1/ Frank Rich with his usual excellent commentary on the weeks news.....
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. To kick off 2016: Bernie's New Hampshire surge, Palin's Trump endorsement, and the Oscars' diversity problem.
As Bernie Sanders increases his lead over Hillary Clinton to 27 points in one New Hampshire poll (and appears to be closing the gap nationally), some in the media have begun to wonder why they didn't see this pre-caucus surge coming. Is it time for the Democratic elite to more broadly reconsider Sanders's candidacy?
Let’s face it: This is going to be remembered as the election where almost no one in either party’s Establishment or the political news media saw anything coming. So why should the Bernie Sanders surge be any different? Writing at CNN Politics, Dylan Byers points out that the Times, whose supposedly data-driven "Upshot" column is still trying to explainwhy it declared Donald Trump near death last summer, buried Sanders’s announcement of his candidacy on page 21 — versus the page-one play given Clinton, Trump, and Ted Cruz.
2/ You may have noticed that Sarah Palin endorsed Trump, with ridicule and hilarity all round from social media to the TV shows......this is one of the best - Colbert skewers them both.....six minutes....
“God, I have missed you,” Stephen Colbert said to Sarah Palin on Wednesday night’s “Late Show.” “It’s like a magical eagle made a wish on a flag pin and it came to life. Which is great. For me.”
Colbert played clips of the reuse of some of the classic hits from The Palin that include “drill, baby, drill” and “hopey, changey.” “Do lipstick on a pig!! Say hockey mom! Please!” Colbert shouted while holding up his lighter.
But just when you thought everything had been said about her endorsement of Trump, Colbert took it even further. Colbert played the most convoluted Palin speech clips that amazingly coincided flawlessly with Donald Trump’s most uncomfortable moments. “Sarah Palin just guaranteed Trump the evangelical vote because I think she was speaking in tongues!”
3/ If you have ever been to Barcelona, you probably visited the Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi masterpiece....this is a one minute video update on the construction.....
After 133 years of construction, the finish line is in sight for the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
The massive cathedral, one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions, has finally entered the final stage of construction. It’s slated for completion in 2026 — 100 years after its architect, Antoni Gaudí, died in a tram accident.
While 10 years seems like a long time, 30% of the building still needs to be constructed. Six more towers will be added, including a 564-foot central tower that will make the Sagrada Familia the tallest religious building in Europe.
4/ A most interesting analysis of the Republican mindset from Thomas Edsall in the Times - conservatives cannot change their beliefs that are enforced ruthlessly, and this rigidity is destroying them.....insightful....
In the week after the Dec. 2 terrorist attack in San Bernardino that left 14 dead, both the House and Senate voted on legislation to ban the sale of guns and explosives to people on the F.B.I.’s consolidated terrorist watch list.
In case you’re wondering if such sales are a bogus issue, the Government Accountability Office reported last March that individuals named on the F.B.I. list had sought to buy guns or explosives 2,233 times during nearly 11 years between 2004 and 2014. Federal officials approved 2,043 of these sales, or 91 percent. The accompanying table illustrates the G.A.O. data.
In the report, David C. Maurer, the director of homeland security and justice issues at the G.A.O., wrote:
Under federal law, there is no basis to automatically prohibit a person from possessing firearms or explosives because they appear on the terrorist watch list. Rather, there must be a disqualifying factor (i.e., prohibiting information) pursuant to federal or state law, such as a felony conviction or illegal immigration status.
Who could be against a bill to keep pistols, rifles, assault weapons and such commercially available explosives as Tannerite, ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder, and potassium chlorate out of the hands of those on the terrorist list?
The answer is 53 of 54 Senate Republicans and every one of the 241 House Republicans, who voted on Dec. 2 and Dec. 10, respectively, against taking up legislation to ban those on the F.B.I. list from buying explosives or guns.
5/ Trevor Noah is getting better, has more of an edge.....here he thanks Donald Trump for making Cruz look like a dick in the Republican debate last week.....an amusing five minutes...
