Brian D Earp: The Unbearable Asymmetry of Bullshit (Quillet)
There is a veritable truckload of bullshit in science. When I say bullshit, I mean arguments, data, publications, or even the official policies of scientific organizations that give every impression of being perfectly reasonable - of being well-supported by the highest quality of evidence, and so forth - but which don't hold up when you scrutinize the details. Bullshit has the veneer of truth-like plausibility. It looks good. It sounds right. But when you get right down to it, it stinks.
CARA GIAIMO: THE SURPRISINGLY STICKY TALE OF THE HADZA AND THE HONEYGUIDE BIRD (Atlas Obscura)
… beehives, located high up in thick-trunked baobabs and guarded fiercely by their stinging occupants, are hard to get at, and even harder to find. Enter the greater honeyguide, an unassuming black and white bird about the size of a robin. Greater honeyguides, a distinct species within the honeyguide family, love grubs and beeswax, and are great at locating hives. This is a boon for the Hadza, who, according to some estimates, get about 15 percent of their calories from honey.
Ron Charles: No way to treat an author: How Harper Lee lost control of her legacy. (Washington Post)
Scholars, working in public, are equipped to preserve and evaluate an artist's work. If Lee's manuscript for "Go Set a Watchman" had been published in a scholarly edition along with the rest of her papers, it would have expanded our sense of Lee as an artist, instead of muddying our sense of "To Kill a Mockingbird" as a novel. But, of course, it would have sold far, far fewer copies.
This American actor, singer, dancer and musician was also a prolific voiceover artist who provided the voice of Meadowlark Lemon in the animated TV series 'The Harlem Globetrotters' as well as the title character in Hong Kong Phooey. What is his name?
Benjamin Sherman "Scatman" Crothers (May 23, 1910 - November 22, 1986) was an American actor, singer, dancer and musician known for his work as Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show Chico and the Man, and as Dick Hallorann in the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining in 1980. He was also a prolific voiceover artist, and provided the voices of Meadowlark Lemon in the animated TV version of The Harlem Globetrotters, Jazz theAutobot in The Transformers, the title character in Hong Kong Phooey, and Scat Cat in the 1970 animated Disney film The Aristocats.
Source
Alan J was first and correct with:
Scatman Crothers.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, wrote:
Scatman Crothers
Joe S answered:
Well I'll be dipped, Scatman Crothers, I never would have guessed.
Lois Of The Latrine replied:
While researching today's trivia question, I was reminded that "Scat" is a synonym for shit. In addition, it refers to a type of "singing" that is also shit. Scatman Carothers was probably named for the singing. Poo-man is another guy entirely. I'm not totally sure who the guy with the chicken on his hook-hand is, but he came up in my "Scatman Search", so, there ya are! I learn SO much from this feature!
Randall took the day off.
Deborah took the day off.
Dale of Diamond Springs, Norcali is off celebrating another spin around the sun.
mj took the day off.
Sally has retired, but still pays attention.
BttbBob has returned to semi-retired status.
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Patriot Act NSA Spying Unconstitutional Section 215 National Security Letters Must End
My name is Marc Perkel and I have decided to announce that I will not comply with the so called "Patriot Act" laws requiring me to disclose information about my customers. If I receive a national security letter I will immediately photograph it, post it online everywhere I can, and then make a video of me burning it. I will then await my arrest. If you want to put me in jail then come get me mother fucker.
CBS opens the night with a FRESH'Supergirl', followed by a FRESH'Scorpion', then a FRESH'NCIS: The Expendable One'.
Scheduled on a FRESHStephen Colbert are Casey Affleck, Richard Dreyfuss, and Mavis Staples.
Scheduled on a FRESHJames Corden, OBE, are "Dr." Phil McGraw, Shad Moss, Cristin Milioti, and Awolnation.
NBC begins the night with a FRESH'Superstore', followed by a FRESH'Telenovela', then a FRESH'The Biggest Loser'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are Hugh Jackman, Taron Egerton, Audra McDonald, and Hall & Oates.
Scheduled on a FRESHSeth Meyers are Anthony Mackie, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Neal Brennan.
Scheduled on a FRESHCarson 'The Scab' Daly are Jay & Mark Duplass, Wolf Alice, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Robert Eggers.
ABC starts the night with a FRESH'The Bachelor', followed by a FRESH'Castle'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Aaron Paul, Rachel Bloom, and Mash-up Monday with KCee-Lo & The Sunshine Band (Cee-Lo and KC and the Sunshine Band).
The CW offers a FRESH'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend', followed by a FRESH'Jane The Virgin'.
