Some Memes You May Enjoy

 Many a truth is said in jest.

- The Cleveland Browns.

- Sad but true.

-  He has a point

- Classic

Some Memes You May Enjoy

Many a truth is said in jest.

- Funny to me.

- New Mexico State has my new favorite college football song.

- Have seen this Venn diagram done differently before but this may be my favorite

- One of the few things I miss about baseball - making fun of the Astros

Justin Verlander

Was thinking last night about how great Justin Verlander has been these past couple of seasons. He's the reigning AL Cy Young award winner and is second in odds to win it again this year. His 16-3 record and 1.84 ERA is pretty impressive but will it be enough to overcome Dylan Cease's excellent season for the White Sox. 

Also couldn't help but think of how Verlander was taken with the second pick of the 2004 MLB draft behind Matt Bush who was taken by San Diego first overall. Bush never made it to the major leagues. Can you imagine how the fortunes of the Padres may have been much different if they had gone with Verlander instead?

Also to top it off - Verlander is married to Kate Upton (pictured above).

Linky Links

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

- Tim Ferriss on the coronavirus

- Remembering Hunter S. Thompson

- Heh Heh - Scholars now believe Jesus called Pharisees "Dog Faced Pony Soldiers"

- Happy Valentine's from the Astros

- Report: US led all countries in CO2 emissions reductions in 2019. Thank you fracking!

Linky Links

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

- I can't think of a single reason why Huawei shouldn't be 100% banned from selling product in the US

- I really hope Mike Bolsinger wins his lawsuit against the Astros (although that may open a Pandora's box of future sports-related lawsuits)

- You know this photo will go viral

- Celtics to retire Kevin Garnett's number 5 jersey next season. Even though he only played 6 seasons for Boston I think this honor is well deserved.

- Interesting read - a Democrat of 20-years attends a Trump rally in NH

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Maybe, just maybe, and hear me out here - maybe the reason no shots were fired at the Virginia Second Amendment Rights protests is maybe because legally owning a gun isn't a sign of mental illness. It's like maybe, just maybe, the image of crazy, bitter, clingers is just a media creation. Gun Grabbing Democrats on the other hand - yeah that's very real... "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." - Isaac Asimov... Heh Heh - too funny... Out of curiosity has Kate Upton commented on the Astros cheating yet? I mean she comments on everything else it seems. And her being married to Astros ace Justin Verlander would make this a subject she might know something about... If I were a player in the Super Bowl I'd answer every question on media day with "Hodor" and nothing but "Hodor." And I'd be the star of the day... Thank God he's out of Boston. Seriously thank God... The Babylon Bee is on a roll!... If CNN just replaced their "news" coverage with a live camera showing a banana taped to a wall - would their ratings improve? I think we all know the answer to that...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations..

Watched the first ten minutes of the Aaron Hernandez documentary on Netflix then I turned it off because why should I waste my time on that piece of shit. Especially as it seemed that the documentary was somehow going to make excuses for Hernandez's behavior... "Page 3 of 2" would be a good name for a blog... "What's true isn't new and what's new isn't true" a phrase from a recent Eric Weinstein Portal podcast that really made me think... Maybe the best synopsis of the McGregor / Cerrone fight last night... What are the odds that the Astros Jose Altuve leads MLB in getting hit by a pitch next season. I'd like to bet on that... Tobacco Cologne would be a good name for a band or an actual joke product you could give to the smoker in your life... What ever happened to the Dreamers? Have the Democrats completely abandoned the Dream Act as an issue? Wasn't it an upmost priority just a little while ago?... "It is capitalism that pulled billions out of poverty. Not vapid virtue signaling." - Nassim Nicholas Taleb...

Linky Links

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

- This is a fantastic political ad. If I lived in her district I'd definitely vote for her.

- Every sign has a story behind it. I really want to know the story behind this one.

