user: IN: Alexandria: 2nd best-read city in U.S., or just Amazon.com’s 2nd best customer?
Author Ray Bradbury at a book signing. Let’s see Amazon do THAT online. (Steve Castillo - ASSOCIATED PRESS) Amazon.com, the company that ultimately wants to be the only place to buy things, attracted some attention in recent days by breathlessly releasing their list of the “Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America.” They determined this by using sales data of books, magazines and newspapers (huh what?), and on a per capita basis, they found that Alexandria ranked second in the country, Arlington was tenth and D.C. 14th so far this year.

Cambridge, Mass., which has a college or something there, was ranked first, among cities (or counties, since they’re including Arlington) with a population of at least 100,000. Alexandria also ranked first in purchasing of children’s books, Amazon’s press release noted.

But when you’re releasing a “Most Well-Read” list, does that take into account books checked out of libraries, printed materials purchased in actual stores, or e-books purchased through someone other than Amazon?

So I called Amazon a couple of times this week to see how they compiled the list, but they were much too busy to call me back. It seems like gathering data from actual brick-and-mortar bookstores, and libraries, and other e-book sellers, would be a lot of work, and the press release discussed sales in the Kindle format, which is Amazon’s alone. So it’s safe to infer that Alexandria and Arlington are not necessarily the best-read cities in America, they’re simply two of Amazon.com’s best customers. Woo hoo.
What is a short summary of the above article?

OUT: Alexandria placed second in Amazon.com’s list of America’s “Most Well-Read Cities.” But it’s more likely just a list of who buys the most books from Amazon.com.


IN: Band playing at Bataclan during Paris terror attacks posts tribute to victims
Eagles Of Death Metal have said they are “still trying to come to terms” with the Paris terror attacks, in a new statement posted on the California rock group’s Facebook page.

The band, who were onstage at the Bataclan concert venue when the attack began, paid tribute to those who died, and praised French law enforcement agencies and those who helped “during this unimaginable ordeal”.

“Although bonded in grief with the victims, the fans, the families, the citizens of Paris, and all those affected by terrorism, we are proud to stand together, with our new family, now united by a common goal of love and compassion,” the band said.

One hundred and twenty-nine were killed and 352 injured when three teams of gunmen struck at six different sites across Paris on Friday. Eighty-nine victims were killed at the Bataclan.

Related: Paris attacks: St-Denis raid officers had 'never experienced such heavy fire' – live

The band members were unharmed in the attack, which began around 9.40pm when three gunmen entered the lobby and opened fire.

The musicians exited backstage, but the group’s merchandise manager, Nick Alexander, 36, and three executives from the band’s parent record label, Universal Music Group, were killed in the shooting.

Band co-founder Jesse Hughes and other group members were in the middle of a European tour promoting the recent release of their fourth album Zipper Down. Josh Homme, the band’s other co-founder, who rarely tours, was not in Paris on the night of the attack.

The band had been scheduled to end its 32-city European tour in December with a stop in Portugal. They had played only 11 of those dates before the attacks on Friday, but in the statement, said that all future concerts were on hold.

The band’s Facebook statement in full:

While the band is now home safe, we are horrified and still trying to come to terms with what happened in France. Our thoughts and hearts are first and foremost with our brother Nick Alexander, our record company comrades Thomas Ayad, Marie Mosser, and Manu Perez, and all the friends and fans whose lives were taken in Paris, as well as their friends, families, and loved ones.

Although bonded in grief with the victims, the fans, the families, the citizens of Paris, and all those affected by terrorism, we are proud to stand together, with our new family, now united by a common goal of love and compassion.

We would like to thank the French police, the FBI, the U.S. and French State Departments, and especially all those at ground zero with us who helped each other as best they could during this unimaginable ordeal, proving once again that love overshadows evil.

All EODM shows are on hold until further notice.

Vive la musique, vive la liberté, vive la France, and vive EODM.

In the hours after the attac, EODM posted a brief statement on Facebook, saying that they were “trying to determine the safety and whereabouts of all our band and crew.”

Eagles of Death Metal were founded in the late 1990s in Palm Desert, California, by Hughes and Homme, lifelong friends and the only two permanent members.

Other notable names among EODM’s rotating roster of members have at times included actor-musician Jack Black and Dave Grohl, frontman of the American rock band Foo Fighters.

Following Friday’s attack, fans of the band launched an online campaign to push the rock act to the top of the UK singles chart.

According to the Official Charts Company, the single in question – a cover of Duran Duran’s Save A Prayer – leaped a 52 places this week and was placed at No 44 on 17 November. Duran Duran have confirmed that they will donate proceeds from the single to charity.
What is a short summary of the above article?

OUT: ‘While the band is now home safe, we are horrified and still trying to come to terms with what happened in France,’ say Eagles of Death Metal in statement


IN: Keith Ellison is tweeting Emojis about minimum wage
updated 12:21 PM EDT, Fri October 10, 2014

(CNN) -- Minnesota Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison is tweeting food Emojis to talk about minimum wage. As one of his tweets points out, the minimum wage in 1968 was $1.60 an hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that wage today would be worth $10.56 an hour. The national minimum wage now is at $7.25 an hour, though some states have increased the minimum wage on their own.

Ellison used emojis to show how many loaves of bread you could by in 1968 with minimum wage, versus how many loaves of bread you can buy today.

If you worked an hour in a minimum wage job in 1968, you could afford 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞, but in 2014 you can afford 🍞🍞🍞

He also did the same for cups of coffee...

If you worked an hour in a minimum wage job in 1968, you could afford ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️, but in 2014 ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️.

If you worked an hour in a minimum wage job in 1968, you could afford 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫, but in 2014 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫.

If you worked an hour in a minimum wage job in 1968, you could afford 🍔🍔🍔, but in 2014 you can afford 🍔. #RaiseTheWage

Ellison could be taking a page out of the textbook of the West Wing: The White House used emoijis in messaging earlier this week.

Opinion: Raise minimum wage; working people should not live in poverty
What is a short summary of the above article?

OUT:

assistant: Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison is tweeting Emojis to talk about minimum wage.