tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57159966058203863652024-03-13T15:29:47.611-05:00Mojo Bison's Range<b>Mojo Bison's Range</b>
<br>
<i>(Where
Unintended Consequences Roam)</i> <br>
"Horror of horrors, a historian who is not a progressive or a Democrat!
Will we never see the backside of him?" (Be careful what you wish...)<em></em><br>
<br>
One man's musings on history, politics, education, recipes, and other
things (including the occasional paean to Manly Outdoor Pursuits)<br>
Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.comBlogger399125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-14618614813945415162023-05-26T04:54:00.000-05:002023-05-26T04:54:01.117-05:00Good heavens! Let me sweep the deck and turn on the A/C...<p> I have been very remiss in keeping up the blog. Ever since I was (re)elected Faculty Senate President, I was basically forced to resume using The Nameless Evil Rhymes-with-Chasehook Machine (TNE) to communicate with colleagues, trustees, and the public as a whole.</p><p>My time in office, however, is drawing to a close. Come August, I will unfettered again, and I will likely only use TNE to do the college football column, and occasionally link to posts here. It is unlikely I will switch to Substack, because a) I'm no copycat, and b) too many people are already associating Substack with "REE REE REE RIGHT WING BADTHINK REE REE REE." </p><p>--oh, don't mind that. I'm an Austro-Jeffersonian crank. I dislike what the cool kids like, but not for the same reasons as most.</p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-90527486345939219262021-09-13T07:01:00.005-05:002021-09-13T07:14:48.749-05:00BAH GAWD! IT'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! (9/12/21)<p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Brethren, let us gather and sing our opening hymn:</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i28UEoLXVFQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="i28UEoLXVFQ"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For truly, beloved, we all too often take for granted the things which make Saturdays worth watching, and when they are gone, all is sorrow and pain and talk of looking at the transfer portal for help.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">1) GLASSES OF WATER TO THE BUCKEYES AND CYCLONES!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Oh Brother Booth, this loss was most unexpected and tragic.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No one had any idea that the lines were in need of prayer, yay and verily.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This is a sore blow, for while before was hope and avoiding a first-round playoff game against Bama, now is a question if tOSU can survive its own division.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At least this was a non-conference game, but Penn State and Michigan look better than they were.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As for the Cyclones, alas for them, they did take for granted that they had all the momentum, and it did vanish, ironically enough for them, like dust in the wind.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g7A_hOda5uc" width="320" youtube-src-id="g7A_hOda5uc"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2) SHOT OF WHISKEY FOR THE SEMINOLES!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We seek special comfort in a painful time for Sister Denham.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We have gone from emerging from the long darkness of post-Winston to the reality of losing to a FCS opponent.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At home.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>On the last play of the game. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">And you, Trojans, belly up to the bar.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Brother Reid, Brother McDade, we have shots for you as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was not as bad as being No. 1 and multi-touchdown favorites, but losing to Stanford never goes well.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Fight on, indeed, but not on the opening kickoff…</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ws0iomC5y-s" width="320" youtube-src-id="ws0iomC5y-s"></iframe></div><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">3) Longhorns, we do feel your pain, for you don’t realize how much you miss having multiple playmakers until you realize you don’t have any.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Brother McNeil, Brother Rienstra, did we not speak last week of this?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And lo, your ancient enemy fell upon you like…. well, hogs at the feed trough. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Your defense is not as bad as you might believe, because the score could have easily been 56-21 (63-14 if the pick isn’t made, that intended receiver was gone to glory otherwise).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At least you do have multiple quarterbacks of comparable ability…</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">4) which, my beloved Aggies, is more than we can say of ourselves.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was the ugliest win since the Nebraska game of legendary status.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We were not ready to have our cheese moved.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Calzada needs to improve quickly or he will be Mond 2.0 for another two years.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Yet I predict this will not be the last time a good team almost chokes because they no longer have real depth at critical positions because of the transfer portal. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bud Light Seltzer for us.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-14-2015/zlO5Mf.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="320" height="239" src="https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-14-2015/zlO5Mf.gif" width="320" /></a></p><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5) Notre Dame, you were warned, now twice.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Repent now, and come to games ready to dominate, or pay the price later.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Miami, we thought the Bama beatdown would have awakened a desire to prove something, but perhaps not. Your Seltzers are coming after the service.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.oktoberfesttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Inside-Beer-Tent-20-1-scaled.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://www.oktoberfesttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Inside-Beer-Tent-20-1-scaled.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6) Celebratory beverages all around for: Bama, Georgia, Oregon, Iowa (but you watch, Ferentz gonna Ferentz…) Cincy, Florida, BYU (glass of water for the Utes!), OU, Penn State, Arkansas, Auburn, VT, UNC, and Brother McDade’s other team, the Fighting Herms of Arizona State. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Sister Griffin, hottie tottie gosh-a-mighty, you can have one, too!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7) Elsewhere: rejoice, Frog Nation, the Berkeley heathens know you are Christians by your love.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Baptists… well, that was a FCS opponent, but still, good for you.