from Bruce
Anecdotes
Faith Healing
• Suzanne Farrell, a ballerina with the New York City Ballet, suffered from arthritis late in her career. Out of frustration, and because of the insistence of her mother, she went to a faith healer. Like the other sufferers, she sank to the floor when the faith healer touched her, and while she lay on the floor, she prayed to God to heal her. It didn’t work. When she got off the floor, her hip was still sore, and eventually she received a hip replacement operation.
• Conductor Jeffrey Tate suffers from spina bifida and kypho-scoliosis, which have caused his curved spine. His mother, of course, had hoped for an entirely healthy baby, and after he was born, she wondered why God had allowed this to happen. Unfortunately, a local vicar told her, “You know, if your faith were strong enough, Jeffrey would be made whole.” Of course, she did not return to that church until years afterward.
Food
• Rabbi Yannai once met a young man who was dressed like a student, so he invited him to dine at his house. While eating, he questioned the young man about various religious topics, but discovered that the young man knew nothing about them. Eventually, Rabbi Yannai asked the young man to say a blessing over wine, but the young man said that was the duty of the host. Rabbi Yannai then asked the young man if he would repeat what he was told. The young man agreed, and Rabbi Yannai said, “A dog has eaten Yannai’s bread.” Angered by the insult, the young man grabbed Rabbi Yannai by the throat, and Rabbi Yannai asked, “What merit have you that you have eaten at my table?” The young man replied, “Only this — that I have never gone out of my way to be churlish and that I have never seen two men quarreling whom I did not try to reconcile.” Rabbi Yannai cried, “Woe that I have called such a one as you a dog!”
• Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi decided during a famine to feed any hungry person who showed a good knowledge of the Scriptures. A stranger came to his door asking for food, but when Rabbi Judah asked if the man understood the Torah, the stranger replied that he had no knowledge of it, and so Rabbi Judah declined to feed him. After the stranger had departed, Rabbi Judah’s son wondered aloud whether the stranger had said that he had no knowledge of the Torah only because he had not wanted to use it as a means to get food. Rabbi Judah thought about his son’s remark, then investigated to find out who the stranger was. He discovered that the stranger was an important Torah scholar, Rabbi Jonathan ben Amram. Thereafter, Rabbi Judah fed anyone who was hungry.
• In 1949, Monsignor Angelo Roncalli (who was later to be Pope John XXIII) was surprised to hear a knock on his door. Because his cook wasn’t working that evening, he answered the door himself and saw Francisque Gay of the French diplomatic corps. Suddenly, Monsignor Roncalli remembered that he had invited Mr. Gay and a few other VIPs to dine with him, and so he and Mr. Gay went into the kitchen and quickly prepared the meal. That evening, Monsignor Roncalli served a polenta, explaining to his guests, “Back home they call it the ‘Lord’s dish.’ They call it that because you can always find a little cornmeal and a drop of olive oil in any house, no matter how poor it might be.”
• It’s not unusual for major league baseball players to criticize an umpire. American League umpire Red Jones got tired of being called “Meathead” by the Chicago White Sox bench, so he cleared the entire bench. The next day Mr. Jones was scheduled to umpire another White Sox game, but just before the game started the White Sox bench sang out in unison, “Oh, Mr. Umpire, you won’t have any trouble with us today.” Mr. Jones replied that he was happy to hear the news, then he asked them why they were so sure that they would leave him alone. The White Sox bench sang out, “We can’t call you ‘Meathead’ today because it’s Friday.”
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Presenting
Michael Egan
U.S.A. took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "Zombie Catchers"
Album: THE EYEBERRIES EP-2017
Artist: The Eyeberries
Artist Location: Moscow, Russia
Info:
Kahuna Cole, a fan, “A nice little album featuring some simple surfy tracks that make surfing small summer swells so much fun!! Upbeat and fun! Favorite track: ‘Happy Butcher.’”
Price: $3 (USD) for four-track EP; tracks cannot be purchased separately
Genre: Surf. Instrumental.
Links:
THE EYEBERRIES EP-2017
The Eyeberries on Bandcamp
Other Links:
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog #1
David Bruce's Blog #2
David Bruce's Blog #3
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has over 140 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
New Venture
Michael Egan
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Heard some funny noises in the kitchen and found a very bold raccoon had pushed the back door open and strolled in for a visit.
The shittens just sat there, pretending not to watch, while the raccoon grabbed a jar of honey-roasted peanuts from the pantry and scuttered toward the door.
