Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Damian Reilly: Sorry folks, but Donald Trump is funny. Intentionally funny (Spectator)
Once you start noticing that Trump is often intentionally funny you can't stop. It feels like a very in joke. His turn of phrase - part wise-guy hustler, part (surprisingly) New York Jewish old-timer - is ingeniously comedic
David Safier: Is Education the Best Message For Democrats To Boost Voter Turnout? (Tucson Weekly)
That was the most effective message among African Americans in Alabama's recent Senate election pitting Democrat Doug Jones against the racist, child dating Republican Roy Moore. With so many ways to attack Moore, it turned out the positive message about education had the greatest impact on people's desire to vote.
Jenna Amatulli: Jim Carrey Starts Controversy With Painting That Looks Like Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Huffington Post)
The 56-year-old also tweeted a painting that looks like President Trump as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Brigid Delaney: "Fran Lebowitz: 'You do not know anyone as stupid as Donald Trump'" (The Guardian)
She loves to talk, hates to fly and wants to make it clear she takes no responsibility for the state of US politics.
Alex Hern: Why have we given up our privacy to Facebook and other sites so willingly? (The Guardian)
Cambridge Analytica's ransacking of millions of Facebook users' data has triggered a backlash against the social network - and highlighted how much personal information we share without thinking of the consequences.
Eddie Deezen: "Monkey Business: The Marx Brothers Laugh Fest" (Neatorama)
Monkey Business gives us perhaps our first real glimpse of vintage Marx Brothers- the four madcap zanies at their cinematic peak- wisecracking, punning, running around, leering, flirting, singing, playing and chasing blondes.
David Bruce: Ben Jonson's "The Alchemist": A Retelling
For a few days, Ben Jonson's "The Alchemist": A Retelling by David Bruce is FREE at Smashwords . Such a deal!
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has over 80 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
replied:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Reader Comment
Current Events
Sounds like heaven to me
They had to go into the wilderness, but four whole days without hearing the word Trump seriously sounds like heaven to me:
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Gare Says...
Heads Up
Heads Up for Mercury Retrograde!
It starts today. Sorry for such a late notice, but this one sneaked up on me, too!
Mercury will be retrograde from now until April 15th.
In this period of time I advise you to tread carefully in four areas of life:
1. Communication - Make sure you are understood and that you understand. Ask followup questions and don't assume that people are following what you say. Since this will occur during a holiday time, be sure to be diplomatic in family gatherings and communications.
2. Mechanical/Electronic Devices - If you plan to purchase any, do it before or after the Retro period. Buying such items in the retro can lead to frustration. Expect trouble with those you already own.
3. Long Distance Travel - Double/Triple check all travel arrangements. Take no part of them for granted. If you're driving your own vehicle, make sure it is top running order. If you travel during this period, have a plan B and maybe a plan C. There can be much delay and confusion.
4. Legalities - Do not initiate legal proceedings in this period and try to avoid signing any type of legal document in this time. If you have to, triple check it and have several other pairs of eyes look it over for you. Signing such documents in this time can lead to regret.
People say "Oh, don't tell me! I don't want to know!" Fine, but I do this to help you AVOID unnecessary trouble. It is not all bad and frustrating. This period is an excellent time for "re"! Review all business, writing and actions. Renew friendships, contacts and relationships. Reorganize your home, your business, your life. Reevaluate life goals, bad decisions or even sock color choices. And most of all: Relax. It is not a time to initiate, but to sit back and appreciate what is good about my advice and your life.
Gare Galbraith
"Reading the Stars with My Feet on the Ground"
Thanks, Gare!
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
WHITE MAN SPEAKS WITH FORKED TONGUE.
WHITE MAN DISPOSES OF GARBAGE WITH A FORKED TONGUE.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT MAN SPEAKS WITH FORKED TONGUE.
CORPORATIONS SPEAK WITH FORKED TONGUE.
GET RID OF THIS WANKER!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Rainy day.
Pen Letter To Parkland Students
Obamas
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama sent a handwritten letter earlier this month to the survivors of the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., saying they have been "inspired by the resilience, resolve and solidarity" shown by the students in the wake of the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
"Not only have you supported and comforted each other, but you've helped awaken the conscience of the nation," the Obamas wrote in the letter, dated March 10 and published Wednesday by Mic.com.
