Garrison Keillor
I am deeply grateful for all the years I had doing "A Prairie Home Companion" and "The Writer's Almanac", the summer tours, the outdoor shows at Tanglewood and Wolf Trap, the friendships of musicians and actors, the saga of Lake Wobegon, the songs and sketches, Guy Noir, Dusty & Lefty, the sheer pleasure of standing in the warmth of that audience.
Alice Ollstein: Why Economists Are Warning That The Trump Tax Plan Will Be An Epic Disaster (TPM)
Stan Collender, a former top staffer on the House and Senate Budget Committees, who worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations, said not only will the current bill fail to help the country, it will cause significant harm. "Unless the laws of economics have been repealed, and not even Trump can do that, this has the potential for being one of the biggest disasters in American history," he told TPM. "The deficit hawks who for the last few months have been in a witness protection program are going to emerge with a vengeance to demand the deficit they just increased exponentially is a problem, and the pressure on Social Security and Medicaid is going to be pretty intense."
Josh Marshall: Mueller Probing Trump's Money Ties to Russia (TPM)
… many have pointed out that lots of Russian money goes through Deutsche Bank and indeed the bank has been repeatedly fined for Russian money laundering. The Deutsche Bank subpoena is certainly about probing the President's financial ties to Russia, which are as we know extensive. Let's note too what we've argued repeatedly which is that Donald Trump's finances, quite apart from the specific matter of campaign collusion, simply can't withstand any real legal scrutiny. This is the kind of move Trump has suggested might provoke him to fire Mueller.
Brad Delong: HOW TO BE AN UNPROFESSIONAL REPUBLICAN ECONOMIST IN FOUR EASY STEPS...
It is worth reiterating just how unprofessional this has been. The authors take the following logical steps in constructing their argument: 1) Assume, contrary to fact, that the United States is a small open economy. You need that in order to get the projected boost in the long run level of real GDP up from 1% to roughly 4%.
cara rose defabio: "Dolly Parton: basic income trailblazer?" (Medium)
Among the numbers used to demonstrate the need for a basic income today, one sticks to the ribs like no other: almost half of Americans cannot come up with $400 to cover an emergency expense. That emergency could be as mundane as a towed car, as harrowing as a trip to the emergency room, or as catastrophic as a natural disaster overtaking your family home. Last fall the people of Gatlinburg, Tennessee found themselves in just such a predicament as deadly fires ripped through Sevier County, leaving thousands of families homeless.
This novelty song won three Grammy awards in 1958 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart where it's the only Christmas record to reach No. 1 on the same chart. What is the title of this holiday 'classic'?
"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" is a novelty Christmas song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. (a.k.a. David Seville) in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian (in the form of a high-pitched chipmunk voice), the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon and Theodore. The song won three Grammy Awards in 1958: Best Comedy Performance, Best Children's Recording, and Best Engineered Record (non-classical).
The song was very successful, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, becoming The Chipmunks' first (and only), as well as David Seville's second and final, No. 1 single. It has the distinction of being the only Christmas record to reach No. 1 on the same chart. The single sold 4.5 million copies in seven weeks, according to Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. Ironically, before the song's success, "The Chipmunk Song" was featured on American Bandstand's "Rate-A-Record" segment and received the lowest possible rating of 35 across the board.
Between 1958 and 1962, the single managed to re-enter the Hot 100, peaking at No. 41 in 1958, No. 45 in 1960, and No. 39 in 1962. (Starting in 1963, Billboard would list recurrent Christmas songs on a separate chart.) The song managed to chart on the Hot Digital Songs for the first time in 2005, peaking at No. 35 on that chart.
"The Chipmunk Song" is the last Christmas/holiday song to reach No. 1 on any US singles record chart totaling performance of all available records.
Source
Now that damn song is going to be in my head all day.
Alan J answered:
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
Mark. said:
That would be "The Chipmunk Song."
mj replied:
Who could forget little Alvin
Plaintively asking for a hula-hoop?
