Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: From Voodoo Economics to Evil-Eye Economics (NY Times Column)
Almost four decades ago then-candidate George H.W. Bush used the phrase "voodoo economic policy" to describe Ronald Reagan's claim that cutting taxes for the rich would pay for itself. He was more prescient than he could have imagined.
Mary Beard: The 'undemocratic back-stop'? Why democracy has never been so simple (TLS)
I don't often think that the whole nation (me included) should be given compulsory lessons in "civics". In fact I have never been much in favour of compulsory lessons in anything, beyond reading, writing and 'rithmatic (or whatever the modern equivalents would be - "keyboard skills" and coding, I guess). But I have been so infuriated by the massive misuse of the word "democracy" over the past few weeks that I am beginning to think that a big teach-in is necessary.
Mary Beard: A sorceress at Pompeii? (TLS)
But sorceress? Now part of my heart leaps up to find a newly found object attributed to the ownership of a woman. But part of my heart leaps down at the sense that once again the only places we think of women are absolutely stereotypical "female" areas. (I get so fed up going into museums which genuflect to women in the ancient world with a case on cosmetics … apparently entirely forgetting that most women in the ancient world, like the modern, spent a lot more time working than primping. And some ancient men were well known to use "products" too.)
Nick Catucci: Taylor Swift Reaches For New Heights of Personal and Musical Liberation on 'Lover' (Rolling Stone)
Her epic seventh album is all about big moods, dreamy Eighties throwbacks and evolutionary freedom.
Jonathan Chait: Trump Says Jews Should Love Him Because He's Almost Literally Jesus (NY Mag)
President Trump has been vexed recently by the refusal of the majority of the American Jewish community to support him. For insight into the mysterious paradox of why a traditionally liberal social minority remains unenthusiastic about his brand of blood-and-soil authoritarian demagoguery, he has turned to Wayne Allyn Root.
Jonathan Chait: McConnell Recruiting Senate Democrats to Destroy the Next Democratic Presidency (NY Mag)
The possibility that Democrats might win the presidency and the Senate in the next election, and then actually pass some laws, is concerning enough to Mitch McConnell that the Senate majority leader is trying to talk them out of it. McConnell has an op-ed in the New York Times, a venue selected to speak to Democratic Party elites, urging them not to eliminate the Senate's legislative filibuster. McConnell would obviously love to have the power to stymie the next Democratic agenda. Why, though, would Democrats allow McConnell to do this to them, when it lies within their power to change the Senate rules?
Alexandra Petri: Oh, good, Donald Trump is God now (Washington Post)
Also, he is the King of Israel. Great! And he brought Christmas back. Even better! That was just the first sign of many signs that he would perform. He made the lion lie down with the lamb, and then he stood with the lion after the resulting incident. He healed the nation's wounds (or will, once he gets a magic and only somewhat habit-forming spray from Johnson and Johnson), and you should see what he can do with the jawbone of an ass! And he suffered the little children to come unto him. At any rate, they suffered.
Alexandra Petri: Moon can't bear watching Earth do this to itself (Washington Post)
Gazing down with a vaguely orange tint at a new fire blossoming on the Earth where a fire should not be, the Moon confided that it felt sad and powerless watching the Earth destroy itself. "At first it was small things. Losing a species here or there. Just careless, really. These things happen to a planet on its way up. Earth still seemed to have it together. But now?" The moon looked on in mingled horror as the Earth began emitting large quantities of smoke. "I don't know where this ends. Do you have any idea what that does to your lungs?"
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 Lulu Storefront
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has over 100 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Anecdotes
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Eurotrash
LOOK at that jumped-up Trump piece of trash Boris Johnson being an ass at the Elysee Palace! Shame on his mother
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
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, again.
How Much Money
'Dancing With The Stars'
Another season of dancing is happening, but it comes at a price. Dancing With the Stars' salaries for the celebrity cast have been revealed - and it's juicy to see how much everyone could make.
It was announced that Lamar Odom, Bachelorette star Hannah Brown, Christie Brinkley and - hello, politics! - former White House press secretary spokesliar Sean Spicer (R-Unemployable) are among the stars hitting the dance floor this season. Now, Variety reports that each contestant will earn $125,000 just for doing the rehearsals and starring in the first two weeks' worth of episodes.
After the third week, fees go up - although they won't be as high as in earlier seasons. Previously, a Dancing With the Stars participant could earn up to $345,000, but this year the maximum a winner will get is $295,000.
Still, that's hardly shabby. And let's be honest: For many stars the money is just a bonus, as the sheer nature of being on the show can lead to a career resurgence. Prime example: past winner Alfonso Ribeiro, who went on to host the newest incarnation of America's Funniest Home Videos after winning season 19.
'Dancing With The Stars'
Nasa Names Rock On Mars
Rolling Stones
Nasa has honoured the Rolling Stones by naming a small Martian rock after the London band.
