Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Scott Burns: From Bubble to Boom (AssetBuilder)
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA. The mid-morning drive-time trip from LA takes about two hours. The surprising thing: it's developed and industrial all the way. No quiet drive in the dessert. Even so, when Mount San Jacinto is just behind you, there is a kind of magic. At some moment, the air becomes sweet and clear. Once in Palm Springs there's a sense of protection, as though things that happen in other places don't happen here.
Henry Rollins: It's Better for Me to Get My Chain Jerked (LA Weekly)
Somewhere in the 1960s, my mother and I flew from here, down to Key Biscayne, Florida. We boarded the flight. I was very young and was face level with the seated passengers. I passed a man with a large head who looked distinctly unhappy. I asked my mother who the sad man with the scary face was. "His name is Richard Nixon."
Andy Greene: "Stephen King: The Rolling Stone Interview" (Rolling Stone)
The horror master looks back on his four-decade career.
Erica Wagner: "Margaret Atwood: "Ooooh! Are we going to talk about dying?" (New Statesman)
The Canadian author reflects on ageing, generational inequality, reworking Shakespeare and writing stories that no one will read for a century.
Weird realism: John Gray on the moral universe of H P Lovecraft (New Statesman)
The weird realism that runs through Lovecraft's writings undermines any belief system - religious or humanist - in which the human mind is the centre of the universe.
Michael Hossey: The 6 Most Disastrous Gimmick Matches in Wrestling History (Cracked)
Even with its crazy costumes and ludicrous storylines, pro wrestling would be boring as shit if every story was settled in a standard "two guys, three ropes, four corners, and a Foot Locker employee" matchup. That's why the history of the sport is a never-ending list of increasingly ridiculous (and dangerous) gimmick matches. As you can imagine, sometimes these go horribly wrong. Or wonderfully right, depending on your point of view: …
Matt Kirby: The Phone Call (Feelguide.com)
Starring Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent.
The difference between US vs UK Ebola news coverage - Russell Howard's Good News (YouTube)
Russell Howard looks at the extreme difference in coverage of Ebola in the UK and USA.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
wrote:
answered:
is semi-retired.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
from Marc Perkel
BartCop
Hello Bartcop fans,
As you all know the untimely passing of Terry was unexpected, even by
him. We all knew he had cancer but we all thought he had some years
left. So some of us who have worked closely with him over the years are
scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. My job, among other
things, is to establish communications with the Bartcop community and
provide email lists and groups for those who might put something
together. Those who want to play an active roll in something coming from
this, or if you are one of Bart's pillars, should send an email to
active@bartcop.com.
Bart's final wish was to pay off the house mortgage for Mrs. Bart who is
overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support she has received.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can click on this the yellow donate
button on bartcop.com
But - I need you all to help keep this going. This note
isn't going to directly reach all of Bart's fans. So if you can repost
it on blogs and discussion boards so people can sign up then when we
figure out what's next we can let more people know. This list is just
over 600 but like to get it up to at least 10,000 pretty quick. So
here's the signup link for this email list.
( mailman.bartcop.com/listinfo/bartnews )
Marc Perkel
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny but brisk (for these parts).
Climate Panel
UN
Climate change is happening, it's almost entirely man's fault and limiting its impacts may require reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero this century, the U.N.'s panel on climate science said Sunday.
The fourth and final volume of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's giant climate assessment didn't offer any surprises, nor was it expected to since it combined the findings of three earlier reports released in the past 13 months.
But it underlined the scope of the climate challenge in stark terms. Emissions, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels, may need to drop to zero by the end of this century for the world to have a decent chance of keeping the temperature rise below a level that many consider dangerous. Failure to do so, which could require deployment of technologies that suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, could lock the world on a trajectory with "irreversible" impacts on people and the environment, the report said. Some impacts are already being observed, including rising sea levels, a warmer and more acidic ocean, melting glaciers and Arctic sea ice and more frequent and intense heat waves.
"Science has spoken. There is no ambiguity in their message. Leaders must act. Time is not on our side," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the report's launch in Copenhagen.
Amid its grim projections, the report also offered hope. The tools needed to set the world on a low-emissions path are there; it just has to break its addiction to the oil, coal and gas that power the global energy system while polluting the atmosphere with heat-trapping CO2, the chief greenhouse gas.
UN
Hits Season High
'Saturday Night Live'
NBC's "Saturday Night Live" had gotten off to a sluggish ratings start this fall, but rebounded last night as the combo of Chris Rock
"SNL" averaged a 4.9 household rating/12 share in Nielsen's 56 metered markets, and a 2.4/10 in adults 18-49 in Nielsen's 25 homes with Local People Meters. The show hasn't fared better in household overnights since Feb. 1 (Melissa McCarthy/Imagine Dragons) and in the demo since March 1 (Jim Parsons/Beck).
