Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Matthew Yglesias: Donald Trump sold out to Paul Ryan, not the other way around (Vox)
As president, Trump has embraced Ryan's chilling policy agenda.
Andrew Tobias: TED: Living Forever - And Making Bail
It pays to heed Kurzweil. "Of the 147 predictions he's made since the early 1990s, 115 have proved to be correct and another 12 essentially correct (off by only a year or two)" - so 86% right. This piece explains how. Friday he said developed countries would all have adopted systems of Universal Basic Income by the early 2030s - and all countries would have it by the end of that decade - so that people's main worry would not be finding jobs to meet their family's basic needs, but finding meaning, to meet their psychic needs.
Naomi Imatome-Yun: Bad Science or Bad Journalism? Top Experts Come Together to Address Nutrition Myths (Blue Zones)
At Blue Zones, we promote a plant-slant diet based on our own research in Blue Zones regions, where populations lived the longest, healthiest lives. It is naturally lower in saturated fat because it is much lower in meat products and processed foods. It also naturally lower in processed sugar and refined grains (white bread, white pasta, etc).
Why 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Remains a Mystery (BBC)
Kubrick may have set out to make a science-fiction film, but 2001: A Space Odyssey, which turn[ed] 50 [in April], is closer to home than we think, writes Nicholas Barber.
Joe Bob Briggs: San Francisco Hugs a Possum (Taki's Magazine)
Just when those New Zealand possum jackets started to take off, San Francisco had to go and ban fur. Actually, they didn't ban all fur. Sheep and lamb are okay, because who cares about animals so docile they're used as symbols of Christ? Sheep and lambs deserve to die because they're so damn easy to kill. Unlike the wily raccoon, the swift fox, the slick otter, the independent coyote, and the rascally short-tailed weasel. Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty the Siberian sable is free at last!
Joe Bob Briggs: Take a Knee (Taki's Magazine)
I've decided to take a knee. There's been too much police brutali- Wait a minute, is taking a knee about police brutality? Why did Colin Kaepernick say he was taking a knee? Somebody look that up.
Joe Bob Briggs: "'Despacito' for Gringos" (Taki's Magazine)
When the most popular music video in the world (3.8 billion views) is about the premeditated stalking of a woman by not just one but two guys while telling her in graphic detail what they plan to do to her body because "we know you're thinking about it," there are certain unintended consequences.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog #1
David Bruce's Blog #2
David Bruce's Blog #3
David Bruce's Lulu Storefront
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has over 80 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
responded:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
Burglary Statistics
David
Thanks, Dave!
Reader Question
"Belluminati"
Hey, Marty:
I am wondering if you or any of your esteemed readers happened to notice
Taco Bell's creepy "Belluminati" commercials that are clearly referencing the
Illuminati, complete with a shot of the pyramid that just happens to be on the back
of our money? I read a book about the Illuminati back in the 1980's and was freaked
out then, and references to it still unnerve me because I still don't quite
understand what it is! I can't figure out if the Taco Bell commercials are parodying
the Illuminati or if they're just ignorantly in favor of it. I just had to do an
internet search and found that quite a few other folks are wondering too! One of the
sites I found had a great write-up about the growing controversy, check it out:
"Belluminati": Is Taco Bell Trolling Conspiracy Theorists or Is the Illuminati Flaunting in Plain Sight?
It looks like you're staying warm, wish you could send a little our way about now!
We got 20" of snow here on Fri. & Sat., along with wind gusts between 50 & 60 mph,
so it was a good, old-fashioned South Dakota blizzard. I certainly can't say I
haven't seen storms like this before, or even worse, in this place...just NOT in
April! We'll probably jump right into above-average temps as soon as this melts away
and miss having any kind of Spring whatsoever. If you want to cool off just a little
check out some of these pics that are posted at one of
our state's local station's site
Stay cool,
Tiera in S.Dak.
Thanks, Tiera!
My Illuminati-education began with Robert Shea and
Robert Anton Wilson's
The Illuminatus! Trilogy - Wikipedia.
As to Taco Bell, maybe they're just running an effective campaign.
They succeeded in getting you to remember the ad, and that's their goal. .
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Suggestion
California Redwoods
New Threat to California Redwoods
Damn. I don't understand why people can't live in harmony. Gah.
Reader Comment
Current Events
Mueller laughs?
HOW did Colbert get a picture of Mueller belly laughing?!
3 clients
Only three "clients" in a calendar year. I assume Predator paid him zilch sine he never pays anyone and since Cohen had to take out a loan to pay off Stormy. Hannity says he may have slipped Cohen "ten bucks" for advice. So how the heck much did Broidy pay him? And where else is he getting money for cigars and other living expenses?!
His ugly face
1 file attached--Cynthia shared it.
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda (& Cynthia)!
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
AUSTRALIA DOESN'T EXIST!
"WHERE'S MY FUCKING MONEY?"