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Tech Mafia, you don’t get beer for squeaking by against SFA.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And in the great crosstown battle of ancient SWC rivals, we saw UH smash Rice into porridge.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">8) Pet peeve this week: this week’s gripe is end of half time management for the umpteenth time.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This time, though, it was Oregon at the end of the half being oddly aggressive against tOSU that I said was a mistake. As I recall, beloved, Oregon chose to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>throw a pass on second and twenty from the OSU 46 with 50sec<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the Buckeyes having one time-out.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was a mistake, I argue, because you have one time-out yourself and they hadn’t been doing a good job of stopping the run.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You run something like a jet sweep to the outside and see what you can pick up for third down; if you get a first down, you can run one or more plays to the end-zone before trying to kick a field goal to go up by 10. If you don’t close the gap to FG range, you let the clock run down and make them burn the TO. Instead, you threw the pass and it went incomplete, saving OSU a TO and giving them a chance to get the ball back. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Carnac.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="367" height="271" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Carnac.jpg" width="367" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">9) Bama, Georgia, Oklahoma.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After that, it’s now all officially a fog.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Frankly, brethren, I just would like to see the Ags win more than seven games this season at this point.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The weekend was so stunning, I lack the spirit to give the barometer out at this time.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">And now, let us all join in the closing song, where we contemplate again what happened when Arkansas greeted future conference-mate Texas..</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ffCp9R1snok" width="498" youtube-src-id="ffCp9R1snok"></iframe></div><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-3890268021497724722021-09-06T10:02:00.009-05:002021-09-12T07:57:19.092-05:00BAH GAWD! IT'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! (9/6/2021)<p> <span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Beloved, let us gather and sing this morning’s hymn…</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="363" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ihTS6puvwRw" width="523" youtube-src-id="ihTS6puvwRw"></iframe></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Oh dear, it appears Coach Kelley seems to have inserted one of his favorites into the list.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We’ll be counseling him on his choices soon. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">And now…</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_C0hw5su7g/Ws4RSd8pTeI/AAAAAAAAIas/9YVUrB_RHskrEM1qdx1xpKDKsrE9i2OegCLcBGAs/s1366/Screenshot%2B%25283583%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_C0hw5su7g/Ws4RSd8pTeI/AAAAAAAAIas/9YVUrB_RHskrEM1qdx1xpKDKsrE9i2OegCLcBGAs/w473-h180/Screenshot%2B%25283583%2529.png" title=""Glass of water for Mr. Grainger!" (Are You Being Served?)" width="473" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Glass of water for Mr. Grainger....</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">1) GLASSES OF WATER FOR THE HOOSIERS, TAR HEELS, HURRICANES, HUSKIES, AND BOTH SETS OF TIGERS!!! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Oh beloved, it is always a trial to see your team go down before Labor Day, yea and verily. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Condolences team will be making visits this week to several of you.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Oh Sister Taylor, that was a battle of defensive titans, with no long-haired blond warrior to make the rescue at the end.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Oh Sister Rosenthal,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I also share your burden, and so does Deacon Collette:</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://dailyknicks.com/files/2014/11/we-suck-again.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" height="180" src="https://dailyknicks.com/files/2014/11/we-suck-again.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Speaking of which, the LSU defense is still a “neaux.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We offer comforting thoughts to Sister Chartlon, Sister Henke, and Brother Saurage, and point out that for 11M/yr you can probably get Jimbo —the price went up recently. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">But for true misery, you could have TWO schools and watch them both lose on the same weekend.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Green bean casserole and persimmon pudding to Sister Meacham (UNC, Indiana). <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2) Several teams won, but only deserve hard seltzer (“The Bartles And Jaymes for Millenials!”) for narrowly escaping defeat.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’m looking at you, Notre Dame (and condolences to Sister Denham). Repent of not coming prepared and letting FSU come all the way back on you!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And Iowa State and Oregon, we see you sitting on the back row, thinking no one notices you playing with your phones! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And you, Ohio State and USC, we saw those halftime scores, quit looking so smug.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No game card for you, Brother Booth. Brother Reid, Brother McDade, you may need to look across town, one of your three rivals is waking up again.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And Sister Novak: 14-0 at the half against Florida Atlantic? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Yet there is one such team that stands out above the rest...</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INOrXqjlldg/YTYrSpgcF3I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/xjcx8LsCUNYhMm4ThgP5FjCTQPKJODO7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/anger-management-nod.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INOrXqjlldg/YTYrSpgcF3I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/xjcx8LsCUNYhMm4ThgP5FjCTQPKJODO7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w308-h240/anger-management-nod.gif" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">And so, out of sheer principle, the last can of White Claw this week goes to the Sooners.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Brother Bloss!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was <strike>Tulsa</strike> Tulane (worse!). At home. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>On short notice for them of change-of-venue.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And they almost won the game!