Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, September 2, 2020

I goofed on my Monday post. I should have stated I’m starting my 46th trip around the sun.

I’m having a small back procedure done today. I believe I’ll be getting four facet injections which will require me to go under. Because of COVID concerns, my Wife can’t stay at the hospital, so for two-and-a half hours she has to find something to do until they call her and say I’m in the “wake-up” room. This procedure is being performed by a pain-management doctor located in Addison. One of the principal reasons I chose him was that he was “in-network”. He works at several hospitals, but my employer changed providers, so the only hospital “in-network” is over an hour away in Rockwall. It’s a good thing Trump and Moscow Mitch have been working on a better healthcare plan, it’s not like they haven’t had time to work on it.

Welp, they won my business.

Old Navy Will Pay Employees To Work At The Polls, Joining Corporate America In Encouraging Workers to Vote

Old Navy announced on Tuesday, which is also National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, that it will pay its employees to work at polling stations come Election Day. The fashion retailer will compensate associates with a day of pay, regardless if they are scheduled to work on November 3.

“We learned that America is facing a record shortage of poll workers, estimated at 250,000. We saw a unique opportunity to tap into our community-minded workforce to serve this need and make a meaningful impact,” Nancy Green, Head of Old Navy, told Newsweek.

Store employees will also be offered up to three hours of paid time off on Election Day to vote, while headquarters will have a “no meetings day.”

My SAT score was abysmal, I couldn’t even get over 900. For the longest time, I let it define me

University of California System can’t use SAT and ACT tests for admissions, judge rules

The University of California system can no longer use ACT and SAT tests as a determinant for admissions, a superior court judge has ruled, handing a victory to students with disabilities.

The “test optional” policy at most UC campuses affords privileged, non-disabled students a “second look” in admissions, said Brad Seligman, the Alameda County Superior Court Judge who issued the preliminary injunction in the case of Kawika Smith v. Regents of the University of California on Tuesday.
At the same time, he said, a “second look” would be denied to less privileged students and students with disabilities who are unable to access the tests. Therefore, the conclusion is to do away with the tests all together.

Here’s an example of why I can’t stand being on the Nextdoor app, this message was sent the last week of August. How much trouble can buying a couple of bags of candy be, and why plan so far ahead?

A seal in Japan.

It’s a baby Godzilla.

https://twitter.com/mental_floss/status/1300889876464893952?s=09

I never knew Larry Flint and the elder Falwell became friends.

Larry Flynt: My Final Farewell to the Falwell

The legal battle lasted five years, from 1983 to 1988, including three decisions against me in federal courts. There was an important principle at stake: the right of artists, writers, and publishers to satirize public figures. Finally, I was vindicated by the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision written by conservative Chief Justice William Rehnquist. This case is often cited as a landmark ruling for the preservation of our First Amendment rights to free speech.

Ironically, Falwell Sr. and I actually became friends later. We enjoyed many cordial visits, participated in debates across the country, and even exchanged Christmas cards. I have to concede that his friendship with me proves that, for the most part, he was practicing an essential tenet of his faith, forgiveness, and was a sincere Christian.

Dutch photographer uses AI to create a photo of what Jesus may have looked like

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Bag of Randomness for Monday, August 31, 2020

Yesterday, I started my 45th trip around the sun. DaughterGeeding gifted me this  handiwork.

https://twitter.com/edrinwilliams/status/1299685154739363840?s=09

A Christian fund raising site has earned more than $240,000 for alleged Kenosha shooter, Kyle Rittenhouse.

The NBA isn’t perfect, but I love how they are leading the other leagues in terms of social justice and engaging in the community. It’s outstanding that all their home arenas will become voting centers.

2020 has been rough on us all, but I’m thinking how tough it has been on the black community losing some significant figures such as John Lewis, Kobe Bryant, and now Chadwick Boseman. Those are big losses in civil rights/politics, sports, and entertainment. I suppose Boseman is the modern-day and black version of James Dean.

Still looking for that blue jean, baby queen. Prettiest girl I ever seen. See her shake on the movie screen, Jimmy Dean (James Dean) Rock on. Rock on. Rock on …

Double rainbows are cool, not only because of their rarity and beauty, but the order of the colors are inverted on the opposing rainbow.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – University of Alabama orders faculty to keep quiet about outbreak

Administration officials at the University of Alabama reportedly have ordered the school’s professors to keep quiet about the coronavirus amid an outbreak that infected more than 500 students during the first week of classes.

Faculty in multiple departments said they received emails this week telling them not to discuss the situation in classrooms and to keep students in the dark if they became aware of anyone contracting the virus, according to an exclusive report by The Daily Beast.

“Do not tell the rest of the class,” the email reads, with the word “not” underlined, the Beast reported.

The FBI warned for years that police are cozy with the far right. Is no one listening? – I was an FBI agent who infiltrated white supremacists. Too many local police don’t take the far right seriously – or actively sympathize

This three-year-old girl held on for dear life at this kite festival in Taiwan. I cued this video to the part where she takes off.

