What the Heck is Going On Out Here?

The Schloss-Blog is wondering about a few things going on out there.

For instance, why does Russia still have a team in the Olympics?

Yeah, yeah, I know, no uniforms, no "national identify," no national anthem at medal ceremonies. But they can call it ROC or Monte Rock or Rock Hudson or Rocky Balboa or Rock of Ages.

It's still a team that dopes. And that should disqualify all of it.

I mean, Kamila Valieva should not only have been banned from the skating competition, she should have been suspended from her junior high school.

***

According to the NY Times, San Francisco school board members were recently ousted in a recall vote, in part for calling for changes in some school names that had monikers reflecting 'reactionaries.' Those names: Paul Revere, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Senator Dianne Feinstein and John Muir, the environmentalist. 

Here comes Glenn Youngkin High School.

***

For those who love the "Law & Order" franchise of shows (Couch, Graham), two have recently been halted in development.

In particular, one was about "Law & Order: Hate Crimes." 

It seems test audiences - well, hated it.

***

Reportedly, there is an AI application that can generate essays, literally at the drop of a hat. Might not get everything right or the direction you need, but one thing for sure:

College students, the work will be original, so you won't get caught plagiarizing.

Where was this 40 years ago?

***

Disney is reportedly planning on building residential communities across the United States.

So, Mickey Mouse at the security gate and Donald Duck shows up when you have a plumbing problem, right?

But, be the first one on your block to tell your friends you're moving to - you guessed it - Disney Land.

Yikes!

***

Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson of the United States was banned from competing in the Summer Olympic event she probably would've won for using marijuana.

Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete in a skating event - even though she didn't win it - despite it being common knowledge she used a banned substance.

What am I missing here?

Let's face it - the Russians - otherwise known as the ROC - are the Houston Astros of figure skating, of the Olympic movement, period!

***

Recently read a design article that said a good stool can anchor your home.

I'll bet it can.

***

Families of those killed in the tragic Sandy Hook shooting recently were awarded $73 million in a settlement with gun-manufacturer Remington, who they sued as being responsible for putting the weapon in the shooter's hands.

Does anyone really think this will stop the pro-gun lobby from flooding Washington, D.C., with money to prevent getting automatic weapons off the streets and out of the hands of the Kyle Rittenhouses of the world?

Me neither.

***

George Clooney is one of the executive producers of a documentary series that will explore the supposedly lengthy sexual-abuse scandal in athletics at Ohio State.

Looking at you, "Gym" Jordan.

***

Finally, Sarah Palin lost her lawsuit against the NY Times for libel because she couldn't produce a shred of evidence that they committed "actual malice," or proof that they used information they knew to be false - deliberately - to defame her and/or cause her financial and personal harm.

She plans to appeal, possibly after appearing on Dancing With The Stars or The Masked Singer.

***

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.

Political Discourse and other legitimate things

The Schloss-Blog today is looking at "Political Discourse," especially discourse that is considered "Legitimate."

The Republican National Committee, for instance, says the Jan. 6 insurrection is "Legitimate Political Discourse."

I am personally familiar with the concept. When I was growing up, and I asked for something, say, unreasonable that supposedly all my friends were doing, my mother responded by asking me that if all my friends were jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge as a form of "legitimate political discourse," would I do it too?

That's what Kevin McCarthy and the mainstreamers in the GOP House delegation have done, in defiance of their Senate colleagues, in their endorsement of the RNC censure of Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger. And especially in their endorsement of the Jan. 6 insurrection as Legitimate Political Discourse.

They have jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge. And into the East River. Without a life jacket.

***

If Russia invades Ukraine and Americans are killed by Russian forces, what will President Biden do about it?

What would you want him to do? Would sanctions be enough or do we go to war?

***

Speaking of legitimate political discourse, that Canadian truck-driver, road-blocking protest is not a "majority" movement, About 90% of truck drivers in Canada are vaccinated. The other 10% are #COVIDiots breaking the law.

I say arrest 'em and tow their trucks to a junkyard and crush 'em.

***

Jack Sweeney is just another 19-year-old kid from Florida. But he has created an app that tracks Elon Musk's private jet everywhere it goes and easily reveals it on Twitter.

He is doing the same, reportedly, for other celebrities. For instance, he is supposedly developing other tracking mechanisms for the likes of Jeff Bezos.

Musk offered him $5,000 to stop but the kid is demanding $50,000.

Do you care where Elon Musk's private jet is at any given moment?

Neither do I.

***

I see where Trevor Bauer of the Dodgers, their multi-million-dollar pitcher, will not be charged after an investigation of sexual assault allegations against him.

Now then, not being charged doesn't mean he didn't do it. It just means in the he-said/she-said world in which we live, the guy with the high-priced attorneys is more influential than the female victim.

Like we said, Bauer is a highly paid pitcher for the Dodgers. The alleged victims have been described in media reports as "a woman from San Diego" and "an Ohio woman." That is all. 

