• When Judy Blume received the news that her first picture book, The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, was going to be published, she went into her son’s playroom and started throwing a plaything called Silly Sand around. She also picked up her son, Larry, and her son’s playmate, Laurie Murphy, and spun them around. Unfortunately, this made Laurie cry. Ms. Blume says, “She went home and told her mother that Larry’s mother had gone crazy.”
• Author Alice Walker attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. When she went away to attend that school, her mother, Minnie Tallulah, gave her three gifts: a typewriter, a suitcase, and a sewing machine. Alice regarded the gifts as symbols of independence, and as symbols of love. Her mother worked for only $20 a week, and to pay for the three gifts she had saved for years.
• Artists and writers must be creative. St. Louis cartoonist Sacha Mardou once wrote and illustrated an erotic comic in which a woman seduced a man who was blind. This worried her mother, who was afraid that the comic was autobiographical. Ms. Mardou says, “When I told her I had made all that stuff up, she thought it was genius. She was also very relieved.”
Names
• E.B. “Andy” White picked up his nickname while attending Cornell University. The President of Cornell at the time was Andrew D. White, and students gave the nickname “Andy” to any student with the last name “White.” E.B. much preferred Andy to his real first name: Elwyn. Names were important to Andy. In his book Charlotte’s Web, he was going to name the spider Charlotte Epeira after the Latin name for the Grey Cross spider, but he took a closer look at the spiders in his barn and discovered that they were a different species. Therefore, he changed the name to Charlotte A. Cavatica.
• Marvel Comics maven Stan Lee has a terrible memory, so when he creates a new character, as a memory device he will have both the first and last names of the same character begin with the same letter. That way, if he can remember one of the names of the character, he will know at least that the other name begins with the same letter. These are some of the names of characters he has created: Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, and Stephen Strange.
• Jane Austen, author of Sense and Sensibility, never married, although she was engaged once — briefly. Still, when she was a young teenager, she tore a sheet from the parish register of her father the clergyman. On it, she wrote some imagined possible names of her future husband: Edmund Arthur William Mortimer, of Liverpool, and Henry Frederick Howard Fitzwilliam, of London. Jane being Jane, of course, one name was humorous: Jack Smith.
• When he was four years old, C.S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia Chronicles, took a big step toward independence by announcing that he had a new name: Jacksy. His parents and brother went along with the new name, which was later shortened to Jacks, and still later shortened to Jack, the nickname that he kept for the rest of his life.
• Some children ask funny questions. Children’s book author Ann M. Martin, creator of the Babysitters Club series of books, was at a book signing when a young girl asked her, “Do you know what the ‘M.’ in your name stands for?” (By the way, it stands for Matthews.)
• Author Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, used to be named Hathorne, but because one of his ancestors was John Hathorne, a justice at the Salem Witch Trials which resulted in the deaths of 20 people, he changed his name.
• G.K. Chesterton named his pet Scotch terrier “Quoodle” after a character in one of his early novels so that when people asked about the unusual name, he could tell them about his novel.
The cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North America (Mexico and the Southwest United States), this insect lives on cacti in the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients. The insects are found on the pads of prickly pear cacti, collected by brushing them off the plants, and dried.
Cochineal dye was used by the Aztec and Maya peoples of North and Central America as early as the second century BC. Eleven cities conquered by Montezuma in the 15th century paid a yearly tribute of 2000 decorated cotton blankets and 40 bags of cochineal dye each. Production of cochineal is depicted in Codex Osuna. During the colonial period, the production of cochineal (grana fina) grew rapidly. Produced almost exclusively in Oaxaca by indigenous producers, cochineal became Mexico's second-most valued export after silver. Soon after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, it began to be exported to Spain, and by the 17th century was a commodity traded as far away as India. The dyestuff was consumed throughout Europe and was so highly prized, its price was regularly quoted on the London and Amsterdam Commodity Exchanges (with the latter one beginning to record it in 1589). In 1777, French botanist Nicolas-Joseph Thiéry de Menonville, presenting himself as a botanizing physician, smuggled the insects and pads of the Opuntia cactus to Saint Domingue. This particular collection failed to thrive and ultimately died out, leaving the Mexican monopoly intact. After the Mexican War of Independence in 1810–1821, the Mexican monopoly on cochineal came to an end. Large-scale production of cochineal emerged, especially in Guatemala and the Canary Islands; it was also cultivated in Spain and North Africa.
