Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: John Galt Hates Ben Bernanke (NY Times)
After all, what is Atlas Shrugged really about? Leave aside the endless speeches and bad sex scenes. What you're left with is the tale of how a group of plutocrats overthrow a democratically elected government with a campaign of economic sabotage.
Eric Holthaus: This Is What a Megadrought Looks Like (Cracked)
Many scientists now believe a megadrought-an intense drought lasting longer than two decades-has already begun. Eleven of the last 15 years have been abnormally dry across the West. With the added boost of global warming, parts of California are slowly being transformed into a desiccated wasteland.
Imprisoned in Ash: The Plaster Citizens of Pompeii (Atlas Obscura)
Those that did not flee the city of Pompeii in August of 79 AD were doomed. Buried for 1,700 years under 30 feet of mud and ash and reduced by the centuries to skeletons, they remained entombed until excavations took place in the early 19th century.
Bim Adewunmi: "Crush of the week: Roger Ebert" (Guardian)
'If another man has written about culture, or life in general, in a more human way over the past 40 years, I have not read him.'
Linda Grant: It's not always easy to be a Joni Mitchell fan, but her illness devastates me (Guardian)
Joni Mitchell is one of the greats, indisputably, and her increasingly frail health is, to a superfan like me, a terribly sad thing to see - however angry, bitter and paranoid she seems to have become.
Marc Dion: Cookies From a Gay Guy (Creators Syndicate)
In 1964, when I was 7, my father tended bar in a small place owned by a man everyone called "Ace."
Dr. David Lipschitz: A Dignified Death Means a Better Life (Creators Syndicate)
Death is as natural as birth, a continuation of the circle of life. No one wants to spend the final days in a hospital and hooked up to machines. Whenever possible, a dignified and comfortable death means a much better life for everyone. My patient has gone in peace, always remembered by the many who deeply loved and respected her.
Ted E.: "The 13 Most Insane Things Happening Right Now (3/30)" (Cracked)
The world is a howling shitstorm of confusion, and no reasonable person can be expected to keep up with every important news story. So, we have taken it upon ourselves to quickly summarize the most important and/or fucking insane headlines from the last week (or so): …
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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 way too warm.
Vince Gilligan's Island of MeTV - Tonight
Vince Gilligan
Is Jimmy McGill the grandson of Ralph Kramden? Are the tightly-plotted storylines of Breaking Bad a nod to the gut-punch twists of The Twilight Zone? Fans will get some serious insight into those questions when Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Battle Creek creator Vince Gilligan shares four hours of his favorite classic TV episodes during Vince Gilligan's Island of MeTV special on MeTV this Sunday, April 5.
Gilligan - who, along with Saul star Bob Odenkirk, will introduce and chat about the episodes throughout the special programming block - tells Yahoo TV the episodes he's chosen represent a "partial peek" at what inspired his own storytelling.
"I was inspired by classic movies and wonderful novels, as well," Gilligan says. "As far as television goes, I watched quite a bit of it growing up, probably too much. I watched a lot of classic TV shows. It's a real treat to be able to revisit them on MeTV."
Here, Gilligan breaks down why he chose each episode of his MeTV special:
Vince Gilligan
The Kids Are Alright
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has been among the most vocal celebrities rallying against Indiana's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). After calling Indiana Governor Mike Pence an "asshole" on Instagram, the Bangerz singer has now taken aim at Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton after the Republican made some questionable comments about LGBT rights on television. In response, Cyrus shared Cotton's phone number with her 19.4 million Twitter followers.
"Senator Cotton thinks gay community needs to get 'perspective' cuz 'In Iran they hang you for the crime of being gay,'" Cyrus tweeted (via Mediate). "Let's stir some shit up! Senator Cotton (202) 224-2353!!!! Happy Hippies call & express why freedom is important to us & our country!"
In speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Cotton said, "I think it's important we have a sense of perspective about our priorities. In Iran, they hang you for the crime of being gay. They're currently imprisoning an American preacher for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in Iran. We should focus on the most important priorities that our country faces right now."
