from Bruce
Anecdotes
Church
• Calvin Coolidge attended church alone one Sunday. When he returned home, his wife asked him what the preacher had spoken about in his sermon. “Sin,” Coolidge replied. Next his wife asked, “What did he have to say about it?” Coolidge answered, “He was against it.”
Class
• During World War II, American heavyweight champion Joe Louis predicted that the Allies would win. Why? Because, he said, we are on the side of God. This is an improvement on the opinion of people who believed that we would win because God is on our side. Mr. Louis showed a lot of class throughout his career. A reporter once heard a couple of residents of Harlem talking. One said, “If we had more Negroes like Joe Louis, things would be better for us.” The other replied, “True, but if we had more white folks like Joe, things would be better still.”
• Believe it or not, at the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships, figure skater Midori Ito jumped right out of the skating rink. She fumbled for a moment with a TV camera, then went back out onto the ice and skated as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Clothing
• Golfer Walter Hagen had a reputation for partying. According to legend, he sometimes showed up at tee time in a wrinkled tuxedo because he had been partying all night and didn’t have time to change. The truth is quite different. Mr. Hagen was often seen at parties with a glass in his hand, but when he had to play in a tournament the next day, he tossed the drink into a potted plant, then went home to get a good night’s sleep. His tuxedo got wrinkled because he ordered his chauffeur to roll it into a ball and throw it against the car until it was wrinkled enough to carry on the legend.
• Back in the 1970s, when Mary Bacon was riding professionally in horse races, the flower print of her underwear could be seen through her jockey outfit’s white bottoms. She used to tell the other jockeys, “At least I give you something to look at when I’m in the lead.”
• Noël Coward showed up for a dinner party wearing white tie and tails, only to discover that the other guests were wearing casual clothing. He apologized, “So sorry for being improperly dressed.”
• Tennis star Arthur Ashe could afford to wear very expensive clothing, but his favorite piece of clothing was a simple T-shirt bearing this slogan: “A citizen of the world.”
Class
• Oscar Wilde once went into a florist shop and asked that the flowers in the window be removed. The florist replied, “With pleasure, sir. How many would you like to have?” Mr. Wilde replied, “Oh, I don’t want any, thank you. I only asked to have them removed from the window because I thought that they looked tired.” By the way, Mr. Wilde once said about an actress who had married a fool: “She thought that, because he was stupid, he would be kindly, when, of course, kindliness requires imagination and intellect.”
• When George S. and Beatrice Kaufman celebrated their fifth anniversary — the wooden one — critic Alexander Woollcott sent them this telegram: “I have been looking around for an appropriate wooden gift and am pleased hereby to present you with Elsi Ferguson’s performance in her new play.”
• David Garrick, the famous 18th-century actor, believed in using his entire body while playing a part. He once criticized the French actor P. L. D. Preville after appearing on stage with him in a drunk scene — he said that although most of Mr. Preville’s body was drunk, his legs were not!
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Presenting
Michael Egan
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "Trip Club"
Album: TRIP CLUB
Artist: RudeSix
Artist Location: England, UK
Info:
“RudeSix introduced themselves in the summer of 2018 with their debut EP TRIP CLUB. Charged with youthful energy, the UK midlands based group ‘possess an impressive sound with feisty female vocals dancing over edgy and infectious ska & reggae rhythms.’” — Quote from DO THE DOG skazine
“Our debut EP – TRIP CLUB. Expect predominantly ska/reggae vibes with a unique twist, influenced by The Specials, The Selecter, The Skints, Gentleman's Dub Club, Hollie Cook, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and much more.”
Price: £0.75 (GBP) for track; £2.50 (GBP) for four-track EP
Genre: Ska. Reggae. Dub.
Links:
TRIP CLUB
RudeSix on Bandcamp
RudeSix on YouTube
RudeSix.com
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Reader Comment
Current Events
The biggest lie of 2021
Video explanation:
that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
I need to retrieve some stuff from the East coast, and sooner rather than later.
My car is too small - there're about 40 old decanters, some glassware, some china, and a painting.
Thought about replacing my little car, but would rather not - a station wagon or van should be adequate.
So, that means:
1. Flying back east (I loathe flying, especially in a pandemic), pick up a rent-a-something in Pittsburgh, find packing stuff there, then drive north, pack up & load up, and return west.
Or
2. Rent-a-something here (avoid the airports altogether), drive east, load up, then drive west. If I drive both ways I can take along the packing stuff and other things that will probably come in handy.
Or
?
Money is more of a consideration than time.
Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations?
Weekend Box Office
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
Never underestimate your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, even with a mutating virus afoot. Despite rising concerns over the omicron variant, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” not only shattered pandemic-era box office records; it became the third best opening of all time behind “Avengers: Endgame” ($357.1 million) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($257.7 million).
