Recommended Reading
from Bruce
William Saletan: What Michael Wolff Got Right (Slate)
The unifying theory that Donald Trump never actually wanted to win.
Josh Marshall: Is President Trump Mentally Ill? It Doesn't Matter (TPM)
The entire debate over whether Trump is "mentally ill" is simply a diversion, premised on the idea that we need either permission or dictation to say he is not able to safely or competently fulfill the job of President. We don't. The observed behavior is really all that is necessary and all that matters. It's very clear.
Henry Rollins: Florida (henryrollins.com)
Those high on what they call the "blue wave" they anticipate bringing in decisive numbers Democrats to both houses should put away their surf boards, not oversell their unproven position, and get to work. Walking ten miles with a car balanced on your head would be easier than flipping either House, let alone both.
Peter Bradshaw: Golden Globes 2018: who will win - and who should win - the film categories (The Guardian)
Big-screen contenders include Jordan Peele's thriller Get Out, Guillermo del Toro's romance The Shape of Water and Greta Gerwig's comedy Lady Bird.
Stuart Heritage: Truly, Game of Thrones fans, the wait for season eight will make it sweeter (The Guardian)
Of course I am desperate to know what happens next. But in an age of instant gratification, we've forgotten the joys of anticipation.
Lorde's artistic right to cancel gig in Tel Aviv (The Guardian)
More than a hundred well-known writers, actors, directors and musicians pledge their support for the singer Lorde, who has decided not to perform in Israel.
Amy Nicholson: Maybe we should all be movie stars. (Slate)
Should Get Out really win an Oscar? I like it a lot, but I mostly like it for the promise of what Jordan Peele is going to do next. Get Out feels like a fantastic first film, which is exactly what it is. I won't be mad if it wins an Oscar, but I'm fascinated by the urgency that it should, that a film can't just be a great little horror film without a statuette. Or the way that people this summer were insistent that Wonder Woman get a Best Picture nomination. Wonder Woman is solid. I'm thrilled it made money. But really?
Andrew Kahn: The Last Jedi Isn't for the Fans (Slate)
It's about fandom and how it leads even Star Wars characters astray.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Reader Comment
Current Events
Predator's "work schedule"
Janet shared the link for the laziest man in the world. "Executive time" is code for not doing shit. Working 11 to 4 or 5? that's a part-time job!
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
JD took the day off.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
The skunk has moved on.
CBS Renews
'Young Sheldon'
CBS has renewed "Young Sheldon" for a second season.
The Eye announced Saturday that its hit freshman comedy - a spinoff prequel from its long-running successful sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" - will return for the 2018-19 broadcast season, making it the network's first official renewal for next year.
"Young Sheldon," which is executive produced by Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak, is the No. 1 new comedy in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and the No. 2 comedy in all of television, behind its predecessor "The Big Bang Theory." CBS also says the show, which airs on Thursday nights at 8:30pm, sees the best retention for any show that has followed "The Big Bang Theory," as well.
The midseason premiere of "Young Sheldon," which aired earlier this week, was up in live viewers, drawing a 2.6 in the 18-49 demo and 14.7 million viewers overall. This was a 50% increase in the demo from the winter finale and almost 30% increase in total viewers.
'Young Sheldon'
Fundraiser
Haiti
Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCaprio used the eighth annual benefit for the J/P Haitian Relief Organization to publicly praise each other's philanthropic work.
DiCaprio was the guest of honor at the $5,000-a-plate dinner Saturday night at Milk Studios, which raised nearly $4 million for Penn's Haitian Relief Organization and its nonprofit partners.
DiCaprio also supported Penn's cause by bidding $80,000 on a painting during a live auction at the gala. "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke had her eye on the same piece and ultimately outbid the Oscar winner before the artist who made the painting revealed two copies were available. Clarke and DiCaprio each got their own for $80,000 each.
Brad Pitt got in on the auction as well. He bid $60,000 on a painting, but Arnold Schwarzenegger outdid him and won with $70,000. Pitt was successful on another lot, though: an exclusive experience with the San Antonio Spurs, which he snapped up for $40,000.
Other items up for auction included a private dinner with chef Jose Andres and Anderson Cooper, which sold for $50,000, and a "Game of Thrones" viewing party with Clarke, which went for $160,000. (Pitt bid twice on that one but didn't prevail.)
Haiti
Turkey To Reopen After Revamp
'Iron Church'
The leaders of Turkey and Bulgaria are Sunday due to reopen the Bulgarian St Stephen's Church in Istanbul after seven years of restoration, in a gesture of harmony in an often turbulent relationship between the two neighbours.
