Books of The Times - Darwyn Cooke’s ‘Hunter’; Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert’s ‘Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?’; and David Mazzucchelli’s ‘Asterios Polyp’ - A Superhero in a Prism, Antiheroes in Deep Focus - Review - NYTimes.com

Books of The Times - Darwyn Cooke’s ‘Hunter’; Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert’s ‘Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?’; and David Mazzucchelli’s ‘Asterios Polyp’ - A Superhero in a Prism, Antiheroes in Deep Focus - Review - NYTimes.com

Gustines reviews three new comics related books.

Film - Four Decades of Cary Grant Movies in BAMcin�matek Series - NYTimes.com

Film - Four Decades of Cary Grant Movies in BAMcinematek Series - NYTimes.com: "To put on a Cary Grant series — as the BAMcinematek is doing from Monday through Aug. 20 with 17 films, and a second batch to follow in 2010 — presents some special challenges. Grant made more than 50 movies as a leading man, but the only thing that ties them together is that they starred Cary Grant, playing some version of his man-of-the-world persona, or of himself, which seemed to amount to the same thing"

Religious Wounding - Psychological Trauma and Religion - Shame, Guilt - Mark Sargent on Day1 Conversations

Religious Wounding - Psychological Trauma and Religion - Shame, Guilt - Mark Sargent on Day1 Conversations: "Day1 Host Peter Wallace sits down for the second installment of his conversation with the Rev. Mark Sargent as they discuss an issue close to Mark's heart: Religious Wounding. Mark's understanding of human psychology, and work as a pastor, has led him to believe that a form of spiritual and emotional trauma is prevalent in today's world and is partially to blame for the lack of interest in Christian institutions, and in some cases ideals, today."

Progressive Theology - Christianity - Contemporary History - Mark Sargent on Day1 Conversations

Progressive Theology - Christianity - Contemporary History - Mark Sargent on Day1 Conversations: "The Rev. Mark Sargent, blogger, pastor and popular Day1 preacher, sits down with our host Peter Wallace to discuss a progressive theology from its historical roots to the state of Christianity today. The two focus on the challenges facing the church today from the perspective of an ancient intellectual divide over the importance, and place, of modern discovery and thought."

NBC Charges ' House' Creator David Shore With Reviving 'Rockford Files' : TVBizwire : TVWeek - Television Industry news, TV ratings, analysis, celebrity event photos

NBC Charges ' House' Creator David Shore With Reviving 'Rockford Files' : TVBizwire : TVWeek - Television Industry news, TV ratings, analysis, celebrity event photos: "'House' creator David Shore will create a new version of the '70s detective drama “Rockford Files' for NBC, Universal Media Studios and Steve Carell's Carousel Television, Variety reports.

The original series, which ran on the network from 1974-80, starred James Garner and was the breakthrough hit for writer-producer Stephen J. Cannell."

I dunno, Garner made that show!

Daily Episcopalian: Nick Knisely: We Pray Together

Daily Episcopalian: "In my mind, as an Episcopalian of catholic leanings and ecumenical enthusiasm, if there’s one thing that argues for the continued existence of an Anglican witness in the Universal Church - it’s our charism of holding firm to praying with those with whom we disagree no matter how hard that is to do.

Eusebius writes that in the latter days of his life, St. John the Evangelist would respond to repeated requests of visitors to “tell of us of Jesus” by only repeating again and again “Little children, love one another.” When asked by those caring for him why he would only say that he is supposed to have responded “Because if they do only that, it is enough.”

Episcopalians don’t agree to agree. We pray with each other. Because if we can manage to just do that, it seems to me, that we will have done enough."

Mo Dowd - Sarah Grabs the Grievance Grab Bag From Hillary - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Sarah Grabs the Grievance Grab Bag From Hillary - NYTimes.com: "The woman who was prematurely counted in is out. And the woman who was prematurely counted out is in.

