Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Trump and the Aristocracy of Fraud (NY Times)
Government of tax cheats, by tax cheats, for tax cheats.
Andrew Tobias: The Democratic Message…
as former Congressman Steve Israel argues , "A message that resonates in downtown Brooklyn, New York, could backfire in Brooklyn, Iowa-which happens to be located in a Republican district that's now highly competitive." We don't need a single message. Yes, it would certainly be great if we Democrats had better discipline, repeating the same two or three short, simple mantras over and over. E.g.: "The incredible Obama recovery was so strong, even Trump hasn't yet killed it . . . though with his massive borrowing to cut taxes on the rich he's certainly laying the seeds of the next crisis . . . " (Already that's too many words. I get it.)
Greg Sargent: Heitkamp's courageous opposition to Kavanaugh: A major gamble, but if it pays off … (Washington Post)
Heidi Heitkamp is probably the single most imperiled Democratic incumbent senator in the country. … Heitkamp announced that she will vote against the confirmation of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. In her statement, Heitkamp stressed that she had voted for Neil Gorsuch but said that Kavanaugh had disqualified himself: "In addition to the concerns about his past conduct, last Thursday's hearing called into question Judge Kavanaugh's current temperament, honesty, and impartiality. …."
Paul Waldman: Trump may be guilty of massive tax fraud. Don't let it fall down the memory hole. (Washington Post)
…we now have hard evidence - not allegations, not hearsay, not suspicion, but hard evidence - that Donald Trump and his family committed tax fraud on a massive scale. What should be done about it now? It has to be followed up by every news organization with the means to do so. It has to be investigated by Congress (though, of course, that won't happen unless Democrats take back one or both houses of Congress). We have to get the president's tax returns. And we have to never stop asking questions until all the facts are known, and Trump, one way or another, is held to account.
Alexandra Petri: The FBI was very easy to reach, and the report has been quite easy to read (Washington Post)
Hi! We hear you have information to share with the FBI about Brett Kavanaugh! We have streamlined the tip process as much as possible in hopes of getting right to the bottom of this. With that in mind, please call the indicated hotline. The person who picks up will direct you to a dedicated drop box, in which you will find a crumpled sheet of paper with GPS coordinates, which will guide you to an underground vault where you will encounter a hanging sword and a flask. (You will not be able to lift the sword until you take a swig from the flask.)
Julia Belluz: The Nobel Prize is a reminder of the outrageous cost of curing cancer (Vox)
Cancer's most promising therapies come with $100,000-plus price tags.
Mary Beard: Gated Communities (TLS)
Safety may depend on security passes. But I suspect that it depends more on people looking out for each other (especially given how long it takes each of these damn doors to close). When I look at the gated college grounds over the road from where I live, I think that we might be better off together -better off if the local kids could play on the football pitches from time to time, better off if we all could bike to work by the shortest route, and better off if we residents felt that we were looking out for the students too, and them for us.
Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Laura Snapes: Has 10 years of Spotify ruined music? (The Guardian)
The streaming service is a decade old on Sunday. So has it created a post-CD paradise for listeners - or turned today's music into a grey goo? Our music editors argue for and against.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Anecdotes
• Rabbi Bun was a scholar. When he died at an early age, Rabbi Zera spoke highly of his scholarly labors, comparing him to a worker in a king's vineyard who worked hard for two or three hours. The king called the worker to him, and they walked together. At the end of the day, the king paid all his laborers, including the man who had worked for only a few hours, the same wage. The others complained, saying that they had worked for the entire day, and asking, "Is it right that he should receive the same wages we do?" The king responded, "Why are you angry? This man has done as much work in two or three hours as the rest of you have done in a whole day." And so, Rabbi Zera said, "Thus, too, Rabbi Bun has accomplished more in the realm of the Torah during his 28 years than a diligent student could ordinarily accomplish in 100 years."
• Kevin Jennings, the founder and executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), was one of the United States' first gay teachers to come out of the closet. In school, he wore a marriage ring because he and his partner had exchanged rings. His students asked about the ring, and he told the truth. However, afterward his students kept his response a secret, as if he had said something bad about himself. This bothered Mr. Jennings, so he made a speech to the entire school and came out publicly. The response was incredibly positive. Students hugged him, and he says, "I felt like a celebrity." Unfortunately, his life as a student in high school was quite different. As the school "fag," he was called names and occasionally beaten up.
