Friday, April 30, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The 2021 net migration rate for Iraq is 0.359 per 1,000 population. That means net more people are moving into Iraq than into California or New York. Think about that for a minute... What will history recognize as the worse fashion fad? Pussy Hats or bell-bottom corduroy's?... Seems unfair that people remember Wally Pipp as the man who was replaced by Lou Gehrig but hardly anyone remembers Babe Dahlgren. He was the man who replaced Lou Gehrig... Salt (NaCl) is the only family of rocks eaten by humans... There were a lot of happy New England Patriots fans last night as Bill Belichick selected Alabama QB Mac Jones with the 15th pick. Belichick wasted no time submitting the pick either an indication they were really happy that the QB dropped to them. I hope the second-guessers at least give us a day to enjoy the pick... Would love to see a reporter ask a confused Joe Biden if he owns a pussy hat. How do you think Kamala Harris would react to such a question? Please someone make this happen...  

Linky Links

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

- 13 reasons why anyone can benefit from a daily writing habit

-  Going under the radar - Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou still fighting extradition to the US from Canada.

- Heh Heh

- Bill Walsh and the art of elimination

I Know Great Art When I See It


 

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Changes at Basecamp. This is fantastic! "You shouldn't have to wonder [at work] if staying out of it means you're complicit, or wading into it means you're a target." "Back to basics, back to individual responsibility, back to work." Indeed! Hope many other companies follow this lead. (HT Execupundit)

- Texting 988 for the Suicide Prevention Hotline sounds like a worthy idea.

- Tesla Dojo Supercomputer explained. An interesting look at part of Tesla that doesn't get much discussion.

- And he's probably going to waste the rest of the money (HT Newmark's Door)

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Why can't Type II Diabetics sue Kellogg's for making Pop Tarts and McDonalds for Super-sized sodas the way lung cancer patients sued the tobacco companies? Would it surprise anyone if there were class action lawsuits down the line?... Vermont making billboards illegal really adds to the aesthetic of the state. Next they should outlaw just randomly leaving old tires on every other street. That would be nice... Was a little surprised at the news Elon Musk would be hosting SNL and "what's in it for him" is a valid question. I guess it's a cool thing billionaire geniuses get to do. I think if Tony Stark was a real life character he's host SNL too... Not sure where he'll end up but I find myself pulling for Mac Jones. Heard that he comes from a tennis background and that makes me think of Drew Brees who at one point was one of the top amateurs in the country and who was a training partner to Andre Agassi. Brees was picked 32nd in 2001 and he turned out pretty good... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack. If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have." - Gregory McKeown

"We live together, we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves." - Aldous Huxley

"I, however, place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared." - Thomas Jefferson

"Be stubborn on destinations, flexible on tactics, and relentless on progress." - Shane Parrish

"Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those who you are capable of improving. The process is a mutual one: men learn as they teach." - Seneca

Heh Heh


 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The New Creationists

If you stop and think about it the people who believe we are living in a Simulation are no different than people who believe in Creationism. 

The "simulation" obviously has "intelligent design" and someone had to "create" the simulation right? Creationism is the idea that some Supreme Being designed and created the world. People who believe in the Simulation usually believe some extraterrestrial civilization may have done it (just to add another layer of weirdness and sci-fi elements I guess).

Both systems of thought run into the same problem - who created the creator(s)? To me the most ironic part of this is that many who most ardently believe we are living in a simulation are also fervent atheists. They just don't see how they are no different than people who believe in Creationism.  That's amusing to me. 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Reminder that it's been 18 months and not only has no evidence of bat to human transmission been discovered - the "wet markets" in Wuhan are still open and operating. The disease came from a lab... Business idea - make the plants marijuana and sell hundreds of these at Phish concerts... A local Dunkin Donuts in Rutland, MA has been closed for 3-weeks because they can't find enough employees willing to work. This is not good. That is not good at all... Kind of admire the evil genius of this ad... Fair is fair - it is rumored that Apple is looking at getting into the EV car game so why shouldn't Tesla get into the browser and operating system game? Tesla could even just buy Duck Duck Go at this point, come out with their own operating system and launch a line of smart phones. You know there are millions of people who would buy a Tesla phone sight unseen... 

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Top 5 Marion's (or Marian's) of All-Time

1. Maid Marian - from Robin Hood fame

2. John Wayne (real name Marion Michael Morrison)

3. Marion Cunningham - Richie's mom on Happy Day's (played by Marion Ross)

4. Marion Berry (crack addict mayor of DC)

5. (tie) Marion Jones - track star/ steroids user and (tie) Francis Marion - Revolutionary War hero and basis of Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot

Linky Links

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

- 99 bits of unsolicited advice from Kevin Kelly. Some real gems in there.

- Hundreds of US scientists feared compromised by China

- The interesting history of the HMS Porcupine.

- Stephen Curry is never satisfied.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Hypothesis: if AOC hadn't chased away the proposed Amazon East Coast HQ and the 25,000 plus jobs it would have brought many people would have moved to or stayed in NYC and New York wouldn't be losing a Congressional seat. Just saying... Really enjoyed the Marvel series Falcon and the Winter Soldier but I kept having the thought how amusing it would be to print up bumper stickers that replaces the Flag Smashers logo with the DNC logo to re-use the "One World. One People." catch-phrase...  Heh Heh... Explanatory Knowledge would be a good name for a blog... Truth be told - I'm a little disappointed 2020 didn't actually give us murder hornets... So the Oscars were watched by just 9.85 million people. That means Hollywood's signature event now just has ratings slightly better that this year's Peach Bowl which "pitted" Georgia against Cincinnati (hardly a marque bowl game). That game was watched by almost 9 million...

