Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Tim Tebow gets married in South Africa to the 2017 Miss Universe. Interesting detail - his groomsmen's tuxedos were by Indochino. Nice endorsement deal there I bet.

- Holy crap!

- Heh Heh - Kirk Cameron to star in new Jason Bourne film: Bourne Again

- Say what you want about Tulsi Gabbard she's got a good sense of humor and doesn't seem afraid of a fight

- Interesting interview with Terry Jones. And a fond remembrance of the sort of person Terry Jones was even to strangers (although a very attractive one in this case)

US Pond Hockey Championships

Today marks the start of the 15th annual US Pond Hockey Championships in Minnesota. This is actually something I'd like to attend at least once in my life. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

-  Sad day as Terry Jones, aged 77, one of the founders of Monty Python's Flying Circus passes away.

- I think it would be the ultimate hilarious troll move if Derek Jeter found out who the one baseball writer who voted against him and sent that man's wife one of his infamous alleged gift baskets

- Cool - Ian McKellen's diaries from filming The Lord of the Rings

- 4 steps to achieve greatness. Actually 5 steps and I think I've posted it before but worth repeating and reinforcing.

- Tim Ferriss' latest blog post - Finding the One Decision that Removes 100 Decisions (or, Why I'm Reading No New Books in 2020). I rarely read a newly published book as it is but good advice.

Trump at Davos

Pretty extraordinary speech given by President Trump at Davos. Be sure to read the whole thing but this is the part that stood out for so many:

This is not a time for pessimism; this is a time for optimism. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action.

But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse. They are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune-tellers -- and I have them and you have them, and we all have them, and they want to see us do badly, but we don't let that happen. They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the '70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s. These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform, and control every aspect of our lives.

We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country, or eradicate our liberty. America will always be the proud, strong, and unyielding bastion of freedom.

Day the Democratic Party Died and New Democratic Party Was Born

Today is an anniversary that I expect will pass with little fanfare. The historical significance of the anniversary should not be underestimated though.

On January 22, 1973, former president Lyndon Johnson died and with him died the old ways of the Democratic Party. The backroom deals and arm twisting. The acknowledgement that the Democratic Party was first and foremost the party of the working man and his family. "God, country and a fair wage" could easily have been the motto of the old Democratic Party.

On that same day, 47-years ago the new Democratic Party was also born. On that day, 47-years ago, the Supreme Court handed down its Roe v Wade decision which in effect decriminalized abortion and magically turned it from a medical procedure into a woman's right in the process. Since Roe v Wade the Democratic Party has never been the same. Where do you stand on abortion is the first and foremost question any candidate for any office is asked. The abortion party has also become the protest party. "Judge - you and your wife have kids - so you obviously are against having abortions - therefore we must protest you and we must do it naked while throwing pies." Make no mistake this new Democratic Party is about abortion first (although immigration is creeping up the list) - every other issue is secondary - including the economy and national defense.

Since January 22, 1973 the Democratic Party has not run a candidate for President who has not been pro-abortion. This includes John Kerry who said he's a Catholic but that doesn't make sense since the Catholic Church is staunchly pro-life. I'm not optimistic that I'll see a pro-life Democratic candidate in my life.

The fact that the anniversary of the death of the old and birth of the new Democratic Party does not get any recognition is not surprising. Nobody celebrates or notes May 30th as the birth of the Republican Party.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Maybe, just maybe, and hear me out here - maybe the reason no shots were fired at the Virginia Second Amendment Rights protests is maybe because legally owning a gun isn't a sign of mental illness. It's like maybe, just maybe, the image of crazy, bitter, clingers is just a media creation. Gun Grabbing Democrats on the other hand - yeah that's very real... "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." - Isaac Asimov... Heh Heh - too funny... Out of curiosity has Kate Upton commented on the Astros cheating yet? I mean she comments on everything else it seems. And her being married to Astros ace Justin Verlander would make this a subject she might know something about... If I were a player in the Super Bowl I'd answer every question on media day with "Hodor" and nothing but "Hodor." And I'd be the star of the day... Thank God he's out of Boston. Seriously thank God... The Babylon Bee is on a roll!... If CNN just replaced their "news" coverage with a live camera showing a banana taped to a wall - would their ratings improve? I think we all know the answer to that...

Naval Knowledge

Pearls of wisdom from Naval Ravikant:

- Finding Time to Invest in Yourself

- "Tears are just attachments pouring back out." - Naval Ravikant

- The Essential Naval Ravikant (summary of his 2019 podcast appearances and teachings).

Don't try to go through that last link in one sitting. It should be one of those things you bookmark and go back to periodically because there is so much knowledge to take in. I'd also recommend rewatching or listening to Naval's appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience at least twice a year (it's that good).

Martin Luther King Jr.

Another Martin Luther King Jr. quote worth remembering today, "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars."

This is also worth contemplating today.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The seven most exciting space missions of 2020

- And speaking of space - Elon Musk and SpaceX have really big plans for Mars

- Very true!

- Reading Conor McGregor's Mind

- Navy to name aircraft carrier for Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller

Richard Feynman

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations..