Christmas (Don't Be Late) by Alvin and the Chipmunks (with an assist
from Dave Seville.)
zorch responded:
Chipmunk Song Christmas Don't Be Late
Jim from CA, retired to ID, said:
The Chipmunk Song
Deborah wrote:
I was barely a toddler in 1958, so I have no idea. I'm going to guess "Jingle Bells" by barking dogs.
The last time I've wished so hard for rain was when NorCal was under siege by fires. Stay safe, SoCal. I hope those fires are contained soon.
Billy in Cypress replied:
I am feeling a bit nutty today, so I will guess "The Chipmunk Song" with Alvin and friends. NOTE: If I were completely CRAZY, I would be president.
Daniel in The City responded:
The Chipmunk Song
Kevin K. in Washington, DC wrote:
"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"
Gary E.K. said:
White Christmas??
Dale of Diamond Springs, Norcali replied:
"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"...Remember: Men who remove the entirety of their pubic hair at least eleven times in their lives are particularly prone to genital grooming injuries...30 degrees last night…burr
Joe S answered:
I hate that stupid song. It's the Chipmunks with Christmas Don't Be Late. I hate it, and that's all I got to say about that.
I will say that I got a new modem and now my Internet and TV don't buffer all the time.
Dave in Tucson took the day off.
David from Moon Valley (temporarily in England) took the day off.
Poor Matt Hensley! As an unmotivated aspiring actor, he is content with the survival work of pet care. To him, feeding cats is the easiest job in the world.
Matt's ambitions are revived by an audition for a lucrative out-of-town commercial. The role goes to Tac Fightmaster who is loathed by Matt even though Tac pays him well to care for his two cats. As Matt enters Tac's apartment to feed the felines, he discovers Tac stabbed to death.
Matt's world is turned upside down. He is now a suspect in a case that is a punchline for New York City comics.
He is aided by his best friends: Mannylee, a worldly bartender at a syster bar, Warren, a sardonic gay man armed with biting banter, Forrest, a shy theater techie and Joe, a gorgeous serene heterosexual man. Their group dynamic congeals to clear Matt's name. The risky adventures experienced by this loyal crew can be described as "Will and Grace" meets "Chinatown" meets "Scooby Doo"! While calling upon all of their resources to investigate this serious felony, they are determined to be witty to the max and have the time of their lives outfoxing the police and the crime's perpetrators.
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
CBS opens the night with a FRESH'Big Bang Theory', followed by a FRESH'Young Sheldon', then a FRESH'Mom', followed by a FRESH'Life In Pieces', then a FRESH'SWAT'.
Scheduled on a FRESHStephen Colbert are Sarah Paulson, John Hodgman, and Bobby Flay.
Scheduled on a FRESHJames Corden, OBE, are Kobe Bryant, Morgan Freeman, and Glen Keane.
NBC fills the night with LIVE'Thursday Night Football', then pads the left coast with local crap and maybe an old 'Dateline'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are James Franco and Niall Horan.
Scheduled on a FRESHSeth Meyers are Wendy Williams, Mike Birbiglia, and Brooks Wackerman.
Scheduled on a FRESHCarson 'The Scab' Daly are Maria Bamford, Kevin Devine, and Bria Vinaite.
ABC begins the night with 'Shrek The Halls', followed by 'Toy Story That Time Forgot', then a FRESH'The Great American Baking Show'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Kimmel are Octavia Spencer, Dave Franco, and Hanson, with guest host Melissa McCarthy.
The CW offers a FRESH'Supernatural', followed by a FRESH'Arrow'.
Faux has a FRESH'Gotham', followed by a FRESH'The Orville'.
MY has 'Page Six TV', followed by 'Top 30', then an old 'L&O: CI'.
A&E has 'The First 48', another 'The First 48', followed by a FRESH'The First 48', then a FRESH'The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All'.