• When gay author Michael Thomas Ford was invited to his high school reunion, he thought about how miserable his classmates had made him feel as the class queer, and he wrote back, "Michael Thomas Ford is very proud to announce that he is still queer, despite the best attempts of his schoolmates to convince him that it is an unacceptable lifestyle. He would also like to take this opportunity to tell everyone he went to school with that he is happier, more successful, and a great deal more attractive than they are."
• R' Yitzchak Meir of Gur once asked a young chasid, "Do you know the Torah?" How to answer such a question was perplexing. On the one hand, if he said he knew a lot of Torah, he would appear to be boasting, and after all, R' Yitzchak Meir knew much more than he. On the other hand, he would be lying if he were to say that knew nothing of the Torah. Therefore, he answered, "I know a little." R' Yitzchak Meir replied, "And who knows more than a little?"
• Kate Barnhart became an activist for AIDS at a young age. As a member of ACT UP, she has even been arrested a few times. When she applied for admission for college, she was asked to write an essay on her "most positive educational experience," and instead of writing about such things as a favorite biology course, she wrote about her experiences as an activist. Ms. Barnhart says, "I was rejected by ten schools. But I figured I didn't want to go to any school that wouldn't accept me for who I am."
• A man once asked Rabbi Israel Salanter for advice. He explained that he had only 15 minutes a day to devote to study, and so he asked whether he should devote that 15 minutes to studying the Torah and Talmud or to studying a mussar(that is, pietistic) text. Rabbi Salanter advised, "Study the mussartext, and it will soon make you realize that something is terribly wrong with your life if you have only 15 minutes a day to study."
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
JD took the day off.
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In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and seasonal.
Final Hour-Long 'Conan'
Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien bid farewell do his longtime house band, most members of which have performed alongside the late-night host for 25 years, on Thursday's Conan, which also marked the host's final TBS episode in its standard hour-long format.
"There is one change on the horizon that makes me quite sad," O'Brien said of Conan's 2019 shift. "In January, when our show transitions to the new half-hour format, our band will not be with us. Since we began this journey 25 years ago, my band has been a daily source of joy in my life."
O'Brien added, "These remarkable musicians have given their talent, energy, enthusiasm and incredible showmanship to over 4,000 hours."
The host then reminisced about the band's 25-year tenure, from the Max Weinberg 7 era on Late Night With Conan O'Brien to their brief Tonight Show stay to the "Legally Prohibited" Band tour to the formation of the Jimmy Vivino & The Basic Cable Band when Conancame to TBS in November 2010.
Throughout O'Brien's television journey, the house band's members - guitarist Vivino, trombonist Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg, keyboardist Scott Healy, bassist Mike Merritt, trumpeter Mike Pender, multi-instrumentalist Jerry Vevino and, since 2009, percussionist James Wormworth - have been at the host's side.
Conan O'Brien
Stuck In An Elevator
Debra Messing
Debra Messing stopped by Watch What Happens Live Thursday and played an unexpected game of "Would You Rather?" when a caller asked who she'd rather be stuck in an elevator with: President Trump or Susan Sarandon.
"I think Trump," Messing replied, much to the surprise of Andy Cohen.
Messing's choice might not be that surprising after all, as she and Sarandon have been at odds politically for years. The Will & Grace star was a staunch supporter of Hillary Clintonwhile Sarandon backed Bernie Sanders before ultimately voting for the Green party nominee, Jill Stein, in 2016.
The actresses sparred on Twitter last month, with Messing reigniting their feud after seeing Sarandon give an interview to Variety saying Trump has inspired more women and people of color to run for office.
"STFU SUSAN," Messing said in a series of tweets last month. "Oh yes, PLEASE let's give Trump CREDIT. I mean how else are you able to walk out on the street. Convince yourself that that this CATASTROPHE of a President who you said was better that HRC IS NOT ripping children away from parents seeking asylum, holding children INDEFINITELY in internment camps with their new policy, DESTROYING all attempts to protect our environment (yes the water you properted to care about), endangered animals, taking away women's ACCESS to health care and legal abortion, trying to block POC from Voting with extreme Judges who will support jerrymandering efforts, not to mention destroying ALL good will and allied relationships across the Globe. Oh, and lest you forget Syria, Crimea, and putting PRO-RUSSIA agenda BEFORE the United States best interests. YES, do go on And LAUD the effect Trump has had. Out of DESPERATION & PANIC for the DESTRUCTION of the Soul of our country. But you don't want to look at THAT part of the equation. Because then you'd have to admit you were dead WRONG running around bellowing that HRC was more dangerous than Trump. Only a self righteous, narcissist would continue to spout off and not - in the face of Americans' pain and agony -be contrite and apologize for your part in this catastrophe. But, you do you Susan."