Watched the first ten minutes of the Aaron Hernandez documentary on Netflix then I turned it off because why should I waste my time on that piece of shit. Especially as it seemed that the documentary was somehow going to make excuses for Hernandez's behavior... "Page 3 of 2" would be a good name for a blog... "What's true isn't new and what's new isn't true" a phrase from a recent Eric Weinstein Portal podcast that really made me think... Maybe the best synopsis of the McGregor / Cerrone fight last night... What are the odds that the Astros Jose Altuve leads MLB in getting hit by a pitch next season. I'd like to bet on that... Tobacco Cologne would be a good name for a band or an actual joke product you could give to the smoker in your life... What ever happened to the Dreamers? Have the Democrats completely abandoned the Dream Act as an issue? Wasn't it an upmost priority just a little while ago?... "It is capitalism that pulled billions out of poverty. Not vapid virtue signaling." - Nassim Nicholas Taleb...

If At First You Don't Succeed...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This is a fantastic political ad. If I lived in her district I'd definitely vote for her.

- Every sign has a story behind it. I really want to know the story behind this one.

- The Astros cheating scandal has betting and legal implications for MLB

- Speaking of the MLB cheating scandal - the day baseball lost its mind.

- How to become a park ranger

-  How fisheries could be sustainable and profitable

- Iran's theocracy will collapse because of people like Kimia Alizadeh

Phase One China Deal

So this week a "Phase One" trade deal with China was signed. For those paying attention this is a clear win for the US and President Trump.

The deal basically breaks down to China agreeing to buy $200 billion in new American goods while the US agrees to not raise any more tariffs. We didn't give up anything and the Chinese agreed to buy more stuff - especially agricultural products.

When Trump instituted his trade war tariffs the Chinese responded by cancelling billions of orders from the US especially food stuffs. They thought this would make the US farmers put pressure on Trump to reduce his tariffs. But the unintended consequence for China was they no longer had enough food for their people. They tried alternative markets like Russia but to no avail. The Chinese learned that the US truly is the breadbasket to the world.

The deal is such a win for the US that the MSM is silent about it. Or if they do speak they have to admit, like CNBC's Jim Cramer that the tariffs worked. And now President Trump gets to campaign in the Midwest with this victory for the farmers under his belt. 

Dalai Lama's 5 Keys to Happiness

Muhammad Ali

Some items to remember the great man that was Muhammad Ali who would have turned 78 today.

- Great story of how Muhammad Ali's biggest fan finally got to meet him

- One of the greatest sports photos of all-time

- How Muhammad Ali wanted to be remembered

- Interesting - why Ali never went to prison for avoiding the draft 

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Anger is temporary madness: The Stoics knew how to curb it. "...other vices affect our judgment, anger affects our sanity."

- Google wants the Supreme Court to ignore copyright law. I'm going to have to go back and read that first link again because companies and people that keep thinking and acting as if the law doesn't apply to them makes me angry. And I'm not alone in that.

- 12 Fucking Rules for Success

- I'm an awful person for laughing at this - a woman passes out after having 12 Heinekens (I hope she's OK)

- This is a pretty damning stat.

- Why LBJ's Great Society failed and what it means for the 2020 election.

Battle of Cowpens

Today is the anniversary of one of the most significant battles in the history of the United States and nobody seems to notice. A short history of the Revolutionary War could read like this:

- The British surrendered at Yorktown after being surrounded by the Continental Army on land and bottled up by the French fleet at sea.
- The British were stuck at Yorktown because they had been so long occupied in the South by battles like the disaster (for the British) at Cowpens
- Cowpens was made possible by Valley Forge and the victory over the Hessians at Trenton
- The French navy was brought into the war because of the overwhelming victory over the British at Saratoga.
- Trenton was made possible by the Continental Army slipping out of Long Island where they really should have been trapped and destroyed by the British
- Long Island was made possible by the victory over the British in the siege of Boston which in turn was made possible by the guns taken from Fort Ticonderoga and by the start of the war at Lexington and Concord.

Of the above - the Battle of Cowpens (which happened 239 years ago today) is probably the least remembered.

If it is remembered it is probably the version that was put forth in the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot. In the movie there is a battle without a name in which Gibson's character asks his irregular infantry to get off two shots and then retreat to trick the British into chasing after them. This is the same basic "plot" to the Battle of Cowpens. The Jason Isaacs character of the dark-hearted Col. Tavington is loosely based on Col. Banastre Tarleton who led the British troops at Cowpens. Unlike the battle in the movie, however, in real life Tarleton (nee Tavington) escapes to fight another day.

One other note that may only interest me. In the movie The Patriot, Gibson's character uses straw soldiers to convince the British to let captives escape. In real life this trick was used but it was used by the British to allow the "captive" loyalists to escape Boston via ships in the harbor under the cover of "troops" placed overlooking the city on Bunker Hill. The troops later turned out to be straw dummies.

One last aside - Daniel Morgan should be a household name in America but sadly, he like most of our history, has been mainly forgotten.