More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Rob Gronkowski to sign a one-day contract to retire as a Patriot. Glad to see it.

-  And claimed victory!

- Jonathan Turley: If Democrats get back in power they plan to pack the Supreme Court.

- 100 books to read before its too late. I've only read (or started) about 15% of the books on the list.

Some Memes You May Enjoy

Many a truth is said in jest.

- Heh Heh

- Regarding the upcoming audit

- Still funny

- Heh Heh

Linky Links

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

- Rob Gronkowski on Bill Belichick. People who talk smack about Belichick are usually bad players, sportswriters, or team owners. Never good players.

- Tucker Carlson Episode 82

- From the archives: The Road Not Taken - the Most Misread Poem in America

- Former business associate accuses Hunter Biden of perjury and he has evidence.

Tom Brady and Gronk to the Raiders?

Looks like there was a deal in place to send Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to the Raiders but Jon Gruden put the kibosh on it.

Think the deal worked out best for all involved - except Jon Gruden because the one franchise that may have had his back in his lawsuit against the NFL now may be thinking, "That SOB cost us Tom Brady!" Gronk in Vegas would have been, to quote Dicky V, "Awesome baby!"

Kudos to Dana White for being able to keep a secret.

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Action may not always bring happiness but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli

"What you learn from a life in science is the vastness of our ignorance." - David Eagleman

"You always have the option of having no opinion." - Marcus Aurelius

"Si, yo soy fiesta." - Rob Gronkowski

Quotes for Today

 Here are some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde

"The best way, perhaps the only way, to change others is to become an example." - Naval Ravikant

"If it's not right, don't do it. If it's not true, don't say it." - Marcus Aurelius

"Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." - Voltaire

"Action may not always bring happiness but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli

"What you learn from a life in science is the vastness of our ignorance." - David Eagleman

"Si, yo soy fiesta." - Rob Gronkowski

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Surprised more comparisons between former Patriots All-Pro tight ends Russ Francis and Rob Gronkowski haven't been made. Francis was deemed "All-World" by Howard Cosell and "retired" abruptly in 1981. He took a year off (just like Gronk) and then returned to the NFL with another team (just like Gronk). Francis played 7 more seasons after un-retiring but he came back in 1982 aged 29-years old. Gronk will be 31-years old this season... Have to wonder if Bill Belichick had dog friendly videos playing on that middle laptop to keep his dog Nike sitting there like that... Did not know this - Dr. Anthony Fauci received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 for his work in combating the AIDS epidemic... Bowling alleys reopen in Georgia... Remember back when "experts" were convinced that Segways were going to be the next big thing? When's the last time you saw anyone on a Segway?... On Thursday night as the Detroit Lions were about to make the 3rd pick of the draft I found myself wondering about how Matt Millen is doing. Millen had a rare disease that made a heart transplant necessary. He had the heart transplant surgery in 2018 but there's been little update on his health since...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Was surprised by Rob Gronkowski deciding to come back to play football. Thought he was enjoying retirement. Was not surprised that he'd only come back to play with Tom Brady. The TV ratings for Tampa Bay games in New England this season will be phenomenal... Why Oil Prices Went Negative - a good explainer article on why and how oil prices went negative. Something I was very nervous about.. Are we all in agreement that NYC has the worst mayor in the country and Michigan has the worst governor?... I was not aware that Al Bumbry served 11 months in Vietnam before becoming a star for the Baltimore Orioles. He even earned a Bronze Star for bravery...  "The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge."- Daniel Boorstin... Missouri files suit against China over damages from Wuhan Virus. I expect many other States to follow suit [pun intended]. It will also be interesting to see which major law firms sign on to defend the Chinese government... 

Linky Links

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

- New sanctions on Iran's Supreme Leader's business interests should be heavy blow. As an aside maybe it should just be policy to have heavy sanctions on any country led by someone who calls themselves "Supreme Leader"

- Before Jordan Peterson had his book 12 Rules for Life - he listed 42 rules people should follow.

- I agree with Tom E. Curran that Gronk isn't coming back to the Patriots. At this point, as a fan, I don't even want him to. He retired on top and his body is getting healthy. Enjoy life Gronk - you've earned it!

- Interesting - Kepler's forgotten idea about "morphogenic fields" and symmetry may help explain spiral galaxies without the input of dark matter

- Heh Heh

- Mental Floss's list of the top 50 TV shows to binge watch. Is it strange that lately I've been thinking I should watch MORE TV? For month's I've cut back TV to just sports, stand-up comedy specials, and documentaries. Damn you Game of Thrones!

