Just One Thing: Who scalped who?
People who have no real reason to defend serial plagiarist and intellectual mediocrity Claudine Gay after her resignation as the president of Harvard do so by attacking “conservatives.” Sure, conservatives did the work of finding her persistent cheating and academic dishonesty. But they didn’t manipulate or trap her into doing it. That’s like blaming Columbo or Sherlock Holmes for the murder that they discovered and solved. A couple of pinheads writing for the AP objected to Christopher Rufo, who did most of the heavy lifting exposing Gay’s malfeasance, tweeting “scalped” after the resignation, writing that the word “invokes a gruesome practice taken up by white colonists who sought to eradicate Native Americans.” Yep, the white people scalped the Indians now. The world has gone insane.
Also, this is a fascinating interview with a remarkably candid Chris RufoC
How a Conservative Activist's Crusade Led to Claudine Gay's Resignation - POLITICO
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Today's Guests
Comedian Ian Bagg is just really really funny. He's one of the best at "crowd work", meaning interacting with the audience as part of his act. He's also the co-host of the weekly hockey podcast, "Enjoying Orange Slices with Jeff and Ian."
He's playing at Comedy Works DOWNTOWN tonight (Thursday) and then at the Landmark location in Greenwood Village on Friday and Saturday.
Tickets here: Ian Bagg | Live in Denver | Comedy Works
Welcome to Ian Bagg Comedy – IAN BAGG
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Dr Cicron Ayala Orozco is a Research Scientist at Rice University and part of a team that may have found an innovative method to kill at least certain kinds of cancer cells.
Scientists Destroy 99% of Cancer Cells in The Lab Using Vibrating Molecules : ScienceAlert
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Other Stuff
Look, I'll mention this because everybody is but I just don't care unless there's VERY strong evidence of wrongdoing by one of these people. That doesn't mean they didn't exhibit very bad judgment by remaining in Epstein's orbit after his first (outrageously generous) plea deal. But there are bigger fish to fry, and everyone knows Bill Clinton is a lifelong scumbag and he's irrelevant at this point.
Jeffrey Epstein list: Court unseals names in Ghislaine Maxwell lawsuit (foxnews.com)
That said, this is REALLY weird. BTW, it's definitely true that Hawking was on Epstein's island.
More background on the history of all this: Who was Jeffrey Epstein and what are the court documents about? | Jeffrey Epstein | The Guardian
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Trump's attorneys appeal the Colorado ruling (barring him from the ballot here) to the Supreme Court:
Trump's Colorado appeal may force US Supreme Court to rule on his future (msn.com)
Here's the actual petition for certiorari: dfe18fa1-full.pdf (nyt.com)
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Go get 'em wherever they are: Mossad chief: Those who took part in Oct. 7 massacre signed their own death warrant | The Times of Israel
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Do people really need to be told that a movie that’s obviously 50 years old “needs context”? I’m just so sick of all this snowflake stuff.
Licence to offend: BFI season gives James Bond films trigger warnings | Movies | The Guardian
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I'm sure this has happened plenty of times before but I like the story anyway: New Year's babies: Twins born at New Jersey hospital; one in 2023, the other in 2024 - 6abc Philadelphia
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I'd take a taste unless it has bleu cheese...and I bet it does: Pizza with 1,001 types of cheese earns Guinness World Record (nypost.com)
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I like the couch, thanks: RXBAR offers cash reward for customers willing to move their couch for New Year's challenge (nypost.com)
But if you want to give it a try: https://www.rxbarbarthecouch.com/
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If you can't afford lunch (or other stuff where the story has minimum-wage employees) in Denver anymore, this is part of the reason why: Denver’s minimum wage increases to $18.29 | Business | denvergazette.com
Denver is one of the worst in the nation: Nearly 10 million workers in 22 states will see boosts to minimum wage in 2024 - UPI.com
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For ancient history nerds: Temple Incense From the Queen of Sheba? Reanalysis of the Ophel Pithos | ArmstrongInstitute.org
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Unless specifically permitted at a location, it's illegal to skate on ponds/lakes in Denver: Want to ice skate on a Denver pond? Not so fast | FOX31 (kdvr.com)
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I love the line "Big Sock is getting involved." ‘If You Sleep In Socks You’re a Psychopath.’ Health Tip Kicks Up Controversy - WSJ
I'm in the 25% (in the very unscientific survey) who sometimes do, though when I say sometimes I'm probably talking about once every couple of months if, for whatever reason, my feet feel cold enough that they're keeping me awake.
What about you?
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Offered without comment but with a disappointed shake of my head...how the hell are there people like this?: Missing North Carolina teen found inside trap door under Kentucky home (usatoday.com)
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I owe you some stuff from yesterday:
I don’t typically love governments getting into stuff like this but this might be a decent idea as long as the districts already own the real estate. Colorado school districts are providing housing to teachers, staff (denverpost.com)
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Saving the Panama Canal Will Take Years and Cost Billions, If It’s Even Possible (yahoo.com)
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Mickey Mouse, the Original 1928 Version, Is Now In the Public Domain (reason.com)
Mickey Mouse entered the public domain. Now he’s a horror movie villain. (msn.com)
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I didn't get to this yesterday as the news broke...probably should have: Iran leader vows harsh response to deadly bombings that killed 84 (bbc.com)
Earlier NYT story with higher number of dead reported: Over 100 Killed in Iran Blasts at Qassim Suleimani Memorial - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Same story outside of NYT paywall: Bombing in Iran Kills Over 100, Sowing Confusion and Speculation – DNyuz
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Especially if you live in/near Brighton, might be a decent idea to keep your cat indoors for a while: Brighton residents warned after 'high number' of dead, sick cats (kdvr.com)
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Are farm animals smart? ‘Not dumb creatures.’ Livestock surprise scientists with their complex, emotional minds | Science | AAAS
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It's not that often that an old stodgy brand like Stanley (the tool company) becomes a huge viral sensation. That's just happened with a new pink insulated drink container that's a collaboration between Stanley and Starbucks, and sold at Target.
Starbucks’ Pink Stanley Cups Cause Mayhem at Target (today.com)
I mean, people were camping out overnight to try to buy one.
Today's Videos
OK, silly but made me chuckle
I strongly suspect that this snake has had her venom glands removed...but it's still seems kinda brave to do this
Yesterday, I brought you a story that other news outlets like CNN and the Guardian got to later. I do like it when I bring you stuff first. Even, or maybe especially when it's about something fun and unusual.
Blue Scuti, age 13, makes history by beating the Tetris game (interestingengineering.com)
Here's a short video of the moment when a 13-year old named Willis Gibson who plays Tetris as "Blue Scuti" did something that was once thought impossible: He beat/broke Tetris.
This has the whole game, and then an interview with the young man