M Is FOR MASHUP - August 29th, 2018
What I Did Last Summer
By DJ Useo
Having moderated mashup forums for rather a long time now, I've always experienced a slowdown of views during the Summer months. It's unavoidable for the most part, so I just continue as normal & enjoy what I can. Aside from the
Audioboots Mashup Forum
( audioboots.com/ ) my home base is my long-running blog,
"Groovy Time With DJ Useo"
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/ ) .
I like to keep the posts regularly new there, with the content going from mashups to remixes to long mixes, to podcasts. I don't normally slow down much, even during the Summer. Here's a round-up of recent Summer posts -
01 - "Beds Are Turning" ( The Byrds vs Midnight Oil ) 60's Pop Rock vocals vs 80s New Wave Rock instrumental.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2018/08/beds-are-turning-byrds-vs-midnight-oil.html )
02 - "Underwater Space Infection Fun" ( The Judys vs Karavena ) 80s New Wave vocals vs Modern Techno Instrumental.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-judys-vs-karavena.html )
03 - "DJ Useo Rock Mashups Podcast Sept 2018" ( 1:19:34 ) Here's a discs' worth of intensely psychedelic rock
mashups, all mixed by me.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2018/08/dj-useo-rock-mashups-podcast-sept-2018.html )
04 - "Omen Lovers Of Light" ( The Prodigy vs Afro Celt Sound System ) 00s Techno vocals vs 90s Club Celtic.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-prodigy-vs-afro-celt-sound-system.html )
05 - "Just Like Oh No!" ( The Cure vs Frank Zappa ) 80s New Wave vocals vs 60s Experimental Instrumental.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2018/08/just-like-oh-no-cure-vs-frank-zappa.html )
06 - "Itchin N Dream On" ( Aerosmith vs Alien Mental ) 70s Classic Rock vocals vs Modern Techno.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2018/08/itchin-n-dream-on-aerosmith-vs-alien.html )
If you find any of these satisfying, simply proceed through my blog. I'm particularly proud of the one with Frank Sinatra & Elton John singing over John Lennon's music. Meanwhile, vews on my new tracks are already picking up, if you believe in numbers. Lol.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Why It Can Happen Here (NY Times Column)
We're very close o becoming another Poland or Turkey.
German Lopez: The past year of research has made it very clear: Trump won because of racial resentment (Vox)
Another study produces the same findings we've seen over and over again.
Paul Waldman: Once again, Trump declares victory long before getting the job done (Washington Post)
Donald Trump has always known that if you can't make a deal, or the deal isn't proceeding quite as fast as you'd like, the next best thing is to hold a splashy event in which you proclaim not only that you have in fact made a deal but also that it's the greatest deal the world has ever seen.
Steve Eder and Alicia Parlapiano: Donald Trump's Ventures Began With a Lot of Hype. Here's How They Turned Out. (NY Times)
Moving past a disastrous period that led to a loss on paper of more than $900 million - possibly freeing him from federal income taxes for years - Mr. Trump became a one-man factory of big ideas, churning out a continual stream of projects and promises. Together, they fed the image of Mr. Trump as an American Midas, the foundation of his argument for why he would make a great president.
Paul Waldman: The presidential caucus needs to die (Washington Post)
What's wrong with a caucus? All the problems stem from the fact that, unlike voting, caucusing can take hours. Because everyone knows what a pain it is, turnout in caucus states is significantly lower than it would otherwise be. How much lower? Let's look at some numbers from 2016, courtesy of Professor Michael McDonald. In states that held caucuses in 2016, turnout percentages were often in the single digits. … The DNC will now require Democratic caucuses to accept absentee votes, which will go a good way toward reducing their discriminatory effects. But it would be far better to get rid of caucuses entirely.
