Small Talk: Out of Genoa

[Cupid Stunt]

Kim Shattuck, Muffs Founder and Singer, Dead at 56

Kim Shattuck, the singer and guitarist who co-founded and led the SoCal punk band the Muffs alongside contributions to Pixies and NOFX, died Wednesday at the age of 56. A rep for Shattuck’s band the Coolies confirmed her death. The cause was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

“We are very sorry to announce the passing of our bandmate and dear friend Kim Shattuck,” the Muffs’ Ronnie Barnett and Roy McDonald wrote on Facebook. “Besides being a brilliant songwriter, rocking guitarist and singer/screamer extraordinaire, Kim was a true force of nature. While battling ALS, Kim produced our last album, overseeing every part of the record from tracking to artwork. She was our best friend and playing her songs was an honor. Goodbye Kimba. We love you more than we could ever say.”

“This morning, the love of my life passed peacefully in her sleep after a two-year struggle with ALS,” Shattuck’s husband, Kevin Sutherland, wrote. “I am the man I am today because of Kim."

“We are devastated about Kim’s passing,” Pixies tweeted. “She was a genuine musician, writer and performer who committed her life for the cause. She brought all of her life force to her endeavors and we are fortunate for her sharing some of that life force with us. RIP.”

“She was always so cool and tough,” Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong added on Instagram. “All my interactions with her were great. She was one of my favorite songwriters. When we recorded Dookie, we listened to the first Muffs record constantly. We will hear that rock n roll scream from heaven.”

Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile recalled playing with Shattuck: “In 2014, my band Sex Stains had the honor of playing on the same lineup as the Muffs at Burger-a-Go-Go. Not that it’s a competition, but when Kim Shattuck came out on stage, she put on the most impressive performance of the night, hands-down,” Wolfe said. “She rocked the hardest, had the best stage presence, looked the best doing it, and made it look easy. I stood there watching with my mouth open in awe. It made me so happy to see this woman close-ish to my age, refusing to be put out to pasture and absolutely ruling it on stage, in music, and in life.”

A punk at heart, Shattuck cut her teeth playing bass in California hard rock band the Pandoras. Following their dissolution in 1990, she went on to form the SoCal punk band the Muffs. As lead singer-guitarist, Shattuck permeated the college radio waves with her inimitable, bratty snarl. The band’s polished pop-punk melodies suddenly became ubiquitous in the mid-Nineties, after they refashioned Kim Wilde’s 1981 hit “Kids in America” for the 1995 film Clueless, and released their breakout album Blonder and Blonder that same year.

The Muffs went on to release 1997’s Happy Birthday to Me, 1999’s Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow, and 2004’s Really Really Happy. In 2001, Shattuck formed side project the Beards with Lisa Marr and Sherri Sollinger and they released Funtown in 2002.

Shattuck moonlighted as a guest vocalist for many other punk acts: she joined NOFX in their Punk in Drublic cut, “Lori Meyers,” the Dollyrots on their track “Some Girls” and Bowling For Soup’s 2009 song, “I’ll Always Remember You (That Way).” “Beyond speechless right now with this news,” the Dollyrots tweeted. “Kim, thank you for being our big sister in the scene, for always supporting our art, for singing on our records and playing shows together. Total heartbreak with this news. Everyone, play your Muffs records tonight.”

In 2013, Shattuck would replace Kim Deal as bassist in the Pixies but would depart from the group later that year. In an interview with NME, Shattuck speculated that the band dismissed her for taking a stage dive at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. “I know they weren’t thrilled about that,” she said. “When I got offstage, the manager told me not to do that again. I said, ‘Really, for my own safety?’ And he said, ‘No, because the Pixies don’t do that.’”

The Muffs reunited in 2014 to produce their first album in 10 years, titled Whoop Dee Doo. The band is slated to release their upcoming album, No Holiday, on October 18th. Earlier this year she and the Coolies released the 6-song EP Uh Oh! It’s… The Coolies. All proceeds from the EP benefitted the ALS Association Golden West Chapter.

While Shattuck did not disclose her own diagnosis in recent interviews, she discussed why the Coolies were donating the proceeds of the EP to the ALS organization. “It runs in my dad’s side of the family and it is so sad to watch it hit a great deal of my family members,” she told the Prelude Press. In an interview with Vents magazine, she added that the “disease is a mystery to just about every scientist! We are definitely interested in finding a cure for ALS! Cure it already!”

… for the former things are passed away, dear Kim.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[peacheslatour]

We just got back from our sainted vet's office. Peaches has kidney failure. She went down quick. One day she was trying to dart past me to get at the blue jays I was feeding at the front door and within a few days she stopped eating and was so weak she can barely move. The vet hydrated her and gave us some special food but so far she's not eating or drinking anything and we are about to start giving her Pedialyte through an eye dropper. We also are going to try chicken broth and baby food. I'll do anything.