The previous "SNL" high this season was the previous week's 4.1/10 in the overnights and a 2.2/10 in adults 18-49, which translated to 5.42 million total viewers and a 1.91 demo rating (tied with the season premiere as the season high).
This is the 40th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live," with NBC planning a big primetime special for Feb. 15. Woody Harrelson is next up as host, on Nov. 15.
'Saturday Night Live'
Spotted For First Time In 66 Years
Kashmir Musk Deer
A species of fanged deer that hasn't been seen in 66 years was recently spotted by scientists in northeastern Afghanistan, according to a Wildlife Conservation news release published Friday.
The Kashmir musk deer, which is one of seven similar species found throughout Asia, is endangered due to habitat loss and also because of poachers hunting the animal for its prized scent glands. No members of the species had been seen in Afghanistan by scientists since 1948.
Top of Form 1
Bottom of Form 1
Only the male musk deer have fangs, which they use during breeding season to battle for mates, according to the Washington Post. The stocky deer stand at about 2 feet tall, according to Discovery.
The WCS survey team noted that the deer were "discrete" and "difficult to spot," and they were unable to get them on camera.
Kashmir Musk Deer
Cancelled By Fox, Effective Immediately
Utopia
For the 15 residents of Utopia, it's the end of the world as they know it.
Fox on Sunday cancelled its big-budget "social experiment," effective immediately (meaning last Friday's episode was the series finale).
Utopia's live-streaming feeds will fade to black later today. A Fox insider tells TVLine that it's "likely" viewers will get to see the show's participants react to the cancellation before the plug is pulled.
Beginning Friday, Nov. 7, encores of Masterchef Junior will fill Utopia's Friday-at-8/7c timeslot.
Utopia
No-Fly Zone Aimed At Media
Ferguson
The U.S. government agreed to a police request to restrict more than 37 square miles of airspace surrounding Ferguson, Missouri, for 12 days in August for safety, but audio recordings show that local authorities privately acknowledged the purpose was to keep away news helicopters during violent street protests.
On Aug. 12, the morning after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed the first flight restriction, FAA air traffic managers struggled to redefine the flight ban to let commercial flights operate at nearby Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and police helicopters fly through the area - but ban others.
"They finally admitted it really was to keep the media out," said one FAA manager about the St. Louis County Police in a series of recorded telephone conversations obtained by The Associated Press. "But they were a little concerned of, obviously, anything else that could be going on.
At another point, a manager at the FAA's Kansas City center said police "did not care if you ran commercial traffic through this TFR (temporary flight restriction) all day long. They didn't want media in there."
The conversations contradict claims by the St. Louis County Police Department, which responded to demonstrations following the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, that the restriction was solely for safety and had nothing to do with preventing media from witnessing the violence or the police response.
Ferguson
Bikini-Model Video
Utah National Guard
The Utah National Guard is forcing an officer into early retirement for his involvement in a video featuring bikini-clad models riding in a tank, and three other service members face lesser discipline, a guard spokesman said on Saturday.
The non-commissioned officer allowed part of the video, which surfaced on the Internet last month, to be produced at Camp Williams in the Salt Lake Valley, said National Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Steve Fairbourn.
At one point in the video, a promotion for a calendar shoot, models in camouflage bikinis climb into a tank, with one saying in a British accent "Come in my ride?"
The photos are set to appear in the 2015 "Hot Shots Calendar," produced by a company of the same name, with a percentage of proceeds going toward wounded British and American veterans, according to its website.
Utah National Guard
Historic Gate Stolen
Dachau
A wrought-iron gate bearing the Nazis' cynical slogan "Arbeit macht frei," or "Work sets you free," has been stolen from the former Dachau concentration camp, police said Sunday.
Security officials noticed early Sunday morning that the gate measuring 190 by 95 centimeters (75 by 37 inches) - set into a larger iron gate - was missing, police said in a statement. Whoever stole it during the night would have had to climb over another gate to reach it, they added.
Police said they found nothing in the immediate vicinity of the camp and appealed for anyone who noticed any suspicious people or vehicles to come forward.
Dachau, near Munich, was the first concentration camp set up by the Nazis in 1933. More than 200,000 people from across Europe were held there and over 40,000 prisoners died before it was liberated by U.S. forces on April 29, 1945. The camp is now a memorial.
