Big Blue Huddle

This post is for our members (and visitors) who are afflicted with JDS (Jones Derangement Syndrome).

I do it out of respect for the viewpoints of those members who are already "done" with him, hoping they can better enjoy the season (although you would rather see someone else at QB) by understanding what he was up against last year. If he's granted the grace of one final bit of "blind faith" I think more can be gotten out of this season than just "tolerating" the situation for another year.

Won't bore you with any specifics. The most important part of the link below (Schmelk's interview with Robert Mays, a truly knowledgeable pod-caster/writer employed by The Athletic) lasts ONLY FIVE MINUTES (the first five) of the long interview and IMO it will give a point of reference to anyone willing to listen with an open mind. The guys go through Jones' six games from last season and explain why no QB would have had a chance of succeeding.

Bob  https://www.giants.com/video/giants-huddle-robert-mays

PS. IMO Jones was lucky to get hurt early. If he'd played all 17 games he might be dead now.

Just and Rich (and other members) have their favorite (or "go-to") guy, mine is Albert Breer.

This is a smart man and although I never met him, I know people who have. They agree completely.

He's a top guy in and around pro football. Link to the interview (very recently done) is below.

Bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mp9gvRkm0E

Don't forget to read the question, which is not in the title. It appears at the top of the list of names on the poll screen.  Guests can vote (as well as members).

As most members may know by now, my vote is Harrison.  He knows what to do after he gets punched in the face (which he will in the NFL).

My second vote would have gone to Odunze, because he knows how to punch defenders in the face. I'm just not sure how he'll react to being the recipient of a punch in the face (which seldom, if ever, happened to him in college).

Bob

PS. According to my research and conversations, any of the 10 guys listed in the poll could go before the sixth pick of the 1st round (team needs do vary).

IMO the worst thing that happened to the Giants in the past 10 years is that they allowed the Eagles to trade up one draft spot ahead of them and take DaVonta Smith. Not only did they not get a true "can't-miss" WR they then agreed w/the Bears to trade down (apparently prioritizing WR over taking the best player available... Micah Parsons) and compounded that error by taking a loser WR (Toney) with the Bears' pick. IMO trading up one spot last year to be certain to obtain Banks was an ADMISSION of the magnitude of the error they made in 2021 by not trading up one spot to ensure they got Smith.

If anyone can cite a worse move or occurrence in the past 10 years, please feel free to do so (level of difficulty: easy). lol   

If anyone disagrees that last year's trading up one spot was completely unrelated to their failure to do so in 2021, please make your counter-argument (level of difficulty: not so easy).

Bob

If you come across a truly exceptional quotation, please post it here.

I like reading them, so please add any you think are worthy of note.  Mine is from Albert Einstein...

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity (and I'm not sure about the universe)."

Bob

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exploding-satellite-triggered-epic-rivalry-170541717.html

Greenpeace admits what has been known/acknowledged quietly for years... recycling plastic is a fool's errand.

My position is: do what we can anyway. Politicians try to make this a political issue, but it isn't IMO.

Without anyone telling me I must be, I've always been a conservationist. Making a mess because we're too lazy or stupid to clean up after ourselves is not an option for me.

Bob

https://www.city-journal.org/greenpeace-admits-recycling-doesnt-work

John: As of this moment it's pointed right at you. Please keep us advised so we know you're ok. Bob

I've hardly any time to spend here these days but MADE TIME to mention this... from the journal "Science"...

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl6422  For an English "translation" LOL here's one source,

https://justthenews.com/nation/science/scientists-say-single-amino-acid-may-explain-major-cognitive-shift-neanderthals#digital-diary

Bob

[practicing using the new system] 

Before reading this post, how many of you were aware that...

TWO-THIRDS of all of the people in the entire history of the human race who lived past age 65... are alive right now... today?

Bob

PS. Was going to put this on the main board but it's not Giants talk.

I'm hopeful we have someone here who can dumb this down for me.

Apparently we humans have accidentally built a barrier that protects us from harmful cosmic radiation, merely by transmitting our own radio waves over the years (and a few other things I don't understand).

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.  The article is not long but it's jam-packed with information.

Bob

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/whoops-humans-made-a-space-barrier-around-earth?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Yesterday, by email to one of my semi-official mailboxes, I received the equivalent of a "chain letter" from a trusted source (side note: this person and I seldom agree about anything).  The "letter" is reproduced below.

I did not forward it directly (using the "forwarding" function of Yahoo - my email provider) because I am aware it could be part of an effort to accumulate email addresses (or worse) by some nefarious person or entity. 

Personally, I recommend (on general principles) not forwarding it if you receive it (except in the manner I employed, which was to copy only the text, and paste it here for others to see).