AMC offers the movie 'The Godfather: Part II', followed by the movie 'No Country For Old Men', then the movie 'First Blood'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 1 - EPISODE 12-The Big Goodbye
[7:00AM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 1 - EPISODE 13-Datalore
[8:00AM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - SEASON 1 - EPISODE 14-Angel One
[9:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - SEASON 7 - EPISODE 1-Asylum of the Daleks
[10:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - SEASON 7 - EPISODE 2-Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
[11:00AM] DOCTOR WHO - SEASON 7 - EPISODE 3-A Town Called Mercy
[12:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 1-The 37's
[1:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 2-Initiations
[2:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 3-Projections
[3:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 4-Elogium
[4:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 5-Non Sequitur
[5:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 6-Twisted
[6:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 7-Parturition
[7:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 8-Persistence of Vision
[8:00PM] THE FIFTH ELEMENT
[11:00PM] THE FIFTH ELEMENT
[2:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 1-The 37's
[3:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 2-Initiations
[4:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 3-Projections
[5:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 4-Elogium (ALL TIMES EST)
Bravo has 'Top Chef Junior', 'Million Dollar Listing LA', followed by a FRESH'Million Dollar Listing LA', then a FRESH'Top Chef', followed by a FRESH'Watch What Happens Live'.
Comedy Central has 'Futurama', another 'Futurama', and 3 hours of old 'Drunk History'.
Scheduled on a FRESHThe Daily Show is Tiffany Haddish.
Scheduled on a FRESHThe Opposition is Scott Kelly.
FX has the movie 'The Heat', followed by the movie 'The Proposal', then the movie 'The Proposal', again.
History has 'The Curse Of Oak Island', another 'The Curse Of Oak Island', followed by a FRESH'Pearl Harbor: Survivors Remember'.
IFC -
[6:00AM] STAN AGAINST EVIL-Ouija Bored
[6:30AM] STAN AGAINST EVIL-Mirror Mirror
[7:00AM] STAN AGAINST EVIL-A Hard Day's Night
[7:30AM] SAW II
[9:30AM] SAW III
[12:00PM] EDGE OF DARKNESS
[2:30PM] THE LAST STAND
[5:00PM] MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
[8:00PM] JONAH HEX
[9:45PM] THE PUNISHER
[12:30AM] THE LAST STAND
[3:00AM] MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (ALL TIMES EST)
Sundance -
[6:20AM] The Andy Griffith Show-The Inspector
[6:55AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Ellie Saves a Female
[7:30AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Andy Forecloses
[8:05AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Quiet Sam
[8:40AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Barney Gets His Man
[9:15AM] The Andy Griffith Show-The Guitar Player Returns
[9:45AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Bringing Up Opie
[10:15AM] The Ledge
[12:30PM] Bonnie and Clyde
[3:00PM] Law & Order-Wager
[4:00PM] Law & Order-Sanctuary
[5:00PM] Law & Order-Nurture
[6:00PM] Law & Order-Doubles
[7:00PM] Law & Order-Everybody's Favorite Bagman
[8:00PM] Law & Order-Cherished
[9:00PM] Law & Order-DWB
[10:00PM] Law & Order-Flight
[11:00PM] Law & Order-Agony
[12:00AM] Law & Order-Scrambled
[1:00AM] Rosehaven-Episode 7
[1:35AM] Law & Order-Venom
[2:35AM] Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders-Farm Family Slain: Killers on the Run
[4:35AM] Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders-Intruders: The Gallows and the Novel (ALL TIMES EST)
SyFy has the movie 'The Journey 2: Mysterious Island', followed by a FRESH'Van Helsing', then a FRESH'Ghost Wars'.
TBS:
Scheduled on a FRESHConan are Patton Oswalt, Andy Serkis, and Royal Blood.
Smoke from the Creek wildfire in the San Gabriel Mountains, the second range behind the Hollywood Hills, home of the Hollywood sign, looms up over Los Angeles Tuesday morning, Dec. 5, 2017.
Photo by Reed Saxon
Beyoncé made a surprise appearance Tuesday night to present Colin Kaepernick with Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was honored with the award for using his sports platform to protest racial injustice and police brutality, sparking a nationwide take-a-knee movement in the process. Despite an impressive career, Kaepernick remains unsigned by an NFL team more than a year after he began to kneel during the national anthem before games.
