from Bruce
Anecdotes
Prejudice
• African-American jazz great Duke Ellington once received a letter from a man who suggested that he go back to Africa and take his jungle music with him. Mr. Ellington wrote back and said that he was afraid he would not be accepted in Africa because his blood and the blood of other African-Americans had become so mingled with the blood of the letter writer and other white Americans. He did say, however, that he would consider going to Europe, where he and his people were accepted.
• African-American dancer/choreographer Katherine Dunham once performed in an auditorium where the white people were seated in the better seats behind the orchestra pit and the black people, including some of her friends, were seated in the balcony. After the performance, which was wildly applauded, she told the audience, “This is goodbye. I shall not appear here again until people like me can sit with people like you.”
• People with mental retardation are sometimes victims of prejudice. Louise Fish, who lives in Minnesota, became mentally retarded as a result of having meningitis as a baby. At school, other students sometimes hit her or pulled her hair, but she wouldn’t cry until she got home. Some people, including her brother Matt, stood up for her. When people made fun of Leslie, Matt would explain why she was different.
Problem-Solving
• Anna Russell was a famous singer of parodies of opera arias. During one of her early tours, she reached a low point during a lumbermen’s stag night at a hotel in Chicago. The featured performers of the evening were strippers, so when Ms. Russell appeared, the lumbermen began to yell, “Take it off!” However, being a comedian, Ms. Russell responded, “I shall not take it off. I shall put it on!” Then she went from table to table, grabbing tablecloths and wrapping them around her body, and strewing broken glass behind her. She managed to leave the scene with her honor intact, but because of the bill for breakage, she made no money that night.
• Bruce Lee was a master of the martial arts, but he became a master in spite of his physical limitations. One of his legs was almost one inch shorter than the other, so he developed a stance with the left foot leading. He discovered that his physical limitation gave him an advantage in certain kinds of kicks because a greater impetus came from his uneven stance. In addition, he wore contact lens because he was nearsighted and unable to see an opponent until the opponent was close. In fact, Mr. Lee began to study the martial art of wing-chun because it was ideal for up-close fighting.
• What is a polite way to stop talking to someone on the telephone? Mike Desert remembers talking to Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. After they had talked for a while, Kathleen said, “I need to run because my bath water is running.” A week later, Mike’s girlfriend of the time talked to Kathleen on the telephone, and after they had talked for a while, Kathleen made the same excuse! Mike is OK with that. Now, when he needs a polite way to stop talking to someone on the telephone, he says, “I need to run because my bath water is running.”
• Giuseppe de Stefano was a talented opera singer, but sometimes erratic when it came to showing up to perform. Once, his wife called Sir Rudolf Bing, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, to say that her husband was very ill and could not sing that evening. Sir Rudolf replied that since her husband was so ill, he ought not to stay at home, and so he would send an ambulance to pick him up and take him to the hospital. Mr. Stefano made a remarkable recovery and showed up to sing.
• At Ted Shawn’s Jacob’s Pillow, a dance retreat, was an outhouse, the inside of which was papered with covers from The New Yorker. This resulted in several visitors new to Jacob’s Pillow staying too long in the outhouse. One woman spent too much time there, so a male dancer — in great necessity — started to urinate on the side of the outhouse. The woman flew out of the outhouse, ran straight ahead, and looked neither left nor right.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Track: "Kilauea"
EP: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (HIMNOS EDUPUNK)
Artist: Los Tiki Phantoms
Artist Location: Barcelona, Spain
Record Company: Nodos Ele
Record Company Location: Sweden
Record Company: BCore
Record Company Location: Barcelona, Spain
Info:
“Kilauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. Located along the southeastern shore of the Big Island of Hawai'i, the volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and emerged above sea level about 100,000 years ago.” — Wikipedia
Price: FREE Download for three-track EP
The track is also on the Los Tiki Phantoms album REGRESAN DE LA TUMBA [THEY RETURN FROM THE GRAVE]. Price: €7 (EURO) for 12 tracks.
Genre: Horror Surf. Various.
Links:
NE02 - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (HIMNOS EDUPUNK)
REGRESAN DE LA TUMBA
BCore Disc
Los Tiki Phantoms on YouTube
Nodos Ele
Nodos Ele Blog (Spanish Language)
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
House Extension
New Venture
Michael Egan
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
Ukraine
Other Links:
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Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
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We are all only temporarily able bodied.
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In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Raccoons are back on the roof. Bowling (cough, cough).