"AN EMPTY VESSEL."
WORST PRESIDENT EVER!
"AND THE DAYS DWINDLE DOWN TO A PRECIOUS FEW…"
SAVING THE WORLD ONE ENZYME AT A TIME!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Very windy.
New York Times, New Yorker
Pulitzer Prize
The New York Times and The New Yorker won the Pulitzer Prize for public service on Monday for explosive reporting that brought down Harvey Weinstein and spawned a cultural watershed on the issue of sexual harassment.
The prestigious prize was awarded to the Times team led by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and New Yorker contributor Ronan Farrow, for reports that disgraced the Hollywood mogul and sparked an avalanche of accusations against other powerful men.
Since the Times and New Yorker articles last October, more than 100 women have publicly accused the producer of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape, sparking the #MeToo movement that has seen a string of influential men lose their jobs and reputation.
Farrow, 30, is the son of actress Mia Farrow and film director Woody Allen, and something of a prodigy who has previously fronted his own television show, worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan for late US diplomat Richard Holbrooke, and formerly advised then Hillary Clinton on global youth issues when she was secretary of state.
The former Rhodes scholar, who graduated from Yale Law School at just 21, has sided with his sister Dylan's claims that Allen molested her when she was seven. Allen has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Pulitzer Prize
Declared In West Hollywood
'Cheech and Chong Day'
Monday was declared "Cheech and Chong Day" in West Hollywood, 40 years after the film, "Up in Smoke" hit theaters in 1978.
Not only were Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong honored with a day named after them, the comedians were given a key to the city by West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman and Mayor Pro Tempore John Duran.
The comedians thanked "Up in Smoke" director Lou Adler for believing in the duo's talent and standing by them. "'Up in Smoke' wouldn't have done anything if it wasn't for Lou's ability to take a small project and make it bigger - big as life, is what it is," Chong said. "'Up in Smoke' would have been a local hit, maybe, but Lou had to put it in the right places, like in Cannes Film Festival, he got it over there somehow, and he introduced our crazy humor to the world through our records and through 'Up in Smoke.'"
The duo also poked some fun at the Trump administration.
"'Up in Smoke' is kind of like the Trump presidency. 'Up in Smoke' proved that anybody can make a movie. Trump proved that anyone can be president," Chong said.
'Cheech and Chong Day'
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Eva Longoria
Time's Up co-founder Eva Longoria has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.
Victoria Beckham, Anna Faris and Felicity Huffman joined the actress and philanthropist for the Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday.
Speaking at the event, Longoria, 43, recounted how she moved to the city 20 years ago and dreamed of one day having a star.
"I feel like I'm still a little girl from Corpus Christi, Texas, who had a really big dream," a heavily pregnant Longoria said.
"I just want to say as a woman and a Latina I represent a lot of communities and I want to tell all those communities that this isn't my star this is our star."
Eva Longoria
Only Person Who Out-Smoked Him
Snoop Dogg
According to Snoop Dogg, he smokes nearly 81 blunts a day. This alone would make out-smoking the Doggfather an impossible feat. However, on Monday (Apr. 9) during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Snoop reveals the only person to have cracked his iron lungs.
"Willie Nelson is the only person who's ever out-smoked Snoop Dogg," the West Coast staple admitted. He added that Nelson, Bob Marley, and Cheech and Chong would be on the Mount Rushmore of marijuana smokers. "I had to hit the timeout button… I never done that before," he said. In a 2017 interview with VIBE, Snoop shared a similar story concerning Nelson and said he had to sit out a rapid smoking session.
Snoop's THC testimony coincides with his new career direction. In addition to the entertaining discussion, the 46-year-old also talked about his roots in Christian church fostered not only his creativity but also became the inspiration behind his gospel album, Snoop Dogg Presents: Bible of Love.
"At my church, we had plays where we would reenact certain African-American historians. Like George Washington-Carver, Fredrick Douglass," he explained. "They would teach us how to act and sing and perform in our church. It was like a little school for talent. To learn about God and learn how to perform."
His rededication to this community staple speaks to Snoop's ever-present activism. Throughout his career, he's created a football league for the youth of his native-Los Angeles in addition to a litany of philanthropic projects. "My whole life I was raised up in church," Snoop said. "And in the world, we're in with so much negativity and violence I wanted to create something that represented peace, love, and happiness."
Snoop Dogg
Trump Campaign Continues Big Spending
Lawyers
President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Crooked) re-election campaign this year continued big spending on lawyers, with more than 20 percent of all expenditures in the first quarter going to legal fees, according to documents filed Sunday with the Federal Election Commission.
Trump's campaign spent a total of $3.9 million through the end of March, with $834,000 going to eight law firms and the Trump Corp. for legal expenses, according to the documents. The Trump Corp. - owned by the president and run by sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. - collected $24,000.
