Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Garrison Keillor: A few words from a top executive
Now that Executive Time has taken root at the top level of government, I am working more of it into my own busy schedule, leaving the Rectangular Office and holing up in the family quarters for what some might call daydreaming, but who cares what they think? They're losers. Six hours a day of letting the mind wander freely, forgetting about my obligations, and simply roaming the Internet and picking up bits of information that my staff would probably never clue me in on.
Nicholas Kristof: How I Would Spend Trump's Wall Money (NY Times)
Is an additional $5.7 billion for a border wall really the best way to protect Americans? While President Trump is playing with billions of dollars and millions of lives, I decided to play with that money, too - to advance the greater good.
Andrew Tobias: The National Butterfly Center Is Taking A Stand
And here's a post from the National Butterfly Center (I have eyes everywhere! thanks, George Mokray), noting how Trump's wall runs right through it - and our Constitutional rights: "In this 38-mile length of fence the Trump Administration seeks to build, more than 30 million square feet of vegetation may be cleared. Some of this will be private land, such as ours, but some of it will be public land, like the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. These are YOUR lands.
They are
in many cases, the last foothold for endangered species, like the Ocelot."
Randall Kennedy: How a Dispute Over the N-Word Became a Dispiriting Farce (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Since when is reading James Baldwin out loud in class an academic crime?
Zach Vasquez: Over and over: why is Hollywood still obsessed with Groundhog Day? (The Guardian)
In Netflix comedy Russian Doll and horror sequel Happy Death Day 2U, the tried and tested time loop narrative continues to repeat itself.
Stuart Heritage: It's time to ban the televising of awards shows (The Guardian)
The Baftas, the Grammys and the Oscars are all shedding TV viewers - we should have learned by now not to give celebrities any more attention.
Edmark M. Law: Fred Allen's "Apology" Letter (learnfunfacts.com)
here's another apology letter penned by Allen. This was addressed to The Uniformed Firemen's Association, who invited him to join in their breakfast but he was unable to come: "Unfortunately, my radio chores keep me going 16 hours a day, seven days a week. This flagrant violation of the existing labor laws takes up the slack in my days which might otherwise be spent writing and memorizing talks given at gala functions. I'm sorry I can't attend. You can get even. If I ever have a fire, you can send regrets. I'll understand."
Michelle Lujan Grisham Busts Through Walls For Real (YouTube)
"Have you seen the Governor of New Mexico's viral video? Thirty seconds.
Her point - colorfully made - is that $5.7 billion could be better spent than on a wall." - Andrew Tobias
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from Bruce
Anecdotes - Food
The producers of the 1980s TV series Family Ties had a hard time convincing NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff that Michael J. Fox was a good choice to star as Alex P. Keaton, the greedy Republican kid. Mr. Tartikoff argued, "The kid's good, but can you see his face on a lunchbox?" Family Ties, of course, became a huge hit, as did Mr. Fox' Back to the Future movies. The producers of Family Ties eventually gave a Michael J. Fox lunchbox to Mr. Tartikoff, along with a note: "Dear Brandon, this is for you to put your crow in."
Once in a while, William M. Gaines, publisher of MAD magazine, would invite all the artists and writers to a dinner in a fancy restaurant. (This was a very good idea, as it allowed people-many of them freelancers who just stopped by once in a while to drop off material-to get to know each other. Because there were so many MAD magazine employees, they would ask the waiters if they could push some of the tables together. Once given permission, they would quickly form a circle of tables around the waiters, leaving no exit.
American movie producer William Fox grew up poor. Once, when he was small, his family sent him to the butcher to "borrow" a pound of meat. The butcher smiled, gave him the meat, and then asked when the little boy was going to return the favor. Little Billy promised when he was a big man that he would see to it that the butcher was taken care of. After he grew up, he gave the butcher a high-paying job to provide meat for the movie stars at Fox's movie studio.
Jane Schmidt awoke one Saturday morning to discover that her husband was making breakfast. To show that she appreciated his thoughtfulness, she sat on his lap and gave him a hug. Later, in the afternoon she and her husband were having a "heated discussion" when their four-year-old son walked in and said, "Mommy, try to remember how you felt when you were on Daddy's lap."
