Thursday, November 17, 2016
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Heh heh - good question.
- Theranos is to the medical device companies what Enron was to energy companies and Theranos fraud was basically exposed by one man.
- A cross country runner gets destroyed by a deer in the middle of a race. Once you see it in the back you will replay the video several times and each time say "WHOA!!"
- Heh heh
- Maybe the best Tweet in the history of Twitter
- Heh heh
- I think Tony Romo is nothing but class but this made me chuckle.
- Heh heh - good question.
- Theranos is to the medical device companies what Enron was to energy companies and Theranos fraud was basically exposed by one man.
- A cross country runner gets destroyed by a deer in the middle of a race. Once you see it in the back you will replay the video several times and each time say "WHOA!!"
- Heh heh
- Maybe the best Tweet in the history of Twitter
- Heh heh
- I think Tony Romo is nothing but class but this made me chuckle.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
The Clinton's Last Hurrah
Are you familiar with The Last Hurrah? The recent election got me thinking about it.
The movie (and the book) are truly classic but unfortunately the movie (and the book) have started to fade from the public consciousness. The movie was directed by the legendary John Ford and the screenplay was the work of Frank Nugent (who also wrote the screenplay for Ford's The Quiet Man and Forte Apache).
The basic plot of the book is both a thinly veiled biopic of Boston's James Michael Curley and also a tale of the changing of the guard in politics. The tale of the old, machine politics, ward boss, dispenser of favors vs the new, young telegenic politician is very spot on. Does this sound like it could also be a brief synopsis of the election last Tuesday (except that Donald Trump isn't exactly young).
The problem with those old Frank Skeffington / James Michael Curley ways is that A: the ugly side of graft and extortion are glossed over and B: they just wouldn't work today. They wouldn't work today because the spoils system of patronage has been replaced by affirmative action and civil service. At least that's what I used to think.
Bill and Hillary Clinton were much in their own way old school machine politics animals. The pay to play with the Clinton's and the Clinton Foundation though wasn't patronage for jobs - it was millions in exchange for access to power. Maybe the real cause of Hillary's downfall was in the pursuit of global graft they forgot Tip O'Neil's dictum that all politics is local.
Hollywood is always looking for remakes. Why not a remake of The Last Hurrah? But instead of basing it on James Michael Curley - base it on Bill and Hillary Clinton. Like the original movie - the remake could be a thinly veiled biopic and a tale of the changing of the guard in politics.
I'd go to see it.
The movie (and the book) are truly classic but unfortunately the movie (and the book) have started to fade from the public consciousness. The movie was directed by the legendary John Ford and the screenplay was the work of Frank Nugent (who also wrote the screenplay for Ford's The Quiet Man and Forte Apache).
The basic plot of the book is both a thinly veiled biopic of Boston's James Michael Curley and also a tale of the changing of the guard in politics. The tale of the old, machine politics, ward boss, dispenser of favors vs the new, young telegenic politician is very spot on. Does this sound like it could also be a brief synopsis of the election last Tuesday (except that Donald Trump isn't exactly young).
The problem with those old Frank Skeffington / James Michael Curley ways is that A: the ugly side of graft and extortion are glossed over and B: they just wouldn't work today. They wouldn't work today because the spoils system of patronage has been replaced by affirmative action and civil service. At least that's what I used to think.
Bill and Hillary Clinton were much in their own way old school machine politics animals. The pay to play with the Clinton's and the Clinton Foundation though wasn't patronage for jobs - it was millions in exchange for access to power. Maybe the real cause of Hillary's downfall was in the pursuit of global graft they forgot Tip O'Neil's dictum that all politics is local.
Hollywood is always looking for remakes. Why not a remake of The Last Hurrah? But instead of basing it on James Michael Curley - base it on Bill and Hillary Clinton. Like the original movie - the remake could be a thinly veiled biopic and a tale of the changing of the guard in politics.
