Recommended Reading
from Bruce
A letter to… the 'rude' woman who saved my daughter's life (The Guardian)
'Thank you for beeping your horn when you did, for seeing what I hadn't seen': the letter you always wanted to write.
Froma Harrop: Drop the Shock. Just Get These Creeps Out of Office (Creators Syndicate)
So drop the shock. You don't want the swamp's bottom feeders making policy affecting women or, really, anyone else. That greatly simplifies the mission for those wanting to restore honor in American political life. Just throw the creeps out.
Marc Dion: In Praise of Pedophiles (Creators Syndicate)
In the first place, anti-pedophile laws don't work. Pedophiles want to have sexual contact with children, and no law makes them stop. Arrest them, jail them, makes no difference. They get out of jail eventually and, when they do, they usually go looking for a kid.
Ted Rall: On The One Hand, Gun Violence; On The Other Hand, Gun Control (Creators Syndicate)
On the one hand, because it's the 18th school shooting so far this year, the news that another psychologically damaged man shot 17 schoolchildren to death with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle is not news. Put it on page 27 below the fold, maybe? On the other hand, you have to be shocked because these are kids and who do we become if we stop being shocked? Congress and the president should put their heads together and act now.
Josh Marshall: Of Course the President Obstructed Justice (TPM)
My point in all this is that the question is really only a constitutional one: can the President commit obstruction of justice at all? The answer to that question is almost certainly yes. The more germane question is whether a sitting President can or should be indicted for a crime while they remain in office, as opposed to being impeached for the offense and becoming subject to the criminal law once they leave office. On the factual matter, it's not clear how we could possibly have or need more factual evidence. It's overwhelming.
Steven Pinker: The Intellectual War on Science (Chronicle)
It's wreaking havoc in universities and jeopardizing the progress of research
Joyce Carol Oates: 'I have been laughing at Michael Wolff's hilarious, terrifying Fire and Fury' (The Guardian)
The prolific novelist on Walt Whitman and crying over her page proofs.
Lucy Mangan: "My life as a bookworm: what children can teach us about how to read" (The Guardian)
To adults, rereading feels like an indulgence - but for children it is a necessity. Lucy Mangan reflects on a childhood spent with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Milly-Molly-Mandy.
Lenore Skenazy: Why Johnny Can't Jump (Creators Syndicate)
… seeing as it is hard for kids to just run outside and find other kids to play with in these structured, supervised days, the nonprofit I run, Let Grow, is recommending that schools stay open from 3 to 6 for after-school free play. With the gym or playground open and an adult somewhere on the premises - available for emergencies, but not organizing the play - kids have a critical mass of other kids to play with in a place their parents trust.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
said:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Reader Comment
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Sunday 2/18
Gare
Gare's Upcoming Radio Appearance Sunday 2/18
People With Ears! I will be interviewed on
WPVC Radio Station 94.7 Sunday 2/18 from 11am - Noon. The program is "The Sunday Morning Wake-Up Call" and is hosted by the estimable Sean M McCord. We will be discussing creativity and how we keep it in our lives. I need to making up some excuses! I will be reading from my book, "Final Callback". Sean says we will probably discuss my one-act plays, one of which he directed so finely. I've listened to several of this past programs and found them very interesting despite the fact that they were not about me. So, tune up and tune in!
Live on 94.7 WPVC Charlottesville
and available for podcast later that day.
Thank you!
Gare
Go get 'em, Gare!
from Marc Perkel
Marc's Guide to Curing Cancer
So far so good on beating cancer for now. I'm doing fine. At the end of the month I'll be 16 months into an 8 month mean lifespan. And yesterday I went on a 7 mile hike and managed to keep up with the hiking group I was with. So, doing something right.
Still waiting for future test results and should see things headed in the right direction. I can say that it's not likely that anything dire happens in the short term so that means that I should have time to make several more attempts at this. So even if it doesn't work the first time there are a lot of variations to try. So if there's bad news it will help me pick the next radiation target.
I have written a "how to" guide for oncologists to perform the treatment that I got. I'm convinced that I'm definitely onto something and whether it works for me or not isn't the definitive test. I know if other people tried this that it would work for some of them, and if they improve it that it will work for a lot of them.
