Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Marc Dion: Pardon My Turkey (Creators Syndicate)
Pres. Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys just before Thanksgiving Day. It's a holiday tradition. Ever year, in a display of commercialized might, the president pardons two turkeys and a war criminal. The two turkeys go to some kind of turkey rescue facility. The war criminal gets a promotion, may someday write a book called "Screw 'Em. They Ain't Really Human" and could eventually marry a Kardashian, if one is available. At nearly the same moment, three guys from Baltimore get out of prison. They're all in their 50s, they all did more than 30 years in the can, and all three of them were all released because, whoopsie, somebody else did the killing of which they were accused.
Ted Rall: If There's a Warrant for Your Arrest, the Government Should Have to Tell You (Creators Syndicate)
I got a speeding ticket and paid the fine, on time. But the municipality didn't credit me. I had my canceled check so I assumed I was in the clear. Later, when I was pulled over for something different, the officer informed me that my license had been pulled over the "unpaid" ticket - the DMV never notified me of the suspension, and no, I hadn't moved - so the cop arrested me and took me to the station for an hour or two. Setting things straight ultimately cost me thousands of dollars in attorney fees.
Lenore Skenazy: When Tragedy Strikes, Blame the Mom (Creators Syndicate)
… I don't think it's really about a lack of supervision. I think it's about fear. The fact that this truly could happen to any of us is so scary, we can't deal with it. So, instead, we - or at least the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police - pretend that no, this only happens to terrible parents who are criminally abusive. Not to saintly you and me. It echoes the way we used to blame rape victims: "She was asking for it by wearing that outfit. I would never be raped because I don't ask for it." Our fear made us twist the victim into the perpetrator, or at least the accomplice.
Marks Shields: In 'Defense' of Donald Trump Jr. (Creators Syndicate)
War demanded equality of sacrifice. All of that changed, tragically, with Vietnam. The sons of affluence and influence gamed the system to avoid serving. That was followed by the all-volunteer military, which guaranteed that instead of 3 out of 4 male high school graduates and 3 out of 4 college graduates serving in the American military, the sons of privilege would be spared the burden of fighting for their country.
Froma Harrop: Astoundingly, the Republican Attack Machine Targets the Military (Creators Syndicate)
To recap: Trump has smeared our bravest soldiers, undermined military discipline, ignored the expertise of officers in the field, disrespected our military leaders and betrayed allies who fought and died beside us. Meanwhile, the Republican leadership sits in dumb and cowardly silence. Vladimir Putin must be writing Trump a thank-you note on his finest stationery.
Froma Harrop: The Zen of Thanksgiving (Creators Syndicate)
Editor's Note: The following is a revised version of a column first published in November 2002. Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays. But there is something almost un-American about it. It is a day opposed to striving, to getting more. We stop adding up the numbers on the scorecard of life. We freeze in place and give thanks for whatever is there.
Susan Estrich: The Bad Prince (Creators Syndicate)
NO remorse, except for his own family, for the embarrassment to them. No remorse for the young women and girls who Epstein admittedly (he did plead guilty in Florida, remember) misused and abused. No apologies. The only thing he was sorry about was the damage it did to the image of the royal family. Well, la-di-da.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "Rockerchick" from the album OUT UTERO
Artist: Lipstick Homicide
Artist Location: Coralville, Iowa
Info:
Rachel Feldmann - Bass/Guitar/Vocals
Kate Kane - Guitar/Vocals
Big Luke Ferguson - Drums
Lyrics:
she had the cutest smile and the coolest band
i wonder if she knows i'm her number one fan
and all i wanna know is how a girl like you ends up with a guy like that
please don't shoot me down i'm waiting for the time you write me back
she's got a sweet guitar, i really like her hair
but she'll go home with him it really isn't fair
all i wanna know is how a girl like you isn't even aware
you could give me a chance i don't think your boyfriend would even care
you know he's really not that vital to your band
he can write a song but not as well as you can
Price: $1 (USD) for song; $7 (USD) for 14-track album
If you are OK with paying for it, you can use PAYPAL or CREDIT CARD.
Genre: Punk Rock
Lipstick Homicide on Bandcamp
OUT UTERO on Bandcamp
David Bruce has over 140 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
New Venture
Michael Egan
from Bruce
Anecdotes
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
JD is on vacation.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
More rain and still cold (for these parts).
