Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Tom Danehy: Remembering '68: Race riots, political chaos, Vietnam and the assassinations of MLK and RFK (Tucson Weekly)
We survived 1968, but it still ripples through our lives. Let's try not to merely survive 2018. Let's grab hold of it and bend it to our collective America will. Let's move past the nonsense of "Make America Great Again." America, even at its most imperfect, has always been great. We need to make America, America again.
Mark Fisher: Alas, poor Owen Wilson, your TV ad Shakespeare quote is made up (The Guardian)
In a festive sofa advertising campaign, the actor claims the bard once exclaimed: 'People usually are the happiest at home.' One problem - the oft-cited line is pure bunkum.
Ann Robinson: Is it possible to be healthy and obese? (The Guardian)
Professor Tim Spector, of King's College London, […] thinks [our getting fatter] is because we are not looking after our biomes. That means eating a range of fibre and vegetables, including artichokes, leeks, onions and garlic. Polyphenols in nuts, seeds, coffee, dark chocolate, red wine, olive oil and berries provide energy for microbes, while pre and probiotics that boost or contain microbes include yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso.
David Smith: "Lauren Gunderson: the most popular playwright in America today" (The Guardian)
According to American Theatre magazine, she will be the most popular playwright in the country for the 2017-18 season with 27 productions (including eight co-writing credits), ahead of Britain's Simon Stephens on 19. (Arthur Miller is in sixth place with 14.) The survey excludes Shakespeare from its ranking because that would make it boringly predictable: he will have 108.
Deborah Orr: I used to think people made rational decisions. But now I know I was wrong (The Guardian)
The value of calm reasoning - the cornerstone of democracy - is acknowledged rarely today. Even when we think we're being rational, we don't know what that is.
Michele Hanson: 'I feel less stuffed after dinners - and less guilty': why I stopped eating meat(The Guardian)
My journey towards vegetarianism started 30 years ago for practical reasons, but the more I eschew animal products the better I feel about everything.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
said:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Reader Comment
Current Events
Open letter to Predator
This man is almost as outraged & tired as I am. Janet shared the link:
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
from Marc Perkel
Marc's Guide to Curing Cancer
So far so good on beating cancer for now. I'm doing fine. At the end of the month I'll be 16 months into an 8 month mean lifespan. And yesterday I went on a 7 mile hike and managed to keep up with the hiking group I was with. So, doing something right.
Still waiting for future test results and should see things headed in the right direction. I can say that it's not likely that anything dire happens in the short term so that means that I should have time to make several more attempts at this. So even if it doesn't work the first time there are a lot of variations to try. So if there's bad news it will help me pick the next radiation target.
I have written a "how to" guide for oncologists to perform the treatment that I got. I'm convinced that I'm definitely onto something and whether it works for me or not isn't the definitive test. I know if other people tried this that it would work for some of them, and if they improve it that it will work for a lot of them.
The guide is quite detailed and any doctor reading this can understand the procedure at every level. I also go into detail as to how it works, how I figured it out, and variations and improvements that could be tried to enhance it. I also introduce new ways to look at the problem. There is a lot of room for improvement and I think that doctors reading it will see what I'm talking about and want to build on it. And it's written so that if you're not a doctor you can still follow it. It also has a personal story revealing that I'm the class clown of cancer support group. I give great interviews and I look pretty hot in a lab coat.
So, feel free to read this and see what I'm talking about. But if any of you want to help then pass this around to both doctors and cancer patients. I need some media coverage. I'm looking for as many eyeballs as possible to read these ideas. Even if this isn't the solution, it's definitely on the right track. After all, I did hike 7 miles yesterday. And this hiking group wasn't moving slow. So if this isn't working then, why am I still here?
I also see curing cancer as more of an engineering problem that a medical problem. So if you are good at solving problems and most of what you know about medicine was watching the Dr. House MD TV show, then you're at the level I was at when I started. So anyone can jump in and be part of the solution.
