Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Marc Dion: Jesus in the Tree (Creators Syndicate)
Like most downtowns in America, ours is deserted after 7 p.m. and the tree keeps its night watch mostly over the street people, the drug addicts and the drunks who live under the overpass. Its lights can be seen clearly by the heroin-addicted prostitutes who work nights on the sidewalk in front of the public library.
Alice Jane Axness: 5 Things You Learn Escorting Women Into an Abortion Clinic (Cracked)
No, I am there because, like so many other abortion clinics in our great country, it is occasionally surrounded by idiots frothing at the mouth about Jesus and baby-killing, many of whom are there specifically to harass women or stop them from doing a thing they have every right to do.
Adam Tod Brown: 5 Stories That Prove Police Are Just as Terrifying in Canada (Cracked)
Police brutality is a lot like professional football in Canada. Most people in the United States don't even realize they have it, and those who do assume it's just some pussified version more befitting the rampant politeness that we've come to associate with that frosty-ass country. However, just like the most decorated quarterback in professional football history played his entire career in the CFL, some of the most outrageous instances of police brutality in recent history have quietly been happening in Canada.
Terry Savage: Minimum Required Distributions (Creators Syndicate)
The government always wants its cut. So if you've been saving up for retirement and have reached the age of 70 and 6 months, you now face the monster of Minimum Required Distributions.
Chuck Norris: Some Food for Thought on Holiday Food Giving (Creators Syndicate)
It is our moral responsibility. Food is a basic need. That so many people go without enough to eat in this nation of plenty is unjust. God's grace in Jesus Christ moves us to help our neighbors. Let us use this holiday season to remind ourselves of the greater task ahead in confronting the crippling problem that is hunger in America.
Radu Alexander: The Weirdest Cemeteries In The World (All That is Interesting)
By default, cemeteries are unnerving places that tend to attract few tourists. However, for every plain Jane who prefers to go out with a slab of granite, an eccentric leaves her mark as part of a manmade barrier reef. For those types-and for tourists who want a slice of the zany macabre while traveling-they should consider any of the following cemeteries:
AsapSCIENCE: The Science of Orgasms (YouTube)
Everything you wanted to know about orgasms, but were too afraid to ask. Who knew science could be so sexy?
Bennett Hawkins: Billy Bob Thornton Was Hammered During Filming And Other Things You Might Not Know About 'Bad Santa' (Uproxx)
Billy Bob Thornton got sloshed during filming. BBT is a method actor, especially when that means getting drunk on holiday hooch to get into character. Billy Bob told Film4 that while filming the movie he got drunk to better play the part.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Reader Comment
unsolicited opinion
On Friday, November 21, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released their
"Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012"
The 12 Republican, 9 Democrat committee found:
NO wrongdoing by President Obama or anyone in the Obama administration or their appointees
NO "dark conspiracies"
NO "intelligence failure"
NO "delay in sending a CIA rescue team"
NO "missed opportunity for a military rescue"
NO evidence "the CIA was covertly shipping arms from Libya to Syria"
(you can go read the actual report in its entirety here, including the list of all the members: intelligence.house.gov/investigative-report-terrorist-attacks-us-facilities-benghazi-libya-september-11-12-2012 )
The AP's headline was: "House Intel panel debunks many Benghazi theories"
NPR: "House Panel Finds 'No Intelligence Failure' Before Benghazi Attack"
CNN: "Republican-led report debunks Benghazi theories and accusations"
The Wall Street Journal "House Report Finds No Attempt to Mislead Public Over Benghazi"
...and yet...
On CNN's "State of the Union", Sunday, November 23, In response to the report, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said
"I think the report is full of crap." and "I don't believe the report is accurate..."
Senator Graham, referring to the report, has also been quoted as saying "That's a bunch of garbage" and "That's a complete bunch of garbage."
So my question is: if Senator Lindsey Graham knows for a fact something that was not presented to his colleagues in the House, why isn't he presenting those facts to the committees when they are in session?
If Lindsey Graham has information pertinent to a congressional committee isn't it actually somewhat treasonous to withhold such information?
What is Lindsey Graham hiding and why?
Rand Paul's response to the report was "Benghazi was the definition of an intelligence failure" continuing, "It was, in fact, one of the worst intelligence failures in our history..."
When his office was asked just how the heck he knew these things, his office responded,
"We don't have any comment on why the House Intelligence Committee issued a bad report, only that they did."
