from Bruce
Anecdotes
Voices
• Because the TV character Bart Simpson is a 10-year-old boy, people naturally expect a guy to provide his voice and not Nancy Cartwright, who does provide his voice, as well as the voices of Nelson and Ralph. One day, Ms. Cartwright was going shopping and did Bart’s voice in the parking lot. A man heard her and said, “That’s not Bart. I know the guy who does him.” Ms. Cartwright said, “A guy does Bart’s voice?” The man replied, “Yeah, that’s right. Yours is pretty good, but it’s not Bart.”
War
• War correspondent Christiane Amanpour got into broadcasting through an accident. One of her sisters paid tuition to attend a broadcasting school in London, then changed her mind. She asked for her tuition back, but it was not refundable. Therefore, Christiane asked if she could attend the school in her sister’s place. This was acceptable, and she eventually became so famous that Pentagon officials once gave her an Amanpour Tracking Chart that detailed her journeys around the world to do reporting. Ms. Amanpour says, “They say I give great war. Is that sexual or what?”
• When MacLean Stevenson, who played Colonel Blake, left the television sitcom M*A*S*H, his character’s plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan — with no survivors. This was a bit of realism no TV sitcom had previously engaged in, and the episode’s writers, Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, were both praised and d*mned by letter writers. To people who wrote him letters criticizing the decision to kill the character, Mr. Greenbaum wrote back, “The essence of war is the quick and final departure of a loved one.”
• As young soldiers during World War II, British comedian Spike Milligan and his friends took a dislike to a certain Bombardier while they were still stationed in England. They got their revenge when the Bombardier went to bed very drunk one night. They loaded him and his bed into a truck, then drove him to a cemetery, where they unloaded him and his bed, removed his pants, then drove back to the base. The Military Police found him the next day.
• Back in the administration of George Bush, Sr., Defense Secretary Dick Cheney once flaunted a Bart Simpson doll dressed in camouflage. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, responded by saying, “It’s always sad when a 10-year-old gets drawn into war.”
• Two days after Pearl Harbor, the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly made a joke about Japan. A character on the show said that he wanted to buy a globe, and Molly replied, “You want a globe with Japan on it? Then you better get one quick.”
• Norman Fell, who played Mr. Roper on the TV sitcom Three’s Company, flew cargo planes during World War II. As he tells it, “I was getting shot at for 8,000 pounds of toilet paper.”
Work
• Tex Avery is the cartoonist who gave Bugs Buggy his distinctive personality. Before Mr. Avery started working on the Bugs Bunny cartoons, Bugs was a lot like Daffy Duck but in a rabbit suit. Mr. Avery gave Bugs a coolness and made him totally in control of every situation. The line “What’s up, Doc?” actually came from the cool kids Mr. Avery remembered from his old high school in Dallas, Texas. Late in his career, when Mr. Avery was working on TV commercials, he directed a commercial featuring Bugs Bunny. Someone actually asked if he knew how to draw Bugs Bunny. About that experience, Mr. Avery says, “I think that’s when I started making it clear just who created Bugs Bunny.”
• In one episode of Mr. Ed is a scene in which Wilbur, the character played by Alan Young, gave Mr. Ed a bath. After Mr. Ed had his bath, Wilbur was supposed to lose his balance and fall in the bath water. Unfortunately, during this scene, Mr. Ed had a bowel movement that fell in the tub. At this point, Mr. Young had to decide what to do. It was the end of the day (and the end of the week), the camera had not caught the bowel movement, and everyone — including himself and Mr. Ed — was tired. Stopping the scene would mean having to set up the scene again and reshoot it on Monday. All in all, a lot of work. So Mr. Young thought, “The h*ll with it,” and Wilbur lost his balance and fell in the tub — then took a long, soapy shower.
