Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Lucy Mangan: I'm giving up Amazon - and embracing inconvenience again (iNews)
But the news that at warehouses in five US states, around one in three Amazon workers depend on food stamps to supplement their incomes, followed swiftly by an interview with their (and let's face it, our) overlord, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, in which he said that the only way he could think of to spend the $131bn personal fortune that comes with owning the first company in history to look set to garner a $1trn market valuation was to liquidate a billion dollars' worth of stock a year to fund space travel.
Lucy Mangan: What Makes a Woman review - a show that asked extraordinarily complex questions (The Guardian)
A nurse wipes a patient's tears from her face, the general anaesthetic takes effect and her face is taken off. The brow bone underneath is shaved to a gentler curve and her chin chiselled likewise. The face is put back on. Has it made her more of a woman? An extraordinarily complex question for extraordinarily complex times.
Michael Cragg: "Drake's mates and Taylor Swift's cosplay: exploring the 2018 music video" (The Guardian)
From famous friends for hire to Kate Bush-aping interpretive dance, it's likely the modern music video will fit one of these frameworks.
Benjamin Lee: Stop telling us about LGBT characters in blockbusters - show us instead (The Guardian)
The admission that Donald Glover's Lando Calrissian is pansexual is the latest tiring attempt at inclusivity without any big screen proof.
Rebecca Nicholson: Give Kristen Stewart a Palme d'Or for putting her best foot forward (The Guardian)
She was quite right to kick off her Louboutin heels in protest at the Cannes dress code
Jarvis Cocker: how Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test changed my life (The Guardian)
At the dawn of the 1960s, Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters were dropping LSD and kickstarting a revolution - and Wolfe went along for the ride, capturing the birth of the counterculture.
Lucy Mangan: Who can replace Hugh Grant as king of romcoms - a Ryan, a Chris or Cate Blanchett? (The Guardian)
The Notting Hill star is, in his own words, 'older and uglier' and ready to play more interesting parts. But from Michael Fassbender to Nigel Havers there are plenty of candidates to fill his shoes.
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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
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
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
"NATIONAL RAT-FINK ASSOCIATION"
THE REPUG PET MOLE.
TRUMP IS FREAKING OUT!
" 'MORON' CHRISTIANS…"
CATCHING THE MINNOWS.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Another day with a marine layer so deep the sun never broke through.
Size Of Commencement Crowd
Jimmy Carter
Former US president Jimmy Carter got a mischievous dig in at Donald Trump on Sunday, telling a commencement audience at a Virginia college that he had drawn a bigger crowd than the current president.
Looking out at a Liberty University stadium holding an estimated 20,000 graduates, friends and family members, the 93-year-old Carter said, "It's even bigger -- I hate to say this -- than it was last year," when Trump delivered the school's commencement speech.
"I don't know if President Trump would admit that or not."
Carter's smiling gibe drew good-natured laughs from the crowd at Liberty, a "Christian" university whose president, Jerry Falwell Jr., has been a vocal supporter of Trump's.
Jimmy Carter
Detain Women's Advocates
Saudis
Saudi authorities have arrested seven prominent women's rights advocates, dividing public opinion just weeks before the kingdom is set to lift its driving ban on women.
Without naming those detained, Saudi Arabia's state security apparatus said seven people had been arrested for "attempting to undermine the security and stability of the kingdom... and to erode national unity".
Those arrested are facing accusations including making "suspicious contact with foreign parties", providing financial support to "hostile elements abroad" and recruiting government workers.
The crackdown comes even as the kingdom breaks with long-held restrictions on women and the mixing of the genders, with its driving ban on women slated to end June 24.
Activists told Human Rights Watch that in September 2017, on the same day authorities announced the driving ban would be lifted, the Royal Court had called up prominent activists and warned them not to speak to the media.
Saudis
International Space Station
Cygnus
Food for astronauts, new space gardening gear and an experiment on how cement forms in microgravity are poised to launch Monday to the International Space Station aboard Orbital ATK's unmanned Cygnus spacecraft.
An extreme cold experiment and a European module to invite plug-and-play research are also among the three tons of cargo scheduled to blast off on an Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia at 4:39 am (0839 GMT).
The Cygnus delivery is the ninth in a series of launches by Orbital ATK, under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to resupply the orbiting outpost. SpaceX also runs supply missions using its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo vehicle.