I'd go to see it.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
The New England Patriots are now winless since Donald trump was elected President... Amazing photo of the "Super Moon" over the Saint Louis arch... Is there a stat for Ben Roethlisberger getting hurt when Steelers are losing vs when they are ahead? Just saying... New TV show idea - Scott Baio is an LA real estate agent selling homes of Hollywood stars who are moving to Canada because Trump was elected President... Cool - Bruce Springsteen rescued from roadside by NJ bikers... Still surprised that Zima was never actually the Official drink of the US Men's Figure Skating Team... Damn it! The Twitter handle "ThanksTrump" is already taken... This is true... Just saying but Al Gore was born 9 months after aliens supposedly landed at Roswell, NM. Coincidence or something else?... "A man is what he wills himself to be." - Jean-Paul Sartre... I would be curious to see which number is larger - the number of Liberal Arts Colleges that cancelled classes because Donald Trump was elected President and the snowflakes had trouble dealing with that or the number of Liberal Arts Colleges that had no school on Veterans Day to honor those who served in the military...
The New England Patriots are now winless since Donald trump was elected President... Amazing photo of the "Super Moon" over the Saint Louis arch... Is there a stat for Ben Roethlisberger getting hurt when Steelers are losing vs when they are ahead? Just saying... New TV show idea - Scott Baio is an LA real estate agent selling homes of Hollywood stars who are moving to Canada because Trump was elected President... Cool - Bruce Springsteen rescued from roadside by NJ bikers... Still surprised that Zima was never actually the Official drink of the US Men's Figure Skating Team... Damn it! The Twitter handle "ThanksTrump" is already taken... This is true... Just saying but Al Gore was born 9 months after aliens supposedly landed at Roswell, NM. Coincidence or something else?... "A man is what he wills himself to be." - Jean-Paul Sartre... I would be curious to see which number is larger - the number of Liberal Arts Colleges that cancelled classes because Donald Trump was elected President and the snowflakes had trouble dealing with that or the number of Liberal Arts Colleges that had no school on Veterans Day to honor those who served in the military...
Heh Heh
These two old ladies, Myrtle and Mildred, are at the beach, when Myrtle notices that Mildred's pack of cigarettes have a condom stretched over it.
"Why on earth did you do that, Mildred?"
"It's the best way I've ever found to keep the sand out of my cigarettes while at the beach!"
So the next day, Myrtle goes to the drug store, and tells the pharmacist that she'd like a pack of condoms. The pharmacist is surprised, and says, "Well, Ok, but they come in different styles and sizes. Do you know what you what?"
Myrtle responds, "I really don't care as long as they work on a pack of Camels."
"Why on earth did you do that, Mildred?"
"It's the best way I've ever found to keep the sand out of my cigarettes while at the beach!"
So the next day, Myrtle goes to the drug store, and tells the pharmacist that she'd like a pack of condoms. The pharmacist is surprised, and says, "Well, Ok, but they come in different styles and sizes. Do you know what you what?"
Myrtle responds, "I really don't care as long as they work on a pack of Camels."
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Nature
You might have seen this clip that was all over the Internets last week from Planet Earth II:
Here's some behind the scenes of how it was filmed.
Here's some behind the scenes of how it was filmed.
Friday, November 11, 2016
Leonard Cohen
Songwriter / singer Leonard Cohen has passed away at age 82. Cohen has lived quite a full life as evidenced by this October 16, 2016 New Yorker profile.
Today you will see many people posting or linking to versions of his best known song Hallelujah but I prefer this collaboration with U2.
Today you will see many people posting or linking to versions of his best known song Hallelujah but I prefer this collaboration with U2.
Liam Clancy - Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Seemed like a good song to remind some on this day of remembrance of the price veterans can pay.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- The best explanation of why Trump won I've seen
- The Trump Election aftershocks!
- Well that's one question from my childhood answered
- Who is today's reigning King of All the Taverns?
- A few thoughts on the cancellation of Bill Simmons' Any Given Wednesday
- ESPN is hemorrhaging viewers
- The best explanation of why the Democrats lost I've seen
- The best explanation of why Trump won I've seen
- The Trump Election aftershocks!
- Well that's one question from my childhood answered
- Who is today's reigning King of All the Taverns?
- A few thoughts on the cancellation of Bill Simmons' Any Given Wednesday
- ESPN is hemorrhaging viewers
- The best explanation of why the Democrats lost I've seen
Happy 241st Marines
Today is the 241st birthday for the United States Marine Corps.
