Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Australia Shows Us the Road to Hell (NY Times Column)
In a rational world, the burning of Australia would be a historical turning point. After all, it's exactly the kind of catastrophe climate scientists long warned us to expect if we didn't take action to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, a 2008 reportcommissioned by the Australian government predicted that global warming would cause the nation's fire seasons to begin earlier, end later, and be more intense - starting around 2020.
Mary Beard: Civility Wars? (TLS)
We are currently going through the "civility wars". On the one hand, there are those who say that there is no reason not to disagree politely; on the other, there are those who say that civility is part of the elite power structure. It is easy to be polite if you are broadly on the same side: why be polite if you are fighting (eg) racism from the outside? Well, part of the answer is about persuasion. My gut answer tends towards "Why be polite? Change didn't happen by politeness?" My political answer is the reverse. If you want to win people over to see things differently, then verbally assaulting them is not a good move. ("You're a racist" may be true, but it doesn't necessarily persuade someone to think outside their racist box; probably it does the reverse.)
Mary Beard: EPQs and Ps and Qs (TLS)
One of the extra things that sixth-formers can do now at A level is an "EPQ", which (in my subject area at least) takes the form of an independent piece of writing, on a topic chosen by the student, of around 5,000 words. This seems to me to be a jolly good thing, so don't get what I am about to say wrong! I approve.
Jonathan Chait: Maybe Nominating Bloomberg for President Isn't a Crazy Idea (NY Mag)
Bloomberg would be a seriously flawed candidate. But the campaign seems to be exposing all the candidates as seriously flawed, while frequently generating new flaws as they and their supporters tear each other to shreds. Whoever survives the primary, which still has months to go, will face a well-funded incumbent president benefitting from a mature economic expansion he inherited. Winning the presidential election is starting to look hard. How about buying it instead?
German Lopez: The rise in meth and cocaine overdoses, explained (Vox)
America's drug overdose crisis could be reaching a new phase.
Christopher John Stevens: "'MISTER ROGERS AND PHILOSOPHY', FOR THE CHILDREN NOW GROWN" (PopMatters)
There are few if any children's TV personalities who had the quiet determination and clear progressive vision of Fred Rogers. The quiet solitude and Zen-like determination in his approach helped countless youngsters understand their potential in a world that could often be overwhelming. The essays in this book help give the man his due and could inspire a new generation of similar programming: quiet, comforting, challenging, creative, the yin yang of reality and fantasy for young people facing a world that is too immediate, too instant. Slowing down the motor's speed will always make room for wonder.
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David Bruce has over 140 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
replied:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Song: "Old Man Longbeans"
Artist: Roger Kunkel
Artist Location: Davis, California
Info: Info: "GUITAR SOLO is Roger's first solo release and sees him refocusing on original instrumental compositions. It is a sparse and bare-boned collection of melodic themes and engaging chord progressions."
"My intent with this recording is to present myself and the guitar as plainly and as directly as possible. The sound of the acoustic guitar has enthralled me since I was five years old and every day, when I sit down and play, it reminds me of why I became a musician in the first place. This recording is very intimate and has its imperfections just as I do, and that may be the most perfect recording to make." - Roger Kunkel
Price: $8 (USD) for 10-track album
Genre: Guitar Instrumentals
Roger Kunkel on Bandcamp
GUITAR SOLO
David Bruce has over 140 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
New Venture
Michael Egan
Reader Comment
Tax Documents
The tip of the iceberg.
from Bruce
Anecdotes
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
The one of Predator changing his "f" to an "A" cracks me up. I had a student the first year I taught who did that! I've often thought that if he had changed the F to a B, he might have gotten away with it. But his parents were so thrilled with an A that they mentioned it at Parent's Night. At which point, of course, I pulled out my gradebook to show them his actual, abysmal scores on his Spanish tests.
As for the last, you know I love stitching AKA stabbing! Thought you would find Julie Jackson's Subversive CrossStitch newsletter interesting--for what she says about the Tiny Pricks Project
AND for the links she provides.
On a totally different note, I'm sure you saw clips of Hayseed (AKA Asshole Doug Collins) braying on Predator TV/Fox "news" about how Democrats love terrorists. Janet sent the link below to an opinion piece by Preet Bharara. It's is spot on. Janet also says many are saying that an apology from Hayseed doesn't count until he does it on Predator TV. I totally agree! A sampling of Preet's piece:
As you well know, Congressman, terrorists do not kill Republicans or Democrats. They kill Americans.
You know what else is true? The prosecutors, law enforcement agents and intelligence officers who keep us safe from terrorism do not do so as Republicans or Democrats. They do so as Americans. The victims of terrorism - and their families - do not grieve as members of a political party. They do so as Americans.