The Bulgarian Orthodox church in Balat, a historic Istanbul neighbourhood on the shores of the Golden Horn traditionally home to Christians and Jews, was built in 1898 after its original wooden structure was destroyed in a fire.
Made out of cast iron, the iconic ornate building has been dubbed the "Iron Church".
For President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who hosts Bulgaria's conservative Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the ceremony will be a riposte to charges that Turkey's Islamic-rooted government does not do enough to protect the rights of Christian minorities and their heritage.
It is also seen as a sign of appeasement after a spat erupted in spring in the run-up to Bulgarian elections, and a Turkish referendum on expanding Erdogan's power.
'Iron Church'
Pulls Ad
California
California officials on Friday pulled an ad aimed at discouraging stoned driving after critics said it glorified and promoted marijuana use.
The public service announcement was rolled out as California began allowing licensed stores to sell pot to adults on Jan. 1.
The majority of the ad featured people talking about why they use marijuana.
One man says "I just like it." A woman says it helps her with her anxiety and another says "it helps me feel normal." It closed with them saying they never drive while high, and "DUI doesn't just mean booze."
The ad will be replaced with a different one produced last year that warns that smoking weed, unlike cigarettes, can result in charges for driving under the influence.
California
Your Tax Dollars At Work
Patagonia
For the second time in as many months, the House Committee on Natural Resources has taken a public swing at Patagonia. This time it's after the outdoor retailer turned down an invitation to testify before the legislative body about its opposition to the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle national monuments.
On Friday, the committee - which is chaired by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) - posted an image to Twitter that reads, "Patagonia Is Lying Hiding." The post from the official government account links to a letter Bishop sent Friday to company CEO Yvon Chouinard in which he accuses the company of "living in a bubble" and shielding itself from competing viewpoints.
"In my 15 years of congressional service I have found most people jump at the opportunity to share their views before Congress - at least those who are confident in their positions," Bishop wrote.
A fierce critic of the Trump administration's monthslong review of protected national monuments, Patagonia has joined a coalition that's suing to block the sweeping cuts that President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Crooked) made last month to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. After Trump signed a pair of proclamations to dismantle the protected Utah sites, the company updated its home page with the words "The President Stole Your Land."
In a post that closely resembled the one from Patagonia, Bishop's committee accused the outdoor retailer of lying in order to sell its merchandise. The response raised both ethical and legal questions.
Patagonia
Rare Fish
Foskett Speckled Dace
A tiny fish found only in remote waters in southern Oregon has been recommended to be removed from the federal endangered species list.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday proposed that the Foskett speckled dace to be delisted after more than a decade of work to restore the species' habitat, the Capital Press reported .
The rare fish is a member of the minnow family and grows to about 2-4 inches (5-10 centimeters) long. The fish spawn in the spring and only live a few years.
The fish are found in Foskett Spring on the west side of Coleman Lake, and another population was established at nearby Dace Spring, said Chris Allen, a biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The species was listed as threatened in 1985, and the Bureau of Land Management purchased the land surrounding the species' habitat a couple years later. The population has since reached more sustainable levels, Allen said.
Foskett Speckled Dace
Mural
Vermont
Vermont's largest city is considering making a downtown mural depicting famous people associated with Burlington and Vermont more inclusive after an activist defaced it and called the art racist.
The mural, "Everyone Loves a Parade!," by Quebec artist Pierre Hardy, is described as celebrating 400 years of Burlington and Vermont history by showing builders and leaders that contributed to the city and state. It was installed in 2012.
But activist Albert Petrarca, a member of the Off the Wall coalition, wrote in an opinion piece in the Burlington Free Press in late October that the mural "has imposed white supremacist and fake history paint on the town square," by failing to adequately represent Native Americans. He turned himself into police after spray painting on the mural's plaque in October.
The colorful mural shows historic and contemporary figures including: Samuel de Champlain, Ethan Allen - one of the founders of Vermont - and one unidentified Native American. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who got his political start as mayor of Burlington and Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy are also featured. Musicians include Trey Anastasio of the group Phish, who met at the University of Vermont, and singer-songwriter Grace Potter.
While Burlington is slightly more diverse than other areas of Vermont, one of the whitest states in the country, nearly all of the characters in the mural are white.
Vermont
500,000-Year-Old Site Found
Israel
Israeli archaeologists announced Sunday they have uncovered a rare site dating back some half a million years -- just next to a modern highway and only several metres underground.
Archaeologists envision the site at Jaljulia, northeast of Tel Aviv, as a sort of "paradise" for prehistoric hunter-gatherers, with a stream, vegetation and an abundance of animals.