( www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/01/rand-paul-won-t-let-benghazi-die.html )
Shouldn't the
United States House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
be reconvened and subpoenas issued for Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul forcing them to testify?
Under penalty of perjury?
And Contempt of Congress as is defined in statute, 2 U.S.C.A. § 192?
Isn't it about time politicians be held responsible for for the outrageous claims they make?
Why don't we all write letters to our congresscritters asking them to subpoena Graham and Paul to testify before Congress on just exactly what they know?
And I'd like to watch it on C-SPAN.
I'd like to watch Paul and Graham testify.
Wouldn't you?
Here's where you find out how to contact your Representative or Senator:
www.contactingthecongress.org/
Randall
Thanks, Randall!
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
Back to sunny and warm.
More Harry Potter for Christmas
J.K. Rowling
"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling will be gifting you with more material about your favorite boy-wizard, the website Pottermore announced on Friday.
Beginning Dec. 12, Pottermore will be releasing new Potter goodies every day at 8 a.m. ET. The cavalcade of presents will continue to arrive daily through Dec. 23.
Details of the new material are scant (because what good is a Christmas surprise if it's ruined?), the site promised "wonderful writing by J.K. Rowling in Moments from Half-Blood Prince, shiny gold Galleons and even a new potion or two."
J.K. Rowling
Bike Crash
Bono
How did U2 frontman Bono escape notice when he crashed his bicycle last month? If his bandmate is to be believed, it's because he was disguised as a Hasidic Jew.
U2 guitarist The Edge was asked in a US radio interview why no pictures emerged when Bono -- one of the world's most recognizable singers -- suffered a serious accident in New York's Central Park.
"When he's going cycling, he likes to dress up as a Hasidic Jew, so I think that probably helped," The Edge told KROQ in Los Angeles.
The Edge sounded serious but the radio hosts laughed and did not follow up to ask if he was joking.
Bono
Fetches $137,000 At Auction
Original Batmobile
Holy Bargain, Batman! The original Batmobile fetched $137,000 at auction on Saturday, a small fraction of the $4.2 million that a buyer paid last year for another version built for the television show that aired during the 1960s.
It was the first time that the 1963 Batmobile, a replica of the sleek black ride used by the DC Comics superhero, was up for auction since it was cast off and forgotten decades ago, according to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale. Information about the buyer was not immediately available.
The car was put up for auction by Toy Car Exchange LLC, an online marketplace for collectible cars, which bought it and had it restored to pristine condition, Barrett said.
It was the creation of Forrest Robinson, a Batman fan who spent three years customizing a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 with a 324 Rocket engine to resemble the single-fin vehicle depicted in DC's Batman Comics from the 1940s and 1950s. He finished in 1963.
Original Batmobile
Symphony of Rare Ingredients
18th Century Mandolins
The secret behind the gorgeous color and decoration of rare 18th century mandolins has been revealed.
The ornate mandolins, built during a musical golden age in Naples, Italy, were primarily covered with shellac, a common finish that gives off a rich red hue. But each house of master craftsmen made its own unique mix with a few rare ingredients, including lava from Mount Vesuvius, according to a new study.
"For mandolins of unknown origin, our results could represent a new way to identify where they were made and therefore their historic and economic value," study author Tommaso Rovetta, a researcher at the Università degli Studi di Pavia in Italy, said in a statement.
In the 1700s, Naples was home to several musical innovations, from the flamboyant productions at its opera house to a distinctive "Neapolitan style" in instrumental music that spread across Europe, influencing the works of Mozart, Rossini and others, the researchers wrote in the paper.
The findings were published in the December issue of the journal Applied Physics A.
18th Century Mandolins
GOP Threatens Staff
Sony
Sony Pictures staff received a threatening email claiming to be from the hackers who breached the entertainment giant's computer network, reportedly with warnings that they and their families were "in danger."
The email from a group calling itself Guardians of Peace (GOP) also warned Friday that "all hope will leave you and Sony Pictures will collapse," according to the industry journal Variety.
A Sony Pictures spokesman confirmed to AFP the threatening email that was sent to some staff, but not the nature of the threat.
"We understand that some of our employees have received an email claiming to be from GOP. We are aware of the situation and are working with law enforcement," the spokesman said.
Sony
Rules Exempt Agents
Profiling
Federal agents who guard the border and screen passengers at airports would be exempt from new racial profiling guidelines that must be observed by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. The Obama administration is to announce those guidelines in coming days, but officials say the changes would curtail numerous federal agencies from considering factors such as religion and national origin during investigations.
