Corita Kent’s 1969 screenprint “American Sampler.”

It is in the nature of academic inquiry to find potential interest in everything. The impulse is entirely admirable. But of course, the ability to find interest in everything can lead to varieties of overestimation, and to the manufacturing of interest where it is not always merited.

Corita Kent is best known in Boston for the design of the Dorchester gas tank.

A kind of compulsive manufacturing of interest is also, one could say, at the heart of the religious impulse, which finds signs and portents of God’s love in every disaster, and of his beneficence in every can of tomato soup. It is certainly fundamental to art appreciation, which obliges the viewer to find interest in piles of bricks, canvases splattered with paint, and indeed, images of cans of tomato soup.

In theory, I’m all for it. But when you combine art appreciation, the religious impulse, and habits of academic inquiry, you may begin to feel that you are dealing with a surplus of manufactured interest.

So I thought, anyway, after visiting, and then browsing through the 338-page catalog accompanying, “Corita Kent and the Language of Pop.” It’s the second major exhibition at the Harvard Art Museums since its late-2014 reopening, and the product of a major investment of time and resources.

Unfortunately, like the show of damaged Rothko murals that preceded it, it’s just not that great.

Yes, yes, it’s interesting. Of course it’s interesting! As a human being, Corita Kent was as interesting as they come. Born in Iowa, she moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was 5, and in 1936, at 17, entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Roman Catholic order of nuns in Hollywood. She took on the name Sister Mary Corita, and stayed with the order for more than three decades.

She studied and later taught art, eventually becoming chair of the art department at Immaculate Heart College. Inspired by early shows of Pop Art at the Ferus Gallery and the Pasadena Art Museum in 1962, and turned on to transformations within the Catholic Church inaugurated by the Second Vatican Council, she quickly forged a reputation for silkscreens that used typography and color to convey messages of hope and love.

Kent’s works from the 1960s — about 40 — make up slightly less than half the show. They reveal a gifted graphic designer who put her sophisticated typographic skills and good, if unremarkable, color sense in service to her spiritual convictions and her passionate liberal views.

None of this is quite enough, in my book, to make her worthy of a major exhibition at one of the country’s most prestigious museums. The curator, Susan Dackerman, seems almost to acknowledge this by surrounding Kent’s screenprints with more than 40 works by her better known 1960s artist colleagues: among them, Andy Warhol, Marisol, Claes Oldenburg, Ed Ruscha, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Bridget Riley, R.B. Kitaj, Richard Hamilton, Frank Stella, John Cage, Roy Lichtenstein, Jim Dine, Faith Ringgold, Bruce Nauman, and James Rosenquist.

It’s a fatal mistake. Most of this auxiliary work is relatively minor. But the effect, in almost every case, is to diminish rather than to enhance Kent’s reputation.

They may not all have been as “interesting” as Kent, but all of the others included were better artists. What made them so? Many things. But a common denominator, as far as I can see, is that none of them was trying to save the world, much less our souls.

The great Pop artists expressed — through subtly shifting shades of irony, relish, and skepticism — a deep ambivalence about the surging consumer and celebrity culture of ’60s America. Levels of glee and visual euphoria discernible in Warhol’s, Marisol’s, or Lichtenstein’s work were undercut by a deadpan affect, as if the connection between desire and interest was no longer a given.

Kent’s 1967 screenprint “feelin’ groovy.”

Desire, interest — these things could be manufactured by the tools of marketing and industry. But anything manufactured on such an impersonal and industrial scale risked losing its adhesiveness. Pop Art dramatizes the loss of this stickiness, this grip.

Pop Art was one thing. The Pop “style” was another, and could be used for any purpose at all, just as Cubist style could be used by Art Deco furniture designers, or the style of Socialist Realism could be adopted by Fascists.

Admirably, Kent seemed to want to use the language of pop — or, more accurately, Pop style, and language itself — to reinsert grip, political engagement, spiritual fullness into visual culture. But she did so as a poster designer, a proselytizer, not as a convincingly original artist.

The show’s organizers believe that Kent has been neglected in the art world because she was a woman and a nun. I’m not convinced. The museum’s former director Tom Lentz, writing in the catalog’s foreword, defends the project as part of a broader initiative “to increase the visibility of our modern and contemporary art program.”

Corita Kent at work in 1965.

I can’t help feeling that the extraordinary resources committed to Kent, and the prestige conferred upon her by this show, might have been better deployed organizing shows by any of dozens of more exciting modern or contemporary women artists.

Other local institutions — the Institute of Contemporary Art to the List Visual Arts Center at MIT, the Davis Museum at Wellesley, RISD Museum, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis — have done much better on this front, presenting shows over the past decade by genuinely important women artists, including Eva Hesse, Frances Stark, Rosa Barba, Sheila Hicks, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, R.H. Quaytman, Lynda Benglis, Kathy Butterly, Laylah Ali, Mika Rottenberg, Arlene Shechet, Amy Sillman, and Tara Donovan — and these are merely the ones I liked. Harvard Art Museums, which was closed for much of this period, has a lot of catching up to do. Why spend so much capital on Kent?

Kent was not, I believe, a naive idealist. She was a philosopher, a seeker, and a lover of literature and poetry. Her large-scale typography, full of inventive reversals and reorderings, is supplemented by edifying quotes in smaller cursive from E.E. Cummings, John Dewey, and Spanky and Our Gang, among many others. She was as alive to the ironies inherent in leading a life devoted to spirituality in 1960s Hollywood as anyone. She had wit.

But great art takes us beyond wit, beyond political beliefs and spiritual optimism, beyond mere “interest,” and plunges us into deeper, icier waters.

At Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge. Through Jan. 3. 617-495-9400, www.harvard

Summary: The Harvard Art Museums put extensive resources into surveying works by a prominent 1960s American artist — but was it truly worth the effort?


Selling Sunn O))) to the uninitiated can be a little tough — glacially paced, gut-rumbling drones, with vocals that clawed their way out of your most terrifying nightmares, are not what the typical listener is looking for when it’s time to put a record on the turntable. But for those that are willing to step beyond the realms of contemporary form and traditional concepts of music, Sunn O))) is a sure bet. Over the course of 17 years and seven albums, Sunn O))) has become one of the avant-garde’s most esteemed acts, bridging the worlds of metal and experimental music while amassing a cult following like few others. On its latest album, the group takes sonic cues from “Soused,” its critically lauded 2014 collaboration with avant-pop singer Scott Walker, to create its most intimate, corporeal album yet. Where prior efforts felt expansive and cavernous, “Kannon” pulls listeners in close — the better to let each chord and feedback squeal rattle neurons at a near-molecular level. A singular listening experience, “Kannon” is best consumed at extreme volume and with an open mind.

Summary: When it comes to avant-garde drone-metal combo Sunn O))), you’ve got to say yes to another exercise in excess.


Donald Trump (left) and Jeb Bush

12/15/2015 AT 11:20 PM EST

The Republican presidential candidates faced off in their fifth and final debate of the year Tuesday night at The Venetian in Las Vegas.Â

With the Iowa caucuses just seven weeks away,

once and for all, repeatedly declaring that the billionaire businessman is not a "serious candidate."

Their first clash of the night came after Trump defended his widely panned

"Our country is out of control," he began. "People are pouring across the southern border. I'll build a wall ... People will not come in unless they come in legally. Drugs will not pour through that wall."

"As far as other people, like in the migration, where they're going, tens of thousands of people having cell phones with ISIS flags on them – I don't think so," Trump said. "They're not coming to this country if I'm president. And if

has brought some to this country, they are leaving. They're going. They're gone."

The next question went to Bush, who was asked to explain his previous comment that Trump was "unhinged."

"Donald, you know, is great at the one-liners," the former Florida governor said. "But he's a chaos candidate. And he'd be a chaos president. He would not be the commander-in-chief we need to keep our country safe."

Trump then fired back, "Jeb doesn't really believe I'm unhinged. He said that very simply because he has failed in this campaign. It's been a total disaster. Nobody cares. And, frankly, I'm the most solid person up here."

The pair sparred again later in the debate after Trump said it was "very sad," "unfair" and "unprofessional" that CNN asked the other candidates questions about Trump "in order to get ratings."

, saying, "The simple fact is, if you think this is tough and you're not being treated fairly, imagine what it's going to be like dealing with Putin â¦ or dealing with the Islamic terrorism that exists. This is a tough business to run for president."

"Oh, you're a tough guy, Jeb," Trump interjected. "Real tough."

"You're never going to be president of the United States by insulting your way to the presidency," Bush shot back. "Let's see, I'm at 42 and you're at 3 so so far I'm doing better," Trump said, pointing to the polls. "Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter," Bush said. "I'm doing better. You know, you started off over here," Trump said, gesturing to center stage. "Jeb, you're moving over further and further, pretty soon you're gonna be off the end." The billionaire businessman reaffirmed his commitment to the Republican party Tuesday night, vowing that he would not, as he has recently hinted, run as an independent should he lose the GOP nomination. "I am totally committed to the Republican party," he said.

Summary: "He would not be the commander-in-chief we need to keep our country safe," Jeb Bush said of Donald Trump


Emmy, five, was born with Down's syndrome in Denmark. The title of German photographer Mario Wezel's study of her and her family, One In Eight Hundred, refers to the odds that her parents, Martin and Karina, were given at their prenatal screening of having a baby with the condition.

The cut-off point for what is considered a high risk of Down's is one in 300 in Denmark – it's one in 150 in the UK, according to the charity Antenatal Results and Choices – so the couple were considered low-risk.