Jonathan Chait: Every Single House Republican Is Actively Covering Up Trump's Guilt (NY Mag)
The only way to restrain Nunes's anti-Mueller crusade, or to look at Trump's tax return and see who was paid off by whom, is to replace the Republican majority with a Democratic majority, which will hold oversight hearings and use its subpoena power to probe the overflowing sewage spill of misconduct and lawbreaking surrounding Trump.
Jonathan Chait: House Republicans Have a Secret List of Trump Scandals They're Covering Up (NY Mag)
The list includes the kinds of policies a normally functioning Congress would probe, including "Election security and hacking attempts," "White House security clearances," and "Hurricane response in Puerto Rico." (Congress held bipartisan hearings on the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, but has not done so for the response to the hurricane in Puerto Rico, where hundreds of Americans died.) But most of the cases listed focus on corruption: "President Trump's tax returns," "Trump family businesses - and whether they comply with the Constitution's emoluments clause, including the Chinese trademark grant to the Trump Organization," "Trump's dealings with Russia, including the president's preparation for his meeting with Vladimir Putin," and on and on.
Peter Wehner: The Full-Spectrum Corruption of Donald Trump (NY Times)
Everyone and everything he touches rots.
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
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David Bruce has over 100 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Alcohol Anecdotes
• Monty Python member Graham Chapman was an alcoholic, but for a while even the other members of Monty Python didn't know how bad his problem was because for the most part he was a gentlemanly drunk. However, they learned of the extent of his alcoholism while shooting the sketch "Upper Class Twit of the Year." The Monty Python members needed to check something in a script, but no scripts were readily available, so Michael Palin opened Mr. Chapman's briefcase in search of one. He found a half-empty bottle of vodka and looked stunned. Someone asked him what was the matter, and he replied, "That was full this morning." Mr. Palin found the half-empty bottle at 10:15 a.m. Remarkably, Mr. Chapman quit drinking without the aid of Alcoholics Anonymous, and within six months he was in better shape than any of the other members of Monty Python.
• Abraham Lincoln had sold whiskey as a storekeeper. One of his political opponents was Stephen Douglas, who was known for liking whiskey. At a political debate, Mr. Douglas said that he had first met Lincoln at a store front where Lincoln was selling whiskey. Mr. Lincoln responded, "What Mr. Douglas has said, gentlemen, is true enough; I did keep a grocery, and I did sell cotton, candles and cigars, and sometimes whiskey; but I remember in those days that Mr. Douglas was one of my best customers. Many a time have I stood on one side of the counter and sold whiskey to Mr. Douglas on the other side, but the difference between us now is this: I have left my side of the counter, but Mr. Douglas still clings to his as tenaciously as ever."
• John Barrymore was as noted for his dissipation as much as for his acting. While acting in Hamlet after a night of revelry, he began the "To be or not to be" soliloquy, but in the middle of the speech found it necessary to retire to the side of the stage so he could vomit. Later, he was complimented for this innovation: "I say, Barrymore, that was the most daring and perhaps the most effective innovation ever offered. I refer to your deliberate pausing in the midst of the soliloquy to retire, almost, from the scene. May I congratulate you upon such imaginative business? You seemed quite distraught. But it was effective!"
• The Hassidim abhorred drunkenness, but they felt that a drink after prayers was appropriate. Once, Rabbi Israel of Rizhyn was asked why the Hassidim took a drink after prayers while the opponents of Hassidism (the Mitnagdim) studied the Mishna instead of taking a drink. He answered, "The Mitnagdim pray frigidly, without life, enthusiasm, or emotion. They appear almost lifeless. After their prayers, they study the Mishna-an appropriate subject when one mourns the dead. But the prayers of the Hassidim are alive and living people need a drink."
***
© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Evan has a few words on Lindsey Graham
Evan has a way with words, and I agree with his assessment of craven, vile Lindsey Graham:
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
A HALF ASS AT FULL MAST!
BILLY AND WILLY.
CRAZY LIKE A FASCIST.