Must See TV
Prime-Time Hearing
The congressional inquiry into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by the then-President Donald Trump's supporters enters a new phase next week, kicking off a series of public hearings with a prime-time presentation aimed at focusing attention on that day's violence.
The House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the attacks announced on Thursday that the first hearings will be held on June 9 starting at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT June 10). Additional hearings are set for June 13, 15, 16, 21 and June 23, according to media reports.
The panel has conducted more than 1,000 interviews, including many with close Trump associates and members of his family, former White House aides and some Republican lawmakers, about the riot and events leading up to it. It has collected more than 125,000 records related to what the committee has called a conspiracy to overthrow the government.
The attack forced Trump's the vice president, Mike Pence, members of Congress, visitors and staff to flee, fearing for the lives, delaying the election certification for hours.
Four people died that day, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. More than 100 police officers were injured, one dying the next day. Four officers later committed suicide. The Capitol sustained millions of dollars in damage.
Prime-Time Hearing
Berklee College of Music
Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr finally made it to Boston on Thursday to receive his honorary degree from the Berklee College of Music.
The school originally announced that the Beatles drummer would receive a doctorate in music at commencement ceremonies in May, but Starr was unable to attend then and instead addressed the graduating class in a recorded statement.
But with Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band in town for a show, the school held a special ceremony Thursday to honor his lifelong contributions to the music scene that featured performances of Starr’s hit songs, arranged and performed by Berklee students.
Starr, 81, told the story of how he picked up drumming when he was 13 and very ill and someone brought some percussion instruments to the hospital to keep him busy. He was hooked.
“I just wanted to be a drummer from that moment on,” he said at Thursday’s ceremony. “It was my big dream and it’s still unfolding. I get to play with great guys, like the band here. It’s just a great life I lead.”
Ringo Starr
‘You’re Not Paying Attention'
Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter proved her superhero powers in real life after using social media to shut down a homophobic user claiming Wonder Woman “is not for gays.” Carter starred as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman for three seasons of the eponymous superhero TV series, which aired on ABC and CBS between 1976 and 1979. The actor marked the start of Pride Month by sharing fan art of Wonder Woman in front of rainbow colors and writing, “Happy Pride! So excited to celebrate with all my LGBTQIA+ friends and fans.”
“Wonder Woman IS NOT A SUPER HERO FOR GAYS,” one Twitter user wrote to Carter, who fired back with the following statement: “You’re right. She’s a superhero for bisexuals!”
“I didn’t write Wonder Woman, but if you want to argue that she is somehow not a queer or trans icon, then you’re not paying attention,” Carter later explained. “Every time someone comes up to me and says that Wonder Woman helped them while they were closeted, it reminds me how special the role is.”
The user continued to express outrage over Carter’s comments, writing to the actor on Twitter, “Why did you use Wonder Woman to promote gays, lesbians [and bisexuals?] My whole life you were my hero! What a disappointment you are!”
Carter later posted a photo of herself holding up a fist and wrote: “Love seeing all the love from LGBTQ+ fans today! Now here’s one I call the ‘ready to fight your homophobic relatives.'”
Lynda Carter
Bans Confederate Flag Imagery
CMA Fest
The CMA Fest is prohibiting any Confederate flag imagery at its four-day festival, following similar bans at other country music festivals.
In a statement provided to The Tennessean, the Country Music Association said the decision to enact the policy this year was based on the personal safety of fans and to prevent discrimination.
After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual festival that began in 1972 returns to Nashville, Tennessee, starting June 9. The festival regularly attracts about 50,000 country music fans.
Country star Maren Morris has urged other country singers to call on festivals and shows to ban the flag. Luke Combs has also apologized for previously appearing with the Confederate flag, saying there was no excuse.
CMA Fest
White House Kicks Off Pride Month
Nancy Reagan
Ronald Reagan and his administration were infamously indifferent to AIDS. The virus was ravaging the LGBTQ community for years before the conservative icon cared to address it. His administration recommended cutting AIDS spending in the mid-’80s, after thousands had already died. Reagan’s press secretary was caught on tape a few years earlier joking with the media about what they called the “gay plague.” First Lady Nancy Reagan was there for all of it.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the family isn’t very popular within the LGBTQ community — which didn’t stop the White House from announcing on Wednesday, the first day of Pride month, that it will be honoring Nancy Reagan with a stamp unveiling ceremony next week. First Lady Jill Biden will be there. So will Louis DeJoy, the scandal-ridden postmaster general appointed by former President Trump.