Gabrielle's Supporters
'America's Got Talent'
The ranks of celebrity supporters for former America's Got Talent host Gabrielle Union continues to swell, as new backers chime in on social media over her dismissal from the show.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana Grande, Debra Messing, Ellen Pompeo, Jameela Jamil, Yara Shahidi, and Patricia Arquette have so far voiced support for Union, who complained of a "toxic culture" on the NBC show's set. Union and Julianne Hough did not have their contracts renewed for the next season of the competition, sparking Union's complaints about her treatment.
The outpouring of support for Union in the wake of those complaints appears to be gaining momentum.
"Thank you for this @EllenPompeo," Messing, 51, tweeted Thanksgiving day. "This is disgusting behavior from a network that has been my professional home for decades. Yes, women become 'difficult,' when their insistence on a respectful and professional working environment, is ignored."
Messing tagged Union in her comments. "Addressing a hostile work environment is inconvenient when there is a huge money making machine that is involved. It is cowardice, greed, and protection of the status quo revealed. Being 'hands off,' is inexcusable and reflects a laissez faire attitude toward systemic racism and sexism."
'America's Got Talent'
Refutes Claim
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio has refuted bizarre and false claims from Brazil's right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro that the actor financed the wildfires in the Amazon, playing into a ploy by the the World Wildlife Fund to generate donations.
DiCaprio posted a statement on Instagram Saturday that "while worthy of support, we did not fund the organizations targeted."
"This Leonardo DiCaprio is a cool guy, right?" Bolsonaro said, according to Reuters, during a brief remarks in front of the presidential residence on Friday. "Giving money to torch the Amazon."
Reuters reported that Bolsonaro appeared to be commenting on disputed social media posts that WWF had paid for photographs taken by volunteer firefighters and used them to solicit donations, including $500,000 from DiCaprio. The claim is the latest in an effort by Bolsonaro to divert blame for the disastrous fires from his government, which scaled back enforcement against illegal logging, mining, and ranching.
Bolsonaro also talked about DiCaprio on Thursday during a live webcast, saying that the World Wildlife Fund had paid the volunteer firefighting organization to take pictures of forest fires in the Amazon.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Israeli Audience
Louis C.K.
Disgraced comedian Louis CK made a joke about the Holocaust while giving a set earlier this week outside Tel Aviv, immediately sparking outrage online. C.K. has been trying to launch a comeback since admitting to sexual misconduct with several women.
According to The Associated Press, C.K's Israeli fans had nearly packed a basketball stadium, eager for his return. During the beginning of his set, he asked the audience, "How have your last couple of years been?" before telling an anecdote about someone giving him the finger from across a restaurant for the entirety of his meal.
Later, he acknowledged his sexual misconduct, saying it had been a mistake, according to AP. "If they say 'yes,' then still don't do it, because it's not popular," he said.
At one point, the comedian said he used to love New York City, but now he hates it.
"I'd rather be in Auschwitz than New York City," he said to laughter and applause. "I mean now, not when it was open."
Louis C.K.
Spanish Version
Big Brother
Dozens of companies have announced they will no longer be advertising on the Spanish version of the TV reality show Big Brother after it emerged that a contestant had been shown footage of her alleged rape.
Carlota Prado was sent to the diary room to watch a video of how a fellow contestant apparently had sex with her when she was unconscious after drinking.
"Please, Super, stop now, please," a tearful Ms Prado asked. But the tape continued to play, with the Voice saying: "We think you need to see this, Carlota." The scene was never broadcast but was leaked to the Spanish press this week.
Until being asked to enter the diary room, Ms Prado had no idea of what had happened the previous night in her bed after she had been helped to lie down by José María López, her fellow contestant with whom she had started a relationship with in the house.
According to footage of the alleged rape, she said "no, I can't" to Mr López. But he then got into bed with the prone Ms Prado and allegedly had sex with her for several minutes before the show's production team spoke over the bedroom speaker to interrupt him.
Big Brother
War On Women
Ohio
A bill to ban abortion introduced in the Ohio state legislature requires doctors to "reimplant an ectopic pregnancy" into a woman's uterus - a procedure that does not exist in medical science - or face charges of "abortion murder".
This is the second time practising obstetricians and gynecologists have tried to tell the Ohio legislators that the idea is currently medically impossible.