At the Grand Hotel in Venice, Robert Benchley discovered that his room was next to the kitchen, and by listening carefully he could hear what the cooks said about the various dishes the customers were ordering. The cooks praised certain dishes, and deprecated other dishes, so Mr. Benchley was able to learn which dishes to sample and which dishes to avoid.
Richard Watson, a philosopher, used to love to eat cheap candy while reading. He frequently ate one pound of candy at a sitting - and he didn't even notice when the manufacturers starting producing 24-ounce bags of candy. In fact, he remembers once sitting down with a 2-pound bag of candy orange slices and a book and eating every candy orange slice. (Eventually, he started jogging and maintained a healthy weight.)
Gioacchino Rossini was a big eater. Unfortunately, he once dined at the home of a host who served small portions. After the dinner of small portions had been served, his host said, "I do hope you will soon do us the honor of dining here again." Mr. Rossini replied, "Certainly. Let's start now."
Bernie Fein was the co-creator of TV's Hogan's Heroes. He borrowed the name of the lead character, Colonel Robert Hogan, from an actor friend of his, whom he cast in the series' 15th episode. In gratitude, Mr. Hogan shared a real "Hogan's Hero" with Mr. Fein - a 5-foot hero sandwich filled with meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and spices.
During World War I and immediately after, food was in short supply in Germany. Walter Slezak moved from Germany to begin acting in Holland, where he rejoiced to learn that food was plentiful. To celebrate, he went into a restaurant and ate 11 servings of a favorite treat - whipped cream with powdered sugar. (Yes, he was a little heavy.)
In the days of the buffalo hunters, the professionals were tormented by the antics of the amateurs, who didn't know what they were doing and made a mess of things for everybody. Eventually, the professional hunters gave the amateur hunters all the meat they wanted so that the amateurs wouldn't scare all the buffalo away.
Buddy Hackett was guesting on Jack Paar's Tonight Showbwhen Mr. Paar did a live commercial for Adolph's Meat Tenderizer. Mr. Hackett interrupted the commercial: "I tried it, but I had to give it up. I eat slow, and it was tenderizing my lips."
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Stands Up For Nazis
Fox News has rejected a national advertising buy for a 30-second spot that warns viewers about the potential dangers of American fascism after an ad sales representative said network leadership deemed it inappropriate, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Fox Rupert "News"
The spot doubles as a promotion of this year's Oscar-nominated documentary short A Night at the Garden, which recounts a 1939 Nazi rally in New York City, and a warning - "It Can Happen Here" - to Hannity's largely conservative viewers about the potential dangers of President Donald Trump's brand of populism.
The ad was bought to air during Monday night's edition of Sean Hannity's primetime show through a local advertising buy on Charter Communications' Spectrum service in Los Angeles, but was precluded by breaking news - coverage of President Trump's rally in Texas.
The film's distributor, Field of Vision, then decided to purchase a national spot on Hannity's show, but was rebuffed by the network, which controls national advertising.
A Fox News national ad sales representative told the distributor's media-buying agency on Wednesday that CEO Suzanne Scott ("our CEO") said the ad was "not appropriate for our air," according to email correspondence viewed by THR.
Fox Rupert "News"
Twitter Feud
Sarah Silverman
Megyn Kelly sparked a Twitter feud with Sarah Silverman on Tuesday when she criticized the comedian for sending President T-rump an expletive-laced tweet.
Silverman's initial tweet was a response to Trump, who took to Twitter on Sunday to slam Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who announced that she's running for president in 2020. In his tweet, Trump mocked one of her key talking points: the fight against climate change.
Silverman tore into the president the next day with her NSFW reply: "No point in explaining how mind blowingly stupid this tweet is so I'm just gonna go with F*** YOU, and also add that you are a smelly p**** hole with b**** that touch water. Eat s***, you greedy t***."
The profanities evidently didn't impress Kelly, who shot back, "This woman [Silverman] wants to star in children's movies produced by Disney. (And just did, in Ralph Breaks the Internet.)"
Many Silverman fans spoke out in defense of the comedian, mocking Kelly's departure from NBC and pointing out provocative comedians - including Robin Williams and Denis Leary - who have voiced animated characters.
Sarah Silverman
Movie Headed To Netflix & AMC
'Breaking Bad'
Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad movie continues to be shrouded in secrecy, but I hear it will air on Netflix and AMC, which also carries Gilligan's Emmy-winning series.