In honor of the Marines - here's my favorite Ronald Reagan quote:
In honor of the Marines - here's my favorite Ronald Reagan quote:
Some people live their entire lifetime and wonder if they ever made a difference to the world. Marines don't have that problem. -- January 1995
Wednesday, November 09, 2016
Top 5 - Thoughts on President-Elect Trump
Holy Shit! Didn't see that coming - did you? Here's my Top 5 initial thoughts on a Trump Presidency.
1. I know many are going to wake this morning with the feeling that they are now living in a Stephen King novel. But in the real world there was no Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone to save the day. "The missiles are flying. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" I know this new reality is scary for many people but in actuality President Trump is most likely going to have to delegate much of the day-to-day responsibilities both because he has no experience and also because I don't think that stuff interests him. Think a more disinterested Jimmy Carter instead of President Greg Stillson.
2. Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House is in position to become the real power for the next four years. Half the country hates Trump and the people who represent those people in Congress will be willing to reach across the aisle to vote for any measures Speaker Ryan puts forth that are viewed as keeping Trump in check. And if Ryan has eyes on a 2020 run for the White House this could be a very interesting dynamic.
3. Can you pardon yourself? I'm all for President Obama pardoning Hillary Clinton for the email business. That damage is done and even though it sends the wrong message that some people are above the law - it is probably best to move forward without long drawn out court proceedings. But will pardoning Clinton embolden President Trump to pardon himself? Can the President do that? Sorry everyone who went Trump University and everyone else suing him. How funny would it be if that was the real reason Trump ran for President in the first place - to pardon himself.
4. Cutting the cord. The biggest losers in last night's results (besides Hillary and the Clinton Foundation) are the MSM (Main Stream Media). They enabled Trump by giving him free air-time. They rooted Trump on because they thought he would be the easiest candidate for Hillary to beat. They have lost all credibility by slowly losing any veneer of being impartial over the years. They say that the two main reasons cable TV stays relevant is because of news and because of live sports. For many people watching the news just proved to be a gigantic waste of time. Those people in the media didn't know dick. And on top of that I'm guessing that Donald Trump will most likely demand being on TV almost full-time as President which will result in many more deciding they can watch their live sports at a local bar. Cutting the cord will be a much bigger thing in the next couple of years and the media having to then shed jobs will be the karma paid for the MSM shilling for Hillary.
5. It bugged me how much President Obama golfed during his Presidency but if President Trump wants to golf every day for the next four years - that's OK by me. It lessens the opportunities for him to do any damage at his now day job.
We have now gone from a man who served as Governor of a major state and had executive experience to a one-term Senator known for voting "Present" to a man who had never previously been elected to anything. I don't likey this trend.
1. I know many are going to wake this morning with the feeling that they are now living in a Stephen King novel. But in the real world there was no Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone to save the day. "The missiles are flying. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" I know this new reality is scary for many people but in actuality President Trump is most likely going to have to delegate much of the day-to-day responsibilities both because he has no experience and also because I don't think that stuff interests him. Think a more disinterested Jimmy Carter instead of President Greg Stillson.
2. Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House is in position to become the real power for the next four years. Half the country hates Trump and the people who represent those people in Congress will be willing to reach across the aisle to vote for any measures Speaker Ryan puts forth that are viewed as keeping Trump in check. And if Ryan has eyes on a 2020 run for the White House this could be a very interesting dynamic.
3. Can you pardon yourself? I'm all for President Obama pardoning Hillary Clinton for the email business. That damage is done and even though it sends the wrong message that some people are above the law - it is probably best to move forward without long drawn out court proceedings. But will pardoning Clinton embolden President Trump to pardon himself? Can the President do that? Sorry everyone who went Trump University and everyone else suing him. How funny would it be if that was the real reason Trump ran for President in the first place - to pardon himself.