The “Daily Show” doesn’t air on Friday nights, so after Thursday’s Republican debate, we didn’t have the comedians of Comedy Central to critique whatever brand of insanity they tried to serve to the American electorate. That didn’t stop host Trevor Noah from sounding off on Ted Cruz’s epic slam on “New York values.”
Noah began by explaining the complicated relationship between the two front-runners Ted Cruz and Donald Trump as “like your typical American divorce: long, messy, and two people who affectionately stood by each other, couldn’t stand each other.”
But then the exchange happened about “New York values.” Noah said that he’s never been more impressed with Trump than when he was “making Ted Cruz look like a dick” by invoking the strength of the people on and after 9/11. “Because Trump brought up 9/11, Cruz had to stand there and applaud Trump while he does it. That’s like getting a guy to cheer for you as you make love to his wife…’Can I get you a Gatorade, Mr. Trump, you were putting in quite the workout.'”
6/ Four commonly prescribed drugs that are more dangerous than you think......you really need to read the side effects of any drug you take, and especially their interactions with other meds. Your doctor doesn't have time to research this, as you are only allowed nine minutes......
So it's up to you guys - protect yourself, do your own research because the medical system won't....
This article originally appeared on AlterNet.
They are so common no one thinks twice about them: drug ads that tell you about a disease you might have, a pill that could treat it, and tell you to “ask your doctor” if the pill is right for you.
Until 1997, such direct-to-consumer ads did not exist because without a doctor’s recommendation, how could people know if the medication was appropriate or safe? The only thing people knew about drugs and drug risks was from ads they peeked at in medical journals at the doctor’s office.
But after the ads started in 1997, the allergy pill Claritin became a household word, along with Xenical, Meridia, Propecia, Paxil, Prozac, Vioxx, Viagra, Singulair, Nasonex, Allegra, Flonase and of course Lipitor—and Big Pharma became a Wall Street darling.
Now the American Medical Association is taking a second look at DTC advertising. In November, doctors at the AMA’s Interim Meeting sought a policy to address one of its biggest problems: the growing proliferation of ads “driving demand for expensive treatments despite the clinical effectiveness of less costly alternatives.” Billions are spent advertising expensive new drugs that are not clearly better than existing ones, says the AMA. The Kaiser Family Foundation agrees, and says exorbitantly priced drugs—like $1000-a-pill hepatitis C drugs and recently approved PCSK9-inhibiting cholesterol drugs—are the “public’s top health care priority.” The new cholesterol drug will cost an estimated $14,000 a year.
7/ And if you saw the debate, you will love the SNL version of it....a really good four minutes....
On this week’s Adam Driver-hosted Saturday Night Live, the sketch comedy troupe tore the entire Republican field a new set of orifices with a vicious sendup of Thursday’s sixth GOP debate on the Fox Business Network. No candidate went unscathed, especially Ted Cruz, whose SNL doppelganger decoded Cruz’s “New York values” remark in the most offensive and accurate way possible (rhymes with “Jew”).
8/ I don't often include Thomas Friedman columns, but in this story he may have hit on something. Everything - every metric, every corporate goal is predicated on growth but can the world economy grow forever? With the way we are consuming the planet's resources even technology can't save us....
ZURICH — Just get me talking about the world today and I can pretty well ruin any dinner party. I don’t mean to, but I find it hard not to look around and wonder whether the recent turmoil in international markets isn’t just the product of tremors but rather of seismic shifts in the foundational pillars of the global system, with highly unpredictable consequences.
What if a bunch of eras are ending all at once?
What if we’re at the end of the 30-plus-year era of high growth in China, and therefore China’s ability to fuel global growth through its imports, exports and purchases of commodities will be much less frothy and reliable in the future?
9/ I love these compilations of dance scenes.....very clever.....four minutes ,and how many movies can you name?