Even though the peanuts were dropped before he made it outside, it was no thanks to the shittens, who revealed themselves to be lousy watch cats.
New Interview
Joni Mitchell
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Blue, Joni Mitchell discussed her 1971 masterpiece, the album’s enduring legacy and the state of her singing voice in a rare new interview conducted by Cameron Crowe for the Los Angeles Times.
“Like all of my albums, Blue came out of the chute with a whimper. It didn’t really take off until later. Now there’s a lot of fuss being made over it, but there wasn’t initially,” Mitchell told Crowe.
“The most feedback that I got was that I had gone too far and was exposing too much of myself. I couldn’t tell what I had created, really. The initial response I got was critical, mostly from the male singer-songwriters. It was kind of like Dylan going electric. They were afraid. Is this contagious?”
Prior to the interview, Crowe opens with an anecdote about one of “Joni’s Jams,” private, all-star jam sessions that occur occasionally at Mitchell’s Los Angeles home. At a recent gathering, Mitchell — who hasn’t perform publicly since 2013, two years before she suffered a brain aneurysm that impacted her ability to speak and walk — sang Blue’s “All I Want” alongside Brandi Carlile, one of that jam session’s guests.
“It was a fun evening,” Mitchell told Crowe. “I wasn’t sure I would be able to sing. I have no soprano left, just a low alto. The spirit moved me. I forgave myself for my lack of talent.”
Joni Mitchell
Tribeca’s Closing Film
Dave Chappelle
The vaccine-mandatory world premiere of Dave Chappelle: This Time This Place reopened Radio City Music Hall Saturday night for the first time since Covid hit.
“I’m so sorry if you lost someone, or lost something during this pandemic,” Chappelle said, taking the stage when the film ended. “We did what we could,” he said.
One thing he could was a series of comedy shows in a neighbor’s cornfield that drew his friends and colleagues – from Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart and Trevor Noah — and fans to the town he calls home, Yellow Springs, Ohio.
The closing night film of the Tribeca Festival was directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, Chappelle’s neighbors, who won an Oscar for American Factory. “I literally knocked on their door,” Chappelle said.
“He’s a neighbor. We see him in the grocery store. He said, ‘I’m going to try something. A week of outdoor comedy shows. I have a friend who has a field, and you need to document it,” Reichert told the audience. The shows lasted for months.
Dave Chappelle
Introduces Gay Dads
‘Sesame Street’
Sesame Street is celebrating Pride Month by going where it’s never gone before.
This week, the iconic children’s show dropped a very special episode called “Family Day,” introducing two gay dads, Frank (Alex Weisman) and Dave (the brother of Nina, played by Chris Costa, who works as a bike store owner on the street), and their daughter, Mia (Olivia Perez).
Directed by Alan Muraoka, who currently plays the owner of Hooper’s Store on the program, the episode focuses on Big Bird, who thinks his grandmother (Granny Bird) can’t make a party before he’s surprised by his neighborhood family.
In June 2017, in the “Elmo’s World” segment in the show’s Father’s Day episode, Elmo explored what the holiday was about. During the segment, the narrator acknowledges same-sex families by saying, “You might have a stepdad, or even two dads.”
In August 2017, the “Letter of the Day” segment in the episode “Hello, Rudy” used the word “family” for the letter “F.”
‘Sesame Street’
Box Office
‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’
“The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” struck the top box office target.
The Lionsgate’s film starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek brought in $11.6 million domestically to claim the No. 1 spot in its debut. The action-comedy — which appeared in 3,331 locations — is the follow up the 2017 breakout hit “The Hitman’s Bodyguard.”
The “Hitman” sequel notched “A Quiet Place Part II,” which took hold of the second spot in its fourth weekend of release. The Paramount horror-thriller, which stars Emily Blunt and was directed by John Krasinski, earned $9.4 million. The film became the first of the pandemic era to reach $100 million domestically.
“Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” placed third in the box office with $6.1 million, while “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” claimed the fourth spot with $5.15 million. It barely edged the Emma Stone-led “Cruella,” which came in fifth with $5.1 million.
“Spirit Untamed,” “12 Mighty Orphans,” “The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2” and “Wrath of Man” rounded out the top 10.
‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’
Indicates Weakness
'Empathy'
After untold millions of people witnessed the murder of George Floyd on video last year, the calls for justice were immediate, especially among Black Americans.
When former President Donald Trump (R-Lock Him Up) saw the Floyd video on Air Force One last year, he "contorted his face as he watched" and "looked repulsed," according to a forthcoming book by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael C. Bender.