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Presenting
Michael Egan
U.S.A. wrote:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "Crawl"
Album: MUSIC FOR A NEW DECADE
Artist: Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene
Artist Location: Denver, Colorado
Record Company: Aldora Britain Records
Record Company Location: Rothley, UK
Info:
“Aldora Britain Records is an e-zine and record label that promotes the music and work of authentic independent or underground artists from all around the world. Originally established in 2013, they revamped themselves in 2018 with a brand-new approach. Their first weekly compilation, aptly titled THE SECOND COMING, was released in late 2019. They now also release original singles, EPs and charity projects.”
“Crawl” also appears on Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene’s album CITY OF LOVE — 12 tracks for $12 (USD)
“Kerry Pastine has always gravitated toward an original sound steeped in tradition, but with a modern edge. When it comes to musical projects, she insists on a hint of danger, good times and a damn good dance party. Simplicity rules, but needs to be backed up with taste and musical chops. Until now, she has always hesitated with putting her name on the marquee. But the time is now. It's time to introduce Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene. This ride ain't a vintage Cadillac. This is a souped-up hot rod with bulletproof glass, a modern chassis and a shiny new engine. The perfect vehicle for a life of crime and musical performances born of sin.”
Price: £0.50 (GBP) for 12-track album featuring various artists
Genre: R&B. Various.
Links:
MUSIC FOR A NEW DECADE
Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene on Bandcamp
CITY OF LOVE
Kerry Pastine on YouTube
Aldora Britain Records on Bandcamp
Aldora Britain Records on YouTube
Other Links:
Bruce’s Music Recommendations: FREE pdfs
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
Stephen Suggests
The Dalles
New Venture
Michael Egan
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
The Princess Bride Home Movie
The Princess Bride Home Movie
Among other delights, for a minute or so Charlize Theron plays the role for which she was born: Fezzick the Giant.
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.
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
The raccoons are redefining 'assholery' tonight.
Weekend Box Office
‘Eternals’
“Eternals,” one of Marvel’s most ambitious efforts to expand its superhero universe, arrived in theaters with about $71 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates.
By most studios’ box-office standards, the opening was enviable. Only three other films have debuted better during the pandemic: “Black Widow” ($80.3 million), “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” ($75.3 million) and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” ($90 million). But for Marvel’s well-oiled blockbuster machine, the “Eternals” launch in some ways constituted a bump in the road in an unparalleled 26-film streak.
The weekend’s other major new release was “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. The acclaimed drama, which is expected to land Stewart her first Oscar nomination, launched in 996 locations and grossed $2.1 million for Neon.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Eternals,” $71 million.
2. “Dune,” $7.6 million.
3. “No Time to Die,” $6.2 million.
4. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $4.5 million.
5. “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” $3.6 million.
6. “The French Dispatch,” $2.6 million.
7. “Halloween Kills,” $2.4 million.
8. “Spencer,” $2.1 million.
9. “Antlers,” $2 million.
10. “Last Night in Soho,” $1.8 million
‘Eternals’
Condemns ‘False Flag’ Propaganda
Liz Cheney
In an apparent swipe at the Fox News host Tucker Carlson (R-Quisling), the anti-Trump Republican Liz Cheney said on Sunday it was “dangerous” and “un-American” to suggest the deadly assault on the US Capitol on 6 January was a “false flag” attack.
Conspiracy theorists say “false flag” attacks are staged by the government to achieve its own ends. A documentary produced by Carlson for the Fox Nation streaming service, Patriot Purge, contains such a suggestion about the Capitol attack.
Cheney, who has condemned Carlson’s series before, spoke to Fox News Sunday. The host, Chris Wallace, asked if there was “any truth” to claims 6 January was “a false flag operation, a case of liberals in the deep state setting up conservatives and Trump supporters”.
Cheney replied: “None at all. It’s the same thing that you hear people saying 9/11 is an inside job. It’s un-American to be spreading those kinds of lies, and they are lies.”
“We have an obligation that goes beyond partisanship,” Cheney said, “Democrats and Republicans together, to make sure that we understand every single piece of the facts about what happened [on 6 January] and to make sure that people who did it are held accountable.