In conclusion, again, he will not be criminally charged.

But in all likelihood, he probably did it. In all likelihood...

***

Joe Biden's critics are calling him a racist, among other things, for promising to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court. He'll name his candidate by the end of February.

Just want to get this straight - the president being labeled racist for promising to name a minority candidate to the Supreme Court.

If that makes him a racist, got to wonder what that makes Donald Trump for naming the three Musketeers to the Supreme Court that he did, a trio that would strike down abortion rights, reinforce discriminatory voting legislation and eliminate mask and vaccination mandates that would save lives across America.

Did somebody say, "racist."

***

On the lighter side, Doug Pederson has been named head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl. Good for him. Doug Pederson, head coach of the Eagles, also benched his starting quarterback in the season finale in Jan. of 2021, against Washington, and put the immortal Nate Sudfeld into a winnable game that would've put the NY Giants into the playoffs.

He wanted "a look" at his backup quarterback.

Washington won the game and went to the playoffs. Instead of what would've been the NY Giants, who Pederson and Philadelphia apparently hate.

Pederson threw the game to Washington though, making him more qualified to coach the pathetic Jaguars than a qualified Black man.

Yeah, makes sense.

***

I'm sorry, but Mikaela Shiffrin has become the Simone Biles of the Winter Games. She became NBC's face of the Games.

We saw what happened to Biles, a lovely, competent, championship-caliber young woman in every way, shape and form. And what happened to tennis-champion Naomi Asoka. 

One day, the media will realize that the famous, the high-profile and the ultra-talented female athletes of the world have the same pressures and responsibilities in life, and personal goals, that we in the proletariat do.

And respect that.

Maybe.

***

For those of you reading this, you are likely reading it on Facebook, maybe LinkedIn, where I post it as well.

I remember when I liked Facebook. A lot.

Then Wordle happened.

***

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Lady Liberty.

Apparently, reading the law, Donald Trump may never be eligible to hold office again for confiscating public records from the White House. Hoo-freaking-ray.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.

Just Wondering...

The Schloss-Blog has been cruising Facebook. It's weird. People respond to weird questions.

For instance, "What would you say to your 18-year-old self if you only three words to do it?"

Don't know about you, but I'd take a look at my 18-year-old self and say, "WTF?"

I mean, hey, your hair is a f-ckin' mess.

Happy Meals apparently never made you happy as you aged.

And you're a horny son-of-a-bitch for having gone to an all-boys high school.

Got a pretty good arm though. Ever thought about playing quarterback? 

And stop smoking, asshole.

***

I'm particularly enthralled by this Facebook post, by some marketer accumulating a database of people who answer questions like this: "What famous movie quote do you recall that doesn't give away the title of the movie?"

WTF cares?

Apparently, millions do.

Me, I went with, "You've Got To Ask Yourself One Question: 'Do I Feel Lucky? ' Well, Do Ya, Punk?'"

I saw a lot of, "Make him an offer he can't refuse," and, "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fish."

And there was plenty of, "You're gonna' need a bigger boat."

What did you go with? And why?

***

Here's an odd one that only a FEW MILLION people responded to: If you won a lifetime supply of the last thing you drank, what are you drinking?

Why do I think a lot of people lied on this one because I saw a lot of

• Stoli
• Bud
• Tangueray
• and JD..

...instead of truthful answers like

• Orange juice
• Hot chocolate
• Frappuccino (not so bad)
• Chamomile Tea
• and cough syrup.

***

Then there was the picture of the over-sized speakers you'd see at a concert, but the question was, "What would be the first song you'd play on these speakers?"

Who can resist rock 'n' roll? Not this DJ.

I went with, on those speakers, Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." All 17 minutes, including the kick-ass drum solo.

I saw some "Layla," "Already Gone" and an old fav, "That Smell" (Lynyrd Skynyrd). 

But my favorite actually was, "Rossini's William Tell Overture." On those speakers? Baby, set off the fireworks.

***

Then, finally, there's my favorite, "What goes with peanut butter?"

Millions responded to this.

Let me repeat ___ nothing! I hate peanut butter.

It sticks to your teeth and the roof of your mouth.

And it's like so many of my former girlfriends - too crunchy or too ....well, NVM.

My significant other spreads it on pretzels for a snack.

I like mayonnaise on my pretzels, but that's just a personal preference.

Hey, to each his own.

If you like peanut butter, more power to you, but, as rock 'n' roll royalty the Marathons once said:

There's a food goin' around that's a sticky sticky goo
(Peanut, peanut butter)
Oh well it tastes real good, but it's so hard to chew
(Peanut, peanut butter)
All my friends tell me that they dig it the most
(Peanut, peanut butter)
Early in the morning when they spread it on toast
(Peanut, peanut butter)
I like peanut butter, creamy peanut butter
Chunky peanut butter too

***

Been watching Olympic hockey? The women are so good. Pinpoint passing. Emphasis on skating. Checking but no hitting allowed like in the men's game. Over-sized, rink, which puts a premium on skating and stick-handling.