Goodbye, Sarah. Hello, Hillary.

In their vivid twin performances Sunday — Hillary on “Meet the Press” in Washington and Sarah at her farewell picnic in Fairbanks — two of the most celebrated and polarizing women in American political history offered a fascinating contrast."

Editorial - Google’s Big Plan for Books - NYTimes.com

Editorial - Google’s Big Plan for Books - NYTimes.com: "Google’s book service raises monopoly and privacy concerns. It also holds great promise for increasing access to knowledge. Much of the information in the world’s books is not widely available. When Google began scanning out-of-print books held by major libraries its goal was to create an enormous database that Internet users could access from local libraries or homes.

Google fumbled, however, by scanning copyrighted works without the rights holders’ permission. Writers and publishers sued, and the parties have now reached a settlement. A federal court in New York has scheduled a hearing this fall on the settlement, which could be hotly contested."

Facing Gay Rift, Anglican Sees ‘Two-Track’ Church - NYTimes.com

Facing Gay Rift, Anglican Sees ‘Two-Track’ Church - NYTimes.com: "Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, said profound differences among the world’s 77 million Anglicans over gay clergy and same-sex unions could divide their church into a “two-track model” yielding “two styles of being Anglican.”"

"The Three Stooges: Lost and Found" coming to Howard 101 - Orbitcast

"The Three Stooges: Lost and Found" coming to Howard 101 - Orbitcast: "On Friday, Sirius XM Radio will air an exclusive special entitled The Three Stooges: Lost and Found Interviews featuring a collection of rare interviews with Moe Howard and Larry Fine, as well as some of The Howard Stern Show's greatest Stooge-themed moments from Howard's personal radio archives."

NPR Is Enhancing Its Web Site - NYTimes.com

NPR Is Enhancing Its Web Site - NYTimes.com: "NPR, the public radio network, is introducing a revamped NPR.org this week, giving users what its executives say is an easier-to-navigate Web site that emphasizes written reporting over audio reports.

It is part of a digital expansion, branded with the new tagline “Always On,” that will include several mobile applications to be available late this summer.

The changes are meant to raise the level of NPR’s journalism and journalistic output, and to make public radio more widely available, not just on local stations but on any format consumers might want, said Vivian Schiller, NPR’s president and chief executive.

“We are a news content organization, not just a radio organization,” Ms. Schiller said."

Give Me That Small Screen Religion | Media/Culture | ReligionDispatches

Give Me That Small Screen Religion | Media/Culture | ReligionDispatches: "For viewers whose search for meaning is not confined to institutional religion, the television landscape abounds with religious and moral themes. And whether it's euthanasia, polygamy, angels, demons, or clerics doing cameos, treatment of religion on the small screen is often surprisingly sophisticated."

FT.com / Technology - Apple joins forces with record labels

FT.com / Technology - Apple joins forces with record labels: "Apple is working with the four largest record labels to stimulate digital sales of albums by bundling a new interactive booklet, sleeve notes and other interactive features with music downloads, in a move it hopes will change buying trends on its online iTunes store.

The talks come as Apple is separately racing to offer a portable, full-featured, tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season, in what the entertainment industry hopes will be a new revolution. The device could be launched alongside the new content deals, including those aimed at stimulating sales of CD-length music, according to people briefed on the project."

Peter Jackson and Hayao Miyazaki Hit Comic-Con - NYTimes.com

Peter Jackson and Hayao Miyazaki Hit Comic-Con - NYTimes.com: "What passes for royalty in the movie world had shown up to hold court at what has become the biggest annual gathering for the most passionate fans of comics, movies, science fiction, fantasy and video games — just the sort of folks the studios and networks are most eager to attract and seduce."

‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ To Drop to Once a Week in the Fall

‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ To Drop to Once a Week in the Fall : TVBizwire : TVWeek - Television Industry news, TV ratings, analysis, celebrity event photos: "The economy has done something that not even the Grim Reaper was able to accomplish: practically kill 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.'