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This is not a team that is going to survive the Big XII<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>undefeated.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">3) Oh Ags, you don’t deserve beer, either.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Yes, you covered the spread, but I was there on the radio (owing to a horrible miscalculation involving Xfinity tiered subscriptions and the lack of ESPNU) and that halftime score was nothing to yell about.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Now to be fair, more than one observer predicted that Kent State’s offense would cause problems in the first half, and that the game would not be put away until late.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But this wasn’t quite accurate on closer inspection.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>KSU moved the ball, yes, but could not score (LEON!!!) A&M had the same problem, though, and while King’s picks may be debatable as to “not fair, those passes were deflected,” the fact remains he chose those receivers.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Jimbo may have been running a whole-team diagnostic, true.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But there are questions, and tomorrow is never a guarantee (is Colorado for real this year, at long last?)</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cHvPizVqGQo/YTYsHpwO-8I/AAAAAAAAAYY/4jjZws5wT-wrbzfD-UibnoY5oiNLHC6fQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Oktoberfest-2022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cHvPizVqGQo/YTYsHpwO-8I/AAAAAAAAAYY/4jjZws5wT-wrbzfD-UibnoY5oiNLHC6fQCLcBGAsYHQ/w444-h240/Oktoberfest-2022.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;"><i>Bier hier, bier hier, oder ich fallum! (Junge!)</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">4) Celebratory beverages to the Georgia Bulldogs, even though they couldn’t score a point on offense any more than Clemson could.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Virginia Tech, your time may have come again, rejoice.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Penn State winning at Camp Randall is a worthy feat, although that game was a snoozer —and yes, it is a fair question to consider if we carelessly mock that game (16-10, scoreless at the half) when the Big Game Of The Day was 10-3 with zero offensive touchdowns. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">UCLA: Chip Kelly, your time has come… for another beer!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Bruins may have turned a corner.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Rolling along: Cincy, Utah, Coastal Carolina, Bama.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Iowa Hawkeyes, enjoy your cold one, but remember, Ferentz does this every few years or so to keep his job: he makes some noise, maybe wins his division, and then it’s 7-5, 8-4, 7-5, rinse-and-repeat.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5) T-sip watch: yes, Texas may be back.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Specifically, Texas may be a running back named Bijan Robinson.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Brother McNeil, Brother Rienstra, can you show the congregation that your team is more than a stellar runner and a hot young QB?</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://menshumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-9.52.06-AM-1170x1131.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="800" height="309" src="https://menshumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-26-at-9.52.06-AM-1170x1131.png" width="320" /></a></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6) Elsewhere: Guns Up!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Tech Mafia makes a statement over its soon-to-be-cross-state-in-conference rivals (condolences to Brother Duplantis).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Alas, the Owls had Arkansas right where they wanted them, but then they remembered that they’re Rice and let the game get away from them. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Baylor outlasted Texas State, but the year is still young.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Did Lamar play this weekend? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7) Airing of the Grievances: this is an old one, but it really came out in the second quarter in the OU/Tulane game when the replay people took a longer forever than usual to make a call on an out-of-bounds play near the goal line.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Folks, this is 20211<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You’re telling me that with all of ESPN/ABC’s resources, you can’t have a time-stamp on every camera feed so that you can instantly align all replay angles simultaneously? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.111eastchestnut.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/carnac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="800" height="316" src="http://www.111eastchestnut.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/carnac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">8) Bama, Ohio State, and Georgia are in leagues of their own at this point.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After that, there is a serious drop-off.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We can debate whether A&M should jump OU (flip a coin), or if Clemson should fall out of the Top Five (they should), but for now that four-spot is a sacrificial lamb.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This may change as the season goes on.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">9) Barometer games for the coming week are not just about the big games.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>They are also measures of relative strength, reexaminations of earlier assumptions, and morbid curiosity.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So for the coming weekend, I ask for wisdom and discernment for the following contests:</p><ul class="ul1" style="list-style-type: square;"><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Coastal Carolina/ Kansas</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Ohio State/Oregon</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">OkieState/Tulsa</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Pitt/Tenn</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">UCLA/Fresno State</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Ags/Colorado</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Iowa/ISU</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Texas/Arkansas</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Washington/Michigan</li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Utah/BYU</li></ul><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">And now, beloved, let us depart in a spirit of certainty, much as Coach Edsall at UConn knowing immediately after his game was over that he would be “retiring” at season’s end.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-75529889071283027702021-08-25T10:06:00.003-05:002021-08-29T09:04:57.314-05:00BAH GAWD! COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS COMING!!!<p> I did abandon Facebook as a daily place to post things and such, but there is one project I decline to let go, and that is BAH GAWD! IT'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!