Liz Cheney
Right-Wing Attack
Big Bird
Sen. Rafael "Ted" Cruz (R-Born In Canada) and other right-wingers criticized Sesame Street's Big Bird after the character's Twitter account said it had got the vaccine.
"I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy," the account under Big Bird's name wrote on Twitter, which has 217,000 followers.
Several Sesame Street characters including Big Bird participated in a Town Hall event on CNN to help answer questions from kids and families about the COVID-19 vaccine, which was recently authorized for children ages 5-11.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz critically responded to Big Bird's tweet, accusing the character of promoting propaganda.
Newsmax host Steve Cortes went one step further, calling Big Bird's comment "evil."
Big Bird
MAGA
Parallel Reality
The streets of downtown Monroe, Georgia, a town of about 14,000 residents 45 miles due east of Atlanta, are quiet for a Saturday. It’s the county seat of Walton county and a monument honoring Confederate veterans stands tall outside the county courthouse. The soldier carved from granite looks across Broad Street to the town’s police station and is flanked to the south by the Walton Tribune’s office and a district office for representative Jody Hice.
Hice, a Republican and former pastor and talkshow host, has announced his candidacy for Georgia’s next secretary of state and is one of three candidates for statewide offices in next year’s national elections who have received Donald Trump (R-Lock Him Up)’s endorsement. Unsurprisingly, 74% of Walton county’s residents voted for Trump last November.
And, although Monroe had the opportunity on 2 November to vote for Democrat Emilio Kelly as the town’s first Black mayor in its 200 years of history, residents three days before election day wanted to talk about what one man called the “disastrous” state of affairs they see in the US. (Kelly would go on to lose.)
A year on from an election Trump lost, they believe they’re living in a country where Joe Biden was not legitimately elected, the government is paying people not to work and the state is contaminating children’s minds in public schools, while violating the rights of parents by insisting on teaching about racism that “happened a long time ago”. Some are pretty sure Covid was created in a lab, that “natural” immunity works fine and that vaccines could make you sicker.
The situation is so dire that the current administration has “possibly damaged our country permanently”, said Patrick Graham, owner of the Tribune and author of a recent editorial titled, “Y’all Biden Folks Proud Yet?”
Parallel Reality
Widespread Agreement
'Torture Is Wrong'
A Navy captain who served 30 years in the military said there is widespread agreement among service members that "torture is wrong."
"I think you'll find that your senior people fully understand that acts like torture do more long-term damage than good, if they do any good," Capt. Scott B. Curtis told The New York Times.
Curtis spoke with the Times' Carol Rosenberg last week, revealing himself as the author of a letter signed by a military jury that condemned the CIA's use of torture.
The two-page handwritten letter, sent to Pentagon officials after the jury delivered a mandatory sentence to a terrorist, asked for clemency for the man, calling the torture tactics used against him "a stain on the moral fiber of America."
Curtis told The Times that the jury, made up of senior military officials, did not have sympathy for the man or his actions, but that the torture he described was a "mitigating factor." He said he wrote the letter in 20 minutes after the sentencing and offered to let the other jurors sign it, with seven of the eight doing so.
'Torture Is Wrong'
Navy Ship Named
Harvey Milk
The US Navy has launched a ship named after a gay rights activist forced to resign from the service because of his sexuality in the 1950s.
The USNS Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego on Saturday in a service attended by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Milk's nephew, Stuart.
It is one of six new ships to be named after famed US civil rights leaders.
Others include include former Chief Justice Earl Warren and slain presidential candidate Robert Kennedy.
Milk served as a diving officer and Lieutenant aboard the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. But he was forced out of the service following two weeks of interrogation about his sexuality in 1955.
Harvey Milk
Women Have Rights (!)
