Month: February 2016

The Past 24 Hours: February 26, 2016

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Jimmy Kimmel Live logo#Late Night Video: ‘Celebrities Read Mean Tweets: Movie Edition’
The Gist: In advance of the Oscars, here’s the latest round of film actors reading flotsam from their haters for Jimmy Kimmel Live, including: George Clooney, Jessica Chastain, Taraji P. Henson, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss, and more.
Source Article Here: Today
Author: Jordan Jackson

Porter RanchStudy Finds Porter Ranch Gas Leak Released Enough Methane To Fill A Balloon The Size of the Rose Bowl Every Day
The Gist: The findings of a study that show Aliso County’s gas leak released methane emissions equivalent to that of 600,000 cars in 112 days. Gov. Jerry Brown did not declare a state of emergency until more than 2 months after the pipe ruptured.
Source Article Here: The Guardian
Author: Oliver Milman

Oscar2Oscar Predictions 2016
The Gist: Vulture/New York Magazine’s Oscar predictions for every category.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Kyle Buchanan

 

jennifer-garnerJennifer Garner: “I have had to have conversations about the meaning of ‘scandal.’
The Gist: Vanity Fair’s current cover subject talks about her new film, live after divorce, and that there is no ‘Nannygate’: “She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation.”
Source Article Here: Vanity Fair
Author: Krista Smith

 

Melissa Harris-PerryMSNBC Anchor Melissa Harris-Perry Taking Leave From Show “I am not a token, mammy, or little brown bobble head.”
The Gist: Harris-Perry’s open letter to her staff has been published on Medium where she lays out her decision not to return to her show for the time being, based on editorial issues with MSNBC execs. The network’s response is included in the article; her open letter, in its entirety, is here.
Source Article Here: Ebony

harveyHarvey Weinstein On Sunday’s Oscar Telecast: “It will be an Oscars to remember.”
The Gist: Weinstein’s thoughts on the Oscar boycott and why he thinks it’ll be one to watch, including for Chris Rock’s opening monologue.
Source Article Here: Evening Standard
Author: Jennifer Ruby

 

green-eggs-and-ham-coverThis Week’s Book Bestsellers In 18 Categories
The Gist: Publishers Weekly’s one-page view of book bestsellers across genres and formats finds an eclectic group of authors in the mix, from Dr. Seuss and Stephen King to Pope Francis, Joel Osteen, and Kate Hudson.
Source Article Here: Publishers Weekly

 

FLASHBACK READ

Family Photo 69Father’s Day Forgiveness
The Gist: My father would be 72 years old this Sunday, February 28. Here is my post from last Father’s Day about paternal forgiveness and estrangement, a lesson I learned too late.
Source Article Here: LinkedIn Pulse
Author: Karl Gibson

The Past 24 Hours: February 24, 2016

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stock arrown graphicThe Alarming Reason ‘Current and Future’ Teamster Retirees Could Lose Up To 68% of Their Monthly Benefits
The Gist: According to the Columbia Journalism Review: “many so-called ‘multi-employer’ plans, which serve workers from multiple companies in a particular industry, have been falling into financial distress for years.” Coming cuts could be catastrophic and here’s what Teamsters need to know. A list of underfunded pension plans in “critical and declining status” with years to insolvency can be found here.
Source Article Here: Columbia Journalism Review
Author: Trudy Lieberman

netflix-illustrationThe 85-Plus Titles Leaving Netflix In March
The Gist: Day-and-date notice of the titles leaving Netflix in March, including movies, documentaries, series, and TED Talks.
Source Article Here: Moviefone
Author: Sharon Knolle

