from Bruce
Anecdotes
Animals
• When Margaret Cho was in Tibet, she visited a dog monastery, which she describes as a temple for reincarnated monks — that is, monks who went astray during their human lives and who have come back as dogs. Ms. Cho remembers that the temple is quiet: The dogs do not bark, howl, or fight, and at the temple the major activity of both monks and dogs is quiet meditation. Visitors can feed the dogs pieces of dough, and the dogs wait in line for their turn to eat! Ms. Cho says, “When I think of Tibet, I remember the politeness of the dogs, pulling back their dog lips and ever so gently taking the food from my hand with their open teeth, not wanting to bite my hand accidentally, and then looking warmly into my eyes with a silent thanks.”
April Fools Day
• Someone at Google Maps has a sense of humor. Close to April Fools Day, an editor of the website Nevada Thunder asked it for directions from Chicago, Illinois to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Step 20 said, “Swim across the Atlantic Ocean: 3,462 mi.”
Audiences
• British comedian David O’Doherty once performed in front of 40 people, 20 of whom were members of the Active Elderly Association, which meant that much of his audience were in their eighties. Unfortunately, his act was not meant for people in their eighties, so he was performing routines about iPhones and about spying on a naked lady doing aerobics when he was 12 years old. During intermission, he figured that all the old people would leave, but they were still present when he walked out for the second half of his act. He asked them, “Why are you still here?” One of the old people replied, “The bus doesn’t come to get us until 11.” He also used to do readings of children’s books in libraries. Ten minutes after he began reading one book, a small boy raised his hand and asked, “Does this get good soon?” Mr. O’Doherty says, “It was so profound. How many times — not just at a gig, but in a relationship or at a family get-together — have you wanted to raise your hand and ask that?”
• Stand-up comedian Kristen Schaal used to practice her act in front of an unusual audience: the cows on the Colorado farm where she grew up. She says, “I had time on my hands. I would perform in front of the cows. They never mooed. They never heckled. They were very polite. That’s how I learned to not expect anything from an audience.” Despite its being unusual, this kind of audience is good practice for real audiences, as Ms. Schaal points out, “I went back home recently, and I looked at the cows again and thought, ‘God, they have the same expression as audiences.’ Just expectant — they want something but they’re just, like, waiting. And they have no idea what they’re waiting for. After that training, I was set.”
• Comedian Larry Storch was doing stand-up comedy in Detroit at a time when Soupy Sales was doing a Detroit children’s show that was widely watched by adults. Mr. Storch heard that a local TV celebrity was in the audience, and he thought that the audience would like to know that, so he announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a guy named Soupy Sales in the audience who you might know and he’s sitting right over there. Let’s say hello.” Big mistake. The audience mobbed Soupy Sales, leaving nobody to listen to Mr. Storch’s act. Mr. Storch says, “It was embarrassing. They left the joint empty.”
• Early in his career, British comedian Danny La Rue appeared in a nightclub where the audience sat quietly throughout his performance. He thought that he had bombed completely and that his career was over, until he was informed that previously the audience had always ignored whatever comedian was performing so that they could talk amongst themselves. Getting the audience to listen to his performance was a tremendous achievement, and Mr. La Rue was on his way to a very highly paid career as a comedian.
• Fred Weintraub owned the Bitter End, a club where many comedians plied their art and became famous. He listened to the audience and let its reaction decide whether he should keep an act. If the audience hated an act, he kept it. If the audience loved an act, he kept it. If the audience members said after a performance, “That’s a nice act,” he dropped that act. According to Mr. Weintraub, the one thing he did not want was for an audience to be indifferent.
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
***
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Presenting
Michael Egan
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "11 Yellow Roses"
Album: A LEAMINGTON EXCHANGE
Artist: Scott Mackay
Artist Location: Charlotte Town, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Record Company: Aldora Britain Records
Record Company Location: Rothley, UK
Info:
Scott MacKay is a Prince Edward Island-born songwriter & singer.
“Co-produced with Adam Gallant at The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown and mixed by Scott Franchuk in Edmonton, STUPID CUPID features MacKay backed by his regular rhythm section of Josh and Sam Langille, along with renowned guitarist Grant Siemens and pedal steel master Burke Carroll. For MacKay, it’s his third album and the first reflection of what he describes as getting bit by the classic country bug since his previous release.”
“Aldora Britain Records is an e-zine and record label that promotes the music and work of authentic independent or underground artists from all around the world. Originally established in 2013, they revamped themselves in 2018 with a brand-new approach. Their first weekly compilation, aptly titled THE SECOND COMING, was released in late 2019. They now also release original singles, EPs and charity projects.”
scottdennismackay, the singer-songwriter, wrote about A LEAMINGTON EXCHANGE, “So glad to be part of this wonderful project! I hope you enjoy the tune. Favorite track: ‘11 Yellow Roses.’”
