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Saturday, March 3. 2018

Photo: A pal was skiing at Killington this week. Pic of a favorite pub: The Inn at Long Trail

Mary Shelley's remarkable creation, 'Frankenstein,' at 200

Stone Age Statue Was Too Racy for Facebook

Study: Luck Matters More To Success Than Skill

OK - but you have to make the most of whatever luck you have

Mother, Daughter in Gun Fight with Shotgun-Wielding Robbery Suspect

THE ATHEIST’S IMAGINATION

Pushback Against Political Correctness Saves Racist Gorilla

Proof that Minnesota's schools are racist

Facebook Threatens Satire Site Babylon Bee over CNN Story That Snopes Rated 'False'

Supreme Court decision to have a profound impact on the future of unions

Women’s March Co-Founder Defends Herself Against Charge Of Ignoring Anti-Semitism With Anti-Semitism

Lawsuit: YouTube Stopped Hiring White And Asian Males To Improve Corporate Diversity

Dem staffer: You Won’t Believe What CPAC Taught Me About Conservatives

For one thing, the people were kind and welcoming. Nobody yelled at her, to her surprise.

Dreher is feeling fed up: Enemies of the people

I suspect those Czechs and Slovaks would understand very well the mentality that got those two food service workers at NYU fired. We don’t even know if those fired workers were conservatives or not. All we know is that they were denounced by this middle-class black daughter of a Chicago administrative judge, and now they are jobless, with the scarlet letter of Racism staining their resumés forever.

The private Trump: Trump Does The Unthinkable

Insider Ed Butowsky: Seth Rich’s Father Confirmed His Son Was the Wikileaks Leaker

Xi Jinping and the Perils of One-Person Rule in China

Merkel says Germany has ‘no-go areas;’ gov’t won’t say where

US Combat troops have been complaining about the M4 and M16 for years — now the Pentagon is doing something about it

What Prevents School Shootings from Happening in Israel?

What’s happening in India?

Don’t Be Fooled: Russia is Weak and Dying

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 05:15 | Comments (35) | Trackbacks (3)

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"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

I've always objected to the definition of luck that says it is an outside agent of some sort that happens to people randomly. Nonsense. And the examples given in that link aren't that sort of luck either, they are just prejudicial actions by people against others.

#1 steve walsh on 2018-03-03 08:07 (Reply)

I have had many entirely random and serendipitous encounters which included many missed opportunities and many excellent outcomes. The trick is to get out there, and stay alert.

I taught my kids that life is like standing in front of a conveyor belt of opportunities, most of which never return. But only if you GET OUT THERE.

#1.1 Bird Dog on 2018-03-03 09:17 (Reply)

Der harder I verk der luckier I get. (Attributed to several sources.)

#1.2 BillH on 2018-03-03 10:31 (Reply)

Late to the fair, but my father used to say "sometimes it's better to be lucky than smart.". He was a WW II vet - RCAF to be precise, though he ended up as an instructor (passed out second in his class and the first two did not get sent to England); can't say he was altogether pleased; Mum was. Anyway, there were a fair few fatalities among the trainees for him to realize this.

#1.3 Frances on 2018-03-06 23:02 (Reply)

Atheist's Imagination; I said "I'm praying for you". He responded "I don't believe in God" I said "Who said I was praying to God? Or that I was praying for good for you?"

#2 Jerry on 2018-03-03 09:21 (Reply)

Let me tell you about atheists: they haven't got a prayer.

#2.1 JJM on 2018-03-03 20:49 (Reply)

"The Indian economy needs to create roughly one million jobs each month just to keep up with the natural growth in the labor force."

What's happening in India? There's the problem right there.

#3 Arty on 2018-03-03 09:40 (Reply)

Too much Indian sex?

#3.1 Bird Dog on 2018-03-03 09:43 (Reply)

"complaining about the M4 and M16 for years"

Well, yes, but it is kind of like the argument between Ford and Chevy owners. It will never end, it is about biases not facts and while you may ask 100 people who oppose the M16 platform what is wrong with it you will get 100 different answers.

