Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Will Stephenson: NIGHTS OF TERROR, DAYS OF WEIRD (Oxford American)
Who was Terry Southern? Writer, faded celebrity, stoner-raconteur, and pioneer of all that was breathless, new, and weird in the '60s …
Hadley Freeman: There is nothing wrong with a C-section - so let's quit judging other mothers (The Guardian)
If you want an experience, go to Disneyland. If you want a healthy baby, do whatever works.
Clive James: 'In my condition, you have to go on throwing a double six just to stay in the game' (The Guardian)
I've been making plans for yet another in the string of springs that I never expected to see.
Mary Jane Brown, PhD, RD: How Short-Chain Fatty Acids Affect Health and Weight (Authority Nutrition)
Due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, it is likely that short-chain fatty acids have a wide range of beneficial effects on your body. One thing is for certain: looking after your friendly gut bacteria can lead to a whole host of health benefits. The best way to feed the good bacteria in your gut is to eat plenty of foods high in fermentable fiber.
Henry Rollins: I'm a Collector, Not a Hoarder (LA Weekly)
Weeks ago, in these pages, I stated I was a cat lady for vinyl. In the office where I spend long periods of time, I am surrounded by albums and singles. Slowly, they make their way to the turntable and then into protective, acid-free sleeves, to be enjoyed again before it's all over.
David Christopher Bell: 6 Ways Celebrity Sex Tapes Bring Out The Worst In People (Cracked)
By now you've probably "heard about" the Hulk Hogan sex tape which axe-bombed $140 million out of Gawker's sweaty hands. And if you haven't, then you probably "heard about" that staged sex tape Farrah Abraham made with James Deen. And if you haven't, then you probably "heard about" that scumshit "Fappening" hack of nude celebrity photos.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Marc Perkel
Patriot Act
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
WHAT ARE WE EATING?
"RADIO DIED FOR ME TODAY!"
"IF YOU DO NOT ACT IT WILL KILL YOU"!
WHAT A TURKEY!
"SACHS" OF SHIT!
THE FAILED STATE OF "BROWNBACKISTAN".
"THEY SHOULD PUT THE DOGS IN CHARGE"!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Marine layer in the morning made for a nice afternoon.
2016 Media Awards
GLAAD
The 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards winners were announced on Saturday in Los Angeles. The show was televised for the first time in nearly a decade, airing in a broadcast April 4 on Logo.
The awards recognize and honor media for their fair and accurate representations of the LGBT community and lives, according to GLAAD.
The ceremony presented Demi Lovato with the Vanguard Award, and Orange in the New Black star Ruby Rose received the Stephen F. Kolzak award, given to an LGBT media professional who has made a difference in promoting equality and acceptance. Sense8's Lilly Wachowski also made her first public appearance at the awards show since coming out as transgender last month.
Two GLAAD Media Awards will hold another ceremony in New York on May 14 at the Waldorf Astoria. Logo will air Saturday's ceremony Monday, April 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
GLAAD
NC Law Is 'Reprehensible'
Stephen Schwartz
The Latest on the response to a North Carolina law that limits anti-discrimination regulations by local governments (all times local):
Tony award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz says he is advising his licensing organizations and touring producers to deny any North Carolina theatre or organization the right to produce any of its shows in response to passage of a law that prevents specific anti-discrimination rules for LGBT people for public accommodations and restroom use.
Schwartz has written such hit musicals as "Godspell," ''Pippin" and "Wicked."
In a statement posted on www.broadwayworld.com, Schwartz called the law "reprehensible and discriminatory." He said it was important that any state that passes such a law suffer economic and cultural consequences, and he called on others to follow his lead until the law is repealed.
Stephen Schwartz
Epidemic Not Caused By Sex & Drug Lifestyle
Hep C
A new study, worked on by B.C. researchers, says baby boomers living a sex and drug lifestyle in the 1960s aren't to blame for hepatitis C infections in their demographic.
In fact, the research suggests all baby boomers should be tested for the hep C virus because widespread hospital practices predating the 1950's likely led to many accidental transmissions.
Researchers from the BC Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention back-dated 40,000 cases of hep C and discovered the peak of the infection epidemic actually occurred in 1950, not 15 years later during the height of the North American sex and drug revolution, as was previously thought.
The findings suggest an increase in medical procedures post World War II and inadequate hospital sterilization of reusable needles and syringes are the culprits.
They are consistent with research from other locations such as France, Italy, Japan and Russia which showed hep C infection rates leveled off when disposable needles and syringes became the norm.
Hep C
Protest Over BP Links
British Museum
Activists staged a demonstration inside one of London's biggest museums on Sunday in protest at its sponsorship links with energy giant BP.
A 20-strong group of activists held what they called a "disobedient exhibition" inside the British Museum in central London.
The mock exhibition was entitled "A History of BP in 10 Objects", a play on "A History of the World in 100 Objects", a recent British Museum show.
They claimed BP's support -- largely focused on special exhibitions -- represented 0.8 percent of the central London museum's annual income.