Coaster LoopThe Nevada Caucus: The Anger Behind The Entrance Poll Numbers
The Gist: Most coverage of last night’s Nevada Caucus – and Trump’s numbers beating Cruz and Rubio’s – stressed “anger” in the state. Here’s a quick breakdown of the economic reasons: the highest level of illegal immigrants in the US, an “overly-reliant” economy on the casino/tourism industries, and the housing bust that California’s realty-evacuees are finding a bitter pill to swallow.
Source Article Here: Forbes
Author: Chuck DeVore

open bookThe Art of the Book Deal: 10 Takeaways From Experience
The Gist: A Writer’s Digest editor, who’s being published next year by St. Martin’s Press, has published a two-part series on dealing with anxiety, taking comfort in being part of a team with your agent and editor, having an idea for Book #2 while waiting for revisions on your first book, and more.
Part 1 is here
Part 2 is here
Source Article Here: Writer’s Digest
Author: Jessica Strawser

Cast & Crew logoCast & Crew Names Alex Godelman As Chief Technology Officer
The Gist: Godelman, formerly of Sony and Evolve Media, has been appointed to CTO of Cast & Crew as the company, which recently acquired Final Draft, aims to ramp up its digital focus.
Source Article Here: Business Wire

Paul Rovia _Walking Dead#Viral Vid: ‘The Walking Dead Chase Scene Set To Benny Hill Theme’
The Gist: A 2-minute video of last Sunday’s The Walking Dead scene where Rick and Daryl chase down outbreak survivor/thief Paul Rovia, set to the Benny Hill theme…because the Benny Hill theme just makes things funnier. Released February 21, the video is nearing half a million views on YouTube.
Source Article Here: Comicbook
Author: Brandon Davis

FLASHBACK READS

Cabrini GreenCabrini-Green & the End of The Chicago Projects
The Gist: If you never saw, first-hand, the Chicago Housing Authority’s miles of project housing before they were torn down in the city’s Plan For Transformation, it’d be hard to express the enormity of human marginalization. This article, The Last Tower, starts with the demolition of the last tower in the infamous Cabrini-Green projects and the bureaucratic mess that displaced thousands.
Source Article Here: Harper’s (May 2012)
Author: Ben Austen

Nic PizzolattoFrom ‘corduroy-coat-wearing professor to writers’-room hack to Orson Welles – in three blips…’ – Nic Pizzolatto’s Rise To TV Auteur
The Gist: Pizzolatto’s rise from college professor, short story and novel writer, first gigs on The Killing, Magic City, and the stunning career-maker when HBO committed to make his 600-page script, True Detective. Here’s a profile piece written during the filming of True Detective 2.
Source Article Here: Vanity Fair
Author: Rich Cohen

The Past 24 Hours: February 23, 2016

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Southside With You still photoOver 30 Movies Sold At Sundance: The Full List Of Distributor & Films
The Gist: Slash Film has the details on over 30 films that sold at this year’s Sundance including synopses, directors, distributors, talent starring, and rights info, where applicable.
Source Article Here: Slash Film
Author: Peter Sciretta

Election 2016Circus, Circus: Nevada Caucus – Live Coverage & Updates
The Gist: An updated timeline of observation, coverage, social media savories and more on the Nevada Caucus tonight.
Source Article Here: The Atlantic
Author: Staff Editors

 

A Wrinkle In TimeDisney Confirms Ava DuVernay To Direct ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ Adaptation
The Gist: DuVernay (Selma) will direct the adaptation of Madeleine L’ Engle’s 1963 YA classic. Jennifer Lee (Frozen) will write the screenplay. Also, DuVernay’s possible future projects, including a Star Wars film that J.J. Abrams hopes she’ll direct.
Source Article Here: Nerdist
Author: Dan Casey

Tyra ANTM‘America’s Next Top Model’ Coming Back For Season 23 On VH1
The Gist: WHO will be America’s Next Top Model’s host and panel? Good question, since Tyra Banks will only return as executive producer. The show will revamp for a new audience, via VH1, and return to New York for season 23.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: E. Alex Jung

