Note: KGB Report is published the evening before the issue date. For ongoing posts throughout the day, follow KGB Report or my personal page on Facebook.
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This is the KGB Report for Tuesday, February 6, the 37th day of 2018 in the Gregorian calendar, with 328 days remaining.
This is the 382nd day of Donald Trump's presidency, of which he has spent 93 days at golf courses at a cost to taxpayers of $50,843,007. There are 1,080 days remaining in his term, assuming he doesn't resign, is otherwise removed from office, or his unhinged, psychotic behavior results in the destruction of the republic.
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What happened on February 6 from On This Day.
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Among other things, today is African American Coaches Day, International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, Lame Duck Day, Pay A Compliment Day, Ronald Regan Day, and National Frozen Yogurt Day. (from Checkiday.com)
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Florida man with devil horns tattooed on forehead arrested.
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Nesta Robert Marley OM (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter who achieved international fame through a series of crossover reggae albums. Beginning in 1963 with the group the Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide. Marley's last concert occurred at the Stanley Theater (now called The Benedum Center For The Performing Arts) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 23, 1980. Just two days earlier he had collapsed during a jogging tour in Central Park and was brought to hospital where he learned that the cancer had spread to his brain.
Read the full Wikipedia article.
Quote of the day:
"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet."
-Bob
Marley
(More
Bob Marley quotes)
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On this date: in 1918, British women over the age of 30 got the right to vote; in 1935, the board game "Monopoly" went on sale; in 1943 Frank Sinatra made his debut as vocalist on radio's "Your Hit Parade"; in 1959, Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit.
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This mutant crayfish clones itself, and it's taking over Europe. Before about 25 years ago, the species simply did not exist. A single drastic mutation in a single crayfish produced the marbled crayfish in an instant. The mutation made it possible for the creature to clone itself, and now it has spread across much of Europe and gained a toehold on other continents. The crayfish lay eggs without mating. The progeny are all female, and each one grows up ready to reproduce.
Sounds vaguely familiar...
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SCOTUS won't block SCOPA gerrymandering decision, which struck down the state's congressional map, saying it "clearly, plainly and palpably" violated the PA Constitution. The court told state lawmakers to redraw the state's 18 House districts, which currently favor Republicans, and it left open the possibility that it would impose its own map. Bush v. Gore notwithstanding, the SCOTUS decision was expected. Unlike other pending redistricting cases, the Pennsylvania court had based its decision solely on the state constitution. On matters of state law, the judgments of state supreme courts are typically final.
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Intel made smart glasses that look normal. Forget Google Glass. This thing beams the image right onto your retina.
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Paul Simon announces 'Homeward Bound' farewell tour. "I've wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I'd consider bringing my performing career to a natural end. Now I know."
Another relevant Paul Simon quote from his last tour with Art Garfunkel in the early 2000s: "In terms of quality of work, experience is an advantage. But when the whole culture changes its value system, as ours has been doing, you can evolve in a way that's appropriate for your age and still wind up as an artifact." Simon is 76.
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Scientists may have discovered the first planets outside the Milky Way. Swell. Now how about you get cracking on warp drive?
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New study finds whales and sharks are at major risk because of tiny microplastics in the ocean. Scientists have been studying beached whales who died after ingesting large amounts of plastic bags, but the impact of microplastics are much more nuanced and less obvious. Microplastics can come from consumer goods such as face wash and toothpaste that use them as exfoliants or they can be the product of broken-down plastics. Unlike organic materials, petroleum-based plastics never truly disappear, they photodegrade over hundreds of years, turning into thousands of small plastic bits.
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Chemical in McDonald's fries could cure baldness, study says. Singling out McDonald's is unfair; the chemical, polydimethylsiloxane, is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer in existence, can be found in shampoos, contact lenses, medical devices, caulking, lubricants,and also gives Silly Putty its characteristic viscoelastic properties.
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Yesterday, we heard the news that coffee was more or less good for you. Today, a cohort study claims those who drink really hot tea face a higher risk of esophogeal cancer, and the risk increases exponentially if they also smoke and drink alcohol. One puzzling question: why did MedScape publish this under News: Psychiatry?
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But perhaps the most life-affirming medical news of the day is that eating unrefrigerated leftover pizza won't kill you. But really, is this news? If old pizza posed a threat, the streets would be littered with the bodies of guys who live alone. And their dogs. Benjamin Chapman, a food safety specialist at North Carolina State University, says that people don't end up getting sick from unrefrigerated pizza often enough for it to be an issue on public health radar. Why not? "It all comes down to water activity," Chapman says. Bread and baked cheese are both too dry to be friendly to germs. Tomato sauce has some moisture, but its acidity probably keeps bacteria in check. So, here's to pizza, the food that has everything: bread, dairy, vegetables, meat, and fungus. (I'm talking about the mushrooms.)
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And finally, the burning question: Is chocolate really healthy for you? Chocolate does indeed have positive health qualities, but you have go dark if you want to attain them. None of this pansy- ass milk chocolate stuff.
Bonus quote of the day:
"Excluding starches, preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial
flavoring, Soylent Green is actually less than two percent people."
-John
Alejandro King, (The
Covert Comic).
Personally, I'm sticking with coffee and unrefrigerated pizza.
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An 'iceberg' of unseen crimes: Many cyber offenses go unreported. Even as certain kinds of crimes are declining, others are increasing- yet because so many occur online and have no geographic borders, local police departments face new challenges not only fighting them, but keeping track of them. Politicians often tout crime declines without acknowledging the rise of new cyber crimes.
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Electric cars could destroy the electric grid- or fix it. Inevitably, we'll find out which prediction is correct.
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U.S. consumer protection official puts Equifax probe on ice. Mick Mulvaney, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has pulled back from a full-scale probe of how Equifax Inc failed to protect the personal data of millions of consumers, according to people familiar with the matter. Why not? All of our Social Security numbers are on the dark web now, anyway.
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The Berlin Wall has now been down longer than it was up.
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This extreme sect of vegans thinks your baby will destroy the planet. Meet the anti-natalists, people who believe reproduction is wrong.
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Colin Powell aide in The New York Times: I helped sell the false choice of war once. It's happening again.
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Best Buy will stop CD sales as digital music continues to take over. Vinyl aficionados will still find records on sale for the next two years, according to the insiders, although they may have to be sold next to the turntables themselves.
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How about that? 1,508 words, and not a single mention of last night's sporting event. You're welcome.
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