Cotton was widely criticized for his comments, both for his naïve generalizing of Iran's LGBT stance as well as his belief that an act protecting LGBT rights in America isn't considered a priority. According to the Huffington Post, Cyrus' army accomplished their mission of "stirring shit up" as calls to Cotton's office were greeted by a message saying the voice mailbox was full.
After Indiana passed their RFRA, Cyrus explained that she was opposed to the bill because she had "dedicated my life to being whoever it is that I want to be." "If you don't choose to live that way, you're not going to last in this generation because we are overtaking you," Cyrus said. "They are dinosaurs, and they are dying off. We are the new generation, and with that will come so much."
Miley Cyrus
Hospital News
Joni Mitchell
Folk music legend Joni Mitchell's condition was improving at a Los Angeles hospital, according to the website of one of the symbols of the Woodstock generation.
"We are encouraged by her progress and she continues to improve and get stronger each day," the website said, adding that she remained under observation in the hospital.
A representative for the singer did not immediately respond for comment.
Mitchell says she suffers from an ailment called Morgellon's disease, which is described as a crawling, biting or stinging sensation all over the body. The medical diagnosis of the disease is disputed by some doctors who call it a form of psychosis.
Joni Mitchell
'Off-Campus' Hut
Dylan Miller
You'd think Dylan Miller would have looked forward to spring, considering he spent his senior year of college living off-campus - WAY off campus - in a sturdy but rudimentary shelter he built in the woods.
"It's a lot like jumping into a cold lake, and after a minute you're used to it and you're swimming around happily," said Miller, a student at central Pennsylvania's Juniata College. "I just wore shorts all winter because my body was so well acclimated."
It's not the only change that took place within the philosophy and English major, who decided to live like Thoreau - not just read his work - for his senior research project on simple living.
Last summer, Miller built a 17-by-17 hut from fallen timber, using leaves as insulation and a tarp for a roof, and lugged essentials up a steep trail as classmates settled into their dorm rooms and apartments.
Happily trading climate control, indoor plumbing and electricity for the solitude of the woods, Miller, 22, of Meadville, spent months studying by candlelight, drinking tea and keeping a wary eye on the occasional bear as he tested the notion that one can live with less and still find contentment.
Dylan Miller
Swiss Launch Hit By Patent Issue
Apple Watch
Apple is not able to launch its new smartwatch in Switzerland until at least the end of this year because of an intellectual property rights issue, Swiss broadcaster RTS reported on its website.
The U.S. tech giant cannot use the image of an apple nor the word "apple" to launch its watch within Switzerland, the home of luxury watches, because of a patent from 1985, RTS reported, citing a document from the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.
The document, reprinted on the RTS website, was published by trade magazine Business Montres & Joaillerie, RTS said.
The patent is set to finish on Dec. 5 of this year. It currently belongs to William Longe, who owns watch brand Leonard that first filed the patent.
Apple Watch
$75 Million
La Casa Pacifica
When Richard Nixon formally resigned the presidency on Aug. 9, 1974, he left the White House on Army One for the last time, flashing his trademark V-for-victory sign as he boarded the helicopter.
He was headed home to the California coast: an estate in San Clemente, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, that's now owned by one of his close friends and on the market for $75 million.
Nixon called this place La Casa Pacifica. "House of Peace," he translated for Leonid Brezhnev.
The Nixons hosted celebrities at the estate - Frank Sinatra, John Wayne - as well as world leaders. Nixon supposedly asked Henry Kissinger to be his secretary of state during a swim in the pool. Kissinger later moved in next door, and Nixon aides Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman moved in nearby. So much happened here that the estate was nicknamed the Western White House by aides, the press and even Nixon himself.
They sold it to their good friend Gavin Herbert and his partners, who carved the acreage into a 15-home gated subdivision with La Casa Pacifica at its core. (Even decades later, Herbert won't disclose the price of that private sale, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the current listing.)