Most opponents to the M16 platform simply don't like the 5.56 bullet. They like the bigger "better" 7.62. But everything is a trade off. The troops can carry almost twice the number of 5.56 rounds and this is a big deal. Also this discussion isn't just about "a combat rifle" it is about the entire compliment of weapons a squad carries into combat which is built around that 5.56 round. This would all have to be changed if they replace the M16 with a 7.62 platform.

Many opponents to the M16/M4 platform complain about reliability. But this argument goes back to 1964 when the Army created the M16 by modifying the AR15 and in that process created the reliability problem. The new M16/M4 platforms are much more reliable than that 1964 M16 was.

Basically what we have here is an argument between biased nitpickers which will inevitably result in a worse choice that just like that old M16 from 1964 will take a decade to fix. Is there one or a couple of choices out there that are head and shoulders above the M16/M4 platform? NO! There is nothing off the shelf to replace it that is better. So they will have to invent something and THAT will be problematic.

#4 IdahoBob on 2018-03-03 10:12 (Reply)

Agree. Two times I had failure to feed with an M16A1, both times stateside, using blank ammunition. Never had a problem with ball ammunition.

#4.1 SgtBob (Link) on 2018-03-05 10:56 (Reply)

Nice photo of McGrath’s Irish Pub at The Inn at Long Trail. It’s a wonderful place for live Irish music, Guinness on tap, and great food.

The Inn at Long Trail was originally part of a complex of buildings on both sides of US-4 in Sherburne Pass. The main building was the Long Trail Lodge on the south side of the road, built in 1923 by Mortimer Proctor as a grand hotel on Vermont’s Long Trail and headquarters for the Green Mountain Club. After the Long Trail Lodge burned in 1968, the hotel activities shifted to what was then called the Long Trail Chalet on the north side of US-4, part of the same complex of buildings. The McGraths purchased the building in 1977, renamed it The Inn at Long Trail, and created McGrath’s Irish Pub.

Highly recommended if you are in the area.

#5 The Switchel Blogger (Link) on 2018-03-03 10:17 (Reply)

QUOTE:

Mary Shelley's remarkable creation, 'Frankenstein,' at 200 ... But the Lake Geneva area was hit with a long spell of unseasonably cold, dreary and rainy weather. Violent lightning storms and chill drove Byron and his guests indoors.

It wasn't just unseasonable at Lake Geneva. The year 1816 was the "year without a summer". Global temperatures dropped about 1°C, leading to crop failures across the Northern Hemisphere. The climate anomaly was due to increased volcanic activity, primarily the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815.

So—appropriate to Romantic sensibility—there may never have been Frankenstein or The Vampyre except for a furious eruption on the other side of the world.

#6 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 10:20 (Reply)

Exactly!

Zachriel, some of your other comments here are a little tiresome, but this comment is spot on. Yes, 1816 was a wild year for weather, without which we probably would not have had Frankenstein. The “year without a summer” was bad here in New England, too. Details.

Bird Dog, thanks for the interesting link. What a wonderful masterpiece by a young woman! (Started when she was 18, published when she was 20.) It is unfortunate that our society has shamefully distorted the original story.

#6.1 The Switchel Blogger (Link) on 2018-03-03 13:00 (Reply)

QUOTE:

The private Trump: Trump Does The Unthinkable... in all my years covering him I’ve never heard anything negative about the man until he announced he was running for president.

The author is quite the exemplar of the echo chamber.

{clap, clap}

#7 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 10:28 (Reply)

I can't speak for Liz Cronkin's experience, but I bet a substantial portion of the population would be surprised to hear the stories she tells of his generosity. I'd also be shocked to hear that anybody called him a Nazi or a fascist before he ran for president - charges that do not make sense given his positions - but then there is that echo chamber that your side has. But then your echo chamber is rife with outrage about Trump-Russian collusion and nothing of the relationships between Hillary and her campaign staff and Russia. This in spite of the dearth of evidence of the former and the actual documented evidence of the latter. An echo chamber?

Then we have the constant cries of racism but somehow this this or this.

#7.1 mudbug on 2018-03-03 11:02 (Reply)

mudbug: I can't speak for Liz Cronkin's experience ...