Trump's campaign is pouring money into lawyers amid the special counsel's intensifying investigation into possible Kremlin collusion with the campaign and obstruction of justice, and entanglements with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and her fight to tell her story. The campaign has spent a total of some $4 million in legal fees since Trump took office, according to The Washington Post.
In 2018, more than $280,000 was paid to the law firm of Larocca, Hornik, Rosen, Greenberg & Blaha and another firm owned by Charles Harder, which represent Trump and his personal attorney Michael Cohen in the court fight with Daniels. She wants to invalidate a $130,000 agreement to keep her relationship with Trump secret. Harder represented Hulk Hogan in an invasion of privacy case against Gawker, which ended up bankrupting the media company.
An additional $348,000 was paid to the law firm of Jones Day, which is representing the campaign in special counsel Robert Mueller's election probe and in congressional investigations.
Lawyers
Reverses Planned Purge
Weibo
Last Friday, China's social network Weibo said it had plans to remove violent and gay-themed content on its platform in order to comply with strict new Chinese cybersecurity regulations. Now, however, after many users of the Twitter-like system protested the removal of LGBT content, the company has relented, saying that the main purpose of its cleanup efforts is to remove pornographic, violent and gory content, not homosexuality.
According to What's on Weibo, thousands of users responded to the plan to include gay content in Weibo's three-month purge with the hashtag, "I am gay." The reversal of the company's plans around LGBT content was met with positive responses, reports What's on Weibo, including the @LGBT account on the service which claimed this was a "step forward" in showing "respect for people who are different." While this news may be heartening for LGBT Weibo users, the Chinese government still has the right to shut down products and services at will if it feels there is a security risk. Hopefully the protests and new Weibo decision will stick, however.
Weibo
'Rare Earth' Haul
Japan
The discovery of potentially millions of tons of valuable "rare earth" elements in sea sludge off Japan has raised hopes that Asia's number-two economy can reduce its dependence on Chinese supply.
But experts warn that extracting the minerals -- used in technology ranging from mobile phones to electric vehicles -- is both costly and difficult, especially when buried miles deep in the ocean.
A Japanese study published last week revealed an estimated 16 million tons of rare earths, enough to feed global demand on a "semi-infinite" basis, with deposits to last hundreds of years.
The news made headlines internationally and in Japan, which is the world's second-largest consumer of these minerals but relies heavily on imports from China, which controls 90 percent of the highly strategic market.
China extracted around 150,000 tons of rare earths in 2016, according to experts, but has in the past restricted the supply amid political tensions.
Japan
Legendary Danish King's Trove
Harald Bluetooth
A 13-year-old boy and an amateur archaeologist have unearthed a "significant" treasure trove in Germany which may have belonged to the legendary Danish king Harald Bluetooth who brought Christianity to Denmark.
Rene Schoen and his student Luca Malaschnitschenko were looking for treasure using metal detectors in January on northern Ruegen island when they chanced upon what they initially thought was a worthless piece of aluminium.
But upon closer inspection, they realised that it was a shimmering piece of silver, German media reported.
A dig covering 400 square metres (4,300 square feet) that finally started over the weekend by the regional archaeology service has since uncovered a trove believed linked to the Danish king who reigned from around 958 to 986.
Braided necklaces, pearls, brooches, a Thor's hammer, rings and up to 600 chipped coins were found, including more than 100 that date back to Bluetooth's era.
Harald Bluetooth
Bought Russell Crowe's Jockstrap
John Oliver
John Oliver on Sunday revealed that his HBO show, Last Week Tonight, did indeed buy the jockstrap Russell Crowe wore in Cinderella Man during the actor's recent divorce auction.
The only part of the news that was more entertaining was that Oliver said he was going to send the piece of movie history, along with a few other items of Crowe's from assorted films, to the last remaining Blockbuster Video in Alaska.
Last Week Tonight paid $7,000 for the jockstrap, Oliver said.
Along with that piece, the HBO show bought a pair of shorts and robe from the 2005 boxing film. Also purchased were a hood Crowe wore in Robin Hood and a vest he wore in Les Miserables, among other items.
Oliver said the final remaining Blockbuster had 48 hours to contact the show, and all the Crowe items would be the store's for display.
John Oliver
In Memory
Harry Anderson
Actor Harry Anderson, best known for his portrayal of Judge Harry Stone in the 80s sitcom "Night Court" was found dead in his home in Asheville, North Carolina on Monday, local police confirmed to WHNS-TV.
Asheville Police told the station that no foul play was suspected in his death.
Anderson was age 65, and survived by his wife of 18 years Elizabeth Morgan.
Anderson appeared in 193 episodes of Night Court, which spanned from 1984 to 1992. During his span playing the role of Stone, Anderson received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Best Lead Actor.
Following his stint on Night Court, he played the lead role of Dave Barry in "Dave's World" from 1993 to 97.
Harry Anderson
| CURRENT MOON lunar phases |
