Sunday, December 31, 2017
Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
We lost a lot of celebrities in 2017 but the loss of Tom Petty seemed to hit home the most.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- 5 cars disappearing after 2017. I'll miss the Dodge Viper.
- Awesome! How one man made his shed the top rated restaurant in Trip Advisor.
- A reminder for Star Wars fans - the Ewoks are dead. ALL THE EWOKS ARE DEAD!
- Heh heh
- Mobster implicated in Godfellas heist going to jail for road rage. I'm confused though - if he wasn't supposed to be Jimmy the gent then who was he in the movie?
- How to become the top 1% in anything
- UCL Physics - Dr. Alexandra Olaya Castro. I haven't watched this lecture on quantum effects in biology but I'm placing it here as a reminder to myself.
- 5 cars disappearing after 2017. I'll miss the Dodge Viper.
- Awesome! How one man made his shed the top rated restaurant in Trip Advisor.
- A reminder for Star Wars fans - the Ewoks are dead. ALL THE EWOKS ARE DEAD!
- Heh heh
- Mobster implicated in Godfellas heist going to jail for road rage. I'm confused though - if he wasn't supposed to be Jimmy the gent then who was he in the movie?
- How to become the top 1% in anything
- UCL Physics - Dr. Alexandra Olaya Castro. I haven't watched this lecture on quantum effects in biology but I'm placing it here as a reminder to myself.
Johnny Appleseed - Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
Just because. I don't need a reason to post some Joe Strummer.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Interesting - Trump's war on the regulatory state
- Good for her! I hope someone at the State Department is making sure she's protected.
- Just love aurora photos. This one is from Norway. Stunning!
- Space related industry to triple in size by 2040
- Volvo just acquired a flying car company. And equally surprising (to me) Volvo is now owned by a Chinese company?!?!
- Heh heh
- Every year I say I'm going to spend a week during the summer at Acadia National Forrest. This is the summer I make that happen!
- Interesting - Trump's war on the regulatory state
- Good for her! I hope someone at the State Department is making sure she's protected.
- Just love aurora photos. This one is from Norway. Stunning!
- Space related industry to triple in size by 2040
- Volvo just acquired a flying car company. And equally surprising (to me) Volvo is now owned by a Chinese company?!?!
- Heh heh
- Every year I say I'm going to spend a week during the summer at Acadia National Forrest. This is the summer I make that happen!
Origin of Term "Grandfathered"
Say a State changes its drinking age from 18-years old and moves it to 21-years old - people aged 18, 19, and 20 would be "grandfathered" and not subject to the new 21-year old drinking age. People 17-years of age? Well they're screwed.
The term "grandfathered" has become well known and pretty benign but the origin of the term "grandfathered" has some serious racist overtones.
After the Civil War many of the Southern States instituted some new voting restrictions aimed at making it difficult for newly freed slaves to vote. Poll taxes, literacy tests and other nefarious rules were put in place but these new requirements had to also apply to poor whites. How to get around these new rules then? Add another one that said "if your grandfather could vote so can you". Of course prior to the Civil War only whites could vote and if your grandfather could vote - that means you're white too and thus it's A-OK for you to vote.
That's how the term "grandfathered" was born. As I said before the term is pretty benign now and at some point you have to just accept your past and move on but honestly now knowing the origin of "grandfathered" will make me second guess using the term myself.
The term "grandfathered" has become well known and pretty benign but the origin of the term "grandfathered" has some serious racist overtones.
After the Civil War many of the Southern States instituted some new voting restrictions aimed at making it difficult for newly freed slaves to vote. Poll taxes, literacy tests and other nefarious rules were put in place but these new requirements had to also apply to poor whites. How to get around these new rules then? Add another one that said "if your grandfather could vote so can you". Of course prior to the Civil War only whites could vote and if your grandfather could vote - that means you're white too and thus it's A-OK for you to vote.
That's how the term "grandfathered" was born. As I said before the term is pretty benign now and at some point you have to just accept your past and move on but honestly now knowing the origin of "grandfathered" will make me second guess using the term myself.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Abe Lincoln was a badass!
- Who was Marcus Aurelius? The last great Stoic of Rome
- You might think you're cool. But you'll never be "loading my gun before I get out of bed for my morning coffee" Evel Knievel cool.
- Interesting - can "memories" be passed down through generations?
