Bookstores are dying. They’re dying because of jerks who are too cheap to buy a hardcover, or even a paperback, and too lazy to get a library card. Guys like the one from Julie Bosman‘s NY Times article, and this guy, and this guy. Even before we break into the eBooks discussion, think about everything else that reading is supposed to contend with these days — movies, video games, television, and the internet. And now that there’s competition even within the “book” medium, it’s no wonder that Barnes and Noble is closing a four-level shop (for those of you in New York, the Union Square Megastore is safe) and Borders agonizes through round after round of layoffs and store closings.

After the jump, please shed a tear, observe a moment of silence, then head to one of the top bookstores in the United States, and buy something fer chrissakes.

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Hurricane Earl — currently a Category 4 storm — is huge, and he’s headed our way. This photo was taken by NASA from the International Space Station two days ago, when Earl was hanging out around Puerto Rico. [via ANIMAL]

In promoting his new film, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, director Werner Herzog responded to questions posed to him via Twitter with video clips on YouTube. With his pleasant voice and sharp intelligence, Herzog tells of being shot at, claims not to know who Chuck Norris is, and describes what makes a great wedding. When asked whether he uses social networks he answers, “Yes… I invite friends to dinner and I sit at the table and I cook for them.” Click through to watch Herzog tell the story of saving Joaquin Phoenix’s life after a gruesome car crash in response to a question from @davidlynch.

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As we mentioned in our Sissy Bounce primer, Labor Day in New Orleans also marks the annual celebration of Southern Decadence, an over-the-top gay festival filled with dancing, drinking, parades, and all manner of beads. In anticipation of the big event, New York City-based drag sensation Candy Samples recently dropped a music video dedicated to “the fellas of Southern Decadence” that’s one part PSA, two parts campy good time. Click through to watch Candy in action, and if you happen to be in NOLA this weekend (and don’t mind waking up before noon), see her perform “Two Shots” live at her “Sunday Services” party at 700 Club.

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As we’re sure your Facebook or Twitter feeds have already reminded you, today is 9/02/10 — as in Beverly Hills. Now, we may all have taken up more sophisticated TV fare in the years since the teen soap’s heyday, but we are still ready to argue that 90210 is a show worth celebrating. In fact, we’ve realized that it isn’t so different from our latest quasi-highbrow cable obsession, Mad Men. To prove it, we’ve matched Mad Men characters with their 90210 equivalents — and the parallels are downright eerie.

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We’re just shy of Labor Day, and while many of us are looking forward to a long weekend and multiple barbecues, we’re also sad that summer is reaching its end. Though the weather may not feel so autumn-crisp just yet, swimming pools and amusements parks are getting ready to close — a sure sign the seasons are changing. While we all sit around and mourn the closure of our local swimming holes, here’s a look at a place where the outdoor pools stay open year round: Iceland.

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Yesterday afternoon word spread quickly that Paste magazine had ended its eight-year run — and judging by the heartbreaking tweets from employees, it seems like the news came as a surprise to even the core editorial staff. While we may not have always agreed with Paste, we certainly read it often and enjoyed its generally smart writing and passion for music. And, of course, we feel awful for the magazine’s suddenly unemployed ranks.

In the midst of this print-media apocalypse, each announcement that a publication is stopping its presses tends to raise the question, What’s left? Luckily, despite the demise of so many fantastic music magazines (and the complete dominance of webzines and blogs, plus the persistence of boring dinosaurs like Rolling Stone and Spin), a number of fiercely independent periodicals remain. After the jump, check out five magazines that may help fill the Paste-shaped hole in your heart.

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1. T.I. — who is still on probation following his release from prison in March — was arrested with his wife on drug charges last night after deputies say they smelled marijuana. They’re both currently out on bail. [via TMZ]
2. Exciting news: “Twitter for iPad takes advantage of the iPad’s fluid touch interface, letting you move lots of information around smoothly and quickly — without needing to open and close windows or click buttons.”
3. An adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s comic book series The Sandman is coming to TV. A movie version has been in development since the mid-’90s. [via Heat Vision]
4. A 51-year-old woman is suing Diddy, saying that he fired her because of her age two decades after she helped launch his career. [via Yahoo! News]
5. We might keep watching The Office if Harvey Keitel is Steve Carell’s replacement. [via E! Online]

Bonus link: 32 ice cream cone tattoos

Today at Flavorpill, we were sad to say goodbye to Paste Magazine. We were a little embarrassed by how excited we got over these True Blood action figures — but that was nothing compared to how we geeked out when we saw the new Calvin and Hobbes postage stamps. We wondered what would possess a man to legally change his name to “American Poetry.” We got our first look at the second season of Glee, which unfortunately includes the gang tackling the most overplayed song of all-time, “Empire State of Mind.” We dreamed of seeing someone wearing a texting thimble in public. We weren’t surprised that Don Draper would opt for an iPhone over a BlackBerry. We were reminded of how much we love Napoleon Dynamite’s opening title sequence. And finally, we gleaned some wisdom from 50 Cent’s totally NSFW Twitter feed. Can you believe his grandma still makes him take out the garbage?

We’ve got your back on the cultural-news front, but there’s more going on in the world than gallery openings and music festivals. For a harder look at today’s issues, we recommend The Economist, which is like the less snobby version of your super-smart older sister.

Because we so value well-rounded readers, we’re hooking you up with an excellent discount: 12 issues for just $12.

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