You are not a talk radio host or a carnival barker. You are a pastor, an attorney and a sitting member of Congress. Therefore, the evidence would suggest you should know better.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
JD is on vacation.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Running late.
Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Sheen Arrested
Fire Drill Friday
Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Sheen were among the activists arrested on Friday as Jane Fonda led her final climate D.C. protest, weekly events that have drawn Hollywood figures and other activists in an effort to build support for much greater action on climate change.
Fonda did not join the dozens of others who were arrested for occupying the steps of the Capitol, but she later went to participate in another climate demonstration at a Chase bank branch nearby.
Still, the demonstration drew its largest crowds yet, with more than 100 people facing arrest. Organizers put the figure at 300.
Fonda plans to return to Los Angeles on Saturday to begin the final season of Grace and Frankie, but will participate in future protests being planned now for California. Greenpeace USA will help organize the demonstrations, with the first planned for Feb. 7 in Los Angeles, and continuing each month. Organizers say that Fonda then plans to continue full-time climate activism after Grace and Frankie wraps production in July.
She has been arrested five times, and spent the night in a D.C. jail at one point. Her weekly guests, who have included her Grace and Frankie co-star Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston, Ted Danson, Diane Lane and Sally Field, also have been arrested as demonstrators blocked streets or Capitol steps.
Fire Drill Friday
'Today' Encounter
Bernie Sanders
Larry David and Bernie Sanders attempted to out-Sanders each other - or is it out-David? - when they met at the Today show's Studio 1A this morning, with Al Roker as liaison. And once again, David made clear his fear of a Sanders presidency.
"As I said before, it's great for the country, terrible for me," David said, before explaining the burden of impersonating Sanders on NBC's Saturday Night Live. "I have to fly in to do him every week. It wouldn't be pleasant, I must tell you." (Sounds like there's a touch of Alec Baldwin in that comment, too.)
"I'm giving you a good job for four years, and you're complaining," Sanders responded, in kind.
Sanders was at Today to campaign while David was there to plug the Jan. 19 Season 10 premiere of his HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Roker no doubt recognized a perfect situation when he saw it, and got the two together, however briefly.
Later on the show, David commented on the 2017 revelations from an episode of PBS' Finding Your Roots that he and Sanders were distant cousins.
Bernie Sanders
Investigation Found Nothing
Hillary
A Department of Justice inquiry into Hillary Clinton that began after conservatives demanded more investigations into the former Democratic presidential candidate is reportedly ending with no actual results.
Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed U.S. Attorney John Huber in 2018 to look into concerns raised by President Donald Trump and his Republican allies that the FBI did not properly look into Clinton's involvement in a uranium deal while she was secretary of state in the Obama administration.
Huber allegedly reviewed documents and spoke with federal law enforcement officials in Arkansas who were handling an investigation into the Clinton Foundation. Though the inquiry has not formally ended and no official notice has been sent to the Justice Department or to Congress, Huber has effectively finished his assignment and found nothing worth pursuing, current and former officials told The Washington Post in a report published Thursday. HuffPost has not been able to independently confirm that the inquiry has ended.
Canadian mining company Uranium One, which had major U.S. holdings, was sold in 2010 to a Russian firm while Clinton was secretary of state. The sale required approval from nine U.S. agencies, including the State Department, before it could proceed. Conservative media and critics of the 2016 Democratic nominee have falsely claimed that the sale was a quid pro quo for donations to the nonprofit Clinton Foundation.
The State Department did not have the power to unilaterally approve or reject the sale, and Clinton was not actually directly involved in the approval process. The original FBI investigation into whether Clinton had ties to the deal found no evidence of wrongdoing, but Sessions revived the inquiry in late 2017 after facing pressure from Trump.
Hillary
Warns Foreign Students
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is warning international students that federal immigration officials may visit their work sites to verify that their employment is directly related to their studies.
School officials sent a memo to faculty on Thursday saying the Department of Homeland Security has been making site visits to employers of foreign students in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The school is notifying students separately and telling them what to expect from the visits.
Immigration officials announced last year they would begin workplace visits for some students participating in the federal Optional Practical Training program. The program allows those with student visas to take temporary jobs related to their academic studies. Students in STEM fields can get their visas extended by two years, while others can get one-year extensions.
MIT joins other universities cautioning students about the possibility of the visits. Schools including the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University issued similar notices last August.
A Homeland Security website says the visits are meant to "reduce the potential for abuses" of the visa extension. It says employers will be given notice of visits 48 hours in advance unless the visit is tied to a complaint or other evidence of noncompliance.