Trump, who was surrounded by senior advisor Jared Kushner, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, and social media director and deputy White House chief of staff Dan Scavino, didn't finish watching the clip.
"This is f------ terrible," the former president reportedly said.
However, Trump didn't feel it was his role to display "empathy" in the Floyd case and "he worried that such a display would signal weakness to his base," according to the book.
'Empathy'
Disruption
Shipping
"We're trying to do the best we can, but this is crippling us," says Scott Humphreys. "Before the pandemic we were paying $2,500 to $2,800 (£1,800-£2,000) to bring a 40-foot container from China. Now we're paying $16,000 - if we can get a booking."
Mr Humphreys is managing director of Peppermill Interiors, which supplies furniture for homes as well as to the bar and restaurant trade.
Although it does use suppliers in the UK, roughly half of its stock is imported from East Asia, mainly from China. It will typically bring in between 200 and 250 containers each year.
Now, Mr Humphreys says, the rise in shipping costs is taking a heavy toll on his business. "We physically can't absorb the extra costs. We have to pass them on," he explains.
"A single armchair used to cost us £12 to bring in from China. It now costs us £100. So the price we sell the chair for has gone up by 25% - but that isn't extra profit for us.
Shipping
Aggressive Financial Strategy
Di$neyland
Hundred dollar sandwiches. Two hundred dollar per person park tickets. Eight hundred dollar standard hotel rooms. Has Disneyland finally gotten too expensive? According to a recent study, the answer is yes.
Business Insider recently conducted a poll asking readers whether they intended to take a Disney vacation this year. The result: People with income less than $75,000 are the most likely to visit the Mouse, while people with income over $150,000 are the least likely to visit. “Those who said they earn between $50,000 and $74,999 per year were seemingly the most eager to visit Disney,” Amanda Krause wrote. “Those who said they earn between $25,000 to $49,999 per year were the second largest group to say they'd consider visiting a Disney park this year.”
The survey did not distinguish between Disneyland and Walt Disney World in asking about intended vacations, but on the whole, a Disneyland vacation is actually more expensive than one to the Orlando resort.
The least expensive room available for a night in July at a Walt Disney World resort hotel is $163, at Disney’s All-Star Movies. On the same night, the least expensive room at a Disneyland resort hotel is $463, at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. The Disneyland Hotel regularly hovers in the $500 range for a standard room, while Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel can charge around $800 for a standard room.
While prices technically start at $104 per day for an adult one-day one-park ticket to Disneyland, less than Walt Disney World’s $109 starting price, Disneyland tickets at that price point have not been available since the park reopened in April. According to Disneyland’s ticket pricing calendar, the first day that the least expensive park ticket will be offered in 2021 is Aug. 30. The most expensive ticket, a tier five one-day Park Hopper is $209. At Walt Disney World, that same ticket tops out at $201.
Di$neyland
Why
Betelgeuse
Astronomers may have solved the mystery of Betelgeuse's bizarre brightness drop.
In the fall of 2019, Betelgeuse — one of the brightest and best-known stars in the sky — began dimming dramatically. By February 2020, it had lost about two-thirds of its normal luminosity.
Betelgeuse, which forms the shoulder of the constellation Orion (The Hunter), is a bloated red supergiant, a massive star that will die in a violent supernova explosion in the relatively near future. So some astronomers speculated that this "Great Dimming" might be the beginning of Betelgeuse's death throes, and that the star could soon go boom.
"Our results confirm that the Great Dimming is not an indication of Betelgeuse’s imminent explosion as a supernova," Montargès and his colleagues wrote in the new study, which was published online today (June 16) in the journal Nature.
However, "some red supergiants may show little or no sign of their impending core collapse, years to weeks before it happens," they added. "Therefore, although the current mass-loss behavior of Betelgeuse does not appear to forebode its demise, it remains possible that it may explode without warning."
Betelgeuse
Not Diamonds
Quartz
The South African government says that stones found in a village last month are not diamonds but quartz.
A cattle herder first uncovered the stones in KwaZulu-Natal province. It prompted thousands to rush to KwaHlathi village, more than 300km (186 miles) south-east of Johannesburg.
But after conducting tests, officials have said the stones are quartz crystals, which are far less valuable.
"The tests conducted conclusively revealed that the stones discovered in the area are not diamonds," a local government statement reportedly said.
The discovery of what was believed to be diamonds in KwaHlathi exposed deep frustrations of communities desperate to find a way out of poverty.
Quartz
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