British Museum
Huge Tax Leak
Panama
A massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents on Sunday exposed the secret offshore dealings of aides to Russian president Vladimir Putin, world leaders and celebrities including Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
An investigation into the documents by more than 100 media groups, described as one of the largest such probes in history, revealed the hidden offshore dealings in the assets of around 140 political figures -- including 12 current or former heads of states.
The vast stash of records was obtained from an anonymous source by German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with media worldwide by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The investigation yielded 11.5 million documents from around 214,000 offshore entities, the ICIJ said. The leaked documents came from Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm with offices in more than 35 countries.
The leaked data from 1975 to the end of last year provides what the ICIJ described as a "never-before-seen view inside the offshore world."
Panama
Koch Suckers
George Mason University
George Mason University, a public school outside the nation's capital, has quietly become a conservative powerhouse in economics and law, a reputation built in part with tens of millions of dollars a year from billionaire Republican donor Charles Koch.
From 2011 to 2014, the Charles Koch Foundation gave nearly $48 million to George Mason in one form or another, tax records show. Though Koch divvies up more than $20 million annually among hundreds of U.S. universities through his foundation, no other school got more than $1 million annually in that period.
Although it is not unusual for billionaires - including those on the other end of the political spectrum - to donate large sums to schools, the size of the donations has raised concerns among some George Mason students and faculty about maintaining academic independence, echoing unease that has cropped up at other schools that benefit from Koch's largesse.
Other billionaires have made larger lump-sum contributions to schools, typically for a specific purpose such as a research facility. Earlier this year, Nike Inc. co-founder Phil Knight, who also supports Republican causes, announced a $400 million scholarship donation to Stanford University.
Charles Koch's representatives say the generosity comes without conditions. Supporters say the money fills a gap left by declining public support and accuse critics of targeting Koch, CEO of the petrochemical conglomerate Koch Industries Inc., because of his outspoken backing of conservative and libertarian causes.
George Mason University
Judge Bans Lawyer
Bundy Defense
A Nevada judge has refused to let a nationally known conservative lawyer join Cliven Bundy's defense team because of ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him in Washington, D.C.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro wrote in a three-page order that she didn't think Larry Klayman has been candid about the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings.
Klayman disclosed in court documents that no disciplinary action had been taken and the proceedings would likely soon be resolved in his favor, which Navarro said was "misleading and incomplete."
Klayman is the founder of Washington-based public interest groups Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch and is known for his aggressive pursuit of litigation. His work is mostly in support of a wide range of conservative and libertarian issues.
Klayman's current disciplinary proceedings stem from three separate alleged conflicts of interest in litigation involving Judicial Watch. Klayman agreed to a public censure in the disciplinary case in June 2014.
Bundy Defense
Parched Fields
Thailand
Thailand has long served as one of the globe's main rice bowls, but chronic water shortages are pushing the country to move away from a grain that dominates its fields and has defined a way of life for generations.
Thailand is one of the world's top rice exporters.
But four consecutive years of below-average rainfall have drained water reserves and strangled production, pushing many farmers into debt.
The current drought, the worst the country has seen in decades, has hit nearly a third of Thailand's 76 provinces, particularly in the rice-heavy central and northeast.
The kingdom's military government is now organising training sessions to encourage millions of rice farmers to diversify into crops that require less irrigation.
Thailand
Weekend Box Office
'Batman v Superman'
Word of mouth might be kryptonite for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which fell a steep 68 percent in its second weekend in theaters according to comScore estimates Sunday. The superhero pic earned an estimated $52.4 million over the weekend, easily besting the modest new openers like "God's Not Dead 2" and "Meet the Blacks."
The weekend overall is down significantly from last year, which saw the massive opening of "Furious 7."
Disney's "Zootopia" held on to second place with a robust $20 million, bringing its domestic total to $275.9 million. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" took third in its second week with $11.1 million.
Rounding out the top five were two faith-based films, Pure Flix's "God's Not Dead 2," which opened in fourth with $8.1 million, and "Miracles From Heaven," which took in $7.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its total to $46.8 million. "God's Not Dead 2" did not do as well as the first movie, which opened to $9.2 million on about half as many screens, but, Dergarabedian notes that it is "still a winner as these films cost very little to make."
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."Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," $52.4 million ($85.1 million international).
2."Zootopia," $20 million ($30 million international).
3."My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2," $11.1 million ($5.6 million international).
4."God's Not Dead 2," $8.1 million.
5."Miracles From Heaven," $7.6 million ($2.3 million international).
6."The Divergent Series: Allegiant," $5.7 million ($4.3 million international).
7."10 Cloverfield Lane," $4.8 million ($4.6 million international).
8."Meet the Blacks," $4.1 million.
9."Eye in the Sky," $4.1 million ($350,000 international).
10."Deadpool," $3.5 million ($1.4 million international).
'Batman v Superman'
In Memory
Joe Medicine Crow
Joseph Medicine Crow, an acclaimed Native American historian and last surviving war chief of Montana's Crow Tribe, has died. He was 102.