Faux has the SERIES FINALE'The X-Files', followed by a FRESH'Lucifer'.
MY has 'TMZ (Not So) Live', followed by 'Hollywood Today (Not So) Live'.
A&E has 'The First 48', followed by the movie 'Gladiator'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park', 'Better Call Saul', followed by a FRESH'Better Call Saul'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 12-Jungle Swamp (Part 1)
[7:00AM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 13-Castaway (Part 2)
[8:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES US - SEASON 6 - EPISODE 15-Amy's Baking Company
[9:00AM] RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES US - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 11-Cafe 36
[10:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - SEASON 4 - EPISODE 12-The Stolen Earth-Part 1.
[11:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - SEASON 4 - EPISODE 13-Journey's End-Part 2
[12:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 17-Sins of the Father
[1:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 18-Allegiance
[2:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 19-Captain's Holiday
[3:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 20-Tin Man
[4:00PM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 6-Romania
[5:00PM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 7-Turkey
[6:00PM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 8-Belize
[7:00PM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 9-Dominican Republic
[8:00PM] MAN VS. WILD - SEASON 3 - EPISODE 10-Oregon
[9:00PM] TOP GEAR: RACES - SEASON 1 - Episode 6
[10:00PM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 18 - Episode 8
[11:00PM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 18 - Episode 15
[12:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 16 - Episode 12
[1:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 16 - Episode 10
[2:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 16 - Episode 8
[3:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 14 - Episode 16
[4:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 14 - Episode 13
[5:00AM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 17 - Episode 6 (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'Vanderpump Rules', followed by a FRESH'Vanderpump Rules Social', then a FRESH'Vanderpump Rules', followed by another FRESH'Vanderpump Rules'.
Comedy Central has 'Archer', another 'Archer', and 3 hours of old 'South Park'.
Scheduled on a FRESHThe Daily Show is Sen. Cory Booker.
Scheduled on a FRESHThe Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore is Jose Antonio Vargas.
Scheduled on a FRESH@Midnight are Paul Rust, Gillian Jacobs, and Claudia O'Doherty.
FX has the movie 'R.I.P.D.', followed by the movie 'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'.
History has 'Swamp People', followed by a FRESH'Swamp People: Blood & Gut', then a FRESH'Swamp People', followed by a FRESH'Billion Dollar Wreck'.
IFC -
[6:00AM] COMMANDO
[8:00AM] STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT
[10:30AM] THE X-FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE
[1:15PM] THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
[3:45PM] PITCH BLACK
[6:00PM] PORTLANDIA-Shville
[6:30PM] THAT '70S SHOW-That '70s Musical
[7:00PM] THAT '70S SHOW-It's All Over Now
[7:30PM] THAT '70S SHOW-Good Company
[8:00PM] THAT '70S SHOW-Son & Daughter
[8:30PM] THAT '70S SHOW-The Pilot
[9:00PM] THAT '70S SHOW-That Disco Episode
[9:30PM] THAT '70S SHOW-Punk Chick
[10:00PM] THAT '70S SHOW-Fez Gets the Girl
[10:30PM] THAT '70S SHOW-Radio Daze
[11:00PM] THAT '70S SHOW-Backstage Pass
[11:30PM] THAT '70S SHOW-That '70s Musical
[12:00AM] THAT '70S SHOW-It's All Over Now
[12:30AM] THAT '70S SHOW-Good Company
[1:00AM] THAT '70S SHOW-Son & Daughter
[1:30AM] THAT '70S SHOW-The Pilot
[2:00AM] THAT '70S SHOW-That Disco Episode
[2:30AM] THAT '70S SHOW-Punk Chick
[3:00AM] THAT '70S SHOW-Fez Gets the Girl
[3:30AM] PITCH BLACK
[5:45AM] COMEDY BANG! BANG!-Simon Helberg (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:00AM] The Writers' Room-Game of Thrones
[6:30AM] The Karate Kid Part III
[9:00AM] The Karate Kid Part II
[11:30AM] The Karate Kid
[2:30PM] The Karate Kid Part II
[5:00PM] Sixteen Candles
[7:00PM] The Goonies
[9:30PM] National Lampoon's Vacation
[11:30PM] The Goonies
[2:00AM] Stripes
[4:30AM] Scent of a Woman (ALL TIMES EST)
SyFy has the movie 'The Conjuring', followed by a FRESH'The Magicians', then a FRESH'Lost Girl'.