Here is a link to my guide: Oncologists Guide to Curing Cancer using Abscopal Effect
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
"PEOPLE GET READY, THERE'S A TRAIN A-COMING"
CRAZY?!
"BAD SHIT."
"PLEASE, BABY JESUS, LET THIS HAPPEN."
"REFFER MADNESS."
EVERYONE KNOWS.
"BUTTON, BUTTON!"
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Running late.
Reboot At Hulu
'Animaniacs'
"Animaniacs" is coming to Hulu, Variety has learned.
Hulu, Amblin Television, and Warner Bros. Animation are partnering for a rebooted version of the classic cartoon series, which has scored a two-season, straight-to-series commitment at the streaming service.
Steven Spielberg will return as executive producer of the series, with Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series, and Amblin Television co-presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank also serving as executive producers. New episodes are set to premiere on the premium streaming service in 2020. Amblin Television will produce in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
In addition to announcing the new series, Hulu and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution also inked a new pact that makes Hulu the exclusive streaming home to the complete library of all 99 episodes of the original series, as well as spinoff series "Pinky and the Brain," "Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain," and the complete "Tiny Toon Adventures" collection.
The original "Animaniacs" made its television debut in 1993, running for five total seasons. It followed The Warner brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner sister, Dot. They have been locked away in the Warner Bros. water tower for a very long time, but they have found a way to escape.
'Animaniacs'
'For Your Consideration' Ad
Stephen Colbert
It's a rare moment when Stephen Colbert actually wants to win an award from President Donald Trump. But the "Late Night" host is clamoring to be considered for the president's fake news awards.
Soon after threatening nuclear war with North Korea over Twitter, Trump sent another tweet announcing "THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR." The president said he'll name the winners on Monday, and Colbert wants in.
"Nothing gives you more credibility than Donald Trump calling you a liar," Colbert said.
So Colbert created a "For Your Consideration" ad and posted it on a billboard in New York City's Times Square. The ad, which has a decidedly Edward R. Murrow-feel, says Colbert would like to be considered in all categories including "Outstanding Achievement In Parroting George Soros' Talking Points" and "The Eric Trump Memorial Award For Disappointment," among others.
Stephen Colbert
Model Of The Universe
Mexico
In Mexico, in the middle of a pond, on the side of a volcano, lie the remains of an ancient stone sanctuary that archaeologists believe was designed to serve as a model of the universe, according to the Associated Press.
Water from nearby springs appeared to have been deliberately diverted to the site in order to create the illusion that the sanctuary was floating, as if on a mirror.
"These visual effects, in addition to the characteristics of the elements that make up the site and the relationship they have with each other, make us suppose that Nahualac could represent a microcosm that evokes the primitive waters and the beginning of the mythical time-space," said Iris del Rocio Hernandez Bautista, an archaeologist with the National Institute of Anthropology and History, according to the International Business Times.
The sanctuary is at an elevation of nearly 13,000 feet, below the Iztaccihuatl volcano, the AP reported. (Don't worry, Iztacchihuatl-which translates to "white woman," so named for its snow-covered peaks-is dormant.)
The National Institute referred to the sanctuary as a teztacualco, the AP reported. The term refers to ancient astronomical observatories built on high mountain slopes.
Mexico
Cheetah Gives Birth To 8 Cubs
St. Louis Zoo
A cheetah named Bingwa at the St. Louis Zoo is a proud mother - eight times over.
The zoo announced Wednesday that the 4-year-old cheetah gave birth Nov. 26 to eight cubs - three male and five female. It's the largest litter of cheetah cubs ever delivered at the zoo. The average litter size is three to four cubs.
In fact, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums has documented 430 litters and said this is the first time a cheetah mom has given birth to and reared on her own a litter of eight cubs at a zoo.
All eight cubs and the mom are doing well. They'll remain indoors, away from the public and under close scrutiny from staff, for several months.
The cubs were born at the zoo's River's Edge Cheetah Breeding Center as part of a program to manage genetically healthy population of cheetahs at North American zoos. More than 50 cheetah cubs have been born at the breeding center since 1974, the zoo said.
