Linky Links

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

- How America could become a high trust society again.

- Jonathan Turley: Democratic leaders swap "Me Too" for Maine.

- Man-Bear-Pig's Al Gore's inaccurate untruths distorted policy. It was always a hoax.

- Wow is right!

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... 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Surprised the nickname "Canadian Beto" never stuck for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau... "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." - Marcus Aurelius... Jack Dempsey said the only man he ducked fighting when he was heavyweight champion of the world was Ernest Hemingway. Dempsey didn't want to hurt the great writer who was insistent on proving his manhood... Nick Saban on the 5 choices we all have in life... Can you imagine how different the history of the Knicks and the entire NBA would have been if Pat Riley was given full control of the franchise instead of being allowed to bolt for Miami all those years ago?... "It's only physics if it comes from the Physique region of France. Otherwise it's just sparkling math." - Anna Hughes...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Just saying but you may find more Aaron Hernandez than Kyrie Irving jerseys in Boston next year... There should have been an episode of Magnum PI where Magnum witnesses Higgins murder his ex-wife and a waiter but decides to keep silent about it for years... Can you imagine how different the history of the Knicks would have been if Pat Riley was given full control of the franchise instead of being allowed to bolt for Miami all those years ago... Still firmly believe that "sticktum" should be a word. It is more pleasing to the ear than either "anus" or sphincter". Make it so... Jack Dempsey said the only man he ducked fighting when he was heavyweight champion of the world was Ernest Hemingway. He didn't want to hurt the great writer who was insistent on proving his manhood... When did we start calling 70's soft rock Yacht Rock? Did I miss the memo?... MMA Jesus would be a good name for a Christian rock band...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Part of me wants Zion Williamson to land with the New York Knicks because then many New Yorkers would be confused by some of these Democrats claiming to not be anti-Semites but anti-Zionists instead... I truly do want a copy of this painting... With March here I would still like to know why if the day after Christmas can be known as Boxing Day - why can't the day after St. Patrick's Day be known as Hangover Day?... Kill Bill - The Ballet?... Just a reminder - each March we knew exactly who President Obama picked in his NCAA pool but we still don't know where he was the night our embassy in Benghazi was attacked... If Zion Williamson does get signed by the Knicks - I hope he gets invited to AIPAC... Quietly the Boston Bruins have become perhaps the hottest team in the NHL. Go Bruins!...

Kyrie Irving

On this day exactly one year ago the Boston Celtics traded for Kyrie Irving. The trade was Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round pick (which ended up being the 8th overall which they used on 6'2" point guard Collin Sexton from Alabama).

The trade was a big win for Danny Ainge and the Celtics (despite what others predicted).  Looking back I stand by my immediate assessment of the trade.

The Celtics have Kyrie under control for this season and then he becomes a free agent. Even if he leaves Boston has Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier as back-ups. My big fear, however, is somehow Knicks find the cap room to sign both Irving and Kevin Durant to add to Kristaps Porzingas. That's a potent Big Three but realistically I don't see it happening. More likely Kyrie re-signs with Boston.

The Celtics will be very good this season. And Kyrie Irving will be their best player.

Linky Links

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

- Anyone familiar with this browser called Brave? Tim Ferris is trying it out but curious if anyone else has (I hesitate to move off of Google Chrome)

- How can you not like Tim Tebow?

- New study says fracking does not impact water supplies.

- Space trash is one of my secret concerns.

- Interesting

- Knick's center Enes Kanter's father indicted in Turkey on "terrorism" charges. Enos Kanter is prohibited from returning to Turkey. Terrorism is in scare quotes because this looks to be politically motivated charges.

- Good to know!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Can't believe Mental Floss didn't mention me in the post on Flotsam and Jetsam! I've been calling my miscellaneous thoughts and observations Flotsam and Jetsam for 13-years!... So the New York Knicks have offered Tim Hardaway Jr. a 4-year $71 million contract. The 4th year is a player's option which reportedly Hardaway will exercise as soon as the ink is dry and the Knicks realize just how stupid they are... So CNN assigns one reporter to find creator of a stupid GIF and success! Yet when they assign all of their reporters and resources to find a missing plane - complete failure!... Heh heh - life's like that sometimes... Does it make me racist that I find it hilarious when people tell Shaun King to "lighten up" on social media?... Always a favorite - top 10 medieval butt-licking cats... Summertime drinking tip - hard apple cider with a shot of cranberry vodka over ice makes for a delicious hot summer day treat...

NBA Thoughts

Things are getting crazy in the NBA "Hot Stove". Here's some of my thoughts/predictions.