US actor Samuel L. Jackson smiles as he attends a press conference on 'Kong: Skull Island' movie in Hanoi, Vietnam 21 February 2016. The movie will be filmed in various locations in Vietnam during five weeks. The movie has a budget of 190 million US dollars, according media reports.
Photo by Luong Thai Linh
In one of the most exhaustive and damning reports on diversity in Hollywood, a new study finds that the films and television produced by major media companies are "whitewashed," and that an "epidemic of invisibility" runs top to bottom through the industry for women, minorities and LGBT people.
A study to be released Monday by the Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism offers one of the most wide-ranging examinations of the film and television industries, including a pointed "inclusivity index" of 10 major media companies - from Disney to Netflix - that gives a failing grade to every movie studio and most TV makers.
Coming just days before an Academy Awards where a second straight year of all-white acting nominees has enflamed an industry-wide crisis, the report offers a new barrage of sobering statistics that further evidence a deep discrepancy between Hollywood and the American population it entertains, in gender, race and ethnicity.
The study, titled the Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity, examined the 109 films released by major studios (including art-house divisions) in 2014 and 305 scripted, first-run TV and digital series across 31 networks and streaming services that aired from September 2014 to August 2015. More than 11,000 speaking characters were analyzed for gender, racial and ethnic representation and LGBT status. Some 10,000 directors, writers and show creators were examined, as was the gender of more than 1,500 executives.
The portrait is one of pervasive underrepresentation, no matter the media platform, from CEOs to minor characters. "Overall, the landscape of media content is still largely whitewashed," the study concludes.
Actress Kaley Cuoco attends the 200th Episode Celebration of "The Big Bang Theory" held at Vibiana on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Los Angeles.
Photo by Richard Shotwell
Speaking via Skype from Russia, Edward Snowden told an audience of supporters in New Hampshire on Saturday that he is willing to be extradited to the United States if the federal government would guarantee he would get a fair trial.
Snowden spoke Saturday at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, heavily attended by libertarians. WMUR reported that forum organizers did not allow the media to video record his remarks.
"I've told the government I would return if they would guarantee a fair trial where I can make a public interest defense of why this was done and allow a jury to decide," Snowden told his audience.
Saturday, Snowden said that while some of his former colleagues at the NSA and the Central Intelligence Agency were sympathetic to his beliefs concerning individual privacy and freedom, others said "the Constitution doesn't really matter."
Great bands are often motivated to reconcile when inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not so with Deep Purple.
The influential English hard rock band has stated unambiguously that its classic lineup will never reunite -- either at the Hall of Fame ceremony on April 8 in New York, or in the future.
The announcement in December of Deep Purple's induction had raised fans' hopes for a reunion with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore -- whose heavy blues riff on "Smoke on the Water" is among the most famous openings in rock.
Blackmore, who left the band in 1993, said he was "honored" by the induction and had been considering an appearance but was told that the current Deep Purple did not want him.
"Therefore Ritchie will not be attending the ceremony. He sincerely thanks all the fans that voted for him for their support," said a message Friday on his Facebook page.
Boy George of Culture Club performs on stage at the iHeart80s Party held at The Forum on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Inglewood, Calif.
Photo by John Salangsang
The moment he laid eyes on the geckos - creatures with remarkable green eyes and zebralike stripes speckled with yellow - Jian-Huan Yang knew they were special.
The conservation officer at the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in Hong Kong had discovered two new gecko species in China. He knew his glee would be felt by others, though for different reasons - some nefarious. Recently, commercial collectors have been using reports of such new species in scientific journals as tools to track down the newbies so they can sell them for a profit on the exotic pet trade market.
So, Yang kept the geckos' location a secret, even when he co-wrote a study describing the two newfound species.
"We do not disclose the collecting localities of these restricted-range species in this publication," Yang wrote in the 2015 study, published in the journal Zootaxa. He explained that geckos are popular novelty pets, and scientific papers like his were helping commercial collectors drive them to near extinction.
"Shortly after, some collectors began collecting these geckos for sales using the location information in my papers," Yang told Live Science in an email. "It has been saddening to see a constant supply of wild-caught individuals of both species are now available on the pet trade and even traded overseas to the United States and Europe."
The leader of a group that successfully sued Kentucky to get tax incentives for a Noah's Ark-themed attraction said on Saturday that the religious organization may hire individuals who do not completely share his religious beliefs.
Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, said during a tour of the 510-foot (155 meters) boat that officials are still working on the employment criteria for its Ark Encounter attraction located in the northern Kentucky city of Williamstown.
Answers in Genesis employees must sign a faith statement that includes believing in creationism, a requirement that led state officials to pull an $18 million offer in tax incentives in December 2014 and prompted a court battle.