[Cupid Stunt]

56 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

We just got back from our sainted vet's office. Peaches has kidney failure. She went down quick. One day she was trying to dart past me to get at the blue jays I was feeding at the front door and within a few days she stopped eating and was so weak she can barely move. The vet hydrated her and gave us some special food but so far she's not eating or drinking anything and we are about to start giving her Pedialyte through an eye dropper. We also are going to try chicken broth and baby food. I'll do anything.

Lord of the Powers be with us, for in times of distress we have no other help but You.
Lord of the Powers, have mercy on loyal cat companion peacheslatour. Lord, that all trials of life are under Your care and that all things work for the good of those who love You. Guide our friend Peaches through the fear, anxiety and distress of peacheslatour's illness. Help her to face and endure this difficulty with faith, courage and wisdom. Grant that this trial may bring us closer to You for You are our refuge, our comfort and hope. We trust in Your love and compassion. Blessed is Your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

[boes]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

We just got back from our sainted vet's office. Peaches has kidney failure. She went down quick. One day she was trying to dart past me to get at the blue jays I was feeding at the front door and within a few days she stopped eating and was so weak she can barely move. The vet hydrated her and gave us some special food but so far she's not eating or drinking anything and we are about to start giving her Pedialyte through an eye dropper. We also are going to try chicken broth and baby food. I'll do anything.

Oh Peacheslatour, we're with you in our hearts, this is really rough.

[Capricasix]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

We just got back from our sainted vet's office. Peaches has kidney failure. She went down quick. One day she was trying to dart past me to get at the blue jays I was feeding at the front door and within a few days she stopped eating and was so weak she can barely move. The vet hydrated her and gave us some special food but so far she's not eating or drinking anything and we are about to start giving her Pedialyte through an eye dropper. We also are going to try chicken broth and baby food. I'll do anything.

Poor Peaches 😢 I am thinking my best thoughts for her and for you ❤️

[boes]

Pearlite, how did your cataract surgery go?

Sorry, I just saw your post, carry on and tell us more when your healed.

Edited October 4, 2019 by boes

[Snaporaz]

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

We just got back from our sainted vet's office. Peaches has kidney failure. She went down quick. One day she was trying to dart past me to get at the blue jays I was feeding at the front door and within a few days she stopped eating and was so weak she can barely move. The vet hydrated her and gave us some special food but so far she's not eating or drinking anything and we are about to start giving her Pedialyte through an eye dropper. We also are going to try chicken broth and baby food. I'll do anything.

There's an online store called Pet Wellbeing that carries herbal remedies.  They have a product called Kidney Support Gold. I can't vouch for this personally, but about 4 years ago a co-worker had a 16-year-old cat with a kidney problem that required she be given sub-cutaneous fluids (which the cat hated).  She tried the Kidney Support Gold, and a short time later, her blood work results were in the normal range and she no longer needed the fluids.  Her cat just passed away a few months ago at the age of 20 (almost 21).

One caveat :  since it is a natural remedy, it could take a while (maybe weeks?) to see results.  Also, it's pricey, but you only use a few drops each day.  But it might be worth looking into.  Just search "pet wellbeing kidney support gold".

Thinking of you...💓

Edited October 4, 2019 by Snaporaz

[valleycliffe]

Hello Preverts. Haven't been on lately. Am in the hospital and have been sick for  while. Husband brought me to the emergency ward and it looks like I am going to be in for the weekend. Still in the emergency ward waiting for a bed. I will get back to you guys after I get a room. 

[boes]

3 hours ago, valleycliffe said:

Hello Preverts. Haven't been on lately. Am in the hospital and have been sick for  while. Husband brought me to the emergency ward and it looks like I am going to be in for the weekend. Still in the emergency ward waiting for a bed. I will get back to you guys after I get a room. 

Oh no!  Valleycliffe, please be well, and I hope they can get you out of the ER and into a bed soon.  We'll be thinking of you.

Edited October 4, 2019 by boes

[Snaporaz]

Wishing Peaches and all Preverted Pets and the humans who are owned by them a blessed St. Francis Day tomorrow.  

[PatsyandEddie]

valley! Be well and give us an update when you can. ❤️
oh peaches, my animal loving heart aches for you. Hopefully your furbaby will start feeling better. 

[Cupid Stunt]

8 hours ago, valleycliffe said:

Hello Preverts. Haven't been on lately. Am in the hospital and have been sick for  while. Husband brought me to the emergency ward and it looks like I am going to be in for the weekend. Still in the emergency ward waiting for a bed. I will get back to you guys after I get a room. 