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"If you eat, invest, and think according to what the 'news' advocates, you'll end up nutritionally, financially and morally bankrupt." - Naval Ravikant

"The coronavirus panic is dumb." - Elon Musk

"Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism." - Thomas Sowell

"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste most of it." - Seneca

"When specific knowledge is taught, it's through apprenticeships, not schools." - Naval Ravikant

"That thing that made you weird as a kid could make you great as an adult - if you don't lose it." - Kevin Kelley

Monday, April 26, 2021

The Eisenhower Matrix


 Excellent piece of advice on how to prioritize.

Linky Links

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

- Matt Taibbi: Why "Securing Democracy" Will Be Taught in Journalism Schools. Interesting tale of Glenn Greenwald's new book but I think Taibbi gives journalism schools too much credit in his title of the article.  

- NASA'a bold bet on Starship for the Moon may change spaceflight forever

- Matt Taibbi with an interesting and honest look at why some Democrats are so eager to repeal the SALT cap and basically give a tax break to the wealthiest 1% in Blue States.

Heh Heh

A Few Good Belichicks

"Son, we live in a wold that has playoff games, and those playoff games have to be played by men with talent. Who's gonna do it? You Felger? You, Tom Curran? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for N'Keal Harry and you curse my draft picks. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that N'Keal Harry's pick, while tragic, was the best we had on our board. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, 'wins playoff games.' You don't want the truth because deep down in the places you don't talk about on sports talk radio, you want me in that draft room. You need me in that draft room. We use words like talent, intelligence, character. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent building a winning organization. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man whose income comes from the very wins that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide those wins! I would rather you just said 'thank you' and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you take a job yourself in a front office. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!"

[The NFL Draft is Thursday which means until then Boston sports reporters will continuously speculate on who Bill Belichick and the Patriots will pick and they will also continuously litigate Belichick's capability as a General Manager. It's predictable and stupid.]

ASK - Good Advice


 

Sunday, April 25, 2021

Tower of Song

 

This post at American Digest on The Tower of Song made me think of the above collaboration version between Cohen and U2. Enjoy!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Elon Musk this week announced that Tesla Solar Panels and Solar Roof will only be sold as a package with Powerwall batteries. I predicted this about a year ago. Many of the Tesla products make natural packages which are good for the consumer and also good for Tesla's bottom line... The Biden Administration is not doing a good job with India. A horrible job actually... The government's reaction to Covid-19 can be honestly summered up as "We're confused and afraid so we're going to take away your freedoms." That's it - that's been their whole reaction... Another natural package for Elon Musk would be to integrate a SpaceX Starlink receiver into the Tesla Semi and offer mobile Internet as a service for all Semi trucks sold... People aren't getting into journalism for the money because there isn't any (anymore). In the past gifted writers like David Halberstam did get into journalism (Halberstam most notably as a correspondent in Vietnam). But today "the best and the brightest" are seeking career paths elsewhere. Makes you wonder if the best and brightest aren't going into journalism then what does that make those who are?... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate you.

"None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes. What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration."  - Thomas Edison

"Never trust a big butt and a smile." - Bell Biv Devoe

"We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct." - Neils Bohr

"Liberty without learning is always in peril and learning without liberty is always in vain." - John F. Kennedy

"No matter where or what, there are makers, takers, and fakers." - Robert Heinlein

Happy April 25th


 

Saturday, April 24, 2021

The Rational Optimist

"In one fifty-year period, between 1100 and 1150, three great nations shut down innovation, enterprise and freedom all at once. In Baghdad, the religious teacher Al-Ghazali almost single-handedly destroyed the tradition of rational inquiry in the Arab world and led a return to mysticism intolerant of new thinking. In Peking, Su-Sung's astronomical clock, the 'cosmic engine', probably the most sophisticated mechanical device ever built at that date, was destroyed by a politician suspicious of novelty and (t)reason, setting the tone for the retreat to autarky and tradition that would be China's fate for centuries to come. In Paris, St. Bernard of Clairvaux persecuted the scholar Peter Abelard, criticized the rational renaissance centered on the University of Paris and supported the disastrous fanaticism of the second crusade. Fortunately, the flames of free thought and reason and catallaxy were kept burning - in Italy and North Africa, especially. But imagine if they had not been. Imagine if the entire world had turned its back on the catallaxy then. Imagine if the globalized world of the twenty-first century allows a globalized retreat from reason. It is a worrying thought." - Matt Ridley The Rational Optimist     

The above is from near the end of Ridley's book The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves (which I highly recommend). Ridley follows the above with a listing of some of the things which are obstacles to progress today (some of which have gotten worse since the book was published in 2011). But despite these obstacles Ridley remains optimistic about the future and so am I.

But being optimistic doesn't mean remaining silent to those who insist on putting up or maintaining these obstacles to freedom and progress. Remember that.

Linky Links

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

- Heh Heh - took me a second. "How dare you!" 

- Sometimes it isn't satire

- Larry Ellison makes a good point about cats and dogs.

- Agree with this hero mom 100%

- The environmental catastrophe of the American chestnut tree blight has gone mostly unnoticed and unreported.  

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Your real education begins when you realize it wasn't school." - Shane Parrish

"That which can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence." - Christopher Hitchens

"History teaches us that it is not the lies that are censored." - Nick Hudson

"Out-think to out-perform." - Shane Parrish

"Milk was a bad choice." - Ron Burgandy

 "The message leaps from heart to heart by way of the brain, and where the brain is unpersuaded the message cannot pass." - Joseph Campbell

"The best reading filter is to always ask 'Will I still care about this a year from now?' Huge majority of the time it's 'no' and you can move on to find something else." - Morgan Housel

Friday, April 23, 2021

Heh Heh

Via
 

Linky Links

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

- Matt Ridley: Britain is in danger of repeating its post World War II mistakes.  