Umm....“I was told I’d have to work in support for an entire year before I would be able to move to a different department.” – Millennial Yelp Employee Fired For Open Letter To CEO
The Gist: An interview with the 25 year old Yelp/Eat 24 employee who was fired after she posted ‘An Open Letter To My CEO’ – Yelp’s Jeremy Stoppelman – about not earning a living wage in San Francisco and “balancing all sorts of debt and trying to pave a life for myself that doesn’t involve crying in the bathtub every week…” Her open letter, posted to Medium, is here.
Source Article Here: The Washington Post
Author: Lindsey Bever

well....Killing Them Softly With Cell Phones: Male Sperm Count Affected By Mobile Units
The Gist: 100 men in a fertility study in Israel showed that men who keep cell phones in their pocket – or at their bedside – have a 36% lower sperm count level, which also affects fertility issues in couples wanting children. The culprits: heat and electromagnetic activity. Try a shirt pocket instead; the findings are..well… below
Source Article Here: The Telegraph

 

Michael Jackson Oscars 1973Oscars: Best Song Performances Ranked
The Gist: Up Where We Belong, Flashdance (What A Feeling), Endless Love, Sooner Or Later, Blame Canada, Dreamgirls Medley, Ben, Shaft, and other performances ranked from 1-20, with performance videos of each.
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Authors: David Ehrlich, David Fear, Jerry Portwood

The Past 24 Hours: February 22, 2016

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Oscar2The Other Race For Votes: The 2016 Oscars
The Gist: Adweek’s cover story this week on the campaign trail for the 6,200 voters whose majority vote will add up to 50% to a movie’s gross, and six-to-seven figure increases in salaries. A look at the Oscar race’s paces and the marketing rush.
Source Article Here: Adweek
Author: T.L. Stanley

Newt Gingrich#Viral Video: Newt Gingrich Tells ‘Fox & Friends’ They ‘Created’ Trump The Candidate
The Gist: The 3-minute video clip of Gingrich’s remote interview for Fox & Friends where he tells the hosts: “Trump gets up in the morning, tweets to the entire planet at no cost, gets on the phone, calls you, has a great conversation for about eight minutes…” The video and article are below.
Source Article Here: Esquire
Author: Jack Holmes

OuchTed Cruz Asks His Communications Director, Rick Tyler, To Resign After Video Post
The Gist: Vanity Fair with the fall-out after Tyler posted a video, originally posted at a different outlet, with incorrect captions attributed to Marco Rubio saying there are “not many answers” in the Bible. The actual audio remark from Rubio was, “All the answers are in there.” Tyler: “…..I should have checked its accuracy first,”
Source Article Here: Vanity Fair
Author: Ethan Miller

The Honeymooners“TV’s hot girl/ugly guy pairings” – The Sitcom Trope That Won’t Quit
The Gist: A look at the tried-and-true sitcom pairing of seemingly mismatched couples, based on appealing looks the male half lacks. Is it the cheaply-earned laugh that keeps on giving or is it made more believable when the storyline goes beyond jokes?
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Pilot Viruet

gavelUber Driver Charged With 6 Shooting Murders In Kalamazoo Believed To Have Picked Up Fares In Between Killings
The Gist: There appears to have been no connection between the 6 victims randomly killed by a 45 year-old gunman over the weekend in Kalamazoo, Michigan. One of the shooting victims was pronounced dead and on life support to have her organs harvested when she squeezed her mother’s hand; she remains in critical condition.
Source Article Here: BBC News

Camera lens shutter#Video: ‘The History of Photography In 5 Minutes’
The Gist: Made by the Cooperative of Photography, this 5-minute video gives you an overall history of photography from early recorded history to now. Some highlights: Abe Lincoln was the first ‘photo-shopped’ subject (head placed on a “more noble body”), Kodak roll film held 100 exposures, the arrival of 35mm, the first human photo, the first color photo, and  more.
Source Article Here: Fstoppers (published Feb. 18, 2016)
Author: Kenn Tamm

