Linky Links

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

- It's near impossible to fully appreciate the good JJ Watt did in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey but this Yahoo! article is a good start.

- This thread is awesome. The story has such a great punchline that I literally "laughed out loud" and the comments are just as good.

- And speaking of awesome (in the literal sense) - the Grand Canyon

- Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass) was 80-years ago this week.

- I love Ben Franklin

- This is a sad recognition of the state of things. Description of things that could be reports of today's news but 2200-years earlier. And a reminder - Kristallnacht was only 80-years ago.

- Ford may be "teetering" on the edge of a Junk Bond rating but I feel confident in the management and products of the company. I drive a Ford and I would recommend it to others.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Look I think Al Franken is a giant jerk but I hope he doesn't go full Slobodan Praljak at today's press conference... Violence Cake would be a good name for a band... This is nuts. Not sure if this shows how great Tom Brady has been or how pathetic the Bills are... So Jimbo Fisher says he didn't throw out his Christmas tree prior to leaving FSU. He said the guy who set up his tree threw it out because it was broken. What kind of man has another guy set up his family Christmas tree? I now dislike Jimbo Fisher... Heh heh... If you are on the opposite side of a moral argument from Mitt Romney - there's a 99% chance you're on the wrong side... What came first? The Elf on the Shelf phenomenon or the NSA spying on all of your data? Seem related. Maybe the NSA invented the Elf on a Shelf in order to get all new generations used to being watched all the time... Not a Trump fan but I would love it if he submitted Elizabeth Warren's name in to be the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs...

NFL Sunday - Week One

JJ Watt has now raised over $31 million for disaster and flood relief for the City of Houston and other surrounding affected areas. $31 million! How can you not be rooting for him and the Houston Texans as they take on the Jaguars today? I'm not going to bet on the Texans because I don't want worrying about covering the 5 points soil my rooting experience.

Speaking of the $31 million Watt has raised (and he's not done yet) for Hurricane Harvey relief - compare that to the roughly $50 million raised during the celebrity telethon for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Some of the biggest Hollywood names and musical stars were able to raise a combined $50 million while JJ Watt by himself has raised $31 million and counting. Incredible!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Kayne West's comment during that celebrity telethon that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" and the media's letting that slide without any sort of condemnation is one of the reasons we have Trump as President today. If in the media's mind everyone's a racist then eventually in the public's mind nobody is.

Today I like Atlanta giving 6.5 vs the Bears. Yes I know the game is in Chicago and on grass but Mike Glennon is starting at QB for the Bears.

I also like Pittsburgh giving 9 vs the Browns. Yes that's a lot of points but the Steelers are motivated by a lot of things (the rivalry, the Browns starting a rookie QB and Joe Hayden getting cut by the Browns and signing with Pittsburgh). Another factor is New England's loss is also a wake-up call to Pittsburgh not to be complacent. That's a message I'm sure Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has made loud and clear. The only thing that bothers me is everyone seems to be picking the Steelers today.

Speaking of the Pats - yes the loss was a tremendous let-down and yes the team looked flat and unprepared. And yes I wasn't a fan of Mark Wahlberg pre-game presentation. But even more disgusting is the sports talk radio that the loss was sure to generate. Like puss to an uncleaned wound.

The Pats will be fine and I'll be sure to avoid the puss that calls itself Boston sports talk radio.

Linky Links

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

- Incredible the difference a week makes. Even though the waters may have receded the damage caused will take months to fix.

- Interesting - scientists discover new form of black hole at heart of Milky Way

- Heh heh - we've all been there Hulkster. And we've also made this vow (only to later break it)

- Footprints suggest mankind may be much older than previously thought

- Insane workout!

- I really do wish Isaiah Thomas full health and nothing but the best. I hope Cleveland loves him as much as Celtics fans

Labor Day Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on this beautiful Labor Day!

If it was widely known in the NFL that QB Jacoby Brissett was available from the Patriots then Jacksonville should have made the best offer for him. Brissett immediately would be the best QB on their roster... Heh heh this is true!...  If Lonzo Ball doesn't license AC/DC's song Big Balls and alter the lyrics to Big Ballers - he's missing a huge marketing opportunity... Heh heh... It should be noted that if Cleveland called off the trade with the Celtics and Kyrie Irving refused to report to training camp then the Cavaliers would have had ZERO leverage moving forward. They would have had to accepted a deal worth less than half what Boston was offering... Metabolic Cascades of Dysfunction would be a good name for a fantasy football team. It's also a fancy way to say "concussions"... A rant from the past - how the teacher's unions have ruined Labor Day...

Linky Links

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

- If this is a financial parable - what's the moral of the tale?

- Welcome home Astro Peggy! Home being the planet Earth of course.

- Speaking of space - why NASA's Curiosity Rover is prohibited from collecting water on Mars

- And speaking of Mars - why our immune system could keep us from reaching Mars

- Have a feeling these Barstool Sports' Goodell Clown Nose T-shirts are about to become big, big sellers in Dallas

- Heh heh

- Another tale of Houston bringing out the best in people

Houston

The devastation in Houston is heartbreaking. Everyone is trying to do what they can to help and it is bringing out the best in many Americans. But the recovery and healing will take years and years.

I have a simple suggestion for how the Republican Party can put their best foot forward in trying to assist with that healing - announce that the 2020 Republican National Convention will be held in Houston. Do it now! It would be an act that would have more real impact to the local economy than any individual gift or pledge.

The Democratic Party could do the same. That could be a great act of bipartisanship. Or they could beat the Republicans to the punch and take all the glory. My guess is it would be a tough sell for the Democrats though since they haven't had a National Convention in Texas since 1928.

Linky Links

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

- The Kyoto Protocol had "no verifiable effect on the CO2 emissions" for the nations who signed on to the "treaty".  Emissions trading and limits are all a sham and have nothing to do with science. Nothing at all.

- Heh heh

- Reminder of why The Far Side was so awesome

- It's the weekend - who up for a swim?

- Agree 100%!

Linky Links

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

- I love illustrations like this

- Underfunded pensions are going to be a big issue to keep an eye on

- Awesome!

- Worth another read - Anthony Bourdain's life advice

- Still funny and still true

- Houston