"MY MEMORY IS BETTER THAN GODS."
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Another fine marine layer.
Scores Legal Win
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp scored a significant legal victory on Tuesday, as an L.A. Superior Court judge ruled that his contract with his lawyer should have been in writing.
Depp is seeking to recoup tens of millions of dollars in legal fees paid out to Jake Bloom over 18 years. The ruling could also have profound effects on legal dealings in Hollywood, where agreements are often based on a handshake rather than a written contract. Bloom was paid based on a percentage of the actor's earnings. The relationship fell apart in 2017, as Depp was also fighting a legal war with the Management Group, his former management company.
Depp sued Bloom in October, arguing that the fee arrangement was effectively done on a contingency basis, which under California law must be in writing. Bloom countersued, arguing that Depp had failed to fully pay his legal bills and had violated the unwritten agreement. Bloom's attorneys argued that the agreement was not a contingency arrangement, but Judge Terry Green disagreed.
"There's not a special rule for entertainment people," Green said Tuesday. "Why isn't it in writing? Why not have something that memorializes the agreement so we don't end up in court fighting like this?"
Attorneys for both sides declined to comment outside court. The case is set for a trial on May 6, and Bloom's attorneys may seek to appeal the judge's ruling.
Johnny Depp
Quietly Says Goodbye To Adult Entertainment
HBO
Premium cable network HBO has removed all of its erotic adult movies and television series from its vast entertainment library.
According to a report from the LA Times, HBO decided to remove its late-night programming after it became part of the AT&T family back in June. This means that long-running series like Real Sex and Taxicab Confessions will no longer air on any of HBO's channels or streaming services.
An HBO representative informed the LA Times that the decision was made due to the declining viewership of the premium network's late-night offerings:
"Over the past several years HBO has been winding down its late-night adult fare. While we're greatly ramping up our other original program offerings, there hasn't been a strong demand for this kind of adult programming, perhaps because it's easily available elsewhere."
This change in programming does not mean that HBO will turn into a family-friendly entertainment sanctuary, as most of the network's highly-acclaimed original series like Game of Thrones, Sharp Objects, and The Deuce feature strong language and explicit sexual content.
HBO
Limited-Edition Beer
The Last Blockbuster
When's the last time you rented a movie? Not from an online streaming source or even Redbox, but actually walked into a physical movie-rental store and perused the available titles? For most of us, it's been a while, especially considering that once-giant chain Blockbuster Video has shrunk from thousands of locations to just one. But that one last Blockbuster location is still renting movies in Bend, Oregon, and it now has its own beer.
The store is a real Blockbuster Video location, with the familiar blue-and-yellow logo and plenty of films to rent. It became the last of its kind in July, when the second-to-the-last location, in Alaska, closed down.
The limited-edition beer, called The Last Blockbuster, is made by Oregon brewery 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Chris Cox, the founder of 10 Barrel Brewing, told Business Insider that the beer features a "light body, smooth finish and hints of nostalgia," and that it "pairs perfectly with buttery theater popcorn and your favorite movie-sized chocolate."
The beer will be officially released at a block party on September 21 at the Oregon store, where movies will be shown and food and drink served.
The Last Blockbuster
Prehistoric Parasitic Wasps
"Xenomorphia"
Prehistoric parasitic wasps found frozen inside fossilised victims named 'Xenomorphia' after terrifying creature in Alien films
Scientists have found rare evidence of ancient parasites in action, using advanced techniques to reveal the unpleasant process by which long-extinct wasps preyed on developing insects.
Dr Thomas van de Kamp and colleagues examined over 1,500 tiny fossilisedfly pupae from around 23 to 66 million years ago discovered in France.
Within these cocoon-like structures that maggots form before emerging as flies, the scientists used advanced X-ray techniques to reveal adult parasitic wasps growing.
In total they found 55 cases of parasitisation taking place, frozen in time inside the tiny fossils for millions of years.