- I hope the term "Spanish Submarine" gets added to the Urban dictionary as meaning "a completely fucked up thing". Oh by the way - the S-80 Submarine has been offered for export.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

President Trump saying I hereby order US companies to look into moving their operations out of China is like me hereby ordering the New England Patriots to win the AFC East. Those outcomes were happening anyway but the difference is I won't get to take credit for the Patriots success... Heh Heh... Was shocked but not surprised at the news Andrew Luck is retiring. His body has taken a lot of punishment and he's earned enough money to have the luxury of not needing to do it any more. To me Luck deciding to retire at 29 is not much different from Rob Gronkowski deciding to save his body and retire at age 30... Carnal Acquaintances would be a good name for a band or a fantasy football team name... Note to self: from now on only bet on the ponies if I'm at the racetrack and only bet on golf if I'm the one swinging the sticks... Heh Heh... The news of Luck retiring should make Patriots fans extra grateful for having Dante Scarnecchia coaching the O-line and protecting Tom Brady so successfully over the years. The one year Scar "retired" is the year Brady took the worst beating of his career. Coach Scar should be in the Hall of Fame...

Linky Links

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

- This actually looks pretty cool (and what great free advertising for AirBnB)

- Interesting man. Interesting story. Interesting history.

- Thanks a lot Canada! Canadian senator's report accidentally reveals locations of US nuclear weapons in Europe. Or maybe the information was leaked to pressure the US to get those nukes out of unstable Turkey? So - thanks Canada?

-  Your obligatory will Rob Gronkowski un-retire speculation.

- The lone Mustang pilot who held off 30 fighters from attacking B-17's for over half an hour. "It was a case of what seemed to be one lone American against the entire Luftwaffe." Where do we find such men?

- Richard Feynman explains math.

- Why can't we be more like the Swiss?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Bruins got absolutely SCREWED by the NHL and the referees last night. No two ways about it. Absolutely SCREWED... My feelings exactly after the game... Random Bruins thought not involving referees - if Cam Neely were a football player he would have been Rob Gronkowski. And vice versa... This is sooo good... Here's my solution to the Democratic Party having too many candidates for the Presidential debates - add Voldemort to the polls and any candidate who cannot poll better than He Who Must Not Be Named is eliminated from participating... Learned a new word yesterday - palimpsest. It was in a book I was reading and I didn't recognize it. Learning a new word makes me happy. It's the little things in life... Such an awesome photo by Steve Biro...

Linky Links

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

- This is interesting - nuclear power is the future. No idea of the scale of that product but if small enough it reminds me of Mr. Fusion from Back to the Future

- Jury returns $2 BILLION verdict against Monsanto for couple with cancer who blamed the cancer on Roundup. Will be interesting to see if this verdict survives appeal.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald's list of things to worry about and things not to worry about

- Yesterday was Rob Gronkowski's 30th birthday. The Patriots put together a highlight reel to celebrate.

- Free Solo and Economic Growth. Interesting read.

- China loses more from this trade war. I've long had the same opinion which is why I think we'll see a Trade Agreement within 6 months.

Top 5 - Observations About the Patriots Draft

Here are my Top 5 thoughts and observations about this past weekend's NFL Draft as it relates to the New England Patriots.

1. Nobody really knows who the "winners and losers" are from the draft and won't know probably for five years. That's how long it takes to see if draft choices actually pan out. (Unless you're the New York Giants then yes you're a loser in this draft. Daniel Jones WTF?)

2. The New England Patriots are pretty unique in that once the players are assembled it is what you do on the field that determines if you play or not - not where you were taken in the draft or how big your contract is. It starts with a sixth round QB unseating the number one pick in the entire draft and extends to the entire roster. That's one of the reasons it appears that the Patriots don't do a great job drafting. If an undrafted free agent performs better than a second round pick then in Foxboro it is the undrafted free-agent that plays.

3. New England didn't draft a tight end but they did take N'Keal Harry with their 1st pick and Harry might have been the best receiver at catching balls in traffic in this year's draft. Catching contested balls was one of Rob Gronkowski's strengths and while Harry doesn't play TE he can possible replace the retired legend on some of those jump balls Brady used to throw Gronk in the corner of the end zone.

4. With the Pats drafting Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham you have to wonder what that means for Danny Etling who was third on the depth chart last season.

5. One of the things that bugged me leading up to the draft was the theme that the Patriots do such a poor job in drafting players that get named to the Pro Bowl. In New England the players don't play for "all-pro" or Pro Bowls. Patriots players play for championships. How has New England done in that regard?

On a local note - Boston College had more players taken in the first three rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft than powerhouse Notre Dame. Just saying.

Linky Links

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

- Thank you Gronk! (video)

- 7 traits of super-productive people

- Speaking of super-productive people - David Goggins "the toughest man alive" shares how he pushed his mind and his body (video)

- Where do we find such men as Travis Atkins? This should be must reading for everyone.

- Heh Heh

- Should we become specialists or polymaths? "If we do not let the world teach us, it teaches us a lesson."

- Baseball season is here!

Linky Links

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

- Heh Heh - Hitler finds out about the Mueller Report. (Via Borepatch)

- You are never too old to...

- A message from Art Alexakis from Everclear to his fans and friends. We can and will find a cure for MS.

