Recommended Reading
from Bruce
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 "Unless the laws of economics have been repealed, and not even Trump can do that, this has the potential for being one of the biggest disasters in American history," he told TPM.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%.
Dylan Scott: The Dollar General CEO just accidentally made clear how screwed up the economy is (Vox)
"The economy is continuing to create more of our core customer."
Dylan Scott: Orrin Hatch just made the Republican agenda startlingly clear (Vox)
We can afford a trillion dollars in deficit-financed tax cuts. But "we don't have any money" for children's health care.
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.
Helaine Olen: Sexual Harassment Does Not Occur in a Vacuum (The Nation)
The #MeToo moment is a rallying cry, standing in for all the frustrations, insults, and second-class treatment women experience at work.
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David Bruce has over 80 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
answered:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
Dog Shedding
David
Thanks, Dave!
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Gare Galbraith
Final Callback
Reader Suggestion
Pence
Whither Mike Pence?
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
"…CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?"
TRAPPED IN THE SWAMP.
THROW THE BUM OUT!
THROW THE BUM OUT! PART TWO.
TRUMP PREFERS HIS PET COCKROACH.
THE GREED HEADS.
REPUBLICANS WOULD SUPPORT SATAN TO ELECT REPUBLICANS.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Very dry and very windy.
Beyoncé Surprises
Colin Kaepernick
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."
Colin Kaepernick
Explains How Fan Letter Went Viral
Bryan Cranston
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."
Bryan Cranston
ABC Says ...
Brian Ross
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.
Brian Ross
Defamation Settlement
Jesse Ventura
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."
Jesse Ventura
Trump's Lies Are Fatally Wounding Our Democracy
Spiro Agnew's Lawyer
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.
Spiro Agnew's Lawyer
House OKs GOP Bill
Gun Owners' Rights
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.
Gun Owners' Rights
Church Under Fire
Alabama
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.
Alabama
Skeleton Goes On Display
'Little Foot'
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.
'Little Foot'
Santa's Creepy Chum
Krampus
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.
Krampus
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