I have at least the following three questions, and I'm thankful to have a forum such as this where I can ask them:

(1) did any of you receive this email (or something similar) and do you know anything about it?
(2) do you perceive the subject matter to be important, or do you believe is it much ado about nothing (I'm not soliciting political views, but rather wondering whether it seems important to you personally)?
(3) as a general matter, what other illegitimate purposes could a person have for sending a "chain letter" through email?

Bob

>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         A woman dies at age 65 before collecting one benefit check. She and her employer paid into the system for almost 50 years and she collected NOTHING.
>>>>         Keep in mind all the working people that die every year who were paying into the system and got nothing.
>>>>         And these governmental morons mismanaged the money and stole from the system, so that it's now going broke.
>>>>         BEAUTIFUL! And they have the audacity to call today's seniors "vultures" in an attempt to cover their ineptitude.
>>>>         DISGRACEFUL!
>>>>         The real reason for renaming our Social Security payments is so the government can claim that all those social security recipients are receiving entitlements thus putting them in the same category as welfare, and food stamp recipients.
>>>>         THIS IS WORTH THE FEW MINUTES IT TAKES TO READ AND DIGEST!
>>>>         F.Y.I. By changing the name of SS contributions, it gives them a means to refute this program in the future. It's free money for the government to spend under this guise.
>>>>         The Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a Federal Benefit Payment?
>>>>         I will be part of the one percent to forward this. I am forwarding it because it touches a nerve in me, and I hope it will in you.
>>>>         Please keep passing it on until everyone in our country has read it.
>>>>         The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a "Federal Benefit Payment."This is NOT a benefit.It is OUR money, paid out of our earned income!
>>>>         Not only did we all contribute to Social Security, but our employers did too! It totaled 15% of our income before taxes. (This should be enough for you to forward this message, if not read on.)
>>>>         If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 invested in Social Security.
>>>>         If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both you and your employers

Answer in 24 hours, although it would surprise me greatly if no one here knows the word.  Bob

Hint: The final letter of the four-letter word is "K" 

Go to this website to discover what late-night TV was like back in the good old days.  LOL

It's Jay Thomas (most people don't know who he was, may he rest in peace) on David Letterman's show telling a true personal story about Clayton Moore... the Lone Ranger. 

https://www.google.com/search?channel=tus5&client=firefox-b-1-d&q=lone+ranger+david+letterman

Bob

https://www.jpost.com/international/could-dna-vaccines-be-the-next-tool-in-the-worlds-battle-against-covid-19-680371

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/17/us/politics/france-ambassador-recall-us-australia.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/politics/kabul-drone-strike-us-military-intl-hnk/index.html

Here's a relatively short article that demonstrates IMO the "right" way to teach U.S. history.  ---->  https://www.history.upenn.edu/node/14406

Make people think.  Don't propagandize them by telling them what you (the teacher) think.  Then show them (perhaps) the fallacy of their preconceived ideas.

That short article contains a link to a much longer article which expands on the content of the short one.  ------>  https://thepenngazette.com/pdfs/PennGaz0921_feature1.pdf

IMO, all U.S. history buffs should read both, and take the "challenge(s)" included in the longer article.

I'm not a history buff; in fact, it was my least favorite subject throughout years in school....  but I read both anyway.  Well worth the time and effort, IMO.

Bob

PS.  I was a student of the late Professor Alexander Riasanovsky (who is mentioned prominently in both articles).  When I was there, among other subjects, he taught Russian History.

Should people who have had the coronavirus and who currently exhibit so-called "natural immunity" (the presence of covid19 antibodies in their system) be subject to vaccination requirements or other restrictions which certain institutions, public or private, are attempting to place on un-vaccinated people?  In other words, are there two kinds of un-vaccinated people (those who have the antibodies in their system and those who do not)?

https://universitybusiness.com/george-mason-relents-grants-covid-19-medical-exemption-to-professor/

Are any of you other (LOL) old farts familiar with this guy?  He's a "new" generation comedian whom I believe has a chance to walk in the footsteps of guys like George Carlin and Steven Martin.

My belief is NOT based on style, which I suspect will be off-putting to some of you, but rather on my sense that he is a hard worker (an opinion based on almost nothing other than a gut feeling) and very talented.

He began as a YouTube "success" but has now done at least three videos which are currently available on Netflix.  Just interested in hearing how your view his form of entertainment and your estimation of his prospects.

Bob

Eventually, IMO, the Giants will line up Kadarius Toney at every offensive skill position.

It's a certainty that he'll take a few direct snaps this season from some sort of "wildcat" type formation. 

But he was recruited to college as a QB... so I wonder how you assess the chances that he'll take at least one snap this season from UNDER CENTER?