- The Astros cheating scandal has betting and legal implications for MLB

- Speaking of the MLB cheating scandal - the day baseball lost its mind.

- How to become a park ranger

-  How fisheries could be sustainable and profitable

- Iran's theocracy will collapse because of people like Kimia Alizadeh

Linky Links

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

- Anger is temporary madness: The Stoics knew how to curb it. "...other vices affect our judgment, anger affects our sanity."

- Google wants the Supreme Court to ignore copyright law. I'm going to have to go back and read that first link again because companies and people that keep thinking and acting as if the law doesn't apply to them makes me angry. And I'm not alone in that.

- 12 Fucking Rules for Success

- I'm an awful person for laughing at this - a woman passes out after having 12 Heinekens (I hope she's OK)

- This is a pretty damning stat.

- Why LBJ's Great Society failed and what it means for the 2020 election.

Linky Links

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

- Africa's ghost Roman city buried in the sand for centuries.

- Analysis - True!

- Peter Thiel's 2019 Manhattan Institute's Wriston Lecture.

- This may be the end of free conference calling services.

- Individual neurons may be "smarter" than previously believed. Though I'm not enamored with the metaphor of the brain as a computer.

- Trudeau's administration has pushed government spending to the highest levels in Canada's history. As much or more than 40% of GDP - higher levels than during World War II. And the economy has nothing to show for it.

- Heh Heh

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

With Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch first being suspended for a year by MLB then fired by Houston's owner Jim Crane, I'd look for the next shoe to drop being a heavy fine and suspension for current Red Sox manager Alex Cora. I'd also expect the Boston Globe (owned by Red Sox owner John Henry) to do a big expose on the Patriots in response... Q: What did the fish say when it bumped its head on a cement wall? A: Dam!... Why do I feel the phrase "Stuck on Stupid" is going to make a big comeback in 2020... "Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money." - Moliere... GOOP has a candle called "Smells Like My Vagina" while Burger King has a meatless burger called "Tastes Like My Ass"...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Here's my thoughts on the World Series: I'm rooting against the Astros because of the way they handled that female reporter from Sports Illustrated but I want Mattress Mack to win his bets although I'm not going to subject myself to a four hour game if there's any football on that I can watch instead... I'm going to hell for laughing at this (make sure the sound is on)... "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something."- Thomas Huxley... Hard to believe but the last head coach of a Cleveland Browns team to win an NFL playoff game is none other than Bill Belichick... Heh heh - vintage birth control... I seriously spend time wondering if the Harry Potter movies could have been better if they were made by Pixar instead. Perhaps someday Pixar will get the rights to reboot the series... There's less than 100 days until the Super Bowl and I'm still wondering where the hell did the summer go?... Who knew? The first scientist was a woman. Before Mary Somerville - people were called "men of science"... 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Congratulations to the Astros for making it to the World Series. And as a Red Sox fan I'd like to remind Yankees fans that Boston won the World Series last year... Glad to see the NBA not doing anything to prevent people from wearing Stand with Hong Kong t-shirts at their games. Let's hope these protests don't peter out... I've made this observations before but I see more Tulsi Gabbard signs when driving in New Hampshire than any other Democrat candidate. I fully expect her to finish in the top 3 in the NH primary... This is a good explanation for the basis for the hate Hillary Clinton seems to feel for Tulsi. A feeling I think is mutual...  The Athletic has become the daily sports fix I used to get from the Boston Globe Sports section decades ago. I didn't mind paying for the Globe all those years ago and I don't mind paying for The Athletic now...  Deep sea explorers have found the wreck of the Japanese carrier Kaga which was sunk during the Battle of Midway. Coincidentally there's a big Hollywood movie on Midway coming out next month. Midway was one of the most important battles in US history. Perhaps the best book on the battle is Shattered Sword which I recommend with the caveat that it is pretty dry and detailed history at times... This is so cool. I hope the people tip this busker to the max when they see him... "Hillary Clinton" a Haiku..