You are diverting. Cronkin claims to have "covered" Trump for years, but never heard anything negative about the man until he announced he was running for president. There was plenty of negative criticism of Trump long before he ran for president, including credible accusations of racial discrimination in housing, not to mention his promotion of the birther conspiracy, which provoked plenty of criticism.

Her position requires a willful suspension of disbelief.

#7.1.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 11:19 (Reply)

So you are saying that all the acts cited in the article are fabrications?

#7.1.1.1 B. Hammer on 2018-03-03 11:47 (Reply)

Not at all.

#7.1.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 12:00 (Reply)

So the writer chronicles her personal impressions from her numerous experiences and the Zzzz imply she's full of shit.

Back to your sandbox, kiddiez.

#7.1.1.1.1.1 drowningpuppies on 2018-03-03 16:00 (Reply)

Is this sort of like Obama saying he had a scandal-free administration while the press nods their collective heads?

#7.1.1.2 mudbug on 2018-03-03 17:26 (Reply)

mudbug: Is this sort of like Obama saying he had a scandal-free administration while the press nods their collective heads?

The actual quote: “I will say that the thing I’m most proud of, Jake, is an administration now, acknowledging that we still have six days left or five days left, that has been historically free of scandal.”

Many of the so-called scandals were manufactured or overhyped scandals, such as Benghazi!™. On your second claim, that the press nodded; in response to Obama's claim, there were many articles that detailed the various controversies associated with the Obama Administration. Compare to Trump's explicit statements that he fired the FBI Director over the Russia investigation, or his praise of the Chinese President's power grab.

"He's now president for life. President for life. No, he's great," Trump said. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."

#7.1.1.2.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-04 09:32 (Reply)

Since the kiddiez are acknowledging manufactured and overhyped "scandals"...

Russia, Russia!, RUSSIA!!!

Now back to your sandbox, kiddiez!

#7.1.1.2.1.1 drowningpuppies on 2018-03-04 10:50 (Reply)

In any case, our original point stands.

#7.1.1.2.2 Zachriel on 2018-03-04 09:43 (Reply)

Zzzz: In any case,our original point stands.

Notice the kiddiez always type this when they've tap danced around the subject and lost the argument.

#7.1.1.2.2.1 drowningpuppies on 2018-03-04 11:26 (Reply)

The echo chamber? If that is true, why is it that this is the first I have heard of any of these charitable acts? How full of vile to this man must you be, not to even acknowledge these fine things without sarcasm?

Some make loud and boisterous noises, so that all heads turn and look at their charity. While others go quietly about their good works. Who is more righteous?

#7.2 B. Hammer on 2018-03-03 11:34 (Reply)

B. Hammer: If that is true, why is it that this is the first I have heard of any of these charitable acts?

Because most of them happened decades ago, and Trump's more recent actions have relegated them to the dusty past.

B. Hammer: How full of vile to this man must you be, not to even acknowledge these fine things without sarcasm?

Our comment was directed at Cronkin's oblivious statement.

B. Hammer: Some make loud and boisterous noises, so that all heads turn and look at their charity. While others go quietly about their good works.

Trump invited the press for a public "burning" of Annabel Hill's mortgage. There's nothing wrong with that, but it is hardly "going quietly about their good works".

#7.2.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 11:59 (Reply)

Which of Cronkin’s statements was obvious? Obvious to what?

#7.2.1.1 B. Hammer on 2018-03-03 13:20 (Reply)

B. Hammer: Which of Cronkin’s statements was obvious? Obvious to what?

Oblivious.

Cronkin, as quoted above: "in all my years covering him I’ve never heard anything negative about the man until he announced he was running for president."

#7.2.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 13:41 (Reply)

The DNC and a lot of people on the left claim as fact that the Russians hacked the Podesta emails and gave them to Wikileaks in spite of the fact that Assange denies they came from any government, much less Russia. Mueller is not interested in talking to Assange. Mueller is offered evidence that Seth Rich is who provided them to Assange but he's not interested. It seems clear that Mueller doesn't believe the Podesta emails had a Russian connection or that he's not really interested in investigating a Russian connection.

But the story really is the murder of Seth Rich and why he was murdered. There don't seem to be many people in power (and in DC, most are Democrats) have much interest in that. PI, Wheeler was told that the DC police were told to stand down, Mueller isn't interested, and as far as I can tell, the DNC has conspicuously not offered a reward for information for his killer whereas some conservatives and Wikileaks have.