In high-risk cases, diagnostic testing – usually invasive, potentially risky, but accurate – is recommended by doctors. It was the ethics of this difficult medical decision that piqued the photographer's interest. "I started out wondering what I would do if I'd taken the test with my girlfriend," Wezel explains. "And I wanted to find out what everyday life is like for a child with special needs."

In Denmark, the more effective prenatal screening becomes, the fewer children are born with Down's syndrome, as couples make the painful decision to terminate a pregnancy. In 2012, there were only 20 Down's syndrome births in Denmark.

"Denmark is a progressive, well-educated country, so I found this trend a little at odds with that," the photographer says.

Martin and Karina have had to fight to keep Emmy in a local kindergarten, as opposed to a special school. Wezel says, "They've realised that inclusion seems not to be the most normal thing in Denmark."

He has built up a close relationship with the family over the past eight months, and photographs Emmy regularly. "She is trusting of strangers, so has always been relaxed around me," Wezel says.

He wants to improve his Danish and continue to document her life for as long as possible, he says. "I want to show how she sees the world, not how other people see her."

Mario Wezel is a finalist in the 2014 Sony World Photography awards. Winners are announced on 30 April, and shortlisted images go on show at Somerset House, London WC2, 1-18 May.

Summary: The title refers to the odds that Emmy's parents were given of having a baby with Down's syndrome. By Hannah Booth


The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) said in a statement on Saturday that the three groups had agreed to a proposal by Egyptian mediators regarding the release of corporal Gilad Shalit.

It was the first time since Shilat was captured in a cross-border raid in June that any of the factions has said that his release could happen soon.

The PRC did not give details, but said the Egyptian proposal would include the release of Palestinians held by Israel.

It added that a deal still depended on Israel. Israeli officials made no immediate comment.

Abu Mujahed, a PRC spokesman, said: "The dawn of freedom to the prisoners is about to rise and we expect a solution to our prisoners in a few days.

"We confirm to you that there is a definite move in the issue of the captured soldier."

The governing Hamas group said this week that it was optimistic about resolving the crisis, but did not set any time frame. The armed wing of Hamas is also among the groups that captured Shalit.

"We confirm to you that there is a definite move in the issue of the captured soldier"The Popular Resistance Committees, Palestinian factionHamas and its allies have demanded the release of up to 1,400 Palestinians, including minors and women, held by Israel in exchange for Shalit.

"We confirm to you that there is a definite move in the issue of the captured soldier"The Popular Resistance Committees, Palestinian faction

Last week, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel's infrastructure minister, held talks in Cairo and afterwards expressed approval of a framework deal that Egypt had put forward, but he did not give details of the deal.

Shalit's capture prompted Israel to send troops back into the Gaza Strip almost one year after withdrawing from the territory it had captured in the 1967 war.

More than 260 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli offensive.

Summary: One of the three Palestinian factions holding a captured Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip has said it expects a solution to the crisis within days.<?xml:namespace prefix =


The FBI has put out its new "Cyber's Most Wanted" list, doubling its size with five new names whom the bureau says are responsible for collectively compromising millions of computers.

"The ultimate goal of Cyber's Most Wanted is to help us capture these criminals and bring them to justice," said Emily Odom, a supervisory special agent with the FBI's Cyber Division.

Choosing people for the list, which was updated in November, was a complicated and lengthy process, Odom said. "We began by asking all 56 field offices to provide candidates to be reviewed. We then had special agents review this list and select specific criminals based on different elements to include the sophistication of the crime," she said, "as well as the number of victims affected, as well as the amount of damages caused by the crime."

Historically, the majority of hacker suspects have come from China and Eastern Europe. Three new people on the list hail from countries like El Salvador and Pakistan.

Many come from countries that are less than helpful with the process of bringing suspects to the United States, Odom said.

(Read more: More bitcoins. more problems: Hackers stealing bitcoins)

"There are definitely complications to bringing these people to justice from countries where they may not extradite their own citizens. But we are having success in capturing these individuals as they travel between countries," she said.

Here are the newest names on the "Cyber's Most Wanted" list:

Summary: The FBI has put out its new "Cyber's Most Wanted" list, saying the new names collectively compromised millions of computers.


Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, said the process does not discriminate and does not abandon the core principle of risk-based pricing. It simply provides "more precision in the process associated with pricing and it allows insurers in an analytical way to deal with what-if scenarios."

"I take issue with the notion that somehow there's something going on here that disadvantages consumers, when in fact consumers have more information at their fingertips than they ever had before in the history of the insurance industry," Hartwig said. "The notion that poor people are somehow disadvantaged by this is equally absurd."

So, how widespread is this practice?

There's no way to know for sure which companies use price optimization because they are not required to provide this information to state regulators—and they don't.

A 2013 marketplace survey done by Earnix, a global leader in price optimization, found that 26 percent of all auto insurance companies and 45 percent of the large insurance companies (more than $1 billion in annual revenue) in North America currently optimize their prices. An additional 36 percent of all companies surveyed said they plan to do this in the near future.

Meryl Golden, Earnix's general manager for North America, told CNBC.com there is no reason for companies to disclose when they use these analytics for price setting.

"Nothing has changed; prices are still based on risk," Golden said. "Price optimization is a statistical technique that's used by insurance companies to augment their judgment and make better decisions in the rate-setting process. And the same actuarial, regulatory and consumer protection standards apply as they always have."

Read MoreWhy we're not satisfied with social media sites

Critics say price optimization is all about maximizing profits and they point to a 2012 Earnix advertisement in Best's Review magazine that featured Golden. "Companies that adopt price optimization realize substantial financial benefits," it said.

Both Earnix and the Insurance Information Institute claim the insurance market has never been more competitive or transparent about pricing, and they don't see what all the fuss is about.

Last month the Consumer Federation of America and the Center for Economic Justice presented their findings to a meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and called on them to immediately prohibit the use of price optimization software.

No one from NAIC would talk to CNBC.com about price optimization. In an email, a spokesperson said the group will continue looking into the issue.

"It's pretty astonishing that there hasn't been a rapid response from insurance regulators to stop the practices," the Center for Economic Justice's Birnbaum said. "Why don't they see the urgency in this?"

—By CNBC contributor Herb Weisbaum. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @TheConsumerman or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Summary: Insurance companies say "price optimization" is simply a way to be efficient. Consumer advocates say it's being used to dodge risk-based pricing.


New numbers for the average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage will be released Thursday. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage increased to 3.66 percent from 3.59 percent the week before.

Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., whose drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy recently failed to meet the Food and Drug Administration’s standard for accelerated approval, is expected to release an earnings report for the fiscal quarter that ended in March.

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is sponsoring an event on how to pitch to investors. Attendees will learn how to craft visual aids to accompany their pitch. Thursday, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Wellesley College Club, 727 Washington St., Wellesley. Free.

The Boston Women’s Venture Fund will host a summit sponsored by The Boston Globe and a number of other local businesses. The event will feature panel discussions with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and business professionals, as well as pitch competitions and networking opportunities. Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., District Hall, 75 Northern Ave., Boston. $132.87.

Three early-stage biomedical companies, seqWell Inc., Prospective Research, and iHope Network, will be giving “Shark Tank”-style presentations at an event sponsored by the North Shore Technology Council. A panel of investors will critiques each company’s presentation and give recommendations for pitch improvements. Friday, 12:30 to 2 p.m., 100 Cummings Center, Suite 221-E, Beverly. Free to $15.

Summary: US mortgage rates, earnings report, and more notable things to know.


If you were absorbed in the pre-Christmas political fuss over invaded computer files, vile rhetoric and bathroom breaks, you might have missed something important: Congress actually passed a budget.

In other countries, this event would be unremarkable. Budgets are enacted every year. But this is hyperpartisan, modern America. So let’s not dwell on the fact that the fiscal year was already 2½ months old when the budget passed. Instead, let’s revel that there was neither a government shutdown nor a serious threat to default on the national debt.

Critics on both the left and the right were unhappy. Presidential hopefuls Sens. Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders both voted against the bill. And you thought those guys didn’t agree on anything. Yet a coalition in the Senate of 37 Democrats, 27 Republicans and one independent passed the budget over the objections of 26 Republicans, six Democrats and Mr. Sanders. Another presidential aspirant, Sen. Marco Rubio, not surprisingly, didn’t vote.

The real accomplishment came in the House, where Speaker Paul Ryan managed to secure the votes of a majority of his own party (150 out of 245) and the overwhelming majority of Democrats (166 out of 184). So kudos to Mr. Ryan, and a tip of the hat to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for avoiding a Republican filibuster. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi deserves special praise for cutting a deal that gave House Democrats—that allegedly powerless minority—quite a bit of what they wanted. In the end, 90% of House Democrats voted for the bill while only 61% of House Republicans did so. That tells you something.

How did Democrats win so much when Republicans control both Houses of Congress? Simple: A sizable minority of Mr. Ryan’s own caucus refuses to compromise—not even with other Republicans. Mrs. Pelosi’s Democrats will compromise. So Mr. Ryan wound up negotiating with Democrats. Madison and Hamilton would have been proud.

Let’s look at some of the agreement’s main provisions. The budget for fiscal year 2016 and beyond blows through the spending caps put in place in 2013. (Remember the fiscal cliff and the sequester?) Furthermore, Congress extended more than 50 special tax breaks, often called “extenders,” without paying for them. So if your Christmas wish was further deficit reduction, you ended up with a lump of coal.

But the federal deficit that President Obama proposed for fiscal 2016 was merely 2.5% of GDP—a number in line with historical norms. There was no need to shrink it. Furthermore, with a still sluggish economy and the Federal Reserve beginning to raise interest rates, a little fiscal stimulus is welcome, even if the agreement provides very little. The big bucks in the budget deal come in the tax extenders, which everyone knew would be extended regardless. So making some of them permanent does not provide stimulus, nor does it really raise future deficits.