La Casa Pacifica
Gender Stereotypes
Special Ops
Surveys find that men in U.S. special operations forces do not believe women can meet the physical and mental demands of their commando jobs, and they fear the Pentagon will lower standards to integrate women into their elite units, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Studies that surveyed personnel found "major misconceptions" within special operations about whether women should be brought into the male-only jobs. They also revealed concerns that department leaders would "capitulate to political pressure, allowing erosion of training standards," according to one document.
Some of those concerns were not limited to men, researchers found, but also were found among women in special operations jobs.
About 68,800 people serve in the command, including 3,000 civilians. The main survey went to about 18,000 people who are in positions closed to women, and the response was about 50 percent. The high response rate, officials said, reflects the wide interest in the subject.
Special Ops
West Coast Decline
Sardines
West Coast fisheries managers will likely shut down sardine fishing this year as numbers decline, echoing a previous collapse that decimated a thriving industry and increasing worries that other species might be withheld from the commercial market.
Fishermen are resigned to not being able to get sardines, but they hope the Pacific Fishery Management Council will not be so concerned that it sets the level for incidental catch of sardines at zero, shutting down other fisheries, such as mackerel, anchovies and market squid, which often swim with sardines.
Sardines were a thriving fishery on the West Coast from World War I through World War II, and the cannery-lined waterfront in Monterey, California, became the backdrop for John Steinbeck's 1945 novel, "Cannery Row." The fishery industry crashed in the 1940s, and riding the book's popularity, Cannery Row became a tourist destination, with restaurants and hotels replacing the canneries.
The industry revived in the 1990s, when fisheries developed in Oregon and Washington waters. Today, there are about 100 boats with permits to fish for sardines on the West Coast, about half the number during the heyday. Much of the catch, landed from Mexico to British Columbia, is exported to Asia and Europe, where some is canned, and the rest goes for bait. West Coast landings have risen from a value of $1.4 million in 1991 to a peak of $21 million in 2012, but are again declining.
Sardines
Are They Rigged?
Claw Machines
At some point or another you've probably played one of these claw machines, hoping to score the plush toy of your dreams. But despite your skill at perfectly positioning the claw over the prize and activating it, you've found that the pincers just don't grab tightly enough to pick up a stuffed animal.
It's not your imagination. Those claw machines are rigged. But they're rigged in a surprisingly clever way - and not the way most people suspect.
Some people think the claw machine is so hard to win because the stuffed animals are packed so tightly together. But the bigger reason is more insidious than that: the claw machine is programmed to have a strong grip only part of the time.
This isn't a closely kept secret. It's publicly available information, pulled straight from the instruction guides for the biggest claw games out there. Open the manual for Black Tie Toys' Advanced Crane Machine. Look at page eight, section subheading "Claw Strength":
The machine's owner can fine-tune the strength of the claw beforehand so that it only has a strong grip a fraction of the time that people play.
Claw Machines
In Memory
Robert Burns Jr.
The former drummer and a founding member of the Southern hard rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert Burns Jr., died late Friday in a single-vehicle crash in Georgia, police and his father said.
Burns' vehicle went off a road just before midnight as it approached a curve near Cartersville, striking a mailbox and a tree, Georgia State Patrol spokeswoman Tracey Watson said. Burns, 64, was killed in the wreck. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Burns was one of five musicians who founded the band in Jacksonville, Florida. While Burns was with the group, it recorded "Sweet Home Alabama," ''Gimme Three Steps," and "Free Bird." He left the group in 1974.
He continued to play for fun or in guest appearances nationally, said his father, Robert Burns Sr. Early on, the group played in the Burns' family garage.
"He was a product of his mother, so far as manners is concerned," the elder Burns said. "He had the manners that would suit the King of England. Very soft-spoken and extremely well-mannered person to come out of that kind of industry."
Robert Burns Jr.
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