Bob

For anyone interested in history, pasta or Italians (LOL), here's a great link a friend from Florida just sent me.  Bob

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/pasta-production-pictures-1925-1955/?fbclid=IwAR2YbXWyharQyMMIgN6DwknQ0BFe2E_zyplj5Ze6_ux9mjR5jj9tJoQR9Bs

I tried to get a report that is as readable as possible by us non-scientists.  All life is amazing, but this is right near the top of the list.  Posting it just in case it has escaped your attention.  Bob

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/tiny-worm-comes-back-life-after-24000-years-siberian-deep-freeze-2021-06-09/

I'm a composer of music but not much of a lyricist.  It's something I'm just not good at.  Consequently, I have great admiration for lyricists, and especially for clever rhymes conjured up by the great lyricists. 

My all-time single favorite rhyme is easy... I don't know why, but thinking of it always seems to part the skies on particularly cloudy days. 

In "My Fair Lady" a completely unnecessary character (IMO) sings the wonderful tune "On The Street Where You Live" which contains the following line (taking advantage of British pronunciation): 

"People stop and stare... they don't bother me... for there's nowhere else on Earth that I would rather be."  Bother me... ra(h)ther be?  How a person comes up with something so clever is beyond me.

But my all-time favorite lyricist is Edgar Yipsel ("Yip" or "E.Y.") Harburg. Yeah, I know.  Most people never heard of him, but, among many many other things, he was the lyricist in the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz."

If you have a moment, use the magic of computers to dig up the lyrics, starting with "Over The Rainbow" I suppose, but if you have only limited time or interest, don't miss "Munchkin Land."  [link below]

https://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/the_wizard_of_oz_soundtrack

Bob

PS. Forgot this.... the lyricist for "On The Street Where You Live" was Alan Jay Lerner (who was not a Brit, by the way). He won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards, among numerous other honors.

Whether ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft should be required to treat their drivers as employees is a good topic for discussion (if anyone cares).

My only definitive thought at this point is.... if they're employees, then the original purpose of founding the companies is obviated, and the companies would be no different from old-fashioned taxi cab companies.

It seems akin to telling general contractors who build houses that all independent sub-contractors (plumbers, roofers, etc.) must automatically be considered their employees when they work on projects.

The Constitution (Article 1) says no state shall pass any law impairing contracts between private persons. It is my understanding that drivers sign a contract with the company, so it seems to be precisely on point.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/contract-clause-examples-definition.html

Bob

https://thepenngazette.com/fighting-poverty-with-cash/    From Penn Gazette.

Super-long, but IMO worth fighting your way through... it's about a professor who's spearheading a push for [essentially] giving certain people a guaranteed income. 

The arguments against this concept are obvious and easy to make; many are confronted by the professor in the article.

IMO it's "must-read" for anyone who cares about poverty in America, but particularly by those who are against it. 

I'm posting the article because, to my knowledge, there are some points made therein which have not been made previously.  In other words, the professor may be "breaking some new ground."

Bob

PS. Editorial comment regarding the author of the article (who is not the professor): assuming the author agrees with the professor's viewpoint (or is at least neutral) IMO it was a huge tactical error to begin by trying to portray the professor as some sort of "victim." Starting the article like that caused me to immediately question whether the author viewed the professor's position as so weak that he needed to "bolstered" it by raising extraneous matters.  They occasionally do the same thing on "60 Minutes."  I consider it poor journalism and not very professional.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/buffett-its-corporate-fiction-to-say-higher-business-taxes-hurt-customers-172536348.html?.tsrc=fin-notif

(1) January 25, 2021    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/25/us/unions-may-complicate-bidens-school-plans.html
 
(2) March 20, 2021       https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/world/cdc-social-distance-schools-three-feet.html

(3) May 2, 2021            https://news.yahoo.com/american-federation-teachers-union-influenced-141822843.html

You should have no trouble finding that news story.  I'd sure like to represent her money.  Bob

PS. Just a wee bit of humor.

Among other things, the recently-passed American Rescue Plan Act provides aid to "socially disadvantaged" farmers and ranchers.

The Department of Agriculture has interpreted that phrase to include African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaskan natives, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders, to the exclusion of all others.

A class action has been filed on behalf of all of the excluded groups. 

(1) Is it ok under the constitution to provide Federal benefits to a limited number of groups, when the limitation is set solely by referring to racial heritage?
(2) If a socially disadvantaged person is half white and half black, for instance, do they get any benefits? Half? 
(3) If a black man is married to a white woman, do they get benefits? Half?
(4) If a person with only a tiny, but provable, percentage of (for example) Native American ancestry applies for benefits, does he get anything?

A link to the complaint (which is relatively simple and easy to read, considering that it is a legal document) is below.

https://wordpress.aflegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20210425-Complaint.pdf

Bob

PS. Don't bother trying to read the attachment to the complaint (the text of the Act unless you are REALLY having trouble getting to sleep.