Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Garrison Keillor: The old man repents of his materialism
Standard Time returned in a cold rain on Sunday but no matter. I'm an old man and every day is beautiful. My past is gone, my future is shrinking, and so when I open my eyes in the morning and don't see angels bending over me, I'm grateful for another day on Earth. There will be no cold rain in Heaven and I will miss that and the chance to complain about it. I went in the bathroom when I awoke and closed the door so that if I fell down with a massive heart attack, I wouldn't wake my wife, and I put my pants on, left leg first, then the right, not leaning against the wall, for the sheer excitement of it. Some mornings it's like mounting a bucking horse. And then downstairs to the coffeepot and back to work on my memoir.
Alexandra Petri: Amazon threatens to cut HQ2 in twain to see who wants it most (Washington Post)
The third city said it loved Amazon "more than words can wield the matter, dearer than eyesight, space and liberty" and, just to demonstrate its fealty, went ahead and gutted its human services budget to build an invisible floating city with gold-paved streets that would be accessible only to Amazon employees, even if they did not wind up locating there.
Matthew Yglesias: 4 winners and 2 losers from the 2018 midterm elections (Vox)
Democrats take the House, Trump takes the Senate.
Paul Waldman: Trump's hilarious Obamacare gaffe reveals the GOP bind on health care (Washington Post)
I could be wrong, of course. Maybe Roberts will join with the other four conservatives to finally drive a stake through the ACA's heart. But I suspect that he understands, even if many of his Republican brethren don't, that in the long run doing so would be the greatest gift advocates of universal coverage could ever get. So he'll side with the liberals, not because he's not a true Republican, but precisely because he is.
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett: "Good news glow: why I'm searching for positive stories in these dark times" (Guardian)
From the recovering ozone layer to a flying centenarian, I am on the hunt for cheerful real-life tales - and there are more about than you think.
Mike Pride: Donald Hall's Late Burst of Creativity (New Yorker)
How the poet found his last words by looking out the window.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Anecdotes
• Country musician Roy Clark sometimes visited the Children's Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where in 1983 he saw a little girl named Davi Sallee who had been paralyzed in a car accident. She was frail and in a wheelchair, and she seemed very close to being a vegetable. Mr. Clark talked to her, although he knew that she could not respond, and as he talked to her, one of her feet slipped off a footrest. Mr. Clark lifted her leg and put her foot back on the footrest, and then he said to her, "Maybe I shouldn't have done that. It's not proper for boys to pick up girls' legs like that." On an impulse, he added, "Besides, you could have done it yourself if you wanted to." The little girl then raised her foot up and down, exciting the nurses, who had never seen the little girl make a voluntary movement since she had been admitted to the medical center. Mr. Clark and the nurses stayed in touch, with the nurses informing him of the little girl's progress, and eventually the little girl began writing him letters. The following year, he returned to Tulsa, and he went to the Children's Medical Center to present the facility with a check for the money that his Tulsa charity golf tournament had raised. The nurses had a surprise for him: The little girl walked down the hallway to him, and she hugged him.
• When Barbara Brooks, wife of country singer Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn fame, fell from a horse, she ended up in a hospital. One of the things she noticed was that a different person would appear each time she had to give a blood sample. The head of the department eventually apologized to her for this. The workers in the department were taking turns drawing her blood because they wanted to see the wife of a famous country and western singer.
• Polly, the young niece of Alexander Woollcott, had to see a doctor because of a sore leg. Polly was convinced that she was going to die, and she accepted her fate, but her mother was terribly upset, especially when Polly talked about dying. When they arrived at the doctor's office, the doctor looked at Polly, who was serene, and he looked at Polly's mother, who was distraught. Then he stuck a thermometer into the mother's mouth.
• When George Plimpton attended Cambridge, he got sick and the housekeeper talked to him for a very long time. Growing tired, he wanted her to leave, and trying to be polite, he said to her, "I must ask you to leave now. My favorite radio program is just coming on." As she was leaving, George turned on the radio, only to hear the announcer say, "Come now, children, clap your hands!"
• Comedian Joe E. Lewis once entertained the troops in a jungle. The approximately 60 troops were on a platform at the rear of a truck, and although Mr. Lewis told his funniest jokes for over an hour, he heard no laughter from the troops. Later, he found out why. Although they had enjoyed the show, all of the troops had mumps and could not laugh out loud.
• Comedian Bill Hicks sometimes went out with mentally disturbed women, one of whom tried to stab him with a fork, then told him that she loved him. Mr. Hicks replied, "If you really loved me, you would have used a spoon."
• Russian conductor Vasily Safonov got very seasick while crossing the Atlantic. Violinist Fritz Kreisler's wife was on board, and she tried to comfort him by singing the Russian national anthem to him, but he begged her, "Please don't do that, or I shall have to get on my feet."
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
up a creek meme
some guy
Thanks, Guy!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
OUR FIGHT AGAINST FASCISM.
