Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Marc Dion: Eske Ou Pale Kreyol (Creators Syndicate)
When I was a kid, my family was filled with French-Canadian immigrants who spoke only French or a mix of French and English. All those people have died. French, which I don't read well, got pushed to the back of my brain. In the '90s, there was a brief vogue for Cajun music and I often translated lyrics for my friends, as kind of a trick. Other than swearing, prayer and talking to one or two people over 70, I don't use my French much anymore. Or I didn't.
Felix Clay: "5 Stupid Movie Genres (and Why They're so Popular)" (Cracked)
Is your favorite movie Mac and Me? Probably. From now on when I watch it (every Wednesday at 4), I'll imagine you're here with me. We'll sit close but not too close on the couch, drinking Coke and eating McDonald's, as is demanded by the Mac and Me producers, and when it gets to the infamous, pulse-pounding wheelchair scene, we'll hold each other ever so supportively until it's all over. Mmm. That sounds good.
Robert Evans, Anonymous: 4 Bizarre Realities of Life as a Phone Psychic (Cracked)
If you've ever been awake and drunk in front of a television at 4 a.m., you know that most of the programming is American flags waving in slow motion and phone psychic commercials. We've all wondered what kind of gullible soul calls those places -- but have you ever paused to consider who answers that call?
Gary Indiana: "Pickpocket: Robert Bresson: Hidden in Plain Sight" (Criterion)
I have an unusually easy way of remembering when I first became fascinated by Robert Bresson's films. Pickpocket (1959) was the first one I saw, at the old Orson Welles theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in my late teens; it was also the first movie I saw on LSD. (Even on acid, I was never one to enjoy Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.)
Kim Newman: "Scanners: Mind and Matter" (Criterion)
In 1981, David Cronenberg's Scanners was known as "the one with the exploding head." As originally intended, the film would have opened with this scene, but it so shocked preview audiences that they found it hard afterward to pay attention to the (admittedly complex) plot.
Brian Dillon: "Topless Cellist: The Improbable Life of Charlotte Moorman by Joan Rothfuss - review" (Guardian)
Electrified bikinis, cellos made of ice … Moorman created a template for avant-garde and performance art. So why is she still unknown?
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has approximately 50 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
wrote:
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
from Marc Perkel
BartCop
Hello Bartcop fans,
As you all know the untimely passing of Terry was unexpected, even by
him. We all knew he had cancer but we all thought he had some years
left. So some of us who have worked closely with him over the years are
scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. My job, among other
things, is to establish communications with the Bartcop community and
provide email lists and groups for those who might put something
together. Those who want to play an active roll in something coming from
this, or if you are one of Bart's pillars, should send an email to
active@bartcop.com.
Bart's final wish was to pay off the house mortgage for Mrs. Bart who is
overwhelmed and so very grateful for the support she has received.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can click on this the yellow donate
button on bartcop.com
But - I need you all to help keep this going. This note
isn't going to directly reach all of Bart's fans. So if you can repost
it on blogs and discussion boards so people can sign up then when we
figure out what's next we can let more people know. This list is just
over 600 but like to get it up to at least 10,000 pretty quick. So
here's the signup link for this email list.
( mailman.bartcop.com/listinfo/bartnews )
Marc Perkel
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny, and not quite so cold, but still on the brisk side (for these parts).
U.S. Department of Transportation Rules
Musical Instruments
The U.S. Department of Transportation has ruled on the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The DOT has decided that musical instruments, such as violins and guitars, are considered a carry-on item the same as other luggage.
These instruments can be stored in overhead storage and under seats as long as they meet requirements for commercial passenger flights.
"At DOT, we know how important instruments are to musicians and are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that they are not damaged while being transported on airlines," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in an official statement posted on the DOT website. "This final rule implements the statute, and it will go a long way towards keeping instruments safe when they fly - from allowing them in the cabin if there's space for safe stowage, to letting passengers buy a seat for certain large instruments."
More information and guidelines can be found on their website.
Musical Instruments
Estate Opens For Overnight Guests
'Downton Abbey'
Brace yourselves, 'Downton Abbey' fans: the British estate that has become famous around the world as the setting for the popular period drama will be opening up one of their lodges for overnight stays on Valentine's Day.
While guests wouldn't be staying in Highclere Castle itself -- the show's signature setting -- couples looking to escape to the English countryside and get a little closer to their favorite TV series can book a stay at London Lodge, an 18th century cottage that has been restored to feature a sitting room, Chesney's wood burner, double bedroom and modern conveniences.
Bright airy rooms are decorated in a subtle English country-style decor, with floral armchairs, cushions and exposed wood beams.
London Lodge served as the original entrance to Highclere, with its grand, imposing stone archway and heavy iron gates.
The living area is housed separately from the bedroom lodge, accessible by a paved, lit walkway and, featuring a double bedroom, bathroom and dressing area.
'Downton Abbey'
Nobel Prize
Jean-Paul Sartre
A letter sent by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre in 1964 declining the Nobel Prize for Literature came too late to avert one of the biggest debacles in its history, Swedish media reported Saturday.
Sartre's letter arrived nearly a month after he had been picked as the top choice by the Nobel Committee, the daily Svenska Dagbladet reported, based on archival material made available at the end of a customary 50-year period of secrecy.