The agreement makes permanent several increases in generosity in the Earned Income Tax Credit and the low-income component of the Child Tax Credit. These improvements were originally enacted as part of the 2009 Recovery Act—a law Republicans vehemently opposed. These are big wins for America’s poor and near-poor.

You may also remember that Mr. Obama sought a “clean” budget free of extraneous provisions, known as “riders.” He succeeded in several important ways. Planned Parenthood is not defunded; the administration’s plan to impose fiduciary duties on pension managers is not blocked; and the president’s executive orders on immigration are not undone. All wins for the president and the Democrats, and bitter pills for Republicans to swallow.

But Democrats took some lumps, too. That’s the nature of compromise. The Republican majority punched a few holes in ObamaCare, postponing two taxes designed to help pay for the law: the Cadillac tax on high-cost health-insurance policies, and the medical-device tax. Postponement isn’t a big deal, though in this Congress postponement can easily slide into repeal.

In addition, it will be legal to export U.S. crude oil; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will remain banned from studying gun violence as a public-health problem; and the IRS is enjoined from reining in those notorious 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organizations—political-action committees in disguise. Did I mention that the shockingly low tax rate on carried interest carries on? All these and others were Republican victories.

As I tote up the score, the deal was a big win for America. More intriguingly, might it set the stage for further compromises? With elections looming in 2016, don’t bet on it.

Mr. Blinder, a professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, is the author of “After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead” (Penguin, 2013).

Summary: In The Wall Street Journal, Alan Blinder writes about the recent budget passed by Congress, a rare bipartisan compromise signed by President Obama.


If you're both frugal and time-crunched, shaving money off your grocery bill is an ongoing challenge. You don't have enough hours in the day to clip coupons, compare store circulars and track sales.

Fortunately, your smartphone can make

as easy as a few clicks. Here are 10 great apps -- nine of them free -- that will help you save money, time and hassle when you're grocery shopping.

Save your store loyalty cards right to your smartphone, then "clip" digital grocery coupons that you add to your cards. Simply show the cashier your phone when you check out and the savings are automatically applied to your total.

Check available rebate offers (the app adds 20 to 30 each week), then send the ones you like to your phone. Snap a picture of your receipt when you buy the item, and the rebate is automatically added to your account. Once you reach $20 in rebate funds, you can request a payout check.

New coupons are added daily, and the app sends you reminders to use these digital coupons when you're in-store. It also displays the expiration dates prominently.

This app promises that you can save up to 70 percent by comparing prices across local stores, finding the best sale/coupon combinations and setting up notifications for when your favorite brands go on sale. It also allows you to create a shopping list based on current sales.

Get paid to grocery shop with this rebate app, which works in a similar way to Checkout 51 but pays out at $10 instead of $20. Use the two in combination to maximize your savings.

This app is your grocery list on steroids. It allows you to build your shopping list from a database of items you can search by text, barcode scanning and voice. You can arrange your list by store layout for easier shopping. You can also manage lists for different stores and create "favorites" based on your shopping history.

Billing itself as "the only grocery list you'll ever need," this app compares prices on items across eight retailers and sends you price alerts and savings suggestions. It can fulfill your order with several retailers through one easy online payment.

Apple, Android, Mac, PC, Kindle Fire and Nook.

$4.99 (for Apple and Android; other platforms vary).

This app is great for the planners among us. It stores recipes, sorts them into a meal plan for the upcoming week and helps create a shopping list geared to the items you need for those recipes.

This app rewards you with "kicks" for doing certain things, like entering a particular store, scanning a particular item or linking your Visa (

) and making purchases. It also shows you nearby deals you can take advantage of. Kicks can be redeemed for gift cards to places like Target (

Extreme couponers will love this app, which turns your physical coupons into digital ones. Simply snap a photo of each coupon, and the app converts it into a scannable barcode you can present upon checkout. It also lets you know when you enter a store for which you have coupons and when coupons are about to expire, and it lets you share scanned coupons with friends.

Summary: You can save a ton while grocery shopping with apps that help with coupons, rebates, shopping lists, favorite brands and meal planning.


It's been 7 years since

's first sex tape went public ... and now, TMZ has obtained the very first images from her upcoming XXX sequel. Godspeed.

As TMZ first reported, Chyna approached Vivid Entertainment recently and asked to shoot another flick ... with some of the BIGGEST male stars in the business.

Summary: It's been 7 years since Chyna's first sex tape went public ... and now, TMZ has obtained the very first images from her upcoming XXX sequel. Godspeed. As…


Just about anyone with any sense of humor enjoyed the classic "Most Interesting Man in the World" commercial series by beer manufacturer Dos Equis.

And ever since lead actor Jonathan Goldsmith announced his retirement from the franchise after 10 years via this tear-jerking ad, in which the character takes a one-way trip to Mars, we've all felt an understandable void.

Now, roughly three months after Goldsmith's swan song, Dos Equis is attempting to restore that passion.

With the help of Fox Sports reporter and "Dancing With The Stars" host Erin Andrews – most recently in the national spotlight for winning a $55 million lawsuit after she was secretly filmed changing in a hotel room – the company has taken the first step there:

Dos Equis certainly doesn't disgrace Goldsmith's name, as the commercial refers to Andrews as only the world's 5,008th most interesting person in the world. Still, early returns suggest fans don't seem too thrilled with the attempted reboot of the series, as the video at one point had a relatively weak 30-to-64 "like-to-dislike" ratio on YouTube.

As for the future of the commercials, AdAge reported that Andrews will not be the long-term replacement for Goldsmith. But with the commercial's bold challenge in its final seconds – "Think you're interesting? Prove it." – it's unlikely that we've seen the last of Dos Equis' "auditions."

More On Beer: -- J.J. Watt Gets Special Surprise At Guinness Brewery -- Denver Brewery Releases "Oatmaha" Beer As Homage To Peyton Manning -- Party Alert: New Bottle Opener Integrates Social Aspect

Beer, Comedy, Commercial, Dos Equis, Erin Andrews, Most Interesting, Reboot

Summary: Dos Equis is attempting to reboot its "Most Interesting Man in the World Series," and renowned sports reporter Erin Andrews is at the forefront.


The last photos taken of James Gandolfini show “The Sopranos” star dining in Rome, apparently relaxed and enjoying the company of others at an al fresco table.

The pictures were taken Tuesday night in the heart of the Eternal City. Less than 24 hours later, Gandolfini was dead.

In one photo, snapped by an American tourist sitting at a nearby table, the 51-year-old Gandolfini is dressed in a casual dark blue shirt, enjoying an evening meal at the Sabatini restaurant off Rome’s Piazza Santa Maria.

He appears to be eating a plate of the restaurant’s freshly made gnocchi as tourists stroll the piazza admiring a historic fountain.

Just five days earlier, a seemingly healthy and happy Gandolfini spoke excitedly about his upcoming father-son Italian vacation.

The Emmy-winning actor known worldwide for his role as Tony Soprano was stoked last Friday at an eighth-grade graduation party for his 13-year-old son, Michael, said family friend Carole Marini.

Gandolfini “was amazing as usual,” Marini told the Daily News. “He seemed very healthy to me — walking around, laughing, smiling, showing his little baby girl to everybody.

“There was no sign of trouble,” added Marini, wife of “Dancing With the Stars” veteran Gilles Marini. “For us, it was a shock.”

After Gandolfini’s son found his dad in their room, doctors waged a desperate 40-minute battle to revive the hulking star before declaring him dead.

The extraordinary Wednesday night effort by medical teams in the ambulance and emergency room included heart massage — but they couldn’t save Gandolfini’s life.

“The patient was considered dead on arrival,” said Dr. Claudio Modini, the emergency room chief.

An autopsy was planned to determine if the 260-pound actor’s bulk or hard-partying past played any role in his sudden demise, as members of his HBO family continued to lavish praise on his life and work.

Edie Falco, who played Tony Soprano’s suburban housewife, Carmela, said the Garden State gang couple was the Romeo and Juliet of organized crime.

“The love between Tony and Carmela was one of the greatest I’ve ever known,” she said in a statement.

“My heart goes out to his family, as those of us in his pretend one hold on to the memories of our intense and beautiful time together.”

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played daughter Meadow Soprano, sent her best wishes to Gandolfini’s widow and two kids.

“This news has left me heartbroken,” she said. “I spent 10 years of my life studying and admiring one of the most brilliant actors, yes, but more importantly one of the greatest men.

“I treasure my memories with him and feel so honored that I was an up-close witness to his greatness.”

Bruce Springsteen, whose E Street Band includes Gandolfini’s TV consigliere Steven Van Zandt, played his classic “Born to Run” album in its entirety in the late actor’s memory at a show in Coventry, England.

Dominic Chianese, who played Uncle Junior Soprano, said news of Gandolfini’s death left him in tears.

“I cried because he was just a sweetheart,” the 82-year-old Chianese told The News. “He was a kind, compassionate and just a lovely, lovely man.”

Chianese said that as an actor, Gandolfini was one of the best he’s ever worked with.

“I’ve been an actor for 60 years, and this guy always inspired me to do the best work I could do,” he said.

“Jimmy was an incredible actor to work with. He was easy. It was like watching a river flow.”

In Rome, a family friend provided more details about the shocking death that rocked fans from Mahwah to Milan.

Gandolfini apparently suffered a heart attack.

There was no immediate word on plans for a wake or funeral, and U.S. Embassy officials said it could take up to a week for the return of his body to the United States.