(((Valley)))

Lord, grant aid to Your servant Valleycliffe and guide the hands of her doctors and nurses who are caring for her. Grant her Your mercy and healing, and return her to health and recovery; for You are the Physician of our souls and bodies: to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Both now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

[Cupid Stunt]

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5G — So the whole 5G thing seems like a marketing gimmick to me, but I used its inclusion on this list to finally read about why anyone should care.

Adaptability quotient (AQ) — One of the most valuable things I’ve learned in my adult life is that people have all sorts of different abilities that contribute to how “smart” they are, and most of those things have little to do with how well they did in school or what their IQ is.

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Edited October 4, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[peacheslatour]

Update on Peaches: She is lying in front of a radiator. That's it. We were up with her most of the night, alternating between chicken broth and Pedialyte out of an eye dropper. The vet is supposed to call soon with her test results. He will hydrate her again today but we are running out of hope. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and good vibes.

Valley, please be well. 

[Capricasix]

I’m so sorry 😢

[boes]

23 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Update on Peaches: She is lying in front of a radiator. That's it. We were up with her most of the night, alternating between chicken broth and Pedialyte out of an eye dropper. The vet is supposed to call soon with her test results. He will hydrate her again today but we are running out of hope. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and good vibes.

Valley, please be well. 

Love to you all. 

[peacheslatour]

We had to put my darling down. She had tumors in her intestines which had moved to her lungs. She was too weak for surgery. It's so weird because she was fine last week. My husband and I were both with her. We are having her cremated and will get her ashes to keep. Can't type any more. Cryimg.

[Gloriole33]

I am so sorry for your loss, peacheslatour.  Peaches had a great life.  Peace to all.

[jpagan05]

Oh no! @peacheslatour I am so sorry about your sweet baby. They are stoic little creatures. 

@valleycliffe please take care and get well soon.

Such crappy news for the last couple of days. I second the peace to all.

[jpagan05]

I'm hoping that this will make some of you laugh: hubs and I were out to dinner the other night. The waitress was a cute, very young gal who had just moved here from the Philippines. She told me she loved my hair and that I looked pretty. I'm so menopausal right now that I burst into tears. Yay!

[PatsyandEddie]

Aww peaches, I’m so sorry. 😢

Our four-legged dear ones grab our hearts from the start. You did the right  but most difficult thing as she probably felt absolutely wretched. 

[peacheslatour]

Just now, PatsyandEddie said:

Aww peaches, I’m so sorry. 😢

Our four-legged dear ones grab our hearts from the start. You did the right  but most difficult thing as she probably felt absolutely wretched. 

I am sure she. did, dammit. I should have taken her to the vet sooner. We've been treating her for a year for a persistent inner ear infection and the vet thinks maybe being on a heavy dose of prednisone may have become toxic. I haven't told my husband that because he is beating himself up enough already. Thank you for your kind words.

[Cupid Stunt]

(((Peaches and Mr. LaTour)))

I'm so sorry.

[peacheslatour]

There is so much love here. Thanks everybody. 

[OhioSongbird]

So sorry, peaches.  It's always hard but we don't want them to suffer.  We've had to put down dogs/cats over the years and it's never easy.  Those furry critters are our babies plain and simple.

[peacheslatour]

3 minutes ago, OhioSongbird said:

So sorry, peaches.  It's always hard but we don't want them to suffer.  We've had to put down dogs/cats over the years and it's never easy.  Those furry critters are our babies plain and simple.

When I was a vet tech, I was always the one who comforted the animals when they were being put down. It always tore me up. Today we were both with her when she went. We held her and talked to her and she was just so weak. I hope she knew how much we love her. My poor husband was practically hysterical, sobbing. I have never seen him like that and I hope I never see him in that much pain again. Well, tomorrow is another day. Sorry to burden you all but you are my soft place to land when things are bad.

Valley- How are you? Have the docs figured it out? God, please let it be nothing serious.

[Capricasix]

I’m sorry, Peaches 😢❤️

[Snaporaz]

Oh @peacheslatour, I'm so sorry.  Rest in peace, sweet girl.  💖🌈🌹  

Of course she knew how much you both love her.  And please don't think about "what if we'd done this or that?".  Unfortunately, it's in a cat's nature to hide their pains and illnesses.  That's how they protect themselves in the wild, but it also means that we won't know anything is wrong until it's too late.  

Be well, and take comfort in knowing that she's One with the Universe.  (I learned that from you.) 💞       

[Cupid Stunt]

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Moo.

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Edited October 5, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[boes]

@PEACHESLATOUR, I'm so sorry for your loss.  There really aren't any words other than you and your husband did the best that could be done, you loved her and she loved you back, and this hurts like hell......

Love to you both.

[lovemesomejoolery]

On 10/4/2019 at 5:54 PM, peacheslatour said:

When I was a vet tech, I was always the one who comforted the animals when they were being put down. It always tore me up. Today we were both with her when she went. We held her and talked to her and she was just so weak. I hope she knew how much we love her. My poor husband was practically hysterical, sobbing. I have never seen him like that and I hope I never see him in that much pain again. Well, tomorrow is another day. Sorry to burden you all but you are my soft place to land when things are bad.

