I really don’t have an answer, and I wonder if the answer differs from high school, NCAA, and NBA. And, I’m not sure why, but I get a kick that this is coming from Scottie Pippen, who once dined in Mineral Wells, TX.
As I’ve said before, I’m all for pronouns but not for the reason why it’s debated. I’ve worked with a lot of people from overseas, and a lot of times I simply can’t tell if I’m dealing with a male or female based off the person’s cultural name and my ignorance. It’s awkward referring to the person in conversation with another person if you can’t identify them as male or female, the last thing I want to do is offend anyone in a professional setting.
I love The Onion. LOS ANGELES—In the aftermath of a stunning trade that saw the point guard move from the Texas city to Los Angeles, a homesick Luka Doncic was reportedly spotted Wednesday gazing longingly at a photo of a barren Dallas office park. “Oh, to be back among those absolutely desolate and soulless business complexes,” said Doncic, explaining that he yearned to again experience the industrial sprawl of the city that prioritized uninspired concrete structures and highways over green spaces and pedestrian-friendly walkways. “Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate Los Angeles’ lack of any discernible character, and the similarly congested traffic has made the transition so much easier. But it doesn’t hold a candle to Dallas. The Pacific Ocean will just never compare to a man-made pond that’s been dyed blue.” At press time, Doncic vowed to someday return to Dallas to attend a dental conference at the downtown Hilton.
Posted inPersonal|Comments Off on Your Bag of Randomness for Thursday, March 6, 2025
Wow, this is a pretty big statement if you know Bill Simmons. I extend a very heartfelt thank you, Mr. Simmons. There’s nothing else like genuine compassion from another fan base, especially the Celtics.
John Candy died OTD in 1994.
John is one of the most beloved actors in all of cinema. His comic brilliance, wrapped in a blanket of warmth and love was a gift. He will continue to live on through his many performances, whether he makes us laugh or cry. He never really went away. pic.twitter.com/GhHY6n5hKg
It’s hard not to talk about politics when the new administration is directly responsible for your unemployment by terminating your job. It’s been a challenging couple of weeks. I’m fortunate to say that I accepted a job offer on Friday and my start date is a week from today. While it’s going right back to the same environment that continues to be rocked and is unstable because of DOGE and the new administration, it’s something, for now. Supposedly funding for this project was already approved by Congress and dollars are accounted for, but I’m also hearing how contracts and other things are still behind canceled left and right and recinded offer letters. So, for right now, I’m able to catch my breath at least a little, but I’m cautious it can all change on a dime. Just to be on the safe side, I’m still job hunting.
Interestingly, one benefit my new company provides is unlimited time off.
It’s crazy how half the country could not be happier with the state of affairs and the other half feels this is the most unstable our government has ever been. It’s hard to complain knowing this is exactly what the voting electorate knew what they were getting and this is what they wanted. I want to give the new administration the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard when the people you have forged relationships with are no longer able to provide for their family because of DOGE. It’s bewildering how it takes six to eight months for me to have a full background check performed on me with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security interviewing my friends and family and verifying my work and educaiton history and DOGE staff not even old enough to rent a car have more clearance and access than I do almost immediately.
I remember most of my conservative friends were elated when Dubya was elected and enacted the rule that a suit and tie was required inside the Oval Office because it helped bring dignity back to the office. Today conservatives are frustrated that President Zulenskyy didn’t wear a suit but are totally chill when Elon Musk wears a ballcap and a t-shirt. How hypocritical can you get?
“POC” was targeted because they thought it meant “people of color.” It stood for “point of care” in medical emergencies: This Is the Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.” – ProPublica
Charles Barkley was once traded to the Lakers, celebrated by drinking excessively, and later in the day found out the Sixers nixed the deal and had to play in a game. – Twitter
For some reason, I wanted to honor Gene Hackman by watching some of his movies that I never got around to watch. First up, Unforgiven, which he won his second Academy Award for. Dang, that was an exceptional western. I have this habit of watching older movies like these, then researching what the audience and reviewers thought at the time of release. After that was Mississippi Burning. Wow, that was something else. It was interesting watching a young Frances McDormand and Willem Dafoe. Dafoe said that he usually wouldn’t have taken such a role but he was eager to work with Hackman at least once in his career and lept at the opportunity. Other actors of note that caught me by surprise were Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day),Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy), and R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket).
Elvis Presley rehearses "Yesterday" by The Beatles (1970)
The ultimate compliment is to have Elvis Presley sing one of your songs, and The Beatles got it. pic.twitter.com/vnQSUv7ul6
A news program surprised me with the news that 5o% of the world’s coffee comes from Brazil and Vietnam. I always knew Brazil was a big producer, but I was surprised to hear about my mother’s homeland. Some cursory research tells me Brazil accounts for 39% of the world’s coffee, and Vietnam has 16% as the second largest coffee exporter in the world, with a larger market share in Europe and Asia.
More than 1,000 musicians, including Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and the Eurythmics’ Annie Lennox, have released a silent album in protest against proposed changes to Britain’s copyright laws. The new rules could allow companies to use artists’ work to train their AI models without permission.
Google is making a significant change to its two-factor authentication (2FA) system by discontinuing SMS-based verification cards for Gmail logins. Instead, the tech giant will be implementing QR-based logins, requiring customers to scan a QR code with their devices to confirm access.
Google has quietly announced the pricing for its AI-powered video creation platform, Veo 2. According to the company’s price page, generating a video with Veo 2 will cost only 50 cents per second, which equates to around $30 per minute or $1,800 per hour.To put this in context, Google DeepMind researcher Jon Barron compares this to Hollywood blockbuster budgets. Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, for example, had a reported $356 million production budget, which equates to around $32,000 per second—far beyond Veo 2’s pricing. While Veo 2 is unlikely to produce feature-length films any time soon, Google has emphasized its ability to create clips of two minutes or more, making it a useful tool for short content creators.
I’ve mentioned using the AI model Perplexity a few times. I don’t like it as much as ChatGPT, but I certainly see why it would sometimes be preferred because of the way it cites its answers. They are now launching a browser, which is an interesting step.
The software, called AutoRIF, which stands for Automated Reduction in Force, was first developed by the Department of Defense more than two decades ago. Since then, it’s been updated several times and used by a variety of agencies to expedite reductions in workforce. Screenshots of internal databases reviewed by WIRED show that DOGE operatives have accessed AutoRIF and appear to be editing its code.
CBS Evening News saw a 24 percent drop in the 25-54 demographic when compared to the same period last year, per Nielsen ratings. In comparison, David Muir‘s World News Tonight on ABC has seen an 8 percent annual gain in the 25-54 demographic, while Lester Holt‘s Nightly News on NBC has seen an 8 percent gain in that same demo.
This isn’t timely, but I still thought Pat McAfee’s insight on what it’s like to kick off the Super Bowl was pretty unique. He points out all the camera flashes, but it used to be more grand before everyone defaulted to using smartphones.
Here’s the article and here’s the video.
