Some Memes You May Enjoy

Many a truth is said in jest.

- True!

- Is it sad that I can see this not being satire?

- Heh Heh

- Also funny

Currently Reading - Zeckendorf

Currently reading, Zeckendorf the autobiography of Bill Zeckendorf. The subtitle explains, "The autobiography of the man who played a real-life game of Monopoly and won the largest real estate empire in history." That may be a little hyperbolic but I'm enjoying it all the same. 

Zeckendorf is probably the man most responsible for the United Nations being located in NYC where it is today:

Philadelphia would be selected, and so certain did the choice seem, that in December, 1946, Philadelphia was in process of condemning property for its proposed UN location... 

"We've been up all night patching up the details, but its going to work. The old man [Rockefeller] is going to give that 8.5 million dollars to the UN, and they're going to take your property."... 

On Saturday, December 14, eight days after my first call to [Mayor] O'Dwyer, the General Assembly formally approved New York City as the site for United Nations headquarters...

Another constructive and important result of my involvement with the United Nations is that it led to my first meeting with the Rockefellers, whose vision and magnanimity made the UN settlement in New York possible...

At the dedication ceremonies for the new buildings, my wife and I were seated well to the back of the area, while a great many others, who had far less to do with the realization of the project, were at the front and center of activities...

The official proposed site in NYC was rejected out of hand by the UN and it seemed certain the Philadelphia had beat out San Francisco as the eventual site but for Bill Zeckendorf's foresight and action. Yet it is the Rockefellers who get the credit for changing history and Bill Zeckendorf is largely forgotten.

Like I said - enjoying this book very much.

Trust Us They Said

Via

A Modest Proposal to Get the US Out of the UN

And unlike Swift's Modest Proposal this one has a realistic chance of succeeding.

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Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Now that it's officially fall - let me be the first to remind you that's there's now just 13 shopping weeks until Christmas... Actually surprised we haven't read about any UN translators having a stroke or nervous breakdown after trying to translate this speech... "Whoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god." - Aristotle. Given the choice between the two - I'm going to go ahead and say I'm a god then. Though to be fair to Aristotle - he was born before the printing press and mass production of beer. Give me a good book and a cold beer and I'm delighted in solitude... It's like the evolution of my punctuation over the last 5-years in one image. I feel so seen... Let me take this opportunity to announce I'm formally taking myself out of the running as the next head football coach at USC... Out of curiosity do all those copies of Andrew Cuomo's book that were printed but will never be sold count against his carbon footprint? What about Michele Obama's book Becoming? Think of all those dead trees killed for no good reason... Bait Collectors would be a good name for a redneck band... 

Slavery

Tyler Cowen published an article, How Not to Fight Modern-Day Slavery. The article is in response to a Bill being proposed by Senator Josh Hawley. Not sure if I agree with Tyler Cowen's position because it seems to be "Slavery - what are you going to do?" with hands throw up in the air. Then again I'm also unsure of the unintended consequences of Senator Hawley's bill.

What I'd suggest is simple and straightforward. The United States demands that the United Nations require nations to make slavery illegal within their nation's borders. If the nation does not comply then that nation is removed from the UN. If the UN fails to comply with this requirement then the US leaves the UN. Either nations  that continue to allow slavery are forced to leave the UN or the United States leaves the UN. Either outcome is OK by me.

As Americans can't we all agree that the US should not be in any organization that allows member nations to support slavery? In modern times shouldn't this be an acceptable baseline among civilized nations?

It should also be pointed out that in 1865 when Congress officially voted to end slavery in the US the vote tally was 119 "yea" and 56 "nay" with 8 Congressmen not voting. Every Republican Congressman voted to end slavery (along with 16 Democrats). All of the "nay" votes and all of the not voting Congressmen (the voting "Present" of the day) were Democrats.

Linky Links

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

- Cool - A Seaside Irish Village Adopts Matt Damon

- WTF? Ducks regrow their penis each mating season and the size is based upon the competition for the available females? WTF - at least now we understand why Donald Duck could be shown pants-less - it wasn't mating season and he had no penis!

- VDH on the current situation. Excellent point about the UN. They have been less than useless.

- A Third Solution. This is very encouraging. I had never heard of "surface plasmon resonance" before but those three words could save our society.

- Good for the Houston Police Officer's Union

- Vitamin D levels vs Coronaviris Wuhan Virus case severity. Get out into the fresh air and sunshine.

Linky Links

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

- Skydio R1 - cool technology but I couldn't help but think police might benefit most from the product.

- This is cool! Couldn't help but wonder where the V1 bomb ended up landing though?

- Rob Gronkowski is a good person

- This is true

- Remind me again on why we are in the UN?

- Marc-Andre Fleury is a good person too. Here's the video.

- Who knew? We have a major shrimp trade deficit in the US. Shrimp made up more than 1% of the total US 2017 trade deficit.

Nikki Haley, Trump and the UN

Nikki Haley is making a list. And the Mossad is helping her to check it twice. I must say I'm disappointed in seeing Ireland on this list. You would think the fact that Ireland was neutral during World War II despite the horrors of the Nazi Party would make them more self aware of not being so anti-Semitic. But I guess not. Shame. Literal shame.

Taking shots at the UN is red meat for the Republican base and the Democrats better be aware that you can only diss Israel so many times until Jews in Blue States might stop voting for and donating to Democratic candidates. Gone are the days of Democratic giants like Daniel Patrick Moynihan (wonder what DPM would say about Ireland's vote).

I've long held the belief that the best way to purge the UN would be to have a referendum stating that any country that allows slavery is not welcome in the UN. The US and a number of other "free" countries could back the referendum with a threat to leave if the slave countries are not expelled.

Funny enough most of the countries that allow slavery also hate Israel. Go figure!

A Modest Proposal

The City of Detroit is in ruins. They are $18 billion in debt and about to declare bankruptcy. Here's a modest two step proposal to help save the city.

First - much of the debt is caused by retiree benefits granted via overly generous union contracts. The City would like to cut these benefits. The union members obviously don't want these benefits cut. Simple solution - tell the retirees if they live within the City limits then their benefits stay the same. If they live outside the City limits then their benefits get cut by 33 percent. Simple. The City is hemorrhaging people - make the people the City has to pay anyway live there.

Secondly, the US government owns a big chunk of General Motors. We will never see full value for the money we pumped into them and if we try to sell our stock it will just force down the stock price. Here's what I suggest - the government forgives all debt in exchange GM gives us their beautiful headquarters.  We then tell the United Nations they have to move to Detroit. We give GM three years to move out and the UN three years to move in.

Bingo-bango! We then take the UN's upper Eastside property via eminent domain and sell it. The proceeds go directly to reducing the national debt (drop in the bucket but every little bit helps).

Interesting

On this day in 1964 - according to Wikipedia:

Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. An unknown terrorist fires a mortar shell at the building during the speech.

The thing I find interesting is the description of the terrorist as unknown. That has to mean that nobody was ever arrested for the deed. I bet there's an interesting story there.