Nerd Fest UK put together this genius mashup of “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) and iconic dance scenes from old movies. It’s a companion piece of sorts to an earlier mashup with the same song, except this time it’s filled out with Golden Age classics. The result is totally infectious—the song’s been stuck in a lot of people’s heads for some time already, and this is not going to help one bit.
Aside from the brilliant and sometimes hilarious editing, the most surprising thing is how easily the song lines up with the classical Hollywood choreography of Fred and Ginger, Gene Kelly, and the Nicholas Brothers, among others. But perhaps we should expect no less, given that stars of the era were frequently fans of hot jazz, one of the building blocks of funk.
And it’s not just the rhythmic element, either. It’s also the dancers’ and choreographers’ sense of humor, which was always obvious, and lends itself particularly well to this v
10/ The crazy Trump freedom song interlaced with scenes from "The Shining"......one scary minute....
The USA Freedom Kids (above) caused a stir when they performed for Donald Trump in Pensacola, Florida - their song was compared to Hitler Youth and children used for North Korean propaganda
11/ And of course the late night comedians got in on this travesty - this is from Jimmy Kimmel, adapting the skit for JEB! Three minutes....
Presidential candidate Jeb Bush, who has failed to ignite at the polls, at least has his own catchy tune now, similar to the one the USA Freedom Kids sang for Donald Trump.
Only this song isn't unintentionally hilarious - it's humor is intentional thanks to the writers at the Jimmy Kimmel Live show.
Former Disney star Vanessa Hudgens (pictured second from left) joined the spoof performance
12/ The excellent Carl Hiaasen with his take on the Water Bill the "bought and paid for" scum in Tallahassee passed, and the corrupt asshole masquerading as our Governor just signed. It was written by and for the big polluters in Florida and guts any protections for our water supply that had managed to hang on through the onslaught of lobbyists and politicians.
Just routine in corrupt Floriduh.....
I can't give you an excerpt because I reached my limit of free articles from the Miami Herald, but you should be able to open it....
Todays video - this is a hologram that you won't believe, and I don't, but it's been created by Magic Leap, a startup tech company that's already worth a billion dollars, so this MAY be the future....
Todays Irish joke
Paddy says to Mick,"I'm getting circumcised tomorrow."
Mick says, "I had that done when I was a few days old."
Paddy asks, "Does it hurt?"
Mick says, " Well I couldn't walk for 18months.."
Todays flea joke
Two fleas had an arrangement to meet every winter in Miami for a vacation.
Last year when one flea gets to Miami, he's shivering and shaking.
The other flea asks him "Why are you shaking so badly?"
The first flea says "rode down here from New Jersey in the mustache of a guy on a Harley."
The other flea responds saying "That's the worst way to travel. Try what I do. Go to the New Jersey airport bar, have a few drinks. While you are there, look for a nice stewardess. Crawl up her leg and nestle in where it's warm and cozy. It's the best way to travel that I can think of.
The first flea thanks the second flea and says he will give it a try next winter. A year goes by ...
When the first flea shows up in Miami he is shivering and shaking again.
The second flea says "Didn't you try what I told you?"
"Yes," says the first flea, "I did exactly as you said. I went to the New Jersey airport bar. I had a few drinks. Finally, this nice young stewardess came in. I crawled right up to a warm cozy spot, and it was so nice and warm that I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in the mustache of a guy on a Harley."
One night the 96 year old draws a bath, puts her foot in and pauses. She yells down the stairs, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"
The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know, I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses, then she yells, "Was I going up the stairs or coming down?"
The 92 year old was sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful." She knocks on wood for good measure.
She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."
British comic and provocateur Ricky Gervaisdelights in making people nervous with anticipation for his Golden Globes monologues. After hosting in 2010, 2011, and 2012, Gervais took his fourth go-round Sunday night, and couldn’t even wait for the show to begin to start offending people. Several hours before the show, Gervais sent this eye-opening tweet as an offensive amuse bouche, if you will: