Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Josh Marshall: Flynn's Deeds Are Much Worse Than We Thought (TPM)
Flynn's work was so indiscriminate, so open to committing substantive crimes (i.e., not just paperwork violations) and so covert as to make it appear that he was up for anything, like you could not put anything past him. And when I mean, 'anything' I really mean anything.
Garrison Keillor: Al Franken should resign? That's absurd. (Washington Post)
Take things in context.
Andrew Tobias: A Quick Recap
ONGOING RUSSIAN ATTACK ON OUR HOMELAND: [Trump ignores] it.
Or, really, abet[s] it. Because the attack is designed to heighten the divisions in our society and to destroy trust in the institutions that make our system work - the free press, the judiciary, the electoral process, norms of common decency and mutual respect.
Trump […] is abetting all those goals and has already taken our national brand down from #1 in the world to #6. In less than a year. Is ignoring an attack from our chief adversary of the past 70 years not a form of treason? Or does treason have to be as explicit as, say, revealing classified information to them in the Oval Office (oh, wait, he did that, too).
Guy Lodge: An antidote to Trump culture: no wonder Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird is the best reviewed film ever (The Guardian)
The coming-of-age-comedy starring Saoirse Ronan has broken the Rotten Tomatoes record for the longest unspoiled run of positive reviews. But why is it such catnip for critics?
Jonathan Jones: Was there more to Egyptian surrealism than suggestive mosques and rotten meat? (The Guardian)
The Tate wants to wrestle surrealism away from the clutches of the west. But this show's dream visions and bodily contortions can't change the fact that everyone cringed before the might of Paris.
Paul Krugman: "Incidence and Welfare Effects of Corporate Tax Cuts (Extremely Wonkish)" (NY Times Blog)
So who benefits from this tax cut? There's some wage gain, but also some revenue loss; if the revenue loss leads to cuts in programs that benefit workers (as it would), workers may well be worse off. Owners of capital, both foreign and domestic, gain. Taken as a whole, this isn't a slam-dunk case against corporate tax cuts: if the initial rates are very high and capital inflows sufficiently elastic, they could be a good idea. But they hardly look like the magic elixir Republicans are claiming.
SVEN BIRKERTS: "Long Tables, Open Bottles, and Smoke: Hanging Out with Derek Walcott" (Literary Hub)
I learned a good deal about poets and poetry from Joseph Brodsky, whose classes I audited in the 1970s in Ann Arbor and whose opinion on most anything I took as holy writ in those days. Joseph was a great one for naming and ranking poets, and much of our conversation consisted of him delivering his various verdicts.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog
David Bruce's Lulu Storefront
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has over 80 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
said:
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
UK Christmas
David
Thanks, Dave!
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Team Coco
CONAN
Reader Comment
Current Events
Justin Trudeau issues a formal apology
Found this on Wonkette, but you need to hear Trudeau's apology to the LGBTQ2 Canadians:
from Marc Perkel
Marc's Guide to Curing Cancer
So far so good on beating cancer for now. I'm doing fine. At the end of the month I'll be 16 months into an 8 month mean lifespan. And yesterday I went on a 7 mile hike and managed to keep up with the hiking group I was with. So, doing something right.
Still waiting for future test results and should see things headed in the right direction. I can say that it's not likely that anything dire happens in the short term so that means that I should have time to make several more attempts at this. So even if it doesn't work the first time there are a lot of variations to try. So if there's bad news it will help me pick the next radiation target.
I have written a "how to" guide for oncologists to perform the treatment that I got. I'm convinced that I'm definitely onto something and whether it works for me or not isn't the definitive test. I know if other people tried this that it would work for some of them, and if they improve it that it will work for a lot of them.
The guide is quite detailed and any doctor reading this can understand the procedure at every level. I also go into detail as to how it works, how I figured it out, and variations and improvements that could be tried to enhance it. I also introduce new ways to look at the problem. There is a lot of room for improvement and I think that doctors reading it will see what I'm talking about and want to build on it. And it's written so that if you're not a doctor you can still follow it. It also has a personal story revealing that I'm the class clown of cancer support group. I give great interviews and I look pretty hot in a lab coat.
So, feel free to read this and see what I'm talking about. But if any of you want to help then pass this around to both doctors and cancer patients. I need some media coverage. I'm looking for as many eyeballs as possible to read these ideas. Even if this isn't the solution, it's definitely on the right track. After all, I did hike 7 miles yesterday. And this hiking group wasn't moving slow. So if this isn't working then, why am I still here?
I also see curing cancer as more of an engineering problem that a medical problem. So if you are good at solving problems and most of what you know about medicine was watching the Dr. House MD TV show, then you're at the level I was at when I started. So anyone can jump in and be part of the solution.