The men's game will be similar, but with full-bore checking, of course. Still, it shows why being a hockey player instead of an enforcer or goon is where the game is at, or should be.

Quite frankly, it looked like a bunch of hockey goons who stormed the U.S. Capitol last Jan. 6.

***

And this commercial note: In the Chevy Equinox commercial, where the couple driving around is discussing what to have for lunch, the husband suggests, "Sushi."

The wife replies: "I had sushi yesterday."

The husband suggests, "Seafood."

The wife replies, "You know I hate seafood."

Really? Then why, whoever wrote this script, did she have sushi yesterday?

Yes, somebody got paid to write that.

***

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.

Predictions and Batting Averages

Before the Schloss-Blog gets into this week's topic, Making Predictions, just wanted to note that last week's reference and feedback about peanut butter is much appreciated, However, no further comments. It's just too sticky.

***

Today, the Schloss-Blog is wondering how people make predictions.

For instance, so-called "experts" tell us now that, in all likelihood, one in five of us will get COVID, one variant or another. Eventually.

In Major League Baseball, one in five is hitting .200 and gets you released or sent to the minors. In the world of science and medicine, one in five is the all-star, rock-star stratosphere.

***

Our diplomatic and political pundits and leaders "predict" that Russia will eventually invade Ukraine, be it by "minor incursion" or another way.

Maybe militarily. Economically. "Cybernetically." Intimidatingly.

But they will. Even Biden says so.

And if Putin dares carry it out, the Western world will respond with swift and dynamic economic sanctions.

If you believe that Putin and his ultra-rich oligarchs are afraid of even the most dire economic sanctions, you've got to be kidding yourself. They've gotten around them before and they'll get around them again.

And the Russian people will be the ones who suffer, the peons of the proletariat, who will fell the trickle-down impact from any economic sanctions placed on the country, And Ukraine will suffer Russia's oversight.

On the bright side, Trump would've already let Putin invade.

***

Our financial and economic leaders, and politicians who think they're experts, predict that inflation will ebb and we'll be fine.

Prices will return to some degree of normalcy and we'll spend the summer happily frolicking on things we can afford by then.

On what? Gas? Utilities? Entertainment? Automobiles? Anything with a semiconductor chip? Airline flights that don't cost an arm? Or a wing?

Don't worry - just go to Buffalo Wild Wings, party on and watch your favorite games, and keep going until you get a DUI on the way home.

***

Beyond COVID, whatever affliction you may have has a med to treat it, cure it, help you live longer, play with your grandchildren and, science and medicine predict, run a marathon.

All in the same day.

Do they have one to fix Russia?

***

Republican experts predict that Trump won the 2020 election, that there was massive fraud and everything was wrong.

Meanwhile, if you examine all the lawsuits that were filed challenging all the results wherever they were filed, not one offered evidence of fraud.

Not one.

That's because there's no evidence of fraud. None. Zero. Zilch. And that's why they were all dismissed, out of hand, every single one of them, by the judges handling the respective cases, all 60-something of them.

Yet, Trump and his trashy sycophants like Kari Lake (news anchor-turned-gubernatorial candidate in Arizona) are saying Trump won and there had to be the massive fraud that Trump claims in speeches but not in court filings.

Republicans are assholes.

***

Like Trump, Aaron Rodgers is a fraud too. He predicted that he was immunized from COVID but in reality was immunized from worms that sicken animals, particularly horses. 

Rodgers, immunized, failed his team and its fans with his performance in their playoff loss to San Francisco. He didn't put enough points on the board to win.

Jimmy Garoppolo, who makes almost as much as Rodgers but will likely never be MVP like Rodgers, did put up enough points, with the help of his defense and special teams. Rodgers made $33.5 million this season. Garoppolo only made a measly $27.5 million, by comparison.

Garoppolo is playing in the NFC Championship game. Rodgers isn't.

Yet, despite both of their relative successes, they could both be on different teams next season, as younger understudies await for both franchises. Looks like some team or another will be getting its 30 million dollars' worth.

More or less

***

Speaking of frauds, despite predicitions it wouldn't happen, Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against the NY Times was to go to trial this week, save for her testing positive. For the virus too. But defamation, "actual malice," that the Times deliberately used information it knew to be false to malign her, is very difficult to prove.

Sarah Palin is the definition of "walking defamation" anyway." Speaking of not speaking the truth, she is on record saying Trump didn't lose the 2020 election.

***

The Supreme Court, defying predictions, will hear a case challenging affirmative action at Harvard and at the University of North Carolina. 

For its next case, the court will consider claims that the Confederacy won the Civil War.

***

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.

Get vaccinated and 'boostered,' please.