Gandolfini, the son of Italian immigrants, was in Rome on a working vacation. He was scheduled to be at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, where he was to receive a special prize and appear at the closing ceremony with Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei.

A special tribute is now planned instead to honor Gandolfini, according to festival organizers.

“I felt like somebody kicked me in the stomach,” said Katherine Narducci, who played Charmaine Bucco on the HBO hit series.

“I can tell you he was the most generous person in the world . . . I can’t believe that he’s gone.”

Narducci said she last saw Gandolfini at Madison Square Garden for a concert to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Gandolfini left behind his wife, Deborah, and two kids, Michael and infant daughter Liliana.

“He was such a beautiful father,” said Narducci.

“He loved his kids so much — it was obvious . . . He was just a really loving, loving, loving wonderful guy.”

Patricia Arquette, who starred opposite Gandolfini in the 1993 film “True Romance,” heaped similar praise on the lost star.

“My heart goes out to his family,” she said.

“James was incredibly talented and I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with him . . . His work as Tony Soprano was flawless.”

Gandolfini’s Tribeca neighbors recalled him as a regular guy who was quick with a hand or a hello.

“He did a lot of great things for a lot of people,” said Michael Collarone, owner of a local restaurant where Gandolfini often ate breakfast.

“He was an everyday person. He was a great man. I’m heartbroken.”

Michelle Nordberg, 45, recalled Gandolfini inviting the residents of their building to parties at his place.

“He was a really nice guy, a very sweet man,” said dietician Nordberg.

“In spite of his big size, and despite the characters he played, he was really a big teddy bear.”

Summary: One day before he suffered the heart attack that would claim his life, James Gandolfini was out enjoying a meal during his vacation in Italy.


FORTUNE — Although black-and-white e-readers are generally lighter, cheaper, and snappier than they used to be, they still don’t excel in low light. That’s an area where tablets and their brightly lit color screens have a clear advantage. With its new $139 Nook, arriving this week, Barnes and Noble BKS aims to fix that.

Save for a slight, gray border, this new WiFi-only Nook appears identical to last year’s. It has the same curvy, rubbery plastic body; the same 6-inch-sized touch-friendly black-and-white e-ink display; and, even the same components inside. The industrial design may be a year old now, but it’s still one of the best-looking — and best-feeling — around. In fact, that contoured back makes it one of the most comfortable e-readers to hold for long bouts of reading, more so than the newer Amazon AMZN Kindle or Kindle Touch, which are thinner and flatter.

This particular Nook shirks a clip-on light in favor of a light integrated into the screen itself. The company calls this technology GlowLight. Using a group of small LED bulbs along the top and a thin film that sits on the 6-inch touch-sensitive display, the Nook creates and spreads light evenly across the screen so you won’t get what the company calls a “spotlight effect.” To turn it on, hold down the n-shaped home button below the screen for two seconds; to turn it off, simply hold the button down again. Brightness is tweakable in the settings.

MORE: Who dropped the dime on the Apple e-book five?

In practice, the GlowLight works largely as advertised. Those LEDs create a soft, focused almost uniform glow across the “page.” It’s more than enough for users to read, but generally not harsh enough to bother people nearby — something I confirmed during a recent cross-country flight. From some angles, users will notice this effect is slightly more intense at the very top of the display, where the light originates. It never affected the reading experience, but it is noticeable.

During four days of testing, reading with this feature on became preferable to having it off. Oddly enough, reading on the Nook actually felt easier on the eyes than doing the same on e-readers lacking this feature. This may be because the light literally sits atop the actual text, rather than behind it. As for battery life, the company claims there won’t be a significant hit. If you read half-an-hour a day with GlowLight on, expect to go over one month between charges, and over two months with it off. I haven’t had the Nook long enough to test that for myself, but previous experiences with Nook e-readers have lived up to the company’s claims.

Barnes & Noble has also made some software tweaks to make the experience of using this year’s Nook more responsive. It shows in areas like the virtual keyboard, which delivers less delay in-between key strokes, and puts the Kindle Touch’s generally sluggish experience to shame.

MORE: Amazon’s knock-off problem (35 Shades of Grey, anyone?)

While the Nook is better designed than its Amazon counterparts, at $139, it comes at a steeper price, existing in a range that’s neither here nor there. It’s not as impulse-worthy as the $79 Kindle or $99 Kindle Touch. And though it’s not much cheaper than the more robust $199 Kindle Fire or even the company’s Nook Tablet, it lacks the broader multimedia features of both. That could make the Nook a harder sell for some, particularly for those locked into an ecosystem like Amazon’s. (Those users may not have to wait long, anyway, because if reports are true, a Kindle with light is on the way.)

But if pricing isn’t an issue, this Nook warrants a look.

Summary: Barnes & Noble is adding a brilliant light to its e-reader. Does it work? And, is it enough to goose sales?


You’re leading the technology group at a fledgling car-sharing service. Your biggest competitor is valued at 24 times as much as your company. You feel like you’re falling behind.

Worse, that rival is a bully. It has relentlessly recruited your drivers. It has slowed your entrance into new markets with cutthroat tactics—including, allegedly, repeatedly ordering and canceling rides.

And then: A godsend. Your arch-nemesis has unwittingly published the private encryption key for an important database that contains the personal information of its drivers—on the code-sharing site GitHub. It has committed, as Dan Goodin, security editor at Ars Technica describes, “the online equivalent of stashing a house key under a doormat.”

Do you ignore it? Play the good samaritan and notify the company? Or do you strike, unlocking its secrets?

Around the same time that Uber and Lyft—the ride-sharing services referenced above—were fighting one another for supremacy in spring 2014, a hacker breached the former’s database and downloaded as many 50,000 of its drivers’ names and license numbers. Two Reuters sources say Chris Lambert, chief technology officer at Lyft, is associated with the cyber intrusion.

Lambert has yet to publicly confirm or deny the accusation, although a Lyft spokesperson told Reuters that the company investigated the matter “long ago” and concluded that “there is no evidence that any Lyft employee…had anything to do with Uber’s May 2014 data breach.” In the meantime, Uber is prodding Comcast CMCSA to divulge the IP address associated with the incident in hope that it could help reveal the identity of the perpetrator.

The culprit did not gain access to the driver data, as far as anyone knows, by sending spear-phishing emails to people at the company, as the hackers who breached Samsung-owned SSNLF LoopPay likely did. Nor did he or she break in by using unauthorized credentials, as is alleged in the recent lawsuit between the Tribune Co. and journalist Matthew Keys. Uber, quite simply, didn’t secure a path to its proprietary information—and an intruder used it to gain entry.

Fortune previously wrote about Uber’s newfound hacking prowess. It seems only fair to consider the possibility that Lyft has chops, too. We cannot say for certain who is responsible for the deed; there is no proof one way or the other. (So far.) But it’s not difficult to find a plausible motive in this narrative. Here’s hoping that evidence emerges to clear the air.

Which brings me to a public service announcement in celebration of National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Please avoid posting your private encryption key in the public domain. You never know who will come a-knocking.

A version of this post originally appeared in Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily tech-business newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Summary: Comcast data may help investigators identify the culprit.


If Kenan Thompson ever wants to host a late night show, Reverend Al Sharpton says he better drop some major poundage because nobody wants to fall asleep to a puffy porker.

Our photog asked Sharpton which black comedian he'd like to see snag a hosting gig, when out of nowhere he begins blasting Thompson's weight.

It's a strange response from Al -- who was once 305 lbs. himself, but now thinks Kenan is so big ... just seeing him gives people the munchies.

Ooooh-weeee ... what up with that, Al? Check it out.

Summary: If Kenan Thompson ever wants to host a late night show, Reverend Al Sharpton says he better drop some major poundage because nobody wants to fall…


THE FBI Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency. By Ronald Kessler. Illustrated. 492 pp. New York: Pocket Books. $22.

THE Federal Bureau of Investigation has come a long way in the two decades since the death of J. Edgar Hoover terminated the 48-year reign of that autocratic Director. It had a long way to come. Hoover recruited able and honest agents, but froze the bureau in ideology and static techniques. He intimidated Presidents and Congress with intimations of blackmail, and they let him measure success with meaningless statistics counting recovered stolen cars.

Such a powerful body, with an admirable history of protecting the public and some shameful invasions of personal liberties, attracts and needs constant attention. Ronald Kessler, an industrious investigative journalist who has been a reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, has delved deeply within the bureau, which Hoover long managed to insulate from writers suspected of independent thought. In "The FBI," Mr. Kessler has compiled an impressive inventory of the bureau's strengths, weaknesses and recent progress.

Hoover's successors, including the recently dismissed William S. Sessions, have faced up more candidly to the changing needs of law enforcement, Mr. Kessler shows. They have risked undercover work that Hoover had banned out of a disabling fear that it would lead his agents into temptation. They have invested resources in sophisticated, labor-intensive attacks on racketeering mobs and white-collar crime. They have encouraged technical innovation that Hoover's chiefs often undertook in spite of the Director, rather than because of him.

From tours of field offices and interviews with cooperative agents and agents in charge, Mr. Kessler finds a bureau culture that is incrementally changing all the way down to the street level, but he also finds nests of unreconstructed "Hooverites." His survey is persuasively documented, albeit at times with tedious detail and humorless bureau lore.

"The FBI" is one book that cannot be said to have been overtaken by events. It was swiftly updated to include a narrative of Mr. Sessions's dismissal in mid-July, complete with a photograph of the defiant Director, and the publisher proclaims that the author "brought down" the Director with his investigations.