Valley- How are you? Have the docs figured it out? God, please let it be nothing serious.

I haven't been here for a couple of days due to some long work hours, so am just reading this.

I am so very sorry for your loss.  Of course, she knew how much you and your husband loved her!  Please never, ever doubt that. 

[Cupid Stunt]

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[Cupid Stunt]

Force of Nature ... Ginger Baker, Cream Drummer, Dies At 80

There are lots of firsts and superlatives in the career of Ginger Baker, the drummer and bandleader who died Sunday morning at age 80. His death was announced by his family on social media; they had said on Sept. 25 that he was "critically ill," without giving details.

The wild-eyed son of a South London bricklayer, Baker was the engine room of rock's first and still most revered power trio, Cream. He played a similarly key role in shaping the more finessed work of one of rock's first supergroups, Blind Faith.

Then, in the 1970s, Baker led bands that linked the flamboyant intensity of rock to the intricate polyrhythms of jazz and jazz-rock fusion. He was the first rock-era timekeeper to seek out and become fluent in the nuances of African drumming – famously collaborating with the Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti in performances captured on a landmark 1971 live album.

Baker, who was born Aug. 19, 1939, in southeast London, earned the admiration of his colleagues; Cream collaborator Eric Clapton described him as a "fully formed musician." He also had an ego to match his accomplishments: He titled his memoir Hellraiser: The Autobiography of the World's Greatest Drummer. Police drummer Stewart Copeland, one of the many rockers who regard Baker as a primary inspiration, told an interviewer, "He personally is what drums are all about."

But as made clear in the unflattering 2012 documentary Beware of Mr. Baker, the Cream drummer was coarse, cantankerous and confrontational at close proximity. The film opens with the interviewer on the receiving end of a shot to the face from Baker's cane; it goes on to chronicle the acidic relationship between Baker and Cream bassist Jack Bruce, and quotes Baker heaping derision on contemporaries like Keith Moon of The Who and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.

At one point in the film, Baker's first wife, Elizabeth Ann Baker, says "If a plane went down and there was one survivor, it would be Ginger....The devil takes care of his own."

Baker's early musical experiences involved playing trumpet and banging out rhythms on desks in school in order to get his classmates to dance. After sitting in on drums with a traditional jazz band in London, he was invited to join permanently, despite having very little training. Baker then spent several years on the jazz circuit there, playing with some of London's most accomplished musicians. Years later, he explained that he "never considered himself a rock and roller – I was always a jazzer."

By 1962, Baker joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated on the recommendation of another legendary percussionist, Charlie Watts. In that group, Baker connected with Bruce and keyboardist Graham Bond; both Baker and Bruce described the working dynamic as testy and defined by conflict, a preview of things to come with Cream. The three left Korner's group a year later, and worked as the Graham Bond Organisation until 1966, when Bruce briefly joined forces with guitarist Eric Clapton as part of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. After hearing that Mayall lineup, Baker then approached Clapton with the idea for a more experimental outfit. Clapton agreed, on one condition: That Bruce play bass and sing. Cream was born.

The trio's first single for manager Robert Stigwood's Reaction label was "Wrapping Paper," a throwaway pop number that would be left off Fresh Cream, the band's debut, when released in December 1966. The album is more stylistically varied than the group's subsequent works — with several jazz-tinged pieces (including a waltz called "Dreaming"), an extended psychedelic romp through Muddy Waters' classic "Spoonful" that can be considered "proof of concept" for Cream's free-form improvisational focus, and an original, "Toad," that became an epic drum showcase during live performances.

Cream took off quickly, helped by rapid word of mouth about the trio's live shows, and news of a legendary jam at London Polytechnic in October 1966 with then-unknown guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Cream made its U.S. debut in March 1967, eventually playing 71 shows in the States that year and recording its second album, Disraeli Gears, in New York. The album was completed in just three-and-a-half days, just before the musicians' visas expired. The album applied the heavy, strikingly unified sound of Fresh Cream to mostly original material ranging from trippy pop confections ("Strange Brew") to thick, blues-rooted stomps ("Sunshine of Your Love"). The work hit a pop culture sweet spot, establishing Cream as both hitmakers and a respected musical force, the rare rock band described, contemporaneously, with words like "visionary."

But the animosity that defined the relationship between Baker and Bruce years before returned as Cream ascended. Clapton has characterized his role as "referee," and cited the constant conflict as the reason that the trio lasted only two years, despite selling 15 million albums worldwide during its run. Shortly after a New York reunion performance in 2005, Bruce described the dynamic to Rolling Stone as a "knife-edge thing for me and Ginger... Nowadays, we're happily co-existing in different continents... although I was thinking of asking him to move. He's still a bit too close."