Price: £0.50 for 25-track album by various artists
Scott MacKay’s 10-track album STUPID CUPID, which includes “11 Yellow Roses,” is on Bandcamp for $7 (CAN).
Genre: Americana. Various.
Links:
A LEAMINGTON EXCHANGE
STUPID CUPID
Scott MacKay on Bandcamp
Scott MacKay’s Official Website
Scott MacKay on YouTube
Aldora Britain Records on Bandcamp
Aldora Britain Records on YouTube
Other Links:
Bruce’s Music Recommendations: FREE pdfs
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog #1
David Bruce's Blog #2
David Bruce's Blog #3
davidbrucebooks: EDUCATE YOURSELF - Free PDFs
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Stephen Suggests
Groundwork
New Venture
Michael Egan
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
Recommended
Banksy
MORE PEOPLE PUTIN CONSIDERS ENEMIES AND IS TRYING TO KILL
Ukraine Kiev Girls Street Dance
HOPAK: Traditional Ukrainian Folk Dance
Other Links:
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog #1
David Bruce's Blog #2
David Bruce's Blog #3
davidbrucebooks: EDUCATE YOURSELF - Free PDFs
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and nearly seasonal.
Raises Funds
Pussy Riot
Russian punk band/activists Pussy Riot have teamed with several cryptocurrency groups to mint an NFT that will be sold this weekend to raise funds for Ukrainian civilian groups.
UkraineDAO will launch Saturday at noon EST with the release of a 1/1 NFT of the Ukrainian flag, the sale of which will benefit Ukraine’s Come Back Alive, “one of the most effective and transparent Ukrainian charitable and volunteer initiatives.”
“Our goal is to use what we’re good at, web3, to assist Ukrainians as they cope with the Russian invasion of their country,” Pussy Riot tweeted of UkraineDAO. “We’ll be buying an NFT of the Ukrainian flag.”
In a statement, the group’s co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova added, “We purposefully avoided adding our own art to this release, in a way it’s our strong conceptual artistic statement. People can have different aesthetics, but it’s not about what color we prefer, it’s about uniting to save lives. The Ukrainian flag unites us.”
The NFT sale also allows for people to donate any amount of money to participate, with those people receiving a digital souvenir for their contribution.
Pussy Riot
Family Raises Ukrainian Flag
‘The Simpsons’
The Simpsons just released a commissioned image of the animated cartoon family in support of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
A photo tweet sent from the Simpson’s official account depicts Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie holding Ukrainian flags in unison with a caption reading, “#TheSimpsons #Simpsons #Ukraine.”
Al Jean, Simpson’s executive producer, said the creation of political images isn’t common in the animated sitcom’s repertoire. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine proved to be an appropriate exception.
“We don’t do this very often, only very rarely when there’s something… extremely important for a cause that could not be bigger,” Jean said.
‘The Simpsons’
“Servant of the People”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
When Volodymyr Zelenskyy was growing up in southeastern Ukraine, his Jewish family spoke Russian and his father once forbade the younger Zelenskyy from going abroad to study in Israel. Instead, Zelenskyy studied law at home. Upon graduation, he found a new home in movie acting and comedy — rocketing in the 2010s to become one of Ukraine’s top entertainers with the TV series “Servant of the People.”
In it, he portrayed a lovable high school teacher fed up with corrupt politicians who accidentally becomes president.
Fast forward just a few years, and Zelenskyy is the president of Ukraine for real. At times in the runup to the Russian invasion, the comedian-turned-statesman had seemed inconsistent, berating the West for fearmongering one day, and for not doing enough the next. But his bravery and refusal to leave as rockets have rained down on the capital have also made him an unlikely hero to many around the world.
With courage, good humor and grace under fire that has rallied his people and impressed his Western counterparts, the compact, dark-haired, 44-year-old former actor has stayed even though he says he has a target on his back from the Russian invaders.
After an offer from the United States to transport him to safety, Zelenskyy shot back on Saturday: “I need ammunition, not a ride,” he said in Ukrainian, according to a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
CEO Pitches A Hissy
MeinPillow
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell (R-Time For An Intervention) on Saturday erupted at the CBS News correspondent Robert Costa after being questioned about the details of documents that were seen at the White House regarding the 2020 presidential election.
The incident occurred at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida soon after Costa — who cowrote the book "Peril" with veteran journalist Bob Woodward — pressed Lindell over the attorneys who drafted the election-related documents that were shown to mention the words "martial law."
When Costa asked Lindell who drafted the papers, he responded: "That's none of your business. A bunch of lawyers did. I never read them."
The businessman said that he "never" discussed the issue of martial law with Trump the known liar, and then told Costa "to go back watching your old rotten news."
Lindell then started yelling at Costa and deriding him as a "traitor," prompting others to jump into the mix.
MeinPillow
Pardoned Felon Cheered
Former Sheriff Joe
Attendees at a far-right conference in Florida cheered former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio when he said that he was considered the “biggest racist” in the United States.