The Sony and Marvel blockbuster grossed a stunning $253 million in ticket sales from 4,325 North American locations, according to studio estimates on Sunday, also setting a record for the month of December. The web-slinger’s success couldn’t have come sooner for a movie business that has had a rollercoaster 2021 and could be headed for a difficult start to 2022 as the o micron variant of the coronavirus forces more and more event cancellations.
But it wasn’t all celebrations at the box office this weekend. In Spider-Man’s wake were some high-profile casualties, including Guillermo del Toro’s star-studded “Nightmare Alley,” which grossed a mere $3 million from 2,145 theaters. It opened in fifth place behind “Spider-Man,” “Encanto” ($6.5 million), “West Side Story” ($3.4 million) and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” ($3.4 million).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” $253 million.
2. “Encanto,” $6.5 million.
3. “West Side Story,” $3.4 million.
4. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” $3.4 million.
5. “Nightmare Alley,” $3 million.
6. “House of Gucci,” $1.9 million.
7. “Eternals,” $1.2 million.
8. “Clifford The Big Red Dog,” $400,000.
9. “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” $280,000
10. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $220,000
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
Sol Invictus Holiday Display
Satanic Temple
The state Capitol rotunda will have a satanic display alongside other religious art for a third year. The Satanic Temple is returning with an art installation to celebrate the “satanic holiday” of Sol Invictus.
The group conducts advocacy for reproductive rights and the separation of church and state as a tax-exempt religious organization.
This year’s display will feature the “satanic deity” Baphomet, depicted as a swaddling babe. It was designed by Albuquerque-based horror artist Chris P. Andres.
The exhibition will be installed at 1 p.m. Monday in the Capitol rotunda, overseen by The Satanic Temple’s Illinois congregation.
In addition to installing displays in statehouses in several states, The Satanic Temple’s advocacy includes using religious freedom laws to demand exemption from abortion restrictions on religious grounds and hosting after-school programs as an alternative to similar Christian initiatives.
Satanic Temple
Year’s Best
Los Angeles Film Critics
It was a showdown between Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” and Jane Campion’s “ The Power of the Dog ” for members of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, but the group managed to give top honors to both on Saturday.
The Japanese film “Drive My Car” was named best picture and “The Power of the Dog,” a Western drama set in 1925, got runner up. Campion, meanwhile, received best director with Hamaguchi as her runner up.
Simon Rex took best actor for his turn as an ex porn star in Sean Baker’s “ Red Rocket,” and Penelope Cruz was named best actress for playing a photographer and new mother in Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers.”
Supporting actress went to Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita in “West Side Story,” while supporting actor was a tie between Vincent London for “Titane” and Kodi Smit-McPhee for “The Power of the Dog.”
The nonfiction film “ Flee, ” about an Afghan refugee, got best animated film, while the documentary award went to Questlove’s “ Summer of Soul,” which chronicles a largely forgotten music festival in the summer of 1969.
Los Angeles Film Critics
Estate To Auction
Betty Lynn
The estate of Betty Lynn, the actress best known for her role as Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show, is set to be auctioned from now until Dec. 30.
The auction consists of 118 items, including furniture, fine art, collectibles, and several sets of fine china. For Mayberry fans hoping to add to their show memorabilia, the sale also includes a framed illustration of Thelma Lou with her on-screen boyfriend Barney Fife, as well a black-and-white photograph of the couple on the show. At the time of publishing, bidding had reached $628 for the illustration and $320 for the photo.
Lynn, a Kansas City, Missouri native, died this October at the age of 95 after a short illness. At the time, she was living in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the real-life hometown of actor Andy Griffith and the community that the fictional town of Mayberry was modeled after. Up until 2019, Lynn made monthly appearances in town at the Andy Griffith Museum where she signed autographs and met with fans.
Though she played the role for five years, Lynn's Thelma Lou only appeared on 26 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show between 1961 and 1966. The show went on for two more seasons after her final episode. In 1986, Lynn rejoined the cast for the reunion television movie Return to Mayberry, where Thelma Lou and Barney Fife got married.
Betty Lynn
Lurches Further To The Right
Rupert
As the US braces for the likely resurgence of the Republican party in 2022’s midterm elections, rightwing media is preparing, both behind and in front of the scenes, to exert its influence over the rest of Joe Biden’s presidency.
The flagship conservative news network, Fox News, has continued a lurch towards the right that accelerated with the rise of Donald Trump. But a more insidious presence is the rise of a conservative media ecosystem, or echo chamber, that seems likely to coalesce what was once considered the fringes of rightwing thought.
Fox News bounced back from a brief threat from even further right networks like Newsmax in early 2021, but in the process, it has weathered a pair of lawsuits, and the departure of Fox News’ most high-profile “straight news” journalist.
The almost symbiotic relationship between some Fox News hosts and the Trump government was exposed this week, when it emerged three of the network’s personalities had frantically texted Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, during the 6 January insurrection.