Mr. Kessler's inquiries, along with an anonymous complaint, did indeed trigger bureau and Justice Department investigations into alleged travel and expense abuses last year, supplying the reason sought by William P. Barr, the lame duck Attorney General, to censure the Director and press for his departure. Mr. Barr started, and Janet Reno and President Clinton finished, a removal process inspired initially by dissatisfaction with Mr. Sessions as a manager they found inattentive to detail and preoccupied with the perks of office.

Mr. Sessions bitterly fought his dismissal, arguing that key agents and the Bush Administration had been retaliating for the gains he made in recruiting minorities and women and combating discrimination against them. Mr. Kessler is undoubtedly right to take issue with that defense. But he adopts without quarrel the seemingly limitless faultfinding of Mr. Sessions's management, for minor as well as major shortcomings, from the rank and file he so effectively penetrated. And while Mr. Kessler amply supports his view that this Director, though a basically honest and decent public servant, nevertheless deserved to be replaced, he neglects to confront the implications of this dismissal on the job security of future directors who find themselves unpopular with the White House. The director's 10-year term was designed not only to avoid another Hoover-like half-century, but to help insulate the post from political interference.

Perhaps because of the haste to publish while the directorship was in the news (Judge Louis J. Freeh was confirmed as Mr. Sessions's successor without a word of debate), the book rushes to credulous acceptance of the bureau's defense of its disastrous raid on the Branch Davidian cult at Waco, Tex., in April. It is far from clear that the fiery deaths of David Koresh and his followers were "the inevitable result" of the earlier botched raid by Treasury agents. Similarly, while the February bombing of the World Trade Center has largely been solved, questions about our domestic intelligence before the bombing make it at least premature to pronounce the case "one of the most resounding successes" in bureau history.

Mr. Kessler has also tossed in two paragraphs, six pages from the book's end, asserting that the bureau gives credence to, and is urgently investigating, a former Soviet agent's charges that as many as a thousand Americans, military and civilian Government employees, spied against their country during the cold war. Sensational but unexplained, the assertion borders on the irresponsible.

Such flippancies are conspicuous in a book that while reveling in insider perspective, for the most part seriously tries to place its insights and new information about old cases in the context of the modern F.B.I. Over all, this is an informative study by a resourceful student of that challenging and challenged institution.


Judging from the holy war being waged by proponents of Linux PCs, it’s clear that Linux is becoming the OS/2 of its time.

OS/2, many will recall, is the now-defunct PC operating system originally developed by IBM and Microsoft in the 1980s. By 1990, Microsoft split the project to focus on Windows, and IBM continued to develop OS/2 alone. For the next five years, IBM fought a losing battle that consumed the company, and OS/2 proponents (a very vocal, technical crowd) were never short on conspiracy theories about Microsoft’s covert efforts to wipe out the operating system.

Now, the same appears to be happening with Linux PCs. Despite Microsoft’s overwhelming market share–somewhere north of 90%–there’s an effort underfoot to make a dent in Windows with Linux PCs. And with that effort comes a return of the conspiracy theories.

Lindows.com , which makes a Linux operating system for PCs, claims that TigerDirect , a computer reseller and a division of Systemax , has been “bribed” by Microsoft to stop selling computers based on the OS. On its Web site, Lindows.com’s chief executive, Michael Robertson Michael Robertson , writes: “Microsoft has stepped up orders to [its] staffers to increase the financial incentives to impede LindowsOS sales at TigerDirect.”

TigerDirect Chief Executive Gilbert Fiorentino Gilbert Fiorentino says there is “zero truth” to the story. “Michael has made a lot of inflammatory comments about Microsoft. We are here to serve our customers, not to advance anyone’s agenda.”

TigerDirect continues to sell the Lindows PC as well as Windows systems. “There is no conspiracy here,” says Fiorentino. “This is a political matter between Windows and Lindows.”

Robertson counters that what he wrote “is 100% accurate. Microsoft makes [billions] in profit from Windows and Office. [The company is] glad to spend a few million to postpone meaningful competition from desktop Linux.”

Since IBM dropped development of OS/2 in the mid-1990s, Microsoft has only gotten more entrenched in desktop computing. Windows and Office account for more than 60% of Microsoft sales, and the lion’s share of profits. The market share for PCs running Linux is so insignificant that it is not tracked by International Data Corp.

That’s not to say that there will never be alternatives, but the alternatives must offer something more compelling than “we’re not Microsoft.”

“We’re not dismissing Linux PCs out of hand, but the integration [Microsoft] provides around the desktop is already there,” says Bridget O’Connor Bridget O’Connor , senior vice president of technology at Lehman Brothers . “The Office suite all works together. That’s a whole set of engineering staff I don’t have to have on Lehman’s payroll.”

Because most PCs are not built from scratch to accommodate Linux, as they are for Windows, almost everything requires extra work. Windows certainly has its quirks, but there are millions of off-the-shelf, readily available hardware and software add-ons for Windows PCs–assuming they’re not already built in. That’s not true of Linux.

Take printer drivers, for example. Drivers are low-level software needed to make an add-on device, such as a printer, PDA or digital camera, work with a PC. Hewlett-Packard , the largest printer company, has drivers available for many of its inkjet and LaserJet printers on its Web site, which must be downloaded and installed. HP does not include Linux drivers with the printer, but it does include Windows drivers.

There is also a lack of mainstream applications for Linux PCs, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Sure, there are open-source software suites like StarOffice and OpenOffice, but beyond that it’s slim pickings.

It’s clunky or impossible to run Linux versions of the most popular applications: Intuit ‘s Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax finance software; Symantec ‘s Norton AntiVirus; and Adobe Photoshop from Adobe Systems . There exists a community-supported Linux version of RealPlayer by Real Networks , but the company has nothing to do with the product; according to its Web site, Real Networks “does not guarantee functionality, maintenance, upgrades, fixes or sustainability for any purpose.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement but it’s understandable, given the cost pressure most software developers are under. They will write software for systems that have the greatest potential to yield high sales, and that’s Windows.

Linux PCs seemed to get a boost recently when retail giant Wal-Mart Stores began selling Linux systems from a company called Microtel . But the balloon was deflated when, in a review of the Lindows-based machine, Consumer Reports said the system was “OK for Web browsing, e-mail and letter writing, but not much more,” and that attaching PDAs, digital cameras, etc., will be “difficult or impossible.” The magazine therefore “recommend[s] that you spend another $200 or so for a low-priced Windows computer.”

Lindows.com’s Robertson says hundreds of digital cameras are supported.

Despite the desktop issues, Linux has made deep inroads in servers. In the first quarter of this year, revenue market share for Linux servers grew 35% over the year-earlier period, to $583 million.

To be sure, computer users have been tempted to smash their Windows PCs to bits. After all, freeze-ups, shutdowns and fatal errors are still an all-too-frequent part of the everyday computing experience. And because Microsoft tends to take a kitchen-sink approach to software development, most users pay for features they will never use or don’t even know exist. But, for most, it’s better than the Linux alternative.

Mainstream computer users (those uncomfortable opening, programming or reconfiguring a computer) would not be satisfied with Linux PCs. Large and medium-sized corporate customers are probably not a good fit either.

“I leverage vendors where they are good,” says Lehman’s O’Connor. “It’s too hard to deal with all the issues of putting [Linux PCs] together yourself. That is not our business.”

That leaves technically savvy individuals and Microsoft haters to make a market for Linux PCs.

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Summary: Tech-savvy individuals and Microsoft haters won't make a big enough market for the operating system.


After a bruising summer that saw Nestlé India pull its popular Maggi instant noodles amid a high-profile food scare, the company received a boost on Tuesday when a government-approved laboratory found that popular snack complied with national food safety standards, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reports.

Last month, the Indian arm of the Swiss food giant reported its first quarterly loss in at least a decade and a half after the country’s food safety regulator ordered a recall of Maggi products in June. Behind the move were a series of safety checks on the noodles by local regulators that pointed to excessive levels of lead in the instant snack. “It is clear from the reports received from various states that there is overwhelming evidence of the said food products being unsafe and hazardous for human consumption,” the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in an eight-page order posted on its website June 5.

Nestlé India, while complying with the order to recall hundreds of millions of packets of Maggi noodles from around the vast South Asian nation, challenged the order in court. Responding to the regulator’s move, the company said that while it believed the noodles were safe, it had “decided to take the product off the shelves nationwide in view of recent developments and concerns around the product, which has led to an environment of confusion for the consumer.”

Now, the company has received a shot in the arm from the results of tests at an FSSAI-approved laboratory that showed its noodles to be in compliance with the country’s food safety norms. The tests at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in the southern Indian city of Mysore were conducted on samples sent by local regulators in the Indian state of Goa. “CFTRI finding shows that samples are in compliance with the food safety standards,” the director of Goa’s Food and Drug Administration, Salim A Veljee, told PTI.

The findings drove up Nestlé India’s stock by as much as 10% on Wednesday morning, as investors looked forward to a possible resolution of a controversy that has hit the company’s bottom line. Speaking to reporters last month, Nestlé India’s managing director Suresh Narayanan said the company was doing everything it could to bring the popular noodles back to the Indian market. “Nestle India is making all efforts and will continue to engage with authorities to bring Maggi noodles back on the shelves,” he said.

Summary: In June, the county's food regulator said the snack was "unsafe and hazardous."


Carly Fiorina scares the stuffing out of me.

She lost me at the word “fetus.’’

On the campaign trail and on the debate stage, the lone female candidate among the 16 contenders for the Republican presidential nomination exudes a level of superhuman control posing as gravitas.

Every hair is locked in place. No skirt crease is offline. Every word emanating from Fiorina’s sculpted lips is delivered in practiced, soothing tones, her head tilted to an unthreatening 10-degree angle.