"Colin took action with no fear of consequence or repercussion, only hope to change the world for the better; to change perception; to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color," Beyoncé said as she thanked Kaepernick for his selflessness and conviction. "We're still waiting for the world to catch up."
Beyoncé also addressed the misguided criticism, exacerbated by President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Racist), that sports players kneeling during the national anthem was a sign of disrespect to the American flag and the military.
"It's been said that racism is so American that when we protest racism, some assume we're protesting America. So let's be very clear," she said. "Colin has always been very respectful of the individuals who selflessly serve and protect our country and our communities and our families. His message is solely focused on social injustice for historically disenfranchised people. Let's not get that mistaken."
A woman walks past sprayed graffiti of Donald Trump is seen on the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 06 Dec. 6, 2017.
Photo by Abed al Hashlamoun
In 2013, Anthony Hopkins watched "Breaking Bad." Soon after, the world - at least the internet - would never be the same.
Following his binge-watch, Hopkins wrote an effusive letter to Bryan Cranston, which went viral online. The story gained momentum again after being posted on Reddit Monday.
In the letter, which first made the rounds after a "Breaking Bad" cast member shared it on Facebook, Hopkins called Cranston's portrayal of Walter White the "best acting" he's seen. No argument here, dude.
"I just wrote this personal letter to Bryan," Hopkins said. "I didn't want it to be known publicly, but that's what happens today. You can't open your mouth before it goes on the internet or whatever you have, on Twitter or Facebook."
"I keep my mouth shut from now on," he added. "I don't write letters to people."
Suspended ABC News reporter Brian Ross will no longer cover stories involving President Donald Trump (R-Corrupt) following his erroneous report last Friday on former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The network on Tuesday confirmed the order by ABC News President James Goldston, who expressed his anger over the error on an internal phone call that was leaked to CNN. ABC declined to make Goldston available for an interview on Tuesday.
Ross was suspended for four weeks without pay over the weekend. He had reported incorrectly that Trump, when he was still a candidate for president, had told Flynn to make contact with the Russians. That would have been a big development in the ongoing investigation over whether the Trump campaign worked with the Russians to influence the election.
Instead, Ross later corrected his story, based on an unnamed source, to say that Trump's instructions came when he was president-elect, not a candidate.
It was immediately seized upon by Trump as an example of "fake news," even with a suggestion that the false report was a factor in Friday's stock market tumble. Trump tweeted on Sunday that anyone who lost money in the stock market on Friday should consider suing ABC for damages.
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura denounced the late "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle on Monday as an "American Liar" and said he feels vindicated in his five-year legal battle against the former Navy SEAL and his estate, though he declined to say how much his settlement is worth.
At a news conference Monday, Ventura would not tell reporters how much money he received for settling his defamation case but noted he was smiling about it. He and his lawyer would not say whether the money came from publisher HarperCollins or its insurance company. But Ventura said it didn't come from Kyle's widow or his estate. Ventura also said he didn't get an apology.
"The settlement and all the negotiations surrounding the settlement are confidential," Ventura attorney David Olsen said.
A Minnesota jury awarded Ventura $1.8 million in 2014, but a federal appeals court threw out the verdict. Both sides were preparing for a new trial before the settlement was announced in court filings last week. Ventura also dropped a related case against HarperCollins Publishers.
"This was fake news, people," Ventura told reporters. "And this was fake news at its finest. Because the whole thing is fake."
We now know that Donald Trump's (R-Crooked) transition team had numerous pre-inauguration contacts with the Russians, and then lied about them. The latest disclosures of team emails, obtained by the New York Times, reveal that the motive was quite clearly to do all it could to make sure that no one could question the legitimacy of Trump's election, even after it became clear that the Russians had influenced the outcome. As part of that effort, it would make sense for them to hide the fact that the Trump team had any meaningful contact with the Russians during the campaign and the transition.
On Dec. 2, Trump tweeted he had to fire Flynn because "he lied to the Vice President and" - it turns out - "the FBI." That means the President knew that Flynn had lied to the FBI before he fired him - and before he fired FBI Director James Comey.