The report throws light on the sequence of events leading to Sartre's decision to become the only person to willingly turn down the world's most prestigious literary prize.
Sartre later explained that he had "always declined official honours", including the French Legion of Honour in 1945, as it would limit his independence and institutionalise him.
It had been widely speculated that Sartre's letter asking not to be considered for the award had been too late, but only now is this backed up with actual historical evidence.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Town Drops Legal Battle
'Sweet Home Alabama'
The town featured in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" will soon have a major four-lane highway going through its scenic historic district.
The Eufaula City Council decided Friday to drop its legal battle against the nearly $1.3 million project by the Alabama Department of Transportation. The decision clears the way for work to begin immediately.
An opponent of the highway widening project said it will destroy the character of the historic district that brings thousands of tourists to Eufaula. Doug Purcell, spokesman of the Save North Eufaula Avenue Coalition, said people don't want to spend the money to maintain a Southern mansion and have a four-lane highway adjoining their front yard. He predicted the street will become commercial within 10 years.
The Department of Transportation says the stretch through the historic district is the busiest two-lane highway in Alabama, and traffic backs up a mile or more on some spring and summer weekends. The Department of Transportation proposed last year to widen the stretch to four lanes by shaving three feet off each side of the medians that divide the two lanes.
Town officials and historic preservation groups fought the project with a federal court suit, but they lost Tuesday when a judge ruled the federal courts appear to have no role because no federal money is involved in the project.
'Sweet Home Alabama'
Judge Rejects Lawsuit
Christo
Opponents of a plan by the artist Christo to hang nearly 6 miles of silvery fabric in sections over the Arkansas River say the project is still a danger to fish and visitors and they are considering an appeal after a federal judge refused to intervene.
Members of Rags Over the Arkansas River, also known as ROAR, filed the lawsuit, contending the project threatens bighorn sheep, public safety, traffic on U.S. 50 and businesses that depend on the scenic river to draw anglers, rafters and tourists.
A federal judge ruled Friday that there is no evidence federal officials failed to comply with environmental laws, as opponents said in their lawsuit.
Christo said the project could go ahead as soon as August 2018 if he wins the state court lawsuit.
Christo and his late wife, Jeanne-Claude, began scouting for a location for the temporary installation in the 1990s. After visiting 89 rivers in seven states, they chose the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City.
Christo
Fueled By Political Donors
Governors' Inaugurals
When it comes to parties, ringing in the new year has nothing on the swearing-in soirees for governors across the country.
In Texas, organizers are hoping to raise $4 million to celebrate the incoming governor and are planning a concert headlined by Lady Antebellum, a parade through the state capital and a barbecue with four tons of brisket. Supporters of re-elected Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are scheduling a series of events that include a "black tie optional" gala funded in part through sponsorship packages costing up to $30,000 each.
Inaugural activities celebrating the newly elected Democratic governor in Pennsylvania will cost donors up to $50,000 apiece and include an evening "Let's Get Started" bash, with "celebratory attire" recommended.
Eleven new governors are taking office this month, and nearly two dozen others are renewing their oaths for second, third or - in the case of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad - sixth terms. Many will celebrate with chart-topping bands and blowout balls, with much of the bill footed by the same supporters who bankrolled their victorious campaigns.
In many states, corporate money that was banned before Election Day is allowed to cover the tab for inaugural parties.
Governors' Inaugurals
Pulls Middle East Atlas
HarperCollins UK
A leading publisher has pulled an atlas tailored for students in the Middle East that omits any references to Israel.
Facing international criticism, HarperCollins UK issued a statement this week apologizing for the book, published by the subsidiary Collins Bartholomew. The Anti-Defamation League said in a statement Friday that it "welcomed HarperCollins' swift apology."
The Tablet, a London-based Catholic weekly, had reported that Collins Bartholomew was citing "local preferences" for leaving out Israel from the "Collins Primary Geography Atlas For The Middle East." The book, which came out in June, was designed for English-speaking schools in the region.
HarperCollins UK
New Year Forecast
Santeria
Priests offering New Year's prophecies from Cuba's Afro-Cuban religion urged old Cold War foes Havana and Washington to continue rebuilding relations, and forecast that detente would bring economic benefits in 2015.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced last month they would move to renew diplomatic ties, potentially paving a way to end decades of hostility.
Many on the Caribbean island eagerly await the annual forecast from the Santeria religion, which is practiced by 3 million Cubans and uses animal sacrifices to contact Yoruba deities originally worshiped by slaves brought over from Africa.
This year the priests, known as babalawos, predicted more conflicts between nations worldwide, the deaths of religious and political leaders, ecological strife and storm surges, as well as fatalities from inter-generational struggles.
Santeria
Moose Story
Alaska
A moose buried by an avalanche on an Alaska mountain had its luck changed by three men passing on snowmobiles.
The Alaska Dispatch News reports that the three Matanuska-Susitna Borough residents spotted the animal's snout sticking out of the snow and used shovels to free the moose.
Marty Mobley, Rob Uphus and Avery Vunichich were on at outing Sunday at Hatcher Pass about 55 miles northeast of Anchorage when they passed a small hillside that had both ski and moose tracks.
When they returned an hour later, an avalanche had covered the tracks.
Mobley says he saw something move in the debris and it turned out to be a snout, not a skier. After 10 minutes of digging, the moose stood up, towered over its rescuers and ran off.
Alaska
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