</p><p>I will be making my BAH GAWD! posts here, on my own blog, and cross-posting them to Facebook. This will allow me a bit more creative leeway in terms of formatting, plus I can start inserting graphics and memes, such as when a Big Ten team inevitably loses an easy game that they were previously favored to win:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ltrfwq0DLLg/YSZbRyhH-JI/AAAAAAAAAYI/18vizkG_NvQSdWN3Oc4xYueWQw_8hqnPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Picard%2BFacepalm.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="274" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ltrfwq0DLLg/YSZbRyhH-JI/AAAAAAAAAYI/18vizkG_NvQSdWN3Oc4xYueWQw_8hqnPwCLcBGAsYHQ/w680-h274/Picard%2BFacepalm.jpeg" width="680" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>--yeah, Brother Booth, I'm looking at you.</p><p>Tagging will be actually become easier, as I won't have to edit the names in the textbook to reflect FB status; I can just type in folks as I see fit and then use the FB tag feature when I cross-post.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>GLASS OF WATER FOR LSU! Brennan is out indefinitely, and I am not sold on the other guy.</li><li>GLASS OF WATER FOR ZACH CALZEDA: Jimbo named Haynes King as his starter. We'll see...</li><li>GLASS OF WATER FOR THE B1G. That Covid/forfeit policy may come back to bite someone on the hiney this year --it SHOULD have cost tOSU its conference title slot last year, but whatevs.</li></ol><div>I will likely post the first full installment on Labor Day, although a Kickoff Weekend version will be here in a few days.</div><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-92202260074819516322021-08-18T14:34:00.002-05:002021-08-18T14:34:58.238-05:00Is Face Mask Skepticism Beyond The Pale? (Reason.com)<p><a href="https://reason.com/2021/08/18/is-face-mask-skepticism-beyond-the-pale/">https://reason.com/2021/08/18/is-face-mask-skepticism-beyond-the-pale/</a></p><p><br /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">From the beginning, however, the Great American Mask Debate has been strongly influenced by partisan and ideological commitments, with one side exaggerating the evidence in favor of this precaution and the other side ignoring or downplaying it... <span style="background-color: white;">But rational discourse entails rebutting arguments by citing contrary evidence instead of treating them as too dangerous for people to consider.</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p></blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">I generally refuse to discuss masking with people anymore. It's an article of holy faith, and I'm not prepared to expend the energy at this point against either side's positions. I'll wear one, but I don't like it, nor do I think it's going to save anyone's life. </p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: auto;">Folks, we've seen this movie before: <i>Ultraviolet.</i></p><div><br /></div>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-87381736842200199682021-08-05T09:14:00.005-05:002021-08-05T09:14:36.936-05:00Chock Full O' Wisdom Today!<p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Men, zippers are your friends. Keep them UP! </li><li>When in doubt, get it in writing.</li><li>Email is forever, particularly when the Open Records Act is involved (Texas Government Code Chapter 552 <i>passim</i>)</li><li>When they pound the table harder and harder, they've run out of facts and the law is against them.</li><li>Any bureaucracy over a certain size becomes more concerned with its survival than its mission, and most politicians over a certain level are more interested in serving their own interests than serving the public.</li><li>Follow the money.</li><li>If the medicine cures one disease but leaves you vulnerable to something worse, consider riding it out. </li></ol><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-12589323672131160842021-07-06T17:14:00.003-05:002021-07-06T17:14:53.282-05:00Relational Contracts and HCC: some observations<p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18.384px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://mises.org/node/55525" style="color: navy; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Innovation In Contracting</a></span></h4><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Psychological contracts are unwritten relationships in which an individual holds a belief in mutual obligations between themselves and another party. An often-cited example is an employment relationship. There may be a written employment contract but, beyond that, an employee may have tacit expectations about job security, personal development, recognition, promotion, growth, personal well-being and respect. If these are not met, they may withdraw effort. Employers are well-advised to empathize with the unwritten expectations of the psychological contract in order to optimize employee motivation.</span></i></span></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Okay, that's something that tends to be forgotten by many administrators. Good ones remember it, though.</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>A brand promise can be a similar psychological contract. Brand make overt promises regarding the benefits they claim to bring to users. In turn, users create their own expectations — as we always emphasize, value is subjective and customers engage in a value learning process when they interact with brands. Their subjectively-defined expectations undergo continuous change, especially as they make comparisons with alternative offers and alternative sources of satisfaction. It’s imperative for brand owners to monitor the evolution of customer-perceived mutual obligations. Customers hold a strong perception of how much consumption work they have to do to receive the benefits that the brand promised, and if the equation gets out of balance, they’ll withdraw their effort.</i></span> </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Now this has multiple applications. The idea of creating a unified culture at HCC, for instance, runs into challenges at multiple levels. Viewed through this lens, the students approximate being customers in the classroom. The challenges of learner engagement can be understood from this angle in the present day. This may not entirely be a desirable thing, but we cannot ignore the perspective entirely. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">At the same time, instructors are internal customers and the various levels of administration are providers, particularly when we talk about culture. The money quote: "I<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">t’s imperative for brand owners to monitor the evolution of customer-perceived mutual obligations." If upper-level administrators are ignoring their end of the mutual obligations, they will not get positive results. This is something we have seen repeatedly over the last twenty or more years: when faculty feel like their buy-in is not going to get them anything useful in return, they won't do it. The implied threat of "we can find someone else, there are lots of adjuncts who want jobs" rings hollow, though, because we are not a closed society --word gets out when a place is not a good place to work, and we have trouble attracting quality applicants. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Finally, the community at large is a customer base unto itself irrespective of the students. If the college is not providing added value, they will not support the college. This is why it is critical that the college maintain a good public image --and that means being honest and open and admitting mistakes when they occur. </span></span></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-55432548855459358642021-07-04T09:16:00.005-05:002021-07-04T09:16:55.345-05:00We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>That all are created equal</li><li>That we are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights</li><li>That among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness</li><li>That when people complain about this country being a failure, most of them are at heart longing to make those words live and breathe in the world around them</li><li>That there are scoundrels out there who would twist that disappointment to their own ends</li><li>That the cure is oftimes worse than the disease, insofar as what the scoundrels would have of us</li><li>That when they move to create silence, they do not have your best interests at heart</li><li>That when good people do nothing, the nothing will consume all</li></ul><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-49698176579700697692021-06-26T07:26:00.002-05:002021-06-26T07:26:44.432-05:00More Wisdom!<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Orwell was right about so many things, it scares me a lot of the time. </li><li>"Four legs good, two legs bad" has a modern equivalent; I leave it to you to discern its identity.</li><li>Bonus points: notice it's already begun a transition to "Two legs better!" It's subtle, but I assure you that it's happening.</li><li>Avoid making policies that are designed to remedy bad management. The solution is better management. The more policies, the more lawyers.</li><li><i>Illegitimi non carborundum</i> may be bad Latin, but it's still good philosophy.</li><li>It's rarely too late to do the right thing, but it helps to start early.</li><li>Maintain a wide circle, it broadens the perspective and enhances accuracy. It's still okay to keep your own counsel, though.</li></ul><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-44463094506323346062021-06-15T06:54:00.003-05:002021-06-15T06:54:36.362-05:00"Yes, yes, yes, I heard. Stop bugging me."<p>There appears to be a scandal in the offing just now, and sadly, I know some of the involved parties. For that reason, I cannot make public comment, and I'm tired of answering the phone and text messages. What's done, is done. So what have we learned?</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Little Brain is evil. Don't trust Little Brain.</li><li>Thorough background checks are never a bad idea for anyone.</li><li>Tell the truth early and often, because once you lie, it's over.</li><li>Document, document, document.</li><li>Fight like hell, but do what's right, and you will sleep well through the night.</li></ul><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-45104438181467418602021-06-07T06:25:00.003-05:002021-06-07T06:25:51.164-05:00Wisdom!<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If you go to bed at 7pm, you should not be surprised by waking up at 2am. </li><li>Your students will not read the Syllabus unless you make them.</li><li>No matter how early you login to make tweaks to your course, there will always be at least a few students who already go in and are asking questions.</li><li>Everyone likes tomatoes. They are less eager for squash.</li><li>Idle hands are the devil's workshop; idle feet walk the road from Matt Smith to Matt Berry. (nb both are fantastic)</li></ul><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-44311124887065647952021-05-27T09:27:00.001-05:002021-05-27T09:27:13.959-05:00Gardening at night is never where...<p> ...you want to be at any other time of the year except now. We are now entering the "get it done before 9" portion of the summer, and that occasionally is going to mean low-light situations. But it has to be done. Now that I have downtime, I am starting to get things cleaned up thoroughly from the freeze. It's too much to do in one day, even working through the mid-day sun. So I break it up into sections. </p><p>Today was preliminary weeding in the Near Yard (as opposed to the Front Yard and the Far Yard), and that ended up involving the flamethrower ("Dracaris!") I couldn't go all-out on the patio because the Bermuda grass is finally showing signs of life and I want it to take over between the flagstones. Also, the shrimp plant has recovered and is going to remain the centerpiece of its bed, so no mass-flaming there. </p><p>In theory, I should be also working on syllabi, reading, and doing a grade appeal panel, while dealing with larger integrity issues across the college. I am, in fact, but I'm very non-linear in my approach. </p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-24753433670349984152021-05-17T06:10:00.000-05:002021-05-17T06:10:35.610-05:00The rare moment of quiet<p>For absolutely no reason, I got up before the Mrs. today. I would have gone for a ride, except it takes me about an hour to be fully ready, and by then I am on household duty in case Boy wakes up early and decides to turn on the TV.</p><p>There's only so much one man can do around the house until he annoys his still-somnambulant spouse. Laundry has its limits, as does policing the kitchen. In the end, the office is still the safest refuge, at least until the coffee is ready for sharing (two Splendas, whipped cream on top --I take mine straight, the way God and Mom intended).</p><p>Grades were posted at 5:45am, and files uploaded shortly thereafter to the departmental server. Enough of you have heard my semi-annual tirade about how this is NOT 1997 and most of this is pure kabuki BS, so I will spare you all but the details: Canvas plus PeopleSoft plus auto-generated reports from the Registrar equals much less work for faculty IF people become even halfway aware of how things work.</p><p>So I am done, at least until students actually notice their grades and start whining. And it is at this point that they all get reminded of what I said on the very first day: "The time to worry about your average is today, not the end of the semester, and certainly not the day after the semester ends." </p><p>Meantime, I drink my coffee in peace. </p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-63369709432555398152021-05-07T15:54:00.008-05:002021-05-17T06:10:50.767-05:00An Open Letter On Shared Governance<div style="text-align: left;">To: my HCC colleagues, including admins and Trustees but primarily faculty<br />Re: Shared Governance</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">“David, why is shared governance eroding?”</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Shared governance is eroding because there are those in the administration who believe that faculty will always do what is mandated, without complaint. If the mandates were mostly reasonable, or could be shown to produce demonstrably positive outcomes, that would be one thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But increasingly they are not so.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Yes, the Senate speaks out when we see questionable things, but there is a distinct impression that we are merely rabble-rousers.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">I really don't want to get into personalities, because multiple fingers can be pointed at multiple people.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Ultimately, though, it comes back to "rank-and-file" faculty basically not speaking up.