New York Knicks - my guess is Kristaps Porzingis is not traded by the Knicks. Phil Jackson will realize how angry he's made Knick fans even suggesting Porzingis may be available and nothing will happen. Could that change if Jackson drafts 7'0" Lauri Markkanen Thursday night? Yes. If Jackson gets his ego all a twitter and trades Porzingis to show the world who is boss then Boston can offer the best package. Next year's Nets number one and the Lakers first if 2-5 (or Kings 2019 unprotected) plus Jae Crowder is a pretty fair exchange. If Jackson also trades Carmelo Anthony to the Cavaliers straight-up for Kevin Love then the frontcourt of Crowder, Love and Markkanen is pretty decent and with two top picks in 2018 the Knicks are actually in better shape than they are right now. Better chance is that Porzingis stays put and Jackson screws things up.

Cavaliers - Jimmy Butler supposedly says he wants to be traded to Cleveland. Problem is the Cavs don't have the assets. The only real asset the Cavs have is Kevin Love and the only destination I can picture for Love is the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. As a Boston fan I'd love to see Carmelo in Cleveland. The confusion, discord and eventual falling apart would be delicious.

Bulls - whither Jimmy Butler? As I said - I don't think the Cavs have the assets and the Celtics I don't think really want to spend their assets on Butler. So where does he land? My guess is in Minnesota with old coach Tom Thibodeau.

Celtics - I think the draft rumors of Danny Ainge picking Jason Tatum are correct but after that? Who knows? It will be fun to watch and the 2017-18 Celtics will be better than this year's team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Knicks vs Oakley

The New York Knicks under James Dolan are a mess. This stupid feud vs Charles Oakley is just the cherry on top. I would love to see the Celtics or another team add Oakley to their coaching staff just to force a showdown the next time they visit Madison Square Garden. If the Knicks try to bar a "coach" then the Celtics would have a grievance to file with the NBA front office.

It also bugs me that James Dolan actually makes a profit from people buying official NBA gear with Oakley's name and number. Maybe buy this shirt instead?

How long before someone comes out with a red baseball cap saying "Make the Knicks Great Again"? Even Knick fans who hate Donald Trump would buy those.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Claude Julien was the best coach the Boston Bruins ever had but I agree with many Bruins fans in that it was time for a change. Even Scotty Bowman never coached in one city for more than 9 seasons. Claude was in Boston for 10... What the weather was like in my city yesterday... Charles Dolan should never sit down among the fans at Madison square Garden. His very presence is a provocation to Knick fans... It is still a punishment - right?... Samurai Jack is coming back? Awesome!... Wherever he lands Julien will make some franchise a great coach... I've stopped following Deadspin on Twitter because only one in three tweets are now about sports... Little known fact but no human speaks faster than an NHL player or coach during a post game interview. Breathless... Is Ben Roethlisberger still playing the diva about coming back next season?...

Knicks Insanity

As a Celtics fan I think it is great that Phil Jackson wants the New York Knicks to give Kurt Rambis a multi-year deal to coach the team. If I were a Knicks fan - I would think this idea is insane.

Why is it insane? Take a look at this coaching comparison:

Kurt Rambis - 64 Wins / 161 Losses / .284 Winning Percentage

ML Carr -        48 Wins / 116 Losses / .293 Winning Percentage

Keep in mind that Rambis' record includes a 24-13 record with the 1998-99 Lakers when he stepped in for Del Harris in the lock-out shortened season. That Lakers team had both Kobe and Shaq. ML Carr, on the other hand, was totally trying to lose with the Celtics in main part to increase Boston's chances at landing Tim Duncan in the 1997 NBA Draft. Let me repeat that - ML Carr was TRYING TO LOSE and he still has a higher career winning percentage than the guy Phil Jackson wants to give a multi-year contract!

That's insane!

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Scary wasp's nest with over a million wasps. I can't help but think that when people ask "What happened to all the bees?" - the answer might be "Guys like this killed them!"

- Good point - imagine how the history of the Knicks would have been different if they had kept Pat Riley all those years ago.

- Cool - what the planets would look like to us if they were the same distance away as the moon

- Heh heh - Paula Deen is an easy target

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

This may be strange but the person I would really like to hear from regarding how Jeremy Lin was handled by the Knicks is writer William Goldman who happens to be a big Knicks fan... If Time is real and is subject to the forces of gravity doesn't that mean that Time somehow has mass or some sort of energy component?.. Whenever you read about Barack Obama saving Detroit - how come you never see any workers from Saturn or Pontiac quoted in the story?... JA Happ and Jon Lester have basically been the same pitcher this year. People who advocate trading Lester should consider that and look at how comparatively little the Astros got for Happ... Interesting - according to Todd Brunson the poker show Poker After Dark paid the players a flat rate of $5,000 for 8 hours while the show High Stakes Poker paid $1,250 per hour... The Democratic Convention is going to be a disaster. Having one of the least successful Conventions in recent memory will be a big drag on the Obama campaign. The stories will be more about who isn't there than who is attending. Also post Convention don't be shocked if there isn't a bunch of stories about local vendors getting stiffed by the DNC. I just want to say that now.... I would love it if Fred Willard's defense is that he had a cramp and was just trying to work it out...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