No one would comment, but word is that the two networks might have their roles reversed, with Netflix taking first window and AMC second. The Breaking Bad series aired originally on AMC, with seasons subsequently made available for streaming on Netflix.
For Netflix and AMC to share the Breaking Bad follow-up is fitting as the two outlets share the credit for the success of the original series. Gilligan acknowledged the streamer's contribution in his acceptance speech for the series' first best drama series Emmy win in 2013.
A little is known about the Breaking Bad movie, believed to be a sequel starring the series' Aaron Paul. As we previously reported, it is written and directed by Breaking Bad creator/executive producer Gilligan, who also co-created and executive produces AMC prequel series Better Call Saul. He is joined by producers Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein, who have worked with Gilligan both on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
A project by the name of Greenbriar - possibly a code name - was listed as starting production in mid-November in Albuquerque, according to the New Mexico Film Office. The logline, reported by the Albuquerque Journal last fall, follows the escape of a kidnapped man and his quest for freedom. There had been speculation that the man in question is Paul's meth cook Jesse Pinkman, with the sequel set after the events in the series finale.
'Breaking Bad'
New 'Dune' Movie
Josh Brolin
The star wattage of the new Dune movie is increasing by the day. The upcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi literary classic now has Josh Brolin aboard. The Goonies and Avengers: Endgame star has closed a deal to round out the cast of the film being directed by Denis Villeneuve of Sicario and Blade Runner 2049, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Brolin is set to play Gurney Halleck, a troubadour-swordsman loyal to the central Atreides family who is key to the burgeoning of young protagonist Paul Atreides' cosmic powers, which spark a revolution in the dense, complex plot about noble families aiming for control in a feudal futuristic interstellar society told over Herbert's series of acclaimed and best-selling novels. Oscar nominee Timothιe Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) will star as Paul Atreides, and the epic cast is further rounded out by Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Zendaya and Oscar Isaac are in talks to also join the production.
The Dune story is full of politics, intrigue, and of course space-fighting, which would make it an easy cinematic sell in theory. But it's also notoriously difficult to adapt the tome into a watchable move. Mulholland Drive director David Lynch tried and, by nearly all accounts, failed with 1984's Dune, his first and last attempt at a big-budget blockbuster, which starred Kyle MacLachlan in an early role and a very scantily clad Sting. (That movie is bonkers and borderline-incoherent, but worth a watch for fans of sci-fi, Lynch, and of course Sting.)
Villeneuve apparently has the ambition and boldness to try erecting this fictional behemoth again, however. He's also a producer and a cowriter of the upcoming Dune movie alongside Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts. It's looking to start filming in Budapest and Jordan this spring. And with the star power that's already been tapped, Dune book fans are likely to be thrilled.
Josh Brolin
Wisconsin GOP
Colin Kaepernick
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin's state Legislature are not fans of Colin Kaepernick.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Legislature was set to pass a ceremonial resolution celebrating Black History Month on Tuesday until GOP lawmakers stepped in and demanded that Kaepernick's name be removed from the resolution or it would be vetoed. The resolution, drafted by the Legislature's black caucus and authored by Rep. David Crowley of Milwaukee, honored more than 20 prominent black Americans, including the Milwaukee-born Kaepernick.
The resolution was passed once black Democrats removed Kaepernick's name, but Rep. Crowley was not happy about it, calling it a "slap in the face" and "a textbook example of white privilege." Via the Journal Sentinel, Rep. Crowley also said, "I had to get the blessing of all of my white counterparts" before the resolution passed, but was glad it did.
Despite the clear distaste that Wisconsin's Republican lawmakers (who all happen to be white) have for Kaepernick, it doesn't appear that any of them clearly spelled out why. Instead, those who spoke about the bill tiptoed around their reasoning. Republican representative and Majority Leader Jim Steineke only said that he and other GOP legislators wouldn't support a resolution with Kaepernick's name "for obvious reasons." Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Journal Sentinel that he wanted a resolution that would "bring us together. Not look at people who draw some sort of vitriol from either side."
Since the updated, Kaepernick-free version of the resolution did pass the Legislature, it will next head to the state Senate. But there's expected to be more debate about the removal of Kaepernick's name, as two Republican state Senators had signed onto the version of the resolution that included Kaepernick.
Colin Kaepernick
By 2080
Climate Change
When you're older, your hometown will feel different. That's true for everybody. But for people living today, the changes will be impossible to ignore.