Natives of Peru had been producing cochineal dyes for textiles since at least 700 CE, but Europeans had never seen the color before. When the Spanish invaded the Aztec empire in what is now Mexico, they were quick to exploit the color for new trade opportunities. Carmine became the region's second-most-valuable export next to silver. Pigments produced from the cochineal insect gave the Catholic cardinals their vibrant robes and the English "Redcoats" their distinctive uniforms. The true source of the pigment—an insect—was kept secret until the 18th century, when biologists discovered the source.
Source
Mark. was first, and correct, with:
Cochineal, a scale insect which is a parasite on opuntia cactus.
Dave responded:
Cochineal. The insects are collected, dried and processed to make the dye.
Mac Mac replied:
cochineal
zorch said:
Cochineal.
Jacqueline wrote:
Crushed cochineal bugs. Ewwww.
Deborah, the Master Gardener answered:
Carmine comes from the cochineal insect, a pest better known as scale in some areas.
Cold and clear again, with no rain in the forecast, dagnabbit. I resent having to turn on the irrigation again. #firstworldproblems
Billy in Cypress replied:
Cochineals, a parasitic beetle that lives on cacti.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, responded:
carminic acid.
Daniel in The City said:
The cochineal, a scale insect
Joe ( -- Vote Blue, No Matter Who -- ) wrote:
First of all I didn't know there was a natural dye called carmine, cuz I never use food dyes, and second of all I didn't know it is made from insects. Ewww!!!
Tijeras Gary answered:
It is derived from insects or Rudy Giuliani's temple drippings...
mj replied:
I know it bugs some people
But carmine comes from an insect.
Cal in Vermont took the day off.
Roy, our Socially Distant Libtard friend in Tyler, TX took the day off.
Rosemary in Columbus took the day off.
John I from Hawai`i took the day off.
Dave in Tucson took the day off.
Michelle in AZ took the day off.
Barbara, of Peppy Tech fame took the day off.
DJ Useo took the day off.
Stephen F took the day off.
David of Moon Valley took the day off.
Kevin K. in Washington, DeeCee took the day off.
Leo in Boise took the day off.
Jon L took the day off.
Doug in Albuquerque, New Mexico, took the day off.
-pgw took the day off.
Kenn B took the day off.
Micki took the day off.
Ed K took the day off.
Angelo D took the day off.
Harry M. took the day off.
George M. took the day off.
Gary K took the day off.
Roy the (now retired) hoghead (aka 'hoghed') ( Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. ~Frank Zappa ) took the day off.
Saskplanner took the day off.
Gateway Mike took the day off.
Steve in Wonderful Sacramento, CA, took the day off.
MarilynofTC took the day off.
Paul of Seattle took the day off.
Brian S. took the day off.
Gene took the day off.
Tony K. took the day off.
Noel S. took the day off.
James of Alhambra took the day off.
BttbBob has returned to semi-retired status.
~~~~~
Info: Johnny Stanecis a singer-songwriter from Youngstown, Ohio, USA. For over a decade he has released music under his own name and experimented with different styles. He has toured throughout the Midwest and east coast and into Canada over the years, with over 500 live performances under his belt.”
All songs written by Johnny Stanec.
All instrumentation by Johnny Stanec.
Mixed & Mastered by Josh Roman.
Price: $1 (USD) for track; $5 (USD) for 10-track album
CBS starts the night, as usual, with '60 Minutes', followed by a RERUN'The Neighborhood', then the movie 'Coming To America'.
NBC fills the night with LIVE'Sunday Night Football', then pads the left coast with local crap and maybe an old 'Dateline'.
ABC begins the night with a RERUN'America's So-Called Funniest Home Videos', followed by a FRESH'Supermarket Sweep', then a FRESH'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?', then a FRESH'Card Sharks'.
The CW offers a FRESH'Pandora', followed by a FRESH'The Outpost'.
Faux has a RERUN'The Simpsons', followed by a RERUN'Bob's Burgers', then a FRESH'The Simpsons', followed by the near-chestnut 'Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas', then a FRESH'Bob's Burgers', followed by a RERUN'Family Guy'.
MY recycles an old 'Big Bang Theory', followed by another old 'Big Bang Theory', then still another old 'Big Bang Theory', followed by yet another old 'Big Bang Theory'.
A&E has the movie 'Back To The Future', followed by the movie 'Back To The Future Part II'.
AMC offers the movie 'Twister', 'Fear The Walking Dead', followed by a FRESH'Fear The Walking Dead', then a FRESH'The Walking Dead: World Beyond'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] WILD INDIA
[6:59AM] GOLDENEYE
[9:59AM] CASINO ROYALE
[1:06PM] THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
[4:04PM] DR. NO
[6:33PM] FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
[9:02PM] GOLDFINGER
[11:30PM] THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
[2:30AM] FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
[5:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - BLOOD OATH (ALL TIMES ET)
Bravo has 'Real Housewives Of Potomac', followed by a FRESH'Real Housewives Of Potomac', then another FRESH'Real Housewives Of Potomac', followed by a FRESH'Watch What Happens: Live'.