The former first family applauded the student activists, who have been vocal in their opposition to the National Rifle Association and lawmakers supported by the powerful gun lobby - as part of what has been dubbed the #NeverAgain movement.
"Throughout our history, young people like you have led the way in making America better," the Obamas wrote. "There may be setbacks; you may sometimes feel like progress is too slow in coming. But we have no doubt you are going to make an enormous difference in the days and years to come, and we will be there for you."
Obamas
State-Run TV
"Propaganda Machine"
CNN president Jeff Zucker lashed out at competitor Fox News at an industry conference Thursday afternoon, saying that the network "is really state-run TV. It is a pure propaganda machine, and I think does incredible disservice to this country."
He said Fox News has changed substantially in the last two years, following the departure of late founder Roger Ailes. He described the change at the network as "shocking."
"There are a handful of good journalists there, but I think they are lost in what is a complete propaganda machine," said Zucker, who claimed Fox News "has nothing on" the Russian government-run TASS Russian News Agency.
Zucker added: "The idea that it's a news channel, I think, is really not the case at all."
"This is the heyday of cable news, there's no question," Zucker said at the Financial Times Future of News conference. "All the cable news channels are doing incredibly well as different forms of TV decline. Those that have live sports and news have thrived. There's no question: Live news and cable is probably one of the only genres that's grown. Everybody's doing well, including Fox News."
"Propaganda Machine"
Acquires The Weather Channel
Byron Allen
Byron Allen continues to expand his Entertainment Studios media holdings with the purchase of The Weather Channel basic cable TV network. Through his company Allen Media, Allen has acquired the Weather Group, parent company of The Weather Channel TV network and Local Now streaming service, from The Blackstone Group, Bain Capital and Comcast/NBCUniversal.
No dollar figure has been revealed, but according to sources the purchase price was around $300 million.
Allen, a comedian-turned-entrepreneur, has been growing his Entertainment Studios, which became the largest independent producer of first-run syndicated programming. In 2009, Allen launched six 24-hour HD television networks: Pets.TV, Comedy.TV, Recipe.TV, Cars.TV, ES.TV, and MyDestination.TV.
In the past few years he has also emerged as an indie film producer and distributor acquiring Freestyle Releasing in 2015. His recently movie successes include 47 Meters Down and Scott Cooper's Hostiles, and his 2018 pics via Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures include Toronto Film Festival buys Chappaquiddick and Replicas.
With the acquisition of The Weather Channel and Local Now, Allen now expands into live and local cable news. The Entertainment Studios divisions now include broadcast television syndication, production, and distribution of more than 41 programs; eight 24/7 cable television networks; theatrical motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; digital movie acquisition and distribution; and global news publishing - making Entertainment Studios one of the largest privately held media companies in the world.
Byron Allen
Sues To Play LA Arena
Ozzy
Ozzy Osbourne has sued to stop a requirement to play the Staples Center in Los Angeles which he said was imposed by its owner as a condition to book London's lucrative 02 Arena.
The British-born metal legend filed a class-action suit this week in his adopted home of Los Angeles, meaning he hopes a judge will allow other artists to join him in the case.
In the lawsuit, Osbourne said that the AEG entertainment company which owns both venues told him that artists on global tours had to play the Staples Center if they perform at The O2 Arena, a 20,000-capacity venue on the River Thames that opened in 2007.
By contrast, Osbourne said the Staples Center had a credible rival in Los Angeles in The Forum, an arena renovated several years ago by the owners of Madison Square Garden in New York.
The lawsuit asks for a court to block the "blatant anticompetitive conduct" of AEG and does not seek financial compensation other than lawyers' fees.
Ozzy
Hit Record High In 2017
Global Carbon Emissions
Global energy-related carbon emissions rose to a historic high of 32.5 gigatons last year, after three years of being flat, due to higher energy demand and the slowing of energy efficiency improvements, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
Global energy demand rose by 2.1 percent last year to 14,050 million tonnes of oil equivalent, more than twice the previous year's rate, boosted by strong economic growth, according to preliminary estimates from the IEA.
Energy demand rose by 0.9 percent in 2016 and 0.9 percent on average over the previous five years.
Over 70 percent of global energy demand growth was met by oil, natural gas and coal, while renewables accounted for almost all of the rest, the IEA said in a report.