Red Sox Take Care of Business

The Red Sox beat the Yankees last night to move on to the ALCS which starts Saturday night in Boston.

I truly believe the winner of this series - either Boston or Houston - will win the World Series. The Astros have a hell of a starting rotation and will be tough to defeat but there just seems to be something special about this Boston team.

Go Red Sox!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Yesterday was John Kruk's birthday - which only served as a reminder how one man turned exactly 100 MLB HR and being a slob into a full-time ESPN gig... The surprising origin of high heels... People making the point that AL West teams feasting off the ineptitude of the Astros will really give them a leg up in the Wild Card race. The AL East may have the best teams but that only means probably only the Division Champ will make the playoffs... Inappropriate ad placements...  Brandon Webb just retired. Baseball-reference.com list Tim Lincecum and Cole Hamels as the two most similar pitchers. That should give Giants and Phillies fans something to worry about... Some rules are absolute - yoga pants are for women ONLY!...

Player Comparison

I was intrigued by a comparison of two players who have been in the news these past few months:

Player A: 2150 G/ 449 HR/ 1529 RBI/ .297 BA/ 149 OPS+
Player B: 2035 G/ 473 HR/ 1512 RBI/ .280 BA/ 138 OPS+

Player A recently was up for his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility and his lower than expected vote total upset many stats oriented folks. Player B is considering a comeback but has not played in the Major Leagues since logging 26 games in 2009. Of course Player A is Jeff Bagwell while Player B is Carlos Delgado.

I was surprised by how close the numbers were for the two players (except really for OPS+ which seems close but Bagwell is tied for 34th all-time while Delgado is tied for 83rd). What has me curious is whether Delgado will get close to the support Bagwell got. Heck he may even get more since very few have ever connected Delgado with steroids allegations while that has been a constant thought regarding Bagwell.

Like I said - I just found the comparison interesting.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So Roy Oswalt has asked for a trade? Seeing how he makes $15 million this year and will make $16 million in 2011 with a club option for another $16 million in 2012 - a team would not only have to be in a position to go to the playoffs but also have large amounts of cash available to afford him. What teams fit that profile?... Makes perfect sense to me... The Yankees would be an obvious candidate to trade for Oswalt. He could easily take Javier Vazquez's spot in the rotation and his contract wouldn't really make a dent in the Yankee bank account. The question is whether the Yankees have the prospects the Astros would want in return... A list of unusual words. I had pretty much not heard of any of these words. I may be up for some abligurition today. If there are some pretty girls maybe even engage in some apodyopsis. Yup - major abligurition and apodyopsis... A real Iron Man suit. I want one!...

Ed Wade

How are you spending your Saturday morning? In between catching up on work email and reports - I'm going to take a look at the job Ed Wade has done as GM of the Houston Astros. My curiosity in checking out Wade was sparked by a semi-defense of Wade by Richard Justice who I respect as one of the best baseball writers in the country.

As a Red Sox fan I'm a bit biased against Wade since when in Philadelphia he traded Curt Schilling and he fired Terry Francona as manager. Plus when I've posted about Ed Wade in the past:

As in here.

And here.

I haven't been kind to Ed Wade. I think the phrase I used was "jerkface loser." Richard Justice's semi-defense makes me wonder if I was being too unkind. I went over the depth chart of the team and I have to say my opinion of Ed Wade hasn't changed.

Pick of the Day

Today's pick of the day (POTD) is Detroit with Justin Verlander taking the hill. Bodog has the Tigers as a slight -$119 favorite. The Astros are the oldest team in baseball (average age over 30 years) and I think Verlander's fastball may prove to be overpowering tonight. I'm looking for him to hit double digits in strikeouts.

POTD record 2-0.

Stats - Stat of the Day

From the excellent Stats Twitter feed:

This season, #Houston's Mike Hampton is 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA vs. the #Pirates and 1-4 with a 6.43 ERA vs. the rest of the majors.