- Interesting chart of all the industries Tesla is actually in.

- Why is everything Liberal? The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

- Harry Potter New York scheduled to open June 3rd. (HT Daddy Pundit)

- This car has a very interesting backstory.

- Nice appreciation of the legacy Alex Smith's college career has had on football.

The New Enlightenment

"Rejecting authority in regard to knowledge was not just a matter of abstract analysis. It was a necessary condition of progress, because, before the Enlightenment, it was generally believed that everything important that was knowable had already been discovered, and was enshrined in authoritative sources such as ancient writings and traditional assumptions... This is why the Royal Society (one of the earliest scientific academies, founded in London in 1660) took as its motto 'Nullius in verba', which means something like 'Take no one's word for it." David Deutsch The Beginning of Infinity

I have to feel that because these days the number of things you are not allowed to question or challenge keeps growing. And since open discussion of certain topics are becoming more and more "curated" by Big Tech and others - that a new age of "Take no one's word for it" will be coming soon. Especially with the realization that most news is "Fake News" and that no science is "settled."

At least I hope a new age of "Take no one's word for it" is coming soon. The "elites" and "experts" have certainly proven unworthy of us taking their words for anything.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Can we all agree that this fall if any college football game gets cancelled because lockdowns haven't been lifted in that state then that the home team has to take a forfeit loss? Enough is enough - looking at you California... When I was a kid as an Irish-Catholic we were told that if we ate meat on Friday during Lent that we'd go to hell. Then the church relaxed the stance to "no big deal" because so many people felt it was a stupid rule and were leaving the church. I think the "woke" religion will be facing a similar backlash over some of the things they are insisting on. "You want me to use what as your pronouns?"... Some good advice from Tim Ferris... Self-driving RV's will be one of the next big things and I can see them cutting into air travel revenue. Why spend all that time in the airport when you can kick back in an auto-pilot RV?... Still say the best way to have saved Sears would have been to convert it to a retailer who only sold products Made in the USA. People would have paid a little more and made more of an effort to shop there. Perhaps some retailer may still take that tack?...  

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Linky Links

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

- What Beanie babies taught a generation about boom and bust. (HT Newmark's Door

- Interesting bit of history on why there's so few services on Interstate highways. (HT Newmark's Door)

- This took me a minute

- Wait the Post Office is doing what? Why isn't this a bigger story?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the Dark Ages questioning any dogma of the Church got you labeled as a heretic. Today questioning any leftist dogma can get you labeled as a racists/homophobe/ name the slur and cancelled. This process eventually got old in the Dark Ages and helped lead to the Enlightenment. Hopefully some light will shine through in our age as well... Detachable Racism would be a good name for a band (or a cable news network)... When exactly is yodeling season? Did I miss it?... Who is the most underrated band of all-time? The critic goes with Los Lobos partly on the logic they are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You know who else isn't in the Hall of Fame and is even more underrated? Bad Company... Who knew? Steven Glass was just ahead of his time in the new journalism... I know my ass from my elbow but I couldn't tell you the difference between a castle and a keep... Do you think deep down the climate change people are upset with the BLM people for stealing all the political oxygen (and fund-raising dollars)?... 

Linky Links

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

- Disney and Sony come to an agreement that will finally bring the Tom Holland Spiderman movies (and other properties) to Disney+ (and other Disney owned channels).

The Network State - How to Start a New Country. This is a very possible scenario. I wonder if you could have dual citizenship and passports?

- Great moment in Boston Bruins history

- Justin Fields tells NFL teams he's managing epilepsy. Let the rumors of him slipping to the Patriots at 15 begin. Personally I'd be more comfortable with a QB with epilepsy than one who's a vegan.

Happiness


 

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- It's not just Starlink offering LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite service - Amazon is getting into the game with their Kuiper offering. A $10 billion investment by Amazon.

- Australia cancels China's Belt and Road deal. Good for the Aussies. 

- Reliance on renewable energy risks more blackouts not fewer

- Stubstack is a good alternative to the Pravda-ization of the media but in my opinion we need more than just Substack.

Linky Links

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

- Interesting cautionary tale from a start-up software founder.

- Omega-3 supplements offer some significant benefits. I've been taking Omega-3 (Krill Oil) supplements for 2-months now and have no plans to stop.

- Glenn Greenwald: The Media Lied Repeatedly about Officer Brian Sicknick's Death. The media has no shame - and once again the NYT is front and center among the worst offenders. 

- That was quick - proposed Super League collapses. 

5 Hour Rule for Learning

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Am I wrong or is the new plan to pull the troops out of Afghanistan before the troops are pulled out of Washington DC? That's pretty messed up and it's like nobody's paying attention... The Great Barrington Declaration and Ad Hominem Augmentation. True - if they had a case to make they would instead they attack the signers... Remember a few years ago when Coors released a new drink - Coors Light Iced Tea but nobody in marketing thought through the acronym (CLIT)? "Hey guys let's go out and grab some CLIT" - you don't see that product advertised anymore (for some reason)... Unpopular Opinion: I see people talking about getting the vaccine and being relieved that they can now spend time with their family, friends and loved ones again. Truth is you could have been doing that all along... Not a soccer fan but I understand the outrage over the new proposed Super League. As a way to confront that threat to history and tradition I offer a simple recommendation: any player under contract to any team in the Super League would not be eligible for a World Cup roster. You could easily get Britain and Scotland to support such a measure and I'm guessing Spain and Germany would come on board as well. That would take the steam out of the Super League from the get go... 

Top 5 - Reasons to Boycott the Beijing Olympics


1. The Wuhan Virus. This virus came from the Wuhan Institute for Virology not from some "wet market" and the Chinese have covered it up. This cover up delayed action and cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The Tokyo Olympics had to be delayed or cancelled because of the virus yet China is not set to pay any price for their negligence? 