4. Cutting the cord. The biggest losers in last night's results (besides Hillary and the Clinton Foundation) are the MSM (Main Stream Media). They enabled Trump by giving him free air-time. They rooted Trump on because they thought he would be the easiest candidate for Hillary to beat. They have lost all credibility by slowly losing any veneer of being impartial over the years. They say that the two main reasons cable TV stays relevant is because of news and because of live sports. For many people watching the news just proved to be a gigantic waste of time. Those people in the media didn't know dick. And on top of that I'm guessing that Donald Trump will most likely demand being on TV almost full-time as President which will result in many more deciding they can watch their live sports at a local bar. Cutting the cord will be a much bigger thing in the next couple of years and the media having to then shed jobs will be the karma paid for the MSM shilling for Hillary.
5. It bugged me how much President Obama golfed during his Presidency but if President Trump wants to golf every day for the next four years - that's OK by me. It lessens the opportunities for him to do any damage at his now day job.
We have now gone from a man who served as Governor of a major state and had executive experience to a one-term Senator known for voting "Present" to a man who had never previously been elected to anything. I don't likey this trend.
Tuesday, November 08, 2016
Gonna Raise Hell - Cheap Trick
This mostly forgotten song would probably make a good theme song for the year 2016 as a whole.
Also seems as fitting a song for election day as any.
Sunday, November 06, 2016
If you liked Guardians of the Galaxy or the Lord of the Rings - pretty sure you'll like Doctor Strange. If those movies weren't your cup of tea - well save your money. And don't worry if you aren't familiar with the main character - the movie is basically an origin story. In my opinion the best Marvel origin story movie since Iron Man.
And yes there is extra content after the credits - so stick around.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Heh heh - I can't help but giggle at that.
- In pictures - Ireland's historic victory over New Zealand's All Blacks. The first time in 111-years.
- This is cool. A man's lived a rich life if he has a friendship like this that lasts 51-years (and still going strong).
- Tough to describe what beauty is but you know it when you see it. This is beautiful to me. Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland.
- Heh heh
- Incredible - this is Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.
- Heh heh - I can't help but giggle at that.
- In pictures - Ireland's historic victory over New Zealand's All Blacks. The first time in 111-years.
- This is cool. A man's lived a rich life if he has a friendship like this that lasts 51-years (and still going strong).
- Tough to describe what beauty is but you know it when you see it. This is beautiful to me. Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland.
- Heh heh
- Incredible - this is Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.
Friday, November 04, 2016
Gunga Galunga
The flowing robes, the grace, bald, the Boston Bruins hat... striking! Big hitter the Lama.
Let It Roll Tonight
What a great song. You don't hear it played near enough. Always gets me pumped up.
The weekend is here! Let us spring up out of our sober shells! This weekend we shall soar like drunken eagles!
Thursday, November 03, 2016
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Congratulations to the Cubs and the City of Chicago. I have the feeling that this is just the first of a few Championships to come... I love this poker story... Jut a reminder - the Red Sox magic number is now 163... Any time I see Newt Gingrich - I try to picture him as Santa's gay half-brother to see if it makes him more likable... Some good tips for better swimming... Not only is Tom Brady 1st in quarterback rating, he's also tied for 11th in TD's despite missing the first 4 games... Pretty sure Rape Whistle would be a horrible name for a band or a coconut rum drink... Henry Miller's 11 Commandments of writing... First it was the Chippendale Dancers, then it was the Thunder Down Under, now it's MEAT RAFFLE!... Should the Jaguars hire Tom Coughlin? I say yes (or hire Josh McDaniels)... I think if Mel Gibson came out and endorsed Hillary Clinton then most of Hollywood would forgive him en masse... Heh heh...
Congratulations to the Cubs and the City of Chicago. I have the feeling that this is just the first of a few Championships to come... I love this poker story... Jut a reminder - the Red Sox magic number is now 163... Any time I see Newt Gingrich - I try to picture him as Santa's gay half-brother to see if it makes him more likable... Some good tips for better swimming... Not only is Tom Brady 1st in quarterback rating, he's also tied for 11th in TD's despite missing the first 4 games... Pretty sure Rape Whistle would be a horrible name for a band or a coconut rum drink... Henry Miller's 11 Commandments of writing... First it was the Chippendale Dancers, then it was the Thunder Down Under, now it's MEAT RAFFLE!... Should the Jaguars hire Tom Coughlin? I say yes (or hire Josh McDaniels)... I think if Mel Gibson came out and endorsed Hillary Clinton then most of Hollywood would forgive him en masse... Heh heh...
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