Onstage and off, Baker relished being the wildcard, the rogue, the instigator. Curiously, the same character traits that made people fear Baker face-to-face served him well on stage, where his goading, conversational approach to timekeeping became the catalyst for some of the most ferocious extended jamming in rock history.

Baker pushed Clapton to peaks of soloistic fury he'd never visited before – and wouldn't regularly reach again. That was partly the result of Baker's considerable technique, his ability to sustain an intricate surging rhythm on the cymbals while pursuing another contrasting rhythm on a drum kit outfitted with two bass drums. Where other drummers of his generation focused on power, Baker approached the job of timekeeping with extraordinary control, even finesse. He was a master of polyrhythm.

Baker's ability to guide and shape music – all kinds of music – derived from his keen instinct for drama: He was responsible for many of the unusual phrases, like the stop-time passage at the beginning of "White Room," that made Cream thrilling live. He understood how to "set up" these ideas to unite the musicians, and also knew exactly the right moment to shatter that unity with wicked full-spectrum fills that sent the music into higher gears.

Baker also had a knack for sparking, and then cultivating, marathon musical conversations – in many ways, his approach is the model for generations of jam-band musicians. He'd start by establishing an easygoing groove that coaxed soloists like Clapton and Steve Winwood (his colleague in Blind Faith and the first edition of Ginger Baker's Air Force) into the spotlight. With slight jabs and understated drum chatter, Baker would gradually increase the intensity of the music. Once things hit a lusty rolling boil, his playing would become busier and more agitated – at times in the live performances of Cream and Air Force, it sounds like Baker is engaged in a boxing match with whoever takes a solo. Incredibly, even during those group peaks and frenetic drum features of epic duration, he never seemed to lose track of the pulse.

Guided by his curiosity about African music, Baker moved to Nigeria in 1971 with the intention of opening a recording studio in Lagos. He'd known Fela Kuti during the African bandleader's school days in London, and occasionally served as a substitute for drummer Tony Allen in Kuti's group Africa '70. A recent reissue of their live collaboration includes an entrancing "drum-off" with Allen, one of several trap-kit summit meetings Baker initiated (and promoted heavily) during his career; another, with jazz legend Elvin Jones, happened during a 1971 Air Force performance at the Lyceum in London and is documented on the live Do What You Like.

In the 2012 documentary, Baker says his intention was not to engage in some sort of live competition with Jones and other drummers: "What always happens is, if you're playing with a good guy, you end up playing together."

That pretty much sums up the strange magic of Ginger Baker: Though he wasn't necessarily charming or gracious in social settings, he was somehow able to cultivate genuine interaction and empathy among musicians in live situations. He did this on stages of every conceivable size, in front of massive Hyde Park crowds and in tiny subdued jazz clubs. Among his later-career highlights is Going Back Home, an instrumental trio date from 1994 with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Charlie Haden. It captures the technical facility that made Baker a legend, and something more visceral besides the primal, journeying spirit he brought to so many projects. There's maybe some quibbling with his "World's Greatest Drummer" claim, but this much is not in dispute: With Baker in the house, a thrill was always guaranteed.

-- Tom Moon

[Cupid Stunt]

O God be with us in this time of loss and mourning, we have no other help but You.
Lord hear our prayers. You Who are just and merciful, look down upon us and have mercy. Deal with us not according to our iniquities, but according to Your manifold grace. You know our weaknesses. Grant us Your patience and strength to endure our hardships to submit to Your Will. You are our hope and refuge, and we trust in Your infinite love and compassion, to deliver us from trouble into comfort. We then shall exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen

[OhioSongbird]

Amen

[lovemesomejoolery]

1 hour ago, Cupid Stunt said:

O God be with us in this time of loss and mourning, we have no other help but You.
Lord hear our prayers. You Who are just and merciful, look down upon us and have mercy. Deal with us not according to our iniquities, but according to Your manifold grace. You know our weaknesses. Grant us Your patience and strength to endure our hardships to submit to Your Will. You are our hope and refuge, and we trust in Your infinite love and compassion, to deliver us from trouble into comfort. We then shall exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen

Amen.

And thank you for this.

[Cupid Stunt]

• Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

• Nobel Prize for Medicine jointly awarded to William Kaelin Jr, Sir Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza -- For their pioneering research into how human cells respond to changing oxygen levels.

• Iranian Instagram star 'arrested for blasphemy' -- Sahar Tabar became a viral sensation after posting extreme doctored selfies.