Comedy Central has the movie 'Joe Dirt', followed by the movie '50 First Dates', then 'Jeff Dunham's Completely Unrehearsed Last Minute Pandemic Holiday Special'.
FX has the movie 'Venom', followed by the movie 'Halloween', then a FRESH'Fargo'.
IFC -
[6:00am - 11:00am] Saved By The Bell
[11:30am] The World's End
[2:00pm] The Dark Knight Rises
[6:00pm] Transporter 2
[8:00pm] Taken 2
[10:00pm] 2012
[1:30am] Taken 2
[3:30am] Transporter 2
[5:30am] Baroness Von Sketch Show - Pénis Misérable (ALL TIMES ET)
Sundance -
[6:00am] monk - Mr. Monk And The Captain's Wife
[7:00am] monk - Mr. Monk Gets Married
[8:00am] monk - Mr. Monk Goes To Jail
[9:00am] monk - Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan
[10:00am] monk - Mr. Monk & The Panic Room
[11:00am] monk - Mr. Monk & The Blackout
[12:00pm] in the heart of the sea
[2:30pm] under siege
[5:00pm] captain phillips
[8:00pm] the silence of the lambs
[10:30pm] hannibal
[1:30am] bram stoker's dracula
[4:00am] silver bullet (ALL TIMES ET)
SyFy has the movie 'Guardians Of The Galaxy', followed by the movie 'Ant-Man'.
Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Jon Stewart have a message for New Jersey: “Wear a friggin’ mask!”
The admonition is part of the #MaskUpNJ ad campaign, sponsored by the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.to encourage Garden State residents to wear masks during the pandemic.
In a just-released ad, the three celebrities are depicted standing in front a barn door wearing masks. The billboard is located on the New Jersey Turnpike and was tweeted out on Wednesday by New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy.
“Teamed up with some fellow New Jerseyans to encourage everyone this holiday season to wear a friggin’ mask,” Springsteen tweeted. “Let’s all come together and #MaskUpNJ so we can get back to what we do best – singing along and dancing together.”
The monolith that was first noticed by a team of biologists in a helicopter above the Utah wilderness more than a week ago has disappeared.
Utah Bureau of Land Management officials say the 10- to 12-foot tall steel structure went missing sometime Friday night. BLM spokeswoman Kimberly Finch said the monolith was taken by an unknown party and was not removed by the state agency.
The mysterious monolith was somehow installed deep into Utah's remote red rock country and received widespread national and international interest after it was first spotted by Utah Department of Wildlife Resources biologists on an errand surveying bighorn sheep on Nov. 18. The tall, shiny object appeared on satellite images sometime between August 2015 and October 2016.
Hundreds of tourists attempted to see it in the last week, with cars lined up near the area as late as Saturday, when hikers were alerting drivers that the monolith was no longer where it had been.
State officials quickly debunked the idea that the monolith was put there by space aliens, and said it would not have been easy to place, regardless of who did it, as roads leading to the area follow rough and hazardous terrain. And they discouraged visitors to the area.
An intense rivalry over guest appearances and TV ratings is brewing between Fox News and Newsmax, according to CNN.
Fox News sources told CNN that producers are now monitoring guest bookings on Newsmax, and pressuring guests who appear on both channels to stop going on Newsmax.
Fox News denied to CNN that there was any directive from management for guests to stop appearing on the competing network.
Newsmax told CNN that the pressure from Fox was indeed real. Its CEO, Chris Ruddy, accused Fox of an "anti-competitive violation" by trying to block guests.
CNN cited Fox News sources responding with the words "Welcome to the big leagues."
Glenn Close said this week that Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1998 “Best Actress” Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love” just “doesn’t make sense.”
Close was on ABC News’ “Popcorn with Peter Travers” to promote her new Netflix film, “Hillbilly Elegy,” when she shared her distaste for awards on the grounds that she can’t justify comparing artists’ works.
“I’ve never understood how you could honestly compare performances. I remember the year Gwyneth Paltrow won over that incredible actress who was in ‘Central Station,'” she said, referring to Fernanda Montenegro. Paltrow and Montenegro were also up against Cate Blanchett (for “Elizabeth”), Meryl Streep (for “One True Thing”) and Emily Watson (for “Hilary and Jackie”).
Close went on, “I thought, ‘What?’ It’s like, it doesn’t make sense, so I think who wins has a lot of things to do with how things have been, whether it has traction or whatever. Publicity, how much money did they have to put it out in front of everybody’s sight? So, you know, I have to be philosophical about it.”