Groom jokes that 2020 ‘has not been the best year’ – and then lightning strikes at his wedding

A Tesla Employee Thwarted an Alleged Ransomware Plot – Elon Musk confirmed Thursday night that a ransomware gang had approached a Gigafactory employee with alleged promises of a big payout.

Earlier this month, according to a recently unsealed criminal complaint, a 27-year-old Russian man named Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov met an old associate who now worked at Tesla at a bar in Reno. They drank till last call. At some point in the evening, the FBI says, Kriuchkov took the person’s phone, put it on top of his own, and placed both devices at arm’s length—the universal sign that he was about to say something for their ears only. He then invited the Tesla employee to collaborate with a “group” that carries out “special projects.” More specifically, he offered the staffer $500,000 to install malware on his employer’s network that would be used to ransom its data for millions of dollars.

But I liked the robot, it totally fit Paulie’s personality.

Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky IV’ Director’s Cut Will Eliminate Paulie’s Robot

In real life, the robot, named Sico, was built to work with autistic children. One of Stallone’s children is autistic, and he reached out to the robot’s creator Robert Doornick about seeing if his son could meet Sico. He liked the robot enough to put him in Rocky IV. Later, Paulie’s Robot even got an action figure.

Not anymore. If you look at the comments on the Instagram post above, you’ll see several fans asking about Paulie’s robot. When one asks Stallone not to cut the robot, Sly responds “I don’t like the robot anymore,” then tells another “The robot is going to the junkyard forever.”

Blinded by the light.

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Bag of Randomness for Friday, August 28, 2020

Fun Fact about November 3rd, Election Day. It’s also Colin Kaepernick‘s birthday.

Tomorrow, BoyGeeding, a third-grader, will be taking a test over Latin and Greek vocabulary.

2020 continues to stink. Yesterday, Norm on The TICKET announced he’s been battling bladder cancer. The prognosis looks promising, but still.

When I said I was okay with President Trump accepting the nomination at the White House, that was with the expectation that it would be indoors and somewhat lowkey.

What was the over-under on the number of times “my father” would be said at the RNC.

I think Ivanka farted as she walked by and the First Lady got a whiff of it.

Somewhere in this photo is the First Lady.

In case you are wondering, she’s wearing Valentino. The dress normally sells for $$5,500 but you can get it for 50% off.

I keep hearing how Trump is breaking the Hatch Act, but what good is such an act if it isn’t enforced? Also, what are the possible penalties? I’m reminded of the time the Supreme Court went against a decision of Andrew Jackson who then reported said of the Chief Justice, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!” It led to the Trail of Tears if I remember my history correctly.

Imagine a Republican several years ago touting passing the largest economic relief package in history

Walker claims he thought the audio went out, but if that were true, why wouldn’t he simply ask if the audio went out instead of abruptly turning off the camera?

Hurricane Laura topples Confederate monument town had voted to keep – A Louisiana city voted this month to keep the controversial statue standing. Hurricane Laura had other plans.

Biden snags ‘Keep America Great’ domain in latest act of Trump trolling

I spotted this at the grocery store yesterday.

New York Times – Here’s What America’s Covid-Era Classrooms Look Like –
We asked educators to show us how they are preparing their classrooms to teach amid the coronavirus.

Revealed: The Truth About What Really Killed Stevie Ray Vaughan – On the 30th anniversary the helicopter crash in Wisconsin, a lawyer who investigated the accident explains for the first time what went wrong.

Ronald Reagan sends you to do war crimes in the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War trailer

The trailer features a discussion of codename “Perseus,” a supposed KGB spy (based on real-life Cold War events) that new character Russell Adler says “will shift the balance of the Cold War” if they don’t do something to stop the plot. But when discussion of the legality of the mission arises, that’s when we get into murky territory. “Every mission we go on is illegal,” protests fan-favorite Black Ops character Frank Woods, who says a lot of innocent people will perish if they don’t stop Perseus.

Thankfully, this is when the president shows up to give the final word. “We’re talking about preventing an attack on the free men and women of the world. Give Mr. Adler whatever he wants,” says Reagan upon entering the room and commenting that it was him, in fact, that approved the Black Ops crew’s prior missions. “Gentleman, you’ve been given a great task: protecting our very way of life from a great evil. There is no higher duty, there is no higher honor, and while few people will know of your struggles, rest assured the entire free world will benefit. I know you won’t fail us.”

Reagan enters the scene around the 1:56 mark. The voice is spot on but the virtual animation or whatever you call it weirds me out.

Here’s an impressive 85-megapixel photo of the moon.

 

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Bag of Randomness for Thursday, August 27, 2020

I’m very proud of the solidarity I’ve seen amongst the Milwaukee Bucks, the Brewers, and other professional athletes. I thought Kenny Smith showed courage and class.