The US space agency decided to call the golf ball-sized rock 'Rolling Stones Rock' after it appeared to move around 1 metre across the surface of Mars on 26 November, 2018.
It was propelled by the spacecraft InSight's thrusters as it touched down on the Red Planet last year for its latest mission.
Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood said they were happy with the news.
Nasa said it was the farthest it had ever seen a rock roll while landing a spacecraft on another planet.
Rolling Stones
D23 Expo
Disney Legends
Disney CEO Bob Iger kicked off the company's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California by thanking the fans of the company and stressing the "exhilarating" pace at which new content will be released.
Iger presented the Legends Awards to 12 new individuals to start the Expo. Here are the new inductees:
Robert Downey Jr. was recognized for his performance as Tony Stark (or Iron Man) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008. Downey Jr. joked about the first time he went to Disneyland and was "transported to another place," referring to when he was arrested at the park in his youth. He went on to say that it has been a "gift" to place Tony Stark for so many years.
Bette Midler is one of the most iconic stars of this lifetime. Her role in Hocus Pocus has a soft spot in so many peoples hearts, among her over countless roles. Midler's daughter was in appearance to accept the award on her behalf, Sophie Von Haselberg got emotional reading the speech from her mother about the artsists of the past that influence Middler personally.
Ming-Na Wen was recognized for "breaking the mold" with her performance, beginning as Mulan and moving into the Star Wars universe in the upcoming series.
Disney Legends
Publishers Sue
Amazon's Audible
Amazon.com Inc's Audible was sued by some of the top U.S. publishers for copyright infringement on Friday, aiming to block a planned rollout of a feature called 'Audible Captions' that shows the text on screen as a book is narrated.
The lawsuit was filed by seven members of the Association of American Publishers (AAP), including HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan Publishers.
"Essentially Audible wants to provide the text as well as the sound of books without the authorization of copyright holders, despite only having the right to sell audiobooks," AAP said in a statement.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Amazon's Audible
Stopped By Border Agent
Journalist
A British journalist has said he was stopped at a US airport by a border agent who accused the writer of being part of the "fake news media", a term regularly used by Donald Trump to attack media coverage he disapproves of.
James Dyer, online editor-in-chief at Empire Magazine, said he was questioned by the Customs and Border Protection agent after he displayed his journalist visa at Los Angeles International Airport border control.
"He wanted to know if I'd ever worked for CNN or MSNBC or other outlets that are 'spreading lies to the American people'," Mr Dyer tweeted of the incident on Thursday. "He aggressively told me that journalists are liars and are attacking their democracy."
"Apparently the only truth now comes from YouTube and the president. All this said under a CBP sign that says 'we are the face of our nation'. And with a framed picture of 45 staring down. In f***ing California!!! Welcome to Trump's America!" Mr Dyer added.
Mr Dyer said the agent let him go after he revealed he was in the US to write about an upcoming Star Wars movie.
Journalist
Leaked Documents
Amazon Fires
Jair Bolsonaro hopes to sabotage conservation efforts in the Amazon, leaked documents show.
A series of powerpoint slides reveal that Brazilian government officials intend to build a bridge, motorway and hydroelectric plant through the rainforest.
The plans, which were leaked to Open Democracy, have emerged as fires rage throughout the Amazon.
Brazil's space research centre, Inpe, has detected 72,843 fires so far this year - an 84 per cent rise compared to 2018.
The leaked slides are thought to have been used at a meeting in February, held between Brazilian government officials and local leaders in the Para state, which is the site of Amazonia National Park.
Amazon Fires
Begins Voyage North
'Floating Chernobyl'
Russian dancers pranced and a naval band played as a floating nuclear power plant dubbed "Chernobyl on ice" by its critics cast off from one of the world's northernmost ports Friday.
The stations "are badly needed, not only in Russia but elsewhere," Sergei Ivanov, Russia's special presidential representative for environmental protection, ecology and transport, told the gathered dignitaries and reporters as Akademik Lomonosov - painted red, white and blue for Russia's national colors - set off for the Arctic port town of Pevek.
For its supporters, the launch heralds a new era of development in the inhospitable Russian Arctic. If all goes according to plan, Lomonosov will be the first of several floating nuclear reactors powering remote outposts dotting the northern coast.
Greenpeace Russia has led protests against its development since it was announced in 2017, calling it dangerous. A Russian union representing the victims injured in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster that resulted in thousands of cases of childhood cancer alone has also voiced fierce opposition to the plant with concerns it could put millions of lives at risk.
Not quite a ship but certainly more expansive than an average barge, the Lomonosov measures about 1,548 feet in length with a width of 98 feet and displacement of 21,500 tons. It has a helicopter pad and a command deck. Inside, it smells, feels and looks like a ship with narrow corridors and winding mazes of piping caked in the dull yellow preferred by Russian sailors.