With Carmelo Anthony the defacto reason the Knicks are not going to match the Rockets offer to Jeremy Lin - I once again wonder if anyone will ask George Karl what was harder - beating cancer or trying to deal with Carmelo's ego... 5 things you might not know about US Army Special Forces... When you see a picture of Jay Marriotti - in your mind do you hear a sad trombone or do you hear Liza Minelli singing some Broadway tune?... Kevin Youkilis' letter to Boston fans (for the record I despise the phrase "Red Sox nation")... Little known fact - I ran Bain Capital from 1999 to 2002... Lawn chair balloon flight? OK now that's another thing I have to add to my bucket list...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

RIP James Arness who was best known as the star of the TV show Gunsmoke but lesser known for being a WW II vet who was wounded at the battle of Anzio. I have to admit that I cannot think of the show Gunsmoke without thinking how much Randy Johnson looked like a giant Festus... This point has been made elsewhere but it bears repeating - the biggest winner if the New York Knicks bring back Isaiah Thomas in any capacity will be the Nets who are moving into a new arena in the Bronx. The presence of Zeke will get thousands upon thousands of Knicks fans to switch allegiances to the Nets.... Why Penn Jillette doesn't drink or do drugs... I was surprised to see that the Astros have released Bill Hall. I know Hall has been awful this year but it doesn't seem like the Astros to release a player they owe seven figures to... I could go for a Dicken's Cider right about now... Ed Sullivan was once the biggest name in show business. That makes me wonder if 50 years from now if Oprah will be remembered chiefly because some late-night show is in her theater... Jose Iglesiasis is supposed to be wizard with the glove - the second coming of Omar Vizquel. That's why it is so strange that he leads Pawtucket in errors with 7... On my TV electronic program guide I keep reading Law & Order UK as Law & Order CK. My mind thinks it's Law & Order starring Louis CK. That would be a much better show.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

This week some journalist will drive the Boston Marathon route from Hopkington to Boston and they will not be able to beat Kenyan racer Geoffry Mutai's time. That will make a nice story for out of towners but locals know that's just the way the traffic works... President George W. Bush to host 100 km bike ride with wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans... The only excuse I can think of for Mike Leake was if he was rookie hazed into stealing ala Animal House Food King run... I saw that Gary Glitter was trending on Twitter and I really hoped it was because he was dead... This Jim Thome video promotional video for the Twins is awesome... There should be a word for when a guy wades into the ocean and the waves break over his groin and he finally feels OK to dive in. We all know that feeling but there is no word for it... Some of these ideas are pretty nifty... I agree that the trip on the screen by Garnett was the key to Ray Allen hitting game winning 3-pointer. As a Celtics fan though you felt they were going to win no matter what. Even if they lost you had the feeling they would still win the series. I imagine that Knick fans were feeling just the opposite. I also have to think Knick fans are thinking, "We traded away half the team for that?"... These were pretty amusing... Next week is bad for me. Jonas Brothers are in town.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Knicks are 5-1 in their last six games. Looks like New York coach Mike D’Antoni is really starting to earn his money (although I probably just put the hex on the Knicks game tonight)... I enjoyed the 30 for 30 show The U about the rise of Miami's football program. I was disappointed in two things though - first they didn't even mention Doug Flutie's Hail Mary pass and second you would think they could have interviewed Bernie Kosar when he was sober... So I'm looking at the stats for the top scoring rookies in the NBA and it hits me that I can't remember who the Celtics took with their first pick in last year's draft. Not sure if that says more about my memory or the quality of their pick. I looked it up and the pick was Lester Hudson in the 2nd round. That makes me feel better about my memory... I think if I saw that ESPN NBA Winnebago driving on the highway - I'd try to run it off the road... Lyford has a couple of very good posts that you should check out:

- On the Red Sox "Philosophy"
- This is just outrageous - I agree that someone should lose their job over this
- Some data on the John Lackey signing and other Red Sox moves

Mid-Morning Links

Here are some links to interesting stuff.

- The taxman is coming after Derek Jeter. Tricky situation - his home is in Tampa but his "apartment" is in NYC. His work is in NYC but half the time he's on the road. Tricky situation. I think if Jeter has good enough accountants and lawyers then he gets out of paying the taxes.

- The Knicks do need an intervention. If this was a family - social services would have came to take the kids long ago.

- Gypped? I've used that word all my life. I've never thought about it as a slur. Sorry but I don't see this as a big deal.

- Throwing stuff against the wall -revisited. I told you that WHDH "report" was all wet:

Wednesday night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, citing a member of the Cardinals' front office, strongly denied Boston's WHDH, Channel 7, report that the team had interest, and the Boston Herald reported Thursday that the Braves also denied any involvement with [Mike] Lowell.

If a blog had done the same thing WHDH did - everyone would be screaming about how blogs have no reliability or credibility.