Earth, Wind & Fire Founder Maurice White: 1941-2016
The Gist: The life of a pop music icon is remembered.
Source Article Here: SF Gate
Authors: David Bauder and Hillel Italie, Associated Press Contributor: Nekesa Mumbi Moody

“..The first Zika virus case acquired through sexual transmission,” Confirmed In Texas
The Gist: A report on the first anonymous person to have contracted the virus in the US, as opposed to the 20-plus countries where infections from the virus have originated. A global map of countries affected by Zika and a 2-minute video about the virus and prevention steps are in the article.
Source Article Here: The Telegraph
Author: David Lawler

The Real Potomac, Maryland….Light Years From The Bravo TV Version
The Gist: Bravo’s Real Housewives of Potomac reality show has helped the town in Maryland trend, but locals know that it is nothing like the hotbed of pretension and elitist mores that the reality show projects. Here’s a look at the real Potomac – and what locals are saying.
Source Article Here: The Washington Post
Author: Roxanne Roberts

“A secret agreement that permits a wealthy defendant to buy his way out of a criminal case isn’t right.” – Bill Cosby To Stand Trial In PA
The Gist: A “no-prosecution” oral agreement made in 2005 will not prevent the aggravated indecent assault charges from 2004 from going to trial. The arrival of the judge’s decision is described here.
Source Article Here: USA Today
Authors: Maria Puente and Brittany Horn

The Best Comedy Set-Ups & Riffs From The 20th Century to the 21st
The Gist: A one-page look at some of popular entertainment’s best comedy bits and moments over the course of the last century, with something for everybody.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Jesse David Fox

5 Causes Of Writer’s Block & How To Beat Them
The Gist: An author of over 20 books briskly details 5 originating reasons of writer’s block and how to get you back to the page.
Source Article Here: Writer’s Digest
Author: Molly Cochran

Food Addictions & Why Some Ingredients Are Edible Narcotics
The Gist: The University of Michigan released findings of its study on why certain food addictions trigger the brain’s need for more, akin to hard drugs. Cheese is a common ingredient and pizza was found to be the most addictive of all.
Source Article Here: GQ
Author: Jeff Vrabel

 

The Sex Bot Economy: Begging For – And Cashing In On – Sexxxy Chat
The Gist: With an estimated 59% of online traffic generated by bots, here’s how it’s happening in the world of adult dating sites. Included: where those photos of ‘real’ people come from (abandoned profile pics) and examples from the Ashley Madison scandal, Adult Friend Finder, and more. From February 1, 2016 article
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: David Kushner

5 Tips To Keep Your Credibility From Being Tainted On LinkedIn
The Gist: Tips here on avoiding the shadier elements of blind connections include not falling for sales pitches, old friends with no professional similarities…and the ones who want to date you.
Source Article Here: BBC
Author: Alina Dizik

FLASHBACK READ

“What you have here are two people who have made up their minds that they can’t stay together.” – Carly Simon
The Gist: This 1981 cover story, Fathers and Lovers, is an intimate interview with Carly Simon at the time of her separation – and imminent divorce -from husband James Taylor.
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: Timothy White

The Movie Mogul & The “Slow-Motion” Implosion Of Relativity Media
The Gist: New York magazine’s feature on the 11 year trajectory of Relativity Media and its founder, Ryan Kavanaugh.
Source Article Here: New York/Vulture
Author: Benjamin Wallace

“Liquid Death” – The Poisoning Of Flint, Michigan
The Gist: People losing tufts of hair in the shower, children irreversibly brain-damaged by untreated tap water from the Flint River in Michigan– already a highly toxic river for decades – are just the tip of the iceberg where lead-filled water, greed and neglect have created an American tragedy in real-time.
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: Stephen Rodrick

As The Ratchet Turns: “I made it so we could wear tight jeans.” – Kanye West
The Gist: Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa are worth more than a combined $137M, but that didn’t stop their Twitter beef over Kanye’s next CD title from becoming a hot mess. Here are the tweets as they unfolded, plus a clap-back from their ex, Amber Rose.
Source Article Here: Entertainment Weekly
Author: Madison Vain