It is equipped with two pressurized water reactors - a version of naval reactors used by Russia's atomic icebreakers, Dmitry Alekseyenko, the deputy head of floating nuclear power plant construction and operation, told NBC News.
'Floating Chernobyl'
Ancient Skeletons With Alien-Like Heads
Croatia
Archaeologists have unearthed three ancient skeletons in Croatia - and two of them had pointy, artificially deformed skulls.
Each of those skulls had been melded into a different shape, possibly as a way to show they belonged to a specific cultural group.
Artificial cranial deformation has been practiced in various parts of the world, from Eurasia and Africa to South America. It is the practice of shaping a person's skull - such as through using tight headdresses, bandages or rigid tools - while the skull bones are still malleable in infancy.
Ancient cultures had different reasons for the practice, from indicating social status to creating what they thought was a more beautiful skull. The earliest known instance of this practice occurred 12,000 years ago in ancient China, but it's unclear if the practice spread from there or if it emerged independently in different parts of the world, according to a previous Live Science report.
In this case, archeologists found these three skeletons in a burial pit in Croatia's Hermanov vinograd archeological site in 2013. Between 2014 and 2017, they analyzed the skeletons using various methods, including DNA analysis and radiographic imaging- a method that involves using radiation to view the inside of an object such as a skull.
Croatia
Himalaya Mystery
Skeleton Lake
Nestled in the Indian Himalayas, some 16,500 feet above sea level, sits Roopkund Lake. One hundred and thirty feet wide, it is frozen for much of the year, a frosty pond in a lonely, snowbound valley. But on warmer days, it delivers a macabre performance, as hundreds of human skeletons, some with flesh still attached, emerge from what has become known as Skeleton Lake.
Who were these individuals, and what befell them? One leading idea was that they died simultaneously in a catastrophic event more than 1,000 years ago. An unpublished anthropological survey from several years ago studied five skeletons and estimated they were 1,200 years old.
But a new genetic analysis carried out by scientists in India, America and Germany has upended that theory. The study, which examined DNA from 38 remains, indicates that there wasn't just one mass dumping of the dead, but several, spread over a millennium.
Genetic analysis has helped make some sense of the jumble of bones. The researchers, led in part by Niraj Rai, an expert in ancient DNA at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in India, and David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard University, extracted DNA from the remains of dozens of skeletal samples, and managed to identify 23 males and 15 females.
Based on populations living today, these individuals fit into three distinct genetic groups. Twenty-three, including males and females, had ancestries typical of contemporary South Asians; their remains were deposited at the lake between the 7th and 10th centuries, and not all at once. Some skeletons were more ancient than others, suggesting that many were interred at the lake lifetimes apart.
Skeleton Lake
In Memory
Celso Piña
The prolific and celebrated Mexican accordion player Celso Piña died Wednesday of a heart attack in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. He was 66 years old.
Piña contributed greatly to the evolution of cumbia. The Colombian folk genre has had an interesting life span since its 17th century origins and very few musicians have added to that colorful history more than Celso Piña.
The genre has roots in the African slave trade and percolated as regional dance form until it became the soundtrack to the upscale ballrooms and nightclubs of Mexico during the 1950s and '60s. A young Celso Piña first heard it in the '70s and was eventually drawn to the Colombian accordion masters who played both cumbia and its musical cousin, vallenato. He channeled that passion into Celso Piña y su Ronda Bogotá, a band he started with his brothers Eduardo, Rubén and Enrique.
How a kid from the dusty mountain town of Monterrey on the northern edge of Mexico became known for transporting Colombian folk music to stages around the world is part of the colorful legend he leaves behind. He came to be known as "El Rebelde del Acordeón" (The Rebel of the Accordion) as he deftly and artistically inserted cumbia into a wide swath of contemporary Latin music from hip-hip to rock to electronic and beyond. Barrio Bravo (2002) earned him a Latin Grammy nomination but more importantly it kickstarted a series of high-profile collaborations with artists such as Cafe Tacvba, Lila Downs, Gloria Trevi, Natalia Lafourcade among so many others. He was just featured on a single by Mexican-Cuban artist Leiden's track "Tu Boca."
Celso Piña was not a typical music star. He was the last of the underdogs. An idol who came from the barrio, to the barrio, and later on, to the world. Through local songs that talked about very specific things from his community, he sent a universal message. In the end, we all laugh, cry ... and dance.
The legacy Celso left is really important. He let rich people know there is a vast culture in poor Mexican neighborhoods. He was a proud ambassador of his beloved Barrio Independencia.
Gabriel García Márquez called him El Acordeonista de Hamelin (the accordion player of Hamelin). Celso was a unifier. His music was the true meaning of democracy: no matter if you were old, young, fat, skinny, tall or short, you would certainly dance to his music.
Celso Piña
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