2. There's an active genocide going on in China. The US's official policy is still that China's detention of million of Xinjiang Muslims constitutes genocide. After the Holocaust when the world said "Never Again" nobody added the qualifier "except in Olympics years." How any Muslim country can do business with the Chinese, never mind participate in the Olympics, is mystifying to me. I'm also mystified why sponsors would want their brands associated with the Genocide Olympics.. 

3. Hong Kong. The Chinese Communists used the cover of the pandemic to crack down and eliminate any vestiges of freedom in Hong Kong while the world was busy dealing with the pandemic. It is wrong for the world to forget the plight of the Hong Kongers. To participate in these Olympics would be a slap in the face to all those in Hong Kong who were locked up or killed simply for wanting freedom.

4. Tibet. Before Hollywood found gold pandering to Chinese audiences the plight of Tibet was a favored liberal cause. The Tibetans are still under the thumb of the Chinese Communists but greed in Hollywood will cover up many, many sins. 

5. The safety of the athletes and the American tourists attending the games. How free will the broadcasters and reporters covering the Olympics be to vice their true opinions? How free will the athletes themselves be? Can you imagine an athlete wearing a "Free Hong Kong" shirt getting detained for months by the CCP? I can easily imagine that. Or American tourists being held simply as leverage against us. If that happens the answer will be "we should never have been there in the first place." We are Americans - the world looks to us to speak up and be strong. This is the opposite.

The idea of Winter Olympics in China is farcical to begin with. When you think Alpine skiing how many hundreds of other places would you think of before answering Beijing? The Chinese Communists crave legitimacy. Why are we giving that to them? Boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics - China is asshole!

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Behind it all is surely an idea so simple, so beautiful, that when we grasp it - in a decade, a century, or a millennium - we will all say to each other, how could it have been otherwise?" - John Archibald Wheeler

"No man ever steps into the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man." - Heraclitus

"Discovering a new explanation is inherently an act of creativity." - David Deutsch

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

 "I think the meaning of life is to do things for their own sake. Ironically, when you do things for their own sake, you create your best work." - Naval Ravikant

Johnny Cash with a Kitten

What better way to start your day than with the image of a smiling Johnny Cash and a cute kitten.  

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Support Barnes & Noble

It would be cool if book lovers supported the stock of Barnes & Noble the way Reddit and Wall Street Bets supported GameStop. 

The support of GameStop was both a money making opportunity but also a way to stick it to Wall Street short-selling hedge funds who had targeted the favorite store from many a gamers childhood. 

Likewise support of Barnes & Noble could be looked at as a defense against censorious Amazon and Jeff Bezos who somehow got it in his head that he is solely responsible for deciding which books are OK to read. 

Yes used bookstores are among my favorite places but this country needs more than one major outlet for new books. We can't let Amazon become a monopoly for new books otherwise we may also be giving up our freedom to read what we want. Support Barnes & Noble.

This post was inspired by this article: Last chance to end the tech tyranny. 

Linky Links

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

- What happened to the actors who were performing the night Abraham Lincoln was shot. (HT Daddy Pundit)

- Matt Taibbi: Rachael Maddow is Bill O'Reilly. "With Maddow in the lead role, MSNBC has become Fox, but somehow more craven, jingoistic, and shameless."

- The Irish academic who s getting his PhD in Irish "Ghost Whiskeys." Very cool. (HT Daddy Pundit)

- Bari Weiss: You have to read this letter. Loved this line, "But speak up you must. There is strength in numbers and I assure you, the numbers are there." Bravo!

What a Wonderful World

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow,

They'll learn much more than I'll ever know,

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

- Bob Thiele and George David Weiss

 

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Not to pat myself on the back but I called that the Russian Bountygate story was BS from day one. I suggested that both the White House and the Pentagon should have immediately pulled the NYT press credentials until they substantiated their claims. It was and remains a completely irresponsible act by the NYT - shame on anyone who buys that paper... So the current woke generation seems to have no problem with pulling Mark Twain's classic Huck Finn from schools and libraries - so how likely will it be the future generations will likewise "cancel" classic TV shows like The Wire? I hope that doesn't come to pass... Haunted Tabasco would be a good name for a band or even better name for a hot, hot sauce...  Heh Heh... Why does it seem that those who are quickest to denounce others as fascists are also the same ones who have fantasies about seeing people "frog marched" to prison?... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Optimists are dismissed as fools, pessimists as sages, by a media that likes to be spoon-fed on scary press releases." - Matt Ridley

"[O]f course God exists. Even if God turns out to be just science in fancy pyjamas." - Ian Martin

"Early in life, I had noticed that no event is ever correctly reported in a newspaper." - George Orwell

"If something is important enough, even if the odds are stacked against you, you should still do it." - Elon Musk

"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." - Albert Camus

"It's encouraging that thanks to the J&J stoppage people suddenly see the absurdity in shutting things down on the basis of miniscule risk." - Clifton Duncan

"It's none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way." - Ernest Hemingway

Heh Heh


 

Friday, April 16, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Jeff Bezos - Create more than you consume. Simple but profound life advice.

- VDH - How to start a war. Weakness does invite conflict.

- Bari Weiss - Why France refuses to prosecute an anti-Semitic murdered. Shame on France. 

- As an aside - Chaotic and Reckless would be a good name for a blog

Linky Links

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

- Negativity is a character trait.

- How confident are we that Dark Matter is real? As an aside Vera Rubin should have won a Nobel Prize. (HT Newmark's Door)

- Interesting - Arabian coins found in Rhode Island may unlock 17th century pirate mystery.