Here is a link to my guide: Oncologists Guide to Curing Cancer using Abscopal Effect
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
HUCK-A-BOO-BOO SAYS: NO PROBLEM.
THE REPUBLICAN BUND.
FIRST THINGS FIRST.
"MR. PRESIDENT. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST."
WHAT A SICK FUCK!
HILLARY DID IT.
BATTLING THE DEVIL.
WHAT A CREEP!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Think I curse more at the TV now than I did back when I used to bitch about cursing at the TV.
Re-Emerges On Global Stage
Obama
Now a private citizen, former President Barack Obama re-emerged on the global stage Tuesday as he opened a three-country tour that includes meetings with the leaders of China and India, just as President Donald Trumpcourts those same world powers.
During a five-day trip, Obama will mix paid speeches with foreign leader meetings and even a town hall event for young people, the signature event that Obama became known for around the world during his eight years in office. He'll finish the trip in France, where he'll give one of several speeches planned during the trip.
The tour continues a longstanding tradition of former U.S. presidents traveling overseas after leaving office, especially as they work to attract donations and other support for their foundations, libraries and presidential centers. But Obama's trip may garner particular attention, given that many foreign countries are still uncertain about Trump's foreign policy and may look to his predecessor to help explain America's current direction.
"Barack Obama is the great explainer to the rest of the world of what the heck is going on in America," said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. "He's a calming influence in a world that's teetering on frenzy right now. Obama arrives and it reminds them of old-style diplomacy and the dignity of statesmanship."
Obama will give a final speech Saturday in Paris before returning to the United States. Aides didn't rule out the possibility that he could also see President Emmanuel Macron, whose presidential campaign Obama endorsed, while in France.
Obama
'Leave The Office You Bought'
Sioux
A Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe leader issued a damning response Wednesday to President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Pendejo) "Pocahontas" slur earlier this week during an event meant to honor Navajo Code Talkers.
Harold Frazier, chairman of the South Dakota-based tribe, said he was "deeply ashamed" of Trump's "disgusting" treatment of the World War II veterans and appeared to suggest that the president should resign.
"The President of the United States had an opportunity to honor veterans and bridge gaps in the relationship Tribes have with the Federal government," Frazier said in a statement sent to HuffPost. "Instead, he chose to disgrace himself, his position and the nation he represents."
Frazier continued, "The President of the United States wanted to utilize an opportunity to honor native warriors who defended this land to make a political attack. I have one for him, leave the office you bought and take your swamp things with you."
"We have been forced to learn the way of the American life," Frazier said. "We have learned American religions, language, economy, politics and society. ... The President's comments are another reminder that we are not allowed to participate."
Sioux
'Trump News Network'
Fox "News"
A former Fox "News" host said the cable channel has turned into "Trump News Network" and is in a difficult position due to President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Buffoon) praise of its political coverage and because the president's base has become its "lifeblood."
The former anchor, Andy Levy, made his comments during a segment on HLN's S.E. Cupp Unfiltered show that was based on the president's call Monday for a contest between media organizations-not including Fox News-to see who could win the "FAKE NEWS TROPHY" for "the most dishonest, corrupt and or/distorted" coverage.
Levy, the former host of Fox News's Red Eye, said Fox should be the main network fighting back against Trump in order to maintain its journalistic integrity.
"He should never view a media outlet as being on his side," Levy said of the president Monday night. "And the whole thing is sad, and Fox News should disavow it, but it kinda can't, 'cause with a couple of exceptions, they have backed themselves into this corner, and now they're the Trump News Network and that's their lifeblood."
Earlier in the segment, Levy said, "The people who should be the most embarrassed by this are the ones at Fox News, and I suspect a solid handful of them are. The press is not supposed to be on the side of people in power ever. The press is supposed to be adversarial, the press is supposed to question, the press is not supposed to curry favor with authority."
Fox "News"
White House Christmas Party
Sarah Sanders
CNN has decided its reporters will not be guests at the annual White House Christmas party as the network continues to feud with the Trump administration.
"In light of the President's continued attacks on freedom of the press and CNN, we do not feel it is appropriate to celebrate with him as his invited guests. We will send a White House reporting team to the event and report on it if news warrants," a CNN spokesperson told HuffPost.
When White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Spokesliar) got wind of CNN's decision, she could hardly contain her excitement.
"Christmas comes early!" she tweeted, sharing a link to the article on Politico.
CNN's decision highlights growing tension between President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Corrupt) and certain media outlets he derisively labels "fake news."
Sarah Sanders
T-rump Reignites Racist Lie
The Birther's Back
President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Crooked) is reportedly reviving the racist "birther" conspiracy theory, which claims that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States.
Trump has been questioning Obama's birth certificate in "closed-door conversations," according to The New York Times, which cited an unnamed senator as being part of one such discussion.
