domination."

A Visit to The Center for Cartoon Studies - ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog - Blog on Publishers Weekly

2009-07-02T11:36:00.000-04:00

A Visit to The Center for Cartoon Studies - ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog - Blog on Publishers Weekly: "What's it like to spend every day drawing comics in the company of and under the tutelage of other comics pros? Last November my fianc�Gareth Hinds and I got a taste of this life when we spent the better part of a day at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vt."

By the Way: Riverside Minister’s Abrupt Resignation Reveals the Perils of the Pulpit | Op-Ed | ReligionDispatches

2009-07-02T09:16:00.000-04:00

By the Way: Riverside Minister’s Abrupt Resignation Reveals the Perils of the Pulpit | Op-Ed | ReligionDispatches: "Wherein the author, a friend of the Rev. Brad Braxton and an Episcopal priest, recalls his own harrowing year in the pulpit and the toll it can take on self and family."

Authorlink.com: News Item Childrens-Book-Burning a Shocking Law

2009-07-02T06:43:00.000-04:00

Authorlink.com: News Item Childrens-Book-Burning a Shocking Law: "In 2008 Congress passed a Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act which has the effect of requiring the destruction of any children’s book published before 1985, due to trace elements of lead in the printed inks. When we first read this report we thought it was a hoax. Unfortunately, it is true. Selling or giving books published before 1985 technically can result in a $100,000 fine."

Gawker - What This Country Needs Is a Good Terrorist Attack! - glenn beck

2009-07-01T12:09:00.000-04:00

Gawker - What This Country Needs Is a Good Terrorist Attack! - glenn beck: "Last night Glenn Beck's guest was ex-CIA person Michael Scheuer, who stated that the only hope for the country was for Osama Bin Laden to 'deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States.' Seriously.

Why would any good, patriotic American say such a thing in a discussion about border protection? Because all of our politicians crave is the approval of Europeans and to hold on to their cushy jobs and it's going to take an attack from Bin Laden to wake America up to the fact that our leaders need to use 'as much violence as necessary' to firmly establish our place in the world. Meanwhile Beck just sat there nodding his approval."

Rev. Brad R. Braxton, Riverside Pastor, Announces Resignation - NYTimes.com

2009-07-01T08:22:00.000-04:00

Rev. Brad R. Braxton, Riverside Pastor, Announces Resignation - NYTimes.com: "...by almost all accounts, Dr. Braxton’s decision to give up the pulpit at Riverside reflected a crisis of identity rending not only one congregation and its 2,000 members but the soul of Protestant liberalism in the United States.

“It’s about all the issues confronting the progressive tradition within the church,” said Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary and a member of the Riverside congregation. “Liturgy. Theology. Finance. Race and class. This is a tragedy.”"