Some Memes You May Enjoy

Many a truth is said in jest.

- I like subtle.

- Did I mention I like subtle?

- I'm an awful person for laughing at this (also for misreading the question first)

- Possible explanation

Linky Links

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

- Tucker Carlson Episode 69 - War with Iran?

- Israel's PM urgent warning to Americans.

- Sports Illustrated announce layoffs days ago but is still around. Some are claiming this is a clear case of union busting. 

- VDH on Trump having reason to be enraged. Get even rather than mad.

More Linky Links

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

- Laughed too much at this. Perhaps it hit too close to home. (Via)

- Sports Illustrated announces layoffs and pivot to AI generated content. Really? ChatGPT give me 1,000 words on the Chiefs Super Bowl win in the style of Frank Deford. Hard pass.

- James Clear: Pat Riley on the remarkable power of getting 1% better.

- 10 of the most influential science photographs of all-time 

Kurt Vonnegut at Sports Illustrated

Love that Kurt Vonnegut worked once at Sports Illustrated:

Kurt Vonnegut worked briefly at SI until being told to write a story about a race horse that had jumped the rail and terrorized the infield at a local track. Vonnegut stared at his desk for what seemed like hours before finally departing the building without a word. Inside his deserted typewriter was this: ''The horse jumped over the fucking fence.''

Heh heh - great story.

Sports Illustrated

When layoffs were announced at Sports Illustrated less than a month ago and Twitter was abuzz with people bemoaning the fate of the magazine they loved growing up - I kept quiet. Forty people were about to lose their jobs. It did not seem right to comment under those circumstances.

Now with the announcement that Sports Illustrated will become a monthly magazine with five special issues (one being the Swimsuit issue) in 2020 - I felt it was time to say what was on my mind.

When the 40 layoffs were announced people on Twitter denounced the move while at the same time reminiscing about the "old" Sports Illustrated they grew up with. And especially the writers they loved back then. It bugged me that the realization didn't seem to dawn on these folks that the writers being mentioned no longer wrote for Sports Illustrated and many were even no longer alive.

People seemed to be ignoring reality. And it bugged me. Sports Illustrated is a shell of what it once was. Name a magazine popular 35-years ago that isn't.

It was no surprise that the new management moved to cut overhead by cutting staff by 40 and now move to further cut overhead by reducing the print (and delivery) costs to just 17 issues a year. I would also expect the new management to try to upgrade their online presence and the hiring of Pat Forde seems like just such an attempt. I would also look for the new management to leverage the vast vaults of past SI issues. Bring back some of the best works of their best writers of the past.

Make the most of the nostalgia so many were praising just  weeks ago. Good business.

Pat Tillman

Sports Illustrated's cover 15-years ago today.

Where do we find such men?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the wake of the Patriots Super Bowl victory many sports journalists were saying this season may have been the best coaching job in Bill Belichick's Hall of Fame career. Yet many of these very same journalists never (including this season) vote for Belichick as NFL Coach of the Year... You seriously have to wonder if the reason the Catholic Church in the US isn't excommunicating politicians who claim to be Catholic yet who also publicly support later term abortion is because the church is afraid those politicians would retaliate by going after the church for protecting pedophile priests... Speaking of the church - oral sex promoted in the Bible!... Still think that a sitcom about All-State's Mayhem guy dating Progressive's crazy girlfriend Flo would be worth watching... "The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Benjamin Franklin... Adolph Hitler's sister in-law was named Bridget. Bridget Hitler. That just sounds funny to me. Like the name of an Irish punk band... 15 years ago today. I wonder if any other athlete from that issue is still active in their sport (never mind still playing at MVP levels)...

Andre the Giant

Today would have been Andre the Giant's 70th birthday. He was an incredible human. Here are just a few items to remember Andre by:

- Sports Illustrated has six anecdotes

- Modern Drunkard on the incredible drinking exploits of Andre

- Andre on Hulk Hogan

- Muhammad Ali and Andre compare hand sizes

- Andre the Giant at age 19

- Andre, Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of Conan

- One final reminder of just how huge Andre was

I'm still upset that Andre wasn't even nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Princess Bride.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Jon Heyman is Leaving Sports Illustrated for CBS Sports. Don't always agree with his analysis but Heyman is a hard worker, good writer and excellent guy.

- Heh Heh

- Interesting George Will column on how Obamacare is harming small business

- 10 Ways Shakespeare Changed Everything

- Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger Perform 'Old Time Rock & Roll' in NYC. Not for nothing but Springsteen seems to age like Clint Eastwood while Seger seems to be going the Winfred Brimley route.

- Awesome - Ugly Renaissance Babies

Vonnegut at SI

I never knew Kurt Vonnegut worked at Sports Illustrated:

Kurt Vonnegut worked briefly at SI until being told to write a story about a race horse that had jumped the rail and terrorized the infield at a local track. Vonnegut stared at his desk for what seemed like hours before finally departing the building without a word. Inside his deserted typewriter was this: ''The horse jumped over the fucking fence.''

Heh heh - great story.

HT My Life in the Basement