The newspaper reported:
"Mr. Trump's journeys into the realm of manufactured facts have been frequent enough that his own staff has sought to nudge friendly lawmakers to ask questions of Mr. Trump in meetings that will steer him toward safer terrain."
Trump was for years one of the leading voices in the birther movement, a racist conspiracy theory that questioned the legitimacy of the nation's first black president.
The Birther's Back
Putin's Confessor
Russian Orthodox Church
Authorities will investigate an anti-semitic theory that the 1918 killing of Tsar Nicholas II was a "ritual murder" following comments by a bishop close to Vladimir Putin.
Bishop Tikhon Shevkunov, who is heading a Russian Orthodox Church commission investigating the execution of the Romanov family by firing squad in Yekaterinburg, said at a conference on Monday that many members of the commission believe it was a ritual murder that held special significance for Bolshevik commander Yakov Yurovsky and his men.
"Ritual murder" has in the past referred to a theory that the last emperor was the victim of a Jewish conspiracy, as Mr Yurovsky was of Jewish heritage.
Russia's investigative committee said it would look into the claim by Mr Shevkunov, who is reputed to be Mr Putin's confessor.
The controversy comes before Mr Putin for the first time takes part in the church's annual bishops council on Wednesday.
Russian Orthodox Church
Quoting Betsy DeVos
University of Vermont
A student who was suspended for sexual harassment is suing the University of Vermont, accusing the school of discriminating against men in its sexual misconduct policy. The student's lawsuit cites Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' description of such policies as a "failed system" that has neglected due process rights.
The plaintiff, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, was accused of groping a freshman, identified as Jane Doe, at an off-campus party hosted by the school's rugby club in April, when he was sophomore, according to the lawsuit. He is currently serving a one-semester suspension.
"In the face of Jane Doe's criticism that UVM was not doing enough for female students, the University's administrators chose to make an example of John Doe, even though there was no evidence to support, or corroborate, Jane Doe's false allegations against him," the lawsuit states.
The suit references DeVos' recent move to roll back Obama-era Title IX guidelines on how universities should investigate complaints of sexual misconduct on campus. In a speech in September, DeVos faulted the Obama Administration for creating a "failed system" that "has clearly pushed schools to overreach."
DeVos' action on sexual misconduct investigations has drawn heavy criticism from victims of sexual assault and their advocates, who fear a policy change will further discourage victims from reporting assaults and fuel a narrative that complaints need not be taken seriously.
University of Vermont
Abominable News
Yeti
For fans of the yeti, newly published genetic research on purported specimens of the legendary apelike beast said to dwell in the Himalayan region may be too much to bear - literally.
Scientists said on Tuesday that genetic analysis of nine bone, tooth, skin, hair and fecal samples from museum and private collections attributed to the yeti, also called the Abominable Snowman, found that eight came from Asian black bears, Himalayan brown bears or Tibetan brown bears and one came from a dog.
"This strongly suggests that the yeti legend has a root in biological facts and that is has to do with bears that are living in the region today," said biologist Charlotte Lindqvist of the University at Buffalo in New York and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, who led the study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Lindqvist called the study the most rigorous analysis to date of purported yeti specimens. The researchers sequenced mitochondrial DNA, genetic material in structures within cells that was passed down from mothers, of purported yeti samples from Tibet, India and Nepal as well as from black, brown and polar bear populations.
While no actual yeti was identified, the DNA research shed light on bear populations in the region.
Yeti
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Nov. 20-26. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. NFL Sunday Night Football: Green Bay at Pittsburgh, NBC, 18.95 million.
2. NFL Thursday Night Football: New York at Washington, NBC, 16.91 million.
3. "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick," NBC, 13.32 million.
4. "NCIS," CBS, 12.54 million.
5. "60 Minutes," CBS, 12.23 million.
6. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 12.13 million.
7. "Thursday Night NFL Pre-Kick," NBC, 11.44 million.
8. "Young Sheldon," CBS, 11.43 million.
9. NFL Football: Atlanta at Seattle, ESPN, 10.82 million.
10. "Dancing With the Stars" (Monday), ABC, 10.15 million.
11. "The Good Doctor," ABC, 9.97 million.
12. Football Night in America, NBC, 9.9 million.
13. "Thursday Night NFL Pre-Game," NBC, 9.54 million.
14. "The Voice" (Tuesday), NBC, 9.36 million.
15. "This Is Us," NBC 9.34 million.
16. "Dancing With the Stars (Tuesday)," ABC, 9.2 million.
17. "The Voice" (Monday), NBC, 9.15 million.
18. "Bull," CBS, 8.99 million.
19. "The Walking Dead," AMC, 8.28 million.
20. "NCIS: New Orleans," CBS, 8 million.
Ratings
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