 

Digital News – Over 29 Sites, Number of Views & Strategies -By The Millions
The Gist: The current playing field of how online news outlets are doing, their strategies, the demos they’re trying to woo, and how they rank via illustrated charts, from Vice to the NYT.
Source Article Here: Forbes
Author: Lewis DVorkin

Catch These On Netflix Before They’re Gone In February
The Gist: Over 55 films, documentaries and TV seasons/shows that will be leaving Netflix in the next month, along with the dates they disappear.
Source Article Here: Vulture
Author: Jackson McHenry

 

Flashback Reads

“I don’t know who you think I am, bitch, but I’m not that person.”
The Gist: A lot has changed for Britney Spears for the better, but “the canary in the coal mine” nearly lost it all less than a decade ago. Rolling Stone documented her crisis in this cover story from February 2008.
Source Article Here: Rolling Stone
Author: Vanessa Grigoriadis

 

Paying Dues As An Assistant: “The worst thing to be called is a really good assistant.”
The Gist: Access has its perks, but there is a time to move on, as shown in this article, The Assistant Economy, from 2015 in Dissent. The highs and the pitfalls of being an assistant are here, as well as examples of assisting notables such as Robert Altman, Scott Rudin, Darren Aronofsky, and Susan Sontag.
Source Article Here: Dissent
Author: Francesca Mari

Brittany Murphy: “What worked for her as an actress made for a troubled life.”
The Gist: The life and death of Brittany Murphy whose passing at the age 32, in 2009, left more questions than answers. Here, a family intimate, shares an overview of a talent in free-fall.
Source Article Here: Yahoo! Movies via The Hollywood Reporter
Author: Alex Ben Block

Here, in random order, are the most-viewed stories for the week of 1/18/16:

#Television: 2016-2017 Pilot Season – The Latest Details
The Gist: This posted on TV Line’s site on January 20th and updates daily. Here’s the rundown on TV’s next season of hopefuls and misses.
Source Article Here: TV Line
Author: TV Line Team

Mos Def: “I’m retiring from the musical recording industry … and also from Hollywood effective immediately.”
The Gist: The above quote is contained in an audio message the musician-actor, 42, posted on Kanye West’s website after South African officials charged Mos Def with immigration law violations and living there illegally for over a year.
Source Article Here: USA Today
Author: Maria Puente

Sundance Film Festival Offering Over 12 Virtual Reality Experiences – For Free – Until Feb. 12th
The Gist: Watch over 12 virtual experiences free, with either the “Milk VR app for the Samsung Gear VR or a Google Cardboard and a smartphone.” (Google Cardboard site is here)
Source Article Here: Wired
Author: Angela Watercutter

“It’s not an internment camp. If you’re that fearful, then get a job.” – Chelsea Handler
The Gist: Chelsea Handler’s 2-minute video clip with Howard Stern discussing former Chelsea Lately writer and panelist Heather McDonald’s admission, in a prior interview, that the Handler set was a place of daily fear for her.
Source Article Here: Fishbowl LA
Author: Richard Hogan

Ghosts Of Heartbreaks Past & The Stories We Tell Ourselves
The Gist: Study findings about why some break-ups feel random and others feel intensely personal and life-defining….and how to soldier on.
Source Article Here: The Atlantic
Author: Lauren Howe

 

3 Ways To Network Like The Business A-List
The Gist: This article takes into account the outdated notions of networking as a successful person in your respective field of work. A look at the 3 ways to network in the new landscape of limited time and a deluge of cold contacts.
Source Article Here: Harvard Business Review
Author: Dorie Clark

The Top 100 InDemand Employers On LinkedIn
The Gist: LinkedIn’s 2015 list – on one page – of the “most sought-after employers” in North America. Each company on the list has a thumbnail on its number of employees, top skills, headquarters, and a link to follow them via their LinkedIn page. Dive in!
Source Article Here: LinkedIn InDemand