During Wednesday night’s second televised GOP debate, Fiorina’s improved poll numbers won her a promotion from the earlier Happy Hour gabfest to become one of 11 contestants, including front-runner Donald Trump, to hit the stage for the prime-time debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

She knew she had to distinguish herself or fade away.

“I’d like to link these two issues, both of which are incredibly important, Iran and Planned Parenthood,” the ousted chief executive officer of tech giant Hewlett-Packard said in breakneck fashion.

“One has something to do with the defense of the security of this nation,’’ she said.

“The other has to do with the defense of the character of this nation.”

With that, Fiorina compared Iran, a nation whose coming nuclear deal with the United States threatens the safety of Israel and our nation, to Planned Parenthood, an outfit that provides abortions that, last I checked, are legal throughout this country.

Then she mentioned one in a series of heavily edited videos made by an anti-abortion group, evidently the one in which an undercover activist is seen talking with a former employee of a tissue procurement company. The former tissue procurer describes seeing a fetus inside a Planned Parenthood clinic that, she says, appears to be moving.

Fiorina’s body quivered and her voice shook with rage.

“As regards Planned Parenthood, anyone who has watched this videotape — I dare, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, to watch these tapes,’’ she railed. “Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.

“This is about the character of this nation!” she said to hearty applause.

There’s one problem. A video showing a fully formed fetus on a table may have been a figment of Fiorina’s fevered imagination. Each video made by an anti-abortion group, The Center for Medical Progress, merely shows people talking. Confronted with a report to that effect posted on Vox.com by a woman who watched all 12 hours of video, Fiorina said Thursday on ABC News, “Rest assured, I have seen the images that I talked about last night.’’

Further, Planned Parenthood officials have denied profiting from the sale of fetal parts, insisting that employees collect only reasonable and legal fees for the procurement, transportation and storage of tissue used for research. Clearly, one doesn’t have to like Planned Parenthood. None of the GOP candidates does.

Fiorina, 61, is not averse to playing the chick card when it suits her. CNN debate moderator Jake Tapper confronted her with Trump’s words, as quoted in Rolling Stone magazine: “Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?’’ (Trump later said he was referring to her persona, not her appearance.)

“I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said,’’ she replied crisply.

To that, Trump, 69, perhaps trying to put a lid on the sad contretemps, said, “I think she has a very beautiful face, and she’s a beautiful woman.’’

Declared the debate’s victor by several pundits, Fiorina said on the MSNBC program “Morning Joe,” “It was a long debate, and I tell you what, I had to do it in high heels.’’

Full disclosure: I support abortion rights, as do more than half of Americans — though many of us are unhappy about the 1.06 million procedures performed in this country in 2011, the last year in which abortions were counted (though the pregnancy termination rate has declined sharply in recent years).

Every abortion is a tragedy. But to score points by pushing a tale that, I believe, was not just fabricated but gross is unseemly.

Carly Fiorina has gone too far.

By throwing Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis in jail for refusing to sign the marriage licenses of same-sex couples, a federal judge, I believe, set back the cause of gay rights.

Reader Kathy Blake of New Jersey agreed with my column in which I slammed the overreaching judge.

But Stephen Pezzanite of Queens argued that Davis “broke the law.’’

“Do your job or leave,’’ he wrote me in an email.

All over the country, business owners — from cake bakers to the proprietors of an upstate New York farm — face hefty fines for refusing to participate in same-sex weddings. But this seems to be the nation’s first case in which a public servant was incarcerated for expressing religious beliefs.

I support same-sex marriage, but persecuting a woman is no way to change hearts and minds.

It’s an ingenious merger of movie stardom, ego, pop culture and politics. NBC has cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as the new host of “Celebrity Apprentice,’’ replacing Donald Trump, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination.

Which catchphrase should California’s former two-term GOP “governator” employ on the reality-TV show to replace Trump’s “You’re fired!’’?

“Hasta la vista, baby’’? Trite.

Some of Ahnold’s unscripted utterances: “Money doesn’t make you happy.”

“I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.’’ Also, “Failure is not an option. Everyone has to succeed.’’

And, “I just use my muscles as a conversation piece, like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd Street.’’

Pretty soon, TV watchers will say, “Donald who?”

This mother should face criminal charges, and have her innocent daughter removed from her substandard care.

Times Square desnuda Maria Diaz went to work topless Monday afternoon, trolling for tourists’ tips in a short skirt with her breasts concealed only by body paint in the shape of a black heart — along with her identically topless daughter, who appeared to be about 2 years old.

But the monster mom put a shirt on the tot and the pair left New York City’s mutant gathering place after a cop threatened Diaz with arrest.

This is child exploitation and endangerment. Lock up Diaz!

Baseball fans are a superstitious lot, so I’ll take responsibility for the New York Mets’ two consecutive losses this week to the Miami Marlins. I couldn’t help but brag about the Mets’ recent greatness, which started just over seven weeks ago.

Lately, the team has been on fire, leading the National League East Division and easing the suffering of a Queens-bred gal like me. World Series, here we come!

I know I’m taking a risk here.

Summary: Carly Fiorina scares the stuffing out of me. She lost me at the word “fetus.’’ On the campaign trail and on the debate stage, the lone female candidate among the 16 contenders for the Republican pr…


You know the kind of workers who hate their job, but stick it out just to get that next paycheck? Amazon (

) does -- and it doesn't want them. In fact, the company will pay them up to $5,000 to leave.

Amazon makes the offer once a year, but only to workers in the fulfillment centers where orders are boxed and shipped. In the first year of work, the offer is $2,000. It goes up by $1,000 every year after that until it hits $5,000. The deal even has a special headline: "Please don't take this offer."

The idea, Bezos wrote in his letter, is "to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want. In the long run, an employee staying somewhere they don't want to be isn't healthy for the employee or the company."

that "a small percentage" of employees take the deal. The company also offers to pay up to 95 percent of the tuition for warehouse workers who want to take classes for in-demand fields such as nursing or airplane mechanics -- even if those classes aren't relevant to their jobs at Amazon.

"We know that for some of our fulfillment center employees, Amazon will be a career," Bezos wrote. "For others, Amazon might be a stepping stone on the way to a job somewhere else -- a job that may require new skills. If the right training can make the difference, we want to help."

Amazon said it got the idea from Zappos.com, the shoe and clothing retailer it acquired in 2009 for $850 million. Zappos is famous for bend-over-backwards customer service, and it puts new employees through an intensive four-week training program, Bloomberg Businessweek

About one week into the job itself, the company gives employees what it calls "The Offer," offering to pay for the amount of time worked plus a $2,000 bonus if the new hires leave. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh told Businessweek that 97 percent of employees decline The Offer.

"The practice clearly says something about Zappos' confidence,"

Businessweek columnist Keith McFarland. "How many of us run companies where, if we offered new hires a week's salary plus $2,000 to leave, we would enjoy a 97% stick rate? Zappos is betting real money that the enthusiasm and esprit de corps of its enterprise presents a compelling value proposition to employees."

Clearly, Amazon saw a lot to like in that approach. But why limit it to the warehouse workers? One reason may be the company's the relationship with its warehouse employees has been fractious for years.

In 2009, a former employee sued, saying Amazon rips off its warehouse workers on overtime pay. The lawsuit said Amazon rounded start and end times for shifts to the nearest quarter-hour, which meant some worker minutes ended up unpaid.

Workers also sued in 2010 to receive pay for time spent waiting to go through security screening before breaks and after shifts. The workers claimed the wait adds up to 30 minutes a day for some, The Seattle Times

. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed last month to hear the case, and oral arguments could begin this fall.

Other workers have complained of uncomfortably high temperatures in warehouses and intensely stressful environments. In 2011, workers complained to federal regulators about having to work in warehouses that were so hot that some employees were hospitalized for heat-related injuries. A Pennsylvania emergency-room doctor even called a federal hotline to complain about the injuries coming in, The Morning Call

Amazon isn't saying how new its Pay to Quit program is, but the policy -- along with the paid tuition for skills training -- could go a long way toward mending fences with its warehouse workers.

© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

Summary: The policy is designed to keep workers happy and motivated. The ones who aren’t can take the money and leave


Astronomers from South Africa on Saturday revealed more than a thousand galaxies nobody knew existed. They were showing off the first taste of the ultimate cosmic feast of what is to come, at least as seen from this particular dusty crumb called Earth.

When it’s done, sometime around 2030, the Square Kilometer Array, as it is known, will be the largest telescope ever built on our planet. It will consist of thousands of radio antennas that will collectively cover a square kilometer (hence the name), spread out in mathematically intricate patterns in South Africa and Australia.

The telescope is being built by an international collaboration with its headquarters at the University of Manchester in England. The first phase, to be completed in 2023, will cost 650 million euros.

Astronomers estimate that it will pull some 35,000-DVDs-worth of data down from the sky every second. So much that it would take 2 million years to play on your smartphone.

For now the bounty consists of the radio glow of some 1,300 distant galaxies spotted in a patch of sky about 20 times the size of the full moon, where only 70 galaxies had been counted before. Some of them are erupting in cataclysms as massive black holes in their hearts spew radioactive high-energy particles across the dark sea of space.

They were recorded by a set of 16 antennas in an array called MeerKAT, which was built by South Africa. It will grow to 64 dishes and eventually be folded into the Square Kilometer Array.

Summary: The distant galaxies were recorded by a set of 16 antennas that will eventually be a part of the largest telescope ever built on Earth.


Pelion is sure to surprise many - even seasoned Greek travellers

There are parts of Greece that are still a little bit secret. That would describe Pelion, the region around the spur of land that pokes out of the eastern mainland between the Aegean and the Pagasetic Gulf that makes up the eastern half of Magnesia. Take a flight to the nearest airport, Nea Anchialos, near the city of Volos, jump in a car and explore its riches.