What a stark contrast America was yesterday. The Vice-President speaking at the place in which the Star-Spangled Banner was inspired, and the protest of professional athletes and the Black Lives Matter movement which in part was launched because a knee was taken by a professional athlete as the Star-Spangled Banner was played. It was a damn shame to hear Pence dedicate just a single sentence, in passing, about Kenosha, with a blanket statement that the violence must stop.

Many thoughts run through my head about Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old kid, who thought he needed to go across state lines to be part of some vigilante group with an assault-style rifle.  I’m curious if his single-mother knew he was going to do such a thing with a deadly weapon, much less on a school night. In January 2017, his mother sought an order of protection, accusing one of Rittenhouse’s classmates of bullying her son with taunts of being “dumb” and “stupid,” as well as threatening to hurt him.

It’s shocking to see police officers in an armored vehicle toss bottles of water to Rittenhouse and other armed civilians (people who are clearly violating the city’s 8 p.m. curfew and Rittenhouse being too young to openly carry a firearm in Wisconsin) expressing their gratitude by saying, “We appreciate you guys. We really do.”

It was shocking to see Rittenhouse walk past the police with his assault-style rifle over his shoulder as members of the crowd were yelling for him to be arrested because he had shot people. That lack of response allowed Rittenhouse to return 20-miles to Antioch more than 20 miles from Kenosha.

Armchair Political Consultant: The RNC should have launched some fireworks after Trace Adkins sang the Star-Spangled Banner. They were at Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key literally described bombs bursting in air like fireworks.

Here’s a website to help people find bilingual names, it was created by a man trying to find a suitable name for his and his wife’s Japanese-Finnish baby.

MixedName.com

I gave it a try to see if DaughterGeeding’s bilingual middle name appeared, which it did. My mother’s name appeared smack dab in the middle.

Ian McCaw was the Baylor University athletic director and their esteemed university president left because of a scandal. Ian McCaw is now the Liberty University athletic director and their esteemed university president left in a scandal.

I’m not sure how this will look on a mobile device, but this meteorological map of Hurrican Laura was pretty cool to play with. Be sure to hover your mouse and select the different options on the left.

DogGeedingII keeping BoyGeeding company during class. That dog might learn the hard way that’s not the safest of places to take a nap.

Jalopnik – Rolls-Royce Reworks Its Logo And Branding So People Will Stop Assuming They’re A Budget Car Brand

The Obscure Constitutional Loophole That 2020 Is Blowing Wide Open – The United States has a law for disputed elections—but it’s not ready for this year’s presidential vote.

The law, then, is clear about how to handle the failure to decide an election on time. But applying the law is another matter—and there’s reason to fear the United States could find itself with precisely what the existing law was intended to prevent: an acting president of disputed legitimacy. Unless Congress quickly rethinks its existing succession laws, the current system could take an already bad situation of a delayed, disputed presidential election and make it even worse.

The problem centers on the reliance on Congress for the line of succession. Having the speaker first in line fails to account for the fact that the terms for all 435 House members expire on Jan. 3. If a presidential election is delayed and unresolved because of disputes over the validity and timing of mail-in ballots, many individual House elections—decided by those same ballots—would probably be delayed and unresolved too. The result would be fierce fighting over huge swaths of the House’s membership. Majority control could change chaotically from day to day as a partially filled House wrestled over each new batch of individual election results, amid a fog of state recounts and litigation. Without at least 218 seats filled, there would not even be a quorum, meaning there would be no speaker at all.

The backup is the Senate side, where the terms of only about one-third of the senators will expire on Jan. 3. The other two-thirds of the Senate will be able to form a quorum and choose a president pro tempore. But just like in the House, delayed election results could lead to intense political combat over the 30-odd seats up for grabs, with majorities shifting daily. Complicating matters, governors in some states might try to appoint people to fill vacant seats temporarily—assuming it’s clear after the election who the governors even are. As such, the president pro tempore could be chosen by a majority of questionable legitimacy, formed through a combination of confusion, litigation, and partisan shenanigans.

Woman Transforms Into A Siren By Singing In An Echoey Stairwell

Her singing made me think of the Titanic soundtrack. It just so happens she also sang “Hymn to the Sea” from the movie in the stairwell as well. She also did her best Ariel impression.

Fact Checking Is the Core of Nonfiction Writing. Why Do So Many Publishers Refuse to Do It? – Emma Copley Eisenberg discusses the dangers of authors being forced to hire their own fact-checker out of pocket. If they do so at all.

From reading up on the subject and talking to friends who had published books of nonfiction, I knew that I would be responsible for hiring and paying a freelance fact checker myself. This is the norm, not the exception; in almost all book contracts, it is the writer’s legal responsibility, not the publisher’s, to deliver a factually accurate text.

As a result, most nonfiction books are not fact checked; if they are, it is at the author’s expense. Publishers have said for years that it would be cost-prohibitive for them to provide fact checking for every nonfiction book; they tend to speak publicly about a book’s facts only if a book includes errors that lead to a public scandal and threaten their bottom line.

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