The Reagans were very much a team over the course of the eight years they were in the White House, and though Nancy may have been more attuned to the severity of AIDS than her husband, Ronald’s failure to take it seriously — he didn’t give a speech on the crisis until it had already killed tens of thousands of Americans — falls on the first lady, as well. Nancy also abandoned her longtime friend Rock Hudson as he was seeking treatment for the virus. Hudson’s publicist sent a plea to the White House asking for help getting the dying actor into a hospital that could treat him. Nancy turned down the request.
Establishment Democrats venerating the Reagans is nothing new. Hillary Clinton apologized in 2016 after saying that they, and in particular Nancy, helped “start a national conversation” about AIDS, and that her “low-key advocacy” spurred action. Clinton walked back her comments hours later. “While the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS,” she wrote in a statement. “For that, I am sorry.”
Nancy Reagan
4 Years
Avenatti
Michael Avenatti was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for stealing book proceeds from Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who catapulted him to fame as he represented her in courtrooms and cable news programs during her legal battles with then-President Donald Trump.
The California lawyer, currently incarcerated, learned his fate in Manhattan federal court, where Judge Jesse M. Furman said the sentence will mean that Avenatti will spend another 2 1/2 years in prison on top of the 2 1/2 years he is already serving after another fraud conviction.
The judge said Avenatti’s crime against Daniels was made “out of desperation” when his law firm was struggling. He called Avenatti’s behavior “craven and egregious” and blamed it on “blind ambition.” He also required Avenatti to pay $148,000 in restitution and forfeit the roughly $297,000 that prosecutors say he stole from Daniels.
The judge said he believed the sentence “will send a message to lawyers” that, if they go astray, they will lose their profession and their liberty.
Avenatti
Base Change Process Flawed
Space Command
The U.S. Air Force abruptly changed its procedures to select a permanent headquarters for the U.S. Space Command during the election year of 2020, which led to it choosing heavily Republican Alabama over Democrat-dominated Colorado after a White House meeting, according to a report from the General Accounting Office that was made public Thursday.
Colorado lawmakers had requested the review from the congressional investigative arm after the Trump previous administration, in the waning days of the former president’s term, moved the agency from its provisional headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
During his re-election campaign, the then-President Donald Trump at a Colorado rally seemed to promise the operation would remain in the state, but the outcome was different after he lost Colorado by 13 percentage points to Joe Biden in November 2020.
The General Accounting Office found that in March of 2020 — the month after Trump the loser’s Colorado rally — the Air Force changed its procedure on selecting a permanent location for the headquarters of Space Command, which enables satellite-based navigation and troop communication and provides warning of missile launches.
But in selecting the base’s move to Alabama, the decision went against the recommendations of the U.S. Space Command Combatant Commander, the U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations and the former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They had recommended that the operation remain in Colorado.
Space Command
Getting Ominously Greener
Alps
A team of researchers studying satellite images of the Alps made a concerning find: Since 1984, most of the high-elevation parts of European mountain range have seen an increase in vegetation. While that might not sound particularly troublesome, this “greening” is likely due to global warming and may be facilitating a feedback loop that is also reducing snow cover.
“When snow and ice recedes, vegetation develops, and that’s what we call greening,” Antoine Guisan, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Lausanne, told me by phone. Guisan is co-author of a paper about the research, which is published in the journal Science this week. Sabine Rumpf, assistant professor at the University of Basel, led the study.
The team collected satellite images taken of the Alps from 1984 to 2021, giving them a comprehensive look at how vegetation and snow cover changed over four decades. They specifically studied elevations above 1,700 meters (5,580 feet)—this elevation marks the tree line. “Human influence gets increasingly potent below this elevation,” Guisan said, so excluding areas below the tree line helped them zero in on what changes might be due to climate factors.
Rumpf, Guisan, and their colleagues found that significant greening occurred across 77% of the high-elevation Alps. They analyzed the satellite images pixel by pixel in order to get an idea of how vegetation and snow cover were changing. Guisan explained: “For the millions of pixels we had for the Alps, we ran an analysis per pixel, and this analysis could show either an increase, no trend, or a decrease.”
While extra plants don’t sound so bad, the greening of the Alps could have some serious human consequences. Vegetation reflects less light than snow, which means that it absorbs more heat, contributing to additional warming. That could cause a snowpack-loss feedback loop: More greening could lead to more snowpack loss, which could lead to more greening. Annual melting of mountain snowpack is an important source of water for communities around the Alps.
Alps
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