Dachau
'Born In Jerusalem' Case
Passport
The first time Menachem Zivotofsky's case was before the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer laid out why courts should stay out of a dispute between Congress and the president over whether Americans born in Jerusalem may list Israel as their place of birth on passports.
The case, Breyer wrote in March 2012, poses a serious risk that intervention by the courts "will bring about embarrassment, show lack of respect for the other branches (of government), and potentially disrupt sound foreign policy decision-making."
Breyer's view got just one vote - his own - on the nine-member court. The justices ruled then that courts could referee the dispute between the legislative and executive branches.
Now the case, nearly as old as the 12-year-old Menachem, is back at the high court for argument Monday at a time of acute Palestinian-Israeli tension over Jerusalem and significant strain in Israeli-American relations.
Menachem and his U.S.-born parents want the court to uphold a law passed in 2002 that gives Jerusalem-born Americans the right to have Israel listed as their place of birth on passports. Administrations of both parties have declined to enforce the law because they say it is contrary to long-held U.S. policy that refuses to recognize any nation's sovereignty over Jerusalem until the Israelis and Palestinians resolve the city's status through negotiations.
Passport
Carry Viruses
Bats
Bats are living up to their frightening reputation in the world's worst Ebola outbreak as prime suspects for spreading the deadly virus to humans, but scientists believe they may also shed valuable light on fighting infection.
Bats can carry more than 100 different viruses, including Ebola, rabies and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), without becoming sick themselves.
While that makes them a fearsome reservoir of disease, especially in the forests of Africa where they migrate vast distances, it also opens the intriguing possibility that scientists might learn their trick in keeping killers like Ebola at bay.
Clues are starting to emerge following gene analysis, which suggest bats' capacity to evade Ebola could be linked with their other stand-out ability -- the power of flight.
Flying requires the bat metabolism to run at a very high rate, causing stress and potential cell damage, and experts think bats may have developed a mechanism to limit this damage by having parts of their immune system permanently switched on.
Bats
Top 20
Concert Tours
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
1. (2) One Direction; $6,058,097; $84.06.
2. (3) Paul McCartney; $3,309,683; $129.42.
3. (4) Katy Perry; $1,865,496; $102.79.
4. (6) Luke Bryan; $1,456,031; $50.78.
5. (5) Bruno Mars; $1,366,083; $80.25.
6. (7) Phish; $1,249,473; $54.05.
7. (9) Rod Stewart/Santana; $1,173,683; $102.84.
8. (8) Marc Anthony; $1,170,987; $104.43.
9. (10) Jason Aldean; $1,069,342; $48.52.
10. (12) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; $1,006,858; $92.03.
11. (11) Dave Matthews Band; $991,449; $60.17.
12. (13) Zac Brown Band; $956,538; $53.39.
13. (15) Blake Shelton; $891,302; $50.41.
14. (16) "Walking With Dinosaurs"; $830,361; $41.03.
15. (14) Michael Buble; $790,959; $75.65.
16. (17) Motley Crue; $758,414; $50.63.
17. (18) Eric Church; $691,844; $51.04.
18. (19) Journey/Steve Miller Band; $607,802; $65.39.
19. (New) Marco Antonio Solis; $537,166; $92.89.
20. (20) Miranda Lambert; $528,946; $34.25.
Concert Tours
Weekend Box Office
'Nightcrawler,' 'Ouija' Tie
In a scary close finish, the Jake Gyllenhaal crime thriller "Nightcrawler" and the board-game adaptation "Ouija" tied for first at the box office with $10.9 million each over the Halloween weekend.
That was according to estimates Sunday from each film's distributor. Studios can predict a film's Sunday performance with fairly accurate precision. When final figures are announced Monday, one film will likely slightly edge out the other.
Despite the Halloween night impact, "Ouija" dropped only 45 percent after topping the box office last weekend. That's unusually low for a micro-budget horror film, most of which see interest wane considerably after opening. But Universal opened the horror film a weekend ahead of Halloween to give it a two-week window.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. (tie) "Nightcrawler," $10.9 million ($1.4 million international).
1. (tie) "Ouija," $10.9 million. ($5.7 million international).
3. "Fury," $9.1 million ($14.6 million international).
4. "Gone Girl," $8.8 million ($15.3 million international).
5. "The Book of Life," $8.3 million ($6.1 million international).
6. "John Wick," $8.1 million ($6.6 million international).
7. "St. Vincent," $7.8 million.
8. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," $6.5 million ($1.8 million international).
9. "The Judge," $3.4 million ($4.3 million international).
10. "Dracula Untold," $3 million ($12.4 million international).
'Nightcrawler,' 'Ouija' Tie
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