Cloudy weather posed a 35 percent probability of postponing the launch, NASA said. If delayed, other opportunities to launch open up Tuesday or Wednesday.
A total of 34 new experiments are on board, including one that will create the coldest man-made temperatures anywhere in the universe, called the new Cold Atom Lab (CAL) facility, which the US space agency hopes will lead to new breakthroughs in modern physics.
Cygnus
Sues Fired Conductor
NY's Met
New York's Metropolitan Opera has sued its former conductor James Levine, detailing seven alleged incidents of sexual abuse or harassment turned up during an internal investigation.
In a complaint filed with the New York Supreme Court, the Met said the alleged cases took place between 1970 and 1999.
It said the influential conductor had repeatedly "used his reputation and position of power to prey upon and abuse artists."
The prestigious opera demanded at least $5.85 million in damages and interest, saying Levine had caused "significant reputational and economic harm" to the institution.
The New York Times and New York Post had detailed some of the cases in early December, but five of the seven cases described by the Met had not previously been known.
NY's Met
Reasons Are Classified
McCaskill
Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri on Saturday defended her vote against President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Fabulist) pick for CIA director but said the specific reasons were classified.
The Missouri Democrat told reporters at a Kansas City campaign event that her vote was influenced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who had been tortured as a prisoner of war and also opposed Haspel's confirmation. But she said the most important reason for her decision came during a classified discussion with Haspel.
"I cross-examined her on the classified material. And I was very uncomfortable with her answers," McCaskill said. "I wish I could explain to all my constituents the details of all that, but the law will not allow me to do so. I can tell you this, if everyone in Missouri read and listened to her answers to the questions I asked, I believe that a vast majority of Missourians would have voted the same way I did."
Acknowledging the Republican shift in her state, McCaskill said Missouri voters would need "proof of independence" to support her re-election bid.
She noted that she supported Trump's pick of Mike Pompeo to serve as secretary of state, adding that she voted with her party only about half the time.
McCaskill
Blames Shootings On Ritalin
Ollie
Just two days after a young man opened fire on his classmates and teachers at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, the National Rifle Association's incoming president, Oliver North, blamed Ritalin and a "culture of violence."
On "Fox News Sunday," the controversial Iran-Contra figure told host Chris Wallace that the solution for the increasing number of school shootings ? there have been 22 so far in 2018, by one count ? is not gun control.
"We're trying like the dickens to treat the symptoms without treating the disease," he said.
"And the disease in this case isn't the Second Amendment. The disease is youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence," he said. "They've been drugged in many cases. Nearly all of these perpetrators are male. ... Many of these young boys have been on Ritalin since they were in kindergarten."
North's comments on Sunday echoed those made by President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Crooked) after the Sandy Hook shooting in December 2012. Following the shooting, Trump tweeted about violent video games and the "glorification" of violence.
Ollie
Few Calls For Reform
Texass
February's school massacre in Parkland, Florida inspired students to launch a spirited gun control movement. Similar calls for reform are unlikely to resonate following a deadly shooting in Texas, where support for gun rights is paramount.
When a teen student stormed into Santa Fe High School on Friday and opened fire on his classmates and teachers, killing 10 people and wounding 10 more, it was the latest explosion of gun violence at America's schools.
But students and parents in this tight-knit rural community outside Houston said the rampage at their local school will not convince them to support stricter gun laws.
In Santa Fe, "It's not going to happen," Jordan Flores, who graduated from Santa Fe in 2015, said as he and two friends brought donuts to state troopers posted at the high school's front gate.
The gun culture is so strong here, he said, that when reports emerged of a lockdown at the same school earlier this year, he and friends rushed to help -- armed to the hilt.
"We showed up, I had a .40 on my hip, a 12-gauge on my back, he had an AK. We were ready," Flores said.
Texass
Stumping
GOP Candidates
He is the Republican Party's most powerful political weapon. Yet as the GOP fights to defend its delicate House and Senate majorities, President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Pendejo) is not welcome everywhere.
Some Republican candidates fear that the unscripted and relatively unpopular president could do more harm than good should he campaign on their behalf. Leading party strategists want Trump to focus his time and energy on a handful of Senate contests in deep-red states where Democratic incumbents are particularly vulnerable. In swing states - especially across America's suburbs, where the House majority will be decided - some would prefer that he stay away.
This aversion to Trump is something the White House needs to take into account as it decides how best to deploy the president in the months leading up to the November midterm elections. But it's unclear how much Trump will heed strategists' guidance, or candidates' wishes, as he picks his targets.