- Paul Graham - How people get rich now. Fascinating economics history. 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"The closer you are to the truth, the more silent you become inside." - Naval Ravikant

"These people don't see that if you encourage totalitarian methods, the time may come when they will be used against you and not for you." - George Orwell

"When someone emphatically claim 'I bear the sole responsibility for...' a fiasco, she or he are hinting that someone else is the true responsible." - Nassim Taleb

"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it." - W.C. Fields

"Knowing a lot about the human body does not make you an expert in risk analysis, trade-offs, or unintended consequences." - Russell Roberts  

"The media want to make every problem your problem." - Naval Ravikant

Sadly True



Thursday, April 15, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Question has to be asked - is it time to pull the plug on SNL? Or perhaps replace Lorne Michaels with someone younger without embedded interests in the Democratic Party?  (HT Instapundit)

- Two years later - the latest on the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral

- Heh Heh (HT Instapundit)

- On a related note

- Cool perspective on civilization

Stringer Bell Explains Name Change to "Climate Emergency"

 

This helps explain why all of a sudden the climate alarmists now want to change the name to "Climate Emergency." Climate Change is the new Worldcom (or Death Grip if you prefer).

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm old enough to remember that first it was Global Cooling and the threat of a new Ice Age, then it was Global Warming, then it was Climate Change, and now - it's a Climate Emergency! Get the fuck out. What's next? We're All Going to Die (so please give generously)...  Really feel that Rep. Matt Gaetz is being railroaded in the court of public opinion. It is chilling how his reputation is being shredded without any charges or facts. Compare this to the story of Rep. Eric Swalwell who was sleeping with a Chinese spy but whose story was memory-holed by the very same media outlets. The difference of course is one is a Republican and one is a Democrat. This is sickening behavior by the media... For the record I stopped reading or paying attention to Scientific American a couple of decades ago. Its been pop-science crap for a long time... Urgent Owl would be a good name for a band... Part of me thinks the conservation movement went off the rails when it went from a day where people actually did something constructive - Arbor Day when people planted trees - to Earth Day where people just hippie virtue signaled. It should be remembered that Earth Day was created by a murderer (Ira Einhorn) and the day was picked to honor the star of the show Green Acres on his birthday (Eddie Albert). It's always been crazy...  

Linky Links

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

- Flashback: When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote to George Jones.

- Heh Heh

- Morgan Housel: A Few Short Stories

- Andrew Cuomo wants to force broadband companies to provide $15 Internet for low income households.  I'd question the legality of this and also the timing. Is this a useful distraction from the Me-Too allegations and the thousands of elderly nursing home deaths. 

He Could Never Run as a Democrat Today


 

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Top 5 - Issues the MSM Actively Avoids Covering

1. Joe Biden's mental incapacity  

2. The pandemic originating from the Wuhan Institute of Virology

3. Kids in cages at the border

4. Anything to do with Hunter Biden (remember back in the day the scandal caused when the Bush twins were seen out having a drink?)

5. Any mass shooting that doesn't involve a white male Republican shooter.

And there are so many more.

Linky Links

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

- The Three P's of Ideas

- Makhaila Peterson discusses Marvel comparing her dad to the Red Skull. I'm going to buy one of those T-shirts. 

- I Refuse to Stand By While My Students are Indoctrinated. Everyone should be so lucky to have a teacher this dedicated.

- Surviving the Crackdown in Xinjiang. The world should not turn a blind eye to the evils of China.

On This Day in History

On this day in history in 1865 President Lincoln was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Treat yourself like someone you're responsible for helping." - Jordan Peterson

"But if someone has a gun and is trying to kill you... it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." - Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

"My only measure of success is how much time you have to kill." - Nassim Taleb

"You want to be free, but accountable." - Naval Ravikant

"That which is against communism is for humanity." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"There are just two rules of governance in a free society. Mind your own business. Keep your hands to yourself." - P.J. O'Rourke

Linky Links

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

- 10 Awful Words and the People They're Named For

- This will always be my favorite photo of Prince Philip

- Interesting - The rice of the sea: how a tiny grain could change the way humanity eats

Heh Heh So True! Karens all the way down.

- How much Hideki Matsuyama may have made from winning the Masters after taxes.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

How spoiled are Boston sports fans? Largely because we've had 12 championships since 2000 (6 Patriots, 4 Red Sox and one each for Celtics and Bruins) - most sports fans don't even bother to count the 6 NCAA Men's Hockey championships (7 if you count Providence College's) since 2000 (4 Boston College, Boston University and now UMass)... Heh Heh... Texas passes the Star Spangled Banner Act which makes it mandatory to play the National Anthem at sporting events. Good job Mark Cuban for making this an issue and making people believe you actually hate the country that made you a billionaire... Still say that miniature pony chariot races would be a TV ratings bonanza. Especially if they had monkeys as the charioteers... This book is not about what I hoped it was about... 

Truth


 

Monday, April 12, 2021

Julian Edelman

New England Patriots great Julian Edelman has decided to retire. Edelman is one of those rare athletes who you've never heard a negative thing about. Fans loved pulling for him because he wasn't the most gifted athlete but he made the most of what he had by always giving 100% effort. That did not go unnoticed. 

Julian was "clutch" and always seemed to come up biggest in the playoffs. Edelman had the greatest catch in Patriots playoff history (perhaps in all Super Bowl history). Note: Malcolm Butler's was an interception not a catch.

Edelman is also one of the most creative athletes out there as evidenced by this short video (where he calls Tom Brady his SISTER). He will do very well in his post-playing career. Some network will be sure to gobble him up as an NFL commentator but I have an idea that Edelman is destined for more than being pigeon holed as just an NFL commentator. Perhaps he's the next Pat McAfee? Or Michael Strahan?

One of the most underrated "what ifs" in Boston sports history is what kind of career could Julian Edelman have had if he didn't blow out his knee on sub-standard turf in Houston.  