Carbon dioxide emissions are the primary cause of global average temperature rise, which countries are seeking to curb to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change.
Global Carbon Emissions
Larger Than Feared
"Great Pacific Garbage Patch"
The vast dump of plastic waste swirling in the Pacific ocean is now bigger than France, Germany and Spain combined -- far larger than previously feared -- and is growing rapidly, a study published Thursday warned.
Researchers based in the Netherlands used a fleet of boats and aircraft to scan the immense accumulation of bottles, containers, fishing nets and microparticles known as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" (GPGP) and found an astonishing build-up of plastic waste.
That's around the weight of 500 jumbo jets, and up to sixteen times greater than the plastic mass uncovered there in previous studies.
But what really shocked the team was the amount of plastic pieces that have built up on the marine gyre between Hawaii and California in recent years.
They found that the dump now contains around 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, posing a dual threat to marine life.
"Great Pacific Garbage Patch"
Italy On $15,000 A Day
Pruitt
Details about Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's travel expenses have been revealed, and things are looking pretty pricey for taxpayers.
The EPA chief, who frequently uses business-class and first-class travel, has spent a considerable amount of money on trips since he began working in the Trump administration, according to documents obtained by the advocacy group Environmental Integrity Project under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Daily Beast and The Washington Post also obtained a letter and documents detailing travel expenses that the EPA sent to the House Oversight Committee investigating government travel.
The headlines alone paint a grim picture: The Daily Beast reported that Pruitt has spent $105,000 on first class flights since taking on his EPA role. The Associated Press pointed out that his trip to Italy last summer cost more than $120,000 in taxpayer money. The trip, which occurred from June 5-12, included a meeting of G-7 ministers and a private tour of the Vatican. Pruitt's security detail during the trip cost more than $30,000, The Washington Post noted.
The EPA told the AP the security precautions during Pruitt's Italy trip were consistent with those of previous administrators. When it comes to Pruitt's habitual use of first- and business-class air travel, the EPA has said he does so as a security precaution. The administrator is regularly confronted by angry members of the public while traveling, Politico reported in February.
Pruitt
Medical Marijuana Research
PA
Pennsylvania officials on Thursday outlined the process that medical schools can use to apply for state permission to conduct medical marijuana research.
Pennsylvania is the first among the states that have legalized medical marijuana to make medical marijuana research part of the law. Historically, marijuana has not been well-studied in the United States, due to its federal status as a Schedule 1 drug with no medical benefit.
Now, Pennsylvania is about to begin accepting applications from medical schools that want to conduct such research. At least one, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medince, has said it does. The state will allow up to eight medical schools, which are each associated with a hospital and typically have a strong focus on research, to conduct research on medical marijuana.
Technically, the Schedule 1 status outlaws most medical marijuana research as well as medical marijuana itself, including in the 29 states which have legalized it. But with public support for medical marijuana soaring among Americans, officials have chosen not to enforce the ban as it pertains to medical marijuana.
Each Pennsylvania medical school doing the research will work in tandem with a separate entity that will grow the marijuana for study use and dispense it to patients in the study. Those entities also require state approval, with the state soon beginning that application and approval process.
PA
Top 20
Global Concert Tours
The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
1. Bruno Mars; $4,557,133; $102.78.
2. "Springsteen On Broadway"; $2,339,478; $508.02.
3. Guns N' Roses; $1,760,640; $138.63.
4. Lady Gaga; $1,636,816; $107.08.
5. Dead & Company; $1,586,940; $107.75.
6. Jay-Z; $1,536,251; $103.37.
7. Kendrick Lamar; $1,489,005; $88.86.
8. Queen + Adam Lambert; $1,430,667; $107.96.
9. Blake Shelton; $997,285; $78.17.
10. Timbiriche; $923,021; $67.80.
11. The Killers; $899,157; $69.81.
12. André Rieu; $839,834; $101.34.
13. Imagine Dragons; $800,936; $61.82.
14. Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $790,283; $57.14.
15. Ozuna ; $654,009; $73.33.
16. Janet Jackson; $645,892; $77.91.
17. Queens Of The Stone Age; $536,672; $53.29.
18. "Soy Luna Live"; $497,955; $67.88.
19. Jerry Seinfeld; $459,561; $98.07.
20. Avenged Sevenfold; $449,721; $50.63.
Global Concert Tours
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