Ark Encounter on the other hand will have a separate statement of faith that may not have the same religious requirement, Ham said.
Last month, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction saying the group could hire based on religious practices and receive incentives. The state has said it will not appeal.
Co-creator Chuck Lorre attends the 200th Episode Celebration of "The Big Bang Theory" held at Vibiana on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Los Angeles.
Photo by Richard Shotwell
The global transfer of major arms has risen in recent years, with the United States increasing its dominance of the trade while the flow of weaponry to Africa, Asia and the Middle East has increased, a new study published Monday showed.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, the volume of international transfers of major weapons -- including sales and donations -- was 14 percent higher in 2011-2015 than over the five previous years, with the US and Russia doing most of the exporting.
The biggest importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The biggest chunk of US major arms, 41 percent, went into Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East.
The overall transfer of arms has been upwards this century after a relative drop in the previous 20 years.
A Senate committee is moving forward on legislation that would prevent states from requiring labels on genetically modified foods.
Vermont is set to require such labels this summer. Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Cha-Ching) of Kansas released draft legislation late Friday that would block that law and create new voluntary labels for companies that want to use them on food packages that contain genetically modified ingredients. The Senate panel is scheduled to vote on the bill Thursday.
The bill is similar to legislation the House passed last year. The food industry has argued that GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are safe and a patchwork of state laws isn't practical. Labeling advocates have been fighting state-by-state to enact the labeling, with the eventual goal of a national standard.
Senators have said they want to find a compromise on the labeling issue before Vermont's law kicks in. But negotiations broke down between the food industry and labeling advocates.
People gather around a huge Thangka, a religious silk embroidery or painting displaying a Buddha portrait, during The Buddha Unveiling Festival at Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, February 20, 2016.
Caitlyn Jenner told an audience of students at the University of Pennsylvania that it is more difficult being Republican than transgender in Hollywood.
"I have gotten more flak for being a conservative Republican than I have for being trans," Jenner said to a student who asked why the Olympian is not a Democrat.
Vanity Fair reporter Buzz Bissinger who penned the publication's interview with Jenner and was in attendance interjected, "Just because you change gender doesn't mean you change your core beliefs."
When the 66-year-old appeared on the "Ellen Degeneres Show," Degeneres brought up the issue of same-sex marriage.
"Gay marriage. … I'm a traditionalist. I'm older than most people in the audience. I kind of like tradition, and it's always been a man and a woman. I'm thinking, 'I don't quite get it,'" Jenner told Degeneres.
Models present creations from Andres Sarda's Fall/Winter 2016 collection during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Madrid, Spain, February 21, 2016.
Photo by Susana Vera
Marvel's R-rated antihero smash "Deadpool" continued to dominate movie theaters over the weekend, earning an estimated $55 million and trouncing a trio of newcomers.
After pulling in a massive $152.2 million in its President's Day weekend four-day debut, the comic book adaptation from 20th Century Fox starring Ryan Reynolds as a foul-mouthed mercenary again topped the North American box office. Having already grossed $235.4 million domestically, "Deadpool" - made for just $58 million - is poised to become one of the most successful R-rated movies ever.
Among new releases, the faith-based drama "Risen" debuted with $11.8 million. The film, in which Joseph Fiennes plays a Roman soldier investigating the death and resurrection of Jesus, was made for about $20 million by Sony's Affirm label, which targets evangelical Christian moviegoers.
A24's critically acclaimed Puritan thriller "The Witch" opened with $8.7 million, marking the biggest opening of the indie label behind the Oscar-nominated drama "Room." A24 celebrated Robert Eggers' directorial debut - an austere 1600s horror film, rigorously authentic to the period - as not only the company's biggest weekend in its three-year history, but one that put "The Witch" on course to be "the most successful film of all time with a goat in a starring role."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Deadpool," $55 million ($85 million international.)
2. "Kung Fu Panda 3," $12.5 million ($7.2 million international).
3. "Risen," $11.8 million.
4. "The Witch," $8.7 million.
5. "How To Be Single," $8.2 million ($10.9 million international).
6. "Race," $7.3 million.
7. "Zoolander 2," $5.5 million ($4.8 million international).
8. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," $3.8 million ($2.6 million international).
9. "The Revenant," $3.8 million ($8.6 million international).
10. "Hail, Caesar!" $2.6 million ($5.8 million international).
In this photo taken Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, two baboons sit in their enclosure at the Hellabrunn zoo in Munich, southern Germany.
Photo by Amelie Sachs
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