They have uncovered hundreds of flint handaxes as part of the dig just next to Route 6, one of Israel's busiest highways, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.
The site is associated with homo erectus, a direct ancestor of today's humans.
The dig began at the site squeezed between Jaljulia and the highway because of construction plans for the area, which required archaeological approval beforehand, the antiquities authority said.
Israel
Weekend Box Office
'Jumanji'
Move over, "Star Wars," there are some new box office champs this weekend. "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" has topped the charts after three weekends in theaters, and newcomer "Insidious: The Last Key" opened in second, pushing "The Last Jedi" into third place.
Columbia Pictures says Sunday that the Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart-led "Jumanji" is estimated to have earned an additional $36 million this weekend, bringing its total to $244.4 million.
In second place is the horror film "Insidious: The Last Key," the fourth in the franchise, which earned $29.3 million. The Universal and Blumhouse Pictures film even outperformed the third chapter in the series. That film launched to $22.7 million in June of 2015.
"The Greatest Showman" took fourth place with $13.8 million and "Pitch Perfect 3" rounded out the top five with $10.2 million.
1."Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," $36 million ($70 million international).
2."Insidious: The Last Key," $29.3 million ($20.1 million international).
3."Star Wars: The Last Jedi," $23.6 million ($64.7 million international).
4."The Greatest Showman," $13.8 million ($24 million international).
5."Pitch Perfect 3," $10.2 million ($18.1 million international).
6."Ferdinand," $7.7 million ($23.3 million international).
7."Molly's Game," $7 million ($5.1 million international).
8."Darkest Hour," $6.4 million ($1.8 million international).
9."Coco," $5.5 million ($19.9 million international).
10."All the Money in the World," $3.6 million ($5.1 million international).
'Jumanji'
In Memory
France Gall
French singer France Gall, who shot to fame in the 1960s with a series of hits and a sexually suggestive song about lollipops written by Serge Gainsbourg, died Sunday aged 70, her spokeswoman announced.
Gall, who became a star in 1965 when she won the Eurovision song contest as a strikingly blonde and slightly awkward teenager, had been battling cancer for two years and died in a hospital west of Paris.
With her blonde bob and eyeliner she became a icon at home of the swinging sixties, while internationally she was the little-known inspiration behind the Frank Sinatra classic "My Way".
Sinatra's hit was an English adaptation of the 1968 song "Comme d'Habitude" which was written by French glam-rocker Francois about his break-up with the Parisian singer.
During the early part of her career in the 1960s and 70s she formed partnerships with some of the most famed French musicians of the era, notably Gainsbourg, but also Claude Francois and Michel Berger.
After Gall's first breakthrough at Eurovision with "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son", (Wax Doll, Rag Doll), Gainsbourg wrote her 1966 follow-up, the scandalous "Les Sucettes" (The Lollipops) which she sang with childish innocence.
As an 18-year-old, Gall said she hadn't understood that the lyrics could be interpreted as referring to oral sex and later said she would never have performed the song if she'd known.
After ending her collaboration with Gainsbourg, she began a hugely successful partnership with Michel Berger in 1974 and would go on to marry the songwriter two years later in a relationship that would be marked by tragedy.
He died of a heart attack aged 44 in 1992 and the eldest of their two children, daughter Pauline, who was born with cystic fibrosis, passed away five years later.
Gall disappeared from the public eye after Pauline's death in 1997, only to reappear in 2015 for a musical stage show featuring her numerous hits with her late husband.
Gall's death comes just a month after the demise of French rocker Johnny Hallyday who was known as the "French Elvis" over a career which spanned 1960s rock 'n' roll to the present day.
France Gall
In Memory
Ray Thomas
Ray Thomas, a founding member of British rock group The Moody Blues, has died at 76, months before the band is due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
His music label, Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records, said Thomas died suddenly Thursday at his home in Surrey, south of London.
No cause of death was given, but Thomas disclosed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Born in 1941, Thomas performed in rock and blues bands in the English Midlands city of Birmingham before founding The Moody Blues in 1964 with fellow musicians including Mike Pinder and Denny Laine.
The band's roots lay in blues and R&B, but its 1964 hit "Go Now" was a foretaste of the lush, orchestral sound that came to be called progressive rock.
The Moody Blues' 1967 album "Days of Future Passed" is a prog-rock landmark, and Thomas's flute solo on the single "Nights in White Satin" one of its defining moments.
Thomas released two solo albums after the band broke up in 1974. The Moody Blues later reformed, and Thomas remained a member before leaving around the turn of the millennium due to poor health.
The band is due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio in April.
Ray Thomas
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