JOIN THE BATTLE!
OUT DAMN TRUMP!
IMPEACHMINT!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Arfing coyote howling.
At 75
Joni Mitchell
Given the jazz-inflected complexities and somber, introspective tone of Joni Mitchell's most vibrant work, the skill and magnetism of the artists who took the stage on the first of two nights celebrating her 75th birthday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at L.A.'s the Music Center felt all the more impressive. Over the course of a breathless two-and-a-half hours, a carousel of musicians - some of her decades-old familiars like Graham Nash and James Taylor, others fresher talents like Brandi Carlile and Norah Jones - took turns paying tribute to the iconic singer-songwriter on Tuesday night in a master class of interpretation.
It wasn't surprising that Mitchell herself didn't grace the stage, given her proclivity for hermitage and recent health battles. Since she had a brain aneurysm in March 2015, her public appearances have been altogether minimal - she was only recently spotted backstage embracing Taylor at his Hollywood Bowl show in June, and before then once or twice. But she was properly represented at the show, led by musical directors and Mitchell collaborators Jon Cowherd and Brian Blade, set to the backdrop of photos of Mitchell throughout the decades and her paintings on full display amid video messages from Elton John and Peter Gabriel, as well as audio clips sourced from archive interviews.
The star power was world-class. Chaka Khan, Diana Krall, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Glen Hansard, Rufus Wainwright, Seal, Los Lobos, La Marisoul, Cesar Castro and Xochi Flores took turns throughout, some altogether faithful to the source material and others more liberal. The highlights were unexpected and, when surprising, electric.
The unifying effect of Mitchell's music rang out with a closing group singalong to "Big Yellow Taxi," one of the more ebullient standouts from her oeuvre. The billed artists stood side by side - with the exception of Jones and Krall, who whispered to one another while adjacently seated at a piano - and belted the number, a bright rumination on the harrowing effects that man has on society. They each delivered solos, then bowed in unison, as a portrait of Mitchell loomed in the background, a fitting homage to an icon whose presence is still felt, even in her absence.
Joni Mitchell
2019 Nominees
Songwriters Hall
Missy Elliott, one of rap's greatest voices and also a songwriter and producer who has crafted songs for Beyonce and Whitney Houston, is one of the nominees for the 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Elliott is the first female rapper nominated for the prestigious prize and could also become the third rapper to enter the organization following recent inductees Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri.
Joining Elliott as performing nominees are Mariah Carey, Chrissie Hynde, Vince Gill, Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Jeff Lynne, Cat Stevens, John Prine, Lloyd Price, Tommy James and the Eurythmics (Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart).
Non-performing nominees are Jack Tempchin, Dean Dillon, Jerry Fuller, Tom T. Hall, Roger Nichols and Dallas Austin, who wrote hits for TLC, Madonna, Monica, Pink and Boyz II Men.
Nominated non-performing songwriting duos include P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, Russell Brown and the late Irwin Levine, musical theater writers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, Bobby Hart and the late Tommy Boyce.
Songwriters Hall
HBO 'Informed' Him ...
George RR Martin
You might wanna scratch "The Long Night" off all your "Game of Thrones" prequel pilot fan fiction - at least for now - because George R.R. Martin had to take back his premature announcement that that is in fact the name of the upcoming HBO project.
"Oh, I should also mention … HBO has informed me that the Jane Goldman pilot is not (yet) titled THE LONG NIGHT," Martin wrote on his Not A Blog blog Monday. "That's is certainly the title I prefer, but for the moment the pilot is still officially UNTITLED. So… mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. Elsewise, the pilot is coming along well, with casting falling into place. I could tell you more, but I am not supposed to. We also have a couple of other successor shows still in development, but I cannot tell you about those either. Sorry."
Yes, his bad, his bad. But, did you notice Martin's "not (yet) titled" and "but for the moment" and "I could tell you more" remarks? OK, so make of that what you will. (He's also continuing to tease those other possible "GoT" prequel projects that we've seen no movement on since this one was ordered.)
Last week, Martin was so excited to welcome Naomi Watts - who was cast as a lead in the project - into the "Game of Thrones" family that he prematurely gave the prequel pilot the "The Long Night" moniker.
"Casting is now underway for THE LONG NIGHT, the first of the GAME OF THRONES successor series to ordered to film," Martin wrote on his aforementioned blog. "HBO has just announced the first cast member: NAOMI WATTS is coming on board as one of our stars. I could not be more excited. Welcome to Westeros, Naomi."
George RR Martin
Damehood Ceremony
Emma Thompson
Oscar-winning actress and enemy of high-heeled shoeseverywhere Emma Thompson has been honored with one of Britain's highest awards.
Thompson received a damehood from Prince William at a Buckingham Palace ceremony on Wednesday morning for her contributions to the arts as "one of Britain's "most versatile and celebrated actresses."