The move comes amid a wave of increasingly severe anti-abortion bills introduced across much of the country as conservative Republican politicians seek to ban abortion and force a legal showdown on abortion with the supreme court.
Ohio's move on ectopic pregnancies - where an embryo implants on the mother's fallopian tube rather than her uterus rendering the pregnancy unviable - is one of the most extreme bills to date.
In addition to ordering doctors to do the impossible or face criminal charges, House Bill 413 bans abortion outright and defines a fertilized egg as an "unborn child".
Ohio
Despite US Citizenship
Deportation
A New Yorker who gained US citizenship as a child is suddenly facing deportation, along with several green card-holding members of his family, after apparent targeting by the Trump administration in what the family believes is a clear case of anti-Muslim bias.
None of the individuals have a criminal record, and say the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) only raised questions about the validity of their immigration status after another relative was arrested following a terrorist incident in the city. The government's actions have alarmed advocates and led to them accusing officials of meting out unfair "collective punishment".
Ahsan Ullah, 32, an electrician from Brooklyn, was placed in immigration detention in Kearny, New Jersey, on 22 October. He spent about four weeks separated from his American wife and three children before being released on bond last Tuesday pending the outcome of his case.
Four of his relatives, who all hold green cards, are also fighting government efforts to strip them of their US residency status. Since Trump came into office, the number of such denaturalization and citizenship revocation cases filed by DHS has surged.
"At a time when we are seeing a white nationalist current in government and society that wants to depopulate communities of color from this country, these cases are an indication of how their tactics and attacks are evolving."
Deportation
Greenland A National Security Concern
Denmark
Denmark has made Greenland a top national security priority after Donald Trump expressed an interest in buying the territory.
Mr Trump raised the possibility of purchasing the vast land mass for the United States earlier this year, due to its abundant natural resources and potential future logistical value.
Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister responded at the time that it was not for sale, leading to a diplomatic spat in which Mr Trump called her "nasty" and cancelled a trip to Denmark.
Now, Denmark's foreign and military intelligence agency has warned of increasing tensions over Greenland involving major powers, including the US, China and Russia, and highlighted the threat ahead of others like terrorism and cybercrime.
Lars Findsen, of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, said: "We have decided to start this year's Intelligence Risk Assessment with a chapter on the Arctic, as the interests of the great powers in the Arctic have direct impact on, and growing significance for, the Kingdom of Denmark.
Denmark
Christmas Gift From Pope
Jesus' Manger
A fragment of wood reputed to be from the manger where Jesus was laid after his humble birth arrived in Bethlehem as a gift from the Vatican on Saturday, kicking off Christmas season at the town revered as the place of Jesus' birth.
The wood piece, just a few centimeters (inches) long, was once kept in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. It was handed over earlier this week to the custodian of the Bethlehem church, who said it brought "great honor to believers and pilgrims in the area".
The provenance of ancient relics is often questionable. Still, they are revered by the Christian faithful, among them the many pilgrims who squeeze through a narrow sandstone entrance in the Church of the Nativity to visit the birth grotto that is its centerpiece.
According to the Custos of the Holy Land for the Catholic church, Francesco Patton, the relic dates back more than 2,000 years and was sent to the Vatican in the 7th century.
Encased in a silver-colored ornamental table-top stand, it was unveiled to the public on Friday at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center. Marching bands greeted the relic as it arrived in Bethlehem on Saturday. It was placed in Saint Catherine's Church, at the Church of the Nativity compound in Manger Square.
Jesus' Manger
Gut-Friendly Bacteria
Stronger Beers
Certain beers could be considered "very healthy" thanks to the amount of gut-friendly bacteria they contain, according to scientists specialising in gut health.
Professor Eric Claassen, who works at Amsterdam University, explained that strong Belgian beers, including Hoegaarden, Westmalle Tripel and Echt Kriekenbier, are rich in probiotic microbes that offer a range of health benefits.
Presenting his research at an event held by probiotic drink maker Yakult, Professor Claassen said that unlike most mainstream beers, which go through a single fermentation process, these beers are fermented twice.
The second fermentation not only creates a drier flavour and boosts the strength of the beer, but it also uses a different strain of yeast found in traditional pints.
This strain of yeast produces acids that kill harmful bacteria in the gut that can make us ill.
Stronger Beers
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