MIT
Repossessed
Prosthetic Legs
A man walked into a nursing home for military veterans two days before Christmas, picked up Jerry Holliman's legs and left.
Holliman, 69, had hopes of moving back to his home in Hattiesburg and returning to an independent lifestyle with his new prosthetic legs. Then they were repossessed.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs wouldn't pay for his prosthetic legs, Holliman said, and Medicare wanted him on the hook for co-pays. As Holliman tried to navigate what felt like a maze of paperwork, it felt like his country was forgetting him.
"Medicare did not send me to Vietnam," Holliman said. "I was sent there by my country... with the understanding that if something bad happened to me, that it would be covered by the VA."
Holliman served active duty in the U.S. Army twice - as an 18-year-old specialist who volunteered to fight in Vietnam and as a 53-year-old master sergeant in Iraq. He earned Bronze Stars in both wars, according to his discharge papers. Between active duty and the U.S Army National Guard, Holliman said he served 40 years in the military.
Prosthetic Legs
Refused Entry
Asylum
A Mexican asylum seeker has taken his own life on a bridge across the Rio Grande after being refused entry to the US, in an incident highlighting the often desperate plights of those being turned away by Donald Trump (R-Pendejo)'s crackdown on immigration.
The man, who was reportedly in his 30s and has not been identified, had attempted to cross from the Mexican city of Reynosa into Pharr, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon.
But he was turned back on the international bridge and shortly after 5pm cut his own throat.
The incident was not the first of its kind. In 2017, a 45-year-old Mexican migrant named Guadalupe Olivas Valencia jumped to his death in Tijuana less than an hour after being "repatriated" from the US.
This week's suicide again cast a light on the bleak conditions facing the growing number of migrants being turned away from the US's southern border and the dangers facing them back home, in crime-ridden communities in Central America and Mexico.
Asylum
Deadly Fungus
Candida auris
A deadly fungal pathogen developed the ability to resist all existing antifungal drugs on three separate occasions in the United States, according to a new report.
The fungus, Candida auris, was already classified as an "urgent threat" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the emergence of so-called "pan-resistant" strains raises additional concern, according to the report's authors, who are infectious disease specialists at the CDC and the New York State Department of Health. They published their findings Thursday in the CDC's publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
C. auris was first identified in 2009 in Japan and has since popped up in nearly 40 countries. (It arrived in the US by 2013, and New York City, Chicago, and New Jersey have been hit the hardest.) The insidious germ is known for creeping around healthcare facilities and infecting vulnerable patients, causing invasive infections marked by nondescript fever and chills.
Somewhere between 30 percent and 60 percent of patients die from the infection. (Determining the exact fatality rate is tricky because the fungus often preys upon patients already suffering from life-threatening conditions.)
Part of what makes C. auris strains so dangerous is that they seem to develop resistance to antifungal drugs relatively easily. Only three classes of antifungal drugs are used to treat C. auris infections: triazole, polyene, and echinocandins classes. And many strains are already resistant to one or two of those.
Candida auris
Historic Synagogue Restored
Egypt
Egypt reopened a historic synagogue on Friday in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria after a yearslong government renovation.
But only a handful of Jews remain from Egypt's once-thriving community, most of them elderly. The country's Jews largely left more than 60 years ago amid the hostilities between Egypt and Israel.
The two-story Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue in Alexandria partially collapsed in 2016. Antiquities officials said the renovations, which began the following year, prevented it from becoming a total loss.
The site has a long history. An earlier synagogue dating to 1354 AD was built in the same location, and the current building dates to roughly 1881, when the Jewish community was large and influential. Marble floors and rose-colored columns line the main hall.
Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue is one of two remaining Jewish houses of worship in Alexandria. The city alone had some 40,000 Jews in the 1940s, half of the country's Jewish population, according to the official page of Alexandria province.
Egypt
Aztec Gold
Mexico
Tests conducted on a gold bar found decades ago in Mexico City indicate it was Aztec gold produced around 1520, matching historical accounts of treasure looted by the Spanish conquerors and then abandoned as they fled.
Experts at the National Institute of Anthropology and History said Thursday the bar's metallic content matches the gold, silver and copper mix that characterized Aztec gold artifacts found since. It also matched measurements given by the conquerors.
The evidence further corroborates historic Spanish accounts of "La Noche Triste,"or "The Sad Night," when many Spaniards were killed and treasure was lost as the conquerors beat a temporary retreat. It comes as Mexico prepares to mark the 500th anniversary of the events.
The gold bar was found in 1981 in a former canal area just west of the old Aztec capital, then known as Tenochtitlan.
The Spaniards, aided by indigenous allies, returned in 1521 to complete their conquest of the city.
Mexico
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