- Scientists have reportedly found a drug that can repair cavities and even regrow teeth. The name "Tideglusib" will have to go though.
- Cool - a visual history of homes in the US
- Happy birthday to the inspirational Pete Frates
- Abe Lincoln was a badass!
- Who was Marcus Aurelius? The last great Stoic of Rome
- You might think you're cool. But you'll never be "loading my gun before I get out of bed for my morning coffee" Evel Knievel cool.
- Interesting - can "memories" be passed down through generations?
- Scientists have reportedly found a drug that can repair cavities and even regrow teeth. The name "Tideglusib" will have to go though.
- Cool - a visual history of homes in the US
- Happy birthday to the inspirational Pete Frates
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
We just don't say "Hark!" enough these days. Wouldn't you like someone calling particular attention to something by shouting "Hark! Hark!" Or maybe it's just me... This is a good point about Bill Belichick signing James Harrison... The Soul Ascending into Bliss would be a good name for either an Enya or a Marilyn Manson cover band... So a new train station near the Western Wall in Jerusalem is to be named after Donald Trump. I SERIOUSLY doubt anything in Jerusalem gets named after Barack Obama... "Coming of Age" stories are a little too spot on if you simply reverse the order of those three words... Heh heh... I can't wait for President Trump to name the Iron Sheik as Ambassador to Iran. That will break the Internet...
We just don't say "Hark!" enough these days. Wouldn't you like someone calling particular attention to something by shouting "Hark! Hark!" Or maybe it's just me... This is a good point about Bill Belichick signing James Harrison... The Soul Ascending into Bliss would be a good name for either an Enya or a Marilyn Manson cover band... So a new train station near the Western Wall in Jerusalem is to be named after Donald Trump. I SERIOUSLY doubt anything in Jerusalem gets named after Barack Obama... "Coming of Age" stories are a little too spot on if you simply reverse the order of those three words... Heh heh... I can't wait for President Trump to name the Iron Sheik as Ambassador to Iran. That will break the Internet...
Top 5 - Otters in US History
Here are what I consider to be the Top 5 Otters in US history. Otter from Animal Housedid not make the list because he's fictional. List in reverse order of significance:
5. Obadiah Otter - he was a curious otter who happened upon the Donner Party in 1846. These were the first humans Obadiah ever encountered and as it worked out also the last. He is historically significant because he kept the Donner Party from resorting to cannibalism (for an additional 36 hours).
4. Jeremiah Otter - his wife and adopted son were killed by a Crow Indian raiding party. He spent the rest of his life tracking down Crow Indians and ripping out their necks while they slept. He became a Rockie Mountain legend and some say a myth. Some even say he's up in those mountains still.
3. Sergeant York Otter - while it was widely reported that the Navy experimented with strapping bombs to dolphins it is lesser known that the Army had a similar project utilizing otters. Sergeant York Otter was named after the WWI hero and died during a training accident.
2. Sacajawea Otter - the only female otter on the list. She was the mascot of the Lewis and Clark expedition party until she was killed by Meriwether Lewis and her pelt was exchanged for some corn meal.
1. Bedford Otter - this otter is significant because as a youth he used to live in a pond in Bedford Falls and one winter when he was young he was poking around under the ice to the point where he caused a few cracks. These cracks broke when a young Harry Bailey was sledding onto the ice. In one timeline Harry's older brother George was able to save Harry but in another timeline George wasn't around to save Harry. In a third less publicized timeline - Bedford Otter didn't nose around under the ice and Harry never fell into the icy waters. In that timeline George Bailey was a whole lot less necessary to the happiness of Bedford Falls.
5. Obadiah Otter - he was a curious otter who happened upon the Donner Party in 1846. These were the first humans Obadiah ever encountered and as it worked out also the last. He is historically significant because he kept the Donner Party from resorting to cannibalism (for an additional 36 hours).
4. Jeremiah Otter - his wife and adopted son were killed by a Crow Indian raiding party. He spent the rest of his life tracking down Crow Indians and ripping out their necks while they slept. He became a Rockie Mountain legend and some say a myth. Some even say he's up in those mountains still.
3. Sergeant York Otter - while it was widely reported that the Navy experimented with strapping bombs to dolphins it is lesser known that the Army had a similar project utilizing otters. Sergeant York Otter was named after the WWI hero and died during a training accident.