A member of the Crow Tribe's Whistling Water clan, Medicine Crow was raised by his grandparents in a log house in a rural area of the Crow Reservation near Lodge Grass, Montana.
His Crow name was "High Bird," and he recalled listening as a child to stories about the Battle of Little Bighorn from those who were there, including his grandmother's brother, White Man Runs Him, a scout for Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer.
His grandfather, Yellowtail, raised Medicine Crow to be a warrior. The training began when Medicine Crow was just 6 or 7, with a punishing physical regimen that included running barefoot in the snow to toughen the boy's feet and spirit.
Medicine Crow in 1939 became the first of his tribe to receive a master's degree, in anthropology. He served for decades as a Crow historian, cataloging his people's nomadic history by collecting firsthand accounts of pre-reservation life from fellow tribal members.
During World War II, Medicine Crow earned the title of war chief after performing a series of daring deeds, including stealing horses from an enemy encampment and hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier whose life Medicine Crow ultimately spared.
Soon after returning from the European front, Medicine Crow was designated tribal historian by the Crow Tribal Council.
With his prodigious memory, Medicine Crow could accurately recall decades later the names, dates and exploits from the oral history he was exposed to as a child, Viola said. Those included tales told by four of the six Crow scouts who were at Custer's side at Little Bighorn and who Medicine Crow knew personally.
Yet Medicine Crow also embraced the changes that came with the settling of the West, and he worked to bridge his people's cultural traditions with the opportunities of modern society. His voice became familiar to many outside the region as the narrator for American Indian exhibits in major museums across the country.
President Barack Obama awarded Medicine Crow the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
In the years leading to his death, Medicine Crow continued to live with his family in Lodge Grass. His wife died in 2009. Even after his hearing and eyesight faded, Medicine Crow continued to lecture into his 90s on the Battle of Little Bighorn and other major events in Crow history.
Joe Medicine Crow
In Memory
Gato Barbieri
Latin Jazz saxophonist Leandro "Gato" Barbieri, who composed the Grammy-winning music for the steamy Marlon Brando film "Last Tango in Paris" and recorded dozens of albums over a career spanning more than seven decades, has died at age 83.
Laura Barbieri, his wife of nearly 20 years, said her husband died Saturday in a New York hospital from pneumonia. The musician recently had bypass surgery to remove a blood clot.
The Argentine-born musician recorded some 35 albums between 1967 and 1982, when he stopped consistently making new records. He toured regularly and went on to record four more albums, including 1997's smooth jazz "Que Pasa," which reached No. 2 on Billboard's contemporary jazz charts.
Though in poor health, Barbieri, still sporting his trademark black fedora hat, had been performing monthly at the Blue Note jazz club in New York, since 2013. He last performed at the club on Nov. 23.
Last year, Barbieri received a Latin Grammy lifetime achievement award for a career that covered "virtually the entire jazz landscape."
Barbieri won a Grammy for best instrumental composition in 1973 for his music for "Last Tango In Paris," the controversial erotic drama starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider that earned two Oscar nominations.
Born on Nov. 28, 1932, in Rosario, Argentina, Barbieri grew up in a family that included several musicians, but did not take up an instrument until he was 12 when he heard bebop pioneer Charlie Parker's recording of "Now's the Time" and began studying clarinet.
After moving to Buenos Aires in 1947, Barbieri picked up the alto saxophone. He earned the nickname "El Gato," which means "The Cat," in the 1950s because of the way he scampered between clubs with his saxophone.
He gained national prominence playing alto saxophone in an orchestra led by Lalo Schifrin, the pianist and composer who later made a big impact with his TV and film scores, including "Theme from Mission: Impossible."
In the 1960s, splitting his time between Rome and New York, Barbieri became part of the Ornette Coleman-inspired free jazz revolution, working extensively with trumpeter Don Cherry from Coleman's groundbreaking quartet. Influenced by other modern jazz saxophonists - including John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and Pharoah Sanders - he developed a warmer, grittier sound on the tenor sax. He recorded and performed with such avant-garde jazz musicians as Cherry, Carla Bley and Mike Mantler.
Barbieri recorded new material consistently until 1982, when a dispute with his record label led him to focus solely on touring. He recoded only intermittently in the 1980s, and did not release any albums from 1988-97. He released "Que Pasa" in 1997 after dealing with the turmoil of losing his Italian-born wife of 35 years to a degenerative illness in January 1995, and then undergoing triple bypass heart surgery two months later.
Barbieri would release only three more albums over the rest of his life - including "The Shadow of the Cat" in 2002, a Latin-flavored smooth jazz session featuring guest trumpeter Herb Alpert, and "New York Meeting" in 2010 on which he played straight-ahead jazz standards, such as Thelonious Monk's "Straight, No Chaser" and Miles Davis' "So What."
Barbieri married again in 1996 and had a son, Christian, who turns 18 on Sunday. Besides his wife and son, he is survived by his sister Raquel Barbieri, who lives in Buenos Aires.
Gato Barbieri
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