Mr Arpaio spoke at the America First Political Action Conference, a far-right gathering organised by white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Other speakers included Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene. It was hosted the same weekend as the American Conservative Union hosted its annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando.
“I have the reputation of being the biggest racist in the country. Think of that,” he said to uproarious applause.
“I hate to – what are you clapping for? That I am or I’m not,” Mr Arpaio said in response. “Well I’m not. I know you guys and gals aren’t either. Just trying to do the right thing for our country.”
Former Sheriff Joe
Bomb Tech's Warnings Ignored
LA
A senior Los Angeles bomb technician raised serious concerns about overloading a containment chamber with homemade fireworks last year before the detonation caused a catastrophic explosion, injuring 27 people and rocking a neighborhood, according to an inspector general's report released Friday.
The vessel exploded, and debris rained down on scores of residences, businesses and vehicles on June 30 in South LA, just days before July Fourth. Dozens were displaced and some have never returned to their neighborhood. The explosion was considered highly unusual because such containment chambers are designed to withhold blasts.
Multiple times, “Bomb Technician C” told his squad about his worries ahead of the detonation. "I said, ‘uh, this is too much to do one shot, we’re gonna break them up, right?’” he recalled saying to his colleagues. “I have a bad feeling … this is not good … this is too big.”
He was ignored — and repeatedly told to relax. But he was right.
The bomb technicians made major miscalculations, federal investigators found, and loaded the containment chamber above the equipment’s safety rating. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates that the catastrophic blast caused more than $1 million in damage to the area. More than 400 claims — the precursor to a lawsuit — have been filed to the city attorney’s office.
LA
Climate Change
Browntail Moth
A forest pest that bedevils Maine residents and tourists with hairs that cause an itchy rash appears to be spreading due to warming temperatures, a group of scientists has found.
The browntail moth is a scourge in America’s most forested state, where it defoliates trees and causes a rash in humans that resembles poison ivy. The hairs of the caterpillars, which have been the subject of an outbreak in the state for about seven years, can also cause respiratory trouble.
The growth and spread of the moth is tied to increasingly warm weather, especially in the fall, the scientists wrote recently in the journal Environmental Entomology. And, unfortunately, climate trends suggest upcoming years could be even worse, they wrote.
The browntail moth is native to Europe and neighboring countries in Asia and Africa. It was accidentally introduced in Massachusetts in the late 19th century and is now found in coastal Maine and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The caterpillars become active from April to June and have been identified as “an insect of both forest and human health concern” by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Browntail Moth
“Saltwater Cowboys”
Chincoteague Island
The famed ponies of Virginia’s Chincoteague Island will be back in the spotlight this summer after events were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Daily Times of Salisbury reported that the Chincoteague Pony Penning and auction are returning in July. For the past two years, pony lovers have had to participate in an online pony auction.
Pony Penning week begins with “Saltwater Cowboys” on horseback rounding up about 150 adult wild ponies that live on Assateague Island, along with scores of foals that were born in the spring. The ponies then swim the Assateague Channel and come ashore on the east side of Chincoteague Island. The foals are then auctioned off to help control the size of the herd, although a few are designated to return to Assateague Island to remain and help replenish the herd.
The Pony Penning week and associated carnival are the biggest annual fundraisers for the Chincoteague Volunteer Company, which maintains the herd.
The horses were made famous in the 1947 classic children’s novel “Misty of Chincoteague” by author Marguerite Henry.
Chincoteague Island
Biggest Bacterium Ever Discovered
T. magnifica
Scientists discovered an absolutely massive bacterium that can be seen without the aid of a microscope and lurks among the mangroves of Grande-Terre in the Caribbean, Science magazine reported.
The single-celled organism can grow up to 0.78 inches (2 centimeters) long and resembles a thin string, according to a report describing the discovery, posted Feb. 18 to the preprint database bioRxiv. The bacterium carries all its DNA inside a membranous pouch, unlike most bacteria, whose genetic material floats, unbound, within their cells. This feature not only sets the newfound microbe apart from other bacteria, but also distinguishes it from other prokaryotes — a group of organisms with very small, simple cell structures. The group includes organisms found in the Bacteria and Archaea domains.
In contrast to prokaryotes, eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi, have more complex cells that contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. The newfound, enormous micobe toes the line between prokaryote and eukaryote in that it carries its DNA in a membrane-bound pouch, and it also carries a second, large pouch full of water, which takes up more than 70% of the cell's total volume, Science reported.
This water-filled pouch squishes all the cell's contents up against its outermost edge, which may help life-sustaining molecules diffuse into the cell more easily, while toxins pass easily out, Science reported.
A large, sulfur-eating bacterium in the genus Thiomargarita carries the same kind of water-filled pouch, and based on this similarity, plus a genetic analysis, the researchers concluded that the newfound bacterium might belong to the same genus. They proposed that the humongous microbe be named T. magnifica.
T. magnifica
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