The current White House strategy calls for Trump to focus on fundraising and campaigning in states key to control of the Senate, including Indiana, Montana, Tennessee, North Dakota, Missouri, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to a person familiar with the president's strategy who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.
Vice President Mike Pence will be heavily involved in the Senate effort and also in House races, especially in rural areas that are more difficult for the president to reach.
GOP Candidates
Weekend Box Office
'Deadpool 2'
Fox's "Deadpool 2" brought in $125 million this weekend, giving it the second-highest opening ever for an R-rated movie and ending the three-week reign of Disney's "Avengers: Infinity War" at the top of the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"Deadpool 2," with Ryan Reynolds returning as the title character and co-writing this time, fell somewhat short of the $130 million the studio predicted and the $132.4 million that its predecessor earned two years ago.
The Avengers are hardly hurting. Disney and Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War" brought in an estimated $29 million in North America for a four-week take of $595 million domestically and $1.2 billion overseas. It's now the fifth highest grossing film of all time worldwide.
In a whole different corner of the cinematic universe, "Book Club" was third with a $12.5 million weekend that exceeded expectations.
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 2," $125 million ($176.3 million international).
2."Avengers: Infinity War," $28.6 million ($84.4 million international).
3. "Book Club," $12.5 million.
4. "Life of the Party," $7.7 million ($1.3 million international).
5. "Breaking In," $6.4 million ($300,000 international).
6. "Show Dogs," $6 million.
7. "Overboard," $4.7 million ($4.1 million international).
8. "A Quiet Place," $4 million ($18.8 million international).
9. "Rampage," $1.5 million ($4.4 million international).
10. "I Feel Pretty," $1.2 million ($1.7 million international).
'Deadpool 2'
In Memory
Patricia Morison
Patricia Morison, who played the shrewish lead role in the 1948 Cole Porter Broadway musical "Kiss Me, Kate," died Sunday, Variety reported. She was 103.
Morison also appeared on stage with Yul Brynner in "The King and I" and starred in films such as "The Song of Bernadette." She also appeared as Basil Rathbone's foil in the 1946 Sherlock Holmes film, "Dressed to Kill."
"Kiss Me, Kate" was an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew." It had a run of 1,077 performances over 2½ years on Broadway and won six Tony Awards, including best musical, Variety reported.
Kathryn Grayson starred as Lilli/Kate in the 1953 film version for MGM, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Morison was born March 15, 1915, in New York City. She was the daughter of actor-playwright William Morison and Selena Fraser, a British Intelligence agent during World War I, Variety reported.
Morison made her film debut in the 1939 movie "Persons in Hiding."
In addition to appearing as Empress Eugenie opposite Jennifer Jones in "The Song of Bernadette," Morison starred with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in the romantic comedy "Without Love" in 1945.
On television, she played a psychiatrist in the 1952 show "The Cases of Eddie Drake" and made an appearance on a 1989 episode of "Cheers," the Reporter wrote.
Patricia Morison
In Memory
Reggie Lucas
Jazz guitarist and music producer Reggie Lucas has died, as his daughter Lisa Lucas confirmed earlier today. Perhaps best known for his work with Miles Davis and producing the majority of Madonna's self-titled debut album, Lucas also worked with artists such as Lou Rawls, the Four Tops, Roy Ayers, and Stephanie Mills. He was 65.
Reginald Grant Lucas was born and raised in New York City, where he made a name for himself as a guitar player from a young age. At 18, he was asked to join Miles Davis' band following a brief audition. "It was real simple," Lucas told the Fader. "Miles said, 'You wanna be in my band, motherfucker?' And I immediately said yeah."
While playing in Davis' band, he met James Mtume, who became his songwriting and production partner. Mtume and Lucas produced music for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, among others. Their song "Never Knew Love Like This Before," written and produced for Stephanie Mills, earned them the Grammy award for Best R&B Song in 1981. Lucas would go on to produce much of Madonna's 1983 debut, and also wrote her hits "Borderline" and "Physical Attraction."
When asked about how he felt about the impact of Madonna, Lucas said, "I think everybody involved in the arts has a tendency to take themselves a little bit too seriously. I made a great record, and a lot of people liked it. It sold a lot of copies and launched careers and created opportunities for people. And that's what you want to do. That is supposed to be the outcome of your good work. "
Reggie Lucas
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