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If CNN did decide to leave Atlanta because of the new Voting Laws - how many journalists would have to lose their jobs to help pay for the move? It's not like CNN is flush with ratings cash at the moment... This was a cool little story... The White House Correspondents Dinner was supposed to be April 24th but guessing from the zero discussion about it that there will be no event this year and no explanation as to why it was cancelled. Any explanation would prove politically inconvenient and we can't have that... Marvel should come out with a new character - Super Harpy. It would be a character named Karen whose super power would be hectoring people over every little thing until the person loses their will. Of course this character would be a villain... Is there a more common or unimaginative name than Branch River? Every State must have at least one... 

Linky Links

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

- The 6-Foot Mandate was Bad Science. So much bad science in one frigging year.

- Map of all physics particles and forces. Going to have to review this several times to let it sink in.

- VDH: Wealthy and Woke. Agree 100%. Don't let these rich blowhards lecture you on anything. 

- Bari Weiss: What Should be Done to Curb Big Tech? I agree with the Common Carrier argument. (HT Execupundit) 

Uncontrollable Urge - Devo

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Heh Heh - awesome!

- Interesting - China's Semiconductor Industry: Shell Games All the Way Down

- Saw these being posted on Twitter and wondered what was going on.

- Potentially a major milestone in fusion technology

- The Four Buddhist Mantras for Turning Fear into Love

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Congratulations to UMass the 2021 NCAA Men's Hockey National Champions! I wonder if there will be a victory parade in Amherst?... They should hand out the 2021 MLB Comeback Player of the Year right now... An updated version of A Few Good Men would have Lt Daniel Kaffee arguing that Corporal Dawson and Private Downey weren't giving Santiago a Code Red - they were just trying to get him to wear his mask. Of course an updated version would have to change the title to A Few Good People Who Self-Identify As They Wish... In the discussion of the greatest American writer since Hemingway the name Ray Bradbury has to be in the discussion... An inconvenient truth is that Al Gore's documentary  of the same name has not aged well or held up factually. When's the last time you saw it offered or advertised on a streaming service? That movie has pretty much gone down the memory hole... All the best to Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Get well soon America needs your voice of reason... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which a man can aspire." - Viktor Frankl

"Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life." - Jerzy Gregorek

"It's ironic that of all the Kardashsians Caitlyn has had the least work done." - Tim Dillion

"Risk comes from not knowing what your doing." - Warren Buffett

"Build others up and they'll enable your success. Tear them down and they'll wait for you to fail." - Shane Parrish

"Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how.'" - Viktor Frankl

Richard Feynman


 

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Risk is what's left when you think you've thought of everything." - Carl Richard

"I'm not an investor. I like to make technologies real that I think are important for the future and useful in some sort of way." - Elon Musk

"To infinity and beyonnnnddddd." - President Joe Biden

"Companies should have to get shareholder permission to take political stances." - Glenn Reynolds

"Anyone want to see if we can't get a MAGA event scheduled in Atlanta for the date of the ASG?" - Curt Schilling

"Every battle is won before it is fought." - Sun Tzu

Linky Links

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

- Matt Taibbi: The Two Faces of Joe Biden

- An excellent explanation of the results and implications of this week's Fermilab's Muon g-2 findings.  

- Time to push back indeed!

- How Social Justice logic works

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If I were to run for office in 2022 my campaign slogan would simply be "Enough is Enough." I think that would resonate so much that an Enough is Enough Third Party could actually win a good number of elections taking voters from both sides of the aisle... We are less than 3-weeks from the White House Correspondents Dinner (April 24th) yet we've heard surprisingly little about the event. What are the odds it gets postponed or cancelled for *cough* COVID *cough* reasons? The real reason will be that President Biden isn't competent enough to handle such a non-scripted event. If the Nerd Prom gets cancelled look for articles about the 25th Amendment to suddenly become de rigueur... Hill I'll die on - Bob Seger is a superior artist to Bruce Springsteen. Love them both but seriously when do you ever hear a Bruce Springsteen live version of any of his songs on the radio or elsewhere? Meanwhile Bob Seger songs are almost always the live versions because he's that damn good. Also willing to bet Seger had more "hits" than Springsteen... The hospital in the Harry Potter books was called Saint Mungo's. Did you know there was an actual Saint Mungo? He's the patron saint of Glasgow, Scotland... Cult of Inhibitions - band name or all-inclusive singles resort?...  

Van Gough's Starry Night (Created by Dominoes)

Friday, April 09, 2021

Global Warming


The above graph shows that according to satellite based temperature readings the world is on a warming trend. However, the rate of warming is nowhere near the alarmists predictions of most "experts" models.

You could also see that if you averaged out the 42-years shown on the graph there'd be no increase at all. That's just to show that you could make the stats show what you want. Secondarily 42-years is nothing when it comes to plotting the historical nature of the Earth.

One final thought I'd like to get out of my head - who's to say a little warming isn't a good thing? I live in New England and would personally welcome slightly warmer weather. Also warmer temperatures could also mean that the Plains of Canada, Siberia, and Mongolia would be able to produce more crops to help alleviate any global hunger. Wouldn't that be a good thing? The warming period during Medieval times gave rise to the Renaissance - wasn't that a good thing? And back then fossil fuels had nothing to do with the rise in temperatures. 

Graph via.   

Linky Links

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

- Comedian K-von quadruples fan base with Biden barbs. Good for him.

Yes - you love to see it.

- Planning on having a lot of "infrastructure" this weekend. (HT Instapundit)

- VDH: Laudator Temporis Acti (Praiser of times past). He's not wrong. 