The 59-year-old star arrived at the palace sporting an emerald green pantsuit fashioned with a badge from the Fawcett Society, which raises awareness for equal pay, and white sneakers ? a welcome departure from the typical royal garb.
William was on hand to dole out the award to the honorees, which also included actress Sarah Gordy, but Thompson made the most of her time with the Prince, even trying to steal a quick kiss.
"I love Prince William. I've known him since he was little, and we just sniggered at each other," she revealed after the ceremony, according to The Associated Press. "I said, 'I can't kiss you, can I?' And he said, 'No don't'!"
Emma Thompson
Taking on the Boys
Girl Scouts
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, in protest of the latter group's decision to drop "Boy" from its name and to welcome older girls.
The suit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan's U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, argues that the Boy Scouts' move could erode the Girl Scouts brand and membership numbers.
The suit is in reaction to the May announcement of the Boy Scouts, which accepts children 11 to 17 years old, that it would change its name to Scouts BSA next February (2019), and make girls eligible to earn its highest rank, Eagle Scout.
Girl Scouts USA said it would not comment on pending litigation. The Boy Scouts said in a statement it was reviewing the lawsuit, noting that, "We applaud every organization that builds character and leadership in children, including the Girl Scouts of the USA, and believe that there is an opportunity for both organizations to serve girls and boys in our communities."
Girl Scouts said in its complaint that the name change threatens to "marginalize" Girl Scouts activities and has already created confusion. Families, schools and communities nationwide have been told that the organization no longer exists, or has merged with the Boy Scouts, the complaint states. Girl Scouts USA has about 2 million members; Boy Scouts has about 1.8 million, a steep drop from its peak years in the 1970s.
Girl Scouts
Man Pleads No Contest
Hollywood
A man accused of destroying Donald Trump's (R-Grabby Grifter) star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a pickax accepted a plea deal Wednesday.
Austin Clay, 24, pleaded no contest to felony vandalism for causing more than $400 in property damage, according to the Blast.
Clay was sentenced to three years of probation, one day in county jail and 20 days of community labor. He will also have to pay the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce $9,404.46 for damages to the star and $800 in fines.
Witnesses said they saw Clay visit Trump's star during the early morning hours of July 25 and attack it using an ax he brought in a guitar case.
Other Trump haters have defaced the star with dog poop, a backward swastika and a barbed wire wall around the star to mock Trump's plan to build a wall on the Mexico border.
Hollywood
Booed Off Stage
Jason Blum
Film producer Jason Blum knows his audience when it comes to his hit horror movies, but for award acceptance speeches, he can still be taken by surprise.
The Blumhouse Productions founder and CEO, 49, was honored on Tuesday - the same night as the highly anticipated midterm elections - at the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles as the recipient of the event's 2018 Achievement in Film and Television Award. Perhaps inspired by the political headlines dominating the evening, Blum decided to criticize President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Nationalist) when he took the podium.
After referencing his recent box office successes, Halloween and Insidious 4, Blum began, "A lot is on the line, the last two years have been hard for all of us who cherish the freedom as citizens of this country."
As the crowd started to swell with a mix of cheers and boos, he continued, "The great thing about the country is you can like Trump, but I don't have to … I get to say how I feel about him. I don't like him, and you can boo all you want, and that's the great thing about America. As you can see from this auditorium, we have seen the end of civil discourse."
According to Variety, some people even walked out of the theater amid shouts of "We like Donald!" Then, a man walked onto the stage and attempted to force Blum off. After security was called, he left and Blum was able to conclude, "Enjoy the movie, and I love and respect all of you. Now I'm being physically removed, which is why Trump is not the right guy."
Jason Blum
Physicists Create Mathematical Equation
The Perfect Pizza
Two physicists and a food anthropologist walk into an Italian pizzeria…
No, we're not setting you up for a bad joke. Rather, this is the premise of a real study describing how to make a perfect pizza (and for real, we want in on that study) using thermodynamic principles relevant to the processes of cooking by taking a pretty standard approach.
"Provando e riprovando", which roughly translates as "trying and trying again", explained author Andrey Varlamov in a statement.
"So speaking with Italians, visiting with their different pizzerias, speaking with pizzaiolo, trying to learn from them the experience of generations," Varlamov said. That's right, their research was literally hanging out in Roman pizzerias and ordering margherita pizzas topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
Let's start with takeout. According to one pizzaiolo ("dude who slings pizzas"), one should "always come for a pizza either before 8 pm or after 10 pm when the pizzeria is half-empty" for an optimum slice of pie. That's because of oven capacity. In a wood burning oven with a firebrick bottom, a pizza should be baked between 325 to 330°C (617 to 626°F) for 120 seconds. During peak hours, pizza guys crank up the oven heat to around 390°C (734°F) to accommodate more people and their orders. Pizzas "fly out" of the oven about every 50 seconds and have a much lower quality (crispy bottoms and undercooked tomatoes? No thank you).
The Perfect Pizza
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