- I've become a fan of Senator Mike Lee

- Scientists discover signs of new neurons developing even in adult brains as old as 87

- Rob Gronkowski's ridiculous NFL records

- The way of the monastic warrior: Lessons from Major Dick Winters. This is one of those things you need to read periodically to remind yourself of what is important in life.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Much of the reporting on Russiagate was based on anonymous sources. If the media that printed those stories do not now publicly burn those sources then the only rational explanation is that the MSM was just making things up as they went along... The last catch of Rob Gronkowski's career basically won the Super Bowl for the Patriots... "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." - Stephen Covey... So if there are separate trials could Mark Geragos represent Michael Avenatti and then Avenatti turn around and represent Geragos? That way neither could testify against the other due to attorney-client privilege... Some say hell is a man on an acoustic guitar playing Hotel California over and over. Extra crispy hell - that man is Chris Berman... Today we work less, have more leisure time and earn more. We live in an age of abundance... People who mention that Steve Jobs biological mother was an immigrant from a mostly Muslim country in order to support immigration never seem to mention that Apple would never have existed if she chose to have an abortion instead of opting for adoption. Funny how that works... 

Rob Gronkowski - An Appreciation

Rob Gronkowski has decided to retire. He was the best tight end in NFL history and he will be greatly missed. Gronk's decision to retire was not unexpected by Pats fans - in fact an announcement that he was coming back for one more year would have actually been the bigger surprise.

Gronk's playoff stat line alone is insane! He played 16 total playoff games (the equivalent of a full NFL regular season) and he caught 81 passed for a total of 1,163 yards and 12 TD's. No TE is ever going to approach his numbers in the playoffs. Pats fans always knew that if the team went into a playoff game with a healthy Gronk then there was a very good chance of victory. And winning playoff games is what its all about in New England.

Pats fans know the abuse Gronk's body has absorbed over the years. Nobody took bigger shots or had his legs targeted like Gronk. Some have some faint hope that this isn't truly the end though. We remember All-World tight end Russ Francis "retiring" after the 1980 season only to come back to play several more seasons (but for another team). I don't think that's in store for Gronk though because he has two things Francis never had - championship rings and close to $60 million in career earnings. People with those things in hand don't need to return to prove anything.

Gronk will be remembered both as the greatest TE to ever play the game but also as a great person. The amount of charity work Gronk quietly did over the years (especially for children) would be almost impossible to properly document.

The playful teammate will also be greatly missed. My guess is you'll see many "Gronk spikes" after TD's next season in tribute. I for one can't wait to see what outfit he picks out for this year's Kentucky Derby. 

Robert Kraft's and Bill Belichick statements on Gronk's decision to retire

Tom E. Curran has a nice appreciation of Gronk's decision to retire.

The Boston Herald's Kevin Duffy has a nice appreciation of Gronk's decision to retire

What's Next for the Patriots?

Tom Brady will be back next year so will Bill Belichick so you have to like the Patriots chances (as always)

The three biggest questions going into the offseason are:

1. Will Rob Gronkowski retire? Nobody would begrudge Gronk if his decision was to call it quits because of the damage he's piled up over the years on his body. Gronk was the best tightend in NFL history. But if he does retire what do the Pats do to address the position?

2. Trey Flowers is an unrestricted free-agent and Belichick has a history of letting players walk to get the big money elsewhere. I hope he makes an exception for Flowers who is an elite defensive lineman. Belichick showed he was unafraid of paying a defensive player top dollar when he signed Stephon Gilmore to a big free agent deal. I hope he does the same for Flowers.

3. Trent Brown is another unrestricted free agent who was a big part of the team's success this season. Unless he takes a discount to be Tom Brady's blindside tackle I'm not hopeful that he doesn't sign a massive contract elsewhere.

Next season's team could be greatly helped by the return of injured LB Ja'Whaun Bentley and OL Isaiah Wynn two rookies who had their seasons cut short but should be ready for 2019.

Josh Gordon could be reinstated by the NFL as early as May. That's means he should be available in time for OTA's and training camp. Do the Patriots bring him back? I think they do. Gordon's failure was his own and I think his teammates are pulling for him to get well. And the coaches know he can produce on the field. I can see them bringing Gordon back but saying goodbye to Chris Hogan.

Greg Schiano will be joining the Patriots coaching staff as the new Defensive Coordinator. He replaces Brian Flores who is now the head coach of the Dolphins. Schiano and Belichick go way back and the McCourty twins played under Schiano at Rutgers so I think this transition will go rather smoothly.

Not to be overlooked is the fact New England has 12 draft picks in the upcoming NFL draft. These picks include 4 in the top 75 selections. Depth should be a strength next season.

Linky Links

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

- Churchill in Hitler's bunker. (Via)

- Scientists say "Planet Nine" can't hide much longer. The hypothetical planet is supposed to be 10-times the mass of Earth and 50-times further from the Sun than Pluto

- This is the best

- Cool - a way to remember deep time

- Europe wants to mine the moon by 2025. There is a new space race going on.

- Interesting Michael Caine interview. Seems I've read many of those answers before though.

- A poker playing robot goes to work for the Pentagon