- Space-based solar power (wait isn't all solar power space-based?) getting key test aboard US Military's (Space Force) X-37B. I've long been fascinated by the X-37B which is the defacto replacement for the Space Shuttle. 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If the Democrats wanted to dump Joe Biden in favor of Kamala Harris but didn't want to get their hands dirty trying to suggest the 25th Amendment themselves - the easiest way would be to have Biden sign a bunch of un-Constitutional gun control Executive Orders and see the Republicans get outraged. Just saying... It would be funny if a number of Atlanta Braves players sued MLB and Rob Manfred for creating a hostile work environment. What could Rob Manfred possibly say in response? Cha-ching! Cash in boys!... Why is it the media and the "experts" always seem to be so wrong... Wonder if it's possible for a State like Texas or Florida to tax YouTube - say at $.01 per video view in the state - and then use those funds for a favorite cause like fighting homelessness or providing broadband to low income families. What would be to stop a tax like that? They delete videos that go against the grain of their political aims and the Republican Governors tax their asses. Seems fair... John Kerry has always been a frigging idiot... 

Today in History

Today is the anniversary of Robert E. Lee surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox in 1865.  One of the most important dates in US history goes by with little or no mention and we wonder why kids today seem so uninformed.

Thursday, April 08, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Democrats control of the House is increasingly fragile. And it is true that the President's party normally loses ground in midterm elections. (HT Newmark's Door)

- I'm amused that this this may be the new look of protest.

- Fascinating discussion - Peter Thiel and The Nixon Seminar (here's the transcript if you prefer to read the exchanges). Going to listen to this seminar more than once. 

- MLB anti-trust exemption may be coming to an end because of moving the All-Star game. Good! The owners will be best pleased with Rob Manfred when that happens. 

The Masters and Protest

The Masters handled the woke mob better than anyone. Back when uber harpy Martha Burk threatened a protest and boycott of any advertiser who had commercials during the telecast of the 2003 Masters - they simply said, "Fine then we'll have no commercials." Golf fans loved it! And now - when's the last time you heard about Martha Burk?

The issue was about women members and quietly the club added Condi Rice as a member and the issue went away. Likewise I think quietly after this weekend you'll either see Rob Manfred forced to resign his membership in Augusta National or his membership will be rescinded. 

People should have learned from the Masters' example.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Recently heard Ernest Hemingway described as the most important American writer since Mark Twain. That of course made me wonder - who is the most important American writer since Hemingway? Technically John Steinbeck outlived Hemingway but I consider him a contemporary. Kurt Vonnegut? Please don't say Stephen King. Who? Seriously.. In 1978 China was far from an economic powerhouse but they allowed free trading zones imitating Hong Kong. That allowed the rise of their economy because of entrepreneurs like Jack Ma. Now both Hong Kong and Jack Ma are in shackles. Is it really reasonable for people to expect China's growth to continue unabated under those circumstances?... Perhaps my favorite tattoo story (and Sailor is Poker Hall of Famer Sailor Roberts)... So let me get this straight some people are for vaccine passports but these same people are against DNA samples from illegal immigrants with children crossing the border to see if they are actually the parents or the children are victims of human traffickers. The same people are able to hold both of these demands in their heads - simultaneously... Any truth to the rumor that Jell-O Pudding Pops have signed Deshaun Watson as their new celebrity spokesperson?...     

Freedom

 
"Here's a scene from Passport to Pimlico where people in a pub tear up their papers when confronted by an officious policeman. Sick of post-war rationing and controls, the mood for liberation then.

And now?" - Matt Ridley
Not to be outdone - Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Amen Governor - Amen!

Wednesday, April 07, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Leave other people's mistakes where they lie." - Marcus Aurelius

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm just a caveman. Your world frightens and confuses me." - Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

"Happiness, as it's said, is just results minus expectations. The hardest financial skill is getting the goalposts to stop moving. Social comparison is the battle that can never be won." - Morgan Housel

"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage." - Thucydides

"Governments create nothing and have nothing to give but what they have first taken away." - Winston Churchill

"In the short term, you are as good as your intensity. In the long term, you are only as good as your consistency." - Shane Parrish

Linky Links

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

- How trader Jeff Yass parlayed poker and horse race handicapping into a $12 billion fortune. Interesting read. 

- UFO mystery objects remain unidentified. I have my own (tinfoil hat) theory that I'll post one of these days.

- Tom Brady is launching an NFT company.

- Justice Clarence Thomas provides legal roadmap to tearing down social media censorship. Amused by the idea that the conservative Justice Thomas could become a hero to leftists like Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

How the world will end according to my latest fever dream - someone will bet Elon Musk that he can't boil the oceans... Have to think with the move of many companies to work from home flexibility and with new broadband sources like SpaceX's Starlink service I believe that many people may be adopting a van life / RV lifestyle in the not too distant future... The perfect counter programming for the All-Star game would be a UFC title card held in Atlanta that same night. Dana White could even have former President Trump as his guest of honor. That event's TV ratings would dwarf baseball's. Only problem is the UFC just signed a big contract with ESPN and ESPN is broadcasting the All-Star game... Speaking of the All-Star game - Joe Biden and Rob Manfred giving this guy a run for his money... Funny but 4-years ago the best basketball team in NYC was arguably the Harlem Globetrotters. The Knicks and the Nets have come a long way... 

Truth


 

Tuesday, April 06, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Increases in Coronavirus cases  are happening mainly in states with stricter Covid-19 rules

- Matt Taibbi: Meet the Censored - The Right to Know Foundation. Do you remember when Google's motto was "don't be evil?" Yeah - me either.

- Leaked docs show UK government has planned for vaccine passports all along

- Who knew?

- Did not know this either

Linky Links

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

VDH: Donald J. Trump - Joe Biden's Best Friend

- Damn it! I want justice for ME but not for THEE!