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Leaders believe it's just the same group of people, always causing problems and making mountains out of molehills.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Yes, I speak loudly and often, perhaps too much so.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I'll own it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But if I don't speak, who will?</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">The Board, I feel, sometimes believes faculty are only self-interested, and have begun to ignore us. Again, part of this is because they are used to seeing the same people making the same complaints. This must end.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Board will eventually meet in-person once again. When they do, we need to be there, and not just “the usual suspects.”</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Those of us fighting the fight for shared governance are not in this for our own hind ends, or to advance our careers.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We are in this because at the heart of shared governance is the <i>a priori</i> tenet that faculty are the experts in dealing with students, and that the things we bring forward are going affect the students at some point.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">True, HCC has traditionally been an exemplar in shared governance. Faculty here have had a louder voice than at our neighbors' joints.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Yet our peers also teach us something: happy faculty mean better outcomes.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No, that's not a demand to "pay us or we'll do lousy jobs." Being happy faculty is more than just being well-compensated.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It's about feeling valued as part of the institution.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">When you love going to your job (or, <i>pace</i> Covid, logging in to your job), you can accept certain trade-offs.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>One of the trade-offs we at HCC have historically made is that we aren't paid as much as our friends at Austin CC, or Tarrant County, or Alamo.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But we can't do all of the giving here.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We can't lose our voice in helping run the college AND be paid less AND be made to do things which will ultimately hurt our students, all good intentions notwithstanding.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">If regular faculty sit by and let these things happen, or rely on the same folks to fight their fights, it's all going to keep going downhill. And I cannot fight alone. I'm tired.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I should be up at the lake, doing a lot more fishing and cigar-smoking and grading.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">But not yet. </span>I will be heard instead. Here I stand, I can do no other.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Join me.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">--David</span></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-37613909840617522952021-05-05T07:14:00.001-05:002021-05-17T06:11:13.771-05:00Some of the Austrians have already said we're entering Weimar territory. They may be right.<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw, Arial, Gadget; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://reason.com/2021/05/05/looming-budget-catastrophe-in-pictures-so-simple-even-congress-can-understand/" target="_blank">Looming Budget Catastrophe in Pictures So Simple Even Congress Can Understand </a> --Reason.com</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw, Arial, Gadget; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw, Arial, Gadget; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Read the whole thing, as <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/" target="_blank">The Man</a> might say. But then go starting looking at <a href="https://mises.org/" target="_blank">these folks</a> at the Mises Institute. The Austrians have long warned that inflationary effects usually benefit those nearest the spigot, and that when they have exacted all the benefit they can from it, they turn the spigot off to stop the flooding from reaching their doorsteps. We may be seeing this now, as even the Fed is starting to say that interest rates may need to rise to stop inflation.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw, Arial, Gadget; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw, Arial, Gadget; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hey, I remember the Seventies vividly. Inflation is for tires, not for people.</span></div>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-68810594124646604642021-04-20T07:43:00.001-05:002021-04-20T07:43:36.067-05:00Things are quiet when you're watching and waiting.<p> There's just not that much good news to report these days, other than I did NOT ruin a tire on my first long ride in a month (mind you, it did cut the ride short, literally). </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Today's word is "necrosis," as in "tomato apex necrosis." Look it up, it's totally a thing (that's driving me nuts).</li><li>Still no one remembers the Soviet Union, or Pravda, or Solzhenytsin. I, however, am becoming familiar with the concept of samizdat. </li><li>I don't speak thirteen-year-old-girl, I speak Dad. You learn my language, not vice-versa. I will still fight rabid wolverines blindfolded for you, however. </li><li>I may have to buy a dredge. No, seriously. They can be had for under five grand, they float, and this might be a long-term solution to my vexing problem.</li></ul><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-35625827220803751612021-04-14T12:59:00.001-05:002021-04-14T12:59:09.089-05:00This is the coolness you didn't realize you were lacking, until now.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nYUbUl8onqg" width="320" youtube-src-id="nYUbUl8onqg"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-57814839578377755542021-03-13T08:22:00.000-06:002021-03-13T08:22:26.580-06:00To be honest, an honest appraisal of Covid will take at least twenty years...<!DOCTYPE html>
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<p> --and that's assuming the historians haven't fully become an arm of
the state/establishment. But that's a concern for another
day. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/03/is-covid-almost-over-2.php"
target="_blank">Is
Covid Almost Over? (Powerline.com):</a></p>
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<p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;">All
of that said, the Wuhan bug has in fact increased the number of
Americans who have died over the past year. The best index of
covid’s impact is, I think, the number of excess deaths over a
demographically predicted norm. I have little faith in the CDC, a
thoroughly politicized organization, but I assume they can aggregate
local death statistics with reasonable accuracy, and this is </span><a
href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm#dashboard"
style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #5873c1; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">what
they report</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;"><i>.