Debra Messing
"Bob Hearts Abishola"
Billy Gardell
Billy Gardell could be back in a leading role of his own CBS series before you know it.
Variety has learned that Gardell is attached to star in a comedy series that has received a pilot production commitment at the broadcaster. The project is titled "Bob Hearts Abishola." Gardell would play a man who has a heart attack and falls in love with his Nigerian nurse. He then sets his sights on getting her to give him a chance.
The series hails from writers Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky, Al Higgins, and Gina Yashere, with Lorre, Gorodetsky, and Higgins also serving as executive producers. Chuck Lorre Productions Inc. will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Lorre is under an overall deal.
Gardell previously starred in the CBS sitcom "Mike & Molly" opposite Melissa McCarthy, which ran for six seasons on the network beginning in 2010. He has also appeared in multiple episodes of the "Big Bang Theory" prequel series "Young Sheldon." His other recent TV roles include CMT's "Sun Records," Showtime's "Dice," TBS' "Angie Tribeca," and Fox's "New Girl." Gardell is repped by APA, Artist Management International, and Hansen Jacobson.
Yashere is a British comedian of Nigerian descent. In addition to her work as an actress, she has appeared on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" as the show's British correspondent, released two stand up specials, and recently appeared in the Netflix series "The Stand Ups." Higgins previously worked with Gardell on "Mike & Molly," which was executive produced by Lorre. Gorodetsky has worked with Lorre on shows like "Mom," "The Big Bang Theory," and "Two and Half Men."
Billy Gardell
Changes Name
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has changed its name to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square after over a hundred years. Even the nickname "MoTabs" has been retired.
"A new name for the Tabernacle Choir will represent a change after so many years," Ron Jarrett, president of the choir, said in a statement. "The name may change, but everything that people know and love about the choir will not only be the same but will get better and better."
The name change comes two months after church President Russell M. Nelson's requested in August that the 360-member chorus of men and women discontinue using the term "Mormon" as shorthand for the Utah-based faith.
The group was mostly known as the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir until 1945 before J. Reuben Clark, then a member of the church's governing First Presidency, insisted that the performance credits read Mormon Tabernacle Choir, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Physicist Suspended
Cern
A senior scientist at Cern has been suspended over a "highly offensive" presentation in which he claimed physics was "built by men".
During a seminar on gender issues in physics, and in front of a mostly female audience, professor Alessandro Strumia claimed men in the field were being discriminated against.
On Monday, officials at Cern, the world's largest particle accelerator, announced the suspension of the Italian scientist with "immediate effect", pending an investigation.
The Geneva-based centre, where the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson was confirmed in 2013, said it had no prior knowledge of the content of Mr Strumia's presentation on "High Energy Theory and Gender".
Mr Strumia, of Pisa University, told the audience that female scientists in Italy tended to benefit from "free or cheaper university" education, and that Oxford University extends exam times "for women's benefit".
Cern
Ancient Viral Epidemics
Neanderthals
It's little secret that Neanderthals and our ancestors intimately enjoyed each other's company. The legacy of this occasional genetic mixing persists in the form of Neanderthal DNA that many modern humans continue to carry.
Exactly how this exchange benefited us has been a bit of a mystery. A new study argues that we have Neanderthals to thank for helping us cope with the viral tides we encountered as we marched around the globe.
Stanford University researchers have identified DNA sequences that evolved in our ancient cousins can produce antivirus proteins, which more than likely gave some human populations the edge they needed to survive.
"It made much more sense for modern humans to just borrow the already adapted genetic defences from Neanderthals rather than waiting for their own adaptive mutations to develop, which would have taken much more time," says evolutionary biologist David Enard, now at the University of Arizona.
It's not the first time we've gotten hints that interbreeding with other human species may have given our health a boost. A few years ago, the same lab traced another group of genes related to immunity to Neanderthal origins, laying the groundwork for ongoing research.