2. Sacajawea Otter - the only female otter on the list. She was the mascot of the Lewis and Clark expedition party until she was killed by Meriwether Lewis and her pelt was exchanged for some corn meal.
1. Bedford Otter - this otter is significant because as a youth he used to live in a pond in Bedford Falls and one winter when he was young he was poking around under the ice to the point where he caused a few cracks. These cracks broke when a young Harry Bailey was sledding onto the ice. In one timeline Harry's older brother George was able to save Harry but in another timeline George wasn't around to save Harry. In a third less publicized timeline - Bedford Otter didn't nose around under the ice and Harry never fell into the icy waters. In that timeline George Bailey was a whole lot less necessary to the happiness of Bedford Falls.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
If it's true that Al Franken is waiting until after the new year to announce his promised resignation from the Senate just so he'll get paid for 2018 then he's really a huge asshole... So did Joe from the Jimmy Hendrix song Hey Joe ever go to jail for shooting his woman down? Or did he actually make it to Mexico?... This road trip may be the top thing on my bucket list... The Patriots are the first team in NFL history to win 12 or more games in 8-straight seasons. And fans in New England are completely taking that for granted at this point. But the fans aren't the only ones spoiled by success - Bill Belichick can't even make the list of candidates for NFL Coach of the Year with just a routine 12 or 13 win season. Greatness shouldn't be taken for granted like this... Heh heh - welcome to New England... Cowboys' coach Jason Garrett seems like the type of person who would get all excited about winning $1 on a $2 scratch ticket... Ned Flanders Erotica would be a good name for a band (or my first NYT bestselling novel)...
If it's true that Al Franken is waiting until after the new year to announce his promised resignation from the Senate just so he'll get paid for 2018 then he's really a huge asshole... So did Joe from the Jimmy Hendrix song Hey Joe ever go to jail for shooting his woman down? Or did he actually make it to Mexico?... This road trip may be the top thing on my bucket list... The Patriots are the first team in NFL history to win 12 or more games in 8-straight seasons. And fans in New England are completely taking that for granted at this point. But the fans aren't the only ones spoiled by success - Bill Belichick can't even make the list of candidates for NFL Coach of the Year with just a routine 12 or 13 win season. Greatness shouldn't be taken for granted like this... Heh heh - welcome to New England... Cowboys' coach Jason Garrett seems like the type of person who would get all excited about winning $1 on a $2 scratch ticket... Ned Flanders Erotica would be a good name for a band (or my first NYT bestselling novel)...
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
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!
Brave New Streaming World
The first cracks in the traditional cable model was when HBO decided to offer a streaming only platform called HBO Go. It then followed that up with HBO Now for people who aren't connected to a cable company. The cableco umbilical cord was cut and suddenly people getting HBO Go, Netflix and YouTube (substitute Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus to mix and match a package that's right for you) had plenty of content and no desire to continue with a $100+ cable bill. Cutting the Cord suddenly became cutting edge and fashionable.
Then came the "skinny" packages. Sling TV starts with 30 channels for just $20 per month. DirecTV Now offers 60+ channels for $35 per month and they just signed up over 1 million subscribers making them the 3rd largest OTT (over the top) streaming service behind Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. But that too is just the beginning because even in 30 channel packages and especially in 60 channel packages there will be channels a subscriber won't watch and will chaff at paying for.
For example - if I'm a liberal I might not particularly like the fact that I have to subsidize Fox News. Conversely a conservative may feel the same about MSNBC or even CNN. Further levels of choice will be demanded.
Which brings me to this interesting case - Wave Broadband vs Comcast's NBC Sports Network. The case basically questions Comcast's "packaging" requirements and a Wave Broadband win may open the door for further a la carte content choices. Wave actually has very little to lose as they already charge their subscriber just the content costs as a pass-through. Wave's business is really in providing the broadband pipe.
We live in interest content times and the times are a changing.
Then came the "skinny" packages. Sling TV starts with 30 channels for just $20 per month. DirecTV Now offers 60+ channels for $35 per month and they just signed up over 1 million subscribers making them the 3rd largest OTT (over the top) streaming service behind Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. But that too is just the beginning because even in 30 channel packages and especially in 60 channel packages there will be channels a subscriber won't watch and will chaff at paying for.
For example - if I'm a liberal I might not particularly like the fact that I have to subsidize Fox News. Conversely a conservative may feel the same about MSNBC or even CNN. Further levels of choice will be demanded.