• Death of Iran's 'Blue Girl' casts spotlight on lives of Iranian women

• This teen wasn't allowed into her homecoming dance because she was wearing a jumpsuit -- Because monitoring women's clothing makes a day complete

• Caster Semenya: The Athlete in the Fight of Her Life -- "The dirty secret here is that gender testing is common for women athletes -- and yes, only women athletes." -- I get why this is happening to Semenya -- sexism, racism, bureaucracy -- but it’s ridiculous to pigeon-hole elite women athletes to very narrow gender parameters (We can thank juicers and Eastern Block countries pre-1980s drug testing) . Fundamentally, elite athletes are physically and mentally gifted outliers. Like, that’s the definition. They are amazing & marvelous freaks of nature. Their minds and muscles and chemicals and limbs are just hooked up differently from the rest of us. But you didn’t see Michael Phelps being sanctioned for his long arms, Usain Bolt for his height, Bjørn Dæhlie for his VO2 Max, or any number of championship male athletes for their abundant natural testosterone. Semenya is essentially being banned for being better than everyone else … as if that isn’t the goal of athletics.

• French conservatives protest bill allowing IVF for lesbians

• Articles about potable water and water conservation on Weather.com

• The Latest: Climate protesters block traffic in Madrid

• Consumer goods giant Unilever vows to slash use of plastic

• Minnesota Legislature considers ‘Clean Energy First’ policy

• Pennsylvania to move forward on power plant emission caps

• Big greenhouse gas emitter moves to join climate initiative

• The next big fight in California is over water and endangered species

• Greta Thunberg, climate activist touring Dakotas reservations

• A floating device created to clean up plastic from the ocean is finally doing its job, organizers say

• Firefighters battle 6,000-acre blaze in Colorado

• Proud Boys member involved in Portland fights arrested

• Let’s Talk About The Black Women In ‘Joker’ -- Is there a reason why the majority of the women Joker interacts with on-screen happen to be Black? ***Spoiler Alert***

• Accused of racism, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts confronts its blind spots

• The End of the Age of Paternity Secrets -- A historian of fatherhood wonders whether the rapid embrace of consumer DNA testing will be seen as a positive development in the future.

• Self-lubricating condoms, explained -- Sex with these condoms felt better, researchers found in a new study. That could be a huge global health win.

• The Secret to Shopping in Used Bookstores -- First Step: Surrender All Expectations

• A 600-Year History of Cookbooks as Status Symbols -- Tracing the path from 15th-century royal kitchens to 1992’s The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Cookbook and beyond

• The Far Right’s Apocalyptic Literary Canon

• Rip Taylor, Flamboyant Comic and Host of 'The $1.98 Beauty Show,' Dies at 84 -- I used to watch Rip Taylor on The Gong Show, and met him years later at a Actors Equity fundraiser. He was holding court at the same banquette table, regaling us with double entendres and stories of stars he knew back when they had hair -- Truly a delight. This video is from the Skip E. Lowe  Show, a cable program from 1990.

Part 2 Interview with Rip Taylor

[lovemesomejoolery]

You may have seen this over the weekend, as it was on the national news, but it's an update on the homeless woman who sang so beautifully in an LA subway - a story brought to us by @Cupid Stunt

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/10/07/viral-homeless-opera-singer-performs-concert-sot-mxp-vpx.hln

Edited October 7, 2019 by lovemesomejoolery

[Cupid Stunt]

3 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

You may have seen this over the weekend, as it was on the national news, but it's an update on the homeless woman who sang so beautifully in an LA subway - a story brought to us by @Cupid Stunt

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/10/07/viral-homeless-opera-singer-performs-concert-sot-mxp-vpx.hln

It was lovely to hear her sing again. Things are happening very quick for Emily, and I hope she has proper representation to protect her. Of-the-moment fame is enticing to thieves and is fleeting. 

[Cupid Stunt]

• The sea is running out of fish

• 'Sorry, this is an emergency': Climate protesters block streets around the world

• Meatless meat is becoming mainstream and it’s sparking a backlash -- The growing pushback against Impossible and Beyond burgers in fast-food chains, explained

• Travelers weigh climate costs

• Shopping has become a political act. Here’s how it happened. -- Consumer activism and conscious consumerism mean more people are buying from brands they agree with and boycotting ones they don’t.

• The raging controversy over the NBA, China, and the Hong Kong protests, explained -- Globalization is exporting Chinese authoritarianism rather than American democracy.

• Trade Deals to Shield Tech Giants From Foreign Regulators

• The GM strike is costing the company $90 million a day

• G.M. Strike’s Economic Toll: Idle Trucks, Packed Warehouses

• GE to freeze, pre-pay pensions to save up to $8 billion, cut debt

• GE freezes worker pensions — what to do if your employer changes the terms of your retirement plan

• 4 reasons defined benefit plans are nearly dead 

• Vigil held for homeless men brutally beaten to death in New York City

• Melinda Gates’s $1 billion pledge for women’s equality disrupts traditional trends in charitable giving

• $600,000 for homeless housing? Audit suggests spending money on shelters instead

• School district defends response to sexual assault allegations as students walk out

• Wildfire victims in PG&E bankruptcy see $13.5 billion in claims

• Millions in California may be in the dark for a week if PG&E shuts off power due to fire potential

• Poll: A majority of respondents want tougher Wall Street regulations

• Ellen DeGeneres explains hanging out with her friend George W. Bush -- <eyeroll> Because money is the great equalizer.

