Success
Good news, headline from nypost.com: “US captures top ISIS official after helicopter raid in Syria.” Finally, something Quid Pro Joe can crow about genuinely.
More proof PC madness is not nearing an end, headline from NYP: “Children’s author Roald Dahl’s beloved books scrubbed by ‘sensitivity experts’.” According to the accompanying article by Rich Calder: “Publisher Puffin tapped sensitivity readers to rewrite hundreds of sections of the late author’s texts to ensure his work can continue to be enjoyed — and not offend — today’s more woke audience.” Who’s next?
Entrepreneurship is frequently fascinating. According to an article at foxbusiness.com by Kayla Bailey, a young nurse has become a millionaire, saying: “It was very unintentional.” During the pandemic, Stephanee Beggs had no one to study with, so “I would teach myself to the wall and I would record it. And then I posted that onto social media and people loved it.” Visitors started asking to buy her study sheets in hopes of passing the board exam. The rate is “$2 per sheet, class-specific sheets for $30 to $40, or a giant bundle covering a majority of nursing school subjects for $150.” Although it has turned into a full-time job, she still practices nursing and also teaches a college class. She earned two million last year. Kudos, madam.
RIP actor/comedian Richard Belzer, 78, a phenomenal success story. He grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut and, according to his IMDb profile, “was kicked out of every school he ever attended due to his uncontrollable wit.” When he was 18 his mom succumbed to cancer. When he was 22 his dad committed suicide. He didn’t let those blows stop him. He began in stand-up and was a featured player on the National Lampoon Radio Hour with co-stars John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and Harold Ramis. There are 79 titles under his name at IMDb in a career that spanned 1974–2016. That number does not begin to describe how prolific he was. He is the only actor in television history to play the same character, Detective John Munch, in eleven different live-action series: Homicide: Life on the Street (122 episodes), Law & Order, The X-Files, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (326 episodes), The Beat, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Arrested Development, The Wire, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He also played Inspector Henderson on four episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. On the big screen he appeared in The Groove Tube (1974), Fame (1980), Scarface (1983), The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) and Man on the Moon (1999). He wrote or co-wrote several books, his favorite subject conspiracy theories. His first two marriages were brief, his third endured, 1984 until his death. He made his home in France. Well done, sir.
Not much action at the floating book shop on what was another mild winter 2023 day. My thanks to the woman who bought two cookbooks, and to the gentleman who purchased a 007 DVD in Russian and Brief But Comprehensive Psychotherapy: The Multimodal Way by Arnold Lazarus PhD ABPP; and to Bill Brown, author of Words and Guitar: A History of Lou Reed’s Music and other fine books, who was unable to resist Merda: The Real Italian You Were Never Taught in School by Roland Delicio and Kim Wilson Brandt.
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