Amy Biancolli: words words words words words words words
This was from mid-November: John Oliver talked about how 2016 sucked, especially in the NSFW ending, starting at 23:23.
versus
99 Reasons Why 2016 Was a Good Year
S.2943 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 includes in Section 1287, the GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CENTER, which, some fear, will allow the government to decide what is ‘truth’
Homer and Harold – “Stories abound of present-day prosecutors who have lost their way, who do anything to win a conviction, who place politics above principle.” This is a fascinating story of the exact opposite
Hmm: The My Lai Massacre Inspires an Opera One of the most horrific episodes of the Vietnam War is being made into an opera; also, Larry Colburn died; he helped stop the massacre
My affection for the late Carrie Fisher ran well beyond her bad-ass Star Wars appearances, most notably Postcards from the Edge, for which wrote the screenplay; but also as a script doctor, plus her whole life narrative writ large. “Going through challenging things can teach you a lot, and they also make you appreciate the times that aren’t so challenging” – recollections from SamuraiFrog and Mark Evanier and Ken Levine, plus artists’ tributes
Presbyterians rank oldest, Muslims among youngest in new Pew survey
Epidemic of mall brawls spreads across US on day after Christmas
Jewish family flees Lancaster County after wrongly being blamed for Christmas play cancellation
Black children see more TV ads for junk food than white kids
Cities across the country are cutting public transportation because they think ride-hailing services will fill the gap; they’ll regret it
Arthur answers my questions about podcasting and his female crush and murder in virtual reality and politics and Facebook
Holiday doll shopping yields far more diversity this season than in years past
World’s oldest woman turns 117
Work fact of the month: in Moldova, Moldovan is spoken by 58.8% (official; virtually the same as the Romanian language), Romanian 16.4%, Russian 16%, Ukrainian 3.8%, Gagauz 3.1% (a Turkish language), Bulgarian 1.1%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.4%.
The very impressive SNL stage crew
The Midnight Ride of Sybil Ludington and Blanketing the Maternity Wards and You’ve Got the Right Stuffed and Japan’s Lucky Break
Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie? (I am agnostic on this)
What Flirting Looked Like in 2016
Chuck Miller’s most prolific commenters
Man’s Golf Shot from Frozen Hazard Goes Terribly Wrong
Agent Orange
Christmas (NOT HOLIDAY) Yule Log – the Daily Show
The Year of “This Can’t Be Happening”
The Danger of the “Just Campaign Rhetoric” Excuse
On target to violate the Constitution the moment he takes the oath of office
Private security force ‘playing with fire’
The First Amendment Gives Too Much Protection For Press
An ardent supporter wonders: why do progressives assume I am an uneducated low intelligence neanderthal?
Jump in US, Brit migrants to New Zealand after Brexit, AO win
Music
American Routes is a weekly two-hour public radio program produced in New Orleans, presenting a broad range of American music — blues and jazz, gospel and soul, old-time country and rockabilly, Cajun and zydeco, Tejano and Latin, roots rock and pop, avant-garde and classical. Now in our 15th year on the air, American Routes explores the shared musical and cultural threads in these American styles and genres of music — and how they are distinguished.
Carla Ulbrich -on owning the rights to the F-word
Ringo Starr & Carrie Fisher – You’re Sixteen taping session for the 1978 TV special “Ringo” – 1978 version with CF vocals here or here, the original 1973 version here
Eddie Holland came up with some dandy 45s
Cheese And Onions – THE RUTLES (1969)
Ronnie Spector: For Every Kiss You Give Me, I’ll Give You Three
It’s Not a Rumor, recorded in 1980 by The Nu-Kats, song co-written by Demi Moore
Obit for pop star Laura Branigan corrected, 12 years later – I was disappointed by those who said, “Why bother?”
How playing an instrument benefits your brain – Anita Collins
Chuck Berry Invented the Idea of Rock and Roll By Bill Wyman
Chuck Close Immortalizes Lou Reed, Philip Glass and Others in 2nd Avenue Subway