• Your money at work and play … Air Force unveils next-gen helicopters that will replace Pave Hawks

• Dick's Sporting Goods has destroyed $5 million worth of weapons, its CEO says

• Texas man robbed a bank on the day before his wedding to pay for the ring, sheriff says

• Groom sexually assaulted a bridesmaid days before getting married, police say

• Japan's fertility crisis even worse than before as births fall sharply

• This autism dad has a warning for anti-vaxxers -- Why a vaccine researcher is waging war on the anti-vaccine movement.

• Young people are poisoning themselves at alarming rates with over-the-counter drugs -- There’s been a dramatic uptick in self-poisonings, particularly among girls and young women. There are ways to help.

•  Researchers find e-cigarettes cause lung cancer in mice in first study tying vaping to cancer

• Op-Ed: Humana study reveals $265 billion wasted on health care each year in the US

• Deepfakes are a real political threat. For now, though, they’re mainly used to degrade women. -- A new report on deepfakes finds 96 percent involve simulating porn of female celebrities (without their consent).

•  U.S. Pastor Arrested in Rwanda Has Criticized Government for ‘Heathen Practices"

Edited October 8, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[peacheslatour]

You know Japan may want to take a second look at the corporate culture of forcing people to work 18 hour days.

[jpagan05]

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/05/death-dragonflies-switzerland-mating-sex/

[boes]

Valleycliffe, how are you doing?  Are you still in the hospital?

I sure hope you're better, let us know when you can,

We miss you.

[Cupid Stunt]

• Happiness comes from giving: Bina Lashkari, who runs school-on-wheels for underprivileged kids

• The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were stolen on what would have been the spiritual leader’s 150th birthday

• Look up for two meteor showers this week -- The Draconid meteor shower will be active through October 10, although Tuesday night. The South Taurid meteor shower is expected to peak on the evenings of October 9 and 10.

• Astronomers discover strands of the cosmic web that held the early universe together

• Penn State football player receives letter criticizing his dreadlocks -- Jonathan Sutherland had three tackles and blocked two punts in the Nittany Lions' 79-7 win, but the letter focused on insulting his appearance. Penn State is now 5-0 and ranked Number 10 in The Associated Press Top 25.

• Montgomery elected its first black mayor in 200 years. This is why it matters

• NYC man, wife both sentenced to month in prison in college admissions scam -- Gregory and Marcia Abbott paid $125,000 to have their daughter's SAT and ACT altered

• After bloodshed hits flashpoint district, Iraq scrambles to stem violence

• GM and striking workers are losing millions of dollars a day. Here’s why the strike isn’t over. -- Employees want General Motors to accept that the Great Recession is over.

• Index funds invest trillions but rarely challenge management

• Postmates’ new IPO delay says something bigger: Wall Street is turning against Silicon Valley

• The techlash is real, and Silicon Valley should be worried, says BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith -- “I think there is a real possibility that these companies get broken up.”

• U.S. Loses Top Spot to Singapore in Competitiveness Rankings

• Powerhouse U.S. cities home to worst wage inequality

• Use of Surveillance Database Violated Privacy Rights, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Ruled

• Twitter says user data meant for security purposes may have been used for advertising

• One of America’s biggest gaming companies is acting as China’s censor -- Activision Blizzard punished a pro player for speaking out on behalf of Hong Kong. This should be unacceptable.

• In the last 10 months, 140 local governments, police stations and hospitals have been held hostage by ransomware attacks

• Activists are pressuring lawmakers to stop Amazon Ring’s police surveillance partnerships -- “With no oversight and accountability, Amazon’s technology creates a seamless and easily automated experience for police to request and access footage without a warrant, and then store it indefinitely.”

• Johnson & Johnson Hit With $8 Billion Jury Award Over Antipsychotic Drug

• Three STDs reach all-time highs in the US, new CDC report says

Patrons buy books in a shop in Óbidos, Portugal

• UNESCO Cities of Literature Every Bookworm Should Visit

• Woman receives sexually harassing messages on Virgin Atlantic's in-flight messaging system

• Drexel to pay the government back $190,000 former professor used for strip clubs, other personal purchases over 10 years

• Jeffrey Epstein accuser expands lawsuit against estate, alleged enablers

• Former NBC staffer accuses Matt Lauer of rape in Ronan Farrow's new book

Edited October 9, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[Petunia13]

On 10/4/2019 at 3:44 PM, peacheslatour said:

I am sure she. did, dammit. I should have taken her to the vet sooner. We've been treating her for a year for a persistent inner ear infection and the vet thinks maybe being on a heavy dose of prednisone may have become toxic. I haven't told my husband that because he is beating himself up enough already. Thank you for your kind words.