The chart shows deaths from all causes. </i></span></p>
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<blockquote><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;">Contrary
to what some have suggested, covid has actually led to a substantial
number of excess deaths compared to a demographic norm over the past
year. But what is notable about this chart is that the number of
excess deaths is sinking like a stone. What will be interesting to
follow over the coming months is whether the total number of deaths
declines </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">below</span><span
style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;"> </span><span
style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;">the
demographic norm. </span> </i></blockquote>
<blockquote><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;"><i>Why
might this happen? Because most covid victims are people who were
likely to die soon in any event, but whose death may have been
accelerated by the Wuhan flu. I suspect that most Wuhan victims would
have died a few months later, or perhaps a year or two later,
regardless of covid.</i></span></blockquote>
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<blockquote><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;">If
that hypothesis is correct, over the next year or two we should see
overall mortality falling </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">below</span><span
style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "bitstream charter", serif; font-size: 14.04px;"> the
currently predicted norm.</span> <br>
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<p>In a completely detached world, I compare this to "Cash-for-Clunkers"
where new car sales accelerated, only to be met by a(n
unanticipated-by-everyone-but-rational-economists) extended slump in the
months following the end of the program. </p>
<p>Covid is not a hoax, and I have lost friends to this virus. But
never lose sight of the long-term, particularly with the arguments in mind
made by Robert Higgs (see previous Mojo Bison Range's entry).</p>
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Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-53809755489748980152021-03-04T11:54:00.000-06:002021-03-04T11:54:01.322-06:00What Rothbard's Defense of Religion Teaches Us about Resisting the Covid State<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: crimson_text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://mises.org/wire/what-rothbards-defense-religion-teaches-us-about-resisting-covid-state" target="_blank">What Rothbard's Defense of Religion Teaches Us about Resisting the Covid State</a> --Mises.org</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: crimson_text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #494e54; font-family: myriad-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 12.5px;"> ...the notion that our traditions and culture are both glorious and under attack is not obvious to even some Rothbardians, although it is true. If that goes ignored, then the long-term optimism Rothbard personified will become vacuous.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #494e54; font-family: myriad-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 12.5px;">Individual resistance is great, and it can even be brave and heroic in the covid era, but it should not be the essence of any long-term strategy for libertarian victory. Institutional resistance, on the other hand, ought to take precedence.<span style="font-family: crimson_text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #494e54; font-family: myriad-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 12.5px;">...</p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #494e54; font-family: myriad-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 12.5px;">Rothbard would’ve turned ninety-five this week. As we look back on his treasure trove of work, let’s pay special attention to his insights that most ring true for a new libertarian strategy going forward.</p><p><span style="color: #494e54; font-family: myriad-pro, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">That may call for us thrusting ourselves into the institutions that have deteriorated over the last century or more but whose fires are not out yet. Free-thinking individuals with an appreciation for institution formation can be the oxygen to fuel their embers.</span> </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p> Yeah, but I'm getting tired of being the Lone Ranger.</p></div>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-58604588644559979932021-02-25T07:29:00.006-06:002021-05-17T06:11:52.288-05:00This, This, Ten Thousand Times This!<p><b><a href="https://www.thenewneo.com/2021/02/24/why-didnt-more-professors-oppose-the-gramscian-march-or-at-least-stick-up-for-free-speech/" target="_blank">Why didn’t more professors oppose the Gramscian march or at least stick up for free speech?</a> (NewNeo)</b></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif;"><i>(4) For the most part, professors are people who have done well in school and never left it, staying to take on more power and prestige within that setting. Therefore I don’t think they are selected for courage, or for even necessarily for thinking for themselves (with exceptions, of course). For the most part, they have been very good at taking in information and then giving it back again, perhaps with a small advancement on current knowledge in a very circumscribed field. So there may be more people in academia who are selected for conformity, and they are less likely to buck the prevailing winds. </i></span></blockquote><p>Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my world. It all ultimately goes back to my assertion years ago that the intellectuals are still having a hissy-fit that the Age of Reason did not end with them becoming philosopher-kings, but with the rise of industrialists. Of course, now that they are moving to control the institutions, they are becoming the very aristocracy (complete with birthrights!) their ancestors wanted gone. If they're lucky, they will realize their mistake before the Montagnards show up. </p><p></p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-1779985501392903462021-02-22T08:07:00.001-06:002021-02-22T09:09:04.384-06:00My Eventual Future: Dissident<p> </p><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="post-title__text blog-post-title-font blog-post-title-color" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.brenthamachek.com/post/understanding-and-embracing-the-role-of-the-21st-century-american-dissident" target="_blank">Understanding and