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RANDOM LINKS FOR 8/21/12

August 20th, 2012 by Clark Humphrey

chandler o'leary, tacomamakes.com

A group of artists, including our ol’pal Art Chantry, has collaborated on what looks like something truly lovely—Tacoma landmark playing cards!
Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard, having moved back to Seattle following end end of his Hollywood marriage, writes for a McSweeney’s-affiliated site about reasons for re-electing Obama. Gibbard’s reason: his sister and her lesbian fiancée.
A “Russia analyst” warns westerners of getting too fond of the Pussy Riot women and their radical-punk protest agenda: “…these young people are as contemptuous of capitalism as they are of Putinism.” And that’s wrong how?
Naomi McAuliffe at the UK New Statesman suggests that folks who are aghast at a Republican politician’s “legitimate rape” remarks should also not tolerate Julian Assange’s rape-case denials.
Newsweek cover-story Obama basher Niall Ferguson is, though the magazine doesn’t state it, a professional Republican operative. And here’s a step-by-step demolition of his rant.
Phyllis Diller, 1917-2012: The original queen of standup comedy was already past 35 and a mom when she first broke into the business. At the time, there hadn’t been a major solo female comedian (as differentiated from actresses or singers who also told jokes on the side) since the vaudeville days. Diller was all jokes, and all woman, confident and brash even when delivering gags of self-deprecation. What’s not as well known is she was one of the few comedians to buy material from outside gag writers, providing career breaks for countless younger comics.