Words seem so empty. But I’m so sorry for your loss. My family has a saying passed down generations translated into English when they go it’s dies it’s only when it will break a heart. Like that’s when truly it’s the most painful or your mutual love is most full. I always send prayers your direction and have for years and just wish this didn’t happen. It really sucks the purest and most giving and fun go. So early and arbitrarily. 

@valleycliffe I hope you’re mending and feeling better. ❤️ 

[ByTor]

On 10/4/2019 at 2:52 PM, peacheslatour said:

We had to put my darling down. She had tumors in her intestines which had moved to her lungs. She was too weak for surgery. It's so weird because she was fine last week. My husband and I were both with her. We are having her cremated and will get her ashes to keep. Can't type any more. Cryimg.

Just saw this, I'm so sorry.  I'm positive you gave her an awesome life and she knew how much you love her.

[Cupid Stunt]

• Feds seize $2.2 million worth of fake Nike shoes at Southern California seaport

• Outage outrage: Hundreds of thousands left in the dark to reduce California wildfire risk

• PG&E’s power shutoff in California shows the inequities of climate risks -- More than 500,000 are without power as California’s largest utility tries to avoid igniting another wildfire.

• Arizona official accused of human smuggling via a Marshall Islands adoption scheme

• How fake refugees from Kenya got settled in the US and Europe

• Most of 95 people killed in Kiribati ferry disaster died from hunger, dehydration and hypothermia, inquiry finds

• A woman says Matt Lauer raped her in 2014. She’s speaking out in a new book. -- Brooke Nevils tells her story in a forthcoming book by reporter Ronan Farrow.

• A new garden, a sexual assault and the fight at Stanford over Chanel Miller's voice

• A high school is ditching gendered homecoming roles and is crowning 'Homecoming Royalty' instead

• Vivid portraits shine light on Tahiti

• GitHub is the latest tech company to face controversy over its contracts with ICE -- Employees are demanding the company cancel its $200,000 contract with the immigration agency.

• How remote work is quietly remaking our lives -- Working from anywhere: the good, the bad, the lovely.

• A California city gave some residents $500 a month, no strings attached. Here’s how they spent it. -- Stockton is conducting a basic income experiment and the early results are in.

• Paying college athletes is a huge win for women

• Are you supposed to tip your Uber driver? -- How Uber made ride-hail tipping so confusing.

• 2 dead in Germany shooting near synagogue

• Shooting in Halle, Germany -- At least two people have been killed in a shooting near a synagogue in Halle, Germany.

• Whopping jury award against Johnson & Johnson sends a signal to drug industry

• Environmentalists have a new target: Charmin toilet paper

• The one where the Friends logo won’t go away -- Why the internet is overflowing with Friends merch, officially licensed and otherwise.  

• Walmart paid $300 million for Bonobos. Two years later, the men’s fashion brand is laying off staff. -- Walmart is currently trying to turn its money-losing digital brands into profitable businesses.

• A champion of the unplugged, earth-conscious life, Wendell Berry is still ahead of us -- The writer and farmer’s impassioned arguments on farming, technology, and the urban-rural divide have taken on a new urgency.

• #FatBearWeek2019: 435 Holly is our new bear queen

• The great bacon shortage of 2020? China's pork crisis could hit US supermarket shelves

• WAGS at War -- Two British footballers’ wives are feuding. It’s the perfect palate cleanser. -- Everything you need to know about the Coleen Rooney-Rebekah Vardy scandal, even if you don’t know who they are.

• Turkey launches military offensive in Syria

• Ecuador government leaves capital city amid violent protests

Edited October 10, 2019 by Cupid Stunt

[jewel21]

I'm sorry for your loss, Peaches.

Valley- I hope you are okay.

Hugs to all.

[peacheslatour]

10 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

I'm sorry for your loss, Peaches.

Valley- I hope you are okay.

Hugs to all.

Thank you. ❤️

I emailed valley yesterday, still haven't heard back. I'm really worried.

[peacheslatour]

Whelp, today I dragged out all of my Halloween decor. I've got lots of spider webby lace to go over lamps and windows. I have sparkly spider webs for the windows and archway. I have my Alice Cooper jack in the box and I have three big hanging bats coming from Amazon. I have a string of black velvet chandeliers with black crystals and amber lights. Whew. When DH gets home he's gonna put it all up. Does anyone else have their stuff all ready to go? Probably I'm late this year. I think I'll make cranberry nut bread, we've got a butt load of pecans.