Trump's chief personal lawyer, John Dowd, now says that Trump himself did not write the tweet confessing he knew about Flynn's lying to the FBI when he fired him. It was Dowd, not Trump, who wrote the Trump tweet after, the New York Timesreports, being "in contact with Mr. Trump on Friday and Saturday, trying to calm him after Mr. Flynn's guilty plea." It certainly should not surprise anyone that Trump needed calming after the Flynn guilty plea. But it sure is a surprise to hear Trump's lawyer admit it - another admission harmful to the President.
Now two Trump lawyers have effectively confirmed Trump knew of the Flynn lies when he fired him, despite the range of subsequent denials, reversals and the like. The President has lied over and over again to the American people, with apparent impunity.
It is not unusual for a lawyer to defend his client publicly, but in my experience over 50 years at the bar, I never saw a lawyer disguise his authorship of a public statement. When did lawyers undertake the making of public communications and deceive the public as to their identity? My mentor, Judge Simon H. Rifkind never taught us to do that. In fact, the rule I learned was just the opposite: Defend your client zealously, but never let the client's problem become your problem.
Palestinians burn posters depicting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Dec. 6, 2017.
Photo by Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Republicans rammed a bill through the House on Wednesday that would make it easier for gun owners to legally carry concealed weapons across state lines, the first significant action on guns in Congress since mass shootings in Nevada and Texas killed more than 80 people.
The House approved the bill, 231-198, largely along party lines. Six Democrats voted yes, while 14 Republicans voted no.
The measure would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed-carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons. It now goes to the Senate.
Republicans said the reciprocity measure, a top priority of the National Rifle Association, would allow gun owners to travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state laws or civil suits.
Opponents, mostly Democrats, said the bill could endanger public safety by overriding state laws that place strict limits on guns.
An Alabama church is coming under fire for a sign on its billboard that compared Roy Moore (R-Creep), the state's controversial Republican Senate candidate, to Jesus.
Last week, the sign at Living Way Ministries in Opelika featured this message: "They falsely accused Jesus! Vote Roy Moore."
The political message sparked some blowback on the church's Facebook page.
It's also possible the message violated Internal Revenue Service rules governing political speech by churches and charities.
The IRS code prohibits organizations exempt from income tax under section 501(a) or section 501(c)(3) from participating in, or intervening in any political campaign, in favor of or against any candidate for public office.
The most complete skeleton ever found of an australopithecus, a forerunner to modern man, went on display for the first time in Johannesburg on Wednesday following a 20-year process to excavate and assemble the 3.67 million-year-old remains.
Known as "Little Foot" because four small foot bones were the first to be discovered, the skeleton is the most complete example of a human ancestor older than 1.5 million years yet discovered. It will now be available for public viewing at Wits University in Johannesburg.
"This is one of the most remarkable fossil discoveries made in the history of human origins research and it is a privilege to unveil a finding of this importance today," said Ron Clarke, the Wits University academic who discovered Little Foot.
Australopithecus -- Latin for "southern ape" -- are considered to be either closely related to, or the ancestors of, modern man, with a mixture of ape-like and human characteristics.
The reconstruction process revealed that the australopithecus had a skeleton far closer to that of humans than previously thought and actually walked upright instead of on its hands and knees.
Austrian financial adviser Ernst Eigner is ugly and scary. But only in his "Krampus" costume with red glowing eyes and horns to frighten naughty children and "evil spirits".
His troupe is just one of an estimated 850, with 10,000 members around Austria marauding through towns and villages over the Christmas period in "Krampuslauf" parades.
It starts off innocently, with Santa -- or rather Saint Nicholas -- giving out sweets. But fear is in the air because soon come his satanic sidekicks, dozens of them.
Wave after wave bound in, stomping around a roaring fire that sends sparks into the night sky, clanging cow bells attached to their backs and brandishing whips and blazing red flares.
With heavy metal blaring, the several hundred spectators in the market town watch behind safety barriers as the demonic creatures prowl around menacingly, leering at the public.
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