Though host Fred Rogers died six years ago, the show has continued on, daily, in reruns.

However, PBS has told its member stations that reruns of the show will only be available once a week in the fall, not every day,"

AppleInsider | Apple's much-anticipated tablet device coming early next year

AppleInsider | Apple's much-anticipated tablet device coming early next year: "After four years of meticulous developmental riddled with setbacks, Apple is now racing toward an early 2010 launch of a device that may see the electronics maker redefine the portable computing market for the second time in twice as many years."

Episcopal presiding bishop issues letter about General Convention

Episcopal Life Online - NEWS: "residing Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued a letter to the church about General Convention, which was held July 8-17 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. 'Above all else, this Convention claimed God's mission as the heartbeat of The Episcopal Church,' Jefferts Schori says."

Art Review - Comics’ Gargantua of the Gross-Out, at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery - NYTimes.com

Art Review - Comics’ Gargantua of the Gross-Out, at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery - NYTimes.com: "If you were a preteenager in the 1950s and had precocious friends or a with-it dad, it’s a good bet you knew the cartoons of Basil Wolverton, the Michelangelo of Mad magazine, even if you didn’t know his name."

Reinventing the pencil: 21 artists who changed mainstream comics (for better or worse) | Books | A.V. Club

Reinventing the pencil: 21 artists who changed mainstream comics (for better or worse) | Books | A.V. Club: Check out their list.

Amazon, Archaia To Release Kindle Graphic Novel - 7/20/2009 - Publishers Weekly

Amazon, Archaia To Release Kindle Graphic Novel - 7/20/2009 - Publishers Weekly: "Although Amazon.com has published prose works exclusively on the Kindle before, in a first the online retailer has teamed with graphic novel publisher Archaia to publish Tumor, an original graphic novel by writer Joshua Fialkov and artist Noel Tuazon, initially in a digital edition formatted specifically for the Kindle; Tumor will be released serially on the Kindle before a hardcover print edition is published three to six months later. This is the first time Amazon has published a graphic novel specifically designed for the Kindle 2, and it will be followed by three additional Archaia books released on the Kindle that will be announced during the San Diego Comic-Con International this week."

Yahoo Homepages Over the Years | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Yahoo Homepages Over the Years | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD: "Tomorrow, Yahoo will officially unveil the latest redesign of its homepage, an almost complete rejiggering of the look and feel of one of the most trafficked sites on the Internet.

The latest launch comes after about a half-dozen redesigns the homepage since Yahoo was founded, the last one in 2006.

You can read the full story of the new page here, but BoomTown thought it might also be instructive to take a look at what has come before it, seeing how the Yahoo (YHOO) front page has evolved since 1994."

The Real Decline of Churches - Diana Butler Bass

The Real Decline of Churches - Progressive Revival: "Three news stories in recent days point to significant change in the landscape of North American religion. For decades now, the conventional wisdom about church growth has been that only conservative churches--those that take the Bible literally and embrace conservative politics--could grow. But it appears that conventional wisdom is being seriously questioned."

Is Obama the Antichrist? Why Armageddon Stands Between the President and the Evangelical Vote | Op-Ed | ReligionDispatches

Is Obama the Antichrist? Why Armageddon Stands Between the President and the Evangelical Vote | Op-Ed | ReligionDispatches: "While the president has reached out to the faithful, he has yet to realize that he is dealing with a countercultural movement that at its foundation is obsessed with the apocalypse. But he will know it soon enough as evangelical interpretations of the Bible point to Barack Obama as the Antichrist."

CBS Decides to Keep Cronkite’s Voice on ‘Evening News’ - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com

CBS Decides to Keep Cronkite’s Voice on ‘Evening News’ - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com: "Walter Cronkite will still introduce the “CBS Evening News” after his death, the network said Monday, reversing an earlier decision to retire the legendary anchor’s voice-over.