Close herself has been nominated for seven Oscars, giving her the title of the most-nominated actress without a single win. Travers brought up the industry surprise at her failure to net a win so far, calling her “gracious” about the whole thing.
American security experts are concerned that Donald Trump (R-Loose Cannon) will be unable to keep state secrets when he leaves the White House, and should be barred from receiving future intelligence briefings, according to reports.
The US president, who has routinely broken with precedent in the past and revealed American secrets, would be in line to receive briefings even when he leaves the White House.
But, as security experts told NBC News this week, the president could also prove vulnerable to selling those secrets to the country’s adversaries, and on that basis, should not have access to anymore briefings.
As well as a troubled personal brand and tax records under investigation, Mr Trump was also reported to owe $400 million in debt to unknown lenders.
Mr Trump was reported to have told Russia’s ambassador and foreign minister in 2017 about sensitive terrorism threat information that had not been shared with America’s allies, while on Twitter in 2019, he shared what experts said was a secret satellite photo of an Iranian nuclear installation.
In its final months, the Trump administration has reportedly ousted most of the high-profile advisors on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board.
"We can confirm that several members of the Department's Defense Policy Board have been removed," a US defense official told Insider Friday following an earlier report from Foreign Policy that revealed that at least 11 of the board's 13 members were removed Wednesday by a directive sent by the Pentagon's White House liaison Joshua Whitehouse.
The official said they were part of "long-considered changes" to the board of outside experts tasked with providing senior Pentagon officials with independent, informed advice.
The board members who were removed reportedly included former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. (Ret.) Gary Roughead, and former chief operating officer at the Pentagon Rudy De Leon.
Foreign Policy reported that the others ousted from the board include former Bush deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch II, former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, former ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Jane Harman, former Bush Treasury undersecretary David McCormick, former Clinton deputy attorney general Jamie Gorelick, former nuclear negotiator Robert Joseph, and former top defense official Franklin Miller.
With a new presidential administration imminent, the current U.S. Department of Justice is scrambling to push through several policy changes before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in in January.
According to CNN, one such change involves expanding methods of execution of federal death row convicts.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr (R-Cafeteria Catholic) has teamed up with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to attempt to expand the ways that federal death row inmates can be put to death. One of the proposed methods is death by firing squad, while another is to re-introduce electrocution.
Currently, five federal convicts are scheduled to be executed between now and Jan. 20. Four of the five are already confirmed for lethal injection. Approval of the amendment to the “Manner of Federal Executions” was published as a way to grant federal prosecutors more choices of execution methods to avoid any delays by states that do not have lethal injection as an execution option.
Before Barr ordered a string of executions in 2019, the U.S. had not used capital punishment since 2003, according to CNN. Eight federal death row inmates have been executed this year.
An archaeological survey of an ice patch in Norway’s Jotunheimen mountains has led to a haul of ancient artefacts.
The survey, which was conducted on the Langfonne ice patch in 2014 and 2016, discovered Iron Age scaring sticks used in reindeer hunting, reindeer antlers, a 3,300-year-old shoe from the Bronze Age, and 68 arrows.
The report’s authors have hailed the discovery of the arrows as the earliest ice finds in northern Europe.
Global warming has caused the ice patch to retreat by more than 70 per cent over the past two decades, the study found.
The finds come in a range of conditions, with the oldest arrows, from 4000BC, in poor condition. However, the arrows from the Late Neolithic period (2400-1750BC) have been better preserved in comparison to those from the following 2,000 years, according to the study.
A “pale and mottled” apple discovered by chance by a walker is Britain’s newest variety, the Royal Horticultural Society has confirmed.
Discovered in a large area of ancient Woodland in Wiltshire, the apple initially flummoxed fruit experts and is thought to have dropped from a tree that could be 100 years old.
It has a dull yellow hue and is said to carry an acidic taste with a flavour reminiscent of cider apples, which is thought will lend itself best to cooking rather than eating.
The newest variety is thought to have come from a tree that may be at least a century old, making it a much rarer find than other types of apple varieties that have been uncovered.
It was stumbled across by Archie Thomas, who lives in Wiltshire’s Nadder Valley, as he walked along a wooded trackway near his home earlier this month.
You have reached the Home page of BartCop Entertainment.
Do you have something to say?
Anything that increased your blood pressure, or, even better, amused or entertained?
Do you have a great album no one's heard?
How about a favorite TV show, movie, book, play, cartoon, or legal amusement?
A popular artist that just plain pisses you off?
A box set the whole world should own?
Vile, filthy rumors about Republican hypocrites?
replied:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