It must have been the Russians, right? ;-)

#8 mudbug on 2018-03-03 11:45 (Reply)

mudbug: Mueller is not interested in talking to Assange.

There is little doubt that Mueller and other U.S. investigators want to talk to Assange, but he is still hiding out in the Embassy of Ecuador in London.

mudbug: It seems clear that Mueller doesn't believe the Podesta emails had a Russian connection ...

There is a connection. The Podesta emails were hacked by the Russians.

mudbug: But the story really is the murder of Seth Rich and why he was murdered.

Seth's family has asked that you quit purveying conspiracy theories concerning his death.

#8.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-03 12:05 (Reply)

Zzzz: Seth's family has asked that you quit purveying conspiracy theories concerning his death.

Those kiddieZ

#8.1.1 drowningpuppies on 2018-03-03 13:32 (Reply)

Z: There is little doubt that Mueller and other U.S. investigators want to talk to Assange, but he is still hiding out in the Embassy of Ecuador in London.

Why would you say that? Do you have any evidence of this? Assange is not hiding. Everybody knows where he is. He just can't leave the embassy. He has given interviews to several media outlets (e.g. Sean Hannity, DemocracyNow, Nieuwsuur). There are so many ways they could interview him (e.g. phone, skype, or video), not the least is getting on an airplane and seeing him in the embassy. They don't seem to be trying very hard.

Z: The Podesta emails were hacked by the Russians.

Says you, the DNC, and DNC contractors. As I said (I'll wait while you reread my post), Mueller was offered evidence that Podesta's emails were leaked and not hacked by Russians. If he is truly investigating Russian interference in the election, this would be of interest to him. Either he is focused on Russian interference and he knows this is not pertinent to his investigation since it is not related to Russian interference. or he's not really interested in Russian interference.

Z: Seth's family has asked that you quit purveying conspiracy theories concerning his death.

I guess I must have missed that memo! I guess we should all just shut up, then? The family doesn't seem to be fully invested in the investigation (his brother is holding back evidence from the private investigator his father hired, etc.). Murders are supposed to be investigated and prosecuted regardless of the family's wishes.

#8.1.2 mudbug on 2018-03-03 17:16 (Reply)

mudbug: Why would you say that?

Because possible contacts between WikiLeaks, Assange, and the Trump campaign are known to be of interest to the investigation.

mudbug: Assange is not hiding.

For certain definitions of the word "hide": use (someone or something) to protect oneself from criticism or punishment, especially in a way considered cowardly.

Perhaps you think semantics changes the underlying facts, but they do not.

mudbug: He just can't leave the embassy.

Of course he can. He may have to face his accusers in a court of law, though.

mudbug: There are so many ways they could interview him ...

Sure, he could simply make an appointment to meet Mueller at the FBI. He is a fugitive at this point, so he would have to submit to the law before any testimony could be considered credible.

mudbug: Says you, the DNC, and DNC contractors.

Actually, we know the exact URL used to spoof Podesta, and we know because — wait for it — WikiLeaks leaked it.

mudbug: I guess I must have missed that memo!

Not a problem. Ignorance is a curable condition.

We’re Seth Rich’s parents. Stop politicizing our son’s murder.

#8.1.2.1 Zachriel on 2018-03-04 09:19 (Reply)

Lather, rinse, repeat...

Back to your sandbox, kiddiez.

#8.1.2.1.1 drowningpuppies on 2018-03-04 10:28 (Reply)

Luck is the cards you're dealt, skill is in how you play them. And a lot of studies of this sort fall victim to survivor's bias - if you study a lot of successful people you're going to find many of them that caught a lucky break, but how many unsuccessful people had a shot at a lucky break but passed it up? How are you going to identify unseized opportunities? Me, I had a chance to invest in Apple early on, but I instead invested in Tandy because I figured "who knows more about home electronics than Radio Shack?" Seemed like a no-brainer at the time.

#9 Jerryskids on 2018-03-03 14:15 (Reply)

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Saturday, March 3. 2018

Saturday morning links