St. Louis Zoo
1,950 Untrue Claims in 2017
T-rump
When President-for-now Trump (R-Crooked) sat down with the New York Times for an interview recently, he said something untrue about every 75 seconds.
That's not just the usual political boasting and grandstanding. Those were actual, verifiable claims which professional fact checkers investigated and found to be untrue.
For example, Trump said in the interview that "virtually every Democrat" has said that the Trump campaign did not collude with the Russians during the 2016 election, while there was "tremendous collusion" between Democrats and the Russians.
That's not just false but "breathtakingly false," as one fact-checker put it. Democrats have not exonerated Trump, though some have been circumspect about what we know and don't know about Russian meddling, and there is little evidence that Democrats were colluding with Russia.
A year-end review of untrue claims from FactCheck.org found Trump dominating the list with remarks on everything from his inauguration to the Russia investigation to his own tax bill. Of PolitiFact's 483 fact checks on Trump so far, 69% were rated "mostly false," "false" or "pants on fire," and his claims on Russian meddling were the "Lie of the Year." The Washington Post found 1,950 false or misleading claims made over 347 days.
T-rump
'Trying To Give Up Cigarettes'
Philip Morris
Tobacco giant Philip Morris International took out full-page ads in several British newspapers this week proclaiming the company's 2018 New Year's resolution as "trying to give up cigarettes."
"Our ambition is to stop selling cigarettes in the UK," the ad says, according to a screenshot from Business Insider. The message says even though it's best for smokers to quit, many will continue to smoke.
"That's why we want to replace cigarettes with products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, which are a better choice for the millions of men and women in the UK who would otherwise not stop smoking," the ad says.
E-cigarettes carry health risks, so much so that they are banned in public spaces in some U.S. states. In October, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a law prohibiting individuals from using e-cigarettes and other vaping systems in public indoor spaces.
Anti-smoking advocates called Philip Morris' full-page ad a "PR stunt," according to the BBC. And, as USA Today points out, the World Health Organization has made it clear that it would not engage with the tobacco giant's efforts to promote alternative smoking methods.
Philip Morris
Personal Cell Phones Banned
West Wing
The White House announced Thursday that its staff and visitors will no longer be allowed to use personal cell phones in the West Wing, the nerve center of the American executive branch.
The personal mobile phone ban will go into effect next week, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.
She cited security reasons for the move but it comes amid an uproar over published comments about President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Corrupt) and his family by former top White House strategist Steve Bannon.
"The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration," Sanders said.
West Wing
Five Times Greater Than 1980s
Global Coral Bleaching
Coral bleaching, a deadly disease that strikes reefs when oceans heat up, has risen nearly five-fold since the 1980s, threatening the future of these vital ecosystems, researchers said Thursday.
Severe coral bleaching events used to happen once every 25 to 30 years. Now, they occur every six years on average, said the report in the journal Science.
"Before the 1980s, mass bleaching of corals was unheard of," said lead author Terry Hughes, director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.
"But now, repeated bouts of regional-scale bleaching and mass mortality of corals has become the new normal around the world as temperatures continue to rise."
The study analyzed bleaching events at 100 locations around the world between 1980 and 2016.
Global Coral Bleaching
Jewel Heist
Venice
Thieves have stolen millions of pounds worth of Indian jewels in broad daylight from an exhibition at a Venetian palace.
A brooch and a pair of earrings were taken from the famed Al Thani Collection at the Doge's Palace in Venice on Wednesday, police said.
The audacious heist occurred on the final day of a four-month exhibition featuring 270 items showcasing treasures from the time of the Mughal Empire.
Venice police said one thief kept watch while another opened a display case and grabbed the jewellery. They were somehow able to delay the security alarm, which went off at 10am, for long enough to make their escape.
The stolen jewels were made of gold, platinum and diamonds, police said, and news reports estimated their value in the millions of euros.
Venice
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