A U.S. official familiar with the guidelines said Friday night that the new rules banning racial profiling exempt the Transportation Security Administration and also do not cover inspections at ports of entry and interdictions at border crossings. The official was not authorized to discuss the guidelines by name and spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement expected soon.
The new guidelines apply to federal law enforcement agents but aren't binding on local police departments whose officers who are more likely to have day-to-day contact with community members. Their formulation also long predates the high-profile cases, such as the police shooting in August in Ferguson, Missouri, that have placed police treatment of minorities in the spotlight.
Federal law enforcement agents are banned from routine racial profiling under a 2003 Bush administration policy that created a significant exemption for national security investigations. The new policy will go beyond the decade-old one, expanding the definition of racial profiling to ban the practice on the basis of characteristics including religion, national origin and sexual orientation, the official said.
Profiling
Deal Keeps CBS Programming
Dish Network
CBS Corp and Dish Network Corp have reached a multi-year agreement that will continue delivering the network's programming to Dish's 14 million subscribers, ending a dispute between the two companies.
A CBS statement on Saturday did not disclose the financial terms of the deal but said it will result in the dismissal of pending litigation between the companies.
Talks between Dish and CBS fell apart after two extensions to their contract's initial Nov. 20 expiration, which had allowed them to extend negotiations and keep CBS and its Sports Cable channel available to Dish subscribers.
On Friday, CBS said it would no longer be available to Dish viewers in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other markets.
Dish Network
"Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies"
Vincent van Gogh
A Chinese film mogul who purchased a Vincent van Gogh still life for a record $62 million, Saturday admitted he would have paid even more for the masterpiece.
Wang Zhongjun, chairman of the high-powered Huayi Brothers film studio, bought van Gogh's 1890 painting "Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies" for $61.8 million at Sotheby's in New York in November.
Speaking at a presentation at the auction house's Hong Kong gallery Wang said the price -- a record for a still life painting by the artist -- was "a bit lower" than he had been expecting to pay.
"I like it, it's not a matter of price, it's like I didn't spend money, it hangs on the wall and it belongs to me," Wang said.
Vincent van Gogh
Mulls Not Hiring Smokers
Pima County
Pima County will consider later this month whether to no longer hire smokers and put a price on workers who do smoke.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Dec. 16 on a policy that would refuse the hiring of any smokers, the Arizona Daily Star reported. The proposal would also impose a 30 percent health-insurance surcharge on employees who smoke or consume other tobacco products.
According to county health officials, the policy could lead to more than $1 million in savings annually in health-care costs. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said there will likely be significant saving if smokers and tobacco users are gradually replaced with healthier workers.
The policy states prospective workers would need a doctor's note or a drug test to prove they have been tobacco or nicotine free for a year. Nonsmokers who prove to be nicotine free will be eligible for a $5 health-care discount every pay period. But tobacco users will be tasked with paying 30 percent more for their health care premium each paycheck. The policy would also apply to electronic cigarettes but not nicotine gum or patches, Huckelberry said.
Pima County
Gold Rolling Papers
Tyga
The rapper Tyga on Thursday announced a $5 million investment in rolling papers made of gold, betting big on a luxury market for smoking.
The California hip-hop star will become the creative director for Shine Papers, which launched last year selling papers made of 24-karat gold as well as blunts that feature tattoo designs.
Tyga described the $4.60-per-single-leaf papers, whose admirers include pop star Miley Cyrus, as offering a "premium experience" equivalent to ordering expensive bottles of alcohol.
"Why burn regular paper when you can burn 24-karat gold?" he said in a statement.
The company does not explicitly bill itself as catering to marijuana smokers, saying that it is the "brand for those who celebrate all of life's highs."
Tyga
Wants Potato Fries Declared Cultural Heritage
Belgium
There are few things people agree on in linguistically divided Belgium, but an effort to get Belgian potato fries recognized as global cultural heritage and put it on a par with Peking opera and the Argentinian tango may get unequivocal support.
Belgian fries are traditionally sold, in a paper cone, in a "fritkot", generally a shack or trailer.
There are some 5,000 of these in Belgium, making them 10 times more common, per capita, than McDonald's restaurants in the United States.
The government of the Dutch speaking region of Flanders recognized Belgian fries as an integral part of national culture this year, and the French- and German-speaking communities are expected to debate the issue next year.
Belgium
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