Mr. Cronkite could be heard reading the introduction to the “Evening News” since Katie Couric became its anchor in 2006, connecting two generations of newscasts.

Mr. Cronkite died Friday evening. The same day, Ms. Couric said that the voice would be heard “one final time.” On Saturday’s “Evening News,” a CBS staff announcer was heard in Mr. Cronkite’s place.

But in consultations over the weekend with Mr. Cronkite’s family members, the plans changed."

Beebe discovers unpublished C.S. Lewis manuscript : University News Service : Texas State University

Beebe discovers unpublished C.S. Lewis manuscript : University News Service : Texas State University: "What if two of the most famous and widely read 20th Century authors who have each individually sold millions of copies of their books had written a book together?



C. S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles and Screwtape Letters, and J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, had planned in the 1940s to write a book together about Language. According to a letter written by Tolkien in 1944 to his son Christopher, the collaborative book was to be called Language and Human Nature. A news release from their publisher announced that the book was scheduled for publication in 1950. It was, however, never published. Scholars have thought, until now, that it was never started."

From Amish to vampires, Christian fiction expands | National Entertainment News | Idaho Statesman

From Amish to vampires, Christian fiction expands | National Entertainment News | Idaho Statesman: "The Christian book business, optimistic that a little literary escapism might be an antidote for readers in hard times, is turning to bonnets, buggies and bloodsuckers.

Even as Christian publishing suffers during the recession - one study found net sales for Christian retailers were down almost 11 percent in 2008 - several publishing houses are adding or expanding their fiction lines with both the tame (Amish heroines) and boundary-pushing (Christian vampire lit)."

Behind Lunar Landings, Flights of Imagination - NYTimes.com

Behind Lunar Landings, Flights of Imagination - NYTimes.com: "FORTY years ago Monday, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. But for millennia before him people had been imagining that giant leap in fiction, fables and film. They flew to the Moon in rocket ships, winged chariots and projectiles fired from huge guns. There they met giants, insect-men, Nazis and topless women."

Cronkite, At His Apex - The Daily Beast

Cronkite, At His Apex - Page 1 - The Daily Beast: "Some 34 years ago, Walter Cronkite gave a wide-ranging interview to The Daily Beast’s Allan Dodds Frank about the burden of being the most trusted man in America. Here’s Uncle Walter, in his own words, at the top of his game."

Yann Martel, ‘Life of Pi’ Author, Said to Get $3 Million for Holocaust Allegory - NYTimes.com

Yann Martel, ‘Life of Pi’ Author, Said to Get $3 Million for Holocaust Allegory - NYTimes.com: "Seven years after winning the Man Booker Prize for “Life of Pi,” the global best seller about a shipwrecked Indian boy sharing a boat with a tiger, Yann Martel has sold a manuscript for his follow-up for around $3 million, according to people familiar with the negotiations."

An Appraisal - Cronkite’s Signature Mix of Authority and Approachability - NYTimes.com

An Appraisal - Cronkite’s Signature Mix of Authority and Approachability - NYTimes.com: "It’s almost impossible to convey the place Walter Cronkite held in American life for the 19 years he spent as the anchor of “The CBS Evening News.” It wasn’t just that he narrated the spikes in modern history, from the Kennedy assassination to the civil rights movement to the election of Ronald Reagan.

People tuned in to his program even on routine days when his broadcast — Senate subcommittee hearings, gas prices, d�tente talks with the Soviet Union — was as dull as toast. Mr. Cronkite’s air of authority, lightly worn and unquestioned, was unusual even then, but nobody comes close to it now."

Legendary newsman Walter Cronkite dies at 92| ajc.com

Legendary newsman Walter Cronkite dies at 92 | ajc.com: "Assuming his CBS anchor seat in 1962, the year before John Kennedy was shot, and leaving it in 1981, the year Ronald Reagan was elected president, Cronkite flourished in a pre-cable, pre-blogging era when TV news and the country came of age together. Such was Cronkite’s standing that his signature sign-off, “And that’s the way it is...,” became a nightly assurance most Americans took for granted.