Some rate it as Greece’s most beautiful region and it certainly has some striking contrasts: a rugged spine swathed in olives and pines climbing towards a lofty mountain as well as some fantastic beaches.

The peninsula is dominated by Mount Pelion, below which dozens of little villages fan out, apparently unchanged for centuries and linked by cobbled paths. At more than 5,300ft, the mountain offers some of Greece’s best skiing. In summer it’s a grand hike.

There’s a delightful, nostalgic narrow gauge steam train nicknamed Smudgy (or Moutzouris) a few miles south. It departs from Ano Lehonia (ample parking), crossing six gorges as it winds up the mountain to the village of Milies. Up there you’ll find a variety of adventure activities including canoeing and more great hiking.

According to Greek mythology, Mount Pelion was the home of the mythical centaurs, half man-half horse, and for centuries the area has boasted a proud equine tradition. Riding holidays and tours are popular, particularly in the quiet, rural spot around Argalasti using the trails between the villages and even descending to the coast.

The most charming concentration of traditional communities lies to the north at the main gateway to the region, including Agios Dimitrios a particularly lovely mountain village and, a little to the south, Tsagarada one of the oldest villages in the area.

The regional capital and biggest city for miles is Volos, a well-heeled port at the top of the Pagasetic Gulf. The city is stocked with some grand buildings - notably the neoclassical Conservatory - an impressive railway station and a fine waterside park. Its smart waterfront is filled with restaurants and bars or tsipouradika, serving the popular local spirit tsipouro (one of Greece's most popular drinks) and little tapas-style delicacies (mezes). Unsurprisingly, the locally caught seafood is delicious.

“There are some marvellous beaches and stretches of coastline on both sides of the peninsula”

There’s a strong cultural scene here, a well-stocked archaeological museum, the Athanasakeion, and one of the oldest cinemas in Greece, the Achilleion. In the west, by the port terminal you’ll find a full-scale replica of the Argo, the mythical ship which left from the region (or more accurately Iolcus, the city’s ancient forerunner) carrying Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. A little way out of the city lie two important Neolithic settlements at Dimini and Sesklo.

There are some truly marvellous beaches and stretches of coastline to be found on both sides of the peninsula. Dropping down from Mt Pelion brings you to the most renowned in the area, Mylopotamos, where two arches have been carved out of the rocks by the sea. A little to the north you’ll find Damouchari, a small beach with white and pink pebbles where scenes for Mama Mia! were shot and, beyond that, Agios Ioannis, another popular resort.

Off the Aegean shore you’ll find the Sporades, a clutch of islands that includes Skiathos, Alonisos and Skopelos. Over on the gulf Kala Nera is a beautiful coastal settlement and a little to the south there’s another popular resort at Afissos.

Pelion has a bit of everything and it will surprise many, even seasoned Greek travellers.

Find out more about Greek travel at visitgreece.gr

Summary: With lofty mountains and beautiful beaches, Pelion is sure to surprise many - even seasoned Greek travellers


CLEVELAND — Tucked into a remote corner of the Quicken Loans Arena, behind Puerto Rico and next to the spillover seats for Texas, were the 19 delegates for the District of Columbia. The delegation, packed with city-dwelling lawyers and lobbyists and representing a Democratic stronghold, is always an outlier at a Republican National Convention.

But this year, the delegation bore a little-noticed distinction that set it far, and somewhat awkwardly, apart from the rest: It was the gayest group in the hall. More than one-third of Washington’s delegates — seven of the 19 — are gay or lesbian.

More than most, they can attest that this has not been the best week to be gay and Republican.

The party voted on Monday to adopt what supporters and detractors have described as the most socially conservative platform ever. It includes multiple disapproving passages on gay rights, gay parenthood and transgender issues.

Delegates rejected efforts to add even the blandest platform language on gays, such as acknowledging that they are targets of the Islamic State or that the Republican Party condemns discrimination of gays.

The Democratic Party platform has called for general civil rights for gay men and lesbians since 1980.

When Newt Gingrich mentioned on Wednesday night that gays, lesbians and transgender people were executed by Islamic extremists, he was met with scattered heckling in the convention hall.

The palpable unease over gays and gay rights loomed over a highly anticipated speech on Thursday night by Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley software developer, who declared from the lectern: “I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all, I am proud to be an American.”

After his announcement, there were no obvious signs of unease. Delegates around the arena rose and applauded, some chanting: “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”

Later Thursday night, Donald J. Trump dedicated himself to protecting gay and transgender rights. When the crowd broke into applause he said, “As a Republican, it is so nice to hear you cheering.”

But displays like those were not the norm this week.

“The party is becoming more and more narrow and more and more spiteful,” said Christian Berle, an environmental policy analyst and one of the seven gay delegates from the District of Columbia. He added that he was struggling more than ever with why he remained a Republican as many of his friends left the party. “I ask myself that question every day,” he said.

Mr. Thiel’s appearance may offer Washington’s delegation a little solace. But the limited history of gay speakers at the Republican convention is probably not comforting.

When Jim Kolbe, a gay congressman from Arizona, addressed the convention in 2000, he spoke about trade policy, making no mention of being gay or of gay rights. But that did not stop delegates from Texas, home of the nominee, Gov. George W. Bush, from removing their hats, bowing their heads and praying in a silent protest.

Rick Perry, the state’s lieutenant governor at the time, explained their actions by saying, “Guess any time is a good time for prayer.”

But to those from the nation’s capital, such rejection is rare, making the events of this week all the more stinging.

Rachel Hoff became the first openly gay person to serve on the party’s platform committee. She introduced amendment after amendment that tried to soften some of the harder-line language on homosexuality and gave an emotional speech in which she urged her fellow delegates “to include me and people like me.”

“My standing in the D.C. Republican Party isn’t threatened at all by this,” she said in an interview. “It’s actually enhanced.”

And as she worked unsuccessfully to convince other Republicans in Cleveland that she was taking up a cause that was in the party’s long-term interest, she said, she detected some sympathy and concern. “I’d say the most common thing I heard was, ‘Thank you for being here and please don’t leave our party,’” she said.

Like many gay Republicans from Washington, Ms. Hoff, a defense analyst, votes primarily on national security issues.

Why their delegation is so heavily gay and lesbian is largely a function of their surroundings. They live in a city that has one of the highest per-capita gay populations. Many of them work in politics, which tends to draw large numbers of gay people in both parties. They were the only solely urban delegation at the convention, and big cities typically have large concentrations of gays.

But one-third of the entire delegation is a remarkably high figure, given that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people make up less than 4 percent of the American population.

“Really? There are seven?” asked Tim Costa, one of the gay Washington delegates, as he stood on the convention floor the other night in a blue hat with a “Trump” logo. Despite the less-than-welcoming posture many in his party have taken toward gays, Mr. Costa, a Medicaid lobbyist, said he never had second thoughts about being a Republican. “I started volunteering in Republican politics when I was 5 years old,” he said, adding that he was drawn to the party’s embrace of limited government. “I’m very comfortable and happy here.”

José Cunningham, the chairman of the District of Columbia Republican Party, described himself as Republican primarily for national security reasons. But the party also aligns with other aspects of who he is, even if not with his sexuality.

“I’m gay, Latino, American, pro-life, evangelical,” said Mr. Cunningham, a marketing executive for a law firm. “Why didn’t they put me onstage?”

Summary: This has not been the best week for the seven out of 19 District of Columbia delegates who are gay or lesbian.


To a child on the prowl for sweets, that brownie, cookie or bear-shaped candy left on the kitchen counter is just asking to be gobbled up. But in states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use, notably Colorado, that child may end up with more than a sugar high.

A study published on Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics says that in Colorado the rates of marijuana exposure in young children, many of them toddlers, have increased 150 percent since 2014, when recreational marijuana products, like sweets, went on the market legally.

When children get their hands on the goodies they can become lethargic or agitated, vomit and lose balance, triggering a hospital visit or a frightened call to a poison center. A handful of patients were admitted to intensive care units and intubated.

Rates had started climbing in 2009, when the federal government said it would not prosecute users and suppliers who conformed to Colorado’s medical marijuana laws. Those patients often ingested their prescription marijuana through baked goods.

When voters decided in 2012 to legalize marijuana for recreational use, researchers anticipated that rates of accidental exposure in children would rise.

“But we were not prepared for the dramatic increase,” said the senior author of the study, Dr. Genie E. Roosevelt, an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Denver Health Medical Center.

The number of cases in the study, drawn from Colorado’s poison control data and from one children’s hospital, is modest. Between 2009 and 2015, there were 163 cases documented by the poison control center and 81 patients evaluated at one hospital for pediatric marijuana exposure.

Even so, Dr. Roosevelt said, “While these ingestions are not common, the effects are significant and preventable.” Some cases, she said, could result from secondhand smoke inhalation. The documentation of cause is still evolving.

During that period, marijuana-related child poison control cases in Colorado rose 34 percent each year, compared with a 19 percent annual increase in other states.

“The study is not an argument for or against legalization,” said Robert J. MacCoun, a professor at Stanford Law School who writes about drug policy. “But it’s an argument for smart regulation,” he said, noting that many products are packaged not only in bright, alluring colors, but also in highly variable doses.

At least 23 states have passed legislation allowing marijuana for medical use. Colorado and Washington have also decriminalized marijuana for recreational use, allowing products to be sold to people 21 and older. Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., have also passed recreational-use laws.