"Xenomorphia"
JAMA Study
Gun Deaths
Mass shootings and acts of terrorism may dominate headlines, but it's the homicides and, to a lesser extent, the suicides that happen out of the spotlight that make up the bulk of firearm-related deaths around the world, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA.
More gun deaths happened outside of war than in it during the years researchers examined (1990 through 2016) in 195 countries and territories.
Gun deaths are predominantly concentrated in six countries that make up less than 10% of the world's population. The United States, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Guatemala together account for more than half of the gun-related deaths worldwide.
For perspective, the United States has 4.3% of the world's population, but suicide by gun there represented 35.3% of all firearm suicides in the world in 2016. By comparison, there were twice as many firearm suicides as gun-related homicides in 2016 in the US.
Americans also own more guns per capita than residents of any other country, with about four in 10 Americans saying they either own a gun or live in a home with guns, according to a 2017 Pew Center study.
Gun Deaths
Scraps Cash Bail
California
California will become the first U.S. state to eliminate the cash bail system for people awaiting criminal trial, under a reform bill signed on Tuesday by Governor Jerry Brown that will take effect in October 2019.
"Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly," Brown, a Democrat, said in a statement.
The law will allow for defendants to be released after being arrested if they are deemed likely to appear for court hearings and pose little danger to the public. Judges would be allowed to rule out release for people accused of felony acts of violence, misdemeanor domestic violence, sexual assault, making threats and certain other crimes.
Civil liberties and human rights groups have long called for reforming the bail system, which has its roots in medieval England, but some of them opposed the California bill.
Local court systems in California would be allowed to set their own standards for releasing people considered a medium risk of endangering the public or not appearing in court.
California
Physicists Finally Observe
Higgs Boson
Six years after tracking down the Higgs boson, the subatomic particle that confers mass on matter, physicists said Tuesday they have "at long last" witnessed it decaying into tiny bits called "bottom quarks".
The predicted decay was observed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) famous for the Nobel-capped discovery of the Higgs particle in 2012, Europe's CERN physics lab announced.
"During the early preparations of the LHC, there were doubts on whether this observation could be achieved," the ATLAS scientific collaboration said of the "elusive interaction" now documented at the massive particle accelerator.
Because Higgs bosons themselves are hard to find, and other particles also break up into bottom quarks, it has been difficult to track down those attributed specifically to Higgs decay.
Researchers say the long-awaited observation serves as further verification of the Standard Model of physics -- the mainstream theory of the fundamental particles that make up the Universe and the forces that govern them.
Higgs Boson
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Aug. 20-26. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. "America's Got Talent" (Tuesday), NBC, 11.21 million.
2. "America's Got Talent" (Wednesday), NBC, 9.7 million.
3. "60 Minutes," CBS, 7.38 million.
4. NFL Exhibition Game: Arizona at Dallas, NBC, 7.17 million.
5. NFL Exhibition Game: Philadelphia at Cleveland," Fox, 6.5 million.
6. "Celebrity Family Feud," ABC, 6.31 million.
7. "NFL Pre-Game Show," NBC, 6.12 million.
8. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 5.83 million.
9. "Big Brother" (Wednesday), CBS, 5.72 million.
10. "Big Brother" (Sunday), CBS, 5.67 million.
11. "Big Brother" (Thursday), CBS, 5.63 million.
12. "NCIS," CBS, 5.24 million.
13. "The $100,000 Pyramid," ABC, 5.16 million.
14. "Dateline Classic," NBC, 5.13 million.
15. "World of Dance," NBC, 5.06 million.
16. "American Ninja Warrior," NBC, 5.01 million.
17. "NFL Pre-Game Show," Fox, 4.9 million.
18. "Mom," CBS, 4.89 million.
19. "America's Funniest Home Videos," ABC, 4.72 million.
20. "Bachelor in Paradise" (Monday), ABC, 4.62 million.
Ratings
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