The guide is quite detailed and any doctor reading this can understand the procedure at every level. I also go into detail as to how it works, how I figured it out, and variations and improvements that could be tried to enhance it. I also introduce new ways to look at the problem. There is a lot of room for improvement and I think that doctors reading it will see what I'm talking about and want to build on it. And it's written so that if you're not a doctor you can still follow it. It also has a personal story revealing that I'm the class clown of cancer support group. I give great interviews and I look pretty hot in a lab coat.
So, feel free to read this and see what I'm talking about. But if any of you want to help then pass this around to both doctors and cancer patients. I need some media coverage. I'm looking for as many eyeballs as possible to read these ideas. Even if this isn't the solution, it's definitely on the right track. After all, I did hike 7 miles yesterday. And this hiking group wasn't moving slow. So if this isn't working then, why am I still here?
I also see curing cancer as more of an engineering problem that a medical problem. So if you are good at solving problems and most of what you know about medicine was watching the Dr. House MD TV show, then you're at the level I was at when I started. So anyone can jump in and be part of the solution.
Here is a link to my guide: Oncologists Guide to Curing Cancer using Abscopal Effect
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
THE WHITE HOUSE AND FOX NEWS TAKE A KNEE.
MUELLER SERVES UP SOME RED MEAT.
TRUMP LIKES BEING PUTINS "PONY BOY".
MALICE AND GREED!
THE 'DEVIL'.
"PUTTING ON THE PUTIN."
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Another perfect summer day in the middle of winter.
High School Students Stage Walkout
Florida
They're furious about political stonewalling, and most of them aren't yet old enough to vote.
Two days after a gunman used an assault-style rifle to kill 17 people at a nearby school, the students of South Broward High School protested in solidarity. Just a couple of dozen miles down the road in Parkland, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was still sealed off as investigators pored over the horrors inside.
About 50 teenagers gathered on the street Friday, rallying around the common causes of gun control and school safety ? two issues politicians continue to ignore even though polls show most Americans support them.
Teenagers, armed with political signs - and the occasional snack brought from home - chanted slogans like "You are responsible!" and "Justice for Douglas!" and "Protect the kids!" as cars passed by and honked in solidarity.
Sara Rodriguez, 16, was among those protesting, holding up a handmade sign that read "NRA is a terrorist organization."
Florida
'We No Longer Recognize Our America'
German Diplomat
Germany's foreign minister slammed the "America first" approach of President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Crooked) administration Saturday, saying that close U.S. ties with a strong European Union are as much in Washington's interest as they are in Europe's.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told world leaders and defense officials at the Munich Security Conference that with the United States no longer the only indisputable superpower, it makes sense for Washington to count on traditional partners in Europe for help.
At the same time, Gabriel said, it is also clear that European nations need the U.S. if they want to "shape the future and not just endure."
"Our strength in Europe is not sufficient for this. Neither the EU nor the U.S. can go it alone. We have to count on our friends and our partners," he said.
Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, met one-on-one with Gabriel after his speech. McMaster reassured the forum that the United States still is strongly committed to its traditional alliances, but emphasized that "we must all share responsibility."
German Diplomat
New Reality
Bulletproof Backpacks
In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were murdered, parents are taking additional measures to keep their children safe.
One of these safety measures, which reflect a new reality in America, are bulletproof backpacks created for children, which can hold school supplies as well as stop a bullet.
According to the Guard Dog Security website, the company's bulletproof backpacks come from "the leading manufacturer of security, self-defence and tactical products," and all backpacks are officially tested and certified by the National Institute of Justice for bulletproof protection.
The backpack options are offered in a range of colours, including pink, grey, and camo - and retail for $189.99.
Bullet Blocker, another website that sells bulletproof backpacks "Proudly manufactured in the United States of America," offers the backpacks at a hefty price, with backpacks starting at $225 and going up to $490.
Bulletproof Backpacks
Fire Erupts
Jokhang Monastery
A large fire broke out Saturday at the Jokhang monastery in Tibet, raising fears of severe damage to a 1,300-year-old religious site that's considered the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism.
Jokhang, located in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, caught fire at 6:40 p.m. before it was put out, according to a short report in the state-run Tibetan Daily. No injuries were reported.
Video on Chinese social media showed a roof in the monastery complex consumed by large flames that were visible from hundreds of meters (yards) away.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Early reports of the blaze in Chinese state-run media did not give details and many social media posts discussing the fire appeared to be quickly censored.