Embracing the Role of the 21st-Century American Dissident</a></span></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #0c3c60; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><blockquote><p class="XzvDs _208Ie ljrnk blog-post-text-font blog-post-text-color _2QAo- _25MYV _1Fao9 ljrnk public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-4un8e" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: var(--ricos-custom-p-color,unset); direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="vkIF2 public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>We need to awaken to the reality that we are not a majority. We are not a vocal minority with the same rights as the majority. We are now dissidents. We do not have the same voice as our ever-strengthening oppressors, and we do not have the same rights that they enjoy. </i><span style="font-style: inherit;"> (NB don't just read this quote; go click the link and see all of it)</span></span></p></blockquote></div></blockquote><p>I have increasingly few illusions about my long-term prospects. At some point, there will be a version of a loyalty test instituted for academics (it's already being contested at some schools), and failure to swear allegiance will mean non-renewal. And the very historians who tut-tut the whole McCarthy era will be the ones who flock most readily to it and be willing to denounce their neighbors as subversives. </p><p>No, they're not the ones who distress me. I had their number years ago. It's the ones of you who privately tell me that you have reservations but do not speak and do not act, relying upon me to use my abilities to fight the fight. </p><p>It is no longer enough. Either I will go to my tent like Achilles, or into exile like Yoda. I am fortunate in that I do have the ability to walk away and reinvent myself. I've done it before, I can do it again. But most of you don't have that luxury. </p><p>And do not assume the revolution will not come for you. The Montagnards always come for the Girondists.</p></div>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-53587960816551492542021-02-01T09:08:00.003-06:002021-02-01T09:08:46.443-06:00Posted without further comment<p> </p><header><h1 class="huwp7ir"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-it-pays-to-be-grumpy-and-bad-tempered?utm_source=pocket-newtab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why It Pays to Be Grumpy and Bad-Tempered</a></span></span></h1><h2 class="dbjv4gk"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-it-pays-to-be-grumpy-and-bad-tempered?utm_source=pocket-newtab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Being
bad-tempered and pessimistic helps you to earn more, live longer and
enjoy a healthier marriage. It’s almost enough to put a smile on the
dourest of faces.</a></span></span></h2></header>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-21593020408572171102021-02-01T08:25:00.005-06:002021-02-01T08:25:51.535-06:00I've always enjoyed the Peter Principle and hated experts<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="When the Experts Fail, Everyone Else Pays the Price What happens when the most respected authorities get it wrong and ruin lives and economies? Not much." target="_blank">When the Experts Fail, Everyone Else Pays the Price -- David Mamet (WSJ</a>)</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.013em; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> The virus here is government—or at least the incompetents who advise our rulers and cannot admit the legitimacy of dissension. Absent intervention, this virus may eventually kill the host organism. </div></blockquote><p>God, I love Mamet! It's a pity he's mostly Out Of Favor nowadays. This article speaks to so much of what I have seen in government and academia. But Mamet curiously omits any mention of the Peter Principle: in any organization, individuals tend to rise to their level of incompetence. So it is with government agencies. Dr. Fauci comes to mind. The Right is not immune to this sort of thing, but since the Right is currently out of power, we will ignore them for now. </p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-8960281562472204192021-01-31T09:30:00.006-06:002021-01-31T09:43:38.046-06:00As Tom Brady Reaches His 10th Super Bowl, Does Inequality Still Bother You? (AIER)<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.aier.org/article/as-tom-brady-reaches-his-10th-super-bowl-does-inequality-still-bother-you/">As Tom Brady Reaches His 10th Super Bowl, Does Inequality Still Bother You?</a>: "The unequal elevate those around them. Does anyone think the Patriots would have missed the playoffs had Brady stayed? Does anyone think the Buccaneers would be in the Super Bowl without Brady? Let’s be serious." ~ John Tamny</blockquote><p> Ya know, a similar thread popped up this morning whilst shoveling soil (Mrs. Mojo was admitting she liked it when I did "manly work") and we somehow got off onto G/T education and equity. The bottom line is that when you are way out on a distribution tail, it's tougher than it looks.</p>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715996605820386365.post-91022384985635226202021-01-30T08:36:00.005-06:002021-01-30T08:37:02.384-06:00The co-optation of the media by the Left goes much further back<p> </p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw, Arial, Gadget; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://reason.com/2021/01/30/the-sordid-history-of-the-fairness-doctrine/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">The Sordid History of the Fairness Doctrine --Reason.com</span></a></h2><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: itc-slimbach, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Despite its evocative name, the Fairness Doctrine was primarily a tool wielded by established political interests to suppress unwelcome speech."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: itc-slimbach, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: itc-slimbach, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is a useful read, but it is only one part of the entire picture. While we can argue about press manipulation going back to McKinley and even Lincoln during the war, it would be the Progressives who would take it to the next level. FDR, of course, would set the gold standard for how to shape and control the media. Kennedy wasn't all that far behind, either. The genius of Reagan and (!?) Trump was that they used media in spite of the engrained opposition and not with its tacit support. </span></div>Professor Mojohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09285987759839613252noreply@blogger.com0