Which brings me to this interesting case - Wave Broadband vs Comcast's NBC Sports Network. The case basically questions Comcast's "packaging" requirements and a Wave Broadband win may open the door for further a la carte content choices. Wave actually has very little to lose as they already charge their subscriber just the content costs as a pass-through. Wave's business is really in providing the broadband pipe.
We live in interest content times and the times are a changing.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- SpaceX's new mega-rockets
- The Daytona 500 of ice fishing
- Guatemala plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem too.
- I'm an honorary Jew once a year and proud of it
- Very cool photo - Aurora Reindeer
- The most 2017 photos of 2017
- And a Merry Christmas to the soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division in Mosul, Iraq
- SpaceX's new mega-rockets
- The Daytona 500 of ice fishing
- Guatemala plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem too.
- I'm an honorary Jew once a year and proud of it
- Very cool photo - Aurora Reindeer
- The most 2017 photos of 2017
- And a Merry Christmas to the soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division in Mosul, Iraq
Christmas Wish
Every year at Christmas I re-read A Christmas Carol. It is a very short book (not even a long short story really). It is my personal Christmas tradition.
Merry Christmas - God bless us everyone!
"Spirit! are they yours?" Scrooge asked, horrified. He could say no more.I hope in the year to come that you can work to erase ignorance in your life and want in the lives of those you love.
"They are Man's," said the Spirit, "and they cling to me, appearing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, but most of all beware the boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."
- Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
Merry Christmas - God bless us everyone!
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Trump, the Media and Government
Seem compelled to start all these posts with a disclaimer - I did not vote for Trump but there have been some things going on that I felt a need to comment on. I no longer "root" for any one political party. I support things I believe are good for the country. Period.
While I wouldn't necessarily support the argument that "Trump has made us more moral" there was a section of this article that I wholeheartedly agree with:
I also think that the crux of this article is correct - that the media have basically neutered their own importance through partisanship. All major news outlets are almost at the point of outright pandering to party confirmation bias at this point. Where anything that disagrees with your particular political beliefs is now "fake news".
It is my belief that the tax cuts were a good thing. I also agree that the merits of any particular point of the new tax bill can be rationally debated. However, if the Democrats or the media demonize the package as "Armageddon" then all (to borrow a phrase) is just tales told by partisan idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. When people get to keep more of their money this April 15th I hope they remember.
While I wouldn't necessarily support the argument that "Trump has made us more moral" there was a section of this article that I wholeheartedly agree with:
Government does not exist to make us equal, but to treat us equally. It does not exist to make life fair, but to treat us fairly. Most importantly, it exists to secure our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Only in liberty can we treat each other ethically, because only in liberty can we make the choices that are the necessary condition for ethical life.I think I would have a problem with anyone who does not agree with that first sentence.
I also think that the crux of this article is correct - that the media have basically neutered their own importance through partisanship. All major news outlets are almost at the point of outright pandering to party confirmation bias at this point. Where anything that disagrees with your particular political beliefs is now "fake news".
It is my belief that the tax cuts were a good thing. I also agree that the merits of any particular point of the new tax bill can be rationally debated. However, if the Democrats or the media demonize the package as "Armageddon" then all (to borrow a phrase) is just tales told by partisan idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. When people get to keep more of their money this April 15th I hope they remember.
NFL Sunday - Week 16
Today is Sunday - but it doesn't quite feel like a Sunday does it? It's Week 16 and that mainly means teams are either positioning themselves for the playoffs or now worried more about personal stats because there will be no playoffs. Week 16 also means the championship match-up in most fantasy leagues. Good luck if you've made it this far.
To be honest - not very enthusiastic any of the games today. So here's a 300-pound lineman returning a kickoff.
For the 1:00 games I'll go with a 3-team moneyline parlay - the Lions, Panthers and Redskins - risking $100 to win $255.
For the 4:00 games I'll go with a 6.5 point teaser - 49ers +10.5 and Cowboys over 40.
Good luck!
To be honest - not very enthusiastic any of the games today. So here's a 300-pound lineman returning a kickoff.
For the 1:00 games I'll go with a 3-team moneyline parlay - the Lions, Panthers and Redskins - risking $100 to win $255.
For the 4:00 games I'll go with a 6.5 point teaser - 49ers +10.5 and Cowboys over 40.
Good luck!
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