The extent of the fire damage was also unknown. Jokhang is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains numerous sculptures and religious paintings in a vast complex covering more than 6 acres.
Jokhang Monastery
Contributions
NRA
In the minutes and hours after a teenage gunman killed 17 peopleat a high school in Parkland, Florida, politicians began what has become something of a grim ritual following mass shootings: they offered "thoughts and prayers" to the victims and their families.
The response, as it has in the past, drew fierce criticism from Democrats and supporters of stricter gun control legislation, who view the condolences as woefully inadequate as mass shootings become more frequent and more lethal.
Partisanship and the power of the gun lobby has helped derail several recent attempts in Congress to pass measures that would impose restrictions on the sale of firearms. And on Wednesday, in the wake of yet another mass shooting, Republican congressman who oppose gun control legislation while accepting millions from the gun lobby found themselves in the glare of the public eye.
On Wednesday, Bess Kalb, a writer for the late night television show Jimmy Kimmel Live! responded to lawmakers offering prayers by tweeting the amount of contributions they received from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
The New York Daily News joined the criticism, tweeting politicians' campaign donations from gun rights groups and their grade from the NRA.
NRA
Political Power
NRA
In the aftermath of a Florida school shooting, gun control advocates and others have repeatedly brought up the financial contributions from the National Rifle Association to criticize lawmakers for their inaction.
But while the NRA is a major player in campaign finance, experts say the group's real might comes from the grassroots members who back it up.
Robert Maguire, an investigator with the Center for Responsive Politics, said that passion is exactly what makes the organization so influential, giving it the ability to combine "massive financial firepower with large scale grassroots support."
In the 2016 elections, the NRA spent over $54 million, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. That made it ninth in terms of groups providing the most outside spending that cycle, but it was still less than half the amount spent by groups like the progressive super PAC Priorities USA.
But unlike super PACs, the NRA also has a large member list: it claims over 5 million members. Demographically, its a small group in light of the entire U.S. population. But many of them are incredibly passionate about guns and Second Amendment rights, and take that advocacy all the way to the voting booth.
NRA
Sexual Abuse Panel - Take 2
Pope Frankie
The Vatican said Saturday it has renewed its anti-paedophile panel as Pope Francis acts to quell the global scandal over the sexual abuse of children by priests.
The panel had come under fire from two high-profile members, former sex abuse victims who quit at what they saw as a lack of reform and obstruction at the highest level of the Catholic Church.
Victims have come forward from across the world over the past two decades accusing priests of sex crimes, unleashing one of the biggest crises faced by the Catholic Church.
US Cardinal Sean O'Malley was confirmed as the head of the child protection panel along with seven other incumbent members, while nine new members were added, the Vatican said.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was set up in 2014 shortly after Francis was elected pope, but its work has come in for fierce criticism from some of its own members.
Pope Frankie
Monsanto Loses Bid
Arkansas
An Arkansas judge on Friday dismissed a Monsanto Co lawsuit aiming to stop Arkansas from blocking the use of a controversial farm chemical the company makes, dealing a blow to its attempts to increase sales of genetically engineered seeds.
Monsanto, which is being acquired by Bayer AG, filed the lawsuit last year in a bid to halt the state's ban on sprayings of the weed killer known as dicamba from the period spanning April 16 to Oct. 31.
Growers across the U.S. farm belt said last summer that dicamba drifted away from where it was sprayed, damaging millions of acres of crops that could not tolerate the herbicides.
St. Louis-based Monsanto, the biggest U.S. seed company, said it was disappointed with the judge's decision and would consider additional legal action.
Arkansas
Stocks Rise
AR-15
Stocks were up Thursday for American Outdoor Brands, the company that makes the AR-15 rifle used in the Florida school shooting that claimed 17 lives.
The company's shares closed up 1.49%, netting the company an additional $8.8 million on the day.
The Associated Press reported that accused gunman Nikolas Cruz used a Smith & Wesson M&P15 rifle - a variant of the AR-15 - during his allegedly shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday.
Smith & Wesson, which was founded in 1852, is a Springfield, Mass.-based holding of American Outdoor Brands. Competitor Sturm Ruger & Company, which also makes an AR-15-style rifle that has been used in at least one mass shooting, closed even on the day.
This is the third time an M&P15 has been used in a mass shooting in the United States.
AR-15
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