Once considered the most trusted public person in America, Cronkite died at his home in New York at 7:42 p.m. Friday after a long illness, according to the Associated Press. He was born Nov. 4, 1916. He was 92."

The 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time - IFC.com

The 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time - Lists - News - IFC.com

From veryshortlist.com:
Isn’t part of the magic of going to the movies the great fun in watching the previews? IFC surely agrees, as they’ve poured through the archives to compile the 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time.

Helped by Ratings and McCartney, Letterman Returns to Form - NYTimes.com

Helped by Ratings and McCartney, Letterman Returns to Form - NYTimes.com: "If not all the way, he certainly seems to be getting there. Mr. Letterman, CBS’s late-night star, scored an impressive win last week as his audience topped that of NBC’s “Tonight Show” and its new host, Conan O’Brien, during that show’s least-viewed week since total viewers have been measured.

And Mr. Letterman trumped his win with a show that became a television event Wednesday night as Paul McCartney returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater 45 years after the Beatles’ American TV debut and performed a concert on the marquee in front of a crowd of about 4,000."

Blog Flume: Ditko and the Beauty of Abstraction

Blog Flume: Ditko and the Beauty of Abstraction: "Although Steve Ditko’s art has always been, in a large sense, representational, his work features some of the most highly abstract cartooning seen in mainstream comics. This is especially true in 'The Dimensions of Greed,' a story in the anthology Time Warp #3, (March 1980; DC). If we removed the human figures from these two pages (which appear side-by-side in the comic), the context for understanding the ‘objects’ and the narrative spaces you are seeing would disappear:"

PW: George Carlin book coming

Free Press Acquires Posthumous Carlin Memoir

By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 7/14/2009 2:00:00 PM

Simon & Schuster's Free Press imprint has acquired George Carlin's memoir, Last Words. Carlin, who died in June 2008, had been working on the book, with writer Tony Hendra, for the last decade. Hendra, a founding editor of National Lampoon magazine and author of his own memoir, Father Joe, got permission to publish the book from Carlin's family.

Unlike Carlin's three previous comedy titles--When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, Brain Droppings, and Napalm and Silly Putty--Last Words will focus on Carlin's own story and the 50 years he spent as a working comic.

RDRoundtable: Republican Scandals Drag Secretive “Family” Into the Big Time | RDRoundtable | ReligionDispatches

RDRoundtable: Republican Scandals Drag Secretive “Family” Into the Big Time | RDRoundtable | ReligionDispatches: "Last week it was discovered that several powerful republicans at the heart of two sex scandals—Sens. John Ensign and Tom Coburn and Gov. Mark Sanford among others—are members of The Family, reputed to be an “aggressively anti-democratic” Christian movement quietly steering us toward a “theocentric” state. Three scholars discuss The Family with the author. Sparks fly."

Not Angels, but Anglicans - Diana Butler Bass on the Episcopal General Convention

Not Angels, but Anglicans - Progressive Revival: "The same Anglicans who have been mad about Gene Robinson for six years will continue to be angry. The same Anglicans who have threatened schism will continue to threaten. Maybe Anglicans in the rest of the world won't understand. Some people will see this as unbiblical. But, trying to figure out faith in particular cultural contexts is Anglican tradition. For 1400 years, Anglicans have believed weaving together the message of Jesus with human culture and experience is the best way to embody the love of God and neighbor. We don't always do that perfectly, but we are trying. After all, we're Anglicans not Angels."