Poland
Poland’s Health Ministry issued instructions Sunday to doctors confirming that it is legal to terminate a pregnancy when the woman’s health or life is in danger, a directive that comes amid apparent confusion over a new restriction to the country’s abortion law.
The document addressed to obstetricians comes in reaction to the hospital death of a 30-year-old mother whose 22-week pregnancy had medical problems. The woman died in September but her death became widely known this month. Doctors at the hospital in Pszczyna, in southern Poland, held off terminating her pregnancy despite the fact that her fetus lacked enough amniotic fluid to survive, her family and a lawyer say.
Angered Poles held massive nationwide protests over the weekend, blaming the woman’s death on Poland’s restrictive abortion law. Women’s rights activists say it has chilling effect on doctors in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
The protests continued for the second day Sunday, the largest one in Krakow, in the south. Thousands of protesters lit mobile phone lights and held a minute of silence in memory of the woman. They then walked to the headquarters of Krakow church authorities, chanting against Poland’s new abortion restriction.
Until a year ago, women in Poland could have abortions in three cases: if the pregnancy resulted from a crime like rape, if the woman’s health or life was at risk, or in the case of irreparable defects of the fetus. That last possibility was eliminated a year ago, when the Constitutional Tribunal ruled it went against Poland’s law.
Poland
Ancient Human
“Leti”
It’s tiny, incomplete, and undeniably awesome. Named “Leti,” this is the first known skull belonging to a Homo naledi child—a fossil that’s shedding new light onto this mysterious group of extinct humans.
The skull fragments, all 28 of them, were found in a tight passage measuring just 5.9 inches (15 cm) wide and 31.5 inches (80 cm) long. So narrow was this passage that researchers had to lie flat and perform a “superman crawl” to pull themselves through, the AFP reports. The cranial remnants and six associated teeth were resting on a limestone shelf located an arm’s reach from the cave floor. Less than 40 feet (12 meters) from this spot is the Dinaledi Chamber—the area within the Rising Star cave system where anthropologists uncovered the first traces of Homo naledi back in 2013.
The cave has since yielded over 2,000 H. naledi fossils, from all stages of life, yet there’s still much to learn about this extinct group of hominins. They date back to an interesting time in human evolution—about 250,000 years ago—when modern humans shared this planet with several other Homo species, such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus.
Scientists aren’t sure how modern humans are related to H. naledi, but we likely share a common ancestor. It’s also not known if H. naledi ventured far beyond the Rising Star cave system, a 1.2-mile (2-kilometer) complex of passages and chambers located near Johannesburg, South Africa. These hominins may have been a small group that branched off the human family tree, or they might’ve been widespread across much of Africa. We don’t know.
The discovery of the first H. naledi child skull is significant, as it could tell us new things about this species, including their rates of growth and development. Anthropologist Juliet Brophy from Louisiana State University, a co-author of both studies, said it’s important to learn about our ancestors and the rates at which they matured because it speaks to a host of anatomical and behavioral changes. Trouble is, we don’t really know a whole lot when it comes to this.
“Leti”
Flaring Up in The Same Joints
Arthritis
When the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) come on, it tends to happen in the same joints that have previously been stiff, swollen, or in pain before – and that remains the case even if there's a long time between each flare-up.
According to new research conducted on mice, this could be because our immune system keeps a record of these past afflictions, creating a personalized disease pattern in each individual. Understanding more about how and why this happens could open up new opportunities for treating the disorder.
This latest study zooms in on the T cells in mice's bodies, white blood cells that are key to the immune system. In particular, the T cells in the synovium – the tissue lining the inside of the capsule around each joint – appear to hold a memory of previous RA problems.
"Overwhelmingly, flares occur in a previously involved joint," says immunologist Peter Nigrovic from Boston Children's Hospital. "Something in that joint seems to remember, 'this is the joint that flared before'."
"We showed that these T cells anchor themselves in the joints and stick around indefinitely after the flare is over, waiting for another trigger. If you delete these cells, arthritis flares stop."
Arthritis
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