Fox News remains the most popular cable news channel by far, with an average of 1.3 million viewers and 2.4 million in the 8-11pm slot – when its rightwing personalities Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Ingraham host their shows. Through the year the network has engaged in themes attractive to the right, including some hosts and guests dabbling in vaccine skepticism, although other hosts have told viewers they should consider getting a Covid-19 vaccine.
Rupert
Take On Educators
Conservatives
A recent Wyoming school board meeting was again packed with opponents of mask mandates when things took an abrupt turn and a parent started reading aloud sexually explicit passages from a book available in school libraries.
“Parents like myself had no idea this stuff was here,” the parent, Shannon Ashby, told trustees of Laramie County School District No. 1 in the capital city.
The push to remove objectionable books from school libraries is part of a renewed conservative interest in public education as a political issue since the start of the pandemic. Parents who first packed school board meetings to express their opposition to mask mandates and other COVID-19 measures have since broadened their focus to other issues they say clash with conservative values, including teachings about social justice, gender, race and history.
Such issues played a key role in last month’s Virginia governor’s election and are now poised to be in the Republican spotlight in the 2022 midterms.
“If you put pictures to the material that was read, our superintendent would be in jail for trafficking in kiddie porn,” said Darin Smith, a local attorney and former Republican congressional candidate whose wife is on the school board. “I would never have known these extreme leftists that are controlling our school district had I not gone to voice my opposition to the masking.”
Conservatives
Ending Cinematic Censorship
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates announced on Sunday that it will no longer censor films released in cinemas, the country’s latest effort to boost its brand as a liberal hub attractive to foreigners.
Instead of cutting sensitive scenes that could offend traditional Islamic sensibilities, the Emirati Media Regulatory Authority will introduce a new 21+ age category for viewers.
Censors in the UAE, like elsewhere in the Middle East, have long removed scenes in cinematic releases that show nudity, homosexuality, sex and other content deemed inappropriate — sometimes leading to plot holes.
Foreigners outnumber locals nearly nine to one in the federation of seven sheikhdoms. The diversity of culture and religion in the tourism-dependent country has at times been at odds with its Islamic laws and traditions.
But that’s changing as the nation promotes its socially liberal environment to lure international workers. The government has reformed its Islamic legal code and next year will change its weekend to Saturday-Sunday to align with the Western businesses and markets.
United Arab Emirates
Struggle To Rebuild Attendance
Houses Of Worship
When Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston resumed in-person services late last year, after a seven-month halt due to COVID-19, there were Sundays when only three worshippers showed up, according to the pastor, Meredith Mills.
Since then, attendance has inched back up, but it’s still only about half the pre-pandemic turnout of 160 or 170, Mills estimates.
Some houses of worship are faring better than Mills’ church, some worse. Polls by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows how dramatically church attendance fell during the worst of the pandemic last year, even as many say they are now returning to regular service attendance.
Among mainline Protestants, just 1% said in a May 2020 poll that they were attending in-person services at least once a week. In the new poll, 14% say they’re doing so now, compared to 16% who say they did in 2019.
Among evangelical Protestants, 37% now say they are attending services in person at least weekly, while 42% said they did that in 2019. In the May 2020 poll, just 11% said they were attending services in person that often.
Houses Of Worship
'Mammoth Graveyard'
Swindon
Researchers have unearthed a mammoth "graveyard" filled with the bony remains of five individuals — an infant, two juveniles and two adults — that died during the last ice age at what is now a quarry in Swindon, a town in southwest England.
Alongside the mammoth remains, researchers discovered stone tools crafted by Neanderthals, including a hand ax and small flint tools known as scrapers, which were used to clean fresh animal hides, according to DigVentures, the crowdsourced archaeological outfit in the U.K. that led the excavation. However, the team has yet to analyze the mammoth bones to determine whether they have Neanderthal tool marks on them.
Two amateur fossil hunters, Sally and Neville Hollingworth, discovered the graveyard and Neanderthal tools. Soon after, DigVentures organized two field seasons in 2019 and 2020 to excavate the site. The archaeologist-led work uncovered more ice age remnants, including delicate beetle wings, fragile freshwater snail shells and mammoth remains, such as tusks, leg bones, ribs and vertebrae belonging to a species of Steppe mammoth, a group whose descendants include the woolly mammoth. Although early Steppe mammoths stood up to 13.1 feet (4 meters) high at the shoulders, the five mammoth individuals at the graveyard were small, an indication that the species might have shrunk during an especially cold spell during the ice age, according to DigVentures.
Researchers dated the site to between 220,000 and 210,000 years ago, toward the end of an interglacial, or warm period, when Neanderthals still lived in Britain. Once temperatures dropped, however, the Neanderthals moved farther south.
Swindon
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