Neanderthals
Flying Under the Influence
Drunk Birds
A flock of drunk birds just looking for a good time out on the town is disrupting the peace of Gilbert, Minnesota. In Gilbert, an early frost has fermented local berries, leading to young birds getting drunk from eating them. This, in turn, has led to unorthodox behavior from these winged residents: flying lower than usual, crashing into cars and windows, and losing their balance.
In a statement posted to the town police's Facebook page, Police Chief Ty Techar explained that these intoxicated birds would be sobering up soon.
"The Gilbert Police Department has received several reports of birds that appear to be 'under the influence,' flying into windows, cars, and acting confused." Techar then explained that the problem may appear more pronounced this year not just because of the early frost, but because many of the birds had not migrated south yet.
"It appears that some birds are getting a little more 'tipsy' than normal," Techar wrote. "Generally, younger birds' livers cannot handle the toxins as efficiently as more mature birds. There is no need to call law enforcement about these birds as they should sober up within a short period of time."
The statement ends on a humorous note, advising Gilbert residents to alert the police department if they see "Tweety acting as if 10 feet tall and getting into confrontations with cats" or "any other birds after midnight with Taco Bell items."
Drunk Birds
Ancient Stone
Mesopotamia
Experts across London are joining forces to unravel the mystery surrounding a "meteorite" bearing an ancient inscription, thought to have been found in Mesopotamia by a famous 19th century explorer.
The V&A and Natural History Museum are among the institutions hoping to shed light on the artefact, which belonged to Sir Richard Francis Burton, a prolific explorer known for translating Arabian Nights and the Kama Sutra.
After being held by the borough of Richmond for 60 years alongside many of Burton's possessions the relic was put on display for the first time, prompting Mark De Novellis, curator of Richmond's art collection, to discover more about the object.
Burton believed or simply claimed the object was a meteorite and it was logged as such by his wife Isabel, who sold his findings to the state following his death in 1890.
This week, more than 120 years later, the Natural History Museum confirmed it stone was in fact terrestrial and likely a type of quartz. However, further research showed the artefact was no mere piece of stone.
Mesopotamia
Top 20
Global Concert Tours
The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers. Week of October 3, 2018:
1. Taylor Swift; $10,592,472; $126.29.
2. Ed Sheeran; $9,701,908; $91.96.
3. The Rolling Stones; $8,984,707; $157.15.
4. Jay-Z / Beyoncé; $6,623,724; $115.97.
5. Celine Dion; $4,808,263; $215.30.
6. U2; $4,319,944; $136.31.
7. Guns N' Roses; $4,127,170; $96.46.
8. Billy Joel; $3,966,806; $123.76.
9. Pink; $3,945,793; $123.20.
10. Kenny Chesney; $2,897,769; $86.92.
11. Justin Timberlake; $2,377,911; $112.43.
12. Roger Waters; $2,246,262; $106.47.
13. "Springsteen On Broadway"; $2,024,762; $508.73.
14. Dead & Company; $1,851,279; $71.04.
15. André Rieu; $1,732,664; $91.62.
16. Iron Maiden; $1,687,907; $81.33.
17. Journey / Def Leppard; $1,642,272; $97.10.
18. Paul Simon; $1,565,156; $98.82.
19. Britney Spears; $1,552,978; $129.29.
20. Depeche Mode; $1,498,295; $94.93.
Global Concert Tours
In Memory
Will Vinton
Will Vinton, the creator of some of the most beloved Claymation characters of the 1980s, like the California Raisins and the Domino's Pizza Noid, has died. He was 70 years old.
His family announced his death in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon. They said he battled multiple myeloma, a cancer in white blood cells, for 12 years.
Vinton, who was born in McMinnville, has been called the Godfather of Portland animation, and last year he was the subject of the documentary "Welcome to My Daydream."
Vinton built his animation studio from his basement into a multimillion dollar company, winning an OSCAR, Emmy and other awards along the way. Vinton eventually lost control of the company and was dismissed from the studio after Phil Knight (Nike) became a majority shareholder.
The company was reformed into Laika in 2005.
The family said a celebration of life will be held at No Vacancy Lounge at 235 S.W. 1st Avenue starting at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests remembrances should be sent to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Will Vinton
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