Colorado, which received close to $588 million in revenue from recreational marijuana in 2015 (plus about $408 million from medical marijuana sales, which also include edibles), is struggling to contain the unintended consequences of its booming new industry. Last week, the town of Hugo ordered residents to stop drinking tap water because the municipal supply had tested positive for THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

As of 2015, Colorado has required marijuana products to be sold in childproof packaging. This month, the so-called gummy bear law went into effect: Edible marijuana may not be rendered in the shape of humans, animals or fruits, which had made them so irresistible to children.

Consistency of dosing and portion size remains a problem. Dr. Kari L. Franson, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, noted that edible marijuana, such as candy bars or brownies, typically contained several servings.

“But what kid doesn’t eat an entire brownie?” she asked. “And you know the toddler doesn’t read the label.”

That is why unintended marijuana ingestion by children tends to be more toxic.

The statistics in this study and in a national study this month might understate the problem. The national study looked at edible marijuana exposures reported to poison centers around the country from 2013 to 2015, and included adults as well as children. While Colorado’s exposures far outnumbered those from other states, the study said overall calls had risen each year.

Dr. Dazhe Cao, a medical toxicologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the lead author of the national study, published in Clinical Toxicology, said the 430 calls did not give a full portrait of “the total epidemiology of exposure” because many cases, handled by primary care providers, were not reported to poison centers.

Dr. Roosevelt of the Colorado study noted that decriminalization might be one reason that reports of accidental ingestions were on the rise in that state. Adults who take children to hospitals may be more willing now to disclose the source of the illness.

“In 2009, we didn’t know what was wrong with these kids, and we did all kinds of work-ups,” she said. “A brain bleed? Meningitis? Now, after legalization, more people are saying, ‘Oops, I left my brownie out, and my child ate it.’ That’s not great, but it’s helping us to manage these patients.”

A version of this article appears in print on July 26, 2016, on page A19 of the New York edition with the headline: Study Finds Sharp Increase in Marijuana Exposure Among Children in Colorado. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe

Summary: A study in JAMA Pediatrics says the rate of marijuana exposure in young children increased 150 percent since recreational use was legalized.


Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday that there is still much work to be done to protect women from violence, despite the strides that have been made in the 20 years since the Violence Against Women Act passed.

“We’re not going to succeed until America embraces the idea that no man has a right to raise his hand to a woman except for in self defense… that no means no, whether it’s in the bedroom or in the back of a car. Rape is rape,” Biden said during a commemorative event at the National Archives. “Until we reach that point we’re not going to succeed.”

Biden, who was at the time a Senator, drafted the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and was instrumental in its passage and implementation. The 20th anniversary came just as a video of NFL star Ray Rice hitting his wife as garnered national headlines and led to his suspension from the team.

Biden said much has changed in the years since VAWA passed, including VAWA itself, which has been reauthorized three times since 1994. The law provides prosecutorial protection and support for women who are victims of violence, and was later expanded to include unmarried women and the LGBT community.

Biden said Tuesday that more change will come, “when everyone understands that even one case is too many.”

Summary: On 20th anniversary of Violence Against Women Act


The Pokémon Company has now confirmed that Sun and Moon will release in late November. It will release on the handheld 3DS, meaning it is the second fully-fledged Pokémon the console has seen following Pokémon X&Y (in addition to the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes).

Along with the release date, a new trailer from The Pokémon Company also released details on the choice of new starter Pokémon you will have at the beginning of Sun and Moon. Any Pokémon trainer worth their salt will know that your choice of first-partner will be one of the most important decisions in the whole game, as well as the toughest. Here the traditional choice of grass, fire and water Pokémon will be available.

Rowlet is a cute, owl-esque Grass Pokémon that can "fly silently through the skies" and "attack its opponents using powerful kicks." Rowlet's starting move is 'Leafage' which sounds lovely, but probably isn't.

Litten is a meaner looking Fire cat Pokémon whose fur is "rich in oils and is immensely flammable". Litten licks its coat, collecting hairballs which it then coughs up in a fireball attack. As delightful as a real cat, then.

And lastly Popplio is a sea-lion Water Pokémon, who can "create balloons made of water from its nose and utilize them to create a variety of different strategies and attacks in battle."

So which one will you go for? We're thinking Popplio, because who doesn't want an acrobatic sea-lion? The poor Pokémon has come in for some stick on Twitter, but his final evolution is obviously going to be awesome. Just you wait.

There was also a glimpse of gameplay for Sun and Moon's cover stars, Sun's giant lion and Moon's huge bat. While these Pokémon remain unnamed, it's safe to assume these are the much sought-after 'legendaries' that feature in each game.

In the trailer there was the tantalising glimpse of the region Alola, with its volcanoes and lush jungles, it looks to be a not-so-subtle homage to Hawaii. The starter Pokémon were handed out by local man Kukui, who looks to be Sun and Moon's Professor Oak equivalent. As we saw in the first reveal trailer, there will also be plenty of towns and at least one major city to explore.

The different Pokémon games tend to be grouped into ‘generations’, depending on the breed of Pokémon that appear in each. Often a generation will span two or three games, with many of the same Pokémon appearing between each title, as well as the cartoons and spin-offs released during that time. For example, Generation I incorporated Pokémon Red, Green, Blue and Yellow as well as the original anime series.

In a tweet, the official Pokémon account revealed that Sun and Moon would be ‘the next era of Pokémon games’, meaning that we are entering Generation VII rather than a continuation of Pokémon X&Y. In short: Sun and Moon will have scores of new Pokémon to catch. Developer Game Freak has just revealed six of the new Pokémon that will appear in the game, including one who's ability is to 'wimp out' and another who dresses up like Pikachu. Here are the new critters as described by Game Freak.

Summary: First appearing on Game Boy in 1996, Poké


But that was 2009. The Glee whose sixth and final season came to an end last night had long since shed its cultural phenomenon status. The days of Glee soundtrack songs hurtling up the charts ended during it’s third year. The devoted audience dwindled down to the two million mark.

If Glee is Empire’s ghost of Christmas future, what can the ascendant show learn from the demise of a series that once had the whole world singing? Principally, it can attempt to steer clear of the kind of overexposure that led to Glee creator Ryan Murphy signing off on a cast concert tour, a 3D movie of the live experience, video games, a series of novels, and The Glee Project – a talent competition offering recurring roles on the show.

Watch: Glee's best musical moments

Murphy’s second error in judgment was to let the music dictate the story. In Glee’s debut season, the songs functioned as they would in a traditional musical: they elevated an emotion and they moved the plot. Once the iTunes chart was awash in Glee songs downloaded the second the show ended, selling music took precedence over plots.

Season Two ushered in the dreaded themed episodes – there was an all-Madonna show and an all-Britney one. Beatles, Michael Jackson and Rocky Horror episodes followed. But perhaps Ryan Murphy’s most ruinous decision was to go all-out in his embrace of victimhood.

Glee was, from its inception, show about despised outsiders in a sports-dominated mid-Western high school. The Glee Club united these spat-upon nobodies – the driven theatre nerd, the flamboyant gay kid terrified to accept himself, the heavyset black girl, the boy in the wheelchair.

A gang of outsiders: the cast of Glee (Fox)

Under the stewardship of music teacher and fellow failure Will Schuester (the always-sappy Matthew Morrison) this tragic band learnt to rise above their surroundings and their circumstances. This first season Glee fought back school bullies and it’s biggest detractor, tyrannical cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester (breakout star Jane Lynch) through the sheer unfettered joy of performing.

That didn’t last. Season two focused on Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), turning his character from an embattled but defiant gay student to a Christlike figure whose suffering affected us all. Suddenly, Glee was a safe place where the oppressed could weep, accept hugs and humble their tormentors on a weekly basis.

For those of us who still hold the show’s first season in high regard the two-hour farewell was a reminder of why we first fell in love with Glee. To be more accurate, it was half a reminder. Just as Buffy’s finale climaxed with it’s every-girl-is-a-slayer call to arms, the last part of Glee declared every student a singer.

Watch: Sue Sylvester's best put-downs

It took place in a magic land where McKinley High is now a school for the performing arts and Schuester its principal. He responds to his new position by whipping out his ukulele and serenading students old and new with a weak-as-water rendition of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Teach Your Children. (Lea Michele, who payed the unbearably ambitious Rachel Berry, had approximately 100 tearful close-ups during this song alone.)

The rest of the episode shoots five years into the future where all the students are winning Tonys and touring with Beyonce. Sue Sylvester, now President Jeb Bush’s VP, delivers a stirring speech to the former members of the Glee Club, telling them that “ … seeing the world not as it is but as it should be is the bravest thing anyone can do.”

Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch (Photo: Fox)

If my eyes remind stubbornly dry during the emotional excesses of the second hour, it’s only because the first segment put me through the wringer. Titled 2009, it hearkened back to the pre-Glee days, when the various components of the club were ignored and invisible. The hour ends with Schuester standing outside the school music room, listening to the harmonising inside.

When he and we follow the sound, we see the closing segment from the debut episode. The original five students, including Cory Monteith, who died of an overdose in 2013, singing their wildly auto-tuned version of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. It gave me chills in 2009. But that was 2009. Guess what, though? It still gets me.

Summary: The emotional and ridiculous last ever episode of Glee offered only half a   reminder of why this was once the biggest show on television


Last night Rachel reported on a new development in the severe drought in California. News that the mountain snowpack is historically low forced the state to adopt unprecedented mandatory restrictions on water use. The water crisis is so dire that activities like lawn watering will likely be eliminated. State authorities are making clear that even the slightest wasted dribble is no game. It’s more like…

Need help? Need to shout out the answer without spoiling anyone else’s game?

There’s a thread for that. (More direct link here.)

Remember to mention the number of the puzzle you’re talking about.

Summary: Arid America edition