We usually measure climate change in terms of rising temperatures. But scientists say there's another way of thinking about it: spatial displacement.
In a new study, researchers say cities in North America by the year 2080 will basically feel like they're about 500 miles (800 km) away from where they currently are - in terms of the drastic changes that are taking place in their climate.
That's an average result - based on projections for 540 urban areas across the US and Canada - assuming carbon emissions stay on course at their current, dismal, business-as-usual rates.
But this 500-mile trek isn't just a random city-hop in any random direction. It's almost universally headed south - where, in North America at least, places generally become hotter and wetter.
Climate Change
Second Impact Crater Under Ice?
Greenland
Just months after revealing an impact crater the size of Washington, D.C., buried under the ice of northwestern Greenland, a team of scientists has discovered that it has company: a large depression 180 kilometers away that may also be an asteroid or comet impact crater.
Several years ago, after researchers spotted the first crater hiding in plain sight under Greenland's Hiawatha Glacier, they began to scour satellite records and ice-penetrating radar profiles for other circular deformations. Profiles from NASA's IceBridge research flights revealed a 36-kilometer-wide, bowl-shaped depression surrounded by a rim, with a collection of raised peaks in the center resembling the uplift left after an asteroid or comet strikes Earth's surface.
But unlike the Hiawatha crater, the basin hasn't yet yielded shocked quartz crystals, considered to be the best evidence of an extraterrestrial impact. The basin appears eroded and filled with ice older than Hiawatha's crater, both of which suggest that, if it is a crater, it likely came from a different impact, the researchers write this week in Geophysical Research Letters.
Although that may seem an implausible coincidence, other unrelated impact pairs have been found in Ukraine and Canada. And the rate of cosmic collisions needed to achieve such a coincidence is possible, given recent studies charting an uptick in Earth's bombardment by extraterrestrial objects over the past 300 million years.
Greenland
Will End After Season 6
'This Is Us'
Grab the tissues - This Is Us could be over sooner than you'd expect.
In a new interview with Deadline, This Is Us showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Dan Fogelman opened up about the future of the hit NBC drama, saying the series could end after season 6.
Aptaker said the show, which is currently in its third season, has a finale planned for "about three seasons in the future."
While this may come as a surprise to fans, Fogelman has had an ending in mind since the very beginning.
Fans will certainly struggle to say goodbye to the Pearson family, but the showrunners are confident that viewers will find the series finale "elegant" and "satisfying."
'This Is Us'
American Children & English Accents
Peppa Pig
American parents have claimed that their children are picking up British accents from watching the children's television show Peppa Pig.
The cartoon depicts character Peppa and her family in a fictional British town filled with other animal families.
It first aired in 2004 and is popular both in the UK and the US.
Peppa's British accent is now apparently rubbing off on children from all over the world.
Peppa Pig
In Memory
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon LaRouche Jr., the political extremist who ran for president in every election from 1976 to 2004, including a campaign waged from federal prison, has died. He was 96.
The cult-like figure, who espoused a wide range of conspiracy theories and advocated for an overhaul of the world's economic and financial systems, ran first as a U. S. Labor Party candidate and later, after an apparent shift to the right, as a Democratic or independent candidate.
LaRouche grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts, and in the late 1940s and early 1950s was a member of the Socialist Workers Party, taking the name "Lyn Marcus."
He ran his 1992 campaign from a prison cell after a 1988 conviction for mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the IRS by defaulting on more than $30 million in loans from campaign supporters. During a 1984 libel trial, LaRouche said he had no income and had filed no tax returns for 12 years. He said he did not know who paid his bills.
His conspiracy theories included a claim that the International Monetary Fund was "engaged in mass murder" by spreading AIDS through its economic policies, that former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Vice President Walter Mondale were Soviet "agents of influence" and that the Queen of England was involved in the drug trade. He said former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos "was opposed to me and he fell as a result."
The commitment of LaRouche followers reportedly inspired some people to hire so-called "deprogrammers" to kidnap his devotees to stop them from giving him their fortunes. One high-profile case involved a supposed conspiracy to kidnap DuPont heir Lewis duPont Smith and his wife to deprogram them. In 1992, a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, acquitted Smith's father, E. Newbold Smith, and three other men.
Lyndon LaRouche
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