- Good on Marco Rubio! Wonder if any reporters will ask Rob Manfred about his Augusta National membership in GEORGIA and if he'll be giving that up any time soon

- Interesting - How the Winklevoss Twins became crypto billionaires

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

There should be blue colored MAGA hats for Democrats who are sick of the "Progressive" tilt of their party... Reminder that Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directly help cost tens of thousand of well paying jobs in her District by running off Amazon's plans for a new HQ. She's never paid a political price for that... Even though I no longer attend mass this post resonated with me for many reasons. There's a backlash coming including for the Catholic Church. The idea of a Holy Day of Obligation has gone out the window. And those who don't uphold the lessons of the Saints and Martyrs are not worth listening to...  Really like the idea of stakeholders of public companies holding management responsible for "woke" decisions that negatively effect stock picks. Get a bunch of these CEO's fired and more companies will become less likely to virtue signal at the cost of long-time investors. One can only hope... The last time I attended mass was for my brother's funeral. As a divorced man they technically don't want me and I unequivocally don't want them...  

Truth


 

Monday, April 05, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- West Virginia implements the most expansive school choice program in the country. Good for West Virginia! It will be interesting to see how this program effects state standardized test score. (HT Instapundit)

- Personal data from over 500 million Facebook users leaked online. Why anyone is still on Facebook is beyond me.

- Why is Africa the global COVID "Cold Spot" and why are we afraid to talk about it?  When science isn't politically correct it becomes cancelled.

- Cracking the Case of London's Elusive, Acrobatic Rare-Book Thieves

Linky Links

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

- Matt Taibbi: Is Traditional Liberalism Vanishing? Great piece but I kept thinking this could also have been titled "Make the ACLU Great Again (MAGA)" 

- Many a truth is told in jest

- Where are your thoughts taking you?

- God bless this pastor

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Things that make you wonder - Doctor explains 99.3% of COVID-19 patients treated with Ivermectin recover in five days. Is this true? Why haven't we heard much more about this? Is it because Ivermectin can be bought for as little as $17 while the vaccines are generating billions for big pharma? If the Dominican Republic does have a lower death rate from Covid than the US then people should be made to answer for that... Why hasn't Taylor Swift commented yet on MLB moving the All-Star game out of Atlanta? What is she hiding?... To be honest about Ivermectin - you're not supposed to drink alcohol when taking it so I'll probably get the vaccine instead... The fact that Lois Lerner never faced any criminal charges for the way she ran the IRS is further proof that there are two sets of laws in this country... A couple of years ago the media reported breathlessly about a "tiger" running loose in Manhattan. That "tiger" later turned out to be just a raccoon. If that's not a near perfect example of the fear mongering and inaccuracy of the media then I'm not sure what is... 

Farnam Street Knowledge

The Shortness of Time

- Resonance: How to Open Doors for Other People

- Ethos, Logos, and Pathos: The Structure of a Great Speech

Sunday, April 04, 2021

Linky Links

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

- VDH: Mythologizing the Past

- A map of New England stereotypes.

- I've hiked all but two of these trails - River Bend Farm in Uxbridge and Lookout Rock in Northbridge.

- Jack Nicklaus' favorite Masters memory may not be what you think.

8 rules to do everything better 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you're doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi

"The tranquility that comes when you stop caring what they say. Or think, or do. Only what YOU do." - Marcus Aurelius

"Karma is just you, repeating your patterns, virtues, and flaws until you finally get what you deserve." - Naval Ravikant

"Men believe that which they wish to be true." - Julius Caesar

"In fairness to Jesus, 'One of you will betray me' is a great dinner party conversation opener." - Richy Craven

Reasons to Believe in the Historically Risen Jesus


Eight reasons to believe in the historically risen Jesus.

Paul on the road to Damascus has always been the thing that gave my logical mind pause.

My Easter Wish - Enough Already


 

Saturday, April 03, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Morgan Housel: Big Lessons from the Last Year

- 10 Types of Innovation

- MLB Bans Red Caps as Symbol of Hate

- VDH: Optimism Inc.

MLB Gives Georgia the Middle Finger

MLB has announced they are moving the 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta because of their new voting law. This is a big mistake in my opinion. You can never be "woke" enough for some people and once you give in to this sort of social justice blackmail you are marked as a sucker and the woke demands will never stop.

Voting rights is also an ironic issue for MLB to tackle - especially in relation to the All-Star game. MLB allows anyone to vote for the All-Star game up to 35 TIMES. No "one person one vote" for MLB. Nosireee Bob. Also MLB was more than happy to play games n Castro's Cuba but not Atlanta? Really? How are the voting rights in Havana? 

Also when it comes to racism MLB has a lot to answer for itself before it tries to take the mote out of another's eye. When American hero Jackie Robinson was first on the Hall of Fame ballot - 22% of the Baseball Writers eligible to vote did not vote for Robinson. This was clearly racism. 100%. Yet MLB is still in bed with the Baseball Writers of America. 

Why haven't these racist baseball writers been identified and shamed? Why Rob Manfred? Why? Oh because the Baseball Writers voting is separate from MLB - but so is the voting laws of the State of Georgia but that didn't stop you there. Oh that was in the past and you're only concern is the present? Oh well then I can expect MLB to shortly denounce the human rights abuses by the Chinese and renounce MLB's partnership with the Chinese Communists - right? Why the "no comment" Mr. Manfred? You hypocritical sack of shit.   

The easiest prediction I've ever made is that this year's All-Star game will have the lowest TV ratings in history. There is also bound to be a backlash and a boycott of any sponsor who advertises during the game. Baseball used to be neutral ground but no longer. Rob Manfred has just made it political and he'll learn the hard way that there's much truth to the phrase "Go Woke Go Broke."

The only silver lining I can see is that now it is clear that all sports is open game for political stances it makes any argument against NOT boycotting the Beijing Olymics moot.  

Heh Heh