Microsoft to Launch Free, Online Office - The Daily Beast

Microsoft to Launch Free, Online Office - The Daily Beast: "A week after Google hit Microsoft by announcing it plans to launch an online operating system, Microsoft is throwing a counterpunch: It announced on Monday that it will launch a free, online version of Microsoft Office next year. The Financial Times describes the move, targeting Google Docs, as “one of the most radical steps yet by Microsoft.” The “lightweight” version of the software will allow users to edit documents and Powerpoint presentations, and will have more features than Google Docs."

Natalie Portman to Star in Thor - The Daily Beast

Natalie Portman to Star in Thor - The Daily Beast: "Get ready for some mortal-on-immortal romance. Natalie Portman is the newest star to sign onto the film adaptation of Thor, an early Marvel comic featuring the adventures of the Norse god of thunder. Kenneth Branagh is set to direct and the film will also star newcomer Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Portman plays the god's nurse and love interest, Jane Foster, who gets involved in a love triangle with Thor and his human alter-ego Donald Blake, before briefly becoming a god herself. Marvel Studios says the role will be updated for the film, so surprises might be in store even for devoted Thor fans."

‘Super Size Me’ Director Morgan Spurlock To Honor ‘The Simpsons’

MTV Movies Blog - ‘Super Size Me’ Director Morgan Spurlock To Honor ‘The Simpsons’: "Fox has announced that Morgan Spurlock is producing a for-TV documentary special to air on January 14, 2010 in celebration of “The Simpsons”‘ 20 years on television. Spurlock’s “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice” will cap off Fox’s “Best. 20. Years. Ever.” campaign, which launched last January to celebrate the long-running TV series’ irreplaceable contributions to our culture."

Give Struggling Authors a Chance - Ideas Special Report

Give Struggling Authors a Chance - Ideas Special Report: "William Faulkner's first novel, Soldier's Pay barely sold when it was released in 1926. Neither did Saul Bellow's in 1944, Kurt Vonnegut's in 1952, Cormac McCarthy's in 1965, or David Foster Wallace's in 1987. All of these books garnered tepid reviews and bare-minimum sales. Ever since Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1828 debut sold so poorly that the author burned the remaining copies out of embarrassment, flopped first novels have been an American tradition.

Publishers have typically taken the long view, expending great effort and bushels of money to keep struggling authors writing away for years, banking on the hope of eventual literary success. It is to this dedication that we owe America's status as one of the great literary pillars of the world. Now, that dedication is faltering, and with it, the future of the great American novel. But it's not too late to save the novel."

Duo bring 'Revelation' to Showtime - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

Duo bring 'Revelation' to Showtime - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety: "Showtime is developing 'Revelation,' a religion-themed drama from David Janollari and 'Dirty Sexy Money' creator Craig Wright.

Hourlong project revolves around an unconventional minister who moves to a Texas church with his two teens after his wife suddenly dies.

Wright was once a minister himself and plans to rely on his base of knowledge to tackle issues of religion, faith and spirituality."

Episcopal deputies support fully inclusive ordination process, ongoing commitment to Anglican communion

Episcopal Life Online - NEWS: "The House of Deputies by more than a 2-1 margin adopted a resolution July 12 that declares the ordination process of the Episcopal Church open to all individuals while expressing its ongoing commitment to the Anglican Communion.

The vote was 77-31 in the lay order and 74-25 in the clergy order. It now goes to the House of Bishops, where it must be passed to be enacted."

The resolution:

* reaffirms the continued participation of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion;
* encourages dioceses, congregations and members to be involved in work throughout the communion;
* reaffirms the Episcopal Church's financial support of the Anglican Communion;
* acknowledges that the Listening Process with gay and lesbian people has resulted in General Convention's recognition that same-sex relationships represent fidelity and holy love;
* recognizes that gays and lesbians in such same-sex relationships have exercised ministry in the church;
* acknowledges that God has called and may call any individual in the church to any ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, in accordance with the discernment process set forth in the Constitution and Canons of the church; and
* acknowledges that the Anglican Communion is not of one mind on these matters.

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

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

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

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] |

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”"