FLASHBACK WATCH

SNL Super ShowcaseBreaking Character: 10 ‘Saturday Night Live’ Skits
The Gist: A video clip list, on one page, of SNL skits over the years where one or more players in the scene breaks up laughing (with a time mark to get right to that moment). Including: Gilda Radner, Candice Bergen, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Gosling, Rachel Dratch, David Spade, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, and more.
Source Article Here: Decider
Author: Kayla Cobb

FLASHBACK READ

pharaohs-fortune gameHacking Vegas: The Electrician Who Hacked Into A Slot Machine Company’s Slice
The Gist: The case of a Cuban electrician working in Latvia who discovered how to counterfeit a leading slot machine company’s most popular games through soldering jumper wires to circuit boards and “off-brand” memory cards. When demand for the machines led him to take on an American partner, an FBI bust followed fast.
Source Article Here: Wired (August 2011)
Author: Brendan I. Koerner

The Past 24 Hours: February 19, 2016

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to-kill-a-mockingbird coverHarper Lee: 1926 – 2016
The Gist: A look back on the life of author Harper Lee, whose To Kill A Mockingbird was published when she was 34 and went on to sell over 40 million copies. Her friendship and work with Truman Capote, her avoidance of any public fetes in her honor, and her life after Mockingbird are here.
Source Article Here: People
Author: Stephen M. Silverman

 

McAfee antivirus creator offers to decrypt locked iPhone of San Bernardino shooterJohn McAfee Pens Op-Ed Piece: “I will, free of charge, decrypt the information on the San Bernardino phone, with my team.”
The Gist: McAfee anti-virus innovator John McAfee: ‘And why do the best hackers on the planet not work for the FBI? Because the FBI will not hire anyone with a 24-inch purple mohawk, 10-gauge ear piercings, and a tattooed face who demands to smoke weed while working and won’t work for less than a half-million dollars a year.’ You haven’t read an op-ed piece like this in a while.
Source Article Here: Business Insider
Author: John McAfee

Generic Code PhotoTech Experts Respond To McAfee’s Hack Offer…Plus, Who’s Siding With Apple In iPhoneGate
The Gist: Reaction to John McAfee’s op-ed piece, including: “Good luck to Mr McAfee trying to socially engineer a corpse into revealing its pass-code.”
Source Article Here: BBC News
Author: Chris Baraniuk

KeshaKesha Denied Preliminary Injunction In Court, Owes Sony Records 6 More Albums
The Gist: Music artist Kesha, 28, was visibly upset in court when a Manhattan Supreme Court judge denied the nullification of her current recording contract. Kesha alleges that producer Dr. Luke raped her when she turned 18 and that she fears working with him. The judge’s response to Kesha’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, and his claims on Kesha’s behalf are in the article.
Source Article Here: New York Daily News
Author: Barbara Ross

digital publishing#Writers’ Advice: Hot Questions About Freelance Writing, Answered
The Gist: A roundtable discussion with 4 globally published freelance writers on developing stories, negotiation, regional ties, side hustles, and words of advice.
Source Article Here: Longreads
Author: Eve Holland

13 Ways#Book Buzz: 9 New Titles Published This Week
The Gist: A look at 9 new works of published fiction this week, with covers and synopses, selected by Publishers Weekly staff.
Source Article Here: Publishers Weekly

 

 

Flashback Read

Rita _ ZankouA Family’s American Dream, Then Rebuilding From An Unfathomable Nightmare
The Gist: Zankou Chicken started with one location in Beirut; when the first Zankou store opened in L.A. in 1983, it grew into a SoCal must-have. In 2003, the family restaurant’s gravely ill patriarch committed a double-murder suicide that claimed his mother and sister’s life. The tragedy that fractured a family and saw his widow take over in 15 days, without a day’s experience, is detailed here.
Source Article Here: Los Angeles Magazine (April 1, 2008)
Author: Mark Arax