Actress Janet Hubert’s Response To Jada Pinkett Smith On Oscar Boycott: “Y’all ain’t Barack and Michelle Obama…Get real.”
The Gist: Hubert, 60, played opposite Will Smith as Vivian Banks in the first 3 seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Her frank response to Pinkett Smith’s Oscar reaction video, We Must Stand In Power, is here in its 4-minute entirety. Jada Pinkett Smith’s video, via Facebook, is here.
Source Article Here: The Washington Post
Author: Bethonie Butler

#Viral Vidz: The Most Epic Lip Sync Battles, From Mike Tyson to Tracee Ellis Ross
The Gist: A collection of lip sync battles from the eponymous Spike series, with millions of views tallied, including Taraji P. Henson vs. Terrence Howard, Mike Tyson vs. Terry Crews, Anthony Mackie vs. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and more.
Source Article Here: Essence
Author: Lauren Porter

Why Social Media Skills Are Crucial To Employers & The Scramble To Teach Peeps
The Gist: $70 billion will be spent to educate the US workforce this year, from Millennials to Boomers, on social media know-how as consumers’ $1.3 trillion dollars are up for grabs to those who know how to do it well.
Source Article Here: Fast Company
Author: Ryan Holmes

Here, in random order, are the most-viewed stories for the week of 1/11/16:

The “Creative Epiphanies’ Of Over 80 Public People: What They Discovered
The Gist: First-hand defining creative moments, including Connie Britton, Helena Bonham Carter, Seinfeld, Jill Soloway, Erroll Morris, Michele Roberts, Kevin Smith, and more.
Source Article Here: New York

 

 

The Management Structure That Backfired & Led To 18% of Staff Taking Buyouts
The Gist: A report on what happened at Zappos, the online shoe giant that long considered a beacon of work-culture, and why the attrition rate is now a whopping 30% annually.
Source Article Here: The Atlantic
Author: Bourree Lam

David Bowie: 1947 – 2016
The Gist: The life and career of David Bowie – nearly 50 years of a constantly evolving artist – is recalled here.
Source Article Here: The Guardian
Authors: Caroline Davies, Edward Helmore

Happier In Your 40s Than At 18? Study Says ‘Yes,’ Crushes Mid-Life Crisis Myth
The Gist: The findings of the comprehensive study that tracked 18-year-olds and 23-year-olds over the course of 25 years and found happiness increases up the age ladder.
Source Article Here: The Telegraph
Author: Guy Kelly

Nina Simone: “You Didn’t Know Which Way She’d Go”
The Gist: An interview with Liz Garbus, director of the current Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary about Nina Simone, What Happened, Miss Simone?
Source Article Here: Screen Daily
Author: Jeremy Kay

 

Roll ‘Em: George Clooney, Julia Roberts In ‘Money Monster’ Trailer
The Gist: The 2:43 trailer for the Jodie Foster-directed thriller, opening this May.
Source Article Here: Popsugar
Author: Kelsie Gibson

From Glorious Bastards To Iconoclasts: Superbosses….& How They Work
The Gist: A look at how the best bosses find talent (“unusually gifted people” or “unlikely winners”) and the traits that make them superlative at what they do.
Source Article Here: Harvard Business Review
Author: Sydney Finkelstein

#Distributor Buzz: The ‘Creative Courage’ Of A24
The Gist: The New York-based film distributor A24 isn’t even 4 years old, but has already put itself on the indie scene map with films like Amy, Spring Breakers, Room, & Ex Machina.
Source Article Here: Fast Company
Author: Adam Doster

Change Your Act. Change Your Audience – Career Tips For The New Reality
The Gist: As traditional career moves & strategies become disrupted, here’s experts’ advice on keeping it moving – and your career thriving.
Source Article Here: Forbes
Author: William Arruda

Flashback Read

The Disappearance of Mitrice Richardson
The Gist: She was a 24 year-old college graduate in Malibu one night before being jailed for not having the money to pay her meal tab. Released against her mother’s wishes after midnight, with no money, car, or phone, she was never seen alive by her loved ones again.
Source Article Here: Los Angeles Magazine
Author: Mike Kessler